Question 1

HipHop Music Company assigns workers to departments based on similar skills.Currently,the company has a marketing department,a production department,a finance department,and a human resources department.This suggests that HipHop departmentalizes by:

Accepted Answer

HipHop Music Company departmentalizes by function, which involves grouping people together based on similar skills and tasks within the organization.

Question 2

Greenwave Garden Centers is a national chain of discount gardening stores.The top management at Greenwave realizes that different regions of the United States have very different climates and soil conditions,so they give regional managers a great deal of freedom to decide exactly what types of plants,fertilizers,and other items to stock and how to best market these products.Greenwave is an example of a _______________ organization.

Accepted Answer

Greenwave is an example of a decentralized organization because the regional managers have a great deal of freedom to make decisions regarding what products to stock and how to market them.

Question 3

Today's preference to flat vs.tall organization structures is mainly due to a flat organization's ability to:

Accepted Answer

Flat organizations have a shorter chain of command and fewer layers of management, which allows them to respond quickly to customer demands. This is especially important in today's fast-paced business environment where customers expect quick service and solutions to their problems.

Question 4

__________ are responsible for directly achieving organizational goals.

Accepted Answer

Line personnel are directly responsible for achieving organizational goals through their work and actions. Organizational specialists and staff personnel provide support and expertise, while chain of command managers oversee and coordinate the work of line personnel.

Question 5

Vaughn Studios organizes its operations by activity,such as production,marketing,accounting,and finance.Vaughn utilizes _____________ departmentalization in order to maximize their efficiency:

Accepted Answer

Vaughn Studios utilizes functional departmentalization, where activities are grouped together based on their function, such as production, marketing, accounting, and finance. This allows the company to specialize and maximize efficiency within each function. Product and customer departmentalization focus on organizing activities around specific products or customer groups, while standardized departmentalization is not a recognized form of departmentalization.

Question 6

Organizations that require consistent production standards to help create a high quality public image would tend to favor:

Accepted Answer

Centralized authority allows for strict control and consistency in production standards, which is necessary in creating a high quality public image.

Question 7

Staff positions in an organization:

Accepted Answer

Staff positions are intended to support and assist line positions in achieving the organization's goals. They are not superior or inferior to line positions, and pay may vary depending on the individual position and organization. Staff positions are not solely intended for past CEOs, although they may be utilized in that way.

Question 8

Management at Hottie Potatee,a nationwide potato bar chain,believes that its customers value a predictable and consistent level of service and quality.When customers stop at one of its potato bar chain restaurants anywhere in the United States,they should know what to expect in terms of menu,price and quality.In order to maintain this consistency,Hottie Potatee adopted a(n)______ structure.

Accepted Answer

A centralized authority structure allows for consistency and control over operations, which aligns with Hottie Potatee's belief that customers value predictability and consistency. Centralized authority ensures that decision making and policies come from a single source, creating uniformity across all locations of the chain.

Question 9

As a response to a rapidly changing marketplace,Idea Electronics found it necessary to reorganize,including a significant downsize of its middle management.This action will likely result in __________.

Accepted Answer

Downsizing middle management typically involves flattening the organizational structure, empowering employees, and allowing them to have a closer relationship with customers. This solution best fits the situation described in the scenario. Acquiring additional firms (A) and increasing the size of traditional departments (C) are not mentioned in the scenario and are unlikely solutions to a downsizing problem. Centralizing decision making (D) may be considered in a downsize, but it is not the best choice given the rapidly changing marketplace in the scenario.

Question 10

During the past six years,the marketing department manager at Creative Concepts International made a strong push to hire mover/shaker professionals that had superior performance records prior to joining this company.It didn't take long for these enthusiastic marketers to recognize the many talents within their department.They marveled at how much they were like each other and how they seemed to agree with each other's work styles and ideas.After a while,it became difficult for others in the organization to present to this group.If the idea did not originate within the marketing department,marketers did not give it much credence.Management counselors would describe this phenomenon as _____.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon being described is groupthink, which is a tendency for people in a group to think alike and suppress dissenting opinions in order to maintain harmony and consensus. This can lead to poor decision-making and a lack of critical evaluation of ideas.

Question 11

As the head of the engineering department for her company,Jody works with her team on complex and challenging projects.The level of detail in this work requires Jody to spend a significant amount of time with each team member,providing advice and support.Due to the complexity and time involvement of each project,Jody has a(n)________ span of control.

Accepted Answer

A narrow span of control is appropriate for complex or highly specialized tasks that require close supervision and individualized attention. Jody's work with her team on complex and challenging projects requires her to spend a significant amount of time with each team member, providing advice and support. Therefore, she has a narrow span of control.

Question 12

Which of the organization models follows all of Fayol's traditional management rules?

Accepted Answer

Line organizations follow Fayol's traditional management rules, also known as scalar chain, unity of command, division of work, unity of direction, authority, discipline, subordination of individual interests to the general interest, and order. They have a clear hierarchy of authority and a direct chain of command, and decisions flow from the top down.

Question 13

JayLo Corporation has experienced rapid growth during its five years of existence.While still relatively small,JayLo is now big enough that Jennifer,the firm's CEO,has decided to organize the firm into functional departments.Jennifer can likely expect which of the following to occur?

Accepted Answer

The answer of JayLo Corporation has experienced rapid growth during...

Question 14

Employees who perform functions that advise and assist line personnel are known as:

Accepted Answer

Staff personnel are employees who assist line personnel with advice and support. They are not involved in the direct production or provision of goods and services, but rather offer support with specialized knowledge and expertise. Examples of staff personnel include human resources, accounting, and legal staff.

Question 15

Within its production department,Sooner Manufacturing has shift leaders,supervisors,assistant plant managers,plant managers,product group managers,assistant division managers,division managers,an assistant vice president for production,and a vice president in charge of production.Given its multiple layer management structure,Sooner Manufacturing is an example of a(n)____________ organization.

Accepted Answer

Sooner Manufacturing's management structure is described as having "multiple layers," which indicates a tall organizational structure. A tall organizational structure has several levels of management and typically involves a more hierarchical approach to decision making.

Question 16

Gangsta Industries produces a variety of anti-crime and safety products such as burglar alarms,smoke detectors,surveillance cameras,and specialty locks.Gangsta sells to households,businesses,and government agencies.They have found that each market requires a different marketing strategy.Gangsta would probably benefit from departmentalization by:

Accepted Answer

Departmentalization by customer type would allow Gangsta Industries to tailor their marketing strategies to each specific market they serve. This would allow the company to better understand the needs and preferences of each customer type and create customized marketing tactics to meet their needs. By doing so, Gangsta Industries can improve their overall customer satisfaction and increase their sales and profits.

Question 17

Which of the following factors help determine a manager's span of control?

Accepted Answer

The level of standardization of the work to be done is one of the factors that help determine a manager's span of control. If the work is highly standardized and routine, a manager may be able to supervise a larger number of employees effectively, whereas if the work is complex or variable, a smaller span of control may be necessary. The other options listed do not directly relate to determining a manager's span of control.

Question 18

Springfield National Bank organizes its loan operations based on the market served,such as consumer,small business,and nonprofit organizations.Departmentalization based on ________ allows Springfield to better serve borrowers with different needs.

Accepted Answer

Departmentalization based on customer group allows Springfield National Bank to better serve borrowers with different needs. This way, the bank can focus on specific market segments and tailor its lending processes and services accordingly.

Question 19

International Inns and Conference Centers [IICC],a national chain of professional event centers utilizes a centralized authority structure.Which of the following provides the most likely explanation for why management at IICC would favor centralized authority?

Accepted Answer

Centralized authority structures are often used in organizations that prioritize maintaining a uniform image and high quality service across all locations. This ensures consistency in how services are delivered and allows for better control over operations. Therefore, it is likely that IICC's management favors centralized authority for this reason.

Question 20

A ____________ organization is characterized by direct two-way lines of responsibility,authority,and communication running from the top to the bottom of the organization,with all people reporting to only one supervisor.

Accepted Answer

A line organization is structured with a direct chain of command and clear lines of authority. Each person in the organization reports to only one supervisor, and decision-making flows from the top down. This type of organization is typically found in small businesses or traditional hierarchical organizations. The other options, matrix, cross-functional and line-and-staff, all have more complex organizational structures with overlapping or shared responsibilities and communication channels.

Quiz 8: Adapting Organizations to Todays Markets