Change Agent Organizational Development Flashcards

A change agent is hired externally to help a struggling organization. Compared to an internal change agent, an external agent's PRIMARY advantage is:

Answer: Greater objectivity and freedom from internal politics

External change agents bring an outsider's objectivity and are not entangled in internal power dynamics, enabling more candid assessment.

In OD, 'contracting' with a client refers to:

Answer: Establishing mutual expectations, boundaries, roles, and goals for the change engagement

OD contracting establishes the working agreement between change agent and client, clarifying what each party will do, expect, and provide.

Which change scenario BEST illustrates 'planned change' versus emergent change?

Answer: A company launches a structured 18-month digital transformation roadmap

Planned change is deliberate, structured, and managed with defined objectives and timelines, as in a formal transformation roadmap.

Which OD principle holds that the act of asking questions itself changes the system being studied?

Answer: Simultaneity principle (Appreciative Inquiry)

The Simultaneity Principle in Appreciative Inquiry states that inquiry and change are simultaneous — questions plant seeds of change the moment they are asked.

A change agent wants to assess organizational readiness for change. Which tool would be MOST appropriate?

Answer: Readiness assessment survey targeting beliefs, values, and perceived capacity

Readiness assessments specifically measure cognitive, motivational, and structural factors that predict how prepared an organization is to implement change.

When an OD change initiative fails to sustain results after the consultant leaves, this is most likely due to:

Answer: Lack of internal capability building and ownership transfer during the engagement

Sustainable change requires building internal capability and transferring ownership so the organization can maintain progress independently.

Which model suggests that organizational change succeeds when the dissatisfaction with the current state (D), vision for the future (V), and first concrete steps (F) collectively outweigh resistance (R)?

Answer: Beckhard and Harris Change Formula (DVF > R)

The Change Formula (D × V × F > R), developed by Gleicher and refined by Beckhard and Harris, quantifies the conditions necessary to overcome resistance.