Chapter 2: Practice
Most trade schools, colleges, and universities did not start offering degrees in computer technology, computer science, management information systems, or other information technology areas until the ____. - 1950s - 1990s - 1970s - 1980s
1970s
Many companies have realized that information technology is integral to their business and have created a vice president or equivalent-level position for the head of information technology, often called the ____. - CEO - CPO - CFO - CIO
CIO
Most projects involve a major amount of software development. - True - False
False
Organizational issues are often the least difficult part of working on and managing projects. - False - True
False
Technical and analytical skills guarantee success in project management. - False - True
False
The nature of hardware development projects is more diverse than software-oriented projects. - True - False
False
Within the category of programmer, there are several job titles used to describe the specific technologies the programmer uses, such as project manager programmer, systems analyst programmer, macro developer, and so on. - False - True
False
A major element of good practice concerns ____________________, which addresses the authority and control for key IT activities in organizations, including IT infrastructure, IT use, and project management.
IT governance
____________________ are sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose.
Systems
____ is a problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system, dividing it into its components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs. - Systems philosophy - Systems troubleshooting - Systems management - Systems analysis
Systems analysis
____________________ addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and making a change to a system.
Systems management
Although it is easier to focus on the immediate concerns of a particular project, project managers and other staff must keep in mind the effects of any project on the interests and needs of the entire system or organization. - True - False
True
An organization that uses a project organizational structure earns their revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract. - True - False
True
COBOL programmers cannot be of much help on a Java project. - True - False
True
The best way to kill a project is to withhold the required money, human resources, and visibility for the project. - False - True
True
The same organization can have different sub-cultures. - True - False
True
Using a systems approach is critical to successful project management. - False - True
True
In a(n) ____________________ organizational structure, project managers have little or no authority.
functional
A ____ is a collection of project phases. - project planning cycle - project feasibility - project life cycle - project acquisition
project life cycle
The three spheres of systems management are business, organization, and ____________________.
technology
The term "systems approach" emerged in the ____. - 1960s - 1950s - 1970s - 1940s
1950s
According to the symbolic frame, what is most important about any event in an organization is what actually happened. - True - False
False
An organizational culture with strong unit integration makes the project manager's job more difficult. - False - True
False
Assigning staff part-time to the project often creates underutilization and/or misallocation of staff resources. - True - False
False
Because of overlaps in their duties, hardware specialists usually understand the language of database analysts, and vice versa. - True - False
False
Because of the nature of information technology projects, the people involved come from very similar backgrounds and possess similar skill sets. - True - False
False
External project stakeholders generally include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, and internal customers for the project. - False - True
False
Few business and information technology students understand the concepts of systems and performing a systems analysis. - True - False
False
If project managers have functional management commitment, they will also have adequate resources and not be distracted by events that do not affect their specific projects. - True - False
False
Many of the theories and concepts of project management are difficult to understand. - False - True
False
When you separate business and organizational issues from project management planning, you do a better job of ensuring project success. - True - False
False
The ____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype. - waterfall life cycle - RAD life cycle - spiral life cycle - incremental build life cycle
RAD life cycle
If a project manager does not submit a potential project in the proper format, it could be rejected. - True - False
True
If project managers lead projects in isolation, it is unlikely that those projects will ever truly serve the needs of the organization. - True - False
True
It is rare for technical specialists or project managers to remain with the same company for a long time. - False - True
True
Most colleges and universities have very strong functional organizations. - True - False
True
Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from various functional areas working on their projects. - True - False
True
Project organizations may miss economies of scale available through the pooling of requests for materials with other projects. - True - False
True
Since the organization usually commits more money as a project continues, a management review should occur after each phase to evaluate progress, potential success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals. - False - True
True
The Adaptive Software Development (ASD) life cycle model assumes that software development follows an adaptive approach because the requirements cannot be clearly expressed early in the life cycle. - False - True
True
The term ____________________ has become popular to describe new approaches that focus on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts.
agile software development
Some projects have a senior manager called a(n) ____________________ who acts as a key proponent for a project.
champion
In the ____________________ phase, there should be some sort of customer acceptance of the entire project.
close-out or closeout
Experienced project managers know it is often best to balance the degree of ____________________ to get good project results.
control
A(n) ____________________ is a product or service, such as a report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project.
deliverable
In the ____ phase, the project team creates more detailed project plans, a more accurate cost estimate, and a more thorough WBS. - close-out - implementation - development - concept
development
A(n) ____________________ is a group of senior executives from various parts of the organization, who regularly review important corporate projects and issues.
executive steering committee
A ____ is the hierarchy most people think of when picturing an organizational chart. - project organizational structure - matrix organizational structure - system organizational structure - functional organizational structure
functional organizational structure
Project managers have the least amount of authority in a pure ____. - circular organizational structure - matrix organizational structure - project organizational structure - functional organizational structure
functional organizational structure
To handle complex situations effectively, project managers need to take a(n) ____________________ view of a project and understand how it relates to the larger organization.
holistic
The ____ focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of the people. - human resources frame - political frame - structural frame - symbolic frame
human resources frame
In the ____ phase, the project team creates a definitive or very accurate cost estimate, delivers the required work, and provides performance reports to stakeholders. - concept - development - implementation - close-out
implementation
The ____ model provides for progressive development of operational software, with each release providing added capabilities. - incremental build life cycle - waterfall life cycle - spiral life cycle - RAD life cycle
incremental build life cycle
Management reviews, called phase exits or ____________________, are very important for keeping projects on track and determining if they should be continued, redirected, or terminated.
kill points
In early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually ____ and the level of uncertainty is ____. - lowest; lowest - high; lowest - lowest; highest - highest; highest
lowest; highest
In a ____, personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers. - functional organizational structure - project organizational structure - matrix organizational structure - system organizational structure
matrix organizational structure
The ____ characteristic of organizational culture describes the degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. - member identity - people focus - unit integration - group emphasis
people focus
The ____ assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. - political frame - structural frame - human resources frame - symbolic frame
political frame
Understanding the ____________________ is just as important to good project management as understanding the phases of the traditional project life cycle.
product life cycle
In a ____, program managers report to the CEO. - project organizational structure - functional organizational structure - system organizational structure - matrix organizational structure
project organizational structure
Project managers have the most authority in a pure ____. - circular organizational structure - project organizational structure - functional organizational structure - matrix organizational structure
project organizational structure
The ____ model requires heavy user involvement, and developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously. - prototyping life cycle - RAD life cycle - incremental build life cycle - spiral life cycle
prototyping life cycle
In a ____ matrix organizational structure, the project manager controls the project budget and has moderate to high authority. - weak - strong - balanced - functional
strong
The ____ focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management. - symbolic frame - human resources frame - political frame - structural frame
structural frame
The ____________________ focuses on symbols and meanings.
symbolic frame
When project managers use a(n) ____________________, they are better able to make decisions that address the needs of the entire organization.
systems approach
A(n) ____________________ is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing information systems.
systems development life cycle (SDLC)
A(n) ____________________ is an overall model for thinking about things as systems.
systems philosophy
The ____ model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined. - prototyping life cycle - waterfall life cycle - spiral life cycle - RAD life cycle
waterfall life cycle
____ refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment. - Conflict tolerance - Means-ends orientation - Risk tolerance - Open-systems focus
Open-systems focus
____ is a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization. - Organizational structure - Organizational politics - Organizational culture - Organizational philosophy
Organizational culture
