Organizational Strategy and Information Systems

Organizational Strategy and Information Systems Multiple Choice 1. Cognizant’s organizational structure was ________, but realized as its organization grew and its services became more complicated that a __________ structure for the organization was more appropriate. a) hierarchical, networked b) matrix, networked c) flat, matrix d) hierarchical, matrix e) flat, hierarchical Ans: d 2. The organizational structure of Tata Consulting Services (TCS) is a ___________ organizational structure. a) hierarchical b) networked c) matrix d) flat e) zero time Ans: a 3. All statements below are true about a matrix organization structure EXCEPT: a) The design supports both function and purpose. b) Operating complexities can be reduced by sharing information among management. c) Workers are assigned to two or more managers. d) One weakness is that multiple dimensions of a business are not integrated well with a matrix organization e) Confusion must be dealt with through frequent meetings and conflict resolution sessions. Ans: d 4. This type of organizational structure is based upon the concepts of division of labor, specialization, and unity of command. Key decisions are made at the top and filter down through the organization. a) Hierarchical b) Networked c) Flat d) Matrix e) Social Ans: a 5. This newer organizational design is designed to be highly flexible so that resources can be configured quickly to respond to changing demands. a) Up time organization b) Social networked organization c) Hierarchical organization d) Matrix organization e) Elastic enterprise Ans: e 6. IS plays three important roles in management control processes. These processes are data collection, evaluation, and _______________. a) transformation b) management c) communication d) implementation e) conversion Ans: c 7. Organizational design is all about making sure that _________ are properly allocated, reflecting the structure of formal reporting relationships. a) decision rights b) business processes c) values d) incentives e) IS Ans: a 8. Traditional organizations have one of four types of organizational design. What are these four structure types? a) Traditional, flat, matrix, technology b) Hierarchical, flat, matrix, networked c) Matrix, networked, flat, information d) Matrix, flat, networked, traditional e) Social, networked, matrix, hierarchical Ans: b 9. In which type of organizational design do middle managers do the primary information processing and communication function, telling subordinates what to do and then reporting the outcome to senior management? a) Flat b) Networked c) Hierarchical d) Matrix e) Hybrid Ans: c 10. In which type of organizational structure will employees report to two or more supervisors? a) Hierarchical b) Networked c) Flat d) Matrix e) Functional Ans: d 11. In which type of organizational structure is power centralized and the type of environment best supported stable and certain? a) Flat b) Networked c) Hierarchical d) Matrix e) Traditional Ans: c 12. In which type of organizational structure is power distributed, and particularly suited for an environment that is dynamic and unstable? a) Flat b) Networked c) Hierarchical d) Matrix e) Hybrid Ans: b 13. A networked organizational structure feels both like a_______ and a_______ organizational structure because it supports a rigid structure with well-connected communication networks. a) matrix, flat b) flat, hierarchical c) hierarchical, hybrid d) flat, networked e) matrix, traditional Ans: b 14. When using information technologies to collect data for the purpose of monitoring workers, a manager should do all of the following EXCEPT: a) Inform employees when and what is being monitored. b) Consider the privacy rights of individuals. c) Ensure monitoring is meaningful to the organization’s mission. d) Capture qualitative inputs in addition to quantitative data. e) Require workers to complete additional tasks. Ans: e 15. At Zara, decision rights for ordering have been granted to whom? a) Regional managers b) Headquarters c) Store managers d) Central production e) The commercial team Ans: c 16. Zara’s store managers place orders that reflect their localized needs. However, order fulfillment is ultimately the responsibility of the commercial team in headquarters because: a) Store managers have no real decision rights. b) The commercial team does not trust the store managers. c) Store managers do not have visibility into regional demands but the commercial team does. d) The commercial team has more direct contact with the designers and production. e) Store managers have no access to sales information for their store. Ans: c 17. All of the following help to develop informal networks that play an important role in an organization EXCEPT for: a) Job rotation b) Company softball team c) Virtual communities d) Performance reviews e) Attendance at a conference Ans: d 18. The dimensions of national culture include all of the following EXCEPT: a) The distribution of power in society b) The extent to which society tolerates uncertainty c) Avoidance of uncertainty d) The acceptance of technology by society e) The degree to which society engages in future-oriented behaviors Ans: d 19. Effective, cross-cultural communication in today’s global and “flattened” world is: a) Easy to achieve b) Difficult to achieve c) Of little consequence to the organizational strategy d) Achieved by using the best available technologies e) No longer an issue for managers Ans: b 20. The negative consequences of monitoring an employee’s discrete tasks include all of the following EXCEPT: a) The worker can become disconnected from the larger business process. b) There can be less of an opportunity for the worker to broaden his/her skills. c) The worker feels empowered to make significant contributions to the business. d) The personal freedoms of the worker may be intruded upon. e) The privacy rights of an employee may be violated. Ans: c 21. A matrix organization: a) Can involve multiple bosses and multiple teams b) Requires quite a bit of communication to be successful c) Were rare for quite a while but have become more common in recent years d) All of the above e) None of the above Ans: d 22. Which of the following is not an organizational design variable? a) IT Infrastructure b) Decision rights c) Informal networks d) Structure e) Formal reporting relationships Ans: a 23. Which of the following is not an organizational structure? a) Hierarchical b) Flat c) Power Distant d) Matrix e) Networked Ans: c 24. Which organization structure typically assigns workers two or more supervisors in an effort to make sure multiple dimensions of the business are integrated? a) Hierarchical b) Flat c) Matrix d) Networked e) Informal Ans: c True/False 25. Cognizant needed to reinvent its organizational structure many times to make sure that it properly facilitates the flow of information between employees. Ans: True 26. Different organization structures reflect the different organizational strategies that are used by firms to implement their business strategy. Ans; True 27. An organization feels hierarchical when IT is used primarily as a communication vehicle. Ans: False 28. A firm is usually a mix of different organizational structures, known as a hybrid structure. Ans: True 29. The use of performance data by managers is generally welcomed by workers and nonthreatening to workers when the data is used for compensation rather than to improve performance. Ans: False 30. National culture no longer predisposes workers to act in a certain way. Ans: False 31. Differences in organizational and national culture normally do not affect system development and use. Ans: False 32. If a technology is to be successfully implemented into an organization, either the technology must fit the organization’s culture or the culture must be shaped to fit the behavioral requirements of the technology. Ans: True Short Answer 33. The three components of the organizational strategy are organizational design, management control systems and _________. Ans: Organizational culture 34. A ________ organization allows a firm to concentrate on both function and purpose. Ans: Matrix 35. ________ reduces the operating complexity of a matrix organization. Ans: IS 36. IS makes it possible to evaluate performance by capturing current data in addition to analyzing historical data. Often managers are faced with an overwhelming volume of data and analyzing it becomes very time consuming, a situation known as ____________. Ans: Analysis paralysis 37. A corporate culture is a firm’s set of shared values and _______ Ans: beliefs 38. This term is used to describe a situation where technology enables individuals from all parts of the organization to reach and communicate with all other parts of the organization. Ans: Technological leveling 39. Ideally, the person who has the most information about a decision and who is in the best position to understand the relevant issues is the person with __________ for the decision. Ans: Decision Rights. 40. This IT-enabled network links individuals together, regardless of location, so that they may get to know people and find useful information. Ans: Social network Essay 41. Cognizant moved to a matrix organization to “foster continuous operational implementations and better bottom-line results for clients.” Explain how the change of organizational design allowed Cognizant to succeed. 42. Compare and contrast the organizational structures of Cognizant (after restructuring) and that of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 43. How does IS impact the 3 managerial levers: organizational, control and cultural? 44. Explain how Cognizant’s “10/10/10” program is designed, its cultural impact and the role IS plays in supporting it. 45 Assume you are a manager of a local doctor’s office. How could you use IS to help monitor the performance of the nurses and doctors? State the benefits as well as the challenges. 46. List some examples of informal networking that occurs in organizations. How can management utilize informal networks to the organization’s advantage? 47. Give an example of a tool or virtual community that enables a large, global informal network. What is its value to a participant and the participant’s firm? 48. What recommendations would you give a manager who supports a team of individuals with a multitude of cultural differences? Matching 49. Match the organizational structure to the statement that best represents it. Networked organization Flat organization Matrix organization Hierarchical organization Decision rights are highly decentralized. Decision rights are not clearly defined. Decision rights are shared between managers. Decision rights are highly centralized. 50. Match the organizational structure to the power structure it supports. Centralized Decentralized Distributed Distributed Hierarchical organization Flat organization Matrix organization Networked organization 51. Match the organizational structure that you would find supporting the organization strategy of the following firms: Flat organization Matrix organization Hierarchical organization A start-up venture in its first few years of existence A multi-national organization with regional and functional divisions A military organization like the Navy 52. Match the organizational variable to its description. Decision Rights Business processes Formal reporting relationships The authority to make decisions necessary to plan and run the business. The set of tasks needed to complete key objectives of the business. The structure set up to ensure coordination with the organization. Informal networks The mechanisms used to develop organizational relationships outside of the formal reporting relationships. 53. Match a firm’s actions with the cultural layer it helps to define. Low power distance Invest heavily in training Values Believe in helping employees to develop so they can perform better in the future Workers inherently know that customer issues take precedence Assumptions 54. Hofstede identified cultural dimensions and researched expected behaviors within that society. Match the cultural dimension to the organizational impact it can have. Uncertainty Avoidance Power Distance Individualism/Collectivism Masculinity/Femininity Confucian Work Dynamism The willingness to take risk or avoid risk. The likeliness of innovation The propensity to hire from within the organization The level of conflict to be anticipated The willingness to delay gratification