Supervision Exam 1-4

____ departmentalization is a hybrid type of departmentalization in which personnel from several specialties are brought together to complete limited-life tasks. a. Matrix b. Product c. Functional

a. Matrix

In the wagon wheel organizational structure, the _____ form the hub of the wheel. a. customers b. suppliers c. middle managers d. top-level managers

a. customers

In _____ organizations, middle and lower levels of management make broader, more important decisions about their units. a. decentralized b. one-person c. tightly controlled d. centralized

a. decentralized

The process of eliminating unnecessary levels of management, and thus reducing the number of staff personnel and supervisors, is called: a. downsizing. b. decentralization. c. partnering. d. delegation.

a. downsizing.

A supervisor's relationship with governmental authorities is a type of _____. a. external relationship b. employee-to-manager relationship c. personal relationship d. peer relationship

a. external relationship

In deciding between two alternatives, the supervisor should choose the one that: a. gives the greatest payoff at the lowest cost. b. gives the least payoff at the highest cost. c. gives the greatest payoff at the highest cost. d. gives the least payoff at the lowest cost.

a. gives the greatest payoff at the lowest cost.

If there is only one alternative, _____. a. no decision to needs to be made. b. the rank-and-file employees make the decision for the whole organization c. the outcome is always undesirable. d. it is best for the supervisor to take no action against the problem

a. no decision to needs to be made.

The _____ principle states that everyone in an organization should report to and be accountable to only one boss for performing a given activity. a. unity of command b. functional authority c. span of control d. limited line authority

a. unity of command

Which of the following is true of the basic organizational activities? a. Financing involves the providing and using of funds to produce and distribute an organization's product. b. Marketing involves the manufacture of products or services of the organization. c. Operations involves the selling and distribution of the organizations' products in the defined market. d. Marketing activities are not performed in small companies and companies that do not work for profit.

a. Financing involves the providing and using of funds to produce and distribute an organization's product.

Typically, _____ spend a larger proportion of their time in leading, that is, "working with their people directly." a. supervisory managers b. company directors c. chief executive officers d. top managers

a. supervisory managers

_____ carry out the primary activities of a business such as producing or selling products and/or services. a. Staff personnel b. Line personnel c. Chief executive officers d. Chairpersons

b. Line personnel

Which of the following is an advantage of functional departmentalization? a. Coordination among functions become easier as the organization grows. b. There is centralization of the organization's expertise. c. Each manager oversees a large variety of functions, so it is easy to train managers to take over the top position. d. Each individual in the organization takes responsibility for the total performance.

b. There is centralization of the organization's expertise.

All of the following are benefits of downsizing EXCEPT: a. tremendous cost reductions. b. constant and close supervision on each level. c. improved management of operations. d. higher profits.

b. constant and close supervision on each level.

When a quality control specialist tells a production manager to adjust a machine to increase the quality of the product, he or she is using: a. unity of command. b. functional authority. c. line authority. d. advisory authority.

b. functional authority.

The unity of command principle: a. prevents line employees from coming in contact with staff personnel. b. gives the employee a single manager to turn to when a problem arises. c. reduces organizational morale. d. increases conflicts between line and staff personnel.

b. gives the employee a single manager to turn to when a problem arises.

In a(n) _____ organizational form, "helping hands" symbolize that all other levels of the organization are there to help and support the sales personnel to better serve and satisfy the customer. a. wagon wheel b. inverted pyramid c. "Hands On" d. network

b. inverted pyramid

One disadvantage of product departmentalization is that: a. lower management assumes a greater burden of establishing effective coordination. b. it requires more personnel and material resources. c. there is less coordination of functions at the product division level. d. it results in an increased threat from competition.

b. it requires more personnel and material resources.

Which of the following management functions is performed more by top management? a. Controlling b. Planning c. Organizing d. Leading

b. Planning

Which of the following is true of managers? a. Top managers must make more decisions more often. b. Supervisors direct employees' behavior toward achieving their own goals. c. Employees look to top managers for more direction, guidance, and protection than do subordinates of managers at lower levels. d. The lower the level of management, the smaller the span of management.

b. Supervisors direct employees' behavior toward achieving their own goals.

Which of the following levels of management represents an organization's primary link with most of its employees? a. Top management b. Supervisory management c. Middle management d. Chief executive level

b. Supervisory management

_____ particularly need strong conceptual skills because changes affecting the organization tend to be more important at their level than at other managerial levels. a. Middle managers b. Top managers c. Intermediate managers d. Supervisory managers

b. Top managers

Emotional intelligence involves the use of _____ skills along with human relations skills. a. technical b. conceptual c. administrative d. human relations

b. conceptual

Planning is most closely related to the management function of: a. financing. b. controlling. c. accounting. d. implementing.

b. controlling

Ending a team meeting because of diminished energy/interest by participants is an example of the use of _____ of a manager. a. technical intelligence b. emotional intelligence c. negotiation skills d. resource allocation skills

b. emotional intelligence

An organization's _____ defines the purpose the organization serves and identifies its services, products, and customers. a. code b. mission c. norm d. patent

b. mission

Employees who violate an organizational mandate that states that "Employees who violate the no-smoking rule are automatically discharged" are going against an organizational: a. objective. b. rule. c. policy. d. procedure.

b. rule

The lower the level of management, _____. a. the lesser the managers spend time interacting with their subordinates b. the wider the manager's span of management c. the less frequently the manager needs to make decisions d. the higher the manager's authority

b. the wider the manager's span of management

Which of the following types of plans is often discarded after use? a. A procedure b. A standing plan c. A budget d. A policy

c. A budget

_____ means granting employees authority to make key decisions within their enlarged areas of responsibility. a. Acknowledgement b. Manipulation c. Empowerment d. Resource allocation

c. Empowerment

According to the Crawford Slip technique, _____ is the ability to use free association to generate or classify ideas in categories. a. synergy b. tactility c. flexibility d. fluency

c. flexibility

A _____ is one which is routine and repetitive. a. linear decision b. reflexive decision c. programmed decision d. non-programmed decision

c. programmed decision

The _____ is the number of immediate employees a supervisor can supervise effectively. a. span of decision making b. span of leadership c. span of management d. span of organization

c. span of management

The number of people a given manager directly supervises is called the: a. division of labor. b. unity of command. c. span of management. d. chain of command.

c. span of management.

Besides technical skills, which of the following skills does a person require in order to be an effective trainer? a. Negotiation skills b. Resource allocation skills c. Human relations skills d. Administrative skills

c. Human relations skills

Which of the following statements is true of decision making? a. Decisions should never contain an element of uncertainty. b. The possibility of doing nothing is not an alternative in the decision-making process. c. If a given event is inevitable, a decision need not be made. d. A decision is made only when there is a single solution to a problem.

c. If a given event is inevitable, a decision need not be made.

_____ are inflexible and must be obeyed. a. Strategies b. Projects c. Rules d. Policies

c. Rules

An organization's main objective is to: a. fund the government to support all social causes. b. acquire companies that make similar products and establish a monopoly in the market. c. produce a product or provide a service. d. prevent the export of its products.

c. produce a product or provide a service.

According to Myers and Briggs, people who rely primarily on _____ tend to be patient, practical, and realistic. a. thinking b. intuition c. sensing d. feeling

c. sensing

_____ is a good technique to use to generate a full set of alternatives. a. Marketing b. Testing the communication systems c. Checking out office rumors d. Brainstorming

d. Brainstorming

Which of the following is a planning step that immediately follows the setting of an objective or goal by a manager? a. Implementing the plan and monitoring its implementation b. Setting an alternative objective as a backup strategy c. Developing a systematic approach, or plan, to achieve the objective d. Identifying and assessing present and future conditions affecting the objective

d. Identifying and assessing present and future conditions affecting the objective

The authority of most staff departments to serve and suggest ideas to line departments is called: a. functional authority. b. line authority. c. network authority. d. advisory authority.

d. advisory authority.

Over the years, companies have tended to: a. narrow their span of control at all levels. b. create new unity of command principles. c. ignore the principle of span of control, as it is outdated. d. broaden their span of control at all levels.

d. broaden their span of control at all levels.

The _____ is used on highly complex, one-time projects. a. contingency method b. Gantt chart c. PERT network chart d. critical path method

d. critical path method

A(n) _____ is a network with broad goals at the top level of the organization and narrower goals for individual divisions, departments, or employees. a. unified plan b. management hierarchy c. organizational planning body d. hierarchy of objectives

d. hierarchy of objectives

Anticipating alternative future situations and developing courses of action for each alternative is referred to as _____ planning. a. diverse b. operational c. institutional d. scenario

d. scenario

Contingency planning means: a. allotting more time for problem-solving. b. solving problems after they happen with the best possible solution. c. comparing current productivity levels with desired productivity levels and planning strategies to achieve desired results. d. thinking in advance about possible problems and having anticipated solutions.

d. thinking in advance about possible problems and having anticipated solutions.

Which of the following is true of planning at different management levels? a. Planning done at the supervisory level is more complex and involves a higher degree of uncertainty than planning done at other management levels. b. Supervisors plan the growth rate of the organization. c. Middle managers are involved in long-term planning, and they plan for 5 or more years. d. Top managers are more involved in strategic planning.

d. Top managers are more involved in strategic planning.

If actual performance does not conform to planned performance, decisions must be made about how best to bring them together; this involves exercising the management function of: a. centralizing. b. leading. c. downsizing. d. controlling.

d. controlling.

Human relations skills are most needed in performing the _____ function of managers because they involve communicating with, motivating, coaching, empowering, and facilitating employees, as well as relating to other people. a. accounting b. subsidizing c. financing d. leading

d. leading

Which of the following management levels is involved with short-range plans of 1 day, 1 week, or 1 to 6 months? a. Presidents b. Chief executive officers c. Top managers d. Supervisory managers

d. supervisory managers