Quiz

The way in which task reporting and authority relationships interact as a system determines an organization's __________. a. structure b. hierarchy c. strategy d. division of labor

a. structure Organizational structure is the core of what coordinates, controls, and motivates employees to cooperate toward the attainment of organizational goals.

Assume you are interested in acquiring more power within your organization. Which of the following statements is true for your situation? a. Having professional relationships outside the company is powerful. b. Being able to fire a subordinate who does not follow formal work rules increases power. c. Being able to influence others against their will ensures greater power. d. Convincing people that they're in-group members builds your power.

a. Having professional relationships outside the company is powerful. Networking inside and outside your organization can develop positive relations with people who can help your career.

Subunits, such as departments or groups, can also acquire and wield power. Under which condition is this true? a. when a group's activities are limited and peripheral to the firm b. when the organization is going through a period of uncertainty c. when there are plentiful resources so a subunit can accumulate them d. when a group's work is substitutable or able to be outsourced

b. when the organization is going through a period of uncertainty Subunits that can cope with uncertainty tend to have greater power.

Which of the following enables users to see who is logged on and to chat with them in real time? a. telecommuting b. filtering c. email d. instant messaging

d. instant messaging This allows employees to get in touch with one another immediately and to get input or ask questions.

Jian and Jared are engaged in a tech startup. Which of the following statements is true about the influences on their organizational structure? a. Because they have highly skilled technical workers, they should have flat, team-based structures. b. Because they want to be innovative and adaptable, they should aim to be a low-cost producer. c. Because the environment changes rapidly, they should centralize authority to control responses. d. Because employees collaborate and are allowed to make decisions, authority needs to be centralized.

a. Because they have highly skilled technical workers, they should have flat, team-based structures. Workers with professional skills who need to work together benefit from a flat, team-based structure.

Leon is a new human resources manager who has been charged with expanding the sales force. Which of the following ideas should he implement for running effective job interviews? a. Make any necessary accommodations if candidates have disabilities. b. Emphasize staff problems and corporate shortcomings so the candidate has a realistic impression of the workplace. c. Conduct the interview in a conference room where you can sit across the table from the candidate. d. Open the interview by asking the candidate to tell you something about themselves.

a. Make any necessary accommodations if candidates have disabilities. This shows an interest in and a concern for the job candidate.

What is one way to enhance horizontal communication? a. Online videos, wikis, or blogs can be made available to employees. b. CEOs can visit various worksites for face-to-face communication. c. Have managers provide regular performance reports and updates. d. Subordinates can engage in daily informal contacts with managers.

a. Online videos, wikis, or blogs can be made available to employees. Horizontal communication through such tools allows workers in an organization to communicate with others at the same organizational level.

Which of the following conditions is NOT true for virtual organizations? a. They tend to be very simple. b. They can exist without a permanent physical office. c. Companies gain competitive advantages from them. d. Career paths are challenging for virtual employees.

a. They tend to be very simple. They tend to be very complex.

Amy has been told she needs to improve her active listening skills. Which strategy would help her to do this? a. closely observe the speaker for changes in tone and body language b. increase the level of background noise to tune out distractions c. avoid making too much eye contact so the other person isn't nervous d. ask basic yes/no questions to show signs of comprehension

a. closely observe the speaker for changes in tone and body language Unusual or inconsistent cues from the speaker can provide clues about the real message the speaker is trying to send

Anne works for a traditional manufacturing firm. What is the most common means of developing innovation in such an organization? a. corporate research b. entrepreneurship c. intrapreneurship d. organizational socialization

a. corporate research Corporate research is often set up to support existing businesses, provide incremental innovations, and explore new technology bases.

When integrating employees, under what structure do managers from different units informally work together to coordinate or to identify and solve shared problems? a. direct contact b. permanent task forces c. cross-functional teams d. liaison roles

a. direct contact Direct contact can help identify and solve shared problems.

Which is typical of companies with a prebureaucratic structure? a. early control of organizational decisions and growth b. established hierarchies and formal divisions of labor c. grouping of people with like skills into departments d. organized functions around particular products

a. early control of organizational decisions and growth A prebureaucratic structure is highly centralized and lacking task standardization.

Johann is an German-American. Because he's bilingual, he's been assigned to work in Germany. Which influence tactics would he most likely encounter while working there? a. exchanging benefits and coalition b. exchange and rational information c. assertiveness and upward appeals d. personal relations and avoidance

a. exchanging benefits and coalition Influence tactics like these are most effective when they are consistent with the social values in national cultures.

For multinational organizations, which type of structure is best when both global integration and local responsiveness are needed? a. global transnational division b. regional headquarters c. global area division d. global product division

a. global transnational division This is a balanced, matrixed relationship between local managers and headquarters with a two-way flow of ideas and resources.

Power held due to the position of authority is called __________ power. a. legitimate b. informational c. referent d. expert

a. legitimate This is a position power based on a person's holding of the managerial position rather than anything the manager is or does as a person.

Which production technology is characterized by a tall bureaucratic structure with a large managerial span of control? a. mass b. custom c. unit d. small batch

a. mass Mass production typically uses assembly lines and machines.

Because of their many layers of authority and strong bureaucracy, hospitals tend to have conflict cultures that are characterized by withholding information and withdrawing from work when there's conflict. What type of conflict culture is this? a. passive-aggressive b. avoidant c. dominating d. collaborative

a. passive-aggressive Rather than dealing openly with conflict, this culture develops norms to handle it via passive resistance.

When Walmart founder Sam Walton drove his old pick-up truck to work, his employees embraced his ethic of frugality. What type of power did he display? a. referent b. persuasive c. informational d. expert

a. referent Referent power is a personal power based on a manager's charisma or attractiveness to others.

Which of the following defines communication? a. the transmission of information between people that creates a shared understanding and feeling b. the conversion of information into a message in the form of symbols, pictures, or words c. anything that blocks, distorts, or changes a sender's message d. the transmission of information from one person to another in order to agree on something

a. the transmission of information between people that creates a shared understanding and feeling Communication is a form of social interaction, from the Latin word meaning to share or make common.

Far Horizons, Inc. has experienced a lot of absenteeism and turnover among employees, particularly among ethnic and religious minorities. Management decided to implement several policies to better reflect its values of nondiscrimination and respect for everyone. Which of the following steps could it take to create a culture of inclusion? a. Survey customers on social media about their perceptions of organizational culture. b. Adjust working hours to accommodate workers' personal needs. c. Give everyone the week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. d. Explain to employees why they need to be kind and respectful.

b. Adjust working hours to accommodate workers' personal needs. This would help promote among a diverse employee mix a welcome sense of flexibility and concern.

Which of the following statements is true about the importance of organizational culture? a. A good business strategy will override corporate culture. b. Culture can give competitive advantages. c. A strong culture is always desirable. d. Culture should emphasize results and growth.

b. Culture can give competitive advantages. When culture supports business strategy, the firm can become high performing.

Rewards are one of the strongest tools a manager can use to influence employee behavior. You want to develop rewards for the sales force at your company in order to increase profits. Which of the following statements is true about how you should proceed? a. Tailor rewards so that top earners can get a head start for success. b. Give different rewards to different employees, based on their desires. c. Offer a monthly prize based on total sales. d. Set high goals so that there's a sense of competition for the rewards.

b. Give different rewards to different employees, based on their desires. Offering attractive rewards that may differ across employees will prevent decreased motivation among employees not receiving them.

Which of the following is true about media richness? a. Immediate feedback reduces richness by promoting irrelevant and tangential commenting. b. Media that are low in number of cues and language variety are low in richness. c. The more concrete and specific the message, the higher the level of richness that is needed. d. Videoconferencing is a good way to save travel time and expense during negotiations.

b. Media that are low in number of cues and language variety are low in richness. Media like written correspondence that are low in these are also low in richness.

Which of the following statements indicates an accurate understanding of organizational culture? a. People who can do well in one organization can do well pretty much anywhere. b. Strong organizational cultures aren't necessarily associated with high performance. c. Within an organization, people explicitly tell newcomers how to adhere to the culture. d. Skills and experience are way more important in hiring than how a person fits in.

b. Strong organizational cultures aren't necessarily associated with high performance. Strong cultures can be at a competitive disadvantage when it's necessary to quickly adapt to changing competition or a new business strategy.

Which of the following barriers to communication is an example of selective perception? a. A message isn't decoded the way the sender intended it. b. The message is seen and heard based on expectations. c. Something blocks, changes, or distorts the message. d. Information is intentionally withheld, ignored, or distorted.

b. The message is seen and heard based on expectations. Selective perception is selectively interpreting what we see based on our interests, expectations, experience, and attitudes rather than on how things really are.

Which of the following statements about communities of practice is true? a. They are able to operate independent of any management. b. They can use the company intranet to cultivate a sense of community. c. They are generally not recognized by executive leadership. d. They usually are officially referenced on organizational charts.

b. They can use the company intranet to cultivate a sense of community. Communities of practice are groups of people whose shared expertise and interest in a joint enterprise informally bind them together.

Which term refers to demeaning, exploiting, or taking advantage of another or influencing someone to do something they later regret? a. reference b. abuse of power c. empowerment d. coercion

b. abuse of power Disrespecting individual dignity and interference with job performance or deserved rewards are abuses of power.

You have been hired as CEO of a new company focused on providing home health services. What could you do to establish a strong and positive organizational culture? a. embrace the company's enacted values and norms b. craft organizational vision, values, and goals c. delegate to subordinates the power to maintain culture d. let the culture develop organically

b. craft organizational vision, values, and goals Leaders need to develop a clear sense of mission and values about what the company should be.

Which of the following is NOT an element of managing organization culture? a. taking advantage of the existing culture b. criticizing the organization culture c. teaching the organization culture d. changing the organization culture

b. criticizing the organization culture Criticizing culture isn't productive.

Creating smaller units within a larger organization can increase which of the following benefits? a. economies of scale b. flexibility c. lower costs d. coordination

b. flexibility Smaller organizations tend to be less bureaucratic than larger organizations and thus more flexible.

What type of innovation reflects continuous technical improvement and extends the applications of existing innovations? a. systems b. incremental c. radical d. disruptive

b. incremental Several incremental innovations are often necessary to make radical and systems innovations work properly.

Organizational politics are a function of both individual employees and organizational culture. Which of the following would NOT be considered political behavior under the right circumstances? a. coalition building b. providing access to information c. controlling communication d. image management

b. providing access to information Withholding access to information is a political behavior.

Abby has been charged with creating a media strategy with a high level of richness. Currently, her firm uses mainly email and formal written correspondence. Abby's goals are to increase interactivity and the firm's ability to communicate multiple cues to customers. Of the following communication media, which could Abby adopt because they are very high in richness? a. telephone and email b. videoconferences and face-to-face c. personal written and telephone d. email and instant messaging

b. videoconferences and face-to-face Both of these are high in ability to carry nonverbal messages, provide rapid feedback, and convey personality traits.

How does H&M, the clothing retailer, use a network organization to keep costs down? a. Its designers and suppliers are permanently assigned to a product team. b. Its designers report to both a product team and a sales manager. c. Its managers control a network of independent clothing suppliers. d. Its design and sales teams are organized around geographic regions.

c. Its managers control a network of independent clothing suppliers. It has a team of in-house designers who work with buyers to develop its clothing, which is then outsourced to a network of suppliers.

Which is a useful email guideline that managers can follow to improve business communications? a. Send group emails regularly to keep people informed. b. Respond to each question in an email in separate responses. c. Reread emails to check for spelling and grammar before sending them. d. Write elaborate and descriptive message lines for clarity

c. Reread emails to check for spelling and grammar before sending them. Business writing should be professional and should use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Which of the following statements characterizes mechanistic organizations? a. They are flexible, decentralized, and quickly adaptable. b. They can respond quickly to changing market conditions. c. They have formal rules and regulations for decision making. d. They have less clear lines of authority.

c. They have formal rules and regulations for decision making. Mechanistic organizations are more rigid and traditional, with uniform job descriptions and formal rules and regulations.

Liam wants to influence his team by requesting their advice to solve a problem and to mutually set some performance goals. Which type of influence would this represent? a. personal appeals b. ingratiation c. consultation d. inspirational appeals

c. consultation Consultation also involves being willing to modify the goals or solution based on the person's concerns and suggestions.

The process of selecting and managing aspects of organizational structure and culture to enable the organization to achieve its goals is called organizational __________. a. centralization b. formalization c. design d. span of control

c. design Designing and redesigning the organization in response to internal and external changes is a key managerial function.

Relationships with coworkers, bosses, and others we know because of the roles we hold are known as __________. a. informal ties b. intranets c. formal ties d. diagonal ties

c. formal ties Social networks consist of both formal ties, to coworkers and bosses, and informal ties, to friends and relatives.

What term refers to the encoded information of the communication process? a. channel b. decoding c. message d. feedback

c. message The message is the encoded information, whether in the form of words, images, or other media.

Which of the following is NOT an element that makes up an organization's culture? a. trust and positive relationships b. how employees get work done c. span of control d. shared values, norms, and assumptions

c. span of control This is an element of an organization's structure.

Andrea suspects that her boss is adept at impression management and is conveying a false sense of who he really is. She decides to watch him carefully for cues that he's being less than honest about himself. Which of the following items might provide her with evidence? a. He blinks less often when trying to persuade her about something. b. He uses a quieter voice when he's trying to be convincing. c. He gestures frequently with his hands to emphasize his points. d. He fidgets more when talking about himself and his accomplishments.

d. He fidgets more when talking about himself and his accomplishments. This includes leg twitches, foot tapping, and swiveling or rocking when sitting.

How can intranets be used to reflect an open and positive organizational culture in a large company with multiple workgroups? a. They can vary in appearance and level of information for different departments. b. They can be carefully edited to avoid uncomfortable feedback. c. They can be narrow in scope and reflect a respect for privacy of information. d. They can use stories and symbols to craft the organization's image.

d. They can use stories and symbols to craft the organization's image. These express a company's culture and can convey information such as company news.

Different countries have different approaches to conflict culture. Which of the following is true for national cultures that avoid conflict? a. They have greater power distance. b. They are more egalitarian. c. They emphasize individualism. d. They highly dislike uncertainty.

d. They highly dislike uncertainty. Conflict avoidant cultures may occur more often in societies higher in uncertainty avoidance and collectivism, where people are motivated to submit to authorities and maintain group harmony.

What type of communication occurs when top-level executives in an organization seek feedback from white-collar employees at all levels of the organization? a. upward communication b. downward communication c. horizontal communication d. diagonal communication

d. diagonal communication Employees communicating across departments and levels constitutes diagonal communication.

Which of the following behaviors would be most likely to decrease the overall occurrence of politics within an organization? a. enacting change b. increasing workgroup size c. building coalitions d. reducing uncertainty

d. reducing uncertainty Political behaviors are most likely to occur when there is a reasonably high degree of ambiguity or uncertainty in the work environment.

The process through which individuals learn what constitutes polite and acceptable behavior is called __________. a. culture b. intrapreneurship c. innovation d. socialization

d. socialization Socialization is the process through which individuals become social beings.

Which upward influence style emphasizes reason and uses an average amount of influence? a. shotgun b. bystander c. ingratiator d. tactician

d. tactician Tactician managers tend to direct organizational subunits involved in nonroutine work that gives them a skill and knowledge power base.