Chapter 9: Introduction

De Wit & Meyer (2010) refer to one main issue with respect to the organizational context of strategy. What is this issue?
1. Organizational leadership
2. Organizational influence
3. Organizational development
4. Organizational structure.
The two main sources of influence can be further subdivided into more categories. This is also done by French and Raven (1959). What category is NOT distinguished by De Wit and Meyer (2010)?
1. Reward power
2. Referent power
3. Coercive power
4. Hierarchical power.
The sources of power, that are available to leaders, need to be used in order to have influence. De Wit & Meyer (2010) discern three generic ways for leaders to seek the influence they want. What are these levers of leadership influence, according to the authors?
1. Input, output and throughput control
2. Steering and controlling
3. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal control
4. Vision, mission and enthusiasm.
De Wit & Meyer (2010) discern three different kinds of arenas for leadership influence. Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the authors?
1. The political arena
2. The structure arena
3. The cultural arena
4. The psychological arena.
De Wit & Meyer (2010) discover a paradox with respect to the organizational context of strategy. Which of the following is this paradox?
1. Structure vs. creativity
2. Compliance vs. choice
3. Leadership vs. dynamics
4. Control vs. chaos.
Based on De Wit & Meyer (2010), judge whether the following statements are true or false:

I In order to steer the developments of their organization, managers need strategic, as well as operational, control.
II One of the disadvantages of chaos is that it diminishes self-organization.
1. Both statements are true
2. Statement I is true and statement II is false
3. Statement I is false and statement II is true
4. Both statements are false.
According to De Wit & Meyer (2010), discussing the organizational context, the KPMG short case (Exhibit 9.1, p. 488) is an example of:
1. The demand for centralization
2. The demand for top management control
3. The demand for strategic vision
4. The demand for leadership.
Based on De Wit & Meyer (2010), judge whether the following statements are true or false:

I The organizational dynamics perspective is a suitable answer to the problem of ‘strategic drift’.
II The organizational leadership perspective always implies a top-down structure.
1. Both statements are true
2. Statement I is false and statement II is true
3. Statement I is true and statement II is false
4. Both statements are false.
The National Australia Bank illustration, in De Wit & Meyer (2010; Exhibit 9.2, p. 493), is a good example of the:
1. Organizational leadership perspective
2. Management control perspective
3. Organizational dynamics perspective
4. Organizational revolution perspective.
Based on De Wit & Meyer (2010), judge whether the following statements are true or false:

I According to the organizational dynamics perspective, the organization is not shaped by the CEO, but by its environment.
II One of the main arguments, against the organizational leadership perspective, is that it is hard to change the company’s culture.
1. Both statements are true
2. Statement I is true and statement II is false
3. Statement I is false and statement II is true
4. Both statements are false.
According to De Wit & Meyer (2010), what dichotomy of change results from the organizational leadership versus organizational dynamics perspective?
1. Restructuring vs. revitalization
2. Evolution vs. revolution
3. Incremental change vs. radical change
4. Mechanistic change vs. interactive fermentation.
Semco (Exhibit 9.3, p. 496) is a pump-making business with revenues totalling US$240 million, and about 3,000 employees. “As for strategy, Semco has no grand design. Semler readily admits that he has no idea what the company will be making in ten years time”. According to De Wit & Meyer (2010), Semco is a clear example of:
1. The possible success of the organizational dynamics perspective
2. The possible failures of the organizational dynamics perspective
3. The problems that come up while embracing the organizational dynamics perspective
4. The role of the leader in firms that embrace the organizational dynamics perspective.
According to De Wit and Meyer (2010), in their discussion about the organizational context, managerial initiative refers to:
1. The power of managers to intervene in organizational processes
2. Deterministic point of view on managers’ actions
3. The momentum present in the organizational system
4. The manager’s behavior which emerges from organizational history.