Ch.12: Organizational Structure

11. According to the _____ organizational approach, organizations are logical and predictable with identifiable and scientifically measurable characteristics that can be predicted, observed, or manipulated. a. objective b. subjective c. postmodern d. realistic

ANS: A According to the objective perspective, an organization exists as an external reality, independent of its social actors. Organizations are viewed as logical and predictable objects with identifiable and scientifically measurable characteristics (e.g., size) that can be predicted, observed, or manipulated.

7. The phrase "the buck stops here" best describes which of the following terms? a. Accountability b. Authority c. Responsibility d. Trustworthiness

ANS: A Accountability refers to the liability for task performance. Accountability means being answerable and liable. The assignment of responsibility and the granting of authority create accountability.

13. The division of work by occupation or function is a form of: a. specialization. b. interdependence. c. uncertainty. d. technology.

ANS: A The division (or differentiation) of work by occupation or by function is a form of specialization. Specialization is the extent to which work is divided and assigned to positions and divisions

8. Patient surveys convey that they are uncertain about who is the registered nurse (RN). The CEO makes a decision that mandates that white nursing caps will be worn by all RNs and blue nursing caps by all licensed practical nurses to differentiate professional nurses and occupational nurses from nurses' aides and other ancillary staff. Which type of structure does this represent? a. Centralized b. Decentralized c. Nonparticipative d. Participative

ANS: A This is an example of centralized structure. The CEO makes a top-down decision, and lower-level managers and staff have little decision-making discretion.

15. A rapid response team within an acute care hospital is comprised of critical care physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists. The team assists staff throughout the hospital with detecting and managing imminent patient deterioration. This is an example of a _____ organizational form. a. parallel b. functional c. modified program d. matrix

ANS: A To address the challenges of purely functional forms, mechanisms in the parallel form assist in coordinating across functional departments (Charnes & Tewksbury, 1993). These mechanisms can include teams, specialists, task forces, liaison roles, and standing committees.

4. Which of the following statements describe the benefits of specialization in the health care setting? (Select all that apply.) a. Improved work performance b. Increase in expertise c. Improved efficiency and outcomes d. Increased workload e. Increased error reporting

ANS: A, B, C The advantages of specialization include improved work performance and a critical mass of experts (Charnes & Tewksbury, 1993). In health care, specialist roles have emerged to address the increasing complexities of care and technology.

2. According to organization theories, there are three perspectives regarding the nature of reality and knowledge within an organization. Which of the following are those perspectives? (Select all that apply.) a. Objectivism b. Subjectivism c. Postmodernism d. Realism e. Idealism

ANS: A, B, C The field of organization theory contains a variety of approaches to and assumptions about the phenomenon of organization. Objectivism, subjectivism, and postmodernism reflect three broad perspectives regarding the nature of reality and the nature of knowledge with respect to the concept of organization.

6. An organizational chart is used to depict: (Select all that apply.) a. a visual display of the organization s positions. b. the intentional relationships among positions. c. open positions within human resources. d. flow of authority. e. advisory committees.

ANS: A, B, D Hierarchy reflects the formal structure of the organization, which can be identified on an organizational chart. An organizational chart is a visual display of the organization's positions and the intentional relationships among positions. The organizational chart reflects the various positions and the formal relationships between and among the positions and, by extension, the people who are a part of the organization.

6. An organizational chart with one line of management and one line of staff reflects which of the following types of organizational structures? a. Authoritarian structure b. Flat structure c. Power structure d. Vertical structure

ANS: B A flat or horizontal structure has few administrative layers between management and employees. Employees have more decision-making power in this type of hierarchy.

14. Standardization of _____ provides a uniform structure for information delivery and flow in order to facilitate exchange among those involved in common work processes. a. physician orders b. communication c. work processes d. work outputs

ANS: B Standardization of communication methods coordinates work by providing a uniform infrastructure of information to facilitate exchange among those involved in common work processes

9. The patient is a 69-year-old woman who has a history of diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, and myocardial infarctions. She was admitted to the hospital with a stroke and is being transferred to a subacute facility and then to a rehabilitation facility. At every transfer she must review her entire history, provide telephone numbers of family members, list all 30 of her medications, and list all home care and medical supply companies. Which of these processes could improve the fragmentation in work flow? a. Departmentalization b. Standardization c. Specialization d. Subdivision

ANS: B Subdividing work may create breaks or fragmentation in work flow, which can be addressed in organizations by integrating work processes across roles and subunits using coordination devices (Hatch & Cunliffe, 2013). At the work group level, coordination may involve specific roles, standardization (programming), groups, or feedback devices. For example, handoff communication and techniques such as situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) are used to coordinate between units or providers in the delivery of care.

4. A nurse manager is responsible for a unit consisting of 40 nurses who report to two clinical supervisors. In addition, there are 10 support staff who report to an administrative supervisor. The subordinates reporting to this manager are known as which dimension of organizational design? a. Division of labor b. Hierarchy c. Span of control d. Decentralization

ANS: C Span of control is the number of subordinates a manager can efficiently and effectively direct.

3. The nursing chief executive officer (CEO) works in a major rehabilitation and subacute facility network. Her span of control refers to the number of: a. miles in which the network resides. b. ancillary staff accountable to her. c. nurses and non-nurses reporting to her. d. inpatients that the facilities service.

ANS: C Span of control refers to the number of nurses and non-nurses reporting to a manager.

17. The network or pattern of social relationships and friendship circles within an organization is known as the: a. clique. b. formal structure. c. informal structure. d. hierarchy.

ANS: C The informal structure is simply the network or pattern of social relationships and friendship circles that are outside the formal structure. It is an interconnected web of relationships that operate in and around the formally designated lines of communication.

1. Which of the following factors influences the structure of an organization? a. Age of the building b. Brand of computer system c. Number of employees d. Square footage of the facility

ANS: C The number of employees influences the structure of an organization. Organizational structure is a consequence of both the division of and the coordination of labor, which results in a formal set of interrelated and interdependent roles and work groups.

5. A staff nurse has been working in the neonatal critical care unit for 10 years. She believes that a professional nurse is a lifelong learner. Many staff members come to her for clinical problem solving and advice. This nurse has: a. decisional authority. b. formal power. c. informal power. d. quantum authority.

ANS: C This nurse has informal power. She is a staff nurse with a great amount of expertise, with many relationships and alliances in the organization.

3. According to the contingency theory of organizational performance, an organization must structure and adapt its nursing units to complement which two factors? (Select all that apply.) a. Skill set b. Patient population c. Environment d. Technology e. Finances

ANS: C, D Mark and colleagues (1996) applied contingency theory to the evaluation of nursing care delivery system outcomes. The basic premise was that, to perform effectively and produce quality outcomes, an organization must structure and adapt its nursing units to complement the environment and technology.

1. The nursing staff on a critical care unit thought that professional growth could be enhanced. Which of the following interventions would support empowerment of the nursing staff? (Select all that apply.) a. Eliminating computers and reverting back to paperwork b. Increasing pay wages for ancillary and professional staff c. Providing various methods for ongoing education and continuing education units d. Working to make equipment and medications readily available

ANS: C, D Social structures important to the growth of empowerment are having access to information, receiving support, having access to resources necessary to the job, and having the opportunity to learn and grow.

5. Dividing work by occupation leads to a functional organization where services are arranged by the type of work performed. What are some benefits of the functional form within the health care organization? (Select all that apply.) a. Professional silo b. Fragmented care delivery c. Cost reduction d. Enhanced performance and quality e. Promotion of professional development

ANS: C, D, E By dividing personnel according to the type of work performed, organizations can capitalize on the expertise, experience, efficiency, and professional standards that each discipline offers. Other benefits include cost reduction through shared resources; enhanced monitoring of cost, performance, and quality; and promotion of professional development, identity, autonomy, advocacy, and career advancement (Charnes & Tewksbury, 1993). Disadvantages of the functional form are its potential to overemphasize professional silos, discourage informal relationships across disciplines, and fragment care delivery.

12. Which organizational theory emphasized the informal aspects of organization social structure and was influenced by the Hawthorne experiments? a. Bureaucratic theory b. Scientific management school c. Classical management theory d. Human relations school

ANS: D Theorists in the human relations school emphasized the informal, rather than formal, aspects of organization social structure. Hawthorne experiments were influential in this school of thought.

10. The ways in which work is divided and coordinated among members and the resulting network of relationships, roles, and work groups is the: a. organization. b. organizational social structure. c. structure. d. formal relationship.

ANS: B Organizational social structure is defined as the ways in which work is divided and coordinated among members and the resulting network of relationships, roles, and work groups (e.g., units, departments).

7. Which of the following statements are accurate when describing responsibility and accountability? (Select all that apply.) a. The assignment of responsibility assumes accountability. b. A manager is assigned responsibility by a subordinate. c. Accountability is the liability for task performance. d. The assignment of responsibility and the granting of authority create accountability. e. Accountability flows upward or outward.

ANS: C, D, E Responsibility is the allocation and acceptance of a task. Responsibility is the obligation to take on and accomplish work and to secure the desired results. In accepting the obligation of an assigned task, the staff person is accepting responsibility to accomplish the task. Accountability is the liability for task performance and is determined in a retrospective analysis of what occurred. The assignment of responsibility and the granting of authority create accountability. Accountability flows upward or outward: from staff to manager or from provider to client.

16. The structure of authority in an organization is known as the: a. authority. b. centralization. c. bureaucracy. d. hierarchy.

ANS: D In bureaucratic and classical management theory, hierarchy is the structure of authority in an organization. Authority is equated with the enforcement of regulations.

2. Within nursing practice, the use of advanced practice roles is an example of: a. cross-training. b. departmentalization. c. fragmentation. d. specialization.

ANS: D In health care, specialist roles have emerged to address the increasing complexities of care and technology. Within nursing, specialist roles have also evolved to address particular areas of nursing practice and include advanced practice roles such as clinical nurse educators, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists.