Leader as a Structural Architect

Question 1

What are the six elements of structure?

Answer 1

Work specialization
Chain of command
Span of Control
Centralization
Formalization
Departmentalization

Question 2

To what degree are activities subdivided into separate jobs?

Answer 2

Work Specialization:

division of labor was thought to increase efficiency and productivity by creating expertise.

Question 3

To whom do individuals and groups report?

Answer 3

Chain of command:

unbroken line of authority that extends from the top to bottom

Question 4

How many individuals can a manager efficiently and effectively direct?

Answer 4

Span of Control

Question 5

Where does decision making authority lie?

Answer 5

Centralization and decentralization

Question 6

To what degree will there be rules and regulations to direct employees and managers?

Answer 6

Formalization

Question 7

On what basis will jobs be grouped together?

Answer 7

Departmentalization

groups organized by common tasks

Question 8

What is a simple structure?

Answer 8

low departmentalization
wide spans of control
authority centralized in a single person
little formalization

benefits: inexpensive, flexible
costs: costs: inefficient, dependent on owner

Question 9

What is a bureaucracy?

Answer 9

functional departments, standardized tasks, high formalizations and centralization.

Question 10

benefits of bureacracy

Answer 10

perform standardized activities in a highly efficient manner, low labor costs

Question 11

costs of bureacracy

Answer 11

coordination problems, rule bound

Question 12

What is a matrix structure?

Answer 12

functional and product departmentation

two bosses

Question 13

benefits of matrix?

Answer 13

coordination across multiple products/projects

efficient allocation of specialists/professors

Question 14

cons of matrix?

Answer 14

confusion, power struggles

- leadership skills
- stress

Question 15

5 Organizations Designs

Answer 15

Simple, Bureacracy, Matrix, Virtual, Boundaryless

Question 16

Virtual Organization

Answer 16

highly centralized with little to no departmentalization

Question 17

Boundaryless Organization

Answer 17

eliminating vertical and horizontal boundaries and break down external barriers between the company and its customers and suppliers

eliminate chain of command, have limitless spans of control, replace departments with teams

Question 18

Mechanistic Model:

Answer 18

highly standardized process for work, high formalization, and more managerial hierarchy

Question 19

Organic Model:

Answer 19

boundaryless organization, flat, less formal procedures for making decisions, flexibility.

Question 20

Since structure is a means to achieve objectives, where do these objectives derive from?

Answer 20

Strategy

Question 21

Innovation strategy

Answer 21

achieve meaningful and unique innovations

Question 22

Cost-Minimization strategy

Answer 22

tightly controls cost, refrains from incurring unnecessary expenses, cuts prices

pursue fewer policies meant to develop commitment among workforce

Question 23

Imitation Strategy

Answer 23

minimize risk and maximize opportunity for profit by moving new products or entering new markets only after innovators have done it first.

Question 24

What external factors affect the structure?

Answer 24

Organization size, technology, environment

Question 25

What three dimensions does every organization’s environment have?

Answer 25

capacity, volatility, and complexity

Question 26

What is volatility?

Answer 26

degree of instability in an environment

Question 27

What is Complexity?

Answer 27

degree of heterogeniety and concentration among environmental factors

Question 28

What is Capacity?

Answer 28

the degree to which the environment can support growth

Question 29

The more scarce, dynamic, and complex the environment, the more ________ a structure should be.

Answer 29

organic

Question 30

The more abundant, stable, and simple the environment,the more _____ a structure should be

Answer 30

mechanistic