Deck 14: Formal Organisation

Question 1

One requirement for buying a McDonald's franchise is that an applicant must have R500 000 of cash on hand that is not borrowed.This requirement represents which one of the following features of a bureaucracy?

A)A clear-cut division of labour
B)Organisational personnel treat clients as cases
C)Authority belongs to the position, not the person
D)Positions are filled on the basis of objective criteria

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Family, military units and peer groups are examples of

A)primary groups.
B)secondary groups.
C)utilitarian organisations.
D)coercive organisations..

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is false with regard to industrial food systems such as McDonald's?

A)They produce high calorie, nutrient-low, processed food that is more available, affordable and aggressively marketed than nutritious food.
B)They aim to keep production costs low by purchasing locally-grown foods that do not need to be transported.
C)They aim to maximise profit by speeding up the production process, increasing the amount produced, and cutting labour and ingredient costs.
D)They depend heavily on pharmaceuticals, chemicals and fossil fuels to manufacture and transport food products.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

If relationships between people are limited to a specific activity and setting, the people are part of a(n)

A)primary group.
B)secondary group.
C)out-group.
D)in-group.

Question 5

An ideal type is

A)a desirable standard.
B)a standard against which real cases can be compared.
C)a list of traits that guarantee that things run perfectly.
D)the actual way in which an organisation operates.

Question 6

The human biography can be described as a series of encounters with __________ born in a hospital, educated in a school system, loaned money by a bank and so on.

A)primary groups
B)formal organisations
C)coercive organisations
D)government agencies

Question 7

A McDonald's manager has authority over employees only when they are on the time clock.This practice reflects which one of the following features of bureaucracy?

A)A clear-cut division of labour
B)Organisational personnel treat clients as cases
C)Authority belongs to the position, not the person
D)Positions are filled on the basis of qualification

Question 8

__________ draw in people who give time, talent, or treasure to support mutual interests, meet important human needs or achieve a not-for-profit goal.

A)Voluntary organisations
B)Coercive organisations
C)Utilitarian organisations
D)Bureaucracies

Question 9

Sociologists classify formal organisations as

A)primary groups.
B)secondary groups.
C)multi-national organisations.
D)global corporations. .

Question 10

Primary groups are characterised by

A)weak ties.
B)objectivity.
C)face-to-face contact.
D)impersonal associations.

Question 11

When a customer places an order at McDonald's, an order taker keys it into the computer, kitchen employees assemble the order, send it to the order taker, who hands it to the customer.This process represents which one of the following features of a bureaucracy?

A)A clear-cut division of labour
B)Organisational personnel treat clients as cases
C)Authority belongs to the position, not the person
D)Positions are filled on the basis of objective criteria

Question 12

Which one of the following is not a secondary group?

A)A family
B)McDonald's employees
C)Fans of a soccer team
D)A class of university students

Question 13

_______________ food production systems are those in which the goal is to maximise profit by speeding up production and increasing the amount produced while cutting labour costs and the costs of ingredients.

A)Industrial
B)Mechanised
C)Fortune 500
D)Formal

Question 14

According to standard operating procedures, every customer at McDonald's is greeted with the words, 'Welcome to McDonald's.May I take your order?' The practice corresponds with which characteristic of a bureaucracy?

A)A clean-cut division of labour
B)Positions filled on the basis of qualification
C)Personnel treat clients as cases
D)Authority belongs to the position

Question 15

McDonald's is an example of a(n)

A)voluntary organisation.
B)coercive organisation.
C)utilitarian organisation.
D)bureaucracy.

Question 16

___________ draw in people seeking material gain in the form of pay, health benefits or a new status.

A)Voluntary organisations
B)Coercive organisations
C)Utilitarian organisations
D)Bureaucracies

Question 17

Which of the following is the best example of a formal organisation?

A)The class of 2020
B)Shoppers in a mall
C)Pick 'n Pay
D)The country of India

Question 18

From a sociological point of view, a formal organisation is

A)a legally recognised group of people.
B)a coordinating mechanism created by people to achieve stated objectives.
C)the building in which people meet.
D)a money-making enterprise.

Question 19

Organisations dedicated to compulsory socialisation and resocialisation, such as primary schools and prisons are examples of

A)voluntary organisations.
B)coercive organisations.
C)utilitarian organisations.
D)bureaucracies.

Question 20

From a sociological perspective, formal organisations

A)cannot be studied apart from the people who create them.
B)have a life that depends on the people that belong to them.
C)continue to exist even as their members die, quit or return.
D)are coordinating mechanisms without clear objectives.

Question 21

The organisational trend guided by instrumental-rational action in which the principles governing fast food restaurants come to dominate other sectors of society is known as the

A)fast-food domination.
B)instrumentalisation of society.
C)Ritzerisation of society.
D)McDonaldisation of society.

Question 22

In the mid-1960s, McDonald's replaced in-store peeling and slicing appliances with a system of flash-freezing half-cooked potatoes.This strategy is an example of

A)lowering production costs.
B)creating new products.
C)creating new markets.
D)suggestive selling

Question 23

Mohammed works in a fast food restaurant.When he fills drink orders, the dispenser automatically fills the cup with ice and soft drinks and shuts itself off.This is an example of what McDonaldisation principle?

A)Efficiency
B)Quantification and calculation
C)Predictability
D)Control

Question 24

Weber made several important qualifications regarding instrumental-rational thought and action.Which of the following is not one of them?

A)Rationalisation refers to the way people actually think.
B)Rationalisation refers to the ways in which daily life is organised to accommodate large numbers of people.
C)Rationalisation does not assume better understanding or greater knowledge.
D)When people identify a desired goal and decide on the means to achieve it, they seldom consider less profitable or slower ways to achieve it.

Question 25

A hospital advertises a heart procedure that allows patients to return to work in two weeks instead of the standard six weeks following surgery.This use of numerical indicators to allow patients to evaluate the speediest recovery time represents which dimension of McDonaldisation?

A)Efficiency
B)Quantification and calculation
C)Predictability
D)Control

Question 26

A diet programme promises that it is the fastest weight-loss regimen available on the market.This emphasis on allowing users to lose weight quickly represents which dimension of McDonaldisation?

A)Efficiency
B)Quantification and calculation
C)Predictability
D)Control

Question 27

Humans have a moral obligation to treat animals with kindness and empathy, and when 'we no longer recognise the animals in a factory farm as living creatures capable of feeling pain and fear … we debase ourselves.' This statement indicates that treatment of animals should be

A)instrumental-rational.
B)emotion-driven.
C)logical.
D)cost-effective.

Question 28

Which of the following is not a reason multinationals establish operations in foreign countries?

A)To expand markets
B)To pay taxes to foreign governments
C)To obtain raw materials
D)To employ an inexpensive labour force

Question 29

Weber defined rationalisation as a process whereby thought and action rooted in emotion are replaced by

A)instrumental-rational thought and action.
B)mysterious forces.
C)Tradition.
D)instrumental action.

Question 30

________ are enterprises that own, control, or license production and service facilities in countries other than the one in which their headquarters is located.

A)Organisations
B)Bureaucracies
C)Oligarchies
D)Multinational corporations

Question 31

Andile hears an advertisement on the radio claiming that it is possible to earn an MBA degree in one year by going to school one night per week and meeting with a study group for two hours each week.This is an example of what McDonaldisation principle?

A)Efficiency
B)Quantification and calculation
C)Predictability
D)Control

Question 32

The McDonaldisation of society involved four principles.These principles are

A)efficiency, quantification/calculation, predictability, and control.
B)alienation, oligarchy, bureaucracy, and expert authority.
C)traditional, value-rational, instrumental, and purposeful action.
D)trained incapacity, informate, automate, and technology.

Question 33

Theoretically, in a bureaucracy,

A)authority belongs to the person.
B)positions are filled on the basis of connections.
C)authority resides in the personalities of people holding important positions.
D)personnel treat clients as cases and without emotion.

Question 34

The problem with instrumental-rational action is that

A)decision-makers spend too much time evaluating the various means of achieving a valued goal.
B)people's thought and behaviour is influenced by emotion and superstition.
C)the valued goal can become so all-important that people lose sight of the negative consequences that can arise from the methods used to reach that goal.
D)decision-makers spend too much time trying to anticipate the unforeseen consequences of value-rational action.

Question 35

From an instrumental-rational point of view, nature is something to be

A)conserved.
B)respected.
C)ignored.
D)used to make a profit.

Question 36

Factory farms raise thousands of cows and tens of thousands of chickens in tight quarters where they are fattened up for slaughter as quickly as possible.This emphasis on raising as many animals as possible in the shortest amount of time illustrates

A)instrumental-rational action.
B)value-rational action.
C)traditional agricultural practices.
D)effective business practices.

Question 37

Suggestive selling, accepting credit cards as payment, and expanding operating hours to 24 hours are strategies used by the fast food industry to

A)lower production costs.
B)identify ways for people to purchase more products.
C)raise production costs.
D)improve existing products.

Question 38

Which of the following is one of the strategies McDonald's used to become a global giant?

A)Raise production costs
B)Reduce the number of products that it offers customers
C)Create new markets
D)Accept cash only

Question 39

According to the Pizza Hut website, the company needs a herd of 250 000 dairy cows producing at full capacity 365 days a year to fill the company's demand for cheese toppings.This view of cows reflects __________ action.

A)value-rational
B)instrumental-rational
C)traditional
D)effective

Question 40

__________________ is a process by which thought and action rooted in custom, emotion, or respect for mysterious forces is replaced by instrumental-rational thought and action.

A)Externality cost
B)Rationalisation
C)Bureaucracy
D)Oligarchy

Question 41

When management chooses to use computers to increase workers' speed as a source of surveillance, they are using the computer as

A)an automating tool.
B)an informating tool.
C)a learning tool.
D)a technological resource.

Question 42

'I was trained for one particular job.During training, they just told me, "here are the valves you are supposed to turn".' This statement is a good example of

A)trained incapacity.
B)oligarchy.
C)professionalisation.
D)rationalisation.

Question 43

_____________________ means to use computers to increase workers' speed or to keep an eye on their job performance.

A)Trained incapacity
B)Automate
C)Informate
D)Professionalisation

Question 44

Workers trained to do their jobs in an efficient way to meet organisational goals while ignoring other important matters related to their health, the community, and the environment risk developing

A)instrumental logic.
B)trained incapacity.
C)apathy.
D)a bureaucratic mentality.

Question 45

Workers who are trained to do their jobs quickly without thought are at risk of developing

A)an inability to recognise the informal rules governing behaviour.
B)an ability to respond to unusual circumstances.
C)an inability to recognise the unintended consequences of their actions.
D)an ability to anticipate 'what-if' scenarios.

Question 46

__________________ is a state in which human life is dominated by the forces of human inventions.

A)Alienation
B)Oligarchy
C)Professionalisation
D)Bureaucracy

Question 47

McDonald's employs about 500 000 people in its corporate offices.It is impossible for that many people to come together to discuss issues that affect daily operations.This shortcoming reflects the principles of

A)oligarchy.
B)bureaucracy.
C)expert power.
D)McDonaldisation.

Question 48

_____________________ means to use computers to empower workers with a decision-making tool.

A)Trained incapacity
B)Automate
C)Informate
D)Professionalisation

Question 49

Karl Marx believed that increased control over nature is accompanied by

A)disenchantment.
B)anomie.
C)alienation.
D)trained incapacity.

Question 50

In her book In the Age of the Smart Machine, Zuboff distinguished between work environments that promote trained incapacity and those that promote

A)freedom of expression.
B)empowering behaviour.
C)a clear division of labour.
D)flexitime.

Question 51

With the help of science, the fast food industry has been able to produce a uniform-looking and uniform-tasting potato.However, this potato comes at a cost - it requires heavy doses of chemicals that pollute land and surrounding waters.Sociologists call this a(n) _________________ cost.

A)externality
B)social
C)environmental
D)secret

Question 52

The danger of oligarchy is that those who make decisions may

A)run the organisation as a bureaucracy.
B)not have the necessary background to understand the full implications of their decisions.
C)rely on informal mechanisms to get things done.
D)suffer from disenchantment of the world.

Question 53

Virtually all major fast food companies have introduced low-fat foods on their menus, and most have proved unpopular with consumers.This shows that multinationals, such as McDonald's, are

A)responsible for the obesity crisis.
B)not doing enough to inform consumers about the importance of a healthy diet.
C)responding to consumer tastes for items higher in calories and fat.
D)contributing to social inequality.

Question 54

Blau and Schoenherr maintain that experts

A)are trained by the organisation for which they work.
B)receive their training in colleges and universities.
C)are subjected to direct supervision.
D)are micro-managed employees.

Question 55

______________________ is a trend in which organisations hire experts as consultants or full-time employees.

A)Professionalisation
B)Rationalisation
C)Oligarchy
D)Bureaucracy

Question 56

When decision-making power is concentrated in the hands of a few people that hold the top positions in an organisational hierarchy, the result is a state of

A)oligarchy.
B)alienation.
C)disenchantment.
D)trained capacity.

Question 57

Encouraging employees to concentrate on achieving good scores and to ignore problems generated by their drive to score well illustrates the problem with

A)statistical measures of performance.
B)trained incapacity.
C)oligarchy.
D)expert power.

Question 58

Employee-scheduling software, which ensures enough employees are scheduled for the busiest times and shifts is an example of using computers as

A)automating tools.
B)informating tools.
C)efficiency tools.
D)a replacement for human thought.

Question 59

A chemist working for a large corporation has the training to design a pesticide, but he or she is not trained to consider the abilities and limitations of the consumers who use it.This situation speaks to the problems associated with

A)automating technologies.
B)oligarchy.
C)statistical measures of performance.
D)expert knowledge and responsibility.

Question 60

Jabu works as a cashier.Her productivity is judged according to the number of items passed over a scanner per hour.She is being rated according to

A)statistical measures of performance.
B)trained incapacity.
C)informal policies.
D)an oligarchy.

Question 61

Workers are ________ because they produce not for themselves or for known consumers but, rather, produce for an abstract, impersonal market.

A)alienated from the process
B)professionalised
C)formally trained
D)obsolete

Question 62

Employers who specify exactly how workers should look, behave, and speak are contributing to

A)informal dimensions of control.
B)a safe work environment.
C)informating the workplace.
D)alienation from self.

Question 63

Lekeshia works between 18:00 and 02:00 six days a week.Thus, she is not home for dinner and is still sleeping when her husband leaves for work and her kids leave for school.Marx would argue that such a situation leaves Lekeshia alienated from

A)the self.
B)the family.
C)the product.
D)the process of production.

Question 64

Actual behaviour in organisations departs from the ideal.

Question 65

The McDonaldisation of society involves four principles: efficiency, quantification, predictability, and ethics.

Question 66

Formal organisations have a life that extends beyond the people that comprise them.

Question 67

An ideal type is a standard against which real cases can be measured.

Question 68

Multinational corporations plan, produce, and sell on a national scale.

Question 69

From a strictly bureaucratic point of view, emotion interferes with the efficient delivery of goods and services.

Question 70

Although chemicals have reduced the physical demands involved in producing goods, they have negatively impacted society by

A)helping people to produce unprecedented amounts of food.
B)eliminating the need to fight weeds with hoes.
C)undermining the practice of planting crops in rows.
D)leading to the loss of knowledge about how to control insects and disease without chemicals.

Question 71

Because employers own the factory buildings, the tools, the machines and the labour of workers, the workers are alienated from

A)the process of production.
B)the product.
C)the family.
D)the self.

Question 72

Rationalisation assumes greater understanding and knowledge about the surrounding environment.

Question 73

Food processing and manufacturing establishments in the United States produce food solely for fast food establishments.

Question 74

Secondary groups can range in size from small to extremely large.

Question 75

Organisational problems occur when employees fail to follow official policies or follow them too rigidly.

Question 76

Groups are considered primary when relationships are characterised by strong, emotional ties among members.

Question 77

Fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides and chemically treated seeds give people control over nature because they eliminate the need to fight weeds, and they prevent pests from destroying crops.Yet heavy reliance on chemical technologies causes the soil to erode and become less productive.This dilemma represents a case of

A)alienation.
B)trained incapacity.
C)oligarchy.
D)optimum technology.

Question 78

A goal of the industrial food system is to maximise profit by using only the highest-quality ingredients purchased from local sources.

Question 79

Karl Marx believed that, for the most part, workers are treated as economic components rather than active, creative and social beings.This description suggests that Marx was concerned about

A)bureaucracy.
B)informal dimensions of organisations.
C)statistical measures of performance.
D)alienation in the workplace.

Question 80

Members of secondary groups can form primary groups if they expand their relationships beyond the task at hand.