Business Chapters 6-10 Test

_____ programs are legally mandated plans that try to increase job opportunities for minority groups.

affirmative action

Cameron started his own photography business. He wants to write a good mission statement that explains his company's reason for existence. What is one guideline he should follow in writing his mission statement?

it should be clear and concise

Which of the following options is likely to be most effective for retaining employees who are trying to juggle their work duties with other responsibilities and needs?

job sharing

Aisha and her father have been building rustic furniture for family and friends since she was in high school. As an adult, Aisha decided to start her own rustic furniture company. From the perspective of operations, the beds, tables, chairs, and dressers she builds are

outputs

Melanie is one of the senior managers in the consumer electronics department of a large company. She is part of a team that determines the objectives of the department based on future trends in the industry and decides how to accomplish them. Melanie is involved in the management function of

planning

Natalie is a human resources manager at a large legal-services company. She must decide how many new employees her company will need to fill vacant positions in the near future. In this scenario, Natalie is engaging in

planning

Quality control refers to the

processes an organization uses to maintain its established quality standards.

BP Goods Inc. is a contract manufacturer of laptops for a reputed consumer-electronics company. It uses a facility layout in which the workers remain in one location, and the laptops move from one worker to another. Each person in turn performs his or her required tasks. BP Goods Inc. is using a _____ layout.

product

Which of the following forms of compensation includes an employee stock ownership plan?

profit sharing

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a multidivisional structure?

it inevitably creates work duplication

All of the following are examples of customized products EXCEPT

television sets

Which of the following is an internal source of recruitment for an organization?

current employees

_____ is making products to meet a particular customer's needs or wants.

customization

Mark works as a news anchor for a television network. In addition to his regular pay, at the end of each year, his company pays him and his co-workers additional compensation as a "thank you" for good work. This monetary reward would most likely be categorized as a

bonus

A wage/salary survey indicates

how much compensation similar firms are paying for specific jobs

How long a time period do strategic plans generally cover?

one year or longer

Jamal is the head chef at an Indian restaurant. He imports many of his ingredients from India and prepares them from family recipes that have been passed down for generations. From the perspective of operations, the food he sells to customers and the authentic Indian atmosphere he provides are

outputs

When compared to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the Theory X style of management focuses on ________ needs.

physiological and security

_____ refers to forming a pool of qualified applicants from which management can select new employees.

recruiting

A compressed workweek is most likely to

reduce a company's operation expenses

18th-century economist Adam Smith illustrated improvements in efficiency in manufacturing units through the application of

specialization

_____ is the division of labor into small, specific tasks and the assignment of employees to do a single task.

specialization

Why is strikebreaking generally considered to be a last-resort measure for management?

It damages the relationship between management and labor.

What is the rationale behind job enlargement strategies?

Jobs are more satisfying as the number of tasks performed by an individual increases.

Benchmarking lets an organization

know where it stands competitively in its industry.

Theory Z and Theory Y can be seen as

complementary

A _____ is a performance appraisal method that provides feedback from a panel that typically includes superiors, peers, and subordinates.

360-degree feedback system

Trent owns a chain of Mexican restaurants, and he wants to open a new location. All of the following are factors he should consider EXCEPT

access to publicity

Landon is interviewing for a position at a law firm. In the interview, he is asked: "How would you resolve the issue of successfully arguing a case in which you disagree with our client's position?" Answering this question requires Landon to use ________ skills.

analytical

How can managers avoid equity problems?

by ensuring that rewards are distributed on the basis of performance

Which of the following is an example of work-in-process inventory for an automobile company?

cars that are in the initial stages of the assembly line

Life Line, a chain of healthcare providers, sends its employees who are interested in learning about hospital management to conferences. The training process at Life Line is most likely

classroom training

A permanent, formal group that performs a specific task is a

committee

what is upward communication

communication that flows from lower to higher levels of an organization

Gunther owns a house construction company called Stylish Model Homes. To help his customers visualize the types of houses he can build for them, he has designed five different house models on the computer, using 3D printing to develop 3D paper models. What type of technology would Gunther use to develop these 3D models?

computer-assisted design

_____ refer to the ability of an individual to think in abstract terms and to see how parts fit together to form the whole.

conceptual skills

According to the classical theory of motivation, which of the following would motivate employees to work hard?

financial incentives

_____ is a public protest against management practices and involves union members marching at an employer's plant or work site.

picketing

If an organization fosters and values workforce diversity, it is most likely to

reduce conflict among employees of different cultural groups.

Which of the following best describes management by objectives?

the need to develop goals that both managers and employees can understand and agree upon

Which of the following statements is true of a separation?

It is an employee's departure from an organization.

What is the primary reason that development is considered a vital function of human resources management?

It is used to improve the skills of employees in their present positions and to prepare them for increased responsibility.

Which of the following is an advantage of a matrix structure?

It provides flexibility, enhanced cooperation, and creativity.

Which of the following is a major difference between the Theory X and Theory Y views of management?

Theory Y takes into account people's needs for companionship, esteem, and personal growth, whereas Theory X does not.

Which of the following is an advantage of multidivisional structures?

They allow divisional and department managers to specialize.

Joe was recently moved to a new position in his company that involved learning new skills and undertaking work assignments. However, he received no salary raise. Joe's change in position can best be described as

a transfer

_____ is the principle that employees who accept an assignment and the authority to carry it out are answerable to a superior for the outcome.

accountability

MB Inc. has an independent, permanent work group that develops and revises codes of ethics, suggests ways the organization can contribute to preserving the environment, and regularly reviews other specific issues and concerns within the organization. This is an example of a

committee

_____ is the process of evaluating and correcting activities to keep an organization on course.

controlling

What is the rationale for specialization?

efficiency

The process of determining how many supplies and goods are needed and keeping track of quantities on hand, each item's location, and who is responsible for it within an organization is called

inventory control

Which of the following theories is associated with the piece-rate system?

the classical theory of motivation

It is especially difficult to measure quality characteristics when

the product is a service

Bella has been an editorial assistant at a large trade publisher for two years. When an associate editor position opens up on her team, she applies for the position and gets it. What is one issue the company may have as a result of promoting Bella into this new position?

The company will have to fill Bella's vacant editorial assistant position.

Militia Tech., a large technology company, has started using methods to give employees more responsibility and control and to involve them more in their work. The company views employees as team members and encourages them to share their ideas about how to improve its technology products. What is the benefit to using these methods?

They motivate employees to higher levels of productivity and quality.

Kendall's fitness company wants to make the best use of its resources. As a result, she hired college students to work at the front desk, so her personal trainers can focus on helping members in the gym and teaching fitness classes. What type of objective is the most relevant to this example?

efficiency

Victoria is a cake designer and baker at a bakery. She often creates custom cakes for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and other large events. She loves making her customers happy and is committed to her work, which allows her to meet her customers' high expectations. Victoria can be described as

engaged

Job _____ is the incorporation of motivational factors, such as opportunity for achievement, recognition, responsibility, and advancement, into a job.

enrichment

A disadvantage of the line structure is that it

equires managers to possess a wide range of knowledge and skills.

Managers need adequate _____ resources to pay for essential activities.

financial

Taylor is an independent contractor in the plumbing industry. He receives work from several companies and individual customers. There are often multiple ways to fix a plumbing problem, and, when given the option, Taylor sometimes chooses to use the fastest and easiest solution rather than the best possible solution. What might explain Taylor's tendency to avoid doing what he should do?

lack of motivation

Rebeccah is a manager at a law firm. Part of her role is conducting performance reviews for the paralegals in the office. By doing so, she is fulfilling the managerial role of a

leader

Kobe is the owner of a popular restaurant. He supervises all of the staff in the restaurant. Thus, Kobe's restaurant is using a _____ structure.

line

A manufacturer is in the process of selecting a new supervisor from a pool of potential candidates. All of the following would be part of this selection process EXCEPT

posting an ad for the position on LinkedIn.

Justin has worked as a marketing manager for eight years. He has decided to move to be closer to his family, so he is looking for a new job. When filling out an online application for a marketing firm, what information might he be asked to provide?

previous work experience

Lincoln is the chief of police in a small town. He is looking for a new deputy, and he already has three candidates to consider. He is in the process of carefully considering their applications, conducting interviews, administering performance tests, and checking their references. What is this process called?

selection

Historically, GloboTech, a large technology company, has employed mostly white men. More recently, it has adopted affirmative action to make up for past hiring and promotion prejudices, overcome workplace discrimination, and provide equal employment opportunities for all employees. Which of the following is something GloboTech should avoid doing in its quest for a more diverse workplace?

set hiring quotas

Carolyn, Todd, and Bethany all work at a department store in the mall. They have been working there for the same amount of time, and they all have similar educational and employment backgrounds. Bethany has just discovered that Carolyn and Todd both make more than she does. Which of the following is an unethical or illegal behavior Bethany may exhibit to equalize the situation?

she may start stealing items from the store

Better Stuff Inc. is a contract manufacturer of 32GB USB flash drives. All USB devices sold under the brand name Better Stuff are identical to each other and are of the same quality. This is an example of

standardization

CourseWare, a large educational publisher, decided to sell its college division because it isn't as profitable as the school division. This will allow the company to focus its efforts and funds on becoming the leading school publisher. What type of plan is this?

strategic

The top management of Wisniewski Automobile Parts Inc. has decided that the company's objective for the next two years will be to expand the overall business internationally. This is an example of ________ planning.

strategic

When customers go to Style and Trim Salon, they ask for specific hair styles or cuts that incorporate their specific desires. In comparison, the manufacturer that produces Headstrong Shampoo has more control over the amount of variability of the resources it uses to create its shampoos. Which of the following differences between manufacturers and service providers does this scenario relate to?

uniformity of inputs

Financial compensation falls into two general categories:

wages and salaries.

Which of the following statements is true about the line-and-staff structure?

It allows line managers to focus on their expertise in the business operation.

Which of the following is stated by the expectancy theory?

A person who wants something and has reasons to be optimistic is likely to be highly motivated.

Dawu manages a small coffee house. In fact, this business is so small that Dawu is the only manager. What level manager is Dawu?

Dawu assumes the responsibilities of all three levels.

The person primarily associated with the Hawthorne studies is

Elton Mayo

Maureen works in a law office as a paralegal. She makes a salary of $50,000 per year, paid on a biweekly basis. What is one disadvantage of this form of payment?

It may require her to work beyond usual hours without additional financial compensation.

Stage Industries annually rewards the top ten employees, in terms of goal achievement, with a trip to the Caribbean. What effect will Stag Industries' action most likely have on employee behavior?

It will motivate all employees to work hard to achieve company goals.

Dante's Italian Restaurant has several locations in Massachusetts and New York. Each location has a restaurant manager who runs his or her location as he or she sees fit. The restaurant chain has achieved success by empowering its employees to make their own decisions and follow their passions. Which management theory does Dante's Italian Restaurant follow?

McGregor's Theory Y

Related to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, what is the difference between Theory X and Theory Y managers?

Theory X managers focus on physiological and security needs, while Theory Y managers address Maslow's high-level needs as well as physiological and security needs.

Which of the following is a similarity between conciliators and mediators?

They are both neutral third parties.

Which of the following is true of self-directed work teams?

They are designed to give employees a feeling of ownership of a whole job.

Which of the following statements is true of labor unions?

They help their members achieve better pay, hours, and working conditions.

________ is best described as the result that a firm wishes to achieve.

a goal

Glen manages a candy-packaging factory. After failed negotiations between Glen and the labor union, the union members strike, partially shutting down the factory. In response, Glen shuts down the factory completely, restricting all his employees from coming to work. This situation best represents

a lockout

Which of the following is a primary characteristic of diversity?

age

All of the following are advantages of outsourcing EXCEPT it

allows companies to focus less on customer satisfaction.

Actual performance of a service provider's product typically occurs

at the point of consumption

Compared to service providers, manufacturers are generally more

capital-intensive

Which of the following does an organizational chart display?

chain of command

The management at Links Inc. is faced with a strike threat from union members over a dispute concerning working hours for employees. The disputing parties approach a neutral third party to ensure that the discussions between them are carried forward. The third party, however, has no formal power over union representatives or over management and has as a goal of keeping the negotiations going. Which of the following processes is best exemplified in the scenario?

conciliation

Which of the following information is most likely to be included in a job specification rather than a job description?

education qualification required for a job

If a manager is concerned about accomplishing the work with the least cost and waste possible, then his or her primary managerial concern is

efficiency

Heidi works for a home decor store. Her normal tasks include cleaning the store fixtures, helping customers find what they are looking for, and ringing up customer purchases. One day, she notices that several of the shelves are empty, so she goes into the back room and finds merchandise to fill the shelves. When she shows her manager, Tricia, what she has done, Tricia is so impressed that she asks Heidi to check all the shelves on a weekly basis and stock any empty shelves with new merchandise. This scenario best describes job

enlargement

According to _____, how much people are willing to contribute to an organization depends on their assessment of the fairness of the rewards they will receive in exchange.

equity theory

Javier works at a grocery store. He started six months ago as a bagger, but recently, his boss recognized his hard work, promoting him to cashier and giving him a raise. Javier's promotion and raise are examples of

extrinsic rewards

_____ are benefits and/or recognition that a person receives from someone else.

extrinsic rewards

A work program that allows employees to choose their starting and ending times as long as they are at work during a specified core period is called

flextime

Graham, an employee at an architectural firm, is frustrated with his job as he is mostly involved in reproducing stock designs. He realizes the need for starting his own firm to exercise his creative streak. In the context of the motivation process, which step will immediately follow the need recognition step?

goal-directed behavior

Orientation is the human resources function that

includes building tours, introductions, and socializations

Sampling as a method to determine whether a product meets quality standards is most likely to be used when

inspection tests are destructive

Ramone has recently started working at an accounting firm. To get him up and running quickly, the firm has paired him with an experienced accountant to offer him support, training, and guidance as he learns the tasks of his new job. This is an example of

mentoring

Custom Computers builds their computers so that the components can be installed in different configurations to meet certain needs of a customer. This is an example of

modular design

Naomi has just arrived for her first day at work at GloboTech, a large technology company. The first thing the hiring manager, Evan, does is take her on a tour of the building, introducing her to her co-workers and showing her where the kitchen, meeting rooms, and her cubicle are located. After the tour, Evan leaves Naomi in her cubicle with the company's employee handbook, so she can read about the organization's policies and benefits. All these activities are part of

orientation

Socorro was terminated from her job because she was repeatedly late to work. She contributes to her company's turnover throug

separation

All activities involved in obtaining and managing raw materials and component parts, managing finished products, packaging them, and getting them to customers are part of

supply chain management

Short-range plans covering a period of one year or less that are designed to implement the activities and objectives specified in an organization's strategic plan are referred to as

tactical plans

Which of the following is an example of finished-goods inventory for an apparel company?

the clothes for sale in the company's retail store

Frank and Gunther both work as receptionists at a law office. Frank works from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., so he can be home when his daughter gets home from preschool. Gunther works from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., so he can attend graduate school classes in the morning. Which of the following is a benefit this arrangement has for the company?

the company has the skills of two people for one job

Which of the following is true of services and their providers?

the quality of the service experience is controlled by a service contact employee

Katie is a supervisor at a fast food restaurant. Every week, she submits a progress report to Molly, the restaurant manager, to let her know how the restaurant is doing and to bring any employee performance concerns and customer feedback to her attention. What type of communication does this scenario describe?

upward communication

Which of the following is true regarding crisis management?

Many companies have crisis management teams to deal specifically with problems, permitting other managers to continue to focus on their regular duties.

Which of the following is true of top-management compensation?

Many firms are trying to align CEO compensation with performance.

The managers of Automotive Parts Inc. believe that the average person dislikes work and will avoid it when possible. As a result, they focus on coercing, controlling, directing, and threatening their workers with punishment to get them to work toward achieving the company's objectives. One method they initiated was an employee ranking system that ranked 60 percent of employees as below expectations. This company has adopted

McGregor's theory X perspective

Which of the following is a characteristic feature of service businesses?

The degree of variation of inputs and outputs is high.

Calvin is a marketer at Compact Car Company, and he wants to inform the market of the benefits of buying used cars over expensive new cars. He invests his efforts in creating advertisements that emphasize the company's low prices and service guarantee to reach the company's target market and compete with the large car dealerships in the area. This scenario most directly demonstrates

goal setting theory

Which of the following is a part of informal communication channels?

gossip

Coffee Klatch is a chain of small coffee shops that are located in college towns and mostly employ students. The company offers flexible scheduling, employee scholarship programs, and strong internal promoting, and, as a result, it has loyal employees who have high levels of productivity. Based on this scenario, employees of Coffee Klatch should have

high morale

A company that allows its employees to work a variety of jobs to relieve boredom is most closely associated with

job rotation

Macy's kitchen appliance company is reorganizing for greater efficiency. How would this company most likely organize the work?

into teams

Minimizing inventory by providing an almost continuous flow of items from suppliers to the production facility is referred to as

just-in-time inventory management

Which of the following is a disadvantage of job specialization?

it can lead to an increase in injuries

Aaliyah manages a hair salon, and she is looking for a new head stylist to lead her team of hairdressers. She posts an ad on several job websites and uses those websites, along with LinkedIn, to look for qualified candidates. She also watches her employees work to see if any of them exhibit the skills she is looking for in a head stylist. Once she has received a few applications, found a few qualified candidates, and determined that one of her employees might be a good fit, she sets up interviews with these potential candidates to determine who to hire. Which human resources activity does this scenario describe?

recruiting

Management of a firm and labor submit to compulsory arbitration when the federal government

requests arbitration as a means of eliminating a prolonged strike that threatens to disrupt the economy.

Larissa worked at the Hawthorne Works Plant of the Western Electric Company in 1924 when Elton Mayo and his team started their research on workplace conditions and productivity. Throughout the study, as Mayo and his team introduced various physical conditions, Larissa's productivity increased. When the researchers asked her about her behavior, she most likely expressed

satisfaction because her supervisor had asked for her help and cooperation in the study.

Garrett works as an electrician, going into people's homes and offices to set up and repair electrical systems. When he sees a dangerous condition, he reports it to the home or business owner immediately and begins working to fix the situation. He wears safety goggles and gloves while he is working, and he has a comprehensive insurance plan with income protection in the event that he becomes unable to work. Garrett's actions are most related to Maslow's _____ needs.

security

Which of the following is a popular method of scheduling materials that identifies all the major activities or events required to complete a project, arranges them in a sequence or path, determines the critical path, and estimates the time required for each event?

the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

All of the following are assumptions of Theory Y EXCEPT

the average worker has relatively little ambition.

The American Painters' Association provides discounted house painting services to military and veterans' families, which enlivens its employees. This shows how important it is for employees to feel like

their work matters

Joanna has just completed graduate school and earned a Masters in publishing and writing. She recently interviewed for an editorial assistant position at a small publishing house, and the human resources manager sent Joanna home from the interview with a copyediting test, giving her a week to complete it. What is the most likely reason the human resources manager gave Joanna this ability test?

to determine whether she has the skills necessary for the job

Which of the following is an example of an operational plan?

A work group at a large computer plant is assigned a weekly production quota to ensure there are sufficient products available to elevate market share and ultimately help the firm be number one in its product category.

A huge fire broke out in Country Rooms, a small rustic furniture store. The fire destroyed all of the furniture, and ultimately, the company went out of business. Which of the following is most likely the reason this company went out of business?

Country Rooms didn't have an updated contingency plan to handle such a crisis.

Leonard and Carl are both managers at a home improvement store. Leonard oversees the flooring, lighting, appliances, and hardware departments. Carl provides each of these departments with advice and support in the areas of finance and human resources. Which of the following is true regarding Leonard and Carl's roles in the company?

Leonard is a line manager, while Carl is a staff manager

Which of the following statements is true of the management function of organizing?

Organizing helps create synergy, whereby the effect of a whole system equals more than that of its parts.

Ocean-Side Furnishings, a company that produces furniture inspired by the beach, uses a process layout with several departments that group related processes. All of the following could be process departments in this company EXCEPT _____ department.

a marketing

Virtual Toys, a company that manufactures toys inspired by popular video games, creates a strategic plan to be the leader in the product category within a period of three years. The company's middle management also creates a half-yearly plan to ensure that the objectives of the strategic plan are properly implemented. The half-yearly plan created by Virtual Toys can be regarded as

a tactical plan

Mario Autos Inc. measures and evaluates the quality of its cars and services against the market leaders in the automobile industry. Wherever there is a gap, Mario Autos Inc. tries to cover that gap by imitating the best practices of these market leaders. This is known as

benchmarking

Brenda manages a flower shop. Recently, the flower shop has had trouble competing with the local grocery store's florist. Brenda wants to develop a list of possible courses of action to draw more customers to her shop, so she gathers her team. They discuss the issue and suggest ideas to solve the problem. This is called

brainstorming

Kevin is a salesman at a large computer company where all the decisions are made by the top levels of management. However, his managers give him the responsibility to carry out his daily and routine sales activities. What type of organization does Kevin work for?

centralized

Kalena is a manager of a real estate company. She is aware that her company has an active grapevine because she has heard her employees gossiping in the lunch room and around the office. All of the following are things she can do to use the grapevine to her advantage EXCEPT

confronting her employees about gossip

Gerald is assessing the appropriateness of a proposed option to resolve his publishing company's plagiarism issue. When considering the consequences of the option, he should

consider its impact on the organization as a whole

_____ is an element in planning that deals with potential disasters such as product tampering, oil spills, fire, earthquake, computer viruses, or a reputation crisis.

contingency planning

Software Solutions Inc., a large software company, has different representatives to assist business clients and individual clients. This is an example of _____ departmentalization.

customer

Kristen is a manager at a small diner in a tourist town. There are many competing restaurants in the area, so the restaurant owners depend on Kristen and her employees to pay attention to what customers order most often to determine what the daily and weekly specials should be. Kristen has the authority to make changes to the menu and offer promotions to attract more patrons. What type of organization does Kristen manage?

decentralized

When an organization has a structure in which decision-making authority is delegated as far down the chain of command as possible, it is called

decentralized

Which of the following concepts deals with giving employees the power to make commitments and use resources to accomplish the assigned tasks?

delegation of authority

Mark and Dan are both managers at a sporting goods store. Mark is the manager of the finance department and Dan is a lower-level manager from the shoe department. When these managers communicate, it is known as _____ communication.

diagonal

Versus Electronics Inc. wants to ensure that its products best suit the needs of its customers, so the head of the marketing department holds a meeting with the managers of the production department. This illustrates _____ communication.

diagonal

Standardization becomes complex on a global scale because

different countries have different standards for quality

All of the following are reasons organizing is important EXCEPT it

eliminates synergy

Which of the following is a means of informally expressing an organization's culture?

employee dress codes

If the type of departmentalization used by an organization tends to emphasize departmental units rather than the organization as a whole and decision making is slow, then these would be weaknesses indicative of _____ departmentalization.

functional

Food for Families, a nonprofit organization, uses inputs such as money, groceries, volunteer time, and labor to transform food into hot, prepared meals for needy families. In this setting, which of the following is a transformation process?

fundraising and promoting the cause to gain new volunteers and food donations

Jenna is interviewing to work at a doctor's office. During the interview process, the hiring manager had her come in and talk to some of the employees about the office's culture. All of the following things she learned relate to the office's culture EXCEPT

her job will consist of answering phones, checking patients in and out, and filing patient information.

Gina is a makeup artist who works in a salon and travels to provide her services to her clients at weddings and other events. As part of her services, she gives her clients lipstick, blotting sheets, and face powder, so they can touch up their makeup throughout the event. Her biggest expenses are the cost of the items she gives to clients, the cost of keeping her makeup kit stocked with a variety of products, travel expenses to get to the events, and her time. Which of the following are considered an input?

her time and money

In an automobile company, the vice president of research and development wants to plan and coordinate the launch of a new car with the vice president of marketing. Any related communication between them will be referred to as _____ communication.

horizontal

The managers of Rug Emporium, a large rug store, decide to have a sale. The store manager works with the advertising department to make the public aware of the sale, with department managers to schedule enough salespeople to handle the increased customer traffic, and with merchandise buyers to ensure that enough rugs are available to meet expected consumer demand. What does this scenario best describe?

how people must work together to achieve the store's objectives

Nokomis was less educationally qualified and experienced than her colleagues when she joined Geneva Systems Inc. However, due to her ability to negotiate effectively with clients, convince her team members to work harder, and understand their needs, she is a senior-level manager today. Which of the following skills can be most attributed to Nokomis's success in this scenario?

human-relations skills

The term _____ refers to all raw materials, components, completed or partially completed products, and pieces of equipment a firm uses.

inventory

In the context of a business's objectives, which of the following is an ineffective practice?

isolating them from the business's mission

Which of the following is an advantage of decentralization?

it may increase the organization's productivity

An inventory management technique that schedules the precise quantity of materials needed to make a product is called

material-requirements planning

At Consolidated Infrastructure, specialists from different departments are deployed together to form a project team and work on a single project, such as building a bridge or restoring a road. As a result, employees have to report to their functional managers and the concerned project managers. Thus, Consolidated Infrastructure is using a _____ structure.

matrix

_____ are responsible for tactical and operational planning that will implement the general guidelines established by top management.

middle managers

When compared to service providers, the products of manufacturers are typically

more uniform

Karen manages a large carpet cleaning company. She spends a lot of time communicating with a variety of people and participating in activities that do not seem to have much to do with goals of her company. What is this called?

networking

Sublime Trails, a trail mix store, is planning to expand its business by opening several new stores over the course of four years. Within this strategic plan, all of the following are items operational plans may specify EXCEPT the schedule for

opening all the stores

____ are very short-term plans that specify what actions individuals, work groups, or departments need to accomplish in order to achieve an organization's tactical plan and, ultimately, the strategic plan.

operational plans

The output of service providers must be consumed immediately, and only a few services can be saved, stored, resold, or returned. Which characteristic feature of services does this best illustrate?

perishability of outputs

Kevin is the president of an advertising firm. He has many years of varied experience, and he spends most of his time making strategic decisions about how to use the company's resources. On which management function does he spend most of his time?

planning

A metal-fabrication plant with a cutting department, a drilling department, and a polishing department is using a _____ layout to organize its facility.

process

Which of the following is a basis for using a matrix structure within an organization?

projects

A _____ is a group of employees responsible for an entire work process or segment that delivers a product to an internal or external customer.

self-directed work team

Maple Health Care, a chain of private hospitals and laboratories, finds it difficult to measure the productivity of its staff. Which of the following reasons can be attributed to this problem of service providers?

service requirements vary from job to job

Carl is a manager of a large car dealership. He often meets with consumer groups to discuss the safety features of the company's cars. When he does this, he is acting as a

spokesperson

A wide span of management is appropriate when

subordinates are highly competent

Jasper is a first-line manager at a heating and HVAC company. Although he no longer goes out to customers' homes and does their repairs, since he worked in the field for over 20 years, he is able to train employees, answer questions, provide guidance, and solve problems. These abilities most closely describe his

technical expertise

In an organization, decisions regarding adding new products, acquiring companies, and moving into foreign markets would most typically be made by

the top management

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of continuous manufacturing organizations using a product layout?

they produce a large number of units

Marilyn is a manager at a large accounting firm. The firm is expanding, and she is tasked with hiring more people to carry out the organization's increased workload. She must determine all of the following items EXCEPT

which employees to replace with new candidates