Test Answers

An organization has developed a new product that it believes will be very popular during the coming holiday season and wants to make sure it sells as many units as possible.Which strategic operations decision should this organization make to meet this goal? Offering the product for a short period of time as a trial Analyzing fixed and variable costs for each unit to be produced Adding a second shift of workers to help meet customer demand Establishing a quality control plan in the existing manufacturing plant

Adding a second shift of workers to help meet customer demand.

Members of a team are stating their views about project goals.Which conflict management strategy should the team manager use if conflict arises? Ask questions Draw conclusions Evaluate what is being said Look for a motive

Ask questions

What is contingency leadership?

Contingency theory predicts that effective leaders are those whose personal traits match the needs of the situation in which they find themselves. Fiedler's contingency model of leadership focuses on the interaction of leadership style and the situation (later called situational control).4 His theory emphasizes three key areas: the leader's personality, the task itself, and whether the leader can exert control over the group.

A professional is widely recognized in an organization as an effective leader based on a track record of effective interaction with all staff members. The professional consistently handles any situation, positive or negative, that may evolve and does so without using systematic rewards or punishments.Which theory of leadership describes this professional's effectiveness as a manager? Trait Behavioral Contingency Transactional

Contingency, because not even rewards are used. It's just about the leaders ability to lead.

The chief operating officer (COO) for a technology company has slowly hired employees with the same vision of innovation, and this has resulted in a forward-thinking business culture. The COO anticipates threats in the market and is working to develop a company that is agile and able to quickly respond to competitor threats and market opportunities.Which leadership style is being used by this COO? Panacea Rational Continuous Anti-change

Continuous

What is a benefit of knowing and understanding how to leverage employee strengths? Creates a competitive advantage Reduces turnover Leads to knowledge of which employees are a reliable asset Leads to knowledge of which employees are high achievers

Creates a competitive advantage

A diverse group of employees representing every major functional area of the organization have been chosen to form a team to work on a transformational project. The team leader would like to minimize group conflict since the project has a very short time frame.Which strategy should be used to meet this goal? Explain to the group the goals management is looking for and ask that they support that effort to benefit the stakeholders Engage team members by having a broad and honest discussion about important issues to build team cohesion during the first meeting Choose a group leader who is capable of steering the team to a predetermined solution in order to save time Provide little information about the assignment during the first meeting to encourage creativity and encourage unanticipated solutions

Engage team members by having a broad and honest discussion about important issues to build team cohesion during the first meeting

A manager of a book store is seeking ways to motivate employees. The employees are currently paid below the average of employees in other book stores. The manager has read about Herzberg's two-factor theory and decides to use the information to inform the discussion.Which tactic will lead to increased employee satisfaction, according to this theory? Giving employees titles that are prestigious Raising salaries of employees Engaging the employees in developing goals Installing security cameras so employees feel safer

Engaging the employees in developing goals.

A U.S. manufacturer has decided to develop a new product by contracting with Chinese engineers that are most experienced with the product category.Which factor in human capital planning would be important in this contracting? Exchange rates Interest rates Competitor forecasts Economic forecasts

Exchange rates

A movie theater employee observes customers purchasing multiple bags of popcorn and assumes that the popcorn is fresh and tasty. The employee plans to communicate this information to the theater manager.Which element of perception is this employee using to prepare for communications with the manager? Selecting Organizing Interpreting Reflecting

Interpreting

A manager of a family medicine practice is working on the schedule in anticipation of the upcoming flu season. From the previous year's schedule, the manager has solid data to forecast the need for this year and has already drawn up a schedule with an estimate of how many full-time employees will be needed to cover the time period. The manager also has a list of qualified employees who can cover those shifts.What data does the manager need to calculate to ensure employees are available to meet the demand? List of planned vacation days List of calendar holidays List of patients that had the flu last year List of patients that had the flu shot last year

List of planned vacation days

A new chief executive officer (CEO) is reviewing the duties of the position. The CEO is especially concerned about meeting the responsibilities associated with the strategic functions of the organization.Which activity will be part of these functions? Marketing management Contracting with vendors Increasing website traffic Being a good corporate citizen

Marketing management.

A manufacturer of solar panels hires a new chief executive officer (CEO) who has experience researching and developing diesel engines for small cars. The CEO starts a new initiative. Almost immediately, the employees begin complaining about the new initiative and petition the board of directors to fire the CEO.Which barrier to change is this manufacturer experiencing? Lack of infrastructure or training Poor transformational leadership skills Misalignment to the organizational mission Dislike of organizational leadership

Misalignment to the organizational mission. SOLAR vs DIESEL.

A company's CEO is discussing a succession management plan for key leadership positions. Which tactic should the company employ to support this plan? Offer team training to support cohesiveness among team members Provide technical training on company quality standards and policies Increase soft skills training in communication and relationship building Offer managerial training and a roadmap to high-performing employees

Offer managerial training and a roadmap to high-performing employees

A company undergoes a major change and seeks to reduce barriers to that change. Management ensures that the new culture of the organization is deeply ingrained by sharing stories, providing ongoing professional development, and making everyone feel appreciated.Which form of culture was used? Adhocracy Hierarchical Market Organizational

Organizational

A hotel manager is recording guest preferences to improve the guest experience and plans to communicate the preferences to regional leadership.Which element of perception is this manager using to prepare for communications with the regional leadership? Selecting Organizing Interpreting Reflecting

Organizing

The manager for a corporate marketing department first tells employees that they will be able to work from home one or two days a week. The manager changes the policy again a day later and again a week later. The marketing staff is confused by the conflicting information and begins to resent the manager.Which barrier to change is this company experiencing? Poor transformational leadership skills to guide change Fear that the culture of the organization may change Lack of infrastructure or training to support the change Misalignment between the change and the mission of the organization

Poor transformational leadership skills to guide change.

A company wants to change its culture so employees are more creative through an open and more accommodating environment. Which component of culture does this represent? Paradigm Control systems Symbols and logos Rituals and routines

Rituals and routines

Which element is part of a manufacturing budget? Cost to develop new customers Training costs for the company Overhead to operate a cafeteria Salaries for production managers

Salaries for production managers

During a conversation with a colleague, a business manager shares information about marital problems that led to missing work on occasion.Which type of communication is evident during this interaction? Intrapersonal Self-disclosure Transactional Callouts

Self-disclosure

The chief operating officer (COO) for a large manufacturing firm wants to implement a number of business process reengineering procedures in an effort to reduce manufacturing time.Which component must this COO communicate to leadership at this stage? Strategy Mission Timeline Outcome

Strategy

What is the purpose behind comparing actual revenue and expenses to expected revenue and expenses? To engage stakeholders To measure inventory turnover To comply with organizational goals To identify performance variations

To identify performance variations.

Why is it important to use the project budgeting process to create stakeholder buy-in? To judge the value of the project To get the project work completed To include data on project competitors To obtain necessary project resources

To obtain necessary project resources

What is transactional leadership?

Transactional theories of leadership are based on an exchange between the leader and the follower. The relationship is a positive one and benefits both parties. To work, the goals of the organization and the individual must be aligned. The individual receives positive reinforcement when the purposes of the organization are met

An organization is modifying its structure to be more agile and responsive to the changing needs of its customers. The organization is ready to implement the change and is now listing the variables it may encounter during the actual change process.Which barrier must this organization face at this point in the process? Disconnecting from the mission Changes in the economy Top-down decision-making Underestimating scale and scope

Underestimating scale and scope