Deck 7: Manufacturing and Service Technologies

Question 1

Which of the following links together manufacturing components that previously stood alone?

A) Continuous process systems
B) Flexible manufacturing systems
C) Advance technological systems
D) Computerized process systems

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Woodward's classification of technology (into three clusters of organizational technologies) was based on a scale that measured:

A) the number of employees in the span of control.
B) the interdependence of tasks.
C) the technical complexity of the manufacturing process.
D) the variety and analyzability of tasks within each department.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The Verification Department of the Internal Revenue Service checks the mathematics on returns and notes any discrepancies; this department would fit into which of Perrow's quadrants?

A) Craft
B) Routine
C) Engineering
D) Nonroutine

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Characteristics of service technology include all of the following except:

A) longer response time is acceptable.
B) labor- and knowledge-intensive.
C) customer interaction is generally higher.
D) quality is perceived and difficult to measure.

Question 5

The heart of ____ is not machines, but employee involvement.

A) mass customization
B) FMS
C) lean manufacturing
D) CAD

Question 6

____ means providing exactly the service each customer wants and needs.

A) Service complexity
B) Customized output
C) Mass customization
D) CAM

Question 7

Computer-integrated manufacturing is the result of several subcomponents. Three of these are

A) CAD, CAM, and integration information network.
B) people, hardware, and software.
C) information, computers, and procedures.
D) CIM, ADC, and software.

Question 8

The management systems in both unit-production and continuous-process technology are characterized as

A) standardized.
B) mechanistic.
C) organic.
D) formalized.

Question 9

Using Perrow's framework, in which category would you most likely find the strategic planning department of Dow Chemical Co.?

A) Craft
B) Nonroutine
C) Engineering
D) Routine

Question 10

The technology employed by an oil explorer of using an "internal divining rod" to decide where to begin drilling operations would be called a(n) ____ technology.

A) routine
B) craft
C) engineering
D) high analyzability

Question 11

Service organizations can achieve their greatest economies through:

A) centralization of services.
B) geographic concentration.
C) disaggregation into small units located close to customers.
D) centralized decision making.

Question 12

Perrow is most concerned with which of the following?

A) Two aspects of technology: variety and analyzability.
B) Two types of structures that seem to determine which technology is best.
C) Two aspects of environment that call for a particular structure.
D) Two types of structure that seem to determine which environment should be enacted.

Question 13

The awesome advantage of the digital factory is that:

A) it requires little training to use.
B) there is little employee involvement.
C) one product can be produced at a time, making it easier for employees to operate.
D) products of different sizes, types, and customer requirements freely intermingle on the assembly line.

Question 14

The general pattern in technology research is that when technologies are routine, analyzable, independent, and well defined, then:

A) use organic structures with less control, fewer procedures, decentralized decision making, and face-to-face communications.
B) a sociotechnical approach should be used.
C) mechanistic structures with tighter control, formalized procedures, centralized decision making, and written communications are appropriate.
D) coordination must be achieved through CIM.

Question 15

Which one of the following basic technology groups relies heavily on the human operator and is not highly mechanized?

A) Large-batch production
B) Mass customization
C) Continuous-process production
D) Small-batch production

Question 16

An organization's ____ is the work process that is directly related to the organization's mission.

A) core technology
B) mediating technology
C) long-linked technology
D) non-core technology

Question 17

A retail store such as Macy's would be an example of a ____ organization.

A) service
B) product and service
C) product
D) consuming

Question 18

Assume you are the supervisor of workers who have very limited education and experience, and that their work is routine. Generally you would:

A) be able to handle only a narrow span of control.
B) strive for low centralization and low formalization.
C) use the human relations model.
D) be able to have a wide span of control.

Question 19

The frequency of unexpected and novel events that occur in the conversion process refers to:

A) uncertainty.
B) accountability.
C) variety.
D) analyzability.

Question 20

____ production represents mechanization and standardization one step beyond those in an assembly line.

A) Continuous process
B) Large-batch
C) Technical complexity
D) Small-batch

Question 21

Suppose that DiamlerChrysler is considering changing its production operations from an assembly line in which each employee adds one piece as a car chassis goes by to an operation in which several employees work as a team to build the total car, with the team deciding who does what tasks. If DiamlerChrysler implements the change, the interrelationships would change from:

A) pooled interdependence on the line to reciprocal interdependence between the teams.
B) reciprocal interdependence on the line to sequential interdependence between the teams.
C) sequential interdependence on the line to pooled interdependence between the teams.
D) routine tasks to mediating technology.

Question 22

Chemical plants, oil refineries, liquor producers, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear power plants are examples of _____ production.

A) unit
B) mass
C) large-batch
D) continuous-process

Question 23

The impact of advanced technologies on job design has been:

A) job simplification.
B) no change.
C) job enrichment.
D) lowered wages.

Question 24

____ is the highest level of interdependence and exists when the output of operation A is the input to operation B, and the output of operation B is the input back again to operation A.

A) Reciprocal interdependence
B) Pooled interdependence
C) Sequential interdependence
D) Routine interdependence

Question 25

The impact of technology on job design includes:

A) job simplification.
B) greater division of labor.
C) jobs requiring higher-level skills.
D) lower compensation because of the financial emphasis on equipment.

Question 26

Juan works for a college that offers correspondence courses. She works in the mailroom department stuffing envelopes with the replies of professors to students. She then seals the envelopes and puts them in an outgoing bin. She finds that on this job she has a lot of time for daydreaming. You would expect the organizational structure in her department should be:

A) mechanistic.
B) organic.
C) high in variety.
D) unanalyzable.

Question 27

Baseball would be a close analogy for:

A) sequential interdependence
B) pooled interdependence
C) reciprocal interdependence
D) the highest level of team interdependence

Question 28

The goal of the sociotechnical systems approach is to design the organization for:

A) joint optimization.
B) reengineering.
C) self-regulation of advanced technology.
D) strong organization culture.

Question 29

Teaching in a high school and medical services in a health clinic are referred to as an organization's _____ technology.

A) technical
B) core
C) craft
D) reciprocal

Question 30

____ is defined as designing the social and technical systems to fit the needs of one another.

A) Job design
B) Joint optimization
C) Coordination
D) Variety

Question 31

A building contractor is constructing 35 "track homes" on small adjoining parcels. The crew knows that the many subcontractors must complete their work in a proper order. What is your recommendation regarding the level of coordination required?

A) Because this is pooled interdependence, rules from the construction industry should suffice because then everyone on the job can learn the rules for the proper ordering of subcontractors.
B) Because this is reciprocal interdependence, cross-functional teams among all the subcontractors will be essential.
C) Because this is sequential interdependence, regularly scheduled meetings and planning will be needed to coordinate the ordering of the work.
D) Because this is a sociotechnical system, it is most important to design the coordination to improve efficiency, ignoring human needs.

Question 32

_____ technologies have high task variety, and the conversion process is not analyzable or well understood.

A) Nonroutine
B) Routine
C) Engineering
D) Craft

Question 33

_____ production is a manufacturing process characterized by long production runs of standardized parts. Output often goes into inventory from which orders are filled because customers do not have special needs.

A) Continuous-process
B) Unit
C) Large-batch
D) Small-batch

Question 34

The purpose of the sociotechnical systems approach is to:

A) apply the theory of job enlargement.
B) provide qualified management to an organization in a turbulent environment.
C) offer the most advanced information technology possible to maximize organizational competitiveness.
D) combine human needs with technical efficiency in job design.

Question 35

Hermes International produces a Kelly handbag, named for the late actress Grace Kelly. Craftsmen stitch the majority of each $7,000 bag by hand and sign it when they finish. This is an example of _____ production.

A) small-batch
B) large-batch
C) mass
D) continuous-process

Question 36

Which of the following is not true regarding mass production and the digital factory?

A) Mass production has many levels of control while the digital factory has few.
B) The span of control in mass production is narrow while the span of control in the digital factory is wide.
C) Tasks in mass production are routine and repetitive while tasks in the digital factory are adaptive and creative.
D) Decision making is centralized in mass production while it is decentralized in the digital factory.

Question 37

In football, the interdependence may be termed:

A) pooled because management must select individual players and develop their skills.
B) sequential because plays are run sequentially and events during the plays occur sequentially.
C) reciprocal because mutual adjustments must be made by the players.
D) sporadic, because it is really a game of individual talents.

Question 38

____ includes the assignment of goals and tasks to be accomplished by employees.

A) Job rotation
B) Job coordination
C) Job exchange
D) Job design

Question 39

Which of the following means that the job provides greater responsibility, recognition, and opportunities for growth and development?

A) Job enrichment
B) Job rotation
C) Job design
D) Job simplification

Question 40

In the _____ component of the digital factory, computers are used to assist in the drafting, design, and engineering of new parts.

A) manufacturing processes management
B) computer-aided manufacturing
C) computer-aided design
D) product life-cycle management

Question 41

Products of different sizes, types, and customer requirements freely intermingling on the assembly line is an advantage of lean manufacturing.

Question 42

Perrow was most concerned with two aspects of technology: variety and interdependence.

Question 43

Compared with traditional mass production technologies, FMS has a narrow span of control, few hierarchical levels, adaptive tasks, low specialization, and decentralization, and the overall environment is characterized as organic and self-regulative.

Question 44

Failing to adopt appropriate technologies to support strategy, or adopting a new technology and failing to realign strategy to match it, can lead to poor performance.

Question 45

"Technology" could be considered to be the tools, techniques, and actions that are used to transform organizational inputs into outputs.

Question 46

Span of control is the number of employees who report to a single manager or supervisor and is normally influenced by departmental technology.

Question 47

Boundary roles are used extensively in manufacturing firms, but rarely used in service organizations.

Question 48

In a service firm, the quality of a service is perceived and cannot be directly measured and compared in the same way that the quality of a tangible product can.

Question 49

Large-batch production is considered to have greater technical complexity than small-batch production on Woodward's scale.

Question 50

Service technologies are considered to be labor and knowledge intensive, while manufacturing technologies tend to be capital asset intensive.

Question 51

A mediating technology provides products or services that mediate or link clients from the external environment and, in doing so, allows each department to work independently.

Question 52

Perrow's study is classified as pertaining to organization-level technology, while Woodward's is classified as pertaining to department-level technology.

Question 53

Research suggests that FMS can become a competitive burden, rather than a competitive advantage, unless organizational structures and management processes are redesigned to take advantage of the new technology.

Question 54

The management systems in both unit production and continuous process are characterized as mechanistic, whereas mass production is seen as organic.

Question 55

Mass customization refers to the separation of one product from the mass production line so that it can be adapted to the needs of a particular market.

Question 56

Engineering technologies tend to be low in analyzability and high in variety.

Question 57

Core-technology is a department work process that is important to the organization but is not directly related to its primary mission.

Question 58

An integrated information network refers to a computerized system with a common database linking all areas of the organization such as accounting, inventory control, design, marketing, production, etc.

Question 59

Routine technologies are characterized by little task variety and the use of objective, computational procedures, whereas engineering technologies tend to be complex because there is substantial variety in the tasks performed.

Question 60

The production of tangible outputs from service technology, rather than intangible ones from manufacturing technology, is the most obvious difference between the two technologies.

Question 61

More advanced technology tends to cause job enrichment.

Question 62

Job enrichment refers to the expansion of the number of different tasks performed by an employee.

Question 63

Intensive technologies "refers to the combination in one organization of successive stages of production; each stage of production uses as its inputs the production of the preceding stage and produces inputs for the following stage."

Question 64

Discuss the three basic technology groups of Woodward's Study.

Question 65

Sequential interdependence exists when the output of operation A is the input of operation B, and the output of operation B is the input back again to operation A.

Question 66

Advanced technology does not always have a positive effect on employees, but research findings in general are encouraging, suggesting that jobs for workers are enriched rather than simplified, engaging their higher mental capacities, offering opportunities for learning and growth, and providing greater job satisfaction.

Question 67

The factory of today is far different from the industrial firms Woodward studied in the 1950s.

Question 68

Job simplification means that jobs are made less difficult and with fewer tasks.

Question 69

A baseball team is an example of pooled interdependence.

Question 70

The goal of mass customization is to provide customers with exactly what they want when they want it.

Question 71

Case 7.0
Toyz, a 7 year-old manufacturing company in a small valley town, produces about three plastic toy lines that they judge will be "hot" items for children. In their first two years, even though start-up costs were high, the company did well because they judged the unpredictable market well, and even set the pace within their region for popularity of a new bubble-maker. By their third year, however, similar cheaper bubble-makers were commonly imported from Taiwan, and the owner's judgments on other "hot" items were not on target; consequently Toyz operated at a loss for two years. Three years ago Toyz added a small new product line that they think might bring some stability to the company. In addition to the "hot" items, Toyz added a small "cash cow" line of plastic furniture for children. Last year the furniture line constituted 25% of total revenue, and they would like to keep the line at about 25% of total revenues.
The design department consists of five employees who are highly educated and are held responsible for safe engineering of a product that can realistically be manufactured. Toyz designers gear up annually in January for that year's Christmas season. As professionals, they make it a point to keep informed on government standards that are occasionally issued.
Some organization leaders feel that marketing is missing the boat by catering more to Toyz' end users rather than to the company's wholesale buyers. Toyz deals with only two major distributors to handle all warehousing and distribution. Frequently their orders are not filled correctly because sufficient quantity cannot always be produced on time.
Although top management is giving some consideration to outsourcing part of its manufacturing operations overseas (where labor is less costly), at the present time 4/5 of their employees are in manufacturing. The manufacturing area is kept very clean, but the odor on the premises is so bad that many people in town will not accept jobs there even though entry-level pay is somewhat above minimum wage.
Reference Case 7.0. Place Toyz' manufacturing, marketing, and design departments in Perrow's framework for departmental technology. Then, based on your analysis, make recommendations to management on any differences in how each of those departments should be managed.

Question 72

The manufacturing industry has increased three times as fast as the service sector in the North American economy.

Question 73

The goal of the sociotechnical systems approach is to design the organization for pooled interdependence.

Question 74

Interdependence means the extent to which departments depend on each other for information, resources, or materials to accomplish their tasks.

Question 75

Explain the difference between core technology and non-core technology.

Question 76

Traditional assembly lines, such as for automobiles, are an example of large-batch production.

Question 77

John Davis just decided to quit his job with General Motors where he worked in an assembly plant. He is going to open his own shop that will install customized mufflers on cars. Using Woodward's framework, explain the differences in the technologies of these two types of organizations. What resulting differences in organization structure should there be?

Question 78

Since decision making, communication, and coordination problems are greatest for reciprocal interdependence, reciprocal interdependence should receive last priority in organization structure.

Question 79

Woodward's scale of technical complexity originally had 15 categories.

Question 80

Direct interaction between customer and employee is generally very high with services, while there is little direct interaction between customers and employees in the technical core of a manufacturing firm.