DECA Business Management and Administration Cluster Exam

Tim is the technology manager for the MSJ company. Tim is responsible for backing up the computer system each evening to make sure that the company has a copy of each days computer activities and transactions. On Tuesday evening Tim was running late for a meeting and decided not to conduct the back up activities. Later that night the computer system crashed and all of Tuesday's computer data was lost. By apologizing to his boss for making a poor decision and offering to work extra hours to help fix the problem, Tim was A. Accepting the consequences for the decisions he made B. Blaming others for the consequences of his actions C. Promising not to make any mistakes in the future D. Taking the time to make informed decisions

A. Accepting the consequences for the the decisions he made When you are willing to accept The consequences of your behavior, which is based on the decisions you make, you are taking responsibility for your actions. In the example, Tim admits that he made a mistake by not conducting computer back up activities, so he is excepting the responsibility for his behavior. When you blame others for your actions you're not excepting responsibility for your behavior. Taking responsibility for your actions often involves admitting and learning from your mistakes and trying to do better in the future, rather than promising not to make any more mistakes. It is not always involve making informed decisions because some people make decisions without knowing all the facts, or they make impulsive decisions.

Most people are better to handle change if they _________ it. A. Anticipate B. Oppose C. Avoid D. Resist

A. Anticipate By anticipating, or expecting, change, we can plan for it and make a better adjustment to it. To resist or oppose change would be to avoid it or try to prevent it from occurring, which would keep us from moving forward.

The use of robots in assembly-line work is a form of specialization involving A. Capital Goods B. Natural resources C. Capitalism D. Human Resources

A. Capital goods The use of specialized types of machinery to do specific task at high rates of speed is specialization involving capital goods. Capitalism is an economic system that is characterized by free enterprise. Natural resources are resources found in nature. Human resources are the people who use their skills in different jobs.

Jim was recently hired to manage sports events because his previous employer said that "Jim try to improve his performance with each new challenge and set the standards for his coworkers to achieve." Jim demonstrates the trait of A. Competition B. Aggressive behavior C. Negotiation D. Time management

A. Competition Jim's behavior illustrates his competitive spirit and recognition that one of the competitors he faces is himself. He competes not only with his coworkers but with himself to improve his performance. Negotiation involves reaching an agreement. Aggressive behavior is actions that ignore the rights of others or exploit them to achieve personal goals. Time management shows good utilization of one's time.

When coworkers casually discuss work related topics at lunch, it is called ___________ communication. A. Informal B. Ceremonial C. Official D. External

A. Informal A casual exchange of information is in formal communication. Coworkers who talk about work when they aren't on the clock, such as lunchtime, or engaging in informal communication. Sometimes, informal communications can help employees solve problems or get ideas for streamlining A project. Ceremonial and official indicate a formal exchange of information. In business, external communication occurs with people outside the company, such as vendors or customers.

What is usually the last stop in the persuasion process? A. Motivating others to act B. Presenting your argument C. Telling the truth D. Making good suggestions

A. Motivating others to act The last step in the persuasion process usually is motivating others to take action. You want others to do things your way or do what you want to do. If you have provided all the necessary information in a logical way, it should be fairly simple to get them to act. It might be as easy as just asking them. It is important to tell the truth all the time to build credibility. Before you can motivate others to act, you must make good suggestions and present your argument.

Because Chinese business people tend to take more time to make decisions it is important for foreign business people to be A. Patient B. Aggressive C. Conceited D. Intolerant

A. Patient A patient person has the ability to endure lives aggravations and difficulties calmly. Exhibiting patients is important when doing business with foreigners because their customs and practices often differ from our own. In some countries, business people make their decisions quickly what business people in other countries (for example, China) take more time to make business decisions. If a foreign business person does not exhibit patience and behaves in an aggressive, conceited, or intolerant way, she/he may offend the Chinese business people and lose an important business deal.

In business terms, money is the income A. Received B. Produced C. Supplied D. Spent

A. Received In business terms, income is the money received. It is not money produced, supplied, or spent. Money spent is the money used for expenses, not income. In business, products or supply or produced-not money.

What often occurs when a nation's unemployment rate falls? A. The inflation rate increases B. The demand for money decreases C. Tariffs decrease D. Stock trades stabilize

A. The inflation rate increases Inflation is a rapid rise in prices. Although many factors affect the rate of inflation, it often occurs when unemployment rates drop. When were people are working (low unemployment), consumer spending tends to increase, which increases the demand for money. Tariffs very by country and are not directly affected by unemployment rates. The amount of stock that is treated varies from day to day.

A request made by an employee to a supervisor is an example of what type of communication? A. Upward B. Downward C. Grapevine D. Horizontal

A. Upward Upward communication is defined as communication that moves up the chain of command, for example an employee to a supervisor. Downward communication moves down the chain from management to employees. Horizontal communication is communication with someone on the same level within the business. Grapevine communication is unofficial messages passed among fellow employees.

When participating in a project-status meeting, it is important for participate to A. Monopolize the conversation B. Be prepared to provide an update C. Provide information about new company policies D. Take notes for the group

B. Be prepared to provide an update It is important for a meeting participant to be prepared to present the required information at a scheduled meeting. Being unprepared is unprofessional and inconsiderate of the other participants time. Without the necessary information, the meeting may need to be rescheduled. Meeting participants should not monopolize the conversation. New company policies would be relevant only if they affect the project. Otherwise, they should be communicated outside the project-status meeting. It is not always necessary to take notes for the group.

Businesses operating in the global environment must be sensitive to different traditions, beliefs, and etiquette, which are ____________ factors. A. Political B. Cultural C. Economic D. Intellectual

B. Cultural Culture refers to the customs, habits, and traditions of a particular group of people. If businesses want to develop a favorable relationship With foreign businesses, they need to recognize, understand, and respect other cultures. A business that does not learn about the cultural differences may do or say something to offend a foreign customer or potential customer. Political factors relate to the government issues. Economic factors are ways that a nation meet consumers competing wants with limited resources. Intellect is a person's cognitive ability.

When attending a business meeting in France, it is important for United States business people to A. Speak loudly B. Dress conservatively C. Arrive unannounced D. Bring gifts

B. Dress conservatively It is important for United States business people to understand different customs and practices to avoid offending business people from different countries and culture. When doing business in France, it is important to dress conservatively by wearing a dark or neutral-colored business suit. French people consider it rude to speak loudly into arrive somewhere on announced. Giftgiving practices depend on the specific business' policies.

Ella developed a document that discusses the consequences of switching to a new payroll-processing vendor. What type of analytical report has Ella prepared? A. Troubleshooting guide B. Feasibility study C. Marketing plan D. Letter of Intent

B. Feasibility study An analytical report provides evaluative information. If feasibility study is a type of analytical report that explores the positive and negative consequences or the implications associated with taking a certain course of action, such as changing vendors. A troubleshooting guide is a document that provides guidance for solving problems with a product or process. A marketing plan is a set of procedures or strategies for attracting the target customers to a business. A letter of intent is a document communicating what a person or business intends to do within (or during) a specific time period.

If all the individuals who own a business share unlimited liability for the business's losses, these individuals are part of a(n) A. Private corporation B. General Partnership C. "S" Corporation D. Public Corporation

B. General Partnership With a general partnership, all partners are liable for the debts of the business. If one partner refuses to pay her/his share of the debts, the other partners will be responsible for paying them. Owners of private, public, and "S" corporations have limited liability.

An effective technique for personalizing a telephone sales presentation is to: A. Ask the customer questions B. Greet the customer by name C. Use a merchandise approach D. Call the Prospect at Home

B. Greet the customer by name If a salesperson is making calls from a prospect list, use of the customer's name will be easy and adds a personal touch to the telephone call. It may not be appropriate to call a potential client at home. Asking questions will reveal information about the clients needs and wants but does nothing to personalize the conversation. The use of a merchandise approach means to make reference to a particular good/service in initiating a conversation with the costumer.

Tony likes to make his own decisions and ask without influence or direction from anyone else. He can be described as A. Dependent B. Independent C. Insecure D. Egotistical

B. Independent Independent people are those who think and act on their own. They do not often seek advice from others. People who are dependent and/or insecure well I have a lead on others. Egotistical people have an inflated view of their own importance.

Which of the following is a personal benefit of being interested in and a Susie Astec about your job: A. It helps to motivate others B. It helps you enjoy your job C. It helps you find new jobs D. It helps in exploring other activities

B. It helps you enjoy your job This will help you feel good about your work, to do a good job, and to when your employer's approval. If you were interested in and enthusiastic about your job, you were not usually looking for new jobs. Motivating others is a benefit others get from your interest in a doozy as him rather than a personal benefit that you receive. Exploring other activities is an action that you should take to help in defining your own personality rather than a benefit that you should receive from being interested in and being enthusiastic.

As Zack left work one evening, his supervisor made the following comment: "Zack, I liked the way you handled the upset customer situation. Keep up the good work!" The feedback Zack received was A. Negative, external B. Positive, external C. Negative, internal D. Positive, internal

B. Positive, external Feedback is evaluative information about you, your behavior, or the results of you behavior. It can come from within (internal) or from others (external). Positive feedback involves praise and tends to reinforce the behavior that led to the praise. Negative feedback involves criticism and makes you want to change or modify your words or actions.

Which of the following is one of the major responsibilities of environmental law? A. Land Management B. Historic Preservation C. Conservation D. Production

C. Conservation One of the main responsibilities of environmental law is the conservation and preservation of the natural environment. This involves conserving natural resources and preventing pollution. Environmental laws affect businesses because many businesses use natural resources and might contribute to pollution during the production process. Historic preservation involves preserving landmarks, such as buildings. Environmental law is not responsible for land management or production.

Jack and Anna are United States business people who are traveling to Brazil to meet with the president of a large Brazilian coffee-bean producer. A coworker tells them that the hand symbol that means "OK" in the United States is offensive to Brazilians. The coworkers comment suggest to Anna and Jack that they need to be sensitive of their A. Table manners B. Tone of voice C. Gestures D. Gender differences

C. Gestures A gesture involves moving the body or limbs in ways that expresses or emphasizes an idea, sentiment, or attitude. It is important for foreign business people to understand that gestures, which may be appropriate or positive to people in one country, may be offensive to people in another country. Taking the time to research a country's culture and behavioral expectations can prevent foreign business people from making embarrassing mistakes-mistakes that can affect the outcome of business transactions. Tone of voice is the specific pitch or qualityOf the voice used in speaking. Table manners are elements of body language. Gender differences are the different ways in which males and females are perceived in other cultures.

Which of the following economic systems encourages competition in a business? A. Traditional B. Socialist command C. Market D. Intellectual

C. Market A market economy is an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are owned and controlled by individuals and businesses. The governments role in business include protecting private property, preserving law and order, and supporting a competitive trade environment. In socialism, competition is limited because the government runs most of the major industries. Competition is not allowed in communism because the government owns all the means of production and distribution in a traditional economy, people produce only what they must have in order to exist.

Which of the following represents a primary business activity: A. Designing B. Scheduling C. Marketing D. Supervising

C. Marketing Marketing is one of the primary business activities-as are financial analysis, human resources management, information management, operations management, and strategic management. Scheduling designing and supervising can be tasks or processes within one or more of the primary business activities.

What type of utility do malls and shopping centers provide? A. From B. Time C. Place D. Possession

C. Place Malls and shopping centers provide place utility by making many products available in one location. Time utility is created when products are available when they are needed. Marketing affects possession utility by making it easier to buy products, and form utility is indirectly affected through marketing research and planning.

One way for employees to demonstrate a service orientation to customers is to reinforce verbal communication with A. Good training methods B. Vast personal knowledge C. Positive body language D. Effective pricing plans

C. Positive body language Body language involves communicating without words through facial expression, posture, I contact, or physical distance. Where is that employees can exhibit positive body language include smiling at customers, maintaining eye contact, and walking towards them when they enter the business. This type of behavior makes customers feel comfortable and welcome and reinforces the idea that employees are service oriented and interested in helping. Vast personal knowledge is helpful only if it is relevant to the business and its goods and services. Good training methods may help in employee realize the importance of being service oriented. Effective pricing plans may attract customers, but the service they can receive will have a major impact on whether they buy.

One way to show empathy toward another person is to A. Keep your distance B. Be frank at all times C. Share your own experiences D. Resist involvement

C. Share your own experiences In some situations, the best expression of empathy is to share your own experience that is similar to or the same as the other person's. This lets those you are talking to know that you really do understand how they feel. It is important to be honest, but honesty should be expressed tactfully rather than in total frankness. Resisting involvement and keeping your distance would prevent the expression or empathy.

The primary purpose of a research report is to A. Support business decisions B. Organize a problem C. Summarize gathered information D. Establish objectives

C. Summarize gathered information A research report summarized information gathered from an investigation. Information is often obtained from several sources inside and outside the business. Businesses often request and use research reports to identify problems and opportunities. Information provided in research reports is often used to make important decisions about the business, which may involve setting new objectives for the business.

An example of a physical communication barrier is A. Emotional Perceptions B. Bias C. Personal Background D. Noise

D. Noise Noise in the background can distract the listener. Emotional perceptions are the ways in which people interpret things. They are usually created or influenced by the background, or upbringing, of the individual, and they can create emotional barriers to communication. Bias is opinion based on feelings or hearsay, rather than fact. It can also create an emotional barrier.

When reviewing your education and experience to help assess strengths and weaknesses, look for A. Mistakes B. Choices C. Talents D. Patterns

D. Patterns When reviewing your education and experience to help assess strengths and weaknesses, look for patterns. What skills or talents get used repeatedly? What situations do you ignore or avoid? Although the situations may seem unrelated, you may notice similar reactions or behaviors. You are not looking for choices, talents, or mistakes.

A barrier to effective listening is often the ___________ of the listener. A. Interest B. Concentration C. Patience D. Attitude

D. Attitude The attitude of the listener can keep him/her from effective listening because attitudes affect behavior. If a listener dislikes a speaker or dislikes what the speaker is saying, they may tune out and not listen to the message. Patience, concentration, and interest are not barriers to effective listening. Listening patiently without interrupting the speaker, being genuinely interested in what the speaker is saying, and concentrating on the message help to promote effective listening.

Which of the following north American attitudes do many foreign business people consider rude and arrogant behavior? A. Dedication and adaptability B. Politeness and inflexibility C. Honesty and patience D. Directness and impatience

D. Directness and impatience Because of cultural differences, some countries believe that the United States business people are rude and arrogant. This stems from differing viewpoints about time in fourth ethic. Americans tend to be direct into the point-they often want to open "get down to business" right away. Then, they can move onto the next issue or task. In this way, United States business people have a very strong worth ethic. However business people from other cultures often want to take time to get to know people with whom they do business, and they tend to take a more relaxed, leisurely approach to business encounters. Because Americans value time, they often become impatient with those who want to take more time for business activities. When this comes across in a negative way, others think these people are rude and arrogant. Politeness, honesty, and dedication positive attributes in most foreigners appreciate these characteristics in business people. Being inflexible maybe viewed as a strength in some cultures and a weakness and others. Being adaptable is a positive attribute to exhibit in any culture because it indicates that the person has respect for others and has tolerance for differences.

Employees can generally identify difficult customers A. After asking personal questions B. By observing costumers' ideas C. By listening to costumer's accents D. During their initial contact

D. During their initial contact Most employees learn a lot about customers during their first conversation with the customer by listening, observing, and questioning the customers. They should not include asking personal questions. The way in which customers dress or speak would not indicate whether they will be difficult to help.

Desire for clothes, lawn care, and CDs would be classified as A. Noneconomic wants B. Services C. Goods D. Economic wants

D. Economic wants Desire for clothes, lawn care, and CDs can only be satisfied by spending money. Therefore, these desires are considered economic wants. Non-economic wants can be satisfied without spending money. A good is a tangible object that is useful, scarce, and transferable. Service is a productive activity performed by someone else for a fee.

Employees who handle customer complaints need to know how to A. Defend the company at all costs B. Please the costumer at any cost C. Ignore the costumers complaints D. Listen with an open mind

D. Listen with an open mind The employee should try to express concern for the customer by listening attentively and giving him/her a chance to express dissatisfaction or anger while presenting the complaint. Customer complaint should never be ignored. Since the fall may lie within the company, the customer, or be on both sides, it would be unwise to try to please all costumers or decent the company in all cases.

Joe has a two-our sales meeting with a new customer at 10 AM today. Early this morning, a vendor telephone to Joe to schedule a one-our luncheon meeting to discuss a co-op advertising program. The vendor would like to meet at a restaurant that is 30 minutes from Joe's office at 1 PM today. Joe must be back at his office by 2 PM for an important computer training session. Should Joe meet with the vendor today? A. Yes. Joe can meet with the vendor after the vendor change the lunch reservation to 12:45 PM B. No. It is rude for the vendor to assume that Joe has time to meet today C. Yes. Joe can meet with the vendor after he reschedules is training session D. No. Joe would only have 30 minutes to meet with the vendor before he needs to return to the office.

D. No. Joe would only have 30 minutes to meet with the vendor before he needs to return to the office. Managing work commitments in a timely manner involves allowing enough time to complete the most important task first. Joe had commitments that he needs to keep from 10 AM to 12 PM and 2 PM. Because the vendor asked Joe to meet at a restaurant that was 30 minutes away from his office, he doesn't have enough time to meet with the vendor for one hour at 1 PM. Is the vendor is not available at an earlier time a closer location, Joe must decline the luncheon invitation and schedule it at a time that is more convenient for both of them. It's not unusual for last-minute meetings to take place, if other commitments or not an issue. Therefore, the vendor was not being rude by asking Joe if he had time to meet. There's not enough information to determine if Joe had the authority to reschedule the training session. Moving the lunch reservation to 12:45 PM would not help because Joe would be 15 minutes late to his training session.

One characteristic of letters of inquiry that businesses write to request information from other businesses is that they are: A. Formal B. Complex C. Social D. Short

D. Short A characteristic of letters of inquiry is that they are usually short. Businesses often write letters of inquiry to other businesses to request information and literature or to order goods or services. These types of letters are routine and should contain only the information the receiver needs in order to respond. Letters of inquiry requesting information usually are not complex. Social business letters do not request information but often are used to express thanks or congratulations. Letters of inquiry that businesses right to request information from other businesses usually are informal rather than formal.

Which of the following is a relevant question for a job applicant to ask during an employment interview? A. What is your annual salary? B. Are there any good restaurants near by? C. Why didn't the sales department meet its goals last month? D. What type of training do you provide for this position?

D. What type of training do you provide for this position? Relevant questions are types of questions that pertain to the issue at hand. If an applicant is interviewing for a job, the applicant would ask the interviewer questions about the company, job responsibilities, job training, professional development, etc. It would be inappropriate to ask the interviewer about his/her salary, nearby restaurants, and sales department shortfalls-these questions are relevant to the issue at hand.

Which of the following is an example of a Saudi Arabian custom that relates to gender: A. It is illegal to eat pork B. Friday is the day of rest C. The "thumbs up" symbol is offensive D. Women are not permitted to drive a car

D. Women are not permitted to drive a car Different cultures have different expectations and roles in relation to gender. In Saudi Arabia, women are not permitted to drive a car. The day of rest is often associated with religious traditions. Laws regarding the consumption of pork are related to religious practices. The "thumbs up" symbol is a form of nonverbal communication.