Question 1

The idea that organizations can be managed in a similar way to designing a machine is most associated with which perspective of management and organization?
A) Social perspective
B) Individual perspective
C) Rational perspective
D) Alternative perspective

Accepted Answer

Rational work design involves applying scientific and engineering principles to work design, as if designing a machine.

Question 2

The exchange of labour in return for a wage is known as the ______ wage-labour relationship.

Accepted Answer

capitalist
Explanation: The capitalist wage-labour relationship describes the exchange between capitalists who pay a wage to workers, and workers who supply their labour in return for that wage.

Question 3

According to Karl Marx, in the capitalist working relationship workers offer their labour in return for which of the following?
A) Conflict
B) Co-operation
C) Wages
D) Soldiering

Accepted Answer

The capitalist working relationship is also known as the capitalist wage-labour relationship.

Question 4

According to Karl Marx, which of the following is inevitable in the capitalist working relationship?
A) Harmony
B) Autonomy
C) Co-operation
D) Conflict

Accepted Answer

For Marx, the interests of capitalists, who pay wages, and workers, who give their labour in return for that wage, are so different that the wage-labour relationship will inevitably be characterised by conflict rather than being a harmonious relationship.

Question 5

Before the factory system, workers tended to be independent manufacturers who had less autonomy over their work.

Accepted Answer

Pre-capitalist workers were independent, and had much more autonomy over their work, owning their own means of production. Under the capitalist factory system they lost that autonomy, instead doing what they were told in return for a wage.

Question 6

Which of the following are reasons why management might introduce rational work design? Please select all that apply.
A) To increase worker autonomy
B) To increase control over workers
C) To increase the craft skills of the workers
D) To increase the efficiency of workers

Accepted Answer

Rational work design is often described as a means of increasing efficiency in the labour process, but an examination of Taylor's background also shows that it is also a means if increasing managerial control over the actions of workers. It does this by both lessening worker autonomy and removing craft skills which gave workers power over managers.

Question 7

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description.
-People come from different backgrounds and could not be seen as standard units that could be managed in the same way
A) Non-standard and unpredictable labour
B) Craft knowledge
C) Soldiering
D) Rule of thumb

Accepted Answer

Taylor feared the non-standard and unpredictable nature of labor, as he believed that workers from different backgrounds could not be managed in the same way.

Answer: B
 Taylor saw craft knowledge as a threat to the rationalization of work, as workers' expertise and experience could interfere with the implementation of his methods.

Answer: C
 Taylor believed that soldiering, or intentional slowing down of work, was a way for workers to assert their power and resist management control, which he considered a threat to productivity.

Answer: D
 Taylor criticized the use of rule of thumb, or traditional methods of work, as he saw them as inefficient and often resulted in wasted time and effort.

Question 8

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description.
-Workers have specialist knowledge which management are unable to challenge
A) Non-standard and unpredictable labour
B) Craft knowledge
C) Soldiering
D) Rule of thumb

Accepted Answer

Craft knowledge refers to the specialized knowledge and skills possessed by workers which management may be unable to fully comprehend or challenge.

Answer: A 
 Non-standard and unpredictable labour refers to workers who may vary in their skill level or output, making it difficult for management to standardize and control their work.

Answer: C 
 Soldiering refers to workers deliberately working at a slower pace or taking longer breaks in order to avoid being overworked or to make the job last longer.

Answer: D 
 Rule of thumb refers to workers relying on their own past experiences or intuition to make decisions instead of following prescribed procedures set by management.

Question 9

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description.
-Techniques used by workers to create free time for themselves during the working day which means they are not working as efficiently as they could
A) Non-standard and unpredictable labour
B) Craft knowledge
C) Soldiering
D) Rule of thumb

Accepted Answer

Taylor believed that workers engaged in soldiering, or deliberately working at a slower pace than they were capable of, in order to create more free time for themselves during the work day.

Question 10

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description.
-An estimate of time taken for a task which relies on a worker's specialist knowledge
A) Non-standard and unpredictable labour
B) Craft knowledge
C) Soldiering
D) Rule of thumb

Accepted Answer

The answer of Match the following ways in which Taylor...

Question 11

A central assumption held by Taylor was that organizations and workers within organizations should operate like machines.

Accepted Answer

Taylor's background was in engineering, and this shaped his thought on how organizations and people should act. He was frustrated that people did not act in the same predictable and efficient was as machines, and so he set about designing work to be as similar to a machine as possible.

Question 12

Which of the following are features of scientific management? Please select all that apply.
A) Division of labour
B) Time and motion study
C) Scientific selection of employees
D) Rule of thumb

Accepted Answer

Scientific management divides the labour process into individual tasks which are then analysed scientifically using the time and motion study to design work which is as efficient as possible. Workers are selected scientifically to be as suitable as possible for their task. The rule of thumb is an estimate of the time taken to do a task which scientific management aimed to overrule.

Question 13

The design of tools and work environments to best fit the movements of the human body is known as _______________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The design of tools and work environments...

Question 14

Which of the following are key differences between the work of the Gilbreths and that of Taylor? Please select all that apply.
A) Reducing unnecessary movements
B) Making work more efficient
C) Minimizing worker fatigue
D) Concern for the mental wellbeing of workers

Accepted Answer

Both the Gilbreths and Taylor were interested in making work more efficient, and one way of doing this was by observing work movements and eliminating any wasteful, unnecessary movements. However, the Gilbreths had concerns beyond efficiency, and were interesting in minimising worker fatigue and had a concern for the mental well-being of workers.

Question 15

Which of the following best sums up Lillian Gilbreth's approach to work design?
A) Efficiency is the only important consideration when designing work
B) The feelings of workers are unimportant
C) Work should be as straightforward as possible and should not take over the rest of our lives
D) Work is most productive when the right levels of heat and light are in place

Accepted Answer

Lillian Gilbreth's interest in efficiency stemmed from a feeling that work should be as straightforward as possible, and should not be so time consuming that it takes over the rest of our lives. In this respect, she was an early proponent of work-life balance.

Question 16

With scientific management, knowledge of the labour process moves from the workers to management.

Accepted Answer

Where workers used to have craft knowledge relevant to the manufacturing process, under scientific management, the planning of the work process from start to finish is done by management. Management therefore have knowledge of the whole labour process, whilst workers are reduced to knowledge of just one, simple repetitive task. Knowledge of the labour process thus moves from workers to management.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the early reactions to Taylorism?
A) It was welcomed and adopted universally
B) It was treated with caution and hostility by factory owners
C) It was recommended for all US government factories
D) It won Taylor a Nobel Peace Prize

Accepted Answer

The initial reaction to Taylorism was cautious and on occasions hostile. Factory owners were nervous of the industrial unrest that it caused and, following strikes at the Watertown Arsenal, a US congressional committee declared that Taylorism should never be used in US Government factories.

Question 18

Economies of scale introduced by the assembly line allowed for the mass _____ and mass consumption of cars to take place.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Economies of scale introduced by the assembly...

Question 19

Which of the following best explains the reason for Henry Ford's reported statement that a customer could have a Model T in any colour 'as long as it's black'?
A) Black was Ford's favourite colour
B) Unions would demand extra wages for producing the car in a variety of colours
C) Black paint was much cheaper than other colours
D) A standard product increases the efficiency of the assembly line

Accepted Answer

The assembly line is only efficient if it is running continually. If it has to continually be stopped to make changes, such as changing the colour of the paint, then efficiency is lost. A standard product, including the paint colour, is therefore produced to minimise the downtime of the assembly line and increase efficiency.

Question 20

Critics of rational work design, such as Charlie Chaplin, suggested that the monotonous, boring nature of assembly line work led to workers becoming like '----- in the machine'_______________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Critics of rational work design, such as...

Quiz 3: Rational Work Design

The idea that organizations can be managed in a similar way to designing a machine is most associated with which perspective of management and organization?

The exchange of labour in return for a wage is known as the ______ wage-labour relationship.

According to Karl Marx, in the capitalist working relationship workers offer their labour in return for which of the following?

According to Karl Marx, which of the following is inevitable in the capitalist working relationship?

Before the factory system, workers tended to be independent manufacturers who had less autonomy over their work.

Which of the following are reasons why management might introduce rational work design? Please select all that apply.

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description. -People come from different backgrounds and could not be seen as standard units that could be managed in the same way

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description. -Workers have specialist knowledge which management are unable to challenge

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description. -Techniques used by workers to create free time for themselves during the working day which means they are not working as efficiently as they could

Match the following ways in which Taylor feared the power of workers to their description. -An estimate of time taken for a task which relies on a worker's specialist knowledge

A central assumption held by Taylor was that organizations and workers within organizations should operate like machines.

Which of the following are features of scientific management? Please select all that apply.

The design of tools and work environments to best fit the movements of the human body is known as _______________.

Which of the following are key differences between the work of the Gilbreths and that of Taylor? Please select all that apply.

Which of the following best sums up Lillian Gilbreth's approach to work design?

With scientific management, knowledge of the labour process moves from the workers to management.

Which of the following best describes the early reactions to Taylorism?

Economies of scale introduced by the assembly line allowed for the mass _____ and mass consumption of cars to take place.

Which of the following best explains the reason for Henry Ford's reported statement that a customer could have a Model T in any colour 'as long as it's black'?

Critics of rational work design, such as Charlie Chaplin, suggested that the monotonous, boring nature of assembly line work led to workers becoming like '----- in the machine'_______________.