Organizational Development/Organizational Function

Overall, how effective is organizational development in improving organizational functioning? With respect to what factors does it work or not work?

Bank America has been described as very conservative, slow to innovate and try new ideas, while employees at Limited are discouraged from making "safe" choices. This difference represents which aspect of organizational culture?

Answer
Willingness to take risks

Interest in having employees generate ideas

Openness of available communication

Sensitivity to the needs of customers and employees

Research on environmental stability and organizational structure found that:

Answer
Companies in relatively stable environments tended toward job specialization.

There was no link between organizational structure and the company's operating environment.

Companies in relatively unstable environments tended toward job specialization.

Companies in a rapidly changing environment did better when they had a mechanistic structure.

Jennifer thinks that her company needs to rethink how they market their product because they are not selling as projected. This represents the basic assumption of strategic planning that:

Answer
Existing objectives require new strategic plans to continue success.

It is a deliberate process of conscious decision making.

It is best done to build on success rather than correct problems.

It occurs when current objectives are no longer being met.