Final Review (Ch. 8 - 13) - Managing Information Technology

Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would two people require?

1.

Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would five people require?

10.

Six Sigma's target for perfection is the achievement of no more than _____ defects, errors, or mistakes per million opportunities.

3.4.

A team has 10 communication channels between its various members. Using the formula number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2, where n is the number of people in the team, the team has _____ members.

5.

Research has indicated that in a face-to-face interaction, _____ percent of information is through body language.

58.

In project procurement management, which of the following is one of the main outputs of the conducting procurement process?

A selected seller.

_____ a highly respected psychologist, rejected the dehumanizing negativism of psychology and proposed the hierarchy of needs theory.

Abraham Maslow.

According to Blake and Mouton, project managers who use the _____ method use a give-and take-approach to resolving conflicts.

Compromise.

In project procurement management, the process of _____ involves obtaining seller responses, selecting sellers, and awarding contracts.

Conducting procurements.

Outputs of the _____ process consist of selected sellers and resource calendars.

Conducting procurements.

_____ means the project's processes and products meet written specifications.

Conformance to requirements.

_____ are predefined actions that the project team will take if an identified risk event occurs.

Contingency plans.

A _____ is a graphic display of data that illustrates the results of a process over time.

Control chart.

Which of the following processes of project procurement management involves managing relationships with sellers, monitoring contract performance, and making changes as needed?

Controlling procurements.

_____ involves monitoring identified and residual risks, identifying new risks, carrying out risk response plans, and evaluating the effectiveness of risk strategies throughout the life of the project.

Controlling risk.

_____ involves monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting plans and strategies for engaging stakeholders as needed.

Controlling stakeholder engagement.

_____ contracts involve payment to the supplier for direct and indirect actual costs and often include fees.

Cost-reimbursable contracts.

_____ wrote Quality Is Free in 1979 and is best known for suggesting that organizations strive for zero defects.

Crosby.

Projects that use Six Sigma principles for quality control normally follow a five-phase improvement process called _____.

DMAIC.

A(n) _____ is a diagramming analysis technique used to help select the best course of action in situations in which future outcomes are uncertain.

Decision tree.

A(n) _____ is any instance where the product or service fails to meet customer requirements.

Defect.

The bottom four needs in Maslow's structure are referred to as _____ needs.

Deficiency.

Important tools used in the _____ phase of the DMAIC process include a project charter, a description of customer requirements, process maps, and Voice of the Customer (VOC) data.

Define.

_____ is a technique that helps identify which variables have the most influence on the overall outcome of a process.

Design of experiments.

The main outputs of the _____ process are team performance assessments and enterprise environmental factors updates.

Developing the project team.

_____ involves building individual and group skills to enhance project performance.

Developing the project team.

_____ is best known for developing Theory X and Theory Y.

Douglas McGregor.

Which of the following is one of Deming's 14 Points for Management?

Eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking.

Email.

Recognizing an employee as the "Star Performer of the Month" would be satisfying the _____ need of the Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Esteem.

In project procurement management, the process of conducting procurements is part of the _____ process.

Executing.

Managing communications is part of the _____ process of the project communication management.

Executing.

Performing quality assurance is a subprocess of the _____ process of project quality management.

Executing.

The acquiring of the project team is a subprocess associated with the _____ process of project human resource management.

Executing.

The stakeholder register is the output of the _____ process of project stakeholder management.

Executing.

Scope, time and cost goals in order of importance can be ranked on a(n) _____.

Expectations management matrix.

_____ is a cost that relates to all errors not detected and not corrected before delivery to the customer.

External failure cost.

_____ are the system's special characteristics that appeal to users.

Features.

The first step in the framework for defining and assigning work is _____.

Finalizing the project requirements.

_____ means that a product can be used as it was intended.

Fitness for use.

____ predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends.

Forecasts.

_____ is best known for distinguishing between motivational factors and hygiene factors when considering motivation in work settings.

Frederick Herzberg.

_____ is the degree to which a system performs its intended function.

Functionality.

The highest level of needs in Maslow's structure is referred to as a _____ need.

Growth.

"Most organizations are not in business to provide information technology services, yet many have spent valuable time and resources on information technology functions when they should have instead worked on important competencies such as marketing, customer service, and new product design. Outsourcing helps tackle this problem." Which of the following benefits does outsourcing primarily provide in such a scenario?

Helps focus on an organization's core business.

The project team must take corrective action if stakeholders with _____ are categorized as resistant or unaware.

High interest and high power.

Which of the following questions is typically addressed by a project forecast?

How much more money will be needed to complete the project?

_____, a quality system standard is a three-part, continuous cycle of planning, controlling, and documenting quality in an organization.

ISO 9000.

_____ involves determining which risks are likely to affect a project and documenting the characteristics of each.

Identifying risks.

The main output of the _____ process is the stakeholder register.

Identifying stakeholders.

_____ involves determining everyone involved in the project or affected by it, and determining the best ways to manage relationships with them.

Identifying stakeholders.

Which of the following is a guideline that project managers should follow when communicating with their teams through e-mail?

If the entire message can fit in the subject line, put it there.

As the number of people involved in a project _____, the complexity of communications _____.

Increases, increases.

A(n) _____ represents decision problems by displaying essential elements, including decisions, uncertainties, causality, and objectives, and how they influence each other.

Influence diagram.

Which of the following is true of push communication?

Information is sent to recipients without their request

_____ is a fact-finding technique that can be used for collecting information in face-to-face, phone, e-mail, or instant-messaging discussions.

Interviewing.

A(n) _____ is a tool used to document, monitor, and track problems that need resolution.

Issue log.

A drawback of outsourcing is that:

It can make an organization become overly dependent on particular suppliers.

Doctors who have been co-opted to actively participate in a project related to using information technology for chronic health problems would be examples of _____ stakeholders.

Leading.

The items discussed in a(n) _____ include reflections on whether project goals were met, whether the project was successful or not, the causes of variances on the project, the reasoning behind corrective actions chosen, the use of different project management tools and techniques, and personal words of wisdom based on team members' experiences.

Lessons-learned report.

_____ addresses the ease of performing maintenance on a product.

Maintainability.

One of the main outputs of the _____ process are the issue logs..

Managing stakeholder engagement.

_____ involves tracking team member performance, motivating team members, providing timely feedback, resolving issues and conflicts, and coordinating changes to help enhance project performance.

Managing the project team.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions.

Meeting.

According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior.

Meeting.

Which of the following communication methods would be most appropriate for assessing the commitment of project stakeholders?

Meetings.

A _____ is a standard of measurement in quality management.

Metric.

_____ refers to matching certain behaviors of the other person.

Mirroring.

Validated changes and validated deliverables are the outputs of the _____ subprocess of project quality management.

Monitoring and controlling.

_____ analysis simulates a model's outcome many times to provide a statistical distribution of the calculated results.

Monte Carlo.

A ____ is a bell-shaped curve that is symmetrical regarding the average value of the population (the data being analyzed).

Normal distribution.

_____ help users to identify the vital few contributors that account for most quality problems in a system.

Pareto charts.

_____ addresses how well a product or service performs the customer's intended use.

Performance.

_____ involves prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact of occurrence.

Performing qualitative risk analysis.

_____ involves numerically estimating the effects of risks on project objectives.

Performing quantitative risk analysis.

In the Tuckman model, _____ occurs when the emphasis is on reaching the team goals, rather than working on team process.

Performing.

At the bottom of Maslow's structure are _____ needs.

Physiological.

The output of the _____ process is a communications management plan.

Planning communications.

_____ involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders.

Planning communications.

In project procurement management, the process of _____ involves determining what to procure, when, and how.

Planning procurement management.

The first step in project procurement management is:

Planning procurement management.

Process improvement plan, quality metrics, and quality checklists are the outputs of the _____ process of project quality management.

Planning quality management.

_____ involves deciding how to approach and plan the risk management activities for the project.

Planning risk management.

_____ involves taking steps to enhance opportunities and reduce threats to meeting project objectives.

Planning risk responses.

Identifying risks is a subprocess of the _____ process of project risk management.

Planning.

Performing qualitative and quantitative risk analyses are subprocesses of the _____ process of project risk management.

Planning.

The procurement statements of work are an output of the _____ process of project procurement management.

Planning.

According to McClelland's acquired-needs theory, people who need personal _____ want to direct others and can be seen as bossy.

Power.

The _____ lists the relative probability of a risk occurring and the relative impact of the risk occurring.

Probability/impact matrix.

_____ correct(s) or prevent(s) further quality problems based on quality control measurements.

Process adjustments.

Unenforceable conditions or contract clauses and adversarial relations are risk conditions associated with the project _____ management knowledge area.

Procurement.

____ describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period.

Progress reports.

_____ are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project.

Project archives.

_____ is the new knowledge area identified by the Project Management Institute.

Project stakeholder management.

According to Thamhain and Wilemon, _____ is the ability to improve a worker's position.

Promotion.

"Outsourcing to provide extra workers during periods of peak workloads can be much more economical than trying to fill entire projects with internal resources." Which of the following advantages does this characteristic of outsourcing provide organizations?

Provides a company flexibility staffing.

"A shortage of qualified personnel is one of the main reason that companies outsource. A project may require experts in a particular field for several months and planning for this procurement ensures that the needed services will be available for the project." Which of the following benefits does this characteristic of outsourcing provide an organization?

Provides access to specific skills.

The _____ process is often associated with the technical tools and techniques of quality management, such as Pareto charts, quality control charts, and statistical sampling.

Quality control.

A(n) _____ is a document used to solicit proposals from prospective suppliers.

RFP.

A document used to solicit quotes or bids from prospective suppliers is known as a(n) _____.

RFQ.

According to Herzberg, which of the following is a motivational factor?

Recognition.

Outsourcing suppliers can often provide economies of scale, especially for hardware and software, that may not be available to the client alone. Which of the following benefits does this offer an organization?

Reduction in fixed and recurrent costs.

_____ is based on an individual's personal charisma.

Referent power.

_____ is the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under normal conditions.

Reliability.

The project team must take corrective action if stakeholders with high interest and high power are categorized as _____.

Resistant.

In project procurement management, which of the following is an output of the executing process?

Resource calendars.

A(n) _____ is a column chart that shows the number of resources assigned to a project over time.

Resource histogram.

_____ is a technique for resolving resource conflicts by delaying tasks.

Resource leveling.

_____ refers to the amount of individual resources an existing schedule requires during specific time periods.

Resource loading.

_____ involves using incentives to induce people to do things.

Reward power.

_____ refers to action taken to bring rejected items into compliance with product requirements or specifications or other stakeholder expectations.

Rework.

_____ applies to positive risks when the project team cannot or chooses not to take any actions toward a risk.

Risk acceptance.

_____ involves eliminating a specific threat, usually by eliminating its causes.

Risk avoidance.

_____ involves changing the size of the opportunity by identifying and maximizing key drivers of the positive risk.

Risk enhancement.

_____ involves doing whatever you can to make sure the positive risk happens.

Risk exploitation.

_____ involves reducing the impact of a risk event by reducing the probability of its occurrence.

Risk mitigation.

_____ involves allocating ownership of the risk to another party.

Risk sharing.

_____ involves shifting the consequence of a risk and responsibility for its management to a third party.

Risk transference.

Risk utility rises at a decreasing rate for a _____ person.

Risk-averse.

A _____ person achieves a balance between risk and payoff.

Risk-neutral.

Those who are _____ have a higher tolerance for risk, and their satisfaction increases when more payoff is at stake.

Risk-seeking.

The _____ is a description of the work required for a procurement.

SOW.

_____ risks refer to those that are direct results of implementing risk responses.

Secondary.

_____ is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Self-actualization.

After planning for procurement management, which of the following does the next process involve?

Sending appropriate documentation to potential sellers.

In the MBTI, the _____ dimension relates to the manner in which you gather information.

Sensation/Intuition.

A _____ is a technique used to show the effects of changing one or more variables on an outcome.

Sensitivity analysis.

Which of the following methods of communication is likely to be most effective for conveying sensitive or important information?

Short face-to-face meetings.

The _____ is a measure of quality control equal to 1 fault in 1 million opportunities problems.

Six 9s of quality rule.

The process of choosing suppliers or sellers is known as _____.

Source selection.

After identifying and analyzing stakeholders, the project manager and team should develop a(n)______ to help them effectively engage stakeholders and make sure that good decisions are made throughout the life of the project.

Stakeholder management plan.

Which of the following is true about identifying stakeholders?

Stakeholders with indirect ties to the project need not be engaged with.

_____ involves choosing part of a population of interest for inspection.

Statistical sampling.

____ describe where the project stands at a specific point in time.

Status reports.

_____ address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals.

Status reports.

In the Tuckman model, _____ occurs as team members have different opinions as to how the team should operate.

Storming.

The _____ line for any e-mail messages you write should clearly state the intention of the e-mail.

Subject.

The _____ presents subjects with a series of ambiguous pictures and asks them to develop a spontaneous story for each picture, assuming they will project their own needs into the story.

TAT.

According to Lencioni, which of the following qualities is present in organizations that succeed?

Teamwork.

Which of the following is true of a project communications plan?

The communications plan should be part of the overall project management plan.

Managers who follow _____ assume that the average worker wants to be directed and prefers to avoid responsibility.

Theory X.

_____ emphasizes things such as job rotation, broadening of skills, generalization versus specialization, and the need for continuous training of workers.

Theory Z.

Which of the following is true of lump-sum contracts?

They involve a fixed total price for a well-defined product or service.

_____ are/is a qualitative risk analysis tool that maintains an awareness of risks throughout the life of a project in addition to identifying risks.

Top Ten Risk Item Tracking.

A(n) _____ is done to test each individual component (often a program) to ensure that it is as defect-free as possible.

Unit test.

Which of the following is an output of the contract closure process?

Updates to organizational process assets.

____ is an independent test performed by end users prior to accepting the delivered system.

User acceptance testing.

An example of push communication is _____.

Voice mails.

A(n) _____ is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content.

Wiki.

_____ are unplanned responses to risk events used when project teams do not have contingency plans in place.

Workarounds.

The formula to determine the number of communication channels is _____, where n is the number of people involved.

n(n - 1)/2.

People with a high need for _____ seek to excel and tend to avoid both low-risk and high-risk situations to improve their chances for achieving something worthwhile.

Achievement.

Key outputs of _____ process are project staff assignments, resource calendars, and project management plan updates.

Acquiring the project team.

_____ involves assigning the needed personnel to work on the project.

Acquiring the project team.

According to McClelland's acquired-needs theory, people with a high need for _____ desire harmonious relationships with other people and need to feel accepted by others.

Affiliation.

One of Juran's ten steps to quality improvement states that:

An organization should build awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement.

Psychologist David Merril describes _____ as reactive and task-oriented.

Analyticals.

An important tool used in the _____ phase of the DMAIC process is the fishbone or Ishikawa diagram.

Analyze.

_____ is the cost of evaluating processes and their outputs to ensure that a project is error-free or within an acceptable error range.

Appraisal cost.

What is the first step in a Monte Carlo analysis?

Assess the range for the variables being considered.

According to Thamhain and Wilemon, _____ is the legitimate hierarchical right to issue orders.

Authority.

_____ generates ideas for quality improvements by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products within or outside the performing organization.

Bechmarking.

An example of pull communication is _____.

Blogs.

_____ helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.

CMMI.

With a(n) _____ contract, the buyer pays the supplier for allowable performance costs plus a fixed fee payment usually based on a percentage of estimated costs.

CPFF.

In a(n) _____ contract, the buyer pays the supplier for allowable performance costs along with a predetermined fee and an incentive bonus.

CPIF.

A(n) _____ contract carries the least risk for suppliers.

CPPC.

From the buyer's perspective, the _____ is the least desirable among all contracts because the supplier has no incentive to decrease costs.

CPPC.

In which of the following contracts does the buyer pay the supplier for allowable performance costs along with a predetermined percentage based on total costs?

CPPC.

As a manager, you want to praise a team member, Phil, for doing a good job on a particular project. However, you know that Phil tends to be an introvert. Which of the following communication methods would Phil be most comfortable with?

Call Phil in for a private meeting to appreciate his work.

In project procurement management, an output of the _____ monitoring and controlling process.

Change requests.

In project procurement management, which of the following processes involve completion and settlement of each contract, including resolution of any open items?

Closing procurements.

_____ involves using punishment, threats, or other negative approaches to get people to do things they do not want to do.

Coercive power.

E-mail communication is most suited for:

Communicating routine information.