Question 1

In order to make communities of practice effective,it is important to remove any sort of managerial supervision.

Accepted Answer

While it is important to allow communities of practice to be self-governed, some level of managerial supervision may be necessary in order to provide resources and support to the community. This supervision should be focused on facilitating the group's activities rather than dictating them.

Question 2

The practice of having two or more people split a full-time job is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Job sharing is the practice of two or more people splitting a full-time job. Moonlighting refers to working a second job in addition to a primary source of income. Job rotation involves employees rotating between different roles within a company. Temping refers to temporary employment or working as a temporary employee.

Question 3

What are communities of practice? What can organizations do to make such communities successful?

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

The most common arrangement in a compressed workweek is ________.

Accepted Answer

The most common arrangement in a compressed workweek is four 10-hour days. This allows employees to have an extra day off while still working the same number of hours in a week. It also allows for greater flexibility in scheduling and can improve work-life balance. Other arrangements, such as three 12-hour days followed by one 4-hour day or four 9-hour days followed by one 4-hour day, may be less common and may not work for all employees or industries. The traditional five 8-hour day workweek is still the most common arrangement overall.

Question 5

Brent works in the accounts department at a small firm.All employees at his firm are expected to clock-in 40 hours of work per week.After five years in the work force,Brent decides to go back to school but on a part-time basis while continuing to work his full 40 hours each week.The classes he is taking are currently scheduled for three days in a week,between 3 to 6 pm.Which of the following work arrangements is most suitable for Brent's situation?

Accepted Answer

Flextime allows employees to adjust their work hours to accommodate personal commitments, such as attending classes, while still completing the required 40 hours per week.

Question 6

A compressed workweek is one wherein ________.

Accepted Answer

In a compressed workweek, employees work longer hours per day but for fewer days per week. This means they can have an extended weekend or an additional day off. For example, instead of working 8 hours a day for 5 days, employees may work 10 hours a day for 4 days.

Question 7

Explain the concept of strategic partnerships and highlight some of their advantages.

Accepted Answer

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Question 8

Which among the following is the best way to convince employees to become remote workers?

Accepted Answer

Pointing to the financial benefits of telecommuting, such as savings on commuting costs, can be a strong incentive for employees to consider remote work.

Question 9

Strategic partnerships are collaborative relationships between two or more organizations in which they combine their resources and capabilities for some business purpose.

Accepted Answer

Strategic partnerships involve collaboration between organizations to combine their resources and capabilities for a business purpose.

Question 10

List some of the benefits and drawbacks of collaborative work.

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Cheryl's company wants to grow without incurring costs for a new office building,equipment,or parking lots.Which would be the best option for the company?

Accepted Answer

Telecommuting allows employees to work from home or other remote locations, eliminating the need for a physical office building and parking lots. It also reduces the need for equipment, as employees can use their own computers and technology. This option can also increase employee satisfaction and productivity. Adopting an open innovation approach or entering into a strategic partnership may require resources and investments, while compressing the workweek may not necessarily reduce costs for the company.

Question 12

Which of the following is the best option for a qualified,female employee with a baby wishing to work from home?

Accepted Answer

Telecommuting allows the employee to work from home while still being connected to the office through technology. This is the best option for a qualified female employee with a baby as it provides the flexibility to work while taking care of the child. Job sharing, flextime, and compressed workweeks all require the employee to physically be at the office, which may be difficult with a baby to care for.

Question 13

Briefly describe the characteristics of cross-functional teams and task forces.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

A ________ schedule typically designates certain common core hours when all employees are required to be on the job,but allows starting,ending,and lunch-hour times to vary.

Accepted Answer

The description matches the concept of flextime, which allows for variation in start/end times and lunch hours while still requiring employees to work a certain number of core hours each day.

Question 15

________ is a work arrangement in which employees work at home and are linked to the workplace by computer.

Accepted Answer

Telecommuting is a work arrangement where employees work remotely from home while remaining connected to their workplace and colleagues through computer technologies such as email, video conferencing, and instant messaging.

Question 16

Carl has been working from home several days per month.At first everything was fine but the appeal is beginning to wear off.Carl is finding that ________.

Accepted Answer

The phrase "the appeal is beginning to wear off" suggests that Carl is experiencing some negative effects of working from home. The option B, "the line between work and home becomes even more blurred," is a common issue that people face when working remotely. The other options are not supported by the given information.

Question 17

Explain the concept of open innovation and highlight some of its benefits and drawbacks.

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

Open innovation refers to opening up the search for new ideas beyond the organization's boundaries and allowing innovations to easily transfer inward and outward.

Accepted Answer

Open innovation involves seeking and integrating ideas and solutions from external sources, such as customers, suppliers, and even competitors, to complement internal resources and capabilities. This approach allows for greater flexibility and adaptability in the innovation process and can lead to faster and more effective idea generation and implementation.

Question 19

Communities of practice refer to groups of people who share a concern,a set of problems,or a passion about a topic,and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in that area by interacting on an ongoing basis.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of communities of practice as described by Etienne Wenger, a leading expert on the concept.

Question 20

When Carl offered to work from home several days each month,his manager feared that ________.

Accepted Answer

Carl's manager is concerned about adequate supervision when he works from home, indicating that she may not be able to monitor his progress or work effectively without him being physically present.

Quiz 11: Designing Organizational - Structure Adaptive Design