Chapter 5

Question 1

What is bureaucracy?

Answer 1

Bureaucracy describes any hierarchal rule-bound organisation.

Question 2

Weber’s 8 characteristics of a bureaucracy:

Answer 2

• Specialisation
• Hierarchy
• Rules
• Impersonality
• Appointed officials
• Career officials
• Full-time officials
• Public/Private division

Question 3

Bureaucracy
What is specialisation?

Answer 3

A clear division of labour, so individuals specialise in their area of work and so can be skilled in that area and do the job well and efficiently.

Question 4

Bureaucracy
What is Hierarchy?

Answer 4

A hierarchy of roles with a clear chain of command, so that there is good supervision, and no uncertainty over who is in control.

Question 5

Bureaucracy
What is meant by rules?

Answer 5

Strict rules and procedures

Question 6

Bureaucracy
What is impersonality?

Answer 6

Objective and rational decisions are made for the benefit of the organisation a a whole, rather then personal preferences for the benefit of the individual.

Question 7

Bureaucracy
Who are appointed officials?

Answer 7

Appointed officials are managers selected by qualification, education or training.

Question 8

Bureaucracy
Who are career officials?

Answer 8

Managers pursue careers within the bureaucracy, and are able to move up the hierarchy. They work within a defined salary structure.

Question 9

Bureaucracy
Who are full-time officials?

Answer 9

Full-time officials are committed professionals focused on their work.

Question 10

Bureaucracy
What is public/private division?

Answer 10

The separation of directors running the business from the owners or shareholders.

Question 11

What is scientific management?

Answer 11

Scientific management is using research, experimentation and variation of different variable factors to find the optimum solution for the business.

Question 12

Taylor’s 4 principles for scientific management

Answer 12

• For every employee, a scientific method for their work should be created. The optimum working approach and methodology should be developed by analysing the role, conducting work studies, and formulating the new process in writing.
• For every employee, ensure that they are selected and trained specifically for their line of work. A physical job, for instance, will need a healthy, strong worker trained in that specific activity.
• Cooperation between workers and management so that workers follow the scientific principles to the best of their ability and managers guide and support them in doing so.
• Allocate time effectively, with managers spending most of their time planning (rather than supervising) and workers working. This involves workers taking on some responsibility for the task even when not being supervised.

Question 13

Problems with scientific management

Answer 13

• De-motivated employees - doing standard, boring jobs
• Lack of flexibility
• Union conflict - particularly when there’s job losses from efficiency changes.
• Lack of focus on the team and team working.

Question 14

What are organic organisations?

Answer 14

An organic organisation id a fluid and flexible network of multi-talented individuals, who perform a variety of tasks.

Question 15

Characteristics of an organic organisation

Answer 15

• Small hierarchy
• Little specialisation of work
• No job descriptions or classifications
• Informal communications - colleague to colleague
• The power of personalities and relationships are key
• There is a lack of rigid procedures and communication
• Reacting quickly and easily to changes in the environment

Question 16

What is a mechanistic organisation?

Answer 16

A mechanistic organisation is one that is formal, structured and bureaucratic in nature.

Question 17

Characteristics of a mechanistic organisation

Answer 17

• Long hierarchy
• Specialisation of work
• Clear job descriptions and classifications
• Formal communication, often up and down the hierarchy
• The structure and processes are key
• Formal rules and procedures
• React slowly to change

Question 18

Fiedler - Situational leadership
What does Fiedler suggest and what are the three actors?

Answer 18

Fiedler suggests leaders have different leadership styles. Identified with a Least-Preferred Co-worker (LPC) score. A high score suggests a human relations orientation. A low score suggests a take orientation.
The three factors are:
- Leader and members relations
- Task structure
- Leader’s power position

Question 19

Adair - Action-centred leadership
What is it? And what are the three key elements?

Answer 19

Adair believes an effective leader must balance 3 key elements:
- Task - involves control, object setting, planning and allocation.
- Team - involves team building, communication and discipline.
- Individual - involves coaching, training, support and development.

Adair recognises situations change.

Question 20

Hersey and Blanchard - Situational leadership theory
What is it?

Answer 20

Emphasises the importance of the situation on the type of leadership required. The leader must adjust their style bases on follower maturity (competency and commitment to the particular task).
M1 - Basic incompetence or unwillingness to complete the task.
M2 - Unable to adequately complete the task alone but willing to try.
M3 - Competent but unwilling to take responsibility due to low confidence
M4 - Competent and willing to do the task.

The leader will be successful if they correctly alter the extent to which they direct the group (task behaviour) and engage in two-way communication (relationship behaviour).

Question 21

Hersey and Blanchard - Situational leadership theory
What are the four behaviour types the leadership styles are categorised into?

Answer 21

S1: Telling - one way communication where the leader defines roles and provides the what, how, why, when and where.
S2: Selling - The leader provides direction using two-way communication. Influencing the individual or group to buy in.
S3: Participating - Allows shared decision-making.
S4: Delegating - The process and responsibility has been passed to the individual or group. The leader stays involved to monitor progress.

Question 22

Mayo’s Hawthorne experiments
What is it and what did Mayo find?

Answer 22

Showed the importance of groups in affecting the behaviour of individuals at work.

Mayo said that:
- Individual workers cannot be treated in isolation, but must be seen as members of a group.
- Monetary incentives and good working conditions are less important to the individual that the need to belong to a group.
- Informal or unofficial groups formed at work have a strong influence on the behaviour of those workers in a group.
- Managers must be aware of these ‘social needs’ and cater for them to ensure that employees collaborate with the official organisation rather than work against it.

Question 23

Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory
What are the motivational factors?

Answer 23

• Challenging and interesting work
• Recognition
• Responsibility
• Achievement
• Advancement and personal growth

Question 24

Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory
What are the hygiene factors?

Answer 24

• Fair rules and procedures
• Good working environment (e.g. safety)
• Good supervision and support
• Job security
• A fair salary

Question 25

What are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 25

Physiological - basic needs for human survival
Safety - safe working, job security, pay, good policies on health and well being
Love/belonging - social needs
Esteem - typical human desire to be accepted and valued.
Self actualisation - a persons full potential and the realisation of it.

Question 26

What is a socio-technical systems theory?

Answer 26

This is a mixture of man and machine.
The theory is to design the social and technical systems of an organisation so that they are balanced and work together.

Question 27

The ethics of leadership.
What are ethics?

Answer 27

Ethics are a code of moral principles that people follow with respect to what is right or wrong.
It’s about doing the right thing for the various stakeholders of the business and holding the business to a high standard of behaviour.

Question 28

What are the three areas of ethical control?

Answer 28

Personal ethics
Organisational culture
Organisational systems

Question 29

What are personal ethics?

Answer 29

Personal ethics are moral principles held by individuals. The ethics of the organisation will closely reflect the ethics of its staff.

Question 30

What is organisational culture?

Answer 30

Organisational culture is the combination of beliefs, values and standards of behaviour in inherent in an organisation. Often behaviours are influenced by what is seen to be right or wrong within the group of employees.

Question 31

How can organisational culture be controlled?

Answer 31

• Developing a statement of values for the organisation
• Communication of ethical expectations
• Senior management leading the way

Question 32

What are organisational systems?

Answer 32

Organisational systems are the sets of internal processes and activities which dictate the way the organisation operates.

Question 33

What could be included in organisational systems?

Answer 33

• Reward systems
• Recruitment systems
• Ethical codes
• Ethical audits
• Disciplinary procedures

Question 34

What are three essential factors to consider in ethical leadership?

Answer 34

• Tone
• Levels of leadership
• Integrated ethical values

Question 35

Ways to ensure a virtual team is effective:

Answer 35

Regular and simple communication
Team support
Clear team goals and purpose
Informal communications