Chapter 6 Overcoming Resistance to Change TEST QUESTIONS True/False Questions 1. Resistance to change in an organization may be overt or covert. (T, easy, p. 165-166) 2. It is not unusual to find during the third phase of a life cycle of resi stance to change that the supporters of the change underestimate the extent to w hich the opposition will go to put a halt to the change. (T, easy, p. 165-166) 3. By the fourth phase of a life cycle of resistance to change, those resis ting the change will have been reduced to a point where the success of the chang e program will be assured. (F, easy, p. 165-166) 4. In the first phase of resistance to change, there is likely to be a reso lution between the forces advocating and resisting the change. (F, easy, p. 165-166) 5. All change programs will invariably go through each of the five phases o f resistance to change. (F, easy, p. 165-166) 6. Change programs will be successful if they go through the five stages of resistance to change. (F, easy, p. 165-166) 7. While initiating organization change programs, the problem most likely t o be encountered is machinery that will able to fit in or adapt to the changes. (F, easy, p. 165-167) 8. To change an organization involves modifying the culture, structure, and systems. (T, easy, p. 166-167) 9. Changing an organization involves modifying the technology more than any other variable. (F, easy, p. 167) 10. Managing change tends to be a challenge for managers but is also necessa ry for an organizationâ s survival. (T, easy, p. 167) 11. The person who will spearhead the change program is one of the most impo rtant forces in the change process. (T, easy, p. 167) 12. When a combination of an internal practitioner and an external practitio ner are used to implement the OD program, the primary responsibility for the cha nge will be upon the external practitioner who likely has more expertise and exp erience with OD. (F, moderate, p. 167) 13. A system of evaluating change is generally not important, as any change is better than no change.
(F, easy, p. 168) 14. Evaluating the change is an important force in the change process just a s is the length of time chosen to implement the change program. (T, moderate, p. 168) 15. Contrary to most peopleâ s expectations, the greater the degree of change, th e easier it is to implement the change successfully. This is most probably due t o the synergy and enthusiasm that occurs once the change process has begun. (F, moderate, p. 168-169) 16. The greater the impact on existing cultural norms, the greater the amoun t of resistance likely to emerge, and thus the greater the difficulty in impleme nting the change program. (T, easy, p. 168-169) 17. Where the change is minor but it has a large impact on the culture, the degree of resistance to change is greater than any other situation. (F, easy, p. 168-169) 18. Greater resistance to change is likely to occur when greater impact on c ultural norms is experienced. (T, easy, p. 168-169) 19. When the change to be introduced is relatively minor and the impact on t he existing culture is low, predictably there will occur the highest level of re sistance and the lowest probability of successful change than in other situation s. (F, easy, p. 168-169) 20. When change involves a significant impact on culture and structure withi n an organization, the change will be resisted but the probability of success wi ll be high. (F, easy, p. 168-169) 21. The more satisfied organization members are with the present situation, the greater will be the motivation to change as the change will be easier to acc omplish. (F, easy, p. 169) 22. Momentum toward accepting a change program will more likely occur when t op management stays out of the change program and lets lower employees freely de termine their own plans and courses of action. (F, moderate, p. 171) 23. Change occurring in one part of an organization can set off a chain reac tion that causes changes in other parts of an organization. This creates a momen tum toward acceptance of the change. (T, easy, p. 171) 24. Because the goals of the change program are worthwhile, people will natu rally support the changes. (F, easy, p. 171) 25. Restraining forces are those forces that increase the inclination of the client system to implement the proposed change program. (F, easy, p. 171-173) 26. The fear of the unknown is largely regarded as a motivating force to acc ept the change program.
(F, easy, p. 172) 27. It is doubtful that resistance to change can be predicted as most employ ees see change programs in their best interests. (F, moderate, p. 173-174) 28. Resistance to change cannot be effectively repressed in the long run. (T, moderate, p.173-174) 29. There is research evidence to support the notion that employees who have strong and open leaders are more likely to accept change than if they had leade rs who use political power in their relations with others. (T, moderate, p. 176) 30. In an effort to increase the motivation to change, the OD practitioner w ill find it helpful to arrange promotions, monetary rewards, or public recogniti on for those participating in the change program. (T, easy, p. 177) 31. Unions, as a general rule, should not be involved in a change program. (F, easy, p. 177) 32. The use of either explicit or implicit coercion is to be absolutely avoi ded in an OD program. (F, easy, p. 178) Multiple-Choice Questions 33. The problem most likely to arise in implementing an OD program is _____. a. inadequate support by top management b. overestimating the resistance to change c. communicating information to all levels of the organization d. inability to apply appropriate coercive pressure e. human resistance to change (e, moderate, p. 164-165) 34. Prior to implementing an OD strategy _____. a. potential resistance to change must be dealt with b. personal change, such as work procedures, should be brought about prior to other changes c. change on an organization level, such as changing structures, must be br ought about after other changes. d. all resistance to change must be resolved e. answers b and c (a, moderate, p. 164-165) 35. During the first phase of resistance to change, the _____. a. forces for and against the change are readily identified b. change is thoroughly understood and is rationally discussed by organizat ion members c. people in the organization either support or oppose the change d. few people who see a need for change may be openly ridiculed e. none of the above (d, moderate, p. 165-166) 36. a. b. c. d.
The last phase of the life cycle of resistance to change _____. usually denotes complete acceptance of the change is characterized by many resisters and a few believers includes as few resisters as there were advocates in the beginning determines the future success of the change program
e. none of the above (c, moderate, p. 165-166) 37. Changing an organization involves modifying the _____. a. work flow b. culture, organization system, and structure c. technology and engineering processes d. culture and management e. people and machinery (b, moderate, p. 166) 38. The person advocating and spearheading the change program may be an ____ _. a. executive or a manager b. internal or an external practitioner c. executive or an internal practitioner d. external practitioner e. internal or an external practitioner, an executive, or a manager (e, moderate, p. 167) 39. The major force(s) in the change process include _____. a. the affect on culture and the extent of change b. the time frame, advocates of change, and an evaluation of change c. holding people resisting the change responsible for their behavior d. all of the above e. answers a and b (e, moderate, p. 166-168) 40. The major force(s) in the change process include _____. a. the extent of change to be made b. the amount of time required to implement the change c. those advocating the change such as a manager or practitioner d. an evaluation of the change and its impact on organization effectiveness e. all of the above (e, moderate, p. 166-168) 41. Which of the following regarding change is true? a. The lower the extent of change, the easier the change is to implement. b. The greater the impact on existing behaviors and norms, the greater the amount of resistance. c. The shorter the time frame in which change is introduced, the more the c hance of success. d. all of the above e. answers a and b (e, moderate, p. 168-169) 42. The lowest level of resistance to change and the highest probability of successful change will more likely occur when the _____. a. degree of change is large and the impact on the existing culture is high b. change is minor but has a large impact on the culture c. impact on the existing culture is minor but the change is major d. impact on the existing set of beliefs and values is small and the extent of the change to be introduced is relatively minor e. answers b and c (d, moderate, p. 168-169) 43. The probability of change will be the lowest when the _____. a. impact on the existing culture is small and the change to be introduced is relatively minor b. change is minor but has a large impact on the culture
c. impact on the existing culture is minor but the change is major d. degree of change is large and the impact on the existing culture is high e. time frame to implement the change is large (d, moderate, p. 168-169) 44. Forces that increase the inclination of the client system to implement t he proposed change program are referred to as _____. a. disruption of routine b. driving forces c. uncertainty d. loss of existing benefits e. all of the above (b, easy, p. 169) 45. A driving force that can serve as a form of encouragement toward accepta nce of the change program is _____. a. disruption of the current way of conducting business since this shocks t he system out of old and established was b. the magnitude of the change program as this provides something to appeal to all members c. the fear of the unknown caused by the changes d. employeesâ realize that the organization is dysfunctional and there is a bet ter way of doing things e. answers a, b and d (d, moderate, p. 169-171) 46. Forces motivating change can include _____. a. the manager advocating the change b. dissatisfaction with the present situation c. being caught up in the momentum d. external pressures e. all of the above (e, easy, p. 169-171) 47. An example of external pressures toward change is/are _____. a. the management b. laws and values held by society c. work teams d. exposure to the culture of other departments e. all of the above (b, easy, p. 170) 48. Examples of external pressures that induce the need for change is/are __ ___. a. governmental regulations b. the Internet c. employee dissatisfaction with top management d. all of the above e. answers a and b (e, easy, p. 170) 49. When a change program gets underway, a certain momentum occurs. This can occur because of _____. a. involvement of organization members in the program b. requirements for commitment imposed by top management c. a type of chain reaction that is set off permitting changes in other par ts of the organization d. top managementâ s lack of involvement and willingness to let lower level empl oyees freely choose their course of action e. answers b and c
(c, moderate, p. 171) 50. Restraining forces that work to block change are _____. a. new products from competition b. dissatisfaction with the present situation c. disruption in routines and no potential benefits d. all of the above e. answers a and b (c, moderate, p. 171-173) 51. Which of the following is LESS likely to be regarded as a resisting forc e toward accepting change? a. loss of existing benefits and advantages b. fear of the unknown c. threat to position d. disruption of routine e. dissatisfaction with present situation (e, moderate, p. 171-173) 52. Which of the following is NOT a restraint on change? a. technological boundaries b. loss of existing benefits c. fear of unknown d. threat to position power e. uncertainty (a, moderate, p. 171-173) 53. Workers who are concerned that a change will disrupt their normal manner of performing their jobs exhibit what type of resistance to change? a. inconvenience b. conformity to culture c. disruption of routine d. resistance from groups e. annoyance (c, easy, p. 171-173) 54. Workers who feel that an upcoming technological change will result in re ductions in the work force exhibit what type of resistance to change? a. social disruption and break-up of friendships b. fear of economic loss c. inconvenience d. resistance from groups e. incongruent dissonance (b, easy, p. 171-173) 55. The shared ideas of how members should behave are called _____. a. functions b. commands c. problem-solving units d. norms e. cultural restrictions (d, easy, p. 173) 56. Key factor(s) in increasing motivation to change is (are) _____. a. communicate the need for change b. quickly eliminate conflict among client members c. implement the change quickly so as not to prolong the adjustments requir ed of the change d. reduce motivating forces and increase resisting forces e. answers a, b, and c
(a, moderate, p. 173-178) 57. When a marketing vice president attempts to work out a more cooperative relationship between the manufacturing and sale divisions, he or she is involved in which approach to change? a. education b. coercion c. negotiation d. participation e. open-book management (c, moderate, p. 173-178) 58. Which of the following methods is useful in dealing with resistance to c hange? a. participation of members in the change program b. negotiation with potential resisters c. education of and communication with organization members d. leaders at all levels conveying a strong vision of the organization e. all of the above (e, easy, p. 173-178) 59. In reducing resistance to change, which of the following should be avoid ed? a. monetary rewards to those participating in the change program since this could be perceived as a bribe and weakness of management b. negotiation, such as arranging for early retirement, with potential resi sters c. arrange management seminars to help key leaders better deal with impleme nting the changes d. all of the above should be avoided e. none of the above as they are all acceptable methods (e, easy, p. 173-178) 60. When a bank vice president carries out a training program for a new on-l ine information system, she or he is concerned with which approach to change? a. motivation b. education c. cooperation d. participation e. group pressure (b, easy, p. 173-178) 61. The use of reward systems in OD change programs _____. a. include open-book management and bonuses based on a lottery system b. work best when profit-sharing and a base wage is used exclusive of other incentive systems c. should be avoided so that wages remain competitive across industries d. should be flexible in order to take account of individual employee diffe rences e. likely will continue to decrease in popularity (d, moderate, p. 177) 62. Power _____ to convince organizational members of the need for change. a. strategies should not be used b. can be used as the final and ultimate tool c. may be necessary d. strategies are more effective at the beginning than at the end of the ch ange program e. strategies should be used consistently (c, moderate, p. 178)
63. In respect to the use of power strategies in OD programs, _____. a. the use of the formal power structure in an organization can convince lo wer organization elements to participate in the OD program b. OD programs historically have been reluctant to deal with the use of pow er c. power strategies should not be overlooked as useful in lessening resista nce d. an OD program may need to use the power structure within an organization to convince its members of the usefulness of the program e. all of the above (e, moderate, p. 178) Essay Questions 64. Choose a change issue in which you are familiar and trace it through its five phases of change. Possible examples include no smoking in public places an d stem cell research. You may need to project the outcome of the last several ph ases of the change cycle if the example you choose has not fully played out. The answer will be based on the issue chosen by the student and will follow the five phases of resistance mentioned in the text. (p. 165-166) 65.
Discuss five major factors in the change process.
a. Advocates of change - who will spearhead the change program. b. Degree of change to be made - is the change a minor or major one. The g reater the degree of change, the more difficult it is to implement successfully. c. Time frame - the length of time chosen to implement the change. In gener al, the more gradual the change and the longer the time frame, the greater the c hance of success. d. Impact on culture - the greater the impact of culture, the greater the d ifficulty in implementing the change program. e. Evaluation of change - standards of performance will be used to measure the impact of the change. (p. 166-168) 66. Identify forces that increase the inclination of the client system to ac cept the proposed changes. Forces that increase the inclination of the client system to implement the propo sed changes are called driving forces. These forces include dissatisfaction with the present situation, external pressures such as legal requirements, momentum that develops once the change program has gotten underway, and motivation by the practitioner in the form of words of encouragement. (p. 169-171) 67.
What are external pressures that enhance acceptance of a change program?
These are pressures outside of the organization. The pressures can vary widely f rom voluntary actions to involuntary legal requirements. Other external pressure s include new technologies, environmental legislation, lowering trade barriers, shift in values of society, increased education levels, and exposure to other cu ltures. (p. 170-171) 68. Identify forces that decrease the inclination of the client system to im plement the proposed changes.
Restraining forces include uncertainty regarding change, fear of the unknown, di sruption of routine, loss of benefits, threat to security, threat to position po wer, redistribution of power, disturb existing social networks, and conformity t o norms and culture. (p. 171-173) 69. Explain why fear of the unknown and disruption of routine cause resistan ce to change. People become anxious when they exchange the old and familiar for something new and uncertain. Proposed changes that disturb habitual routines or patterns are l ikely to encounter resistance because a personâ s behavior is governed largely by hab it and routine. There is little incentive to change when the old ways of behavin g have been tried and are successful. (p. 172) 70.
What is the role that norms and culture play in a change program?
The greater the impact on culture and norms of a change program, the greater the amount of resistance that will probably emerge. In some situations, however, th e culture may influence the acceptance of change. This would be the case where t he culture is one that values change, new cutting-edge methods of operating, and risk-taking. Norms are the organized and shared ideas of what members of an organization shou ld do and feel. The members themselves define what the norms are, as well as enf orce individual behavior to conform to the norms. Because norms generally have s trong support from the group, they cannot easily be changed. Organizations will have subcultures formed around smaller work- or social-groups. It is difficult t o change the ways of behaving in one part of the organization without influencin g and being influenced by the other parts. (p. 168, 173) 71.
Identify methods that increase the motivation to change.
Methods for dealing with resistance to change include creating a climate that en courages change, creating a vision of the organization by managers, communicatin g the â what and whyâ of the change with members, providing leadership from managers, enc ouraging the participation of members in the change program, providing support t hrough appropriate rewards, negotiating and forming political alliances, and usi ng power that includes explicit and implicit coercion (p. 173-178)
