Exam 14: Foundations of Organisational Structure

Describe the three common organisational designs: simple structure,bureaucracy,and matrix structure.

The more that lower-level personnel provide input or are actually given the discretion to make decisions,the more centralised the organisation.

One major strength of the simple structure is it's easy to maintain in any size.

You have decided to hire a small shop to do all of your duplicating and printing.This is an example of outsourcing.

To ensure that performance doesn't suffer because of wider spans,organisations have been investing heavily in employee training.

An effective strategy for managing downsizing is:

Downsizing can lead to increased sickness absences,lower concentration on the job and lower creativity.

________ defines how job tasks are formally divided,grouped,and coordinated.

The simple structure is fast,flexible,inexpensive to maintain,and accountability is clear.

The organic model of organisational design looks a lot like the boundaryless organisation.

The common denominator in all bureaucracies is:

We-Train-Em has hired you to develop training materials for their seminars.Your first assignment is to write a training manual that will assist new managers in designing an appropriate structure for their part of an organisation.Included in the manual will be information about the key questions that they must answer in deciding about the best organisational structure. The degree of rules and regulations that direct employees and managers is termed:

In the late 1940s,most manufacturing jobs in industrialised countries were being done with high:

For much of the first half of this century,managers viewed departmentalisation as an unending source of increased productivity.

At an Alcoa aluminium tubing plant,production is organised into five departments: casting; press; tubing; finishing; and inspecting,packing and shipping.This is an example of ________ departmentalisation.

Increase in the number of rules and regulations results in increased formalisation.

Employees at less centralised organisations have higher job satisfaction.

Which of the following is a drawback of a narrow span of control?

A matrix structure can be stressful for workers who:

The major disadvantages of the matrix lie in the confusion it creates,its propensity to foster power struggles,and the stress it places on individuals.