Quality Management
The outcome of innovation in product development is a discontinuous or breakthrough change and results in new and unique goods and services that delight customers and create competitive advantage. True False
True
The quality of information can be improved by capturing data only once, and as close to the origin of the data as possible. True False
True
The square of the correlation coefficient is called the coefficient of determination. True False
True
The total observed variation in production output is the sum of the true process variation plus variation due to measurement. True False
True
The use of arrow diagramming has generally been confined to technical experts. True False
True
Transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization is the basis for modern knowledge management practices. True False
True
When constructing a u-chart, the standard deviation of each sample varies because the size of the sampling unit varies. True False
True
When interactions are present in an experiment, main effects have little meaning. True False
True
Which of the following personal leadership competencies refers to the ability to stay healthy in both work and play, demonstrating the importance of being ready to implement leadership competencies when needed? Question options: Courage Accountability Perseverance Well-being
Well-being
The key to developing learning organizations is effective leadership. True False
True
The leadership system encourages initiative and risk taking. True False
True
The median specifies the middle value when the data are arranged from smallest to largest. True False
True
In the context of Six Sigma teams, who among the following are fully trained Six Sigma experts with extensive technical training who perform much of the technical analysis required in Six Sigma projects, usually on a full-time basis? A. Black belts B. Champions C. Green belts D. Team members
A. Black belts
What is the Six Sigma quality level when the process standard deviation is 1ó and the tolerance range is 10 ó? A. 5 B. 3 C. 9 D. 11
A. 5
Which of the following is regarded as the best approach to prevent mistakes in a process because of its ability to avoid rework and wastage of time and resources? A. Designing potential defects and errors out of the process B. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine the impact of stopping a process C. Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur D. Identifying defects and errors soon after they occur and quickly correcting the process
A. Designing potential defects and errors out of the process
Which of the following survey instruments is most commonly used because of low data collection costs and ease of analysis associated with it? A. Formal written surveys B. Telephone interviews C. Focus groups D. Face-to-face interview
A. Formal written surveys
Which of the following survey instruments is most commonly used because of low data collection costs and ease of analysis associated with it? A. Formal written surveys B. Telephone interviews C. Focus groups D. Face-to-face interviews
A. Formal written surveys
Who among the following influenced the development of a participative, bottom-up view of quality, which became the trademark of the Japanese approach to quality management? A. Kaoru Ishikawa B. A.V.F Feigenbaum C. Philip B. Crosby D. Joseph Juran
A. Kaoru Ishikawa
If everyone is able to answer the question, "What does strategy mean in terms that I can act on," which aspect of deployment will it address? A. Lack of alignment across the organization B. Improperly defined organizational goals C. Misallocation of resources D. Insufficient operational measures
A. Lack of alignment across the organization
In 2001, the China Association for Quality (CAQ) introduced the _____. A. National Quality Award B. Mayor's Cup Quality Award C. Foundation in Business Excellence Award D. Six Sigma Excellent Organization Award
A. National Quality Award
Which of the following phases of product development usually includes prototype testing? A. Product/process development B. Idea generation C. Full-scale production D. Market evaluation
A. Product/process development
Broadway Inc. is a leading automobile manufacturer. To achieve customer satisfaction, during the process of producing a product or service, its management continuously gathers information needed by internal customers for process control activities to ensure that the product or service is meeting the critical to quality parameters. The management of Broadway Inc. is said to be following the _____ methodology. A. Six Sigma B. ISO 9000:2000 C. Baldrige Award Criteria D. Deming
A. Six Sigma
Which of the following is a creativity tool that finds extensive use in product design? A. TRIZ B. Fault tree analysis C. Likert scale D. Cause-and-effect diagram
A. TRIZ
The _____ dimension of the quality, as suggested by David A. Garvin, refers to how a product looks, feels, sounds, tastes, or smells. A. aesthetics B. reliability C. assurance D. serviceability
A. aesthetics
Value-creation processes are sometimes called _____ processes. A. core B. support C. job enrichment D. quality circle
A. core
Calculating the average value of 5 sample measurements of a door width is an example of: A. descriptive statistics. B. hypothesis testing. C. regression analysis. D. design of experiments
A. descriptive statistics.
Process management activities are: A. included in the Baldrige and the ISO 9000:2000 standards. B. included in the Baldrige Criteria but not the ISO 9000:2000 standards. C. not included in the Baldrige Criteria but are included in the ISO 9000:2000 standards. D. neither included in the Baldrige Criteria nor the ISO 9000:2000 standards.
A. included in the Baldrige and the ISO 9000:2000 standards.
According to Baldrige Criteria and Deming's 14 points, communication of values, expectations, customer focus, and knowledge as a key area of the Senior Leadership item is discussed under: A. learn the new philosophy. B. improve constantly. C. institute leadership. D. statement of purpose.
A. learn the new philosophy.
With _____, top management is responsible for developing and communicating a vision, and then building organization-wide commitment to its achievement. A. policy deployment B. value development C. mission development D. quality deployment
A. policy deployment
A _____ defines the project, its objectives, and deliverables, and represents a contract between the project team and the sponsor. A. project charter B. project diagram C. SIPOC diagram D. CTQ tree
A. project charter
Everything else remaining constant, when the sample size increases: A. the variance decreases. B. the variance increases. C. the variance is unaffected. D. the variance could increase or decrease
A. the variance decreases.
_____ knowledge includes information stored in documents or other forms of media such as databases, policies and procedures, and technical drawings. Tacit Allusive Explicit Indirect
Allusive
Which of the following is true about the stage 1 of the Baldrige roadmap to performance excellence? At this stage projects succeed often enough for most of the organizations, but the overall culture does not change and system-wide performance excellence is elusive. At this stage approaches of leadership, such as values deployment and culture building, begin to link and align with the operational processes of the organization. At this stage organizations opt to wait for mandates and regulations, and they implement change when required to maintain compliance. At this stage senior leaders begin to experience traction on their organizational transformation strategies.
At this stage projects succeed often enough for most of the organizations, but the overall culture does not change and system-wide performance excellence is elusive.
A precision parts manufacturer produces bolts for use in military aircraft. The specifications for bolt length are 37.50 ± 0.25 cm. The company has established an -chart and an R-chart using samples of size five. The center lines for the -chart and R-chart are set at 35.25 cm and 1.08 cm, respectively. What is the value of Cp for this process? A. 1.333 B. 0.179 C. 0.301 D. 0.166
B. 0.179
In the context of a Six Sigma team, who among the following is typically a senior-level manager who owns the Six Sigma project and is responsible for its completion and results? A. A black belt B. A champion C. A green belt D. A team member
B. A champion
National Quality Institute is a nonprofit organization designed to stimulate and support quality-driven innovation within all enterprises and institutions, including business, government, education, and health care in _____. A. Australia B. Canada C. China D. the United States
B. Canada
Which of the following categories of problems is characterized by unsatisfactory performance that causes dissatisfaction from the standpoint of noncustomer stakeholders, such as managers of financial or supply chain functions? A. Product design problems B. Efficiency problems C. Unstructured performance problems D. Conformance problems
B. Efficiency problems
The Leadership category in the 2011-2012 Baldrige Criteria consists of two examination items: Senior Leadership and _____. A. Support of Key Communities B. Governance and Societal Responsibilities C. Vision, Values, and Mission D. Communication and Organizational Performance
B. Governance and Societal Responsibilities
_____ involve(s) drawing inferences about two contrasting propositions relating to the value of a population parameter, one of which is assumed to be true in the absence of contradictory data. A. Probability distributions B. Hypothesis testing C. Descriptive statistics D. Predictive statistics
B. Hypothesis testing
Which of the following is used by organizations to measure customer response by allowing them to express their degree of opinion? A. Histogram B. Likert Scale C. R-chart D. Cause-and-effect diagram
B. Likert Scale
_____ is an approach for mistake-proofing processes, developed by Shigeo Shingo, that involves using automatic devices or simple methods to avoid human error. A. Kaizen B. Poka-yoke C. Process mapping D. Job enrichment
B. Poka-yoke
Which of the following tools is most likely to be used for establishing technical design requirements that meet customer needs and placing them in subsequent production activities? A. Likert scale B. Quality function deployment C. Cause-and-effect diagram D. Fault tree analysis
B. Quality function deployment
With respect to 5S, which of the following Japanese terms refer to arranging materials and equipment so that they are easy to find and use? A. Seiri B. Seiton C. Seiso D. Shitsuke
B. Seiton
According to Peter Scholtes, a noted consultant, when people don't understand variation: A. They dont see events as individuals incidents B. They see trends where there are none C. They are more likely to distinguish between fact and opinion D. They know when expectations are realistic
B. They see trends where there are none.
Which of the following is NOT one of the basic applications of a control chart? A. To establish a state of statistical control. B. To calculate the average-range. C. To monitor a process to identify special causes of variation. D. To determine process capability.
B. To calculate the average-range.
Robust design refers to designing goods and services that: A. make the most efficient use of the available resources. B. are insensitive to variation in manufacturing processes and when consumers use them. C. create a competitive advantage for the organization in the market. D. are the least costly to produce.
B. are insensitive to variation in manufacturing processes and when consumers use them.
If random samples are not used, _____ may be introduced. A. quality control B. bias C. testing D. probability
B. bias
The _____ measures the degree of asymmetry of observations around the mean. A. coefficient of correlation B. coefficient of skewness C. coefficient of kurtosis D. coefficient of determination
B. coefficient of skewness
The term "customer engagement" refers to: A. Customers' involvement in the early design and improvement of products B. Customers' investment in or commitment to a brand and products offerings C. the expectations that define the quality of customer contact with an organization D. the strategic alliances of organizations with customers who share common values
B. customers' investment in or commitment to a brand and product offerings
The term "customer engagement" refers to: A. customers' involvement in the early design and improvement of products. B. customers' investment in or commitment to a brand and product offerings. C. the expectations that define the quality of customer contact with an organization. D. the strategic alliances of organizations with customers who share common values.
B. customers' investment in or commitment to a brand and product offerings.
In the Baldrige assessment, _____ refers to the extent to which the approach is applied by a company in addressing item requirements relevant and important to the organization, the approach is applied consistently, and the approach is used by all appropriate work units. A. strategy B. deployment C. results D. process
B. deployment
A(n) _____ is a design tool that enables management to study and analyze processes prior to implementation in order to improve quality and operational performance. A. Likert's scale B. flowchart C. quality manual D. affinity diagram
B. flowchart
Japanese firms introduced a newer deployment process adapted by Japanese and American companies known as _____. A. SWOT B. hoshin planning C. management by exception D. management by objectives
B. hoshin planning
The management team at Kyra Electronics is looking for ways to achieve higher levels of performance. It is trying to obtain higher yields and reduce cycle times. In the context of the three major activities involved in process management, the management team at Kyra is engaged in the _____ activity of process management. A. mapping B. improvement C. design D. control
B. improvement
The output of a process is stable and normally distributed. If the process mean equals 23.5, the percentage of output expected to be less than or equal to the mean: A. is less than 25%. B. is 50%. C. is greater than 75%. D. cannot be determined without knowing the standard deviation value.
B. is 50%.
A _____ might include a definition of products and services an organization provides, technologies used to provide these products and services, types of markets, important customer needs, and distinctive competencies or the expertise that sets the firm apart from others. A. strategy roadmap B. mission statement C. value statement D. leadership statement
B. mission statement
For variables data, the sample means are assumed to be: A. exponentially distributed. B. normally distributed. C. Poisson distributed. D. binomially distributed
B. normally distributed.
For variables data, the sample means are assumed to be: A. exponentially distributed. B. normally distributed. C. Poisson distributed. D. binomially distributed.
B. normally distributed.
To apply the techniques of process management, processes must be _____. A. costly and time consuming B. repeatable and measurable C. centrally controlled and random D. simple and lengthy
B. repeatable and measurable
The major drawback of the matrix-type organization is that it: A. can be used only for project work. B. requires split loyalty. C. decreases the efficiency of personnel use. D. decreases the coordination in a project work.
B. requires split loyalty.
Balancing quality costs against expected revenue gains has become known as: A. quality function deployment. B. return on quality. C. house of quality. D. quality trilogy.
B. return on quality.
A process is said to be out of control when: A. common causes are present. B. special causes are present. C. the process is not capable of meeting specifications. D. the upper and lower control limits cannot be computed.
B. special causes are present.
The term "voice of the customer" refers to: A. the performance levels or expectations that define the quality of customer contact with an organization. B. the customer requirements as expressed in the customer's own terms. C. the involvement of customers in the development of new products. D. customers' investment or commitment to a brand or a product
B. the customer requirements as expressed in the customer's own terms.
The term "voice of the customer" refers to: A. the performance levels or expectations that define the quality of customer contact with an organization. B. the customer requirements as expressed in the customer's own terms. C. the involvement of customers in the development of new products. D. customers' investment or commitment to a brand or a product.
B. the customer requirements as expressed in the customer's own terms.
With respect to the six competencies summarized by the human development and leadership division of the American society for quality, which of the following competencies in a leader involves shaping processes and structures to allow for the achievement of goals and outcomes? Question options: Learner Communicator Builder Navigator
Builder
In hypothesis testing, the null hypothesis, H0, is assumed to be false in the absence of contradictory data. True False
False
In line and staff organizations, staff departments carry out the functions of marketing, finance, and production for the organization. True False
False
Given here are a set of sample data: 12.0, 18.3, 29.6, 14.3, and 27.8. The sample standard deviation for this data is equal to _____. A. 62.895 B. 7.093 C. 7.931 D. 50.316
C. 7.931
Which of the following survey instruments is most likely to be effective in generating a significant amount of qualitative information from the customers? A. Mail surveys B. Online surveys C. Focus groups D. Telephone interviews
C. Focus groups
Which of the following is a reason why organizations measure customer engagement and satisfaction? A. It helps them in determining their financial requirements and the required value of the cash reserve ratio. B. It helps them to segment markets based on demographic characteristics of the customers. C. It helps them to discover customer perceptions of how well the organization is doing in meeting customer needs. D. It helps them in determining their human resource requirements.
C. It helps them to discover customer perceptions of how well the organization is doing in meeting customer needs.
A company and the people in the company need to continually renew themselves to take in new approaches and relearn many older ones. This is called _____. A. Organizational engineering B. Organizational Structuring C. Organizational Learning D. Organizational Designing
C. Organizational Learning
In Juran's quality trilogy, the process of breaking through to unprecedented levels of performance is called: A. Quality leadership B. Quality control C. Quality improvement D. Quality planning
C. Quality improvement
Which of the following focuses on measuring product quality and driving process improvement and cost savings throughout the organization? A. Baldrige Criteria B. ISO 9000:2000 C. Six Sigma D. Deming's 14 principles
C. Six Sigma
Internal customers of an organization are those people who: A. are not a part of the organization but are involved in the supply of the organization's products to the consumers. B. are not a part of the organization but sell resources to the organization so that the organization can produce it products C. are a part of the organization who provide inputs and help to create outputs for customers. D. are the end users of a company's products or services.
C. are a part of the organization who provide inputs and help to create outputs for customers.
In the Baldrige Criteria, areas to address that request information on approach or deployment begin with the word "what." True False
False
Collecting _____ data is usually easier than collecting _____ data because the assessment can usually be done more quickly by a simple inspection or count. A. variable; attribute B. conformances; nonconformances C. attribute; variable D. simple; complex
C. attribute; variable
Six Sigma projects can be categorized in different levels, based upon their impact on results. Level 1 projects: A.directly affect operations by avoiding expenditures. B. result in redeployment of resources inside an organization to increase operating efficiency or productivity. C. directly affect an organization's profit margin. D. directly affect operations by increasing the chances of obtaining higher future revenues.
C. directly affect an organization's profit margin.
Customer-focused organizations consider complaints as opportunities for improvement as: A. it allows them to test the aptitude and efficiency of their employees in handling customer complaints. B. it allows them to reduce the cost of research and development because they come to know about potential features through customers. C. effectively resolving complaints increases customer loyalty and retention. D. it helps employees understand what it feels like to be a customer.
C. effectively resolving complaints increases customer loyalty and retention.
In service applications, the term _____ is generally used to describe a nonconformance. A. cycle B. unit C. error D. trend
C. error
Supply chains help organizations to create a competitive advantage in _____. A. workforce engagement B. process mapping C. flexibility D. benchmarking
C. flexibility
x-charts are used for: A. averages of variables data. B. individual attributes data. C. individual variables data. D. averages of attributes data.
C. individual variables data.
The predicted reliability determined by the design of the product or process is called the _____ reliability. A. achieved B. perceived C. inherent D. nominal
C. inherent
In the Baldrige assessment, _____ refers to the extent to which a company aligns the approach with organizational needs identified in the Organizational Profile and other process items. A. learning B. strategy C. integration D. results
C. integration
Accelerated life testing involves: A. using the fault tree analysis technique to find the defects in the product. B. using the TRIZ tool to identify faults in the designing of the product. C. overstressing components to reduce the time to failure and find weaknesses. D. finding the degree to which the product meets the customer requirements.
C. overstressing components to reduce the time to failure and find weaknesses.
A _____ is a temporary work structure that starts up, produces products or services, and then shuts down. A. kaizen program B. poka-yoke program C. project D. quality circle
C. project
If a process is neither capable nor in control, the appropriate first step is to: A. remove common causes of variation. B. redesign the equipment. C. remove special causes of variation. D. determine the process capability index.
C. remove special causes of variation.
According to the policy deployment process diagram, a catchball situation occurs between the _____ stage and the _____ stage. A. corporate vision; long-term objectives B. long-term objectives; midterm objectives C. short-term objectives; policy deployment plan D. policy deployment plan; plan approval
C. short-term objectives; policy deployment plan
The term "_____" refers to those pressures that exert a decisive influence on an organization's likelihood of future success. A. systems B. competencies C. strategic challenges D. strategic inertia
C. strategic challenges
In a factorial experiment, each combination of different levels of the factor is called a(n) _____. A. main effect B. response C. treatment D. interaction
C. treatment
With respect to the six competencies summarized by the human development and leadership division of the American society for quality, which of the following competencies in a leader involves effectively listening and articulating messages to provide shared meaning? Question options: Builder Navigator Motivator Communicator
Communicator
_____ of product and service performance and customer indicators is a critical management tool for defining and focusing on key quality and customer requirements, identifying product and service differentiators in the marketplace, and determining cause-effect relationships between product and service attributes and measures of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Regression analysis Benchmarking Correlation analysis Quincunx experimentation
Correlation analysis
Which of the following personal leadership competencies refers to the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty with a firmness of mind and will, allowing leaders to navigate into the unknown? Question options: Integrity Courage Well-being Humility
Courage
With respect to American Express's change process, which of the following steps answer the question "What will the change look like?" Driving commitment Creating a vision Sustaining momentum Accelerating the transition
Creating a vision
_____ is an organization's value system and its collection of guiding principles. Strategy Governance Culture Emotional intelligence
Culture
A _____ is the result of some cause that gradually affects the quality characteristics of the product and causes the points on a control chart to gradually move up or down from the center line. A. defect B. process shift C. cycle D. trend
D. trend
Which of the following symbols is used to denote a very strong relationship between any pair of technical requirements in a typical House of Quality? A. * B. Ä C. ^ D. •
D. •
Based on historical data, the diameter of a ball bearing is normally distributed with a mean of 0.527 cm and a standard deviation of 0.008 cm. Suppose that a sample of 18 ball bearings is randomly selected from a very large lot. Determine the probability that the average diameter of a sampled ball bearing is greater than 0.530 cm. A. 0.2324 B. 0.4938 C. 0.5062 D. 0.0559
D. 0.0559
A government report gives a 99% confidence interval for the proportion of welfare recipients who have been receiving welfare benefits for more than 5 years to be 21% ± 4.5%. Which of the following intervals could not be a 95% confidence interval for the proportion of welfare recipients who have been receiving welfare benefits for more than 5 years? A. 21% ± 4.2% B. 21% ± 3.76% C. 21% ± 3.9% D. 21% ± 4.8%
D. 21% ± 4.8%
The DMADV process incorporates the principal activities of the design for six sigma. Which of the following activities included in DMADV focuses on identifying and understanding the market need or opportunity? A. Design B. Measure C. Analyze D. Define
D. Define
Which of the following activities of the design for six sigma (DFSS) focuses on developing specific requirements and design parameters such as specifications and tolerances to ensure that the product fulfills the functional requirements of the concept? A. Concept development B. Design verification C. Design optimization D. Detailed design
D. Detailed design
Which of the following is one of the three major activities in process management that focuses on achieving higher yields of products with reduced variation and fewer defects and errors? A. Design B. Control C. Process mapping D. Improvement
D. Improvement
Which of the following is NOT considered in strategic human resource plans? A.Redesign of the work organization to increase empowerment and decision-making or team-based participation B. Partnerships with educational institutions to help ensure the future supply of well-prepared employees C. Initiatives to foster knowledge sharing and organizational learning D. Initiatives to reduce collective bargaining through union involvement
D. Initiatives to reduce collective bargaining through union involvement
____ involves the adoption of an idea, process, technology, product, or business model that is either new or new to its proposed application. A. Concurrent engineering B. Total quality management (TQM) C. Design optimization D. Innovation
D. Innovation
Three scatter diagrams are given below. How many of the diagrams present data that can be described by a linear relationship and, therefore, justifiably summarized by the correlation coefficient? A. Plot A B. Plot B C. Plot A and Plot B D. Plot A and Plot C
D. Plot A and Plot C
According to the dimensions of quality, as suggested by David A Garvin, _____ refers to the probability of a product's surviving over a specified period of time under stated conditions of use. A. Durability B. Serviceability C. Conformance D. Reliability
D. Reliability
Which of the following dimensions that contribute to customer perceptions of quality refers to the willingness of the service providers to help customers and provide prompt service? A. Assurance B. Empathy C. Reliability D. Responsiveness
D. Responsiveness
______ are the graphical components of regression analysis. A. Histograms B. Run charts C. Pareto diagrams D. Scatter diagrams
D. Scatter diagrams
_____ set an organization's longer-term directions and guide resource allocation decisions. A. Management values B. Workforce principles C. Core competencies D. Strategic objectives
D. Strategic objectives
Which of the following is true of customers who are regarded as "promoters" based on the net promoter score associated with these customers? A. They spread negative comments about the organization. B. They usually defect at higher rates. C. They are not likely to purchase from the organization again. D. They are less price-sensitive and more profitable.
D. They are less price-sensitive and more profitable.
According to the gap model, the term "_____" refers to the outcome of the production process and what is delivered to the customer. A. expected quality B. delighter C. satisfier D. actual quality
D. actual quality
In a bottom-up approach to Six Sigma projects, _____ choose the projects that are well-suited to the capabilities of teams. A. champions B. team members C. green belts D. black belts
D. black belts
With respect to Pareto analysis, a Pareto _____ is one in which the characteristics observed are ordered from largest frequency to smallest. A. quincunx B. histogram C. charter D. distribution
D. distribution
When a service ranks low on the dimensions of customer contact, labor intensity, and customization, the service providers need to emphasize on _____ to provide a high quality service to the customers. A. training provided to the employees B. employee behavior C. professional judgement of the employees D. physical facilities and procedures
D. physical facilities and procedures
Essentially, strategy deployment links the _____, who focus on "doing the right thing," with the _____, whose focus is on "doing things right." A. management; employees B. leaders; supervisors C. innovators; coordinators D. planners; doers
D. planners; doers
Six Sigma is based on understanding and improving processes on a _____ basis. A. product-by-product B. department-by-department C. day-by-day D. project-by-project
D. project-by-project
Maple Products is a manufacturer of electronic goods that markets its products in several countries across the world. The company makes sure that the spare parts of the products are available in all their markets and also ensures that the technical personnel in their retail outlets are adequately trained to repair their products. In the context of the dimensions of quality, as suggested by David A. Garvin, the efforts taken by the company will enhance the _____ dimension of its product quality. A. durability B. reliability C. conformance D. serviceability
D. serviceability
Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur is the best approach to avoid mistakes in a process. True False
False
With respect to the six stages of a quality life cycle, in which of the following stages has the quality initiative had a limited impact, is failing, and is awaiting termination? Stagnation Maturation Decline Adoption
Decline
In the context of the leadership styles defined by Hersey and Blanchard, in which of the following styles of leadership do managers define tasks and roles and closely supervise work? Question options: Coaching Delegating Directing Supporting
Directing
If all sample averages on an -chart fall within the control limits, all output will be conforming. True False
False
A balanced scorecard greatly helps in identifying the real drivers of customer satisfaction. True False
False
A good balanced scorecard contains only leading measures and indicators. True False
False
A histogram of data that resembles the normal distribution indicates that the process is in control. True False
False
A nonconforming unit of work is one that has no defects or errors. True False
False
According to Bass, compared to transformational leaders, transactional leaders have greater interest in continuous organizational change and improvement transcending or aligning self-interests for the longer-range greater good of the organization and its members True False
False
According to the situational leadership theory, the choice of leadership style applied by the leader must be driven by personal preference. True False
False
As the sample size increases, the standard error of the mean increases, all else being held constant. True False
False
Common and special causes of variation must be eliminated before process capability can be determined. True False
False
Compared to lean tools, Six Sigma tools are more intuitive and easier to apply by anybody in the workplace True False
False
Control limits for the s-chart are given by: LCLs = B3s and UCLs = B4s, where B3 and B4 are constants. True False
False
Data mining is the most effective method of establishing cause-and-effect relationship among variables. True False
False
Deming laid out a "quality improvement program" for companies such as Ford, GM, and Procter & Gamble, when invited to work with them to improve their quality. True False
False
Focus groups have a lower cost of implementation compared to other approaches used for gathering customer information. True False
False
Focus groups have a lower cost of implementation compared to other approaches used for gathering customer information. True False
False
For a manufacturing company, legal services will be considered an example of a value-creation process. True False
False
For variable data, the two important quality measures are the proportion nonconforming and nonconformances per unit. True False
False
In the context of a Six Sigma team, green belts are full-time Six Sigma experts who are responsible for Six Sigma strategy, training, mentoring, deployment, and results. True False
False
In the context of the Baldrige Award process, deployment refers to refining the approach through cycles of evaluation and improvement. True False
False
In the context of the gap model, a customer will be satisfied when the expected quality of a product is higher than the actual quality. True False
False
In the context of the gap model, a customer will be satisfied when the expected quality of a product is higher than the actual quality. True False
False
In the policy deployment process, employees negotiate with management the performance measures that are used to indicate progress toward accomplishing the objectives. True False
False
Mid-level strategic leaders are involved in vision and strategy formation. True False
False
Passive management by exception includes use of contingent punishments and other corrective actions in response to deviations from acceptable performance standards. True False
False
Redundant components, when used in a parallel system, tend to decrease the reliability of the system. True False
False
Reengineering focuses on improving the existing procedures rather than eliminating them and reinventing the process. True False
False
Six Sigma is focused on improvement with little financial accountability whereas TQM requires a verifiable return on investment and focus on the bottom line. True False
False
Support processes generally require a higher level of attention than do value-creation processes. True False
False
The Organizational Profile provides the "finer picture" of the various organizational parts and thus sets the context for good strategic decisions. True False
False
The bottom-up way to generate six sigma projects is generally tied to business strategy and is aligned with customer needs. True False
False
The collection of all possible outcomes of an experiment is called an event. True False
False
The leadership category in the 2011-2012 Baldrige Criteria consists of two examination items: senior leadership and communication and organizational performance. True False
False
The outputs of service processes are as well defined as manufactured products. True False
False
The quality function deployment tool increases the time for new product development. True False
False
The sum of the probabilities over all possible outcomes must be between 0 and 1. True False
False
Two events are independent if they have no outcomes in common. True False
False
Wide tolerances in product design have a positive impact on product characteristics. True False
False
Which of the following perspectives of the balanced scorecard measures the ultimate results that the business provides to its shareholders? Customer Internal Innovation Financial
Financial
Which of the following analytical approach or technology is most likely to be used for data mining? Histogram Pareto diagram Quincunx experiment Fuzzy logic
Fuzzy logic
Which of the following perspectives of the balanced scorecard directs attention to the basis of a future success —the organization's people and infrastructure? Internal Customer Financial and internal Innovation and learning
Innovation and learning
_____ refers to the harmonization of plans, processes, information, resource decisions, actions, results, and analyses to support key organization-wide goals. Interlinking Integration Perseverance Accountability
Integration
_____ is the first category in the Baldrige framework, signifying its importance in driving quality and performance excellence throughout an organization. Question options: Operations focus Knowledge management Analysis Leadership
Leadership
With respect to the six competencies summarized by the human development and leadership division of the American society for quality, which of the following competencies in a leader involves providing others with a role to guide their actions? Question options: Mentor Navigator Learner Communicator
Mentor
With respect to the six competencies summarized by the human development and leadership division of the American society for quality, which of the following competencies in a leader includes the evaluation of people's actions to ensure they are performing consistently with the mission, goal, or end-result? Question options: Communicator Learner Builder Motivator
Motivator
Which of the following measures of the Baldrige criteria of performance measurement includes internal quality measurements, defect levels, service errors, and response times? Governance outcomes Market outcomes Product outcomes Financial outcomes
Product outcomes
_____ knowledge is information that is formed around intangible factors resulting from an organization's or individual's experience, and is content-specific. Lucid Tacit Definitive Explicit
Tacit
_____ involves the discovery, learning, creation, and reuse of knowledge that eventually becomes intellectual capital—knowledge that can be converted into value and profits. Rapid knowledge costing Knowledge internationalization Rapid knowledge transfer Knowledge interlinking
Rapid knowledge transfer
With respect to the six stages of a quality life cycle, in which of the following stages is a new quality initiative used in conjunction with an existing one to give rise to new energy and impact? Stagnation Adoption Maturation Regeneration
Regeneration
Which of the following stages of the Baldrige roadmap marks the transition from the singular focus on change through projects, however well executed, to systematic evaluation and improvement of leadership approaches? Stage 4 Stage 2 Stage 1 Stage 0
Stage 2
The _____ theory takes the intriguing view that in many organizations, if characteristics of subordinates (team members), the nature of the tasks that they perform, and the guidance and incentives provided by the organization are aligned, then formal leadership tends to be unproductive or counterproductive. Question options: Substitutes for Leadership Transformational Leadership Emotional Intelligence Transactional Leadership
Substitutes for Leadership
With respect to American Express's change process, which of the following steps answer the question "What have we learned and how can we leverage it?" Sustaining momentum Driving commitment Creating a vision Accelerating the transition
Sustaining momentum
Control in manufacturing starts with purchasing and receiving processes. True False
True
Which of the following is true about the stage 4 of the Baldrige roadmap to performance excellence? This project-focused phase brings new capabilities to execute initiatives that change routine practices and processes for the better. At this stage organizations opt to wait for mandates and regulations, and they implement change when required to maintain compliance. This stage can result in continued improvement or decline as organizations lose focus or become distracted. At this stage senior leaders begin to experience traction on their organizational transformation strategies.
This stage can result in continued improvement or decline as organizations lose focus or become distracted.
A knowledge-enabled culture is created when an organization employs a system of aligned human resource policies, tactics, processes, and practices that ensure knowledge is created, captured, used, and reused to achieve superior organizational results as a sustainable advantage. True False
True
A p-chart is used with the attribute data. True False
True
A process is a sequence of linked activities that is intended to achieve some result, such as producing a good or service for a customer within or outside the organization. True False
True
A product failure which occurs at the start of product life due to manufacturing or material defects such as a missing connection or a faulty component is referred to as functional failure. True False
True
A strategy is a pattern or plan that integrates an organization's major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole. True False
True
A tolerance reserve or factor of safety in product design is needed to account for engineering uncertainty regarding the maximum variation allowable and compatibility with satisfactory product performance. True False
True
A well-aligned organization has its processes focused on achieving a shared vision and strategy. True False
True
Accelerated life testing involves overstressing components to reduce the time to failure and find weaknesses. True False
True
According to Juran, the customers who fall under the category of "useful many" typically need only standardized attention as a group. True False
True
According to Juran, the customers who fall under the category of "useful many" typically need only standardized attention as a group. True False
True
According to the theory of strict liability, anyone who sells a product that is defective or unreasonably dangerous is subject to liability for any physical harm caused to the user, the consumer, or the property of either. True False
True
After basic technical requirements have been established in product development process, designers must set specific dimensional or operational targets and tolerances for critical manufacturing or service characteristics. True False
True
All else being equal, as the confidence level increases, the confidence interval becomes larger to provide higher levels of assurance that the interval contains the true population parameter. True False
True
An effective knowledge management system should include a common framework for managing knowledge and some way of validating and synthesizing new knowledge as it is acquired. True False
True
An emphasis on machine utilization in an organization encourages having fewer, but larger, general-purpose machines, which results in increased inventory and throughput time. True False
True
An important aspect of an organization's leadership is its responsibility to the public and practice of good citizenship. True False
True
As managers work with different individuals in different stages of careers and maturity, it is their responsibility to adapt the leadership style to the individual and the situation. True False
True
As the firm grows, the process of creating and disseminating the desired culture tends to become increasingly difficult because the entrepreneur is no longer involved in the day-to-day activities of the organization. True False
True
Breakthrough improvement refers to discontinuous change, as opposed to the gradual, continuous improvement philosophy of kaizen. True False
True
Compared to transactional leadership, transformational leadership is more aligned with organizational change required by total quality and Baldrige-like performance excellence models. True False
True
Control is the activity of ensuring conformance to the requirements and taking corrective action when necessary to correct problems and maintain stable performance. True False
True
Core competencies may involve technology expertise, unique service offerings, a marketplace niche, or a particular business acumen. True False
True
Corporate social responsibility implies that organizations must behave ethically and be sensitive of social, cultural, economic, and environmental issues. True False
True
Customer contact employees are often the only means by which a customer interacts with an organization. True False
True
Customer contact employees are often the only means by which a customer interacts with an organization. True False
True
DMAIC, a process improvement methodology, bears a close resemblance to the creative problem-solving process. True False
True
Effective leadership demands continual learning and adaption to the changing global business landscape. True False
True
Financial measures of performance measurement in the Baldrige criteria are generally tracked by senior leadership to gauge overall organizational performance and are often used to determine incentive compensation for senior executives. True False
True
For quality and performance excellence to truly succeed in an organization, it must define and drive the culture of the organization. True False
True
ISO typically focuses on product and service conformity for guaranteeing equity in the marketplace and concentrates on fixing quality system problems and product and service nonconformities. True False
True
If an idea survives the concept stage of product development, the actual design process begins by evaluating design alternatives and determining engineering specifications for all materials, components, and parts. True False
True
Impatient managers often seek immediate results by adopting off-the-shelf quality programs and practices, or by imitating other successful organizations. True False
True
In many cases, the decision to vertically integrate is based solely on costs without considering the impact on other business priorities. True False
True
In the context of the criteria for performance excellence, the results category provides "real-time" information for evaluation and improvement of processes and products, in alignment with overall organizational strategy. True False
True
In viewing the three core principles of TQ, a focus on customers is clearly vital to small enterprises. True False
True
Leading organizations continually improve their performance measurement systems, staying abreast of new techniques. True False
True
Learning organizations have become skilled in creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge and in modifying the behavior of their employees and other contributors to their enterprises. True False
True
Loyal customers are less costly to do business with compared to other customers. True False
True
Loyal customers are less costly to do business with compared to other customers. True False
True
Matrix data analysis takes data and arranges them to display quantitative relationships among variables to make them more easily understood and analyzed. True False
True
Measurement reliability in manufacturing demands careful attention to metrology, the science of measurement. True False
True
Mission statements typically include a definition of products and services the organization provides, technologies used to provide these products and services, types of markets, important customer needs, and distinctive competencies or the expertise that sets the firm apart from others. True False
True
Often, the positively skewed data can be transformed to a normal distribution by using a mathematical transformation such as taking logarithms. True False
True
Organizational changes result from strategy development and its implementation. True False
True
Over the years, the Baldrige Criteria have been streamlined and simplified; most significantly, the word "quality" was judiciously dropped in the mid-1990s. True False
True
Pre-control should only be used when process capability is no greater than 88 percent of the tolerance. True False
True
Six Sigma is owned by business leader champions. True False
True
Six Sigma methods are most applicable to conformance problems because the processes that create the problems can be easily identified, measured, analyzed, and changed. True False
True
Strategic challenges frequently are driven by an organization's future competitive position relative to other providers of similar products or services. True False
True
Supplier certification processes can be time-consuming and expensive to administer. True False
True
Sustainability requires continual learning. True False
True
The "define" phase of the DMAIC process focuses on describing the problem in operational terms that facilitate further analysis. True False
True
The Baldrige Award Criteria form a model for business excellence in any organization, whether large or small. True False
True
The cause-and-effect diagrams are constructed in a brainstorming type of atmosphere. True False
True
The competitive strategy level is where organizational strategy and Six Sigma must align, because it is at this level that the tools of Six Sigma can be most effectively applied. True False
True
The criteria for performance excellence consist of a hierarchical set of categories, items, and areas to address. True False
True
The customer satisfaction measurement of "customer perceived value" focuses more on loyalty than on customer satisfaction. True False
True
The customer satisfaction measurement of "customer perceived value" focuses more on loyalty than on customer satisfaction. True False
True
The fundamental premise of PDSA cycle is that improvement comes from the application of knowledge. True False
True
The ability to identify and transfer best practices within the organization is sometimes called _____. enterprise resource planning interlinking internal benchmarking data mining
internal benchmarking
In the context of managing information resources, the quality of information can be improved by: avoiding electronic data capture. placing accountability on the creators of data and information. using multiple databases whenever feasible. using as many intermediaries as possible to handle data.
placing accountability on the creators of data and information.
In the context of the Weber's classification of the way leaders exercise authority, government officials who legislate, execute, and enforce regulations exhibit _____ leadership. Question options: rational-legal absorptive charismatic traditional
rational-legal
When organizational learning processes serve to refresh and reinforce current learning, _____ leadership is best suited. transformational stagnant transactional declining
transactional
