CSM Service to the Organization Practice Question
An organization is transitioning to Scrum. The Scrum Master notices that middle management continues to assign specific tasks to developers during the Sprint. How should the Scrum Master handle this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose options where the Scrum Master confronts individual managers angrily or tells developers to ignore management, rather than addressing the root organizational misunderstanding.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the management team on the benefits of self-organizing teams.
The Scrum Master must facilitate an understanding of self-organization. By coaching management on the Scrum framework, the Scrum Master helps them shift from a command-and-control style to a supporting role. This is crucial because organizational culture change is a key part of the Scrum Master's service to the organization, ensuring the Scrum Team retains ownership of their Sprint Backlog and execution plan.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to prevent managers from entering the team area.
Why it's wrong here
Restricting access does not address the underlying cultural misalignment regarding self-management. The Product Owner's primary role is managing the Product Backlog, not acting as a physical gatekeeper for the development team. Scrum relies on transparency and collaboration, and isolation often damages the necessary trust between organizational levels.
- ✗
Instruct the developers to politely refuse the assigned tasks.
Why it's wrong here
While developers should own their work, individual confrontation is rarely an effective organizational strategy. The Scrum Master must address the systemic issue with the managers directly, rather than placing the burden of cultural change on the development team. This approach builds professional communication channels rather than creating unnecessary friction.
- ✓
Coach the management team on the benefits of self-organizing teams.
Why this is correct
Coaching is the primary tool for a Scrum Master when influencing organizational structure. By explaining how autonomous teams deliver higher value and faster feedback, the Scrum Master helps managers see the benefits of stepping back. This systemic change supports long-term agility and empowers developers to manage their own commitments.
- ✗
Include the managers in the Daily Scrum to improve communication.
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is exclusively for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. Allowing managers to attend often leads to status reporting, which undermines the team's self-organization. The Scrum Master must protect the event's purpose while finding other venues for management to stay informed about product progress.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CSM exam.