Exam Review

Question 0

What is formal organization?

Answer 0

Publicly stated or official goals, procedures and activities of the organization

Question 1

What is an organization?

Answer 1

Either groups of people acting together to achieve various aims or acting for one aim

Question 2

What is informal organization?

Answer 2

The unofficial goals, practices and activities within the organization

Question 3

What is ownership?

Answer 3

The legal owners, joint, several or collective of an organization

Question 4

What is control?

Answer 4

The day to day controllers, managers of an organization

Question 5

What is the division of Labour

Answer 5

The separation of tasks and functions between different people or groups of people on a permanent basis

Question 6

Describe a principal of bureaucracy: the organizational machine

Answer 6

Functional specification, hierarchy of authority, system of rules, impersonality (Max Weber)

Question 7

What are the two meanings of rationality?

Answer 7

Formal - choosing most rational means to an end

Substantive - the end goal is rational itself

Question 8

What was Croziers view on bureaucratic dysfunctions?

Answer 8

The myth of impersonality - they embody patronage and differential treatment

Question 9

What was Blaus view on bureaucratic dysfunctions?

Answer 9

Work to rule - efficiency depends upon not following rules

Question 10

What was Merton’s view on bureaucratic dysfunctions?

Answer 10

Goal displacement - following rules becomes an end in itself rather than a means to an end so you get the red tape problem

Question 11

What was Gouldner’s view on bureaucratic dysfunctions?

Answer 11

Mock bureaucracy - rules are in practice often ignored

Question 12

Discuss Scientific Management

Answer 12

A science for each element of work, scientific selection and training of workers, co-operation between managers and workers, division of responsibility between managers and workers (Taylor)

Question 13

What are some positives and negatives of Scientific Management on workers?

Answer 13

Positive - fair wage for work; improved industrial safety; reduced discrimination against immigrants
Negative - less power and autonomy; tedious work; dehumanised workers; alcoholism etc.

Question 14

What are positives and negatives of Scientific Management for managers?

Answer 14

Positives- increased productivity; increased control; an ideology of progress
Negatives- resistance (Taylor was sacked), low quality

Question 15

What were the Hawthorne Experiments?

Answer 15

Illumination experiment: effect of varying light levels.
Relay assembly room experiment: effect of varying conditions of work.
Interview programme: effect of airing grievances and concerns
Bank wiring room experiment: effect of informal work group

Question 16

What were the analytical implications of Hawthorne?

Answer 16

It tells us that human behaviour changes when people are being studied or observed
The effect is time limited
People are not machines, they have needs like recognition

Question 17

What were the managerial implications of Hawthorne?

Answer 17

Work is social as well as economic activity
Managers should interest themselves in the social well being and morale of workers
They must communicate and support

Question 18

What was one of Fayols early theories of management?

Answer 18

POCCC

Planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling

Question 19

What was Gulick’s early theorisation of management?

Answer 19

Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, Budgeting = POSDCORB

Question 20

What was the summary of the Aston findings?

Answer 20

In a large company there is more complexity, formalisation and less centralisation.
In a small company it is the opposite, there is less complexity, formalisation and more centralisation.

Question 21

What is the summary of the Woodward findings?

Answer 21

Unit- low complexity low formalisation low centralisation
Mass- high complexity high formalisation high centralisation
Process- low complex low formalisation low centralisation

Question 22

What are the problems with Post Bureuatic Organisation (PBO)?

Answer 22

Commitment to personal treatment carries danger of unfairness and patronage.
Commitment to flexibility/innovation risks absence of checks
Carries danger of stress and associated illness

Question 23

What are the three types of emotional labour?

Answer 23

1) integrative - ‘feel good’
2) differentiating - ‘feel bad’
3) masking - ‘neutral’

Question 24

What’s an example of a job that requires integrative emotion labour?

Answer 24

Feel good - airline cabin crew

Question 25

What’s an example of differentiating emotional labour?

Answer 25

Feel bad - club bouncer

Question 26

What’s an example of masking emotional labour?

Answer 26

Neutral - police officer

Question 27

What is the art of Japanese management?

Answer 27

Generated shared values, reducing internal conflict between managers and workers

Question 28

When does strong culture exist?

Answer 28

When there is a high degree of homogeneity in commitment to values. When there are not widely shared values culture is weakened.

As a side note: there are often sub cultures in different departments or functions

Question 29

What are some values typically sought by culture management?

Answer 29

Customer focus
Teamwork
Quality
Loyalty

Question 30

What did studies conducted in Ohio State and Michigan Universities in the 60s show about leadership?

Answer 30

They identified leadership styles and suggested these could be taught: made not born essentially

Question 31

What is the generic model of successful change management?

Answer 31

Leadership: setting a direction
Communication: of ovea direction
Consultation: involvement in decisions
Honest and fairness
Trust

Question 32

What are common reasons for failure in change management?

Answer 32

Inadequate resources
Unforeseen problems
Lack of support from top managers

Question 33

Define the new Capitalism

Answer 33

Abolition or reduction of barriers to global trade

Deregulation of financial markets

Reduced state welfare

Question 34

What is power knowledge?

Answer 34

External monitoring mechanisms which lead to self discipline (eg. Hidden cameras, mystery shoppers, internet browsing history)

Internal monitoring which leads to self management (appraisal)

Question 35

What is Braverman’s (1974) deskilling thesis?

Answer 35

He contends that the development of capitalism produces deskilling as forms become mechanised and turned to robots/machines
Machines are more predictable than humans, can get more labour out of the worker