MGMT 371 Ch. 10

Which of the following is a weakness of the simple structure?

It relies too much on one person which is very risky

According to the acceptance theory of authority, ________

employees will accept orders only if certain conditions are met

GlaxoSmithKline would become more ________ if it starts allowing its lab scientists to set the priorities and allocate the resources.

organic

Which of the following factors would require a more decentralized organizational structure?

when the lower-level managers want a voice in decisions

Which of the following factors calls for a more centralized organizational structure?

when the organization is facing a crisis

Given other things unchanged, managers with well-trained and experienced employees can function well with a wider span of control than those with a less talented workforce

TRUE

Wilson is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group. This is a chance for Wilson to experience ________.

authority

All other things being equal, the wider or larger the span of control, the more ________ an organization is.

cost efficient

What kind of departmentalization would be in place in a government organization where different public service responsibilities are divided into activities for employees, children, and the disabled?

customer

As organizations become more flexible and responsive to environmental trends, there is a distinct shift toward ________ decision making.

decentralized

Bob works in a mid-sized organization with other skilled workers who all pitch in to do what needs to be done to satisfy the customer. It is likely Bob works in a ________ organization

decentralized

The process of grouping jobs together is known as ________.

departmentalization

In which of the following traditional organizational designs does duplication of activities and resources lead to an increase in costs and reduced efficiency?

divisional structure

Large organizations are more ________.

mechanistic

According to the traditional view, managers could not - and should not - directly supervise more than ________ subordinates.

5 or 6

At one end of the spectrum, organizations can be absolutely centralized, while at the other end, they can be completely decentralized.

FALSE

Customer departmentalization works well because it emphasizes interdepartmental communication regarding customer's needs.

FALSE

Employee empowerment gives employees more authority to delegate responsibility

FALSE

Organizational design is the degree to which standardized procedures are in place in an organization.

FALSE

Today's organizations mostly rely on strict rules and standardization to guide and regulate employee behavior.

FALSE

In the case of functional departmentalization, jobs are grouped according to ________

Tasks

Departmentalization based on ________ groups jobs on the basis of territory or physical location.

geography

Michelle is very concerned about the formal framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated within her unit. This implies that she is concerned about ________

the organizational structure

Which one of Fayol's 14 principles of management states that a person should report to only one manager?

unity of command

Which of these statements is an argument in favor of creating a hierarchical structure in an organization?

Organizations function better when there's a hierarchy in place.

Worldwide economic downturn, global competition, accelerated product innovation by competitors, and increased demands from customers for high quality and faster deliveries encourage organizations to become more ________.

organic

In Joan Woodward's study of the relationship between technology and structure, the structure that was the most technically complex was ________.

process production

Joan Woodward divided firms into three distinct technologies that had increasing levels of complexity and sophistication: unit production, mass production, and ________.

process production

A company with low departmentalization, wide spans of control, centralized authority, and little formalization possesses a ________ structure.

simple

Tom's Welding is in its third year of operation. Tom now has a sales person and several production employees. It is most likely Tom has a ________ structure.

simple

What are the different structures that traditional organizations can have?

simple, functional, and divisional structures

In the beginning, all employees at Tom's Welding performed whatever task was needed. Now the employees have gravitated to specific sets of tasks. Some use only stick welders; some weld only on aluminum. We can infer that as his business has grown, it has become more ________.

specialized

What are the four contingency variables that an organization's structure depends on?

strategy, size, technology, and environmental uncertainty

Lacey believes that Joan Woodward's work will be particularly pertinent in considering Custom Leather's organizational structure, since Woodward believed that the effectiveness of the organization was related to the fit between the firm's structure and ________.

technology

Willard has been assigned to a project development team in addition to his regular duties as a quality engineer. During this assignment he will report to both the project manager and his quality department manager. This situation ________.

unity of command

The process of dividing work activities into separate job tasks is known as ________

work specialization

________ is the formal arrangement of jobs within an organization

Organizational structure

________ departmentalization is based on the product or customer flow through the organization.

Process

Marcus was asked to represent the cardiac unit as part of a Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative that is aimed at improving the overall quality of care at his hospital. Other departments, such as orthopedics, neurology, oncology, and pediatrics also have representatives on this team. This TQM team is an example of ________

a cross-functional team

Bill manages the quality department. His people check parts made by the production departments to assure all specifications are met. Bill is ________.

a staff manager

________ is the degree to which decision making takes place at upper levels of the organization.

centralization

Organizational design is a process that involves decisions about ________

chain of command and span of control

Work teams composed of individuals from various functional specialties are known as ________ teams.

cross-functional

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

formalization

In highly ________ organizations, there are explicit job descriptions, numerous organizational rules, and clearly defined procedures covering work processes

formalized

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

functional

A disadvantage of ________ departmentalization is poor communication across the different groups.

functional

The fact that Monica's signature is required on all documents and her word is the last word on all decisions relating to her department suggests that ________.

her employer has a centralized structure

According to Woodward's studies, what type of production technology is best suited for a mechanistic structure?

mass

The type of assembly line typically found in automobile manufacturing is an example of ________.

mass production

A(n) ________ organization is highly specialized and rigidly departmentalized; also highly formalized and centralized.

mechanistic

Ben operates a farmer's market. Every year he offers the same vegetables to the same customers and faces the same rivalry from other truck farmers. A(n) ________ would best fit Ben's situation.

mechanistic design

In stable and simple environments, ________

mechanistic designs are most effective