MGMT 4120 midterm true/false Practice
10) One of the most significant driving forces behind the demand for project management is the ever increasing lengthening of the product life cycle.
False
12) The first stage in the project life cycle is the concept stage.
False
13) Because of the profitability motive, project management is nearly always limited to the private sector.
False
15) Since a construction company builds many buildings, the buildings built after the first do not fit the definition of a project.
False
16) Smaller projects in larger organizations tend not to need project management skills.
False
18) Small business development is a major driver of project management.
False
2) Project management appears to be ideally suited for a business environment requiring accountability, flexibility, innovation and repeatability.
False
20) A major portion of the project work, both physical and mental, takes place during the production stage of the project life cycle.
False
22) Because of its flexibility, project management is equally useful in ongoing, routine work as well as unique, one-time projects.
False
23) A program is a process designed to accomplish a common goal over time.
False
25) Strategic plans should be written by one group of managers, projects should be selected by another group, and projects should be implemented by another group.
False
32) The information gap refers to the lack of understanding and consensus of organization strategy among top and middle-level managers.
False
33) The NPV financial model measures the time it will take to recover the project investment.
False
36) Multiweighted scoring models include only quantitative criteria, not qualitative.
False
37) Intermittent scanning of the external environment is required when managing organization strategy.
False
38) Objectives should be specific, marketable, assignable, realistic, and time related.
False
39) Mission statements typically change frequently, responding to changes in the external environment.
False
4) Successful project managers focus primarily on technical dimensions of project management, which include planning, scheduling, and controlling projects.
False
43) Project managers should not engage in organizational politics.
False
45) Many organizations have three different kinds of projects in their portfolio: compliance, operational, and sacred cows.
False
47) The first step in the Strategic Management Process is to set long-range goals and objectives.
False
48) Any organization has its own personality, much like an individual's personality.
False
50) As discussed in the text, the three forms of matrix project management are weak, mixed, and strong.
False
51) One advantage of a matrix project management structure is that it is fast and easy to implement.
False
54) The projectized form of project management structure is commonly used when one functional area plays a dominant role in completing the project or has a dominant interest in the success of the project.
False
58) The functional project team is usually physically separated from the parent organization and given the primary directive of accomplishing the objectives of the project.
False
60) Member identity refers to the degree to which work activities are organized around groups rather than individuals.
False
62) Control is the cultural characteristic that refers to the degree to which management decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization.
False
63) When three forms of the matrix project management structure are considered, all share the same advantages and disadvantages and at an equal level.
False
69) A Process Breakdown Structure is a replacement for the Work Breakdown Structure for projects with tangible outcomes.
False
7) Because of the requirement for in-depth expertise, project management is generally restricted to specialists.
False
71) The highest element in the hierarchical breakdown of the WBS is the first major deliverable for the project and the lowest element is a work package.
False
73) An expected output over the life of a project would be classified as a target.
False
77) Integrating a project's work packages within the organization's management structure is known as work breakdown structure.
False
79) Responsibility matrices are used primarily with small and medium-sized projects and have limited use in large projects.
False
8) Project Management is critically important only for the electronics industry.
False
80) For large companies, the organization breakdown structure is used rather than the work breakdown structure.
False
81) Scope creep occurs when your project is completed over-budget.
False
82) The final stage in defining a project is coding the organization breakdown structure or OBS for the information system.
False
83) If a project criterion should be optimized if at all possible, it is classified as being constrained.
False
85) The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables is called planning.
False
87) The project management structure chosen to manage the project will have little impact on the quality of estimates.
False
88) After averaging out the underestimates and overestimates, a long-duration project is more likely to be on target than a short-term, small project.
False
92) Estimating the total cost of a project by multiplying each major function by a complexity factor is an example of the apportion method of estimating costs.
False
93) Project estimates should be broken down into as much detail, and with as much accuracy, as possible.
False
96) Work package estimates should include allowances for contingencies.
False
97) Estimating the total cost of a house by multiplying the total square feet by cost per square foot is an example of the apportion method of estimating costs.
False
98) The salary of the project manager and her administrative assistant is classified as direct labor costs.
False
99) An activity can include only one work package.
False
1) A professional certification for project managers is a Project Management Professional (PMP).
True
100) Only activities that occur at the end of a chain of activities can have free slack.
True
11) Projects typically require the combined efforts of a variety of specialists.
True
14) The fundamentals of Project Management are considered universal across most businesses and professions.
True
17) One of the defining characteristics of project management is that the projects are not confined to a single department but involve several departments and professionals.
True
19) Due to corporate downsizing, significant segments of project work have been outsourced to other organizations.
True
21) Not only is project management critical to many careers, the skill set is transferable across most businesses and professions.
True
24) Today, projects are the modus operandi or the method used for implementing organizational strategy.
True
26) A written mission statement provides focus for decision making when shared by organizational managers and employees.
True
27) Organizational objectives set targets for all levels of the organization, not just for top management.
True
28) If a proposed project does not meet one of the designated "must" objectives, it is immediately removed from consideration.
True
29) One way to offset the influence of politics on project management within an organization is to have a well-defined project selection model.
True
3) Most people who excel at managing projects never have the title of project manager.
True
30) Studies have shown that companies using predominantly financial criteria to prioritize projects yield unbalanced portfolios and projects that aren't strategically aligned.
True
31) The assessment of the external and internal environments is called the SWOT analysis.
True
34) One benefit of project portfolio management is that it can justify killing a project that doesn't support organization strategy.
True
35) Strategy formulation ends with cascading objectives or projects assigned to lower divisions, departments, or individuals.
True
40) A proposed project that ranks high on most criteria may not be selected because the organization's portfolio already includes too many projects with the same characteristics.
True
41) Opportunities and threats can be viewed as flip sides of each other; that is, a threat can be viewed as an opportunity, and vice versa.
True
42) Project management historically has been preoccupied solely with the planning and execution of projects while strategy was under the purview of senior management.
True
44) Strategy is implemented through projects.
True
46) Restricting project proposals within an organization may lead to missed opportunities.
True
49) When determining the most appropriate project management structure, considerations need to be made at the organizational level and at the project level.
True
5) At first glance, project managers perform the same functions as other managers. That is, they plan, schedule, motivate and control.
True
52) One of the major disadvantages of the projectized form of project management structure is that it tends to be more expensive than other forms of organization.
True
53) The projectized form of project management structure is a good choice when speed of completion is important and the project needs to be implemented without directly disrupting ongoing operations.
True
55) Within a matrix project management structure, the extent to which the project manager has direct authority over project participants depends on whether the matrix is weak, balanced, or strong.
True
56) Generally, the more autonomy and authority the project manager and the project team need to be successful, the more appropriate to implement either a dedicated project team or a strong project management structure.
True
57) A disadvantage of using the functional form of project management structure is that projects generally take longer to complete.
True
59) Organizational culture refers to a system of shared norms, beliefs, values, and assumptions which bind people together.
True
6) Project governance means applying a set of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a collection of projects in order to move the organization toward its strategic goals.
True
61) In a balanced matrix form of project management, the project manager is responsible for defining what needs to be accomplished while the functional managers are concerned with how it will be accomplished.
True
64) In the projectized form of project management structure, there is limited technological expertise when compared to the functional or matrix organization.
True
65) A matrix project management structure is a hybrid organizational form in which a horizontal project management structure is "overlaid" on the normal functional hierarchy.
True
66) The matrix form of project management is notable for the tension it creates between functional managers and project managers who both bring critical expertise and perspectives to the project.
True
67) The hierarchical work breakdown structure provides management with information appropriate to each level.
True
68) A typical responsibility matrix will include not only those responsible for a specific task but can also include those who supply support and assistance.
True
70) A communication plan should include limits on who has access to certain kinds of information.
True
72) Responsibility Matrices are useful for assigning and organizing responsibilities.
True
74) One of the items included on a project scope statement or checklist is the review with the customer.
True
75) During the course of a project, it is possible that the project priorities may change.
True
76) Creating a communication plan typically follows a process that begins with a stakeholder analysis.
True
78) The intersection of work packages and the organizational unit creates a project control point called a cost account.
True
84) Repetition of a task generally results in a reduction of labor hours each successive time a worker performs that task.
True
86) General and administrative costs are usually allocated as a percent of the total of a direct cost which includes labor, materials, or equipment.
True
89) Cost, time, and budget estimates are the lifeline for control; they serve as the standard for comparison of the actual and the planned throughout the life of the project.
True
9) The sociocultural dimension of project management includes managing relationships, motivating team members and negotiating project terms.
True
90) Top-down estimates usually are derived from someone who uses experience and/or information to determine the project duration and total cost.
True
91) All task time estimates need consistent time units.
True
94) Mega Projects often under deliver on expected benefits and cost more than expected.
True
95) Phase estimating is used when a project cannot be rigorously defined because of the uncertainty of design or the final product.
True
