Final answer:
When job duties are not delegated appropriately to the most capable individuals at the lowest level within an organization, efficiency is compromised. Modern businesses often use a team-based structure to respond to changes more agilely than traditional hierarchical bureaucracies, enhancing overall efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to organizational efficiency and the delegation of job duties within an organization. When job duties are not delegated to the lowest level person capable of performing the task effectively within the legal scope of practice, the answer to the question is that efficiency is compromised (option a). This is because, in the best-run practices, efficiency is maximized by employing individuals at the most appropriate level for each task, ensuring that higher-level employees are not spending time on tasks that could be effectively carried out by those at lower levels. In contrast, when delegation is absent or mismanaged, it can lead to a situation where employees are either overburdened or underutilized, which can negatively impact overall productivity and efficiency.
Historically, bureaucracies were much more hierarchical, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, when clear chains of command were critical for mass production and factory work. However, in the modern information age, such rigid structures can decrease both productivity and efficiency. Therefore, many businesses now favor a team-based approach, bringing together diverse skills and expertise to respond more agilely to changes in technology, economics, and globalization, although this method does not automatically guarantee greater productivity and requires ongoing research and adaptation.