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OSM612S - ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT - 2ND OPP - NOV 2024 |
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nAmlBIA UnlVERSITY
OFSCIEnCEAno TECHnOLOGY
FACULTY OF COMMERCE, HUMAN SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATION CODE: 07BHRM
LEVEL: 6
COURSE CODE: OSM612S
COURSE NAME: ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT
SESSION: FEBRUARY 2025
DURATION: 3 HOURS
PAPER: THEORY
MARKS: 100
OSM SECOND OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINER(S}
Mr. Ehrenfried Tjivii Ndjoonduezu
MODERATOR:
Ms. M Sezuni
INSTRUCTIONS
1. The paper consists of Section A, Band C. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Write clearly and neatly.
3. Number the answers clearly.
PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS
1. Examination paper.
2. Examination script.
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 7 PAGES (Including this front page)
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SECTIONA
(20 marks)
Question 1 (Each multiple-choice question carries one (1) mark)
Choose the correct answer to the questions that follow by indicating only the applicable letter
(i.e. a, b, c, d, ore) in your answer book.
1.1 ----
orientation is the characteristic of organizational culture that addresses the
degree to which management decisions take into consideration the effect of
outcomes on people within the organization.
a)
Humanistic
b)
Community
c)
Team
d)
People
e)
Relationship
1.2 Jerry works for HLC publishing which is a publisher of scientific journals. The company
is dominated by low risk-taking and high attention to detail. Jerry's department is also
committed to high team orientation and provides many team-building activities in
which Jerry and other department members work together and socialize. Which of
the following statements best describes Jerry's department?
a)
It represents the dominant culture.
b)
It does not include core values.
c)
It is a subculture sharing core values.
d)
The organizational culture is undefined.
e)
It has stability low.
1.3 High formalization in an organization creates all the following except __ _
a)
predictability
b)
cohesiveness
c)
orderliness
d)
consistency
e)
none of the above
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1.4 All of the following are examples of rituals except ___ _
a)
anniversary parties honouring long-time employees
b)
annual award meetings
c)
fraternity initiations
d)
the placement of offices within corporate headquarters
e)
singing company songs
1.5 Which of the following is not a criticism of the idea of the spiritual organizational
culture
a)
there is very little research
b)
work and religion should be separate
c)
spirituality and profits aren't compatible
d)
it helps people find purpose in work
e)
there is no scientific foundation
1.6 Maureen's company needs to dramatically cut costs. Which of the following structural
will help her immediately reduce costs?
a)
doubling the span of control
b)
decreasing the unity of command
c)
increasing the chain of command
d)
decentralizing management decisions
e)
formalizing work processes
1.7 Which one of the following dichotomies of organizational structure specifically defines
where decisions are made?
a)
complexity/simplicity
b)
formalization/informalization
c)
centralization/decentralization
d)
specialization/enlargement
e)
affectivity/reflexivity
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1.8 Alex is looking for a job. Today he went to the Web site of BKC Corp where he filled
out an online application and attached a copy of his resume. In which part of the
selection process is Alex?
a}
physical selection
b} job offers
c}
initial selection
d}
contingent selection
e}
substantive selection
1.9 The best way for an employer to find out if a potential employee can do a job is by
a)
using the interview process
b}
using a written test
c}
having them spend a day in the office
d}
administering an IQ test
e}
using a performance simulation test
1.10 Performance evaluations are used as a mechanism for all the following except
a)
monitoring the success of marketing strategies
b}
promotions determining
c}
pinpointing employees' skills
d}
identifying training and development needs
e}
providing feedback to employees
Question 2
True or False (Each question carries one (1) mark)
2.1 One criticism of the Fiedler model concerns the fact that the logic underlying the
model's questionnaire is not well understood.
2.2 Situational leadership theory has been well validated by research but not well received
by practitioners because there are so many factors to examine.
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2.3 High self-monitors are good at reading situations and moulding their appearances and
behaviour.
2.4 Because of the coalition factor, the expert power of an individual within an
organization is strengthened when another individual with the same job-related
knowledge and skills is hired by the organization.
2.5 In third party negotiations, a consultant's role is not to settle the issues, but, rather,
to improve relations between the conflicting parties so that they can reach a
settlement themselves.
2.6 Negotiation is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has
negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party
cares about.
2.7 The matrix structure facilitates the allocation of specialists.
2.8 The primary characteristics of the virtual organization are that it is decentralized and
has little or no departmentalization.
2.9 Management can create more ethical cultures through the following means: acting as
visible role models, communicating ethical expectations, providing ethical training,
visibly rewarding ethical acts and punishing unethical ones, and providing protective
mechanisms.
2.10 Experience on the job tends to be positively related to work stress.
Section B
[17]
Question 3
Case Incident
Mergers Don't Always Lead to Culture Clash
A lot of mergers lead to culture clashes and, ultimately, failure. So in 2010 when banking giant
Katutura Community Investment Bank {KCIB) announced its N$35 billion acquisition of credit
card giant Windhoek Credit Solutions {WCS), many thought that in a few years this merger
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would join the heap of those done in by cultural differences.
WCS' culture was characterized by a free-wheeling, entrepreneurial spirit that was also quite
secretive. WCS employees also were accustomed to the high life. Their corporate
headquarters in the CBD area of Windhoek, could be described as lavish, and employees
throughout the company enjoyed high salaries and generous perks.
KCIB in contrast, grew by thrift. It was a low-cost, no-nonsense operation. Unlike WCS, it
believed that size and smarts were more important than speed.
In short, the cultures in the two companies were very, very different.
Although these cultural differences seemed a recipe for disaster, it appears, judging from the
reactions of KCIBand WIS employees, that the merger has worked. How can this be?
KCIBhad the foresight to know which WCS practices to attempt to change and which to keep
in place. Especially critical was KCIB's appreciation and respect for WCS' culture. "On Day 1, I
was directed that this was not like the ones you are used to," said Camilla Kishi, who had
helped manage KCIB's acquisition.
To try to manage the cultural transition, executives of both companies began by comparing
thousands of practices covering everything from hiring to call-center operations. In many
cases, KCIBchose to keep WCS' cultural practices in place.
In other cases, KCIB did impose its will on WCS. For example, because WCS' pay rates were
well above market, many WCS managers were forced to swallow a steep pay cut. Some WCS
employees left, but most remained. In other cases, the cultures co-adapted. For example,
WCS's dress code was much more formal than KCIB's business-casual approach. In the end, a
hybrid code was adopted, where business suits were expected in the credit card division's
corporate offices and in front of clients, but business causal was the norm otherwise.
While most believe the merger has been successful, there are tensions. Some KCIBmanagers
see WCS managers as arrogant and autocratic. Some WCS managers see their KCIB
counterparts as bureaucratic.
What about those famous WCS perks? As you might have guessed, most have disappeared.
Gone, too, are most of the works of art that hung in WCS' corporate offices.
Questions
3.1 In what ways were the cultures of KCIBand WCS incompatible?
(5)
3.2 Why do you think their cultures appeared to mesh rather than clash?
(4)
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3.3 Do you think culture is important to the success of a merger/acquisition? Why or why
not?
(3)
3.4 How much of the smooth transition, if any, do you think comes from both companies
glossing over real differences to make the merger work?
(5)
Section C
{63)
Question 4
4.1 Explain what a virtual organization is, and discuss the elements of organizational
structure that are important to create and sustain a successful virtual organization?
{14}
4.2 Describe informal training. Provide a workplace example of informal training for
technical skills and another for problem-solving skills.
{12)
4.3 Provide an example of planned change and explain any two tactics that a change agent
would apply when instituting planned change.
(12)
4.4 Explain some of the individual factors related to political behaviour?
{8)
4.5 Discuss two ways to reduce misinterpretations when communicating with people
from a different culture.
(7)
4.6 Discuss the different steps in the negotiation process.
(10}
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strategy, is ready to begin defining the ground rules and procedures with the other
party over the negotiation itself. The following questions must be attended to during
this stage: who will do the negotiation? Where will it take place? What time
constraints, if any, will apply? To what issues will negotiation be limited? Will there be
a specific procedure to be follow if an impasse is reached? During this phase, the
parties will also exchange their initial proposals or demands.
Clarification and Justification. It is when initial positions have been exchanged. Both
parties will explain, clarify, bolster and justify their original demands.
Bargaining and Problem-Solving. It is the actual 'give-and-take' in trying to work out
an agreement.
Closure and Implementation. Parties formalise the agreement that has been worked
out and develop procedures that are necessary for implementation and monitoring.
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