Exam 11: Organization Design

A simple structure is characterized by narrow spans of controls and high formalization.

One significant difference between matrix and project structures is that in a project structure the employees have no formal department to which they return when the project is over.

In a university setting, it is common for a professor to report to an academic supervisor in his/her area of educational expertise and to a supervisor overseeing a particular degree such as baccalaureate or master's. This illustrates the ________ structure.

Explain why unity of command is less important today than during the time when the principle was developed.

Bill manages the quality department. His people check parts made by the production departments to assure all specifications are met. Bill is ________.

Custom Leather CEO Standish is considering doubling the size of his workforce in conjunction with expanding the number of retail outlets that carry Custom Leather products. He should expect the organization to become ________ as a result of this change.

Explain centralization and decentralization. How do these relate to employee empowerment?

Robert owns a small engineering firm serving customers on three continents. He has only three employees and contracts with freelancers as needed to fulfill his customers' needs. At any given time, he could have 50 or more engineers under contract. Robert operates a ________.

In a short essay, explain authority and responsibility

A(n) ________ organization is highly formalized and centralized.

Which of the following is a characteristic of an organic organization?

A(n) ________ organization is highly specialized and rigidly departmentalized.

When Bryan is offered a chance to help direct the efforts of some employees assigned to his work group, he sees this new assignment as a(n) ________.

GlaxoSmithKline would become more ________ if it starts allowing its lab scientists to set the priorities and allocate the resources.

Tom's Welding is in its third year of operation. Tom now has a sales person and several production employees. It is most likely Tom has a ________ structure.

Compare and contrast the team and project structures.

The process of grouping jobs together is known as ________.

The process of dividing work activities into separate job tasks is known as ________.

Write a short essay on work specialization. How does specialization affect productivity? How does it affect a firm's cost structure?

Willard has been assigned to a project development team in addition to his regular duties as a quality engineer. During this assignment he will report to both the project manager and his quality department manager. This situation ________.