Q&A Hero

Q: Mechanistic organizations are flexible bureaucracies with lenient rules, broadly-defined tasks, and bottom-up communication.

Q: (p. 459) Scenario: Eva Mineral Water, Inc. Tom, Ben, Ron, and Harry are four individuals working at Eva Pure, a bottled water manufacturing company. They all started at different times at the company, bringing different levels of experience and abilities to their jobs. John is the factory manager supervising all the employees including these four. From a readiness point of view, it can be said that Ben is able but unwilling, Tom is both able and willing, Ron is neither able nor willing, and Harry is not able but highly willing to take on the responsibilities. John must respond differently to each of them to get them prepared and get the job done. John's optimal behavior to deal with Ron's readiness should comprise of _____ initiating structure and _____ consideration. A. moderate; low B. low; high C. low; moderate D. high; high E. moderate; moderate

Q: According to the contingency approach to organization design, organizations tend to be more effective when they are structured to fit the demands of the situation.

Q: (p. 459) Scenario: Eva Mineral Water, Inc. Ben, Tom, Ron, and Harry are four individuals working at Eva Pure, a bottled water manufacturing company. They all started at different times at the company, bringing different levels of experience and abilities to their jobs. John is the factory manager supervising all the employees including these four. From a readiness point of view, it can be said that Ben is able but unwilling, Tom is both able and willing, Ron is neither able nor willing, and Harry is not able but highly willing to take on the responsibilities. John must respond differently to each of them to get them prepared and get the job done. Which of the following behaviors would be best suited to deal with Ben's readiness? A. Delegating B. Telling C. Selling D. Participating E. Negotiating

Q: Virtual organizations are companies outside a company created specifically to respond to an exceptional market opportunity that is often temporary.

Q: (p. 459) In the _____ leader behavior the leader supplements his or her directing with support and encouragement to protect the confidence levels of the employees. A. delegating B. telling C. selling D. participating E. negotiating

Q: Instead of outsourcing parts of a product, a modular organization outsources its processes.

Q: (p. 459) The life cycle theory of leadership advocates that the optimal combination of leader behavior in the R4 stage is _____. A. delegating B. telling C. selling D. participating E. negotiating

Q: (p. 459) The optimal combination of leader behavior in the R3 stage of the life cycle theory of leadership is _____. A. delegating B. telling C. selling D. participating E. negotiating

Q: A hollow organization results from strategic application of the trend toward outsourcing.

Q: (p. 459) In the life cycle theory of leadership, the optimal combination of leader behavior in the R2 stage is _____. A. delegating B. telling C. selling D. participating E. negotiating

Q: Teamwork is a feature of organizations designed horizontally.

Q: (p. 459) Which of the following leader behaviors is characterized by low initiating structure and low consideration? A. Telling B. Selling C. Delegating D. Participating E. Transforming

Q: In a matrix structure, the vertical overlay represents a product line, brand, customer group, or geographic region and the horizontal overlay represents the functional departments.

Q: (p. 459) Participating leader behavior comprises _____ initiating structure and _____ consideration. A. moderate; low B. low; high C. low; low D. high; high E. moderate; moderate

Q: A divisional structure allows the people in a division to become experts at making a particular type of product or serving the particular needs of their customer group or geographic area.

Q: (p. 459) Which leader behavior, according to the life cycle theory of leadership, comprises high initiating structure and high consideration? A. telling B. selling C. participating D. delegating E. performing

Q: A functional structure groups together activities related to outputs.

Q: (p. 459) The life cycle theory of leadership suggests that _____ leader behavior comprises high initiating structure and low consideration. A. telling B. selling C. participating D. delegating E. performing

Q: Organizations defined by the traditional approach tend to have functional, divisional, and/or matrix structures.

Q: (p. 459) According to the life cycle theory of leadership, a group of employees who are working together for the first time and are eager to begin, but lack the experience and confidence needed to perform their roles are at which level of readiness? A. R1 B. R2 C. R3 D. R4 E. R5

Q: Organizational design rarely contributes to an organization's success.

Q: (p. 459) _____ is broadly defined as the degree to which employees have the ability and the willingness to accomplish their specific tasks. A. Integration B. Effectiveness C. Efficiency D. Readiness E. Emergence

Q: Organizations that focus on execution-as-learning enable their employees to collaborate by making information available when and where it is needed.

Q: (p. 459) The life cycle theory of leadership argues that the optimal combination of initiating structure and consideration depends on the _____ of the employees in the work unit. A. integration B. personality C. organization D. readiness E. decision-making style

Q: The self-serving bias leads to the inflated perception that management is better than it actually is.

Q: (p. 459) Which of the following theories is known as the situational model of leadership? A. Ohio State Studies B. University of Michigan Studies C. Life cycle theory of leadership D. Time-driven model of leadership E. Herzberg's two-factor theory

Q: A learning organization is one that proactively creates, acquires, and transfers knowledge.

Q: Ohio State studies argued that Initiating Structure and Consideration are _____; while Michigan studies believed them to be ______. A. independent concepts; ends of a continuum B. ends of a continuum; independent concepts C. dependent concepts; independent concepts D. correlated with leadership effectiveness; not correlated with leadership effectiveness E. ends of a continuum; central points in a continuum

Q: Organizational theorists downplayed the environment as they used closed-system thinking to characterize organizations as either well-oiled machines or highly disciplined military units.

Q: (p. 458) Which of the following behaviors, according to the studies at Ohio State, is an initiating structure behavior? A. Representation B. Integration C. Recognition D. Organization E. Membership

Q: Closed systems are capable of self-correction, adaptation, and growth.

Q: (p. 458) Alice has a deep concern for the welfare of her subordinates and she promotes interactive discussions with them. Alice can be described as a manager who scores high on: A. initiating structure. B. autocratic leadership. C. consideration. D. managerial control. E. discipline.

Q: An open system depends on constant interaction with the environment for survival.

Q: (p. 458) Joey, the manager of Tarts Inc., has always been supportive toward the employees and used to understand their feelings. In most occasions, he overlooked their mistakes and gave them opportunities to develop a friendly atmosphere in office. He often took their work in order to reduce their burden. Joey would score high on: A. initiating structure. B. intermediation. C. consideration. D. directive behavior. E. transactional leadership.

Q: Staff employees occupy formal decision-making positions within the chain of command.

Q: Wider spans of control complement the trend toward greater worker autonomy.

Q: (p. 458) _____ reflects the extent to which leaders create job relationships characterized by mutual trust, respect for employee ideas, and thoughtfulness of employee feelings. A. Transformation B. Delegating C. Consideration D. Participation E. Initiating structure

Q: (p. 457) Which type of structure reflects the extent to which the leader defines and structures the roles of employees in pursuit of goal attainment? A. Initiating structure B. Delegative structure C. Consideration structure D. Participative structure E. Transformational structure

Q: Generally, the narrower the span of control, the lower an organization's administrative costs is.

Q: (p. 457) According to the time-driven model of leadership, which leadership style seems to be overused by managers? A. Autocratic B. Consultative C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Negotiative

Q: The span of control indicates the division of labor within an organization.

Q: (p. 457) In the time-driven model of leadership, which style is reserved for circumstances in which employees have strong teamwork skills and are not likely to just commit to whatever decision the leader makes? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Negotiative

Q: The four basic dimensions of organizational structure are hierarchy of authority, division of labor, spans of control, and line and staff positions.

Q: (p. 457) In the time-driven model of leadership, which style is reserved for decisions that are insignificant or where employee commitment is unimportant or when the leader's expertise is high and the leader is trusted? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Supportive

Q: An organization chart is a graphic representation of formal authority and division of labor relationships.

Q: (p. 456) Which of the following factors is included in the time-driven model of leadership? A. Intellectual stimulation B. Shared objectives C. Idealized influence D. Individual personality E. Contingent rewards

Q: According to the unity of command principle, each manager should handle only one employee.

Q: There has been extensive research into the Time-Driven Model of Leadership. The results include all of the following except ______. A. managers overuse the autocratic style B. when managers use the recommendation of the model, decision were rated as successful 68% of the time C. when managers do not use the model's recommendations, their decisions are successful on 22% of the time D. managers do not vary their decision making style as much as the model suggests they should E. managers overuse the consultative style

Q: An organization embodies coordination of effort, a common goal, division of labor, and hierarchy of authority.

Q: (p. 455) Scenario: Polar Coat Manufacturing Dolce, Alexandria, Brittney, and Nicole, are four managers at Polar Coat Manufacturing. Each in their department uses a different decision-making style and believes that their style is the best. Alexandria always presents the problem to her employees, gathers their opinions/suggestions and then makes the decision herself. Brittney gives her employees the responsibility for making the decision within a set of specified boundary conditions. Nicole makes the decision without asking her employees for their opinions/suggestions. Dolce presents the problem to her employees and seeks consensus with an emphasis that her opinion should only count as important as every other employee's in her department. Dolce is displaying _____ decision-making style. A. consultative B. autocratic C. delegative D. facilitative E. directive

Q: An organization is a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two or more persons.

Q: (p. 454) Scenario: Polar Coat Manufacturing Nicole, Alexandria, Brittney, and Dolce are four managers at Polar Coat Manufacturing. Each in their department uses a different decision-making style and believes that their style is the best. Alexandria always presents the problem to her employees, gathers their opinions/suggestions and then makes the decision herself. Brittney gives her employees the responsibility for making the decision within a set of specified boundary conditions. Nicole makes the decision without asking her employees for their opinions/suggestions. Dolce presents the problem to her employees and seeks consensus with an emphasis that her opinion should only count as important as every other employee's in her department. Which of the following is the decision making style that Nicole is displaying? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Negotiative

Q: Briefly discuss the four generic approaches to assessing an organization's effectiveness.

Q: (p. 455) Scenario: Polar Coat Manufacturing Brittney, Alexandria, Nicole, and Dolce are four managers at Polar Coat Manufacturing. Each in their department uses a different decision-making style and believes that their style is the best. Alexandria always presents the problem to her employees, gathers their opinions/suggestions and then makes the decision herself. Brittney gives her employees the responsibility for making the decision within a set of specified boundary conditions. Nicole makes the decision without asking her employees for their opinions/suggestions. Dolce presents the problem to her employees and seeks consensus with an emphasis that her opinion should only count as important as every other employee's in her department. Identify the decision-making style that Brittney is using. A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Directive

Q: Differentiate between mechanistic versus organic organizations.

Q: (p. 455) Scenario: Polar Coat Manufacturing Alexandria, Brittney, Nicole, and Dolce are four managers at Polar Coat Manufacturing. Each in their department uses a different decision-making style and believes that their style is the best. Alexandria always presents the problem to her employees, gathers their opinions/suggestions and then makes the decision herself. Brittney gives her employees the responsibility for making the decision within a set of specified boundary conditions. Nicole makes the decision without asking her employees for their opinions/suggestions. Dolce presents the problem to her employees and seeks consensus with an emphasis that her opinion should only count as important as every other employee's in her department. Alexandria is displaying _____ style of decision-making. A. consultative B. autocratic C. delegative D. facilitative E. directive

Q: Briefly discuss the functional structure.

Q: (p. 455) There are many factors to consider when leaders choose a decision-making style. The most obvious consideration is the: A. number of people involved in decision making. B. quality of the resulting decision. C. number of opinions obtained for making the decision. D. the style of decision-making. E. the number of different ideas generated during the process.

Q: What are the three key factors that distract managers from learning from success?

Q: (p. 455) Which of the following is the style of decision making where the leader plays no role in deliberations unless asked? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Directive

Q: Compare and contrast closed and open systems.

Q: (p. 455) Robert has been newly appointed as the CEO of Textronics Inc. He is still learning how various departments function in the organization. Until he is able to gain sufficient knowledge and can suggest some changes, he relies on the suggestions and opinions of his team members and lets them do the things the way they are used to. He does not generally interfere in the decisions made by the employees but at times shares his past experiences with the employees. It can be said that Robert had adopted a(n) _____ style of decision-making. A. autocratic B. participative C. consultative D. delegative E. negotiative

Q: _____ is a systematic process of rigorously discussing hows and whats, questioning, tenaciously following through, and ensuring accountability. A. Innovation B. Consultation C. Ingratiation D. Delegation E. Execution

Q: (p. 455) Ted is a quality control manager at Greenwoods Cement Inc. Any time a problem arises and a decision needs to be made, he believes in getting his people involved. He presents the problem to his employees and seek consensus on a solution. He insists in these problem-solving meetings that his opinion or suggestions carry no more weight than anyone else's. Which of the following is the decision-making style that Ted is displaying? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Negotiative

Q: The starting point of organizational innovation is represented by the: A. nutrients of innovation. B. growth of innovation. C. maturity of innovation. D. seeds of innovation. E. challenges of innovation.

Q: (p. 455) With a(n) _____ decision-making style, employees have a say in the decision making process but the ultimate authority still rests with the leader. A. delegative B. directive C. consultative D. facilitative E. autocratic

Q: The creation of something new that makes money and finds a pathway to the consumer is known as: A. invention. B. innovation. C. creativity. D. integration. E. diffusion.

Q: When measuring organizational effectiveness, the ______ approach is appropriate when powerful stakeholders can significantly benefit or harm the organization. A. internal processes B. goal accomplishment C. span of control D. strategic constituencies E. resource acquisition

Q: (p. 455) Pauline, a department manager at Good Looking Clothes Inc., uses a style of decision-making that focuses on using the skills, experiences, and ideas of others. The final decision-making power is with Pauline. However, she does not make major decisions without getting inputs from those that will be affected. It can be said that she uses the _____ style of leader decision making. A. autocratic B. consultative C. facilitative D. participative E. transactional

Q: When measuring organizational effectiveness, the _____ approach is appropriate when organizational performance is strongly influenced by specific processes. A. internal processes B. goal accomplishment C. stakeholder audit D. strategic constituencies E. resource acquisition

Q: (p. 454) Percy has built her company by giving special attention to details. She is highly meticulous and demanding and often imposes her decisions on subordinates. Percy makes use of the _____ style of decision making. A. autocratic B. consultative C. transformational D. participative E. delegative

Q: (p. 454) Which of the following decision-making styles is characterized by the highest level of follower control? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Negotiative

Q: When measuring organizational effectiveness, the _____ approach is appropriate when inputs have a traceable impact on results or output. A. internal processes B. goal accomplishment C. stakeholder audit D. strategic constituencies E. resource acquisition

Q: (p. 454) Which of the following decision-making styles is characterized by the highest level of leader control? A. Consultative B. Autocratic C. Delegative D. Facilitative E. Supportive

Q: When measuring organizational effectiveness, the _____ approach is appropriate when objectives are clear, consensual, time-bounded, and measurable. A. internal processes B. goal accomplishment C. stakeholder audit D. strategic constituencies E. resource acquisition

Q: (p. 453) A leader's _____ reflects the process that the leader uses to generate and choose from a set of alternatives to solve a problem. A. operational efficiency B. day-to-day behavior C. Decision-making style D. emergence style E. operational style

Q: A(n) _____ enables management to identify all parties significantly impacted by the organization's performance. A. stakeholder audit B. strategic constituency C. span of control D. organization chart E. team mental model

Q: Researchers found two particular limitations to trait theory and therefore started looking more at "what leaders do" rather than "who leaders are." The two limitations were 1) that traits had less practical relevance than leader actions, and 2) ______. A. correlations between leader traits and leader effectiveness were weak. B. researchers had identified all the relevant traits and so more research would be unnecessary C. the government stopped funding the research D. tranformational leaders had different traits than other leaders E. leader traits had no relationship to dyadic leadership

Q: A(n) _____ is any group of individuals who have some stake in the organization's operation or success. A. affinity group B. strategic constituency C. reference group D. social group E. clique