MGMT 371 Ch. 10
Which of the following is a weakness of the simple structure?
It relies too much on one person which is very risky
According to the acceptance theory of authority, ________
employees will accept orders only if certain conditions are met
GlaxoSmithKline would become more ________ if it starts allowing its lab scientists to set the priorities and allocate the resources.
organic
Which of the following factors would require a more decentralized organizational structure?
when the lower-level managers want a voice in decisions
Which of the following factors calls for a more centralized organizational structure?
when the organization is facing a crisis
Given other things unchanged, managers with well-trained and experienced employees can function well with a wider span of control than those with a less talented workforce
TRUE
Wilson is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group. This is a chance for Wilson to experience ________.
authority
All other things being equal, the wider or larger the span of control, the more ________ an organization is.
cost efficient
What kind of departmentalization would be in place in a government organization where different public service responsibilities are divided into activities for employees, children, and the disabled?
customer
As organizations become more flexible and responsive to environmental trends, there is a distinct shift toward ________ decision making.
decentralized
Bob works in a mid-sized organization with other skilled workers who all pitch in to do what needs to be done to satisfy the customer. It is likely Bob works in a ________ organization
decentralized
The process of grouping jobs together is known as ________.
departmentalization
In which of the following traditional organizational designs does duplication of activities and resources lead to an increase in costs and reduced efficiency?
divisional structure
Large organizations are more ________.
mechanistic
According to the traditional view, managers could not - and should not - directly supervise more than ________ subordinates.
5 or 6
At one end of the spectrum, organizations can be absolutely centralized, while at the other end, they can be completely decentralized.
FALSE
Customer departmentalization works well because it emphasizes interdepartmental communication regarding customer's needs.
FALSE
Employee empowerment gives employees more authority to delegate responsibility
FALSE
Organizational design is the degree to which standardized procedures are in place in an organization.
FALSE
Today's organizations mostly rely on strict rules and standardization to guide and regulate employee behavior.
FALSE
In the case of functional departmentalization, jobs are grouped according to ________
Tasks
Departmentalization based on ________ groups jobs on the basis of territory or physical location.
geography
Michelle is very concerned about the formal framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated within her unit. This implies that she is concerned about ________
the organizational structure
Which one of Fayol's 14 principles of management states that a person should report to only one manager?
unity of command
Which of these statements is an argument in favor of creating a hierarchical structure in an organization?
Organizations function better when there's a hierarchy in place.
Worldwide economic downturn, global competition, accelerated product innovation by competitors, and increased demands from customers for high quality and faster deliveries encourage organizations to become more ________.
organic
In Joan Woodward's study of the relationship between technology and structure, the structure that was the most technically complex was ________.
process production
Joan Woodward divided firms into three distinct technologies that had increasing levels of complexity and sophistication: unit production, mass production, and ________.
process production
A company with low departmentalization, wide spans of control, centralized authority, and little formalization possesses a ________ structure.
simple
Tom's Welding is in its third year of operation. Tom now has a sales person and several production employees. It is most likely Tom has a ________ structure.
simple
What are the different structures that traditional organizations can have?
simple, functional, and divisional structures
In the beginning, all employees at Tom's Welding performed whatever task was needed. Now the employees have gravitated to specific sets of tasks. Some use only stick welders; some weld only on aluminum. We can infer that as his business has grown, it has become more ________.
specialized
What are the four contingency variables that an organization's structure depends on?
strategy, size, technology, and environmental uncertainty
Lacey believes that Joan Woodward's work will be particularly pertinent in considering Custom Leather's organizational structure, since Woodward believed that the effectiveness of the organization was related to the fit between the firm's structure and ________.
technology
Willard has been assigned to a project development team in addition to his regular duties as a quality engineer. During this assignment he will report to both the project manager and his quality department manager. This situation ________.
unity of command
The process of dividing work activities into separate job tasks is known as ________
work specialization
________ is the formal arrangement of jobs within an organization
Organizational structure
________ departmentalization is based on the product or customer flow through the organization.
Process
Marcus was asked to represent the cardiac unit as part of a Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative that is aimed at improving the overall quality of care at his hospital. Other departments, such as orthopedics, neurology, oncology, and pediatrics also have representatives on this team. This TQM team is an example of ________
a cross-functional team
Bill manages the quality department. His people check parts made by the production departments to assure all specifications are met. Bill is ________.
a staff manager
________ is the degree to which decision making takes place at upper levels of the organization.
centralization
Organizational design is a process that involves decisions about ________
chain of command and span of control
Work teams composed of individuals from various functional specialties are known as ________ teams.
cross-functional
________ refers to how standardized an organization's jobs are and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures.
formalization
In highly ________ organizations, there are explicit job descriptions, numerous organizational rules, and clearly defined procedures covering work processes
formalized
A ________ is an organizational design that groups similar or related occupational specialties together.
functional
A disadvantage of ________ departmentalization is poor communication across the different groups.
functional
The fact that Monica's signature is required on all documents and her word is the last word on all decisions relating to her department suggests that ________.
her employer has a centralized structure
According to Woodward's studies, what type of production technology is best suited for a mechanistic structure?
mass
The type of assembly line typically found in automobile manufacturing is an example of ________.
mass production
A(n) ________ organization is highly specialized and rigidly departmentalized; also highly formalized and centralized.
mechanistic
Ben operates a farmer's market. Every year he offers the same vegetables to the same customers and faces the same rivalry from other truck farmers. A(n) ________ would best fit Ben's situation.
mechanistic design
In stable and simple environments, ________
mechanistic designs are most effective