MGMT Study Guide 1

Which of the following is a feature of scientific management?

It is concerned with improving the performance of individual workers.

NBD, a financial institution headquartered in Detroit, matches its employees' contributions to universities and colleges. This is an example of the ______approach to social responsibility.

Proactive

_____ refers to individual perceptions of the fairness used to determine various outcomes.

Procedural justice

_______management techniques do not account for individual behaviors and attitudes.

Quantitative

Who among the following is a dimension of an organization's task environment?

Regulators

Which of the following dimensions focuses on the extent to which the environment is relatively stable or relatively dynamic?

The rate of change

______ interact to determine the level of uncertainty faced by an organization.

The rate of change and the degree of homogeneity

Which of the following is a factor in the economic dimension of an organization?

Unemployment

_____ is a significant contemporary challenge for managers.

Globalization

Traditionally, experts have suggested a three-step model for applying ethical judgments to situations that may arise during the course of business activities. The first step is to:

Gather the relevan factual information

Which of the following is of more concern to a state university that relies on state funding as compared to a private university with a large endowment?

General economic conditions

Bernard Madoff defrauded clients out of millions of dollars. The probability that Madoff's employees have high ethical behavior is minimal due to

its top management fostering an inappropriate culture

The set of processes used to get members of an organization to work together to further the interests of the organization is called _____.

leading

Government appointed agencies who monitor and control certain aspects of business activity can _____ to implement legislation on organizations that violate regulations.

levy fines

A _____ is a simplified representation of a system, process, or relationship.

mathematical model

Runnington Bakery needs to decide on its icing sugar supplier. Rita, the store manager, meets with a potential supplier and discusses the rates for the icing sugar. In this scenario, Rita plays the role of a _____.

negotiator

The science of management is primarily based on:

objective facts

The _____ is an approach to social responsibility in which firms do as little as possible to solve social or environmental problems.

obstructionist stance

Employers often prefer to rely on temporary workers because they:

offer grater flexibility.

Multiculturalism in an organization results in:

opportunities and challenges for managers.

Erica, a recruitment manager at a consulting firm, notices a trend in the firm where hired employees tend to resign before the completion of their probation period. In order to remedy the situation, Erica sets a goal to increase the number of employees staying with the firm after their probation is completed. She maps out behavior patterns among employees and strategizes accordingly. By doing so, Erica is exercising the managerial function of _____.

planning

Competitive rivalry would be exemplified by

price wars

The internet and e-commerce affects the natural environment by

reducing energy costs and pollution

The purpose of planning and decision making is to

serve as a guide for future activities

The interpersonal managerial role of a liaison involves:

serving as a coordinator or link among people, groups, or organizations.

The term _____ refers to employees deliberately working at a pace slower than their capabilities.

soldiering

The term _____ refers to two or more subsystems working together to produce more than the total of what they might produce working alone.

synergy

A(n) _____ is an interrelated set of elements functioning as a whole.

system

sociocultural forces

1. are the customs and values of the society within which the firm is operating. 2. are part of the general environment 3. do not always follow national boundaries. 4. influence consumer's tastes and preferences

Which of the following is a difference between the roles of a figurehead and a spokesperson?

A figurehead's role involves primarily serving as a symbol of an organization, whereas a spokesperson's role involves carrying substantive information and communicating it to others in a formal manner.

An organization is defined as

A group of people working together in a structured and coordinated fashion to achieve a set of goals

Which of the following statements is Charles Babbage most likely to agree with?

A harmonious relationship between management and labor could serve to benefit both.

Which of the following is a result of dynamic and complex environmental conditions in an organization?

A high degree of uncertainty in the organization

Which of the following was implemented by Robert Owen for factory workers?

A higher minimum working age for children

_____ is the awarding of funds or gifts to charities or other worthy causes

Philanthropic giving

Which of the following best defines the term theory?

It is a conceptual framework for organizing knowledge and providing a blueprint for action.

To which level of management does the title chief executive officer belong?

Top management

A corporate social audit is:

conducted by high-level managers within the firm.

Beige Inc. sells very few products in the market, has a constant and stable supply of resources, and faces relatively less competition. Which of the following statements is true of the environmental uncertainty faced by Beige?

Beige Inc. has a simple environment with relatively low levels of uncertainty.

Which of the following is a way of maintaining culture in an organization?

By rewarding people whose behaviors are consistent with the current culture

When employees work remotely, conference calls and emails can be used to check on employee availability and productivity. This is part of the ______function of management.

Controlling

A(n) _____ is essentially a means of scheduling work and can be generated for each worker or for a complex project as a whole.

Gantt chart

Which of the following exists in an organization when its members differ from one another along one or more important dimensions, such as age, gender, or ethnicity?

Diversity

Which of the following is an example of an organization's strategic response to its external environment?

Doing nothing in response to a competitor's new product

In 2011, unemployment was the highest it had been in more than a decade. This is part of the _____ organizations.

Economic

Which of the following is true of managing in a profit-seeking organization?

Effective management is sometimes more important in a small business than in a large one.

Which of the following is a reason why quality is an important management challenge today?

Enhancing quality lowers costs.

_____ is behavior that conforms to generally accepted social norms.

Ethical behavior

_____ are an individual's personal beliefs about whether a behavior, action, or decision is right or wrong.

Ethics

Shaun is a store manager at Body Wonder, an international salon and spa. He schedules appointments for clients and communicates their requirements to the hair stylists and masseuses. He prepares daily reports and submits them to the Area Manager. To which of the following levels of management does Shaun belong?

First-line management

Matthew retired from his job when he turned sixty. Despite finding suitably qualified fresh graduates for a position in a temporary project, Matthew's former company asked him to take up the position. Which of the following is most likely to be a reason as to why the company asked him to fill the position?

His company needed his experience and expertise.

The administrative staff of a hospital is an example of _____resources.

Human

Which of the following is a reason for the increase in the average age of the U.S. workforce?

Improved health and medical care for the aging workforce

Which of the following is an economic factor for business and a part of an organization's general environment?

Inflation

Which of the following is a basic form of organizational justice?

Informational justice

Which managerial skill is likely to be especially important to managers who occupy roles such as disturbance handler, negotiator, and resource allocator?

Interpersonal

_____ relates to the degree of fairness people see in how they are treated by others in their organization.

Interpersonal justice

Identify a true statement about the culture of an organization.

It can become a weakness in certain cases.

Which of the following statements is true about organization culture?

It consists of a firm's set of values and beliefs.

Which of the following best describes the behavioral management perspective?

It emphasizes individual attitudes and group processes.

Which of the following is a feature of the quantitative management perspective?

It focuses on decision making, mathematical models, and the use of computers.

Which of the following is a contribution by the quantitative perspective on management?

It increased our awareness and understanding of complex organizational processes and situations.

Which of the following best defines planning?

It involves setting an organization's goals and deciding how best to achieve them.

Which of the following is true of online information access?

It is costly because the information is spread across systems.

Which of the following is not true of the glass ceiling in many organizations?

It keeps women from advancing to top management positions in organizations

Which of the following is an outcome of improving quality in an organization?

It lowers costs of production.

Which of the following is true of social responsibility?

It varies for different countries.

Which of the following is a criticism of regulation?

Its goals can be accomplished by a free market system.

Which of the following is an informal dimension for managing social responsibility?

Leadership

Which of the following is a formal organizational dimension to manage social responsibility?

Legal compliance

_____ is the extent to which an organization conforms to local, state, federal, and international laws

Legal compliance

_____ is the use of persons or groups to formally represent an organization or group of organizations before political bodies to influence the government.

Lobbying

_____ wrote the books The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers.

Malcolm Gladwell

Farida, a manager at Pepper Edison Bank, uses mathematical models to figure out how many cashiers need to be on duty at each location at various times throughout the day. Which of the following approaches is used by Farida?

Management science

Which of the following is a difference between management science and operations management?

Management science focuses on the development of mathematical models, whereas operations management focuses on developing management as an art.

Gerard is a mid-level manager who believes that people do not like work and try to avoid it. He therefore controls, directs, coerces, and threatens employees to get them to work toward organizational goals. Which of the following theories would best explain Gerard's actions?

McGregor's Theory X

_____ refers to the broad issues associated with differences in values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes held by people in different cultures.

Multiculturalism

Which of the following increases due to globalization?

Multiculturalism in an organization

_____ are systems that interact with their environment.

Open systems

_____ is concerned with helping an organization produce its products or services more efficiently and can be applied to a wide range of problems.

Operations management

Which of the following is an argument in favor of social responsibility?

Organizations are responsible for making pollution and should help solve it.

Who among the following has legal property rights to a business organization?

Partners

Which of the following does Theory X assume?

People prefer to be directed and to avoid responsibility.

The _____ was a law passed in 2002 that requires CEOs and CFOs to personally vouch for the truthfulness and fairness of their firms' financial disclosure

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Samantha, a manager at a department store, needs to recruit four sales personnel. Following the scientific approach to management, which of the following should Samantha do during the recruitment process?

She should evaluate the qualifications and experience of prospective candidates.

_____ is the set of obligations an organization has to protect and enhance the societal context in which it functions

Social responsibility

The _______is the portion of an organization's environment that deals with morals, values, and demographic characteristics.

Sociocultural element of the general environment

Who among the following elects a corporation's board of directors?

Stockholders

_____ are organizations that provide resources for other organizations.

Suppliers

Which of the following is an indirect form of government regulation?

Tax codes

Which of the following statements about the Hawthrone studies is FALSE?

The Hawthorne studies confirmed that incentive pay plans are an effective means of increasing production.

Which of the following is true of corporate governance?

The board of directors of a public corporation is expected to ensure that the business is being properly managed.

Which of the following can result in cultural problems in an organization?

The growth of rival factions within the organization

Which of the following is a challenge faced by managers?

The management of diversity

Which of the following is likely to be a reason for the weak culture of an organization?

The management team has changed rapidly during recent periods.

Which of the following is a component of the internal environment of an organization?

The physical work environment

Which of the following environments consists of specific external organizations or groups that influence an organization?

The task environment

Which of the following is a layer of the external environment of an organization?

The task environment

_____ is a layer of the external environment of an organization.

The task environment

Which of the following dimensions refers to the methods available for converting resources into products or services?

The technological dimension

Which of the following is true of planned economies?

They are heavily regulated by the government.

Which of the following best defines subsystems?

They are systems within another system.

Which of the following is a feature of management theories?

They are used to build organizations and guide them toward their goals.

Which of the following is true of favors?

They are used to gain support.

Which of the following is true of ethical scandals?

They call into question the moral integrity of our society.

Which of the following is a function of top managers?

They create an organization's goals, overall strategy, and operating policies.

_____ is the disclosure by an employee of illegal or unethical conduct on the part of others within the organization.

Whistle-blowing

Which of the following actions is NOT part of an organization's attempts to evaluate social performance?

Whistle-blowing by employees

The _____ is a social responsibility stance in which an organization meets its legal and ethical obligations but will also go beyond these obligations in selected cases.

accommodative stance

One of the most critical challenges facing managers today is _____.

an unpredictable economy that limits growth

Universal perspectives:

attempt to identify the one best way to do something.

Managers at Ruth & Fishers Corp. recognize the value of history. The company maintains an extensive archival library of its old documents and records and has also employed a full-time corporate historian. This helps the managers _____.

avoid the mistakes of others

A major way to shape the culture of an organization is to:

bring outsiders into important managerial positions.

The _____ consists of two distinct branches, scientific management and administrative management.

classical management perspective

The term diversity refers to:

differences among people.

A moderate degree of uncertainty is faced by an organization with a

dynamic but simple environment.

The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 requires organizations to recognize and bargain with a union if that union has been legally established by an organization's _____.

employees

Technopil Solutions, once a leading software manufacturer, failed to monitor the changing needs of its customers. With the advent of newer software companies that better suited people's requirements, it gradually lost favor with its customers. In other words, Technopil failed as a result of _____.

entropy

The result of the actions of high-profile deposed executives is that:

executives are expected to exhibit the strongest ethical conduct.

During the Great Recession of 2007, Vintichic Fashions suffered a major loss and had to lay off a large number of employees. In this context, Vintichic Fashions was affected by its _____.

external environment

Watson and Raymond Inc., a courier company based in the United States, suffered a loss recently when a cyclone struck its headquarters and damaged a lot of data stored on the company's servers. In this scenario, Watson and Raymond's business was affected by its _____.

external environment

To maintain a socially responsible stance toward investors, managers should:

follow proper accounting procedures.

The first step for applying ethical judgements to situations is:

gathering the relevant factual information.

An organization culture:

helps members understand what it stands for.

According to Douglas McGregor, Theory Y represented the _____.

human relations approach

Robert Owen, a British industrialist and reformer, recognized the importance of an organization's _____.

human resources

Martin, a manager at Clairental Corp., notices that his subordinates are deliberately working at a pace slower than their capabilities. In order to deal with this, he implements the piecework pay system. In other words, he:

increases the pay of each worker who meets and exceeds the target level of output.

Management can address concerns related to the privacy of personal information on the Internet by:

indicating how people can opt out of data collection.

Maximus Technologies changed a few of its policies and made its work environment employee-friendly. It increased the incentives and benefits given to its employees. This change motivated the employees, and the production rate increased by 75 percent. Maximus Technologies benefitted because of the changes implemented in its _____.

internal environment

One obvious ethnic change in the U.S. work culture has been:

the increasing number of Hispanics and African Americans in the workplace.

The rate of change and the degree of homogeneity interact to determine the level of:

uncertainty faced by an organization.

According to Douglas McGregor, Theory X represented the _____.

views of scientific management

Following the success of Frederick Taylor's principles, labor argued that scientific management:

was a device to reduce the total number of workers needed by a firm.

The human relations movement proposed that:

workers respond primarily to the social context of a workplace.