Question 1

Which of the following approaches to job redesign entails more than simply providing additional variety in job tasks?

Accepted Answer

The job characteristics model is the only approach that entails more than simply providing additional variety in job tasks. It also includes providing employees with autonomy, feedback, and opportunities for personal growth.

Question 2

According to an electronics CEO, the first requirement of management is that it should make the fullest use of the capacities of its members. Thus any individual's job should be as little defined as possible so that it would 'shape itself' to the person's special abilities and initiative. This electronics company more than likely had a(n)____ organization.

Accepted Answer

An organic organization is flexible and adaptable, allowing roles to evolve based on individual abilities and initiatives, aligning with the CEO's philosophy.

Question 3

When higher management in a(n)____ organization admits there is a need for better communication, the response is to tether subordinates to their jobs and to appoint newly hired employees who specialize in establishing liaison relationships.

Accepted Answer

In a mechanistic organization, there is a rigid hierarchy and a high degree of formalization. When communication issues are acknowledged, the response often involves creating more structured roles and appointing specialists to manage communication, aligning with the mechanistic approach.

Question 4

In recent years, the Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA)has undergone a radical change in how it determines and shares local weather conditions with pilots. Before the local base weather station was responsible for warnings. The quality of this information varied. Now AFWA provides the same high standard of weather information to all pilots. This is an example of ____?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of reengineering, as it involves a fundamental redesign of processes to improve the quality and consistency of weather information provided to pilots.

Question 5

Elena works in a data processing department for a large credit reporting service and is bored. She spends her days inputting an endless stream of monotonous data into much larger data bases. According to the job characteristics model (JCM), one of the primary reasons for her boredom is ____.

Accepted Answer

According to the job characteristics model, a low degree of task identity can lead to boredom because the employee may not see a complete piece of work or understand the significance of their contribution, making the task feel monotonous and unfulfilling.

Question 6

____ is the degree to which a job gives workers the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy is the degree to which a job gives workers the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs.

Question 7

The job design approach associated with ____ involves increasing the number of different tasks that a worker performs within one particular job and giving workers the authority and control to make meaningful decisions about their work.

Accepted Answer

Job enlargement involves increasing the number of different tasks in a job, while job enrichment involves giving workers more control and decision-making authority over their work.

Question 8

____ is a fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service, and speed.

Accepted Answer

The concept described in the statement is that of business process reengineering, which involves completely redesigning business processes to achieve significant improvements in key performance indicators. The other options, pooling interdependence, reciprocating interdependence, repositioning, and manufacturing conversion, do not accurately describe this concept.

Question 9

____ is a feeling of intrinsic motivation, in which workers perceive their work to have meaning and perceive themselves to be competent, having an impact, and capable of self-determination.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment is the feeling of intrinsic motivation where workers perceive their work as meaningful, feel competent, have an impact, and are capable of self-determination.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about mechanistic organizations is true?

Accepted Answer

Mechanistic organizations work best in stable, unchanging business environments because they are designed to be efficient and predictable.

Question 11

A(n)____ organization is one that is characterized by broadly defined jobs and responsibilities; loosely defined, frequently changing roles; and decentralized authority and horizontal communication based on task knowledge.

Accepted Answer

An organic organization is characterized by flexible roles, decentralized authority, and horizontal communication, which aligns with the description provided.

Question 12

The central concern of the job characteristics model (JCM)is ____.

Accepted Answer

The JCM is based on the premise that certain job characteristics can lead to internal motivation, which refers to the drive to perform work because it is inherently fulfilling and satisfying. The model identifies five core job characteristics that can contribute to internal motivation: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. By designing jobs that incorporate these characteristics, organizations can create a more motivating work environment for employees.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the organic form of organization design is true?

Accepted Answer

The organic form of organization design is characterized by flexibility, adaptability, and decentralized decision-making, making it suitable for dynamic and changing environments.

Question 14

In a(n)____ organization, the normal procedure for dealing with any matter lying outside the boundaries of one individual's functional responsibility is to refer it to the point in the system where such responsibility is known to reside, or, failing that, to lay it before one's superior.

Accepted Answer

In a mechanistic organization, there is a clear hierarchy and rigid structure, where responsibilities are well-defined, and matters outside an individual's responsibility are referred up the chain of command.

Question 15

A(n)____ organization is an organization that is characterized by specialized jobs and responsibilities; precisely defined, unchanging roles; and a rigid chain of command based on centralized authority and vertical communication.

Accepted Answer

The characteristics mentioned in the question such as specialized jobs and responsibilities, precisely defined unchanging roles, and a rigid chain of command based on centralized authority and vertical communication are all attributes of a mechanistic organization. Mechanistic organizations are characterized by a high degree of formalization and a strict hierarchy of authority.

Question 16

____ is the degree to which a job is perceived to have a substantial impact on others inside or outside the organization.

Accepted Answer

Task significance refers to the degree to which a job is perceived to have a substantial impact on others inside or outside the organization.

Question 17

LexisNexis realized that its ability to serve new Web-based customers was severely straining its customer service department after thousands of small and midsize law firms representing a huge business opportunity had to wait 48 hours to have their Web accounts activated after signing up. Clearly, LexisNexis needed to revamp its customer sign-up and order-fulfillment processes, which were designed for large law firms and the ordering of hardcover legal tomes. LexisNexis would most likely use ____ to radically change its business practices.

Accepted Answer

Reengineering involves fundamentally rethinking and radically redesigning business processes to achieve significant improvements in performance, such as reducing the time it takes to activate Web accounts for new customers.

Question 18

According to the job characteristics model, ____ means pushing some managerial authority down to workers.

Accepted Answer

Vertical loading refers to giving employees more responsibility and authority, similar to managerial tasks, which aligns with the concept of pushing managerial authority down to workers.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT one of the core job characteristics in the job characteristics model (JCM)?

Accepted Answer

Client relationships are not one of the core job characteristics in the job characteristics model (JCM).

Question 20

The three types of task interdependence are

Accepted Answer

The three types of task interdependence are pooled, sequential, and reciprocal. These describe how tasks are related and depend on each other within a team or organization.

Quiz 8: Designing Adaptive Organizations

Which of the following approaches to job redesign entails more than simply providing additional variety in job tasks?

When higher management in a(n) ____ organization admits there is a need for better communication, the response is to tether subordinates to their jobs and to appoint newly hired employees who specialize in establishing liaison relationships.

Elena works in a data processing department for a large credit reporting service and is bored. She spends her days inputting an endless stream of monotonous data into much larger data bases. According to the job characteristics model (JCM) , one of the primary reasons for her boredom is ____.

____ is the degree to which a job gives workers the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs.

The job design approach associated with ____ involves increasing the number of different tasks that a worker performs within one particular job and giving workers the authority and control to make meaningful decisions about their work.

____ is a fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service, and speed.

____ is a feeling of intrinsic motivation, in which workers perceive their work to have meaning and perceive themselves to be competent, having an impact, and capable of self-determination.

Which of the following statements about mechanistic organizations is true?

A(n) ____ organization is one that is characterized by broadly defined jobs and responsibilities; loosely defined, frequently changing roles; and decentralized authority and horizontal communication based on task knowledge.

The central concern of the job characteristics model (JCM) is ____.

Which of the following statements about the organic form of organization design is true?

In a(n) ____ organization, the normal procedure for dealing with any matter lying outside the boundaries of one individual's functional responsibility is to refer it to the point in the system where such responsibility is known to reside, or, failing that, to lay it before one's superior.

A(n) ____ organization is an organization that is characterized by specialized jobs and responsibilities; precisely defined, unchanging roles; and a rigid chain of command based on centralized authority and vertical communication.

____ is the degree to which a job is perceived to have a substantial impact on others inside or outside the organization.

According to the job characteristics model, ____ means pushing some managerial authority down to workers.

Which of the following is NOT one of the core job characteristics in the job characteristics model (JCM) ?

The three types of task interdependence are