Chapter 22: High Performance Management

1. High performance management is an intervention that change agents can use to improve performance by:

demanding an increased level of performance from employees aligning people management practices aligning business strategy with stakeholder concerns all of the above

2. High performance management is an approach to improving organizational performance that is consistent with ______________ and the concept of ‘fit’ discussed in Chapter 7.

open systems thinking closed systems thinking component models Kotter’s integrative model of organizational dynamics

3. Walton (1985) identified two profoundly different approaches to HR:

one focused on attracting the best employees and the other on retaining them one based on imposing control and the other on eliciting commitment one based on reward and one based on punishment None of the above

4. The cost reduction or control approach shares many of the assumptions that underpin:

McGregor’s economic change strategy Beer’s organizational development strategy Beer’s economic change strategy all of the above

5. The commitment maximization approach has its roots in McGregor’s theory Y, which proposes that:

people will exercise self-direction and self-control in the service of objectives to which they are committed people will exercise self-direction and self-control in the service of any objections set by their organization people need to be directed and controlled in order to achieve an organization’s objectives None of the above

6. Pfeffer (1998) argues that emphasis should be placed on screening for ____________________ in selection practices.

skills rather than attitudes teamwork rather than leadership skills confidence and pragmatism rather than experience cultural fit and attitudes rather than skills

7. A number of people management practices can encourage organizational members to work harder and smarter. Which of the following is NOT an example of these?

Employment security Performance appraisal Incentives Parallel and temporary structures

8. Pfeffer (1998, p. 29) refers to ‘the one-eighth rule’, which states that only about half of all senior managers believe there is a possible connection between:

how organizations manage their people and the profits they earn different people management practices job satisfaction and profits earned by the organization none of the above

9. In diagnosing external alignment, Pfeffer recommends that attention is restricted to the ____ or so behaviours and related competences that are the most important.

two five six twelve

10. Internal alignment diagnosis can help change agents to identify the system of people management practices that an organization uses to achieve its strategic objectives and:

become more profitable identify any misalignments between them sales targets all of the above

Check Answers