Q&A Hero

Q: The original ideas about organizational design formulated by Fayol and Weber are now largely obsolete.

Q: There are four basic elements in organizational design.

Q: Organizational design is the process in which managers change or develop an organization's structure.

Q: Eric sees this new assignment as an increase in ________, or an obligation or expectation for him to perform at a new level. A) functional structure B) divisional structure C) responsibility D) authority

Q: Eric is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group. This is a chance for Eric to experience ________. A) functional structure B) divisional structure C) responsibility D) authority

Q: Eric the Redd (Scenario)Eric Redd graduated from college and was hired by a corporation that manufactured parts for the automotive industry. The employees on the assembly line seemed bored, and their motivation was low. Eric's employer decided to try to reorganize to increase productivity. During his career, Eric will see his job change from an engineer to a more complex job assignment.The jobs of assembly-line employees are to be changed to allow more tasks to be done by individual workers. This is a reduction in ________.A) work specializationB) departmentalizationC) chain of commandD) centralization

Q: Today's managers expect employees to ________.A) ignore rules for the most partB) use discretion when it comes to following rulesC) faithfully follow rules even when it may harm the organizationD) make their own rules

Q: Today's managers are moving away from formalization and trying to be this. A) more rigorous B) more flexible C) more strict D) less permissive

Q: All of the following are characteristics of a highly formalized organization EXCEPT ________. A) explicit job descriptions B) little discretion for employees C) minimum number of rules D) a standardized way of doing things

Q: In today's decentralized business world, ________ the most important strategic decisions. A) top managers still primarily make B) middle managers make C) lower-level managers make D) nonmanagerial employees make

Q: In recent years, organizations have become more ________ to be responsive to a dynamic business environment. A) centralized B) decentralized C) structured D) mechanistic

Q: ________ reflects the degree to which decision making is distributed throughout the hierarchy rather than concentrated at the top. A) Centralization B) Span of control C) Concentration D) Decentralization

Q: A traditional "top down" organization is ________ organization. A) a largely centralized B) a largely decentralized C) an absolutely decentralized D) an absolutely centralized

Q: Modern managers find that they can ________ if their employees are experienced, well-trained, and motivated. A) increase their span of control B) decrease their span of control C) eliminate their span of control D) fluctuate their span of control

Q: The traditional view holds that managers should directly supervise ________ subordinates. A) no more than three B) no more than six C) around twelve D) around twenty

Q: When a top manager decides to hire an individual over the objections of her staff, she is exercising which kind of power? A) referent B) expert C) coercive D) legitimate

Q: ________ is the power that arises when a person is close to another person who has great power and authority. A) Expert power B) Referent power C) Reward power D) Legitimate power

Q: Your firm's attorney has ________ power when giving legal advice. A) legitimate B) status C) expert D) coercive

Q: A bank manager who passes out bonuses at the end of the year is exercising this. A) reward power B) coercive power C) expert power D) referent power

Q: ________ is the power that rests on the leader's ability to punish or control. A) Reward power B) Coercive power C) Expert power D) Referent power

Q: A construction site supervisor who sees an impending thunderstorm and tells workers to go home is demonstrating ________. A) line authority B) staff delegation C) provisional accountability D) responsibility

Q: As represented in a hierarchical organization diagram, authority is based on ________. A) vertical position only B) horizontal position only C) distance from the center only D) horizontal and vertical position

Q: As represented in a power cone, power is based on ________. A) vertical position only B) horizontal position only C) distance from the center only D) vertical position and distance from the center

Q: Which of the following statements is true? A) Power is a type of authority. B) Authority and power are identical. C) Authority is a type of power. D) Power is determined by horizontal position in an organization.

Q: The personal secretary of a top manager may have ________. A) power but not authority B) authority but not power C) power and authority D) line authority but not staff authority

Q: ________ is the obligation or expectation to perform a duty. A) Responsibility B) Unity of command C) Chain of command D) Span of control

Q: Which of the following statements is true? A) Power is a right. B) Authority is one's ability to influence decisions. C) Authority is a right. D) Both power and authority are rights.

Q: The importance of unity of command has diminished in today's workplace because of its tendency to be ________. A) inflexible and inefficient B) ethically questionable C) chauvinistic and dictatorial D) too decisive

Q: ________ prevents a single employee from getting conflicting orders from two different superiors. A) Line authority B) Unity of command C) Staff authority D) Chain of command

Q: Line authority gives a manager the ability to direct the work of ________. A) any employee in the firm B) any subordinate C) any subordinate, after consulting with the next higher level D) only subordinates one level down

Q: Staff managers have authority over ________. A) special support employees only B) line managers C) middle managers D) the person above them in the chain of command

Q: In the chain of command, each person above you ________. A) has special privileges B) receives higher pay C) has line authority D) has no right to give you orders

Q: Authority gives an individual the right to do this. A) give orders B) reprimand employees C) command respect D) obey orders

Q: The chain of command answers this question. A) Where do I go for help? B) How do I know when the task is complete? C) What are the rules? D) Who reports to whom?

Q: The line of authority that extends from the upper levels of management to the lowest levels of the organization is termed the ________. A) chain of responsibility B) unity of command C) staff authority D) chain of command

Q: State motor vehicle offices usually use this kind of departmentalization. A) product B) functional C) customer D) process

Q: What kind of departmentalization would be in place in a government agency in which there are separate departments that provide services for employers, employed workers, unemployed workers, and the disabled? A) product B) geographic C) outcome D) customer

Q: A soap company that features a bath soap department, a laundry detergent department, and a dish soap department is using which of the following? A) process departmentalization B) functional departmentalization C) product departmentalization D) customer departmentalization

Q: ________ departmentalization is based on territory or the physical location of employees or customers. A) Functional B) Product C) Geographic D) Matrix

Q: Functional departmentalization groups jobs by ________. A) tasks they perform B) territories they serve C) products or services they manufacture or produce D) type of customer they serve

Q: Today, managers favor this approach with regard to work specialization. A) All tasks are performed by all employees to promote fairness. B) Partners switch jobs every half hour to overcome boredom. C) Employees specialize to maintain efficiency. D) Monotonous tasks are shared by all employees to prevent perceived favoritism.

Q: Early users of work specialization in the early twentieth century found that the practice ultimately resulted in ________. A) higher profits and better employee morale B) bored workers with low morale C) huge and permanent productivity gains D) better communication among employees

Q: Early supporters of work specialization saw it as ________. A) a reliable way to increase productivity B) a good way to increase employee morale C) a source of innovation D) an immoral way to coerce workers into greater productivity

Q: Which statement accurately defines work specialization? A) It is the degree to which tasks are grouped together. B) Individual employees specialize in doing part of an activity rather than the entire activity. C) Jobs are ranked relative only to their worth or value to the businesses. D) Work specialization clarifies who reports to whom.

Q: Which of the following is synonymous with work specialization? A) division of labor B) job discrimination C) chain of command D) job preference

Q: Which of the following are NOT basic elements of organizational design? A) work specialization, span of control B) chain of command, line authority C) centralization, decentralization D) departmentalization, formalization

Q: All of the following are part of the process of organizational design EXCEPT ________. A) deciding how specialized jobs should be B) determining rules for employee behavior C) determining the level at which decisions are made D) determining goals for the organization

Q: Organizational design requires a manager to ________. A) decide who leads a group within an organization B) change the culture of an organization C) change or develop the structure of an organization D) change the logo of an organization

Q: In a short essay, describe a learning organization. What structural aspects does a learning organization need?

Q: In a short essay, describe the boundaryless organization.

Q: Contingent workers may make up to 40 percent of the workforce by the end of the decade.

Q: Organizations that implement flextime programs allow employees to work at home for some of the work day.

Q: A learning organization puts an enormous amount of effort on making sure that all of its employees are enrolled in some kind of university level class.

Q: The biggest issue in workers working at home or off-site involves fairness.

Q: All learning organizations share a distinct structure.

Q: In a learning organization, it is important that all employees ________. A) collaborate B) study each night C) have a strong sense of leadership D) share the same vision for the organization

Q: Organizational learning can't take place without ________. A) complete privacy for employees B) a clear chain of command C) a shared vision of the future D) a stable structure or hierarchy

Q: All of the following are characteristic of learning organizations EXCEPT ________. A) a strong sense of community B) a collaborative environment C) managers who serve as facilitators D) fear of making mistakes

Q: A learning organization requires employees to ________. A) encode information to prevent competitors from stealing ideas B) collaborate with competitors C) make all ideas public D) share information and collaborate with one another

Q: A learning organization develops the capability to ________. A) add new training programs to keep employees up to date B) accept the conventional wisdom of the industry C) continuously learn, adapt, and change D) attract new employees who have special knowledge

Q: Global competition forces firms to ________. A) become lean, fast, and flexible B) build up enormous cash reserves C) think locally D) become more hierarchical

Q: In a short essay, describe the matrix structure. What are its advantages and disadvantages?

Q: In a short essay, describe the characteristics of a divisional structure.

Q: In a short essay, describe the characteristics of a functional structure.

Q: In a short essay, describe the characteristics of a simple structure.

Q: In a short essay, list and discuss two contingency variables that should be considered in determining an appropriate structure in organizational design.

Q: A network organization uses its own employees and outside suppliers to provide manpower for projects.

Q: Horizontal boundaries separate employees by the specialization of their job.

Q: Managers want to eliminate boundaries in organizations primarily to increase stability and reduce flexibility.

Q: A virtual organization relies on free agents who have no permanent status or position in the organization.

Q: Internal boundaries separate the organization from its customers, suppliers and stakeholders.

Q: Vertical boundaries separate employees by their rank in an organization.

Q: When employees in a project structure finish a project, they go back to their original department.

Q: When employees in a matrix structure finish a project, they go back to their functional department.

Q: A significant advantage of the matrix structure is the clear chain of command from top to bottom of the organization.

Q: Employees in an organization with a matrix design can have two bosses for the same job.

Q: In a team structure, there is a clear line of managerial authority from top to bottom.

Q: In a team structure, team members are not held responsible for their decisions.

Q: A weakness of the divisional structure is that duplication of activities tends to occur.

Q: A strength of a functional structure is that it avoids duplication of activities.