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Description
Answer: FALSE
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Job specialization is the process of identifying the specific jobs that need
to be done and designating the people who will perform them.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
6) Accountability refers to the liability of subordinates for accomplishing tasks assigned
by managers.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
7) Divisional structure is the relationships between group functions and activities that
determine authority.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: International organizational structures developed in response to the need
to manufacture, purchase, and sell in global markets.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Size of the company and aspects of the organization’s environment also
affect organizational structure.
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
11) The building blocks of all organizations are specialization and centralization.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
12) As organizations grow and become larger, jobs tend to become less specialized.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
13) Acme Oil Company has three divisions: Exploration, Extraction, and Refining. This
is an example of process departmentalization.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
14) Firms with production, marketing, human resource, and finance departments have a
process form of organization.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
15) Firms typically use the same form of departmentalization at upper and lower levels.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
16) Flat organizational structures are usually associated with centralized decision
making.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
17) Employees’ abilities and the supervisor’s managerial skills help determine whether
span of control is wide or narrow.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
18) When several employees perform the same simple task, a narrow span of control is
most appropriate.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
19) For the delegation process to work smoothly, responsibility and authority must be
equivalent.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
20) Line departments are linked directly to the production and sales of a specific
product.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
22) The matrix form of organizational structure was pioneered by NASA.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: A virtual organization has the structure of a handful of employees and a
modest administrative facility.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
25) Frequently, the informal organization effectively alters a company’s formal structure.
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
27) Intrapreneuring attempts to create and maintain the innovation and flexibility found
in large, bureaucratic structures.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Even after an organizational structure has been created it is rarely set in
stone. Most organizations change their structures on an almost continuous basis.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Specialized jobs are learned more easily and can be performed more
efficiently.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
30) To avoid bureaucracy within the organization, most large organizations tend to
adopt the same types of departmentalization for all levels.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
31) Coordination across functional departments becomes more complicated in smaller
firms than in larger firms.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
33) For the delegation process to work smoothly, responsibility must slightly exceed
one’s level of authority.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Responsibility and authority must be equivalent for the delegation process
to work smoothly.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
34) Line, staff, and committee and team forms of authority are not likely to all be found
within the same organization.
Answer: FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: FALSE
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: People float from project to project as dictated by their skills and the
demands of those projects.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
37) Which term refers to the specification of jobs to be done within an organization and
the ways in which those jobs relate to one another?
1. A) delegation
2. B) a mission statement
3. C) job specialization
4. D) role responsibility
5. E) organizational structure
Answer: E
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
38) Which of the following clarifies structure and shows employees where they fit into a
firm’s operations?
1. A) delegation
2. B) departmentalization
3. C) organization charts
4. D) mission statement
5. E) job descriptions
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
39) What do the solid lines on an organization chart show in reporting relationships
within a company?
1. A) mission statement
2. B) chain of command
3. C) job specialization
4. D) grapevine activity
5. E) market share
Answer: B
Explanation: B) The chain of command is shown on an organization chart as a solid
line.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
40) What is the process of designing specific jobs that need to be done and identifying
the people who will perform them called?
1. A) departmentalization
2. B) job specialization
3. C) group tasks
4. D) segmentation
5. E) team cohesion
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) specialization
2. B) accountability
3. C) authorization
4. D) departmentalization
5. E) process management
Answer: D
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) functional departmentalization
2. B) process departmentalization
3. C) customer departmentalization
4. D) geographic departmentalization
5. E) regional departmentalization
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
43) What is the main organizational characteristic of decentralized firms?
1. A) flat
2. B) tall
3. C) diverse
4. D) multi-layered
5. E) matrix
Answer: A
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) flat
2. B) tall
3. C) very large
4. D) responsive to change
5. E) well capitalized
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) delegation
2. B) authority
3. C) responsibility
4. D) accountability
5. E) specialization
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
46) What is the power to make the decisions necessary to complete a task called?
1. A) delegation
2. B) specification
3. C) authority
4. D) responsibility
5. E) accountability
Answer: C
Explanation: C) Authority is defined as the power to make decisions that are necessary
to ensure the completion of a task.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
47) What is authority that flows up and down the chain of command called?
1. A) staff authority
2. B) departmental authority
3. C) delegated authority
4. D) divisional authority
5. E) line authority
Answer: E
Explanation: E) Line authority is the term that describes the flow of authority along the
chain of command.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
48) What type of departments are linked to the production and sales of specific
products?
1. A) staff departments
2. B) matrix departments
3. C) line departments
4. D) organizational departments
5. E) entrepreneurial departments
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
49) What is authority given to a special group of employees that play central roles in the
firm’s daily operations called?
1. A) risk aversion
2. B) committee and team
3. C) line
4. D) matrix
5. E) product and labor
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Committee and team authority is the term given to the authority
exercised by a special group of employees.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
50) What are everyday social interactions among employees that transcend formal jobs
and job interrelationships called?
1. A) traditional structure
2. B) informal organization
3. C) networking opportunities
4. D) production organization
5. E) community structure
Answer: B
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
51) Which term describes creating and maintaining the innovation and flexibility of a
small business environment within the confines of a large, bureaucratic structure?
1. A) basic structuring
2. B) process organization
3. C) intrapreneuring
4. D) extrapolating
5. E) product innovation
Answer: C
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
52) Which factor plays a key role in determining an organization’s structure?
Answer: E
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
53) What do managers do when the “job” of a firm is broken down into smaller jobs?
Answer: B
Explanation: B) In a sense, all firms have one major job; to perform this one overall job,
managers actually break it down, or specialize it, into several smaller jobs.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
54) At Chaparral Steel, some employees transport scrap steel while others operate
shredding equipment. What does this example demonstrate?
1. A) departmentalization
2. B) specialization
3. C) functionalization
4. D) responsibility
5. E) innovation
Answer: B
Explanation: B) When the overall job of the organization is broken down like this,
workers can develop real expertise in their jobs, and employees can better coordinate
their work with that done by others.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
1. A) retrenchment
2. B) entrepreneurship
3. C) job specialization
4. D) outsourcing
5. E) team consolidation
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
56) Determining how people performing certain tasks can best be grouped together is
called what?
1. A) departmentalization
2. B) specialization
3. C) controlling
4. D) leadership
5. E) directing
Answer: A
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
57) What type of departmentalization does Kraft Foods use by having separate divisions
for different types of foods?
1. A) customer
2. B) functional
3. C) geographic
4. D) product
5. E) brand
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
58) Vlasic has separate departments to transform cucumbers into fresh-packed pickles,
pickles cured in brine, and relishes. What is this an example of?
1. A) functional departmentalization
2. B) process departmentalization
3. C) customer departmentalization
4. D) geographic departmentalization
5. E) centralized departmentalization
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
59) What is dividing a store into a men’s department, a women’s department, and a
luggage department an example of?
1. A) product departmentalization
2. B) customer departmentalization
3. C) process departmentalization
4. D) geographic departmentalization
5. E) international departmentalization
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
60) A snack food firm has one division for the United States, one for Europe, and
another for Asia. How is this firm departmentalized?
1. A) by customer
2. B) by process
3. C) by geography
4. D) by function
5. E) by productivity
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
61) In what type of organization do most lower-level decisions need to be approved by
upper management before they can be implemented?
1. A) line
2. B) staff
3. C) decentralized
4. D) centralized
5. E) learning
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
62) At McDonald’s, most advertising is handled at the corporate level, and any local
advertising must be approved by a regional manager. What kind of organization is
McDonald’s demonstrating?
1. A) authoritarian
2. B) committee
3. C) decentralized
4. D) centralized
5. E) team
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
1. A) centralized
2. B) decentralized
3. C) point-of-sale
4. D) geographic
5. E) autocratic
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
64) What kind of organization becomes more responsive to its environment by breaking
the company into more manageable units?
1. A) centralized
2. B) decentralized
3. C) geographic
4. D) process-oriented
5. E) brand conscious
Answer: B
Explanation: B) In doing so, the organization can operate more efficiently in complex,
rapidly changing environmental conditions.
Page Ref: 146
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
65) With relatively few layers of managers, what do decentralized organizations tend to
reflect?
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
66) Companies with centralized authority systems typically require multiple layers of
management. What type of organizational structures are these companies utilizing?
1. A) tall
2. B) short
3. C) flat
4. D) broad
5. E) oblique
Answer: A
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
67) With its many organizational layers, what type of organizational structure does the
U.S. Army demonstrate?
1. A) tall
2. B) step
3. C) flat
4. D) broad
5. E) triangular
Answer: A
Explanation: A) The U.S. Army has a centralized, and tall, authority system.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
1. A) short
2. B) tall
3. C) wide
4. D) narrow
5. E) vertical
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
69) What is the preferred span of control when jobs are more diversified or prone to
change?
1. A) wide
2. B) narrow
3. C) tall
4. D) deep
5. E) authoritative
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Job difficulty and job dissimilarity can lead to a narrower span of control
for managers.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
70) Which of the following begins when a manager assigns responsibility to a
subordinate?
1. A) centralization
2. B) delegation
3. C) liability
4. D) authority
5. E) training
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
71) After responsibility for a task is assigned, which of the following comes next?
Answer: E
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: A
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Creating accountability is the final step of the delegation process; for
the process to work smoothly, authority and responsibility must be equivalent.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
75) What authority is based on special expertise and usually involves counseling and
advising?
1. A) line authority
2. B) matrix authority
3. C) delegated authority
4. D) staff authority
5. E) divisional authority
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
76) What are specialists in law, accounting, and human resource management
commonly called?
1. A) profit centers
2. B) cost centers
3. C) staff members
4. D) line members
5. E) unit managers
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
77) What are groups of operating employees called who are empowered to plan and
organize their tasks and to perform those tasks with a minimum of supervision?
1. A) task forces
2. B) standing committees
3. C) work teams
4. D) division committees
5. E) board members
Answer: C
Explanation: C) The organization will usually find it beneficial to grant special authority
to work teams so that they may function more effectively.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) divisional
2. B) functional
3. C) matrix
4. D) international
5. E) stratified
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
79) Firms with what structure are structured around departments for each basic
business action?
1. A) divisional structure
2. B) matrix structure
3. C) functional structure
4. D) international structure
5. E) regional structure
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) matrix
2. B) functional
3. C) divisional
4. D) international
5. E) regional
Answer: C
Explanation: C) The firm organizes itself around product-based divisions, each of which
may then be managed as a separate enterprise.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
81) What are departments called that resemble separate businesses in that they
produce and market their own products?
1. A) regions
2. B) divisions
3. C) function centers
4. D) cost centers
5. E) work hubs
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Further, the head of each division may be a corporate vice president or,
if the organization is large enough, a divisional president.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
82) The organization of the health care producer Johnson & Johnson includes
consumer health care products, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals.
What kind of organizational structure does this company use?
1. A) departments
2. B) regions
3. C) units
4. D) divisions
5. E) committees
Answer: D
Explanation: D) Johnson & Johnson can thus evaluate the performance of each
division independently.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
1. A) team
2. B) virtual
3. C) learning
4. D) flexible
5. E) stratified
Answer: A
Explanation: A) People float from project to project as dictated by their skills and the
demands of those projects.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
84) What structure does an organization with little or no formal structure and with only a
handful of permanent employees use?
1. A) team structure
2. B) virtual structure
3. C) learning structure
4. D) flexible structure
5. E) balanced structure
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) team
2. B) virtual
3. C) learning
4. D) flexible
5. E) evolving
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
86) Which of the following organizational systems is the part that can be seen and
represented in chart form?
1. A) networking
2. B) formal organization
3. C) informal organization
4. D) grapevine
5. E) sales forecasting
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
87) What has Rubbermaid used to create and maintain the innovation and flexibility of a
small business environment within the large, bureaucratic structure?
1. A) formal organization
2. B) informal organization
3. C) intrapreneuring
4. D) entrepreneurship
5. E) capitalization
Answer: C
Explanation: C) The firm has one major division, the New Business Group. When a
manager or engineer has an idea for a new product or product application, the individual
takes it to the New Business Group and “sells” it. The managers in the group then help
the innovator develop the idea for testing.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
Answer: A
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
89) Procter & Gamble has Baby Care, Beauty Care, Health Care, and Home and Fabric
Care divisions in its U.S. operations. What is this an example of?
1. A) customer departmentalization
2. B) process departmentalization
3. C) geographic departmentalization
4. D) functional departmentalization
5. E) product departmentalization
Answer: E
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
90) American Wood Products has three divisions. The Lumberjack division is involved in
harvesting trees and transporting them to lumber mills. The Milling division transforms
cut timber into dimensional lumber for building. The Paper Products division makes
paper and cardboard from the remnants of the milling process. What type of
departmentalization is this an example of?
1. A) functional departmentalization
2. B) process departmentalization
3. C) customer departmentalization
4. D) geographic departmentalization
5. E) brand departmentalization
Answer: B
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
91) Silver Designs is a high-end clothing manufacturer. They have three divisions
producing clothes for men, women, and teens. What is this an example of?
1. A) functional departmentalization
2. B) process departmentalization
3. C) customer departmentalization
4. D) product departmentalization
5. E) geographic departmentalization
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
Answer: B
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
93) Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, stated, “If you don’t let managers
make their own decisions, you’re never going to be anything more than a one-person
business.” What style of management is Welch proposing?
1. A) authentic management
2. B) linear management
3. C) centralized management
4. D) group management
5. E) decentralized management
Answer: E
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
Answer: C
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: B
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
96) Which of the following are the “doers” and producers in a company?
1. A) line employees
2. B) staff employees
3. C) matrix employees
4. D) the legal department
5. E) the finance department
Answer: A
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: D
Explanation: D) The separation between line authority and staff responsibility is clearly
delineated; staff responsibility is typically carried out by those employees who provide
services to managers.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: C
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
99) At Ace Products, three vice presidents report to the CEO, including the VP for
Finance, the VP for Marketing, and the VP for Operations. What type of structure does
Ace Products have?
1. A) divisional
2. B) matrix
3. C) regional
4. D) functional
5. E) international
Answer: D
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
1. A) competitiveness
2. B) centralization
3. C) decentralization
4. D) diversity
5. E) accountability
Answer: B
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
101) Thomas Corp. has three basic departments: children’s books, games, and toys.
What type of structure does the company have?
1. A) divisional
2. B) matrix
3. C) functional
4. D) process
5. E) global
Answer: A
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
102) Which of the following types of structure entails a second chain of command?
1. A) divisional
2. B) departmental
3. C) committee
4. D) matrix
5. E) team
Answer: D
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
1. A) team
2. B) virtual
3. C) learning
4. D) acquisitive
5. E) traditional
Answer: C
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Application
Answer: Organization charts clarify structure and show employees where they fit into a
firm’s operations. The solid lines define the chain of command, or reporting relationship,
within the company.
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
105) Why is the structure typically found within a virtual organization different from the
structure of a large corporation?
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: A learning organization works to facilitate the lifelong learning and personal
development of all of its employees while continually transforming itself to respond to
changing demands and needs.
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: Historically, most innovations have come from individuals in small businesses.
As businesses increase in size, however, innovation and creativity tend to become
casualties in the battle for more sales and profits.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
Answer: Retail stores actually derive their generic name—department stores—from the
manner in which they are structured.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
109) List three factors that may affect a manager’s span of control.
Answer: Factors that may affect a manager’s span of control include employees’
abilities, the similarity and simplicity of tasks, and the extent to which tasks are
interrelated.
Explanation: Other factors may include the supervisor’s management skills and the
synergy between the assigned tasks.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
111) Discuss the difference between delegation and accountability.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
112) How do the job duties of line employees and staff employees differ?
Answer: Line employees are directly involved in the production and/or sales of goods or
services produced; staff employees generally provide services to management but are
not directly involved in goods and services production.
Explanation: Line employees are involved in core business while staff employees
provide support.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
113) What is the difference between responsibility and authority?
Answer: Responsibility is the duty to perform an assigned task, whereas authority is the
power to make the decisions necessary to complete the task.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
114) What does a divisional structure rely on and why does it rely on this feature?
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
116) What is the informal organization and how does it relate to the formal structure?
Answer: The informal organization consists of the everyday social interactions among
employees that go beyond formal jobs and job interrelationships. It can affect the
company’s formal structure by changing the way information is sourced and distributed.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
117) What are the four basic forms of organizational structure? Briefly describe each.
Answer: The basic forms of organizational structure are functional, divisional, matrix,
and international. In a functional organization, authority is determined by the
relationships between groups and activities. Functional organizations tend to be
structured around basic functions. In a divisional organization, corporate divisions
operate as autonomous businesses under the larger corporate umbrella. Organizations
with matrix structures form teams, and team members report to two or more managers.
International organizational structures have developed in response to the need to
manufacture, purchase, and sell in global markets.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: The five basic forms of departmentalization are customer, product, process,
geographic, and functional. Customer departmentalization occurs when the organization
is divided according to the types of customers they serve. An organization with product
departmentalization groups people and functions according to the specific products
being created. Process departmentalization occurs when the organization is divided
according to production processes. Organizations with geographic departmentalization
create divisions to serve different geographic areas. Finally, functional
departmentalization occurs when departments are created around their function or
activity.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
119) What is delegation? Identify four reasons that managers have trouble delegating.
Explanation: The four reasons that managers have trouble with delegation include
perception of employee ability to complete a task, concern about appearing inadequate,
desire to exert control, and lack of effective delegation skills.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
Answer: The three forms of authority are line authority, staff authority, and committee
and team authority. Line authority flows in a direct chain of command from the top of the
company to the bottom. Staff authority is based on expertise and usually involves
counseling and advising managers. Committee and team authority is granted to
committees or work teams involved in a firm’s daily operations.
Explanation: The three forms of authority are line authority, staff authority, and
committee and team authority.
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
Answer: The process of identifying specific jobs and designating people to perform
them leads to job specialization. After they are specialized, jobs are grouped into logical
units—the process of departmentalization. Departmentalization follows one of five
forms: (1) product departmentalization, (2) process departmentalization, (3) functional
departmentalization, (4) customer departmentalization, or (5) geographic
departmentalization. Larger companies take advantage of different types of
departmentalization for various levels.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.2
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
124) Why are centralization and decentralization, delegation, and authority the key
ingredients in establishing the decision-making hierarchy?
Answer: After jobs have been specialized and departmentalized, firms establish
decision-making hierarchies. One major issue addressed through the creation of the
decision-making hierarchy involves whether the firm will be relatively centralized or
relatively decentralized. Centralized authority systems typically require multiple layers of
management and thus tall organizational structures. Decentralized firms tend to have
relatively fewer layers of management, resulting in a flat organizational structure.
Delegation is the process through which a manager allocates work to subordinates. In
general, the delegation process involves three steps: (1) assigning responsibility; (2)
granting authority; and (3) creating accountability. As individuals are delegated
responsibility and authority in a firm, a complex web of interactions develops. These
interactions may take one of three forms of authority: line, staff, or committee and
teams.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Concept
125) Explain the differences among functional, divisional, matrix, and international
organizational structures and describe the most popular new forms of organizational
design.
Answer: Most firms rely on one of four basic forms of organizational structure: (1)
functional, (2) divisional, (3) matrix, or (4) international. Functional structure is a form of
business organization in which authority is determined by the relationships between
group functions and activities. A divisional structure relies on product
departmentalization. A so-called matrix structure is organized along two dimensions,
instead of just one, by combining, for example, a functional and a divisional structure.
International organizational structures are developed in response to the need to
manufacture, purchase, and sell in global markets. As global competition becomes
more complex, companies may experiment with ways to respond. Some adopt truly
global structures, acquiring resources and producing and selling products in local
markets without consideration of national boundaries. Organizations also continue to
seek new forms of organization that permit them to compete effectively. The most
popular new forms include (1) team organization; (2) virtual organization; and (3)
learning organization.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
126) Describe the informal organization and the position of intrapreneuring within this
structure.
Answer: The formal organization is the part that can be represented in chart form. The
informal organization, everyday social interactions among employees that transcend
formal jobs and job interrelationships, may alter formal structure. The impact on a firm
may be positive, negative, or irrelevant. Because it can be harnessed to improve
productivity, some organizations encourage the informal organization. Many firms also
support intrapreneuring, creating and maintaining the innovation and flexibility of a small
business within the confines of a large, bureaucratic structure.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.5
Learning Outcome: Discuss the factors that influence decisions about organizational
structure
Skill: Synthesis
Samantha Grant has assumed leadership of Ace Products after many years of loyal
service. Ace Products is an international manufacturer of copiers, printers, and fax
machines. Historically, its customers have fallen into four groups: hospitals, small
businesses, airlines, and state and local governments. After talking with her daughter,
who has just completed her business degree, Samantha is beginning to wonder if
reorganizing would benefit Ace Products. The organization chart shows that there is a
Vice President of Manufacturing, Vice President of Accounting and Finance, and a Vice
President of Marketing; they all report to the President of Ace Products.
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: 6.3
Skill: Application
128) What are three factors that may impact span of control at Ace Products?
Answer: Job similarity, job simplicity, employees’ skill levels, and other possible factors
could affect span of control.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
Skill: Application
129) Based on the organization chart described in the scenario, how is Ace Products
organized?
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Skill: Application
130) Samantha’s daughter has recommended that Ace Products be reorganized into a
divisional organization. Including only top layers of management, how might the
organization chart differ from what it looks like now?
Answer: Under the President, a vice president of various divisions could lead; for
example, a Vice President of Hospitals, a Vice President of Airlines, etc. could all report
to the President.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
Skill: Application
Answer: Divisional structures are popular among larger organizations and enjoy a
number of benefits. Each division usually has its own identity and operates as a
relatively autonomous business under the larger corporate umbrella. Divisionalized
companies are free to buy, sell, create, and disband divisions without disrupting the rest
of their operations. Divisions can maintain healthy competition among themselves by
sponsoring separate advertising campaigns and fostering different corporate identities.
They can also share certain corporate-level resources.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Skill: Application
132) How would you advise Samantha about the best organizational structure for Ace
Products? Why?
Answer: Answers will vary and will likely include some of the advantages listed in the
textbook. In addition, students may mention that coordination may become difficult in a
functional organization. In divisional structures, corporate managers may lose touch
with daily operations if too much control is delegated to division managers. In addition,
competition between divisions can become disruptive, and efforts in one division may
be duplicated by those of another.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
Skill: Application
133) Samantha has wondered about the informal organization at Ace. Describe how the
informal organization may negatively affect the organization.
Answer: The informal organization can reinforce office politics that put individuals’
interests ahead of those of the firm. Also, information can be distorted when
communicated without management input or review.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.5
Skill: Application
Production department members are skilled at project execution. They are responsible
for creating products according to the Design department members’ specification. The
Production department is considered successful when it completes projects according
to schedule and project spending does not exceed the project’s budget.
Marketing department members are responsible for building profitable relationships with
target market segments. They are skilled at communicating a product’s value and
persuading customers to make purchases. Marketing department members’ success is
measured by the revenue that the products take in.
134) Which of the following questions would most likely lead to a conflict between
Design department members and Production department members?
1. A) Should Appleson invest in a new project that requires heavy initial investment but is
expected to lead to a large stream of revenue in the long run?
2. B) Should a project be launched later than planned in order to make changes that will
make it more attractive to customers?
3. C) Should product management focus on the needs that customers have already
expressed or should it try to anticipate unexpressed needs?
4. D) Is the team project process at Appleson more effective than it would be if it followed a
more traditional organizational structure?
5. E) When projects do not meet expectations, is the failure likely to be caused by faulty
product design or inadequate market development?
Answer: B
Explanation: B) The Design department gets rewarded when projects earn high returns,
but schedules don’t matter. The Production department gets rewarded when projects
are on time, but the money that those projects earn doesn’t matter. So the Design
department members and Production department members would most likely clash over
Choice B. Choices A and C: The Production department would have no special reason
to have an opinion on these questions. Choice D: We don’t know if anyone thinks the
system should be changed. Choice E is likely to be a clash between Design and
Marketing.
Difficulty: Difficult
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills
Objective: 6.2
135) Executives claim that this division of labor keeps employees focused on the tasks
that fit their skills and leads to a better product. Which of the following, if true, would
strengthen that claim?
1. A) During every project, Design department members spend a large amount of time
consulting with Marketing department members to learn how the Marketing department
will attempt to sell the completed project.
2. B) When environmental changes that take place after the project has been launched
make the project unattractive to customers, the Production department attempts to
complete the project according to the original schedule and budget.
3. C) After a product specification is completed, knowledge of the thinking that went into
the product specification is not necessary to complete the project effectively.
4. D) The team process is based on the process that Appleson’s executives used during
the era of print-only product development.
5. E) The reasoning behind the team process is presented to new employees as part of
their initial orientation.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) The Design department knows what customers want and come up with
a plan. Production executes the plan. But do they need to know what customers want in
order to execute the plan? If Choice C is true, then the answer is no, they don’t. So
Choice C strengthens the argument by supporting the notion that the Production
department has what they need to do their job effectively. Choice A undermines the
argument by suggesting that discussions need to take place that would be unnecessary
if the distinction between the Design department and the Marketing department were
eliminated. The fact that these discussions are necessary suggests that splitting these
functions is inefficient. Choice B undermines the argument by suggesting that
Production keeps spending resources on doomed projects. Choice D doesn’t matter
because this is a new era, and we don’t even know how effective the model was in that
older era. Choice E doesn’t address the wisdom of the process; it doesn’t help us
decide if this is a good thing to try to do.
Difficulty: Moderate
136) Which of the following, if true, would weaken the claim that this division of labor
keeps employees focused on the tasks that fit their skills and leads to a better product?
1. A) Some employees who work in the Marketing department used to work in the Design
department.
2. B) Projects often fail to meet their revenue goals because the Design department
develops products for market segments that the Marketing department cannot reach.
3. C) Projects are often late because of product distribution problems that occur after the
project is completed.
4. D) The number of projects that fail because they do not meet their revenue goals is
lower than the number of projects that fail because they go too far over budget.
5. E) Projects often are unprofitable because of changes in the external environment that
could not have been predicted before the project started.
Answer: B
Explanation: B) Does this structure make sense? If Choice B is true, then Design is
working in a way that will not allow Marketing to do its job. Choice B suggests that a top-
down approach would be more effective in keeping everyone on the same page.
Choices A and D are not problems in and of themselves. So they aren’t evidence of a
structural problem. Choices C and E are problems, but not ones that are related to the
structural decisions here.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.2
All American Burger is a nationwide fast food chain that competes with McDonald’s,
Burger King, and Wendy’s. Management at All American Burger is debating whether to
have a more centralized or a more decentralized organizational structure.
137) Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the conclusion that All
American Burger should operate in a highly centralized manner?
1. A) All American Burger restaurants are spread over a large geographic area.
2. B) A greater number of managers have expressed an interest in making policy.
3. C) Entry-level workers at All American Burger are likely to be part-time or flex-time
employees.
4. D) The organizations that choose more centralized operations are likely to be
organizations in crisis.
5. E) Customers choose All American Burger in large part because of the consistency of
the dining experience.
Answer: E
Explanation: E) Centralized operations make more sense when consistency is the goal.
If Choice E is true, then consistency is a critical success factor, and therefore
strengthens the conclusion. Choice A supports a decentralized approach. Choice B:
The ambitions of the managers aren’t pivotal to this question, but if anything, their
ambitions suggest that they would prefer a decentralized approach. Choice C is
irrelevant. Entry-level employees at a fast food chain aren’t managers, and the policy for
handling them could just as easily be centralized or decentralized. Choice D says
nothing about All American Burger.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
138) Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the conclusion that All
American Burger should adopt a decentralized approach?
Explanation: C) The varied reaction to All American Burger’s special menu items
(Choice C) suggests that local tastes vary, which would argue against a “one size fits
all” centralized approach and for a more decentralized approach. Choice A is irrelevant.
We don’t even know what that academic research says about decentralized
approaches. Choice B suggests that consistency in those few items is critical, which
supports centralization. Choice D is vague, but if anything it goes the other way.
Increased size supports more centralization. Choice E says that a single bad incident
could be disastrous, which would weigh against tolerating any differences.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.3
139) Which of the following decisions would likely be made by a centralized authority?
1. A) What are the procedures All American Burger should use to ensure food safety?
2. B) If All American Burger wishes to recruit current students for entry-level management
positions, which colleges and universities should All American Burger choose?
3. C) How should a regional division spend the money in its advertising budget?
4. D) What special menu items should be offered in order to encourage new customers?
5. E) Should marketing focus on bringing in new customers or taking customers from the
competition?
Answer: A
Difficulty: Moderate
140) Which of the following questions would different All American Burger restaurants
be most likely to answer differently?
Answer: C
Explanation: C) Different areas have different costs of living, and so pricing is likely to
vary from restaurant to restaurant. Choices A, B, and E: The restaurants are not likely to
change anything essential to the brand, such as core values (Choice B), colors (Choice
A), or “signature” items (Choice E). Choice D: Companies need to have a uniform policy
on preventing sexual harassment. Having different policies in different places could be
evidence that the company does not take the issue seriously.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.3
Tarnopol Learning Services (TLS) offers tutoring to high school students, college
students, and adults returning to school. TLS also bids on government-sponsored
contracts. TLS’s major product offerings include academic tutoring, standardized test
preparation, and admissions consulting. Its operations spread over many geographic
regions. Currently, the company is deciding whether it should change from its current
approach of organizing by geographical area. A senior manager has predicted that if
TLS is not profitable this year and fails to develop any new products, the company will
switch to either a functional approach or a product approach.
141) Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument that TLS should
change its organizational structure?
Answer: B
Explanation: B) A geographic organization has advantages, but it is not the best for
focusing attention on new products. If Choice B is true, then smaller products are not
getting the attention they deserve. Choices A and C: None of the choices available to
TLS affects its ability to be responsible (Choice A) or think long-term (Choice C). Choice
D would support keeping the current approach. Choice E says that some of the
divisions are bigger than others, but that doesn’t suggest that the current approach isn’t
working.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
142) Which of the following, if true, would most strongly suggest that TLS should
change its organizational structure to a product-based approach?
1. A) The largest growth area for TLS is governmental contracts, which have buying
procedures that are very different from those of other customers.
2. B) TLS currently maintains separate accounting departments in each of its regions.
3. C) To be effective, TLS managers need to be experts in at least one of the products that
TLS sells.
4. D) TLS hopes to build sustained relationships with customers, selling the same person
academic tutoring, standardized test preparation, and admissions consulting.
5. E) Communication between different marketing departments in different regions has
been substandard.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) A product-based approach helps to build the subject-matter expertise
of the managers. So if the managers need to know the products, as Choice C indicates,
then the product model looks a little better. Choice A favors an approach based on
customer type. Choices B and E would be no better in a product-based approach.
Consolidation of those departments might help, but the product-based approach would
not require consolidation. Choice D would suggest that a product-specific approach
wouldn’t be the way to go, because it might interfere with a continuous relationshi p
across products.
Difficulty: Moderate
Objective: 6.4
143) Which of the following, if true, would most strongly suggest that TLS should
change its organizational structure to a functional-based approach?
1. A) TLS currently maintains separate human resource departments in each of its regions.
2. B) Research suggests that product development failures happened because the product
developers were isolated from customers.
3. C) TLS earns large streams of revenue from services it offers to schools.
4. D) In the current regional structure, managers complain about having a limited view of
organizational goals.
5. E) Sales techniques that work in one region are often much less effective in other
regions.
Answer: A
Difficulty: Moderate
144) If the senior manager’s prediction is accurate, which of the following is inferable?
1. A) If TLS does not change to either a product approach or a functional approach, then it
will not change its organizational approach at all.
2. B) If TLS is not profitable this year and fails to develop any new products, the company
will first switch to a functional approach and then to a product approach.
3. C) If TLS is profitable, then it could organize itself by customer groups.
4. D) If TLS does not change to either a product approach or a functional approach, then it
could not have been profitable this year.
5. E) If TLS does not change to either a product approach or a functional approach, then it
could not have developed any new products.
Answer: C
Explanation: C) The senior manager predicts what will happen if the company is not
profitable and if it fails to develop new products. However, the senior manager makes
no prediction about what would happen if TLS is profitable. So, according to the senior
manager, if the company is profitable, anything can happen, and so the scenario
suggested in Choice C is possible. Choice A: There may be other ways that TLS could
organize itself. Choice B suggests that the company will change twice, but the senior
manager doesn’t say that. Choices D and E have the same problem. Together, failing to
be profitable and failing to develop new products would be enough to force TLS to go to
one of those two organizational approaches, but the fact that it doesn’t adopt one of
those approaches doesn’t tell us what failed to happen. For example, if the company is
not profitable, then the company might not reorganize regardless of its success in
developing new products, so Choice E is not inferable. Similarly, if the company fails to
develop any new products, then the company might not reorganize whether or not it is
profitable, so Choice D is not inferable.
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.4
145) Since Wilson sells its walkie-talkies only to businesses, it needs to take into
account factors that affect business buying centers, such as organizational influences
and individual factors. Two salespeople for Wilson are arguing over which set of factors
is more important to consider when making a sale. Bill argues that organizational
influences such as company goals and operating environment are more important.
Aubrey argues that individual factors of the buyer are more important. Which of the
following statements, if true, would support Bill’s stand for organizational influences?
1. A) Company V has liquid assets and a firm financial standing, even during the economic
downturn. It determines it can afford to buy new equipment like Wilson walkie-talkies in
order to upgrade its manufacturing process.
2. B) Kirk, the buyer for Company W, cannot stand Bill, and therefore refuses to buy any
Wilson walkie-talkies from him. However, he will order them from Aubrey.
3. C) Carl authorizes purchases for Company X, but he is very concerned about making a
large purchase without the input of his CEO.
4. D) The buyer at Company Y is motivated to advance his career as quickly as possible.
Therefore, he completes a thorough research project on Wilson walkie-talkies: He
compares other available walkie-talkies, researches price comparisons, and analyzes
their use in his company.
5. E) Company Z has never purchased Wilson walkie-talkies because the secretary has
never passed along the information from any of the sales calls made by Wilson reps.
Answer: A
Explanation: A) Choice A is the only answer that supports Bill’s argument for the
importance of organizational influences on sales. The finances of the company, along
with its goals and operating environment, are all organizational influences. Choices B,
C, D, and E are all examples of individual influences on business buying centers, and
thus would more accurately support Aubrey’s argument. Personality, roles, motivation,
level of power, risk, level of involvement, and personal objectives are types of individual
influence.
Objective: 6.5
146) In the business-to-business buying process, the buyer goes through a variety of
steps before making a purchase. Included in these steps are identifying needs and
vendors, evaluating vendors, and negotiating terms. Hollis, a salesman for Wilson,
understands this process and provides a detailed precontract PowerPoint program for
each company that he approaches. Which of the following statements, if true, would he
NOT consider putting in his presentation?
1. A) There is a variety of ways that Wilson walkie-talkies can be used to maximize the
communications of the business, as well as reduce overhead by eliminating
communication errors.
2. B) Next I’ll identify competitors’ products and detail why Wilson walkie-talkies are
superior.
3. C) I’m including here an audit report and licensing credentials for Wilson.
4. D) Shown here are a variety of ways that Wilson walkie-talkies can also be used in a
home situation.
5. E) Displayed is a table detailing the cost per unit and how the unit costs decrease with
order size.
Answer: D
Difficulty: Difficult
Objective: 6.5
Skill: Critical Thinking