1st Exam Organizational Behavior Study Guide Chapters 1 - 4 with Discussion
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ADMG 2018
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ADMG 2018
Please note: Study guides are not designed to be all inclusive. They are merely a means to assist you in focusing your thoughts as you prepare for an exam. Please read your text book, review lecture notes, and the PowerPoint slides to fully prepare.
Please find attached your study guide for the ...
organizational behavior study guide exam 1 chapters 1 through 4
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Organizational Behavior Study Guide Exam 1:
Chapters 1 through 4
Please note: Study guides are not designed to be all inclusive. They are merely a means to assist
you in focusing your thoughts as you prepare for an exam. Please read your text book, review
lecture notes, and the PowerPoint slides to fully prepare.
Please find attached your study guide for the 1st exam. Please note, study guides are merely
guides and not designed to be all inclusive. Each student is responsible for reading the text book,
reviewing your own lecture notes, and PowerPoint slides. The exam has 35 multiple choice
questions. You will need to bring a #2 pencil to complete the exam as all answers will be
recorded on the SCANTRON form. Please use this time to prepare well for the exam. –Michaela
Noakes
Exam has 35 multiple choice questions
1. What is Heterogeneity in Environmental Complexity?
Environmental complexity refers to heterogeneity, or the number and dissimilarity of
external elements (e.g., competitors, suppliers, industry changes, government regulations)
that affect an organization’s operations.
The more external elements regularly influence the organization and the greater the
number of other companies in an organization’s domain, the greater the complexity. A
complex environment is one in which the organization interacts with and is influenced by
numerous diverse external elements. In a simple environment, the organization interacts
with and is influenced by only a few similar external elements.
2. How does the environment influence organizations?
The patterns and events occurring in the environment can be described along three
primary dimensions: dynamism whether events in the environment are stable or unstable,
complexity whether the environment is simple or complex, and abundance amount of financial
resources available to support the organization’s growth. (These dimensions are illustrated in
Exhibit 4.2.) Uncertainity lack of sufficient info about environment factors
As the environment becomes more complex, events become less stable, and financial
resources become less available, the level of uncertainty increases. These dimensions boil down
to two essential ways the environment influences organizations:
(1) the need for information about changes in the environment
(2) the need for resources from the environment.
The environmental conditions of complexity and dynamism create a greater need to
gather information and to respond to changes based on that information.
,3. What issues are of concern in the Sociocultural Sector of an organization?
Working conditions
One significant element in the sociocultural sector is pressure from advocacy groups to
improve working conditions for employees hired by contractors for large companies such
as Walmart, Apple, and Amazon. Walmart recently suspended one of its seafood suppliers
in the South after immigrant workers said they had been forced to work more than 80
hours a week, threatened with beatings, and told their families in Mexico would be hurt if
they complained to government agencies. The National Guestworker Alliance released a
list of 644 federal citations at 12 Walmart food suppliers. “We work with more than
60,000 suppliers in the United States and we have rigorous standards in place that our
suppliers are required to follow,” said Lorenzo Lopez, a Walmart spokesman, adding that
Walmart is conducting its own investigation and will terminate its relationship with any
suppliers that violate its ethical standards.
4. What issues are of concern in the International Sector of an organization?
The international sector is also a part of the task environment because of globalization
and intense competition. In August 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
gave approval for four Chinese poultry processors to begin shipping cooked poultry
products to the United States, which increased competition for U.S. processing plants.
Not long after that decision, China’s Shuanghui International Holding Ltd. began a $4.7
billion takeover of the U.S.-based pork processor Smithfield Foods Inc. to acquire new
technology and improve safety practices.
Can directly affect many organizations, and it has become extremely important in the last
few years. The auto industry, for example, has experienced profound shifts as China
recently emerged as the world’s largest auto market. In response, car makers are moving
international headquarters into China and designing features that appeal to the Chinese
market, including bigger, limousine-like back seats, advanced entertainment systems,
and light-colored interiors. These trends, inspired by the Chinese market, are reflected in
models sold around the world.
5. What is meant by an Organization’s Domain?
An organization’s domain is the chosen environmental field of action. It is the territory
an organization stakes out for itself with respect to products, services, and markets
served. Domain defines the organization’s niche and defines those external sectors with
which the organization will interact to accomplish its goals. See chapter 4 slide 3
6. What is meant by Structural Deficiency?
, As a general rule, when organization structure is out of alignment with organization
needs, one or more of the following symptoms of structural deficiency appear.
symptoms of structural deficiency signs that the organization structure is out of
alignment, including absence of collaboration among units, delayed or poor quality
decision making, failure to respond innovatively to environmental changes, a decline
in employee performance, and the failure to meet goals.
7. Reengineering
Reengineering, or business process reengineering, basically means the redesign of a
vertical organization along its horizontal workflows and processes.
8. Functional Grouping
Functional grouping places together employees who perform similar functions or work
processes or who bring similar knowledge and skills to bear. For example, all marketing
people work together under the same supervisor, as do all manufacturing employees, all
human resources people, and all engineers. For an Internet company, all the people
associated with maintaining the website might be grouped together in one department. In
a scientific research firm, all chemists may be grouped in a department different from
biologists because they represent different disciplines.
9. Relational Coordination
Relational coordination refers to frequent, timely, problem-solving communication
carried out through relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect.
Relational coordination isn’t a device or mechanism like the other elements listed in
Exhibit 3.6, but rather is part of the very fabric and culture of the organization. In an
organization with a high level of relational coordination, people share information freely
across departmental boundaries, and people interact on a continuous basis to share
knowledge and solve problems.
10. Virtual Team
A team made up of organizationally or geographically dispersed members who are linked
primarily through advanced information and communications technologies.
A virtual team is one that is made up of organizationally or geographically dispersed
members who are linked primarily through advanced information and communications
technologies. Members frequently use the Internet and collaboration software to work
together rather than meet face to face.
11. Liaison Role
Liaison role is a role in which a person is located in one department but has the
responsibility for communicating and achieving coordination with another department.
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