Chapter 6: Reaching Goals_Plans & Controls

(b) Developing new rewards for good performance (d) Training employees (e) Improving communication with employees

Identify the actions that supervisors can take to fix process and behavior problems in an organization. Select all that apply. (a) Reducing the salaries of poor performers (b) Developing new rewards for good performance (c) Minimizing operational objectives for employees (d) Training employees (e) Improving communication with employees

(a) Expectations of the supervisors' employer (d) The nature of work being monitored by the supervisors (e) Experience of the supervisors

Identify the factors that influence supervisors when they set performance standards in an organization. Select all that apply. (a) Expectations of the supervisors' employer (b) Expectations of experiences employees in the organization (c) The skills and expertise of a particular employee (d) The nature of work being monitored by the supervisors (e) Experience of the supervisors

(a) The nature of work being monitored by the supervisors (c) Expectations of the supervisors' employer (d) Experience of the supervisors

Identify the factors that influence supervisors when they set performance standards in an organization. Select all that apply. (a) The nature of work being monitored by the supervisors (b) The skills and expertise of a particular employee (c) Expectations of the supervisors' employer (d) Experience of the supervisors (e) Expectations of experienced employees in the organization

capital

In an organization, items such as machinery or a new building are examples of a(n) _____ budget.

operating

In an organization, items such as wages and salaries, rent, supplies, and insurance can be examples of a(n) ______ budget.

how much equipment is needed to meet a department's objectives

In an organization, the process of allocating equipment resources includes determining ______.

how many and what kind of employees a department will need

In an organization, the process of allocating human resources includes determining _____.

supervisors

In organizations, operational planning is typically performed by _____.

(d) understand the activities behind the numbers in performance reports

In the context of the control process in an organization, personal observation can help supervisors _____. (a) create a cost-effective operational budget (b) avoid using the strategy of feedback control (c) restructure the performance reports based on employees' skills (d) understand the activities behind the numbers in performance reports

(c) the variance is meaningful

In the context of the control process, according to the exception principle, a supervisor should take action only when _____. (a) the variance is negligible (b) employees are high in number (c) the variance is meaningful (d) employees are less in number

(c) helps a supervisor manager his or her time wisely and motivate employees

In the context of the control process, the exception principle is beneficial when it _____. (a) forces a supervisor to set standards that are less challenging (b) helps a supervisor decide on the hiring of resources (c) helps a supervisor manager his or her time wisely and motivate employees (d) forces a supervisor to set standards with less effective objectives

(c) help employees discover better ways of doing their jobs

In the management by walking around approach to the control process in an organization, supervisors _____. (a) electronically monitor the performances and progress of employees (b) review budgets to compare past performances with the current performance (c) help employees discover better ways of doing their jobs (d) reward employees based on their performances

(d) kind of performance standard

In the process of controlling in an organization, a budget is useful as a _____. (a) template for prioritizing tasks (b) plan for spending money (c) reinforcement strategy (d) kind of performance standard

(b) a time frame

A feature of measurable objectives is that they specify _____. (a) the personal goals of supervisors (b) a time frame (c) the number of resources (d) a contingency plan

(a) steps that free managers and employees from making decisions about activities they carry out repeatedly

A feature of procedures is that they are _____. (a) steps that free managers and employees from making decisions about activities they carry out repeatedly (b) broad guidelines for how to act within an organization (c) broad guidelines that do not spell out the details of how to handle a specific situation (d) neither flexible nor open to interpretation

supervisor

A(n) _____ is in the best positions to provide information about the needs, abilities, and progress of his or her department or work group to higher-level managers.

flexible

An effective control system in an organization should be _____.

(b) effectively managing the use of one's time

An important application of planning personal objectives in an organization is _____. (a) effectively outsourcing the resources in the organization (b) effectively managing the use of one's time (c) creating backup plans in case of any problems (d) creating strategic objectives for the future

1. (b) The supervisor establishes performance standards. 2. (c) The supervisor monitors actual performance and compares it with established standards. 3. (a) The supervisor reinforces success or makes some adjustment to bring performance and the established standards into line.

Arrange the steps involved in the process of controlling used by a supervisor in the correct order of occurrence. (a) The supervisor reinforces success or makes some adjustment to bring performance and the established standards into line. (b) The supervisor establishes performance standards. (c) The supervisor monitors actual performance and compares it with established standards.

Precontrol

Efforts aimed at preventing behavior that may lead to undesirable results

Scheduling

setting a precise timetable for the work to be done; this process includes deciding which activities will take priority over others and deciding who will do what tasks and when

Objectives

specifies the desired accomplishments of the organization as a whole or of a part of it

Strategic Planning

the creation of long-term goals for the organizations; these goals typically include the type and quality of goods or services the organization is to provide and, for a business, the level of profits it is to earn

Operational Planning

the development of objectives that specify how divisions, departments, and work groups will support organizational goals; performed by middle managers and supervisors

Planning

the management function of setting goals and determining how to meet them; for supervisors, this process includes figuring out what tasks the department needs to complete to achieve its goals, as well as how and when to perform those tasks

Budgeting

the process of allocating money recources

Positive Reinforcement

the reinforcement that involves the presentation of something pleasant after a desired behavior has occurred

Negative Reinforcement

the reinforcement that involves the removal of something unpleasant after a desired behavior has occurred

specific

Making objectives of an organization _____means indicating who is to do what and by what time to accomplish an objective.

(a) employees realizing they are something to which managers have devoted time and though

Putting objectives into writing results in _____. (a) employees realizing they are something to which managers have devoted time and though (b) an increased operational budget for organizations (c) supervisors finding a way to provide feedback on the work of the employees (d) supervisors seldom thinking through what the objectives say

False

True or False: The cost of using the control system in an organization should be greater than the benefit derived from using them.

True

True or False: To use the information gained through controlling effectively in an organization, a supervisor needs to distinguish problems from symptoms.

(c) Controls that focus on areas over which they themselves have some control

What type of control system do employees appreciate in an organization? (a) Frequent visits of supervisors to work floors (b) Performance reports based on strict standards (c) Controls that focus on areas over which they themselves have some control (d) Controls with the use of electronic monitoring systems at all places

(a) overlooking any variance performance standards

When supervisors prepare performance reports in an organization, they should consider _____. (a) overlooking any variance performance standards (b) preparing a table-style report (c) using numbers more than graphs (d) ignoring performance problems among employees

(d) be sure that employees understand the rationale for the standards

While setting performance standards for an organization, supervisors should _____. (a) avoid putting standards in writing for employees to refer (b) try to set them by differing from the strategy of the organization (c) set standards that are not challenging (d) be sure that employees understand the rationale for the standards

Supervisors

Who sets objectives that will enable their work group to contribute to divisional or departmental goals?

Problem

a factor in the organization that is a barrier to improvement

Budget

a plan for spending money

Action Plan

a plan or scheme for how to achieve an objective

Performance Report

a report that summarizes performances and compares it with performance standards in an organization

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

a scheduling tool that identifies the relationships among tasks and the amount of time each task will take

Gantt Chart

a scheduling tool that lists the activities to be completed and uses horizontal bars to graph how long each activity will take, including its starting and ending dates

Symptom

an indication of an underlying problem

Feedback Control

control that focuses on past performance

Concurrent Control

control that takes place while a work activity is in progress

Contingency Planning

planning what to do if the original plans do nor work out

Detection of problems

What is the heart of a control function?

(b) A restaurant manager visiting the kitchen to see how work is progressing

Identify an example of concurrent control in an organization. (a) A floor engineer applying lubricants to ensure smooth functioning of machines (b) A restaurant manager visiting the kitchen to see how work is progressing (c) A supervisor reviewing customer comments about service (d) A production supervisor providing employees with guidelines about the detection of improperly functioning machinery

1. (b) All individuals in the organization work with their managers to set objectives, specifying what they are to do in the next operating period. 2. (a) Each individual's manager periodically reviews the individual's performance to see whether he or she is meeting the objectives. 3. (c) The organization rewards individuals on the basis of how close they come to fulfilling the objectives.

Arrange the steps involved in the process of management by objectives (MBO) in an organization in the correct order of occurrence. (a) Each individual's manager periodically reviews the individual's performance to see whether he or she is meeting the objectives. (b) All individuals in the organization work with their managers to set objectives, specifying what they are to do in the next operating period. (c) The organization rewards individuals on the basis of how close they come to fulfilling the objectives.

Policies

Broad guidelines for how to act; they do not spell out the details of how to handle a specific situation

(c) A production supervisor providing employees with guidelines about the detection of problems with machinery

Identify an example of precontrol in an organization. (a) A restaurant manager visiting the kitchen to see how work is progressing (b) A floor engineer applying lubricants to ensure smooth functioning of machines (c) A production supervisor providing employees with guidelines about the detection of problems with machinery (d) A supervisor reviewing customer comments about service

(b) It requires a lot of paperwork and can be time-consuming.

Identify a disadvantage of the management by objectives (MBO) process. (a) It creates less commitment among employees. (b) It requires a lot of paperwork and can be time-consuming. (c) The reward system involved in the process is not rational. (d) There are many interferences to employees' work from supervisors.

(a) It is not always formal.

Identify a true statement about contingency planning. (a) It is not always formal. (b) It is always a specific statement. (c) It includes determining a supervisor's own career objectives. (d) It does not help a supervisor in crisis situations.

(b) They are not open to interpretation.

Identify a true statement about rules. (a) They are broad guidelines for how to act. (b) They are not open to interpretation. (c) They are not specific statements. (d) They are highly flexible.

(b) It includes deciding which activities will take priority over others.

Identify a true statement about scheduling. (a) It involves deciding how to meet one's own career objectives. (b) It includes deciding which activities will take priority over others. (c) It sets goals and determines how to meet them. (d) It creates long-term objectives for organizations as a whole.

(a) A supervisor compares actual expenses with amounts in the budget.

Identify a true statement about the role of a budget in the process of controlling in an organization. (a) A supervisor compares actual expenses with amounts in the budget. (b) A supervisor uses the budget as a reinforcement strategy. (c) A supervisor uses the budget to prioritize tasks in the organization. (d) A supervisor plans for spending money in the budget.

(d) Developing objectives as a work group along with supervisors

Identify a way to get employees involved in setting objectives. (a) Minimizing the number of objectives while planning (b) Increasing the value and variety of rewards for employees (c) Involving employees in the process of operational budget planning (d) Developing objectives as a work group along with supervisors

(b) setting standards for a clean workplace

One of the ways in which supervisors can carry out the process of controlling is by _____. (a) reducing the number of rewards for employees (b) setting standards for a clean workplace (c) avoiding to check up on a work performance regularly (d) minimizing the objectives for employees

(a) use it as the basis for reinforcing behavior

The information gained from the control process is beneficial only if supervisors _____. (a) use it as the basis for reinforcing behavior (b) modify the standards set for activities (c) maintain a close relationship with employees (d) set less challenging standards

critical path

The sequence of tasks that will require the greatest amount of time is known as _____, which is an important piece of information in a program evaluation and review technique (PERT) network.

Procedures

The steps that must be completed to achieve a specific purpose