Unit 3: Organization: basic concepts & principles - Practice Quiz

1 What is an organization in public administration?

2 Which type of organization is created to perform public functions?

3 What is an informal organization?

4 Which feature is common to a formal organization?

5 What does hierarchy mean in an organization?

6 In a hierarchy, who normally has greater formal authority?

7 What does the scalar principle describe?

8 The chain of command shows the relationship between what?

9 What is span of control?

10 A manager with many direct subordinates has what type of span?

11 A narrow span of control means that a manager supervises:

12 Which factor can affect the appropriate span of control?

13 What does unity of command mean?

14 What problem can arise when an employee receives conflicting orders from two superiors?

15 Unity of command is mainly intended to promote what?

16 What is centralization?

17 What is decentralization?

18 Which arrangement usually allows local officials to make more decisions?

19 Which is a likely advantage of decentralization?

20 What is supervision?

21 A public agency is divided into departments for finance, personnel, procurement, and legal affairs. Which basis of organization is primarily being used?

22 A ministry creates separate regional offices, each responsible for delivering all major services within its geographical area. Which type of organization is this?

23 A government project requires experts from engineering, finance, health, and communications to work together temporarily. Which organizational form best suits this arrangement?

24 In a department, an officer can appeal a decision through the deputy director, director, and secretary. This arrangement mainly illustrates which principle?

25 An organization adds several managerial levels while keeping the number of employees unchanged. What is the most likely result?

26 A junior officer receives instructions directly from the minister even though the officer normally reports to a section chief. Which hierarchical problem is most evident?

27 A supervisor manages 18 employees performing routine and similar tasks in a stable office. Which span-of-control decision is most reasonable?

28 A manager supervises eight employees who perform complex, different tasks and require frequent guidance. What change would most likely improve control?

29 Which situation would most likely permit a manager to supervise a wider span of control?

30 A department has a narrow span of control and many hierarchical levels. Which administrative effect is most likely?

31 An employee receives conflicting deadlines from two different supervisors. Which principle has been violated?

32 A matrix project assigns an employee to both a technical manager and a project manager. What is the main risk related to unity of command?

33 To preserve unity of command, a department should primarily ensure that:

34 A national agency allows regional offices to adapt service procedures to local conditions while the headquarters sets broad standards. This is an example of:

35 During a national emergency, the government requires all regional offices to follow uniform purchasing and distribution decisions from headquarters. Which arrangement is being emphasized?

36 A decentralized agency is most likely to improve service delivery when local offices:

37 Which is a likely disadvantage of excessive centralization in a large public organization?

38 A supervisor observes employees, compares their performance with standards, and provides corrective guidance. Which supervisory function is demonstrated?

39 A supervisor regularly discusses problems with employees, listens to their suggestions, and helps them solve work-related difficulties. This approach is best described as:

40 A supervisor checks every minor action of experienced employees and refuses to delegate routine decisions. What is the most likely consequence?

41 A public agency grants regional offices authority to adapt procedures to local conditions, but retains uniform objectives, auditing standards, and appointment powers at headquarters. Which organizational type best describes this arrangement?

42 An organization has a formally prescribed reporting structure, but employees also rely on unofficial advice networks to resolve urgent cases. Which conclusion is most accurate?

43 A ministry groups staff into finance, engineering, procurement, and legal divisions, each serving several programs. What principle of departmentalization is primarily being used?

44 A new agency adds two managerial levels but does not change the number of operating employees or the authority of existing positions. Which structural effect is most likely?

45 A director receives conflicting recommendations from two deputy directors. The agency's rules identify one deputy as the formal superior of the relevant division. Which hierarchical principle should resolve the conflict first?

46 A senior official delegates approval authority to a regional manager but remains answerable to the minister for the program's results. Which statement best reflects delegation within hierarchy?

47 A supervisor oversees twelve experienced inspectors performing standardized tasks, while another supervisor oversees five new analysts handling ambiguous cases. Which inference is most defensible?

48 A department expands from 4 supervisors to 8 supervisors, with each supervisor directing 6 employees. Assuming no other changes, what happens to the number of directly supervised employees?

49 Which change would most clearly justify narrowing a supervisor's span of control without reducing the unit's workload?

50 A manager has ten direct reports, but four are assigned to a joint project requiring daily coordination with the manager and with one another. What is the best assessment?

51 A health inspector receives technical standards from the chief medical officer and administrative instructions from the regional director. Which arrangement best preserves unity of command?

52 During a disaster, a police officer and a disaster-management officer both direct the same field team, causing contradictory deployment orders. Which structural remedy is most appropriate?

53 A matrix project assigns an employee to both a program manager and a functional manager. Which condition best prevents this from becoming a destructive violation of unity of command?

54 A national licensing agency centralizes policy and data standards but allows local offices to approve routine applications within published limits. What is the primary advantage of this design?

55 A decentralized agency repeatedly produces unequal service standards because regional offices interpret national rules differently. Which corrective measure is most proportionate?

56 Which decision is most suitable for decentralization in a large public service organization?

57 A central government delegates procurement decisions to districts but retains audit rights, expenditure ceilings, and the power to revoke delegated authority. What does this indicate?

58 A supervisor checks every minor decision, delays approvals, and corrects employees publicly, although performance indicators are strong. Which diagnosis is most accurate?

59 A supervisor replaces personal inspection of every case with risk-based sampling, periodic coaching, and review of outcome indicators. What is the strongest justification?

60 An employee repeatedly meets output targets but violates procedural safeguards. Which supervisory response is most appropriate?