Exam 15: Foundations of Organization Structure

While observing the departments in his division, Gordon notices that some managers with wide spans of control seem to perform more effectively than other managers with similarly sized spans of control. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true regarding the high-performing managers?

The question of span of control determines ________.

Which of the following is most likely to be a drawback of a virtual organization?

You are the CEO of Achilles Incorporation. You have decided to hire other organizations to perform many of the basic functions of your business. You have hired an accounting firm to keep your records, a recruiting firm to handle human resource functions, and a computer firm to handle all records. To keep costs down, you are looking for other areas in which to outsource operations. You have chosen to operate your business as a ________.

Which of the following statements, if true, would support the argument favoring increased span of control?

A virtual organization lacks flexibility.

A bureaucracy is characterized by decentralized authority and wider spans of control.

You describe to your students a new committee within the university that brings together specialists from all different departments to develop a new interdisciplinary program. The structure of the committee best meets the definition of the ________ structure.

Volatility refers to the degree of ________ within an environment.

A ________ is characterized by a low degree of departmentalization, wide spans of control, authority centralized in a single person, and little formalization.

Odysseus Corp. is attempting to flatten its organizational hierarchy. It is encouraging the use of cross-hierarchical teams, participative decision-making practices, and 360-degree performance appraisals. Based on this information, we can say that Odysseus Corp. is attempting to create a ________ organization.

What are the key dimensions to any organization's environment?

Which of the following statements is true about the simple structure?

The key concept that underlies all bureaucracies is ________.

The unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom is termed ________.

In centralized organizations, top managers make all the decisions, and lower-level managers merely carry out their directives.

Explain the concept of the boundaryless organization and how boundaryless organizations are useful in breaking down cultural barriers in a global workplace.

The major advantage of a virtual organization is its ________.

What is the difference between a mechanistic model and an organic model of organizational structure?

Which of the following is most likely to be a characteristic of an organization pursuing a cost-minimization strategy?