Organizational Theory Test 3

Front 1

Define: Job Design

Back 1

Refers to the way that a set of tasks, or an entire job, is organized. Job design helps to determine:

what tasks are done,
how the tasks are done,
how many tasks are done, and
in what order the tasks are done.
or
refers to administrative changes that can help improve working conditions.

Front 2

What are the three steps of job design, according to personell/HRM specialist?

Back 2

help

Front 3

What three methods may be used to complete the process of job analysis?

Back 3

help

Front 4

What are the main kinds of jobs, from the perspective of sociology?

Back 4

help

Front 5

Name and define the 5 dimensions of jobs (core job dimensions).

Back 5

help

Front 6

Draw and describe the MPS formula

Back 6

help

Front 7

What are the advantages and disadvantages of specialization of labor?

Back 7

help

Front 8

Define: Job Rotation, job enlargement, job description, and job specification

Back 8

1.
2.
3.
4.

Front 9

Define: job enrichment

Back 9

help

Front 10

What are the advantages and disadvantages of job enrichment?

Back 10

help

Front 11

Name and define the three main dimensions of organizational structure

Back 11

1. Type of departmentation
2.Centralization/Decentralization: Describes or refers to the degree of delegation of decision making, authority and power
3. Whether organization is mechanistic or organic. Mechanistic/organic - # of rules, titles, procedures, and ranks, the degree of formality and therefore the degree of organizational flexibility

Front 12

Define: mechanistic organizational structure & centralization/decentralization

Back 12

1.
2.
3.

Front 13

Name and briefly describe 4 types of departmentation

Back 13

1. Departmentation by function - 1st division is the function performed - find it in the smaller, single product, or single service companys (most common)
2. Departmentation by product - 1st division in company is product. - find it in growing companies that are adding products.
3. Departmentation by Geographic Area aka Parallel - find it in retail chains ( i.e. sears, k -mart, target) & franchise food (i.e. mcdonalds), branch banking (i.e. commerce)
4. Departmentation by customer (i.e. dell) - government, business to business,, consumer - find consumers by selling same product to different customers

Front 14

What are the characteristics of a bureaucracy?

Back 14

1. Specializational labor
2. Clear set of rules and procedures
3. Clear hierarchy of authority
4. Formal relationships between workers
5. Professional managers

Front 15

According to Alfred Chandler, what causes organizational structure? Describe his major points.

Back 15

*Company strategies cause organizational structure
4 Main Points
1. Most firms begin with a single product and a centralized functional form of structure
2. Successful firms tend to grow by adding products and services (Product diversification)
3. The demands of new products and services are so great that the firm becomes inefficient and eventually a crisis develops
4. To resolve the crisis, firms create new structures that are product based and decentralized.

Front 16

According to peter blau, what causes organizational structure? Describe his major points.

Back 16

*Company size causes organizational structure.
2 major points
1. Large size firms tend to be decentralized for two reasons
a. Volume of decisions
b. types of decisions
2. In spite of pressures to decentralize, managers in large size firms want to maintain control
a. standardize jobs
b. formalize rules and procedures
c. computerize or mechanize

Front 17

According to JD thompson, what causes organizational structure? Describe his work.

Back 17

*Cause of company technology creates organizaitnoal structure (?)
4 main points
1. Every firm has a core technology
2. Firms create structure to protect and facilitate the core technology
3. Occassionally a threat to core technology arises
4. The stronger the threat, the more powerful the defending subunit.

Front 18

According to joan woodward, what causes organizational structure? Describe her main points.

Back 18

Help

Front 19

Define: Scalar, unity of command, and parity of authority and responsibility

Back 19

1. Scalar: step by step flow of authority, responsbility, and communication
2. Unity of command: Each employee only answers to an immediate supervisor. And all supervisors should share the same goals
3. Parity of authority and responsibility - (help)

Front 20

What do we know about change?

Back 20

1. rate of change is increasing
2. change is an unsettling process
3. People tend to resist change

Front 21

What methods are there for overcoming resistance to change?

Back 21

*Education
*Communication
*Participation
*Facilitation
*Negotiation
*Manipulation
*Coercion
*Support(emotional and financial)

Front 22

What causes a company to need to change?

Back 22

Internal causes
1. Growth
2. Crisis
3. Opportunity

External Causes:
1. Changes in government
2. Social trends
3. Economic conditions
4. Competitive changes

Front 23

What types of things do companies change?

Back 23

1. Strategies, tactics, and plans
2. Organizational structures
3. Jobs
a. job redesign
b. job redefinition
4. People
a. Sometimes that means fire and hire
b. Sometimes its reassigned
5. Technologies

Front 24

Define: Normative development & Normative science

Back 24

help

Front 25

What methods or interventions are used by OD experts?

Back 25

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