Management chapter 10/11

Which of the following statements explains the choice of design based on an organization's strategy?

it depends

A principle of organization design is that organization design facilitates the

implementation of strategies

Pooled interdependence exists when there are multiple parts that function ____________________ and then pool their output to reflect total organization or team performance.

independently

Dell's Professional Development program allows all employees to take courses that align with Dell's business goals and strategy. Dell can be described as a _____________ structure

learning

A ________________ may also be referred to as the U-form (unitary) approach to departmentalization. The U-form of organization design is organized by _____________

functional design functions

Professor Hackman was commenting on the effect of a deviant in a long-standing work team. Step back and consider whether a deviant might have a similar effect in the team organization, which does not have long-term or permanent teams. When Hackman refers to "the tendency to want too much homogeneity," he is referring to ______________ , a potential disadvantage of teams caused by pressure to _______________

groupthink agree on solution

Based on the case study, which basic form of technology is used by Melissa's manufacturing facilities?

Continuous process technology

Projects often span jobs and departments. Which building block will you rely upon to ensure that the project development process runs smoothly and efficiently?

Coordinating activities among jobs

Which of the following reasons would you give to support your recommendation to Uber?

Cost leadership strategies require strong organizational efficiencies. The functional design is the most efficient, because functions are not duplicated across divisions.

Which of the following reasons would you give to support your recommendation to Cisco Systems? Check all that apply.

Decentralized decision making allows for greater flexibility in meeting customer needs. Shorter chains of command and horizontal communication allow for increased innovation.

With fewer managers and more people in positions without managerial accountability, which building block will you rely upon to ensure jobs are properly supervised?

Distributing authority among jobs

The owner of the business where you work has asked you to identify ways to help the organization react faster to environmental changes. What do you recommend? Check all that apply.

Flatter structures lessen bureaucratic red tape, improving the speed of decision making.

One difficulty in comparing Bolin and Härenstam's research with Burns and Stalker's earlier study is that Bolin and Härenstam:

Focused on industries, not the turbulence or stability of the environment

Which basic building block of structure would you use to build departments focused on specific products or clients?

Grouping jobs

To align the jobs at Ancestry with the company's strategy, you've decided that the genealogist job should be redesigned. You've also determined that taking the job characteristics approach to job design will yield the best results.

Increase each employee's autonomy, so that they feel they have more control over how the work is performed.

What must be kept in mind as a guiding principle during the organization redesign?

It should take into account all six building blocks of organizations and how they relate to each other.

Consider the types of jobs found in a construction firm. Identify which jobs are line positions and which ones are staff positions. Carpenter Brick mason Architect Receptionist Accountant Inspector

Line Line Line Staff Staff Staff

A typical criticism of highly specialized jobs is that the employees may become bored. Which concern should you warn Ancestry's managers about in the case of its staff of genealogists?

Perceived monotony

Which advantage would you cite if you were advising a company to group jobs by product?

Performance assessments are facilitated.

Which of the following is the best example of a company using a bureaucratic model of organization design?

Safety is a key concern in most industries, but it is especially important at BigBoom Fireworks Factory. Employees must use carefully standardized procedures for packing fireworks to prevent unwanted explosions.

Which type of interdependence is best represented by a one-way highway?

Sequential interdependence

In the table below, indicate whether each statement is consistent with Likert's description of a System 1 organization or his description of a System 2 organization. Leadership process includes no perceived confidence and trust. Motivational processes tap physical and economic motives through the use of fear and sanctions. Communication flows freely throughout the organization. Both superiors and subordinates are able to affect goals, methods, and activities.

System 1 System 1 System 2 System 2

Which advantage would you cite if you were advising a company to group jobs by type of customer?

Tailoring services to meet customer needs is easier.

In your annual performance review, your supervisor suggested you delegate more tasks to the subordinates on your team. Consider the following scenario you experience as you try to delegate. You've just hired a new employee, Michelle, and she's eager to learn how things are done. Unfortunately, you've been pulled into several unexpected meetings. You ask Paul to spend the day training Michelle while you are in meetings. What benefits might Paul experience as a result of this delegation? Check all that apply.

The authority granted to Paul may be perceived as job enrichment. Paul may feel a sense of esteem that you chose him as the best person to train Michelle. It's a professional development opportunity for Paul. Paul gains managerial experience training new employees.

Which of the following are advantages of bureaucratic organizations? Check all that apply.

They are inherently inefficient. Standard operating procedures provide clear instructions. Promotions typically are based on expertise rather than favoritism.

Under what conditions is the current organizational structure of Dropbox most likely to be effective?

When there is a single business mission

Choose the span of control best suited for the situation. (narrow/wide) A highly competent subordinate Frequent crises at work Low levels of nonsupervisory work in the manager's job Standardized procedures

Wide Narrow Wide Wide

In what direction does work flow in an organization characterized by sequential interdependence?

Work flows in only one direction

The XYZ Corporation has a distinct division of labor, consistent rules, and a clear hierarchy. Managers maintain distance between themselves and subordinates, and promotions are awarded based on technical expertise. These are all hallmarks of

a bureaucracy

The XYZ Corporation has a distinct division of labor, consistent rules, and a clear hierarchy. Managers maintain distance between themselves and subordinates, and promotions are awarded based on technical expertise. These are all hallmarks of _____________

a bureaucracy

Reciprocal interdependence exists when

activities flow both ways

Professor Hackman was commenting on the effect of a deviant in a long-standing work team. Step back and consider whether a deviant might have a similar effect in the team organization, which does not have long-term or permanent teams. According to Hackman, a deviant may help a group consider _____________, but if the deviant has a strong personality and limits the input of others, the problem of ___________ may arise

alternative solutions minority domination

Cisco Systems uses a differentiation strategy. They offer their customers the latest in routers and switches. Cisco products may cost a bit more, but customers believe they are worth every penny. If you were a consultant hired to advise Cisco Systems, you would suggest that it have ______________structures

an organic

Departmental heads must ensure that jobs are designed to meet the needs of the department, but organization design must also ensure that ________________properly distributed among jobs. Departmental leadership is an example of this principle.

authority is

The type of sports team that best exemplifies reciprocal interdependence is the _________ because the team members are actively passing and receiving and adjusting their work based on the actions of others

basketball team

A _______________ may also be referred to as the H-form (holding company) approach to departmentalization. The H-form design can best be described as a _______________bureaucratic design

conglomerate design holding company

As an organization becomes more organic, its decision making becomes _______________ It is also true that, as an organization becomes more mechanistic, its decision making becomes ____________

decentralized centralized

Which form of departmentalization is best if the company services both business clients and end consumers?

location

Which form of departmentalization is best if the regions in which the company competes have unique environmental characteristics?

location

As an organization becomes more organic, its communication flow becomes ______________It is also true that, as an organization becomes more mechanistic, its communication flow becomes _______________

more horizontal more vertical

A major element of organizing is coordination. The primary reason for coordination is that work groups are interdependent. The most complex level of interdependence is called

reciprocal interdependence .

The fashion industry follows a predictable cycle of bringing product to market season after season, and the demand for products is predictable. Major competitors are established, as are the traditional distribution options. How would you describe the environment in which Melissa operates?

stable

All employees on the shop floor at Alfredo's Sausage are responsible for creating the best-quality product possible. They identify, investigate, and address problems. They also are responsible for selecting, training, evaluating, and, if necessary, terminating the employees who work with them. There are few layers of management. Alfredo's Sausage is an example of a ________________ organization. As a result of this structure, which of the following are you likely to observe? Check all that apply.

team Employee specialization that, in turn, leads to increased efficiency Decentralized decision making, with responsibility pushed to lower levels An emphasis on horizontal communication, which facilitates rapid decision making The company being particularly effective in an environment that demands flexibility

The type of sports team that best exemplifies pooled interdependence is the __________________ because the team members complete independently, and their scores are combined to represent the team's output.

track team

ModernShed is a company that provides custom-designed shed kits. The company has no employees. Instead, functions are performed by contract workers on an as-needed basis. ModernShed can be classified as a __________ organization

virtual

In which stage of the organizational life cycle did Grendene recognize that its expertise in manufacturing and molding a patented form of plastic could be used in industries beyond wine?

youth

Which of the following are advantages of bureaucratic organizations? Check all that apply.

The hierarchy of positions is clear. Rules let employees know what is expected..

Which of the following statements best summarizes why structuring an organization is such a challenging objective?

The optimal design depends upon many factors.

Imagine that you are the hiring manager at a corporation like GE, with businesses in the healthcare, renewable energy, and operations data fields. Which basic building block of structure would you use as you scale down on managerial positions and scale up on engineering positions?

designing jobs

The majority of Dropbox's employee positions are allocated to coding and sales, the two functions most critical to its ability to provide its service and to generate revenue. Because Dropbox services clients around the world, it has positioned sales staff in several countries. If these outputs grow, Dropbox may need to restructure to a _______________ structure, which will allow it to

divisional Have each office manage its own functional needs

Which of the following is the best example of a company using a bureaucratic model of organization design?

Creativity is terrific, but sometimes creativity can go too far. Izzy's Ice Cream is known for its unusual flavors, but last week, the employees came up with something they called Mud. Sure, it was just chocolate ice cream, but Izzy had to tell his workers, "No naming ice cream after dirt or anything else people would not want to eat!"

Oriental Trading Company uses a cost leadership strategy. It has a "110% Lowest Price Guarantee," which says that if a customer can provide an advertisement with a lower price from another company, the Oriental Trading Company will refund 110% of the difference in price. If you were a consultant hired to advise Oriental Trading Company, you would suggest that it have _______________ structure

a mechanistic

In Burns and Stalker's research, the factor identified as affecting an organization's structure is the:

environment

A major element of organizing is coordination. The primary reason for coordination is that work groups are interdependent. The lowest level of interdependence is called .

activities flow both ways

As an experienced manager, you are mentoring Laila, a new manager. In your regularly scheduled one-on-one, Laila asks for some advice on delegation. Which of the following ideas do you share with Laila to help her understand delegation? (Share/Do not share) Delegation involves the assignment of responsibility, authority, and accountability. Responsibility is assigned by the subordinate. Accountability is only established if the manager assigns responsibility and the subordinate accepts it. The first step in delegation is creating accountability.

Share Do not share share Do not share

According to the case study, which of the following factors is somewhat unpredictable in the environment in which Grendene competes?

fashion trends

Uber uses a cost leadership strategy strategy. Uber, an online transportation network, facilitates matching drivers with passengers who need transportation. It emphasizes efficiency and control to keep costs low. If you were a consultant hired to advise Uber, you would suggest that it have __________ structure.

functional

Dropbox's organizational structure includes marketing, legal, product, customer success, and human resources departments. This ____________________structure is appropriate because

functional Dropbox offers only one product line: cloud storage and related services: cloud storage

Which of the following reasons would you give to support your recommendation to Oriental Trading Company? Check all that apply.

Functional structures create highly trained, specialized employees who are extremely efficient at what they do. Centralized decision making allows the organization to place tighter controls on the way work is done and, in the process, achieve economies of scale.

In your recommendations to Ancestry, you suggest the company seek to enrich the jobs of the genealogists. Which of the following suggestions would result in job enrichment?

Genealogists like Crista could determine for themselves when the ancestral trail warranted the acquisition of additional data from external sources.

Zappos uses a human resource strategy strategy. Zappos, an online retailer, prides itself on its excellence in customer service. Its leadership believes that a focus on human resources is key to achieving a competitive advantage in service quality. Its corporate-level strategy is that of the single-product strategy. If you were a consultant hired to advise Zappos, you would suggest that it have ______________ structure

functional

What are the disadvantages of Dropbox's current organizational structure?

The functional structure may not be sufficient to meet the needs of multiple office locations.

Which of the following reasons would you give to support your recommendation to Zappos?

The single-product strategy can be simply organized by function.

Mega Consulting encourages its employees to attend personal and career enrichment classes, which are offered during lunchtime and right after work. At a recent workshop, participants learned basic spreadsheet skills. At another session, a financial planning expert provided employees with strategies for managing their 401(k) savings. Mega Consulting is an example of a______________organization. As a result of this structure, which of the following are you likely to observe? Check all that apply.

learning A company committed to continuous improvement Employees finding creative solutions to job-related challenges Employees with greater job skills and knowledge