Question 1

Which of the following statements are accurate when describing responsibility and accountability? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Responsibility is the allocation and acceptance of a task. Responsibility is the obligation to take on and accomplish work and to secure the desired results. In accepting the obligation of an assigned task, the staff person is accepting responsibility to accomplish the task. Accountability is the liability for task performance and is determined in a retrospective analysis of what occurred. The assignment of responsibility and the granting of authority create accountability. Accountability flows upward or outward: from staff to manager or from provider to client.

Question 2

An organizational chart is used to depict: (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Hierarchy reflects the formal structure of the organization, which can be identified on an organizational chart. An organizational chart is a visual display of the organization's positions and the intentional relationships among positions. The organizational chart reflects the various positions and the formal relationships between and among the positions and, by extension, the people who are a part of the organization.

Question 3

Managers apply their leadership skills to their reporting relationships to release energy and talents of people in a manner that adds value to the work they perform. What are some examples of the effects of added value? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Managers apply their leadership skills to reporting relationships to release the energy and talents of people in ways that add value to the work performed. Examples of added value include improved employee productivity, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors.

Question 4

An organization with a flat structure has minimal layers of management. What are some of the advantages of a flat organizational structure? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The advantages of a flat organizational structure include fewer divisions to facilitate streamlining of goals and problem solving, greater innovation, and enhanced responsiveness to consumers at the point of service.

Question 5

Dividing work by occupation leads to a functional organization where services are arranged by the type of work performed. What are some benefits of the functional form within the health care organization? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

By dividing personnel according to the type of work performed, organizations can capitalize on the expertise, experience, efficiency, and professional standards that each discipline offers. Other benefits include cost reduction through shared resources; enhanced monitoring of cost, performance, and quality; and promotion of professional development, identity, autonomy, advocacy, and career advancement (Charnes & Tewksbury, 1993). Disadvantages of the functional form are its potential to overemphasize professional silos, discourage informal relationships across disciplines, and fragment care delivery.

Question 6

Which of the following statements describe the benefits of specialization in the health care setting? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The advantages of specialization include improved work performance and a critical mass of experts (Charnes & Tewksbury, 1993). In health care, specialist roles have emerged to address the increasing complexities of care and technology.

Quiz 12: Organizational Structure