Organization, Teamwork, and Communication

These flashcards cover key concepts related to organizational structure, teamwork, and communication from the lecture notes.

Organizational Culture

A firm's shared values, beliefs, traditions, principles, rules, and role models for behavior.

Specialization

The division of labor into small, specific tasks and the assignment of employees to perform a single task.

Departmentalization

The grouping of jobs into working units usually called departments, units, or divisions.

Delegation of Authority

Giving employees not only tasks but also the power to make commitments and take necessary actions to carry out those tasks.

Centralized Organization

A structure in which authority is concentrated at the top and very little decision-making authority is delegated to lower levels.

Decentralized Organization

An organization in which decision-making authority is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible.

Span of Management

The number of subordinates who report to a particular manager.

Line Structure

The simplest organizational structure, in which direct lines of authority extend from the top manager to the lowest level.

Matrix Structure

A structure that sets up teams from different departments, creating two or more intersecting lines of authority.

Self-Directed Teams (SDT)

A group of employees responsible for an entire work process or segment that delivers a product to an internal or external customer.

Task Force

A temporary group of employees responsible for bringing about a particular change.

Quality-Assurance Teams

Small groups of workers brought together to solve specific quality, productivity, or service problems.

Communication

The process by which information is exchanged between individuals or groups, involving the transmission and reception of messages.

Grapevine

An informal channel of communication, separate from management's formal official communication channels.

Functional Departmentalization

Grouping of jobs that perform similar functional activities, such as finance, manufacturing, marketing, and human resources.

Product Departmentalization

The organization of jobs in relation to the products of the firm.

structure

the arrangement or relationship of positions within an organization

geographical departmentalization

the grouping of jobs according to geographic location, such as state, region, country, or continent.

organizational charts

a visual display of the organizational structure, lines of authority (chain of command), staff relationships, permanent committee arrangements, and lines of communication

customer departmentalization

the arrangement of jobs around the needs of various types of customers.

responsibility

the obligation, placed on employees through delegation, to perform assigned tasks satisfactorily and be held accountable for the proper execution of work.

accountability

the principle that employees who accept an assignment and the authority to carry it out are answerable to a superior for the outcome. 

organizational structure

the levels of management in an organization

line-and-staff structure

a structure having a traditional line relationship between superiors and subordinates and also specialized managers—called staff managers—who are available to assist line managers.

restructure

to change the basic structure of an organization

multidivisional structure

a structure that organizes departments into larger groups called divisions.

group

two or more individuals who communicate with one another, share a common identity, and have a common goal.

team

a small group whose members have complementary skills; have a common purpose, goals, and approach; and hold themselves mutually accountable

committee

a permanent, formal group that performs a specific task.

project teams

groups similar to task forces that normally run their operation and have total control of a specific work project.

product development teams

a specific type of project team formed to devise, design, and implement a new product