WorksheetsMO - Organizational Design Quiz
Total questions: 93
Worksheet time: 47mins
________ is the formal arrangement of jobs within an organization.
Departmentalization
Organizational design
Organizational structure
Work specialization
Organizational design is a process that involves decisions about ________.
work specialization and cost-leadership
chain of command and span of control
centralization and differentiation
departmentalization and diversification
Michelle is very concerned about the formal framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated within her unit. This implies that she is concerned about ________.
the chain of command
the organizational structure
the organizational design
decentralization
The process of dividing work activities into separate job tasks is known as ________.
work specialization
organizational design
differentiation
span of control
Which of the following statements accurately defines work specialization?
It is the basis of grouping jobs together.
Individual employees specialize in doing part of an activity rather than the entire activity.
It is the line of authority extending from upper organizational levels to the lower levels.
It clarifies who reports to whom.
In the early 20th century, automobiles were made one at a time by craftsmen who could perform every operation necessary to build the car. Henry Ford decided to limit the number of tasks each worker performed so each person could become expert in his position. With this practice, Ford introduced ________.
departmentalization
work specialization
centralization
formalization
The process of grouping jobs together is known as ________.
departmentalization
centralization
formalization
organizational design
Pauline sat on a bar-type stool screwing nuts onto bolts about 3,000 times a day while reading a novel. Her production job paid well but that's about all it had going for it. Even though the work was not physically taxing, Pauline was exhausted by the end of her day. Facing another day just like yesterday nearly brought her to tears. Pauline was experiencing ________.
repetitive motion stress
burnout
economies of scale
diseconomies from division of labor
At Chemetron, all the accounting people share one large work area; all the quality control people are housed in a large office next to the production floor; and maintenance has its own space at the back of the building. Chemetron is using ________.
departmental specialization
functional departmentalization
process departmentalization
product specialization
In the case of functional departmentalization, jobs are grouped according to ________.
tasks
territories
product lines
customer flow
Departmentalization based on ________ groups jobs on the basis of territory or physical location.
customer
product
geography
process
________ departmentalization is based on the product or customer flow through the organization.
Product
Functional
Process
Customer
What kind of departmentalization would be in place in a government organization where different public service responsibilities are divided into activities for employees, children, and the disabled?
Product departmentalization
Geographic departmentalization
Process departmentalization
Customer departmentalization
A disadvantage of ________ departmentalization is poor communication across the different groups.
geographic
functional
process
customer
Melanie has noticed that everyone is very concerned about the line of authority within the hospital. This implies that the employees at the hospital are worried about the ________.
unity of command
chain of command
span of control
departmentalization
The line of authority that extends from upper organizational levels to lower levels, clarifying who reports to whom, is known as the ________.
employee power distance
unity of command
span of control
chain of command
Bill manages the quality department. His people check parts made by the production departments to assure all specifications are met. Bill is ________.
a non-manager
a middle manager
a staff manager
a line manager
________ refers to the rights inherent in a managerial position to tell people what to do and to expect them to do it.
Responsibility
Liability
Bureaucracy
Authority
Wilson is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group. This is a chance for Wilson to experience ________.
responsibility
leadership
command
authority
______ is the obligation or expectation to perform a duty.
Responsibility
Authority
Commitment
Duty
When Bryan is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group, he sees this new assignment as a(n) ________.
decrease in authority
increase in departmentalization
increase in his responsibility
decrease in work specialization
Which one of Fayol's 14 principles of management states that a person should report to only one manager?
Unity of direction
Unity of command
Which one of Fayol's 14 principles of management states that a person should report to only one manager?
Unity of direction
Unity of command
Division of work
Division of authority
Paul, the HR manager, works in the Townsville plant and reports to the plant manager there, but he also reports to the corporate HR director in Cityburg. This reporting structure violates the principle of ________.
division of authority
unity of purpose
chain of command
unity of command
Willard has been assigned to a project development team in addition to his regular duties as a quality engineer. During this assignment he will report to both the project manager and his quality department manager. This situation ________.
violates span of control
violates unity of command
violates chain of command
violates the acceptance theory of authority
According to the traditional view, managers could not-and should not-directly supervise more than ________ subordinates.
four or five
five or six
ten or eleven
fifteen or sixteen
The ________ determines the number of levels and managers in an organization.
delegation of authority
unity of command
chain of command
span of control
All other things being equal, the wider or larger the span of control, the more ________ an organization is.
ambitious
rigid
mechanistic
cost efficient
________ is the degree to which decision making takes place at upper levels of the organization.
Centralization
Decentralization
Formalization
Departmentalization
If top managers make key decisions with little input from below, then the organization is ________.
less mechanistic
more decentralized
less formalized
more centralized
The fact that Monica's signature is required on all documents and her word is the last word on all decisions relating to her department suggests that her employer has a(n) ________.
centralized structure
decentralized structure
simple structure
organic structure
Which of the following factors calls for a more centralized organizational structure?
When the decisions to be taken are significant.
When the company is geographically dispersed.
When the organization is facing a crisis.
When the environment is complex.
After extensive job cuts to reduce costs, upper level managers are spending significant amounts of time solving problems in the production units. Lower level managers are resentful that they cannot make decisions for their own units. What recommendation would you make for this firm?
Reorganize; departmentalize around customers instead of products.
Formalize; write explicit job descriptions, rules, and procedures so the upper managers won't have to decide each case individually.
Centralize; create a department that does nothing but make decisions.
Decentralize; give authority to the lower level managers regarding events in their own units.
Bob works in a mid-sized organization with other skilled workers who all pitch in to do what needs to be done to satisfy the customer. It is likely Bob works in a ________ organization.
formalized
decentralized
departmentalized
cross-functional
Which of the following factors would require a more decentralized organizational structure?
When the lower-level managers want a voice in decisions.
When the lower-level managers are not capable of making decisions.
When the decisions to be made are not significant.
When the company is large.
As organizations become more flexible and responsive to environmental trends, there is a distinct shift toward ________ decision making.
centralized
decentralized
concentrated
departmentalized
________ refers to how standardized an organization's jobs are and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures.
Specialization
Centralization
Decentralization
Formalization
In highly ________ organizations, there are explicit job descriptions, numerous organizational rules, and clearly defined procedures covering work processes.
formalized
decentralized
departmentalized
specialized
Work specialization is also known as division of labor
True
False
Given other things unchanged, managers with well-trained and experienced employees can function well with a wider span of control than those with a less talented workforce.
TRUE
FALSE
The more the decision-making power of lower-level employees, the more decentralized the organization is.
TRUE
FALSE
At one end of the spectrum, organizations can be absolutely centralized, while at the other end, they can be completely decentralized.
TRUE
FALSE
Employee empowerment gives employees more authority to make decisions.
TRUE
FALSE
In highly formalized organizations, employees have more discretion in how they do their work.
TRUE
FALSE
Today's organizations mostly rely on strict rules and standardization to guide and regulate employee behavior.
TRUE
FALSE
Organizational structure is the formal chain of command of jobs within an organization
True
False
A(n) ________ organization is highly specialized and rigidly departmentalized.
organic
complex
learning
mechanistic
A(n) ________ organization is highly formalized and centralized
organic
mechanistic
complex
learning
Which of the following is a characteristic of a mechanistic organization?
Cross-functional teams.
Free flow of information
Wide spans of control
Clear chain of command
A(n) ________ organization is highly adaptive, loose, and flexible.
organic
centralized
ustomer-oriented
mechanistic
GlaxoSmithKline would become more ________ if it starts allowing its lab scientists to set
the priorities and allocate the resources.
profitable
mechanistic
diversified
organic
Which of the following is a characteristic of an organic organization?
High specialization
Cross-functional teams
Rigid departmentalization
Narrow span of controls
Paul Abdul Oil Corporation (PAOC) began as a relatively small oil company. As PAOC has
grown, the company has gained a highly trained group of managers and analysts at the corporate
headquarters. This group is highly adaptive in its structure. Members of this group do not have
standardized jobs, but are empowered to handle diverse job activities and problems. PAOC
seems to have a(n) ________ structure.
mechanistic
divisional
functional
organic
If a firm wants to become more adaptive and flexible, which of the following organizational
structures is it likely to prefer?
Formalized
Mechanistic
Organic
Centralized
Many of Custom Leather's employees are experienced artisans. The jobs most of them
perform are not highly standardized. They take great pride in their craft and require few formal
rules and little direct supervision. These traits are most typical of a(n) ________ organization
departmentalized
mechanistic
organic
formalized
Work teams composed of individuals from various functional specialties are known as
________ teams
cross-control
cross-training
cross-functional
cross-department
Marcus was asked to represent the cardiac unit as part of a Total Quality Management
(TQM) initiative that is aimed at improving the overall quality of care at his hospital. Other
departments, such as orthopedics, neurology, oncology, and pediatrics also have representatives
on this team. This TQM team is an example of ________.
a multi-cultural team
a cross-functional team
process integration
an interdepartmental team
Eric works with a team that includes production workers as well as marketing specialists to
design the latest products the company was planning to offer. This implies ________.
the company is becoming more centralized
that Eric's job responsibilities have been reduced
the company is becoming more mechanistic
that Eric is a part of a cross-functional team
What are the four contingency variables that an organization's structure depends on?
Strategy, size, technology, and equity
Management, technology, equity, and degree of environmental uncertainty
Management, funding, technology, and degree of environmental uncertainty
Strategy, size, technology, and environmental uncertainty
Large organizations tend to have more ________ than smaller organizations
specialization
span of control
decentralization
autonomy
Large organizations are more ________.
mechanistic
organic
disorganized
decentralized
Joan Woodward divided firms into three distinct technologies that had increasing levels of
complexity and sophistication: unit production, mass production, and ________.
continuous production
repetitive flow production
product production
process production
________ is a type of technology that centers on small-batch production
Unit production
Mass production
Process production
Flow production
The building of a bridge would be a type of ________.
unit production
mass production
process production
flow production
________ is a type of technology that centers on large-batch production and requires
moderate levels of complexity and sophistication
Unit production
Mass production
Process production
Service production
The type of assembly line typically found in automobile manufacturing is an example of
________.
unit production
mass production
process production
continuous production
In Joan Woodward's study of the relationship between technology and structure, the structure
that was the most technically complex was ________.
unit production
mass production
process production
continuous production
Lacey believes that Joan Woodward's work will be particularly pertinent in considering
Custom Leather's organizational structure, since Woodward believed that the effectiveness of the
organization was related to the fit between the firm's structure and ________.
culture
technology
accounting
operations
A refinery that transforms crude oil into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel would be an
example of ________.
mass production
continuous production
process production
unit production
According to Woodward's studies, what type of production technology is best suited for a
mechanistic structure?
Unit
Process
Product
Mass
In stable and simple environments, ________.
organic designs are most effective
mechanistic designs are most effective
low formalization is necessary
decentralization is necessary
Ben operates a farmer's market. Every year he offers the same vegetables to the same
customers and faces the same rivalry from other truck farmers. A(n) ________ would best fit
Ben's situation.
formalized design
mechanistic design
centralized design
organic design
Custom Leather CEO Standish is considering doubling the size of his workforce in
conjunction with expanding the number of retail outlets that carry Custom Leather products. He
should expect the organization to become ________ as a result of this change.
more mechanistic
more decentralized
more organic
less formalized
The greater the environmental uncertainty, the more an organization needs to become
________.
organic
mechanistic
specialized
departmentalized
Worldwide economic downturn, global competition, accelerated product innovation by
competitors, and increased demands from customers for high quality and faster deliveries
encourage organizations to become more ________.
organic
mechanistic
centralized
formalized
What are the different structures that traditional organizations can have?
Simple, functional, and corporate structures
Simple, functional, and business unit structures
Functional, strategic, and business unit structures.
Simple, functional, and divisional structures
Tom's Welding is in its third year of operation. Tom now has a sales person and several
production employees. It is most likely Tom has a ________ structure.
simple
functional
divisional
matrix
A ________ is an organizational design that groups similar or related occupational
specialties together.
matrix structure
functional structure
divisional structure
simple structure
Which of the following traditional organizational designs focuses on results by holding
division managers responsible for what happens to their products and services?
Simple structure.
Functional structure
Divisional structure.
Matrix structure
In which of the following traditional organizational designs does duplication of activities
and resources lead to an increase in costs and reduced efficiency?
Divisional structure.
Team structure
Matrix structure.
Project structure.
The ________ is an organizational structure made up of separate business units with each
unit having limited autonomy.
bureaucratic structure
simple structure
functional structure
divisional structure
In a ________ structure the parent corporation typically acts as an external overseer to
coordinate and control the various divisions and provide financial, legal, or other such support
services.
divisional
simple
functional
matrix
A ________ structure is one in which the entire organization is made up of work teams that
do the organization's work.
matrix
team
project
virtual
At the Saturn plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, groups of employees used decided how their
work would be done, by whom, and with what resources. These groups were given authority to
decide who became members and to release any member who did not meet performance
standards. Saturn had instituted a(n) ________ structure.
boundaryless
virtual
team
project
One characteristic of the matrix structure is that it ________.
violates the principle of unity of command
eliminates the chain of command
does away with work specialization
is well suited for a mechanistic structure
In a university setting, it is common for a professor to report to an academic supervisor in
his/her area of educational expertise and to a supervisor overseeing a particular degree such as
baccalaureate or master's. This illustrates the ________ structure.
project
matrix
team
boundaryless
Developing a new automobile requires the services of many types of experts such as design
and electronics engineers, procurers, metallurgists—the list is extensive. Rather than employ
these individuals directly, the automaker will outsource the work. The specialists then work at
facilities owned by the automaker rather than at their own employers' places. This demonstrates a
type of ________.
virtual organization
team structure
project structure
boundaryless organization
Robert owns a small engineering firm serving customers on three continents. He has only
three employees and contracts with freelancers as needed to fulfill his customers' needs. At any
given time, he could have 50 or more engineers under contract. Robert operates a ________.
boundaryless organization
virtual organization
network organization
freelance agency
________ is a work arrangement where employees work from home and are linked to work
through a computer
A compressed workweek
Telecommuting
Internet linking
Computer sharing
________ occurs when two or more people split the responsibilities and duties of one
position or job.
Position splitting
Job sharing
Fractional jobbing
Job lotting
good example of ________ is Uber's reliance on freelance drivers.
contingent workers
flex timers
job sharing
flextime workers
Jill works 40 hours a week but gets to vary her work hours based on other commitments.
Jill's job is an example of ________.
contingent workforce
job sharing
flextime scheduling
part-time work
DeMarcus surveyed his employees and discovered about 80% of them would prefer to have
a longer weekend. Which of these work options might be the most appealing to DeMarcus and
his employees?
Contingent workforce
Compressed workweek
Flextime
Job sharing
