Deck 1: Introduction to Management

Question 1

 The frontline managers of a firm are feeling directionless and resistant to change. Middle management has failed in providing

A) a plan.
B) a budget.
C) delegation of duties.
D) leadership.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

 Which of the following statements best describes scientific management?

A) It focuses on how jobs, work, and incentive schemes could be designed to improve productivity using industrial engineering methods.
B) It involves a clear differentiation of tasks and responsibilities among individuals and coordination through a strict hierarchy of authority and decision rights.
C) It holds the belief that organizations must be understood as systems of interdependent human beings who share a common interest in the survival and effective functioning of the firm.
D) It is a view of the firm where effective organizational structure is based on fit or alignment between the organization and various aspects in its environment.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

 Which of the following individuals is the best example of a senior executive?

A) A person who helps refine the organization's strategy using conceptual skills
B) A person who develops and motivates his team using interpersonal skills
C) A person who focuses on technical issues to ensure that operations are running smoothly
D) A person who sets the vision and objectives of an organization

Answer 3

D

Question 4

 Which of the following best describes the managerial view on the purpose of business?

A) A business framework where the job of top managers is to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets
B) A business framework that attempts to organize and analyze multiple groups that interact with the firm
C) A business framework where organizational structure is based on fit between the organization and various aspects in its environment
D) A business framework where the firm is seen as a mechanism for converting raw materials into products to sell to customers

Question 5

 One increasingly popular acronym that captures the context in which today's organizations compete is VUCA. Which of the following is NOT a term that the letters of VUCA represent?

A) Volatile
B) Uncertain
C) Competitive
D) Ambiguous

Question 6

 Which of the following questions is addressed by the organizational perspective of management?

A) How should a business compete?
B) How will performance be measured?
C) What strategy will allow a firm to adapt as the context evolves?
D) How do managers use power and influence?

Question 7

 Z-Gadgets often faces opposition when it goes into a community to open a new Z-Gadgets store. One reason for this is that the management of Z-Gadgets has been accused of unethical acts, such as discriminating against women and minorities. The top managers' poor treatment of women and minority employees might be considered a failure with respect to what area of managing organizations?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design
C) Individual leadership
D) Shareholder value

Question 8

 Harry, a top manager of an organization, clearly differentiated the tasks and responsibilities of his employees. Moreover, he emphasized that top-level executives should do the planning and lower-level executives should execute those plans. Identify the management technique used by Harry.

A) Bureaucratic organization structure
B) Human relations movement
C) Scientific management
D) Contingent view

Question 9

 According to the contingent view

A) organizations must be understood as systems of interdependent human beings.
B) jobs must be designed to improve productivity using industrial engineering methods.
C) coordination should take place through a strict hierarchy of authority.
D) the organization's structure should fit the firm's environment.

Question 10

 Which of the following is the most important skill of a middle manager?

A) Technical skills to earn credibility of his/her team
B) Interpersonal skills such as motivating and developing teams
C) Setting vision and objectives for the organization
D) Conceptual skills for developing the organization's strategy

Question 11

 Helen, a senior executive, works with others to create the strategic positioning that will enable the firm to effectively compete in the marketplace. From this scenario, it can be inferred that Helen uses the _______ of management.

A) technical skills
B) conceptual skills
C) interpersonal skills
D) behavioral skills

Question 12

 Which of the following individuals is the best example of a frontline supervisor?

A) A person who, along with other senior executives, develops the organization's strategy using conceptual skills
B) A person who develops and motivates his team using interpersonal skills
C) A person who focuses on technical issues to ensure that operations are running smoothly
D) A person who sets the vision and objectives of an organization

Question 13

 Which of the following statements about the three pillars of management is true?

A) The interaction between the three pillars of management is a linear process.
B) The strategic perspective involves developing and aligning the organizational components to achieve strategic objectives.
C) The interplay of strategy, organizational design, and individual action operates within a broad contextual landscape.
D) Individual leadership addresses the impact of globalization on competitive positioning of a business.

Question 14

 "How does the competitive landscape shape the potential for success or failure?" Which of the following pillars of managing organizations addresses this question?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design and structure
C) Individual leadership
D) Shareholder value

Question 15

 Best Tools, a manufacturing company, needs to cut costs to remain competitive. The manager of the company believes that the answer lies in finding more efficient processes and is using time and motion studies to see where improvements can be made. This shows that the manager of Best Tools is using _____ to make strategic changes.

A) technical skills
B) contingency approach
C) contextual intelligence
D) scientific management

Question 16

 According to the _____ view of the firm, the job of top managers was to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets.

A) managerial
B) stakeholder
C) contingent
D) shareholder

Question 17

 After hiring a consultant, a senior management team realized that the organization's structure did not enable proper usage of its resources and the culture was not reinforcing employee performance. Which of the following pillars of managing organizations has the organization failed to consider?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design
C) Individual leadership
D) Organizational climate

Question 18

 The factor that distinguishes the human relations movement from scientific management is that the human relations movement

A) focuses on how jobs could be designed to improve productivity.
B) emphasizes the importance of informal social relations at work.
C) views the firm as a machine and the manager as a machine operator.
D) shifts emphasis from the social side of the firm to the output of the firm.

Question 19

 The factor that distinguishes leadership from management is that

A) leadership focuses on planning and budgeting.
B) leadership is the act of working with people to accomplish a desired goal.
C) leadership involves budgeting, controlling, and staffing resources.
D) leadership is the ability to drive change through motivation.

Question 20

 John is a top executive in an organization. He is involved in developing and improving the organization's strategy by working along with other senior executives. From this scenario, it can be inferred that John uses the _______ of management.

A) technical skills
B) conceptual skills
C) interpersonal skills
D) behavioral skills

Question 21

 Leadership is defined as the ability to drive change and innovation through inspiration and motivation.

Question 22

 Bureaucratic organization structure involves vertical separation of planning and execution so that plans are made in the upper ranks of an organization and executed in the lower.

Question 23

 Managerial view is a business framework where the job of top managers is to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets.

Question 24

 The _____ identifies and analyzes multiple groups that interact with the firm and attempts to align organizational practices to satisfy the needs of these various groups.

A) stakeholder view
B) contingent view
C) shareholder view
D) managerial view

Question 25

 Henry, a manager of an automobile company, wants to know about the influence of various environmental factors on his organization and its stakeholders. He needs an appropriate tool to carry out this function, which in turn will help him predict stakeholder response. Which of the following tools will best serve this purpose?

A) Stakeholder mapping
B) Scientific management
C) Strategic positioning
D) Trend analysis

Question 26

 Harriet, a manager of a steel company, wants to design formal processes and systems to deal with the firm's various stakeholders. Which of the following tools will best serve this purpose?

A) Stakeholder mapping
B) Scientific management
C) Strategic positioning
D) Trend analysis

Question 27

 A stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of an organization's purpose.

Question 28

 The human relations movement emphasized the importance of informal social relations at work.

Question 29

 Which of the following is a significant factor in building contextual intelligence?

A) Developing appreciation and awareness of history
B) Emphasizing the importance of informal social relations at work
C) Converting raw materials into products to sell to customers
D) Developing standardized rules and procedures

Question 30

 To be successful, organizations need to develop and nurture managers and leaders throughout the organization, not just at the top.

Question 31

 Forecasting the likely result that might occur when several events and stakeholders are linked together is known as

A) strategic review process.
B) environmental scanning.
C) scenario building.
D) contingency planning.

Question 32

 The first step of the stakeholder mapping process involves

A) identifying specific subgroups within each stakeholder.
B) mapping all of the stakeholder relationships with the firm.
C) determining stakes for each stakeholder.
D) mapping connections between various stakeholders.

Question 33

 With regard to managing uncertainty, high uncertainty requires

A) less vigilance of contextual forces and less adaptation.
B) stronger vigilance of contextual forces and less adaptation.
C) less vigilance of contextual forces and more adaptation.
D) stronger vigilance of contextual forces and more adaptation.

Question 34

 Which of the following refers to the systematic assessment of the external environment to prepare for a possible range of alternative futures for the organization?

A) Scenario building
B) Trend analysis
C) Contingency planning
D) Environmental scanning

Question 35

 The interaction between the formulation of strategy, the design of the organization, and the leadership of the firm is a linear process.

Question 36

 Describe the three pillars of managing organizations.

Question 37

 Fine Electronics, a manufacturing company, plans to secure new suppliers in Rhodia. Therefore, the manager of the company and its executives visit Rhodia to better understand its culture and explore opportunities. This shows that the manager of Fine Electronics is using _____ to make strategic changes.

A) technical skills
B) contingency approach
C) contextual intelligence
D) scientific management

Question 38

 Through _____, senior leaders of a corporation meet with business unit managers to assess progress toward specific goals.

A) contingency planning
B) scientific management
C) strategic review process
D) scenario building

Question 39

 Which of the following best describes environmental scanning?

A) Forecasting and scanning the likely result that might occur when several events and stakeholders are linked together
B) A tool where key variables are monitored and modeled to help predict a change that might occur in the environment
C) The ability to understand the impact of environmental factors on a firm and the ability to understand how to influence those same factors
D) A tool that managers use to scan the business horizon for key events and trends that will affect the business in the future

Question 40

 Differentiate between management and leadership.

Question 41

 Briefly discuss the human relations movement.

Question 42

 Define business environment and discuss the changing perspectives on the purpose of business.

Question 43

 Define stakeholder. What are the steps involved in stakeholder mapping?