Chapter 11 MGMT 4009

Eliminating differences in the operating practices of different factory locations accomplishes which of the following?

It helps to ensure and enforce consistency in how execution-critical activities are performed.

One way well-conceived policies and operating procedures facilitate strategy execution is by providing top-down guidance regarding how things need to be done. This top-down guidance includes which of the following?

It provides guidelines to channel individual and group efforts along a strategy-supportive path. It aligns the actions and behavior of personnel in an efficient manner. It restricts ineffective independent action and keeps the focus on supporting the plan.

A new strategic initiative has been announced at Uptown Software, but it must be implemented without adding to company expenses. Jake, a manager, must do which of the following to execute the plan?

Jake will need to study the existing budget and look for ways to trim costs. Jake should shift resources to higher-priority activities.

What type of organization combines incremental improvements in operating efficiency with an open mind toward developing new ways of offering value to customers?

ambidextrous

Successful businesses often seek to attract

ambitious employees who enjoy a challenge.

For factory workers, incentive payments are generally based on which of the following?

avoiding work stoppages meeting production deadlines cost of manufacturing

Critics of business process reengineering claim that it promotes

downsizing.

Continuous-improvement programs like Six Sigma focus on which of the following?

incremental gains

Which of the following are motivational practices that facilitate good strategy execution?

inviting and acting on ideas and suggestions from employees promoting from within whenever possible sharing information with employees about financial performances and strategy

Total Quality Management is distinguished from other approaches to promoting excellence by

its focus on improvement in every area of work.

Six Sigma's highly specialized processes of statistical analysis are especially useful for

large companies with wide variations in performance.

Successful Total Quality Management is demonstrated by

limited, but regular, daily improvement.

Organizational units that assume a larger strategic role owing to new strategic plans nearly always need which of the following?

new equipment more people

A recommended tool in monitoring the performance of empowered employees in self-managed work groups is

peer review.

Which of the following policies encourage the development of a workforce committed to quality?

providing valuable employee training experiences screening applicants for their attitudes about workplace excellence

Emerging businesses can facilitate rapid growth by

putting efficient human resource systems in place. creating flexible infrastructures geared to handle expansion.

Companies such as FedEx and Amazon have risen to the top of their industries because

they have developed efficient internal systems to facilitate each of their activities.

Which of the following is a primary goal when creating new policies or procedures?

to catch the attention of personnel and prompt them to quickly adopt and execute the new policies and procedures

Macy works at an ice cream store. She needs to use a store-issued scoop, dip the scoop into 100-degree water for 2 seconds, scoop using a back-to-front motion, and weigh each serving. This is an example of which of the three ways policies and procedures facilitate strategy execution?

helping to ensure consistency in how execution-critical activities are performed

Statistical information is generally the most useful if it is provided

in real time.

True or false: New strategic initiatives require increased budgets and a larger allocation of resources to succeed.

False

Which of the following are likely outcomes if a new strategic business initiative has too much funding and an overabundance of resources?

Financial performance will be reduced and suffer. Organizational resources will be wasted.

Which of the following are likely outcomes if a new strategic business initiative has insufficient resources and too little funding?

Organizational units will not be able to efficiently execute their roles. Progress will be slowed.

Which of the following is a recommended guideline for designing incentive compensation?

Performance targets should be based on outcomes that individuals or their team can affect directly.

Helping to ensure consistency in how execution-critical activities are performed is one of the ways policies and procedures facilitate good strategy execution. Which of the following statements about how to enforce consistency in strategy-critical activities are true?

Policies and procedures improve the quality and reliability of strategy execution. Policies and procedures help coordinate the strategy execution efforts of personnel throughout the organization.

Which of the following should be applied to a company's existing policies and procedures when a new strategy is put into action?

Policies and procedures that are incompatible with the new strategy should be discarded. The company's policies and procedures should be revised to reflect the new strategy.

When existing ways of doing things pose a barrier to strategy execution initiatives, management must establish and enforce new policies and operating practices. Which of the following statements explain why this is useful?

The action aligns behavior of personnel with the requirements for good strategy execution. People who are resistant to change can understand the importance of following company policies and will adapt. People will try not to violate company policy.

Which of the following best explains why existing policies and procedures should be carefully reviewed when a company adopts a new strategy?

When a company adopts a new strategy, some changes in work practices are usually needed, and these are addressed in policies and procedures.

In order to be successful, any quality-building program must be integrated with

a company's overall business strategy.

Structured use of benchmarking, total quality management, and Six Sigma techniques can lead to

a competitive advantage in the marketplace. a corporate culture of operating excellence.

Which of the following are nonmonetary rewards used to boost employee performance?

a friendly work environment awards and acknowledgments desirable fringe benefits

Which of the following is the most likely to lead to competitive advantage in the marketplace?

a long-range plan dedicated to building an understanding of the importance of excellence on every level of business activity

Major drawbacks to the Six Sigma approach include which of the following?

a reduction in creativity and innovation. the expense of training employees and implementing changes.

Incentive compensation systems are based on the idea that

all employees should be rewarded for high levels of performance.

Computerized procedures that track company processes are referred to as

business activity monitoring.

Well-conceived policies and operating procedures facilitate strategy execution in which of the following three ways?

by helping enforce consistency in how strategy-critical activities are performed by promoting the creation of a work climate that facilitates good strategy execution by providing top-down guidance regarding how things need to be done

Which of the following are nearly always necessary when a company adopts a new strategic plan?

changes in budget allocations adjustment of resources

Employers can avoid heavy-handed scrutiny of employees by

closely monitoring day-to-day operating data.

An ambidextrous organization allows research and development to explore innovation while also

continually improving operating processes.

Six Sigma and TQM are examples of____________________, Incorrect Unavailable-improvement programs.

continuous

A company's policies and procedures facilitate good strategy execution and

contribute to a common understanding of the company culture. help to set the tone of a company's work climate.

Business process engineering works to increase efficiency by

coordinating the efforts of different departments.

In general, employee incentive compensation should be tied to

effective implementation of business strategies.

Business statistical information systems are chiefly geared to tracking data concerning which of the following?

employees suppliers and strategic partners customers

In order for a business incentive program to achieve the desired results,

employees must understand how incentive pay is calculated.

hich of the following is a recommended guideline for designing incentive compensation?

erformance targets should be based on outcomes that individuals or their team can affect directly.

Which of the following are important factors of effective incentive compensation?

fair and objective administration prompt payment upon accomplishment of a goal realistic performance goals

Companies today use only positive approaches to employee motivation, such as an effective reward structure, and reject applying pressure or negative consequences to employees for poor work performance.

false

True or false: Companies today use only positive approaches to employee motivation, such as an effective reward structure, and reject applying pressure or negative consequences to employees for poor work performance.

false

Many successful companies use ______ to track a variety of company activities.

real-time data monitoring