1. A characteristic of the “old” organization is the
Rigid standard operating procedures
Bureaucracies that are based on meritocracy
Command-and-control systems
All of the above
2. One of the biggest problems in managing a diverse organization is
The conflict between people’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
The mistaken notion that managers understand how others feel
The conflicting goals of diverse stakeholders
All of the above
3. Which of the following is NOT a contradiction in managing a 21st century organization:
Downsizing/flattening the organization, while asking for greater productivity and employee commitment
Pursuing diverse opinions and perspectives, while dealing with the conflict that they bring to decision-making.
Structuring the organization as a networked organization, while maintaining a top-down management approach
Recognizing the interdependence of the organization with its various stakeholders and environments, while pursuing goals and strategies that provide negative outcomes for the stakeholders and environments.
4. If your organization does not have international or global customers, you do not need to be concerned about the availability or cost of parts, suppliers, employees, or markets
True
False
5. The biggest disadvantage to flattening an organization’s structure is
Decreased productivity
Elimination of promotion opportunities
Not giving employees the authority to make decisions
Cost
6. In the 1960’s the expectation was that American society would become more leisured because of
Less motivated workers
More technological advances
Having fewer children
Living closer to work
7. When organizations are more flexible, they are
More likely to respond quickly to changing customer demands
More likely to miss important environmental cues that signal problems
More likely to have rules and policies that favor the status quo
More likely to create legal problems for their employees
8. What is the biggest problem Alice faced in “Learning to Think Like a Manager”?
She was overcontrolling and, therefore, her employees had no say in how they did their jobs
She was overcontrolling and, therefore, her employees didn’t like her
She was undercontrolling and, therefore, her employees could never get her to make a decision
She was undercontrolling and, therefore, her employees didn’t do any work
9. Which of the following might be considered a focus for a “new” organization?
Personal growth opportunities
Incremental improvements
Internally focused processes
Job security for employees
10. A “Networked” feature of the new organization might be demonstrated by
Employees knowing several different computer systems
Marketing, Production, and Customer Service working together as a team
Using vendors or experts that are external to the organization
Only “b” and “c”