Modern Marketplace Organizational Trends

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of delegation in management?

To increase the manager's workload and responsibilities.

To empower employees by granting them decision-making authority. (correct)

To decrease cooperation among team members.

To centralize control within the organization.

What is meant by decentralization in the context of organizational management?

Concentration of authority at top management levels.

Reduction of employee involvement in decision-making.

Dispersion of authority to various levels within the organization. (correct)

Standardization of procedures across all levels.

Which of the following describes job simplification?

Creating broad job roles with minimal structure.

Assigning a wide variety of tasks to employees.

Encouraging collaboration among team members.

Standardizing work procedures with high task specialization. (correct)

How does high task specialization typically affect job scope?

It simplifies job roles and narrow job scopes. Signup and view all the answers

What management trend is associated with greater employee empowerment?

Delegation and horizontal structures. Signup and view all the answers

What organizational trend involves cutting unnecessary levels of management to create flatter structures?

Shorter chains of command Signup and view all the answers

What does a wider span of control in an organization imply?

More responsibility for managers over a larger number of subordinates Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes less unity of command in modern organizations?

Cross-functional teams may consist of members from various departments Signup and view all the answers

Which organizational structure is characterized by an emphasis on flat management with fewer levels?

Boundaryless structure Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of decentralization in organizational trends?

Greater autonomy for departments and teams Signup and view all the answers

Which type of teams are formed across job functions to address specific goals?

Cross-functional teams Signup and view all the answers

What trend reflects a move away from traditional models where one person reports to one boss?

Less unity of command Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of shorter chains of command?

Increased hierarchical barriers Signup and view all the answers

Which core job characteristic refers to the variety of skills needed to perform a job?

Skill variety Signup and view all the answers

What is one method to enrich jobs by improving core job characteristics?

Combining tasks Signup and view all the answers

Which alternative work arrangement allows employees to complete a full-time job in less than five days?

Compressed workweek Signup and view all the answers

What are the perceived benefits of a compressed workweek?

More leisure time Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of flexible hours in a workplace?

Core time requires attendance at specific hours Signup and view all the answers

Which alternative arrangement allows employees to work from home?

Telecommuting Signup and view all the answers

What does 'vertical loading' in job enrichment involve?

Giving higher-level tasks to lower-level employees Signup and view all the answers

What is a disadvantage associated with a compressed workweek?

Increased scheduling problems Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential disadvantage of job simplification?

Worker boredom Signup and view all the answers

What does job rotation primarily aim to increase?

Task variety Signup and view all the answers

How does job enlargement differ from job enrichment?

Enrichment expands job content vertically, while enlargement maintains the same level. Signup and view all the answers

What does horizontal loading refer to?

Combining tasks of the same level Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a potential advantage of job simplification?

Increased worker creativity Signup and view all the answers

What is one major aim of job enrichment?

To enhance job satisfaction through task depth Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect does job enrichment focus on compared to job enlargement?

Increasing task complexity and responsibility Signup and view all the answers

Which phrase best describes job enlargement?

Increasing the number of tasks at the same level Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential benefit of flexible working hours?

Improved worker morale Signup and view all the answers

What is job sharing?

Splitting one full-time job between two or more persons Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes telecommuting?

Completing scheduled work hours outside of the office Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of telecommuting?

Feelings of isolation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary distinction of part-time work?

It does not qualify an employee as full-time Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario best illustrates work sharing?

Employees agreeing to cut their hours to avoid layoffs Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT an advantage of telecommuting?

Increased distractions at home Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of the American workforce do contingency workers currently make up?

30 percent Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Organizational Trends in the Modern Marketplace

Current trends in organizational structures are analyzed.
Various alternative job arrangements are explained.
A review of six organizational structures is requested. These include functional, divisional, matrix, team, network, and boundaryless structures.

Success Criteria

The ability to analyze current organizational structure trends is a key criterion.
Understanding and explaining alternative job arrangements is also important.

Review of Organizational Structures

The notes request that the reader draw 6 different organizational structures (functional, divisional, matrix, team, network, boundaryless).

Organizing Trends Changing the Workplace

Shorter chains of command: The line of authority is being streamlined by reducing unnecessary managerial levels. Flatter structures are seen as a competitive advantage.
Less unity of command: Employees may report to multiple supervisors, especially in cross-functional teams or horizontal organizations.
Wider spans of control: Fewer management levels mean managers oversee more subordinates with less direct supervision.
More delegation and empowerment: Managers entrust more decision-making power to employees.
Decentralization: Authority is dispersed to various levels of the organization. Delegation/empowerment and horizontal structures contribute to decentralization.
Alternative work arrangements such as flexible hours, compressed workweeks, telecommuting, job sharing, and part-time work.

Specialization

Task specialization: The degree to which workers concentrate on specific tasks. More specialization means less variety in tasks.
Job specialization (high): Standardizes work procedures and concentrates employees on specific tasks. This often leads to simplified jobs and narrow job scopes.
Potential advantages of job simplification: Easier and quicker training, easier supervision, easy worker replacement, development of expertise in repetitive tasks.
Potential disadvantages of job simplification: Reduced job satisfaction, increased tardiness/absenteeism, worker boredom.
Moderate Specialization: Job rotation and job enlargement aim to increase task variety.
Job rotation involves shifting workers to different jobs with varying tasks.
Job enlargement combines several tasks previously performed by different workers into a single role. This increases the range of duties for an employee.
Job enrichment (low specialization): Builds in opportunities for greater satisfaction by expanding both job scope and depth (through vertical loading). Job enrichment differs from job enlargement by adding higher-level tasks.

Alternative Job Arrangements

Compressed workweek: A full-time job completed in fewer than 5 days. This can increase leisure time and reduce commuting costs.
Flexible hours: Allows employees more choice in scheduling work hours but requires a core time when all employees must be present.
Job sharing or Work sharing: One full-time job is split between two or more people. This is another arrangement employees can use for avoiding layoffs and/or keeping their work hours.
Telecommuting or Work-at-home: A portion of scheduled work is completed outside the office using technology to link with clients or customers.
Part-time work: Work on a schedule of fewer hours than a full-time workweek. The work is still considered part of the full work plan (schedule). This type of work is done to supplement the workforce, also known as contingency workers. Contingency workers now constitute 30 percent of the American workforce.

How to Enrich Jobs

Core job characteristics contribute to job enrichment, such as:
- Skill variety: The different skills required for the job.
- Task significance: The importance of the job.
- Autonomy: The amount of control employees have over their work.
- Feedback: How much information employees receive about their performance.
Improving core job characteristics:
- Combining tasks, opening feedback channels, using vertical loading.

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Description

Explore the latest trends in organizational structures that are shaping the modern marketplace. This quiz covers various job arrangements and provides a detailed review of six primary organizational structures, including functional and matrix. Understand how these trends are influencing workplace dynamics and management strategies.