HRM 587 Week 8 Final Exam

1. (TCO 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 a company responding to identity pressures? (Points : 7) McDonalds when they started selling coffee drinks and salads Domino’s pizza’s new crust and pizza recipe Dairy Queen when it invented “the Blizzard” The Wall Street Journal when it went online All of the above

Question 3. 3. (TCO B) Which of the following best defines the “Six Box” 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) Using a model like the Burke-Litwin Model to assist with diagnosing change will help the leader to do what? (Points : 7) Create change agents who act more like caretakers than interpreters Conceptualize the change from fuzzy to a clear map Hire more employees when unemployment levels start to drop Empower change agents to increase expenses for tax reasons All of the above

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) “This organization is running like clockwork!” This statement by a company leader is likely to result in “no change” because (Points : 7) the leader is blinded by the light. the leader believes his vision and mission of the company will align when the change is over. the leader has diagnosed by image that the company needs no change. the PESTEL framework has been unchallenged for too long. brainstorming for change was uneventful.

Question 7. 7. (TCO D) The art of a leader managing the meaning of a vision for followers and aligning it with his or her values is called (Points : 7) scripting. performing. staging. norming. framing.

Question 8. 8. (TCO F) The ability to either exhibit or compartmentalize feelings and emotions in social and business settings is often described as a person’s (Points : 7) mental acuity. psychosis. emotional intelligence. level of change agent status. competence.

Question 9. 9. (TCO G) The “media richness” approach to communicating change states that (Points : 7) routine changes should be explained in “media rich” communication like simulations or “video game” style communication pieces whereas nonroutine changes should be in a leaner and more impersonal form of communication piece like an e-mail or bulletin board announcement. the use of an e-mail to explain a routine change is fine, but when nonroutine difficult management problems/changes need to be communicated, “media rich” communication like a face-to-face meeting should be considered. media richness scales start with the lowest on the scale being the most impersonal of communication methods (flyers, computer reports) and the highest on the scale being a physical presence (face-to-face communication). media richness scales start with the highest on the scale being the most impersonal of comunication methods (flyers, computer reports) and the lowest on the scale being a physical presence (face-to-face communication). Both A and D are correct and B and C are incorrect Both B and C are correct, and A and D are incorrect

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. 1. (TCO All) For the next set of questions , you will first select ONE of the TCOs of the course. Then, you will be asked to write an essay about the project you worked on this term over your two companies’ change program based on the TCO you selected above. Select the TCO your essay question will cover: