Health Sciences 5300, Exam 1
Controlling is often the most neglected of the basic management functions because:
Controlling requires follow-up, which is itself the weakest part of both decision making and delegation
Essentially every task listed in the average supervisor' job description is a reasonable prospect for delegation. (T or F)
False
For the professional employee the most apparent long-run motivating force is the amount of money associated with the job. (T or F)
False
Frederick Herzberg advanced a theory of motivation that specifically addresses the working individual's esteem needs. (T or F)
False
Given its status as a staff function, it is required that human resources always support the positions of the line departments. (T or F)
False
Health care is extensively different from all other organized endeavors and thus warrants a completely different and unique approach to management. (T or F)
False
Healthcare organizations are unique both in terms of the output they produce and in terms of the management processes employed (T or F)
False
In addressing employee motivation it is essential to properly differentiate between employee needs and wants. (T or F)
False
In separating the skilled maintenance trades from all other occupational groupings, the NLRB essentially discouraged them from organizing. (T or F)
False
It is important that the supervisor delegate throughly because all of the group's employees generally aspire to rise to supervision themselves. (T or F)
False
It is necessary for most management in health care to be production-centered (T or F)
False
Managed care strengthened the position of the acute-care hospital as the true center of the healthcare system. (T or F)
False
Many managers take a legalistic view of employee relations as opposed to a humanistic view primarily to keep themselves and their organizations out of legal trouble. (T or F)
False
McGregor's Theory X maintains that under humane and enlightened management employees are self-motivating. (T or F)
False
Middle management positions are generally the desirable jobs in healthcare facilities because of their relative job security (T or F)
False
Most first-line supervisors who fall into the "working trap" do so because most of the department's employees are unable to perform any tasks that lie beyond the scope of their day-to-day duties. (T or F)
False
Nonpunitive discipline is frequently used it can not could be construed as punishment. (T or F)
False
One of the factors contributing to the present problems with the country's healthcare system is the absence of sufficient external regulation. (T or F)
False
People who consistently do good work and know they do good work require less attention at appraisal time than others; they already to know that what they do is appreciated. (T or F)
False
Regulation of healthcare activities, which began to expand significantly in the 1960s, has levelled off and in many instances has actually diminished. (T or F)
False
Self-appraisal as part of a system is not especially useful because most employees tend to rate themselves unrealistically high. (T or F)
False
Substandard performance, the production of unsatisfactory results that prevent an employee from attaining job standard, is best addressed with written warnings. (T or F)
False
The Employee Retirement and Income Security Act, ERISA, requires employers to have pension plans regulates the operation of all pension plans. (T or F)
False
The dedicated, effective, hard-working manager is one who works long hours, takes extra work home, and generally tries to every problem that arises. (T or F)
False
The fastest, most accurate form of communication is that which we describe as "one-way" communication. (T or F)
False
The introduction of managed care removed a number of significant restrictions on the use of services (T or F)
False
The organization of the modern healthcare institution leans considerably toward Rensis Likert's job organizational system (T or F)
False
The primary piece of legislation causing the expansion of human resources' workload was the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). (T or F)
False
The successful supervisor assumes that it is frequently necessary to place the concerns of the employees above the concerns of the customers or clients. (T or F)
False
The supervisor of a group is generally protected from the negative pressures on morale and motivation experienced by the employees in the work group (T or F)
False
The supervisor or manager of a work group is paid more than the workers to acknowledge that person's position as the most important member of the group (T or F)
False
The tendency toward organizational flattening has significantly decreased the importance of human resources to the individual supervisor. (T or F)
False
The term "manager" always denotes a position that is higher in the organization structure than one designated "supervisor." (T or F)
False
There is always a middle management level between first-line supervisors and top management. (T or F)
False
There is no particular objective to appraisal in the case of a long-time employee who has always done satisfactory work but to whom the potential for promotion is non-existent. (T or F)
False
To be an effective listener one must concentrate his or her attention on extracting the factual information from what is being said. (T or F)
False
True or False? Fortunately, the pace of change in total technology has slowed somewhat in recent years.
False
True or False? Overall individual supervisors are being relieved of the need to make decisions as restructuring moves decisions to higher levels.
False
True or False? Various forms of organizational restructuring have served to better control resistance to change within health care.
False
True or False? While most employees are generally upset by changes to the organization's structure, they are nevertheless immediately accepting of changes in management.
False
Understanding of organizational labels is essential in appropriately addressing the kinds of activities pursued in any business, especially that of a healthcare provider. (T or F)
False
Whatever efforts one applies in trying to be a good supervisor will be recognized and appreciated by all employees in the group. (T or F)
False
When you are on the receiving end of harsh criticism, while hearing it you should be evaluating it and mentally formulating your response. (T or F)
False
Within Rensis Likert's job organization system:
Jobs tend to be organized in considerable detail.
For the foreseeable future, the best background and initial preparation for the new healthcare supervisor will include
Training and experience in one of the healthcare specialties
A lasting communicating relationship between two people is never completely established; it must be constantly nurtured and conscientiously maintained. (T or F)
True
A legally defensible performance appraisal system should address appraisal criteria arising from an analysis of the requirements of the position. (T or F)
True
A line function advances the accomplishment of the work of the department; a staff function supports the department in functioning as intended. (T or F).
True
A significant number of wrongful termination lawsuits are an outgrowth of inadequate performance appraisal procedures. (T or F)
True
A typical hospital is largely describable as an example of Rensis Likert's cooperative motivation system. (T or F)
True
Although Congress wished to avoid fragmentation of bargaining units in health care institutions, in the late 1980s the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) moved toward proliferation of bargaining units. (T or F)
True
An increasing number of medical group practices and other free-standing healthcare providers are competing with each other for patients. (T or F)
True
Applying labels to designate employee "types" involves rendering personality judgments that most supervisors are unqualified to make. (T or F)
True
As in-patient hospital lengths of stay have been reduced and an increasing number of forms of care are pushed toward an outpatient environment, the number and variety of specialized healthcare settings has increased. (T or F)
True
At the present time there is more reason than ever before to believe that consultative and participative leadership styles are most appropriate to today's modern organizations and workers. (T or F)
True
Before 1975, not-for-profit hospitals were exempt from all provisions of the Labor-Management Relations Act (Taft-Hartley). (T or F)
True
Behavioral contracting, in some respects similar to nonpunitive discipline, is appropriate mostly for professional and technical workers. (T or F)
True
By definition and description, sexual harassment is not limited strictly to the actual workplace. (T or F)
True
Categorizing an employee tends to lead to the assumption that the person is in fact that way and can thus channel a relationship with the person along certain narrow lines. (T or F)
True
Competition between and among healthcare organizations largely involves concern for access to care, cost of care, and the quality of healthcare service. (T or F)
True
Documents related to problems of conduct or performance are used to reasonably establish whether something did or did not occur. (T or F)
True
Environmental factors are found to exist in all aspects of the employee's relationship to the organization. (T or F)
True
Failure to delegate effectively is a leading reason why many people in management do not get promoted to more responsible positions. (T or F)
True
In the healthcare workforce in general it is becoming increasingly more necessary to interact with people who hold different values and believe in different ways. (T or F)
True
Management approaches calling for increased employee participation have resulted in the necessity for fewer middle managers overall. (T or F)
True
Many managers take a legalistic view of employee relations as opposed to a humanistic view primarily to keep themselves and their organizations out of legal trouble. (T or F)
True
Many of the tasks that have fallen to human resources are owing to the steady proliferation of laws affecting aspects of employment. (T or F)
True
Most people who eventually become first-line managers enter their occupational specialties sufficiently well trained to do the jobs for which they have been hired. (T or F)
True
Motivation can best be described as the initiative or drive causing a person to direct his or her behavior toward satisfaction of some personal need. (T or F)
True
Passage of the Balanced Budget Act brought about a number of facility closures and prompted an increased number of mergers and other affiliations (T or F)
True
Recent years have seen a visible increase in the number of applicants and employees who seem unable to take responsibility for their own circumstances. (T or F)
True
Safety needs to be identified by Maslow include the need to feel reasonably free from harm and economic deprivation. (T or F)
True
Span of control refers to the number of workers that an individual manager can effectively supervise. (T or F)
True
The healthcare institutions of more than a century ago were mostly charitable organizations operated by churches or social welfare groups, and no thought was given to operating then like businesses. (T or F)
True
The key to improving one's ability to delegate effectively is found in one's constant awareness to overcome old habits. (T or F)
True
The net effect of the forces that motivate people to work is nearly the same for the supervisor as for the employees (T or F)
True
The proliferation and growth of for-profit hospital corporations, health maintenance organizations, and other healthcare chains demonstrate that health care is a business of significant proportions. (T or F)
True
Theory X is based in part on the belief that the average person lacks ambition, shuns responsibility, and in general prefers to be led. (T or F)
True
There is no single "right way" of dealing with all employees.
True
There is no single pattern of leadership behavior that is appropriate to all situations at all times. (T or F)
True
True or False? Change is often resisted because we do not have sufficient grasp of the principles on which advancements are based.
True
True or False? In few areas of life has the change wrought by technologic advancement been more evident than in medicine.
True
True or False? It is becoming increasingly more common to encounter supervisors who are shared among separate facilities because of mergers or other affiliations.
True
Whenever there is a risk that an employee complaint will be taken outside of the organization, it is best to think of any criticism of employee conduct or performance in a single light: If it was not documented, it never happened. (T or F)
True
With a few exceptions, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act bars employers from using polygraph tests for pre-employment screening or during the course of employment. (T or F)
True
It is the responsibility of the entire collective known as "management" to direct all the activities that are necessary in pursuit of the ______ of the organizations
goals
The greatest percentage of healthcare workers engaged in most health-related occupations are employed by ______________.
hospitals
A majority of managers in health care tend to _______ more strongly with a profession or occupation than they do with management.
identify
Use various _____________ available to you as a supervisor to discourage both absenteeism and the abuse of sick time.
incentives
Every supervisor must be aware that one builds a department by building ___________.
individual
At all times strive to keep the severity of disciplinary action consistent with the ___________ in question.
infraction
An employee charged with a severe infraction should never be fired immediately but rather placed on indefinite suspension pending _____________.
investigation
One reason why it is important to involve employees in determining the direction of a given change when possible is:
involvement can give them a sense of ownership in the change
An organization's employee assistant program (EAP):
is usually coordinated by an individual outside of the organization
In attempting to define a working professional within the context of a given organization:
it is necessary to consider both the requirements of the position and the qualifications of the individual
Performance appraisals overall seems to have no direct impact on the accomplishment of the day-to-day work in the department, so:
it often gravitates to the bottom of the supervisor's work pile
The essential intent of standards of performance in appraisal is to quantify the outcomes of performance as much as possible and thus reduce the necessity for ___________ to the lowest possible level.
judgements
The ______________ laws have forever altered the ways in which many organizations and their human resource departments do business.
anti-discrimination
In dealing with the dead-end employee, that employee who can go no further in the organization, the supervisor should:
appeal to the individual through true motivating forces that stress job factors
To a degree, absenteeism is governed by employee ___________.
attitude
The ____________ phase of employee relations ended legally, although not factually. In the early to middle 1960s.
authoritarian
An employee to whom a task is delegated must be given sufficient ___________ to accomplish the desired results.
authority
Time and changing social conditions have lessened the extent of ___________ leadership over the years.
autocratic
When a personnel decision of line management must be reversed for the good of the organization, the overruling is done by higher ______ management.
line
Generally, human resources should report to a level no lower than the level that has authority over all of the organization's _________ functions.
line or operating
Failure to delegate effectively is a frequently encountered reason why:
many people in management are never promoted to more responsible positions
The ___________ process essentially encourages potential clients or customers of the organization to differentiate the organization's products and services from those of other organizations.
marketing
When a change with which you strongly disagree comes to you in the form of a strict mandate for implementation from higher management, you should:
do your best to convince the employees why they must comply with the change
In one critical dimension performance appraisal must be addressed in the same manner as disciplinary action; that is, in the provision of accurate ___________.
documentation
When an employment action is challenged, the _________ related to it in any way is brought to the foreground.
documentation
A strong determinant of whatever mode of communication may be chosen in a specific situation is the immediacy of _______ desired.
feedback
The various forms of organizational restructuring usually result in ____ managers in the structure.
fewer
When middle-management positions are eliminated, the majority of those positions' duties revert to the ____________ managers.
first line
The tendency toward organizational ____________ has increased the value of human resources to the supervisor.
flattening
If there is presently such thing as employment security, it is most likely found in the individual's _____________.
flexibility (or adaptability)
In a strongly people-centered operation system functioning __________ as people come and go.
fluctuates
Many healthcare institutions are organized along ____________ lines, giving rise to a particular way of grouping activities for organizational purposes.
functional
Health care remains at or near the forefront of activities that are most subject to ________ _______.
technological turnover
The greatest problem ordinarily experienced with standards-based appraisal is:
the development of accurate performance standards is costly and time-consuming
The "anyone can do it" attitude toward management often encountered in people of differing interests and backgrounds is most likely owing largely to:
the general lack of recognition of management as an occupation in its own right
The most effective control of absenteeism consists largely of:
the immediate supervisor's visible attention to attendance
The observable behavior of the benevolent autocrat often suggests that:
the leader dictates the path that he or she considers best for all concerned
A principal factor in determining whether a given position will be exempt or nonexempt is:
the level of pay for the position
"Organizing" is best described as:
the process of structuring the framework within which things get done
As utilized in the calculation of overtime pay, the so-called "regular rate" includes:
the scheduled hourly rate plus on-call pay, call-in pay, and shift differential
It is the first-line manager who is required to make most of the hour-to-hour and moment-to-moment operating decisions affecting departmental operations. (T or F)
true
One hazard concerning empowerment is that it is perceived by some as the freedom to do one's own thing completely in one's own way. (T or F)
true
The management generalist is largely concerned with activities that are common to most situations in which someone must direct the work of others. (T or F)
true
The professional employee should not be held to more rigid standards of behavior simply because of being a professional. (T or F)
true
There is often a perceived difference between ones being a professional and behaving in a professional manner. (T or F)
true
To suggest that most management positions are eventually filled by those who are not capable of doing a proper job is a re-statement of The Peter Principle. (T or F)
true
Some appraisal programs fail because of the _____________ position of the person doing the evaluating.
uncomfortable
One significant dimension of employee resistance to any particular change resides in employees' attitude toward the ___________.
unknown
Aroused motivation can be stimulated or provided by:
valuing employees as individuals and treating each as such
In true two-way communication, the sender's position is one of __________.
vulnerability
Concerning how often a supervisor should appraise the performance of his or her employees, the supervisor:
will most likely have no choice concerning the frequency of evaluation
Because money can be ___________ it is frequently considered by many to be a primary motivator.
measured
________ have led and continue to lead to staff reductions as organizations or services are combined
mergers
Once reasonable economic security is no longer a concern, _______ is often seen as the means of securing additional advantages.
money
All employees who do not fall under the executive, administrative, or professional category are considered ___________.
nonexempt
The rules that may be applied to the management of the healthcare professional also apply to professionals engaged in _________ occupational specialties.
nonhealth
It is essential to recognize that all of the sources of true motivation exists in the form of ____________ and are inherent in the work itself.
opportunities
The most important aspect of _________ to the first-line supervisor is the function known as delegation
organizing
Whether speaking of "management" or "leadership," we are addressing the fundamental process of getting work done and accomplishing goals through _________.
people
Regardless of the system one is required to use, one must always make every effort to emphasize performance or production rather than ___________.
personality
__________ often involes policy-making, objective-setting, and developing strategies
planning
Health care will likely continue to get most of its first-line supervisors by ___________.
promotion
Concerning the appraisal of employee performance, it should fall upon human resources to:
provide forms, instructions, schedules, and reminders throughout the process and generally keep the process moving
It is suggested that ____________ factors such as "full appreciation of work done" will be of considerable importance to many workers
psychological
A strong belief held by many in health care is that it is generally not possible to reduce costs without adversely affecting _________.
quality
In health care, more so than in most other endeavors, there is an immediate focus on the customer and some immediate ________ considerations.
quality
Many exercises that have borne the label of reengineering have been little more than cursory exercises in ____________.
reorganizing
In Renis Linkert's job organization system __________ work is the dominant form of activity.
repetitive
The still-emerging mode of operation for the health care supervisor involves more overall ____________.
responsibility
The supervisor must manage people differently in regard to how much ____________ they have and how closely they must be supervised
responsibility
Under the amended Age Discrimination in Retirement Act, with few exceptions an employer can no longer mandate ___________ at a certain age.
retirement
It is essential to be ever aware that there is always some _________ involved in proper delegation.
risk
Generally, the ________ the organization or department, the more likely is the supervisor to be both worker and manager.
smaller
Careers today, whether in health care or elsewhere, are not especially _________.
stable
Exceptional ability for doing manual, technical, or professional work does not guarantee of the presence of ________ for supervision in a health care organization.
talent
As a result of a merger of the departments of two organizations, an individual surviving supervisor's role may change to the extent of:
- having to adapt to an increased span of control - possibly having to travel between locations - take on more work with little or no added compensation
In recent years healthcare workers' perceptions of job security have been eroded by:
- mergers and affiliations of health provider organizations - changing patterns of care; the movement of some services o outpatient departments or free-standing services - organizational flattening, involving the removal of layers of management
Supervisors are often reluctant to criticize employees because:
- they may be unwilling to risk hurting others' feelings - doing so takes time they feel should be applied elsewhere - they experience natural resistance to performing an unpleasant task
In preparing to delegate a specific task to a particular employee, the supervisor should:
1) be prepared to provide instruction in task performance to the employee 2) be aware of the hazards of over-delegating or under-delegating 3) carefully match the requirements of the task with the employee's capabilities
The style one develops as a healthcare supervisor is likely to be influenced by:
1) the extent to which technical and professional employees work in the same department as entry-level workers 2) the extent of variability of the department's work 3) the geographic mobility of the department's employees
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows an eligible employee to take up to ________ 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for certain specific reasons without loss of employment.
12 weeks
The Fair Labor Standards Act defines the standard workweek as a fixed, recurring period of ___________.
168 hours
False understanding can be described as:
Believing one is understood without having made an effort to secure feedback.
The "love needs" as identified by Maslow include:
The desire to be seen as part of a work group.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 strengthened the powers and expanded the jurisdiction of the ______________.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
"Unity of command" is another term that accurately describes a supervisor's span on control. (T or F)
False
A multi-layered management structure develops rapidly within an organization and is done away with just as quickly when the organization is flattened. (T or F)
False
A principal objective of performance appraisal is to establish a record of whatever an employee may have done incorrectly during the previous period. (T or F)
False
A union must provide written notice to a health care institution and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 30 days prior to engaging in a strike. (T or F)
False
Accountable care organization (ACA) is simply another designation for a health maintenance organization (HMO). (T or F)
False
Allowing an employee who would otherwise be discharged to "resign for the record" is a preferred means of employee termination. (T or F)
False
As a line management department, human resources is prepared to offer a variety of employee-related services in a number of ways. (T or F)
False
Autocratic approaches to management are more likely to be appropriate for professionals than for rank-and-file nonprofessionals. (T or F)
False
Coaching is a supervisory process ordinarily utilized between formal steps of the disciplinary process. (T or F)
False
Default management is representative of the ultimate in thoughtful, caring leadership. (T or F)
False
Direct, forceful approaches are required to alter a problem employee's behavior. (T or F)
False
Each job exists in two fashions: how the employee does it, and how the written procedure describes it. (T or F)
False
Unity of command requires that:
For every task that must be done, someone must be assigned to do it.
The marketing process as concerns healthcare organizations essentially involves:
Guiding potential customers in differentiating the organization's products and services from those of competing organizations
Under managed health care, the primary care physician:
Has essentially been placed in the role of gatekeeper for the healthcare system, in many instances having to make formal referrals for patients to access certain services.
One significant difference between health care and industry at large is:
Health care is subject to more external regulation than the majority of other businesses
When it appears that an employee's inappropriate behavior might be related to a personal problem:
Involve the organization's employee health service, if such exists.
_____ _____ consists of a number of practices originally intended to reduce costs and improve quality and offer reasonable access to quality care at an affordable cost.
Managed care
The PPACA is intended in part to reform the ______ system to promote greater efficiency by restructuring reimbursement from fee-for-service to bundled payments.
Medicare
The most acceptable forms of criticism:
Must include, along with the problem, the basis for correction.
McGregor's Theory Y advanced the belief that:
People are not naturally passive or resistant to organizational needs.
The legislation that has had the greatest overall impact on employment relationships is:
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Employee morale and individual motivation to perform are key factors in a department's rate of _____________.
absenteeism
Within an organization's structure, a line function is:
an activity that advances the creation of a project or the delivery of a service
The dedicated professional employed as a manager often has far more difficulty than the nonprofessional in ___________ the roles of specialist and manager.
balancing
________________ is similar to progressive discipline in that it works toward the same objectives.
behavioral contracting
____________ administration is a natural extension of the human resource department's wage and salary administration activities
benefits
The ideal leader is a facilitator, a remover of obstacles, and in general a _________ that causes the entire group to move forward in the proper direction.
catalyst
The supervisor cannot "motivate" others as such, but can only establish the __________ within which they will become self-motivated.
climate
The supervisor who finds that employee problems occur constantly may be overlooking his or her essential role in __________ employees.
coaching
The ____________ approach to appraisal involves those employees who are capable of setting goals for themselves.
constructive
Unlike many nonprofessionals, the professional often has a large measure of __________ concerning what is to be done and when it is to be done.
control
Management as a separate field in its own right defies the kind of __________ applied to working specialties.
definition
Always be patient, fair, and consistent with employees, but retain sufficient latitude in your behavior to allow for __________ among people.
differences
________ is the process of assigning specific resources or focusing certain efforts to accomplish specific tasks as required
directing
In the job organization system, Linkert postulated that it is _________ motives that keep the system running as it should.
economic
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially designated ___________ bargaining units as appropriate in acute-care hospitals.
eight
The ____________ is intended to provide employees who are troubled by personal problems with individualized, confidential assistance.
employee assistance program
Every managerial person in the chain of command has as many primary downward communication channels as he or she has ____________.
employees
In utilizing the services of the human resource department, the first-line supervisor should:
ensure that any topic of interest is part of HR's responsibilities and determine who in HR would be the best person to approach
Concerning the manager's treatment of employees in a department that includes both professionals and nonprofessionals:
everyone in the department must be subject to the same work rules and personnel policies
It is fundamental to effective delegation that enhances employee growth and development that the employee always has the freedom to _________.
fail
Any employee who is paid at a rate higher than that specified in the Fair Labor Standards Act (as amended) is legally considered to be a professional. (T or F)
false
Executive management of a hospital or other health facility bears the ultimate responsibility as guardians of the organization's resources. (T or F).
false
For the supervisor, it is always preferable to delegate one-time, relatively simple tasks to someone in the department rather than doing them personally. (T or F)
false
It is fortunate that management as an occupation in its own right is as well defined as most working healthcare specialties. (T or F)
false
One's success as a supervisor is largely determined by the possession of a natural talent for managing people. (T or F)
false
Owing to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), true professional employees may never receive overtime compensation. (T or F)
false
The best and ultimately most successful styles of leadership are those that find the supervisor leading according to known principles, that is, leading by the book most of the time. (T or F)
false
The first-line supervisor must be considerably more proficient in management than in some specific functional specialty. (T or F)
false
The harshest form of leadership is that demonstrated by the consultative leader who is convinced that he or she is a true participative leader. (T or F)
false
