Chapter 6: Homework

(a) a discrepancy between an actual condition and a desired condition

"Houston, we have a problem," is one of the most famous sentences in history resulting from a problem that arose during the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. When business managers identify a problem, they are identifying ______. (a) a discrepancy between an actual condition and a desired condition (b) what is occurring and what has occurred (c) a negative issue that needs to be resolved in favor of an opportunity (d) an opportunity and its resolution

A. (b) disrupted B. (a) ineffective

A contingency plan outlines courses of action that may be taken if an organization's other plans are (A)______ or become (B) _____. A. (a) terminated (b) disrupted (c) post-poned (d) fast-forwarded B. (a) ineffective (b) criminal (c) unethical (d) politically incorrect

(c) autocratic

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

(a) tactical

During the planning stage, managers develop a _____ plan which is smaller in scale and developed to implement strategy and will most likely cover a one-to three-year period. (a) tactical (b) strategical (c) operational (d) developmental

(a) Formal leaders have authority within and organization to influence others to work towards the organization's objectives, but informal leaders usually have no such authority.

Leaders within an organization can be formed in a variety of ways. Which of the following best describes the difference between formal and informal leaders? (a) Formal leaders have authority within and organization to influence others to work towards the organization's objectives, but informal leaders usually have no such authority. (b) Formal leaders exert their influence in support of the organization, bur informal leaders do not. (c) Formal leaders work for the good of the organization, but informal leaders have no such authority and work for the employees. (d) Formal leaders may exert power, grant rewards

(b) process

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

(b) Intellectuals

Managers must coordinate an organization's resources to achieve the organization's goals. Which of the following is not typically considered as an organization's resource? (a) Finances (b) Intellectuals (c) People (d) Materials

(a) Human

Of the four resources managed within an organization, one is considered far more important than any of the others - so much so that management of this resource is considered to have a greater impact on the organization than even the vital components of the organization. Which of the following is the resource described in this paragraph? (a) Human (b) Information (c) Materials (d) Financial

(d) strategic

Planning is an essential part of managing an enterprise. A(n) _____ plan is developed as a guide during the planning process for major policy setting and decision making. (a) contingency (b) operational (c) analytical (d) strategic

(d) First-line managers, top managers, and middle managers

The coordinated effort of the three levels of managers is required to implement the goals of any company. Which of the following best represents the three basic levels of management? (a) Financial managers, operations managers, and human resource managers (b) Marketing managers, human resources managers, and recruitment managers (c) First-line managers, second-line managers, and top manager (d) First-line managers, top managers, and middle managers

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

Three business students are having a discussion regarding leadership styles. One argues that autocratic leadership is best, another argues that participative leadership is best, and the last argues that entrepreneurial leadership is best. Studies have show however that the most effective style depends on the right balance between _____. (a) employee empowerment and the manager's leadership style (b) interaction among employees, the work situation, and manager's personality (c) the tasks to be accomplished and the time to accomplish them (d) the circumstances and individuals involved

(a) Improved ability to engage in competitive pricing

Total quality management (TQM) has been shown to benefit a company beyond improving a product. Which of the following is not a benefit of TQM? (a) Improved ability to engage in competitive pricing (b) Improved ability to use premium pricing (c) Higher return on sales and investments (d) Lowering of overall operating costs

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

Total quality management can be a boon to a business in many aspects of its operation, however it will not work if management fails in two crucial areas. Which of the following statements most closely articulates the issues that, if left unaddressed, could cause TQM to fail? (a) Top management must be strongly committed to TQM and must coordinate the specific elements of a TQM program so they work in harmony with each other. (b) Top management must meet with suppliers and employees frequently to ensure that they do not lose sight of the TQM goals. (c) Top management must inform all employees of the need and desire for TQM to further company goals and make it a top priority. (d) Top management must give TQM frequent attention and frequently communicate the TQM goals to employees.

(d) To make a statement of what makes the organization different from others

What is the purpose of an organization's mission statement? (a) To provide a framework for customer expectations (b) To inform the employees of the direction the company intends to take (c) To provide a brief unified statement for marketing purposes (d) To make a statement of what makes the organization different from others

(b) Consultative

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

(b) Consensus leaders

What type of leader seeks input from almost all workers and makes the final decisions based on their support? (a) Democratic leaders (b) Consensus leaders (c) Consultative leaders (d) Collaborating leaders

(d) conceptual skills

When a manager plans for the future of his business and is able to see how all of the parts of the organization work together, it is said that he or she is engaging ______ to see the "big picture." (a) analytical skills (b) interpretive skills (c) technical skills (d) conceptual skills

(a) Defining the problem, generating alternatives, selecting an alternative, implementing and evaluation the solution.

When managers are engaged in problem solving, there are several steps they should go through in order to prevent themselves from providing a resolution to a problem that is unrelated to the actual issue under examination. Which of the following most correctly delineates the steps in problem-solving? (a) Defining the problem, generating alternatives, selecting an alternative, implementing and evaluation the solution. (b) Brainstorming, norming, determining a solution, implementing. (c) Planning, preparing, evaluating results. (d) Analyzing, adopting an alternative, preparing for negative consequences.

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

Which of the following is true concerning total quality management (TQM)? (a) It includes incentives such as financial rewards to employees and suppliers who excel at the TQM process. (b) It utilizes benchmarking to evaluate the products and processes within its organization in order to improve quality. (c) It is the coordination of efforts directed at improving customer satisfaction, increasing employee participation, strengthening supplier partnerships, and facilitating an organizational atmosphere of continuous quality improvement. (d) It is only effective if management addresses each of the components of customer satisfaction, employee accountability, strengthening supplier partnerships, and continuous quality improvement.

(c) Management

_____ is the process of coordinating people and other resources to achieve the goals of an organization. (a) Leadership (b) Directing (c) Management (d) Controlling

(c) Total quality management

_____ was forged by Toyota Motor Company in Japan as a way to coordinate efforts at improving customer satisfaction, employee participation, strengthening supplier partnerships, and improving the quality of their product. (a) Participatory management (b) Benchmarking (c) Total quality management (d) Management by analytics