Question 1

It is possible for the same decision to be __________ for an experienced manager but __________ for a more junior manager.
A) tactical, strategic
B) strategic, tactical
C) non-programmed, programmed
D) programmed, non-programmed
E) None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is possible for the same decision...

Question 2

Which mode of thinking occurs when people are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group and members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to appraise alternative courses of action realistically?
A) Brainstorming
B) Groupthink
C) Escalation of commitment
D) Group polarisation
E) Risk propensity

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when members of a group become so focused on reaching a consensus and maintaining the cohesion of the group that they overlook potential risks or alternatives. This can lead to poor decision-making and a lack of creativity.

Question 3

In the study of groupthink, which of the following terms refers to self-appointed members who shield the group from conflicting information?
A) Group rationalisers
B) Group poles
C) Risky shifters
D) Self-censors
E) Mindguards

Accepted Answer

Mindguards are self-appointed members of a group who shield the group from conflicting information, by either withholding it or influencing others not to express it.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about brainstorming?
A) The number of ideas should be limited
B) Ideas should be criticised and judged quickly
C) Ideas should not be written down
D) Implausible ideas should not be suggested
E) None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

The correct approach to brainstorming involves encouraging the generation of as many ideas as possible, without restrictions or criticism, capturing all ideas in writing, and allowing even seemingly implausible ideas to be suggested. The purpose is to encourage creativity and allow for unexpected solutions to emerge. Therefore options A, B, C, and D are incorrect.

Question 5

Non-programmed decisions require managers to use __________ rather than __________.
A) individuals, groups
B) groups, individuals
C) creativity, decision rules
D) decision rules, creativity
E) strategic thinking, critical thinking

Accepted Answer

Non-programmed decisions involve unique and complex situations that cannot be solved through pre-established decision rules. Therefore, managers need to utilize creativity to find new solutions or alternatives to the problem at hand.

Question 6

Creative thinking is enhanced by which of the following?
A) Attraction to complexity
B) High levels of energy
C) Intelligence
D) Openness
E) All of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed can enhance creative thinking. Attraction to complexity can inspire people to think outside the box and solve complex problems. High levels of energy can help individuals persist in generating ideas and pursuing alternative solutions. Intelligence provides a foundation for understanding complex ideas and connecting diverse concepts. Openness facilitates exploration of new ideas, perspectives, and approaches.

Question 7

The risk of groupthink may be curbed by increasing the __________ of senior management.
A) homogeneity
B) size
C) male-to-female ratio
D) diversity
E) None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

The best way to curb the risk of groupthink is by increasing the diversity of senior management. This ensures that different perspectives and ideas are brought to the table, reducing the chances of the group becoming too homogeneous and falling into groupthink. Increasing the size of the group may not necessarily increase diversity and could exacerbate the problem if the additional members are similar to the current group. The male-to-female ratio is not necessarily indicative of diversity and may not address other factors such as ethnicity or background.

Question 8

__________ decisions are well structured, recurring and made according to decision rules.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ decisions are well structured, recurring and...

Question 9

A group member who discusses group deliberations with an expert outsider and reports her findings to the group is most likely trying to prevent
A) brainstorming.
B) groupthink.
C) escalation of commitment.
D) group polarisation.
E) risk propensity.

Accepted Answer

The group member is trying to prevent groupthink by seeking an expert outsider's opinion and bringing back valuable insights to the group's deliberations. Groupthink occurs when group members prioritize conformity and consensus over critical thinking and decision-making, often resulting in poor decisions. Seeking an expert opinion can help to break this groupthink mentality and lead to more informed decision-making. The other options (A, C, D, E) are not related to the action of seeking an expert's opinion.

Question 10

Which of the following does NOT tend to be one of the toughest managerial decisions?
A) Opening a business
B) Deciding which new product to launch
C) Buying or selling a business
D) Hiring and firing
E) Creating work schedules

Accepted Answer

Creating work schedules may be a difficult task for managers, but it is not typically considered one of the toughest managerial decisions compared to options such as opening a business, deciding which new product to launch, buying or selling a business, and hiring and firing.

Question 11

The Delphi technique is a useful way to gather opinions from experts who
A) don't like each other.
B) desire anonymity.
C) live far away from each other.
D) All of these are correct.
E) None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

The Delphi technique is designed to gather opinions from experts who may desire anonymity, live far apart, or may not work well together, making all the options correct.

Question 12

The Delphi technique uses which of the following to gather opinions from experts?
A) Conference calls
B) Group meetings
C) Interviews
D) Questionnaires
E) Stream-of-consciousness journals

Accepted Answer

The Delphi technique uses questionnaires to gather opinions from experts. This allows for anonymity and eliminates groupthink, bias, and dominant personalities that can occur in group meetings or interviews. Conference calls and stream-of-consciousness journals are not commonly used in the Delphi technique.

Question 13

To help prevent groupthink, leaders should assign the role of '__________' to each group member to allow each member to voice objections and doubts freely.
A) warning dismisser
B) risky shifter
C) unquestioned believer
D) mindguard
E) critical evaluator

Accepted Answer

Assigning the role of critical evaluator to each group member allows them to voice objections and doubts freely, which can help prevent groupthink. This role encourages each member to think critically and challenge the group's consensus. The other options do not have this same focus on critical evaluation and could potentially hinder the group's ability to avoid groupthink.

Question 14

Which of the following terms refers to the tendency of people to make more extreme decisions in a group than when alone?
A) Brainstorming
B) Groupthink
C) Escalation of commitment
D) Group polarisation
E) Risk propensity

Accepted Answer

Group polarisation refers to the tendency of people in a group to shift towards more extreme or radical views, opinions or decisions compared to what they would have taken alone. This happens because individuals in groups tend to conform to the opinions and social norms of the group or adopt a more extreme stance to differentiate themselves from others. Options A, C, and E do not specifically relate to the phenomenon of group decision making. Option B, groupthink is related to group decision making but refers to the tendency of group members to prioritize consensus over critical evaluation of options, which can lead to flawed or suboptimal decisions, and is different from group polarization.

Question 15

Which of the following terms refers to the act of persisting with a failing course of action?
A) Brainstorming
B) Groupthink
C) Escalation of commitment
D) Group polarisation
E) Risk propensity

Accepted Answer

Escalation of commitment refers to the tendency of individuals or groups to persist with a failing course of action even when it is clear that the action is not achieving the desired results. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as a desire to avoid admitting failure or a belief that success is just around the corner. The other options (A, B, D, and E) do not specifically refer to this concept.

Question 16

Which of the following is a structured variation of a small-group discussion to reach consensus?
A) Prospect theory
B) Brainstorming
C) Delphi technique
D) Nominal group technique
E) None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

The Nominal group technique is a structured variation of a small-group discussion aimed at reaching consensus. It involves individuals brainstorming ideas individually and then bringing them together as a group to discuss and prioritize them. It allows for all members to participate and ensures everyone's ideas are considered. The Delphi technique is also a structured variation of a small-group discussion, but it is focused on reaching consensus through repeated rounds of anonymous feedback, rather than in-person discussion. Prospect theory is a psychological theory related to decision-making and risk-taking, while brainstorming is a creative thinking technique that involves generating a large quantity of ideas.

Question 17

Which of the following is true about intuition?
A) It is largely arbitrary.
B) It evolves over time.
C) It's not based on rationality.
D) It's similar to guessing.
E) All of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

Intuition evolves over time as it is shaped by experiences and accumulated knowledge, allowing individuals to make quick judgments based on past patterns and insights.

Question 18

When groupthink occurs, silence is viewed as agreement.This most directly contributes to the
A) shared illusion of invulnerability.
B) shared illusion of unanimity.
C) stereotyped views of 'enemy' leaders.
D) unquestioned belief in the group's inherent morality.
E) collective efforts to rationalise or dismiss warnings.

Accepted Answer

In groupthink, members of a group tend to suppress their own doubts and dissenting opinions for fear of disrupting the perceived unanimity of the group. As a result, silence is often interpreted as agreement, which contributes to the shared illusion of unanimity among group members. This can lead to faulty decision-making and a failure to consider alternative viewpoints.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a category of prescriptions for preventing groupthink?
A) Process prescriptions
B) Individual prescriptions
C) Leader prescriptions
D) Group prescriptions
E) Organisational prescriptions

Accepted Answer

Group prescriptions are not a category of prescriptions for preventing groupthink. The other four categories are process prescriptions, individual prescriptions, leader prescriptions, and organisational prescriptions.

Question 20

The information needed to make a programmed decision is __________ available, and the problem is __________ structured.
A) readily, highly
B) not readily, not highly
C) not readily, highly
D) readily, not highly
E) somewhat readily, somewhat highly

Accepted Answer

Programmed decisions are routine and repetitive, often involving well-defined procedures, which means the information needed is readily available and the problem is highly structured.

Quiz 8: Decision Making and Problem Solving

It is possible for the same decision to be for an experienced manager but for a more junior manager.

Which mode of thinking occurs when people are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group and members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to appraise alternative courses of action realistically?

In the study of groupthink, which of the following terms refers to self-appointed members who shield the group from conflicting information?

Which of the following is true about brainstorming?

Non-programmed decisions require managers to use rather than .

Creative thinking is enhanced by which of the following?

The risk of groupthink may be curbed by increasing the __________ of senior management.

__________ decisions are well structured, recurring and made according to decision rules.

A group member who discusses group deliberations with an expert outsider and reports her findings to the group is most likely trying to prevent

Which of the following does NOT tend to be one of the toughest managerial decisions?

The Delphi technique is a useful way to gather opinions from experts who

The Delphi technique uses which of the following to gather opinions from experts?

To help prevent groupthink, leaders should assign the role of '__________' to each group member to allow each member to voice objections and doubts freely.

Which of the following terms refers to the tendency of people to make more extreme decisions in a group than when alone?

Which of the following terms refers to the act of persisting with a failing course of action?

Which of the following is a structured variation of a small-group discussion to reach consensus?

Which of the following is true about intuition?

When groupthink occurs, silence is viewed as agreement.This most directly contributes to the

Which of the following is NOT a category of prescriptions for preventing groupthink?

The information needed to make a programmed decision is available, and the problem is structured.