Module 4: Organizing

Question 1

Which of the following organizational designs groups employees by what they do?

(A) Functional
(B) Product
(C) Geographic
(D) Market
(E) Authority-centered

Answer 1

(A) Functional

Question 2

Which of the following can be best determined by consulting an organization chart?

(A) The size of the company
(B) The distribution of company resources
(C) The nature of work performed
(D) The connections of positions
(E) The quality of management of the firm

Answer 2

(D) The connections of positions

Question 3

Large organizations are likely to structure their work operations and personnel in any of the following ways EXCEPT

(A) accounting
(B) divisional
(C) geographic
(D) market
(E) product

Answer 3

(A) accounting

Question 4

Decentralization tends to be encouraged by which of the following business trends?

I. Product diversification

II. Telecommuting

III. Geographical expansion of operations

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and III only
(E) I, II, and III

Answer 4

(E) I, II, and III

Question 5

The practice in large companies of establishing autonomous divisions whose heads are entirely responsible for what happens in the division is referred to as

(A) management by exception
(B) decentralization of authority
(C) delegation of authority
(D) integration
(E) informal organization

Answer 5

(B) decentralization of authority

Question 6

Which organizational approach is most to provide standardization and efficiency/lower cost?

(A) Decentralized
(B) Informal
(C) Geographic
(D) Virtual
(E) Centralized

Answer 6

(E) Centralized

Question 7

The number of subordinates who directly report to a superior refers to the manager’s

(A) span of control
(B) organizational role
(C) organizational structure
(D) chain of command
(E) general staff

Answer 7

(A) span of control

Question 8

A large span of control throughout an organization invariably results in

(A) low morale
(B) high morale
(C) an excess workload for each manager
(D) a flat (horizontal) organizational structure
(E) a tall (vertical) organizational structure

Answer 8

(D) a flat (horizontal) organizational structure

Question 9

The span of control most appropriate in a given organization is primarily influenced by which of the following?

(A) Types of services or products being produced
(B) Amount of supervision needed by subordinates
(C) Amount of authority given to a supervisor
(D) Number of hierarchical levels within the organization
(E) Presence of work teams

Answer 9

(B) Amount of supervision needed by subordinates

Question 10

Which of the following best illustrates informal organization?

(A) Line authority, such as that of the field marshal and battalion commander in the military
(B) Staff authority, such as that of personnel or cost control in manufacturing
(C) Functional authority, such as corporate supervision of the legal aspect of pension plans in branch plants
(D) Groupings based on position titles
(E) Groupings based on such factors as technical ability, seniority, and personal influence

Answer 10

(E) Groupings based on such factors as technical ability, seniority, and personal influence

Question 11

Which of the following is the most accurate description of a grapevine in an organization?

(A) It is a constant source of disruptive information.
(B) It follows the chain of command.
(C) It can be suppressed once it is recognized.
(D) It plays an important role in organizations.
(E) Most managers believe that it is a positive source of information.

Answer 11

(D) It plays an important role in organizations.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the situation in which an employee arrives for work on time in order to avoid being placed on probation for a second time?

(A) Positive reinforcement
(B) Negative reinforcement
(C) Extinction
(D) Intermittent reinforcement
(E) Cognitive learning

Answer 12

(B) Negative reinforcement

Question 13

Praise received from an employee’s peers is best described as an example of

(A) an extrinsic reward
(B) an intrinsic reward
(C) low valence
(D) high instrumentality
(E) high directive leadership

Answer 13

(A) an extrinsic reward

Question 14

Intrinsic rewards can be classified as rewards that do which of the following?

(A) Allow the employee to establish flexible working hours.
(B) Provide a sense of achievement and accomplishment.
(C) Create work coordination among all employees.
(D) Improve communication effectiveness.
(E) Allow greater span of control.

Answer 14

(B) Provide a sense of achievement and accomplishment

Question 15

According to Maslow, the need to feel genuinely respected by peers, both in and out of the work environment, is included in which of the following need classifications?

(A) Physiological
(B) Safety
(C) Stability
(D) Esteem
(E) Self-actualization

Answer 15

(D) Esteem

Question 16

The hierarchy of needs theory argues that deficiency needs must be met before the push to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth. The individual most commonly associated with this theory is

(A) Peter Drucker
(B) Henri Fayol
(C) Abraham Maslow
(D) Elton Mayo
(E) F. W. Taylor

Answer 16

(C) Abraham Maslow

Question 17

Which of the following people is associated with the development of the Theory X and Theory Y model?

(A) Abraham Maslow
(B) Elton Mayo
(C) Douglas McGregor
(D) Frederick Taylor
(E) Lillian Gilbreth

Answer 17

(C) Douglas McGregor

Question 18

McGregor’s Theory Y states that workers

(A) naturally dislike work and avoid it when possible
(B) have lower capacity for intrinsic motivation than do managers
(C) naturally enjoy work and see it as a source of fulfillment and satisfaction
(D) should be monitored closely while performing critical tasks
(E) naturally distrust managers and seek independence

Answer 18

(C) naturally enjoy work and see it as a source of fulfillment and satisfaction

Question 19

Which of the following is the primary purpose of the management-by-objectives (MBO) approach?

(A) Aligning goal setting and planning
(B) Creating a dynamic and complex work environment
(C) Reducing employee resistance to change
(D) Implementing standard operating procedures
(E) Implementing a decision rule to respond to a designated problem

Answer 19

(A) Aligning goal setting and planning

Question 20

Expectancy theory tells us that employees will only be motivated by a promised reward

(A) if they cannot get a better promise elsewhere
(B) if they expect to be able to achieve the goal and earn the reward
(C) if they personally trust the manager who has promise the reward
(D) if they have earned the reward in the past
(E) if the reward depends only on their own hard work

Answer 20

(B) if they expect to be able to achieve the goal and earn the reward

Question 21

Which of the following theories of motivation states that people are demotivated by rewards that are perceived as unfair?

(A) Expectancy theory
(B) Hierarchy of needs theory
(C) Justice theory
(D) Theory X
(E) equity theory

Answer 21

(E) equity theory

Question 22

According to equity theory, after an employee receives a reward for performance, what is the next step the employee takes in the motivation process?

(A) Negotiating new valued rewards for the next performance period
(B) Comparing the reward with a self-selected comparison group or person
(C) Reducing productivity briefly while enjoying the earned reward
(D) Expecting an increase in future rewards
(E) Working harder than he or she did previously

Answer 22

(B) Comparing the reward with a self-selected comparison group or person

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an input, according to equity theory?

(A) Effort
(B) Experience
(C) Education
(D) Seniority
(E) Pay Incentives

Answer 23

(E) Pay Incentives

Question 24

In accordance with Herzberg’s 2-factor theory, which factor can demotivate but are not likely to motivate employees?

(A) Hygiene factors
(B) Motivational promoters
(C) Motivators
(D) Pressure factors
(E) Barrier factors

Answer 24

(A) Hygiene factors

Question 25

Which of the following practices enhances job content by building into the job more motivating factors such as responsibility, achievement, recognition, and personal growth, as advocated by Frederick Herzberg?

[textbook] A job redesign technique that allows workers more control over how they perform their own tasks.

(A) Job enlargement
(B) Job enrichment
(C) Job rotation
(D) Job reengineering
(E) Job intensification

Answer 25

(B) Job enrichment

Question 26

Job enrichment can be an effective tool to achieve which of the following?

(A) Better communication
(B) Increased job responsibility
(C) Improved work relations
(D) Teamwork
(E) Shared decision making

Answer 26

(B) Increased job responsibility

Question 27

What aspect of job design involves adding tasks to a job to make it more variable and more interesting?

(A) Job enhancement
(B) Job expansion
(C) Job inflation
(D) Job enlargement
(E) Job enrichment

Answer 27

(D) Job enlargement

Question 28

Function of management that involves developing an organizational structure and allocating human resources to ensure the accomplishment of objectives. The structure of the organization is the framework within which effort is coordinated. The structure is usually represented by an organization chart, which provides a graphic representation of the chain of command within an organization.

(A) Planning
(B) Organizing
(C) Leading
(D) Controlling

Answer 28

(B) Organizing

Question 29

The matching of organizational form, such as structure, reporting relationships, and information technology, with the organization’s strategy.

(A) Organizational design
(B) Job design
(C) Job enrichment
(D) Teamwork

Answer 29

(A) Organizational design

Question 30

The process of putting together various elements to form a job, bearing in mind organizational and individual worker requirements.

(A) Organizational design
(B) Job design
(C) Job enrichment
(D) Teamwork

Answer 30

(B) Job design

Question 31

Cooperative effort by the members of a group or team to achieve a common goal.

(A) Organizational design
(B) Job design
(C) Job enrichment
(D) Teamwork

Answer 31

(D) Teamwork