Exam 1: Organizations and Organization Theory

For much of the twentieth century, organizations operated in a world that was relatively stable, but today the environment can be characterized as turbulent.

Organization theory is a macro examination of organizational activity, emphasizing structure and behavior of the organization level of analysis.

The four structural dimensions of organization design are formalization, specialization, culture, and environment.

The new mindset has spurred many organizations to shift from strict horizontal hierarchies to centralized structures.

Usually, organizations can easily satisfy the demands of all of its stakeholders simultaneously.

Contingency factors can be confusing because they represent both the organization and the environment.

Describe the distinction between closed and open systems.

A closed system must interact with the environment in order to survive.

Non-profit organization managers deal with many diverse shareholders and must market their services to all of the following except

____ is the subsystem responsible for directing and coordinating other parts of the organization.

Outsourcing firms in low-wage countries can often do work for 70 to 80 percent less than companies based in the United States.

Defend this statement: Diversity is a fact of life that no organization can afford to ignore.

The size of an organization is typically measured by the number of employees.

____ emphasized designing and managing organization on an impersonal, rational basis through such elements as clearly defined authority and responsibility, formal record keeping, and uniform application of standard rules.

The 385-page book that McDonald's uses to describe all rules and procedures in each of its stores best represents which of the following dimensions?

Which of the following describes the study of organizational behavior?

____ is the degree to which an organization achieves its goals.

AT ABC Company, employees are encouraged to take care of problems by working with one another and with customers, using their discretion to make decisions. ABC Company is a _____ organization.

The Salvation Army, the World Wildlife Fund, and Save the Children Foundation are nonprofit organizations.

The degree to which organizational tasks are subdivided into separate jobs is referred to as