Question 1

To be effective, the ________ approach to departmentalization requires proper management of all the issues surrounding decentralization and delegation.

Accepted Answer

A)   functional
B)   product
C)   network
D)   bureaucratic
E)   mechanistic B

Question 2

In the horizontal structure of a firm, line departments

Accepted Answer

A)   depend on being an expert in a particular function for their growth.
B)   provide specialized or professional skills that support other departments.
C)   make things, sell things, or provide customer service.
D)   depend on the staff departments to make major operating decisions.
E)   cannot be held accountable for the "bottom-line" results of their decisions. C

Question 3

In the context of technology configurations, which of the following is true of large batch technologies?

Accepted Answer

A)   Goods or services are provided in low volumes.
B)   Organizational structure tends to be organic.
C)   Decision making tends to be decentralized.
D)   Communication is highly informal.
E)   Hierarchical authority is more prominent. E

Question 4

Sometimes organizations change their degree of centralization. During tough times, ________ often take charge. During times of rapid growth, ________ are often pushed farther down the chain of command.

Accepted Answer

A)   mid-level managers; decisions
B)   project managers; policies
C)   senior managers; policies
D)   project managers;, decisions
E)   senior managers; decisions

Question 5

An advantage of delegation is that it

Accepted Answer

A)   allows managers to exercise close supervisory control.
B)   helps managers to escape their own responsibilities.
C)   conserves managers' most valuable asset-their time.
D)   increases managers' influence over their subordinates.
E)   makes subordinates less responsible and accountable.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about delegation of responsibility and authority is true?

Accepted Answer

A)   It does not require a subordinate to report back to his or her boss.
B)   Managers should use delegation to escape their own responsibilities.
C)   It can occur between any two individuals in any type of structure with regard to any task.
D)   All managers are comfortable fully delegating assignments to their subordinates.
E)   It does not require a subordinate to take accountability for achieving results.

Question 7

In the context of delegation, a problem faced by a subordinate in carrying out a delegated task is

Accepted Answer

A)   having the power to take corrective action.
B)   being given more responsibility than authority.
C)   depending on autonomy rather than close supervisory control.
D)   eliminating any opportunity for creativity.
E)   having to report to the manager about the status and quality of performance.

Question 8

Connor complained to his fellow division manager, "Amber, our company is bogged down with cumbersome bureaucratic requirements. We must convince our executive leadership that we need to act fast to meet customer needs and to respond to other outside pressures! We need to correct past mistakes quickly and prepare for an uncertain future! We must respond to threats and capitalize on opportunities! We must place a premium on ________!"

Accepted Answer

A)   agility
B)   size
C)   TQM
D)   formalization
E)   delegation

Question 9

Differentiate between coordination by plan and coordination by mutual adjustment in organizational integration.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Differentiate between coordination by plan and coordination...

Question 10

Pam works in a matrix organization, and although she found it confusing at first, she has seen the inherent opportunities. Instead of being promoted from biology head, science head, to research head, Pam prefers a project career, with opportunities to serve in increasingly responsible and diverse project manager/project director positions. Fortunately, one of the strengths of a matrix organization is

Accepted Answer

A)   a clear and singular line of command.
B)   adherence to the unity-of-command principle.
C)   centralized decision making.
D)   there are more career choices, on both sides of organization.
E)   focused and limited communications networks.

Question 11

Pete, a human resource intern, was given an assignment by his manager that meant he must obtain information from other departments to complete it, but some departments refused to share information with an intern. Pete was frustrated because he did not have the power to get the information he needed. In the context of this situation, Pete's manager made the mistake of

Accepted Answer

A)   delegating inappropriate tasks to an intern.
B)   assigning responsibility without delegating adequate authority.
C)   "passing the buck" for Pete's performance.
D)   becoming accountable for Pete's work.
E)   overestimating Pete's capabilities.

Question 12

Identify the one true statement below about delegation.

Accepted Answer

A)   A manager can delegate to a subordinate enough authority to get the work done.
B)   A subordinate must not be allowed to take credit for the results of the assignment.
C)   A subordinate need not report to his or her boss about the status of the assignment.
D)   A manager should use delegation to escape his or her own responsibilities.
E)   A subordinate's accountability reduces when a manager delegates work to him or her.

Question 13

Susan Lane, CEO of VersaForm, decides to reorganize her firm into a(n) ________ organization. In this approach, VersaForm will collaborate with other independent, mostly single-function firms to provide a desired good or service.

Accepted Answer

A)   matrix
B)   network
C)   divisional
D)   functional
E)   organic

Question 14

The first step in the delegation process, defining the goal, requires a manager to

Accepted Answer

A)   identify the employee he or she favors the most.
B)   understand the nature of each employee.
C)   recognize the most responsible employee.
D)   clearly understand the outcome he or she wants.
E)   identify a tedious assignment that can be delegated.

Question 15

With the cost of warehouse space and maintaining inventory increasing, Randall has decided to change the operation of his company to a "just-in-time" (JIT) mode, whereby manufacturing is initiated only upon customer order and only in very small lots, minimizing the company's warehouse and inventory costs. However, Randall is nervous about the change because he knows that JIT offers costs savings only when the costs of storing product are greater than the costs of

Accepted Answer

A)   rework.
B)   TQM.
C)   frequent delivery.
D)   small batches.
E)   large batches.

Question 16

Will Haroldson, plant manager, directed his top production engineer, Jaime Mendez, to sign up for an upcoming statistical quality workshop. Will said, "I've long been a student of total quality management. I've decided to introduce a statistical approach called ________ into our production process to analyze the causes of product defects, so that we can then eliminate those defects."

Accepted Answer

A)   six sigma
B)   mass customization
C)   JIT delivery
D)   lean manufacturing
E)   simultaneous engineering

Question 17

Which of the following is true of flexible factories?

Accepted Answer

A)   They use centralized scheduling, in which decisions are made on the shop floor.
B)   They move parts down the line from one location in the production sequence to the next.
C)   They are organized around products, in work cells or teams.
D)   They generate high volumes of a standardized product.
E)   They have long production runs.

Question 18

Sydney owns and manages a custom woodworking business. She and her staff of four craftspeople work informally together, and each worker tends to make decisions in an independent (decentralized) manner. Sydney's business is a ________ operation.

Accepted Answer

A)   small batch
B)   functional
C)   continuous
D)   network
E)   just-in-time

Question 19

Raj Patel's specialty pharmaceuticals packaging firm needs to be more agile in order to be competitive in the marketplace. Foregoing buying a full-service laboratory because of the investment and risk, Patel decides to form a ________ with a chemical firm in China that has a laboratory but lacks a packaging business. Each company brings a complementary capability to the other, allowing them to pursue mutual goals.

Accepted Answer

A)   high-involvement organization
B)   strategic alliance
C)   matrix organization
D)   mechanistic organization
E)   learning organization

Question 20

What are the differences in responsibility, authority, and accountability?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the differences in responsibility, authority,...

Exam 7: Organizing for Success