BA ch 7 smartbook

Helps cut costs Fosters innovation Boosts productivity

3 items that characterize teams:

task force

A ____ _____ is a temporary group of employees responsible for bringing about a particular change.

wide

A _____ span of management exists when a manager directly supervises a very large number of employees.

multidivisional

A _____ structure organizes departments into larger groups called divisions.

line

A _____structure has a clear chain of command, which enables managers to make decisions quickly. A mid-level manager facing a decision must consult only one person, his or her immediate supervisor.

product

A company has three main product lines: cleaning products, laundry products, and paper products. If it organizes its jobs around these product lines, it is using which form for departmentalization?

tall, narrow

A company with many layers of managers is considered ______ and the span of management is _____.

multidivisional

A firm is looking to restructure its organization into larger groups. It is deciding whether to organize its departments on the basis of geography, customer type, or product. Either way, structuring the firm in this way is utilizing the ______ structure.

lower-level managers

Are capable of managing a much larger number of subordinates, even as high as twenty-five people

they want to be as efficient as possible

At its core, the reason companies divide labor and specialize is because ______.

geographic

Because of vast differences between different regions, multinational corporations often use ______ departmentalization.

formal communication channels

Channels of communication that are intentionally defined and designed by the organization are designated as ____ _____ ______.

committee

Dante works at a manufacturing plant. He has been asked by upper management to be part of a formal group that will specifically work with union laborers to address all concerns and draft company policy regarding union benefits. Dante has been asked to be part of a ______.

specialization

Dividing specific tasks into smaller jobs based on employee skill is called ______.

quality circles

Quality-assurance teams are also referred to as _____ _____.

product, customer, function, geographic region

ways in which departments are commonly organized:

committee

A permanent, formal group that performs a specific task is called a ______.

product-development team

A special type of team formed to devise, design, and implement a new product is a ______.

project team

A team that runs its own operation and has total control of a specific work project is called a ______.

5

According to psychologist Ivan Steiner, team productivity peaks at about _____ team members. People become less motivated and group coordination becomes more difficult after that size.

organizational

An _____ chart shows relationships among people; who is accountable for the completion of specific work, and who reports to whom.

grapevine

An informal channel of communication separate from management's formal official communications related to a job or organization that can sometimes be gossip is called a ______.

centralized

An organization structure in which decision-making authority is maintained at the top level of management is called a(n) ______ organization.

line

An organization that has direct two-way lines of responsibility, authority, and communication running from the top to the bottom of the organization, with all people reporting to only one supervisor is called a(n) ______ structure.

structure

An organizations ______ develops when managers assign work tasks and activities to specific individuals or work groups and coordinate the diverse activities required to reach the firm's objectives.

engage in a a harmonious, synchronized work effort that remains flexible to changing conditions

For a team to maximize its contribution to the firm it must ______.

delegation of authority

Giving employees not only tasks but also the power to make commitments, use resources, and take whatever actions are necessary to carry out those tasks is the definition of ______.

define the various positions in the company and their relationship to one another

If Pete was tasked with developing an organizational structure for his company, he would ______.

self-directed

If a team is empowered to make decisions without management approval first then it is said to be ______.

feedback

In order for communication to be effective in the workplace, managers need to solicit comments and criticism from employees to their communication messages. This input from employees is referred to as ______.

intranets

Internal company networks that increase communication across different departments and levels of management and help with the flow of everyday business activities are called ______.

Have a wider breadth of skills Have the ability to create more solutions Can pool members' knowledge

Items that are benefits of teams:

line-and-staff

Marvelous Motor Works sells vehicles directly to businesses for use in their companies. Marvelous Motor Works has a manager for each type of vehicle it sells (cars, trucks, and delivery vehicles). The salespeople for each product report directly to his or her manager but may also consult the financing department and legal department to handle issues relating to financing and liability issues. This is an example of a(n) ______ organization.

decentralized

Rather than have the top level of management make all the decisions, Jake's company gives all lower-level managers the authority to make decisions for his or her department. Jake's company operates as a(n) ______ organization.

false

T/F: Communication between friends that cuts across departments, divisions, and even management-subordinate boundaries comprises what is known as the formal organization.

true

T/F: Every organization, regardless of size, organizational type, product, or profit objective has a corporate culture.

False

T/F: The maximum number of people a manager should manage is no more than ten

departmentalization by customer group

The arrangement of jobs around the needs of various types of customers is know as ______.

the organizations stucture

The arrangement or relationship of positions within an organization is referred to as ______.

formal communication

The flow of communication within the formal organizational structure is called ______.

functional

The form of departmentalization that groups jobs that perform similar functional activities, like finance and marketing, is called ______ departmentalization.

small

The functional approach to departmentalization is common in ______ organizations.

organizational layers

The levels of management in an organization are collectively referred to as ______.

span

The number of subordinates who report to a particular manager is his or her ____ of management

responsibility

The obligation, placed on employees through delegation, to perform assigned tasks satisfactorily and be held accountable for the proper execution of work is the definition of ______.

culture

The organizational ______ represents a company's widely shared values, beliefs, and traditions.

informal organization

The organizational system that develops spontaneously as employees meet and form relationships is referred to as the ______.

specialization

The owner of a flower shop has three employees. Two employees are better at arranging flowers in a vase while the third is skilled at preparing the flowers to be arranged. Separating the employees by these skills is called ______.

an employee who accepts an assignment and the authority to carry it out is answerable to a superior for the outcome

The principle of accountability means that _______.

specialization

The rationale for _____ is efficiency. People can perform more efficiently if they master just one task rather than all tasks

quality assurance teams

This type of team is defined as small groups or workers brought together from throughout the organization to solve specific quality, productivity, or service problems.

team

This word is defined as a small group whose members have complementary skills, have a common purpose, goals, and approach; and hold themselves mutually accountable.

organizational chart

To find out the relationships among people in a company one may consult the company's ______.

it requires greater coordination among departments, Decision making across departments is slow.

What are two weaknesses of functional departmentalization?

higher administrative costs, narrow span of management, and many layers of managers

What three items characterize a tall organization?

Promotes individual leadership, Emphasizes individual accountability, Emphasizes individual work products

What three items characterize a work group?

Has shared leadership roles Has both individual and mutual accountability Creates collective work products

What three items characterize work teams?

matrix organization

When different members of an engineering firm come together to work temporarily on a specific project they are operating in a ______.

decision making that involves more than one department may be slow

When jobs are organized by function, ______.

centralized

When the decisions to be made by a business are risky, and low-level managers are not highly skilled in decision making, the company tends to be more _____.

Accountability

Which principle means that employees who accept an assignment and the authority to carry it out are answerable to a superior for the outcome?

Allow for quick response to changes in the environment, Provide for flexibility, Provide enhanced cooperation and creativity

Which three are considered advantages of a matrix organizational structure?

They are expensive to operate. Employees can be confused on whose authority has priority

Which two are considered disadvantages of a matrix organizational structure?

Decisions to be made are risky. Low-level managers are not highly skilled in decision-making.

Which two factors would lead to a business being more centralized in its organization?

It can take longer for the organization to respond to changes on a regional scale, It can take longer for the organization to implement decisions, It can prevent low-level employees from reporting problems.

Why can overcentralization cause serious problems for an organization?

Decision making has slowed down, Traditional structures become difficult to coordinate,The firm has experienced growth and diversification.

Why do firms usually feel the need to restructure?

product-development team

With its current product line being sold in a saturated and mature market, Wonder widgets wants to develop a new product that will put the company at the forefront of emerging technology. It has assembled a team to devise, design, and implement this new product. What type of team has Wonder widgets created?

group

Your text defines a _____ as two or more individuals who communicate with one another, share a common identity, and have a common goal.

self-directed

____-______ work teams means that they are empowered to make decisions without management approval.

upward

_____ communication flows from lower to higher levels of the organization and includes information such as progress reports, suggestions for improvement, inquires, and grievances.

downward

_____ communication refers to the traditional flow of information from upper organizational levels to lower levels--examples would include job descriptions, directions, and performance feedback.

diagonal

______ communication takes place when individuals from different levels and different departments communicate.

matrix

a ______ structure, also called a project management structure, sets up teams from different departments, thereby creating two or more intersecting lines of authority.

multidivisional

the ______ structure inevitably creates work duplication, which makes it more difficult to realize the economies of scale that result from grouping functions together.

(multi)divisional

the _______ structure inevitably creates work duplication, which makes it more difficult to realize the economies of scale that result from grouping functions together.

Permits delegation of decision-making authority, allowing divisional and department managers to specialize, Allows those closest to the action to make the decisions that will affect them, Allows for each division or region to provide products to meet the needs of its customers

three benefits of multidivisional structures:

top managers

Should not directly supervise more than four to eight people