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Question 1
5 out of 10 points
John Barnes is a production supervisor at Anfield, an aircraft manufacturing firm. After
evaluating John's managerial capabilities, some members of the senior management feel
that average productivity would improve if more workers are assigned to him. However,
some managers are skeptical about John's ability to handle more workers.
Which of the following statements, if true, would support the argument favoring
increased span of control?
John's team consists of highly experienced and skilled labor.
Anfield recently became the world's leading aircraft manufacturer.
John is receiving increasing complaints about interpersonal conflicts within the team.
John's team is highly dependent on his guidance, even on minor issues.
When additional workers were assigned to John on a previous occasion, it had led to
unfavorable results.
Answer
Selected
Answer:
Anfield recently became the world's leading aircraft manufacturer
This would require them to need to expand their employees. Giving him
more subordinates would aid in this.
Correct
Answer:
John's team consists of highly experienced and skilled labor.
Explanation: As John's team consists of highly experienced and skilled
labor, his managerial abilities would complement his team's abilities and
certainly improve the average productivity. Anfield becoming the leading
aircraft manufacturer is simply stating a mere and irrelevant fact. If John is
receiving increasing complaints about interpersonal conflicts within his
team, then he isn't doing a very good job to begin with and hence must not
be assigned more workers. If John's team is highly dependent on his
guidance, his hands are already full and assigning more workers certainly
wouldn't be advised. As it had led to unfavorable results the previous time
additional workers were assigned to John, it shows that he is incapable of
handling more than the present number.
[Page: 484]
Response
Feedback:

[None Given]
Question 2
10 out of 10 points
As a manager in a technological organization, you are known to extol the virtues and
befits of standardization. Which type of organizational structure are you most likely
promoting?
Answer
Selected
Answer:
Correct
Answer:
Bureaucracy is based around strict procedure and standardization. This is
the most likely organization being promoted.
Bureaucracy.
Explanation: Standardization is the key concept that underlies all
bureaucracies. The bureaucracy is characterized by highly routine operating
tasks achieved through specialization, formalized rules and regulations,
tasks grouped into functional departments, centralized authority, narrow
spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command.
[Page: 487]
Response [None Given]
Feedback:
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Question 3
10 out of 10 points
Flo is the CEO of F&D Incorporation. She has decided to hire other organizations to
perform many of the basic functions of her business. She has hired an accounting firm to
keep her records, a recruiting firm to handle human resource functions, and a computer
firm to handle all records. To keep costs down, Flo is looking for other areas in which to
outsource operations. What specific type of organizational structure has Flo chosen to
operate?
Answer
Selected
Answer:
Virtual organization with a focus on decentralization. The company
doesn't have any of those main functions as a part of themselves and the
functions are distributed among other, unrelated companies.
Correct
Answer:
Virtual organization.
Explanation: A virtual organization is a small, core organization that
outsources major business functions.
[Pages: 490-491]
Response
Feedback:

[None Given]
Question 4
5 out of 10 points
Carefully analyze the following organizational structures:
Highly centralized organization
Virtual organization
Formalized organization
Bureaucracy
Hierarchical organization
You have recently started your business with a small capital investment. Your business
needs a very high degree of flexibility so that you can quickly respond to environmental
changes and you are also interested in minimizing costs. Which of the types of
organizations above is best suitable for your business?
Answer
Selected
Answer:
Highly Centralized organization would most likely be the best
choice. Since the company will be small, this will prevent the added costs
of middle management and allow the head to make quick decisions based
on the needs at the time.
A virtual organization would be an ok choice, but the cost of outsourcing
major functions might be more than what we are willing to pay on a small
investment.
Formalized organization could work alright for the low cost, except the
time required to setup and use the formalized rules will slow down the
ability to respond to environmental changes.
Bureaucracy. no. to expensive, to slow, jsut completely the wrong choice.
Heirarchical would be the next logical step if the company were to grow,
but for jsut starting out and low cost, this would not be a good investment.
Correct
Answer:
Virtual organization
Explanation: The major advantage of the virtual organization is its
flexibility, which allows individuals with an innovative idea and little
money to successfully compete against larger, more established
organizations.
[Page: 492]
Response
Feedback:

[None Given]
Question 5
10 out of 10 points
Viking Corp. is attempting to flatten its organizational hierarchy. It is encouraging the
use of cross-hierarchical teams, participative decision-making practices, and the use of
360-degree performance appraisals. Based on this information, briefly describe the
specific type of organization that Viking Corp. is attempting to create.
Answer
Selected
Answer:
Viking Corp is trying to create a boundariless organization. By trying to
flatten the hierarchy and have all decisions made by discussion and
participation, they are removing the boundaries bit by bit.
Correct
Answer:
Answer: Boundaryless
A boundaryless organization tries to flatten the hierarchy. It encourages
usage of cross-hierarchical teams. It encourages participative decisionmaking practices. It tends to use 360-degree performance appraisals. The
boundaryless organization seeks to eliminate the chain of command, have
limitless spans of control, and replace departments with empowered teams.
In this example Odysseus Corp. is attempting to create a boundaryless
organization.
[Pages: 492-493]
Response
Feedback:
[None Given]
Thursday, May 8, 2014 6:14:53 PM EDT