Exam 7: Creating a Flexible Organization

George is a regional sales manager for Unisys, a large manufacturer of computer systems. Like most sales managers at Unisys, George is responsible for a fairly small team of salespeople throughout his region, and he must interact with them frequently to solve problems. Which of the following descriptions is most characteristic of Unisys and its sales managers?

Costco is able to keep costs down and offer low prices thanks to a no-frill shopping experience. It offers thousands of different products and does take into consideration customer preferences. After realizing the popularity of organic food products, Costco quickly stocked more of these items and created an initiative to help farmers buy land to grow organic crops. How does Costco prioritize efficiency and responsiveness?

Generally speaking, a narrow span of management implies that the height of the organization will be tall. What does a wide span of management imply that the height of the organization will be?

A high-end department store's employee handbook states, "Use your best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules." This store's organizational design likely prioritizes which of the following?

A television production company fully delegates authority to those working on each production project. What is the likely effect on the organization?

Which term denotes the number of workers who report directly to one manager?

If General Mills has a Cereal Division and a Snack Foods Division, it would be departmentalizing on the basis of which of the following?

Monica manages a cross-functional team that is responsible for designing the company's product strategy for Asia. She works with staff from marketing, operations, and R&D, all working together. What is most likely true about this type of structure?

Ted finds he has less energy to go to work each day. On average he misses two days a week. Ted may be suffering from boredom and lack of empowerment in his assembly line job, which is one negative side effect of which of the following?

A high-end restaurant is all about delighting customers. The chefs and waiters are free to make decisions that satisfy customer needs, even if it requires extra time or cost. Because the restaurant staff is highly talented and experienced, the restaurants owners take a hands-off approach to daily operations. The firm's organizational design would most likely feature which of the following?

Which of the following is a benefit of job specialization?

A company that seeks to maintain a consistent image throughout the organization and focus on efficiency likely has which of the following?

The book The Wealth of Nations, published in the eighteenth century, emphasizes the power of which of the following to increase production output?

An advertising agency is known for its creative and "outside the box" campaigns. It employs highly talented writers, artists, and art directors to create these campaigns. This agency will most likely organize in order to make which of the following a priority?

A clothing design company fully delegates authority to regional divisions in each part of the country. What is the likely effect on the organization?

The president of a large semiconductor company discovered that the company was having a problem with product groups working selfishly rather than cooperating with one another. To solve the problem, he combined the company's 12 product groups into three regional management centres. This solution is referred to as departmentalization by which of the following?

What is being represented when it is noted that the head of marketing supervises 12 people in her department?

Which type of organization allows a company to make decisions more quickly and implement them right away, increasing efficiency and market responsiveness?

If a new company desires to departmentalize in a way that will simplify supervision and facilitate clear lines of communication, it will most likely departmentalize by which of the following?

The executive team at a major retailer recently reorganized the company. They decided to departmentalize in a way that would improve responsiveness to the unique demands of customers in different regions of the country. This is especially important because regional preferences are so distinct in their retail category. The company realizes this could create inefficiency because of the duplication of certain activities. In this scenario, the executive team most likely decided to departmentalize by which of the following?