Deck 7: Markets, organizations, and Work

Question 1

The average full-time worker in America works about an extra month longer each year than the average full-time worker in other similar countries.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Organizations that are able to mimic their peers give themselves protection against threats to their survival.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Organizations that successfully identify and fulfill a niche usually survive because they have no competition from similar organizations.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The Hawthorne studies were a variety of experiments designed to see what factors might induce workers to produce more output in the same amount of time.

Question 5

In the classical economic view of markets,the identity of market actors does not matter in predicting how markets function.

Question 6

The antithesis of scientific management is the well-developed assembly line system of production.

Question 7

Entrepreneurs are people who start,but do not invest in,businesses.

Question 8

It is illegal for important functions of government to be subcontracted to private employers or to entrepreneurs.

Question 9

Loose coupling is a form of decision making meant to counteract the garbage-can model of decision making.

Question 10

Nonprofit organizations participate in a market for donations.

Question 11

The rational choice perspective on markets is concerned with how buyers and sellers find each other.

Question 12

Rich contemporary societies like the United States are defined by the basic fact that the overwhelming majority of individuals have similar jobs and are engaged in similar activities.

Question 13

Once a bureaucratic form of an organization emerges,an organization is on the road to establishing a long-term presence.

Question 14

According to the sociological concept called organizational isomorphism,organizations in the same field tend to become increasingly similar to each other over time.

Question 15

Insider trading refers to an informal rule that helps market participants know whether and how they can bargain for the best deal with someone else in a similar market situation.

Question 16

Monitoring work increases productivity,although it can also produce resistance.

Question 17

The classic assembly-line workplace is organized with an emphasis on standardization and surveillance,often with little room for interaction among employees.

Question 18

German sociologist Max Weber thought that bureaucracy was a needlessly rigid response to the complexities of modern large-scale markets and big government.

Question 19

An organization's structure can help or hurt its chances for survival.

Question 20

The largest employer in the United States is Walmart.

Question 21

Relatively speaking,employees in America have less power than workers in other countries.

Question 22

The sociological study of markets focuses on which factor,or which combination of factors,to explain how markets work?

A)social networks
B)social networks and power
C)social networks and culture
D)social networks,power,and culture

Question 23

In comparison with other countries,U.S.employers have fewer employment regulations to adhere to and relatively weaker labor unions with whom conditions of work have to be negotiated.

Question 24

Which of the following questions about a market exchange is a sociologist least likely to ask?

A)How do buyers and sellers find each other?
B)How do buyers and sellers know that they won't be cheated?
C)What role does power play in a market exchange?
D)What role does the currency exchange rate play in a market exchange?

Question 25

In classical economics,both sides of a transaction (buyer and seller)are assumed to have __________.

A)informal rules against the exchange of currency
B)an intuitive understanding of constrained behavior
C)knowledge about each other's well-being
D)knowledge about the good or service they are buying or selling

Question 26

Which Nobel Prize-winning economist,who studied human behavior through the lens of the market,famously argued that in the market everyone is the same?

A)Gary Becker
B)Paul Krugman
C)James Meade
D)Joseph Stiglitz

Question 27

The rational choice perspective of markets is a powerful perspective because it relies _________.

A)on the idea that the general public is uninformed about the complexity of market exchanges
B)on the idea that the general public is well-versed in the complexity of market exchanges
C)on a complex theory about what motivates individuals and organizations as they enter into market exchanges
D)on a simple set of assumptions about what motivates individuals and organizations as they enter into market exchanges

Question 28

According to sociologists,what does the rational choice perspective of markets overlook?

A)concerns and considerations about social forces
B)concerns and considerations about constrained behavior
C)knowledge of market exchanges
D)knowledge of exchanges between people who know each other

Question 29

Government jobs tend to be considerably more secure than the vast majority of jobs in America.

Question 30

Which of the following is the clearest example of the pervasiveness of markets in the intimate spaces of people's lives?

A)the market for adventure travel to the South Pole
B)the market for doggie day care
C)the market for restaurant takeout
D)the market for help naming children

Question 31

The rational choice perspective of markets assumes that __________.

A)individuals have perfect knowledge about market exchanges
B)individuals make decisions that they think will improve their well-being
C)individuals almost always act in ways that advance the common good
D)individuals believe there is no need for altruistic behavior

Question 32

Which of the following statements about markets is false?

A)Markets and market ideas are increasingly penetrating areas of social life that were once considered outside of the market domain.
B)Markets are places where buyers and sellers engage in exchange of commodities and services.
C)New markets to sell goods and services to potential buyers are continually invented.
D)All over the world,including all of the most developed countries,the vast majority of goods and services are provided by government-run services.

Question 33

__________ is an economic system based on private property and market exchange.

A)Capitalism
B)Communism
C)Entrepreneurship
D)Socialism

Question 34

Markets involve exchanges among which three principal classes of economic actors?

A)buyers,investors,and producers
B)buyers,producers,and sellers
C)buyers,regulators,and sellers
D)buyers,investors,and regulators

Question 35

The main aim of lean production,from the perspective of management,is to continually identify and constantly reduce the costs of production.

Question 36

A __________ society is organized without private property and based on the principle that individuals should be able to consume societal resources based on their needs,not their ability.

A)capitalist
B)communist
C)entrepreneurial
D)socialist

Question 37

In his bestselling book The Tipping Point,Malcolm Gladwell uses the story of Paul Revere to illustrate __________.

A)the influence of power on how markets and market exchanges work
B)the influence of culture on how markets and market exchanges work
C)the influence of motivation on how markets and market exchanges work
D)the influence of social networks on how markets and market exchanges work

Question 38

Why do markets need social ties?

A)to maintain alliances of kinship and friendship
B)to maintain levels of trust necessary to carry out economic transactions
C)to facilitate repeated transactions
D)to diminish the influence of random,one-shot transactions on market exchanges

Question 39

Autonomy refers to how much a particular job allows workers to control their activities.

Question 40

Socialism is __________.

A)an economic system based on private property and market exchange
B)an economic system where the government owns property and controls production
C)an economic system organized without private property and based on the principle that individuals should be able to consume societal resources based on their needs,not their ability
D)an economic system where buyers,sellers,and producers engage in the exchange of commodities and services

Question 41

What are the formal procedures and rules of a bureaucracy supposed to ensure?

A)accountability and efficiency
B)accountability and consistency
C)consistency and efficiency
D)efficiency and toleration

Question 42

What model of decision making can be used by organizations that have fallen prey to the garbage-can model of decision making?

A)bill accomplishing
B)logical intuiting
C)loose coupling
D)rational outlining

Question 43

__________ provided the most influential description and analysis of bureaucratic organizations.

A)Max Weber
B)Viviana Zelizer
C)Mark Granovetter
D)Malcolm Gladwell

Question 44

The landmark legislation that declared that citizens with disabilities should have the same access to physical spaces such as buildings and bathrooms as their non-disabled peers is called the __________.

A)Civil Rights Act of 1964
B)Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
C)National Advisory Commission on Disabilities Act of 1991
D)National Disabilities Act of 1990

Question 45

Insider trading is an example of a(n)__________

A)formal market rule
B)informal market rule
C)cultural norm about who can participate in markets
D)insurance industry regulation

Question 46

Individuals who give funds to a nonprofit organization because they have been impacted by it or because they support its mission are called __________.

A)change agents
B)donors
C)economic actors
D)entrepreneurs

Question 47

When the March of Dimes changed its mission from fighting polio to fighting birth defects,it exhibited which common organizational feature?

A)persistence
B)bureaucracy
C)isomorphism
D)loose coupling

Question 48

What is the hallmark of bureaucracy,according to Max Weber?

A)the existence of formal procedures and rules
B)a high level of personal freedom
C)the ability to survive ups and downs
D)entrepreneurial vision and technical curiosity

Question 49

Organizations gain legitimacy in all of the following manners EXCEPT __________.

A)by increasing their reach
B)by speaking out publicly against those with high status
C)by increasing their renown
D)by gaining financial resources

Question 50

The chain of command is associated most closely with which of the following features of a bureaucracy?

A)hierarchical organization
B)written rules
C)full-time decision making officers
D)feedback loops

Question 51

Max Weber's theory of bureaucracy is criticized because bureaucracies have been found to function in ways that Weber did not anticipate.Evidence of the variances between Weber's theory and reality include all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A)rules that are routinely broken or ignored
B)managers who are unable to effectively supervise subordinates
C)bureaucrats who treat their jobs as a calling
D)bureaucrats who are self-interested

Question 52

The better an organization matches its initial environment,__________.

A)the weaker its resistance to change
B)the weaker its resistance to environmental demands
C)the stronger its resistance to environmental demands
D)the stronger its structural inertia

Question 53

Which of the following statements about why organizations persist is false?

A)Organizations persist because people involved in organizations have a strong interest in their survival.
B)Organizations persist because people who work for organizations want to keep their jobs.
C)Organizations persist because they,especially as they grow,tend to become less bureaucratic.
D)Organizations persist because they have established operating principles and procedures that do not rely on any one individual to maintain them.

Question 54

Alpha Corporation,which has developed an impermeable shell that protects it from environmental demands,strongly resists change and is said,therefore,to exhibit __________.

A)structural inertia
B)structural adaptation
C)organizational closure
D)organizational solidity

Question 55

When considering potential applicants,sociologists have concluded that employers look at merit and all the following factors EXCEPT __________.

A)age
B)gender
C)race
D)role of markets

Question 56

Of the following higher education institutions,which two are most likely to be in the same niche market?

A)New York University and Miami-Dade Community College
B)Miami-Dade Community College and the University of Southern California
C)Harvard University and Yale University
D)Ohio State University and Holy Apostles College and Seminary

Question 57

Weber's theory of bureaucracy emphasizes all of the following features EXCEPT __________.

A)hierarchical organization
B)written rules
C)full-time decision making officers
D)feedback loops

Question 58

Which of the following adjectives is NOT usually associated with the downside of bureaucracy?

A)inefficient
B)bloated
C)persistent
D)ineffective

Question 59

Auditing firms often face problems of conflict of interest and resource dependency because __________.

A)auditing firms do what is called due diligence
B)auditing firms treat all potential clients simply on the basis of merit
C)auditors are affected by absolute,not relative,power
D)auditors are paid by the very companies whose books they are required to validate

Question 60

A __________ is a distinct segment of a market or social process.

A)bangtail
B)niche
C)spot market
D)third sector

Question 61

Monitoring work __________,although it can also __________.

A)decreases productivity;reduce resistance
B)increases productivity;produce resistance
C)decreases the need for specialization;reduce productivity
D)increases the need for specialization;reduce productivity

Question 62

In terms of job satisfaction,people almost universally tend to rate jobs as better when they __________.

A)are stress free
B)involve conformity and sameness
C)pay more
D)involve self-expression

Question 63

Which of the following job skills is more easily measured than the others?

A)managing a negotiation
B)working effectively in teams
C)measuring a manufacturing process
D)coping with change

Question 64

Growth of specialization in the kinds of jobs people hold __________.

A)has slowed dramatically since the 1970s,along with the decline in manufacturing jobs
B)has gradually slacked off since the 1970s,along with the decline in manufacturing jobs
C)has gradually slacked off since the mid-1990s,as globalization has taken off
D)has continued right up to the present

Question 65

What is the chief characteristic of the assembly line system of production?

A)Workers continually face a process of deskilling.
B)Every task workers perform is completely scripted for them.
C)Work is done by skilled craftspeople capable of producing finished products more or less by themselves.
D)Managers are easily replaceable and have a weak position relative to that of workers.

Question 66

Which country's workers worked fewer hours,on average,in a calendar year than the others?

A)France's workers
B)Germany's workers
C)Italy's workers
D)America's workers

Question 67

__________,__________,and __________ isomorphism are three distinct types of organizational isomorphism.

A)Coercive;mimetic;normative
B)Coercive;normative;repetitive
C)Compulsory;normative;repetitive
D)Repetitive;intuitive;operative

Question 68

How many different job titles does the U.S.Census Bureau identify in its detailed job classification system?

A)about 5,000
B)less than 10,000
C)over 12,000
D)over 15,000

Question 69

If typical American workers sleep about eight hours a night and take two weeks of vacation a year,they spend __________ of their waking hours at work.

A)25 percent
B)30 percent
C)35 percent
D)40 percent

Question 70

Organizational isomorphism is a concept used by sociologists to explain why organizations in the same field tend to become __________ over time.

A)decreasingly similar
B)increasingly similar
C)decreasingly competitive
D)increasingly competitive

Question 71

Sociologists use the term __________ to describe how most jobs are organized and controlled by managers from above,as well as the relationship between workers and management.

A)labor dependency
B)division of labor
C)labor equation
D)labor process

Question 72

Which of the following explanations for why organizations might become more similar over time is least plausible?

A)Organizations might become more similar over time in response to compulsion.
B)Organizations might become more similar over time in response to pressures to defend their legitimacy.
C)Organizations might become more similar over time in order to avoid negative attention.
D)Organizations might become more similar over time in response to niche demands.

Question 73

Whose writings sparked the rise of scientific management?

A)Max Weber
B)Frederick W.Taylor
C)Elton Mayo
D)Harry Braverman

Question 74

Beyond the rate of pay,which of the following aspects of work does NOT contribute to job satisfaction?

A)autonomy
B)routine
C)security
D)skill

Question 75

A series of experiments conducted in the 1920s and 1930s with different teams of workers to see what factors might induce them to produce more output were called the __________.

A)Braverman studies
B)Hawthorne studies
C)Milgram obedience studies
D)Whitehall challenge

Question 76

The average full-time worker in America works __________ per year than the average full-time worker in other similar countries.

A)substantially fewer hours
B)fewer hours
C)about the same number of hours
D)more hours

Question 77

Increasingly,the large assembly line factories,in which an individual worker performs a single task (or set of tasks)is being replaced by workplaces where __________.

A)cooperation among workers is encouraged and jobs are more interchangeable and interconnected
B)cooperation among workers is encouraged and jobs are less interchangeable and interconnected
C)cooperation among workers is encouraged and jobs require individuals to become true craftsmen
D)cooperation among workers is encouraged and managers attempt to squeeze as much out of workers as possible

Question 78

American workers employed full time work an average of __________ per year.

A)42 weeks
B)44 weeks
C)46 weeks
D)48 weeks

Question 79

What is the thesis of Labor and Monopoly Capital by Harry Braverman?

A)that in order to maximize profits,capitalist firms and their managers should allow workers to decide how something should be done
B)that in order to maximize profits,capitalist firms and their managers are continually driven to reduce employees' ability to control what they do on the job
C)that in order to minimize costs,capitalist firms and their managers should allow workers to decide how something should be done
D)that in order to minimize costs,capitalist firms and their managers are continually driven to reduce employees' ability to control what they do on the job

Question 80

The overall pattern of job growth over time suggests that there has been a long-term shift towards jobs that require __________.

A)less skill and less education,not more
B)more skill and more education,not less
C)more skill but less education
D)less skill but more education