Managing people and work chapter 1

Planning in an organization involves

developing strategies for how to achieve high performance

Following an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the CEO of a petroleum company took the responsibility for correcting the environmental damages caused by his company. According to Mintzberg's typology, in doing so, he is performing the role of a

disturbance handler.

Organizations increase their _______ when they reduce the quantity of resources (such as people and raw materials) they use to produce goods or services.

efficiency

According to Mintzberg's typology, a manager who decides to expand internationally to obtain new customers is a(n)

entrepreneur

Middle managers are

expected to make specific decisions about the production of goods and services.

José is the manager of Sandy's Candy, a popular confectioner in Illinois. He is in charge of outlining future organizational goals to employees at company meetings and emphasizing the ethical guidelines that employees are expected to follow at work. According to Mintzberg, he is performing the role of a

figurehead

Supervisors are also referred to as _______ managers.

first-line

A company with a high level of efficiency and a low level of effectiveness is most likely to produce a

high-quality product that customers do not want.

Beto, who supervises 12 people in his department, recently met with his superiors to discuss his performance as a supervisor in controlling the behavior of his direct reports. Getting this feedback will help Beto develop his _______ skills.

human

The general ability to understand, alter, lead, and control the behavior of other workers is a _______ skill.

human

Organizational performance is most likely to

increase with an increase in efficiency and effectiveness.

_______ is the process of creating new or improved products that customers want.

innovation

Mei is a manager who uses her energetic personality and considerable persuasive skills to coordinate people and groups so their activities and efforts are in harmony. Mei exhibits the managerial skill of

leading

Which managerial task does a manager perform when he/she articulates a clear organizational vision for the organization's members to accomplish?

leading

A company that has a high level of efficiency and effectiveness is most likely to produce a

quality product customers want and at a price they can afford.

Emily is a programmer for ABC Company who is able to work from her home. Emily is considered a(n) ______ worker

remote

The public relations manager of an oil company explained what the company intended to do to tackle the threat to marine life caused by an oil spill when one of its tankers crashed. According to Mintzberg, the public relations manager is playing the role of a

spokesperson.

Huan, a manager, is working with her company's labor union to reach an agreement about pay increases and benefits for her employees. She is performing the role of negotiator, which is a(n) _______ responsibility, according to Mintzberg.

decisional

Top managers are primarily concerned with

deciding which goods a company should produce.

_______ measures the appropriateness of the goals selected by management for the organization and the degree to which the organization accomplishes these goals.

Effectiveness

_______ is the measure of how productively an organization uses its resources to achieve a goal.

Efficiency

_______ is a management technique that involves giving employees more authority and responsibility over how they perform their work activities.

Empowerment

Art Place makes and sells paintings, sculptures, and small craft items. Its products meet consumer needs, but they are often too expensive to buy. What is most likely to be true about the company?

Its product manager achieves company goals but uses resources inadequately.

Jack's Sprouts markets canned vegetables. In recent years, Jack's Sprouts' business has declined considerably owing to a weak focus on quality. Holding the managers responsible for the declining sales figures, the CEO of Jack's Sprouts decided to lay off those who lacked effectiveness and were inefficient. Which employee is most likely to be laid off by Jack's Sprouts' CEO?

Kermit, who spends lavishly on resources and is averse to taking responsibilities

Barbara's Bangles outsells other jewelry designers in her town because it produces jewelry more efficiently and effectively than its competitors. This demonstrates the company's

competitive advantage.

Managers are _______ when they evaluate how well the organization is accomplishing its goals.

controlling

A car parts company decides to discontinue the production of its lowest-selling products and instead focuses on its areas of expertise. The company innovated a new automobile product with unique value. This is an example of using its

core competency.

One way to improve productivity is by _______, which gives employees the range of skills they need to perform different tasks.

cross-training

When performing the managerial task of planning, managers

decide which goals the organization will pursue and what strategies will achieve those goals.

The three steps in planning are deciding which goals to pursue, deciding what strategies to adopt to attain those goals, and

deciding how to best allocate resources to attain those goals.

A large airline appointed an engineer to be the link between the company's research and development department and the government contractor who is sponsoring the designing and prototyping of a new fighter airplane. According to Mintzberg, the engineer appointed by the airline is in the role of a

liaison

What is a consequence of restructuring?

loss of jobs

Parul's job is to use planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources to achieve the goals of her company. Parul is performing the four essential _______ tasks.

management

The outcome of the control process is the ability to

measure performance accurately and regulate organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

You have been put in charge of a manufacturing plant's new product line and need to choose first-line managers to supervise the line's workers. What level of manager are you?

middle

According to Mintzberg's typology, a manager who establishes agreements with other organizations about pooling company resources while working on joint projects is a(n)

negotiator

A(n) _______ is a collection of people who work together and coordinate their actions to achieve a wide variety of goals.

organization

Sirita's manager is evaluating how well she uses available resources to satisfy customers and whether she is accomplishing organizational goals. This relates to Sirita's

organizational performance.

In which managerial task are work relationships structured to facilitate the interaction and cooperative efforts of organizational members, all of whom strive to achieve organizational goals?

organizing

Maria, the HR manager of a landscape design company, has been asked to increase the level of efficiency at the workplace. She decides to restructure work relationships within the company and categorize people into departments according to the kinds of job-specific tasks they perform. Which managerial task is Maria performing?

organizing

Managers select appropriate goals for the organization while performing the _______ managerial task.

planning

Top managers are

tasked with cross-departmental responsibility.

Mario is being promoted to the position of manager of the engineering division in his company because of his knowledge and his ability to perform all the functions required in his field. In this instance, Mario is being promoted because of his _______ skills.

technical

_______ skills are job-specific skills required to perform a particular type of work or occupation at a high level.

technical

A core competency is

the specific set of departmental skills, knowledge, and experience that allows one organization to outperform another.

What technique involves organizing employees into quality control teams so they can find better ways to perform their jobs?

total quality management

A struggling manufacturing company recently developed a new vision and radical new strategies to reduce the number of products sold in order to reduce costs. This strategy worked and the company remained in business. The company utilized _______ by developing the new vision and strategies.

turnaround management