Question 1

Aeronautics Inc., a parts supplier, has departments for government aircraft and contracts, large commercial aircraft clients, and small personal aircraft clients. This is an example of ________ departmentalization.

Accepted Answer

Aeronautics Inc. has created departments based on their customers, therefore it is an example of customer departmentalization.

Question 2

The trend in recent years has been toward ________.

Accepted Answer

The trend in recent years has been toward wider spans of control, as companies have flattened their organizational structures and eliminated middle management positions in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Question 3

AgriProducers has customers all over the United States that need their soil tested in their labs as well as their products for their crops. The crops and soil are different in the various large areas of the nation, such as the West Coast, and the Mid-West. Which type of departmentalization would be best for AgriProducers?

Accepted Answer

Geographic departmentalization would be the best choice for AgriProducers since their customers are located in different regions with varying crops and soil types. This would allow them to have specialized teams in each geographic area with the expertise and knowledge of the specific crops and soil types found in that region.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a benefit achieved from work specialization?

Accepted Answer

Increased investment in machinery is not a benefit achieved through work specialization. It is a separate decision that a company makes in regards to their level of automation and technology in their operations. The other choices (A, B, D, E) are benefits achieved through work specialization.

Question 5

Proctor & Gamble departmentalizes by Tide, Pampers, Charmin, and Pringles. This is an example of departmentalization by ________.

Accepted Answer

Proctor & Gamble is departmentalizing by their different product lines, which is an example of product departmentalization.

Question 6

Stalsberry Company has employees in personnel, sales, and accounting. This division of an organization into groups according to work functions is an example of ________, the second element of structural organization.

Accepted Answer

Departmentalization is the organization of an enterprise into units or departments based on function, product, geography, customer, or process. In this case, Stalsberry Company has divided its employees into personnel, sales, and accounting departments based on their work functions.

Question 7

________ are consistent with recent efforts by companies to reduce costs, cut overhead, speed up decision making, increase flexibility, get closer to customers, and empower employees.

Accepted Answer

Wider spans of control allow for fewer management layers, which can reduce costs, cut overhead, speed up decision making, increase flexibility, and empower employees by giving them more autonomy.

Question 8

Which of the following is a drawback of a narrow span of control? It ________.

Accepted Answer

A narrow span of control means that there are fewer employees reporting to a single manager. This can lead to overly tight supervision as the manager has to closely monitor each employee, which can discourage employee autonomy and reduce job satisfaction. It also limits participatory decision-making as there are fewer employees involved in the decision-making process.

Question 9

Maya's company needs to dramatically cut costs. Which of the following structural decisions will help her immediately reduce costs?

Accepted Answer

Doubling the span of control reduces the number of managers needed, thereby cutting costs associated with salaries and overhead.

Question 10

A task that is subdivided into many separate jobs is considered to have ________.

Accepted Answer

When a task is subdivided into many separate jobs, it is known as work specialization. This leads to a high degree of work specialization, leading to each worker having a narrow set of skills in performing their specific job. This is also known as division of labor.

Question 11

The ________ principle helps preserve the concept of an unbroken line of authority.

Accepted Answer

The chain of command principle helps preserve the concept of an unbroken line of authority.

Question 12

The ________ refers to the number of subordinates that a manager directs.

Accepted Answer

Span of control refers to the number of subordinates that a manager directs. Unity of command refers to the principle that each employee should have only one supervisor, while chain of command refers to the hierarchical structure of an organization. Decentralization principle refers to the delegation of decision-making authority, and leadership web refers to the complex network of relationships among leaders and followers in an organization.

Question 13

Which one of the following is not one of the primary ways to group jobs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which one of the following is not...

Question 14

Which of the following is not a drawback of a narrow span of control?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not a...

Question 15

The unity-of-command principle states which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The unity-of-command principle states that an individual should be directly responsible to only one supervisor. This means that employees should receive direction and guidance from only one person to avoid confusion and ensure accountability.

Question 16

The right inherent in a managerial position to give orders and expect orders to be obeyed is termed ________.

Accepted Answer

The concept of authority refers to the power or right inherent in a managerial position to give orders and expect them to be obeyed. The other options are related concepts or principles, but do not precisely describe the meaning of authority.

Question 17

The unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organization to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom is termed ________.

Accepted Answer

The term that best fits the description given in the question is "chain of command." The chain of command refers to the unbroken line of authority that starts from the top of the organization and extends to the lowest level. It is the hierarchy of reporting relationships that clarifies who reports to whom and helps maintain order and control within an organization.

Question 18

For much of the first half of the 20^th century, managers viewed work specialization as ________.

Accepted Answer

For much of the first half of the 20th century, managers viewed work specialization as an unending source of increased productivity. This was largely due to the influence of Frederick Taylor and his scientific management principles, which emphasized the breaking down of work into smaller, specialized tasks to increase efficiency and productivity. Managers believed that by having workers perform a single task repeatedly, they could become more skilled and efficient, resulting in increased output.

Question 19

Organizational structure has six key elements. Which of the following is not one of these elements?

Accepted Answer

The five key elements of organizational structure are centralization, departmentalization, work specialization, formalization, and the span of control. The location of authority is not typically considered a distinct element of organizational structure.

Question 20

A plant manager who organizes the plant by separating engineering, accounting, manufacturing, personnel, and purchasing into departments is practicing ________ departmentalization.

Accepted Answer

The plant manager is separating the plant based on functions such as engineering, accounting, manufacturing, personnel, and purchasing, which represents functional departmentalization.

Quiz 15: Foundations of Organization Structure