MGT 4153 Study Questions Exam 2

MGT 4153 Study Questions Exam 2

April 9, 2014

This is a study guide. Some of the questions are answered on this guide and others require that you use your textbook or other information and read the information about that particular topic.

The exam will have mostly short-answer questions, with few questions requiring explanations, lists, etc. The weight for each question will be given on the exam itself.

Please make sure you understand the following:

A.  Explain means just that. Either explain the concept adequately or you will not receive credit for that question. Two or three word “explanations” are not explanations.

B.  If I cannot read your writing, you will not receive credit for that question. Take your time and make the effort to be legible.

C.  If I see you using your cell phone or any other electronic device before you turn in your paper, you will not receive any credit for the exam.

1.  Three “Assess Your Answer” questions from each of chapters 7, 10 and 11. Each used will be Agree, Disagree or Both, and the second part may be Briefly Explain. That is a total of nine questions.

2.  An organizational chart is the visual representation of underlying activities and processes in an organization. Through most of the 20th century, the hierarchical, functional structure predominated. In recent years, however, organizations have developed other structural designs, often aimed at increasing horizontal communication.

3.  The structure of an organization must fit information requirements of the organization so people have neither too little information nor too much irrelevant information.

4.  Vertical linkages in organizations are designed primarily for control, in contrast to horizontal linkages that are designed for coordination and collaboration (learning). All organizations need a mix.

5.  In Vertical Information Sharing, what are the three vertical linkages created to coordinate activities between the bottom and top of an organization and are designed primarily for control of the organization? Briefly explain each.

(Hierarchical referral, rules and plans, and vertical information systems).

6.  In Horizontal Information Sharing, what are the three Horizontal Linkages that refer to the communication and coordination horizontally across organizational departments? Briefly explain each. (Information systems, direct contact and task forces)

7.  In a recent survey by Industry Week and the Manufacturing Performance Institute asking 745 manufacturers which improvement programs they used, what was by far the most common answer (More than 40% gave the same answer)?

8.  What are the differences among functional structure, divisional structure and geographical structure.

9.  What are at least one strength and one weakness of the matrix structure?

10. The matrix structure can be used when both technical expertise, and product innovation and change are important.

11. A horizontal structure organizes employees around core processes. (What are core processes?)

12. What are the most obvious differences between service technology and manufacturing technology? (exhibit 7.7, p 267)

13. Be knowledgeable about lean manufacturing, which starts on page 263 in Chapter 7.

14. What is job design? (p. 282)

15. Self-directed teams (What are they?) are the basis of which structure? (Horizontal structure)

16. Strengths of the horizontal structure include flexibility and responsiveness to changes in customer needs because of enhanced coordination.

17. Why do some companies combine characteristics of functional, divisional, geographical or horizontal structures? (To take advantage of the strengths of a particular structure while avoiding some of the weaknesses.)

18. Know the information in exhibit 7.11, p. 278. (Workforce interdependence)

19. What are the primary differences between a traditional organization designed for efficiency and a more contemporary organization designed for learning?

20. An organization’s core technology is the work process that is directly related to the mission of the organization. (Question 10!)

21. Humanness/Authenticity + Humble Behaviors result in ______which in turn results in ______. (From Humility info.)

22. Joan Woodward’s classic study classified manufacturing firms into: small batch, mass production and continuous process technologies. (pages 256-259)

23. What are other names sometimes used for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS)? (Advanced manufacturing technology, computer-integrated manufacturing, agile manufacturing or smart factories.)

24. Define lean manufacturing.

25. Variety refers to the number of exceptions, problems or novel events that occur in the department’s work.

26. Analyzability refers to the extent to which the work is mechanical, clear cut, and follows an objective, computational procedure.

27. Variety and analyzability can be combined into a single dimension of technology called routine versus non-routine technology.

28. In department design the structure is ether organic or mechanistic.

29. Routine technologies have a mechanistic structure with formal rules and rigid management processes, whereas non-routine technologies have an organic structure, and management is flexible.

30. Explain the differences between job enrichment and job enlargement.

31. What is a service technology? How does this differ from a manufacturing technology? (There is no tangible product in a service technology.)

32. Name several primary ways the design of service firms typically differ from that of product firms.

33. In today’s world, change rather than stability is the norm.

34. In chapter 11 there are four strategic types of change. What are they?

35. Briefly explain the difference between organizational change and organizational innovation.

36. What are several elements of successful change?

37. Which structure probably inhibits technical innovation: organic or mechanistic? (Mechanistic)

38. In chapter 11 there are statistics which indicate that only 14 percent of all products undertaken in the R&D laboratories achieved economic success.

39. What are the three reasons mentioned in chapter 11 for New Product Successes?

40. Effective design for new product innovation is associated with the horizontal coordination model.

41. Horizontal Coordination means that technical, marketing and production people share ideas and information.

42. Time-based Competition means delivering products and services faster than competitors, giving companies a competitive edge.

43. Companies throughout the world have faced the need to make radical changes in strategy, structure and management processes to adapt to new competitive demands. The dual core approach compares management and technical changes.

44. Which type of changes occur most often: management or technical? (Technical)

45. In which core (technical or management) does innovation originate? (Can be in either).

46. What types of process and structure are used by organizations that must adopt frequent management changes? (Top-down process and a mechanistic structure).

47. Define culture and culture change within an organization.

48. Forces for culture change include: reengineering, shifting to horizontal forms of organizing, diversity of today’s workforce, and a growing emphasis upon learning and adapting.

49. What is large group intervention as related to organizational development culture change?

50. What is the most crucial part of the change process? (Implementation)

51. Explain how culture is like an iceberg. (p. 375)

52. Leaders who attempt to build organization-wide commitment take employees through three stages of the change commitment process. What are those three stages? (Preparation, acceptance, and commitment)

53. What are five barriers to change as listed by the author in chapter 11?

54. The author lists seven techniques for implementation for organization change. Be prepared to list at least three of them.

55. What are some observable aspects of organizational culture? (exhibit 10-2, p 378)

56. When organizations face a dilemma, what is the natural order of things that must happen in today’s global environment? (change)

57. What are the four types of change that give an organization a competitive edge? (Technology, products and services, strategy and structure, and culture)

58. Who is responsible for culture changes within the organization? (Top management)

59. How does the culture of most organizations begin? (p 376)

60. What is Values-based Leadership and why is it important? (exhibit, p 395)

61. Explain adaptability culture and mission culture. (382-384)

62. Would factory employees typically be more resistant to changes in production methods, changes in structure, or changes in culture? (Culture. Be prepared to answer this question and explain why!)

63. In Exhibit 11.3 in your textbook, the author lists five elements required for successful change. Which of the five do you think managers are most likely to overlook? Explain your answer!)

64. Define ethics. (on the PowerPoint for Chapter 10)

65. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Why is it important? Do people want to work for companies that exhibit CSR tendencies?

66. This question will be on the exam. It is an opinion question, so there is no right or wrong answer. It is critical, however, that you support your answer with logical rationale. You will not be credited with the points allocated to the question if you fail to defend and explain your answer! The question is: Are unions important in organizations of today? Should they continue to grow or diminish? Why?