MIS 4310 - Chapter 2
In a(n) _____ organizational structure, project managers have little or no authority
functional
In a _____organizational structure, program managers, rather than functional managers or vice presidents, report to the CEO. Their staffs have a variety of skills needed to complete all required tasks within their programs.
project
Project managers have the most authority in a pure _____ organizational structure
project
In the _____ model, developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously
prototyping life cycle
The _____ frame of an organization relates to the company's culture
symbolic
A(n) _____ is an overall model for thinking about things as sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose
systems philosophy
The three spheres of systems management are business, organization, and _____
technology
In organizational culture, means-end orientation refers to _____
the degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results
In organizational culture, people focus refers to _____
the degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization
_____refers to the degree to which departments within an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other
unit integration
The _____ model of a systems development life cycle assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined
waterfall life cycle
Which of the following best describes a kill point in the project life cycle?
A review of the status of a project at each phase of development to determine if it should be continued, redirected, or terminated
_____ are an example of external stakeholders for an organization
Competitors
_____ refers to the degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior
Control
Internal stakeholders include groups affected by the project such as government officials or concerned citizens
FALSE
It is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during the earlier phases
FALSE
Leadership style has no impact on the success of virtual teams
FALSE
Most people believe that the underlying causes of many companies' problems can be traced to its organizational structure
FALSE
The last phase of the traditional project life cycle is the implementation phase
FALSE
When you separate business and organizational issues from project management planning, you do a better job of ensuring project success
FALSE
An organizational culture with strong unit integration makes the project manager's job more difficult
FALSE
_____ refers to the degree to which work activities are organized around teams, rather than individuals
Group emphasis
_____ refers to a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization
Organizational culture
_____ is an organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source
Outsourcing
_____ life cycle models of systems development assume that the scope of the project can be articulated clearly and the schedule and cost can be predicted accurately
Predictive
Sprint planning is part of the basic ______
Scrum framework
According to the symbolic frame, the most important aspect of any event in an organization is not what actually happened, but what it means
TRUE
Most colleges and universities have very strong functional organizations
TRUE
Standards and guidelines to follow when performing project management must be devised by top management
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
TRUE
The same organization can have different subcultures
TRUE
Using a systems approach is critical to successful project management
TRUE
The term _____ describes 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 of the project life cycle, the work is completed, and customers should accept the entire project
close-out
A(n) _____ refers to 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
A(n) _____ refers to a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project
deliverable
_____ addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and making a change to a system
Systems management
An organization that uses a project organizational structure earns their revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract
TRUE
An organization usually commits more money as a project continues, therefore a management review should occur after each phase to evaluate progress, potential success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals
TRUE
Project managers and their teams must keep in mind the effects of any project on the interests and needs of the entire system or organization instead of focusing on the immediate concerns of the project
TRUE
Project managers must have cooperation from people in other parts of the organization
TRUE
The symbolic perspective of an organization:
focuses on the meanings of the culture, language, traditions, and image of the organization.
In the _____ phase, the project team creates a definitive or very accurate cost estimate, delivers the required work, and provides performance reports to stakeholders
implementation
In a _____ organizational structure, personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers
matrix
The first two traditional project phases (concept and development) focus on planning, and are often referred to as _____
project feasibility
The _____ life cycle model is suitable for projects in which changes can be incorporated with reasonable cost increases or acceptable time delays
spiral
The _____ frame of the organization is the one that is usually depicted in an organizational chart
structural
In the development phase of the project life cycle:
the project team creates more detailed project plans, a more accurate cost estimate, and a more thorough WBS
The _____ frame of an organization focuses on providing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of people
human resources
_____ refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment
open-systems focus
In organizational culture, control refers to _____
the degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior
The _____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype, using tools such as computer-aided software engineering, joint requirements planning, and joint application design to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation
RAD life cycle
A(n) _____ is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing information systems
SDLC
_____ are sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose
Systems
_____ refers to a problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of a system, dividing it into its components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs
Systems analysis
Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from various functional areas working on their projects
TRUE
Project managers must take adequate time to identify, understand, and manage relationships with all project stakeholders
TRUE
Project managers have the least amount of authority in a pure _____ organizational structure
functional
The _____ perspective on organizations assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups
political frame
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
The _____ model of a systems development life cycle provides for progressive development of operational software, with each release providing added capabilities
incremental build life cycle
Which of the following is a disadvantage of virtual teams as compared to traditional teams?
Reduced opportunities for informal transfer of information
Projects must operate in a broad organizational environment, and project managers need to consider projects within the greater organizational context. _____ describes this holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization
Systems thinking
Which of the following is true of the agile approach to software development?
In the agile method, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration.
Which of the following is true of the project life cycle?
In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest.
Which of the following is true of virtual teams?
It is important to select team members carefully.
Describe the concept of a systems approach
The term systems approach emerged in the 1950s to describe a holistic and analytical approach to solving complex problems that includes using a systems philosophy, systems analysis, and systems management. A systems philosophy is an overall model for thinking about things as systems. Systems are sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose. For example, the human body is a system composed of many subsystems—the nervous system, the skeletal system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, and so on. Systems analysis 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. Once this is completed, the systems analyst then examines alternative solutions for improving the current situation, identifies an optimum, or at least satisfactory, solution or action plan, and examines that plan against the entire system. Systems management addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system.
Systems analysis addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and modifying a system
FALSE
The best way to sustain a project is to withhold the required money, human resources, and visibility for the project
FALSE
The nature of hardware development projects is more diverse than software-oriented projects
FALSE
The project organizational structure is the most efficient choice for most IT projects
FALSE
Discuss four key issues project managers must address when working on global projects
"Communications. Because people work in different time zones, speak different languages, have different cultural backgrounds, and celebrate different holidays, it is important to address how people will communicate in an efficient and timely manner. Trust. Trust is an important issue for all teams, especially when they are global teams. It is important to start building trust immediately by recognizing and respecting others' differences and the value they add to the project. Common work practices. It is important to align work processes and develop a modus operandi with which everyone agrees and is comfortable. Tools. IT pays a vital role in globalization, especially in enhancing communications and work practices. Many people use free tools such as Skype, Google Docs or social media to communicate. Many project management software tools include their own communications and collaboration features in an integrated package. "
Describe each of the three major types of organizational structure
"A functional organizational structure is the hierarchy most people think of when picturing an organizational chart. Functional managers or vice presidents in specialties such as engineering, manufacturing, information technology (IT), and human resources (HR) report to the chief executive officer (CEO). Their staffs have specialized skills in their respective disciplines. For example, most colleges and universities have very strong functional organizations. Only faculty in the Business department teach business courses, faculty in the History department teach history, faculty in the Art department teach art, and so on. A project organizational structure also has a hierarchical structure, but instead of functional managers or vice presidents reporting to the CEO, program managers report to the CEO. Their staffs have a variety of skills needed to complete the projects within their programs. An organization that uses this structure earns their revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract. For example, many defense, architectural, engineering, and consulting companies use a project organizational structure. These companies often hire people specifically to work on particular projects. A matrix organizational structure represents the middle ground between functional and project structures. Personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers. For example, information technology personnel at many companies often split their time between two or more projects, but they report to their manager in the Information Technology department. Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from various functional areas working on their projects. Matrix organizational structures can be strong, weak, or balanced, based on the amount of control exerted by the project managers."
A preliminary or rough cost estimate is developed in the _____ phase of the project life cycle, and an overview of the work involved is created
concept
Three general classifications of organizational structures are _____, project, and matrix
functional
Which of the following best describes outsourcing?
An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source
The team members of a virtual team are all of the same nationality
FALSE
Which of the following is true of a matrix organizational structure?
In a strong matrix organizational structure, the project manager controls the project budget and has moderate to high authority.
In Rizzati Corp, vice presidents in departments such as engineering, manufacturing, IT, and human resources report directly to the chief executive officer and undertake their tasks independently of each other. The staffs of these departments have specialized skills in their respective disciplines. Rizatti Corp can be said to have a _____ organizational structure.
functional
_____ refers to the degree to employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than with their types of job or profession
member identity
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
people focus
The _____ perspective of an organization focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management
structural frame
Grey's Infotech sells customized hardware and software solutions for businesses. The salespeople for Grey's have a strict dress code when meeting clients. They are required to wear dark business suits, in order to convey the company's dedication to quality. The meaning conveyed to the clients' through the salespeople's clothing is part of the _____ frame of the organization.
symbolic
What is a systems development life cycle? What are some of the predictive models associated with the systems development life cycle?
"A systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing information systems. Some popular models of a systems development life cycle include the waterfall model, the spiral model, the incremental build model, the prototyping model, and the Rapid Application Development (RAD) model. These life cycle models are examples of a predictive life cycle, meaning that the scope of the project can be clearly articulated and the schedule and cost can be accurately predicted. The project team spends a large portion of the project effort attempting to clarify the requirements of the entire system and then producing a design. Users are often unable to see any tangible results in terms of working software for an extended period. Below are brief descriptions of several predictive SDLC models: The waterfall life cycle model has well-defined, linear stages of systems development and support. This life cycle model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined. The spiral life cycle model was developed based on experience with various refinements of the waterfall model as applied to large government software projects. It recognizes the fact that most software is developed using an iterative or spiral approach rather than a linear approach. The incremental build life cycle model provides for progressive development of operational software, with each release providing added capabilities. The prototyping life cycle model is used for developing software prototypes to clarify user requirements for operational software. It requires heavy user involvement, and developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously. Developers can throw away or keep prototypes, depending on the project. The Rapid Application Development (RAD) life cycle model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype. This life cycle model also requires heavy user involvement and helps produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality. Developers use RAD tools such as CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering), JRP (Joint Requirements Planning), and JAD (Joint Application Design) to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation."
Why is top management commitment crucial for project managers?
"Project managers need adequate resources. The best way to kill a project is to withhold the required money, human resources, and visibility for the project. If project managers have top management commitment, they will also have adequate resources and not be distracted by events that do not affect their specific projects. Project managers often require approval for unique project needs in a timely manner. For example, on large information technology projects, top management must understand that unexpected problems may result from the nature of the products being produced and the specific skills of the people on the project team. For example, the team might need additional hardware and software halfway through the project for proper testing, or the project manager might need to offer special pay and benefits to attract and retain key project personnel. With top management commitment, project managers can meet these specific needs in a timely manner. Project managers must have cooperation from people in other parts of the organization. Since most information technology projects cut across functional areas, top management must help project managers deal with the political issues that often arise in these types of situations. If certain functional managers are not responding to project managers' requests for necessary information, top management must step in to encourage functional managers to cooperate. Project managers often need someone to mentor and coach them on leadership issues. Many information technology project managers come from technical positions and are inexperienced as managers. Senior managers should take the time to pass on advice on how to be good leaders. They should encourage new project managers to take classes to develop leadership skills and allocate the time and funds for them to do so."
What are the four frames of organizations? Describe each frame
"The structural frame deals with how the organization is structured (usually depicted in an organizational chart) and focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management. This frame is very rational and focuses on coordination and control. For example, within the structural frame, a key information technology issue is whether a company should centralize the information technology personnel in one department or decentralize across several departments. The human resources frame focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of the people. It recognizes that there are often mismatches between the needs of the organization and the needs of individuals and groups and works to resolve any potential problems. For example, many projects might be more efficient for the organization if personnel worked 80 or more hours a week for several months. This work schedule would probably conflict with the personal lives of those people. Important issues in information technology related to the human resources frame are the shortage of skilled information technology workers within the organization and unrealistic schedules imposed on many projects. The political frame addresses organizational and personal politics. Politics in organizations take the form of competition among groups or individuals for power and leadership. The political frame assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. Often, important decisions need to be made based on the allocation of scarce resources. Competition for scarce resources makes conflict a central issue in organizations, and power improves the ability to obtain scarce resources. Project managers must pay attention to politics and power if they are to be effective. It is important to know who opposes your projects as well as who supports them. Important issues in information technology related to the political frame are the power shifts from central functions to operating units or from functional managers to project managers. The symbolic frame focuses on symbols and meanings. What is most important about any event in an organization is not what actually happened, but what it means. Was it a good sign that the CEO came to a kickoff meeting for a project, or was it a threat? The symbolic frame also relates to the company's culture. How do people dress? How many hours do they work? How do they run meetings? Many information technology projects are international and include stakeholders from various cultures. Understanding those cultures is also a crucial part of the symbolic frame."
Project managers should lead projects in isolation in order to truly serve the needs of the organization
FALSE
Project work is most successful in an organizational culture where activities are organized around individuals
FALSE
