Leadership NUR 4120 Chapter 12

A health-care organization utilizes decentralized decision making. What will most likely happen when there is need for decisions to be made in the organization? a. A decision can be made at the lowest practical managerial level. b. The decision will be made by top-level managers. c. There is a potential that the decision will be made too quickly. d. It will be unclear who is ultimately accountable for the decision.

A

A nurse-manager is chairing a workplace committee. What should the manager prioritize in this role? a. Keeping members on task and promoting productivity b. Promoting members' career development c. Resolving interpersonal conflicts and preventing groupthink d. Providing information on each agenda item

A

A nurse-manager is reviewing the organizational chart of a health-care facility before accepting a job offer. When reviewing the organizational chart, the nurse should: a. be aware that the informal structure of the organization cannot be discerned from the chart. b. confirm the accuracy of the chart with the human resources department. c. try to meet with the people at the top of the chart, if possible. d. review the qualifications of each person on the chart.

A

A nurse-manager is working with a committee that is showing evidence of groupthink. What characteristic of the committee would show evidence of this phenomenon? a. Members of the committee are unwilling to take risks with new ideas. b. The committee prefers to make decisions by consensus. c. The committee members want to take turns chairing the meetings. d. Membership in the committee is frequently changing.

A

A nursing supervisor has been given the responsibility for increasing the frequency and thoroughness of nursing assessments on a hospital unit. However, the supervisor does not have the authority to enforce new guidelines for assessment or assign consequences for noncompliance. What is the most likely outcome of this scenario? a. The desired outcome will not be achieved. b. The assessments will improve, but the nurses will be resentful. c. The supervisor will need to use unauthorized enforcement. d. The assessments will improve as a result of collaboration.

A

After starting a new job, a nurse-manager has been surprised at the amount of grapevine communication that happens. The manager should recognize what characteristic of this type of communication? a. It is difficult to control or stop. b. It always involves verbal, face-to-face communication. c. It consists of negative and subversive messages. d. Strong organizations have policies that prohibit it.

A

The nurse is working on a unit whose culture has become firmly entrenched? What solution should the nurses on the unit best propose? a. New leadership b. A decrease in workload c. Collaboration with a unit that is not entrenched d. Increased administration support

A

Which components are considered a part of an organizational structure? Select all that apply. a. The individuals included in the group b. Lines of communication c. Decision-making process d. Channels of legitimate authority e. Organizational culture

A, B, C, D

The leadership of a large health-care organization has arranged a series of meetings with stakeholders. What individuals or groups would be included in this category? Select all that apply. a. A community group that advocates for the rights of people addicted to drugs b. Representatives from the labor union that represents many staff members, an external organization, or individual c. A community group that promotes client safety in health care d. Members of the local media e. The surgeons and anesthetists who work in the operating room

A, B, C, E

Which statements are true concerning a bureaucratic organization? Select all that apply. a. It is commonly referred to as a line organization. b. It is typically found in large health-care organizations. c. It is rooted in individual personalities. d. They resemble Weber's original design of organization. e. Its authority is represented by its staff organizational chart.

A, B, D, E

Max Weber, as part of the scientific management era, contributed immensely to the development of organizational theory. Which statements are representative of his beliefs? Select all that apply. a. Bureaucracy could provide a rational basis for administrative decisions. b. Worker satisfaction was integral to productivity. c. Organization charts could depict the hierarchy of authority. d. Impersonality of relationships should exist in organizations. e. Advancement and placement should be based on relationships.

A, C, D

A manager has accepted a new position and there are more than 20 people who directly report to the manager. What description of this manager's role is most accurate? a. The manager's workload is unrealistic. b. The manager has a large span of control. c. The manager has a top-level management position. d. The manager is working in a poorly designed organization.

B

A manager is participating in introducing a shared governance model to a health-care organization. What is the manager's best action? a. Remove lines of authority. b. Form joint practice committees. c. Eliminate performance appraisals. d. Increase the number of first-level managers.

B

A nurse-manager has been commissioned to create a new workplace committee that will focus on client safety issues. When forming this committee, the manager should: a. meet at least twice per week for the first month to create momentum. b. aim for diversity of genders and cultures among the membership. c. ensure that half of the members are the manager's subordinates and half are the manager's superiors. d. give members permission to attend meetings as often or as rarely as they wish in order to accommodate their schedules.

B

The nurse-manager is chairing a committee, most of whose members are subordinates. When communicating with the members during meetings, the manager should: a. ensure their contributions are recorded for performance appraisal purposes. b. avoid overt demonstrations of power or authority. c. reserve the right to impose decisions on the committee. d. avoid informality in speech or writing.

B

The top-level managers of a hospital have chosen to apply for magnet designation. The decision to grant this designation will be largely based on what factor? a. Input from local nursing educators and academics b. The findings from an onsite visit by assessors c. The results of a local public opinion survey d. Review of the organizational chart

B

Which characteristic of an organization would suggest that flattening is occurring? a. There is a collective spirit. b. There is reduction in the administration levels. c. There are shared work goals across units. d. There are formal and informal systems are in place to address conflicts.

B

The nurse-manager works in a health-care facility that has applied for Magnet status. What characteristics of the organization will support the application? Select all that apply. a. Centralized decision-making environment b. Open, participatory management c. Improved patient outcomes d. High staff nurse satisfaction e. Large number of registered nurses and an absence of practical nurses

B, C, D

A health-care organization has undergone an organizational restructure that increases nurses' autonomy and empowerment. What effect is most likely? a. Increased interdisciplinary collaboration b. Increased communication c. Increased effectiveness of client care d. Increased client autonomy

C

A middle-manager who oversees the operations of several nursing units has a high degree of organizational centrality. What is most likely true about this manager? a. The manager is isolated from top-level managers. b. The manager interacts with a comparatively small number of coworkers. c. The manager receives much communication from varied directions. d. There are more middle-level managers than first-level managers in the organization.

C

An organization has proposed a policy stating that no more than five people should report to any single manager in the organization. What is the most likely outcome of this change in organizational structure? a. Decision making will become unpredictable. b. Workplace satisfaction will increase. c. Efficiency will decrease in the organization. d. Worker autonomy and empowerment will increase.

C

During a strategic planning committee meeting to develop technology goals, several unit managers spend a considerable amount of time discussing current staffing problems. What is the primary action of the chairperson of this committee? a. Take the remainder of the meeting time to discuss staffing with all members. b. Adjourn the meeting and reschedule at a time when there are no staffing problems. c. Request that committee members return to discussing items on the agenda. d. Excuse those discussing staffing from the remainder of the meeting.

C

There is one vertical, solid line connecting a middle manager and a top-level manager on a clinic's organizational chart. What should a nurse conclude from this aspect of the organizational chart? a. The middle- and top-level manager share equal authority. b. The middle manager is in a permanent position. c. The middle manager has only one boss. d. The top-level manager was originally promoted from being a middle-manager.

C

A clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is included on a hospital department's organizational chart. However, there are no solid lines leading to or from the nurse's position on the chart. What does this imply? a. The CNS lacks productive relationships with colleagues. b. Any member of staff may exercise authority over the CNS. c. The CNS is not accountable for his or her practice. d. The CNS does not have formal authority over other staff members.

D

A nurse has begun working in a new health-care facility and is beginning to understand the organizational culture. When seeking to understand the organizational culture, the nurse should: a. carefully examine the demographic characteristics of the workforce. b. ask the middle- and upper level managers about the potential for advancement. c. ask coworkers at various levels to interpret the organizational chart. d. try to perceive the dominant values, traditions, and beliefs in the organization.

D

A nurse-manager has established a new committee and will be chairing the committee. The committee consists of six representatives from various departments, at various levels within the organization. What goal should the committee members set? a. Creating a new organizational chart b. Adding four to six new members c. Emphasizing formal communication d. Implementing shared decision making

D

A rural hospital is considering a sharp reduction in the range and availability of the services it provides. Before making this change, the hospital's leadership should: a. decentralize its decision-making model. b. implement shared governance. c. review its organizational chart. d. consult with local stakeholders.

D

The organization of work in a large health-care facility reflects Weber's theories around bureaucracies. What characteristic is most likely to exist in this facility? a. High flexibility in the way that work is structured b. Promotion and advancement on the basis of relationships c. Absolute autonomy of each employee d. A clear division of labor among employees

D

What should the leader remember when forming committees? a. Committees work best when there is an adequate supply of workers, with 10 members being the minimum. b. Willingness to work hard is the most important criterion for appointment. c. Written agendas provide excessive structure and stifle committee creativity. d. There should be sufficient expertise among committee members to accomplish the assigned task.

D

Which employee of a health-care organization would likely be considered a middle-level manager? a. An experienced primary care nurse who mentors other nurses b. The team leader of the hospital's wound care specialists c. The charge nurse who oversees day shifts on a medical unit d. The hospital's nursing supervisor

D