Intro to Org Communications Midterm

According to Weber's theory of bureaucracy, organizations should be closed systems that are shut off from interference of outside environment.

True

The NCAA uses carefully chosen language to describe their role in supporting student-athletes. In doing so, they are:

controlling organizational discourse.

Managers who place emphasis on people rather than on task refers to which management style?

country club

Kevin and Luis work together at Wells Fargo. They communicate many times per day about important security information. Their network linkage can be described as:

strong

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is a group of doctors who come together as professionals with the goal of discussing and establishing standards for their practices. Members have a shared interest in skin health, and many belong to other organizations as well. What type of organization is the AAD?

Association

Sarah, the administrator, is the only person in her department who knows the key code to the supply room. If anyone wants extra paper, pens, staples, or computer supplies, they have to go through her. She unlocks the door, retrieves the requested supplies, then re-locks the door. From what source(s) does her power come?

Control of knowledge and information

Apple, Inc. puts out a weekly employee newsletter which is accessed through the "News" app on every employees' iPhone or iPad. Which prescriptive component of culture does this illustrate?

Cultural network

If you accidentally drink Windex, your body will tell you "this is not good" with a bad taste and an upset stomach. When an organization makes a change that is also "not good," this type of feedback is known as:

Deviation reducing/corrective

Three people were fired at ABC Corporation. Eugene was fired because he was incompetent, Rita was fired because she was unethical, and Kayla was fired because of economic conditions. The fact that each of these employees all reached the same end state, but reached it in different ways and for a variety of reasons best reflects which system property?

Equifinality

Ellen works for HCA. She likes going to work every day. She enjoys being around her coworkers, and feels that she is paid fairly. The hours are pretty flexible too. Overall, she's very satisfied with her job. Based on what the research has shown, we can expect Ellen to also be highly productive.

Human resources

Which example from class best illustrates a critical look at classical management?

The poultry plant workers

Peter works at Initech. He has, technically, eight different bosses. So when he makes a mistake, he has to hear about it from eight different people. According to classical management theory, this is a problem of:

Unity of command

Which of the following types of organizations is primarily concerned with profit?

a Company/ corporation

Michael is a sales representative who spends a great deal of time out on the road and infrequently communicates with the rest of his sales team. He is:

an isolate

Jim is a manager in a human resources organization. He has a message for Bob who works on the assembly line. What channel is Jim likely to use to get the message to Bob?

any of the above

Rita is an ORCO professor researching organizational culture at tech startups. She recognizes that culture is generated, maintained, and changed by the social interactions of the people within that organization. This means that the cultures of organizations are:

emergent

Informal communication patterns in human relations organizations reinforce status differences between management and employees.

false

Many of Taylor's scientific management principles are embraced in organizations today. Proper selection of workers helps prevent _______.

high employee turnover

Susan works as a firefighter in a male-dominated organization. She is often sexually harassed on the job by her male coworkers. When asked about the appropriateness of this behavior, Susan sighs, "Boys will be boys. What can I do about it, anyway?" According to the critical approach, Susan is explaining these incidents by:

justifying them through reification.

Realty Resource Systems is a property management company. They have a reputation for being receptive to tenant complaints, and regularly attend zoning meetings to both listen to and give input about new real estate developments. Because of these and other interactions with the community, they have been able to adapt to change and expand their services. From a systems perspective, this is an example of:

negative entropy

Emmanuel teaches mathematics at Havenwood Elementary, a public school in Anderson county, TN. He has been handed specific guidelines and standards by the government for how to teach mathematics, known as "Common Core Standards." This best illustrates which tenant of Taylor's theory?

one best way to do every job

The ________ approach to organizational culture describes organizational culture as something an organization has, while the ___________ approach to organizational culture describes culture as something an organization is.

prescriptive; descriptive

John manages a fast food restaurant and never worries too much about treating his employees well, because he knows the local high school is full of students willing to work for minimum wage. What principle of the "machine metaphor" best exemplifies John's attitude?

replaceability

The inner workings of Grady Memorial Hospital, the public hospital for Atlanta, are highly complex and diverse because it operates in a complex and diverse environment. This system property is known as:

requisite variety

Joseph feels he is constantly being taken advantage of at work. In response to this perceived oppression, he always arrives just a few minutes late (late enough to annoy his boss, but not late enough that his boss would call him out). This is an example of:

resistance strategy

Dora is very appreciative that her employer provides gloves to protect her hands from the dangerous chemicals she uses in her work. According to Maslow, what need level is Dora concerned with?

safety needs

Big Pharma, Inc. is shifting to a more human resources-based approach. Pfeffer might suggest that they put decision-making in the hands of _________.

self-managed teams.

One of the major organizational processes that stems from globalization is outsourcing.

true

The Hawthorne Studies stemmed from the ideas of classical management theory.

true