Chapter 11

Evaluating and Institutionalizing

Organizational Development Interventions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Evaluation in OD provides information to

a. assess the long-term results of OD interventions

b. implement change programs

c. assess a manager’s style

d. A and B

e. A and C

2. Understanding how an intervention is progressing is an example of ______feedback.

a. intervention

b. implementation

c. evaluation

d. personal

e. all of the above

3. When should you identify the measurement variables to be used for evaluation and feedback?

a. diagnosis stage

b. intervention stage

c. implementation stage

d. evaluation stage

e. none of the above

4. Testing the internal consistency of the questions in a survey is a measure of its

a. instrument bias

b. validity

c. reliability

d. sufficiency

e. none of the above

5. Which data collection method accurately measures all the variables important to OD?

a. questionnaires

b. interviews

c. observations

d. diaries/logs

e. none of the above

6. What is/are the most important activity (ies) for providing useful implementation and evaluation feedback?

a. selecting the appropriate variables

b. diagnosing people

c. designing good measures

d. A and B

e. A and C

7. In assessing the internal validity of an intervention, we

a. consider its reliability

b. test a hypothesis

c. consider alternative hypotheses

d. try to determine if certain changes cause certain outcomes

e. none of the above

8. Which is not an intervention characteristic that affects institutionalization?

a. goal specificity

b. internal support

c. programmability

d. sponsorship

e. worker satisfaction

9. As institutionalization follows a developmental order, which indicator represents the highest degree of institutionalization?

a. knowledge

b. values consensus

c. norms

d. performance

e. none of the above

10. OD consultants should attempt to measure such outcomes as

a. productivity

b. absenteeism

c. turnover

d. none of the above

e. all of the above

True/False Questions

11. Typically, OD interventions offer specific prescriptions to change interpersonal behaviors and ways of thinking about organizations.

12. Assessment intended to discover intervention outcomes is called implementation feedback.

13. Evaluating OD interventions always involves measuring their impact on employee satisfaction, productivity, and the bottom line.

14. Reliability refers to whether a particular measure actually measures what it is supposed to measure.

15. Standardized surveys are reliable, valid and provide accurate information on specific situations occurring in organizations.

16. External validity is irrelevant without internal validity.

17. Socialization is the most important institutionalization process.

18. Job enrichment calls for adding discretion, variety, and meaningful feedback to people's jobs.

19. In most cases, the chosen intervention provides only general guidelines for organizational change.

Essay Questions

20. What are the two kinds of feedback involved in evaluation and what do they tell us?

21. What are the issues involved in measurement?

22. Discuss setting up valid research designs.

23. Define institutionalization and discuss specific institutionalization processes.

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