Chapter 1 – Understanding the Changing and Challenging Office Quiz Solutions (Total
Points: 100)
Listing (20 points)
Identify two functions for each of the following office support functions. Include an example of each:
1. Routine – requires minimal original thinking; includes essential skills, such as filing
photocopying, keeping logs.
2. Technical – requires judgment and advanced office skills, such as a high level of
keyboarding and demonstrating proficiency with various software applications, such as
spreadsheets, databases, and presentations.
3. Analytical – requires critical and creative thinking and decision-making skills, such as
equipment purchases, creating and analyzing reports.
4. Interpersonal – requires judgment, analytical (decision-making), and people skills, such as
coordinating a team project.
5. Managerial – requires planning (analytical), organizing (analytical), measuring
(analytical), motivating (interpersonal communication); examples include budgeting,
staffing, personnel evaluations, and taking action to solve problems.
Short Answer (30 points)
1. What is a company mission statement, and what is its purpose?
A company’s mission statement presents the goals, strategic intent, and business direction
for a company. Its purpose is to assure that everyone in the company is working toward
the same objectives. It is concerned about the company’s public image; commitment to
quality; commitment to survival, growth, and, profitability; identity of customers, markets
, and services; a statement of company philosophy; and the traits that set the company
apart from its competition.
2. What is ethics? What is a company’s code of ethics?
Ethics is a person’s motivation based on his or her ideas of right and wrong.
A company’s code of ethics is a set of rules governing the behavior of all members of an
organization. The code of ethics calls for high standards of honesty, objectivity, diligence,
and loyalty.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a line organization?
Advantages: Structure of the organization is easily understood, ease of understanding, employees
has direct accountability to their superiors, and there is a clear-cut place for each worker.
Disadvantages: Every supervisor has large areas of responsibilities, this type of organization is
more structured, thus, less flexible, the flow of communication is often restricted, and the ability to
transfer employees to where they are most needed is limited.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a line-and-staff organization?
Advantages: Line personnel have more freedom from performing specialized tasks, flexibility within
staff to pursue unique projects, and the availability of expertise to line personnel.
, Disadvantages: Line employees do not have a clear understanding of the staff member’s duties,
problems arise if staff members with line duties contradict line managers, and new goals can be
pursued just because there is a staff member available.
5. What does administrative in a person’s title denote? What does assistant in a title
denote?
Administrative denotes a higher level of responsibility than an assistant. An assistant is a generic
term that is used more and more to denote an employee that performs all types of basic office
functions.
6. What is an organizational chart?
An organization chart is a graphical illustration of the formal structure of an
organization.
7. What job title usually indicates a top-level manager?
The president and vice-president
8. What job title usually indicates a middle-level manager?
The division heads or area heads.
9. What job title usually indicates a supervisory-level manager?
The department heads or functional managers.
10. What is line organization authority?
, Line organization is frequently referred to as scalar or military type of authority. The authority is
delegated from top management to middle management. Line authority flows in a straight line
from top management to the supervisory level.
11. What is participatory management?
Participatory management is used in isolated situation; project teams are formed; bringing
together employees with the talents needed to work on a specified project.
11. What is chain of command?
Chain of command is the lines of authority in an organization.
12. What is telecommuting?
Office personnel work from home or other remote locations and are connected to the office via
computer. Work can be done at these remote locations using phones (or cellular phones), fax
machines, computer hookup (by modem, broadband access, or wireless technology), printers,
scanners, voice mail, e-mail, instant messenger, laptop, and handheld computers.
1. What is a virtual assistant?
A person who assists entrepreneurs from their home offices with such tasks as desktop publishing,
Internet research, event planning and reminder services, word processing, travel arrangements,
technical writing and grant proposal writing, and market support.
Points: 100)
Listing (20 points)
Identify two functions for each of the following office support functions. Include an example of each:
1. Routine – requires minimal original thinking; includes essential skills, such as filing
photocopying, keeping logs.
2. Technical – requires judgment and advanced office skills, such as a high level of
keyboarding and demonstrating proficiency with various software applications, such as
spreadsheets, databases, and presentations.
3. Analytical – requires critical and creative thinking and decision-making skills, such as
equipment purchases, creating and analyzing reports.
4. Interpersonal – requires judgment, analytical (decision-making), and people skills, such as
coordinating a team project.
5. Managerial – requires planning (analytical), organizing (analytical), measuring
(analytical), motivating (interpersonal communication); examples include budgeting,
staffing, personnel evaluations, and taking action to solve problems.
Short Answer (30 points)
1. What is a company mission statement, and what is its purpose?
A company’s mission statement presents the goals, strategic intent, and business direction
for a company. Its purpose is to assure that everyone in the company is working toward
the same objectives. It is concerned about the company’s public image; commitment to
quality; commitment to survival, growth, and, profitability; identity of customers, markets
, and services; a statement of company philosophy; and the traits that set the company
apart from its competition.
2. What is ethics? What is a company’s code of ethics?
Ethics is a person’s motivation based on his or her ideas of right and wrong.
A company’s code of ethics is a set of rules governing the behavior of all members of an
organization. The code of ethics calls for high standards of honesty, objectivity, diligence,
and loyalty.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a line organization?
Advantages: Structure of the organization is easily understood, ease of understanding, employees
has direct accountability to their superiors, and there is a clear-cut place for each worker.
Disadvantages: Every supervisor has large areas of responsibilities, this type of organization is
more structured, thus, less flexible, the flow of communication is often restricted, and the ability to
transfer employees to where they are most needed is limited.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a line-and-staff organization?
Advantages: Line personnel have more freedom from performing specialized tasks, flexibility within
staff to pursue unique projects, and the availability of expertise to line personnel.
, Disadvantages: Line employees do not have a clear understanding of the staff member’s duties,
problems arise if staff members with line duties contradict line managers, and new goals can be
pursued just because there is a staff member available.
5. What does administrative in a person’s title denote? What does assistant in a title
denote?
Administrative denotes a higher level of responsibility than an assistant. An assistant is a generic
term that is used more and more to denote an employee that performs all types of basic office
functions.
6. What is an organizational chart?
An organization chart is a graphical illustration of the formal structure of an
organization.
7. What job title usually indicates a top-level manager?
The president and vice-president
8. What job title usually indicates a middle-level manager?
The division heads or area heads.
9. What job title usually indicates a supervisory-level manager?
The department heads or functional managers.
10. What is line organization authority?
, Line organization is frequently referred to as scalar or military type of authority. The authority is
delegated from top management to middle management. Line authority flows in a straight line
from top management to the supervisory level.
11. What is participatory management?
Participatory management is used in isolated situation; project teams are formed; bringing
together employees with the talents needed to work on a specified project.
11. What is chain of command?
Chain of command is the lines of authority in an organization.
12. What is telecommuting?
Office personnel work from home or other remote locations and are connected to the office via
computer. Work can be done at these remote locations using phones (or cellular phones), fax
machines, computer hookup (by modem, broadband access, or wireless technology), printers,
scanners, voice mail, e-mail, instant messenger, laptop, and handheld computers.
1. What is a virtual assistant?
A person who assists entrepreneurs from their home offices with such tasks as desktop publishing,
Internet research, event planning and reminder services, word processing, travel arrangements,
technical writing and grant proposal writing, and market support.
