Deck 14: Organizational Theory and Development

Question 1

Taylorism suggests that:

A)anyone can complete a job if it is broken down into simple tasks.
B)there is one best way to get a job done.
C)any job can be satisfying with good leadership.
D)small teams are more efficient than large teams.

Answer 1

there is one best way to get a job done.

Question 2

Brian is a manager who tries to take charge of everything rather than delegating work to his subordinates and holding them responsible for their work. Brian is most likely a(n):

A)change agent.
B)interventionist.
C)micro-manager.
D)sensemaker.

Answer 2

micro-manager.

Question 3

One of the tenets of classical organizational theory is that:

A)empiricism has no bearing on how organizations work.
B)organizations exist to ensure that humans feel fulfilled and part of something larger.
C)employees can determine the best approach to work on their own.
D)people and organizations can be guided by rational economic principles.

Answer 3

people and organizations can be guided by rational economic principles.

Question 4

Who developed the school of thought known as Scientific Management?

A)Max Weber
B)D. M. McGregor
C)Frederick Taylor
D)Michael Hitt

Question 5

Which school of thought was based on the notion that there is one best way to get the job done?

A)Theory X
B)Theory Y
C)open-system theory
D)Scientific Management

Question 6

One of the tenets of classical organizational theory is that:

A)scientific analysis will identify several effective ways to accomplish productivity goals.
B)organizations exist to accomplish productivity goals.
C)employee satisfaction maximizes the bottom line.
D)economic principles are irrelevant to organizations.

Question 7

Bureaucracies aim to find just the right number of subordinates who report to a given supervisor. This is known as:

A)standardization of teams.
B)division of labor.
C)centralized decision-making.
D)span of control.

Question 8

Katz and Kahn (1978) introduced two additional issues into Weberian bureaucracy: standardization of tasks and:

A)division of labor.
B)appreciative inquiry.
C)span of control.
D)centralized decision-making.

Question 9

One of the tenets of classical organizational theory is that:

A)scientific analysis will identify the one best way to organize for production.
B)organizations exist for humanitarian reasons.
C)employee empowerment maximizes productivity.
D)economic principles are irrational.

Question 10

Bureaucratic organizations engage in _____ to avoid asking people to perform tasks requiring skills they do not have.

A)centralized decision-making
B)divisions of labor
C)spans of control
D)negative entropy

Question 11

What is the first step of the Scientific Management process?

A)gathering data from workers
B)combining data collection and training to create efficiency
C)selecting and training workers
D)redistributing work

Question 12

The four features of a bureaucratic organization are: division of labor, top-down pyramid hierarchy, delegation of authority, and:

A)gainsharing.
B)appreciative inquiry.
C)span of control.
D)knowledge management.

Question 13

Taylor's theory of Scientific Management compared organizations to a:

A)web.
B)terrarium.
C)football team.
D)machine.

Question 14

Katz and Kahn (1978) introduced two additional issues into Weberian bureaucracy: centralized decision-making and:

A)delegation of authority.
B)negative entropy.
C)span of control.
D)standardization of tasks.

Question 15

_____ studied organizations and developed the idea of bureaucracy in organizations.

A)Max Weber
B)Frederick Taylor
C)D. M. McGregor
D)Daniel Katz and Robert Kahn

Question 16

Organizational theory is a set of propositions that explains or predicts:

A)which organizations are apt to make the most money.
B)how hierarchical structure predicts dysfunction in an organization.
C)how groups and individuals behave in different organizational structures.
D)how humans tend to naturally arrange themselves into groups.

Question 17

The four features of a bureaucratic organization are: span of control, top-down pyramid hierarchy, delegation of authority, and:

A)culture change.
B)delegation of authority.
C)reengineering.
D)sensemaking.

Question 18

The four features of a bureaucratic organization are: division of labor, span of control, delegation of authority, and:

A)sensemaking.
B)appreciative inquiry.
C)knowledge management.
D)top-down pyramid hierarchy.

Question 19

What is the final step of the Scientific Management process?

A)gathering data from workers
B)combining data collection and training to create efficiency
C)selecting and training workers
D)redistributing work

Question 20

Scientific Management might examine variables such as:

A)light and temperature.
B)friendship and support.
C)leadership and motivation.
D)reaction times and cognition.

Question 21

Ellyn believes that her employees have a strong capacity for assuming responsibility for their work; Gino believes that his workers are lazy and must be supervised at all times. Ellyn subscribes to _____, while Gino subscribes to _____.

A)Theory X; Theory Y
B)Theory Y; Theory X
C)negative entropy; equifinality
D)equifinality; negative entropy

Question 22

Which of these is an important characteristic shared by organizational development (OD) programs?

A)top management support
B)short-term processes
C)limited involvement
D)centralized decision-making

Question 23

According to Michael Hitt, a major change that successful companies will have to navigate through in the new millennium involves:

A)a manufacturing focus.
B)partial quality management.
C)globalization.
D)culture elimination.

Question 24

Theresa, who owns a baby clothing store, has noticed that her customers are requesting products that are environmentally friendly. She initiates a new program in which she rewards employees for identifying promising new products they should carry in the store. In this case, the "change agent" is:

A)Theresa.
B)Theresa's employees.
C)the reward program Theresa has designed.
D)future customers of the store.

Question 25

Which of these is an element of organizational change?

A)change agents
B)sensemaking
C)positive training climates
D)bona fide occupational qualifications

Question 26

The theory that assumes that the average employee is gullible, not very bright, self-centered, and lacks ambition is:

A)open-system theory.
B)bureaucratic theory.
C)Theory X.
D)Theory Y.

Question 27

Which researchers are credited with the development of open-system theory?

A)Frederick Taylor and Michael DeVader
B)D. M. McGregor and Kevin Ford
C)Daniel Katz and Robert Kahn
D)Robert Lord and Christy DeVader

Question 28

Which assumption would be held by an organization that subscribes to a Theory Y orientation?

A)The average employee is indifferent to organizational needs.
B)Employees have become passive and resistant as a result of their experience within organizations.
C)The average employee dislikes responsibility.
D)Management of employees requires modifying their behavior to fit the needs of the organization.

Question 29

Which open-system principle refers to an organization's avoidance of movement toward death by continuing to import energy from outside its system?

A)differentiation
B)equifinality
C)negative entropy
D)steady state

Question 30

Lexie believes her employees are lazy, and in order to get them to work, she has to supervise them closely and control their behaviors. The theory that best describes Lexie's management style is:

A)Theory X.
B)Theory Y.
C)Theory Z.
D)Scientific Management.

Question 31

In contrast to _____, which asserts that there is one best way to do something, _____ and the concept of equifinality suggest that there are many ways to reach the same end result.

A)open-systems theory; Scientific Management
B)Theory X; Scientific Management
C)Scientific Management; Theory X
D)Scientific Management; open-systems theory

Question 32

As a result of the technological revolution, in order to thrive, organizations must:

A)employ a larger number of employees.
B)hire a more specialized and less diverse workforce.
C)be more strategically flexible.
D)adhere to business plans that have worked in the past.

Question 33

Which of these is an important characteristic shared by organizational development (OD) programs?

A)They are supported and initiated by top management.
B)They involve a short-term process.
C)They involve only the CEO.
D)They focus on the importance of having a strong hierarchy.

Question 34

According to Michael Hitt, a major change that successful companies will have to navigate through in the new millennium involves:

A)decrease in diversity.
B)positive entropy
C)egalitarianism
D)technological advances

Question 35

According to Michael Hitt's (2000) work on organizational development (OD), which of these is important if a company wants to keep up with the increasingly fast-paced environment?

A)an increased reliance on automatic routines
B)creative and well-trained employees
C)greater secretiveness within work groups
D)managers who work effectively with step-by-step instructions

Question 36

The theory that introduced employees' motives, goals, and aspirations, as well as the supervisor-subordinate relationship, into the study of organizations was:

A)humanistic theory.
B)Scientific Management theory.
C)total quality management theory.
D)open-system theory.

Question 37

According to open-system theory, _____ is the ability of a system to reach the same end state in different ways.

A)differentiation
B)equifinality
C)negative entropy
D)positive entropy

Question 38

Katz and Kahn's (1978) open-system theory is based on which discipline's principles?

A)biology
B)philosophy
C)physics
D)economics

Question 39

Bertram believes that his employees can be effective if he finds ways to give them responsibility and help them work toward goals. Bertram's approach to management is best described by:

A)Scientific Management.
B)Theory X.
C)Theory Y.
D)bureaucratic theory.

Question 40

_____ developed Theory X and Theory Y.

A)Frederick Taylor
B)Max Weber
C)D. M. McGregor
D)W. Edwards Deming

Question 41

To improve the team performance of the employees in an organization, the employer is planning to implement team building. According to research, to increase the impact of team building on team performance, the employer should:

A)combine the team building with another organizational development (OD) intervention.
B)measure performance based on individual contributions.
C)give the Baldrige Award to a team member.
D)discourage team members from engaging in sensemaking.

Question 42

The first step of total quality management focuses on identifying problems that reflect a low-quality product or service. This step is:

A)output variation control.
B)experiential training.
C)self-comparison analysis.
D)statistical process control.

Question 43

Colleen is a manager in a restaurant. She believes the restaurant culture has led employees to treat customers disdainfully. In order to change that culture, she informs them that since poor customer service does not support their goal of selling food, she will henceforth only be rewarding behaviors that demonstrate good customer service. According to Lewin's change model, Colleen is implementing which step?

A)refreezing
B)changing
C)unfreezing
D)moving

Question 44

Which of these is an indication that an organization has undergone an effective intervention?

A)The organization continues to rely on their OD consultant.
B)The intervention is based on goals outlined by the organization.
C)There is no reason to believe that desired outcomes will result from the changes.
D)Organizational members don't understand why the changes are helpful to the organization.

Question 45

Nevaeh manages a home décor store. Last year, she noticed that her employees were treating customers disdainfully. She subsequently fired the employees who demonstrated poor customer service and promoted those who provided good service. Now, good customer service is something that employees do naturally and automatically. According to Lewin's change model, Nevaeh's store is at what step?

A)refreezing
B)moving
C)changing
D)unfreezing

Question 46

In the third stage of the total management quality (TQM) process, employees identify areas in which their department deviates from quality standards. These deviations are known as:

A)statistical process controls.
B)change agents.
C)output variations.
D)flow anomalies.

Question 47

The organizational development (OD) intervention that involves paying employees a bonus based on improvements in productivity is known as:

A)technostructural intervention.
B)gainsharing.
C)total quality management.
D)reengineering.

Question 48

_____ characterized change as a matter of modifying those forces that are acting to keep things stable.

A)Kurt Lewin
B)Jerry Porras
C)D. M. McGregor
D)W. Edwards Deming

Question 49

Which of these is a common component of most gainsharing plans?

A)hierarchical structure
B)bonus pool
C)systematic data collection
D)on-the-job training

Question 50

According to Lewin's change model, the final step in the change process is:

A)moving.
B)unfreezing.
C)changing.
D)refreezing.

Question 51

Which of these is the first step in survey feedback?

A)administering an anonymous survey to top management
B)administering an anonymous survey to the target department
C)hosting a meeting at which employees and managers identify potential changes
D)requesting that top management support and actively participate in the survey process

Question 52

According to Lewin's change model, the step in the change process when real organizational change begins to happen is referred to as:

A)unfreezing.
B)changing.
C)moving.
D)refreezing.

Question 53

One sign that an organizational development (OD) intervention has succeeded is when:

A)the OD consultant becomes more expendable.
B)employees meet with the OD consultant to identify potential changes.
C)employees decide on the one best way to achieve performance goals.
D)managers wait for the OD consultant to drive change activities.

Question 54

Liza, who owns a art supply store, has noticed that her customers are requesting products that are environmentally friendly. She initiates a new program in which she rewards employees for identifying promising new products they should carry in the store. In this case, the "client" is:

A)Liza.
B)Liza's employees.
C)the reward program Liza has designed.
D)future customers of the store.

Question 55

According to Lewin's change model, the first step in the change process is:

A)changing.
B)unfreezing.
C)moving.
D)refreezing.

Question 56

Zee, owner of a car repair shop, noticed that female customers were often dissatisfied with the shop's service because they felt the car mechanics didn't clearly explain what the problem was with their cars. As a result, Zee now provides the mechanics with a checklist they must go through when they talk with clients. He uses the completed checklists to help evaluate mechanic performance. In this case, the "intervention" is:

A)Zee.
B)the car mechanics.
C)the checklist procedure Zee designed.
D)Zee's customers.

Question 57

The organizational development intervention that involves increasing employee involvement in production processes is known as:

A)team building.
B)total quality management.
C)gainsharing.
D)technostructural interventions.

Question 58

Which of these would likely be a goal of team building?

A)improving supervisor-subordinate relations
B)eliminating team member responsibilities
C)hearing the company mission from the CEO
D)involving employees in making quality improvements within the organization

Question 59

According to research on total quality management (TQM), a study of semiconductor plants in Malaysia found that implementing TQM practices increased employees':

A)quantity and quality of output.
B)empowerment and job involvement.
C)knowledge of the organization.
D)mistakes on the manufacturing line.

Question 60

A major criticism of total quality management (TQM) is that it:

A)overlooks the consequences of change.
B)fails to properly operationalize success.
C)is too complex to implement in most organizations.
D)fails to determine whether it is effective in comparison to competitors.

Question 61

The four features of a bureaucratic organization are: top-down pyramid hierarchy, span of control, delegation of authority, and:

A)gainsharing.
B)appreciative inquiry.
C)knowledge management.
D)division of labor.

Question 62

Which of these is characteristic of learning organizations?

A)gainsharing
B)transactional leadership
C)HR system that rewards continuous learning
D)appreciative inquiry

Question 63

The _____ element of reengineering involves a focus on making striking performance improvements rather than only slight performance improvements.

A)radical
B)dramatic
C)fundamental
D)game-changing

Question 64

Which of these principles is key to the success of a gainsharing program?

A)perceptions of transformational leadership
B)perceptions of justice and fairness
C)aspects of Maslow's hierarchy
D)aspects of BARS and performance appraisal

Question 65

The _____ element of reengineering involves an examination of what the company does and why.

A)radical
B)dramatic
C)fundamental
D)processes

Question 66

In terms of advantages, _____ structures help reduce redundancies, while _____ structures help encourage communication and cooperation.

A)matrix; dramatic
B)dramatic; matrix
C)functional; matrix
D)product; functional

Question 67

Which of these is an element of reengineering?

A)the elemental element
B)the dramatic element
C)the conservative element
D)the sensemaking element

Question 68

The _____ element of reengineering involves a focus on making far-reaching organizational changes rather than superficial changes.

A)radical
B)dramatic
C)differentiation
D)fundamental

Question 69

In one example of Scientific Management, Taylor helped improve coal workers' yield by:

A)creating a weightlifting program to make workers stronger.
B)creating a leadership training program to help managers better lead their employees.
C)designing a shovel that held the optimum amount of coal for shoveling efficiency.
D)designing a teamwork program that helped employees communicate better.

Question 70

What is one critique that modern theorists have regarding Scientific Management and bureaucracies?

A)They lack a clear structure and often lead to disorganization.
B)They are ineffective for organizations operating in rapidly changing environments.
C)Structuring the work this way can lead to high variety and can be too challenging for employees.
D)It lacks a clear hierarchy, so employees may struggle with role clarity.

Question 71

Creating a new vision for an organization is the focus of the organizational development intervention referred to as:

A)appreciative inquiry.
B)transformation.
C)positive psychology.
D)positive entropy.

Question 72

The theory that assumes that the average employee is passive because of past experiences in workplaces and has the capacity to be motivated if he or she is developed by a leader is:

A)open-system theory.
B)bureaucratic theory.
C)Theory X.
D)Theory Y.

Question 73

The most basic organizational structural design is referred to as _____ organizational design.

A)functional
B)productive
C)a matrix
D)simple

Question 74

The organizational development technique that involves focusing on positive messages, the best of what employees have to offer, and the affirmation of past and present strengths and successes is:

A)survey feedback.
B)gainsharing.
C)team building.
D)appreciative inquiry.

Question 75

Which of these is a determinant of successful culture change?

A)a lack of a new strategy
B)support of top management
C)a lack of supportive systems
D)the assigning of a chief knowledge officer

Question 76

The organizational design that encourages communication and cooperation between managers, and that maintains consistency among lines and departments, is referred to as a(n):

A)product design.
B)matrix design.
C)open design.
D)functional design.

Question 77

Which of these is an approach to organizational transformation?

A)reengineering
B)knowledge management
C)pop psychology
D)information technology

Question 78

One of the tenets of classical organizational theory is that:

A)specialization and the division of labor maximize production.
B)organizations exist to ensure that humans feel fulfilled and part of something larger.
C)employees can determine the best approach to work on their own.
D)requiring all workers to cross-train will maximize production.

Question 79

A functional organization is structured by what:

A)employees do.
B)employees produce.
C)employees do and what employees produce.
D)stakeholders the employees serve.

Question 80

An unintended consequence of culture change resulting from organizational transformation is:

A)cultural erosion.
B)behavioral ambiguity.
C)paradigm alignment.
D)vision reactance.