DBA Strategic Leadership and Organizational Change 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which framework evaluates an organization's internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats?
- PEST analysis
- SWOT analysis (Correct answer)
- Balanced Scorecard
- McKinsey 7S
Correct answer: SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis assesses internal Strengths and Weaknesses alongside external Opportunities and Threats to inform strategic planning.
Question 2: In Lewin's Force Field Analysis, 'driving forces' are best described as:
- Forces resisting change
- Factors pushing toward a desired change (Correct answer)
- External competitive pressures only
- Financial incentives for managers
Correct answer: Factors pushing toward a desired change
Driving forces push the organization toward change, while restraining forces resist it; change occurs when driving forces outweigh restraining forces.
Question 3: What is 'organizational resilience' in the context of strategic management?
- The ability to avoid all risks
- The capacity to absorb disruption, adapt, and transform in response to adversity (Correct answer)
- Strict adherence to original strategic plans
- Eliminating all sources of uncertainty
Correct answer: The capacity to absorb disruption, adapt, and transform in response to adversity
Organizational resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and adapt to incremental change and sudden disruptions to survive and prosper.
Question 4: Which leadership approach is associated with inspiring followers to transcend self-interest for the good of the organization?
- Laissez-faire leadership
- Transactional leadership
- Transformational leadership (Correct answer)
- Directive leadership
Correct answer: Transformational leadership
Transformational leadership motivates followers through inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, encouraging them to exceed expectations.
Question 5: In the context of US organizational behavior, what does 'psychological safety' in teams refer to?
- Physical safety regulations in the workplace
- A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking (Correct answer)
- OSHA compliance programs
- Confidential HR reporting systems
Correct answer: A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking
Psychological safety, researched extensively by Amy Edmondson, describes a team climate where members feel safe to speak up, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of punishment.
Question 6: Which change management approach emphasizes employee participation and co-creation of change initiatives?
- Top-down directive approach
- Emergent change approach
- Participative (bottom-up) change approach (Correct answer)
- Programmatic change approach
Correct answer: Participative (bottom-up) change approach
The participative approach involves employees at all levels in designing and implementing change, increasing ownership and reducing resistance.
DBA Strategic Leadership and Organizational Change 2
Which framework evaluates an organization's internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats?