Question 1

Work in e-commerce, consulting, marketing, and job searching seems best suited for _______________ organizations.
A) virtual
B) mechanistic
C) geographic
D) organic

Accepted Answer

Virtual organizations are best suited for e-commerce, consulting, marketing, and job searching as they operate through telecommunication technologies that allow for remote work and collaborations. These industries heavily rely on technology and online platforms, making virtual organizations the most suitable option. Mechanistic organizations have rigid structures and procedures that may not be flexible enough for these industries. Geographic organizations operate in specific locations, which may not be the best option for organizations that operate on a global scale. Finally, organic organizations have a flat and flexible structure, but they lack the specialization and efficiency required for these industries.

Question 2

What is the principal historical reason for the creation of organizations?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the principal historical reason for...

Question 3

The dimension of _______________ refers to the extent to which expectations regarding the means and ends of work are specified, written, and enforced.
A) formalization
B) centralization
C) complexity
D) Both A and C

Accepted Answer

The dimension described in the question is formalization, which refers to the extent to which rules, procedures, and expectations are documented and enforced in an organization. Centralization refers to the degree to which decision-making is centralized within an organization, and complexity refers to the degree to which an organization has specialized roles and functions. Choice D is incorrect because complexity is not directly related to the specification and enforcement of expectations in the same way that formalization is.

Question 4

It has become standard practice to use the term _________differentiation to refer to the number of different units at the same level and _______ differentiation to refer to the number of levels in the organization.
A) horizontal, vertical
B) vertical, horizontal
C) horizontal, status
D) job, rank

Accepted Answer

Horizontal differentiation refers to the number of different units at the same level, while vertical differentiation refers to the number of levels in the organization. Therefore, option A correctly identifies the two types of differentiation and assigns the correct terms to them.

Question 5

The concept of organizational complexity refers to:
A) The number of distinctly different job titles
B) Occupational groupings
C) The number of distinctly different units or departments
D) All of the choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

Organizational complexity encompasses the number of different job titles, occupational groupings, and distinct units or departments within an organization, indicating the variety and differentiation of roles and structures.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about boundaryless organizations is false?
A) Chains of command are eliminated
B) Spans of control are unlimited
C) Rigid departments are replaced with empowered teams
D) Participative decision making is eliminated

Accepted Answer

Participative decision making is not eliminated in boundaryless organizations. In fact, it is often encouraged as part of the empowerment of teams and employees.

Question 7

Why does decentralization mean duplication of effort?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does decentralization mean duplication of effort?...

Question 8

The typical Japanese manufacturing job has _______________ the typical Western manufacturing job.
A) more range than
B) less range than
C) the same range as
D) There is no range in manufacturing jobs.

Accepted Answer

The typical Japanese manufacturing job has less range than the typical Western manufacturing job. This is because Japanese manufacturing tends to use more specialized job roles, where workers are highly trained and focused on specific tasks to achieve efficiency and quality. In contrast, Western manufacturing may rely more on multi-skilled workers who can perform a range of tasks.

Question 9

The concept of virtual organizations originated in:
A) NASA
B) Major universities
C) Microsoft
D) Japan

Accepted Answer

The answer of The concept of virtual organizations originated in:
A)...

Question 10

The _______ the specialization of labor, the _________ the complexity.
A) greater, greater
B) greater, less
C) less, greater
D) None of the above, the two constructs are not related.

Accepted Answer

The greater the specialization of labor, the more complex the tasks become. This is because with increasing specialization, a worker becomes more efficient in performing a specific task, and the tasks that require specialization tend to be more complex in nature. Therefore, as specialization increases, complexity also increases.

Question 11

Why may a manager believe that delegating authority will lead to lower levels of effectiveness?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why may a manager believe that delegating...

Question 12

What are the most distinct differences between the organic and the mechanistic organizational models?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the most distinct differences between...

Question 13

Departments in Japanese firms are most often based on _______________.
A) products
B) customers
C) function
D) location

Accepted Answer

In Japanese firms, departments are usually based on function rather than products or customers. For example, there may be separate departments for sales, marketing, production, and human resources. This allows for a more specialized and efficient approach to business operations. Location may also be a factor in departmental organization, but it is not the primary basis for departmentalization in Japanese firms.

Question 14

Wide spans of control ___________ one-on-one supervision
A) necessitate
B) discourage
C) promote
D) None of the above, there is no established relation between the two.

Accepted Answer

Wide spans of control typically involve a manager overseeing a large number of subordinates, which inherently limits the amount of direct, one-on-one supervision each subordinate can receive. This structure tends to encourage more autonomy among team members rather than close supervision.

Question 15

With _____________, the same organizational structure and operating policies and procedures that exist in the existing domestic organization are used when setting up a foreign subsidiary
A) replication
B) projection
C) duplication
D) nationalizing

Accepted Answer

Replication involves copying the existing organizational structure and operating policies and procedures when setting up a foreign subsidiary. This approach ensures consistency and uniformity in operations between the domestic and foreign subsidiaries. The other options (projection, duplication, and nationalizing) do not accurately describe this approach.

Question 16

Thrivent Financial implemented a form of employee compensation termed _______________ to encourage employees to adopt a new work system.
A) pay for knowledge
B) pay for productivity
C) incentive pay
D) gainsharing

Accepted Answer

The answer of Thrivent Financial implemented a form of employee...

Question 17

The Federal Express structure, with regional presidents and their "armies," is modeled after a system made popular by the:
A) Romans
B) Greeks
C) Roman Catholic Church
D) United States Postal Service

Accepted Answer

The Federal Express structure, with regional presidents and their "armies," is modeled after the Roman military system, which was known for its efficiency, organization, and hierarchical structure.

Question 18

What aspect of a job distinguishes managerial jobs from non-managerial jobs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What aspect of a job distinguishes managerial...

Question 19

The greater the use of the _______________ basis, the greater the complexity.
A) geographic
B) customer
C) product
D) All of the choices are correct.

Accepted Answer

The use of geographic, customer, and product bases for segmentation or organizational structuring can increase complexity, as each basis requires tailored strategies and approaches to effectively manage and address the unique needs and challenges associated with them.

Question 20

The greater the use of ________ departments the _________ the centralization.
A) customer, greater
B) functional, greater
C) functional, less
D) geographic, greater

Accepted Answer

The answer of The greater the use of ________ departments...

Quiz 16: Organizational Structure and Design

Work in e-commerce, consulting, marketing, and job searching seems best suited for _______________ organizations.

What is the principal historical reason for the creation of organizations?

The dimension of _______________ refers to the extent to which expectations regarding the means and ends of work are specified, written, and enforced.

It has become standard practice to use the term ___differentiation to refer to the number of different units at the same level and _ differentiation to refer to the number of levels in the organization.

The concept of organizational complexity refers to:

Which of the following statements about boundaryless organizations is false?

Why does decentralization mean duplication of effort?

The typical Japanese manufacturing job has _______________ the typical Western manufacturing job.

The concept of virtual organizations originated in:

The _ the specialization of labor, the ___ the complexity.

Why may a manager believe that delegating authority will lead to lower levels of effectiveness?

What are the most distinct differences between the organic and the mechanistic organizational models?

Departments in Japanese firms are most often based on _______________.

Wide spans of control ___________ one-on-one supervision

With _____________, the same organizational structure and operating policies and procedures that exist in the existing domestic organization are used when setting up a foreign subsidiary

Thrivent Financial implemented a form of employee compensation termed _______________ to encourage employees to adopt a new work system.

The Federal Express structure, with regional presidents and their "armies," is modeled after a system made popular by the:

What aspect of a job distinguishes managerial jobs from non-managerial jobs?

The greater the use of the _______________ basis, the greater the complexity.

The greater the use of departments the _ the centralization.