Exam 16: Organizational Structures

Most modern organizations use output controls as part of an overall method of managing by exception.

__________ is the combination of resources, knowledge, and techniques that creates a product or service output for an organization.

A configuration involving one or two ways of specializing individuals and units is called an):

The owners, suppliers, distributors, government agencies, and competitors with which an organization must interact to grow and survive constitute its __________ environment.

__________ classified technologies based on the degree to which the technology could be specified and the degree of interdependence among the work activities.

The major advantages of the __________ pattern are its flexibility in meeting external demands, spotting external changes, integrating specialized individuals deep within the organization, and focusing on the delivery of specific products to specific customers.

All of the following are disadvantages of divisional departmentation EXCEPT:

Governmental agencies have found that increasing decentralization helps them effectively improve their performance.

The organic type of bureaucracy emphasizes vertical specialization and control.

From an organizational standpoint, information technology IT) has the potential to add capability.

Environmental __________ refers to the magnitude of the problems and opportunities in the organization's environment, as evidenced by three main factors: the degree of richness, the degree of interdependence, and the degree of uncertainty stemming from both the general and the specific environments.

A procedure is a guideline for action that outlines important objectives and broadly indicates how an activity is to be performed.

While an organization chart may clearly indicate who reports to whom, it is also important to recognize that it does not show how work is done, who exercises the most power over specific issues, or how the firm will respond to its environment.

A formal structure has the disadvantages of being very expensive, losing unity of command, causing overlapping managerial authority and responsibilities, and being difficult to explain to employees.

Successful organizations arrange their __________ to meet the dictates of their dominant technologies or workflows and information technology opportunities.

Which type of units provides specialized expertise and services to the organization?

All of the following are advantages of functional departmentation EXCEPT:

__________ are announced cooperative agreements or joint ventures between two independent firms.

Firms often use an __________ bureaucracy in pursuing a low-cost leadership strategy.

Policies, rules, and procedures are often employed as substitutes for direct supervision.