Question 1

The assignment of part of a manager's work and authority to a worker is called

Accepted Answer

Delegation is the assignment of tasks and authority from a manager to a worker. Responsibility refers to the obligation of a worker to perform assigned tasks. Authorization refers to granting permission to do something. Accountability refers to being held responsible for the results of a task or decision. Relegation is not a relevant term in this context. Therefore, the correct choice is delegation.

Question 2

Although departmentalisation may be determined within an organisation on the basis of one criterion, such as location, most organisations find ____ to be a more efficient means of conducting business.

Accepted Answer

Although departmentalisation based on one criterion may be simpler, using more than one basis for departmentalisation allows for a more tailored and efficient approach to conducting business. This may include departmentalisation based on location, function, product or customer group, among others.

Question 3

The degree of centralisation of an organisation is based on the

Accepted Answer

The degree of centralisation of an organization is heavily influenced by the level of delegation of authority, which refers to the degree to which decision-making power is dispersed throughout different levels of the organization. A highly centralised organization will have decision-making power concentrated at the top, whereas a decentralised organization will distribute decision-making authority among different levels of management. Therefore, choice D – delegation of authority – is the best option.

Question 4

Ann delegated work to an employee who mismanaged public funds.Ann, rather than the employee, was reprimanded for this mismanagement.Ann is now reluctant to delegate because she

Accepted Answer

Ann was reprimanded for the mismanagement of public funds, despite delegating the work to an employee. This means that the person who delegates remains accountable for the work, even if it is carried out by someone else. Therefore, Ann may be reluctant to delegate in the future because she wants to avoid being held responsible for someone else's mistakes.

Question 5

A common characteristic of a centralised organisation is

Accepted Answer

A centralised organisation is one where decision making is concentrated in the hands of a few top-level managers. This is opposed to decentralised organisations where decision making is distributed among lower level employees.

Question 6

Jason assigns responsibility to a subordinate for preparing a sales presentation for an important potential client and authorises the necessary expenditures of money and human resources, but he still requires a dress rehearsal to be presented to him before the actual presentation.Jason realises that accountability cannot be

Accepted Answer

Accountability cannot be delegated. While Jason can delegate the responsibility and authority to prepare the presentation, he remains accountable for the outcome.

Question 7

Susan was given the responsibility for chairing a campus committee.To complete the delegation process, she should be given the ____ to carry out this responsibility.

Accepted Answer

Giving Susan authority means that she has the power to make decisions, assign tasks, and take necessary actions to ensure the success of the committee. This is crucial for effective delegation. The other options (duty, subordinates, skills, and salary) are important factors, but without authority, Susan may not be able to effectively carry out her responsibilities.

Question 8

Delegation consists of giving a subordinate all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Delegation involves giving a subordinate responsibility, authority, and accountability. However, it does not necessarily involve giving the subordinate a line position, which is a position directly involved in achieving the organization's objectives, such as a sales manager or production supervisor.

Question 9

Janet is a runner for a large law firm.Her duties include purchasing supplies for the copy room.Janet was given permission by the office manager to sign credit-card receipts when making purchases.Janet has been given ____ to use the firm's credit card.

Accepted Answer

The word "permission" indicates that Janet has been granted the power or right to sign credit-card receipts, giving her the authority to use the firm's credit card.

Question 10

Dana is assigned to create a training programme for newly hired mortgage loan officers.She has the ____ to complete this assignment.

Accepted Answer

Responsibility refers to being held accountable for completing a task or duty. In this case, Dana has the responsibility to create a training program for new mortgage loan officers.

Question 11

Since Sears operates in a complex and dynamic environment, its store managers are given significant freedom to run their stores.This indicates that top leaders at Sears

Accepted Answer

The fact that Sears' store managers are given significant freedom to run their stores indicates that the authority and decision-making power is decentralised, which means that lower-level managers have more autonomy and responsibility. This is the opposite of centralising decision-making and controlling managers tightly. Therefore, option E is the best choice.

Question 12

Amy, an administrative assistant in the business division of a university, is assigned the responsibility of serving the needs of the division's professors.However, Amy often reads books and looks at catalogs during working hours because she has plenty of free time.It appears that the professors in the division have failed to

Accepted Answer

The professors in the division have failed to delegate tasks to Amy or utilize her skills effectively, resulting in her having lots of free time on her hands.

Question 13

One's duty to do a job or perform a task is called

Accepted Answer

Responsibility refers to one's obligation or duty to perform a job or task. Authority refers to the power or right to make decisions and take actions. Accountability refers to being responsible for one's actions and decisions. Delegation refers to assigning tasks or responsibilities to others. Obligation refers to a moral or legal duty to do something.

Question 14

Mark left his position as a manager of a Target store after two years.He complained of being burned out from having to fulfill too many roles and tasks for one position.Mark probably never learned to use the tool of

Accepted Answer

Mark expressed feeling burnt out from having to fulfill too many tasks and roles. This suggests that he may not have effectively delegated tasks to his subordinates, which would have allowed him to focus on more important responsibilities as a manager. Delegation is an important tool for managers to utilize to ensure that all tasks and responsibilities are evenly distributed among team members, creating more time for managers to focus on higher-priority tasks.

Question 15

As a new manager for Walmart, Peter is unwilling to delegate work.He realises that, although he can delegate assignments to others, he cannot delegate his

Accepted Answer

Delegating work does not absolve a manager of their obligation to oversee and ensure that the tasks are completed. Therefore, even if Peter delegates work, he still has the obligation to see it through to completion.

Question 16

The more complex and uncertain a company's environment, the more likely it is that the company will

Accepted Answer

Decentralisation allows for quicker decision-making and adaptability in complex and uncertain environments, as it empowers local managers to respond to changes and challenges more effectively.

Question 17

Authority and ____ are synonymous terms.

Accepted Answer

Authority refers to the power or right to give orders, make decisions or enforce obedience. Therefore, authority and power are synonymous terms.

Question 18

If First National Bank were to assign one of its bank tellers to business merchants and two others to individual accounts, it would be departmentalising on the basis of

Accepted Answer

The bank is departmentalizing on the basis of customer type, as they are assigning one teller to business merchants and two tellers to individual accounts. This emphasizes the focus on specific customer needs and requirements.

Question 19

A firm organised on the basis of retail customers and wholesale customers utilises the concept of departmentalisation by

Accepted Answer

This firm is using customer departmentalization, which organizes the company based on the needs and characteristics of different customer segments. The two segments they have identified are retail customers and wholesale customers.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about accountability is false?

Accepted Answer

Accountability cannot be delegated, as it is ultimately the responsibility of the worker to ensure that tasks are completed and goals are met. While managers can create accountability by clearly defining expectations and goals, and providing resources and support necessary for workers to meet them, the ultimate responsibility rests with the worker.

Quiz 7: Flexibility Within the Organisation