Greenworld is a new non-profit organization that works on environmental safety issues. It has recruited employees from various backgrounds.
As the organization is new, employees' responsibilities are often unclear, with employees sometimes clueless about their responsibilities. Some refuse to do tasks they do not consider part of their jobs, while others willingly complete any task at hand. This lack of agreement is a consequence of ________.
A) role fuzziness
B) downsizing
C) span of control
D) job rotation
E) unity of command
Question 2When delegated tasks are not clearly defined, the organization is said to have high ________.
A) task complexity
B) unity of command
C) span of control
D) formality
E) role fuzziness
Question 3Span of control refers to ________.
A) a situation in which delegated tasks are not clearly defined
B) the effectiveness of group expectations in deciding minimal standards of behavior
C) the strength of group members' desire to be an active part of the team and its work
D) the hierarchical rank or prestige conferred by group members to each other
E) the number of subordinates that report to one supervisor
Question 4At a workshop, each manager has between twenty to thirty workers reporting directly to him. Which of the following factors, if true, would strengthen the argument that the span of control is not unduly wide for the managers?
A) The managers' ability to coordinate and control performance of subordinates is fairly average.
B) The task being supervised is routine, interrelated and efficiency in it increases with time.
C) The workshop housing all the employees to be supervised is spread over two whole blocks.
D) The employees typically seek immediate feedback and require complex interaction with superiors.
E) The subordinates have been found to be more productive when supervised than when working alone.
Question 5Which of the following statements is true of formality within an organization?
A) Greater formality is likely to be seen in organizations with an organic approach to organizational style.
B) Increased formality reduces the amount of discretion that employees have in performing certain tasks.
C) Formality makes it difficult and cumbersome to create and monitor budgets, leading to unpredictability.
D) Formality causes chaos and confusion as organizations grow in size and expand to new areas.
E) Organizational formality leads to increases in personal initiative and organizational flexibility for employees.
Question 6Which of the following is true of centralized authority?
A) Centralized organizations tend to allow maximum participation by mid-level managers.
B) Centralized authority sometimes increases decision-making bottlenecks, rather than preventing them.
C) Centralized authority assumes that lower-level workers have the time and inclination to engage in decision-making.
D) Centralized authority makes accountability and communication hazy and unclear.
E) Centralized authority is commonly seen in large organizations because of the greater number of employees.
Question 7Richard, the operations manager at a multinational, believes that employees need to be kept in control through a highly structured work environment, formal guidelines, and accountability.
Which of the following can be inferred about Richard's way of functioning at work?
A) Richard has a narrow span of control at work.
B) Richard experiences role fuzziness at work.
C) Richard's company emphasizes a cellular organizational design.
D) Richard follows the mechanistic style of organizational management.
E) Richard prefers low organization complexity in his organization.
Question 8Amy has recently started a business dealing with natural textiles, a niche industry that promotes the green cause. Though it is not completely structured or very profitable, Amy enjoys this work and ensures that her subordinates feel the same way.
She encourages new ideas, innovative strategies, and open communication between each and every member and runs the business as a venture based on trust and a common cause. Amy uses ________.
A) the traditional organizational design
B) a high degree of formality
C) the organic style of management
D) multi-level organizational design
E) a vertical style of communication
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