Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Instructor Manual
Chapter 7: Organizing and Delegating Work
Work Application Sample Answers
Most of the answers are actual student answers or based on student answers. You may give these
answers as part of your lecture before, after, or in place of getting student answers.
7-1. Follow the chain of command from your present position (or one you held in the past)
to the top of the organization. Start by identifying anyone who reported to you, then list
your boss’s title, your boss’s title, and on up to the top manager’s title.
I worked as a teller for a bank, and no one reported to me. My boss was the head teller, and her
7-2. Identify your boss’s span of management, or your own if you are or were a manager.
How many levels of management are there in your organization? Is it a flat or a tall
organization?
7-3. Does an organization you work for or have worked for emphasize following the
standing procedures or being flexible? Explain your answer.
The clothing store I work for emphasizes following standing procedures. I’m in the situation listed
7-4. Identify and explain your level of authority for a specific task in an organization.
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Working as a mechanic at a gas station, I had the authority to report. My boss, the owner, would
7-5. Describe the type of authority (centralized or decentralized) used in an organization
you work for or have worked for.
Cortney most definitely utilizes centralized authority. Not only are important decisions made by
7-6. Identify one or more line and staff positions in an organization you work for or have
worked for. Also, indicate whether the staff positions are general staff or specialist staff.
One of the staff positions at the container company I worked for was the personnel director. He
7-7. Draw a simple organization chart for an organization you work for or have worked
for. Identify the type of departmentalization and staff positions, if any.
Answers will vary. What I usually do is draw the organization chart for my college. I begin with
7-8. Describe how a job at an organization you work for or have worked for could be
simplified. Be sure to specify if you are eliminating, combining, or changing the sequence of
the job.
When I worked at Shore Co., I had to keep track of the present employees. We used to use lists of
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
7-9. Describe how a job at an organization you work for or have worked for could be
expanded. Be sure to specify if you are using job rotation, job enlargement, or job
enrichment and to be explicit about how the job is changed.
At the shipping warehouse, delegating more responsibility to employees could be, and should be,
7-10. Describe how an organization you work for or have worked for uses, or could use,
teams. Be sure to specify if the teams are integrated or self-managed.
I work in the training department of a supermarket. We train managers in several of the topics in
7-11. List three to five tasks you must complete in the near future and prioritize them using
Exhibit 7-10.
1. High priority: Greet the doctor’s patients and bring them to the examining room with
7-12. Describe an obstacle to delegation or sign of delegating too little that you have
observed.
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
I worked in the office at Kennedy’s and observed a supervisor who had the “I can do it faster
7-13. Select a manager you work for or have worked for and analyze how well he or she
implements the four steps of delegation. Which steps does the manager typically follow and
not follow?
Step 1. Explain the need for delegating and the reasons for selecting the employee. Poor. I
Review Question Answers
7-1. What is the difference between unity of command and unity of direction?
The principle of unity of command requires that each employee should report to only one boss.
7-2. What is the relationship between the chain of command and the span of management?
Chain of command is the clear line of authority from the top to the bottom of an organization. The
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
7-3. What do the terms differentiation and integration mean?
7-4. What is the difference between responsibility and authority?
7-5. Can accountability be delegated?
7-6. How does the scope of authority change throughout an organization, and what is the
flow of responsibility, authority, and accountability?
The scope of authority is a hierarchy that narrows as it flows down the organization. Responsibility
7-7. What is the difference between general staff and specialist staff?
General staff work for only one manager and help the manager in any way needed. Specialist staff
help anyone in the organization who needs it.
7-8. What does an organization chart show? What doesn’t it show?
An organization chart is a graphic illustration of the organization’s management hierarchy and
7-9. What is the difference between product and customer departmentalization?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Product (service) departmentalization involves organizing departments around goods (or services).
7-10. What is the difference between a network structure and a virtual organization?
Networks are boundaryless interrelationships among different organizations. A network firm may
7-11. What is job design, and why is it necessary?
Job design is the process of identifying tasks that each employee is responsible for completing.
7-12. What is the difference between an integrated work team and a self-managed work
team?
Integrated work teams are assigned a number of tasks by a manager, and the team in turn gives
7-13. Why is the strength of employees’ need for growth important to the job
characteristics model?
The core job dimensions, critical psychological states, and personal and work outcomes are all
7-14. Why is it important to update priorities on a to-do list?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
7-15. As a simple guide, what one question can a manager ask to determine what and what
not to delegate?
“Do I need to be personally involved because of my unique knowledge or skills?” This is the first
priority-determination question. If the answer is no, delegate; if it is yes, don’t delegate the task.
7-16. Why is each of the four steps in the delegation process necessary?
Step 1. Explain the need for delegating and the reasons for selecting the employee. It is
Communication Skills Answers
7-1. Does formal organizational structure really matter? In other words, shouldn’t
management just focus on getting the work done?
Yes. Formal organizational structure matters because the firm must be logically organized to
7-2. How is division of labor (specialization of jobs) used in the medical profession and in
schools? How does the restaurant industry use specialization?
In the medical profession, there are doctors and nurses and other specialty jobs. Teachers in many
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
7-3. Is centralized or decentralized authority better?
7-4. As firms grow, should they have division of labor and add staff positions? Give
examples with your answer.
Generally, the answer is yes to both. For example, as firms add employees, they need to keep
7-5. Chandler suggested that structure should follow strategy. Should a firm develop the
strategy first and then develop the organization structure? Why or why not?
Yes. If the structure doesn’t match the strategy, how will the firm effectively implement it?
7-6. Matrix departmentalization violates the unity of command principle. Should
companies not use matrix departmentalization?
Answers will vary. Students should realize that it depends on the company. Students should also
7-7. What impact does technology have on organizational structure?
7-8. Why has there been a trend toward more team, network, virtual, and learning
organizations? Is this a fad, or will it last?
Answers will vary.
7-9. When focusing on jobs, is it better to use job simplification or job expansion?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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7-10. Are setting priorities and delegating really all that important?
Yes. As a manager, you’ll be required to carry out several tasks at any given time. How you select
Applying the Concept Answers
Applying the Concept 7-1: Principles of Organization
Identify which organizational principle or principles are represented by each statement.
A. Unity of command and direction
B. Chain of command
C. Span of management
1. “Tom told me to use his computer to get some information for him. But when I got to the
computer, it was turned off, and when it booted up, I didn’t have Tom’s password, so I
couldn’t get the information.”
2. “Tonya handles all the accounts receivable transactions, and Ed does all the accounts
payable transactions.”
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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3. “I know it will be difficult to supervise 19 employees reporting to you, Brenda, but by
cutting two managers, we all have to take on more employees.”
4. “He is a good customer, Helen, so make him happy and ignore the rule and give him a
cash refund without the sales receipt.”
5. “To make your job more interesting, Sean, I’m going to assign a new task to you.”
G. Delegation. Assigning a new task is a delegation.
6. “My department manager, Rick, tells me to do one thing, but my project manager, Betty,
tells me to do something else at the same time. Whom should I listen to?”
7. “I need Carlos to do some research for me, but as a middle manager, I can’t give an
operative employee a direct order to do it. I have to have my supervisor, Chris, give
Carolos the assignment for me.”
8. “The ambulance is on the way. Latina, call Dr. Rodriguez and have her get to emergency
room A in 10 minutes. Arron, prepare emergency room A. Juan, get the paperwork
ready.”
Applying the Concept 7-2: Authority
Identify the type of authority referred to in each statement.
A. Formal
B. Informal
C. Centralized
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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D. Decentralized
E. Line
F. Staff
9. “I like your creative idea for a new product. I’ll talk to the boss, and if Jamal likes it,
he’ll let us present the idea to his boss Ginna.”
10. “When I recommend good sales rep job candidates to the marketing manager, I get
angry when Sam does not hire them.”
11. “Everyone throughout the organization is encouraged to share information and
knowledge with everyone else to get the job done.”
12. “Hu, it’s time to o stop making pencils and start making pens.”
E. Line. This is a line manager giving production instructions to an employee.
13. “ Being a manager here is great because we have the autonomy to run the department
the way we want to.”
14. “Don’t forget. Don’t take any action until you check with me for my approval first.”
Applying the Concept 7-3: Departmentalization
Identify the type of departmentalization illustrated by each organization chart.
A. Functional
B. Product (service)
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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C. Customer
D. Territory (geographic)
E. Matrix
F. Divisional
Proctor & Gamble
Digital PC
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Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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C. Customer. The customers have different needs. The books sold to each type of customer are
different.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter–USA
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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Applying the Concept 7-4: Job Designs
Identify which job design technique is exemplified in each statement.
A. Job simplification
B. Job rotation
C. Job enlargement
D. Job enrichment/job characteristics model
E. Work teams
21. “Elan, I’d like you to learn how to run the monthly budget reports for Kramer while he
is on vacation.”
22. “ I’d like you to work together to come up with ways to improve how your jobs get
done.”
E. Work teams. The manager is asking the department members to act as a team to redesign jobs
23. “Jamal, would you like me to delegate a new task to you to make your job more
challenging?”
24. “You will be given $50 per day for meals when you travel, so you no longer need to
provide receipts.”
25. “Waneta, I want your job to be less repetitive So you will be trained to add a couple
new tasks to your job responsibility.”
Join the Discussion Answers
Join the Discussion 7-1: Breaking the Rules
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
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Suppose you are a sales rep for a major pharmaceutical company. You get paid by commission,
so the more drugs you sell to doctors, the more money you make. You know that sales reps in
your company have been visiting doctors and telling them that if they prescribe your company’s
1. Is it unethical to be flexible and break the law against kickbacks?
2. Why are kickbacks illegal? Who benefits from kickbacks, who gets hurt by them, and
how?
3. What would you do in this situation? (Would you start giving kickbacks yourself? Blow
the whistle on sales reps to their managers? Blow the whistle to an outside source like the
government or the media? Do nothing?)
Answers vary.
Join the Discussion 7-2: Delegating Destroying Documents
Arthur Andersen, a consulting company, was taken to court for destroying evidence that could
have been used in court to support allegations of illegal activities. Arthur Andersen destroyed
evidence related to the auditing of Enron to protect both companies from being found guilty of
engaging in illegal business practices. Arthur Andersen claimed that it was not trying to destroy
incriminating evidence, but was simply destroying records, which is done periodically.
Destroying documents is, in fact, routine. The key question is this: “What is being destroyed, and
why is it being destroyed?”
1. Is it ethical and socially responsible to delegate the task of destroying documents that
may potentially be used as evidence of wrongdoing?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
2. What would you do if your boss asked you to destroy documents and you thought the
goal was to cover up evidence of wrongdoing by the firm? (Would you just do it? Say
nothing but neglect to do it? Question your boss’s motives? Look closely at what you were
asked to destroy? Check with your boss’s boss to make sure it’s OK to do it? Tell the boss
you will not do it? Tell the boss to do it him- or herself? Blow the whistle to an outside
source?)
3. If you were charged with destroying evidence, do you believe it would be a good defense
to say, “I was only following orders”?