Question 1

The organizational charts that indicate who reports to whom represent the organization's:
A) division of labor.
B) span of control.
C) line and staff positions.
D) hierarchy of authority.

Accepted Answer

Organizational charts depict the hierarchy of authority within an organization, showing who reports to whom in order to establish lines of communication and responsibility. The chart indicates the chain of command and identifies the levels of management, making it easy to understand the relationships between positions and the scope of each person's responsibilities.

Question 2

The formal configuration between individuals and groups with respect to the allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and authority within organizations is known as:
A) organizational structure.
B) organizational design.
C) an organizational chart.
D) division of labor.

Accepted Answer

Organizational structure is the formal arrangement of roles, responsibilities, and relationships within an organization that outlines how decisions are made, communication occurs, and work is coordinated. It includes the division of labor, hierarchy of authority, span of control, and departmentalization. Choice B, organizational design, refers to the process of creating or modifying the organizational structure to achieve specific goals. Choice C, an organizational chart, is a graphical representation of the organizational structure, whereas choice D, division of labor, is a component of organizational structure that refers to the way tasks are divided and assigned within the organization.

Question 3

An example of a staff job in an organization would be the:
A) corporate legal counsel.
B) VP of Human Resources.
C) sales manager.
D) VP of Operations.

Accepted Answer

Corporate legal counsel is a staff job as they provide legal guidance and support to all departments and do not have direct authority over any particular department or function. The VP of Human Resources, VP of Operations, and sales manager are all examples of line jobs as they have direct responsibility for the performance of their respective departments.

Question 4

Highly decentralized organizations:
A) allow critical decisions to be made by those who have "the big picture."
B) promote opportunities for decisions to be made by people closest to the situation.
C) are more efficient when they deal with simple tasks.
D) eliminate the additional responsibility of decision-making for those who don't want it.

Accepted Answer

Highly decentralized organizations promote decision-making by people closest to the situation. This allows for quicker and more informed decisions to be made. Option A is incorrect as critical decisions may still need to be made by upper management. Option C is incorrect as highly decentralized organizations can also efficiently deal with complex tasks. Option D is incorrect as decision-making is often seen as a key responsibility in such organizations.

Question 5

An organization with a tall hierarchy results in managers having a ________ span of control:
A) broad
B) narrow
C) general
D) specialized

Accepted Answer

A tall hierarchy means there are many levels of management between the top and bottom of the organization, resulting in a narrow span of control for managers. This is because each manager has fewer subordinates to supervise, and delegation is more hierarchical.

Question 6

The process of breaking up organizations into coherent units is known as:
A) centralization of labor.
B) departmentalization.
C) retrofitting the organization chart.
D) restructuring the organizational chart.

Accepted Answer

The process of breaking up organizations into coherent units is known as departmentalization. This involves dividing the overall organization into smaller units or departments that can better manage specific tasks or functions. Departmentalization helps to simplify decision-making, improve coordination, and create a clearer line of responsibility and accountability.

Question 7

The degree to which employees perform specialized jobs is likely to depend on the ________ of the organization.
A) depth of management
B) size
C) amount of resources
D) number of clients/customers

Accepted Answer

Size of the organization is a key factor in determining the degree to which employees perform specialized jobs. Larger organizations are more likely to have specialized roles, while smaller organizations have a greater need for employees to perform multiple tasks. The depth of management, amount of resources, and number of clients/customers may also impact job specialization to some extent, but size is the most significant factor.

Question 8

In the downsizing process, restructuring hits ________ of organizational hierarchies especially hard.
A) the middle layers
B) the strategic points
C) the technostructures
D) communication elements

Accepted Answer

In downsizing, the middle layers of organizational hierarchies are typically the most affected by restructuring. This is because they may be seen as redundant or less crucial to the organization's overall goals, while upper management and frontline employees may be considered more essential.

Question 9

The process of delegating power from higher to lower levels within organizations is known as:
A) centralization of authority.
B) division of labor.
C) decentralization of authority.
D) setting the span of control.

Accepted Answer

Decentralization of authority involves shifting power and decision-making from higher levels of an organization to lower levels. This allows for more autonomy and flexibility at lower levels, which can increase efficiency and innovation. Centralization of authority, on the other hand, involves concentrating power at higher levels, which can slow down decision-making and limit creativity. Division of labor refers to breaking down tasks into smaller specialized roles, and setting the span of control refers to the number of subordinates that a manager can effectively manage.

Question 10

The number of people formally required to report to each individual manager is known as a manager's:
A) span of control.
B) organizational structure.
C) organizational chart.
D) division of labor.

Accepted Answer

The term used to describe the number of people who report to a manager is known as their span of control. This refers to the extent to which a manager can effectively manage, direct, and control the work of their subordinates. It is essential that the span of control is appropriate to ensure that the manager can effectively supervise and maintain control over their team.

Question 11

The benefit of a narrow division of labor in an organization is:
A) the reduction in the number of supervisors necessary.
B) it is easier to implement performance enhancing technology.
C) increased flexibility in the use of human resources.
D) higher performance levels of each individual.

Accepted Answer

Narrow division of labor allows individuals to specialize in specific tasks, which can lead to higher levels of performance as they become more efficient and skilled in their area of expertise. This can result in higher productivity and quality of work.

Question 12

Studies show that staff managers tend to:
A) be younger and more committed to their field than to their organization.
B) have more decision-making power than line managers.
C) be older and better educated than line managers.
D) be more committed to the organization than line managers.

Accepted Answer

Staff managers often focus on their specific field of expertise rather than the organization as a whole, which can lead to a stronger commitment to their field.

Question 13

Alice was a copy writer for a large advertising firm in New York, where she specialized in writing radio ads. She moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she took a job at a much smaller advertising firm. Her new job required her not only to write radio ads for supermarkets, but to write copy for all radio ads, TV ads, and print ads. Sometimes she even had to produce commercials, work with artists, and even meet with clients. Compared to her former New York job, her new job:
A) involves less of a division of labor.
B) shows a decentralization of power.
C) gives her a greater span of control.
D) has become a staff position instead of a line position.

Accepted Answer

Alice's former job in New York had a specialization in writing radio ads, which suggests a greater division of labor. Her new job in Tulsa requires her to write for all mediums and even produce commercials, indicating less specialization and more generalized duties.

Question 14

The ________ involves dividing the many tasks performed within an organization into particular jobs.
A) delineation of staff
B) span of control
C) division of labor
D) hierarchy of authority

Accepted Answer

The division of labor involves dividing the many tasks performed within an organization into particular jobs. This can lead to increased efficiency and specialization of tasks.

Question 15

The basic difference between line managers and staff managers is that:
A) line managers tend to be better educated.
B) staff managers have more decision power.
C) staff managers are older, more decisive, but less well educated.
D) line managers have decision-making power.

Accepted Answer

Line managers are responsible for making decisions regarding the core operations of the organization, while staff managers provide support and advice to line managers but do not have direct decision-making power. Therefore, the basic difference between them is that line managers have decision-making power, while staff managers do not. The other options are not accurate representations of the differences between the two roles.

Question 16

When evaluating a manager's span of control, you should:
A) simply study the organizational chart.
B) measure it against the ideal of 6-10 employees.
C) consider the degree of supervisory control needed.
D) do all of these.

Accepted Answer

The degree of supervisory control needed is crucial because it affects how many employees a manager can effectively oversee, depending on the complexity and nature of the tasks.

Question 17

In a classic study, it was found that decentralization:
A) improved job performance in a research lab, but interfered with performance for people working on assembly-line jobs.
B) improved job performance in a research lab, but had no effect on job performance for assembly-line workers.
C) did not improve job performance in a research lab, but improved performance for people working on assembly lines.
D) had no effect on job performance in a research lab, but increased performance for assembly-line workers.

Accepted Answer

Decentralization tends to benefit environments that require creativity and individual decision-making, like research labs, by giving individuals more autonomy. However, in highly structured environments such as assembly lines, where tasks are repetitive and closely integrated, decentralization can disrupt the workflow and decrease performance.

Question 18

An organizational chart:
A) obscures the relationships among task-related functions.
B) illustrates the external partnerships of an organization.
C) represents an organization's internal structure.
D) does not pertain to not-for-profit organizations.

Accepted Answer

An organizational chart is a visual representation of an organization's internal structure, including roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships. It helps to clarify the chain of command, communication channels and can indicate departmental functions.

Question 19

The decentralization of control in organizations:
A) is the key way for any organization to increase productivity.
B) has brought about higher costs due to the implementation of technology to do the work of downsized employees.
C) works best in manufacturing and production-oriented businesses.
D) is done to increase managerial efficiency and employee satisfaction.

Accepted Answer

The decentralization of control in organizations is typically done to increase managerial efficiency and employee satisfaction by distributing decision-making responsibilities throughout the organization. While it may lead to higher costs initially, it is not necessarily the key way to increase productivity and can be implemented in a variety of businesses, not just manufacturing and production-oriented ones.

Question 20

XYZ corporation has ten levels of authority between the president and the lowest level employee on the organizational chart. By contrast, ABC Corporation has only three levels of authority between the president and the lowest level. It may be said that XYZ's hierarchy of authority is ________, whereas ABC's is ________.
A) flat; tall
B) tall; flat
C) wide; narrow
D) narrow; wide

Accepted Answer

XYZ's hierarchy of authority is tall, as it has a large number of levels between the president and the lowest level employee. In contrast, ABC's hierarchy of authority is flat, as it has a small number of levels between the president and the lowest level employee.

Quiz 15: Organizational Structure and Design

The organizational charts that indicate who reports to whom represent the organization's:

The formal configuration between individuals and groups with respect to the allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and authority within organizations is known as:

An example of a staff job in an organization would be the:

Highly decentralized organizations:

An organization with a tall hierarchy results in managers having a ________ span of control:

The process of breaking up organizations into coherent units is known as:

The degree to which employees perform specialized jobs is likely to depend on the ________ of the organization.

In the downsizing process, restructuring hits ________ of organizational hierarchies especially hard.

The process of delegating power from higher to lower levels within organizations is known as:

The number of people formally required to report to each individual manager is known as a manager's:

The benefit of a narrow division of labor in an organization is:

Studies show that staff managers tend to:

The ________ involves dividing the many tasks performed within an organization into particular jobs.

The basic difference between line managers and staff managers is that:

When evaluating a manager's span of control, you should:

In a classic study, it was found that decentralization:

An organizational chart:

The decentralization of control in organizations: