IEM 5603 Chapter 1 and 2 multiple choice

M/C Your company does only projects. If the projects performed by your company are for customers external to your company and a profit criterion exists on the project, then your organization is most likely: a. Project-driven b. Non-project-driven c. A hybrid d. All of the above are possible based upon the size of the profit margin.

a

Organizational complexities are increasing because of: a. Increasing technologies b. Less money invested into R&D c. Lengthening of product life cycles d. All of the above e. b and c only

a

Organizationl complexities are increasing because of: a. Increasing technologies b. Less money invested into R&D c. Lengthening of product life cycles d. All of the above e. b and c only

a

Project management is designed to overcome the ___ gaps between the various levels of management. a. Class or prestige b. Marketing c. Marketing and engineering d. Executive e. None of the above

a

Proper implementation of project management allows decisions to be: a. Made at lower level in the organization b. Made by committees rather than individuals c. More time-consuming d. All of the above e. b and c only

a

Successful project management is often based upon how well the ___ keeps his promises to the project. a. Line manager b. Functional employee c. Project sponsor d. Customer interface e. All of the above

a

The best way to minimize project risk is to: a. Perform better planning b. Select a project manager who has advanced degrees c. Select a project manager who is a technical expert d. Have a senior executive assigned as the sponsor e. Implement a project management cost control system

a

The most common project management reason for continuous restructuring of an organization is to meet the demands imposed by: a. The environment b. The functional lines c. The functional employees d . The projects e. All of the above

a

When an organization is restructured around "extreme" specialization in hopes of obtaining higher standards of performance, the result is usually: a. A lowering of employee attitudes and motivation b. Increased motivation for employees c. Employee finger-pointing when specifications are not met d . Continuously meeting project specifications e. Excessive charging of hours against each project

a

Which of the following project management functions is often considered as a driving force for organizational restructuring toward project management? a. Integration of activities b. Project staffing c. Employee evaluation d. Cost control e. Project cost estimating

a

A benefit of project management is the ___ identification of problems so that ___ can follow. a. Rapid, executive involvement b. Early, corrective action c. Untimely, contingency plans d. Executive, project replanning e. Rapid, customer notification

b

According to John Kenneth Galbraith, as technology increases, the commitment of time and money becomes: a. Easier to do b. Inflexible c. Easier to find d. More difficult to manage e. An executive responsibility

b

Determining "who" will do the work, "where" the work will be done, and "how" the work will be done is most often the responsibility of the : a. Project manager b. Line manager c. Senior levels of management d. Customer interface e. All of the above

b

At remote locations, functional employees take technical direction from the project manager. This situation would also exist at the home office for: a. Tiger Team projects b. Matrix projects c. Projects in the manufacturing life-cycle phase d. All of the above e. b and c only

a

Broadly speaking, effective project management requires an understanding of which three major areas? a. Quantitative tools, organizational behavior, organizational structures b. Quantitative tools, marketing, working with people c. Customer relations, planning skills, cost control d. Managing your customer, employee relations, scheduling e. Scheduling techniques, wage and salary administration, organizational behavior

a

Early attempts to restructure organizations toward better project management were designed to keep the project manager: a. As low as possible in the organization b. At the same level as the first level of supervision c. Above the first level of supervision d. At middle management levels e. None of the above

a

Line managers generally manage projects. a. Individual b. Staff c. Special d . Matrix e. Any of the above

a

M/C A grouping of projects is called a: a. Program b. Project template c. Business template d. Business plan

a

M/C As a project begins to wind down, the project manager should: a. Release all nonessential personnel so that they can be assigned to other projects b. Wait until the project is officially completed before releasing anyone c. Wait until the line manager officially requests that the people be released d. Talk to other project managers to see who wants your people

a

M/C During project staffing, the primary role of senior management is in the selection of the: a. Project manager b. Assistant project managers c. Functional team d. Executives do not get involved in staffing.

a

M/C In which organizational form is it most difficult to integrate project activities? a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

a

M/C In which type of matrix structure would a project manager most likely have a command of technology? a. Strong matrix b. Balanced matrix c. Weak matrix d. Cross-cultural matrix

a

M/C Most people believe that the best way to train someone in project management is through: a. On-the-job training b. University seminars c. Graduate degrees in project management d. Professional seminars and meeting

a

M/C One way to validate the successful implementation of project management is by looking at the number and magnitude of conflicts requiring: a. Executive involvement b. Customer involvement c. Line management involvement d. Project manager involvement

a

M/C The most common terminology for a reusable project management methodology is: a. Template b. Concurrent scheduling technique c. Concurrent planning technique d. Skeleton framework document

a

M/C Which of the following is generally not a benefit achieved from using project management? a. Flexibility in the project's end date b. Improved risk management c. Improved estimating d. Tracking of projects

a

M/C Which of the following is not part of the definition of a project? a. Repetitive activities b. Constraints c. Consumption of resources d. A well-defined objective

a

Historically, companies that have restructured for better project management have ___ tasks and must compete in a ___ environment. a. Complex, static b. Complex, dynamic c. complex, static or dynamic d. Simple, dynamic e. Simple, static

c

In project management, the need for interpersonal skills increases when the operational environment becomes ___ and the type of tasks becomes ___ a. Dynamic, simple b. Static, simple c. Dynamic complex d. Static, complex e. Static, multifunctional

c

M/C Having too many life-cycle phases may be detrimental because a. Executive sponsors will micromanage. b. Executive sponsors will become "invisible." c. The project manager will spend too much time planning for gate review meetings rather than managing the phases. d. The project manager will need to develop many different plans for each phase.

c

M/C Projects that remain almost entirely within one functional area are best managed by the: a. Project manager b. Project sponsor c. Functional manager d. Assigned functional employees

c

M/C Standardization and control are benefits usually attributed to: a. Laissez-faire management b. Project management on R&D efforts c. Use of life cycle-phases d. An organization with weak executive sponsorship

c

M/C The major difference between a project and a program is usually: a. The role of the sponsor b. The role of the line manager c. The timeframe d. The specifications

c

M/C The person responsible for assigning the resources to a project is most often: a. The project manager b. The Human Resources Department c. The line manager d. The executive sponsor

c

M/C The traditional competing constraints on a project are: a. Time, cost, and profitability b. Resources required, sponsorship involvement, and funding c. Time, cost, and quality and /or scope d. Calendar dates, facilities available, and funding

c

M/C Which of the following is usually not part of the criteria for project success? a. Customer satisfaction b. Customer acceptance c. Meeting at least 75 percent of specification requirements d. Meeting the triple-constraint requirements

c

Maturity in project management is the implementation of a (an) ___ such that there exists a high likelihood of repeated success: a. Executive champion b. Executive sponsor c. Standard methodology d. Policy and procedure manual e. None of the above

c

Organizational restructuring must consider the sociotechnical subsystem. The social system is represented by the organization's ___ * and the technical system includes the * to perform the tasks. a. Culture, technical personnel b. Personnel, materials and machines c. Nonhuman resources, technical resources d. Nontechnical personnel, technical personnel e. Culture, degree of specialization

c

Setting a project selection criteria and establishing project priorities is the responsibility of: a. The project manager b. Line managers c. Senior management d. Customers e. All of the above

c

The traditional structure has the disadvantage of: a. A single point of contact for the customer b. Too much formal authority for the project leader c. Slow response to customer's needs d. Too much direct project reporting e. All of the above are disadvantages

c

Theoretically, project management should work best if the project manager: a. Is the highest salaried individual on the project team b. Has complete authority over all assigned resources c. Views the line managers as peers d. Views the line managers as subordinates e. Reports higher up on the chain of command than the line managers

c

Which type of projects generally possesses highly detailed levels of planning? a. In-house R&D b. Management information systems c. Aerospace/defense/construction d. Pure engineering e. All of the above

c

Project management is designed to be: a. A unity of command methodology b. A methodology with maximum authority resting with the project manager c. A methodology with maximum responsibility resting with the line managers d. Shared accountability between project and line managers e. None of the above

d

Successful project management can be defined as achieving project objectives: a. Within time b. Withing cost c. At the desired performance/technology level d. All of the above e. a and b only

d

A project is a series of activities and tasks that: a. Have a specific objective b. Have defined start and end dates c. Have funding limits (if applicable) d. Consume resources e. All of the above.

e

A typical short-term project would be: a. Three months b. Six months c. One year d. Less than two years e. dependent on the company and/or industry

e

Accountability can be defined as: a. The power granted to individuals to make decisions b. The state of being totally answerable for the satisfactory completion of a specific project c. Authority plus responsibility d. All of the above e. b and c only

e

Company resources generally include all of the following except: a. Money b. People c. Equipment and facilities d. Information and technology e. All of the above are resources

e

Executives are often reluctant to properly support project management because: a. Of the authority that must be delegated downward b. Of the decision-making that must be delegated downward c. Of a fear of losing control of resources d . Of a poor understanding of project management e. All of the above

e

Formal project management may be required if: a. The activities are complex b. Cross-functional integration is required c. The environment is dynamic d. Their constraints are tight e. All of the avove

e

Improper project management can result in: a. Decreased profits b. Late introduction of new products into the marketplace c. An inability to cope with new technology d. Increased labor requirements e. All of the above

e

In which type of projects do organizations generally have a poor cost monitoring/control system? a. In-house R&D b. Small construction c. Management information systems d. Pure engineering e. All of the above

e

Organizational restructuring can cause a major change in the role of: a. Individuals in the formal organization b. Individuals in the informal organization c. The project sponsor d. All of the above e. a and b only

e

Project management restructuring may be beneficial in that it permits companies to: a. Accomplish tasks that could not be handled effectively by the traditional structure b. Eliminate executive involvement in projects c. Accomplish one-time activities with minimal organizational disruption d. All of the above e. a and c only

e

Project management restructuring may be detrimental if: a. Project priorities disrupt the ongoing business b. Competition for project talent disrupts the ongoing business c. Long range planning is disrupted because of short term projects d. Shifting people from project to project hinders their growth and development within their field of specialization e. All of the above

e

The boundaries of systems, programs, and projects were first defined by: a. Military organizations b. Government agencies c. Construction companies d. All of the above e. a and b only

e

The reporting level of the project manager is often dependent upon: a. The dollar value of the project b. Who the customer is c. The risk to the company d. Whether the organization is project or non-project-driven e. All of the above are possible

e

The role of the executive sponsor is to help the project manager. This help includes: a. Priority setting b. Assistance in conflict resolution c. Development of the master project plan d. Setting proper project objectives e. All of the above

e

The stool for success in project management has three legs. These legs include the: a. Project manager, customer and senior management b. Project manager, line managers, and functional employees c. Executive sponsor, functional employees, and the project manager d. Their project manager, the project manager's sponsor, and the customer's project sponsor e. None of the above

e

There are major differences between project managers and project champions. Project managers will___whereas project champions will___. a. Prefer working individually, prefer to work in groups b. Seek perfection, seek what is possible c. Manage things, manage people d. Seek to exceed objectives, seek to meet objectives e. Take risks, avoid risks be testing everything

e

10. One way to validate the successful implementation of project management is by looking at the number and magnitude of the conflicts requiring: a. Executive involvement b. Customer involvement c. Line management involvement d. Project manager involvement

a

5. In which organizational form is the project managers have the greatest likelihood of possessing reward power and have a wage-and-salary administration function? (The project and line manager are the same person.) a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

a

As organizations mature in project management, emphasis is placed on _____ project management. a. Formalized b. Informal c. Communication-free d. Customer-led e. None of the above

a

M/C A project is terminated early because the technology cannot be developed, and the resources are applied to another project that ends up being successful. Which of the following is true concerning the first project? a. The first project is regarded as a failure. b. The first project is a success if the termination is done early enough before additional resources are squandered. c. The first project is a success if the project manager gets promoted. d. The first project is a failure if the project manager gets reassigned to a less important project.

b

M/C Conflicts between the project and line managers are most often resolved by: a. The assistant project manager for conflicts b. The project sponsor c. The executive steering committee d. The Human Resources Department

b

M/C In which organization form would the project manager possess the greatest amount of authority? a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

b

M/C In which organizational form is the project manager least likely to share resources with other projects? a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

b

M/C In which organizational form is the worker in the greatest jeopardy of losing his or her job if the project gets canceled? a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

b

M/C Large projects are managed by: a. The executive sponsor b. The project or program office for that project c. The manager of project managers d. The director of marketing

b

M/C The major behavioral issue in getting an organization to accept and use a project management methodology effectively is: a. Lack of executive sponsorship b. Multiple boss reporting c. Inadequate policies and procedures d. Limited project management applications

b

M/C The most common threshold limits on when to use the project management methodology are: a. The importance of the customer and potential profitability b. The size of the project (i.e., $) and duration c. The reporting requirements and position of the sponsor d. The desires of management and functional boundaries crossed

b

M/C Which of the following would not be regarded as a secondary definition of project success? a. The customer is unhappy with the deliverable, but follow-on business is awarded based on effective customer relations. b. The deliverables are met but OSHA and EPA laws are violated. c. The customer is displeased with the performance, but you have developed a new technology that could generate many new products. d. The project's costs were overrun by 40 percent, but the customer funds an enhancement project.

b

Projects accomplished by one organization unit are projects. a. Individual b. Staff c. Special d. Matrix e. Any of the above

b

The primary advantage of systems is the ___ effect. a. Profitability b. Synergistic c. Extended d. Resource-reduction e. All of the above

b

Under most situations, functional employees that are assigned to a project take their technical direction from: a. The project manager b. Their line manager c. The project sponsor d. The customer's in-house representative e. All of the above

b

Which individual has to cope most frequently with an unplanned absence of resources, break-down of resources, loss of resources, and turnover of personnel? a. Project manager b. Line manager c. Senior management/sponsor d. Customer interface e. All of the above

b

Which of the following is not an advantage of the classical organizational form? a. Easier budgeting and cost control b. Multiple boss reporting c. Flexibility in the use of manpower d. Good technical control (i.e., supervision of technology) e. Well-established communication channels

b

Absolute factors that describe conditions that alternatives must meet are called: a. Objectives b. Requirements c. Selection criteria d. Constraints e. None of the above

d

Factor(s) that appear to accelerate the acceptance of project management include: a. TQM b. Concurrent engineering c. Empowerment d. All of the above e. a and c only

d

Forces that lead executives to the recognition for the need for project management are called: a. Imperative forces b. Leading indicators c. Forces of expectations d. Driving forces e. Perception factors

d

Forces that lead executives to the recognition for the need for project management are called: (Me a. Imperative forces b. Leading indicators c. Forces of expectations d. Driving forces e. Perception factors

d

Historically, project management resided only in _ a. Computer industries b. Health care industries c. Non-project-driven industries d. Project-driven industries e. Hybrid industries

d

Improper project administrative planning can create a situation that requires: a. A continuous revision and/or establishment of company and/or project policies, procedures and directives b. A continuous shifting in organizational responsibility and possible unnecessary restructuring c. A need of additional staff to support new knowledge and new skill requirements d. All of the above e. a and b only

d

M/C A project manager is far more likely to succeed if it is obvious to everyone that: a. The project manager has a command of technology. b. The project manager is a higher pay grade than everyone else on the team. c. The project manager is over 45 years of age. d. Executive management has officially appointed the project manager.

d

M/C A structured process for managing a multitude of projects is most commonly referred to as: a. Project management policies b. Project management guidelines c. Industry-wide templates d. A project management methodology

d

M/C During project staffing, the primary role of line management is: a. Approving the selection of the project manager b. Approving the selection of assistant project managers c. Assigning functional resources based upon who is available d. Assigning functional resources based upon availability and the skill set needed

d

M/C In staffing negotiations with the line manager, you identify a work package that requires a skill set of a grade 7 worker. The line manager informs you that he will assign a grade 6 and a grade 8 worker. You should: a. Refuse to accept the grade 6 because you are not responsible for training b. Ask for two different people c. Ask the sponsor to interfere d. Be happy! You have two workers.

d

M/C In which organizational form does the project manager often have the least amount of authority? a. Classical/traditional b. Projectized c. Strong matrix d. Weak matrix

d

M/C Project management methodologies often work best if they are structured around: a. Rigid policies b. Rigid procedures c. Minimal forms and checklists d. Life-cycle phases

d

M/C The most difficult decision for an executive sponsor to make at the end-of-phase review meeting is to: a. Allow the project to proceed to the next phase based upon the original objective b. Allow the project to proceed to the next phase based upon a revised objective c. Postpone making a decision until more information is processed d. Cancel the project

d

M/C You priced out a project at 1000 hours assuming a grade 7 employee would be assigned. The line manager assigns a grade 9 employee. This will result in a significant cost overrun. The project manager should: a. Reschedule the start date of the project based upon the availability of a grade 7 b. Ask the sponsor for a higher priority for your project c. Reduce the scope of the project d. See if the grade 9 can do the job in less time

d

Non-project driven organizations are characterized by: a. A minimum number of projects b. Decision delays because of the vertical chain of command c. More approvals being required d. All of the above e. a and c only

d

Organizational restructuring is often needed because of external factors such as: a. The marketplace has changed b. Technology has changed c. The competition has increased d . All of the above e. a and c only

d