Deck 7: Organizational Structure and Change

Question 1

Functional structures tend to be effective when an organization has a large number of products and services requiring special attention.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Research indicates that flat organizations provide greater satisfaction for employees.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Mechanistic structures include which of the following?

A) Structures that are informal and decentralized.
B) Structures where communication follows informal channels
C) Structures that are flexible and to change
D) Structures where employees are given specific job descriptions delineating their roles and responsibilities

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Centralization may lead to a more efficient operation if the company is operating in a(n) ______________ environment.

Question 5

Which of the following is true regarding functional structures?

A) Jobs are based on differences in functions
B) Departments include manufacturing, finance, accounting, human resources and information technology
C) Each person is trained to do several job functions.
D) Each person handles specific transactions

Question 6

Functional structures are more effective in stable environments that are fast to change.

Question 7

???_______________ companies give more authority to lower-level employees, resulting in a sense of empowerment.

Question 8

The following statements regarding tall structures in an organization are true EXCEPT:

A) Tall structures are better at satisfying security needs of employees then in flat structures
B) Number of employees reporting to each manager tends to be smaller in tall structures
C) Employees feel a greater sense of job security in tall structures
D) In tall structures, there is a greater level of freedom of action for each employee

Question 9

Some employees are more comfortable in a centralized organization where their manager confidently gives instructions and makes decisions.

Question 10

In centralized companies, many important decisions are made at lower levels of the hierarchy.

Question 11

_______________ is the degree to which decision making authority is concentrated at higher levels in an organization.

Question 12

Formalized structures are those in which there are few written rules and regulations.

Question 13

Decisions can be made more quickly in centralized companies.

Question 14

When a company has a diverse product line, each product will have unique demands, deeming divisional structures more useful.

Question 15

Mechanistic structures limit individual autonomy and self-determination which will likely lead to lower levels of intrinsic motivation on the job.

Question 16

A disadvantage of formalization in organization structure is:

A) Decision making is at a faster pace
B) Formalized structure is associated with increased motivation and job satisfaction
C) Strategic decision making occurs often
D) Reduced innovativeness occurs because employees are used to behaving in a certain manner

Question 17

__________________ refers to how work is coordinated between individuals and teams within the organization.

Question 18

In a ______________ company, decisions can be made more quickly.

Question 19

In decentralized companies, decisions are made and problems are solved at lower levels by employees who are closer to the problem in question.

Question 20

Decentralized companies give more authority to a higher-level employee, resulting in a sense of empowerment.

Question 21

________________ is the extent to which an organization's policies, procedures, job descriptions, and rules are written and explicitly articulated.

Question 22

An example of a company that utilizes the matrix organization successfully is:

A) Starbucks
B) Nike
C) 3M
D) Ben and Jerry's

Question 23

In a matrix structure, product managers have control and say over product-related matters, while department managers have authority over matters related to company policy.

Question 24

In a matrix, each employee reports to only one manager at a time.

Question 25

What are the four aspects of organizational structure that have been frequently studied in the literature and are mentioned in your text

Question 26

Organizational structures differ in terms of _______________, which is broadly categorized as either functional or divisional.

Question 27

In a _____________ structure, advancement opportunities will be more limited because there are fewer management layers.

Question 28

Explain how the manufacturer Caterpillar suffered the consequences of decentralized decision making.

Question 29

Formalization tends to make employee behavior more ____________.

Question 30

Describe McDonald's bureaucratic structure.
Section 2: Contemporary Forms of Organizational Structures

Question 31

Boundaryless organizations eliminate barriers that separate employees between different departments.

Question 32

When a company has several layers of management between frontline employees and the top level, it is said to have ?????____________ structures.

Question 33

There are _________ configurations of organizational structures depending on how the different elements are arranged.

Question 34

Despite potential benefits, the disadvantages of a matrix structure include which of the following?

A) Power struggles or turf wars among managers are lessened, taking away an important source of new ideas and innovation.
B) Managers will spend less effort coordinating their work, believing that someone else can pick-up the slack.
C) Role ambiguity or role conflict is very low
D) There is potential for interpersonal conflict with team members as well as with leaders

Question 35

Organizations using a____________ structure group jobs based on similarity in functions.

Question 36

____________ structures are flexible and decentralized, with low levels of formalization.

Question 37

____________structures involve a larger number of employees reporting to each manager.

Question 38

In an example of a matrix structure at a software development company, business analysts, developers, and testers each report to a functional department manager and to a project manager simultaneously.

Question 39

In organizations using _____________ structures, departments represent the unique products, services, customers, or geographic locations the company is serving.

Question 40

Structures control employee behavior using written rules, so that employees have little _____________ to decide on a case-by-case basis.

Question 41

Organizational change can take the form of which of the following?

A) Structure, strategy, policies, or culture
B) Change should be planned on quarterly basis and measured for progress
C) Fundamentally, organizational change is a process that involved effective products or services
D) Change should so as to not disrupt corporate cultural norms.

Question 42

A form of boundaryless organization in which all nonessential functions are outsourced is ________________.

Question 43

Globalization can be either a threat or opportunity for organizations, depending on their ability to adapt to relevant changes.

Question 44

The act of including employees in the change process can drastically reduce opposition to new methods.

Question 45

According to a 2007 SHRM survey, employee resistance to change is one of the top reasons why change efforts fail.

Question 46

An example of a boundaryless organization that outsources many of its operations is __________________.

Question 47

A term coined by Jack Welch during his tenure at GE and refers to an organization that eliminates traditional barriers between departments as well as barriers between the organization and the external environment is _________________.

Question 48

What is IBM's emerging business opportunities (EBO)

Question 49

The U.S. Department of Labor and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have reported that the average age of the U.S. workforce will decrease as the baby boom generation nears retirement age.

Question 50

Knowledge work is thought to be safe from outsourcing.

Question 51

Change management is an important leadership skill that spans the entire range of P-O-L-C functions.

Question 52

Organizations with a design that combines a traditional structure and a product structure are called ?????________________ organizations.

Question 53

__________________ constitutes a form of boundaryless design similar to a joint venture.

Question 54

In some organizations, the act of including employees in the change process is not possible, and instead organizations can recruit a small number of opinion leaders to promote the benefits of coming changes.

Question 55

Organizational change is often a response to changes in the ?????________________.

Question 56

All of the following are characteristics which describe learning organizations EXCEPT:

A) Learning organizations are good at learning from experience
B) Some companies choose to conduct formal retrospective meetings to analyze the challenges encountered and areas for improvement
C) Learning organizations hire only employees who are willing to learn from past mistakes
D) Learning organizations are good at studying customer habits to generate ideas

Question 57

An example of a company that is a modular organization is:

A) Toyota
B) Nike
C) 3M
D) Starbucks

Question 58

A __________________ is one whose design actively seeks to acquire knowledge and change behavior as a result of the newly acquired knowledge.

Question 59

Who did Starbucks form a successful partnership with and why

Question 60

Some of a company's most committed employees may be the least vocal opponents to a change effort.

Question 61

Breaking up the proposed change into phases may be a bad idea because it creates the wrong targets.

Question 62

______________ is the most negative reaction to a proposed change attempt.

Question 63

To be successful, any change attempt will need to overcome _____________ on the part of employees.

Question 64

A number of things organizations can do prior to change to prepare employees include which of the following?

A) Provide employees with HR support in the event they choose to leave the organization.
B) Allow employees to participate
C) Effectively communicate the pros and cons of the expected change.
D) Unfreeze

Question 65

How does Nokia keep their organization open to change

Question 66

When the new behaviors employees are expected to demonstrate are made part of an organization's reward, those behaviors are more likely to be taken seriously and repeated.

Question 67

______________ involves being disturbed by changes without necessarily voicing these opinions.

Question 68

Because of differences in national economies and standards of living from one country to another, organizations ______________ their manufacturing operations to countries like China and Mexico.

Question 69

Sometimes change is motivated by rapid developments in ??????_______________.

Question 70

________________ are defenders of the new way and actually encourage others around them to give support to the change effort.

Question 71

After the change is implemented, the long-term success of a change effort depends on the extent to which the change becomes part of the company's strategy.

Question 72

How did companies in the music industry respond when peer-to-peer file sharing threatened their business

Question 73

Why do poorly performing companies often find it easier to change compared to successful companies

Question 74

Why do employees who participate in planning change efforts tend to have more positive opinions about the change?

A) They have the opportunity to reject the proposed change
B) They will have the opportunity to know more than others about the change
C) They will be able to convince customers the change was the right thing to do
D) They will feel a sense of ownership of planned change and are more likely to be on board.

Question 75

In order to convince people that change is needed, the change leader must convince every person individually.

Question 76

Resistance to change is a valuable ____________ tool that should not be ignored.

Question 77

Why did the Dvorak keyboard fail in change

Question 78

_______________ involves going along with proposed changes with little enthusiasm.

Question 79

According to Lewin, executing change without prior preparation is likely to lead to failure.

Question 80

Why do people resist change