Organizational Theories Flashcards
Inputs, throughputs, and outputs are the key elements of:
A. Weber’s bureaucracy,
B. Taylor’s scientific management,
C. Katz and Kahn’s open-system theory.
D. McGregor’s Theory Y.
Answer C is correct. Katz and Kahn’s (1978) open-system theory describes organizational operations as involving inputs, throughputs, and outputs.
According to McGregor (1960), Theory X managers:
A. have a high need for power and a low need for affiliation.
B. match their leadership style to an employee’s career maturity.
C. believe that workers lack ambition and avoid taking responsibility.
D. communicate a positive vision for the future.
Answer C is correct. Theory X managers have a pessimistic view of workers and believe that workers dislike work, lack ambition, and avoid taking responsibility.
An advocate of which of the following is most likely to recommend that time-and-motion studies be used to identify the most efficient way to perform a job?
A. Taylor’s scientific management
B. McGregor’s Theory Y
C. Katz and Kahn’s open-system theory
D. Herzberg’s two-factor theory
Answer A is correct. Taylor (1911), the founder of scientific management, identified several management practices that he believed would maximize organizational efficiency and productivity. One of these is using scientific methods (e.g., time-and-motion studies) to determine the best way to do a job.