4.5e Organizational Trends in the Modern Marketplace

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Questions and Answers

What does the process of delegation primarily involve?

Assigning responsibility without granting authority

Creating accountability without assigning tasks

Entrusting work to others while maintaining full control

Giving the right to make decisions and take action (correct)

Which concept represents the concentration of authority at the top levels of an organization?

Centralization (correct)

Decentralization

Delegation

Empowerment

What does high task specialization lead to in job design?

Job rotation

Job simplification (correct)

Job enlargement

Job enrichment

Which level of specialization involves performing a wide variety of tasks?

Low specialization Signup and view all the answers

What is the most extreme form of job simplification?

Automation Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential benefit of flexible working hours?

Greater autonomy in work scheduling Signup and view all the answers

What is job sharing?

Dividing a full-time position between two or more persons Signup and view all the answers

What is a common disadvantage of telecommuting?

Feelings of isolation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of work-at-home arrangements?

Facilitated by information technology Signup and view all the answers

Which is NOT a potential advantage of telecommuting?

Loss of visibility for promotion Signup and view all the answers

What does part-time work involve?

Working on any schedule less than 40 hours weekly Signup and view all the answers

What is a common outcome of worker morale improvements?

Increased job satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential risk of work sharing agreements?

Reduced work hours to avoid layoffs Signup and view all the answers

What is one organizing trend that contributes to a competitive advantage?

Streamlined structures Signup and view all the answers

What does a wider span of control imply for managers?

They have more employees reporting directly to them Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately reflects the trend of less unity of command?

More employees have multiple supervisors Signup and view all the answers

What effect does decentralization have on management structures?

Reduces the number of supervisory levels Signup and view all the answers

Why are organizations moving towards flatter structures?

To enhance communication and speed of decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes functional organizational structures?

Employees specialized by tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is a boundaryless organization primarily focused on?

Removing barriers between departments Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of organizational structure?

Hierarchical structure Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a core job characteristic for job enrichment?

Work location Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following methods can be used to enrich jobs?

Combining tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a compressed workweek?

Completing full-time hours in less than five days Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of a compressed workweek?

Increased scheduling problems Signup and view all the answers

What does flextime allow employees to do?

Schedule work hours around personal obligations Signup and view all the answers

During what time is all employees required to be at work under a flexible hours arrangement?

During core time Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of job sharing?

Allows two people to share one full-time job Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT listed as a type of alternative job arrangement?

Mandatory overtime Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential advantage of job simplification?

Lower training time for workers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a disadvantage of job simplification?

Higher levels of worker boredom Signup and view all the answers

What does job rotation aim to achieve?

Increase task variety by switching job roles Signup and view all the answers

How does job enlargement differ from job enrichment?

Job enlargement provides more tasks at the same level, while job enrichment provides more depth to tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of job enrichment?

To enhance job satisfaction by increasing tasks’ content Signup and view all the answers

What is horizontal loading in terms of job structure?

Adding different tasks at the same level Signup and view all the answers

What does vertical loading in job enrichment typically involve?

Adding different tasks at a higher level Signup and view all the answers

Why is job enrichment generally considered beneficial?

It creates more opportunities for worker satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Organizational Trends in the Modern Marketplace

Key organizational trends are changing the workplace
Success Criteria: analyze trends in organizational structures, explain alternative job arrangements
Review: Identify 6 types of organizational structures: Functional, Divisional, Matrix, Team, Network, and Boundaryless

Organizing Trends Changing the Workplace

Shorter chains of command: Reduce unnecessary management levels, creating flatter structures for a competitive advantage.
Less unity of command: Employees may report to multiple supervisors in cross-functional teams and horizontal structures, involving tasks, and forces.
Wider spans of control: Managers supervise more employees with less direct supervision due to the elimination of management layers.
More delegation and empowerment: Transferring decision-making authority to lower levels, increasing employee accountability.
Decentralization: Distributing decision-making power throughout the organization instead of concentrating it at the top levels.

Specialization

Task specialization: The degree to which workers focus on specific, well-defined, and highly specialized tasks.
Job simplification (high specialization): Standardized procedures and tasks that narrow job scope.
Job Rotation and Enlargement (moderate specialization): Rotating workers through different jobs or combining multiple tasks for expanded variety. Horizontal loading.
Job enrichment (low specialization): Building opportunities for satisfaction by expanding job scope and depth. Vertical Loading

Potential Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Simplification

Advantages: Easier training, easier to supervise, easier replacement of workers, expertise development in repetitive tasks
Disadvantages: Low job satisfaction, higher rates of tardiness and absenteeism, worker boredom

Alternative Job Arrangements

Compressed workweek: Full-time work in less than five days. Benefits include more leisure time, lower commuting costs, and potentially improved performance. Disadvantages include increased fatigue and scheduling difficulties.
Flexible hours: Allows some choice in daily work hours. Core time is specified, and flextime allows workers to adjust around personal and family responsibilities. Potential benefits include greater autonomy and improved morale.
Job sharing/Work sharing: One job shared by two or more people, often through a controversial agreement to cut back work hours to avoid layoffs.
Telecommuting/Work at home: Allows workers to complete a portion of their work outside the office. Benefits include freedom from commuting constraints, special work attire, increased productivity, and more flexibility/personal time. Disadvantages include difficulties supervising employees remotely, and feeling isolated.
Part-time work: Completed on a schedule less than 40-hour standard work week. Contingency workers supplement the workforce and now constitute 30% of the American workforce.

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Description

Explore the key organizational trends that are reshaping the modern workplace. This quiz covers various structures including Functional, Divisional, and Matrix, while analyzing how changes like delegating authority and decentralization are impacting employee dynamics. Test your knowledge on the new organizational paradigms that are driving competitive advantage today.