Question 1

TQM is highly interrelated to ________.

Accepted Answer

TQM (Total Quality Management) is highly interrelated to reengineering as both focus on improving processes and enhancing quality and efficiency within an organization.

Question 2

Which of the following defines managers meeting to discuss whether or not the organization is effectively achieving its goals?

Accepted Answer

The meeting described is an example of an organizational confrontation meeting, which is focused on identifying and addressing areas where the organization may not be effectively meeting its goals. Team building is a different type of meeting focused on improving team cohesion and communication. Organizational mirroring and process consultation are not relevant to this scenario.

Question 3

A store has received complaints from customers that the time between requesting and receiving a refund is too long. What can the store do to better serve customers?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A store has received complaints from customers...

Question 4

An organization that implements TQM:

Accepted Answer

TQM (Total Quality Management) emphasizes on involving all employees in the quality management process. In order to achieve this, employees need to be empowered and given the responsibility to improve processes, products, and services. Therefore, choice A is the correct answer. Choices B, C, and D are not correct as TQM focuses on using flexible workers, continuous improvement, and minimizing waste, rather than fixed workers, frugality/economy, and standardization.

Question 5

IBM created a new division and grouped engineers from 13 divisions. This change is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The given situation describes a restructuring, which is a common organizational change involving the reorganization of departments, workforces or business lines to better align with the company's goals and objectives. TQM (Total Quality Management) is a management approach focused on achieving continuous improvement, not organizational change. Innovation and evolutionary refer to a new product, service or idea developed by a company, not a change in the company's structure.

Question 6

Bob's subordinates think he is too demanding and too directive. Bob does not understand why they feel this way, and has hired a consultant to follow him around, attend meetings, and act as a sounding board. This is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Process consultation involves an external consultant observing and providing feedback on the behaviors and interactions within a group or organization, in order to improve effectiveness and relationships. This is exactly what Bob has done by hiring a consultant to follow him around and provide feedback on his leadership style. Quality circles involve a group of employees meeting regularly to identify and solve work-related problems. Sensitivity training aims to increase awareness of and respect for differences in individuals, and team-building focuses on improving communication and collaboration within a team. Neither of these approaches seem to be applicable to Bob's specific situation.

Question 7

A finance manager observes that return-on-investment (ROI) is only 10 percent compared to the industry average of 20 percent. The manager informs top managers about his or her observation. This organization is in which stage of the Action Research process?

Accepted Answer

The finance manager is observing and diagnosing the organization's performance in relation to industry standards. This is the first stage of the Action Research process, which involves identifying areas for improvement and opportunities for change. Once the organization has been diagnosed, the next stages would involve selecting a strategy for change, identifying obstacles to change, and eliminating those obstacles. However, based on the given information, the organization is still in the diagnosing stage.

Question 8

Workers may be uncooperative and resist change because of ________.

Accepted Answer

Workers may feel uncertain and insecure about how a change will affect their job security, responsibilities, and workload. This can lead to resistance to change as they try to protect their current situation.

Question 9

Which of the following OD techniques involves a facilitator or manager working closely with a manager on the job?

Accepted Answer

Process consultation involves a facilitator or consultant working closely with a manager on the job to help them better understand and improve their own processes and how they can work more effectively with their team. Sensitivity training involves group exercises aimed at increasing self-awareness and empathy among team members. Team building involves activities designed to improve team collaboration and communication. Mentoring involves a more experienced individual providing guidance and advice to a less experienced individual.

Question 10

________ defines a strategy for generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organization's future state.

Accepted Answer

Action research is a process of generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organization's future state. It involves identifying a problem, developing a plan to address the problem, implementing the plan, and evaluating the results.

Question 11

Why did Hallmark undergo reengineering and TQM?

Accepted Answer

Hallmark underwent reengineering and TQM because it was taking too long to go from design to production, which is a key reason for implementing such processes to improve efficiency and reduce time-to-market.

Question 12

A consultant determines that the main issue is that there are teams that have little appreciation for the goals and objectives of a department that they have to work with. The consultant would most likely recommend ________.

Accepted Answer

Organizational mirroring is a technique used to improve interdepartmental relationships by helping teams understand each other's goals and objectives, which aligns with the issue identified by the consultant.

Question 13

The primary difference between process consultation and team building is:

Accepted Answer

Teambuilding focuses on improving relationships and dynamics within the entire team, while process consultation is more about understanding and improving organizational processes and systems.

Question 14

Which of the following approaches to change entails the most risk?

Accepted Answer

Innovation entails the most risk because it involves completely new and untested ideas, products, or processes. It is often associated with high levels of uncertainty and unpredictability, and there is a greater chance of failure. The other approaches listed (reengineering, restructuring, and TQM) involve more incremental changes or improvements to existing systems and processes, and therefore carry less risk.

Question 15

"E-engineering" is ________.

Accepted Answer

E-engineering refers to the process of using all kinds of information systems to improve the performance of an organization. It is a broad term that encompasses various aspects of electronic communication, collaboration, and information management. It is not specifically related to reengineering, engineering firms, or changing task and authority relationships.

Question 16

Which of the following is not one of the OD techniques to promote change?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not one...

Question 17

The principles of total quality management do not include:

Accepted Answer

One of the principles of total quality management is to involve employees and increase their participation in the quality improvement process. However, increasing work standards and rules on the factory floor can lead to a decrease in employee morale and job satisfaction, which is not in line with the principles of TQM. Therefore, option C is not a principle of TQM.

Question 18

Restructuring often occurs because of:

Accepted Answer

Restructuring often occurs due to deteriorating performance, which can include factors such as declining sales, financial losses, outdated technologies, or organizational inefficiencies. In such cases, companies may need to reorganize their resources, processes, and strategies to address the underlying issues and improve their performance. Restructuring may also involve downsizing, outsourcing, merging with other companies, or changing the leadership or culture of the organization. While evolutionary and incremental changes can also lead to restructuring, these are usually less dramatic and may not require the same level of intervention. Similarly, while improved performance can be a goal of restructuring, it is not necessarily the reason why it is undertaken in the first place.

Question 19

________ is the process of developing new goods and services.

Accepted Answer

Innovation refers to the process of developing new goods and services. Functional reorganization, reengineering, and restructuring refer to organizational changes, but not specifically related to developing new products or services.

Question 20

Reengineering entails:

Accepted Answer

Reengineering involves fundamentally rethinking and redesigning business processes, which often means ignoring the current setup of tasks, roles, and work activities to achieve significant improvements in performance.

Quiz 10: Managing Innovation and Change