MGMT Final
Which of the following roles is an interpersonal role?
(FILL) → Figurehead; INTERPERSONAL, leader, liaison
The three basic categories of needs identified by Alderfer in his ERG theory are ________. (pg. 244)
(Top to bottom) Growth, relatedness, and existence.
Which of the following is the best example of a leadership substitute? (pg. 228-229)
1. ability, experience, training 2. intrinsically satisfying task 3. advisory or staff support 4. cohesive work group (with positive performance norms) 5. direct feedback from the task 6. professional orientation
The product development team at JEG were working together for a year and were very comfortable with an informal style of working. However, the new manager who stepped in preferred to use a more formal style during meetings and team interactions, as this was the way he had always worked. Which of the following is most similar to this situation?
?
Which of the following situations can be seen as an application of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory? (pg. 225)
A belief proposing that leaders develop different levels of relationships with different subordinates, and that the quality of these individual relationships affects the subordinates' behavior. Focuses on the types of relationships that develop between a leader and a follower, rather than on only the behavior of the leader or the follower. The leaders central task is to build strong, mutually respectful, and satisfying relationships.
An individual's drive refers to a(n)________.
A high level of energy, effort, and persistence in the pursuit of objectives. One of the leadership traits.
Which of the following is the best definition of a valid selection technique?
A screening Process
Proponents of the balanced scorecard approach to control assert that it ________.
Advocates of this approach argue that historically there has been an "over-focus" on financial ratios and budgetary controls and a corresponding neglect of other important areas of measurement of a company's performance.
The ________ focuses on the decision maker as a satisficer.
Bounded Rationality Model
Which of the following organizational levels is also known as the strategic business unit?
Business-level
A catering company manager is proposing the purchase of a new van to enable the company to handle more deliveries. She is working on ________.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET
A Gantt chart can help managers devise an action plan in all of the following ways EXCEPT ________.
CONTINGENCIES AND DISTRURBANCES
Which of the following is a valid observation about organizational leadership?
Can be exhibited by anyone
Nobelle, a chocolatier based in France, produces candy containing exotic ingredients from the rain forests of Brazil. The ingredients are provided by a single supplier who has an exclusive contract with Nobelle. The chocolate manufacturer thus has a great deal of power over the market. This is an example of ________.
Competitive advantage
________ skill development programs include a variety of skills and abilities, such as problem solving, decision making, planning, and organizing.
Conceptual
Which of the following statements is true about the Delphi technique?
Delphi technique—a decision-making technique that never allows decision participants to meet face-to-face but identifies a problem and offers solutions using a questionnaire How Delphi Technique works -A problem is identified and members are asked through a series of carefully designed questionnairs to provide potential solutions. These questionnaires are completed independently. The results of the first questionnaire are then circulated to all the group's members(who are still physically separated). After reviewing the feedback, members are again sked their opinions. This process may continue through several interations until group members' opinions begin to show consensus
Department A shows an annual after-tax profit of $400,000 from invested assets of $12 million. Department B shows an annual after-tax profit of $400,000 from invested assets of $8 million. Which unit had the best financial performance?
Department B
The term manager refers to anyone who ________.
Direct Control Organize Plan
Which of the following is a primary value chain activity?
Directly involved in creation of product and distributing it to customer → inbound logistic, operations, outbound logistics, marketing & sales, after sale service ADVERTISING, PROMOTING AND SELLING THE PRODUCT
IBF Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of skin care and solar filters in the United States. The company is a market leader in the U.S., and the demand for its products has been static over the last five quarters. In order to achieve better growth, the management is now planning to develop its business by entering the Canadian market. Which of the following information, if true, would most support the management's decision to develop the market?
Economic Conditions—moving production to Canada is cheaper Competitors Actions—there are no competitors in the Canadian Market Technological Developments--? Not sure how this works Legal and Political Development—Laws in Canada are more beneficial to selling the skin care or solar filters in Canada... possibly there is a tax credit used when buying solar filters Societal and Demographic Shifts—Social norms in Canada make buying the product better there. (It should be external not internal changes)
________ are achieved when the per-unit allocation of fixed costs and, therefore, the total cost per unit go down as more units are produced.
Economies of Scale are achieved when the per-unit allocation of fixed costs and, therefore, the total cost per unit go down as more units are produced.
The sales forecasts for the summer season for LocoPoco, a beverage company, indicated increased demand for its colas. However, the actual sales were 30 percent lower than expected. Which of the following could explain the apparent discrepancy above?
Emergence of substitutes, economic downturn, new competitors in market →COMPETITORS LAUNCHED A NEW BRAND OF BOTTLED WATAAAAH
High levels of group cohesion ________.
Forming, Storming, norming, and PERFORMING. Cohesion: The degree to which members are motivated to remain in the group. Usually considered to have many advantages and to be highly desirable if it can be developed. also increase quality and quantity.
Ned heads the finance department of a business. At which organizational level is Ned functioning?
Functional
Auto parts manufacturer JEG Inc. has a number of vacancies at lower management levels and wants to fill the positions from within the company itself rather than recruit externally. The company plans to e-mail the job specifications to all employees and post the jobs on the company Web site. Which of the following is a disadvantage of job posting?
Generate responses from unqualified applicants who need to receive explanations about why they were unqualified and did not get the job. Generate skepticism, limit pool of candidates, or general lawsuits
A call center manager hopes to improve the performance of her staff by decreasing the average time spent on a call. First, she sets up a performance board where the average length of a call for the previous week is posted and compared to the average call length for the preceding four weeks. Then, she encourages the staff to reduce the average. According to goal-setting theory, how could she improve this scheme? (pg.253)
Goal-setting theory: a theory that emphasizes the role of conscious goals and intentions in directing human's actions. Improve by creating specific goals
Which of the following statements is true about individual and group decision making?
Group Decisions take longer, arriving at the decision more slowly... Identifying alternatives—individual efforts ensure that different and perhanps unique solutions are identified from various functional areas that the group can later consider. Evaluating Alternatives—Group judgment is often superior to individual judgment because ti involves a wider range of viewpoints. Choosing alternatives—involving group memebers often leads to greater acceptance of the final outcome Implementing the choice—individual responsibility is generally superior to group responsibility. Whether decisions are made individually or collectively, individuals perform better in carrying out the decision than groups do. What do Groups do right? • Groups can accumulate more knowledge and facts • Groups have a broader perspective and consider more alternatives • Individuals who participate in group decisions are more satisfied with the decision and more likely to support it • Group decision process serve an important communication function, as well as a useful political function What do Groups do wrong • Groups often work more slowly than individuals • Group decisions involve considerable compromise that may lead to less than optimal decisions • Groups are often dominated by one individual or a small clique, thereby negating many of the virtues of group process • Overreliance on group decision-making can inhibit management's ability to act quickly and decisively when necessary.
Which of the following occurs when agreement among members becomes so dominant that it overrides a realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action?
Groupthink
While they agree that satisfaction is a factor in motivation, scholars note that there is little evidence that increasing employee satisfaction actually increases motivation. This has led them to criticize the ________ as being overly simplistic.
Herzbergs two factor theory
Groups composed of individuals who are very dissimilar to each other are known as ________. (pg.274)
Heterogeneous
Production of Sliver's latest small car, the Beetle, has been a dramatic improvement compared to its previous product, Quiver. The production target of 2,000 Beetle cars per day has been reached only within 10 weeks since the launch date, which was less than the time they needed for Quiver. Which of the following, if true, would suggest that Sliver adopted a JIT strategy for the Beetle?
If benefits included • Reducing inventory levels to only the parts or supplies that are needed at the time and, thus, lowering the holding or carrying cost of inventory • Improving productivity and quality by reducing labor and equipment time • Increasing customer satisfaction by decreasing the time required to make and deliver the product or service. Just-in-time (JIT) system—an inventory management and control system whose objective is to reduce waste throughout the production and delivery of a production and delivery of a product or service; in manufacturing, also known as lean production or value-added manufacturing. When JIT System works well -When there is a high level of repetitiveness and standardization of the product or service and its related components, a JIT system tends to work well. -The JIT system is not as useful to organizations that make customized, one-of-a-kind products or services. For it to work there must be -High degree of integration of the components and their supply relative to the finished product or service that is required. --Gantt Charts are helpful --Program evaluation and review technique and a Critical Path Method (Or PERT and CPM)
Federal spending pushes the federal deficit up, causing an increase in interest rates. What is the LEAST likely result of this occurrence?
Increased interest rates would decrease consumer's likelihood to spend money. So the answer might be the least likely result is more spending, more investing or more demand etc? CONSUMER SPENDING INCREASES
________ is the extent to which people's identities are self-oriented and people are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families.
Individualism
A(n) ________ is a communication route that the organization doesn't prespecify but that develops through the interpersonal activities of employees.
Informal communication channel
A manager is considering three staff members as possible candidates for a new position. One morning, she asks each of them, in private, whether they might be interested in taking up the post. She also asks them not to discuss the offer with anyone. At a function after work, she is approached by several staff members. They ask her about the new position they have heard about "on the grapevine." What important feature of informal communication channels does this scenario illustrate?
Information communication channel is a communication route that the organization doesn't prespecify but that develops through the interpersonal activities of employees. These channels can appear, change or disappear rapidly, depending on circumstances. They can also endure especially where individuals have been working together over a period of time. If a specific pattern becomes well established, it would ordinarily be called a network. Fast info flow and large scale word of mouth networks
From an efficiency perspective, when the manager of a business ________, the self-interests of the owner are best achieved by serving the interests of society.
Is also the owner
JEG recently evaluated its manufacturing processes and discovered that the monotonous nature of jobs was contributing to employee dissatisfaction. As manufacturing worked on an assembly-line system, each employee had to repetitively add just a single part to the product. JEG decided to form the employees into teams and have each team assemble a complete product together. This effort by JEG to make the work more interesting for its employees is known as ________.
JOB DESIGN
Which of the following characteristics is found in a high-context culture?
Japan-high USA-low Pg 317 High Context Cultures— More and greater adjustments in messages Rank of receiver will probably affect message and medium Nonverbal communication cues may be very important Medium may be as important as message Pg 315 Individuals in high-context cultures tend to pay great attention to the situational factors surrounding the communication process and as a consequence substantially alter what they say and how they say it based on the context.
The practice of moving individuals to various types of jobs within the organization at the same level or next-immediate-higher level for periods of time from an hour or two to as long as a year is known as ________.
Job rotation- cross-functional
________ involve(s) the termination of groups of employees because of economic or business reasons.
Layoffs
What is the central concept of Fiedler's leadership contingency theory? (pg. 226)
Leadership effectiveness depends on the types of leader and the relative degree of favorability of the situation Emphasized the degree to which a leader was especially task oriented or person oriented. Leadership effectiveness would be contingent on a combination of the type of leader and the relative degree of favorability of the situation for the leader. A favorable situation for the leader exists when three conditions are present: 1. When relations with subordinates are good. 2. When the task is highly structured. 3. When the leader has considerable position power.
Transformational leaders ________.
Leadership that motivates followers to ignore self-interests and work for the larger good of the organization to achieve significant accomplishments; emphasizes articulating a vision that will convince subordinates to make major changes. MOTIVATE FOLLOWERS AND IGNORE SELF-INTERESTS
Brian, a senior manager in a logistics firm, has a democratic style of leadership. Brian is very approachable, and employees in his department are free to consult with him at any time. The culture in Brian's department is one of ________.
Low power distance
Which of the following is a requirement for swift trust?
Manager has managerial skills-have cultural knowledge/sensitivity • team manager must help members communicate with one another in a positive way • team manager coordinate their efforts and eliminate misunderstandings • unified vision and collaborative outcomes the manager must have significant cultural knowledge and sensitivity to handle the virtual team
To begin motivating an apathetic associate, a manager informally questions her about her satisfaction with her job's ability to provide safety, social interaction, self-respect, and opportunities for growth. What theory of motivation is this manager most likely trying to apply in working with the associate? (pg. 243)
Maslows need hierarchy theory
Sandra, the operations manager of the Zara clothing chain, is informed that the summer line requires certain materials that are not available locally. She recalls having used the same raw materials two summers ago from a niche supplier. Which of the following should she use to solve this issue?
Materials Requirement Planning—a sophisticated computer system, derived from the master production schedule and an inventory database, whose output provides schedules that identify the required raw materials, parts, and assemblies needed during each specified time period.
A ________ consists of two organizational structures superimposed on each other. As a consequence, one person essentially reports to two bosses.
Matrix Structure
________ is the degree to which people see an issue as an ethical one.
Moral intensity
According to Mintzberg's theory of managerial functions, ________ roles include acting as an entrepreneur, a disturbance handler, a resource allocator, and a negotiator.
NERD-D (negotiator, entrepreneur, resource allocator, disturbance handler-DECISIONAL roles)
SLPL Limited adheres to a strategy that allows managers to focus on core competencies or the activities that are most likely to yield competitive advantage. In doing so, SLPL outsources most of the activities in its value chain to other companies, retaining just a few elements. From the above example, it can be concluded that SLPL has a ________ structure.
Network organizational structure
Which of the following controls the quality, quantity, and characteristics of the inputs into the production process?
Operational Control—regulates the activities or methods an organization uses to produce the goods and services it supplies to customers and clients PRECONTROL—a type of operational control that focuses on the quality, quantity, and characteristic of the inputs into the production process
What are stock outs?
Part of Timing and Products and Services—Even if operations managers take the appropriate actions to produce the right quality and right quantity of products and services, they still have to ensure that the timing of the flow of inventory and delivery of products and services meet customers' requirements. Stock Outs—Not getting products and services to customers when they want them—(can be as or more costly as having too much stock)
A production supervisor receives a bonus for each day a project is completed ahead of schedule. This is an example of ________. (pg. 255)
Positive reinforcement: a desirable consequence that, by occurring or being supplied following a behavior, increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.
The line managers at Harmony Corp. believe that the introduction of the customer care hotline facility has been a huge mistake. They are overwhelmed by the number of complaints that come in each day, most of which are due to faulty usage and not faulty products. The top executives at Harmony believe that the hotline will prove its worth over time. What inference can be drawn from this scenario?
Proactive recognition Pg 427problem with diagnosing the real problems Pg437-438 It is important to keep in mind that the collection of different sets of data, such as these, to measure changes outcomes may well require significant costs. Therefore, not every type of data that could be collected should be collected. This was not a part of their goals
What sort of interdependence exists when two or more groups within a company depend upon one another for inputs?
Reciprocal Interdependence
________ emerges when a member has to fulfill two or more contrasting sets of expectations. (pg.283)
Role conflict: A situation in which a member of a group faces two or more contrasting sets of expectations.
________ refers to the process of screening out some parts of an intended message because they contradict our beliefs or desires.
Selective Perception—the process of screening out some parts of an intended message because they contradict our beliefs or desires
Groups suffering from groupthink tend to minimize the seriousness of the doubts members raise and put tremendous pressure on them to agree to the group's consensus. This symptom of groupthink is known as ________.
Self-censorship—a system of group think in which members often minimize the seriousness fo doubts members raise and put tremendous pressure on them to agree to the group's consensus.
In his capacity as the regional production manager, Mark Brown is required to address the regional heads from across the country in a quarterly meeting organized by his company. At this meeting, Mark presents the detailed production figures of his region and also outlines the changes he plans to implement in order to improve productivity. Mark is playing the role of a ________.
Spokesperson
Which of the following best defines "standard" in relation to establishing control?
Standard—a performance target Establishing Standard is the first step in control because without it you cannot measure performance, compare performance against standards, and evaluate results (of the comparison) and if necessary take action. -Without a strategic vision and goals for the overall organization, managers in various parts of the organization will find it difficult to develop meaningful and agreed-upon performance yardsticks. Standards—How specific should they be? Who should set them? How difficult should they be to reach specifying what management expects. A performance target=standard
Google's purchase of YouTube exemplifies its ________ of the need to enhance its mission of organizing the world's information and making it universally useful and accessible.
Strategy Vision (?)
Which of the following is a core category of environmental complexity?
Suppliers, Technological, products, customers, geography, competitors
________ organizations tend to be slower at making decisions and responding to changes in the business environment. As a result, these organizations tend to be best suited to stable external environments.
Tall or Formal
Based on the available forecasts, a business' sales are expected to drop 20 percent in the current year as compared to the previous year. Which of the following will be a cascading effect of this forecast?
The business will also plan to spend less in expenses to offset the loss in revenue. HIRING WILL HAVE TO BE LOWER DURING THE YEAR
The essence of an organizational development (OD) approach to change is ________.
The essence of an organizational development (OD) approach to changes is its emphasis on planned strategy, long-range efforts focusing on people and their interrelationships in organizations.
Which of the following is true of TQM?
You can stop production at any point. Total Quality Management (TQM)—a management approach and philosophy that involves a commitment from all levels of employees to continually strive to make improvements and satisfy customers. TQM is considered a management philosophy because it encompasses a commitment from employees at all levels to continually strive to make improvements and satisfy customers. In essence, TQM must be part fo the organization's culture in order for a true commitment to quality to be realized. In contrast to traditional quality control efforts where a separate team of experts inspect products or services for defects or errors after completion, TQM emphasizes "quality at the source" that is, quality inspection at all stages of production or service output. Quality at the source includes engaging in quantitative techniques, such as statistical process control, as well as nonquantitative techniques, such as employee empowerment.
As the regional manager of an accounting firm, Ruth is often required to attend ceremonial activities like attending a social function on behalf of the company or presiding at a farewell dinner of a departing employee. Which of the following is similar to the given scenario?
[figure head] interpersonal derived from manager's formal authority granted by org "showing the flag" -dean of business school participates in figurehead activities like commencement ceremonies (graduation) as the dean of a business school, Jack is always present at official functions like commencement ceremonies and convocations to give away diplomas
Control can be thought of as a causal variable because ________.
because the results of control efforts can inform and improve the planning process of the organization.Part of feedback loop into planning/org
SockUp is a company that manufactures socks of different sizes, types, and colors for men, women, and children. The company aims at being the lowest-cost provider and charges slightly lower than the market price. This is an example of ________.
cost leadership strategy
Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company, operates in over 40 countries around the world, and many of the larger-country units enjoy considerable freedom and autonomy. Thus, it can be said that Pfizer exemplifies a(n) ________ mode of decision making.
decentralized
Which of the following is the first step in the strategic management process?
determine firms strategic vision (view of firm over the long term and what is should achieve in the future)
Jessica and Alex have been unable a decide who should do the team's work scheduling for the next one month, a task that is both complex and time consuming. As their manager, Melanie intervenes and tells them to jointly draw up the next month's production schedule. Melanie is playing the role of a ________.
disturbance handler
Corporations react to the various pressures and constituencies connected to the topic of social responsibility in different ways. Defenders ________.
fight efforts that result in more restriction/regulation of their ability to max profits; operate at edge of law and seek legal loopholes
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibit payments to ________.
foreign gov officials
Managing multicultural teams, competing in international markets, and managing international operations all require managers to develop a ________.
global mind set
Ken Langley is a production supervisor in an automobile manufacturing firm. After evaluating Ken's managerial capabilities, some members of the senior management feel that average productivity would improve if more workers are assigned to him. However, some managers are skeptical about Ken's ability to handle more workers. Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the argument favoring increased span of control?
if the employees or manager were not as capable or job is more complex
A software engineer believes that if she can complete her current project on time she will get her much awaited promotion to the ranks of a team leader. However, she doubts her capability of completing the project on time. Within the context of expectancy theory, what level of motivation would the engineer have and why? (pg.249)
instrumentality belief P→O
________ are important at all levels of the management, and a lack of these skills will usually limit managerial advancement, even when other skills exist.
interpersonal
The ________ role emphasizes a manager's contacts with those outside the formal chain of command.
liaison
A foreign company can enter a new market via ________ agreements that allow a local firm in the new market to manufacture and distribute the foreign company's product.
licensing
Which of the following best explains the inside-out approach to strategic corporate social responsibility?
look at inside of comp for issues that are more important as a function to company's actions
Which of the following is an example of a reactor firm?
make changes when feel pressure from constituencies is sufficient such that non responsiveness could have a negative economic impact. Ramen's retail store decides to stop using plastic bags after customers threatened to boycott its products
Actions that benefit shareholders but harm the other stakeholders would be viewed as ________ from the efficiency perspective but ________ from the social responsibility perspective.
managerially responsible (first gap) ; socially irresponsible (second gap)
A manager at a local bookstore is about to allocate extra floor space to an espresso counter when a new coffee shop opens next door. He stops implementation of his plan and instead looks into opening a juice bar. This an example of which of the following?
monitoring implementations Contingency plan, making real-time adjustments
When managers are called upon to make accommodations with other units or other organizations, they are functioning in the ________ role.
negotiator
When managers look at social issues in general terms of the extent to which they are problematic they are following the ________ approach to strategic corporate social responsibility.
outside-out
________ involve a country's infrastructure, such as roads, telecommunications, air links, arable land, deep water harbors, mineral resources, forests, and climate.
physical forces
________ conflict arises when group members possess divergent ideas or approaches to attaining goals.
process conflict
Of the following, ________ is a dimension of a country's distinct institutional environment.
rules, policies and enforcement processes • Economic development • Political-legal • physical
________ are cooperative arrangements between two firms in which they agree to share resources to accomplish a mutually desirable goal.
strategic alliance
Which of the following business plans has the broadest scope?
strategic plans
________ is the rapid development of trust in teams with positive and reciprocal communications about the team's task activities.
swift trust
________ are those that lead to new features and capabilities in existing products or to completely new products.
technological forces → product technological changes
What is the primary legacy of Frederick Taylor?
the principles of scientific management American engineer "father of modern management" Linked worker incentives to their performance → motivation theory Pay is only part of reward, need feedback on performance, scientific management
According to the universal approach to ethical decision making, managers must first determine whether a course of action can apply to all people in all situations, then ask themselves whether ________.
they would also want that applied to themselves
________ strategies focus on the operations of each function and their contribution to help the firm achieve a competitive advantage.
unit-level
Which of the following is most likely to be the content of an upward communication in an organization?
upwards communication - messages sent from lower organizational levels to higher levels
A(n) ________ is an employee who discloses illegal or unethical conduct on the part of others in the organization.
whistle blower
Which of the following is a characteristic of collectivism?
• emotional dependence • emphasize group membership • value collective decisions identity is function of group to which individual belongs to and extent group members look after each other group membership
Which of the following would lead to higher profits for an industry?
• few competitors • few new entrants • fragmented customers • quantity-based competition • few substitutes • higher entry barriers • many customers FRAGMENTED CUSTOMERS