Deck 6: Organizational Design

Question 1

Some of the more common ways in which activities of personnel can be grouped within an organization are:

A) Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal.
B) By clientele, by geography, and by process.
C) By rank, by structure, and by project.
D) By line, by group, and by organizational affiliation.

Answer 1

By clientele, by geography, and by process.

Question 2

Organizational design focuses on two spatial levels of differentiation:

A) Lateral and diagonal.
B) Tall and flat.
C) Activity and geography.
D) Vertical and horizontal.

Answer 2

Vertical and horizontal.

Question 3

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a flat organizational structure?

A) Slower communication.
B) Reduced communication distortion.
C) Higher employee job satisfaction.
D) Shortened lines of communication.

Answer 3

Slower communication.

Question 4

The oldest, simplest, and clearest form of organizational design in:

A) Matrix.
B) Line and staff.
C) Line.
D) Functional.

Question 5

In reference to organizational structure, community policing advocates an executive philosophy which emphasizes all of the following except:

A) Continuous community involvement.
B) Shorter and flatter design.
C) Centralization of police services.
D) Less specialization.

Question 6

In comparing traditional versus community policing organizational structure, which of the following statements is true?

A) Traditional policing models are non-bureaucratic and flat whereas community policing Structure is closed and interactive.
B) Community policing models are based on Michel's "iron low of oligarchy" which advocates high specialization and a closed organizational design.
C) Traditional policing models are rigid and formal, whereas community policing models are open to change and sensitive to the environment.
D) Community policing models are similar to those in an intelligence-led policing organizational structure.

Question 7

You are a state trooper working for a police agency that has statewide jurisdiction. It is likely that your organization will be grouped by:

A) Clientele.
B) Geography.
C) Process.
D) Project.

Question 8

Which of the following would not be considered a "line" unit within a police agency?

A) Uniform patrol.
B) Training.
C) Investigations
D) Traffic.

Question 9

You are a police officer who works in a police department that has a shorter and flatter organizational design, is less formalized, less rule oriented, and less specialized. What model of policing is your department currently practicing?

A) Traditional.
B) Reactive.
C) Community.
D) Response to incidents.

Question 10

The principle of hierarchy results in different grades of authority that comprise the:

A) Chain of command.
B) Hierarchy of administration.
C) Span of management.
D) Organizational differentiation.

Question 11

The term used to most accurately describe the number of personnel a supervisor can personally manage effectively is:

A) Span of control
B) Vertical control
C) Span of management
D) Vertical management

Question 12

Which policing philosophy requires every level of the organization to have a structure and design that highlights no only effective communication, but also the sharing of information and other resource?

A) Intelligence-led policing
B) Team policing
C) Traditional policing
D) Zero-tolerance policing

Question 13

Which group does not appear on organizational charts, but exits I every organization?

A) The line
B) The staff
C) Intelligence analysts
D) The informal organization

Question 14

Which of the following is not an important characteristic of the informal organization?

A) Naturalness.
B) Social distance.
C) Leadership.
D) Sympathy.

Question 15

Which of the following is an advantage of flatter organizational structures with higher spans of management?

A) Better communication within the organization.
B) Increased fiscal responsibility.
C) Less micromanaged supervision.
D) All of the above.

Question 16

The major advantage of which type of police organizational design is that it increases organizational complexity?

A) Line structure.
B) Functional structure.
C) Administrative structure.
D) Matrix structure.

Question 17

The major disadvantage of the _____________ organizational design is that it increases organizational complexity.

Question 18

____________ refers to the number of subordinates a police administrator can personally direct effectively.

Question 19

You have recently been transferred to the training department within your police agency from patrol operations. Therefore, you have moved from a ____________ unit to a ____________ unit.

Question 20

Police departments sometimes use a ____________ structure in response to a major crime that has occurred within the community that needs input from a variety of sources within the police department.

Question 21

Many have suggested that police departments fully utilizing community policing will need to restructure their organizations with an emphasis on ____________ of police services.

Question 22

The rapid growth and size of many police agencies has been accompanied by corresponding the rapid growth and specialization and a need for the expansion of ____________ to provide support for operating units.

Question 23

In many respects, the role of ____________ in a sheriff's office is very similar to that of the police chief in a municipal police department, in that the person occupying this position assumes direct operational command over the entire organization.

Question 24

____________ denotes one's place in terms of grade of authority, whereas ____________ indicates an assignment.

Question 25

Whereas ____________ is a bottom-up philosophy that places street officers at the forefront of problem identification and subsequent solutions, the ____________ is much more hierarchical and emphasizes the top-down approach.

Question 26

Some amount of hierarchy is needed for coordination, but the extremely ____________ police organization is neither needed nor particularly functional.

Question 27

Discuss the differences between tall organizational structures and flat organizational structures.

Question 28

List and discuss four basic types of structural designs within police departments.

Question 29

Identify the basic causes of tension between line and staff.

Question 30

Describe the characteristics of the informal organization.

Question 31

Match the concept from Column 1 to the type of personnel grouping (on a horizontal dimension) listed in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Simplest type of personnel grouping

A) Grouping by clientele
B) Grouping by style of service
C) Grouping by geography
D) Grouping by time
E) Grouping by process

Question 32

Match the concept from Column 1 to the type of personnel grouping (on a horizontal dimension) listed in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Type of personnel grouping that usually bisects the organization into patrol and detectives

A) Grouping by clientele
B) Grouping by style of service
C) Grouping by geography
D) Grouping by time
E) Grouping by process

Question 33

Match the concept from Column 1 to the type of personnel grouping (on a horizontal dimension) listed in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Type of personnel grouping that utilizes local commands by precinct.

A) Grouping by clientele
B) Grouping by style of service
C) Grouping by geography
D) Grouping by time
E) Grouping by process

Question 34

Match the concept from Column 1 to the type of personnel grouping (on a horizontal dimension) listed in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Type of personnel grouping that results in the grouping of employees by the type of equipment they use to perform particular functions.

A) Grouping by clientele
B) Grouping by style of service
C) Grouping by geography
D) Grouping by time
E) Grouping by process

Question 35

Match the concept from Column 1 to the type of personnel grouping (on a horizontal dimension) listed in Column 2. Each item in Column 2 will be used only once.

-Type of personnel grouping that usually results in division into three platoons working distinct shifts.

A) Grouping by clientele
B) Grouping by style of service
C) Grouping by geography
D) Grouping by time
E) Grouping by process

Question 36

If you were a police administrator, what do you believe would be a reasonable span of management? In other words, how many subordinates do you believe you could effectively supervise and why?

Question 37

As a police manager would you prefer to have an agency that was "tall" or one that was "flat"? Justify your response.

Question 38

As a new chief of police you want to implement the intelligence-led policing philosophy. Would you use a "top-down" or a "bottom-up" approach and why?

Question 39

If you worked in a police department as a commander (Captain), would you prefer to manage a "line" or "staff" operation? Why?

Question 40

As a chief of police how would you use the "informal organization" to get feedback from officers on a potential change you are considering on "off-duty" employment?