A) Which of the following options properly identifies external and
internal forces which drive change? (Points : 7)
External forces for
change are totally environmental; internal forces for change are more
economic.
An internal force for change is a lack of diversity in
the make-up of the senior management, whereas an external force for change is
a lawsuit by the EEOC requiring the management to correct diversity failure
in the company.
Internal forces for change tend to create a faster
change than external forces for change.
The mimetic isomorphism pressure to change was seen
when Sarbanes Oxley was passed in order to ensure that an Enron-like scenario
never happened again. This was an external vs. internal force for change.
None of the above
Question 2.2.(TCO A) Which of the following best shows forces
for change vs. forces for stability? (Points : 7)
Change forces are:
adapting, sustaining, and predicting; whereas stability forces are:
bureaucracy, trust, and control.
Change forces include: lay-offs, IPOs, and inventing
new products; whereas stability forces are: hiring, stock buy-backs, and
regular yearly dividends.
Change forces include: lay-offs, stock buy-backs, and
bi-annual new models of iPhones; whereas stability forces are hiring freezes,
bureaucracy, and regular yearly dividends.
Change forces include: Harry Potter Park at Universal
Studios, Walt Disney Cruise Lines, and McDonald’s lattes; and stability
forces are Cruise ship sinking at Giglio Island, bridging and buffering
strategies, and JetBlue’s public apology after the Valentine’s Day fiasco.
Both A and C
Question 3.3.(TCO B) Which of the following best defines the
“7-S” model of diagnosing change? (Points : 7)
Includes purpose,
structure, rewards, and helpful mechanisms
Is based on the conceptualization of the organization
as a transformation process
Can be a starting point for an organization that has
not given attention to the trends that may impact its future operations
Includes strategy, structure, process, and lateral
capability
Includes structure, style, skills, super-ordinate
goals, etc.
Question 4.4.(TCO B) Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline
created a powerful lens for empowering change in organizations
called(Points : 7)
inputs/outputs/throughputs.
logical reasoning from deduction.
systems thinking.
transformational lenses.
the Black Box model.
Question 5.5.(TCO C) The “nurturer” image of change agent
will change focus when she moves from “change sponsor” to “change
implementer” in the following way(s): (Points : 7)
A nurturer will be the
planner, the instigator, and the decision maker for change so when she
changes focus, she will ensure everyone follows the plan without determining
or considering the results on people.
A nurturer will accept her role as sponsor and
implementer and ensure her direct reports do the same.
A nurturer, like a caretaker, assumes that change
managers receive rather than initiate change, and therefore has little role
in implementation other than protection.
A nurturer, like Kotter’s theoretical manager Jim
Kirk, will accept the change plan, initiate the change boldly, and ensure a
new structure is determined through the project.
All of the above
Question 6.6.(TCO C) The four-frame model of diagnosing
change stems from the belief of its inventors that leaders in organizations
must (Points : 7)
understand that not
everyone in an organization is ready to be asked to step up to the plate as a
change agent.
review the landscape, picture the new landscape, mold
the new landscape, and freeze the new landscape.
stop using the human resource department as change
managers.
accept that project managers may be the best change
agents for all organizations.
unlock their perceptions, review their biases, and
reinterpret the organization through different lenses without “blind spots”.
Question 7.7.(TCO D)The actions of a visionary leader casting
appropriate roles, engaging in dialogue to create message appeal, and
directing the change through verbal and non-verbal behaviors is called (Points
: 7)
scripting.
performing.
staging.
norming.
framing.
Question 8.8.(TCO F) Emotional intelligence domains help us
determine when a person, or potential change agent, is ready for
leadership. We know that people have reached the “self-management stage”
when (Points : 7)
they are honest, keep
their emotions under control, but are able to selflessly recognize that
almost every situation is going to end up unfavorable to the company.
they build bonds, resolve conflict, and pass
competency tests for having “great intuitive” powers.
they exhibit integrity, initiative, and optimism.
they know their own limitations.
they are self-confident but not arrogant.
Question 9.9.(TCO G) The “inspirational leadership” style of
communicating change as described by Reardon and Reardon states that a
leader’s communication strategy for successful change will do the
following: (Points : 7)
create consensus; the
main communication process is simply involvement.
focus on performance and results orientation; the
communication will direct people toward tasks.
totally and irrationally immerse him/herself in the
overwhelming amount of change to enact, the leader will spray information
about the change daily and pray that others will take the message and run,
inspiring others to act accordingly.
develop a vision of the future and encourage a
cohesive community of other change leaders who will support the vision by
communication through creating trust and getting people mobilized around the
change effort.
hire a pastor to come and work with the organization.
Question 10.10.(TCO G) Crisis management communication
strategies for corporate situations which create injury or massive
environmental damage (such as the BP Gulf Oil Disaster) might include any
of the following, but almost always should include this one very important piece: (Points
: 7)
total and full denial of
blame.
shifting the blame.
apology.
shift the blame and apologize.
initial delay/silence while reviewing victim responses
to the crisis.
Question 11.11.(TCO H) In July 2006, News Corporation (owner
Rupert Murdoch) bought MySpace for $580 million. In June 2011, NC sold
MySpace for $35 million to Specific Media. News Corp has stated in various
filings that it recouped the total cost of MySpace through an ad contract
with Google, but were tired of the “headache” of the site. 8 months later,
through strategic partnerships with Facebook and Twitter, and investor
Justin Timberlake, the site started to rejuvenate. Whether it will remake
its brand remains a question. To the employees who have been with MySpace
since 2005 (pre-Murdoch days) and who remain there in 2012 in the
rejuvenation stage, the past 7 years could be described as a time of (Points
: 7)
charismatic
(inspirational) transformation.
cultural readjustments.
sustaining change.
All of the above
None of the above
Question 12.12.(TCOs A, G, H) Which of the following is an
example of the Beer, Nohria view of dimensions of change using Theory E +
Theory O combined, from a leadership perspective? (Points : 8)
The Project Manager
communicates to the software development team the timeline for a change and
the CEO asks her to speed it up by 3 weeks.
The CIO decides to move from a mainframe approach to a
PC approach, notifies all of her direct reports of the new vision,
establishes a communication plan, timeline, and project roll-out plan,
communicates the change (including positives and negatives) to stakeholders,
and establishes a metrics system where innovation, efficiencies, and positive
feedback on the project is measured and rewarded via awards, bonuses, and
perks.
A fast food company decides to remove one slice of
cheese from their cheeseburgers, although increasing the retail price by 10
cents, and has a cost savings which increases its stock price significantly.
A group of health experts touts the company as being “health conscious”
because the calorie content of the item is lowered.
The CEO of a Fortune 100 company hires a team of
consultants to take over the HR department and eliminates all in-house HR
people (about 85 employees).
A department head is invited to a meeting where he is
asked to become a change agent for an exciting new product line. He accepts
the assignment and goes back to his desk, whereupon he explains to his team
that it is likely that their jobs will disappear in the next year because of
job obsolescence, but that anyone who might like to consider helping with the
new product line may be allowed to reapply for new jobs which open up.
Question
2.2.(TCOs A,E) Your project this term asked you to compare and
contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question
will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of
your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project
companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies
you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the
score of your response.
Recall that external and internal pressures often impact implementation of
change in companies. For this question, please write an essay answering these
questions:
A. Define specific (at least 2 each) external and internal pressures that
will (or did) affect the implementation of the changes in your two companies.
(10 points)
B. Name two strategies of handling these pressures that you would (have)
suggested to the company leaders as being the most effective in managing
those pressures during the implementation phase. (10 points)
C. Defend your positions with details about why you feel your strategies
would assist with handling these pressures. (15 points)(Points : 35)
Question
3.3.(TCOs E,H) Your project this term asked you to compare and
contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question
will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of
your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project
companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies
you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the
score of your response.
Recall the article we discussed in Week 7, written by Beer and Nohria
regarding O-Change and E-Change. State the change project which was at issue
in both of your organizations you studied this term for your project. Were
these projects mainly “O-Change”, “E-Change”, or a combination of both? Why
do you think that? Use details from the article, “Cracking the Code of
Change” to support your answer and give examples from the article and from
your change project for your support.(Points : 35)
Question
4.4.(TCO All) This question does not address your course project. This
change scenario is envisioned instead, for this question. First, the
scenario, and then the question.
Scenario: You have been asked to lead a project changing the company from the
use of a performance management system/appraisal method where supervisors get
to decide the ratings and rankings of their particular direct reports and
each person’s subsequent raise amount, to a new method where “forced ranking”
is implemented. This means that Department Heads get copies of all of the
ratings of their entire department members from the supervisors, and then
rank each employee to other employees in the department, and then, each
employee is ranked throughout the company overall. The person who ultimately
determines the final rating/ranking and raise for each employee is typically
two to three levels above. The head of HR feels this will cut down on the
amount of lawsuits over unfair ratings as well as it will assist them in
ensuring parity of raises across the system. In the past, raises were all
over the board – supervisors got a pot of $ and divided it as they saw fit.
Now, they will be 1-4% - based on the final rankings done by the top
management. Supervisors will have little to no input into their team’s raises
going forward.
The question: This term, we studied organizational development theory versus
the more systematic nStep method of conducting a change process. What would
be the pros/cons of using OD theory for this change project? What would be the
pros/cons of using nStep? Which nStep method would you choose if you used
one? Of the two methods (OD or nStep), which would you recommend we use for
this particular change program? Why?(Points : 35)
Question
5.5.(TCOs C,D) Your project this term asked you to compare and
contrast two companies’ change projects or programs for change. This question
will review what you learned about the change projects in a continuation of
your project. It will ask you to apply course information to your project
companies. For your answer, be sure to reference the names of the companies
you studied in your project this term to help your instructor determine the
score of your response.
Consider ONE of your company’s change projects (not both companies – just
one.) State the company and the change process/program/project. Name the
leader of the change from that company. Answer the following questions about
that change:
A. What skill competencies related to change management did you feel the
change leader of your change exhibited well? (Consider the images of change
in your answer but don’t focus entirely on those images – discuss competencies
in change managers in this question.) Which important competencies did you
feel that leader did NOT exhibit?
B. Evaluate the leader’s implementation of the change as it compared to the
company’s vision and mission statement. Were they aligned? Did this alignment
(or misalignment) contribute to the success or failure of the change? Why or
why not? (Points : 35)
Solution: Devry HRM587 final exam