Organizational Development & Change Flashcards
7 cards from real CME practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Organizational Development & Change flashcards as text
A change leader identifies key influencers within informal networks to champion the change. This strategy leverages:
Answer: Social network analysis
Social network analysis maps informal relationships and influence within organizations, helping change leaders identify and leverage key connectors and champions.
Which concept describes the tendency for change implementation to slow or stall after initial enthusiasm fades, often depicted as a valley in adoption curves?
Answer: Implementation dip
The implementation dip (coined by Michael Fullan) describes a temporary decline in performance and morale that often occurs as people struggle with new practices before mastering them.
Whole Systems Transformation (WST) is distinct from traditional OD approaches primarily because it:
Answer: Engages the entire organization simultaneously rather than unit by unit
Whole Systems Transformation engages all stakeholders simultaneously in large-scale events, creating shared understanding and commitment across the entire system at once.
Which type of organizational conflict is considered potentially beneficial because it stimulates debate and innovation?
Answer: Cognitive conflict
Cognitive (or task) conflict involves substantive disagreements about ideas and approaches, which can lead to better decision-making and innovation when managed constructively.
A CEO sponsors a change initiative by visibly modeling new behaviors, allocating resources, and removing barriers. This exemplifies the role of:
Answer: Executive sponsor
An executive sponsor provides visible, active support for a change initiative by using their authority to allocate resources, remove obstacles, and model desired behaviors.
In the context of organizational change, 'double-loop learning' (Argyris) differs from single-loop learning in that it:
Answer: Questions and changes the underlying assumptions and values driving behavior
Double-loop learning involves questioning and revising the underlying norms, values, and assumptions that govern behavior, enabling deeper organizational transformation.
Which approach best describes an organization that intentionally builds change capability as an ongoing competency rather than managing discrete change projects?
Answer: Change agility
Change agility refers to building sustained organizational capacity to adapt continuously, embedding change capability into culture and leadership rather than treating change as one-off events.