Deck 11: Working Within the Organizational Context

Question 1

The conditions of the work environment that affect how people experience their work is known as the:

A)formal climate.
B)informal climate.
C)organizational climate.
D)structural climate.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In planning quality-assurance programs in human service agencies, the focus is on:

A)developing pre-approval policies with HMOs.
B)developing standards of client care.
C)developing the agency's mission statement.
D)developing the agency's formal structure.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A summary of the agency's guiding principles that includes the goals of the organization and describes the populations that will benefit from the work of the organization is a:

A)policy statement.
B)mission statement.
C)goal statement.
D)quality-assurance statement.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Understanding the organizational structure of an agency is helpful for what reason?

A)The case manager will have a better understanding of his or her job responsibilities in the context of the agency.
B)The case manager will have a better understanding of how to work around the agency's chain of command. ​
C)The case manager will have a better understanding of how clients might try to take advantage of the agency.
D)The case manager will have a better understanding of the need for advocacy on behalf of the clients.

Question 5

The informal structure of an organization may contribute to the strength and success of the organization by:

A)representing the tradition of the agency and preserving the status quo.
B)informing case managers of any anticipated changes in budgeting.
C)meeting the needs of the organization that are unmet by the formal structure.
D)conducting utilization reviews within the agency's service delivery system.

Question 6

The policies and procedures of an organization usually include which of the following?
I.Specific job descriptions established by the agency's board of directors
II.Legal requirements established by the federal, state, and local governments
III.Standards of practice established by a professional code of ethics
IV.Descriptions of income and expenditures established by the agency's director

A)I, II, III, and IV
B)I, III, and IV
C)III and IV
D)II and III

Question 7

In many agencies, a formal structure and an informal structure exist. The differences between these may be reflected in which of the following?
I.What the formal lines of communication are, versus whom actually communicates with whom
II.What a particular job description says, versus what the individual in the job actually does
III.What the board of directors deems appropriate allocation of funds, versus what is actually spent
IV.What the official policy is on a given issue, versus what actually happens if the issue arises ​

A)II and III
B)I, II, and IV
C)I and III
D)I, II, III, and IV

Question 8

Michael is a case manager for a homeless shelter in a large metropolitan city. Last week, the program director asked Michael to be the leader of the budget-planning committee. Michael was a member of the committee last year, and he agreed to lead this committee because of previous experience.
As Michael planned for the first meeting, he reviewed the minutes from the previous year's committee meetings and spoke with Angela, who led the previous year's committee. Angela described the different purposes of a budget, as well as the different features of a budget. She suggested that Michael create a list of all the different expenditure categories as a way to guide the discussion during the committee meetings.
In his conversation with Angela, Michael asked her to explain the difference between projected expenditures and actual expenditures. Which of the following correctly describes actual expenditures?

A)Money that has been set aside for expenses in a given category
B)Money that has been allocated to a given category minus the amount already spent
C)Money that has been spent in a given category to date
D)Money that has been spent on supplies, equipment, travel, and training

Question 9

A case manager's written job description may be seen as a guideline, but it is not always an accurate reflection of the actual work. Which of the following are reasons for the changes in case manager's responsibilities?
I.Reorganization within the agency
II.Economic pressures facing the agency
III.Changing needs of the client population
IV.Performance evaluation by the supervisor

A)I, II, III, and IV
B)I and III
C)II and IV
D)I, II, and III

Question 10

Agencies that receive funding from federal, state, regional, county, or municipal governments are classified as:

A)not-for-profit agencies.
B)public agencies.
C)private agencies.
D)for-profit agencies.

Question 11

Final authority in many human service agencies and organizations rests with:

A)the board of directors.
B)the director of personnel.
C)the chief financial officer.
D)the lead supervisor.

Question 12

Michael is a case manager for a homeless shelter in a large metropolitan city. Last week, the program director asked Michael to be the leader of the budget-planning committee. Michael was a member of the committee last year, and he agreed to lead this committee because of previous experience.
As Michael planned for the first meeting, he reviewed the minutes from the previous year's committee meetings and spoke with Angela, who led the previous year's committee. Angela described the different purposes of a budget, as well as the different features of a budget. She suggested that Michael create a list of all the different expenditure categories as a way to guide the discussion during the committee meetings.
Based on Angela's suggestion, Michael decided to create a list of expenditure categories. Which of the following should he include?
I.Salaries
II.Supplies
III.Grants
IV.Donations
V.Equipment
VI.       Travel
VII.     Fundraisers

A)II, V, and VII
B)I, II, III, V, and VI
C)I, II, V, and VI
D)IV, VI, and VII

Question 13

Michael is a case manager for a homeless shelter in a large metropolitan city. Last week, the program director asked Michael to be the leader of the budget-planning committee. Michael was a member of the committee last year, and he agreed to lead this committee because of previous experience.
As Michael planned for the first meeting, he reviewed the minutes from the previous year's committee meetings and spoke with Angela, who led the previous year's committee. Angela described the different purposes of a budget, as well as the different features of a budget. She suggested that Michael create a list of all the different expenditure categories as a way to guide the discussion during the committee meetings.
While preparing for the first committee meeting, Michael decides that he should include an understandable definition of a budget. Which of the following statements should Michael include in this definition?
I.A budget describes agency income and expenditures.
II.A budget determines the agency's policies and procedures.
III.A budget determines how the agency is funded.
IV.A budget is a detailed plan of action.
V.A budget has two purposes: planning and controlling.

A)I, II, III, IV, and V ​
B)I, II, and III
C)I, II, and V
D)I, IV, and V

Question 14

Understanding the basic concepts of budgeting is important for a case manager because resource allocation can determine which of the following?
I.The number of members on the board
II.The number of staff members
III.The number of clients served
IV.The types of clients served
V.The programs available for clients

A)I, II, III, IV, and V
B)I, II, and III
C)I, II, and V
D)II, IV, and V

Question 15

One best practice supporting interorganizational collaboration is:

A)moving carefully through each collaborative process.
B)separating streams of funding.
C)forming a leadership team that includes each organization.
D)choosing participants with diverse missions and clientele.

Question 16

Another approach to improving the value of services in the human service delivery system is:

A)agency priority management.
B)organizational structure management.
C)resource allocation management.
D)total quality management.

Question 17

A symbolic representation of the lines of authority of authority and accountability is commonly called a(n):

A)planning chart.
B)command chart.
C)organizational chart.
D)allocation chart.

Question 18

Organizations need to consider which of the following when developing a social media strategy? Organizations need to consider which of the following when developing a social media strategy?
I.What social media their funders use
II.The target audience
III.Outcomes from previous social media strategies
IV.The time needed to create media content

A)II, III, and VII.
B)I, II, and III.
C)II and III.
D)III and IV.

Question 19

The recent emphasis on providing quality services includes conducting:

A)funding reviews.
B)utilization reviews.
C)service reviews.
D)for-profit agencies.