44 Questions
What does structure encompass in an organization?
All the people, positions, procedures, processes, culture, and technology
How does structure relate to an organization's strategy?
Structure must be aligned with strategy for the organization to achieve its mission and goals
What happens when an organization changes its strategy?
It must change its structure to support the new strategy
How does management realize a shift in an organization's strategy?
When it appears to have done it on its own
What does organizational structure influence?
Decision-making, work completion, and product efficiency
What sets the upper limit for effective supervision of subordinates?
Span of control
What defines the formal reporting relationships within an organization?
Chain of command
What does centralization retain?
Decision-making authority with high-level managers
What are the characteristics of bureaucracy as defined by Max Weber?
Clear rules, authority, and specialization
What are key elements within an organization according to the text?
Authority, responsibility, and accountability
What does a functional structure group the organization by?
Purpose such as marketing, sales, and production
What does developing an organizational structure involve?
Defining the framework, reporting relationships, and workflow governance
What is crucial for an organization's management according to the text?
Organization's structure
Which term describes the stage where positive and polite interactions occur with unclear roles and responsibilities?
Forming
What is the primary difference between informal and formal groups in organizations?
Level of association among members
What characterizes the norming stage of group development?
Resolution of differences and appreciation of strengths
What distinguishes teams from groups in organizations?
Collaborative action and task orientation
What is the primary responsibility of first-level managers?
Assigning tasks, guiding employees, addressing production and employee issues
What stage is characterized by hard work leading to goal achievement without friction?
Performing
What is the outcome when groups disband according to the text?
Difficulty for those who have developed close working relationships
What do team-based organizations have more of compared to others?
Motivation and involvement
What characterizes the storming stage of group development?
Conflict and boundary-pushing, often leading to group failure
What distinguishes teams from groups?
Teams have specified roles and defined ways of working together, whereas groups are generally more informal with unspecified roles and norms.
What is a characteristic of virtual teams?
Consist of members in different locations, often formed to leverage distributed expertise or time differences.
What is a characteristic of top management teams?
Appointed by CEOs and typically include representatives from key functional or geographic areas.
What is an essential consideration in team formation?
Team members' qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits.
What is the optimal team size according to the text?
2
What is a characteristic of self-managed teams?
Empowered with a team leader and linked to higher job satisfaction.
What type of team is formed to leverage distributed expertise or time differences?
Virtual teams
What is a characteristic of temporary teams?
Formed for specific purposes and can be short- or long-lived.
What is an essential consideration in effective team design according to the text?
Complementary skills and diversity in team composition can lead to more creative and effective solutions.
What type of team can include representatives from key functional or geographic areas?
Top management teams
What is a characteristic of complementary skills in team composition?
Promotes better coordination and interaction
Which type of organizational structure divides the organization around processes such as research, manufacturing, and sales?
Process structure
What is the primary responsibility of middle-level managers in organizations?
Executing plans and inspiring lower-level managers
Which level of managers in organizations consists of board of directors, president, vice-president, and chief executive officers?
Top-level managers
What is the most common visual depiction of how an organization is structured, outlining roles, responsibilities, and relationships?
Organizational chart
What is the primary drawback of a functional organizational structure?
Inhibited communication between departments
What is a key advantage of divisional organizational structure in larger companies?
Rapid and specific needs met for customers
What is a potential challenge of a matrix organizational structure?
Lack of clear delineation of roles and responsibilities
What characterizes the number of managers in different levels within an organization?
It resembles a pyramid shape
What do top-level managers primarily focus on in organizations?
Developing goals and strategic plans for the organization as a whole
What does an organizational chart primarily outline?
Roles, responsibilities, and relationships within the organization
What characterizes the number of managers at each level within an organization?
It resembles a pyramid shape
Study Notes
Characteristics and Types of Teams
- Team members are interdependent, bringing together resources to achieve a common outcome, while individuals in a group may not rely on each other at all.
- Teams are formed for specific purposes and can be short- or long-lived, while groups can exist based on common attributes like race or ethnicity.
- Team members have specified roles and defined ways of working together, whereas groups are generally more informal with unspecified roles and norms.
- Team members are familiar with each other due to task interactions, while group members may have personal relationships or little knowledge of each other.
- Temporary teams include task forces, product development teams, and cross-functional teams in matrix organizations.
- Virtual teams consist of members in different locations, often formed to leverage distributed expertise or time differences.
- Top management teams are appointed by CEOs and typically include representatives from key functional or geographic areas.
- Self-managed teams, empowered with a team leader, have been linked to higher job satisfaction and increased self-esteem.
- Effective team design involves decisions on team composition, size, and diversity, tailored to the task at hand.
- Team members' qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits are essential considerations in team formation.
- Optimal team size ranges from two to twenty members, with smaller teams promoting better coordination and interaction.
- Complementary skills and diversity in team composition can lead to more creative and effective solutions, helping to avoid groupthink.
Organizational Structures and Management Levels
- Functional structure can restrict coordination and communication between departments due to separate working units.
- Divisional structure is used in larger companies with separate smaller organizations within the umbrella group, allowing for rapid and specific needs met, but communication is inhibited.
- Process structure divides the organization around processes, such as research, manufacturing, and sales, geared towards satisfying the customer.
- Matrix structure, a hybrid of divisional and functional structure, allows for the benefits of both structures, but can lead to power struggles.
- Organizational chart is the most common visual depiction of how an organization is structured, outlining roles, responsibilities, and relationships.
- Organizational charts can represent the structure of an organization as a whole or broken down by department or unit.
- There are generally three different levels of managers in organizations: first-level managers, middle-level managers, and top-level managers.
- Top-level managers are responsible for controlling and overseeing all departments, developing goals and strategic plans, and mobilizing outside resources.
- Middle-level managers are responsible for the functioning of their department, executing plans, and inspiring and guiding lower-level managers.
- Top-level managers consist of board of directors, president, vice-president, chief executive officers.
- Middle-level managers consist of general managers, branch managers, department managers.
- The number of managers in every level resembles a pyramid, with the first-level having many more managers than middle-level and top-level managers.
Learn about different types of organizational structures including functional and divisional structures, and how they can impact communication and coordination within a company.
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