QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REQUIRED READINGS

Question 1 Max Weber and Chester Barnard are two of the most famous theorists of organization before the establishment of the field. Consider the following statements: Statement 1: While Max Weber is known for his analysis of formal organization, Chester Barnard is known for his analysis of informal organization. Statement 2: While Max Weber focused on formalization as a coordination mechanism, Chester Barnard focused on motivation and communication. Which statement(s) is/are correct? a. b. c. d. Only statement 1 is correct Only statement 2 is correct Statement 1 and 2 are correct Statement 1 and 2 are false

Question 2 Ideas presented as knowledge lead to the establishment of structures of domination. To which perspective belongs this type of statement? a. b. c. d. The modern perspective The symbolic-interpretive perspective The postmodern perspective The epistomological perspective

Question 5 According to Larry Greiners model of organizational lifecycles, an organization passes through a number of stages ending with a crisis. Which kind of crisis occurs when management waits too long to initiate delegation? a. b. c. d. An autonomy crisis A leadership crisis A red-tape crisis A control crisis

Question 6 Both Geert Hofstede and Edgar Schein have extensively studied culture in an organizational context. Consider the following statements: Statement 1: Whereas Hofstede studied the influence of national cultures on organizations, Schein studied organizational cultures

Statement 2: Whereas Hofstede focuses on artefacs and meanings, Schein sees basic assumptions as more essential Which statement(s) is/are correct? a. Only statement 1 is correct b. Only statement 2 is correct c. Statement 1 and 2 are correct d. Statement 1 and 2 are false

Question 7 What do the interpretive-symbolic view and the postmodern view of organizational culture have in common? a. b. c. d. They both see organizational culture as open to multiple interpretations They both see organizational culture as open to deconstruction They both see organizational culture as consistent and stable across actors They both see organizational culture as a way to control others

Question 8 James Thompson distinguishes different types of task interdependence which he related to different types of coordination mechanisms and different levels of conflict. Consider the following statements: Statement 1: Where pooled task interdepence exists, coordination is achieved mainly by means of schedules and plans; where reciprocal task interdependence exists, coordination is achieved mainly by means of mutual adjustment Statement 2: Pooled task interdependence offers fewer possibilities for conflict than reciprocal task interdependence Which statement(s) is/are correct? a. b. c. d. Only statement 1 is correct Only statement 2 is correct Statement 1 and 2 are correct Statement 1 and 2 are false

Question 10 Which process describes a situation in an organization where consequences of an action strategy are monitored and governing variables are adjusted? a. b. c. d. Learning curve Corporate Social responsibility Amplifying feedback circle Double-loop learning

Question 12 According to Kurt Lewins three-step model of organizational change, organizational changes occur in three steps. Consider the following statements: Statement 1: According to the model, driving forces for change should be increased in the unfreeze phase Statement 2: In the model, the concept of homeostasis refers to the tendency of an organization to adjust itself back to its original steady state Which statement(s) is/are correct? a. b. c. d. Only statement 1 is correct Only statement 2 is correct Statement 1 and 2 are correct Statement 1 and 2 are false

Question 14 When Google acquired YouTube on October 9, 2006, Google issued a press release which, among others, stated the following: "The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers." (Source: www.google.com/press/pressrel/google_youtube.html, visited November 7, 2008) Which of Kotters eight steps is being taken by Eric Schmidt in the press release? a. b. c. d. Communicate the vision Create a vision Form a powerful guiding coalition Empower others to act on the vision

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LECTURES

Question 16 Suppose that our precious little planet would be visited by a friendly Martian, who hovers around the earth in his little spaceship. His Martian leaders sent him over with a telescope that reveals social structures. When he glances through the telescope, market relationships light up as bright red lines, whereas activities within firms flare up as bright green dots. What message will this Martian send back home about economic life on our planet? a. Most economies on earth are market economies, because the red lines are far more prevalent than the green dots. b. Most economies on earth are market economies, because a lot of earthlings talk of creating value in the marketplace. c. Most economies on earth are organizational economies, because a lot of earthlings talk of organizing their life. d. Most economies on earth are organizational economies, because the green dots are far more prevalent than the red lines.

Question 17 Bureaucracy is an organizational form. Which of the following characteristics is a property of bureaucratic organizations? a. b. c. d. A fixed hierarchy of offices Office management based upon written documents Management proceeds according to stable and exhaustive rules All of the above are properties of bureaucratic organizations

Question 19 Perhaps the single-most important concept in contingency theory is the notion of fit, which references the idea that the design of an organization must be as complex as its environment requires it to be. Which of the following statements about fit is not true? a. b. c. d. Throughout their entire existence, organizations are only sporadically in fit. A long period of misfit is often a cue for organizational redesign. Fitness is an absolute property of an organization. The notion of fit has nothing to do with the Darwinian notion of survival of the fittest.

Question 20 Thompson has proposed a typology of technology types in organizations. Which of the following examples is a correct example of what Thompson calls a mediating technology? a. The oil refinery process at Shell. b. The project organization in charge of producing a movie.

c. The artisanal production of fashion items. d. An executive search agencys efforts to match managers and companies

Question 21 Organizations have an institutional environment. Which of the following parties is not part of the firms institutional environment? a. b. c. d. Markets The state The professions Accreditation bodies

Question 22 Population ecology theory describes organizational populations. Which of the following statements is not derived from population ecology theory? a. The success of industries is dependent on their population dynamics; b. Gazelles are fast-growing firms that have successfully cornered a specific niche of the market. c. Density dependence theory models the likelihood of the birth of new firms into a population as a function of the number of firms that comprised the population in a previous period. d. Vultures are specialized firms that live off the mortality of other firms in a population.

Question 23 After new accounting legislation was passed in the US which put additional pressure on reported revenues (in the 1970s) in a time of economic stagnation, many firms began appointing so-called chief financial officers (CFOs) to their executive teams in order to signal to their shareholders that they took their interests very seriously. Which theory explains this effect best? a. b. c. d. The contingency theory The institutional theory The bureaucracy theory The population ecology theory

Question 25 In a change process people try to make sense of what is happening. Why should interpretation processes/sense-making made by people in an organization be taken into account and closely monitored during a planned change process?

a. Because interpretation processes might lead to improvisations which lead to undesirable organizational learning. b. Because symbols are invented through interpretation processes; these new symbols replace the old ones which might threaten the continuity of the organization. c. Because a planned change process is guided by interpretation processes. d. Because interpretation processes could lead to unintended effects that might delay or disturb the planned change process.

Question 27 During class we have distinguished planned or strategic change and evolutionary change. Which of the following characteristics belongs to strategic change? a. b. c. d. Change is experiential Change is cumulative Change is emergent Change is discontinuous

Question 28 During class four perspectives on change built on an article by van de Ven and Scott Poole were distinguished. We have also introduced change methods. A few methods stress the importance of a vision for performing change. Which of the four perspectives on change is applied in these methods? a. b. c. d. Teleological perspective on change Life cycle perspective of change Dialectical perspective of change Evolutionary perspective of change

Question 29 Organization development is an approach to planned change where gaining commitment of the employees is considered an important condition for succesful change. How could commitment be increased according to theories in organization development? a. b. b. c. By applying behavioral science knowledge By making a commitment chart By performing action research By realizing cultural change

Question 30 Social networks are important for knowledge exchange. Statement 1: Dense social networks imply high costs for maintaining the social network. Statement 2: In dense social networks non-redundant knowledge is provided. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? a. b. c. d. Only statement 1 is correct Only statement 2 is correct Statement 1 and 2 are correct Statement 1 and 2 are false