chapter 10

accountant

staff

inspector

staff

Which type of interdependence is best represented by a one-way highway?

sequential -Sequential interdependence could be depicted as a one-way road. This is because the output of one unit becomes the input for another in a sequential fashion. The flow of work is only in one direction. Reciprocal interdependence would be depicted as a two-way road

The primary bases of departmentalization

- function - product - customer - location

architect

line

brick mason

line

If your organization evolves to have fewer positions of authority, as a top manager of that organization, how would you ensure that the necessary control is still in place?

Distributing authority among jobs - Just because there are fewer managers in positions of authority doesn't necessarily mean that there is less authority. The organization can redistribute authority among jobs.

which alternative to job specialization has likely been used in job design to overcome the problems associated with overly specialized jobs?

Job enlargement

Which advantage would you cite if you were advising a company to group jobs by type of customer?

Tailoring services to meet customer needs is easier. -Customer departmentalization groups jobs according to the type of customer served. This allows the company to better meet the needs of different kinds of customers.

Which form of departmentalization is best if the company seeks to minimize duplication of efforts?

function

carpenter

line -A staff position is intended to provide support for line positions. In a construction firm, the primary goal is to build something. Therefore, people in jobs such as brick mason, carpenter, and architect are in line positions

frequent crisis at work

narrow

A major element of organizing is coordination. The primary reason for coordination is that work groups are interdependent. The most complex level of interdependence is called

reciprocal interdependence -Reciprocal interdependence is the most complex level. Each team member relies on another to accomplish tasks.

The type of sports team that best exemplifies pooled interdependence is the ______ because the team members complete independently, and their scores are combined to represent the team's output.

track team - The track team best exemplifies pooled interdependence. This is because the team's total score is the aggregation of all individual scores.

low levels of nonsupervisory work in the manager's job

wide

A highly competent subordinate

wide -staff are widely physically dispersed; new problems arise frequently; and tasks require unique skills and knowledge. The opposite conditions indicate that a wide span of control would be appropriate.

To align the jobs at Ancestry with the company's strategy, you've decided that the genealogist job should be redesigned. You've also determined that taking the job characteristics approach to job design will yield the best results. which step will you take to influence the employees' perception of ownership of the final outcome of a family's ancestral research?

- Publicize which genealogists were involved in which completed historical projects, so that the employees feel they identify with the total job.

You ask Paul to spend the day training Michelle while you are in meetings. What benefits might Paul experience as a result of this delegation? Check all that apply.

-It's a professional development opportunity for Paul. Paul gains managerial experience training new employees. -Paul may feel a sense of esteem that you chose him as the best person to train Michelle. -The authority granted to Paul may be perceived as job enrichment.

six basic building blocks managers use

- designing job - grouping jobs - establishing reporting relationships between jobs - distributing authority among jobs - coordinating activities among jobs - differentiating among positions

Imagine that you are the hiring manager at a corporation like GE, with businesses in the healthcare, renewable energy, and operations data fields. Which basic building block of structure would you use as you scale down on managerial positions and scale up on engineering positions?

designing jobs -Deciding what kind of jobs you are going to have is part of the designing jobs building block.

If an employee fails to accept accountability for a task that was assigned to her, the delegation attempt will fail.

share -If an employee fails to accept accountability for a task that was assigned to her, the delegation attempt will fail. True

In your role as management consultant at Ancestry, you've been asked to develop a plan that will enable the organization to utilize job rotation in some job designs. What do you recommend as a necessary step?

cross train employees on the other jobs that could fall in their rotation

The owner of the business where you work has asked you to assess whether restructuring the reporting relationships at the company would improve the ability of employees to meet the needs of customers. What do you recommend?

A flatter structure should result in higher levels of employee morale and productivity. -Organizations that empower employees to meet the needs of customers and strive for efficiency tend to be flatter in structure. The taller an organization is, the more layers of authority and bureaucracy. Taller organizations have higher administrative costs, because of the layers of management. If your organization seeks to empower employees and to increase efficiency, a flatter structure should be recommended.

That's not my job" is a good response to a delegated task.

false -"That's not my job" is a good response to a delegated task. False

Delegation is always initiated by the manager's assignment of a task to a subordinate.

share -Delegation is always initiated by the manager's assignment of a task to a subordinate. True

The final step in delegation is the subordinate's acceptance of the obligation.

share -The final step in delegation is the subordinate's acceptance of the obligation. True

recpetionist

staff The other jobs are necessary for the organization to operate, but are not directly involved in the design and construction of buildings.

standardized procedures

wide