CBS Organizational Development 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'organizational culture' as defined by Edgar Schein includes which three levels?
- Values, norms, and behaviors
- Artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions (Correct answer)
- Mission, vision, and strategy
- Leadership, structure, and systems
Correct answer: Artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions
Schein's model describes culture through visible artifacts, stated espoused values, and deep unconscious basic assumptions.
Question 2: In OD, 'process consultation' differs from expert consultation in that the consultant:
- Provides specific technical solutions to identified problems
- Helps clients understand and manage their own processes (Correct answer)
- Conducts all analysis independently before presenting findings
- Focuses exclusively on improving individual performance
Correct answer: Helps clients understand and manage their own processes
Process consultation helps the client perceive, understand, and act on process events in their environment rather than delivering expert-prescribed solutions.
Question 3: Which OD approach to change emphasizes starting with a clear image of a desired future state and working backward to identify necessary steps?
- Problem-centered planning
- Deficit-based inquiry
- Backcasting (Correct answer)
- Gap analysis
Correct answer: Backcasting
Backcasting begins by defining a desired future state and then determines the steps needed to reach it, in contrast to forecasting from current trends.
Question 4: The 'psychological contract' in organizational development refers to:
- Formal employment agreements with legal binding terms
- Unwritten mutual expectations between employees and the organization (Correct answer)
- Mental health support programs offered by employers
- Personality assessments used in hiring decisions
Correct answer: Unwritten mutual expectations between employees and the organization
The psychological contract encompasses the informal, unwritten beliefs about mutual obligations between an employer and employee.
Question 5: Sociotechnical systems (STS) theory holds that organizational performance is optimized by:
- Maximizing technological efficiency above all other factors
- Jointly optimizing social and technical subsystems (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing employee satisfaction over operational metrics
- Standardizing all work processes across the organization
Correct answer: Jointly optimizing social and technical subsystems
STS theory argues that neither the social nor the technical system should be optimized at the expense of the other; both must be designed together.
Question 6: When an OD practitioner encounters resistance to change, the MOST effective first step is typically to:
- Escalate to senior leadership to mandate compliance
- Diagnose the underlying reasons for the resistance (Correct answer)
- Accelerate the change timeline to reduce uncertainty
- Replace resistant employees with change-ready individuals
Correct answer: Diagnose the underlying reasons for the resistance
Diagnosing why resistance occursâfear, lack of information, loss of controlâallows for targeted interventions rather than forcing compliance.
Question 7: The 'span of control' in organizational design primarily affects:
- The number of strategic initiatives a firm pursues
- How many subordinates a manager can effectively supervise (Correct answer)
- The geographic reach of the organization's operations
- The speed at which decisions are made at the executive level
Correct answer: How many subordinates a manager can effectively supervise
Span of control defines the number of direct reports a manager oversees, influencing organizational hierarchy depth and management effectiveness.
CBS Organizational Development 3
The concept of 'organizational culture' as defined by Edgar Schein includes which three levels?