ML 350- Final Exam (True/False)

A key element of the strategic approach to human resource management argues that human resource management is NOT a matching process and managers should avoid attempts to match or integrate employees to organization's strategy and goals.

False

A systematic process of gathering and interpreting information about the essential duties refers to job design.

False

A vertical structure that emphasizes specialization and centralization is appropriate when environmental uncertainty is high.

False

According to both research and managerial experience, intuitive decisions are best and will always work out.

False

According to the BCG Matrix, the cash cow has a large market share in a rapidly growing industry.

False

According to the classical model of decision making, managers' searches for alternatives are limited because of human, information, and resource constraints.

False

An SBU stands for Star Business Unit.

False

Benchmark control focuses on the quantity of an end production or service.

False

Brainwriting refers to the tendency of people in groups to suppress contrary opinions.

False

Business-level strategies include all of the major functions, including finance, research and development, marketing, and manufacturing.

False

Certainty in the environment is usually associated with decentralization.

False

Coaching is when an experienced employee guides and supports a less-experienced employee.

False

Core competence is the plan of action that prescribes resource allocation and other activities for dealing with the environment.

False

Executives acquire information about external opportunities and strengths from a variety of reports, including budgets financial ratios, profit and loss statements, and surveys of employee attitudes and satisfaction.

False

Exit interviews are valuable HR tools only if the departing employee leaves voluntarily.

False

Fortunately, today, part-time and temporary workers are not often used by most companies.

False

Front-line managers have the final responsibility for strategic planning.

False

In order to protect an organization's mission, the human resource functions are removed from strategic goals.

False

In the divisional approach, coordination across divisions is great whereas coordination within divisions is often poor.

False

In the implementation stage, decision makers gather information that tells them how well the decision was implemented and whether it was effective in achieving its goals.

False

Job description is the process of determining the skills, abilities, and other attributes a person needs to perform a particular job.

False

Making a choice is the most significant part of the decision-making process.

False

Most organizations today discourage managers to delegate authority to the lower levels given the challenges to meet customer needs and adapt to the environment.

False

Nonprogrammed decisions require six steps, however, programmed decisions being structured and well understood require only one step.

False

People who work for an organization, but not on a permanent or full-time basis are called "employees of choice."

False

Quick response to external changes is an advantage of vertical functional structure.

False

Strategic thinking is more important- profit businesses than for non-profit organizations.

False

Structured interviews allow the applicant a great deal of freedom in determining the course of the conversation, with the interviewer taking care not to influence the person's remarks.

False

The BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix evaluates SBUs with respect to their business growth rate and geographical location.

False

The behavioral style is often adopted by managers who like to consider complex solutions based on as much data as they can gether.

False

The duty to perform the task or activity an employee has been assigned is called accountability.

False

The essence of formulating strategy is choosing how the organization will conform to become like its key competitors in the industry.

False

The functional structure is appropriate when the primary goal is innovative and flexibility.

False

The horizontal structure provides traditional control within functional departments, and the vertical structure provides coordination across departments.

False

The most effective managers are consistent in using their own decision style rather than shifting among styles.

False

The three levels of strategy pertains to the organization as a whole.

False

Two employees in Stacey's department quit which is normal for her department. She is faced with the decision to fill these positions. This would be considered a nonprogrammed decision.

False

Uncertainty means that a decision has clear-cut goals, and that good information is available, but the future outcomes associated with each alternative are subject to chance.

False

Unfortunately, today's organizations offer universal, "one-size-fits-all" benefits packages, rather than pay-for-performance.

False

When an organization uses a differentiation strategy, it strives for internal efficiency.

False

With a matrix structure, the entire organization is made up of horizontal teams that coordinate their work and work directly with customers to accomplish the organization's goals.

False

A mentor is an experienced employee who guides and supports a less-experienced employee.

True

A project manager is a person responsible for coordinating the activities of several departments for the completion of a specific project.

True

A situation where the goals to be achieved or the problem to be solved is unclear, alternatives are difficult to define, and information about outcomes is unavailable refers to ambiguity.

True

A standard for performance is included in an organization's overall strategic plan to compare organizational activities against.

True

A system of governing an organization so that the interests of corporate owners are protected refers to corporate governance.

True

A tall structure is a management structure characterized by an overall narrow span of management and a relatively large number of hierarchical levels.

True

All managers are involved in human resource management.

True

An exit interview is an interview conducted with departing employees to determine the reason for their termination.

True

Authority is the right to use resources, make decisions and issue orders in an organization.

True

Brainstorming uses face-to-face interactive group to spontaneously suggest a wide range of alternatives for decision making.

True

Challenging assignments and creative development opportunities are part of the new social contract between employees and employer.

True

Communication is one of the most important methods for effective strategy execution.

True

Competency-based pay systems are also call skill-based pay systems.

True

Corporate-level strategy pertains to the organization as a whole.

True

Differentiation, cost leadership, and focus are three of Porter's competitive strategies.

True

For successful execution, alignment of everyone in the organization must occur.

True

Groupthink refers to the tendency of people in groups to suppress contrary opinions.

True

In a geographic-based structure, all functions in a specific country or region report to the same division manager.

True

In strategy implementation, leadership is the ability to influence people to adopt the new behaviors needed.

True

Individuals with a conceptual decision-making style are more likely socially oriented than those with an analytical style.

True

Intuition is a quick apprehension of a decision situation based on past experience but without conscious thought.

True

It is okay for a job application to ask whether the applicant has a legal right to work in the United States.

True

Justifying past decisions is a common bias of managers.

True

Line departments perform tasks that reflect the organization's primary goal and mission.

True

Managers focus on the various elements of the scorecard to set targets, evaluate performance, and guide discussion about what further actions need to be taken.

True

One major disadvantage of the virtual network approach is the lack of hands-on control.

True

Recruiting activities can be divided into (1) internal recruiting including "promote from within" policies, and (2) external recruiting including the use of headquarters.

True

Research has shown that strategic thinking and planning positively affects firm's performance and financial success.

True

Sexual harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

True

Step one in the managerial decision-making process is recognition of decision requirement.

True

Strategic partnerships are the current trend, rather than mergers and acquisitions.

True

The administration and implementation of the strategic plan is strategic execution.

True

The administrative model of decision making describes how managers actually make decisions in difficult situations.

True

The combination of benefits received and costs paid by the customer refers to value.

True

The divisional structure encourages decentralization.

True

The dog, according to the BCG Matrix, is a poor performer.

True

The framework in which the organization defines how tasks are divided, resources are deployed and departments are coordinated is called organizational structure.

True

The interaction of Production and Sales working together to produce profit greater than the total of both working separately is an example of synergy.

True

The matrix approach can be highly effective in a complex, rapidly changing environment in which the organization needs to be flexible and adaptable.

True

The modular approach is similar to virtual networking.

True

The number of employees reporting to a supervisor is his or her span of management.

True

The process of determining the value of jobs within an organization through an examination of job content refers to job evaluation.

True

The process of forming alliances among managers is called coalition building.

True

The pure functional structure is appropriate for achieving internal efficiency goals.

True

The question mark exists in a new, rapidly growing industry but has only a small market share, according to the BCG Matrix.

True

The systematic process of regulating organizational activities to make them consistent with the expectations in plans, targets, and standards of performance refers to organizational control.

True

Top managers and chief executives have the final responsibility for strategic planning.

True

Unrelated diversification occurs when an organization expands into a totally new line of business.

True