To better understand the importance of organization structure in your life, do the following assignment. Work with a partner or a small team to select one of the following situations to organize and to complete this exercise: • A copy and print shop • A travel agency • A sports rental (such as Jet Skis or snowmobiles) in a resort area • A bakery Background Organization is a way of gaining some internal efficiency and some power against random forces in the environment. The environment provides the organization with inputs, which include raw materials, human resources, and financial resources. There is a service or product to pro- duce that involves technology. The output goes to clients, a group that must be nurtured. The complexities of the environment and the technology determine the complexity of the organization. Planning Your Organization 1. Write down the mission or purpose of the chosen organization in a few sentences. 2. What are the specific tasks to be completed to accomplish the mission? 3. Based on the specifics in question 2, develop an organization chart. Each position in the chart will perform a specific task or is responsible for a certain outcome. 4. You are into your third year of operation, and your business has been very successful. You want to add a second location a few miles away. What issues will you face running the business at two locations? Draw an organization chart that includes the two business locations. 5. Twenty years later you have 75 business locations in five states. What are the issues and problems that have to be dealt with through organizational structure? Draw an organization chart for this organization, indicating such factors as who is responsible for customer satisfaction, how you will know if customer needs are met, and how information will flow within the organization.
> Assume you are the manager of a small firm that is dependent on a large manufacturing customer that uses the resource-dependence perspective. Put yourself in the position of the small firm, and describe what actions you would take to survive and succeed.
> How do you feel about the prospect of becoming a manager and having to manage a set of relationships with other companies rather than just managing your own company? Discuss.
> How do mimetic forces differ from normative forces? Give an example of each.
> The concept of business ecosystems implies that organizations are more interdependent than ever before. From personal experience, do you agree? Explain.
> Assume you have been asked to calculate the ratio of staff employees to production employees in two organizations—one in a simple, stable environment and one in a complex, shifting environment. How would you expect these ratios to differ? Why?
> The first Holtzclaw Supermarkets store was started in 1977 by Sam Holtzclaw and his brother Bob. Both were veterans who wanted to run their own business, so they used their savings to start the small grocery store in Charlotte, North Carolina. The store
> Why do organizations become involved in inter-organizational relationships? Do these relationships affect an organization’s dependency? Explain.
> Compare an organic organization to a mechanistic organization. How does the environment influence organic and mechanistic designs?
> Do you think planning becomes more important or less important in a world where everything is changing fast and crises are a regular part of organizational life? Why?
> Describe differentiation and integration. In what type of environmental uncertainty do you think differentiation and integration would be greatest? Least?
> Discuss the importance of the international sector for an organization today compared to domestic sectors. What are some ways in which the international sector affects organizations in your city or community?
> Name some factors causing environmental complex- ity for a local organization of your choice, such as a restaurant or sporting goods store. How might this environmental complexity lead to organizational complexity? Explain.
> Which typically has the greatest impact on organizational uncertainty—environmental complexity or environmental dynamism? Why?
> Is changing the organization’s domain a feasible strategy for coping with a changing environment? Explain, using either Amazon or Walmart as an example.
> How would the task environment of a new Internet- based company compare to that of a large government agency? Discuss.
> Why do companies using a holacracy team structure have cultures that emphasize openness, employee empowerment, and responsibility? What do you think it would be like to work in a company with such a structure?
> Locals referred to it—affectionately or sarcastically—as the “Adding Museum.” Housed in the massive Romanesque-style former mansion of Horace and Margaret Addlington, the 100-year-old Addlington Gallery of Art had, by 2016, reached a tipping point of ins
> The manager of a consumer products firm said, “We use the brand manager position to train future executives.” Why do you think the brand manager position is considered a good training ground? Discuss.
> Why do you think the pressure of scarce resources across product lines causes managers to consider a matrix structure?
> As a manager, how would you create an organization with a high degree of relational coordination?
> When Burton Lee took over as plant manager for the Burlington division of a large manufacturing company, he saw the opportunity to transform the lowest performing unit as a pathway to his promotion into top management. Burton was aware of his reputation
> The Daily Tribune is the only daily newspaper serving a six-county region of eastern Tennessee. Even though its staff is small and it serves a region of mostly small towns and rural areas, the Tribune has won numerous awards for news coverage and photojo
> Hu-go. Hu-go. As Alissa Mason drove up the mountain through the rain, she turned up the volume on the radio to clear her mind. However, even the steady rhythm of the truck’s windshield wipers steered her mind back to the problem—Hu-go, Hu-go. Ten years e
> Harmon Davidson stared dejectedly at the departing figure of his management survey team leader. Their meeting had not gone well. Davidson had relayed to Al Pitcher complaints about his handling of the survey. Pitcher had responded with adamant denial and
> Jim Malesckowski remembered the call of two weeks ago as if he had just put down the telephone receiver: “I just read your analysis and I want you to get down to Mexico right away,” Jack Ripon, his boss and chief executive officer, had blurted in his ear
> Fabulous Footwear produces a line of women’s shoes that sell in the lower-price market for $27.99 to $29.99 per pair. Profits averaged 30 cents to 50 cents per pair 10 years ago, but according to the president and the controller, labor
> NASCAR fans expect their drivers to be smart, crafty, and calculating and, if need be, playing just this side of the rule book—in the garage and on the track. Loyal fans “know” their drivers and can easily picture themselves drinking a beer or spending a
> Larisa Harrison grimaced as she tossed her company’s latest quarterly earnings onto the desk. When sales at Virginia- based Millier Machine Parts & Services surged past the $10 million mark some time back, Larisa was certain the company was well position
> Curtis Simpson sat staring out the window of his office. What would he say to Tom Lawrence when they met this afternoon? Tom had clearly met the challenge Simpson set for him when he hired him as president of Midwest Controls, Inc. a little more than a y
> Bachmeyer Foods is a large distribution company with more than 5,000 employees and gross sales of more than $900 million (2017). The company purchases salty snack foods and liquor and distributes them to independent retail stores throughout the United St
> High-tech within the corporate world was developed, in part, on the notion of mobile strategy and convenience— the ability to communicate, work remotely and accomplish the same results; cutting the corporate and personal car- bon footprint by reducing co
> Hermitage Escalator Company is an independent division of a large international manufacturer that sells and provides maintenance of elevators and escalators. Hermitage was started by an entrepreneur living in Hermitage, Tennessee in 1954, just as the dem
> Fifty-year-old Paul Sandberg glanced up from his CNC (computer numerically controlled) turning machine to the computer control office above him on the 2nd floor of the workshop. A new program had been initiated that morn- ing and, despite earlier tests,
> The acetate department’s product consisted of about twenty different kinds of viscous liquid acetate used by another department to manufacture transparent film to be left clear or coated with photographic emulsion or iron oxide. Before
> Sitting in Maisson’s Restaurant, Janelle Mosley completely lost interest in her chef salad and now sat sipping her Pinot Grigio and watching with a combination of amusement and curiosity her rival, Jonathan Draper, “doing his own thing.” Seated across th
> Jenny Amaraneni is a social entrepreneur determined to build a social enterprise named SOLO Eyewear. Solo produces a line of hand-crafted sunglasses made from bamboo materials, with a portion of the funds from each pair sold donated to providing eye care
> David Javier was reviewing the consulting firm’s proposed changes in organization structure for Rhinebeck Industrial (RI). As Javier read the report, he wondered whether the changes recommended by the consultants would do more harm than
> Would you prefer to work in an organization with a tight or a loose culture (BookMark)? Explain why.
> What importance would you attribute to leadership statements and actions for influencing cultural values in an organization? Explain.
> Do you think strong subcultures would be a good thing for an organization? Why?
> How might the symbols apparent in a business college differ from symbols in a school of social work? If you have access to both types of schools, walk through them and record any differences you see.
> In which of the four cultures described in Exhibit 11.4 would you prefer to work? Why?
> Describe the four elements of the feedback control model. Which of these elements is more similar to behavior control? Outcome control?
> Many of the companies on Fortune magazine’s list of most admired companies are also on its list of most profitable ones. Some people say this proves that high social capital translates into profits. Other people suggest that high profitability is the pri
> How would you describe the major differences between a hierarchical philosophy of control and a decentralized philosophy of control? Which philosophy of control would be easier for a manager to implement? Discuss.
> How much do you think it is possible for an outsider to discern about the underlying cultural values of an organization by analyzing symbols, ceremonies, dress, or other observable aspects of culture, compared to an insider with several years of work exp
> Numerous large financial institutions, including Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, experienced significant decline or dissolution in recent years. Which of the three causes of organizational decline described in the chapter seems to apply most clearly t
> At the age of 39, after working for nearly 15 years at a leading software company on the West Coast, Alex Schaaf and his soon-to-be-wife, Emily Rockwood, had cashed in their stock options, withdrawn all their savings, maxed out their credit cards, and st
> Assume that you could design the perfect organization that reflected your values. What goals would receive priority in that organization? Rank order the list of goals below from 1 to 10 to reflect the goals you consider most important to least important
> Individually or in a small group of two, interview two employees who are in different organizations or who are in the same organization but in different parts and doing different jobs. Ask each person to answer the following questions on a four-point sca
> Think about how you typically handle a dispute with a team member, friend, or co-worker and then answer the following statements based on whether they are True or False for you. There are no right or wrong answers, so answer honestly. Scoring and Interpr
> Respond to each of the following statements based on how you have actually approached a difficult problem at school or work. Indicate whether each statement is True, Somewhat True, or False for you. Scoring and Interpretation: Sum questions 1-9 by giving
> In order to examine differences in the level of innovation encouragement in organizations, you will be asked to rate two organizations. The first should be an organization in which you have work experience, or your university. The second should be someon
> Individually read the measures and objectives below for a business firm. Make a check for each objective/measure item in the correct balanced score- card column. If you think an objective/measure fits into two balanced scorecard categories, write the num
> Think back to one of your most favorite and least favorite courses in school. How did the instructor assert control over you, other students, and the classroom in those courses? Write down your answers for the comparisons below. How were rules, standards
> The era of big data has arrived. Discussions of terabytes and petabytes that were reserved for supercomputing facilities just a few years ago are common today. Companies are recognizing the tremendous value in the data they create, and they want to capit
> You will be analyzing the work technology used in two different small businesses—a local cleaners and a local family restaurant. Your instructor will tell you whether to do this assignment as individuals or in a group. You must visit bo
> This exercise will help you better understand the concept of ethics and what it means to you. It probably will not happen right away, but soon enough in your duties as an organization manager, you will be confronted with a situation that will test the st
> ABC World News ran a special series called “Made in America.” In the opening program, correspondents David Muir and Sharyn Alfonsi removed all foreign-made products from a family’s Dallas, Texas, home
> 1. Divide into groups of three. Half the groups, on one side of the room, are “1s” and the other half are “2s.” 2. The 1s are Pharmacology; the 2s are Radiology. Read only your own role, not the other one. 3. Any students not in a negotiating group can b
> Below, list four organizations you somehow rely on in your daily life for some resource. Examples might be a restaurant, a clothing store, a university, your family, the post office, your wireless provider, an airline, a pizzeria that delivers, and your
> Can an organization be efficient without being effective? Can an inefficient organization still be an effective one? Explain your answers.
> A handful of companies on the Fortune 500 list are more than 100 years old, which is rare. What organizational characteristics do you think might explain 100-year longevity?
> Describe some ways in which the digitalization of business has influenced or affected an organization with which you are familiar, such as your college or university, a local retailer or restaurant, a volunteer organization, a club to which you belong, o
> What is one contingency factor that might help explain the poor performance of GE when Jeffrey Immelt was CEO? Explain.
> What is the difference between a task force and a team? Between liaison role and integrating role? Which of these provides the greatest amount of horizontal coordination?
> What are the primary differences in structure between a traditional, mechanistic organization designed for efficiency and a more flexible organic organization designed for learning?
> Large corporations tend to use different structures in different parts of the organization. Why would that be so?
> When is a functional structure preferable to a divisional structure?
> Describe the virtual network structure. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this structure compared to performing all activities in-house within an organization?
> To what extent does the true structure of an organization appear on the organization chart? Explain.
> What are the similarities and differences between assessing effectiveness on the basis of competing values versus the strategic constituents approach? Explain.
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of the resource-based approach versus the goal approach for measuring organizational effectiveness?
> Suppose you have been asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the police department in a medium-sized community. Where would you begin, and how would you proceed? What effectiveness approach would you prefer?
> Do you believe mission statements and official goal statements provide an organization with genuine legitimacy in the external environment? When a company such as CVS (discussed in the chapter) makes a decision to stop selling cigarettes because that act
> Discuss the similarities and differences in the strategies described in Porter’s competitive strategies and Miles and Snow’s typology.
> What is the difference between a goal and a strategy as defined in the text? Identify both a goal and a strategy for a campus or community organization with which you are involved.
> What is a goal for the class for which you are reading this text? Who established this goal? Discuss how the goal affects your direction and motivation.
> How might a company’s goals for employee development be related to its goals for innovation and change? To goals for productivity? Can you discuss how these types of goals might conflict in an organization?
> A noted organization theorist once said, “Organizational effectiveness can be whatever top management defines it to be.” Discuss.
> How might the top management of an organization use SWOT analysis or scenario planning to set goals and strategy? Explain.
> Early management theorists believed that organizations should strive to be logical and rational, with a place for everything and everything in its place. Discuss the pros and cons of this approach for organizations today.
> What are some differences one might expect for measuring effectiveness expectations for a nonprofit organization versus a for-profit business? Do you think nonprofit managers have to pay more attention to stakeholders than do business managers? Discuss.
> What does it mean to say an organization is an open system? How is the stakeholder approach related to the concept of open systems?
> What are the primary differences between an organic and a mechanistic organization design? Which type of organization do you think would be easier to manage? Discuss.
> What does contingency mean? What are the implications of contingency theory for managers?
> What is the difference between formalization and specialization? Do you think an organization high on one dimension would also be high on the other? Discuss.
> Some researchers argue that the concept of exchange underlying the principle of reciprocity (trading some- thing of value to another for what you want) is the basis of all influence. Do you agree? Discuss. To what extent do you feel obligated to return a
> The engineering college at a major university brings in three times as many government research dollars as does the rest of the university combined. Engineering appears wealthy and has many professors on full-time research status. Yet, when internal rese
> A financial analyst at Merrill Lynch tried for several months to expose the risks of investments in sub- prime mortgages, but he couldn’t get anyone to pay attention to his claims. How would you evaluate this employee’s power? What might he have done
> State University X receives 90 percent of its financial resources from the state and, because tuition is cheap, is overcrowded with students. The admissions office is overwhelmed with applications, and the university is trying to pass regulations to limi
> Discuss ways in which a department at a health insurance company might help the organization cope with the increased power of large hospital systems such as Carilion by obtaining prior information, prevention, or absorption.
> What is the difference between power and authority? Is it possible for a person to have formal authority but no real power? Discuss.
> In a rapidly changing organization, are decisions more likely to be made using the rational or political model of organization? Discuss.
> Starbucks and Barnes & Noble entered into a partner- ship that places a Starbucks in each B&N bookstore. What organizational and environmental factors might determine which organization will have more power in the relationship?
> Give an example from your personal experience of how differences in tasks, personal background, and training lead to conflict among groups. How might task inter- dependence have influenced that conflict?
> Can you think of a decision you have made in your personal, school, or work life that reflects a stronger desire to avoid a loss than to make a gain? How about a time when you stayed with an idea or project for too long, perhaps even escalating your comm
> Why would managers in high-velocity environments worry more about the present than the future? Would an individual manager working in this type of environment be more likely to succeed with a rational approach or an intuitive approach? Discuss.
> How would you make a decision to select a building site for a new waste-treatment plant in the Philippines? Where would you start with this complex decision, and what steps would you take? Explain which decision model in the chapter best describes your a
> An organization theorist once told her class, “Organizations never make big decisions. They make small decisions that eventually add up to a big decision.” Explain the logic behind this statement.
