Management exam 2 stevens

9- Which of the following is the best statement of feedback?

"Your last report contained seven errors which I think you could improve."

6- Porters 4 competitive strategies

1. Cost-leadership strategy -keep the costs, and hence prices, of a product or service below those of competitors and to target a wide market 2.Differentiation strategy -offer products that are of unique and superior value compared to those of competitors but to target a wide market 3. Cost-focus strategy -keep the costs of a product below those of competitors and to target a narrow market 4. Focused-differentiation -offer products that are of unique and superior value compared to those of competitors and to target a narrow market

9- guideline for conducting layoffs

1. Give employees the bad news early in the day, and try to avoid laying off employees before holidays. 2. Provide outplacement services and counseling to help laid-off employees find new jobs. 3. Communicate with employees who have not been laid off to explain how the company and their jobs will change.

6- porters 5 competitive forces

1. Threat of new entrants 2. Bargaining power of suppliers 3. Bargaining power of buyers 4. Threat of substitute products or services 5. Rivalry among competitors

9- 5 steps for training process

1. assessment 2. objectives 3. selection 4. implementation 5. evaluation

8- 4 types of organizational culture

1. clan - has an internal focus and values flexibility rather than stability and control encourages collaboration among employees, striving to encourage cohesion through consensus and job satisfaction and to increase commitment through employee involvement. clan organizations devote considerable resources to hiring and developing their employees. Southwest Airlines 2. adhocracy - Has an external focus and values flexibility. It attempts to create innovative products by being adaptable, creative, and quick to respond to changes in the marketplace. Employees are encouraged to take risks and experiment with new ways of getting things done. These are well-suited for start-up companies, those in industries with constant change, and those in mature industries that need innovation to enhance growth. W.L. Gore 3. market - has a strong external focus and values stability and control. It is focused on the external environment and driven by competition and a strong desire to deliver results. Customers, productivity and profits take precedence over employee development and satisfaction. Employees are expected to work hard, react fast, and deliver quality work on time. Kia Motors 4. hierarchy - has an internal focus and values stability and control over flexibility. Companies with this kind of culture are apt to have a formalized, structured work environment aimed at achieving effectiveness through a variety of control mechanisms that measure efficiency, timeliness, and reliability in the creation and delivery of products. General Motors, UPS, AT&T

9- 4 steps of performance management

1. define performance - set goals & communicate performance expectations 2. monitor and evaluate performance - measure and evaluate progress and outcomes 3. review performance - deliver feedback and coaching 4. provide consequence - administer valued rewards and appropriate punishment

7- decision making styles

1. directive - people are efficient, logical, practical, and systematic in their approach to solving problems action oriented, decisive, and like to focus on facts 2. behavior - supportive, receptive to suggestions, show warmth prefer verbal to written information 3. analytical - considers more information and alternatives 4. conceptual - takes a broad perspective to problem solving likes to consider many options and future possibilities

6- strategic management process

1. etsablish mission and vision 2. assess the current reality 3. formulate the grand strategy 4. implement the streatgy 5. maintain strategic control

7- rational decision making steps

1. identify problem 2. think of solutions 3. evaluate alternatives 4. implement and evalauate the solution chosen

8- 3 levels of organizational culture

1. observable artifacts = physical manifestations such as manner of dress, awards, myths and stories about the company visible behavior exhibited by managers and employees 2. espoused values - Espoused values explicitly stated values and norms preferred by an organization These may be put forth by the firm's founder or top management. Employees are frequently more influenced by the enacted values represent the values and norms actually exhibited in the organization 3. basic assumptions - not observable represent the core values of the organization's culture those taken for granted and highly resistant to change

6- BCG Matrix Breakdown

1. stars - high growth, high market share 2. question marks - high growth, low market share 3. cash cows- slow growth, high market share 4. dogs - low growth, low market share

7- disadvantages of group decision making

A few people dominate or intimidate Groupthink - occurs when group members strive to agree for the sake of unanimity and thus avoid accurately assessing the decision situation Satisficing Goal displacement

9- affirmative action

Affirmative action focuses on achieving equality of opportunity within an organization including establishment of minority hiring goals

9- Which of the following is a good suggestion for managers when conducting interviews?

After the interview, write a short report with a quantitative score of the candidate's qualifications.

9- Which of the following statements about background information is false?

Applicants with weak credit scores are more likely to be unqualified and dishonest employees.

7- Patty, the CEO of an oil drilling company, and her top management team recently discovered that their facilities are damaging an Asian beach and the local wildlife. They understand that they need to decide if temporarily closing or not closing the facility is unethical. They then consider the four questions: Is not temporarily closing the facility legal? If yes, does this proposed action maximize shareholder value? If yes, is not temporarily closing the facility ethical? If no, would it be ethical not to take the proposed action? These are suggested questions according to _____.

Bagley's ethical decision tree

7-Is the proposed action legal? If yes, does the proposed action maximize shareholder value? If yes, is the proposed action ethical? If no, would it be ethical not to take the proposed action? These are four questions that managers of all organizations should ask when confronted with a decision on an action according to _____.

Bagley's ethical decision tree

8- centralized authority vs decentralized authority

Centralized authority - important decisions are made by higher-level managers Nearly all organizations have at least some authority concentrated at the top of the hierarchy. An advantage in using centralized authority is that there is less duplication of work. Fewer employees perform the same task; rather, the task is performed by a department of specialists. Another advantage is that procedures are uniform and easier to control. Decentralized authority - important decisions are made by middle-level and supervisory-level managers Power is delegated throughout the organization. An advantage is that managers are encouraged to solve their own problems Decisions are made more quickly, which increases the organization's flexibility and efficiency.

9- compensation & pay

Compensation wages or salaries, incentives, and benefits Wages and Salaries Base pay basic wage or salary paid employees in exchange for doing their jobs The basic compensation is determined by factors such as: the prevailing pay levels in an industry what competitors are paying whether the jobs are unionized if the jobs are hazardous what the individual's level is in the organization how much experience he or she has Incentives - Many organizations offer incentives, such as commissions, bonuses, profit-sharing, and stock options. Benefits, or fringe benefits, are additional nonmonetary forms of compensation designed to enrich the lives of all employees in the organization. Compensation other than direct wages Employee benefits are legally mandated: Social Security worker's compensation unemployment insurance

9- The ____________ is a law that requires an extension of health insurance benefits after termination.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

9- tests

Employment tests legally considered to consist of any procedure used in the employment selection decision process Ability tests - measure physical abilities and mental abilities Performance tests measure performance on actual job tasks. assessment center-management candidates participate in activities for a few days while being assessed by evaluators. Personality tests - measure personality traits such as adjustment, sociability, independence and need for achievement. The most famous personality test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Such tests should be used with caution because of the difficulty of measuring personality characteristics. Integrity tests - assess attitudes and experiences related to a person's honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and prosocial behavior. The tests are designed to identify people likely to engage in inappropriate, antisocial or dishonest workplace behavior. When appropriate, the organization can also use drug testing, polygraph, genetic screening, and handwriting analysis. Two important legal considerations about any test are its reliability and its validity. Reliability is the degree to which a test measures the same thing consistently, so that an individual's score remains about the same over time, assuming the characteristics being measured also remain the same. Validity means the test measures what it purports to measure and is free of bias.

9- formal vs. informal appraisal

Formal appraisal conducted at specific times throughout the year and based on performance measures that have been established in advance the manager should give the employee feedback citing specific examples facts should always be used rather than impressions. informal appraisial conducted on an unscheduled basis and consists of less rigorous indications of employee performance

7- advantages of group decision making

Greater pool of knowledge Different perspectives Intellectual stimulation Better understanding of decision rationale Deeper commitment to the decision

9- human resource management

Human Resource Management consists of the activities managers perform to plan for, attract, develop, and retain an effective workforce people are an organization's most important resource. human resources has become part of the strategic-management process.

7- responses to a decision

Relaxed avoidance - manager decides to take no action in the belief there will be no great negative consequences Relaxed change - manager realizes that complete inaction will have negative consequences but opts for the first available alternative that involves low risk Defensive avoidance - manager can't find a good solution and follows by procrastinating, passing the buck, or denying the risk of any negative consequences Panic - manager is frantic to get rid of the problem that he can't deal with the situation realistically

9- Which of the following helps guarantee nonhazardous working conditions for employees?

Occupational Safety and Health Act

9- orientation

Orientation helping the newcomer fit smoothly into the job and the organization designed to give employees the information they need to be successful The first 6 months on the job can be critical to how an employee performs over the long haul, because that's when the psychological patterns are established. Following orientation, the employee should emerge with information about: The job routine what is required in the job, how the work will be evaluated, and who the immediate coworkers and managers are. The organization's mission and operations its purpose, products or services, operations and history. The organization's work rules and employee benefits including matters of law affecting work operations.

9- performance management

Performance management the continuous cycle of improving job performance through goal setting, feedback and coaching, and rewards and positive reinforcement. The purpose of performance management is to focus employees on attaining goals that are tied to the organization's strategic goals and vision and to evaluate how successful they were in accomplishing those goals.

9- how to evaluate training

Reactions how satisfied trainees were with the program Learning how much employees improved their knowledge or skills Behavior how much employees actually changed their on-the-job behavior Results how much training improved job performance

9- recruiting, internal/external

Recruitment process of locating and attracting qualified applicants for jobs open in the organization Internal recruiting means making people already employed by the organization aware of job openings. A human resource inventory listing employees by name, education, training, languages, and other important information may be helpful here. Most vacant positions in organizations are filled through internal recruitment. External recruiting means attracting job applicants from outside the organization. In looking outside, you need to consider the availability of talent in the labor pool, the training of people graduating from schools, and other factors. In years past, job notices were placed through newspapers, employment agencies, union hiring halls, college placement offices, executive recruiting firms and so on. Today, more and more companies are using social media such as LinkedIn to recruit.

8- span of control

Span of control or span of management - refers to the number of people reporting directly to a given manager A narrow span of control means a manager has a limited number of people reporting. An organization is said to be tall when there are many levels with narrow spans of control. Managers need to use a narrow span of control when they must be closely involved with their subordinates. A wide span means a manager has several people reporting. An organization is said to be flat when there are only a few levels with wide spans of control. First-line supervisors directing subordinates with similar work tasks may have a wide span of control

9- strategic human resource planning

Strategic human resource planning consists of developing a systematic, comprehensive strategy for understanding current employee needs and predicting future employee needs To plan for the future, you must understand what today's staffing picture looks like. This requires doing a job analysis and preparing a job description and job specification.

6- Bryan Barry suggests that to keep a strategic plan on track, organizations should ____.

engage people, keep it simple, stay focused, and keep moving

7- common decision making biases

There are several common decision making biases (called heuristics) that simplify the process of making decisions: 1. When managers use only information that is readily available from memory to make judgments, an availability bias exists 2. When people seek information to support their point of view and discount data that do not, a confirmation bias exists 3. A representativeness bias refers to the tendency to generalize from a small sample or a single event 4. When managers add up all the money already spent on a project and conclude it is too costly to simply abandon it, sunk cost bias exists 5. The tendency to make decisions based on an initial figure is adjustment bias 6. Escalation of commitment bias occurs when decision makers increase their commitment to a project despite negative information about it

9- performance appraisal

Two Kinds of Performance Appraisals Objective Subjective Objective appraisal based on fact (results) not personalities often numerical harder to challenge legally Management by Objectives Subjective appraisal based on a manager's perceptions of an employees traits and behaviors Trait appraisals are ratings of subjective attributes such as "attitude, "initiative" and "leadership". Behavioral appraisals measure specific, observable aspects of performance. BARS - rates employee gradations in performance according to scales of specific behaviors

7- Doug, a new manager, commented to a friend, "I am excited about different aspects of my new job. The company computers have entered the field of decision making. The network not only collects information more quickly, but the system also reduces the roadblocks when I need a group consensus." Doug is referring to _____.

a computer-aided decision-making system

8- During weekly conference calls, Mary, a restaurant manager for a national chain of restaurants, and the other managers in her district explain to their district manager the reasons for different decisions and why certain costs and sales were higher or lower for the previous week. The explanation of their decisions and work results is known as __.

accountability

8- Phillip, owner of Technology Sales, said, "We have to focus on our customers and how can we beat the competition, so we have to be flexible." He encourages his R&D department to develop innovative products and focuses on being quick to respond to market changes. Technology Sales has a(n) _____.

adhocracy culture

7- Dave is a salesperson who takes a long time to make decisions. He loves sales because he responds well to the pressure he faces in the many new or uncertain situations as a salesperson. Like most successful salespeople, he is high in his tolerance for ambiguity. Dave represents a person with a(n) _____ style.

analytical

7- Style Mart uses time-series forecasts, such as past holiday sales and the strength of store sales this year to predict future sales based on patterns of historical data. This is an application of ___.

analytics

8- With a modular structure, a firm _____.

assembles portions of product provided by outside contractors

9- Which of the following is not one of the five steps in the training process?

attendance

7- Susanne, the CEO of national IT manufacturer, was approached by Simple Phones, a new company that is marketing a new type of phone, to partner with the company on a project. The partnership is uncertain since the company and technology are new. Susanne is uncertain what to do because she is limited by numerous constraints, such as the uncertainty and complexity of the technology, the management success of Simple Phones, and time, since other companies are interested in the partnership. This is an example of _____

bounded rationality

6- The BCG matrix is a means of evaluating strategic business units on the basis of (

business growth rates and share of the market

9- purpose of affirmative action programs

compensate for past discrimination prevent ongoing discrimination provide equal opportunities to all, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin

9- Typically the ________ in a union contract is tied to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index (CPI).

cost of living adjustment, cola clause

8- Artem, the president of Instructor Services, told one of his new hires that "Managers are encouraged to solve their own problems rather than to buck the decision to a higher level, and decisions are made more quickly, which increases our organization's flexibility and efficiency." These advantages that Artem spoke of are attributed to ____.

decentralized authority

7- Ace Manufacturing has high turnover continually due to issues with the corporate office. Paul, the plant manager, is frustrated and cannot find a solution to stop it. At first he offered raises to many of the good employees who were leaving, but after a while, Paul started blaming those who were leaving, saying, "they are poor-quality employees and they are to blame for leaving." Paul is engaged in ____.

defensive avoidance

9-If a firm gives all international assignments to people without disabilities, assuming they will therefore not require special accommodations, which type of workplace discrimination has occurred?

disparate treatment

6- According to Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, strategic positioning means _____ to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

distinctive positioning

9- The risk of "wrongful termination" lawsuits is reduced with careful _________________.

documentation

8- Making formal statements, holding rites and rituals, utilizing employee training and coaching, demonstrating how a leader reacts to a crises, being a role model, and giving rewards, promotions, and bonuses are some of the teaching methods that organizations can utilize to ____.

effect corporate change

7- Peter, the owner, is even more committed to making the used copier, which he recently purchased, work even though it keeps jamming and people have been telling him about other problems they have been having with it. Peter is affected by ______.

escalation of commitment bias

8- HP founders David Packard and William Hewlett created a close-knit organizational culture that gave a lot of responsibility to employees and fostered innovation within the company, which were clearly stated values of the firm's founders. This is an example of _____.

espoused values

10- A year after she assisted them in making changes to an employee incentive plan, Kara, an OD consultant, is visiting Thomas Engineering to determine if the changes were helpful. Kara will compare sales and turnover data from the last three years to the current year. Kara is in the ______ stage of OD.

evaluation

9-Which piece of legislation first established the U.S. federal minimum wage?

fair labor standards act of 1938

9- Being dismissed "for cause" means that __________.

fired for job performance

9- The three types of dismissals are layoffs, downsizings, and __________.

firings

6- ABC Office Supply in Dayton sells high-quality, unique pens that are a real value to executives in the area. No other company in its area markets pens of such quality and value. By offering this type of product, ABC Office Supply is an example of a company utilizing a _____ strategy.

focused-differentiation

9- __________ is a performance review system in which all employees within a business unit are ranked against one another.

forced ranking

7- In the political ads for Representative Joe Smith, the Democratic candidate, he is portrayed by the Republican-sponsored ads as being dishonest and poor at his job. Yet, the ads for Joe Smith, which are paid for by the Democratic supporters, describe him as being caring, honest, and a hard worker. The sponsors of these advertisements know that ads can affect whom voters choose on Election Day. This tendency of decision makers, the voters in this case, to be influenced by how a situation or problem is presented to them is known as ____.

framing bias

7- The Safety Committee at Office Supply Mart was formed to help make the stores a safer place, and some of the suggestions were going to be costly. However, when the vice president of accounting announced the recent report on company profits were much lower than expected, a new secondary goal was established to meet new profit expectations. Having to consider this new goal as a committee is an example of ____.

goal displacement

8- The Safety Committee, a temporary team, was established to make the workplace a safer place. Members of the committee still work in their departments full-time, but meet twice a month for a few hours as a committee. This is an example of a ____.

horizontal design

7- Jose, the sales manager, is working on the problem of increasing sales by using the rational model of decision making. In the first step he identified the problem of his employees needing more training. In the second step he thought of alternative solutions; and in step three he evaluated alternatives and selected a solution. In the fourth step, Jose needs to _____.

implement and evaluate the training program chosen

7- How high priority is this situation? How believable is the information about the situation? How quickly must I act on the information about the situation? These are three questions concerning ways to evaluate _____.

importance, credibility, and urgency

8- A hierarchy culture has a(n) ___

internal focus and values stability and control

9- _______ are organizations of employees formed to protect and advance their members' interests by bargaining with management over job-related issues.

labor unions

8- Bob, the owner of Quality Catering, is driven by competition. He is very focused on meeting deadlines and quality, and delivering the results that customers want. He pushes his managers to continually exceed their productivity goals, and stresses that profits take precedence over employee development and satisfaction. Bob feels "there is not enough time for training." However, his employees are regularly rewarded for their success in meeting company goals. This is an example of a(n) ____ culture.

market

8- Peter, the owner of Happy Burger, is involved in the company's daily decisions and has established procedures for every task. The company rules are clearly specified in the handbook, and Peter also believes in close supervision of all employees. Happy Burger is a(n) _______ organization.

mechanistic

6- Who are our customers? What are our major products or services? In what geographic areas do we compete? These are all questions that are answered in a good _____.

mission statement

8- The more subunits into which an organization breaks down, the _____.

more highly differentiated it becomes

9- As a sales manager, Danyce is conducting performance appraisals for her team members. To do so, she tracks each person's sales calls, amount of sales, and revenues on a quarterly basis. Danyce is using a(n) ______ system of appraisal.

objective

8- mechanistic vs organic

on phone!!

9- Federal employment laws

on phone!!

9- advnatages/disadvangatges for recruting

on phone!!!

8- Organizational design is concerned with an organization developing ____.

optimal structures of accountability and responsibility to execute its strategies

8- According to the competing values framework, clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy are ____.

organizational cultures

9- When Jackie interviewed for a position as a computer programmer, she was asked to take a test on a particular programming language. This is an example of a(n) __________.

performance test

8- Time Warner has different divisions for magazines, movies, recordings, cable television, and so on. The Warner Bros. part of the empire alone has divisions spanning movies and television, a broadcast network, retail stores, theaters, amusement parks, and music. Time Warner is an example of an organization with ____.

product divisions

9- Which of the following is not a type of compensation?

promotions

9-_______________ is the process of locating and attracting qualified applicants for jobs open in the organization.

recrruiting

9- Ricco, an HR manager, used reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau for information about his industry's labor pool in his geographic area to __________.

recruit from outside the organization

7- Paul, the store manager, recently had to fire Sue, an employee who graduated from North College. He felt that Sue was not well trained at her school. So when Steven, also a graduate from North College, applied for Sue's old position, he did not want to consider hiring him, feeling Steven also probably did not receive the proper training. Paul was affected by _____ bias.

representativeness

7- When Dave, the sales manager, is deciding on who will train the new sales trainee, he tries not to look at just the recent sales numbers but also checks past sales reports to determine who is the most productive. This way he is not affected by the ______ bias.

representativeness

9- Ricco, an HR manager, is designing a training class for those working on the new cross-functional teams within her company. This class is aimed at improving group decision making and interpersonal relations. What method of delivery should she choose?

role-playing, practice, and discussion

8- A company with authority centralized in a single person, a flat hierarchy, few rules, and low work specialization is a characteristic of an organization with a _____.

simple structure

6- Regarding the findings from a SWOT analysis, organizational strengths are ____.

skills and capabilities that give a company advantages in executing its strategies

9- __________________ includes aspects such as goodwill, mutual respect, trust, cooperation, and teamwork.

social captial

8- According to Chester I. Barnard's classic definition, an organization is a ____.

system of consciously coordinated activities or forces of two or more people

8- In an organization, division of labor is ____.

the arrangement of having discrete parts of a task done by different people

6- synergy

the economic value of separate, related businesses under one ownership and management is greater together than the businesses are worth separately

7- Despite your best intentions, it's hard to bring the best evidence to bear on your decisions because of such reasons as ____.

there's too much evidence; there's not enough good evidence and the side effects outweigh the cure

8- Routine tasks and paperwork, as well as jobs that help your subordinates grow are __.

things that a manager should delegate, according to Odette Pollar

9- ___________ refers to educating technical and operational employees in how to better do their current job

training

9- The type of appraisal that is most subject to validity problems due to evaluator bias is called ____________ evaluation.

trait

9- In considering the staffing an organization might need in the future, human resource managers should __________.

understand the organization's vision and strategy and hire to support them

9-Which of the following training and development methods is most appropriate when people just need to learn facts such as work rules or legal matters?

videotapes, workbooks, and lectures

6- Is it appropriate for the organization and for the times? Does it set standards of excellence and reflect high ideals? Is it ambitious? These are all questions that are answered in a good _____.

vision statement

6- Porter's competitive strategies of cost-leadership and differentiation focus on ____ markets, and the cost-focus and focused-differentiation strategies focus on ____ markets.

wide;narrow