Deck 13: Technology, Environment, and Organization Design

Question 1

The degree to which an organization's structure contributes to its strategy depends on contingency factors.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Constituencies are important for organizations because they provide resources.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Efficiency is "doing the right things."

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The most mechanistic structures are highly decentralized.

Question 5

The opposite of a mechanistic organization is an enriched organization.

Question 6

An organization in the inception stage needs an organic structure.

Question 7

An organization in the inception stage with fewer than 12 people should have a simple differentiated structure.

Question 8

Compared to pre-bureaucratic structures, bureaucratic structures are more organic and require more standardization and formalization.

Question 9

The type of technology that faces the most predictability is small-batch production.

Question 10

Continuous-process production involves the most routine work.

Question 11

Workers in continuous-process production perform routine, repetitive jobs.

Question 12

The most effective coordination mechanism for flexible-cell production is mutual adjustment.

Question 13

Woodward's descriptions of technologies apply only to manufacturing firms, but Thompson's system of descriptors also applies to service firms.

Question 14

Firms that use mediating technology are best structured mechanistically.

Question 15

Firms that use long-linked technologies should coordinate by using standardization.

Question 16

Intensive technologies should be coordinated through direct supervision.

Question 17

Environmental change affects an organization most during the inception stage.

Question 18

The concept of environmental change includes those changes that are cyclical.

Question 19

Standardization is the most appropriate coordination mechanism for dynamic environments.

Question 20

Decentralizing is an effective mechanism for dealing with environmental complexity.

Question 21

Uncertain environments favor the use of boundary spanners.

Question 22

An organization high in receptivity is considered to be munificent.

Question 23

Operating in a diverse environment requires a firm to adopt more formalization.

Question 24

Conditions of high change, complexity, and diversity, coupled with rapid technological change, require post-bureaucratic structures.

Question 25

An organization's success in achieving its goals and objectives is its__________.

A) organizational design
B) organizational efficiency
C) organizational effectiveness
D) organizational productivity

Question 26

All of the following are constituencies of an organization EXCEPT __________.

A) suppliers
B) competitors
C) customers
D) employees

Question 27

A measure of how much an organization produces, without regard to whether it achieves its objectives, is its__________.

A) organizational design
B) organizational efficiency
C) organizational effectiveness
D) organizational productivity

Question 28

The minimization of inputs consumed compared to outputs is__________.

A) organizational design
B) organizational efficiency
C) organizational effectiveness
D) organizational productivity

Question 29

What demands do suppliers make on an organization?

A) legal compliance
B) goods and services
C) prompt payment
D) fair pay

Question 30

Mechanistic structures__________.

A) have enriched jobs
B) have tall hierarchies
C) are decentralized
D) tend not to use standardization

Question 31

Organic structures__________.

A) are flexible
B) have tall hierarchies
C) are centralized
D) use standardization

Question 32

A "flat" organization is one__________.

A) that coordinates work through standardization
B) that has many levels of hierarchy
C) that is highly decentralized
D) that is designed to be highly efficient

Question 33

The idea that organizations grow through stages is called the _____________ approach.

A) structural contingencies
B) resource contingencies
C) life cycle contingencies
D) inception contingencies

Question 34

The stages of organizational growth go in the following order __________.

A) inception, formalization, elaboration, transformation
B) inception, transformation, elaboration, formalization
C) inception, formalization, transformation, elaboration
D) inception, transformation, formalization, elaboration

Question 35

Structural contingency factors focus on the ___________.

A) situation
B) leader
C) technology
D) organizational design (OD)

Question 36

That stage in which organizations rely on mutual adjustment is__________.

A) transformation
B) elaboration
C) inception
D) formalization

Question 37

The inception stage is most likely to require a _____________ structure.

A) pre-bureaucratic
B) functional
C) divisional
D) post-bureaucratic

Question 38

Henry Moon's study on structural change concluded that __________ teams are best in stable conditions, while __________ teams are best in unpredictable environments.

A) structural, functional
B) functional, divisional
C) structural, flexible
D) divisional, flexible

Question 39

That stage in which organizations develop emphasis on efficiency and stability is__________.

A) transformation
B) elaboration
C) inception
D) formalization

Question 40

That stage in which organizations diversify and decentralize is__________.

A) transformation
B) elaboration
C) inception
D) formalization

Question 41

That stage in which organizations grow large and complex is__________.

A) transformation
B) elaboration
C) inception
D) formalization

Question 42

The formalization stage is most likely to require a _____________ structure.

A) pre-bureaucratic
B) functional
C) divisional
D) post-bureaucratic

Question 43

The elaboration stage is most likely to require a _____________ structure.

A) pre-bureaucratic
B) functional
C) divisional
D) post-bureaucratic

Question 44

Within the inception stage, an organization should choose a ______________.

A) simple differentiated
B) simple undifferentiated
C) either a or b, depending on its age
D) either a or b, depending on its size

Question 45

Organizational design can be defined as __________.

A) number of organizational members
B) total of profits
C) physical capacity
D) all of the above

Question 46

Organizational design can be defined as __________.

A) number of organizational members
B) total of profits
C) physical capacity
D) all of the above

Question 47

Of the following, the most mechanistic structure is the__________.

A) matrix
B) multiunit
C) functional
D) divisional

Question 48

According to Woodward, the type of technology that faces the most unpredictability is the:

A) small-batch production
B) mass production
C) continuous-process production
D) assembly-line production

Question 49

Unpredictability makes _______________ a particularly appropriate coordination mechanism.

A) mutual adjustment
B) standardization
C) direct supervision
D) norm standardization

Question 50

The type of production that involves producing the same product repeatedly is__________.

A) small-batch production
B) mass production
C) continuous-process production
D) assembly-line production

Question 51

The primary form of coordination used in mass production is__________.

A) direct supervision
B) standardization
C) mutual adjustment
D) lateral relationships

Question 52

The type of production that involves making the same product in the same way for an indefinite time is__________.

A) small-batch production
B) mass production
C) continuous-process production
D) assembly-line production

Question 53

The primary form of coordination used in continuous-process production is__________.

A) direct supervision
B) standardization
C) mutual adjustment
D) lateral relationships

Question 54

A(n) ____________ technology provides services that link clients together.

A) mediating
B) long-linked
C) intensive
D) moderating

Question 55

A(n) ____________ technology is most like a mass-production technology.

A) mediating
B) long-linked
C) intensive
D) moderating

Question 56

A(n) ____________ technology consists of work processes whose configuration may change as employees receive feedback from clients.

A) mediating
B) long-linked
C) intensive
D) moderating

Question 57

To coordinate a long-linked technology, organizations should use __________ as a coordinating mechanism.

A) mutual adjustment
B) standardization
C) direct supervision
D) lateral relationships

Question 58

To coordinate a mediating technology, organizations should use __________ as a coordinating mechanism.

A) mutual adjustment
B) skill standardization
C) direct supervision
D) behavior standardization

Question 59

To coordinate an intensive technology, organizations should use __________ as a coordinating mechanism.

A) mutual adjustment
B) skill standardization
C) direct supervision
D) behavior standardization

Question 60

An organization that must "reorganize itself over and over again" is probably using a__________.

A) mediating technology
B) long-linked technology
C) intensive technology
D) computerized technology

Question 61

An organization's environment includes all but one of the following concepts. Which one?

A) its culture
B) political conditions in the government
C) economic factors
D) geographic concerns

Question 62

All of the following are environmental characteristics that influences structural effectiveness EXCEPT __________.

A) complexity
B) receptivity
C) diversity
D) dependence

Question 63

A dynamic environment is one in which__________.

A) conditions change in an unpredictable way
B) conditions change in a predictable way
C) conditions are uncertain and hostile
D) conditions are complex and uncertain

Question 64

The degree to which an organization's environment is complicated and difficult to understand is its__________.

A) dynamism
B) complexity
C) uncertainty
D) diversity

Question 65

The degree to which an organization lacks information about its environment is its__________.

A) dynamism
B) receptivity
C) uncertainty
D) diversity

Question 66

A member of an organization who interacts with people in the organization's environment is called a(n) __________.

A) liaison
B) gatekeeper
C) boundary spanner
D) ambassador

Question 67

The degree to which an organization's environment is supports the organization is its__________.

A) dynamism
B) complexity
C) uncertainty
D) receptivity

Question 68

A common response to environmental hostility in decentralized firms is to__________.

A) centralize
B) increase mutual adjustment
C) decrease complexity
D) formalize

Question 69

The degree to which an organization's environment serves distinct environmental domains is its__________.

A) dynamism
B) complexity
C) uncertainty
D) diversity

Question 70

To handle external diversity, organizations should__________.

A) increase internal diversity
B) increase formalization
C) increase standardization
D) decrease complexity

Question 71

The term that describes the speed and scope of change that occurs in an environment surrounding an organization is its__________.

A) dynamism
B) turbulence
C) complexity
D) uncertainty

Question 72

Conditions that favor post-bureaucratic structures include__________.

A) high environmental dynamism
B) high environmental complexity
C) hypercompetition
D) high speed of technological advances

Question 73

Which of the following structures is the most flexible?

A) modular
B) virtual
C) functional
D) divisional

Question 74

In which kind of structure does the organization "contract it out"?

A) modular
B) virtual
C) functional
D) divisional

Question 75

The factors that discriminate between using a modular and a virtual structure include__________.

A) transaction costs and complexity
B) transaction costs and opportunism
C) transaction costs and turbulence
D) transaction costs and hostility

Question 76

Compared to keeping work inside the organization, "contracting out" tends to__________.

A) have higher transaction costs
B) increase social stability
C) decrease flexibility
D) increase employee satisfaction

Question 77

Postbureaucratic organizations are using __________ to blend organizational goals and organizational design.

A) environmental technologies
B) postbureaucratic contingencies
C) collaborative technologies
D) technological alliances

Question 78

Define organizational effectiveness. How does this concept differ from organizational productivity and organizational efficiency?

Question 79

What are mechanistic structures? Organic structures? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Question 80

Describe the stages of development of organizations. Do all organizations go through all stages?