IEM 3403: Project Management Ch. 1 & 2

According to John Kenneth Galbraith, as technology increases, the commitment of time and money becomes: A. Easier to do B. Inflexible C. Easier to find D. More difficult to manage E. An executive responsibility

B. Inflexible

As organizations mature in project management, emphasis is placed on ________ project management. A. Formalized B. Informal C. Communication-free D. Customer-led E. None of the above

B. Informal

Determining "who" will do the work, "where" the work will be done, and "how" the work will be done is most often the responsibility of the: A. Project manager B. Line manager C. Senior levels of management D. Customer interface E. All of the above

B. Line manager

Which individual has to cope most frequently with an unplanned absence of resources, break-down of resources, loss of resources, and turnover of personnel? A. Project manager B. Line manager C. Senior management/sponsor D. Customer interface E. All of the above

B. Line manager

Projects accomplished by one organization unit are ________ projects. A. Individual B. Staff C. Special D. Matrix E. Any of the above

B. Staff

The primary advantage of systems is the _______ effect. A. Profitability B. Synergistic C. Extended D. Resource-reduction E. All of the above

B. Synergistic

Forces that lead executives to the recognition for the need for project management are called: A. Imperative forces B. Leading indicators C. Forces of expectations D. Driving forces E. Perception factors

D. Driving forces

The boundaries of systems, programs, and projects were first defined by: A. Military organizations B. Government agencies C. Construction companies D. All of the above E. A and B only

E. A and B only

Project management restructuring may be beneficial in that it permits companies to: A. Accomplish tasks that could not be handled effectively be the traditional structure B. Eliminate executive involvement in projects C. Accomplish one-time activities with minimal organization disruption D. All of the above E. A and C only

E. A and C only

A project is a series of activities and tasks that: A. Have a specific objective B. Have defined start and end dates C. Have funding limits (if applicable) D. Consume resources E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Executives are often reluctant to properly support project management because: A. Of the authority that must be delegated downward B. Of the decision-making that must be delegated downward C. Of a fear of losing control of resources D. Of a poor understanding of project management E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Formal project management may be required if: A. The activities are complex B. Cross-functional integration is required C. The environment is dynamic D. The constraints are tight E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Improper project management can result in: A. Decreased profits B. Late introduction of new products into the marketplace C. An inability to cope with new technology D. Increased labor requirements E. All of the above

E. All of the above

In which type of projects do organizations generally have a poor cost monitoring/control system? A. In-house R&D B. Small construction C. Management information systems D. Pure engineering E. All of the above

E. All of the above

Organizational complexities are increasing because of: A. Increasing technologies B. Less money invested into R&D C. Lengthening of product life cycles D. All of the above E. B and C only

A. Increasing technologies

Line managers generally manage _______ projects. A. Individual B. Staff C. Special D. Matrix E. Any of the above

A. Individual

Successful project management is often based upon how well the ________ keeps his/her promises to the project. A. Line manager B. Functional employee C. Project sponsor D. Customer interface E. All of the above

A. Line manager

Proper implementation of project management allows decisions to be: A. Made at a lower level in the organization B. Made by committees rather than individuals C. More time-consuming D. All of the above E. B and C only

A. Made at a lower level in the organization

The best way to minimize project risk is to: A. Perform better planning B. Select a project manager who has advanced degrees C. Select a project manager who is a technical expert D. Have a senior executive assigned as the sponsor E. Implement a project management cost control system

A. Perform better planning

Broadly speaking, effective project management requires an understanding of which three major areas? A. Quantitative tools, organizational behavior, organizational structure B. Quantitative tools, marketing, working with people C. Customer relations, planning skills, cost control D. Managing your customer, employee relations, scheduling E. Scheduling techniques, wage and salary administration, organizational behavior

A. Quantitative tools, organizational behavior, organizational structure

At remote locations, functional employees take technical direction from the project manager. This situation would also exist at the home office for: A. Tiger Team projects B. Matrix projects C. Projects in the manufacturing life-cycle phase D. All of the above E. B and C only

A. Tiger Team projects

Project management is designed to overcome the _______ gaps between the various levels of management. A. Class or prestige B. Marketing C. Marketing and engineering D. Executive E. None of the above

A. Class or prestige

Which type of projects generally possesses highly detailed levels of planning? A. In-house R&D B. Management information systems C. Aerospace/defense/construction D. Pure engineering E. All of the above

C. Aerospace/defense/construction

Historically, companies that have restructured for better project management have ________ tasks and must compete in a ________ environment. A. Complex, static B. Complex, dynamic C. Complex, static or dynamic D. Simple, dynamic E. Simple, static

C. Complex, static or dynamic

In project management, the need for interpersonal skills increases when the operational environment becomes _______ and the type of tasks becomes _______. A. Dynamic, simple B. Static, simple C. Dynamic, complex D. Static, complex E. Static, multifunctional

C. Dynamic, complex

Setting a project selection criteria and establishing project priorities is the responsibility of: A. The project manager B Line managers C. Senior management D. Customers E. All of the above

C. Senior management

Maturity in project management is the implementation of a (an) _______ such that there exists a high likelihood of repeated success: A. Executive champion B. Executive sponsor C. Standard methodology D. Policy and procedure manual E. None of the above

C. Standard methodology

Factor(s) that appear to accelerate the acceptance of project management include: A. TQM B. Concurrent engineering C. Empowerment D. All of the above E. A and C only

D. All of the above

Absolute factors that describe conditions that alternatives must meet are called: A. Objectives B. Requirements C. Selection criteria D. Constraints E. None of the above

D. Constraints

A benefit of project management is the _______ identification of problems so that _______ can follow. A. Rapid, executive involvement B. Early, corrective action C. Untimely, contingency plans D. Executive, project replanning E. Rapid, customer notification

B. Early, corrective action

Under most situations, functional employees that are assigned to a project take their technical direction from: A. The project manager B. Their line manager C. The project sponsor D. The customer's in-house representative E. All of the above

B. Their line manager

Theoretically, project management should work best if the project manager: A. Is the highest salaried individual on the project team B. Has complete authority over all assigned resources C. Views the line managers as peers D. Views the line managers as subordinates E. Reports higher up on the chain of command than the line managers

C. Views the line managers as peers

Improper project administrative planning can create a situation that requires: A. A continuous revision and/or establishment of company and/or project policies, procedures, and directives B. A continuous shifting in organizational responsibility and possible unnecessary restructuring C. A need for additional staff to support new knowledge and new skill requirements D. All of the above E. A and B only

D. All of the above

Non-project driven organizations are characterized by: A. A minimum number or projects B. Decision delays because of the vertical chain of command C. More approvals being required D. All of the above E. A and C only

D. All of the above

Successful project management can be defined as achieving project objectives: A. Within time B. Within cost C. At the desired performance/technology leve D. All of the above E. A and B only

D. All of the above

Historically, project management resided only in __________. A. Computer industries B. Health care industries C. Non-project-driven industries D. Project-driven industries E. Hybrid industries

D. Project-driven industries

Project management is designed to be: A. A unity command methodology B. A methodology with maximum authority resting with the project manager C. A methodology with maximum responsibility resting with the line managers D. Shared accountability between project and line managers E. None of the above

D. Shared accountability between project and line managers

Project management restructuring may be detrimental if: A. Project priorities disrupt the ongoing business B. Competition for project talent disrupts the ongoing business C. Long-range planning is disrupted because of short-term projects D. Shifting people from project to project hinders their growth and development within their field of specialization E. All of the above

E. All of the above

The role of the executive sponsor is to help the project manager. This help includes: A. Priority setting B. Assistance in conflict resolution C. Development of the master project plan D. Setting propor objectives E. All of the above

E. All of the above

The reporting level of the project manager is often dependent upon: A. The dollar value of the project B. Who the customer is C. The risk to the company D. Whether the organization is project- or non-project driven E. All of the above are possible

E. All of the above are possible

Company resources generally include all of the following except: A. Money B. People C. Equipment and facilities D. Information and technology E. All of the above are resources

E. All of the above are resources

A typical short-term project would be: A. Three months B. Six months C. One year D. Less than two years E. Dependent on the company and/or industry

E. Dependent on the company and/or industry

The stool for success in project management has three legs. These legs include the: A. Project manager, customer, and senior management B. Project manager, line managers, and functional employees C. Executive sponsor, functional employees, and the project manager D. The project manager, the project manager's sponsor, and the customer's project sponsor E. None of the above

E. None of the above

Which of the following administrative promises can a project manager make to functional employees who are still attached administratively to their line managers? A. Salary increases B. Promotions in grade C. Overtime pay D. Added responsibility on the project E. None of the above

E. None of the above

There are major differences between project managers and project champions. Project managers will _______ whereas project champions will ______. A. Prefer working individually, prefer to work in groups B. Seek perfection, seek what is possible C. Manage things, manage people D. Seek to exceed objectives, seek to meet objectives E. Take risks, avoid risks by testing everything

E. Take risks, avoid risks by testing everything