Project Management Final Exam

Iterations are short time frames (time boxes) that typically last from __________.

1-4 weeks

The traits of successful project managers include all of the following EXCEPT A. Pessimist B. Proactivity C. Effective communication skills D. Effective time management E. Personal integrity

A

When building a stakeholder map, a project manager should include all people or groups who meet all of the following criteria except which one? A. Those who have a low level of interest in the project B. Those whose agreement or approval are required for project deliverables C. Those whose cooperation is necessary to complete the project D. Those who have a positive attitude toward the project E. Those who oppose the project and may block its completion

A

Which of the following is not a consideration that needs to be factored into the process of recruiting team members for a project? A. A sense of humor B. Problem-solving C. Availability D. Technological expertise E. Credibility

A

"Trust can actually encourage disagreement and conflict among team members." Explain why this would be the case. A. People are more willing to share their opinions and challenge each others ideas B. The goal is not to score interpersonal points but rather do what is best for the team and the project C. All responses should not be consistent with the vision D. It may force them to overlook the information from the customer

A and B

How can outsourcing increase the quality of work performed? A. Contractors may possess superior expertise B. Technology that contributes higher quality work C. Complete control over the outsourced project work D. Better control over security risk related to date protection

A and B

How should a project manager influence customer expectations and perceptions? A. By frequent interaction to educate customers on project performance B. By reducing potential misunderstandings through frequent communication C. By notifying customers of schedule delays after a solution is found D. By convincing customers to lower their expectations

A and B

What does the exchange model of influence suggest you do to build cooperative relationships to compete a project? A. Provide services and resources to others in exchange for future resources and services B. Find out what you can offer others that is of value to them C. Build a negative "bank account" with those upon whom you are dependent D. Identity ways you can out-compete others

A and B

What is true of the traditional project management approach concerning project scope and technology? A. Traditional project management relies heavily on upfront planning B. Traditional project management requires that project scope and technology are predictable C. Traditional project management implies that good planning and execution avoid the need for corrective action, regardless of scope D. Traditional project management is just as effective when project scope and technology are not well known

A and B

What is the difference between managing and leading a project? A. Leading involves recognizing the need to change course B. Managing involves motivating the team to overcome obstacles C. Managing is about formulating plans and objectives D. Leading is about putting out fires and maintaining the course

A and C

Why is it important to build a relationship before you need it? A. Building a positive credit allows you to tap into relationships when you need help B. Its is not, you should build relationships when you need them C. People are likely to be more cooperative if they know you D. People are more likely to respond to your requests when they view you as intimidating based on past contacts

A and C

How does a Kansan board work? A. It shows the workflow of an individual or project team B. A white board with three columns and sticky notes are the most common tools used C. It erases blocks once they have been removed D. It displays the amount of work remaining

A, B, D

What is true of iterative, incremental development (IID)? A. The scope of the project evolves over time B. Each iteration is a mini-project C. One disadvantage is frequent demonstrations D. The product is first demonstrated to stakeholders at the end of the project E. One advantage is early section of defects

A, B, E

What is true concerning the traditional role of a project manager (PM) and a scrum master? A. The SM facilitates the scrum process and resolves impediments at the team and organizational level B. The SM has direct authority over the work C. The SM is more of a coach than a manager D. The PM develops the project plan E. The SM is much more dominant than a PM

A, C, D

Why do firms outsource project work? A. A different firm can do the work better B. The outsourcing firm has the resources and technologies C. A different firm can do the work for lower cost D. A different firm can do the work faster E. A different firm can use the outsourcing firm's people more efficiently

A, C, D

Which of the following are among the skills associated with being and effective project manager? A. Skillful political B. Pessimism C. General business perspective D. Low emotional intelligence E. Effective time management

A, C, E

Which of the following are true of BATNA? A. If you have a weak BATNA, then you are more likely to have to concede to the demands of the other party B. A weak BATNA means you are not very dependent upon the other party C. BATNA helps determine whether you should accept an agreement D. It is the best outcome you hope to reach through negotiation E. BATNA stands for "best alternative to a negotiated agreement"

A, C, E

What is true of an effective escalation process? A. Escalation as a control method B. Escalation to the next higher level should be avoided C. Problems should be resolved at the lowest possible level but with no set time limit D. Escalation empowers people to solve problems E. Escalation encourages subordinates to pass up problems they could resolve at their level F. Escalation contributes to quick and effective problem solving

A, D, F

__________ represents a fundamental shift away from the traditional plan-driven project management approach by adopting a more experimental and adaptive approach to managing projects.

Agile project management

Individual rewards for outstanding work would NOT include A. Letters of commendation B. Public recognition C. Desirable job assignments D. Judiciously making expectations to the rules E. All of the above

All of the above

When negotiating, the tendency is to want to win! Why is this not a good approach when managing contracted relationships? A. this approach inhibits the degree of trust and cooperation needed for the alliance to work B. a noncompetitive approach can bring about functional conflict. C. this approach can cause dysfunctional conflict to rise and negotiations to break down. D. because people will continue to work together after negotiations. E. All of the above

All of these are reasons a competitive approach to negotiation should not be used when managing contracted relationships.

When a project manager imposes a solution to the conflict after listening to each party, he or she is __________ the conflict.

Arbitrating

Which of the following is NOT an element of good negotiation? A. Be hard on the problem, soft on the people B. Conflict on a project can be good C. Negotiation is not a contest D. Seek first to understand, then to be understood E. Avoid dealing with reasonable people

Avoid dealing with reasonable people

Which of the following is not a consideration that needs to be factored into the process of recruiting team members for a project? A. Familiarity B. Integrity C. Ambition, initiative, and energy D. Political connections E. Credibility

B

Which of the following models/methods is not an agile method? A. Scrum B. Waterfall C. Extreme programming (XP) D. RUP (Rational Unified Process) E. Crystal Clear

B

Which of the following would be an appropriate situation to require facilitating group decision making? A. A mechanical engineer is stuck trying to meet performance criteria for a prototype B. When strong group commitment is needed to decide methods to reduce project scope C. Exceptions are unclear regarding a specific task D. Materials needed to finish a custom kitchen have not been determine

B

What can a project manager do to avoid some of the pitfalls of a highly cohesive project team? A . Discourage functional conflict B. Be proactive in reducing isolation C. Be aware that a highly cohesive team may lead to problems D. Personally show that one is part of the team, and not so much a part of the organization

B and C

What differences would you expect to see between the kinds of influence currencies that a project manager in a functional matrix would use and the influence a project manager of a dedicated project team would use? A. The project manager in a functional matrix has more formal authority over the participants and the project B. Project managers in a functional matrix compensate foe their lack of formal authority by exercising informal influence C. The dedicated project manager is responsible for assigning project work D. A project manager in a functional matrix will have greater access to position-related currencies

B and C

What is true of a self-organizing team and a conventional project team? A. In a traditional project team, the members are responsible for managing their own work B. Both kinds of teams share a common goal C. Both kinds of team rely on collaboration D. In a self-organizing team, the project manager plans and controls work

B and C

Why is the principled negotiation approach recommended for negotiating agreements on projects? A. Principled negotiation allows the project manager to share only selected information with stakeholders B. Principled negotiation development of win/win solutions with stakeholders C. Principled negotiation build alliances on trust and cooperation D. Principled negotiation protects the project manager from opponents to the project team

B and C

Why should a project manager emphasize group rewards over individual rewards? A. Most project work is an individual effort B. Recognizing individuals can distract from team unity C. Group rewards encourage team cohesion D. Group cohesion can be enhanced by competition

B and C

What are the differences between the five-stage model of team development and the punctuated equilibrium model? A. The punctuated equilibrium model asserts that effective project groups evolve in a predictable manner B. The five stage model includes forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning C. The five stage model asserts that groups do not naturally evolve into an effective team D. The punctuated equilibrium model argues that groups encounter a mid-point crisis

B and D

What are the elements of an effective project vision? A. The project leader must take a passive role to achieve the vision B. The vision must make strategic sense C. One must be able to communicate the vision to others D. The vision should inspire others to give optimal effort

B, C, D

What are the best practices used by firms to outsource project work? A. Establishing open-ended requirements B. Using fair and incentive-ladder contracts C. Insisting on co-location of participants when needed D. Engaging in frequent review on how well the different parties are collaborating E. Investing in extensive training and inter-organizational team building activities F. Establishing a conflict management process once the project begins

B, C, D, E

What factor would promote the successful adoption of Agile PM methodologies like Scrum? A. An organization with a history of strong project performance B. A group that values transparency, and the open sharing of good and bad news C. An individual who excels with autonomy D. An individual who has a low tolerance for uncertainty E. A project with a high degree of uncertainty regarding either scope or technology F. A project in which customer interests are complex and not easily represented

B, C, D, E

An organization that has identified an opportunity for long-term outsourcing can expect...

Better communication

When considering traditional versus agile project management, all the following are part of the traditional project management model EXCEPT A. Fixed scope B. Deliverables C. Continuous design D. Low uncertainty E. Conventional project teams

C

Which of the following would be considered the MOST effective project reward? A. Desirable job assignments B. Lump-sum cash award C. All-expense paid trip for team members and their families D. Using negative reinforcement to motivate adequate performance E. Public recognition

C

What are the unique challenges to managing a virtual project team? A. The virtual nature of the team increases trust beyond what is normal B. Informal socializing can lead to distractions C. Building good communication is more difficult D. Developing trust is more difficult

C and D

What is the difference between functional and dysfunctional conflict on a project? A. All conflict on a project is dysfunctional B. If project members feel dissatisfied with each other, it is dysfunctional C. As long as the conflict enhances project performance it is considered functional D. Conflict is only considered dysfunctional if it distracts from project performance

C and D

When would it be appropriate to hold a formal team-building session on a project? A. Formal-team building sessions should only be used at the outset of the project B. Formal team building sessions should be used once a problem develops C. Formal team team building sessions may be used when new members join the project D. Formal team building sessions should be used when they will enhance the team's performance

C and D

Why is it critical to keep the project sponsor informed? A. The project sponsor is prohibited from using influence to defend the project but may help in other ways B. The project sponsor may attack the project if not kept informed C. The project sponsor is a powerful ally D. Project sponsors need to be kept informed so that they can defend the project

C and D

Why is trust a function of both character and competence? A. You are likely to follow someone who has the best of intentions even if they have a track record of failing to get things done correctly B. Either character or competence alone is likely to endanger trust C. People must have confidence in the other person's abilities and competence D. You are unlikely to follow someone who is quite competent if you believe they are only looking out for what is best for them

C and D

For some agile projects, __________ are established, which is the maximum budget that should not be exceeded in the development of a given product or service.

Ceilings

In the traditional approach to managing contracted relationships, ________ are structured and guarded.

Communications

While agile project management does not consist of one set method, most methods are based on similar principles. Which of the following agile project management principles would be described when teams reflect, learn, and adapt to change, and when project work updates the plan?

Continuous improvement

__________ define the scope of the project, and ultimate project success rests in their satisfaction.

Customers

Experience and research indicate that high-performance project teams are much more likely to develop under all the following conditions EXCEPT.. A. Members are assigned to the project full time B. Members report solely to the project manager C. There are 10 or fewer members per team D. Team members are selected by their manager E. The project involves a compelling objective

D

Project success or failure often is reliant upon the contributions of all the following groups of stakeholders EXCEPT A. Customers B. Suppliers C. Contractors D. Competitors E. Top management

D

When considering traditional versus agile project management, all the following are part of the agile project management model EXCEPT A. Flexibility B. High uncertainty C. Embrace change D. Design up front E. Self-organizing teams

D

Which of the following is not one of the four value statements of the agile manifesto? A. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools B. Working software over comprehensive documentation C. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation D. Established cost and duration over unpredictable cost and duration

D

Mapping ____________ helps identify those on whom the project depends for success.

Dependencies

The biggest challenge to managing a virtual project team is...

Developing trust and establishing effective patterns of communication

The largest source of tension between project managers and upper management typically comes from..

Differences of perspective

The outer ring in the network of relationships for project managers includes all of the following EXCEPT A. Other organizations B. Customers C. Vendors/suppliers D. Government agencies E. Administrative support

E

Which of the following conditions is not conducive to the creation of high-performance teams? A. Members are assigned to the project full time B. Members report solely to the project manager C. All relevant functional areas are represented on the team D. The project involves a compelling objective E. Members are co-located and/or internationally dispersed if necessary

E

Which of the following is NOT one of the aspects of leading by example? A. Priorities B. Ethics C. Urgency D. Cooperation E. Power

E

Which of the following is not a name given to key roles of the scrum process? A. Development team B. Scrum master C. Self-organizing team D. Product owner E. XP master

E

Two of the biggest challenges in managing virtual (international) project teams are______.

Establishing trust and developing effective pattern of communication

Not only can contracted project work be cheaper, it can also be done __________.

Faster

In place of a product WBS, Scrum uses product __________ as deliverables.

Features

Contracting project services can increase a firm's _________ by no longer being constrained by their own resources.

Flexibility

__________ is the Agile principle where the project team uses business-driven prioritization of requirements and features.

Focus on Customer Value

During which stage of team development do team members establish ground rules and try to find out what behaviors are acceptable and what performance expectations are?

Forming

Team meetings, co-location of team members, team names, and team rituals are common vehicles when establishing a team _________.

Identity

When dysfunctional conflict is identified, one of the ways to deal with it is to..

Impose an arbitrated solution

In terms of commonly traded organizational currencies, being involved in a task that has a large significance and having a chance to do something important and do it well are examples of ______-related currencies.

Inspiration

Which of the following is NOT a reason to have a BATNA? A. It increases the chance that you will win a negotiation B. It gives you the power to walk away C. It can reduce how dependent you are on the other party D. It increases the likelihood of coming to a win/win argument E. It is a good defense against unreasonable win/lose negotiators

It increases the chance that you will win a negotiation

A well-defined project that encounters no significant surprises would require little...

Leadership

Managers spend the majority of their time outside their offices in the ________ style of management.

MBWA

Which of the following is used at Hewlett-Packard for building relationships with key players that will determine a project's success?

MBWA

When a project manager intervenes and tries to negotiate a resolution by using reasoning and persuasion and suggesting alternatives, he or she is ___________ the conflict.

Mediating

The first _________ is critical to the early functioning of the project team. It sets the tone for how the team will work together.

Meeting

________ occurs when the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

Negative synergy

A high school basketball coach has noticed that some close relationships have formed as well as feelings of camaraderie and shared responsibilities for the team's success. Which stage of development is the team in?

Norming

What is the fundamental difference between a fixed-price and a cost-plus contract?

On a fixed price contract, the cost is set in advance while for cost plus contracts, it is established after the project is completed

When project managers have a can-do attitude and when they are able to maintain a positive attitude during a dismal day and keep others' attention positive as well, they are demonstrating ___________.

Optimism

When you call your Internet provider to solve a technical problem and you end up talking to a technician in India or Romania, you have just experienced...

Outsourcing

The result of team building among the project's participants that states their common goals for the project as well as the procedures that will be used to achieve these goals is a...

Partnering charter

Outsourcing project work to a supplier with questionable labor practices can cause a situation called...

Political hot potato

_________-related currencies stem from the project manager's ability to enhance others' positions within the organization.

Position

One key focus of principled negotiation is to separate people from the _________.

Problem

The __________ is the customer's prioritized list of key features desired when the project is completed.

Product backlog

Scrum uses __________ as deliverables.

Product features

Scrum relies on three key roles. A person who acts on behalf of customers to represent their interests and who is responsible for ensuring that the development team focuses their efforts on developing a project that will fulfill the business objective of the project is called a...

Product owner

At the end of each sprint, the team demonstrate the actual work product increments they have built to the __________ and __________ as part of a Sprint review.

Product owner, other relevant stakeholders

The closest relationships in a project network of relationships are between the project manager and...

Project team members

A key to being able to effectively persuade superiors is...

Providing loyalty

To provide greater clarity to business ethics, many companies and professional groups...

Publish a code of conduct

_________-related currencies have more to do with strengthening the relationship with someone than directly accomplishing the project tasks.

Relationship

The meeting meant to reflect on how well the previous sprint went and identify specific actions that can improve future sprints is called a sprint _________ meeting.

Retrospective

When using the partnering approach to manage contracted relationships, ________ is shared jointly among the partners, which encourages innovation and continuous improvement.

Risk

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of establishing a long-term partnership? A. More efficient utilization of resources B. Reduced administration costs C. Improved innovation D. Risk is eventually transferred to the other party E. Improved performance

Risk is eventually transferred to the other party

Agile methods can be used on larger scale projects in which several teams are working on different features at the same time. In practice this condition is called...

Scaling

__________ is the Agile principle that describes project team members deciding amongst themselves what should be done and who is best suited for it on the team.

Self-organization

A product innovation manager for a manufacturing company has recently noticed some disturbing behavior among team members. Recently the team has exhibited a high degree of conflict over who will control the group and how decisions will be made. Which stage of development is the team in?

Storming

Which of the following is part of the traditional approach to managing contracted relationships? A. Structured communication B. Long-term commitment C. Total company involvement D. Shared risk E. Mutual trust

Structured communication

More and more companies are using online _________ to collect data from all project participants about the quality of working relations.

Surveys

__________-related currencies come directly from the project manager's ability to contribute to others' accomplishing their work.

Tax

Using Scrum methodology, specific features are created according to four distinct phases during each sprint. The last phase includes the __________ and documentation of the feature.

Testing

Which metaphor best captures the role of a project manager?

The conductor of an orchestra

The key to exercising influence is...

To build trust

When using the partnering approach to manage contracted relationships, mutual ________ forms the basis for strong working relationships.

Trust

An image a project team holds in common about how the project will look upon completion, how they will work together, and/or how customers will accept the project is known as a __________. It is a less tangible aspect of project performance.

Vision

Experienced project managers understand the value of having team members ________ the project as opposed to appointing team members.

Volunteer for

The __________ method assumes essential requirements can be defined up front so the software can be designed, built, tested, and released once at the end.

Waterfall

The following are ways a project manager can manage a customer's expectations and perceptions EXCEPT A. avoid the temptation to oversell the virtues of the project to win approval. B. make sure to develop a well-defined scope statement. C. delay communicating problems that you feel can be resolved without involving the customer. D. share significant risks that might disrupt project execution. E. make sure that customer interactions are handled in a competent and professional manner.

delay communicating problems that you feel can be resolved without involving the customer.

In order to be even moderately successful at managing relations, a project manager needs to be skilled at managing customer ___________ and ____________ .

expectations; perceptions

Customer satisfaction can be quantified by...

perceived performance divided by expected performance.