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CHAPTER 7 - ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DESIGN Multiple Choice Questions
CHAPTER 7 - ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DESIGN Multiple Choice Questions
2. _____ is the sum of the ways an organization divides its labor into distinct tasks and
then coordinates them.
a. Differentiation
b. Organizational design
c. Operations management
d. Organizational structure
3. _____ is the extent to which tasks are divided into subtasks and performed by
specialists.
a. Integration
b. Differentiation
c. Formalization
d. Interdependence
4. _____ occurs when several groups, that are largely independent in their functions,
collectively contribute to a common output.
a. Pooled interdependence
b. Cognitive interdependence
c. Sequential interdependence
d. Reciprocal interdependence
5. _____ is the extent to which various parts of organizations cooperate and interact.
a. Integration
b. Differentiation
c. Formalization
d. Interdependence
7. _____ is the degree to which one unit, or one person, must use the work or resources
of another unit or person to accomplish tasks.
a. Differentiation
b. Formalization
c. Integration
d. Interdependence
8. Company ABC produces widgets. Timely delivery to Company XYZ is critical since
the widgets are essential to the production of Company XYZ’s gadgets. This is an
example of _____.
a. pooled interdependence
b. reciprocal interdependence
c. sequential interdependence
d. cross-functional interdependence
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10. One of the driving forces behind the integration of tasks is _____.
a. globalization
b. interdependence
c. localization
d. unity of command
12. Generally, the more _____ that exists within the organization, the more useful ____
are as an integration mechanism.
a. task independence; rules
b. task interdependence; rules
c. task independence; values
d. task independence; goals
13. As task uncertainty and interdependence increase, _____ are a more effective
coordination mechanism than _____.
a. goals; rules
b. rules; goals
c. rules; values
d. goals; values
14. Why are “values” an important coordinating mechanism in conditions of high task
uncertainty and interdependence?
a. They represent measurable outcomes and specify how to obtain them.
b. Those holding the same values will maintain standard operating procedures.
c. They establish guidelines for behavior and consequences in specific conditions.
d. Those holding the same values will all work toward the same outcomes while
maintaining flexibility in how they are accomplished.
16. Subordinates and managers with very high capabilities are required for _____
organizations with _____ spans of control to be successful.
a. flat; wide
b. tall; wide
c. flat; narrow
d. tall; narrow
18. A firm with strong formalization would be less likely to emphasize _____.
a. narrow spans of control
b. clear lines of authority
c. informal meetings
d. unity of command
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20. A _____ span of control throughout an organization will lead to a _____ organization
structure with multiple reporting layers.
a. narrow; flat
b. narrow; tall
c. wide; tall
d. wide; flat
21. All of the following EXCEPT _____ are factors that influence the span of control.
a. technology
b. job complexity
c. cognitive differentiation
d. abilities of employees
22. The _____ is the unofficial but influential means of communication, decision making,
and control that are part of the habitual way things get done in an organization.
a. pipeline
b. informal organization
c. information tunnel
d. interpersonal channel
24. Japanese multinational firms tend to operate as _____, announcing decisions from
home offices to subsidiaries. European multinational operations tend to operate as
_____, pushing decision-making authority to the lowest possible level.
a. centralized organizations; decentralized organizations
b. decentralized organizations; centralized organizations
c. functional organizations; geographic organizations
d. geographic organizations; functional organizations
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25. The term “bamboo ceiling” refers to _____.
a. the exclusion of host nationals from strategic decision making in centrally
controlled Japanese subsidiaries
b. the reluctance of Japanese managers to allow centralized decision making among
their subordinates
c. the lack of information flow from the Japanese-owned subsidiaries in foreign
countries back to headquarters in Japan
d. the tendency of Japanese firms to delegate decisions more frequently than
European or American firms
26. Which of the following structural combinations best depicts the U.S. military?
a. formal/decentralized
b. informal/decentralized
c. formal/centralized
d. informal/centralized
28. A bank organizes itself around the basic services it provides: retail banking, business
banking, and investment banking. Each service group has its own finance, marketing,
operations, and human resource management department. The bank is using a _____.
a. functional structure
b. product structure
c. division structure
d. matrix structure
29. In a product structure, each product is treated as a _____; that is, the expenses related
to a product are subtracted from the revenues generated by selling it.
a. profit center
b. locus of value
c. core competency
d. functional division
31. In which of the following ways are product and customer structures similar?
a. They both decrease companies’ ability to leverage global scale economies.
b. They both increase the international orientation of all managers.
c. They both boost responsiveness to changing market conditions.
d. They both create ambiguous lines of authority.
32. H and H Industries is a large industrial firm that manufactures and sells a wide range
of electrical goods; ranging from turbines in power stations to electric engines for
trains to household toasters and coffee pots. Based on this, which of the following
would be the most appropriate structure for H and H Industries to adopt?
a. a regional structure
b. a customer structure
c. a matrix structure
d. a division structure
33. One of the major weaknesses of the _____ structure is that it can inhibit coordination
and communication among different regions.
a. division
b. functional
c. geographic
d. product
34. There are major disadvantages in all of the following areas of a matrix structure
EXCEPT _____.
a. the flow of information
b. the level of accountability
c. the complexity of performance evaluations
d. the ability to respond to changing conditions
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35. Companies that advocate unity of command would be least likely to adopt which
organizational structure?
a. customer
b. division
c. functional
d. matrix
36. When a firm decides to outsource its manufacturing operations, a _____ allows it to
maintain close contact with the firms to which it is outsourcing the work.
a. division structure
b. network structure
c. functional structure
d. geographic structure
37. Which of the following statements characterizes a firm that operates within a “high-
networked” structure?
a. It uses outside organizations for limited activities only.
b. It has little contact with firms to which work has been outsourced.
c. It owns and executes most of its primary and support value chain activities.
d. It has more value chain activities networked to external organizations than it owns
and executes internally.
38. One of the greatest potential advantages of using a _____ is that it allows managers to
focus on core competencies.
a. product structure
b. network structure
c. regional structure
d. functional structure
39. A manager prepares a report that details her firm’s diversity of customers and
competitors. This manager is engaged in assessing her firm’s _____.
a. global strategy
b. marketing strategy
c. corporate structure
d. environmental complexity
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40. Which of the following is NOT a core category of environmental complexity?
a. quality
b. customers
c. technology
d. competitors
42. Computer software companies compete against a wide array of competitors and must
continually struggle to lead, or even stay abreast of, industry changes. Thus, we may
say that software companies exist in _____and _____ external environments.
a. complex; static
b. complex; dynamic
c. simple; static
d. simple; dynamic
43. Assume that a firm operates in a highly complex and dynamic business environment.
Its organizational structure would most likely be _____.
a. centralized
b. formalized
c. decentralized
d. mechanized
44. A firm with _____ would most likely use global product divisions to manage foreign
sales.
a. high foreign sales and high product diversification
b. high foreign sales and low product diversification
c. low foreign sales and high product diversification
d. low foreign sales and low product diversification
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45. A mining company supplies materials such as sand, gravel, and lime for the local
building trade. It has few export sales. What is the most likely structure that this firm
will use to manage international sales?
a. a matrix structure
b. global product divisions
c. a geographic structure
d. an international division
46. Firms with _____ and _____ usually employ a geographic structure to manage
international sales.
a. low foreign sales; low product diversification
b. high foreign sales; low product diversification
c. low foreign sales; high product diversification
d. high foreign sales; high product diversification
49. Firms involved in international business can use _____ to help them deal with the
pressures for both integration and differentiation.
a. teams
b. liaisons
c. direct contact
d. all of the above
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50. _____ are individuals who are designated to act as a bridge between different areas,
such as quality or manufacturing processes.
a. Enablers
b. Liaisons
c. Facilitators
d. Fact-finders
True/False
51. Organizational structure can be defined as the sum of the ways a firm divides its labor
into distinct tasks and then coordinates them.
52. Organizational design involves dividing labor into groups and coordinating tasks.
55. Cognitive differentiation is the degree to which one unit or one person depends on
another to accomplish a task.
56. Companies in relatively stable and static environments can use rules effectively to
achieve integration.
57. In conditions of high task uncertainty and interdependence, values are a better
integrating mechanism than goals.
60. The appropriateness of a tall or flat organization is affected more by the internal
environment than the external environment.
61. Flattening an organization’s structure decreases the amount of time it takes for
information to travel from the bottom to the top of the organization.
62. Organizational charts usually include informal structures for decision making,
communication, and control.
63. Formalization mechanisms (such as span of control, line of authority, and chain of
command) work to both differentiate and integrate people and their activities.
65. Japanese firms tend to exhibit a stronger degree of centralization than either European
or American firms.
67. In a functional structure, the firm is organized around specific products (or services)
or related sets of products (or services).
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68. Multinational firms rarely employ geographic or regional structures.
72. Companies using network organizational structures, such as Nike, generally operate
in stable environments.
73. Environmental functionality is the breadth and depth of differences and similarities in
an organization’s external environment.
74. A major principle in the relationship between organizational strategy and structure is
that the structure should complement and leverage the strategy.
75. Firms with high foreign sales and highly diverse product lines frequently use a matrix
structure.
76. If a domestic organization opens an international division, its products typically have
broad appeal, and there are relatively few customer differences across countries.
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77. Differences among countries and customer preferences motivate businesses to adopt a
global approach to organizational structure.
79. A company is likely to use a “local approach” to doing business abroad if the benefits
from location-specific differentiation and adaptation are significant and economies of
scale are small.
80. Liaison roles are designed to enhance the information flows between two or more
groups within an organization.
Organizational structure is the sum of the ways an organization divides its labor into
distinct tasks and then coordinates them; organizational design is the process of assessing
the organization’s strategy and environmental demands and then determining the
appropriate organizational structure.
An organizational chart uses labeled boxes and connecting lines to illustrate relationships
among units and lines of authority among supervisors and subordinates. While it can
provide a view of an organization’s structure, an organizational chart does not show the
complete organizational structure.
Differentiation is the extent to which tasks are divided into sub-tasks and performed by
individuals with specialized skills. Differentiation’s main benefit is greater specialization
of knowledge and skills. Task differentiation relates to what employees do. Cognitive
differentiation involves the way employees think. Although differentiation contributes to
greater specialization, it can create challenges to the integration of the various specialized
capabilities needed to deliver a product or service to the customer.
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84. Describe the types of interdependence among organizational units? (p. 171)
Interdependence is the degree to which each person depends on other units or people to
accomplish a required task. Pooled interdependence occurs when various groups are
largely independent in their functions but collectively contribute to a common output.
Sequential interdependence exists when the outputs of one group become the inputs of
another group. Reciprocal interdependence exists when two or more groups depend on
one another for inputs.
Formal organizations tend to stress the unity of command; that is, the notion that an
employee should have one and only one boss. Thus, people working in a highly formal
organization with a strong orientation toward unity of command are likely to have one
boss who directs their work and evaluates their performance.
87. What can be said about decision making in centralized organizations and
decentralized organizations? (p. 176)
88. What role does outsourcing play in a networked organization? (pp. 185 – 186)
A major part of creating a networked structure involves reconfiguring the firm’s value
chain in an effort to cut costs, promote specialization, and improve integration and
coordination. Outsourcing a value chain activity is one of the most common ways of
networking with an external organization; i.e., contracting a significant organizational
activity out to an independent party. Increasingly, critical activities that used to be done
internally (such as IT, human resources, manufacturing, and customer service) are being
outsourced. Much of the outsourcing that occurs today is to companies outside the United
States. Technology has made it possible to network these activities while retaining
reliability and lowering costs.
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89. What factors, or core categories, impact environmental complexity? (p. 188)
Environmental complexity involves the breadth and depth of differences and similarities
in an organization’s external environment. Complex environments have greater depth and
breadth of differences than do simple environments. The differences and similarities can
be assessed along many dimensions, but there are several core categories: products,
customers, technology, competitors, suppliers, and geography.
90. Within the context of international business, what is the relationship between the
nature of a company and its structure? (pp. 190 – 191)
The first dimension of the relationship between the nature of a company and its structure
is the extent of foreign sales. The second dimension is product diversification; that is, the
extent to which a firm has many different products across many different segments. Firms
with low foreign sales and low product diversification generally form an international
division to manage their international sales. Firms with low product diversification and
high foreign sales usually employ a geographic structure. Firms with low foreign sales
and high product diversification typically use global product divisions. Firms with high
foreign sales and high product diversification frequently use a matrix structure.
Note: The remaining questions in this section will be based on the following scenario:
Agmoor Products is a manufacturer of racing bikes and after-market bicycle parts. After
just two years in operation, owner Ron Moor split Agmoor into two divisions – racing
bikes and after-market parts. “It made more sense structurally,” he stated. “We were
growing too fast. With each division operating as its own entity, it became much easier to
track production, order processing, and quality.”
Then, a representative from Malhotra Bike Company in India contacted Ron Moor. The
tremendous demand for after-market parts in India would change Agmoor Products once
again. After accepting a contract from Malhotra, Ron Moor split Agmoor’s after-market
parts division into a North American division (targeting Agmoor’s current market) and
an overseas division (supporting the Malhotra contract). “I never believed anything like
this would happen at Agmoor!” Moor stated.
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Within a few months, Ron Moor saw another opportunity in India. With some slight
modifications to Agmoor’s racing bikes, Ron welcomed the challenge of tapping into the
Indian bicycle market. “The bicycle is used more as a mode of transportation there,”
Moor said, “and the terrain is different than here at home. But we can give them a
superior product.”
A firm’s organizational structure can be defined as the sum of the ways it divides its labor
into distinct tasks and coordinates them. The structure provides a blueprint for reporting
relationships, controls, authority, and decision making within the organization. Ron Moor
has changed the organizational structure of Agmoor in order to meet new challenges and
opportunities. So far, his restructuring efforts seem appropriate.
93. What level of task differentiation might be observed at Agmoor? (p. 171)
Differentiation is the extent to which tasks are divided into subtasks and performed by
individuals with specialized knowledge and skills. Agmoor has gone through several
changes, all of which can be addressed by task differentiation: the initial separation into
two divisions, racing bikes and after-market parts; the subsequent separation into the
North American division and the overseas division; and the recent incursion into the
Indian bicycle market. Specialization will allow Agmoor’s employees to develop high
levels of expertise in specific tasks and to perform those tasks well. Thus, Agmoor will
provide superior customer service. Moreover, the expertise developed from specialization
can help Agmoor develop innovative products and services. Therefore, this high level of
task differentiation will expedite Agmoor’s achievement of a competitive advantage.
94. Which type of interdependence best defines Agmoor? (pp. 171 – 172)
Interdependence is the degree to which each unit or person depends on other people or
units to accomplish a required task. Agmoor is characterized by pooled interdependence,
since its various groups are largely independent in their functions but collectively
contribute to a common output.
One way to balance both differentiating (separating) and integrating people and activities
is through formalization. More formal systems often limit a supervisor’s span of control.
When Agmoor started out, the span of control was probably rather wide, with Ron Moor
managing the employees and their activities. When Agmoor was separated into two
divisions (racing bikes and after-market parts), its organizational structure became more
formal. It is likely that a supervisor would have been appointed for each division. Thus,
employees in each division would report to their respective supervisors, who would then
report to Ron Moor. Therefore, the span of control of managers/supervisors narrowed.
With the Malhotra contract, the firm’s structure became even more formalized, as it was
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further divided into the North American division and the overseas division. It is likely
that more supervisors would have been appointed to oversee the activities of employees
in these new divisions; moreover, the employees would report to these supervisors, who
would then report to Ron Moor. Once again, the span of control of managers/supervisors
had narrowed. It is likely that this pattern would repeat itself, if Agmoor pursued the
opportunity to sell bicycles in India.
When Agmoor started out, its organizational structure was flat, with Ron Moor having a
wider span of control. As the company restructured, Agmoor became taller, as more
layers of management were added and vertical integration was increased.
97. Which organizational structure does Agmoor utilize? (pp. 181 – 182)
Agmoor has a division structure. Currently, the divisions consist of multiple products
within two areas: racing bikes and after-market parts. If Agmoor pursues the opportunity
to sell bicycles in India, it is likely that more divisions would be established.
98. Which core categories of environmental complexity impact Agmoor? (p. 188)
Products and technology will impact Agmoor, especially given continuous improvements
to racing bicycles and the product modifications that will be required to enter the Indian
market. Customers in India and North America will have different preferences and needs.
Geography will affect Agmoor’s business, given the distance between its two markets
and the differences in the terrains in India and North America. Furthermore, Agmoor has
competitors in the markets for racing bicycles and after-market parts, both in North
America and overseas. There will also be competitors if Agmoor decides to sell bicycles
in India.
Firms facing dynamic business conditions are operating in “white water” environments, a
metaphor for the challenges of navigating a boat down the rapids of a river. A rapidly
changing environment typically requires quick internal organizational changes. Such
environments are typical in the fashion industry or computer industry. Agmoor has made
changes to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of its new markets. However, rather
than being characterized by “white water” dynamism, Agmoor’s marketplace will tend to
be more stable over time, with changes and improvements to bicycles and after-market
parts being incremental rather than radical.
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100. Within the context of international business, to what degree, if any, does
Agmoor use a local approach? (p. 192)
Differences among countries and customer preferences can drive companies toward a
local approach. A local approach involves differentiating activities in each country
served. Agmoor markets racing bicycles in its North American division to meet the needs
of cyclists in North America. Ron Moor states there will be differences in the local Indian
market for bicycles, such as customer preferences and terrain. However, he is convinced
that Agmoor can offer a superior product to the Indian market by making some slight
modifications to its racing bicycles. Localization in after-market parts will depend on the
bicycles sold to North American customers and Indian customers, as well as the
specifications of the Malhotra contract.
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