BA chapter 6

Name the three key elements in a goal.

-A time frame -An attribute sought -A target to be achieved

What are four common objectives of organizations?

-Efficiency -Profit -Competitive advantage -Growth

Select the three general types of plans an organization uses to meet its objectives.

-Operational plans -Strategic plans -Tactical plans

Select from the following the activities managers engage in so as to reach the organization's objectives. (Select four answers)

-Organizing -Controlling -Planning -Directing

Why is planning a key management function?

Accomplishing the other functions depends heavily on having a good plan.

______ leadership is a leadership style that involves making managerial decisions without consulting others.

Autocratic

Jasmine needs to correct a quality control issue with her company's product. Clear standards for quality exist, and she has measured present performance against these standards. Jasmine has discovered a deviation where the company is not meeting the standard and is now investigating the causes of those deviations. What function of management is Jasmine involved in?

Controlling

______ is a management function that involves evaluating and correcting activities to keep the organization on course.

Controlling

What is the first step in the decision-making process?

Define the decision situation

Nadine manages the quality control department for her company. Recently Nadine became aware of a quality problem with one of the company's products. After studying the issue Nadine determined the quality of raw materials used in the product was deficient and began looking at changing suppliers. Which step in the decision-making process did Nadine exemplify when she determined the quality of raw materials was substandard?

Define the situation

When a manager attends an award banquet, he or she is acting in which interpersonal role?

Figure

Which type of manager is responsible for obtaining the money needed for the successful operation of the organization?

Financial managers

______ leadership is a leadership style that involves managers setting objectives and employees being relatively free to do whatever it takes to accomplish those objectives.

Free-rein

Which of the following is NOT one of the three general types of plans an organization uses to meet its objectives?

Functional plans

When it comes to solving problems in the workplace, which of the following leads to better solutions?

Having a diverse workforce

_______ managers handle the staffing function and deal with employees in a formalized manner.

Human Resource

Which skills are defined as the ability to deal with people, both inside and outside the organizations?

Human relations skills

Which type of manager handles all items related to staffing?

Human resource managers

Profit

Money and assets left over after paying off business expenses

_____ is defined as the ability to influence employees to work toward organizational goals.

Leadership

Efficiency

Making the best use of the organization's resources

Which discipline is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling people and organizational resources in order to accomplish the goals of the organization?

Management

______ can be defined as a process designed to achieve an organization's objectives by using its resources effectively and efficiently in a changing environment.

Management

CEO

Manages the overall strategic direction of the company

Which type of manager is responsible for making decisions about product features, name, price, and packaging, as well as planning the best distribution strategy for the product?

Marketing managers

Which of the following best characterizes middle managers?

Narrowly focused, spends the most time organizing

______ involves building relationships and sharing information with colleagues who can help managers achieve the items on their agendas.

Networking

Competitive Advantage

Percentage sales or market share increase

Which function of management is a crucial activity as it lays the foundation for all other management functions?

Planning

Which type of manager is responsible for the activities involved in getting goods and services ready for the marketplace?

Production and Operations managers

CPO

Responsible for managing the privacy concerns of the organization

COO

Responsible for the daily operations of the company

This type of plan may include plans to add products, purchase companies, sell unprofitable segments of the business, issue stock, and move into international markets.

Strategic plan

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding tactical plans?

Tactical plans should be periodically reviewed and updated.

Managers utilize many tools to help organize their work, including a(n) _____, which contains both specific and vague items, covering short-term goals and long-term objectives.

agenda

This is defined as being similar to a calender, containing both specific and vague items, that covers short-term goals and long-term objectives.

agenda

Resolving ethical issues often requires ____________ skills; the ability to identify relevant issues and recognize their importance, understand the relationships between them, and perceive the underlying cause of a situation.

analytical

Knowing how to sort large amounts of information in order to find relevant facts to resolve a problem or issue is an example of ______.

analytical skills

Monique and her team have identified a problem, defined it, and developed a variety of options. The next step is to ______________ each option for its practicality since some options will be discarded because of a lack of resources, legal restrictions, ethical considerations, or other constraints.

analyze

After developing a list of possible courses of action, managers should ______.

analyze the options

In public corporations the CEO's boss is the firm's _____.

board of directors

A person using ______ skills has the ability to think in abstract terms and see how parts fit together to form the whole.

conceptual

Skills that involve the ability to picture the organization as a whole and the relationship among its various parts are _____ skills.

conceptual

All organizations must consider the possibility of unplanned disasters and create _____, which specify how the company will handle a variety of unplanned situations.

contingency plans

The process of evaluating and correcting activities to keep the organization on course is known as _____.

controlling

In _______ managers identify potential threats to the organization and its stakeholders, and make plans for the organization to deal with these threats.

crisis management

The first step of the decision-making process not only recognizes a situation, it also ______.

defines the situation

Stan recognizes that his employees who work at the production level have ideas and knowledge he does not have, thus Stan holds weekly meetings where he asks for his employees' ideas on solving the problems. Stan is a _____ leader.

democratic

Production and operations managers ______.

develop and administer the activities involved in transforming resources into goods, services, and ideas ready for the marketplace

Jose started a small business two years ago. His primary objective is to increase his company's market share. Jose's objective is focused on _____.

developing a competitive advantage

Fatima is manager for a retail organization. Her favorite part of the job is working one-on-one with employees, motivating them to excel, and encouraging them in their work. Fatima enjoys the _____ function of her management job.

directing

Companies that assemble people from different backgrounds to solve problems facing the firm are realizing that ______.

diversity often results in better solutions

Employee ___________ occurs when employees are provided with the ability to take on responsibilities and make decisions about their jobs.

empowerment

True or false: Although managers engage in four primary activities--planning, organizing, directing, and controlling--the activities are not interrelated; a manager can only perform one activity at a time.

false

Liberty lockworks is contemplating opening a new plant in the Southeast United States. The company needs to know if it has the capital to make such an investment and if so, will it affect the organization's overall goals. This type of decision would fall under the responsibility of a ______ manager.

financial

Maria manages a team of highly skilled computer programmers. For the most part, her employees are self-directed and need very little support from Maria. Maria is there to answer questions and provide resources, but otherwise leaves her team to do their work. Maria exhibits a _____ style of leadership.

free-rein

Walmart set a _______________ when it decided to improve its reputation as an environmental company (an attribute sought) by improving the fuel efficiency of its truck fleet by 25% (a target to be achieved) within two years (a time frame).

goal

To be successful, company _______ should be specific; containing an attribute sought, a target, and a time frame.

goals

Brainstorming is a technique in which ______.

group members suggest ideas to solve problems

Managers at ABC company have noticed declining profits for one of its products. This is an example of a warning sign of a potentially _____-scale decision.

large

Managers who have the ability to influence employees to work toward organizational goals have the skill of _____.

leadership

By engaging in four essential activities (planning, organizing, directing, and controlling) a ________________ works to achieve the organization's objectives.

manager

______ managers are responsible for planning, pricing, and promoting products and making them available to customers through distribution.

marketing

The level of management that includes general managers, division managers, and branch and plant managers who are responsible for tactical planning is _____ _____.

middle management

A ______ is an outline of the fundamental purpose and basic philosophy of an organization.

mission statement

June is working as part of the strategic planning team in her organization. Currently, the team is developing a clear statement explaining the organization's reason for existence. June's team is writing a _____.

mission statement

After managers have implemented a decision, they must determine whether it has accomplished the desired result, this is called ______.

monitoring

Joseph makes a point of spending time each week building relationships and sharing information with his colleagues. Joseph is involved with ____.

networking

Jake works in production for his company. Each week his work group is assigned a production quota to ensure enough product is available to meet the goals of the company. A production quota is an example of a(n) _____ plan.

operational

Which of the following refers to the actions specific individuals, work groups, or departments need to accomplish in order to achieve the company's tactical plan?

operational planning

Managers are engaged in the ______ function of management when they review plans and determine what activities are necessary to implement them; then, divide the work into small units and assign it to specific individuals, groups, or departments.

organizing

The structuring of resources and activities to accomplish objectives in an efficient and effective manner describes the management function of ______.

organizing

Considered the first function of management, ____________ is the process of determining the organization's objectives and deciding how to accomplish them.

planning

The process of determining the organization's objectives and deciding how to accomplish them is known as ______.

planning

Top managers spend the majority of their time on the ______ function of management.

planning

A good mission statement should address all of the following topics EXCEPT ______.

profit targets

After all possible courses of action have been analyzed, management must first ____ the best one.

select

Recruiting people for positions within the company, determining what skills are needed for specific jobs, and training employees to do their assigned jobs are all part of the ___________ function of management.

staffing

The ______ function of management includes hiring people to carry out the work of the organization. It includes determining what skills are needed for specific jobs, recruiting people for positions, and motivating and training employees in preparation for higher level jobs in the firm.

staffing

A manager with ______ expertise has skills that involve specialized knowledge and training needed to perform jobs that are related to particular areas of management.

technical

Knowing how to use, and train others to use, a specific computer program is an example of ____________ expertise.

technical

Decisions to add products, acquire companies, sell unprofitable business segments, and move into foreign markets are made by _____ managers.

top

Positions such as Chief Executive Officer, President, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer are examples of __________ positions.

top management

The highest level of management is _____ and consists of the president and other key company executives who develop strategic plans and have overall responsibility for the organization.

top management

The ultimate decision-making responsibility for long-range goals, such as acquiring a company, entering a new market, or developing a new product, belongs to ______.

top managers

True or false: Downsizing is defined as the elimination of a significant number of employees from an organization.

true

True or false: Effective implementation of a decision to abandon a product, close a plant, purchase a new business, or something similar requires planning.

true

_____ is the part of management that involves motivating and leading employees to achieve organizational objectives.

Directing

On which two management functions do first-line managers spend the majority of their time?

Directing and controlling

Managers who are directly responsible for supervising workers and evaluating their daily performance are called _____.

first-line managers

Carlos relates well with others, has good communication skills, and is empathetic to the needs of others. Carlos has good _____ skills.

human relations

During which stage of the the decision-making process is brainstorming used?

Developing options

A ______ planning process determines the course of action that a firm will use to fulfill its overall strategy and mission.

strategic

Plans that establish the long-range objectives and overall strategy or course of action by which a firm fulfills its missions are referred to as ______ plans.

strategic

Selection of the best option in decision making is often a _____ procedure because many situations do not lend themselves to quantitative analysis.

subjective

What three items are included in the staffing function of management?

-Recruiting and hiring -Motivation and training -Compensation and benefits

Which three activities are likely to be performed by first-line managers?

-Supervising daily company operations -Supervising workers performance -Implementing the plans of middle management

Why is it critical that managers monitor the consequences of their decisions? (Select all that apply)

-The decision may have been the wrong decision and thus not achieved the desired result. -The decision was not implemented properly and thus the desired result was not achieved. -The situation may have changed since the decision was made.

Steve is skilled at all of the following, but which are considered part of his human relations skill set? (Select all that apply)

-Understand others' needs -Communicates well with others -Relate to others

A mission statement outlines the organization's fundamental purposes. It should address which five of the following?

-Who are our customers? -What are our core competencies and competitive advantages? -Who are we? -What are our responsibilities with respect to being a good steward? -What is our operating philosophy?

Which of the following deal with potential disasters such as product tampering, oil spills, fires, earthquakes, a computer virus, or an airplane crash? (select all that apply)

-crisis management -contingency plan

The interpersonal type of managerial role includes which three specific roles?

-figure -liaison -leadership

Companies that practice employee empowerment use managers for ______. (Select all that apply)

-making major decisions -setting goals -guiding employees

Place the steps of the decision making process in order from top to bottom (the 1st step in the process should be at the top of your list and the last step in the process should be at the bottom)

-recognize and define the situation -develop options -analyse options -select the best option -implement the decision -monitor the sequence

______ leadership is a leadership style that consists of managers and employees working together to make decisions.

Democratic

The owner of a small electronic store starts each day by telling the three employees what has to be done and how to do it. She uses her authority and economic rewards to get employees to comply with their directions. The owner of this business exhibits a(n) _____ leadership style.

autocratic

If an American surf board manufacturer has the strategic plan to expand sales into Australia, then the short-range plan to host surfing competition events in Australia is a ________________ plan.

tactical

In the decision-making process, once the best option has been selected, the option must be __________.

implemented

The ends or results desired by an organization, which derive from the organization's mission, are called _______.

objectives

___________________, the ends or results desired by an organization, derive from the organization's mission and they may be elaborate or simple.

objectives

Tactical plans typically cover a time frame of ______.

one year or less

In order for strategic, long-term, plans to become reality, organizations must develop _____ plans, which are designed to implement the objectives specified in the strategic plans.

tactical