Deck 14: Organizational Structure

Question 1

Mutual adjustment is useful for coordinating ________ divisions of labour.

A)only the most simple
B)only the most complicated
C)routine but moderately complicated
D)the most simple and the most complicated
E)neither the most simple nor the most complicated

Answer 1

D

Question 2

One reason why the span of control tends to be smaller at upper levels in an organizational hierarchy is because

A)in the managerial ranks tasks are more routine.
B)adequate time is necessary for informal mutual adjustment.
C)coordination by direct supervision is easier.
D)of the standardized nature of managerial work processes.
E)recent trends in restructuring organizations have reduced the number of top management positions required.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Other things equal,smaller organizations tend to be more ________ than larger organizations.

A)complex
B)formalized
C)centralized
D)differentiated
E)mechanistic

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The grouping together of the basic tasks that must be performed for the organization to achieve its goals is called

A)horizontal division of labour.
B)vertical division of labour.
C)integration.
D)formalization.
E)span of control.

Question 5

Highly trained professionals with similar backgrounds and training most likely have their work coordinated through

A)standardization of skills.
B)standardization of outputs.
C)standardization of work processes.
D)direct supervision.
E)liaison roles.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is least accurate?

A)As an organization's size increases,product departmentation is preferable to functional departmentation.
B)Organizations with product departmentation are more centralized than those with functional departmentation.
C)Organizations with functional departmentation are less complex than those with product departmentation.
D)Organizations with product departmentation may duplicate effort more than those with functional departmentation.
E)Communication between functional specialists tends to be more coordinated in organizations with product departmentation than in those with functional departmentation.

Question 7

At Magno Limited,a consumer goods company,all the sales reps are in the same department and report to one sales manager.Magno is probably structured according to ________ departmentation.

A)product
B)geographic
C)customer
D)functional
E)process

Question 8

Which of the following is a problem with the matrix structure?

A)Potential for conflict between the product manager and the functional manager
B)Loss of economies of scale without proper coordination
C)Poor coordination between departments results in slow response to organizational problems.
D)Permanent nature of the matrix requires total restructuring with each new project.
E)All of the above

Question 9

Organizations with product departmentation tend to be ________ than those with functional departmentation.

A)smaller
B)more complex
C)more centralized
D)more efficient
E)less flexible

Question 10

A supervisor with a large span of control has

A)quite a few managers above him in the hierarchy.
B)authority over a wide range of decisions.
C)a large number of employees.
D)found herself a job in a very tall organization.
E)many employees who require a lot of direct supervision.

Question 11

Functional departmentation may be based on division of the organization according to

A)different products.
B)different skills and responsibilities of individuals.
C)different geographic areas.
D)different customer types.
E)different services offered to external customers.

Question 12

Which method of coordination is most elaborate and reflects the greatest commitment to ensuring coordination?

A)Differentiation
B)Task force
C)Integrator
D)Liaison role
E)Decentralization

Question 13

The vertical division of labour is best characterized by terms such as

A)finance,production,and marketing.
B)functional,product,and geographic.
C)president,manager,and worker.
D)span of control,size,and formalization.
E)differentiation,job design,and matrix.

Question 14

There is consensus that functional departmentation ________ than product departmentation.

A)is less efficient
B)is more sensitive to customers' needs
C)is more logical
D)leads to more coordination problems between functions
E)works better in very large firms

Question 15

Who is permanently installed between two departments and given the full-time responsibility to assist in their coordination?

A)A task force member
B)An integrator
C)A liaison role occupant
D)A direct supervisor
E)A mediator

Question 16

An organization has one production unit.Other factors equal,it probably relies on ________ departmentation.

A)product
B)geographic
C)organic
D)functional
E)customer

Question 17

The least formal means by which divided labour is coordinated is

A)mutual adjustment.
B)with an integrator.
C)standardization of work processes.
D)standardization of outputs.
E)direct supervision.

Question 18

When work tasks are routine,coordination of labour through ________ often substitutes for direct supervision.

A)standardization of work processes
B)small spans of control
C)differentiation
D)vertical division
E)integrators

Question 19

Which method of organizational coordination permits workers the most discretion concerning the way they perform their jobs?

A)Direct supervision
B)Standardization of work processes
C)Standardization of outputs
D)Mutual adjustment
E)Integration

Question 20

An effective organization has very large spans of control but little direct supervision.It is likely that

A)the organization is highly differentiated.
B)the organization uses hybrid departmentation.
C)there are few task forces in the organization.
D)the organization structure is very tall.
E)work is coordinated with skill standardization.

Question 21

The classical organizational theorists tended to favour ________ organizational structures.

A)mechanistic
B)organic
C)flat
D)hybrid
E)decentralized

Question 22

Employees sometimes resist employers by "working to rule." This means that they stick to the exact letter of work rules,often slowing their work considerably.Which structural characteristic are employees using to their advantage?

A)Centralization
B)Formalization
C)Complexity
D)Span of control
E)Differentiation

Question 23

A small span of control means that a manager

A)has few employees.
B)has little power.
C)works in a flat organization.
D)works for a small company.
E)works near the bottom of the hierarchy.

Question 24

The term span of control is defined as

A)the number of levels in an organizational hierarchy.
B)the number of employees supervised by a superior.
C)the amount of power held by a chief executive.
D)the extent to which an organization is independent of its environment.
E)the extent to which an organization relies on formalized rules and processes to control output.

Question 25

Rules,regulations,and procedures denote an organization that is very

A)complex.
B)formal.
C)organic.
D)flat.
E)small.

Question 26

Which term tends to describe mechanistic structures?

A)Formalized
B)Wide spans of control
C)Flat
D)Decentralized
E)Flexible

Question 27

The human relations organizational theorists tended to favour ________ organizational structures.

A)formalized
B)bureaucratic
C)mechanistic
D)organic
E)centralized

Question 28

The extent to which an organization divides labour vertically is most likely to be reflected in how ________ it is.

A)formalized
B)bureaucratic
C)flat
D)centralized
E)integrated

Question 29

Holding overall organizational size constant,________ organizations have ________ spans of control.

A)centralized; larger
B)taller; smaller
C)flatter; smaller
D)taller; larger
E)decentralized; smaller

Question 30

A mechanistic organization would not tend to be highly

A)organic.
B)centralized.
C)formalized.
D)bureaucratic.
E)specialized.

Question 31

Holding organizational size constant,a tall organization ________ than a flat organization.

A)has fewer hierarchical levels
B)is less formalized
C)has smaller spans of control
D)is less centralized
E)has better vertical communication and coordination

Question 32

When organizational behaviour experts describe an organization as highly centralized,they mean that

A)the organization is located in a single geographic location.
B)the managers in the organization form a highly cohesive group.
C)decision-making power is localized in a particular part of the organization.
D)all or almost all of the members of the organization know each other.
E)the organization uses empowerment and wide spans of control to coordinate work processes.

Question 33

The Rumpole Company had twelve thick procedures manuals that covered every contingency.From this,we know for certain that Rumpole was

A)highly centralized.
B)extremely flat.
C)very large.
D)highly formalized.
E)highly integrated.

Question 34

Downsizing is defined as

A)the intentional reduction in workforce size to shrink the organization.
B)the intentional reduction in workforce size to improve efficiency.
C)the intentional reduction in management positions to improve profitability.
D)the intentional reduction in vertical scale of an organizational structure.
E)layoffs to reduce debt during a recession.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about organizational structure is inconsistent with the mechanistic viewpoint?

A)Organizations should be highly formalized.
B)The span of control should be small.
C)Detailed rules and regulations should be documented in writing.
D)Organizations should be highly centralized.
E)There should be a very low degree of specialization of labour.

Question 36

The domain of an individual's decision-making and authority ________ as the number of levels in the hierarchy increases.

A)is reduced
B)is increased
C)stays the same
D)is decentralized
E)becomes more integrated

Question 37

Because formalization through strict,impersonal rules may lead members to adopt the minimum acceptable level of performance,it is evident that

A)mechanistic structures have their liabilities.
B)bureaucracy is not always inefficient.
C)direct supervision is the best method of coordinating labour.
D)organic structures are better for most organizations.
E)taller structures are better than flatter ones.

Question 38

Which of the following is most accurate?

A)Mechanistic = bureaucratic
B)Differentiation = integration
C)Formalized = organic
D)Mutual adjustment = direct supervision
E)Centralization = complexity

Question 39

An organic organization would not tend to be

A)decentralized.
B)flat.
C)bureaucratic.
D)flexible.
E)informal.

Question 40

Organic structures tend to ________ than mechanistic structures.

A)be taller
B)exhibit more centralization
C)have wider spans of control
D)be more formalized
E)be more inflexible

Question 41

An alliance of independent companies share skills,costs,and access to one another's markets in what type of organization?

A)Network organization
B)Virtual organization
C)Modular organization
D)Boundaryless organization
E)Organic organization

Question 42

Organizational structure intervenes between __________ and organizational accomplishments,and,thus,influences organizational effectiveness.

A)individuals
B)groups
C)goals
D)behaviours
E)attitudes

Question 43

As innovative units mature,they often tend to become more

A)organic.
B)hybrid.
C)boundaryless.
D)mechanistic.
E)virtual.

Question 44

A(n)________ organization is one that can simultaneously exploit current competencies and explore emerging opportunities.

A)network
B)virutal
C)ambidextrous
D)modular
E)boundaryless

Question 45

In what type of organization are various functions coordinated as much by market mechanisms as by managers and formal lines of authority?

A)Network organization
B)Virtual organization
C)Modular organization
D)Boundaryless organization
E)Organic organization

Question 46

Which of the following is a logical symptom of high differentiation?

A)Marketing managers and engineering managers often don't see eye-to-eye.
B)There is a high degree of superior-subordinate conflict.
C)Very large spans of control
D)The organization is in poor financial shape and gravitating toward bankruptcy.
E)There are few formalized rules or procedures governing worker conduct.

Question 47

At Ajax Corporation,differentiation is high and integration is low.This suggests that

A)Ajax offers a large number of products and services.
B)sales and production don't see eye-to-eye.
C)functional managers have similar goals and time orientations.
D)Ajax is performing very effectively.
E)managers have very wide spans of control.

Question 48

Which of the following is not a common problem of downsizing?

A)The loss of flexibility resulting from downsizing and the transition to a more organic form
B)The loss of flexibility resulting from downsizing and the transition to mechanistic form
C)Reduction in employee motivation
D)Low employee morale
E)Distrust of management

Question 49

What kind of organization removes vertical,horizontal,and external barriers?

A)Virtual
B)Network
C)Modular
D)Ambidextrous
E)Boundaryless

Question 50

Which of the following accurately describes a boundaryless organization?

A)Various functions are coordinated by market mechanisms.
B)Skills,costs,and access to markets are shared with other organizations.
C)Non-core activities are outsourced to specialists and suppliers.
D)It is made up of layers of teams.
E)All of the above

Question 51

When a large and established firm gets into a new line of business,either on its own or by acquiring a smaller and newer innovative firm,what kind of structure does the new innovative unit require compared to that of the established parent?

A)More mechanistic
B)More organic
C)More matrix
D)More virtual
E)More modular

Question 52

An organization that performs a few core functions and outsources non-core activities to specialists and suppliers is called a

A)network organization.
B)virtual organization.
C)modular organization.
D)boundaryless organization.
E)ambidextrous organization.

Question 53

As organizations get bigger,

A)functional departmentation is preferable to product departmentation.
B)they become less formalized.
C)they become flatter.
D)they tend to centralize.
E)they tend to decentralize.

Question 54

What kind of organizational structure is former General Electric CEO Jack Welch credited for creating?

A)Network
B)Virtual
C)Modular
D)Boundaryless
E)Organic

Question 55

Which of the following methods are used to reduce the size of the workforce during downsizing?

A)Layoffs
B)Attrition
C)Hiring freezes
D)Removal of management levels
E)All of the above

Question 56

When a large and established firm gets into a new line of business,either on its own or by acquiring a smaller and newer innovative firm,what does the new innovative unit require?

A)Coordination
B)Integration
C)Differentiation
D)Formalization
E)Decentralization

Question 57

Inappropriate organizational structure can result in

A)too many committees.
B)slow response times.
C)bad job design.
D)persistent conflict between departments.
E)all of the above.

Question 58

What two basic things must an organization do to achieve its goals?

A)Divide and structure labour
B)Departmentalize and coordinate labour
C)Divide and differentiate labour
D)Divide and coordinate labour
E)Structure and coordinate labour

Question 59

Outsourcing is a key characteristic of what type of organization?

A)Organic organization
B)Network organization
C)Virtual organization
D)Boundaryless organization
E)Modular organization

Question 60

What kind of organizational structure consists of self-managing and cross-functional teams?

A)Modular
B)Boundaryless
C)Vertical
D)Network
E)Ambidextrous

Question 61

The Smelly Cheese Company has decided to get into a new line of business-smelly cheese sticks for children.Compared to the rest of the company,what kind of structure is best for this new unit?

A)mechanistic
B)organic
C)boundaryless
D)virtual
E)modular

Question 62

Functional departmentation works best in

A)large firms.
B)medium firms.
C)small firms.
D)small to medium-sized firms.
E)medium to large-sized firms.

Question 63

"Who gets to tell whom what to do" is associated with

A)horizontal division of labour.
B)differentiation.
C)coordination.
D)vertical division of labour.
E)departmentation.

Question 64

The video game industry is a good example of

A)modular organizations.
B)boundaryless organizations.
C)matrix organizations.
D)ambidextrous organizations.
E)network organizations.

Question 65

What are the two basic dimensions of the division of labour?

A)A vertical dimension and a departmental dimension
B)A vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension
C)A differentiated dimension and a horizontal dimension
D)A differentiated dimension and an integrated dimension
E)A departmental dimension and a horizontal dimension

Question 66

What structure is an attempt to capitalize simultaneously on the strengths of both functional and product departmentation?

A)Hybrid departmentation
B)Matrix departmentation
C)Geographic departmentation
D)Customer departmentation
E)Functional-by-product departmentation

Question 67

Under high differentiation,various organizational units tend to operate more

A)effectively.
B)easily.
C)autonomously.
D)formally.
E)centralized.

Question 68

In an ambidextrous organization,there is an essential tension between getting the most out of existing technologies and the current products or services being offered,and,at the same time,searching for new opportunities and innovating.This tension is sometimes referred to as ________ versus ________.

A)measuring; weighing
B)executing; sifting
C)exploiting; dreaming
D)exploiting; exploring
E)exploring; measuring

Question 69

The ideal ambidextrous organization is partly ________ in form.

A)organic
B)mechanistic
C)unethical
D)hidden
E)hierarchical

Question 70

As labour is progressively divided vertically,timely communication and coordination can become

A)more complex.
B)smoother and more efficient.
C)easier to achieve.
D)more effective.
E)harder to achieve.

Question 71

Researchers have been learning that the most successful structure for achieving ambidexterity was one in which an innovative unit maintained its own ________,structure,and processes and at the same time was ________ with the organization by senior management.

A)culture; integrated
B)brand identity; integrated
C)separate distribution; integrated
D)financing; in conflict
E)culture; differentiated

Question 72

What jobs have been disproportionately reduced in the most recent downsizings?

A)Blue-collar and staff jobs
B)White-collar managerial and manufacturing jobs
C)Service and staff jobs
D)White-collar managerial and staff jobs
E)White-collar managerial and technology jobs

Question 73

What is the most cited advantage of functional departmentation?

A)Efficiency
B)Communication
C)Coordination
D)Autonomy
E)Career ladders

Question 74

Ambidexterity provides a dynamic capability for change and has been associated with all of the following except ________.

A)superior innovation
B)better financial performance
C)longer survival
D)expanded bureaucracy
E)None of the above

Question 75

The book states that there is general agreement among experts that exploitation and its focus on extracting value from existing competencies requires a more ________ structure.

A)open
B)organic
C)closed
D)mechanistic
E)formal

Question 76

Jennifer currently is a sales manager for the regional operation of a large,diversified,national corporation.She also participates in the strategic planning as liaison between the region and head office.Many of the discussions she has had with the head office executives had to do with finding a balance between fully leveraging current competencies and opportunities today,and developing opportunities on the horizon for which the organization does not currently have the capability.Jennifer seems to be working for a(n)________ organization.

A)virtual
B)ambidextrous
C)network
D)modular
E)boundaryless

Question 77

Structure affects how effectively and efficiently group effort is

A)differentiated.
B)integrated.
C)organized.
D)coordinated.
E)departmentalized.

Question 78

The book states that there is general agreement among experts that exploration and its quest for innovation require a more ________ structure.

A)mechanistic
B)organic
C)formal
D)closed
E)open

Question 79

Downsizing is often accompanied by reducing

A)horizontal complexity.
B)vertical complexity.
C)horizontal or vertical complexity.
D)span of control.
E)formalization.

Question 80

Any merger of more and less entrepreneurial firms raises the need to consider

A)a network organization.
B)a virtual organization.
C)a modular organization.
D)an ambidextrous organization.
E)a boundary less organization.