Question 1

Which of the following strategies might senior managers in a government department 	pursue if they wanted their department to be recognized as a "learning organization?"

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

Amitai Etzioni described different ways managers might try to gain control over 	workers. Which of the following management approaches would Etzioni likely label 	as an example of "normative control?"

Accepted Answer

Organizational culture involves the establishment of norms and values that shape employee behavior and decision-making, making it an example of normative control according to Etzioni's framework. Lean production, quality of working life programs, and total quality management involve other types of control, such as technical, bureaucratic, and output control, respectively.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the introduction of "high-performance 	workplaces" in North America?

Accepted Answer

The introduction of high-performance workplaces in North America may be leading to greater labor market segmentation, as these workplaces often require specialized skills and knowledge, which can result in a divide between workers who have the skills and those who do not. The other options (A, C, and D) are not accurate descriptions of the introduction of high-performance workplaces in North America.

Question 4

Which of the following is a key feature of a "high-performance workplace?"

Accepted Answer

A high-performance workplace often emphasizes a family-friendly work environment as part of its strategy to improve employee satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. This approach can help in attracting and retaining top talent by supporting work-life balance.

Question 5

The registrar of your university has been telling the vice-president (human resources) that whatever changes she introduces, she must remember to consider everything from a student's perspective. Which new managerial paradigm does the registrar appear to be following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The registrar of your university has been...

Question 6

Your university's vice-president (human resources) has asked for your advice on creating a "high-performance workplace" (HPW). She is recommending a series of organizational changes, including: increased training for employees; additional layers of middle management to make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to do; more workplace wellness programs: and financial incentives for improved performance. Which of these proposed changes would concern you the most, given the vice-president's goal of creating an HPW?

Accepted Answer

The addition of more layers of middle management is a concern because it may lead to increased bureaucracy and decreased efficiency. It can also create confusion as employees may receive conflicting information from different levels of management. Instead of adding more layers, it may be more effective to improve communication and support between current managers and employees to ensure everyone knows what they are supposed to do.

Question 7

Japanese management approaches, quality of working life programs, and Swedish 	work reforms have many things in common. Swedish work reforms, however, went 	considerably further in which of the following ways?

Accepted Answer

Swedish work reforms went further in redistributing power relationships within work organizations. While Japanese management approaches and quality of working life programs also aim to improve the working conditions of employees, they do not necessarily focus on restructuring power dynamics within organizations. The choice of requiring all workers to be union members and promoting employee profit-sharing plans are not unique to Swedish work reforms. Meanwhile, while developing family-friendly workplaces is a part of Swedish work reforms, it is not something that sets it apart from Japanese management approaches and quality of working life programs.

Question 8

Many different managerial approaches have been developed in Europe, Japan, and North America over the past several decades, all trying to deal with "problems of bureaucracy." Which of the following new managerial paradigms has placed the most emphasis on employing nonstandard workers (e.g., part-time, temporary)?

Accepted Answer

The flexible firm paradigm emphasizes the use of nonstandard or contingent workers, such as part-time, temporary, or contract workers, to achieve greater flexibility and responsiveness to changing market conditions. This approach is particularly relevant in industries with fluctuating demand or short product life cycles. The other paradigms, such as high-performance workplace, lean production, and total quality management, do not necessarily rely on nonstandard workers as a core component of their strategies.

Question 9

Hiroto, your neighbour who came to Canada from Japan 15 years ago, is telling you about the job he used to hold in a large Japanese manufacturing company. He describes frequent after-work social activities he enjoyed with his workmates, how he and his workmates worked as a team, the many women who worked in the company, and the opportunities for younger workers to get promoted. Which of these things experienced by Hiroto are basic elements of Japanese management approaches?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hiroto, your neighbour who came to Canada...

Question 10

Ringi, a Japanese word describing a key component of Japanese management approaches, is best described by which of the following statements?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ringi, a Japanese word describing a key...

Question 11

Which of the following is a key feature of "total quality management"?

Accepted Answer

Total quality management emphasizes continuous improvement in the production of goods or delivery of services.

Question 12

Piore and Sabel described what they saw as the future of manufacturing and called it 	"flexible specialization." Which of the following social theorists would likely have 	agreed that this is the direction we are heading?

Accepted Answer

Daniel Bell, a sociologist and post-industrialist, argued that manufacturing was moving towards smaller, more specialized production units that could adapt to changing consumer demands. This aligns with Piore and Sabel's concept of flexible specialization. Marx, Weber, and Smith did not address this specific concept of manufacturing in their theories.

Question 13

Training workers to perform a variety of different tasks would represent which of the following forms of work organization flexibility?

Accepted Answer

Functional flexibility refers to the ability of workers to perform a variety of different tasks within an organization. This allows for greater adaptability to changing demands and reduces the need for specialized workers, making it a form of work organization flexibility. A, B, and D are forms of flexibility that do not directly relate to the ability of workers to perform a variety of tasks.

Question 14

Attempts to convince employees to identify with the "organizational culture" of their company are most similar to which of the following management approaches?

Accepted Answer

Human relations management focuses on improving morale and creating a positive organizational culture, which aligns with efforts to encourage employees to identify with their company's culture.

Question 15

Which of the following is the best explanation for Japan's strong economic performance after its economy was basically destroyed during World War II?

Accepted Answer

Japan's post-war economic success was largely due to its unique management approaches and organizational structures, such as the keiretsu system of interlocking relationships between companies and the emphasis on continuous improvement known as kaizen. These strategies allowed Japanese companies to quickly rebuild and modernize their industries. The strong work ethic of Japanese workers also played a role in this success, but it was not the sole or primary factor. Access to cheap labor in South Asia and the rapid introduction of automated technologies were not significant influences on Japan's economic performance in the post-war period.

Question 16

A completely new workplace that offers opportunities for both technological and 	social innovations is best described by which of the following concepts?

Accepted Answer

A greenfield site refers to a completely new workplace that has not been developed or built on before. It offers opportunities for both technological and social innovations since the design and construction of the workplace can be tailored to suit the organization's specific needs and goals.

Question 17

Proponents of "high-performance workplaces" advocate, among other things, involving employees in decision making, training them to do a variety of tasks, providing incentives for improved performance, and encouraging teamwork. If Frederick W. Taylor were asked to evaluate this management approach, with which of these approaches would he likely agree?

Accepted Answer

Frederick W. Taylor was a proponent of scientific management, which focused on optimizing the efficiency of work processes through standardization and the use of incentives for improved performance. Therefore, he would likely agree with providing incentives for improved performance in high-performance workplaces. However, he would not necessarily agree with the other approaches listed, as employee involvement in decision making and encouraging teamwork may be seen as taking away from the efficiency of work processes, and training employees to perform a variety of tasks may not align with his emphasis on specialization and division of labor.

Question 18

Ajit, a machine operator in a factory, was recently trained to perform basic maintenance on his machine, and how to do related paper work (e.g., order replacement parts). Which of the following terms best describes the changes in Ajit's job description?

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment refers to adding tasks or responsibilities to an employee's job in order to increase their level of satisfaction and motivation. In this case, Ajit's job description has been enriched by adding basic maintenance and paperwork tasks to his responsibilities.

Question 19

Which of the following is a key feature of "lean production" methods?

Accepted Answer

Lean production methods emphasize worker-initiated continuous improvement. This means that workers are encouraged to identify and address inefficiencies in order to improve production processes. The other choices are not key features of lean production methods - unions may or may not be involved, reducing worker stress is desirable but not a defining characteristic of lean production, and kaizen (which refers to continuous improvement in general) is actually a key component of lean production.

Question 20

Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of a "winner" work organization, according to Tom Peters in his book Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution?

Accepted Answer

Peters emphasizes the need for organizations to be agile and adaptable, and bureaucratic control systems can hinder this flexibility. Therefore, the lack of clearly outlined bureaucratic control systems is actually a characteristic of a "winner" work organization according to Peters.

Quiz 9: In Search of New Managerial Paradigms

Which of the following strategies might senior managers in a government department pursue if they wanted their department to be recognized as a "learning organization?"

Amitai Etzioni described different ways managers might try to gain control over workers. Which of the following management approaches would Etzioni likely label as an example of "normative control?"

Which of the following best describes the introduction of "high-performance workplaces" in North America?

Which of the following is a key feature of a "high-performance workplace?"

The registrar of your university has been telling the vice-president (human resources) that whatever changes she introduces, she must remember to consider everything from a student's perspective. Which new managerial paradigm does the registrar appear to be following?

Japanese management approaches, quality of working life programs, and Swedish work reforms have many things in common. Swedish work reforms, however, went considerably further in which of the following ways?

Ringi, a Japanese word describing a key component of Japanese management approaches, is best described by which of the following statements?

Which of the following is a key feature of "total quality management"?

Piore and Sabel described what they saw as the future of manufacturing and called it "flexible specialization." Which of the following social theorists would likely have agreed that this is the direction we are heading?

Training workers to perform a variety of different tasks would represent which of the following forms of work organization flexibility?

Attempts to convince employees to identify with the "organizational culture" of their company are most similar to which of the following management approaches?

Which of the following is the best explanation for Japan's strong economic performance after its economy was basically destroyed during World War II?

A completely new workplace that offers opportunities for both technological and social innovations is best described by which of the following concepts?

Ajit, a machine operator in a factory, was recently trained to perform basic maintenance on his machine, and how to do related paper work (e.g., order replacement parts) . Which of the following terms best describes the changes in Ajit's job description?

Which of the following is a key feature of "lean production" methods?

Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of a "winner" work organization, according to Tom Peters in his book Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution?