MO Organizational Development 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which stage of Tuckman's group development model is characterized by conflict and competition among team members?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
The Storming stage involves interpersonal conflict as members compete for roles and challenge group norms.
Question 2: In organizational development, 'planned change' differs from 'emergent change' in that planned change:
- Occurs spontaneously in response to market shifts
- Is deliberately designed and managed by leadership (Correct answer)
- Is driven entirely by employee initiatives
- Avoids formal communication channels
Correct answer: Is deliberately designed and managed by leadership
Planned change is intentional and systematically managed, as opposed to emergent change which arises organically.
Question 3: A company merges two marketing teams with different workflows. Which OD process would best facilitate cultural integration?
- Job enrichment
- Culture auditing and blending workshops (Correct answer)
- Performance appraisal redesign
- Downsizing
Correct answer: Culture auditing and blending workshops
Culture auditing and blending workshops identify cultural differences and create shared norms post-merger.
Question 4: The concept of 'double-loop learning' in organizations means:
- Repeating training twice to improve retention
- Questioning and changing underlying assumptions when solving problems (Correct answer)
- Training employees in two skill areas simultaneously
- Running parallel project teams to compare results
Correct answer: Questioning and changing underlying assumptions when solving problems
Double-loop learning involves revisiting the fundamental values and assumptions that govern behavior, not just correcting errors.
Question 5: Which metric is MOST useful for measuring the effectiveness of an OD intervention in a marketing department?
- Number of training hours completed
- Pre- and post-intervention survey scores on targeted behaviors (Correct answer)
- Total headcount reduction
- IT system uptime
Correct answer: Pre- and post-intervention survey scores on targeted behaviors
Comparing pre- and post-survey scores on targeted behaviors directly measures whether the intervention changed what it was designed to change.
Question 6: When an OD consultant uses 'process consultation,' their primary role is to:
- Diagnose problems and prescribe solutions directly
- Help clients observe and understand their own processes so they can solve problems (Correct answer)
- Implement technology upgrades
- Conduct financial audits
Correct answer: Help clients observe and understand their own processes so they can solve problems
Process consultation builds the client's own capacity to diagnose and improve organizational processes.
Question 7: A marketing VP notices that after a reorganization, employees focus on unit metrics instead of company-wide goals. This is an example of:
- Goal displacement (Correct answer)
- Role enrichment
- Strategic alignment
- Functional integration
Correct answer: Goal displacement
Goal displacement occurs when subunit or personal goals replace the broader organizational goals.
MO Organizational Development 3
Which stage of Tuckman's group development model is characterized by conflict and competition among team members?