Deck 8: Organizing and Managing Work

Question 1

Joan Woodward argued which of the following on the basis of her research on the best fit between production technologies and management approaches?

A) Bureaucracies are most appropriate in industries with mass-production technology.
B) Modern work organizations need managers who have strong human relations skills.
C) The more complex the technology, the more bureaucratic rules are required.
D) Assembly-line technologies are a poor fit with bureaucracy.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is a primary criticism of the human relations approach to management?

A) It assumes that industrial harmony is healthy and that conflict in the workplace is abnormal and destructive.
B) It incorrectly assumes that workers are only motivated by money.
C) It places too much emphasis on the need for strict, authoritarian managers.
D) It allows workers too much input into workplace decision making.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Kareem has worked for a large technology company for the past 10 years. During his last performance review, his manager told him his efficiency is declining because he is trying too hard to follow organizational rules and job procedures. Which of the following terms best describes Kareem's behaviour?

A) Organizational commitment.
B) Bureaucratic personality.
C) Alienation.
D) Managerial authority.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Frederick Winslow Taylor, workers were primarily motivated by which of the following?

A) Fear of making mistakes.
B) The friendliness of their supervisors and managers.
C) Opportunities to increase their skills.
D) Economic gain.

Question 5

Which of the following is correct about Burns and Stalker's study of work organization in the 1950s?

A) In general, all organizations had the same structure and management style.
B) Technologies did not impact the level of bureaucracy present in an organization.
C) Most organizations had open management styles.
D) There was a continuum of organizational forms shaped by type of technology.

Question 6

Jane, a manager in a house-cleaning company, believes that the values, psychological needs, and attitudes of her workers all shape their work behaviour. With which of the following management approaches do her beliefs fit best?

A) Scientific management.
B) Management ideology.
C) Human relations.
D) The informal side of organizations.

Question 7

Which of the following is most correct about scientific management?

A) Robots are used to replace workers.
B) Workers have a lot of autonomy.
C) It represents a "human relations" approach.
D) Complex tasks are subdivided to improve efficiency.

Question 8

Which of the following best describes a central argument about bureaucracies made by Melville Dalton in his 1959 study Men Who Manage?

A) Managers often break the rules in order to achieve their objectives.
B) If given the opportunity, women would make better managers than men.
C) Promotions are usually based on merit.
D) Managers and workers rarely engage in dishonest activity.

Question 9

Which of the following was demonstrated by the Hawthorne Studies?

A) Good working conditions (e.g., better lighting) lead to higher worker productivity.
B) The results of social experiments may be confounded by subjects' awareness of being part of a study.
C) The type of technology used in a workplace can affect workers' productivity.
D) Female employees are just as motivated to work hard as male employees.

Question 10

Which of the following criticisms did Alvin Gouldner make about bureaucracies?

A) Promotions and dismissals tend to be predictable.
B) Rules that reduce uncertainty for management reduce job satisfaction for workers.
C) Efficiency is often more important than authority.
D) They are often created to give managers more power over workers.

Question 11

In general, which of the following is the most important role of managers?

A) Ensure workers do their jobs correctly.
B) Obtain compliance from workers and prevent opposition to authority.
C) Enforce the rules and regulations of the organization.
D) Identify workers worthy of promotion.

Question 12

Managers of Best Electric Cars try to motivate their workers by reminding them that each person in the company is part of a team in constant competition with foreign companies and that if they work together to increase production and improve quality, the company, their community, and Canada will all benefit. Which of the following terms would Amitai Etzioni use to describe this management strategy?

A) Normative.
B) Coercive.
C) Utilitarian.
D) Human capital.

Question 13

According to Max Weber, which of the following is correct about "bureaucratic" hierarchy?

A) It was essential for pre-capitalist systems of production.
B) It helps coordinate and integrate many specialized tasks.
C) It is only found in capitalist societies.
D) Authority is evenly distributed.

Question 14

Which of the following observations was central to Gerhard Lenski's theory about changing levels of inequality over the past centuries?

A) Social inequality would disappear once socialism replaced capitalism.
B) Agrarian societies were characterized by very low levels of inequality.
C) Industrial capitalism brought with it reduced levels of social inequality.
D) Industrial capitalism generated the highest level of inequality ever observed.

Question 15

Which of the following is not a core principle of scientific management?

A) Subdivide complex jobs to obtain maximum efficiency.
B) Give workers detailed step-by-step descriptions on how to do each job.
C) Select the best workers to perform a specific job.
D) Increase individual workers' decision-making authority.

Question 16

Which of the following general approaches to management would best characterize the management approach adopted by Best Electric Cars (see Q. 15)?

A) Scientific management.
B) Corporate welfare.
C) Human relations.
D) Globally focused management

Question 17

Jenn is a human resources manager for a large Crown corporation. Rather than following organizational policy, Jenn has hired and promoted a number of individuals who were on her university hockey team. Which of the following best describes Jenn's actions?

A) Rational-legal value system.
B) Managerial authority.
C) Freewheeling.
D) Meritocracy.

Question 18

Which of the following is a central principal of human relations theory?

A) Industrial harmony is healthy.
B) More power should be bestowed to workers.
C) It is only effective in large bureaucracies.
D) It views conflict between workers and managers as natural and productive.

Question 19

Which of the following work settings would be most likely to employ the practices of Taylorism?

A) Telephone call centre.
B) Law firm.
C) Radio station.
D) University department.

Question 20

Which of the following criticisms have organizational researchers made about bureaucracies?

A) Workers have too much autonomy.
B) Positions within bureaucratic organizations are not regulated.
C) They are resistant to change.
D) They lack a defined system of authority.

Question 21

Alfred D. Chandler Jr. wrote that, "The 'visible hand' of the corporate manager replaced the 'invisible hand' of market forces." Explain what Chandler means by this statement?

Question 22

Explain Gerhard Lenski's theory of social inequality. What role does technology play in this theory?

Question 23

Workplace inequality and the ability of workers to develop skills and become involved in decision making represent two crucial issues facing Canadian workers and work organizations. How well do the scientific management and human relations approaches address these issues? Support your position with reference to the chapter.

Question 24

In a few sentences, describe the basic principles of scientific management.

Question 25

Briefly describe human relations theory and outline one of its major criticisms.

Question 26

Describe a work organization that you are familiar with and address how it utilizes elements of scientific management or human relations theory, or both. In your opinion, do these practices work well in this organization? Why or why not?

Question 27

Describe what you think makes a "good" manager. Support your position with reference to the material and debates discussed in Chapter 8.

Question 28

Describe what is meant by the term bureaucracy. What are some of the criticisms that researchers have mounted against bureaucratic organizations? In your opinion, what role will bureaucracies have in Canada over the next half-century? Support your argument with material from Chapter 8, as well as earlier chapters if necessary.