Deck 3: The Project Manager

Question 1

The project manager's responsibilities are broad and fall primarily into three separate areas. Identify the item that is NOT one of these.

A)responsibilities to the parent organization
B)responsibilities to the project and the client
C)responsibilities to the members of the project team
D)responsibilities to special-interest groups

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The ideal project manager should be __________.

A)a direct, technical supervisor knowledgeable in the technology of the process being used
B)both generalist/facilitator and have a high level of technical competence in the science of the project
C)a facilitator and specialist with technical credibility
D)a technical specialist competent in principles of robust design

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The functional manager uses the __________ approach and the PM uses the __________ approach.

A)systems; analytic
B)numerical; nonnumeric
C)analytic; systems
D)nonnumeric; numerical

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to the authors the project manager should be more skilled at __________.

A)general management
B)technology
C)synthesis
D)analysis

Question 5

When managing a project, the project manager is responsible for __________.

A)auditing the project
B)executing the project
C)budgeting the project
D)designing the project

Question 6

Resources initially budgeted for a project are frequently __________ for the task, partly because of natural optimism by the proposer about how many resources are needed.

A)sufficient
B)delayed
C)insufficient
D)hindrances

Question 7

The project manager must make trade-offs between project progress and process. Conceptually, this involves trade-offs between the __________ functions.

A)technical and managerial
B)schedule and cost
C)performance and schedule
D)cost and performance

Question 8

According to the authors the key to coping with the uncertainty that happens at the end of a project, an obstacle that the project manager must overcome is __________.

A)discipline
B)communication
C)planning
D)supervision

Question 9

Identify the attribute that is NOT normally associated with the job of functional manager.

A)The functional manager is usually a generalist in the area being managed.
B)The functional manager is responsible for deciding what resources will be devoted to accomplishing the task.
C)The functional manager is administratively responsible for deciding how something will be done.
D)The functional manager is responsible for deciding who will do the work.

Question 10

According to the authors, three major questions face the project manager with respect to synthesizing the requirements of a project. Identify the item that is NOT listed as one of the three major questions.

A)What needs to be done?
B)Who will actually do the work of the project?
C)When must it be done?
D)How will the required resources be obtained?

Question 11

According to the authors, of all the characteristics desirable in a project manager, __________ is the most important.

A)availability
B)a strong technical background
C)ability to keep the project team happy
D)drive to complete the task

Question 12

Most of the time spent by a project manager is spent __________.

A)attending technical workshops
B)overseeing the workforce
C)filing paperwork
D)communicating

Question 13

Project managers must have __________, which refers to possessing enough technical abilities to direct the project.

A)technical credibility
B)managerial credibility
C)negotiation skill
D)drive to complete the task

Question 14

During the __________ stage of the project lifecycle, there is no significant difference in the importance that project managers place on the three goals of cost, time, and performance.

A)initiation
B)design
C)buildup
D)final

Question 15

PMI offers a certification for project managers. PMI offers examination for certification as __________.

A)Project Management Professionals
B)Project Management Experts
C)Project Management Associates
D)Project Management Engineers

Question 16

The project manager needs __________ credibility.

A)technical and personal
B)administrative and personal
C)technical and administrative
D)technical and financial

Question 17

During the buildup phase, the project goals, in order of importance, are __________.

A)schedule, scope, cost
B)cost, schedule, scope
C)schedule, cost, scope
D)cost, scope, schedule

Question 18

Projects are conducted in four important environments. They are __________.

A)economic, political, legal, and sociotechnical
B)internal, external, transitional, and multicultural
C)routine, unique, fast-paced, and complex
D)profit, not for profit, government, and industry

Question 19

One of the major problems project managers have with creating a project team is coming up with adequate human resources. One way this commonly happens is by __________.

A)hiring employees fired by other departments
B)training unskilled immigrants in project skills
C)borrowing employees from other functional departments
D)demoting executive board members

Question 20

According to the authors, the analytic method, when applied to systems, focuses on __________.

A)assembling the components of a system into an integrated package
B)building an array of individually designed and manufactured components
C)calculating the cost and schedule requirements
D)dividing the components of a system into smaller and smaller elements

Question 21

The project manager's responsibility to the project and to the client is met by ensuring that the __________ of the project is preserved in spite of conflicting demands made by stakeholders.

Question 22

The structure of a society is determined by its __________.

Question 23

During the buildup stage of a project lifecycle, __________ is the dominant goal of many project managers.

Question 24

__________ results when the demands made on an individual are greater than the person's ability to cope with them, particularly when the person has a high need for achievement.

Question 25

The __________ states that to understand the system, we must understand the environment (or larger system)of which it is a part.

Question 26

When asked, "How do you motivate astronauts?" a representative of NASA responded, "We don't motivate them, but, boy, are we careful about whom we select." Discuss the implications of this statement for project managers seeking to motivate project team members.

Question 27

The __________ is the "corporate culture" within the organization, or even within the project.

Question 28

The project manager makes a __________ by allowing one aspect of the project to get worse in return for allowing another aspect of the project to get better.

Question 29

With respect to acquiring resources, there is a high potential for conflict between the functional manager and the project manager. Describe a major source of that conflict and suggest how it can be properly managed.

Question 30

The aesthetic values of a culture are communicated through the culture's __________.

Question 31

According to the textbook, in Latin America, the __________ system leads a manager to give preference to relatives and friends when hiring.

Question 32

__________ is the entire way of life for a group of people. It contains the four elements of technology, institutions, language, and arts.

Question 33

The project manager should be more skilled at __________, whereas the functional manager should be more skilled at __________.

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT typically recommended to be considered when hiring new team members?

A)high-quality technical skills
B)political, and general, sensitivity
C)strong goal orientation
D)low self-esteem

Question 35

A __________ is a person who helps people overcome problems, either with technical issues or with other people.

Question 36

The __________ is an alternative for action if the expected result fails to materialize.

Question 37

The __________ is a person who spearheads an idea or action and sells it throughout the organization.

Question 38

The __________ represents everything outside the system that delivers inputs or receives outputs from the system.

Question 39

The laws of the nation are often a product of the nation's __________.

Question 40

During the final or phaseout stage of the project lifecycle, __________ is the dominant goal of many project managers.

Question 41

Four project environments were identified in the chapter. Assume that there is a clash in requirements between the legal environments of two countries participating in the project. Before taking action to resolve the clash in requirements, what would you recommend that the project manager do?

Question 42

You are the project manager of a multi-national projects with stakeholders and team members on both sides of the Atlantic. You receive an email request from a stakeholder in the United Kingdom for information that is "needed by 4/3/05". You run into the stakeholder at a conference in the middle of March 2005 and he refuses to acknowledge you in any way. To what do you attribute this "weird" behavior?

Question 43

At the inception of a project, crises tend to be associated with resources. Explain why this scenario could be common in some organizations.

Question 44

Identify three important characteristics that would be desirable in a project manager. Explain your reasoning.