60. Sociological research on group decision making finds that
a. groupthink is inevitable any time a team comes together to make a decision.
b. people in positions of power are not affected by groupthink in the same way that those below them are.
c. if members of a group feel invulnerable this increases the potential for groupthink to occur.
d. younger people are more affected by groupthink than older people.
61. As groups , trends in risk-taking are amplified.
a. become larger
b. become smaller
c. become less stable
d. become more intimate
62. From a sociological standpoint, the most convincing explanation for the occurrence of risky shifts is _____.
a. deindividuation
b. anomie
c. panic
d. social disorganization
63. Deindividuation refers to
a. the inability of a person to think for themselves.
b. the willingness of a person to take the blame for the entire group.
c. the sense of merging with the group so that blame will be shared, not directed toward any individual.
d. a sense of normlessness.
64. Sociological analysis of the process of deindividuation finds that
a. a person in this situation thinks any blame that results will be shared by the entire group.
b. the size of the group has no impact on the tendency for deindividuation.
c. the larger the group the better chance there is of people talking each other out of risky behavior.
d. mixed-sex groups are more likely to take risks than single-sex groups.
65. Formal organizations
a. are secondary groups that are organized to accomplish complex tasks efficiently.
b. may be very small or very large.
c. are not relevant to most people’s lives.
d. are generally organized around kinship or friendship.
66. Which of the following is not characteristic of formal organizations?
a. They develop their own cultures and routine practices.
b. They are independent of any other organization.
c. They change over time, but also tend to remain in existence.
d. They may be tools for creating social change.
67. The study of formal organizations represents an example of _____.
a. macroanalysis
b. microanalysis
c. content analysis
d. survey analysis.
68. La Raza and the NAACP are examples of _____organizations.
a. affiliative
b. normative
c. coercive
d. utilitarian
69. The primary reason that people join normative organizations is
a. to pursue goals they believe are worthwhile.
b. to increase their financial status.
c. because of coercive pressure.
d. to increase the size of their social networks.
70. Voluntary organizations
a. lack organization because they are informal and social.
b. are always political.
c. have been organized to address a wide variety of issues.
d. are equally accessed by people from diverse backgrounds.
71. Which of the following is not an example of a coercive organization?
a. Prison
b. Mental hospital
c. Church
d. Juvenile detention center
72. Total institutions were described by Goffman as
a. coercive organizations.
b. well-integrated throughout society.
c. having very differentiated populations.
d. responsive to the needs of the individual.
73. Large organizations that individuals join for specific purposes are referred to as _____ organizations.
a. normative
b. utilitarian
c. coercive
d. voluntary
74. Individuals often join _____ organizations for monetary reasons.
a. coercive
b. volunteer
c. normative
d. utilitarian
75. Sociologists have found that all
a. utilitarian organizations are for-profit.
b. formal organizations are bureaucracies.
c. total institutions are coercive organizations.
d. normative organizations are charitable organizations.
76. Weber analyzed the classic characteristics of bureaucracy, which he referred to as the _____ bureaucracy.
a. primary
b. principle
c. ideal type
d. model
77. Which of the following is not characteristic of Weber’s “ideal type” bureaucracy?
a. Cooperative structures for accomplishing tasks
b. Impersonal relationships
c. Formal rules and regulations
d. High levels of efficiency
78. According to Weber, bureaucracies are organized in such a way as to
a. create totalitarian government of organizations.
b. ensure that all workers are treated the same.
c. create an organization that is easy to change.
d. promote democracy within the work place.
79. The overall purpose of the bureaucratic organization is
a. to maximize efficiency.
b. promote democracy.
c. alleviate suffering for the workers.
d. be open to social change.
80. The informal structure of a bureaucracy
a. has the ideal characteristics of structure.
b. develops among those at the top of the organizational structure.
c. increases the feelings of solidarity among all workers.
d. uses alternate channels to get some things done faster.
81. Sociologists have found that the informal structure of an organization
a. includes all members at the lower levels of the organization.
b. may increase productivity, but doesn’t seem to decrease productivity.
c. develops largely among those most taken for granted in an organization.
d. is stronger at the top than at the bottom of the organization.
82. Which of the following statements about bureaucracy is false?
a. Subcultures develop even in the largest bureaucracies.
b. Secretaries and other assistants often have more power than their job description or salary indicates.
c. The informal culture of bureaucracy works to make all employees feel more connected and included.
d. Informal norms within a bureaucracy may increase or decrease worker productivity.
83. Studies done in the 1930s at the Hawthorne, Illinois, Western Electric telephone plant found all of the following,
except
a. workers developed their own norms for how much work should be accomplished each day.
b. workers may be punished by their fellow workers for being too productive.
c. informal structures within an organization may increase or decrease productivity.
d. women were more likely to be “rate busters“ than men.
84. Organization ritualism refers to the
a. norms and practices that an organization uses to socialize members.
b. fact that formal organizations have written rules.
c. way that rules in an organization are followed even if they do not serve the purpose they were originally
meant to.
d. way in which the informal structure of a formal organization is able to subvert the organizations goals.
85. Which of these is not considered a problem within bureaucracies?
a. The informal structure
b. Risky shift
c. Groupthink
d. Ritualism
86. Despite being warned of danger, NASA scientists proceeded with the launch of the space shuttle Challenger that
exploded during launch. Sociological analysis of this situation finds it was caused by
a. a lack of communication.
b. a combination of risky shift and organizational ritualism.
c. organizational alienation.
d. groupthink.
87. The tragic cases of the Challenger and the Colombia are used to illustrate the point that
a. people need to be more responsible in their jobs.
b. the informal network does not always have a positive effect.
c. rigid conformity within an organization can be very dangerous.
d. failure to follow the chain of command may end in tragedy.
88. Alienation refers to the _____.
a. psychological separation of a person from an organization
b. rigid adherence to rules and regulations
c. shift away from intimate relationships with others
d. physical movement away from a negative interaction
89. Alienation is least common in organizations in which
a. workers have little control over what they do.
b. the same repetitive task is done over the entire shift.
c. employees feel they have little chance of advancement.
d. leaders use democratic methods in decision making.
90. The concept of “McDonaldization” refers to
a. the increasing number of franchises among U.S. businesses.
b. Americans‘ desire for fast food is resulting in a tendency toward obesity.
c. the way that the principles of fast food restaurants are dominating other aspects of life.
d. the frequent turnover in employees that occurs due to alienation.
91. Regardless of the city one is in, a hamburger purchased at McDonalds is always very much the same. This is due
to what Ritzer called _____.
a. efficiency
b. calculability
c. predictability
d. control
92. Which of the following would not be a slogan for Ritzer’s McDonaldization?
a. “The same way, everyday“
b. “Count on it“
c. “Have it your way“
d. “Over and over again“
93. Overall, the primary organizational principle that motivates McDonaldization is _____.
a. an emphasis on efficiency
b. calculability
c. predictability
d. control
94. Which of the following is false in regard to patterns of discrimination within organizations?
a. The most powerful positions in any organization are typically held by White men of upper class status.
b. Discrimination persists even when formal barriers have been removed.
c. Minority employees increasingly have the same amounts of education as White employees.
d. In situations where minority employees have the same amount of education as Whites, promotions are
given out equally.
95. Studies of people being discharged from employment, or fired, have found that
a. Black federal employees are twice as likely to be fired as their White counterparts.
b. When Whites and Blacks have the same education and hold upper-level federal positions, they are equally
likely to be fired.
c. Racial patterns in being discharged from employment may be attributed to lack of seniority for Black
workers.
d. White employees were more likely to be fired, but only when they worked less than 40 hours per week.
96. Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s classic study of organizational structure indicated that
a. there is no indication that the hierarchical structure of the bureaucracy negatively impacts on minorities or
women.
b.
while race and gender play a major role determining people’s place within the organization, social class
does not.
c. the stressful effects of tokenism on women and minorities can have very negative consequences.
d. in modern organizations, token minorities and/or women hires no longer exist; persons are hired and fired
strictly on their own merit.
97. What are the effects of social class and race on people’s roles within an organization?
a. Race and social class do not have any consistent effect on people’s roles within an organization.
b. People of upper and middle class backgrounds are more likely to be promoted than someone with a
lower-class background, even if they are of the same race.
c. When members of minority groups have the same level of education as their White peers, there is no
difference in the rates of promotion.
d. When people with a lower social class background have the same level of education as their peers they
are just as likely to be promoted.
98. According to Weber, bureaucracies have positive functions that contribute to their overall unity. Weber termed
these _____.
a. constructive functions
b. manifest functions
c. eufunctions
d. non-dysfunctions