Deck 8: Fundamentals of Organizing

Question 1

Which of the following is the main criticism of Weber's bureaucracy model?

A) It fails to emphasize setting detailed procedures and rules.
B) It gives short shrift to the human variable within organizations.
C) It does not emphasize a clearly defined organizational structure.
D) It overemphasizes positive relationships among organization members.
E) It attempts to eliminate paperwork and regulations.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to Fayol's guidelines for organizing resources, a manager should take all of the following actions, EXCEPT ________.

A) establish multiple guiding authorities
B) define duties
C) use sanctions against faults and errors
D) encourage initiative and responsibility
E) offer suitable rewards for services rendered

Answer 2

A

Question 3

________ is the process of establishing orderly uses for resources within the management system.

A) Organizing
B) Communication
C) Planning
D) Controlling
E) Motivation

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Joe and Jim are planning to open an Italian restaurant in a St. Louis suburb. When the two of them meet to decide what tasks need to be completed in order to meet their vision and then group like tasks into jobs, which of the following management functions are they undertaking?

A) planning
B) organizing
C) influencing
D) controlling
E) assigning

Question 5

________ skill is the ability to establish orderly uses for resources within the management system.

A) Organizing
B) Communication
C) Planning
D) Controlling
E) Marketing

Question 6

The bureaucracy model of organizing was proposed by ________.

A) V. A. Graicunas
B) Henri Fayol
C) Albert Einstein
D) Mary Parker Follett
E) Max Weber

Question 7

According to Fayol's guidelines for organizing resources, a manager should take steps to avoid ________.

A) formulating precise decisions
B) using sanctions against faults and errors
C) instituting and effecting controls
D) regulations, red tape, and paperwork
E) defining duties

Question 8

Which of the following is the first step in the organizing process?

A) establish major tasks
B) reflect on plans and objectives
C) allocate resources and directives for subtasks
D) evaluate results of organizing strategy
E) divide major tasks into subtasks

Question 9

Bureaucracy can be characterized as a management system with detailed procedures, rules, and a clearly outlined organizational hierarchy with impersonal relationships among organization members.

Question 10

What role does division of labor play in the organizing function of management?

Question 11

According to Fayol's guidelines for organizing resources, managers should ________.

A) establish multiple guiding authorities
B) make extensive use of regulations and paperwork
C) not use sanctions against faults and errors
D) recognize the unity of command
E) not link rewards to performance

Question 12

Weber defined a management system as a bureaucracy when it included which of the following components?

A) minimum regulations and paperwork
B) close, personal relations among organization members
C) emphasis on the human variable
D) detailed procedures and rules
E) a loosely defined organizational hierarchy

Question 13

Organizing is the process of establishing orderly uses for all resources within the management system.

Question 14

Boris Beckman is a maintenance coordinator for XYZ Widgets. He has recently been assigned the task of analyzing the working relationships that exist between management and employees at XYZ. Which of the following functions will the tasks he is currently completing be covered under?

A) Planning
B) Organizing
C) Influencing
D) Evaluating
E) Controlling

Question 15

When Megan is assigning rooms, presenters, and times for the upcoming conference speakers, she is involved in the ________ function of management.

A) Planning
B) Organizing
C) Influencing
D) Controlling
E) Scheduling

Question 16

Who was the Classical theorist that recommended businesses avoid red tape, regulations, and establish multiple guiding authorities when organizing resources?

A) Mildred Wagner
B) Frederick Taylor
C) Lillian Gilbreth
D) Henry Fayol
E) James Douglas

Question 17

Which of the following is the last step in the organizing process?

A) Allocate resources and directives for subtasks.
B) Evaluate results of organizing strategy.
C) Establish major tasks.
D) Reflect on plans and objectives.
E) Divide major tasks into subtasks.

Question 18

Discuss the five main steps in the organizing process.

Question 19

It is recognized today that the bureaucratic approach without an appropriate emphasis on the human variable is almost certainly a formula for organizational failure.

Question 20

The second and third steps of the organizing process focus on the ________.

A) results of the organizing strategy
B) organizational plans
C) organizational goals and objectives
D) tasks to be performed within the management system
E) allocation of resources and directives

Question 21

________ is the assignment of various portions of a particular task among a number of organization members.

A) Participation
B) Job enlargement
C) Division of labor
D) Job rotation
E) Work sharing

Question 22

Organization structure is represented primarily by means of a graphic illustration called a(n) ________.

A) semantic network
B) executive dashboard
C) directed graph
D) organization chart
E) critical path

Question 23

Which of the following is a disadvantage of division of labor?

A) It makes the work more difficult.
B) It makes work more time-consuming and inefficient.
C) It can result in workers getting bored of their work.
D) It prevents workers from specializing at a task.
E) It requires workers to know about the entire process and not just one task.

Question 24

Which of the following would Mary Parker Follett say is necessary in order for managers to have effective coordination in their organizations?

A) Coordination can be achieved by having employees specialize on individual tasks.
B) Peer discussions are not appropriate for resolving coordination issues.
C) Coordination should be discussed and accounted for during the planning process.
D) Coordination is a once-and-done managerial activity.
E) Coordination is only a concern for managerial employees

Question 25

The matrix structure is contradictory to the principle of unity of command.

Question 26

According to Follett, coordination can be attained with the least difficulty through ________.

A) a bureaucratic structure
B) a strict adherence to the chain of command
C) minimizing the human element
D) direct horizontal relationships and personal communications
E) discussions with people higher up the organization hierarchy

Question 27

Informal structure is ________.

A) molded by individual norms and values and social relationships
B) defined as the relationships among organizational resources as outlined by management
C) represented primarily by the organization chart
D) usually represented in a pyramid form
E) usually identical to an organization's formal structure

Question 28

Describe what is meant by the term "division of labor." Also explain the advantages and disadvantages associated with division of labor.

Question 29

What is it Max Weber means when he defines a bureaucracy as a management system including impersonal relationships among organization members?

Question 30

________ departmentalization focuses on locations, while ________ departmentalization focuses on the individuals who procure the firm's goods and services.

A) Product; geography
B) Matrix; product
C) Geography; customer
D) Customer; product
E) Product; matrix

Question 31

Formal structure is ________.

A) molded by individual norms and values and social relationships
B) defined as the relationships that evolve naturally among organization members
C) represented primarily by the organization chart
D) usually drawn directly from an organization's informal structure
E) usually identical to an organization's informal structure

Question 32

While the positioning of ________ in an organization chart depicts working relationships, the ________ on the chart depict formal lines of communication between individuals.

A) lines; boxes
B) symbols; drawings
C) boxes; symbols
D) boxes; lines
E) graphic; lines

Question 33

Alistair Fashions, a clothing manufacturer, uses an assembly-line to manufacture clothes whereby different groups of workers specialize in particular tasks - cutting fabric, finishing sleeves, making collars, fixing zippers, sewing buttons, etc. Which organizing system is being used at Alistair?

A) job rotation
B) job enlargement
C) participative management
D) division of labor
E) job enrichment

Question 34

Sabrina has asked for input on how to organize the efforts of her many employees who are responsible for completing individual portions of a task in a synchronized order. Which of the following organizing topics does Sabrina need help with?

A) Division of labor
B) Coordination
C) Influencing
D) Controlling
E) Planning

Question 35

The more experienced the employees and manager are, the ________ the manager's span of management can be.

A) wider
B) narrower
C) briefer
D) flatter
E) taller

Question 36

Tara Jones is a Customer Service Manager struggling trying to understand why the employees in her department spend time chatting with employees from other departments. Tara needs help understanding the concept of the ________ organizational structure.

A) formal
B) informal
C) rigid
D) social
E) major

Question 37

Which of the following is an advantage of division of labor?

A) It emphasizes the human variable in organizations.
B) It results in high levels of employee motivation.
C) It results in specialization and higher skill levels.
D) It makes work more interesting.
E) It broadens the scope of work.

Question 38

Traditionally, an organization chart is constructed in a ________ form.

A) radial tree
B) spider diagram
C) pyramid
D) hyperbolic tree
E) pie-diagram

Question 39

________ is defined as the orderly arrangement of group effort to provide unity of action in the pursuit of a common purpose.

A) Justification
B) Combination
C) Amalgamation
D) Coordination
E) Rationalization

Question 40

Which of the following is one of Follett's guidelines on coordination?

A) Personal communication should be minimized in coordination.
B) Managers can assume that if their system shows coordination now, it will show coordination in the future.
C) The human element should be minimized in coordination.
D) Managers should plan for coordination.
E) Coordination can be achieved with least difficulty through vertical relationships.

Question 41

A poultry farm that uses lateral specialties within its departments is said to be practicing ________ dimensioning.

A) vertical
B) horizontal
C) proximal
D) distance
E) diagonal

Question 42

According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management widens when ________.

A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are similar
B) subordinates are carrying out complex functions
C) the manager needs to spend a lot of time on planning activities
D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully
E) subordinates are widely physically separated

Question 43

Which of the following is true about the height of an organization chart?

A) An organization's structure should be built from bottom to top to ensure that appropriate spans of management are achieved at all levels.
B) Span of management usually has no influence on the height of an organization chart.
C) Increasing spans of management to eliminate certain management positions and thereby reducing salary expenses will help the organization achieve long-term success.
D) Normally, the greater the height of the organization chart, the smaller the span of management.
E) Overall, managers seem to be using taller organizational structures now than in the past.

Question 44

________ developed a formula for determining the number of possible relationships between a manager and subordinates when the number of subordinates is known.

A) Mary Parker Follett
B) Henri Fayol
C) F. W. Taylor
D) Max Weber
E) V. A. Graicunas

Question 45

Graicunas's formula is as follows: C = n( + n- 1). What does n stand for in this formula?

A) the total number of departments in an organization
B) the appropriate number of subordinates a manager can have
C) the total number of levels an organization can have
D) the known number of subordinates for a particular manager
E) the appropriate number of possible relationships between manager and subordinates

Question 46

If the Willis Tower in Chicago was designed to depict each floor as a level of management we would say the organization's height is ________.

A) average
B) flat
C) tall
D) wide
E) narrow

Question 47

According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, which of the following situations would warrant a relatively wide span of control?

A) supervising a team of scientists engaged in complex research work
B) supervising a team of factory workers sewing buttons onto shirts
C) managing a virtual team of engineers spread across several countries
D) managing a highly interdependent production team
E) managing and coordinating the activities of a marketing team

Question 48

According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management narrows when ________.

A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are similar
B) subordinates are carrying out simple functions
C) the manager spends little time on planning activities
D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully
E) subordinates are physically located close to one another

Question 49

Which of the following is true about the traditional organization chart constructed in pyramid form?

A) Lines between boxes designate informal lines of communication between individuals.
B) Relative positioning of individuals within boxes on the chart indicates broad social relationships.
C) Individuals toward the top of the pyramid have more authority than those toward the bottom.
D) Such organizational charts cannot communicate the complexity of the organization.
E) Individuals toward the bottom of the pyramid have more responsibility than those toward the top.

Question 50

Graicunas's formula is as follows: C = n( + n- 1). What does C stand for in this formula?

A) the total number of departments possible in an organization
B) the appropriate number of subordinates a manager can have
C) the appropriate number of levels an organization can have
D) the total number of possible relationships between manager and subordinates
E) the degree of the difficulty in coordinating a certain number of subordinates

Question 51

Andrew is a mid-level manager with three organizational levels above him and two below him. He has four analysts reporting directly to him. Using Graicunas's formula, calculate the total number of possible relationships between Andrew and his subordinates.

A) 4
B) 16
C) 44
D) 56
E) 64

Question 52

________ is directly related to the concept of the scalar relationship - that is, the chain of command.

A) Matrix structuring
B) Departmentalizing
C) Vertical dimensioning
D) Horizontal dimensioning
E) Lateralizing

Question 53

According to Graicunas's formula for determining the number of possible relationships between a manager and subordinates, as the number of subordinates increases arithmetically, the number of possible relationships between the manager and those subordinates ________.

A) increases proportionately
B) decreases proportionately
C) increases geometrically
D) increases arithmetically, too
E) decreases geometrically

Question 54

Span of management refers to the number of ________.

A) levels in an organization
B) organizational levels above an individual
C) organizational levels below an individual
D) bosses an individual has
E) individuals a manager supervises

Question 55

Which of the following is a criticism of Graicunas's work in span of management?

A) He failed to emphasize the importance of span of management on the organization.
B) He does not recognize the principle of unity of command.
C) He does not consider the number of actual relationships among superiors and subordinates.
D) He fails to specify what will happen if the number of subordinates increases or decreases.
E) He takes into account managers' relationships outside the organization.

Question 56

A poultry farm that uses scalar relationships in its structure is said to be practicing ________ dimensioning.

A) vertical
B) horizontal
C) proximal
D) distance
E) diagonal

Question 57

Unity of command is the management principle that recommends that ________.

A) all managers share the same goals
B) all employees should accept their formal leader or leaders
C) an individual have only one boss
D) organizational plans be consistent with organizational goals
E) the organizing system be consistent with organizational plans

Question 58

Fred is a Grade D manager in Lighthouse Infrastructure and manages a small team of eight engineers. The company has 15 Grade D managers. He worked his way up from the lowest grade, Grade E, where he was one of 52 line managers and hopes to be promoted to Grade C soon, which would make him one of the six vice-presidents in the company. However, breaking into Grade B, comprising three presidents, will be a challenge. Only the CEO and COO occupy Grade A. Which of the following numbers represents Fred's span of management?

A) 15
B) 60
C) 52
D) 8
E) 11

Question 59

The ________ of an organization refers to the extent to which firms use lateral subdivisions or specialties within an organization.

A) laddering
B) horizontal dimensioning
C) vertical integration
D) vertical dimensioning
E) backward integration

Question 60

Sabrina is a supervisor currently frustrated with the limited connections she has with the employees in her department. She has recently faced the reality decision making and job assignments are suffering for some because she does not have enough time to communicate with all employees during the day. She has examined the similarity and complexity of the actions her employees perform, as well as the amount of time the employees jobs overlap. By doing this, which of the following organizing concepts is she examining?

A) Formal structure
B) Informal structure
C) Organizational chart
D) Span of management
E) Chain of command

Question 61

Which of the following is an advantage of functional departmentalizing?

A) It facilitates coordination between various functions.
B) It facilitates assigning of blame when a product performs poorly.
C) It allows firms to pool human resources for both short-term and long-term projects.
D) It promotes consistency in how functions are carried out.
E) It facilitates differentiation of strategy across different segments.

Question 62

The organization structure at Kinetic Machines is horizontally divided into Marketing, Finance, Production, and R&D departments. Identify the departmentalization mode being used here.

A) product
B) geographic
C) functional
D) customer
E) matrix

Question 63

Traditionally, individuals at the top of a pyramid-shaped organizational structure have more authority but less responsibility than individuals at the bottom of the pyramid.

Question 64

Normally, the greater the height of the organization chart, the smaller the span of management.

Question 65

Gizmo Sales, a company that sells office supplies to companies in Atlanta, GA, has organized the business horizontally into departments named North Atlanta, South Atlanta, and Downtown Atlanta. This indicates that Gizmo has departmentalized on the basis of ________.

A) products
B) projects
C) customers
D) territories
E) functions

Question 66

Which of the following is the most widely used basis for departmentalization?

A) customer
B) work functions
C) geography
D) matrix
E) product or service

Question 67

John is responsible for creating the work schedule for the employees he manages. Those employees are actually members of the ________ John manages.

A) industry
B) workshop
C) department
D) network
E) influencing

Question 68

Discuss the connection between the planning and organizing functions of management.

Question 69

You can see a company's informal organizational structure represented primarily on the firm's organizational chart.

Question 70

Which of the following is an advantage of departmentalizing by matrix?

A) It clarifies the power structure within the firm.
B) It helps employees prioritize responsibilities.
C) It facilitates coordination across projects.
D) It allows firms to achieve unity of command.
E) It allows firms to pool human resources for short-term and long-term projects.

Question 71

Define the concepts of vertical dimensioning, scalar relationships, and unity of command and explain how they are related.

Question 72

Pixel Technologies, a manufacturer of electronic products and cell phones, has divided the business into two divisions - Electronics Retailers and Cell Phone Retailers. This indicates that Pixel Technologies has departmentalized on the basis of ________.

A) geography
B) products
C) functional
D) customers
E) matrix

Question 73

The formal structure of an organization evolves naturally and tends to be molded by individual norms and values and social relationships.

Question 74

The organization structure at Sinclair Funds, a financial services company, is divided horizontally into Insurance, Mutual Funds, and Wealth Management departments. Identify the departmentalization mode being used here.

A) matrix
B) customer
C) product or service
D) geographic
E) functional

Question 75

At Landmark Constructions, crucial projects are handled completely by project managers who are empowered to borrow marketing, sales, engineering, finance and R&D staff, and other employees from various parts of the organization to complete their projects. Identify the departmentalization mode being used in this company.

A) customer
B) matrix
C) product
D) geographic
E) functional

Question 76

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of functional departmentalizing?

A) difficulty for employees to prioritize responsibilities
B) lack of unity of command
C) difficulty in coordinating between various functions
D) difficulty in assigning blame or credit for the performance of a function
E) lack of consistency in carrying out functions

Question 77

Explain the concept of span of management, and discuss the factors that influence the appropriateness of the size of an individual's span of management.

Question 78

In general, the closer the subordinates are in location to each other, the more of them managers can supervise effectively.

Question 79

Explain the connection that exists between organizational height and the span of management.

Question 80

Span of management refers to the number of organizational levels below that of a particular manager.