sevi ch. 7

informal organization

•The pattern of behavior and interaction that stems from personal rather than official relationships

Krisha is the manager of a 12-person pharmaceutical sales team that focuses exclusively on the North Carolina market. Krisha has divided her sales team into three, four-person subunits, with Unit 1 focusing on Asheville and its surrounding area, Unit 2 on Raleigh, and Unit 3 on Greenville. What type of organizational departmentalization is Krisha using?

departmentalization by location

stages of team development

forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

Effia is a managing partner at a local accounting firm. When Effia first became a managing partner three years ago, she was responsible for overseeing eight associate accountants. Currently, she now has responsibility for overseeing 14 associate accountants. Which of the following refers to the number of workers who report directly to one manager?

span of management

line structure

•An organizational structure in which the chain of command goes directly from person to person throughout the organization −A straight line could be drawn down through the levels of management, from the chief executive down to the lowest level in the organization.

Job Specialization

•The separation of all organizational activities into distinct tasks and the assignment of different tasks to different people −The "job" of most organizations is too large for one person. −A worker can learn one specific, highly specialized task quickly and perform it efficiently. −A worker repeating the same job does not lose time changing operations. −The more specialized the job, the easier it is to design specialized equipment. −The more specialized the job, the easier the job training.

Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. In its organization structure, Starbucks Corporation has a division for coffee, another division for baked goods, and another division for merchandise like mugs. Which type of departmentalization is this?

departmentalization of product

Stages of Team Development: Forming

the team is new. members get to know each other

Stages of Team Development: storming

the team may be volatile. goals and objectives are developed

Stages of Team Development: norming

the team stabilizes. roles and duties are accepted and recognized

team cohesiveness

•Cohesiveness is affected by different factors, internal and external to the team. •The ideal team size is generally 5 to 12. •One of the most reliable ways to build cohesiveness is through competition with other teams. •Teams are more successful when goals have been agreed upon beforehand. •Frequent interaction builds cohesiveness through increasing familiarity.

virtual structure disadvantages

•Lack of control over quality of work •Low morale and high turnover among hourly workers •Lack of a clear hierarchy

line managers

•Managers who make decisions and gives orders to subordinates to achieve the organization's goals −Advantage: With only one supervisor, line managers can make decisions quickly with direct accountability. −Disadvantage: With responsibility for many activities, line managers must have a wide range of knowledge about all of them.

cross-functional teams

•Teams of individuals with varying specialties, expertise, and skills that are brought together to achieve a common task

virtual team

A team consisting of members who are geographically dispersed but communicate electronically

Ideaz, a new consulting company, has grown rapidly and desires to departmentalize to simplify supervision and facilitate coordination. It will most likely departmentalize by _____.

function

Meera works as a human resource specialist for a medium-sized plumbing company. Morale at the company has been low over the past several years, with employees complaining about their low pay and minimal employee benefits. In addition to her regular work responsibilities, Meera has been asked to chair a team to address this issue. Once the pay and benefits package for employees has improved and employee morale restored, the team will disband. Which of the following types of teams has Meera been asked to chair?

problem-solving

Aoibhe is part of a team at work. Her role on the team is to push the team toward achieving their goals and objectives. Aoibhe's role on the team is a _____.

task-specialist role

virtual structure advantages

•Flexibility that allows organizations to adjust quickly to changes •More likely to survive the loss of an important member

Which of the following is an advantage of a virtual structure?

can adjust to changes quickly

James has been promoted to store manager of the home improvement warehouse where he has worked for the last 12 years. All the store employees will ultimately answer to James, and he in turn will answer to the District Manager, Vanessa. Which of the following refers to the line of authority that extends from the highest to the lowest levels of a company?

chain of command

In a line-and-staff structure, staff managers have which kind of authority? (Select two.)

formal authority, advisory authority

Give Like a Mother, a charity in your town, has its own bowling league formed by employees with teams drawn from different departments within the company. It also has ad hoc committees and task forces to accomplish the goals of the organization. The ad hoc committees and task forces are _______ groups, whereas the bowling teams are _______ groups within the organization.

formal; informal

Dominic is a manager who is working on structuring the tasks and activities required to accomplish his company's objectives into specific jobs to foster productivity and employee satisfaction. Dominic is looking at _____.

job design

Which of the following involves structuring the tasks and activities required to accomplish a firm's objectives into specific jobs to foster productivity and employee satisfaction?

job design

An employee in a company with a ________ structure is likely part of a cross-functional team.

matrix

Yoplait has decided to departmentalize by product. One disadvantage to using this type of departmentalization is it ______.

may cause duplication of specialized activities

The stage of team development in which the team stabilizes, and roles and duties are accepted and recognized is known as which of the following?

norming

Serita has just started a new job. She is curious about the positions and relationships within her company, so she looks at the ______ to determine who reports to whom.

organization chart

As an employee at Applebee's, Prakash has a duty to do a job or perform a task. This is called ____.

responsibility

Freeman Consulting has a(n) ____ committee comprised of managers from various departments in charge of evaluating the performance of the employees every year.

standing

A relatively permanent committee charged with performing some recurring task is called a(n) ______.

standing committee

During the ______ stage of team development, goals and objectives begin to develop.

storming

A team member in a _________ pushes the team toward achieving goals and objectives.

task-specialist role

nonparticipant role

Characterized by people who do not contribute to accomplishing the task and do not provide favorable input with respect to team members' socioemotional needs

Which of the following is not true about a company's grapevine?

Information communicated through a grapevine is always untrue.

Which of the following is correct regarding organizations?

It is a group of two or more people working together to achieve a common set of goals.

job design

Structuring the tasks and activities required to accomplish a firm's objectives into specific jobs so as to foster productivity and employee satisfaction

grapevine

The informal communications network within an organization

departmentalization

The process of grouping jobs into manageable units

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a line structure?

There are no specialists or experts to provide support or advice

delegation

•Assigning part of a manager's work and power to other workers

steps in the delegation process

1. assign responsibility 2. grant authority 3. assign accountability

Departmentalization by customer

•Grouping activities according to the needs of various customer populations −Advantages: Allows the firm to deal efficiently with unique customers or customer groups −Disadvantages: Requires a larger-than-usual administrative staff

Accountability

•The obligation of a worker to accomplish an assigned job or task

Costco Wholesale Corporation, an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only, big-box retail stores and has more than 200,000 employees, is which of the following?

an organization

A ______ is one in which a team of knowledgeable employees is brought together to tackle a specific problem.

problem-solving team

A large department store is departmentalized by Men's Clothing, Women's Clothing, Children's Clothing, Housewares, Home Furnishings, and Electronics. This store is departmentalized by ______.

product

task force advantages

•Different knowledge and skills brought by members to the task at hand •Tend to make more accurate decisions •Tend to transmit their results through the organization more effectively

Anish works as a senior staff attorney in a legal department for a large engineering company. Anish provides legal advice and expertise to the chief executive officer of the company, who has the discretionary authority to either follow Anish's recommendations or choose other options. Which of the following forms of organizational structure is this?

line-and-staff

Stages of Team Development: performing

the team is dynamic. everyone makes a focused effort to accomplish goals

Stages of Team Development: adjourning

the team is finished. the goals have been accomplished and the team is disbanded

benefits of teams

•Cohesive teams can achieve great creativity and innovation. •Teamwork can be key to reducing turnover and costs and increasing productivity, customer service, and product quality. •Working in teams leads to higher levels of job satisfaction among employees and a harmonious work environment.

limitations of teams

•The process of organizing teams can be stressful and time consuming. •Teams require individuals to give up some independence in order to achieve goals, and they may have to share credit for ideas they develop within the team. •If a team lacks cohesiveness and is unable to resolve conflicts, the company may experience lower productivity.

staff managers have either advisory authority/functional authority:

−Advisory authority: The expectation that line managers will consult the appropriate staff manager when making decisions −Functional authority: The authority of staff managers to make decisions and issue directives about their areas of expertise

problem-solving team

•A team of knowledgeable employees brought together to tackle a specific problem

combination of bases

•Many organizations use a combination of departmentalization bases.

If an organization is flat, which of the following is true?

The company may be refocusing its strategy.

Vihaan works as a human resource specialist for a video production company. The company has not updated its diversity and inclusivity plan in several years, and Vihaan has been assigned to serve on a committee that will update the company's diversity and inclusivity initiatives. Once the necessary updates have been made, the committee will dissolve. On which of the following types of committees has Vihaan been asked to serve?

ad hoc

staff mangers

•Managers who provide support, advice, and expertise to line managers

Which of the following statements is not true regarding responsibility, authority, and accountability?

Responsibility can be delegated but cannot be shared.

A wide span of management works best when all of the following are true except ______.

a great deal of interaction is required between supervisor and workers

Tiana works as a sales associate at a small retail store. Tiana reports to the assistant manager, who reports to the store manager, who reports to the store owner. Which of the following forms of organizational structure is this?

line

Seamus works as a sales manager for an apparel company managing a team of salespeople. Seamus's manager is the VP of sales, and their manager is the CEO of the company. This suggests that _____.

the chain of command in the organization is short

disadvantages of self-managed teams

-additional training costs -teams may be disorganized -conflicts may arise -leadership role may be unclear

advantages of self-managed team

-boosts employee morale -increases productivity -aids innovation -reduces employee boredom

wide span

-high level of competence in managers and workers - standard operating procedures -few new probs

Which of the following is true of informal groups in organizations? (Select three.)

1) informal groups can boost morale and job satisfaction or cause disagreement and conflict 2) an informal group may be a company volleyball team, a group that meets for lunch, or a group looking to form a union. 3) the group can last for several years or just a few days.

ad hoc committee

A committee created for a specific short-term purpose

Which of the following is not true about a decentralized company?

A decentralized company often has a strong corporate image and a uniform customer approach across the front lines.

decentralized organization

An organization in which management consciously attempts to spread authority widely across various organization levels

virtual structure

An organizational structure in which administration is the primary function, and most other functions are contracted out to other firms −Few permanent employees consisting of top management and hourly clerical workers −Leased facilities and equipment, as well as temporary workers, are increased or decreased as the organization's needs change

matrix structure

An organizational structure that combines vertical and horizontal lines of authority, usually by superimposing product departmentalization on a functionally departmentalized organization

staff managers tend to have access to more info than who?

line managers

authority

The power, within an organization, to accomplish an assigned job or task

team

Two or more workers collaborating to achieve a shared mission, goal, or work product

When considering how to organize the structure of the new organization, a CEO must consider the disadvantages of each type of structure. One of the disadvantages of a line structure for an organization is ____.

managers are responsible for a wide range of activities and, therefore, must have vast knowledge about all of these activities

The duty to do a job or perform a task is called ______.

responsibility

centralized organization

•An organization that systematically works to concentrate authority at the upper levels of the organization

dual role

A combination of the socioemotional and task-specialist roles

Which of the following is correct regarding the span of management?

It is also referred to as the span of control.

Alternative to Job Specialization

job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment

narrow span

- physical dispersion of subordinates -manger has additional tasks -high level os interaction required btw manager and workers -high frequency of new probs

task force

A committee established to investigate a major problem or pending decision

organization

A group of two or more people working together to achieve a common set of goals

______ is the power, within an organization, to accomplish an assigned job or task.

authority

Suppose that your local community college is experiencing major financial difficulties due to significant cuts in government funding. To address these seemingly permanent financial challenges, the college has created a budget review committee to review departmental budget requests on an annual basis, with "strict scrutiny" being the standard for departmental budget approval. Which of the following types of committees has the college created?

standing

Sydney, general counsel for Franklin, Inc., and Friedrich, a securities expert with the company, have been appointed to a(n) _____ to investigate the pending merger of their company with Huang Industries.

task force

Alejandro is a runner for a sports ticketing business in Las Vegas. His duties normally include picking up sports merchandise from the warehouse and delivering it to the stores in addition to receiving ticket orders and delivering the tickets to customers at the hotels on The Strip. Alejandro was given permission by the office manager to sign credit-card receipts when making purchases. Alejandro has been given the ______ to use the business credit card.

authority

Asher, a sales representative; Hubert, an engineer; Kito, an accountant; and Betsy, a human resource specialist, are placed in a group to devise new uses and marketing schemes for one of the company's existing products. This would be considered a ____.

cross-functional team

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States in 2020, Deja's marketing team at the insurance company she works for in Dallas has not met in the company's office space. Instead, team members communicate via Zoom (video teleconferencing) and other electronic media. Deja still lives in a high-rise apartment in uptown Dallas. Her favorite co-worker Demond, who is also a marketing team member, has moved to San Antonio. Another team member, Ana, has moved back to her hometown of Olympia, Washington. Deja, Demond, and Ana are still full-time employees and communicate electronically to satisfy their team responsibilities. Which of the following types of teams is this?

virtual

self-managed teams

•Groups of employees with the authority and skills to manage themselves

span of management (or span of control)

The number of workers who report directly to one manager

responsibility

•The duty to do a job or perform a task

task-specialist role

•The group member who pushes the team toward achieving goals and objectives

socioemotional role

•The individual who supports and encourages the emotional needs of the other members, placing the team members' personal needs above the task at hand

chain of command

•The line of authority that extends from the highest to the lowest levels of an organization −Can be short or long, depending on the organization's size −Not everyone who works for an organization is part of the direct chain of command (those who hold advisory/staff positions).

organizational height

•The number of layers, or levels, of management in a firm −If the span of management is wide, fewer levels are needed, and the organization is flat. −If the span of management is narrow, more levels are needed, and the organization is tall.

when attempting to develop teams...

•managers must understand that multiple stages are generally required

Cretia has a narrow span of management. Which of the following is likely true?

Cretia's employees require a high level of interaction with her.

During which stage of team development does each individual's role within the team begin to solidify and a sense of unity grows?

Norming

Which of the following requires a narrow span of management?

The manager has much work to do in addition to supervising workers.

A(n) _______ is a committee created for a specific short-term purpose.

ad hoc committee

The matrix structure has many advantages, but the most obvious one is ____.

added flexibility

Magnus, a certified public accountant, is the owner of Magnus Accounting Services PLLC. Magnus is a firm believer in the notion that if you want something done correctly, you must do it yourself. Although Magnus has hired three associate accountants to work in his firm, he has been very reluctant to assign them actual accounting work. In fact, the three associate accountants who work for Magnus feel like administrative assistants rather than accounting professionals. Which of the following refers to an organization that systematically works to concentrate authority at the upper levels of the organization?

centralization

Lukas works the evening shift preparing dough at a local bakery. When Lukas' supervisor retired two years ago, ownership did not replace him; instead, the bakery distributed traditional management responsibilities to Lukas and his fellow workers. At first, Lukas was skeptical about the additional responsibility, but he has grown to like self-managing, and his co-workers feel the same way. Surprisingly, productivity in the dough preparation department has increased since Lukas' supervisor retired. Which of the following refers to an organization in which management consciously attempts to spread authority widely in the lower levels of the organization?

decentralization

Nanami is a senior partner in a law firm that represents employers and insurance companies in workers' compensation cases. Two years ago, Nanami hired an associate attorney, Kenta, to assist her in the representation of clients. Since she hired Kenta, Nanami has been assigning Kenta progressively greater responsibility. Recently, she has allowed Kenta to represent clients on his own. Nanami has engaged in which of the following organization processes?

delegation

Jayden is very proud of the transportation company he owns. Beginning with one truck in 2001, Jayden's transportation company now operates a fleet of 120 trucks servicing the entire Eastern United States. As his company grew, Jayden found it necessary to departmentalize his company into different areas such as logistics, accounting, marketing, information technology, and human resources. Which type of departmentalization is this?

departmentalization by function

Stefan, a manager for a large company, overheard employees gossiping about him during lunch. He immediately sent emails to all employees with newly enacted rules against rumors, gossip, and discussions about the company's financial situation, management, and other company matters. Stefan is _____.

going to fail in his attempt to eliminate the company grapevine

Ethan works as an associate attorney at a large law firm. In September of last year, Ethan had heard from his fellow associate attorney Mia that the senior partner of the firm was leaving due to personal and professional disagreements with other partners. Mia had heard the news from a junior partner of the firm. Today, through an official e-mail, the law firm confirmed the senior partner's departure, effective immediately. Which of the following refers to the informal communications network within the organization that resulted in Ethan's knowledge of the senior partner's departure before the official announcement was made?

grapevine

Aneko, Tombe, and Zari are well-liked and highly respected line workers at the local tire manufacturing plant. Even though they are just hourly employees, both managers and other line workers come to Aneko, Tombe, and Zari to air grievances, solve problems, and address other work-related concerns. Whenever there is a dispute between management and non-management, both sides usually come to Aneko, Tombe, and Zari to address the dispute (the plant is non-unionized.) Quite often the three, working collectively, are successful in their interventions. Although they were initially reluctant to assume this role, they now actually enjoy serving in this capacity. Which of the following best refers to the collective status of Aneko, Tombe, and Zari?

informal group

Many companies move employees systematically among departments in the organization to alleviate boredom and to provide employees with a better overall view of company goals and procedures. Nicholas LLC has a program in which workers do another worker's task for the day to acquaint employees with the contributions made by each individual and department to the overall mission of Nicholas LLC. This practice of systematically moving employees is called ______.

job rotation

Marlon works in a furniture manufacturing plant. Part of Marlon's responsibilities include working in different parts of the plant, performing various tasks such as cutting, shaping, assembling, finishing, and upholstering. Marlon enjoys the variety of tasks, since it keeps his work interesting and empowers him with additional job skills. Which of the following refers to the shifting of employees from one job to another?

job rotation

Chris owns a large farm with several employees. He has found that his employees are more efficient when one employee plows the field, another employee plants the seed, and a third employee sets up the irrigation system. This is an example of ____.

job specialization

Malik has worked in an automobile manufacturing plant for the last 14 years. For the entire time he has been employed at the plant, Malik's sole job responsibility has been to install the right front and rear passenger doors on cars that progress along the assembly line. Malik is very bored of the work, and he is considering leaving the plant to pursue a job elsewhere or to obtain a college degree at his local community college. Which of the following refers to the separation of all organizational tasks into distinct tasks and the assignment of different tasks to different people?

job specialization

As a new manager at Oatly, Jenn learns that the organization is considered tall. Jenn knows from her business classes that this means Oatly _____.

managers likely have narrow spans of management

Lihua works for a large information technology company. She is part of a highly educated and talented product-design team. The team does not have a traditional manager and has the autonomy to make decisions on its own. Which of the following types of teams is this?

self-managed

Suppose that oil giants Chevron Corporation and Marathon Petroleum Corporation are considering a merger. Both companies have created committees to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed merger, and the work of both committees (along with government regulatory approval) will play a large role in determining whether the merger occurs. Which of the following types of committees have Chevron Corporation and Marathon Petroleum Corporation created to address the proposed merger?

task force

If a manager has a lot of work to do in addition to supervising workers, _______.

the manager should have a narrow span of management

organization chart

•A diagram that represents the positions and relationships within an organization −When a firm is founded, management must decide how to organize the firm.

informal group

•A group created by the members themselves to accomplish goals that may or may not be relevant to an organization −Informal groups can be powerful forces in organizations, exerting both positive influences (e.g., boosting morale and job satisfaction) and negative influences (e.g., causing disagreement and conflict.)

standing committee

•A relatively permanent committee charged with performing some recurring task

cross-functional team

•A team of individuals with varying specialties, expertise, and skills who are brought together to achieve a common task −Cross-functional team projects may be temporary and disbanded once the mission is accomplished, or they may be permanent.

line-and-staff structure

•An organizational structure that utilizes the chain of command from a line structure in combination with the assistance of staff managers

team conflict and how to resolve it

•Conflict is unavoidable. •When handled properly, conflict can improve a team. •When conflict turns hostile and affects the work environment, steps must be taken to arrive at a compromise. −The best solution is a middle-ground alternative in which each party is satisfied to some degree. •Conflict must be acknowledged before it can be dealt with or used in a constructive manner.

departmentalization by location

•Grouping activities according to the defined geographic area in which they are performed −Advantages: Allows a ready response to unique demands or requirements of a location −Disadvantages: Requires a large administrative staff and elaborate control system for coordination

departmentalization by product

•Grouping activities related to a particular product or service −Advantages: Easier decision making; Integration of all activities associated with a product −Disadvantages: Some duplication of specialized activities between departments; Emphasis on product over the organization as a whole

departmentalization by function

•Grouping jobs that relate to the same organizational activity −Advantages: Simplified supervision; Easy coordination −Disadvantages: Slow decision making; Emphasis on department over the organization as a whole

task force disadvantages

•Longer deliberations •The possibility of unnecessary compromise •The possibility of domination by one person

Barriers to Delegation

•Manager does not trust employee to complete the task •Manager fears employee will perform exceptionally and attract the notice of higher-level managers •Manager is disorganized and not able to plan and assign work effectively

line managers have line authority:

•The ability to make decisions and issue directives relating to the organization's goals

•Conflict between line managers and staff managers is common, but the likelihood can be minimized in several ways:

−Integrate line and staff managers into one team −Ensure that areas of responsibility of line and staff managers are clearly defined −Hold both line and staff managers accountable for the results of their activities

factors that influence the extent of decentralization

−The external environment in which the firm operates −The nature of the decision itself −The abilities of lower-level managers −Traditional practice

project manager

−The manager in charge of a team §Any individual working with the team reports to both the project manager and the individual's superior in the functional department.