Deck 12: Leading People Within Organizations

Question 1

_____ form the oral history of critical events that have shaped an organization.

A)Cultural artifacts
B)Shared stories
C)Social rituals
D)Cultural beliefs

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations are more likely to:

A)Emphasize symbols of material and individual success.
B)Have been introduced in an emergent bottom-up fashion.
C)Have been developed by managers only at the top of a hierarchical structure.
D)Emphasize stories about financial success exclusively.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In the light of the competing values framework,a sustainable approach tends to:

A)Place appropriate emphasis on a holistic understanding of flexibility versus predictability.
B)Focus especially on the instrumental needs of the external marketplace.
C)Emphasize group-based social aspects of internal members of an organization.
D)Favour a relatively narrow understanding of internal versus external factors.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is true of organizational cultures that value stability?

A)They largely thrive on change.
B)They discourage predictable meetings.
C)They welcome standards and norms.
D)They are against maintaining a status quo.

Question 5

With regard to basic assumptions of organizational culture,which of the following is a difference between conventional and sustainable organizations?

A)Conventional organizations primarily focus on community well-being,while sustainable organizations primarily focus on the financial bottom line.
B)Conventional organizations emphasize social and ecological well-being,while sustainable organizations emphasize on monetary accomplishments.
C)Conventional organizations assume that organizational goals transcend individual interests,while sustainable organizations assume that everyone pursues his or her self-interests.
D)Conventional organizations give precedence to shareholder interests,while sustainable organizations consider the interests of multiple stakeholders.

Question 6

Which of the following is the conventional response to Max Weber's first fundamental of organization?

A)Specialization
B)Standardization
C)Centralization
D)Dignification

Question 7

Which of the following is true of the competing values framework?

A)It places specific emphasis on the need for organizations to embrace predictability and shun adaptability.
B)It consists of a basic framework that categorizes organizational cultures based on two core dimensions.
C)It is a weak tool for understanding the shared values and assumptions that guide organizational behaviour.
D)It consists of a complex mechanism that borders exclusively on the dimensions of external focus.

Question 8

_____ are behavioural practices that perpetuate,reinforce,and keep alive a particular value that defines an organization.

A)Relics
B)Artifacts
C)Perceptions
D)Rituals

Question 9

Which of the following is true of an organizational culture with an internal focus?

A)Members are viewed as a means to meet organizational ends.
B)Organizational goals take primacy over the goals of its members.
C)Organizational goals are met primarily through servile members.
D)Organizational goals are designed to be consistent with members' strengths.

Question 10

_____ refers to the set of shared assumptions,values,and experiences that influence the ways in which individuals,teams,and groups interact with one another and work toward company goals.

A)Organizational structure
B)Organizational hierarchy
C)Organizational paradigm
D)Organizational culture

Question 11

An organization that is characterized by members who would not like to maintain the status quo is more likely to value:

A)Rigidity.
B)Adaptability.
C)Stability.
D)Predictability.

Question 12

_____ provide tangible evidence of an organization's values and include the organization's physical features and formal structure and systems.

A)Cultural categories
B)Social toolboxes
C)Cultural artifacts
D)Social structures

Question 13

Lorraine goes shopping for a pair of jeans at Vestis,a large single brand retail store that manufactures its own products.After many trials,she finds that while size 8 of a particular pair of pants fits her,a similarly sized pair of jeans of another style does not.To ensure that the products of the same size should be consistent,on which of the following fundamentals of conventional organization should Vestis Inc.focus?

A)Specialization
B)Sensitization
C)Standardization
D)Dignification

Question 14

Which of the following is true of conventional organizational behaviour in the context of fundamentals of organizational structure?

A)It tends to focus on experimentation than standardization.
B)It tends to emphasize relational competence.
C)It tends to place greater emphasis on the process of organizing.
D)It tends to focus more on the content of organizing.

Question 15

Empower Inc.,is a software development firm that firmly believes in common unspoken assumptions along the lines of conventional lines of organizational behaviour.It allows each and every member to pursue his or her self-interests.As a conventional organization,it is more likely to:

A)Solely transcend shareholder interests.
B)Predominantly consider the interests of multiple stakeholders.
C)Primarily focus on the financial bottom line.
D)Exclusively contribute to ecological sustenance.

Question 16

According to Max Weber,which of the following tasks ensures that there is orderly deference among organizational members?

A)Being aware of whom to take cues from to carry out everyday operations of the organization
B)Breaking down the overall work of the organization into individual subtasks
C)Placing members alongside people who have similar or complementary jobs to accomplish the overall work of the organization
D)Understanding and ensuring that each member's subtasks contribute to the whole

Question 17

With regard to the four fundamentals of organizational structure,sustainable organizational behaviour tends to:

A)Emphasize relational competence more than rational competence.
B)Focus on content of organizing rather than the process.
C)Stress the need to centralize decision-making rather than dignifying community.
D)Believe in standardization of organizing rather than experimentation.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the process of standardization?

A)It refers to the act of introducing voluntary implementation of new ways of performing tasks on a trial basis.
B)It refers to the act of treating everyone with dignity and respect in community.
C)It refers to designing basic work activities to ensure tasks are performed in the best way to accomplish the overall work of the organization.
D)It refers to using suboptimal methods for sub tasks to improve efficiency and maximize productivity.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of a conventional approach to key values that shape an organization's culture?

A)It places appropriate emphasis on a holistic understanding of flexibility versus predictability.
B)It tends to favour a relatively narrow understanding of internal versus external factors.
C)It tends to highlight the social and ecological aspects of the external environment and group-based social aspects of its internal members.
D)It avoids focusing particularly on the instrumental needs of individuals.

Question 20

Which of the following is a dimension of the competing values framework?

A)Predictability versus adaptability
B)Productivity versus sustenance
C)Decentralization versus hierarchy
D)Order versus disarray

Question 21

Which of the following typically results in a form of goal displacement?

A)Excessive experimentation
B)Lack of standardization
C)Excessive specialization
D)Lack of dignification

Question 22

Which of the following is true of a highly centralized organization?

A)Members lack the larger perspective needed to ensure that their decisions are coordinated as a whole.
B)Each member of the organization has the right to make decisions on the spot.
C)The authority to make decisions rests with members at the top of the organization's hierarchy.
D)More authority is delegated to other members by top managers.

Question 23

_____ involves having the decision-making authority of an organization rest with the top of its hierarchy.

A)Delegation
B)Centralization
C)Sensitization
D)Dignification

Question 24

In the context of centralization,_____ describes the number of members over whom a given manager has authority.

A)Span of control
B)Escalation of commitment
C)Mutual delegation
D)Shared competency

Question 25

With regard to Max Weber's first fundamental issue of ensuring that work activities are completed in the best way possible,sustainable organizational behaviour emphasizes on _____.

A)Experimentation
B)Specialization
C)Standardization
D)Sensitization

Question 26

From a sustainable point of view,which of the following is a typical consequence of too little experimentation?

A)Organizational chaos
B)Organizational rigidity
C)Lack of accountability
D)Lack of productivity

Question 27

_____ is the process of giving authority to a person or group to make decisions in a specified sphere of activity.

A)Span of control
B)Dignification
C)Standardization
D)Delegation

Question 28

_____ refers to grouping standardized organizational tasks into separate jobs.

A)Experimentation
B)Dignification
C)Standardization
D)Specialization

Question 29

According to Max Weber,the third conventional fundamental of organizing from the conventional perspective is _____.

A)Centralization
B)Specialization
C)Sensitization
D)Experimentation

Question 30

Which of the following is true of the sustainable emphasis on sensitization?

A)It tends to value the individual skills of particular team members to increase efficiency.
B)It tends to focus on the specific tasks that need to be performed at a departmental level of analysis.
C)It tends to be at the level of the individual jobholder with regard to specific tasks that need to be performed.
D)It tends to lead to ambiguity in decision-making and a lack of accountability.

Question 31

Flybolt,a leading manufacturer in the automobile industry,introduces an assembly-line production process.The process involves workers performing specific designated tasks to build subcomponents of the product rather than the complete product.With time,workers get so focused exclusively on their tasks that they lose sight of the big picture.This is a typical example of:

A)Excessive specialization.
B)Lack of experimentation.
C)Excessive standardization.
D)Lack of sensitization.

Question 32

_____ is the emphasis on an ongoing voluntary implementation of new ways of performing daily tasks on a trial basis.

A)Standardization
B)Experimentation
C)Specialization
D)Sensitization

Question 33

Which of the following is a consequence of sustainable sensitization?

A)Complementary skills of a team as a unit are completely undermined.
B)Individual skills of particular team members are overestimated.
C)Job descriptions are focused on the interrelationships among members.
D)Job designs are focused on the specific tasks of each team member.

Question 34

From a conventional point of view,placing too much emphasis on standardization leads to:

A)Lack of legitimacy.
B)Endless debate.
C)Rudderlessness.
D)Lack of freedom.

Question 35

From a conventional perspective,which of the following is a typical consequence of too little emphasis on specialization?

A)Increased repetition of tasks
B)Low turnover
C)Underperformance
D)Goal displacement

Question 36

Which of the following is true of optimal standardization?

A)It ensures coordinated decision making.
B)It focuses on improvement rather than on static adherence to standards.
C)It leads to endless debate and uncertainty.
D)It undermines the perceived legitimacy of an organization.

Question 37

Which of the following is the sustainable response to Max Weber's second fundamental of organization that seeks to ensure that an organization's members' subtasks contribute to the whole?

A)Departmentalization
B)Specialization
C)Experimentation
D)Sensitization

Question 38

A(n)_____ refers to a typical pictorial representation of the formal authority relationships within a company's structure.

A)Relational competence chart
B)Organization chart
C)Relationship matrix
D)Information silo

Question 39

From a conventional perspective,specialization is optimal when:

A)There is ambiguity in decision-making.
B)Specific tasks of each member are clear.
C)There is repetition of specific tasks.
D)Specific tasks are underperformed.

Question 40

From a conventional point of view,placing too little emphasis on standards leads to:

A)Lack of freedom.
B)Increased suffocation.
C)Lack of legitimacy.
D)Increased frustration.

Question 41

Cardeck,an automobile manufacturing firm,is characterized by an organizational structure that has designated departments and sub departments to handle different operations.The production unit has employees with similar technical skills and expertise to deal with product development,while the marketing department exclusively handles promotional sales activities.This is an example of _____ departmentalization.

A)Hybrid
B)Functional
C)Matrix
D)Divisional

Question 42

With regard to Max Weber's third conventional fundamental of organizing,which of the following is a true of the sustainable perspective?

A)It is more concerned about how much authority each member should have.
B)It believes in effective distribution of dignity over authority.
C)It believes that authority is an abundant resource that must be parceled out generously.
D)It believes that dignity is a limited resource that must be parceled out sparingly.

Question 43

An optimal level of centralization in an organization:

A)Curtails time for top management to develop overarching plans and strategies.
B)Prevents lower-level managers and frontline workers from handling routine,everyday matters.
C)Leads to vertically balanced decision making at the various levels in the hierarchy.
D)Provides for increased employee turnover and thereby maximizes productivity.

Question 44

Simone Inc.is a cosmetic manufacturing company that has operations in both North America and Asia Pacific.The cultural differences between North America and Asia have led to the upper management organizing the company based on geographic locations rather than specializations.Which of the following types of departmentalization has Simone Inc.adopted?

A)Divisional type
B)Matrix type
C)Functional type
D)Hybrid type

Question 45

Which of the following is true of an optimal emphasis on sustainable dignification?

A)It increases counterproductive behaviour among organizational members.
B)It leads to a limited form of downward vertical balance among organizational members.
C)It enhances decision making at an appropriate level in an organization.
D)It prevents connectedness between and across organizational levels.

Question 46

Which of the following dimensions of departmentalization deals with whether employees are permanently or temporarily assigned to departments?

A)Balance
B)Inclusiveness
C)Focus
D)Membership

Question 47

Which of the following is the term that best describes the application of interactional justice to organizing?

A)Dignification
B)Centralization
C)Specialization
D)Participation

Question 48

Which of the following is true of the functional approach to departmentalization?

A)It enables an organization's customers to gain a decision-making authority.
B)It leads to a lack of accountability among every functional area relative the organization.
C)It offers economies of scale with increased volume and low organizational costs.
D)It prevents opportunities for in-depth skill development in each area of specialization.

Question 49

_____ refers to grouping members and resources together to achieve the work of the larger organization.

A)Devolution
B)Departmentalization
C)Delegation
D)Decentralization

Question 50

G&K is a computer manufacturing center that has a product-based organizational structure.Its teams are broadly categorized into laptop services,desktop services,and handheld services according to the specific kind of products each of it deals with.Further,it is segregated based on geographic segmentation.This is a typical example of _____ departmentalization.

A)Functional
B)Matrix
C)Divisional
D)Hybrid

Question 51

YKJ Corp.,a large Japanese electronics manufacturer,has decided to reorganize its departments.Presently,the company is organized into marketing,research and development,and production departments.It has decided to make the departments product specific and organize employees into the video gaming,personal computing,and consumer products departments.Which approach to departmentalization is YKJ currently using and to which approach is it changing?

A)YKJ is currently using the functional approach to departmentalization and is shifting to the divisional approach.
B)YKJ is currently using the divisional approach to departmentalization and is shifting to the functional approach.
C)YKJ is currently using the functional approach to departmentalization and is shifting to the matrix approach.
D)YKJ is currently using the divisional approach to departmentalization and is shifting to the hybrid approach.

Question 52

Which of the following is the sustainable counterpart of the conventional fundamental of departmentalization?

A)Delegation
B)Specialization
C)Devolution
D)Participation

Question 53

Which of the following is a disadvantage of highly decentralized organizations?

A)They tend to become dictatorships from which members will try to exit as quickly as they are able to.
B)They tend to be characterized by unstimulating environments leading to increased employee turnover.
C)They tend to be characterized by slow decision-making processes
D)They tend to be characterized by limited upward connectedness.

Question 54

______ is the practice of using contracts to transfer some of an organization's recurring internal activities and decision-making rights to outsiders better equipped to utilize the latest technologies and reduce costs.

A)Downsizing
B)Repatriation
C)Outsourcing
D)Expatriation

Question 55

_____ departmentalization occurs when members are placed into the same department based on having similar technical skills and using similar resources to perform their tasks.

A)Hybrid
B)Divisional
C)Matrix
D)Functional

Question 56

Which of the following is an advantage of the divisional approach to departmentalization?

A)It tends to promote accountability.
B)It tends to offer opportunities for in-depth skill development.
C)It offers economies of scale.
D)It leads to increases in volume with lower organizational costs.

Question 57

Research suggests that members treat one another with more dignity and respect when:

A)Organizations lack centralized structures to monitor behaviour.
B)Lower-level members feel overwhelmed by responsibility.
C)Top managers develop overarching plans and strategies with their authority.
D)Organizations have a limited form of downward connectedness.

Question 58

_____ refers to a sustainable approach to organizational behaviour that places emphasis on mutual discernment and gives stakeholders a voice in how an organization is managed and how jobs are performed.

A)Participation
B)Specialization
C)Delegation
D)Standardization

Question 59

_____ departmentalization occurs when an organization uses both functional and divisional structures.

A)Diffused
B)Hybrid
C)Ambivalent
D)Mixed

Question 60

Which of the following dimensions of departmentalization focuses on internal efficiency and external adaptiveness?

A)Balance
B)Membership
C)Focus
D)Inclusiveness

Question 61

Which of the following applies to the emphasis on searching for and being receptive to better ways of doing things to take advantage of existing opportunities or adding existing needs?

A)Sensitization from a sustainable OB point of view
B)Sensitization from a conventional OB point of view
C)Specialization from a sustainable OB point of view
D)Specialization from a conventional OB point of view

Question 62

A(n)_____ is one whose members come and go based on organizational requirements and who are networked together through technology that enables them to synchronize their activities.

Question 63

_____ refers to the formal power given to specific members to arrange resources,assign tasks,and direct the activities of other members to achieve organizational goals.

Question 64

As a new accountant,your supervisor told you that the format of the budget statement is the same this year as it has been for the past 10 years.Based on his statement,which of the following describes the organizational culture?

A)Predictable
B)Adaptable
C)Flexible
D)Instable

Question 65

_____ refers to the process of developing uniform practices for organizational members to follow in doing their jobs.

Question 66

_____ is a process in which people deliberately learn from one another as they jointly address an issue.

Question 67

Basic assumptions and values of an organization's culture,as opposed to cultural artifacts,are its _____.

Question 68

Which of the following applies to ensuring that work activities are completed in the best way,that each member's subtasks contribute to the whole,that orderly deference among members is followed,and that members work together harmoniously?

A)Fundamentals of organizational structure
B)Fundamentals of organizational culture
C)Fundamentals of organizational artifacts
D)Fundamentals of organizational framework

Question 69

Knowing how an organization deals with fundamental structural issues provides insight into its culture.Which of the following explains a difference between conventional and sustainable culture?

A)Conventional OB focuses more on the content of organization,while sustainable OB tends to place greater emphasis on the process.
B)Sustainable OB focuses more on the content of organization,while conventional OB tends to place greater emphasis on the process.
C)Conventional OB emphasizes relational competence,whereas sustainable OB emphasizes rational competence.
D)There is not a difference between conventional OB and sustainable OB with respect to competence.

Question 70

Which of the following applies to having the decision-making authority rest with managers at the top of an organization's hierarchy?

A)Centralization from a conventional perspective
B)Centralization from a sustainable perspective
C)Delegation form a conventional perspective
D)Delegation form a sustainable perspective

Question 71

Which of the following applies to a useful tool for helping to understand the shared values and assumptions that guide organizational behaviour?

A)Competing values framework
B)Organizational culture elements
C)Suboptimal standardization
D)Organizational structure values

Question 72

_____ occurs when people get so focused on specific subgoals that they lose sight of more important overarching goals.

Question 73

Which of the following describes some of an organization's cultural artifacts?

A)Plaques devoted to past accomplishments or symbols of future aspiration
B)Beliefs,feelings,and thoughts that inform members' value and actions
C)Set of shared values and experiences that influence the way individuals behave
D)Behavioural practices that reinforce and keep particular values alive

Question 74

From a sustainable organizational behavioural point of view,_____ ensures that each member's subtasks contribute to the whole.

Question 75

Diego,a coworker,stated to you that he is very familiar with the formal arrangements and linkages among members and groups that specify work activities and subtasks and that allow them to be completed.Which of the following summarizes his knowledge?

A)Organizational structure
B)Organizational culture
C)Organizational elements
D)Organizational fundamentals

Question 76

Which of the following are considered to be some of the basic assumptions of organizational culture?

A)Beliefs,feelings,and thoughts that inform member's value and actions
B)Set of shared values and experiences that influence the way individuals behave
C)Behavioral practices that reinforce and keep particular values alive
D)Family,educational,organizational,and professional values

Question 77

A(n)_____ occurs when an organization enters fairly stable and complex relationships with a variety of other organizations that provide essential services.

Question 78

An organizational culture that views its members as a means to meet organizational ends is characterized by a(n)_____

Question 79

Sustainable artifacts of organizational culture may be subtle at times,but at other times they are very pronounced.Which of the following describes cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations?

A)Cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations are more likely to have been developed by organizational members from a variety of hierarchical levels.
B)Cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations are more likely to have been developed by top managers and introduced in a deliberate top-down fashion.
C)Cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations are more likely to emphasize materialistic symbols like a corner office reserved for top executives.
D)Cultural artifacts in sustainable organizations are more likely to emphasize individual success like a plaque that memorizes top-producing salesperson.

Question 80

_____ refers to the process of taking standardized organizational tasks and allocating them to separate jobs.