TEST BANK FOR LSUS MBA 704- EXAM 2
PREP QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS
Organization Structure - ANS--Skeletal framework for OB
-"Pattern of interactions & coordination that links the technology, tasks, and human components of the
organization accomplishes its purposes."
Organizational Theory Foundation: Historical Roots: Chester Barnard - ANS--Book: "The Functions of the
Executive"
--"Formal Organization:" system of consciously coordinated activities of two or more persons
-Stressed the cooperative aspects of organizations.
Modern Theoretical Foundation - ANS--Organization was viewed as a "system made up of interacting
parts;" stresses input of the external environment
Contingency Approach - ANS-No single best way to organize
-Organizational design must be fitted to the existing environmental conditions
-Organizations change through internal transformation/adaptation
Organizational Ecology Theory: Natural Selection/Ecological view - ANS--Org. ecology theory challenges
the contingency approach.
-Process of the "survival of the fittest"/selection & replacement
Information Processing & organizational learning - ANS-Based on systems theory and emphasize the
important of GENERATIVE over adaptive learning in rapid evolving external environments
Learning Organization: Single Loop - ANS-Improving organization's capacity to achieve known objectives
-Org is learning without significant change in its basic assumptions
Learning Organization: Double Loop - ANS-Reevaluates the nature of organization's objectives and the
values/beliefs surrounding them.
-Changing the organization's culture
-Org's learning "how to learn"
Adaptive Learning - ANS--first stage of learning organization
-adapting to environmental changes
, -Adaptive Changes: Learn Six Sigma, TQM
Generative Learning - ANS--Creativity and innovation, going beyond just adapting to change and being
ahead of it.
-Total reframing of org's experiences and learning from that process
Three major dimensions/characteristics of learning organizations - ANS--Presence of Tension: stems
from the gap between org's vision & reality; suggest the learning org continuous questions and
challenges status quo.
-Systems Thinking: shared vision of employees throughout the whole org, and openness of new ideas
and external environment.
-Culture Facilitating Learning: org culture places a high value on process of learning and goes beyond
mere lip service by setting mechanisms in place for suggestions, teams, empowerment, and empathy.
OB in Learning Org - ANS--Adaptive: employees' reacting to environmental changes with routine,
standard responses that often result in only short-run solutions.
-Generative: affect the way personnel defines and solves problems; employees taught how to examine
the effect of their decisions and change their behaviors as needed.
Learning Org's characterized by HUMAN-ORIENTED CULTURAL VALUES - ANS--Everyone can be a source
of useful ideas; dispensing access to valuable info to personnel
-People closest to the problem have best ideas regarding how to solve it
-Learning flows up & down; managers & employees can benefit
-Mistakes should be viewed as learning opportunities
Establishing a Learning Org - ANS--Breaking out of bureaucracies
-Develop systemic thinking among managers; identifying source of conflict and make astute trade-offs
**Managers must learn to encourage their people to redirect energies towards substance of
disagreements rather than toward personality clashes or political infighting.
-Develop creativity among personnel.
--Promote and help unlearn creativity: persona flexibility and willingness to take risks. Also, willingness
to accept failure!
--"Ready, fire, aim"
Horizontal Organizations - ANS--(Anand & Daft) Advocates the dispensing of internal boundaries that are
an impediment to effective business performance.
Guiding principles defining horizontal organization design - ANS--Organization revolves around the
process, not the task.
-The hierarchy is flattened
-Teams are used to manage everything
-Customers drive performance
-Team performance is rewarded
-Supplier and customer contact is maximized
-All employees need to be fully informed and trained
Guiding principles to make horizontal designs EFFECTIVE - ANS-1. Make teams
PREP QUESTIONS WITH 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS
Organization Structure - ANS--Skeletal framework for OB
-"Pattern of interactions & coordination that links the technology, tasks, and human components of the
organization accomplishes its purposes."
Organizational Theory Foundation: Historical Roots: Chester Barnard - ANS--Book: "The Functions of the
Executive"
--"Formal Organization:" system of consciously coordinated activities of two or more persons
-Stressed the cooperative aspects of organizations.
Modern Theoretical Foundation - ANS--Organization was viewed as a "system made up of interacting
parts;" stresses input of the external environment
Contingency Approach - ANS-No single best way to organize
-Organizational design must be fitted to the existing environmental conditions
-Organizations change through internal transformation/adaptation
Organizational Ecology Theory: Natural Selection/Ecological view - ANS--Org. ecology theory challenges
the contingency approach.
-Process of the "survival of the fittest"/selection & replacement
Information Processing & organizational learning - ANS-Based on systems theory and emphasize the
important of GENERATIVE over adaptive learning in rapid evolving external environments
Learning Organization: Single Loop - ANS-Improving organization's capacity to achieve known objectives
-Org is learning without significant change in its basic assumptions
Learning Organization: Double Loop - ANS-Reevaluates the nature of organization's objectives and the
values/beliefs surrounding them.
-Changing the organization's culture
-Org's learning "how to learn"
Adaptive Learning - ANS--first stage of learning organization
-adapting to environmental changes
, -Adaptive Changes: Learn Six Sigma, TQM
Generative Learning - ANS--Creativity and innovation, going beyond just adapting to change and being
ahead of it.
-Total reframing of org's experiences and learning from that process
Three major dimensions/characteristics of learning organizations - ANS--Presence of Tension: stems
from the gap between org's vision & reality; suggest the learning org continuous questions and
challenges status quo.
-Systems Thinking: shared vision of employees throughout the whole org, and openness of new ideas
and external environment.
-Culture Facilitating Learning: org culture places a high value on process of learning and goes beyond
mere lip service by setting mechanisms in place for suggestions, teams, empowerment, and empathy.
OB in Learning Org - ANS--Adaptive: employees' reacting to environmental changes with routine,
standard responses that often result in only short-run solutions.
-Generative: affect the way personnel defines and solves problems; employees taught how to examine
the effect of their decisions and change their behaviors as needed.
Learning Org's characterized by HUMAN-ORIENTED CULTURAL VALUES - ANS--Everyone can be a source
of useful ideas; dispensing access to valuable info to personnel
-People closest to the problem have best ideas regarding how to solve it
-Learning flows up & down; managers & employees can benefit
-Mistakes should be viewed as learning opportunities
Establishing a Learning Org - ANS--Breaking out of bureaucracies
-Develop systemic thinking among managers; identifying source of conflict and make astute trade-offs
**Managers must learn to encourage their people to redirect energies towards substance of
disagreements rather than toward personality clashes or political infighting.
-Develop creativity among personnel.
--Promote and help unlearn creativity: persona flexibility and willingness to take risks. Also, willingness
to accept failure!
--"Ready, fire, aim"
Horizontal Organizations - ANS--(Anand & Daft) Advocates the dispensing of internal boundaries that are
an impediment to effective business performance.
Guiding principles defining horizontal organization design - ANS--Organization revolves around the
process, not the task.
-The hierarchy is flattened
-Teams are used to manage everything
-Customers drive performance
-Team performance is rewarded
-Supplier and customer contact is maximized
-All employees need to be fully informed and trained
Guiding principles to make horizontal designs EFFECTIVE - ANS-1. Make teams
