Question 1

A young woman tries to return a defective pair of earphones to a large chain store, only to be told that company policy prohibits returns of such products on hygienic grounds. What aspect of bureaucracy is captured in this example?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A young woman tries to return a...

Question 2

Long waits at the emergency department of a hospital, having to "take a number," and interacting with workers who seem more mired in routine than concerned about you, are examples of which characteristic of bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

Dehumanization refers to the bureaucratic process that treats individuals as objects or numbers rather than as human beings with unique needs and concerns. The scenario described in the question highlights the long waits, impersonal interactions, and lack of concern for the patient's individual needs, which are all characteristics of dehumanization within a bureaucratic system.

Question 3

A president of a large corporation sends out an email to initiate some corporate cultural change, but after six months is frustrated with the lack of results. Why might this be the case?

Accepted Answer

Information in a hierarchical organization can get blocked or changed as it moves down the chain of command. This can lead to the message being diluted or not fully understood by employees, resulting in a lack of action or change. It is important for leaders to communicate their messages clearly and consistently through various channels to ensure they are effectively received by employees.

Question 4

According to research, which of the following leadership styles is LEAST effective?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that laissez-faire leadership, which involves very little direction or guidance from the leader, is the least effective style of leadership.

Question 5

Most of us develop some degree of loyalty to secondary groups in our lives-such as school loyalty, or company loyalty-yet we may know only a fraction of the members in these groups. According to the text, how is this commitment fostered?

Accepted Answer

This commitment is fostered by imagination, as individuals imagine themselves as part of a larger group or community, even without personal acquaintance with all its members. This sense of belonging and identity with the group is cultivated in the mind, beyond direct experiences or emotional connections.

Question 6

A president of a large corporation sends out a memo to initiate some corporate cultural change, but after six months is frustrated with the lack of results. Why might this be the case?

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon known as the paperwork blizzard refers to the overwhelming amount of paperwork and bureaucracy that exists within a corporation, often leading to slow decision making and lack of action. The president's memo may have been lost in the shuffle or not prioritized among the many other tasks and paperwork within the company, leading to a lack of results.

Question 7

Many people believe that former U.S. president George W. Bush and the senior political bureaucrats of his government seized too much power when running the American government. Which ideas about bureaucracy do these criticisms reflect?

Accepted Answer

The criticisms suggest that a small group of people (oligarchy) within the government (bureaucracy) had too much power and control over decision-making.

Question 8

Based on what you've read in the text, if you had the opportunity to run a large bureaucratically structured corporation for a day, what changes would you make in order to overcome bureaucratic inefficiency?

Accepted Answer

By making a flatter hierarchy and decentralizing decision making, the organization can reduce bureaucratic inefficiency. This would empower employees to take ownership of their work and allow for more innovation and flexibility in decision making. Centralizing decision making (option B) would only reinforce bureaucratic inefficiency as all decisions would have to go through a limited number of individuals, causing delays and potential bottlenecks. Eliminating communication entirely (options C and D) would only create further problems within the organization.

Question 9

In bureaucracies, bigger is not always better. Which of the following statements helps to explain why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In bureaucracies, bigger is not always better....

Question 10

The president of the company made many rules and regulations. However, she always requested feedback from her employees to ensure that the rules and regulations were effective and not hindering productivity. What kind of leadership style did this president follow?

Accepted Answer

The president of the company followed a democratic leadership style where she involved her employees in the decision-making process by requesting feedback. This shows a collaborative approach to leadership, which is the essence of democratic leadership.

Question 11

You are an auto worker in an assembly plant, working on a line with a small team of other workers. In addition to doing their own jobs, all team members are also responsible for checking the quality of the work being performed. What is the term given to this style of worker authority?

Accepted Answer

The term given to this style of worker authority is a quality circle. A quality circle is a group of workers who voluntarily come together to identify and solve quality-related problems in their work area. They are responsible for checking the quality of work being performed in addition to their own jobs.

Question 12

According to the text, which leadership style is most effective?

Accepted Answer

According to the text, democratic leadership is considered the most effective because it encourages participation and input from members of the group or team, leading to better decision-making and a more motivated and satisfied team.

Question 13

Donna worked in a large factory sewing collars on blouses day after day. In order to decrease the monotony, she treated it as a game-trying to exceed her output from the previous day. A co-worker took her aside and told her to stop, or management would increase everyone's quota. What does this action demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

The co-worker's warning to Donna reflects the influence of social networks within the workplace on productivity. By attempting to increase her output, Donna risks altering the expectations for all workers, demonstrating how peer interactions and social norms can impact individual behavior and overall productivity.

Question 14

Many of the secondary groups we belong to are a paradox, in the sense that we are close to some members yet distant from most others. Which of the following statements best identifies how people foster their shared sense of group belonging?

Accepted Answer

People often foster a shared sense of group belonging through shared beliefs, values, and symbols, which are imagined constructs that help create a sense of unity among members.

Question 15

What major global trend has overtaken business organizations over the past 40 years?

Accepted Answer

The convergence of U.S. and Japanese corporate management styles has been a major global trend over the past 40 years, as both countries have adopted elements of each other's management practices. This has led to a greater emphasis on teamwork, quality control, and continuous improvement in many organizations around the world.

Question 16

Which of the following statements reflects Max Weber's perspective of bureaucracies?

Accepted Answer

Max Weber viewed bureaucracies as the most efficient secondary group due to their emphasis on rules, specialization, and hierarchy. He saw them as necessary in modern societies to ensure rationality and predictability in institutions.

Question 17

Every year Canada's Auditor General files a report to parliament describing the waste of millions of dollars in government bureaucracies. Each report is almost a photocopy of the previous year's report. This waste by the government captures which aspect of bureaucracy?

Accepted Answer

Bureaucratic inertia refers to the tendency of bureaucratic organizations to continue their existing procedures and operations, even if they are inefficient or wasteful. The repeated reports of waste indicate a resistance to change, characteristic of bureaucratic inertia.

Question 18

How many dyadic relationships are possible among 50 people?

Accepted Answer

A dyadic relationship is a relationship between two individuals, so we need to choose 2 people out of a group of 50. This can be done in 50 choose 2 ways, which is equal to (50!/48!2!) = 1225. Therefore, the answer is (C) 1225.

Question 19

A president of a large corporation sends out an email memo to initiate some corporate cultural change, but after six months is frustrated with the lack of results. Why might this be the case?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A president of a large corporation sends...

Question 20

The president of the company was frustrated that his directive to hire 100 new employees had not been carried out. He discovered that the hiring practices involved three interviews and a formal vetting process, designed to ensure that the best person was hired for each position. What was inhibiting the growth of the company's workforce?

Accepted Answer

The company's hiring process is overly focused on following procedures (bureaucratic ritualism), which is slowing down the hiring of new employees.

Quiz 21: Networks, Groups, Bureaucracies, and Societies