Deck 4: Communication and Management Theory

Question 1

High job satisfaction is negatively associated with employees' intention to leave the organization.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Henri Fayol recommended that organizations should seek to retain employees once those employees demonstrate competence in performing their job duties.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Fayol believed that work could best be accomplished if employees were trained in all necessary tasks for the production process.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Frederick Taylor recommended that managers should get advice from frontline workers regarding how to improve operations.

Question 5

Modern organizational communication scholars recommend that, ideally, span of control should be not exceed 29 employees.

Question 6

Douglas McGregor's theory emphasized how managers' own assumptions about human nature determined the way they manage and communicate with others.

Question 7

In a human relations approach to management, management listens to the employees but still makes the decisions.

Question 8

According to human relations theorists, satisfied workers are productive workers.

Question 9

Concertive control in teamwork is more obtrusive than supervisory control.

Question 10

Which of the following is not generally a characteristic of classical management as developed by Taylor, Fayol, and Weber?

A) Decision-making is centralized in management.
B) Employees should receive orders from management.
C) Jobs should be divided into small parts with clear, easy directions.
D) Communication feedback from employees improves organizational productivity.

Question 11

Time and motion studies were used to determine

A) how to supervise foreign workers in early twentieth century factories.
B) the one best way to do a given job.
C) how workers should avoid repetitive work injuries.
D) the most appropriate number of employees a manager could oversee.

Question 12

The classical management sought to eliminate

A) rate busting and social interaction.
B) uneven work and systematic soldiering.
C) piecework pay and time and motion studies.
D) centralization and financial rewards.

Question 13

According to Taylor, the conversation between a manager and his employee, Schmidt, recorded in the book demonstrates which characteristic of classical management?

A) Managers should gain cooperation from their employees.
B) Managers should seek feedback from their employees.
C) Employees are motivated by their social relationships.
D) Employees are self-motivated to achieve goals.

Question 14

Which of these was not an important finding of the Hawthorne studies?

A) Individual work attitudes are influenced by group attitudes.
B) Systematic changes in lighting can improve employee productivity.
C) Relationships between researchers and employees influence employees' behaviors.
D) Group members make sure others don't produce too much or too little.

Question 15

Which of the following statements best describes the findings of the illumination studies segment of the Hawthorne Studies?

A) Productivity was unaffected by increases or decreases in lighting.
B) Productivity decreased with increased light and increased with decreased light.
C) Productivity decreased in nearly all conditions.
D) Productivity increased in nearly all conditions.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a human relations approach to management?

A) Employees are primarily motivated by financial concerns.
B) Employee productivity improves if managers listen to them.
C) Managers need to listen to employees to understand their concerns.
D) Managers should persuade rather than coerce employees.

Question 17

Which of the following is a characteristic of a human relations approach to management?

A) Employees are primarily motivated by financial concerns.
B) Managers need to listen to employees to understand their concerns.
C) Managers delegate decisions to groups of employees to empower them.
D) Employees are motivated by self-esteem and self-actualization needs.

Question 18

A human resource theory of management assumes which of the following to be true?

A) Employees are motivated by social needs.
B) Employees must be closely watched.
C) Employees dislike having responsibility.
D) Employees are generally self-motivated.

Question 19

Which of the following is not true from a human resource theory of management?

A) Employees are motivated by social needs.
B) Employees want to be evaluated based on clear job roles.
C) Employees like training and development opportunities.
D) Employees are generally self-motivated.

Question 20

Which of the following is not true from a human resource theory of management?

A) Management should decentralize decision-making to lower level employees.
B) Management should provide opportunities for expanding job duties.
C) Employees should be involved in creating their own goals and objectives.
D) Employees should be motivated through financial incentives.

Question 21

A possible criticism or flaw of the human resources perspective is that the approach assumes

A) workers are motivated enough to care about organizational goals.
B) happy workers are productive workers.
C) workers are basically lazy.
D) self-managed work teams are s useful way of maximizing peer influence.

Question 22

Teamwork or Theory Z would probably work best in which of these conditions?

A) Employees are strongly committed to each other.
B) The work of employees is mostly independent from others.
C) Rewards are based on individual accomplishments.
D) Motivation among employees is rather low.

Question 23

Many organizations assign their employees to teams without practicing teamwork. Which of the following is important for creating a real teamwork approach?

A) Employees on the team all wear the same clothing or uniforms.
B) Employees on the team are given responsibilities for managing human and physical resources.
C) Employees on the team have specific goals and objectives to meet for the team to be successful.
D) Employees on the team have interdependent tasks.

Question 24

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a teamwork approach to management?

A) Team members have control over physical and human resources.
B) Personal goals are subordinated to team goals.
C) Rewards are given out based on individual accomplishments.
D) Team members make important decisions about their work environment.

Question 25

Teamwork results in concertive control when which of the following occurs?

A) Teams routinely meet their goals and objectives.
B) Teams adopt stricter self-imposed controls than management.
C) Teams are given responsibility for making decisions.
D) Teams are rewarded collectively for their productivity.

Question 26

MJ works in a setting in which employees are assigned to groups who are given assignments, budgets, and deadlines, but they are allowed to make their own decisions has to how to meet those goals. Usually one person serves as the point person between the group and management, but that person may change depending on the job. Which management perspective seems to best describe the approach of this organization?

A) classical management
B) human relations
C) human resources
D) teamwork

Question 27

Bill, an employee at North Star Power, loves the work he does. His manager views him as a smart, innovative, and creative individual who is willing and capable of handling a number of different decisions and problems on his own. Based on the information provided here, which theory best captures the managerial perspective at Bill's organization?

A) McGregor's Theory X
B) Fayol's classical management
C) McGregor's Theory Y
D) teamwork or Theory Z

Question 28

Barbara is the manager of textiles at a large department store in town. She runs a tight ship but is quick to reward her employees through economic incentives and public praise for a job well done. She communicates her goals and objectives for each of the employees once a week during departmental meetings. Yet, her employees complain that when they voice concerns or give input, Barbara responds to these complaints by saying that she is acting in the best interests of the organization and the employees. Barbara's style most closely resembles which approach to management?

A) classical management
B) human relations
C) human resources
D) teamwork

Question 29

An interpretive researcher examining an organization that relies heavily on a classical management theory might observe that

A) employees understand how to work around the chain of command.
B) communication breaks down in middle management.
C) people are creating problems by working around the system.
D) supervisors do not give clear directions to subordinates.

Question 30

A post-positivist researcher examining an organization that relies heavily on a teamwork approach to management might observe that the teams

A) are inefficient in communicating to meet output expectations.
B) share important values and beliefs about work.
C) impose harsh rules that marginalize women and minorities.
D) agree on what their roles are within the groups.

Question 31

A critical researcher examining an organization that relies heavily on a teamwork approach to management might observe that the teams

A) are inefficient in communicating to meet output expectations.
B) share important values and beliefs about work.
C) impose harsh rules that marginalize women and minorities.
D) agree on what their roles are within the groups.

Question 32

Differentiate rate-busting from systematic soldiering.

Question 33

Refute the claim: "Happy workers are always productive workers."

Question 34

Describe and differentiate the characteristic communication patterns of a classical approach from a human resources approach to managing employees.

Question 35

Describe Elton Mayo's observation and how that observation led to the human relations approach to managing employees.

Question 36

Using McGregor's theory, differentiate the assumptions of Theory X managers from the assumptions of Theory Y managers.

Question 37

Describe and differentiate the characteristic communication patterns of a human relations approach from a human resources approach to managing employees.

Question 38

Explain two advantages and two disadvantages of a teamwork approach to management in organizations.

Question 39

Nonprofits rely heavily on unpaid volunteers instead of paid employees. Choose the management approach that you believe would be most effective in managing volunteers. Explain which characteristics of that management approach were important in making that choice.