Chapter 4: Organizing Technical Activities

Question 1

Is a management function which refers to “the structure of resources and activities to accomplish objectives in an efficient and effective manner”

Answer 1

Organizing

Question 2

The arrangement or relationship of positions within an organization

Answer 2

Structure

Question 3

Purpose of the structure

Answer 3

1. defines relationships between tasks and authority
2. defines formal reporting relationships, span of control
3. defines the groupings of individuals into departments into organization
4. defines the system to effect coordination of effort in both vertical and horizontal directions

Question 4

When structuring an organization, the engineer manager must be concerned with the following:

Answer 4

Division of Labor
Delegation of Authority
Departmentation
Span of Control
Coordination

Question 5

Determining the scope of work and how it is combined in a job

Answer 5

Division of Labor

Question 6

The process of assigning various degrees of decision-making authority to subordinates

Answer 6

Delegation of Authority

Question 7

The grouping of related jobs, activities, or processes into major organizational subunits

Answer 7

Departmentation

Question 8

The number of people who report directly to a given manager

Answer 8

Span of Control

Question 9

The linking of activities in the organization that serves to achieve a common goal or objective

Answer 9

Coordination

Question 10

The structure that details lines of responsibilities, authority, and position

Answer 10

Formal Organization

Question 11

The formal structure is described by management through:

Answer 11

Organization Chart
Organizational Manual
Policy Manuals

Question 12

Is a diagram of the organization’s official positions and formal lines of authority

Answer 12

Organization Chart

Question 13

Provides written descriptions of authority relationships, details the functions of major organizational units, and describe job procedures

Answer 13

Organizational Manual

Question 14

Deacribes personnel activities and company policies

Answer 14

Policy Manual

Question 15

Are oftentimes very useful in the accomplishment of major tasks, especially if these tasks conform with the expectations of the members of the informal group

Answer 15

Informal Groups

Question 16

Group formed spontaneously with friendship as a principal reason for belonging

Answer 16

Informal Group

Question 17

Makes it difficult for management to detect these perversions, and considerable harm can be done to the company

Answer 17

Low Visibility

Question 18

Types of Organizational Structures

Answer 18

Functional Organization
Product or Market Organization
Matrix Organization

Question 19

This is a form of departmentalization in which everyone engaged in one functional activity, such as engineering or marketing, is grouped into one unit

Answer 19

Functional Organization

Question 20

This refers to the organization of a company by divisions that brings together all those involved with a certain type of product or customer

Answer 20

Product or Market Organization

Question 21

An organizational structure in which each employee reports to both a functional or division manager and to a project or group manager

Answer 21

Matrix Organization

Question 22

Reasons or factors for joining or forming a group

Answer 22

Friendship
Common Interest
Proximity
Need Satisfaction
Collective Power
Group Goals

Question 23

Concern for environment or love for classical music

Answer 23

Common Interest

Question 24

Which gives people the chance to share ideas, opinions, and feelings

Answer 24

Proximity

Question 25

Which are derived from unions, cultural societies, fraternities, etc.

Answer 25

Need Satisfaction

Question 26

Which is derived from unions, fraternities, etc.

Answer 26

Collective Power

Question 27

Which attract individuals like: consumer society, sports club, etc.

Answer 27

Group Goals

Question 28

Are very effective in smaller firms, especially “single business firms where key activities revolve around well-defined skills and areas o specialization

Answer 28

Functional Organization

Question 29

With its feature of operating by divisions, is “appropriate for a large corporation with many product lines in several related industries”

Answer 29

Product or Market Organization

Question 30

Is a structure with two or more channels of command, two lines of budget authority, and two sources of performance and reward

Answer 30

Matrix Organization

Question 31

Types of Authority

Answer 31

Line Authority
Staff Authority
Functional Authority

Question 32

A manager’s right to tell subordinates what to do and then see that they do it

Answer 32

Line Authority

Question 33

A staff specialist’s right to give advice to a superior

Answer 33

Staff Authority

Question 34

A specialist’s right to oversee lower level personnel involved in that specialty, regardless of where the personnel are in the organization

Answer 34

Functional Authority

Question 35

Staff Officers may be classified into the following

Answer 35

Personal Staff
Specialized Staff

Question 36

Those individuals assigned to a specific manager to provide needed staff services

Answer 36

Personal Staff

Question 37

Those individuals providing needed staff services for the whole organization

Answer 37

Specialized Staff

Question 38

Committees may be classified as

Answer 38

Ad Hoc Committee
Standing Committee

Question 39

One created for a short term purpose and having a limited life

Answer 39

Ad Hoc Committee

Question 40

It is a relatively permanent committee that deals with issues on an ongoing basis

Answer 40

Standing Committee