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Questions and Answers
Emergent change arises out of experimentation and adaptation within the organization.
Emergent change arises out of experimentation and adaptation within the organization.
True
Radical change involves major shifts in business strategy and revolutionary changes throughout the organization.
Radical change involves major shifts in business strategy and revolutionary changes throughout the organization.
True
Planned change is a deliberate action designed to move an organization from one state to another with discrete beginning and end points.
Planned change is a deliberate action designed to move an organization from one state to another with discrete beginning and end points.
True
Convergent change is the adjustment of an existing configuration without changing the organizational template.
Convergent change is the adjustment of an existing configuration without changing the organizational template.
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Evolutionary change refers to the slow adaptation of existing systems or structures.
Evolutionary change refers to the slow adaptation of existing systems or structures.
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Organizations go through five distinct growth phases, each associated with a different growth period and a crisis period.
Organizations go through five distinct growth phases, each associated with a different growth period and a crisis period.
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Complexity theory is primarily based on chaos theory, dissipative structures, and complex adaptive structures.
Complexity theory is primarily based on chaos theory, dissipative structures, and complex adaptive structures.
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The shadow system can coexist with the legitimate system, destabilizing the organization's equilibrium.
The shadow system can coexist with the legitimate system, destabilizing the organization's equilibrium.
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Logical incrementalism is a process of strategy evolution that is based on a certain logic of thinking and is incremental in its ability to adapt to new information.
Logical incrementalism is a process of strategy evolution that is based on a certain logic of thinking and is incremental in its ability to adapt to new information.
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The change-leads-to-more-change assumption suggests that the more an organization changes, the less it learns about how to do it successfully.
The change-leads-to-more-change assumption suggests that the more an organization changes, the less it learns about how to do it successfully.
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Diagnosing change situations is not essential for organizations to respond effectively.
Diagnosing change situations is not essential for organizations to respond effectively.
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Strebel's evolving cycle of competitive behavior does not introduce the concept of 'breakpoints'
Strebel's evolving cycle of competitive behavior does not introduce the concept of 'breakpoints'
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Breakpoints can only be convergent, resulting in improved systems and processes.
Breakpoints can only be convergent, resulting in improved systems and processes.
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Signals for convergence include declining customers and increased bargaining power for distributors.
Signals for convergence include declining customers and increased bargaining power for distributors.
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Managers may perceive 'hard' problems as unclear, involving many people, and not having clear solutions.
Managers may perceive 'hard' problems as unclear, involving many people, and not having clear solutions.
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Grundy considered three varieties of change: smooth incremental change, bumpy incremental change, and discontinuous change.
Grundy considered three varieties of change: smooth incremental change, bumpy incremental change, and discontinuous change.
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Smooth incremental change evolves rapidly in a systematic and predictable way in developed economies.
Smooth incremental change evolves rapidly in a systematic and predictable way in developed economies.
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Bumpy incremental change is characterized by periods of relative calm, punctuated by acceleration in the pace of change.
Bumpy incremental change is characterized by periods of relative calm, punctuated by acceleration in the pace of change.
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Discontinuous change is marked by rapid shifts in strategy, structure, or culture, or in all three.
Discontinuous change is marked by rapid shifts in strategy, structure, or culture, or in all three.
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Organizational development (OD) is an integrated framework of theories and practices capable of solving most of the important problems confronting the human side of organizations.
Organizational development (OD) is an integrated framework of theories and practices capable of solving most of the important problems confronting the human side of organizations.
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Hard problems tend to have known timescales, be bounded, and have minimal interactions with the environment.
Hard problems tend to have known timescales, be bounded, and have minimal interactions with the environment.
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Messes are unbounded, have serious implications, and cannot be separated from their context.
Messes are unbounded, have serious implications, and cannot be separated from their context.
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The TROPICS test can accurately determine the nature of a problem.
The TROPICS test can accurately determine the nature of a problem.
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Messes have little agreement on what constitutes the problem and will be solved quickly.
Messes have little agreement on what constitutes the problem and will be solved quickly.
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The change spectrum can help identify whether a change situation is characterized by hard or soft complexity.
The change spectrum can help identify whether a change situation is characterized by hard or soft complexity.
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Study Notes
- Transformational changes in organizations, such as new strategies, structures, and processes, often occur at a "tipping point" or a significant event that triggers a shift.
- The idea of a tipping point is a concept from complexity theory. It refers to a series of events leading up to a critical point where change becomes inevitable.
- Diagnosing change situations is essential for organizations to respond effectively. Tools to help include Greiner's organizational life cycle model, stakeholder analysis, and SWOT analysis.
- Multiple-cause diagrams can help identify causal relationships between events leading to change.
- Strebel's evolving cycle of competitive behavior introduces the concept of "breakpoints," which are phases where organizations must change strategies to adapt to competitor behavior.
- The cycle consists of an innovation phase, where a new business opportunity arises, triggering a divergence in competitor behavior. This is followed by a convergence phase, where the least efficient competitors are eliminated, and the industry consolidates.
- Breakpoints can be divergent, resulting in new offerings, or convergent, resulting in improved systems and processes.
- Formal and informal systems are necessary for organizations to identify breakpoints effectively.
- Signals for convergence include competitors offering similar products and services, declining customers, and increased bargaining power for distributors.
- Signals for divergence include a saturated market, increasing competition from new entrants, and declining returns for competitors.
- Some signals may not be easily categorized as either convergent or divergent, and managers may perceive them as "hard" or "messy" problems.
- "Hard" problems have clear priorities, quantifiable objectives, and a systems/technical orientation, while "messy" problems are unclear, may involve many people, and may not have clear solutions.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the dynamics of organizational strategy with this quiz. The quiz covers the emergence and evolution of strategies within different groupings of people, power dynamics, information access, time spans, and parochial interests in an organization.
