System Analysis and Design: Project Management Chapter 2

The _____ frame of an organization focuses on providing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of people. Answers: a. human resources b. symbolic c. structural d. political

human resources

In a _____ organizational structure, personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers. Answers: a. symbolic b. project c. matrix d. functional

matrix

Select an example of external stakeholders for an organization. Answer a. Functional managers b. Competitors c. Top managers d. Employees

Competitors

Which term refers to a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project? Answers: a. System b. Deliverable c. Input d. Resource

Deliverable

The project organizational structure is the most efficient choice for most IT projects. Answers: True False

False

In which development life cycle do stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start on an iteration? Answers: a. Iterative b. Adaptive c. Hybrid d. Incremental

Adaptive

According to the symbolic frame, the most important aspect of any event in an organization is not what actually happened, but what it means. Answers: True False

True

In organizational culture, what does people focus refer to? Answers: a. The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior b. The degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization c. The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking d. The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment

The degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization

The best way to sustain a project is to withhold the required money, human resources, and visibility for the project. Answers: True False

False

predictive set of steps is used as an overall means to coordinate more detailed steps that are adaptively managed? Answers: a. Predictive b. Incremental c. Hybrid d. Adaptive

Hybrid

Which problem-solving approach requires defining the scope of a system, dividing it into its components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs? Answers: a. Systems analysis b. Linear programming c. Principal component analysis d. Independent component analysis

Systems analysis

Projects must operate in a broad organizational environment, and project managers need to consider projects within the greater organizational context. Which approach describes the holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization? Answers: a. Reductionism b. Linear analysis c. The silo approach d. Systems thinking

Systems thinking

Project managers must have cooperation from people in other parts of the organization. Answers: True False

True

The same organization can have different subcultures. Answers: True False

True

Which statement best describes outsourcing? Answers: a. An organization's use of virtual teams with employees located in different countries b. An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source c. An organization setting up manufacturing and retailing facilities in a new country d. An organization selling its products in a market outside its domestic market

An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source

Internal stakeholders include groups affected by the project such as government officials or concerned citizens. Answers: True False

False

The team members of a virtual team are all of the same nationality. Answers: True False

False

In what type of organizational structure do project managers have the least amount of authority? Answers: a. Circular b. Functional c. Matrix d. Project

Functional

Which perspective of an organization focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management? Answers: a. Symbolic frame b. Structural frame c. Political frame d. Human resources frame

Structural frame

Leadership style has no impact on the success of virtual teams. Answers: True False

False

Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from various functional areas working on their projects. Answers: True False

True

Project work is most successful in an organizational culture where activities are organized around individuals. Answers: True False

False

The _____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype, using tools such as computer-aided software engineering, joint requirements planning, and joint application design to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation. Answers: a. RAD life cycle b. waterfall life cycle c. prototyping life cycle d. spiral life cycle

RAD life cycle

Which is a disadvantage for virtual teams compared to traditional teams? Answers: a. Reduced opportunities for informal transfer of information b. Increased costs for office space and support c. Reduced dependence on technology and processes for accomplishing work d. Limited flexibility in team working hours

Reduced opportunities for informal transfer of information

In organizational culture, what does control refer to? Answers: a. The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking b. The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior c. The degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results d. The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment

The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior

Most colleges and universities have very strong functional organizations. Answers: True False

True

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than with their types of job or profession? Answers: a. Group emphasis b. People focus c. Unit integration d. Member identity

Member identity

Systems analysis addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system. Answers: True False

False

Most people believe that the underlying causes of many companies' problems can be traced to its organizational structure. Answers: True False

False

Project managers should lead projects in isolation in order to truly serve the needs of the organization. Answers: True False

False

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which departments within an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other? Answers: a. Unit integration b. Member identity c. Group emphasis d. People focus

Unit integration

Which systems development life cycle model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined? Answers: a. Spiral life cycle b. Prototyping life cycle c. Waterfall life cycle d. RAD life cycle

Waterfall life cycle

The last phase of the traditional project life cycle is the implementation phase. Answers: True False

False

The nature of hardware development projects is more diverse than software-oriented projects. Answers: True False

False

When you separate business and organizational issues from project management planning, you do a better job of ensuring project success. Answers: True False

False

In what type of organizational structure do project managers have the most authority? Answers: a. Project b. Matrix c. Functional d. Circular

Project

In which systems development life cycle do model developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously? Answers: a. RAD life cycle b. Prototyping life cycle c. Spiral life cycle d. Waterfall life cycle

Prototyping life cycle

Which characteristic is true of virtual teams? Answers: a. As they never meet, virtual teams do not have conflicts. b. Negative incentives do not impact virtual team members. c. It is important to select team members carefully. d. It is easier for a virtual team to build relationships and trust.

It is important to select team members carefully.

An organization that uses a project organizational structure earns their revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract. Answers: True False

True

An organization usually commits more money as a project continues, therefore a management review should occur after each phase to evaluate progress, potential success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals. Answers: True False

True

Project managers and their teams must recognize the effects of any project on the interests and needs of the entire system or organization instead of focusing on the immediate concerns of the project. Answers: True False

True

Project managers must take adequate time to identify, understand, and manage relationships with all project stakeholders. Answers: True False

True

Standards and guidelines to follow when performing project management must be devised by top management. Answers: True False

True

In which product life cycle the scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed? Answers: a. Iterative b. Predictive c. Adaptive d. Incremental

Predictive

Which of the following best describes a kill point in the project life cycle? Answers: a. The period of time given to managers during the feasibility phases to decide on the cost, quality, and time constraints for the project b. The final submission of the project deliverables after which the project is terminated c. The point of time in the project lifecycle after which it is impossible to terminate a running project d. A review of the status of a project at each phase of development to determine if it should be continued, redirected, or terminated

A review of the status of a project at each phase of development to determine if it should be continued, redirected, or terminated

An organizational culture with strong unit integration makes the project manager's job more difficult. Answers: True False

False

It is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during the earlier phases. Answers: True False

False

Which perspective on organizations assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups? Answers: a. Political frame b. Human resources frame c. Symbolic frame d. Structural frame

Political frame

Which of the following is true of a matrix organizational structure? Answer: a. Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from only a single functional area working on their projects. b. In a strong matrix organizational structure, the project manager controls the project budget and has moderate to high authority. c. In a matrix organizational structure, employees are organized into departments according to their skills, and there is little interaction between employees from different departments. d. A matrix organizational structure is hierarchical, but instead of functional managers reporting to the CEO, program managers report to the CEO.

In a strong matrix organizational structure, the project manager controls the project budget and has moderate to high authority.

Which observation is true of the agile approach to software development? Answers: a. In the agile method, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration. b. Agile is a predictive model of software development. c. An agile approach sets scope goals, but leaves time and cost goals flexible. d. In the agile approach, requirements must be clearly expressed early in the life cycle.

In the agile method, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration.

Which of the following is true of the project life cycle? Answers: a. More resources are usually needed during the initial phases of a project than during the middle or final phases. b. In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest. c. It is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during the earlier phases than the latter phases. d. In the later phases of the project life cycle, the level of uncertainty is usually the highest.

In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest.

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment? Answers: a. Open-systems focus b. Conflict tolerance c. Means-ends orientation d. Risk tolerance

Open-systems focus

_____ refers to a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization. Answers: a. Organizational structure b. Line of control c. Chain of command d. Organizational culture

Organizational culture

Which characteristic of organizational culture describes the degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization? Answers: a. Unit integration b. People focus c. Member identity d. Group emphasis

People focus

In organizational culture, what does means-end orientation refer to? Answers: a. The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment b. The degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results c. The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior d. The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking

The degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results

Using a systems approach is critical to successful project management. Answers: True False

True

The symbolic perspective of an organization: Answers: a. focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities to meet the goals and policies set by top management. b. views the organization as coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. c. focuses on providing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of people. d. focuses on the meanings of the culture, language, traditions, and image of the organization.

focuses on the meanings of the culture, language, traditions, and image of the organization.

In a _____organizational structure, program managers, rather than functional managers or vice presidents, report to the CEO. Their staffs have a variety of skills needed to complete all required tasks within their programs. Answers: a. symbolic b. functional c. matrix d. project

project