Ch 11: Designing Organizational Structure

Janyce is a member of a quality improvement group consisting of members of design​ engineering, manufacturing​ engineering, production,​ procurement, and quality control. This group is charged with the responsibility of continuously improving the quality of the​ company's products. Which term best describes this​ group? A. Strategic partnership B. Learning organization C. ​Cross-functional team D. Virtual organization E. Community of practice

C. Cross functional A​ cross-functional team is a work team composed of individuals from various functional specialties.

At Robins​ Manufacturing, there are separate departments for​ accounting, manufacturing,​ engineering, purchasing, human​ resources, and​ sales/marketing. Based on this​ information, what type of organizational structure does Robins Manufacturing most likely​ have? A. Divisional structure B. Simple structure C. Functional structure D. Matrix structure E. Network structure

C. Functional structure A functional structure is an organizational design that groups similar or related occupational specialties together.

All of the following are contingency factors affecting an​ organization's structural choice EXCEPT​ ________. A. strategy B. environmental uncertainty C. market share D. size E. technolo

C. Market share The appropriate structure for an organization depends on four contingency​ variables: strategy,​ size, technology, and degree of environmental uncertainty.

Fast food chains dividing work activities into separate job​ tasks, such as cooking​ burgers, drive-thru​ order-taking, and cashiering​ dine-in orders, is a great example of​ ________. A. centralization B. departmentalization C. work specialization D. formalization E. the chain of command

C. Work specialization Work specialization is dividing work activities into separate job​ tasks, which is exactly what fast food chains do by having employees specialize to increase efficiency

Which of the following is/are an aspect of a mechanistic organization?

Clear chain of command Narrow spans of control

Which of the following is/are an aspect of a organic organization?

Cross-hierarchical teams/ Cross-functional teams Decentralization Low formalization

Which of the following organizations would likely favor a mechanistic​ structure? A. A financial services firm with 35 employees in a highly competitive industry B. A​ start-up software company with 16 employees C. A corporation with​ 2,000 employees in an industry where change is a constant and there is a high level of environmental uncertainty D. A corporation with​ 2,500 employees that is in a relatively stable environment E. A​ mom-and-pop dog grooming business with 5 employees

D. A corporation with 2,500 employees in an industry that is relatively stable environment. Large organizations tend to have more​ specialization, departmentalization,​ centralization, and rules and regulations than do small organization.​ Additionally, mechanistic structures are more effective in​ stable, simple environments.

Christy and Laurie​ co-teach the same​ 1st-grade class. Christy teaches the class on​ Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Laurie teaches on Tuesday and Thursday. They each receive a​ pro-rated portion of the traditional​ full-time position's salary and benefits. Which term best describes this​ arrangement? A. Telecommuting B. Contingent workers C. A compressed workweek D. Job sharing E. Flextime

D. Job sharing Job sharing is the practice of having two or more people split a​ full-time job.

________ is the degree to which lower-level employees provide input or actually make decisions.

Decentralization

Jeff works as a litigation paralegal. He is an independent contractor and works for a law firm involved in a major lawsuit only for the duration of the lawsuit. When the lawsuit is​ over, he moves on to find another​ position, perhaps with another law firm or with the same firm on a different lawsuit. Which term best describes this​ arrangement? A. A compressed workweek B. Job sharing C. Telecommuting D. Flextime E. Contingent worker

E. Contingent worker Contingent workers are​ temporary, freelance, or contract workers whose employment is contingent on demand for their services. Contingent workers do not expect their jobs to last and work without contracts for ongoing employment.

​ mom-and-pop dog grooming salon with three employees is most likely to adopt which of the following organizational​ designs? A. Matrix structure B. Divisional structure C. Functional structure D. Network structure E. Simple structure

E. Simple structure ​ Most companies start as entrepreneurial ventures using a simple​ structure, which is an organizational design with low​ departmentalization, wide spans of​ control, authority centralized in a single​ person, and little formalization.

Which of the following would be described as an organic​ organization? A. An organizational design that groups similar or related occupational specialties together B. An organizational design that is​ hierarchical, rigid, and tightly controlled C. An organization with low​ departmentalization, wide spans of​ control, centralized​ authority, and little formalization D. An organizational structure made up of separate business units or divisions E. An organization that is highly adaptive and flexible

E.An organization that is highly adaptive and flexible Organic organizations are characterized by low​ specialization; a​ loose, flexible​ structure; few formal​ rules; and little direct supervision.

________ is giving employees more authority (power) to make decisions.

Employee empowerment

The purpose of ________ is creating or changing an organization's structure.

Organizational Design

________ is the production of items in continuous processes.

Process production

A virtual organization

`consists of a small core of full-time employees and outside specialists temporarily hired as needed to work on projects.

Low formalization is

an aspect of an organic organization.

A functional structure is ............

an organizational design that groups together similar or related occupational specialties.

A organic organization is.....

an organizational design that's highly adaptive and flexible

A simple structure is .............

an organizational design with low departmentalization, wide spans of control, centralized authority, and little formalization

A project structure is ............

an organizational structure in which employees continuously work on projects.

A team structure is ...............

an organizational structure in which the entire organization is made up of work teams.

A divisional structure is ..........

an organizational structure made up of separate, semiautonomous units or divisions.

Cross-hierarchical teams

are an aspect of an organic organization.

Organizing is ...............

arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organization's goals.

A ________ organization's design is not defined by, or limited to, the horizontal, vertical, or external boundaries imposed by a predefined structure.

boundaryless organization

Organizational design is ........

creating or changing an organization's structure.

________ is a scheduling system in which employees are required to work a specific number of hours a week but are free to vary those hours within certain limits.

flextime

A learning organization

has developed the capacity to continuously learn, adapt, and change.

Formalization is ............

how standardized an organization's jobs are and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures.

Decentralization

is an aspect of an organic organization.

A ________ structure is an organizational structure that assigns specialists from different functional departments to work on one or more projects.

matrix

Centralization is ................

the degree to which decision making is concentrated at upper levels of the organization.

An organizational structure is .................

the formal arrangement of jobs within an organization.

Mass production is ________.

the production of items in large batches

Unit production is ..............

the production of items in units or small batches

Unit production....

the production of items in units or small batches

An organizational chart is ________.

the visual representation of an organization's structure

A network organization

uses its own employees to do some work activities and networks of outside suppliers to provide other needed product components or work processes.

A hierarchical organization characterized by highly centralized​ authority, formalized procedures and​ practices, and specialized functions is referred to as​ a(n)

A mechanistic organization is an organizational design that is rigid and tightly controlled.