Business Aurora University midterm 1020

Protectionism is the use of trade barriers to protect local companies and their workers from ____. Select one: a. patent violations b. international unions c. trademark infringements d. foreign competition e. all of these

D

Which of the following statements about whistleblowing is true? Select one: a. Whistleblowing is very difficult for most people to do. b. Potential whistleblowers often fear that they will be punished. c. Many federal and state laws protect the rights of whistleblowers. d. All of these statements about whistleblowing are true. e. Whistleblowing refers to reporting others' ethics violations.

D

The three steps in the basic process of managing organizational change outlined by Kurt Lewin are ____. Select one: a. change definition, change mobilization, and change acceptance b. synthesizing, motivating, and rewarding c. organizational change, departmental change, and individual change d. change definition, change motivation, and change e. unfreezing, change intervention, and refreezing

E

Various persons or groups with a legitimate interest in a company's actions are called ____. Select one: a. gatekeepers b. indirect investors c. shareholders d. boundary spanners e. stakeholders

E

A ____, also called a SWOT analysis for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, is an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in an organization's internal environment and the opportunities and threats in its external environment. Select one: a. situational analysis b. market audit c. differentiation analysis d. competitive advantage e. firm-level strategy

A

A manager who gets work done with a minimum of effort is increasing the _________ of the organization Select one: a. efficiency b. productivity c. synergy d. functionality e. effectiveness

A

A(n) ____ function is an activity that contributes directly to creating or selling the company's products. Select one: a. line b. staff c. organic d. mechanistic e. charted

A

According to Michael Porter, five industry forces determine an industry's overall attractiveness and potential for long-term profitability. Which of the following is one of those forces Porter identified? Select one: a. bargaining power of suppliers b. span of management c. existing benchmarks d. existence of complementary products e. organizational structure

A

An expatriate is someone who ____. Select one: a. lives and works outside of his or her own country b. believes strongly in nationalization c. desires to be employed in a country outside of his or her own d. is unhappy with his or her present residence e. claims dual citizenship

A

Management by objectives (MBO) is a management technique often used to develop and carry out ____. Select one: a. tactical plans b. operational plans c. hierarchical plans d. single-use plans e. standing plans

A

Sodima is a French cooperative that owns the name, the trade secrets, and the patents on Yoplait yogurt. General Mills pays Sodima for the right to sell Yoplait yogurt in the United States. This is an example of ____. Select one: a. licensing b. direct investment c. a strategic alliance d. exporting e. a global joint venture

A

Which of the following is an example of a stakeholder group that an organization must satisfy to assure long-term survival? Select one: a. all of these b. customers c. governments d. employees e. suppliers

A

____ is a feeling of intrinsic motivation, in which workers perceive their work to have meaning and perceive themselves to be competent, having an impact, and capable of self-determination. Select one: a. Empowerment b. Autonomy c. Eutonomy d. Reciprocity e. Motivational assertion

A

A situational analysis for a manufacturer of pet food might reveal which of the following facts____. Select one: a. a growing dog and cat population in the United States b. all of these c. a growing demand for gourmet pet food d. scientific research that indicates dogs need less calcium in their diet e. a less expensive, more nutritious imported brand of pet food

B

According to the text, which of the following is a pitfall of planning? Select one: a. the requirement for expensive employee training before plans can be effectively implemented b. a false sense of certainty based on faulty assumptions c. outsourcing d. the acceptance of sacrificing solutions e. the inability of organizational line personnel to accept the long-term benefit of planning

B

An organization that has increased the number of different tasks that a worker performs within one particular job has engaged in ____. Select one: a. job specialization b. job enlargement c. employee specialization d. task aggregation e. job rotation

B

Employees tend to feel a greater sense of ownership and responsibility in companies with organizational cultures characterized by: Select one: a. consistency b. employee involvement c. delegation d. managerial empathy e. adaptability

B

Jennifer Lee works in the public relations department of a large pharmaceutical company. It is her job to write speeches for the company's top managers, to issue press and video releases, to host plant tours, and to be involved in community affairs. Lee has ____. Select one: a. linear power b. staff authority c. line authority d. empowerment obligations e. mechanistic authority

B

Managers who train and supervise the performance of nonmanagerial employees, and who are directly responsible for producing the company's products or services, are categorized as: Select one: a. team leaders b. first-line managers c. middle managers d. top managers e. general managers

B

Roughly 70 percent of all reengineering projects fail because ____. Select one: a. newly hired employees cannot internalize the organizational culture b. of how the process affects people in the workplace c. satisfactory benchmarks cannot be located d. staff personnel must be given line authority to effectively implement reengineering e. the reengineering process requires the organization's vision to be changed

B

Significant cost reductions, layoffs of employees, closing of poorly performing stores, offices, or manufacturing plants, or closing or selling entire lines of products or services would be characteristic of a ____ strategy. Select one: a. portfolio b. retrenchment c. firm-level d. stability e. grand

B

Synergy occurs when ____. Select one: a. a system deteriorates b. two or more subsystems working together can produce more than they can working apart c. productivity increases as a result of workers' belief that management really cares about them d. workers deliberately slow down their pace or restrict their work outputs e. a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces is created by an organization

B

Technology is the __________ used to transform inputs (raw materials, information, etc.) into outputs (goods or services). Select one: a. plans and machinery b. knowledge, tools, and techniques c. knowledge and machinery d. tools and techniques e. strategy and tactics

B

Which of the following is a characteristic of successful organizational cultures? Select one: a. involvement b. all of these c. adaptability d. consistency e. a clear mission

B

Which of the following represents the correct sequence for the phase model of globalization? Select one: a. home country sales; exporting; job ventures; strategic alliances, and direct investment b. exporting; cooperative contracts; strategic alliances; wholly-owned affiliates c. exporting; wholly-owned affiliates; cooperative contracts; strategic alliances d. exporting; strategic alliances; cooperative contracts; wholly-owned affiliates e. exporting; cooperative contracts; wholly-owned affiliates; strategic alliances

B

____ is a fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, quality, service, and speed. Select one: a. Reciprocating interdependence b. Reengineering c. Pooling interdependence d. Manufacturing conversion e. Repositioning

B

____ is the degree to which a job gives workers the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs. Select one: a. Skill feedback b. Autonomy c. Skill variety d. Task identity e. Task significance

B

After six months as a manager, new managers typically believe their job is: Select one: a. to provide negative reinforcement b. people development c. to solve problems for subordinates d. to exercise formal authority e. to maintain control and avoid delegation

C

Downsizing has thinned the ranks of hospital personnel. Hospital employees were adamantly resisting any more change. What method could hospital administrators use to manage this resistance? Select one: a. educate employees about the need for change b. let employees discuss and agree on who will do what after change occurs c. any or all of these d. provide significant managerial support e. let the employees participate in implementing the change process

C

In 2000, the United States imposed a tax on all steel imports in an effort to protect about 5,000 jobs. This tax is an example of a(n) ____. Select one: a. import duty b. voluntary import restraint c. tariff d. financial boycott e. subsidy

C

In terms of the chain of command, ____ authority is the right to command immediate subordinates, while ____ authority is the right to advise but not command others who are not subordinates. Select one: a. internal; external b. departmental; functional c. line; staff d. functional; expert e. centralized; decentralized

C

Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. introduced the first major production mountain bike in 1980. Two-thirds of its profits come from the sale of mountain bikes. It is recognized worldwide for its ability to design and produce superior mountain bikes. This ability is its ____. Select one: a. organizational advantage b. relative competence c. distinctive competence d. superlative advantage e. customer sustainability

C

The ____ is a regional trade agreement that liberalizes trade between countries more than any other such agreement. Select one: a. Maastricht Treaty of Europe b. Free Trade Area of South America c. North American Free Trade Agreement d. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation agreement e. Association of South East Nations

C

The manager of a company that produces a soy-based sausage wants to conduct a competitive analysis. During this competitive analysis, he should look at ____. Select one: a. Morningstar, a company that has a complete line of soy-based products b. individuals who make their own sausage c. all of these d. companies that produce other brands of pork-based sausage e. companies that produce other forms of breakfast meats like bacon

C

Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of S.M.A.R.T. goals? Select one: a. Timely b. Realistic c. Synergistic d. Measurable e. Attainable

C

Which of the following is an organizational impediment to creativity in a work environment? Select one: a. bias toward the status quo (i.e., a conservative environment) b. internal conflict c. all of these d. power struggles e. rigid management structures

C

Which of the following is one of the steps in the process that managers use to make sense of their changing environments? Select one: a. behavioristic relations b. perceptual re-engagement c. acting on threats and opportunities d. environmental laddering e. creating strategic windows

C

____ is a method of investment in which a company builds a new business or buys an existing business in a foreign country. Select one: a. A joint venture b. A strategic alliance c. Direct foreign investment d. A global new venture e. Direct exporting

C

_______ are the assets, capabilities, processes, information, and knowledge that an organization uses to improve its effectiveness and efficiency, to create and sustain competitive advantage, and to fulfill a need or solve a problem. Select one: a. competitive advantages b. strategic stances c. resources d. distinctive competencies e. grand strategies

C

A sustainable competitive advantage exists for an organization when other companies have tried unsuccessfully to duplicate the advantage and ____. Select one: a. those companies have been prohibited from duplicating the advantage by federal law b. the organization has a follower strategic stance c. the organization operates in the international marketplace d. those companies have, for the moment, stopped trying to duplicate the advantage e. the organization is able to implement exclusive distribution

D

An organization engaged in __________ is searching the environment for important events or issues that might affect an organization. Select one: a. an internal situational analysis b. a competitive assessment c. a market audit d. environmental scanning e. environmental advocacy

D

In the typical S-curve pattern of innovation, increased effort (i.e., money, research and development) brings only small improvements in technological performance ____, Select one: a. in the maturity stage of the cycle b. throughout the cycle c. at the end of the cycle d. at both the beginning and end of the cycle e. early in the cycle

D

Robert Mondavi Wineries entered into an agreement with Baron Philippe de Rothschild, owner of Boreaux's First Growth chateau, to produce a top quality wine in California. The two companies working together to create a new product is an example of ____. Select one: a. exporting b. licensing c. a cooperative contract d. a joint venture e. a wholly-owned subsidiary

D

Russia imposed limits on how much poultry, beef, and pork could be imported into the nation from the European Union (EU) in retaliation to limits the EU placed on how much grain Russia could export. What type of nontariff barrier did Russia use to control the amount of poultry, beef, and port it imported from the EU? Select one: a. duties b. customs classifications c. subsidies d. quotas e. boycotts

D

The Ryerson University Library is organized in a hierarchy with six unit heads reporting to a chief librarian. Within these units are fifteen librarians and forty-seven full-time library staff. One of the tools used in the organizational development of the library was to systematically move employees from one job to another to give them an opportunity to learn and use different skills. The Ryerson University Library used ____. Select one: a. employee specialization b. job specialization c. task aggregation d. job rotation e. job enlargement

D

When managers delegate work, three transfers occur. The three transfers are responsibility, authority, and ____. Select one: a. empathy b. utility c. reciprocity d. accountability e. synergy

D

Which of the following statements about resistance to change is true? Select one: a. resistance to change will not occur when those affected by the change participate in its planning and implementation. b. resistance to change disappears when the organization operates in conditions of certainty. c. resistance to change will not occur when employees are educated about the need for change. d. resistance to change will always occur; it is inevitable. e. resistance to change will not occur when change efforts receive significant managerial support.

D

____ occurs when a company sells domestically produced products to customers in foreign countries. Select one: a. Licensing b. Direct foreign investment c. Franchising d. Exporting e. A joint venture

D

____ plans are plans that specify how a company will use resources, budgets, and people to accomplish specific goals within its mission. Select one: a. Strategic b. Operational c. Single-use d. Tactical e. Dialectical

D

A manager engaged in the management function of __________ is monitoring progress toward goal achievement and taking corrective action when needed. Select one: a. planning b. motivating c. organizing d. leading e. controlling

E

A technology ____ begins with the birth of a new technology and ends when that technology reaches its limits and dies as it is replaced by a newer, substantially better technology. Select one: a. continuum b. hierarchy c. pattern d. process e. cycle

E

According to John Kotter, which of the following actions will adversely influence refreezing efforts? Select one: a. all of these b. not creating a powerful enough guiding coalition c. the absence of a vision d. not removing obstacles to the company's new vision e. declaring victory too soon

E

In general, people will be indifferent to managerial directives or orders if they ____. Select one: a. are compatible with the people's personal interests b. are understood c. can actually be carried out by those people d. are consistent with the purpose of the organization e. meet all of the above qualifications

E

Planning is ultimately based upon ____. Select one: a. whether the mission statement is internally or externally oriented b. the personality type of the individual engaged in planning c. the relationship between organizational line and staff personnel d. how a planner deals with bounded rationality e. choosing a goal and developing a method or strategy to achieve that goal

E

The ____ is the set of key values, beliefs, and attitudes shared by members of an organization. Select one: a. internal environment b. industry code of ethics c. organizational strategy d. organizational vision e. organizational culture

E

The research on diversification in portfolio management indicates that the best approach is probably ____. Select one: a. related differentiation b. no diversification c. unrelated diversification d. repositioning e. related diversification

E

To encourage more ethical decision making in an organization, its managers should ____. Select one: a. train employees in how to make ethical decisions b. carefully select and hire new employees c. establish a specific code of ethics d. create an ethical climate e. do all of these

E

What is social responsibility? Select one: a. a business tactic used to create relationship bonds with customers b. the fact that businesses are responsible for monitoring their social environments so they can satisfy the needs of their customers c. a business' responsibility to its shareholders d. what companies are obliged legally to do to protect their external environments e. a business' obligation to pursue policies, make decisions, and take actions that benefit society

E

What is the term used for the amount and number of raw materials, parts, and finished products that a company has in its possession? Select one: a. material resources b. supplies c. physical resources d. distributed materials e. inventory

E

Which of the following statements about ethics is true? Select one: a. Acting ethically is always easier than any other form of action. b. Ethics can be specifically defined, like other laws. c. If an act is legal, it must by definition be ethical. d. Employees assume no risk when they conduct themselves ethically. e. Ethics is the set of moral principles or values that defines right and wrong for a person or group.

E