Deck 14: Managing Organizational Design

Question 1

The Aston researchers identified five variables drawn from Max Weber's initial list of fifteen.______ refers to the extent to which the organization ensures that decision-making is referred to the apex of the organization,or distributed across lower levels.

A)Specialization
B)Formalization
C)Configuration
D)Centralization

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Joan Woodward classified contingent technologies into three categories.What term did she use to categorize technology in organizations where production involved fewer customers but larger production runs?

A)small batch and unit production
B)large batch and mass production
C)process production
D)specialized production

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A mechanistic organizational design is typified by high levels of ______.

A)communication
B)standardization
C)discretion
D)all of these

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The belief in causality,which suggests that some variables will affect other variables in specific and predictable ways,and that we should objectively identify and measure those variables in organization which have such relationships,is a hallmark of ______?

A)institutional theory
B)contingency theory
C)all research methodologies
D)phenomenology

Question 5

The Aston researchers identified five variables drawn from Max Weber's initial list of fifteen.______ refers to the extent to which the organization's range of actions and procedures are covered by formal policies and agreements.

A)Formalization
B)Centralization
C)Configuration
D)Specialization

Question 6

As organizations grow,they will tend towards bureaucracy.Such a prediction assumes organization design is contingent upon ______.

A)technology
B)environment
C)size
D)throughputs

Question 7

According to Burns and Stalker,organizations that exist in stable,routine environments are more likely to have ______.

A)mechanistic,rigid and bureaucratic structures
B)organic,loose,less bureaucratic structures
C)no difference to organizations that exist in any other kind of environment
D)great ability in adapting to changing circumstances

Question 8

An organic organizational design is typified by extensive levels of ______.

A)discretion
B)authority
C)administration
D)both authority and administration

Question 9

Joan Woodward classified contingent technologies into three categories.What term did she use to categorize technology in organizations where production is usually on a continuous 24/7 basis and concentration is on meeting standards and specifications?

A)small batch and unit production
B)large batch and mass production
C)process production
D)standardized production

Question 10

Which of the following is a key 'contingency'?

A)size
B)technology
C)environment
D)all of these

Question 11

According to Burns and Stalker,organizations that exist in dynamic,uncertain and unpredictable environments are more likely to have ______.

A)mechanistic,rigid and bureaucratic structures
B)organic,loose,less bureaucratic structures
C)no difference to organizations that exist in any other kind of environment
D)greater problems adapting to changing circumstances

Question 12

Contingency theory asserts that the mechanisms that regulate organizations are the result of the interactive effect between the structure and function of the organization.What is the term commonly used for this approach?

A)corporatist functionalism
B)structural functionalism
C)structural engineering
D)corporate structure

Question 13

Joan Woodward classified contingent technologies into three categories.What term did she use to categorize technology in organizations where production involved tailored designs for different customers with small production runs?

A)small batch and unit production
B)large batch and mass production
C)process production
D)Taylorism

Question 14

The Aston researchers identified five variables drawn from Max Weber's initial list of fifteen.Which of the following is NOT one of the five?

A)specialization
B)standardization
C)configuration
D)disciplinization

Question 15

Who are the two Scottish researchers who argued organizations are variable structures which are primarily contingent upon their environment?

A)McDonald and McShane
B)Burns and Stalker
C)Burns and Smithers
D)Walker and Bells

Question 16

An organization operating in an industry whose market environment is characterized by predictability,certainty and stability will tend towards bureaucracy.Such a prediction assumes organization design is contingent upon ______.

A)environment
B)industrialization
C)size
D)structure

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT central to the concept of structural functionalism?

A)In the long term the organization will select the most efficient structural functions.
B)The efficient structurally functional organization will be most likely to survive.
C)Organizations with no structure at all are most likely to survive in environments of uncertainty,ambiguity and complexity because they can best adapt to change.
D)The most structurally functional organizations have perfect fit between their design and their contingencies.

Question 18

In management and organization theory what is the term for something which managers cannot avoid?

A)certainties
B)probabilities
C)contingencies
D)subjectivities

Question 19

The Aston researchers identified five variables drawn from Max Weber's initial list of fifteen.______ refers to the extent to which the organization had lots of job descriptions and designs.

A)Formalization
B)Centralization
C)Specialization
D)Configuration

Question 20

An organization that adopts technologies that routinize and standardize processes will tend towards bureaucracy.Such a prediction assumes organization design is contingent upon ______.

A)size
B)standardized processes
C)environment
D)technology

Question 21

According to your textbook,why would it be erroneous to project organizational assumptions - such as structure and hierarchy etc.- on Linux?

A)Linux is a failure because it has few if any organizational properties.
B)Microsoft NT and XP offer a far more superior product than Linux.
C)Linux is an emergent product of loosely coupled networks rather than an organization.
D)Linux is a failure because it has few if any organizational properties,and Microsoft NT and XP offer a far more superior product than Linux.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a characteristic of responsible autonomy?

A)relatively autonomous roles responsible to rules
B)everybody being equal
C)order created through strict supervision
D)a detailed specification of all tasks

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a process of design thinking?

A)inspiration
B)ideation
C)implementation
D)initiation

Question 24

In your textbook,what is the multi-divisional form of organization also referred to as?

A)bureaucratic model
B)multiple organism model
C)the hub and spokes model
D)the Fligstein model

Question 25

What did Blau (2002)find when he investigated the relationship between size and differentiation (meaning the number of organizational levels in hierarchy,number of departments,and number of job titles)?

A)The rate of differentiation decreased as size increased.
B)Differentiation increased as size increased.
C)Differentiation decreased as size increased.
D)The rate of differentiation decreased as size increased,and differentiation increased as size increased.

Question 26

The Aston researchers identified five variables drawn from Max Weber's initial list of fifteen.______ refers to the extent to which the organization uses manuals of organizational procedures.

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

Question 27

The concept of strategic choice - meaning managers in positions of control make strategic decisions which effect the configuration of the organization - was developed by ______.

A)Henry Mintzberg
B)the Aston researchers
C)Howard Aldrich
D)John Child

Question 28

Matrix organizations are ______.

A)based on the film The Matrix
B)designed by mathematicians
C)a mixed organizational form in which traditional vertical hierarchy is overlaid by a horizontal structure consisting of projects,products,and business subsidiaries or geographical areas.
D)a version of bureaucracy that uses call centre technology to create customer satisfaction and deal with customer complaints

Question 29

What surprising results did Blau (2002)discover when investigating the relationship between organizational size and differentiation (meaning the number of organizational levels in hierarchy,number of departments,and number of job titles)?

A)that administrative overheads are lower in larger organizations when managers have greater span of control
B)that larger organizations have to employ more managers to cope with the greater number of staff
C)that there was no relationship between differentiation and size
D)that the size of an organization is disproportionate to the number of people working in it

Question 30

Networks,cellular models,federal approaches,creative compartments,post-modern models,flexible,virtual,and individualized corporations are all examples of ______.

A)bureaucratic forms
B)multi-divisional or m- forms
C)new organizational forms
D)organization theorists with too much time and fat dictionaries in their hands

Question 31

According to Abrahamson (1997),______ creates,designs and sells management fashions.

A)the management ideas industry
B)Woolworths
C)China
D)globalization

Question 32

In contingency theory what does the anagram SARFIT represent?

A)Structural Adjustment to Regain Fit
B)Structural Analysis to Remove Fat
C)Structural Adjustment to Regain Form
D)So Another Really Futile Theory

Question 33

John Child's (2002)concept of strategic choice argues that ______.

A)Size,technology and environment are the core structural contingencies in organizations.
B)Managers in positions of control configure the organization's structure through their choice of markets,technologies etc.
C)Size,technology and environment is the key determinant of managerial strategic choice.
D)Managers in positions of control configure the organization's structure through their choice of markets,technologies etc.along with the organization's structure through their choice of markets,technologies etc.

Question 34

What is a heterarchy?

A)a group of heterosexuals
B)a form of total institution
C)a form of shared power
D)all of these

Question 35

What does the concept of SARFIT - Structural Adjustment to Regain Fit - mean?

A)All organizations would need to undergo structural adjustment to ensure they never rely on old and outdate contingencies for too long.
B)All organizations would sometimes slip out of alignment with the contingencies they must deal with and so must undergo structural change.
C)All organizations should ensure they restructure themselves every so often,irrespective of what the contingencies they deal with are doing.
D)none of these

Question 36

According to Hassard (2009),restructuring,financialization,downsizing,de-layering,and removal of employee entitlements are all examples of ______.

A)rationalized rules
B)legitimating rules
C)impersonal rules
D)efficiency rules

Question 37

A rhizome is ______.

A)a botanic term for vegetables
B)an organization that is rooted
C)a new type of philosophical theory
D)a virtual,organic form of organization

Question 38

For the Aston researchers,which was the critical contingency in organization structure and design?

A)technology
B)environment
C)size
D)length

Question 39

What does Howard Aldrich (2002)argue about size as a contingency of organizational structure?

A)Size is the critical factor in organizational structure.
B)Size is unrelated to organizational structure.
C)Size is an effect of structure,rather than a cause of structure.
D)Size is the cause of structure,rather than the effect of structure.

Question 40

Who is the famous contingency theorist that developed the concept of SARFIT - Structural Adjustment to Regain Fit?

A)John Child
B)Howard Aldrich
C)Lex Donaldson
D)Jack Welch

Question 41

The safety presentation given by airline staff before take-off is an example of which form of isomorphism?

A)mimetic
B)coercive
C)normative
D)none of these

Question 42

DiMaggio and Powell (2002)have labelled the process of organizations copying each other as ______.

A)mimicking
B)isomorphism
C)copycatting
D)copying

Question 43

Which of the following assertions is NOT a hallmark of institutional theory?

A)Organizational rules are rationalized myths that are widely believed but rarely ever tested.
B)Organizational rules are institutionalized through public opinion,the education system,and laws.
C)Organizational rules are all about ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.
D)Many of the factors that shape organizations are based on social and cultural pressures to conform to already legitimate practices.

Question 44

Explain and critique Donaldson's concept of SARFIT.

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT one of the three main mechanisms of isomorphism?

A)coercive
B)normative
C)regulatory
D)mimetic

Question 46

What is SARFIT and how does it operate?

Question 47

Is organization structure only contingent upon size,technology,and environment?

Question 48

What are some of the major post bureaucratic new organizational forms?

Question 49

Describe Woodward's three basic types of technology.How might each type affect organizational structure?

Question 50

What is contingency theory and what assumptions do contingency theorists make about organizational design?

Question 51

What is structural contingency theory and what are its criticisms?