Chapter 6

Of the four resources managed within an organization, one is considered far more important than any of the others—so much so that management of this resource is considered to have a greater impact on the organization than even the vital components of the organization. Which of the following is the resource described in this paragraph?

Human

"Houston, we have a problem," is one of the most famous sentences in history resulting from a problem that arose during the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. When business managers identify a problem, they are identifying _______

a discrepancy between an actual condition and a desired condition

The coordinated effort of the three levels of managers is required to implement the goals of any company. Which of the following best represents the three basic levels of management?

d. First-line managers, top managers, and middle managers

Planning is an essential part of managing an enterprise. A(n) ____ plan is developed as a guide during the planning process for major policy setting and decision making.

stratefic

What is the purpose of an organization's mission statement?

c. To make a statement of what makes the organization different from others

_____ is the process of coordinating people and other resources to achieve the goals of an organization.

Management

When a manager plans for the future of his business and is able to see how all of the parts of the organization work together, it is said that he or she is engaging _____ to see the "big picture."

conceptual skills

A contingency plan outlines alternate courses of action that may be taken if an organization's other plans are ____ or become ___ .

Disrupted; ineffective

Which of the following is true concerning total quality management (TQM)?

It is the coordination of efforts directed at improving customer satisfaction, increasing employee participation, strengthening supplier partnerships, and facilitating an organizational atmosphere of continuous quality improvement.

__________ was forged by Toyota Motor Company in Japan as a way to coordinate efforts at improving customer satisfaction, employee participation, strengthening supplier partnerships, and improving the quality of their product.

Total Quality Management

What type of leader is one who consults workers before making decisions, helps workers understand their goals, and imposes and fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, and makes the final decisions him- or herself after gathering employee input?

a. Consultative

Total quality management (TQM) has been shown to benefit a company beyond improving a product. Which of the following is not a benefit of TQM?

a. Improved ability to engage in competitive pricing

Managers must coordinate an organization's resources to achieve the organization's goals. Which of the following is not typically considered as an organization's resource?

a. Intellectuals

Doug is a line manager at XYZ Corporation. He is very task-oriented and makes all of the decisions with little concern for employee opinion. Under his ___ leadership style, employees are told exactly what is expected from them and given specific guidelines, rules, and regulations on how to achieve their tasks.

autocratic

Leaders within an organization can be formed in a variety of ways. Which of the following best describes the difference between formal and informal leaders?

b. Formal leaders have authority within an organization to influence others to work towards the organization's objectives, but informal leaders usually have no such authority.

What type of leader seeks input from almost all workers and makes the final decisions based on their support?

c. Consensus leaders

Total quality management can be a boon to a business in many aspects of its operation, however it will not work if management fails in two crucial areas. Which of the following statements most closely articulates the issues that, if left unaddressed, could cause TQM to fail?

c. Top management must be strongly committed to TQM and must coordinate the specific elements of a TQM program so they work in harmony with each other.

When managers are engaged in problem solving, there are several steps they should go through in order to prevent themselves from providing a resolution to a problem that is unrelated to the actual issue under examination. Which of the following most correctly delineates the steps in problem-solving?

d. Defining the problem, generating alternatives, selecting an alternative, implementing and evaluating the solution.

Three business students are having a discussion regarding leadership styles. One argues that autocratic leadership is best, another argues that participative leadership is best, and the last argues that entrepreneurial leadership is best. Studies have shown however that the most effective style depends on the right balance between ______

interaction among employees, the work situation, and manager's personality

Management is not a step-by-step procedure that can be carefully mapped out and calendared, it is a ___ with a feedback loop that represents flow.

process

During the planning stage, managers develop a ___ plan which is smaller in scale and developed to implement strategy and will most likely cover a one- to three-year period.

tactical