SPM Chapter 2

According to the symbolic frame, what is most important about any event in an organization is what actually happened.

False

Assigning staff part-time to the project often creates underutilization and/or misallocation of staff resources.

False

It is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during earlier phases.

False

Technical and analytical skills guarantee success in project management.

False

A major element of good practice concerns ____________________, which addresses the authority and control for key IT activities in organizations, including IT infrastructure, IT use, and project management.

IT governance

An organization that uses a project organizational structure earns their revenue primarily from performing projects for other groups under contract.

True

Most colleges and universities have very strong functional organizations.

True

Project managers in matrix organizations have staff from various functional areas working on their projects.

True

Since the organization usually commits more money as a project continues, a management review should occur after each phase to evaluate progress, potential success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals.

True

The Adaptive Software Development (ASD) life cycle model assumes that software development follows an adaptive approach because the requirements cannot be clearly expressed early in the life cycle.

True

The best way to kill a project is to withhold the required money, human resources, and visibility for the project.

True

The same organization can have different subcultures.

True

Using a systems approach is critical to successful project management.

True

The term "systems approach" emerged in the ____. a. 1940s c. 1960s b. 1950s d. 1970s

1950s

Most trade schools, colleges, and universities did not start offering degrees in computer technology, computer science, management information systems, or other information technology areas until the ____. a. 1950s c. 1980s b. 1970s d. 1990s

1970s COMPLETION

Some projects have a senior manager called a(n) ____________________ who acts as a key proponent for a project.

champion

In the ____________________ phase, there should be some sort of customer acceptance of the entire project.

close-out - closeout

A preliminary or rough cost estimate is developed in the ____ phase, and an overview of the work involved is created. a. implementation c. concept b. development d. close-out

concept

Experienced project managers know it is often best to balance the degree of ____________________ to get good project results.

control

A(n) ____________________ is a product or service, such as a report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project.

deliverable

A(n) ____________________ is a group of senior executives from various parts of the organization, who regularly review important corporate projects and issues.

executive steering committee

In a(n) ____________________ organizational structure, project managers have little or no authority.

functional

Three general classifications of organizational structures are ____________________, project, and matrix.

functional

A ____ is the hierarchy most people think of when picturing an organizational chart. a. project organizational structure c. matrix organizational structure b. system organizational structure d. functional organizational structure

functional organizational structure

Project managers have the least amount of authority in a pure ____. a. functional organizational structure c. matrix organizational structure b. project organizational structure d. circular organizational structure

functional organizational structure

To handle complex situations effectively, project managers need to take a(n) ____________________ view of a project and understand how it relates to the larger organization.

holistic

The ____ focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of the people. a. structural frame c. political frame b. human resources frame d. symbolic frame

human resources frame

In the ____ phase, the project team creates a definitive or very accurate cost estimate, delivers the required work, and provides performance reports to stakeholders. a. development c. concept b. implementation d. close-out

implementation

The ____ model provides for progressive development of operational software, with each release providing added capabilities. a. spiral life cycle c. waterfall life cycle b. RAD life cycle d. incremental build life cycle

incremental build life cycle

Management reviews, called phase exits or ____________________, are very important for keeping projects on track and determining if they should be continued, redirected, or terminated.

kill points

In a ____, personnel often report to both a functional manager and one or more project managers. a. project organizational structure c. matrix organizational structure b. system organizational structure d. functional organizational structure

matrix organizational structure

The ____ characteristic of organizational culture describes the degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. a. member identity c. people focus b. group emphasis d. unit integration

people focus

The ____ assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of varied individuals and interest groups. a. political frame c. structural frame b. symbolic frame d. human resources frame

political frame

Understanding the ____________________ is just as important to good project management as understanding the phases of the traditional project life cycle.

product life cycle

The ____________________ focuses on symbols and meanings.

symbolic frame

A(n) ____________________ is an overall model for thinking about things as systems.

systems philosophy

The three spheres of systems management are business, organization, and ____________________.

technology

The ____ model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined. a. spiral life cycle c. prototyping life cycle b. waterfall life cycle d. RAD life cycle

waterfall life cycle

Many companies have realized that information technology is integral to their business and have created a vice president or equivalent-level position for the head of information technology, often called the ____. a. CPO c. CEO b. CFO d. CIO

CIO

In early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually ____ and the level of uncertainty is ____. a. lowest; highest c. lowest, lowest b. high, lowest d. highest, highest

lowest; highest

A ____ is a collection of project phases. a. project life cycle c. project planning cycle b. project feasibility d. project acquisition

project life cycle

In a ____, program managers report to the CEO. a. project organizational structure c. matrix organizational structure b. system organizational structure d. functional organizational structure

project organizational structure

Project managers have the most authority in a pure ____. a. functional organizational structure c. matrix organizational structure b. project organizational structure d. circular organizational structure

project organizational structure

____ refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment. a. Means-ends orientation c. Conflict tolerance b. Open-systems focus d. Risk tolerance

Open-systems focus

____ is a set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization. a. Organizational politics c. Organizational culture b. Organizational philosophy d. Organizational structure

Organizational culture

The ____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype. a. incremental build life cycle c. RAD life cycle b. waterfall life cycle d. spiral life cycle

RAD life cycle

A(n) ____________________ is a framework for describing the phases involved in developing information systems.

SDLC - systems development life cycle - systems development life cycle (SDLC)

____________________ are sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose.

Systems

____ is a problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system, dividing it into its components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs. a. Systems philosophy c. Systems troubleshooting b. Systems management d. Systems analysis

Systems analysis

____________________ addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and making a change to a system.

Systems management

____ describes a holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization. a. Systems philosophy c. Systems analysis b. Systems thinking d. Systems approach

Systems thinking

An organizational culture with strong unit integration makes the project manager's job more difficult.

False

Because of overlaps in their duties, hardware specialists usually understand the language of database analysts, and vice versa.

False

Because of the nature of information technology projects, the people involved come from very similar backgrounds and possess similar skill sets.

False

External project stakeholders generally include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, and internal customers for the project.

False

Few business and information technology students understand the concepts of systems and performing a systems analysis.

False

If project managers have functional management commitment, they will also have adequate resources and not be distracted by events that do not affect their specific projects.

False

Many of the theories and concepts of project management are difficult to understand.

False

Most IT projects involve a major amount of software development.

False

Organizational issues are often the least difficult part of working on and managing projects.

False

The nature of hardware development projects is more diverse than software-oriented projects.

False

When you separate business and organizational issues from project management planning, you do a better job of ensuring project success.

False

Within the category of programmer, there are several job titles used to describe the specific technologies the programmer uses, such as project manager programmer, systems analyst programmer, macro developer, and so on.

False

Although it is easier to focus on the immediate and sometimes narrow concerns of a particular project, project managers and other staff must keep in mind the effects of any project on the interests and needs of the entire system or organization.

True

COBOL programmers cannot be of much help on a Java project.

True

If a project manager does not submit a potential project in the proper format, it could be rejected.

True

If project managers lead projects in isolation, it is unlikely that those projects will ever truly serve the needs of the organization.

True

It is rare for technical specialists or project managers to remain with the same company for a long time.

True

Project organizations may miss economies of scale available through the pooling of requests for materials with other projects.

True

The term ____________________ has become popular to describe new approaches that focus on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts.

agile software development

In the ____ phase, the project team creates more detailed project plans, a more accurate cost estimate, and a more thorough WBS. a. development c. concept b. implementation d. close-out

development

The ____ model requires heavy user involvement, and developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously. a. RAD life cycle c. spiral life cycle b. prototyping life cycle d. incremental build life cycle

prototyping life cycle

In a ____ matrix organizational structure, the project manager controls the project budget and has moderate to high authority. a. weak c. strong b. balanced d. functional

strong

The ____ focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities in order to meet the goals and policies set by top management. a. structural frame c. political frame b. human resources frame d. symbolic frame

structural frame

The ____________________ is usually depicted in an organizational chart.

structural frame

When project managers use a(n) ____________________, they are better able to make decisions that address the needs of the entire organization.

systems approach