Chapter 11: Managing Organizational Change, Resistance,
and Conflict
True/False
1. Experience shows that it is easier to gain compliance for a new system than
acceptance.
2. Stress is usually only associated with negative change (dread).
3. According to Lewin’s Force Field Analysis, driving forces are those forces that act as
barriers and drive people away from desired end states.
4. According to Lewin’s Force Field Analysis, the transition state is marked by a loss of
equilibrium which lasts until the individual or organization moves to the desired state.
5. Kübler-Ross’ model on grieving suggests that individuals have to ultimately like or
embrace change in order to reach the acceptance stage.
6. In order to be an effective sponsor of a project, one must posses not only willingness,
but also power in terms of authority and making resources available, to support the
project.
7. An initiating sponsor must stay with the project to the end if it is to succeed.
8. Sponsor credibility is diminished if the project’s envisioned value to the organization
is not realized.
9. According to Leavitt’s model of organizational change, changes in one organizational
component (people, structure, task, or technology) can impact the other three
components.
10. The Rational-Empirical strategy suggests that most people are rational, so they will
accept change that will benefit the overall organization.
11. The Normative-reeducation strategy focuses on reeducating the work force, one
person at a time until the entire organization is aligned.
12. The use of threats and rewards in the power-coercive approach to change becomes
riskier as individuals become more dependent on the organization.
13. According to the environmental-adaptive approach, although people avoid disruption
and loss, they can still adapt to change.
14. Resistance should be anticipated from the beginning of the project and in fact there
may be valid reasons for the resistance.
15. People seldom resist change once they understand that the change will benefit them.
16. The contemporary vies of conflict is that conflict is always negative and should be
avoided whenever possible.
17. According to the Interactionist View of conflict, conflict is both necessary and
beneficial.
18. Polarity Management is an effective tool when faced with seemingly irresolvable
conflict.
19. The lower right-hand quadrant in the Polarity Map (TB-) is where the downside of the
status quo is detailed.
20. Each conflict situation is unique and the choice of an approach to resolution is
dependent on type and time pressure of the conflict as well as the relative power of
the parties and the value one places on the completion of the goal and/or the
maintenance of relationships.
Multiple Choice
1.
According to Davidson, ___________ is the process of adapting to change and
determines our ability to handle current and future change.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Transition
Flux
Adoption
Assimilation
Vector shift
2.
According to Lewin's Change Process model _________ is an altering of the
current state's habits, perceptions, and stability
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
3.
People, Structure, Technology, and Task are elements of:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
4.
Kubler-Ross's Model
Lewin's Change Process Model
Leavitt's Model of Organizational Change
Conner's Role Model
Davidson's Change Management Model
Change Agents and Targets are elements of:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
5.
Driving Forces
Resisting Forces
Freezing
Unfreezing
Refreezing
Kubler-Ross's Model
Lewin's Change Process Model
Leavitt's Model of Organizational Change
Conner's Role Model
Davidson's Change Management Model
Denial, Anger, and Bargaining are among the stages of:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Kubler-Ross's Model
Lewin's Change Process Model
Leavitt's Model of Organizational Change
Conner's Role Model
Davidson's Change Management Model
6.
The Rational-Empirical Approach is found in:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
7.
Kubler-Ross's Model
Lewin's Change Process Model
Leavitt's Model of Organizational Change
Conner's Role Model
Davidson's Change Management Model
Driving forces, Resisting forces, and states of equilibrium are associated with:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Kubler-Ross's Model
Lewin's Change Process Model
Leavitt's Model of Organizational Change
Conner's Role Model
Davidson's Change Management Model
8.
A change management plan based on the _____________ should provide each
individual with the purpose, a picture, and a part to play.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Rational-Empirical Approach
Normative-Reeducation Approach
Power-Coercive Approach
Environmental-Adaptive Approach
Empirical-Scientific Approach
9.
The approach that takes the basic view that people are social beings and the that
behavior can be changed by changing the groups core values, beliefs, and relationships is:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Rational-Empirical Approach
Normative-Reeducation Approach
Power-Coercive Approach
Environmental-Adaptive Approach
Empirical-Scientific Approach
10.
Although people avoid disruption and loss, they can still adapt to change is the
definition of which approach:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Rational-Empirical Approach
Normative-Reeducation Approach
Power-Coercive Approach
Environmental-Adaptive Approach
e) Empirical-Scientific Approach
11.
The view that conflict is negative and should be avoided is a part of:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Polarity Management View of Conflict
Contemporary View of Conflict
Change Resistance View of Conflict
Traditional View of Conflic
Interactionist View of Conflict
12.
The view that positive conflict should be encouraged would be posited by one
who adheres to which of the following:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
13.
the:
Polarity Management View of Conflict
Contemporary View of Conflict
Change Resistance View of Conflict
Traditional View of Conflic
Interactionist View of Conflict
The view that conflict is an important and necessary ingredient for performance is
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Polarity Management View of Conflict
Contemporary View of Conflict
Change Resistance View of Conflict
Traditional View of Conflic
Interactionist View of Conflict
14.
A useful approach to managing conflict when trying to reach an overall goal when
the goal is more important that the personal interests of the parties involved is:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Avoidance
Accommodation
Forcing
Compromise
Collaboration
15.
When there is no common ground, you are sure you are right, and time is of the
essence, one would probably take the _________ approach for managing conflict.
a) Avoidance
b) Accommodation
c) Forcing
d) Compromise
e) Collaboration
16.
One would find useful information in support of changing the status quo in
__________ assuming the following: Quadrant 1: Upside of the Crusader position (C+),
Quadrant 2: Upside of the Tradition Bearers position (TB+), Quadrant 3: Downside of the
Crusader position (C-), Quadrant 4: Downside of the Tradition Bearers position (TB-).
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 2
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 3
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 4
Quadrant 2 and Quadrant 3
Quadrant 2 and Quadrant 4
17.
One would find useful information in support of maintaining the status quo in
__________ assuming the following: Quadrant 1: Upside of the Crusader position (C+),
Quadrant 2: Upside of the Tradition Bearers position (TB+), Quadrant 3: Downside of the
Crusader position (C-), Quadrant 4: Downside of the Tradition Bearers position (TB-).
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 2
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 3
Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 4
Quadrant 2 and Quadrant 3
Quadrant 2 and Quadrant 4
Short Answer (From End of Chapter Review Questions)
1. As an IT professional, why does your existence in an organization suggest
change?
2. Why is it just as important to deal with the people issues of an IT project as it is to
deal with the technical issues?
3. Why do many IT professionals shy away from dealing with the people issues (the
soft side of IT projects)?
4. How can a system be a technical success, but an organizational failure?
5. How does change management fit with IT project management?
6. What is wrong with the idea of just expecting people to adapt to a new system by
compliance?
7. Why is acceptance more powerful than compliance?
8. What are some down sides if an organization does not accept the project’s final
product as originally envisioned?
9. In your own words, define change management.
10. What is the difference between positive change and negative change? Do positive
changes create stress for an individual? Why or why not?
11. Define assimilation and its importance to understanding how people deal with
change.
12. What happens when an individual cannot assimilate change fast enough?
13. What happens when an organization cannot assimilate change fast enough?
14. Describe Force Field Analysis.
15. Describe the three stages of Lewin’s model for change.
16. Why is the transition state often referred to as the neutral zone?
17. What might happen if the project manager and sponsor do not understand,
expect, or acknowledge the neutral zone?
18. What is the difference between a change and a transition? Give an example of
each.
19. Why would a person have emotional responses when faced with doing her or his
job differently or being forced to use and learn new technology?
20. Describe the emotional responses a person might go through when given the
news that her job has been eliminated as a result of the implementation of a new
accounts payable system.
21. Why is having a change management plan important?
22. Why should the project manager assess the willingness, readiness, and ability of
the organization to change?
23. What is a change sponsor? What is the difference between an initiating sponsor
and a sustaining sponsor?
24. What important criteria should be used to determine whether a sponsor can help
the organization through the planned change?
25. What is a change agent? What role does a change agent play?
26. What is a target? Why are targets important to a change initiative?
27. Why should the real impacts of change be clarified in the change management
plan?
28. Using Leavitt’s model, provide an example of how an electronic commerce
application would affect the organization’s people, technology, task, and structure.
29. Why should the project team and sponsor be clear on defining what is over and
what is not before a new system is implemented?
30. What are rules for success? Why is it important to determine whether the rules
for success have changed in an organization before a new system is implemented?
31. Describe the rational-empirical approach to change. What things would a
change management plan address under this approach?
32. Describe the normative-reeducation approach to change. What things would a
change management plan address under this approach?
33. Describe the power-coercive approach to change. What things would a change
management plan address under this approach?
34. Describe the environmental-adaptive approach to change. What things would a
change management plan address under this approach?
35. How can you track the progress of your change management plan?
36. Why is it important to evaluate your change management experiences and
document them as lessons learned?
37. What is resistance? How might an individual or group resist the implementation
of a new information system?
38. Why would people resist change even if it was beneficial to them?
39. Why would a manager think that an individual or group is overacting to a
planned change?
40. What is conflict? Why should you anticipate conflict over the course of your
project?
41. In your own words, define conflict management.
42. Why is it worse to try to ignore conflict than to deal with it?
43. Describe the traditional view of conflict.
44. Describe the contemporary view of conflict
45. Describe the interactionist view of conflict.
46. What is the avoidance approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful?
When is it not appropriate?
47. What is the accommodation approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most
useful? When is it not appropriate?
48. What is the forcing approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most useful?
When is it not appropriate?
49. What is the compromise approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most
useful? When is it not appropriate?
50. What is the collaboration approach to dealing with conflict? When is it most
useful? When is it not appropriate?
51. In your own words, describe polarity management.
52. What is a crusader? What role does a crusader play?
53. What is a tradition bearer? What role does a tradition bearer play?
54. How can developing a polarity map help overcome conflict?
Essay Questions
1. Many people accept the notion that it is easier to gain compliance than acceptance.
Why is that view prevalent and why might it be faulty?
2
What are assimilation and change threshold? How are these ideas related?
3. Describe Lewin’s Force Field Analysis in terms of forces, states, and the alteration
of state stability.
4. How do Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’ grieving stages relate to the emotional turmoil that
can be brought about by change?
5. Briefly describe the four areas that form the framework for developing a change
management plan.
6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Rational-Empirical strategy for
change?
7. What is the Environmental-Adaptive strategy for change and what conditions might
make it a good strategy to adopt?
8. The text describes three views of conflict. Describe these separate views. Which one
do you believe is true about the nature of conflict and why?
9. What are the typical approaches to managing conflict and under what conditions
might one choose each of them?
10. An organization has always allowed its account managers complete autonomy in
managing their customer relationships. Recently the Marketing department has been
testing a new customer relationship management software system. They want to
implement it on a company wide basis, but are up against a stonewall of negative
response from most of the older, but highest producing salespeople. Draw a polarity map
and discuss how polarity mapping might lead to a resolution of this impasse.