Deck 21: Controlling, Information, and Technology

Question 1

Operational control decisions relate to determining organizational objectives and designating the corresponding action necessary to reach them.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

After actual performance has been measured and compared with established performance standards, the next step in the controlling process is to take corrective action if necessary.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Most managers have substantial control over increasing their position power.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In order to preserve their position power, managers should avoid doing personal favors for subordinates.

Question 5

The typical IS is a formally established organizational network that gives managers continual access to vital information.

Question 6

Information quality refers to the degree to which information represents reality.

Question 7

Since information is central to all organizational decision-making, there is no such thing as too much information.

Question 8

Measuring performance is the first step in the controlling process.

Question 9

Appropriate information for one manager within an organization is usually also appropriate for another.

Question 10

Information for operational control decisions does not need to be completely accurate because such decisions tend to be characterized by some subjectivity and focus on areas that are difficult to measure.

Question 11

For control to be successful, all individuals involved in controlling must have a working knowledge of how the control process operates.

Question 12

Information technology consists of any type of equipment or process that organization members use in the performance of their work.

Question 13

If a company's employees consider an IS easy to use, that IS would be labeled a high-quality IS.

Question 14

The information that managers receive heavily influences managerial decision making.

Question 15

Appropriate information for strategic planning decisions is generally not completely current, but more historical in nature.

Question 16

Three activities that improve IS effectiveness are managing user satisfaction, managing the IS workforce, and managing IS security.

Question 17

Determining and gathering appropriate data is the first step in operating an IS properly.

Question 18

The first major step in evaluating organizational information is to determine the expected cost of obtaining that information.

Question 19

Data refers to the set of conclusions derived from the analysis of facts and figures that relate to the operation of an organization.

Question 20

Generally, the top management of a company would most benefit from information such as summary reports of transactions, detailed reports of problems, and operating plans and policies.

Question 21

The extent to which an individual is able to influence others so they respond to orders is called ________.

A) authority
B) responsibility
C) accountability
D) power
E) strength

Question 22

________ is the systematic effort to compare performance to predetermined standards in order to determine whether performance is in line with those standards, or needs to be corrected.

A) Planning
B) Organizing
C) Controlling
D) Designing
E) Motivation

Question 23

Michael is line manager at a production facility. He runs daily checks to ensure that his team of workers is performing well. Today he discovers that his team has produced only 110 units, while they are expected to have a daily output of at least 150 units. This shortfall is particularly puzzling because his team had consistently been producing an average of 155 units everyday over the last month. Which of the following figures represents the standard for performance for this team?

A) 155 units
B) 150 units
C) 110 units
D) 40 units
E) 5 units

Question 24

Ensuring that an event occurs as it was planned to occur constitutes ________.

A) control
B) planning
C) influencing
D) organizing
E) designing

Question 25

Which of the following is the first step in the controlling process?

A) evaluating performance
B) taking corrective action
C) measuring performance
D) recognizing problems
E) recognizing symptoms

Question 26

Which of the following is true about the steps a manager can take to increase his or her total power?

A) Moving up the organizational hierarchy is the best way of enhancing personal power.
B) Avoid focusing on your professional achievements.
C) Making subordinates feel obligated to you will enhance your personal power.
D) Avoid using bonuses and raises to link rewards to performance.
E) Managers usually have substantial control over enhancing their position power.

Question 27

The cost of IS employees in international countries is much less than for IS employees in the United States.

Question 28

________ and ________ have been called the "Siamese twins of management."

A) Setting standards; measuring performance
B) Managing; leading
C) Planning; controlling
D) Problems; symptoms
E) Organizing; controlling

Question 29

The total power a manager possesses is made up of two different kinds of power: ________.

A) authority and responsibility
B) social power and reward power
C) authority and accountability
D) position power and personal power
E) ownership power and skill power

Question 30

GASSP's equity principle states that management shall respect the rights of all employees when setting policy regarding security measures.

Question 31

Because Jamie is the manager, her subordinates follow her instructions. This is an example of ________ power.

A) personal
B) position
C) total
D) social
E) absolute

Question 32

As part of the controlling process, you have finished measuring the performance of your team. What must you do next?

A) Take corrective action.
B) Compare measured performance to standards.
C) Establish a unit of measure to gauge performance.
D) Modify past plans.
E) Restructure control systems and subsystems.

Question 33

The level of activity established to serve as a model for evaluating organizational performance is a(n) ________.

A) symptom
B) problem
C) standard
D) correction
E) incentive

Question 34

Which of the following is the last step in the controlling process?

A) comparing measured performance to standards
B) taking corrective action
C) measuring performance
D) establishing standards
E) establishing units of measuring performance

Question 35

A ________ is a sign that a problem exists.

A) standard
B) symptom
C) yardstick
D) correction
E) benchmark

Question 36

In order to increase his personal power, a manager should ________.

A) try to move up the organizational hierarchy
B) demonstrate a high level of expertise
C) downplay his authority over organizational resources
D) minimize subordinates' perception that they are dependent on him or her
E) focus on enhancing his position power

Question 37

Factors within an organization that are barriers to organizational goal attainment are called ________.

A) problems
B) propositions
C) symptoms
D) standards
E) yardsticks

Question 38

Despite the cost advantages of using international workers, U.S. companies are cutting down on the number of jobs outsourced to other countries.

Question 39

The power derived from a manager's relationship with others is called ________ power.

A) total
B) position
C) personal
D) social
E) authentic

Question 40

________ is managerial activity aimed at bringing organizational performance up to the level of performance standards.

A) Laddering
B) Corrective action
C) Reprogramming
D) Market correction
E) Contrarian investing

Question 41

Information ________ refers to the degree to which the information represents reality.

A) appropriateness
B) quality
C) timeliness
D) quantity
E) scope

Question 42

Information ________ is defined in terms of how relevant the information is to the decision-making situation the manager faces.

A) appropriateness
B) quality
C) timeliness
D) control
E) quantity

Question 43

The CEO of Pegasus Inc. wants to know the ROI on a recent promotional drive to develop the marketing strategy for next year. The Marketing Manager sends him a detailed report on the all the personnel in his department and the salaries and bonuses paid to them over the past year. This information is likely to be useless to the Operations manager because it is not ________.

A) appropriate
B) timely
C) voluminous
D) real
E) expensive

Question 44

________ decisions relate to determining organizational objectives and designating the corresponding action necessary to reach them.

A) Strategic planning
B) Operational control
C) Tactical control
D) Operational planning
E) Management control

Question 45

"Paralysis by analysis" is generally caused by ________.

A) information overload
B) insufficient information
C) lack of timely information
D) inappropriate information
E) data contamination

Question 46

Information required for decisions related to strategic planning should ________.

A) emphasize the performance history of the organization
B) be well defined and narrow
C) focus largely on the external organizational environment
D) be highly current
E) be very detailed

Question 47

The process of developing information begins with gathering some type of facts or statistics, called ________.

A) knowledge
B) expertise
C) data
D) information
E) wisdom

Question 48

________ decisions relate to obtaining and effectively and efficiently using the organizational resources necessary to reach organizational objectives.

A) Strategic planning
B) Operational control
C) Strategic control
D) Operational planning
E) Management control

Question 49

Information required for decisions related to operational control should ________.

A) emphasize the future
B) be well defined and narrow
C) come largely from external sources
D) primarily contain historical data
E) provide an aggregate without going into the details

Question 50

Which of the following is the best example of raw data?

A) the return on investment on an advertising campaign
B) a projection of future product demand
C) the organizational budget for the next quarter
D) a forecast of market trends
E) the attendance register in a factory

Question 51

Information ________ is the extent to which the receipt of information allows decisions to be made and action to be taken so the organization can gain some benefit from possessing the information.

A) appropriateness
B) quality
C) timeliness
D) quantity
E) scope

Question 52

Information required for decisions related to strategic planning should ________.

A) emphasize the future
B) be well defined and narrow
C) focus largely on the internal organizational environment
D) be highly current
E) be very detailed

Question 53

In management terms, information refers to ________.

A) a collection of facts or statistics
B) the skill set of the employees carrying out a particular organizational function
C) the set of conclusions derived from the analysis of data that relate to the operation of an organization
D) a collection of numbers, characters, images or other outputs from devices that gather physical quantities and symbols
E) raw, unorganized representations of individual facts and/or figures

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a factor that determines the value of information?

A) information timeliness
B) information quality
C) information cost
D) information quantity
E) information appropriateness

Question 55

Information required for decisions related to operational control should ________.

A) emphasize the future
B) be highly accurate
C) come largely from external sources
D) primarily contain historical data
E) provide an aggregate without going into the details

Question 56

________ decisions relate to ensuring that specific organizational tasks are carried out effectively and efficiently.

A) Strategic planning
B) Operational control
C) Strategic control
D) Tactical control
E) Management control

Question 57

Immediately after Randor Leather awarded a long-term contract for supply of raw materials, its Operations Manager gets information from a vendor about a much cheaper source of raw material. This information is likely to be of little use to the business because it is not ________.

A) appropriate
B) of good quality
C) timely
D) in sufficient quantity
E) wide in scope

Question 58

Which of the following is a way in which a manager can develop a sense of identification with subordinates?

A) by moving up the organizational hierarchy
B) by enhancing his position power
C) by creating a perception that subordinates are dependent on the manager
D) by demonstrating his control over organizational resources
E) by espousing goals, values, and ideals commonly held by his subordinates

Question 59

As part of a process of job redesigning, the HR manager of Mars LLC conducted an informal survey of employees to assess their job satisfaction levels. However, fearing negative action, few employees gave clear, unambiguous responses to the HR manager's questions. This survey is likely to be of little use to the HR manager because it is ________.

A) not relevant
B) too costly
C) not timely
D) not in sufficient quantity
E) too wide in scope

Question 60

How can a manager increase his personal power by developing a perception among subordinates that they are dependent on the manager?

A) by adopting a wider span of control
B) by downplaying their positional power
C) by developing employees' sense of identification with the manager
D) by demonstrating his control over organizational resources
E) by espousing goals, values, and ideals commonly held by them

Question 61

The International Information Security Foundation produced a document known as the ________, which included a set of best practices for IS managers.

A) ISSCP
B) Gannt
C) GASSP
D) MSDS
E) Pert

Question 62

George Duncan, Marketing Manager at Conrad & Scott (C&S) Inc., is planning to make a few changes in the marketing mix of a particular brand of cereal. He is considering conducting a survey of customers to see how they would react to some of the changes. However, before he initiates this survey, he evaluates the information he expects to get from such a survey and concludes that the costs exceed the expected value of the information. Which of the following additional information, if true, would be most likely to persuade George to reevaluate the information and push ahead with the survey?

A) C&S's main competitor had registered a spike in sales last year after it used a survey to tweak the price and features of their bestselling cereal.
B) These changes are not likely to impact the price or features of the product in a significant manner.
C) New metrics are now available for this survey that deliver more accurate information by surveying a more targeted population.
D) These changes were instituted in the marketing mix of a different cereal brand of the same company and were accepted readily by customers, resulting in an increase in sales.
E) This customer survey is one of the cheapest and most accurate models available in the market.

Question 63

Which of the following is true about managing the IS workforce?

A) During the economic and technological boom of the late 1990s, executives found it very easy to hire and retain IS employees.
B) Due to consumer backlash, companies are reducing the outsourcing of jobs to other countries.
C) Companies outsource work to other countries primarily for quality advantages.
D) Replacing IS personnel is inexpensive in today's technology-driven environment.
E) Outsourcing IS work overseas creates problems such as integrating domestic and nondomestic workforces and defining global work expectations.

Question 64

Which of the following is the first step in operating an IS properly?

A) transmitting data
B) determining appropriate data
C) using the information
D) determining information needs
E) gathering appropriate data

Question 65

Describe the information that is appropriate for making strategic planning decisions and for making operational control decisions.

Question 66

The quality of the IS refers to ________.

A) the accuracy of the information
B) its cost
C) the relevance of the information
D) the proficiency of the users
E) its ease of use

Question 67

Which of the following information would be most appropriate for the middle management of a large corporation?

A) environmental data and trends
B) summaries and exception reports of operating results
C) summary reports of transactions
D) detailed reports of problems
E) forecasts

Question 68

Which of the following information would be most appropriate for the first-line management of a large corporation?

A) summary reports of operations
B) environmental data and trends
C) decisions on strategic plans
D) detailed reports of problems
E) forecasts

Question 69

Which of the following is the last step in operating an IS properly?

A) transmitting data
B) determining appropriate data
C) using the information
D) determining information needs
E) gathering appropriate data

Question 70

Dorothy Wood's work primarily involves setting corporate objectives and making decisions that impact the control of the entire company. Which of the following information is most likely to be relevant for Dorothy?

A) forecasts and exception reports of problems
B) summaries and exception reports of operating results
C) detailed reports of problems
D) summary reports of transactions
E) operating plans and policies

Question 71

Irvine White's work primarily involves supervising the production in one of the factories of TM Corp, a large manufacturing and retail company. Which of the following information is most likely to be relevant for Irvine?

A) trend forecasts for the industry
B) exception reports of operating results of his company
C) detailed reports of problems in his factory
D) environmental data for the company's business
E) decisions on strategic plans for his organization

Question 72

Identify the methods by which managers can make controlling a successful activity.

Question 73

Three activities that improve IS effectiveness are managing user satisfaction, managing the IS workforce, and managing ________.

A) IS costs
B) timelines
C) IS security
D) scalability
E) IS profitability

Question 74

Explain the ways an individual can be successful in increasing his or her personal power.

Question 75

Which of the following is the first step in evaluating organizational information?

A) pinpointing the data to be analyzed
B) evaluating the cost of data
C) comparing value of information with its cost
D) acquiring information
E) increasing value or decrease cost of information

Question 76

Martin has determined exactly what information he needs to assess worker productivity. He has identified the data that will yield this information and has collected this data. What should Martin do now?

A) transmit the information
B) determine the quality of the data
C) use the information to assess productivity
D) summarize and analyze the data
E) evaluate the cost of the data

Question 77

Which of the following information would be most appropriate for the top management of a large corporation?

A) summary reports of transactions
B) operating plans and policies
C) detailed reports of problems
D) operational control procedures
E) environmental data and trends

Question 78

Explain the importance of power to the control process. Describe the difference between positional power and personal power.

Question 79

In response to the increasing threat of security issues to information systems, private and public organizations around the world came together in 1992 to form the ________.

A) International Association for Computer Systems Security
B) Information Systems Security Association
C) International Information Security Foundation
D) Network Security Framework Forum
E) System Administration, Networking, and Security Institute

Question 80

Outline the steps involved in the controlling process.