Business Organisation

Question 1

Span of control

Answer 1

The number of employees for who a manger is responsible for

Question 2

Advantage of narrow span of control

Answer 2

Manager gets to spend lots of time giving clear and direct instructions to staff

Question 3

Disadvantage of narrow span of control

Answer 3

Staff may feel ‘watched over’ and uncomfortable in the workspace

Question 4

Advantage of wide span of control

Answer 4

Independence may be more motivating for staff

Question 5

Disadvantage of wide span of control

Answer 5

Staff may feel like they’re not getting enough attention and become demotivated and perform badly

Question 6

Division of labour

Answer 6

How tasks are shared put across the work force, usually based of functional areas

Question 7

Communication paths

Answer 7

The way commands/messages travel along the chain of commands

Question 8

Centralised structure

Answer 8

Decision making taken at the top of the hierarchy

Question 9

Decentralised structure

Answer 9

Decision making is spread out

Question 10

Matrix structure

Answer 10

Individuals work across teams & projects as well as within their own department or function

Question 11

Advantage of matrix structure

Answer 11

Utilises skills within the organisation

Question 12

Disadvantage of matrix structure

Answer 12

Potential for conflicting management directives

Question 13

Organisation by function

Answer 13

The business is arranged in specialist areas. E.g-marketing

Question 14

Hierarchal structure

Answer 14

The oranisation of job roles by rank

Question 15

Accountability

Answer 15

Requirement to be answerable for quality & quantity of work done/not done

Question 16

Empowerment

Answer 16

Enabling workers to make their own decisions and work autonomously

Question 17

Purchasing function

Answer 17

Identify business requirements for goods, materials, and services