Question 1

The trend toward flatter organizational structures (delayering)has occurred because this action:

Accepted Answer

A) tends to reduce overhead costs. 
B) narrows the span of control for supervisors. 
C) puts decision makers closer to front-line staff and information about customer needs. 
D) does all of these things. 
E) reduces overhead costs AND puts decision makers closer to front-line staff and information about customer needs. 
A) tends to reduce overhead costs. 
B) narrows the span of control for supervisors. 
C) puts decision makers closer to front-line staff and information about customer needs. 
D) does all of these things. 
E) reduces overhead costs AND puts decision makers closer to front-line staff and information about customer needs. E

Question 2

Which of the following is a coordinating mechanism?

Accepted Answer

A) Standardization 
B) Formal hierarchy 
C) Informal communication 
D) All of these are coordinating mechanisms. 
E) None of these is a coordinating mechanism. 
A) Standardization 
B) Formal hierarchy 
C) Informal communication 
D) All of these are coordinating mechanisms. 
E) None of these is a coordinating mechanism. D

Question 3

Organizations tend to centralize as their external environment becomes more complex.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 4

Organizations tend to become less formalized as they age and grow in number of employees.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Which of the following is pressuring large global organizations to move from geographically based to more client-based divisionalized structures?

Accepted Answer

A) Advances in information technology 
B) Increases in the number of truly global clients 
C) Freer trade 
D) All of these factors. 
E) None of these factors influence an organization's structure. 
A) Advances in information technology 
B) Increases in the number of truly global clients 
C) Freer trade 
D) All of these factors. 
E) None of these factors influence an organization's structure.

Question 6

A steel manufacturing firm with about 1,000 employees operates in an environment that is simple and integrated (it makes a small number of steel products to a few key customers)but also dynamic and hostile (rapidly changing technology and customer needs with many competitors).Based on the environment in which this company operates,it would be more successful with:

Accepted Answer

A) an organic structure. 
B) a centralized structure. 
C) a divisionalized structure. 
D) a matrix structure. 
E) a mechanistic structure. 
A) an organic structure. 
B) a centralized structure. 
C) a divisionalized structure. 
D) a matrix structure. 
E) a mechanistic structure.

Question 7

Candoo Ltd.will soon flatten its hierarchy by removing two of the five layers of management.If the number of employees in the organization remains constant,which of the following must also occur?

Accepted Answer

A) It must adopt a matrix form of departmentalization. 
B) It must widen the span of control. 
C) It must rely more on direct supervision than standardization to coordinate the resulting structure. 
D) It must centralize decision making. 
E) All of these must occur. 
A) It must adopt a matrix form of departmentalization. 
B) It must widen the span of control. 
C) It must rely more on direct supervision than standardization to coordinate the resulting structure. 
D) It must centralize decision making. 
E) All of these must occur.

Question 8

Several global organizations have tried implementing a matrix structure to balance the power of its functional and divisional groups.However,many of these firms experienced problems and eventually switched to a hybrid form of divisionalized structure.Identify some of the problems that these companies may have experienced with a matrix structure.

Accepted Answer

Matrix structures have a number of limit

Question 9

The formal hierarchy can be used to coordinate the work of front-line workers and executives through the division of organizational activities.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Larger organizations tend to:

Accepted Answer

A) make greater use of standardization than do smaller firms. 
B) have similar structures to smaller organizations. 
C) operate without any form of departmentalization for long periods of time. 
D) have all of these characteristics. 
E) have none of these characteristics. 
A) make greater use of standardization than do smaller firms. 
B) have similar structures to smaller organizations. 
C) operate without any form of departmentalization for long periods of time. 
D) have all of these characteristics. 
E) have none of these characteristics.

Question 11

The main reasons why companies are moving toward flatter organizational structures is because it improves coordination through formal hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Matrix structures tend to:

Accepted Answer

A) focus technical specialists on their specialist knowledge rather than the goals of serving clients and creating marketable products. 
B) prevent employees in a particular specialization from sharing knowledge with each other. 
C) require less coordination than functional or pure divisional structures. 
D) do all of these things. 
E) do none of these things. 
A) focus technical specialists on their specialist knowledge rather than the goals of serving clients and creating marketable products. 
B) prevent employees in a particular specialization from sharing knowledge with each other. 
C) require less coordination than functional or pure divisional structures. 
D) do all of these things. 
E) do none of these things.

Question 13

Encouraging coordination through informal communion by organizing employees from several departments into temporary teams is called:

Accepted Answer

A) Integrating 
B) Informal team shaping 
C) Skunkworking 
D) Concurrent engineering 
E) Asynchronous social engineering 
A) Integrating 
B) Informal team shaping 
C) Skunkworking 
D) Concurrent engineering 
E) Asynchronous social engineering

Question 14

Organizations with fewer layers in the organizational hierarchy are described as having flat structures

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

A narrower span of control is consistent with the trend towards employee involvement and teamwork.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a potentially negative long-term consequence of excessive delayering of middle management?

Accepted Answer

A) It undermines managerial functions. 
B) It restricts managerial career development. 
C) It increases management workloads 
D) It sends a signal that managers are no longer valued. 
E) All of the above apply. 
A) It undermines managerial functions. 
B) It restricts managerial career development. 
C) It increases management workloads 
D) It sends a signal that managers are no longer valued. 
E) All of the above apply.

Question 17

For which type of environment should organizations adopt an organic structure?

Accepted Answer

A) Munificent environments 
B) Dynamic environments 
C) Stable environments 
D) Simple environments 
E) Never; mechanistic structures are better than organic structures in all environments. 
A) Munificent environments 
B) Dynamic environments 
C) Stable environments 
D) Simple environments 
E) Never; mechanistic structures are better than organic structures in all environments.

Question 18

An organic structure has:

Accepted Answer

A) a narrow span of control and low formalization. 
B) centralized decision making and a wide span of control. 
C) decentralized decision making and low formalization. 
D) a high degree of formalization and a wide span of control. 
E) functional departmentalization and a high degree of formalization. 
A) a narrow span of control and low formalization. 
B) centralized decision making and a wide span of control. 
C) decentralized decision making and low formalization. 
D) a high degree of formalization and a wide span of control. 
E) functional departmentalization and a high degree of formalization.

Question 19

Coordination of work activities is required:

Accepted Answer

A) whenever there is division of labour. 
B) only in team-based organizations. 
C) whenever the organization has more than approximately 100 employees. 
D) only when organizations operate in complex environments. 
E) never; coordination of work activities is not found in organizations. 
A) whenever there is division of labour. 
B) only in team-based organizations. 
C) whenever the organization has more than approximately 100 employees. 
D) only when organizations operate in complex environments. 
E) never; coordination of work activities is not found in organizations.

Question 20

One of the main advantages of network structures is that they ensure the core organization has a high degree of control over production,marketing and other functions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The trend toward flatter organizational structures (delayering)has occurred because this action:

Which of the following is a coordinating mechanism?

Organizations tend to centralize as their external environment becomes more complex.

Organizations tend to become less formalized as they age and grow in number of employees.

Which of the following is pressuring large global organizations to move from geographically based to more client-based divisionalized structures?

Candoo Ltd.will soon flatten its hierarchy by removing two of the five layers of management.If the number of employees in the organization remains constant,which of the following must also occur?

The formal hierarchy can be used to coordinate the work of front-line workers and executives through the division of organizational activities.

Larger organizations tend to:

The main reasons why companies are moving toward flatter organizational structures is because it improves coordination through formal hierarchy.

Matrix structures tend to:

Encouraging coordination through informal communion by organizing employees from several departments into temporary teams is called:

Organizations with fewer layers in the organizational hierarchy are described as having flat structures

A narrower span of control is consistent with the trend towards employee involvement and teamwork.

Which of the following is NOT a potentially negative long-term consequence of excessive delayering of middle management?

For which type of environment should organizations adopt an organic structure?

An organic structure has:

Coordination of work activities is required:

One of the main advantages of network structures is that they ensure the core organization has a high degree of control over production,marketing and other functions.

Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior

Individual Behavior, Personality, and Values

Perceiving Ourselves and Others in Organizations

Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress

Foundations of Employee Motivation

Applied Performance Practices

Decision Making and Creativity

Team Dynamics

Communicating in Teams and Organizations

Power and Influence in the Workplace

Conflict and Negotiation in the Workplace

Leadership in Organizational Settings

Organizational Culture

Organizational Change

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Exam 13: Designing Organizational Structures

The trend toward flatter organizational structures (delayering)has occurred because this action:

Which of the following is a coordinating mechanism?

Organizations tend to centralize as their external environment becomes more complex.

Organizations tend to become less formalized as they age and grow in number of employees.

Which of the following is pressuring large global organizations to move from geographically based to more client-based divisionalized structures?

Candoo Ltd.will soon flatten its hierarchy by removing two of the five layers of management.If the number of employees in the organization remains constant,which of the following must also occur?

The formal hierarchy can be used to coordinate the work of front-line workers and executives through the division of organizational activities.

Larger organizations tend to:

The main reasons why companies are moving toward flatter organizational structures is because it improves coordination through formal hierarchy.

Matrix structures tend to:

Encouraging coordination through informal communion by organizing employees from several departments into temporary teams is called:

Organizations with fewer layers in the organizational hierarchy are described as having flat structures

A narrower span of control is consistent with the trend towards employee involvement and teamwork.

Which of the following is NOT a potentially negative long-term consequence of excessive delayering of middle management?

For which type of environment should organizations adopt an organic structure?

An organic structure has:

Coordination of work activities is required:

One of the main advantages of network structures is that they ensure the core organization has a high degree of control over production,marketing and other functions.

Introduction to the Field of Organizational Behavior

Individual Behavior, Personality, and Values

Perceiving Ourselves and Others in Organizations

Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress

Foundations of Employee Motivation

Applied Performance Practices

Decision Making and Creativity

Team Dynamics

Communicating in Teams and Organizations

Power and Influence in the Workplace

Conflict and Negotiation in the Workplace

Leadership in Organizational Settings

Organizational Culture

Organizational Change

Filters