Exam 8: Organizational Culture, Structure, and Design: Building Blocks of the Organization

Tomás,a sales associate in the furniture department of the Larkspur Department Store,reports to Carolina,the furniture department manager.This morning,Carolina asked Tomás to change the price tags on the desk chairs.While working on this task,David,the computer department manager,told Tomás that he wanted him to unload some computers.Tomás is confused about what to do because under the principle of unity of command,

Employees and customers are treated like a family at Bayou Seafood Café.Paul and Betsey,the owners,work to encourage unity to increase their employees' job satisfaction and commitment.At their café,Paul and Betsey have built a(n)

"To do more in a day,____," according to productivity expert Odette Pollar.

Raul,a salesperson for the Lovely Landscapes landscaping company,is working with a longtime customer who is interested in either cutting back on the services or getting a better price due to the tight economy.Raul tells his manager,"I want to take care of the customer with the best value.So what do you think is the best package to offer in this situation?" Raul and his manager are trying to utilize the

This question has two parts;be sure to answer both.First,define organizational culture and summarize the four types of corporate culture in the competing values framework.Second,consider the case of The Fireman's Friend,a national chain that sells firefighting equipment and supplies.Due to major competition from abroad,management of the The Fireman's Friend is under constant pressure to monitor costs and keep its prices under a certain level.The company is very strictly organized,with the CEO making all of the major decisions.At each store,the manager is responsible for ensuring that any products ordered by fire departments are delivered the same day.Each store manager is also responsible for continuous quality control by reading reports on the effectiveness and safety of every item sold in the store.What type of culture does The Fireman's Friend most likely have? Organizational culture,sometimes called corporate culture,is the set of shared,taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and that determines how it perceives,thinks about,and reacts to its various environments.According to one common methodology known as the competing values framework,organizational cultures can be classified into four types: (1)clan, (2)adhocracy, (3)market,and (4)hierarchy.(See Figure 8

Elly and Sylvia,owners of Gaia Organic Foods,do not have a formal policy about dress code and work procedures because they see their company as a family place that is enjoyable to work for.Elly and Sylvia believe that if you treat employees like family,the company will do well and grow._____ are the core beliefs that represent the core values of Gaia Organic Foods' culture.

Define organizational structure.

Organizational design is concerned with an organization developing

Productivity expert Odette Pollar recommends that managers delegate (1)emergencies and (2)confidential matters,and (3)personnel-related matters.

With a hollow structure,the organization

________ is(are)another way of describing a vertical hierarchy.

The more subunits into which an organization breaks down,the

Phone Tech,a global phone company,frequently needs to respond quickly to fast-changing consumer tastes with its smartphones.Therefore,Phone Tech has fewer rules and procedures than most organizations,and networks of employees are encouraged to cooperate and respond quickly to unexpected tasks and changes in technology.Phone Tech is utilizing a(n)____ structure.

Two advantages of decentralization are that (1)managers are encouraged to solve their own problems,and (2)decisions are made more quickly,increasing the organization's flexibility and efficiency.

Jim was recently promoted to the position of dining room supervisor at The Crab Shack,and he is now responsible for making decisions on numerous matters in the dining room and giving orders to the serving staff.At the same time,Jim has the obligation to perform the many new tasks assigned to him as a supervisor,such as overseeing the closing work and the cleaning of the dining room.Jim's obligations are known as his

Dr.Gomez is retiring as a doctor in private practice.He wants to start a(n)__________,Doctor Help,that will provide low-income individuals in the United States with medical assistance at no cost.

Astrid,a customer service representative with NorthTel Wireless Services,was asked by one of her customers if NorthTel would be interested in joining the chamber of commerce to meet potential customers and increase its contacts in the local business community.Astrid believes this is a very good idea and approached her manager,DeShawn,about becoming a chamber member.DeShawn said to Astrid,"Because the cost of membership is over $500 and you will have to leave the office to attend meetings,I will have to get approval from management above me." NorthTel is an example of an organization with

Della,the new CEO of Sky Advertising,has been with the firm for over 25 years.She was picked by the board to turn the 85-year-old agency around,because it had lost its edge in the Internet age.To infuse new life and energy into the agency,Della wants to bring back some old ideas that previously worked at Sky.She plans on having managers and veteran employees instruct each other about the organization's values,beliefs,and expectations;telling stories about some of the company legendary ad campaigns;coming up with a slogan that summarizes Sky's abilities in a simple and memorable phrase;and having quarterly ceremonies where creativity and innovation are rewarded.The things that Della wants to do are all examples of

Fine Oil uses an organizational structure that includes both functional divisions (such as marketing and HR)and a divisional chain of command (such as the chemical and petroleum products divisions).For example,Glen,a salesperson for Fine Oil,reports to both the marketing manager and the petroleum products manager as he starts to develop the Shell Oil account.Fine Oil uses a matrix structure.

According to the competing values framework,the four types of ______ are clan,adhocracy,market,and hierarchy.