Chapter 1

Question 1

What is an organization (4 things)

Answer 1

• social entity
• goal directed
• deliberately structured
• linked to the environment

Question 2

Define organization theory

Answer 2

loose collection of many different theories about organizations

Question 3

What are the 2 perspectives on organizations?

Answer 3

Open systems and organizational configuration framework

Question 4

What is a closed system, what type of environment does it have, and what does it focus on?

Answer 4

Not dependent on the environment
Assumes a stable environment
Focus on internal efficiency

Question 5

What is an open system?

Answer 5

Must interact with the environment to survive

It both consumes resources and exports resources in the environment.

Question 6

What are the sub systems in an open system?

Answer 6

Boundary spanning, production, maintenance, adaption, management

Question 7

What are the 2 organizational dimensions and what do they consist of?

Answer 7

Structural: internal characteristics
Contextual: whole organization and elements of environment

Question 8

List the characteristics of the structural dimension

Answer 8

formalization
specialization
centralization
hierarchy of authority
professionalism
personnel ratio

Question 9

What is formalization?

Answer 9

The amount of written documentation in the organization

Question 10

What is specialization?

Answer 10

The degree to which tasks are subdivided into seperate jobs

Question 11

What is Hierarchy of Authority?

Answer 11

Describes who reports to whom and span of manager control through an organizational chart

Question 12

What is Centralization?

Answer 12

Refers to hierarchical level that has authority to make decisions

Question 13

What is Professionalism?

Answer 13

The level of formal education and training of employees

Question 14

What is Personnel Ratios?

Answer 14

Refers to the deployment of people to various functions and department

Question 15

List the characteristics of the contextual dimension

Answer 15

size
technology
environment
goals
strategy
culture

Question 16

What is efficiency?

Answer 16

The amount of resources used to achieve the organizational goals

Question 17

What is effectiveness?

Answer 17

The degree to which an organization achieves goals

Question 18

What is the stakeholder approach?

Answer 18

looking at various organizational stakeholders and what they want

Question 19

Name the parts of Mintzberg’s Organizational Framework and define their roles

Answer 19

Top Management: direction for goals and strategy
Middle Management: implement strategy at a lower level
Tech Support Staff: help the organization adapt to the environment and create innovation
Admin Support Staff: smooth operation of the organization
Technical Core: produce the goods and services