Exam 18: Organizational Change and Stress Management

Your company, Johnson Farm Products, has decided to expand its traditional business serving farm owners in order to include home gardeners in its customer base. This change is not met with enthusiasm by the sales personnel who have had good long-term relationships with area farmers. You know that the change will be difficult to implement if you cannot overcome the resistance of the sales personnel and obtain their cooperation. -You have decided to involve the sales personnel in planning for the change and in stocking appropriate new items to sell to gardeners. The method for overcoming resistance that you have chosen is ________.

After restructuring, your division has had trouble filling the open positions with appropriate candidates. The selection processes used by human resources have not yet adjusted to the new criteria required for the restructured job positions. This problem is an example of which kind of resistance to change?

________ is a method of changing behavior through unstructured group interaction.

Define change agent and describe where change is most likely to come from. Compare who is most likely to be an agent of change and who is most likely to resist change. Explain your answer.

Fony Corp., headquartered in China, is a leading manufacturer of electronic devices and solutions intended for professional markets. The company is considering upgrading the technology currently being used at Fony's manufacturing facility, located in Guangdong, that specializes in producing lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power laptops, cameras, cell phones, and other similar gadgets. The new technology is expected to increase efficiency levels and will also allow for greater adherence to quality standards. -Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument that Fony Corp. should upgrade its technology?

Organizational development (OD) is a collection of change methods that try to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being.

What are the various forces that make it necessary for organizations to change?

If individuals resisting change are included in making change decisions in an attempt to gain their support, this approach is called ________.

Which individual is least likely to accept and adapt easily to change?

Cooptation combines manipulation and participation.

Which of the following tactics for overcoming resistance to change is most likely to be beneficial when employees' fear and anxiety are high?

Which of the following steps in Kotter's eight-step plan for implementing change represents the movement stage in Lewin's three-step model?

List the eight steps in Kotter's eight-step plan for implementing change.

Which of the following is NOT an OD technique or intervention for bringing about change?

Strum Services provides content management services to major educational publishers. Due to low morale, the level of employee output has been below par, which has caused a backlog in work. -Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument to use coercive techniques in this situation?

Physicians have recommended noncompetitive physical exercise, such as aerobics, walking, jogging, swimming, and riding a bicycle, as a way to deal with excessive stress levels.

What are the various organizational sources of resistance to change?

Who is likely to act as an impediment to change in an organization?

Appreciative inquiry involves identifying and fixing problems.

Describe the various ways of overcoming resistance to change.