Chapter 11

Question 1

Organizing

Answer 1

Deciding how the best group organizational activities and resources.

Question 2

Organizing Structure

Answer 2

The set of building blocks that can be used to configure an organization.

Question 3

Job Design

Answer 3

The determination of an individual’s work-related responsibilities.

Question 4

Job Specialization

Answer 4

The degree to which the overall task of the organization is broken down and divided into smaller component parts

Question 5

Benefits of Job Specialization

Answer 5

Workers can become proficient at a task.
Transfer time between tasks is decreased.
Specialized equipment can be easily developed.
Employee replacement is easier.

Question 6

Limitations of Job Specialization

Answer 6

Employee boredom and dissatisfaction with mundane tasks.

Anticipated benefits do not always occur.

Question 7

Alternatives to Specialization

Answer 7

Job Rotation
Job Enlargement
Job Enrichment
Job Characteristics Approach
Work Teams

Question 8

Job Rotation

Answer 8

Systematically moving employees from one job to another in an attempt to reduce employee boredom. Most frequent use today is as a training device for skills and flexibility.

Question 9

Job Enlargement

Answer 9

An increase in the total number of tasks workers perform.

Question 10

Job Enrichment

Answer 10

Increasing both the number of tasks the worker does and the control the worker has over the job.

Question 11

Job Characteristics Approach

Answer 11

Core Dimensions

Growth-Need Strength

Question 12

Core Dimension

Answer 12

Skill variety
Task Identity
Task Significance
Autonomy
Feedback

Question 13

Growth-Need Strength

Answer 13

The desire for some people to grow, develop, and expand their capabilities that is their response to the core dimensions.

Question 14

Work Teams

Answer 14

An alternative to job specialization that allows the entire group to design the work system it will use to perform an interrelated set of tasks.

Question 15

Departmentalization

Answer 15

The process of grouping jobs according to some logical arrangement.

Question 16

Rationale for Departmentalization

Answer 16

Organizational growth exceeds the owner-manager’s capacity to personally supervise all of the organization.
Additional managers are employed and assigned specific employees to supervise.

Question 17

Functional Departmentalization

Answer 17

Is the grouping of jobs involving the same or similar activities.

Question 18

Advantages of Functional Departmentalization

Answer 18

Each department can be staffed by functional-area experts.
Supervision is facilitated in that managers only need be familiar with a narrow set of skills.
Coordination inside each department is easier.

Question 19

Disadvantages of Functional Departmentalization

Answer 19

Decision making becomes slow and bureaucratic.
Employees narrow their focus to the department and lose sight of organizational goals/issues.
Accountability and performance are difficult to monitor.

Question 20

Product Departmentalization

Answer 20

The grouping of activities around products or product groups.

Question 21

Advantages of Product Departmentalization

Answer 21

All activities associated with one product can be integrated and coordinated.
speed and effectiveness of decision making are enhanced.
Performance of individual products or product groups can be assessed.

Question 22

Disadvantages of Product Departmentalization

Answer 22

Mangers may focus on their product to the exclusion of the rest of the organization.
Administrative costs may increase due to each department having its own functional-area experts.

Question 23

Customer Departmentalization

Answer 23

Grouping activities to respond to and interact with specific customers and customer groups.

Question 24

Advantage of Customer Departmentalization

Answer 24

Skilled specialists can deal with unique customers or customer groups.

Question 25

Disadvantage of Customer Departmentalization

Answer 25

A large administrative staff is needed to integrate activities of various departments.

Question 26

Location Departmentalization

Answer 26

The grouping of jobs on the basis of defined geographic sites or areas.

Question 27

Advantages of Location Departmentalization

Answer 27

Enable the organization to respond easily to unique customer and environmental characteristics.

Question 28

Disadvantage of Location Departmentalization

Answer 28

Large administrative staff may be needed to keep track of units in scattered locations.

Question 29

Establishing Reporting Relationships

Answer 29

Chain of Command Narrow vs. Wide Spans Tall vs. Flat Organizations

Question 30

Chain of Command

Answer 30

A clear and distinct line of authority among the positions in an organization. Unity of Command - Each person within an organization must have a clear reporting relationship to one and only one boss. Scalar Principle - A Clear and unbroken line of authority must extend from the bottom to the top of the organization.

Question 31

Narrow vs. Wide Spans

Answer 31

Span of Management A. V. Graicunas Ralph Davis Lyndall Unwich & General Ian Hamilton

Question 32

Span of Management

Answer 32

The number of people who report to a particular manager.

Question 33

A. V. Graicunas

Answer 33

Direct - manages a relationship with each subordinate. Cross - among the subordinates themselves. Group - between groups of subordinates.

Question 34

Ralph Davis

Answer 34

Operative span for lower-level managers up to 30 workers. Executive span for middle and top managers at 3 to 9. Span depends on mangers job, company's growth rates, and similar factors.

Question 35

Lyndall Unwich & General Ian Hamilton

Answer 35

Executive span should never exceed six persons.

Question 36

Tall Organizations

Answer 36

Are more expensive because of the number of managers involved. Foster more communication problems because of the number of people through whom information must pass.

Question 37

Flat Organizations

Answer 37

Lead to higher levels of employee morals and productivity. Create more administrative responsibility for the relatively few managers. Create more supervisory responsibility for managers due to wider spans of control.

Question 38

Authority

Answer 38

Power that has been legitimized by the organization.

Question 39

Delegation

Answer 39

The process by which managers assign a portion of their total workload to others.

Question 40

Reasons for Delegation

Answer 40

To enable the manager to get more work done by utilizing the skills and talents of subordinates. To foster the development of subordinates by having them participate in decision making and problem solving that allows them to learn about overall operations and improve their managerial skills.

Question 41

Manager Problems in Delegation

Answer 41

Reluctant to delegate. Subordinate's success threatens superior's advancement. Lack of trust in the subordinate to do well. Disorganization prevents planning work in advance.

Question 42

Subordinate Problems in Delegation

Answer 42

Reluctant to accept delegation for fear of failure. Perceives no rewards for accepting additional responsibility. Prefers to avoid any risk and responsibility.

Question 43

Decentralization

Answer 43

The process of systematically delegating power and authority throughout the organization to middle- and lower-level managers.

Question 44

Centralization

Answer 44

Systematically retaining power and authority in the hands of higher-level managers.

Question 45

Factors determining the Choice of Centralization

Answer 45

``` The complexity and uncertainty of the external environment. The history of the organization. The nature (cost and risk) of the decisions to be made. ```

Question 46

Coordination

Answer 46

The process of linking the activities of the various department of the organizations.

Question 47

The Need for Coordination

Answer 47

Departments and work groups are interdependent; the greater the interdependence, the greater the need for coordination.

Question 48

Three Major Forms of Interdependence

Answer 48

Pooled interdependence Sequential interdependence Reciprocal interdependence

Question 49

Pooled interdependence

Answer 49

When units operate with little interaction; their output is | simply pooled at the organizational level.

Question 50

Sequential interdependence

Answer 50

When the output of one unit becomes the input of another unit in sequential fashion.

Question 51

Reciprocal interdependence

Answer 51

When activities flow both ways between units.

Question 52

Structural Coordination Techniques

Answer 52

``` The Managerial Hierarchy Rules and Procedures Liaison Roles Task Forces Integrating Departments Electronic Coordination ```

Question 53

The Managerial Hierarchy

Answer 53

Placing one manager in charge of interdependent departments or units.

Question 54

Liaison Roles

Answer 54

A manager coordinates interdependent units by acting as a common point of contact, facilitating the flow of information.

Question 55

Task Forces

Answer 55

Used with multiple units when coordination is complex requiring more than one individual and the need for coordination is acute.

Question 56

Integrating Departments

Answer 56

Permanent organizational units that maintain internal integration and coordination on an ongoing basis.

Question 57

Electronic Coordination

Answer 57

E-mail, electronic scheduling, PDAs, cell phones

Question 58

Differentiating Between Positions

Answer 58

Line Positions Staff Positions Administrative Intensity

Question 59

Line Positions

Answer 59

``` Positions in the direct chain of command that are responsible for the achievement of an organization’s goals. Have formal (legitimate) authority to direct the workforce. ```

Question 60

Staff Positions

Answer 60

Positions intended to provide expertise, advice, and support to line positions. Have functional authority to enforce compliance with organizational policies and procedures.

Question 61

Administrative Intensity

Answer 61

The degree to which managerial positions are concentrated in staff positions.