Question 1

Which type of control is a method of gathering information about performance deficiencies after they occur?

Accepted Answer

Feedback control involves gathering information about performance deficiencies after they occur and using that information to make necessary changes or improvements. Dynamic control involves making adjustments in real-time as conditions change. Concurrent control involves monitoring performance as it occurs to prevent deviations from standards. Feedforward control involves anticipating future problems and taking action to prevent them from occurring.

Question 2

What does the basic control process begin with?

Accepted Answer

The basic control process always starts with setting clear standards of performance. Without clear standards, it is impossible to evaluate actual performance and identify problems. Benchmarking and keystoning can be used as part of the control process, but they are not the starting point. Comparing actual performance to expected performance and identifying problems come after clear standards have been established.

Question 3

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance works with Canadian hemp producers to sell and market their products outside Canada. The organization determines its success in the international market by comparing its 2016 annual exporting data with the data gathered in 2011-when it began to focus on exports. What is provided by the 2011 exporting data?

Accepted Answer

The 2011 exporting data provides a standard for the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance to compare its success in the international market in 2016.

Question 4

Which type of control is a method of gathering information about performance deficiencies as they occur?

Accepted Answer

Concurrent control involves gathering information about performance deficiencies as they occur. It allows for timely adjustments to be made, rather than waiting until the end of a project or process to make corrections. Feedback control involves gathering information after a project or process is complete, while feedforward control involves gathering information before a project or process begins. Simultaneous control is not a recognized type of control.

Question 5

A chain of specialty fashion stores has interviewed a sample of its female customers and learned that,on average,a customer can be expected to visit the store every two weeks looking for new merchandise. As a result,the chain has new merchandise delivered daily. If items have not been sold after a month on display at the store,the items are removed from the store to either be sold at another location or returned to the manufacturer. Through which of the following was the chain of stores able to set this standard?

Accepted Answer

The chain of specialty fashion stores was able to set the standard of delivering new merchandise daily and removing unsold items after a month based on the information obtained from their female customers. By listening to customers, the chain was able to understand their shopping behavior and adjust its operations to meet their needs. Hence, option C is the best choice.

Question 6

How may companies determine standards?

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking other companies is a common method used by companies to determine standards by comparing themselves to industry leaders or top-performing companies in their field. This allows them to identify best practices and areas for improvement, and adjust their own standards accordingly. Implementing vertical loading, using outsourcing, and taking corrective action can also contribute to determining standards, but they are not as commonly used as benchmarking.

Question 7

When Marriott Hotels decided to improve the quality of service it offered its customers,it asked special corporate guests to comment on the good and bad issues of their stay,and also to tell what the competition was doing better than Marriott. Marriott acted accordingly. Which of the following did Marriott use?

Accepted Answer

Marriott used benchmarking to compare its own performance and service quality with that of its competitors, based on feedback from special corporate guests. This allowed Marriott to identify areas where it was lacking and make necessary improvements to enhance its customer service.

Question 8

Canada made a commitment to resettle thousands of Syrian immigrants in late 2015,but didn't provide a target processing time for refugee screening and settlement processes. Which of the following should Canada implement for refugee screening and settlement processes?

Accepted Answer

Canada should implement standards for refugee screening and settlement processes to ensure that they are efficient and completed in a timely manner. This would help provide clarity and accountability for both the government and the refugees being resettled. Autonomous measurements, value ratios, and dependence measurements may not be as effective in promoting transparency and efficiency.

Question 9

Which of the following best characterizes the control process?

Accepted Answer

The control process is characterized as continuous, dynamic, and cybernetic because it involves ongoing monitoring and adjustments based on feedback to ensure that goals are met efficiently and effectively. This description captures the essence of how control mechanisms are designed to adapt and respond to changes and challenges in real-time.

Question 10

What characteristic makes control a cybernetic process?

Accepted Answer

A feedback loop is a key characteristic of a cybernetic process. It involves collecting information on the output of a system, comparing it to a desired goal or benchmark, and making adjustments to the input to achieve the desired outcome. This process repeats continuously, allowing for ongoing monitoring and control of the system.

Question 11

A car manufacturer ordered 20,000 window assemblies from a supplier. To make sure the assemblies were made to specifications,the supplier of the window assemblies shipped a sample to the car manufacturer for testing. Which type of control is this practice an example of?

Accepted Answer

This practice is an example of feedforward control. Feedforward control involves taking proactive measures to ensure that a product or process meets predetermined specifications or standards. In this case, the supplier is taking measures to ensure that the window assemblies meet the car manufacturer's specifications before shipping out the entire order.

Question 12

What criteria are a basis of comparison for measuring the extent to which organizational performance is satisfactory or unsatisfactory?

Accepted Answer

Standards provide measurable and objective criteria for evaluating organizational performance. Potentials, autonomous goals, and degrees of centralization may all affect performance, but they are not themselves criteria for evaluation.

Question 13

Which type of control is a method of gathering information about performance deficiencies before they occur?

Accepted Answer

Feedforward control is a type of control that involves gathering information about performance deficiencies before they occur. This allows for proactive measures to be taken to prevent problems rather than reactive measures taken after the fact. Feedback control, on the other hand, involves gathering information about performance deficiencies after they have occurred in order to make improvements for the future. Dynamic control refers to adjusting and adapting control measures as circumstances change, while pre-emptive control is not a commonly recognized type of control.

Question 14

What are the three basic control methods?

Accepted Answer

The three basic control methods are concurrent control (monitoring and adjusting ongoing activities), feedback control (using information from past performance to adjust current activities), and feedforward control (anticipating future events and adjusting activities before they occur). Option C lists all three of these methods, making it the correct choice. None of the other options include all three of the basic control methods.

Question 15

In September 2016,SNC-Lavalin said two of its oil and gas projects had underperformed and led it to scale back its financial projections for the rest of the year. What were these financial projections for the company?

Accepted Answer

The correct term for financial projections in this context is "standards." Financial projections or standards refer to the expected financial performance or targets that a company aims to achieve within a specific period.

Question 16

A trucking company can gather data on how its competitors deal with total accidents,numbers of high-severity accidents by type,missed deliveries,spills,driver out-of-service by type,and vehicle out-of-service by type,and use this information to improve its own safety record. Which of the following allows a trucking company to not only compare its safety performance with that of other companies but also adopt those practices found to be superior?

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking is the process of comparing an organization's own performance against that of others in the same industry. It not only provides insight into how competitors deal with safety issues but also allows a company to adopt those practices that have been found to be superior. Data decentralization, information processing, and mirroring do not necessarily involve comparing performance with other companies in the industry.

Question 17

What is the term for the regulatory process of establishing standards that will achieve organizational goals,comparing actual performance to those standards,and then,if necessary,taking corrective action to restore performance to those standards?

Accepted Answer

The term for this process is control. Control involves establishing standards, monitoring actual performance, comparing to standards, and taking corrective action when necessary to ensure that organizational goals are being achieved.

Question 18

A flight accident in February 2017 killed two Mount Royal University flight instructors. Which type of control did the Transportation Safety Board and Mount Royal University use by gathering information about how the men died so as to prevent a recurrence?

Accepted Answer

The type of control used in this scenario is feedback control, which involves monitoring and collecting data about past events to prevent future occurrences. The Transportation Safety Board and Mount Royal University gathered information about how the men died to identify the cause of the accident and implement corrective actions to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.

Question 19

A manufacturer of automatic locking devices for vehicles shipped 20,000 devices to a car manufacturer that was unable to use them because of a design flaw. Which type of control would the device manufacturer be using if it waited until the parts were returned before determining the reason for the defect?

Accepted Answer

Waiting for the parts to be returned before determining the reason for the defect indicates a feedback control, which involves taking corrective action after the problem has occurred. Feedforward control involves taking action before a problem occurs, balanced control involves maintaining stability in a system, and dynamic control involves adapting to changing circumstances.

Question 20

In 2016,Earl's restaurants discovered customers preferred antibiotic-free beef,and identified that they couldn't source all their meat from a single Canadian supplier. Which type of control did Earl's use by discovering they couldn't source all their meat from a single Canadian supplier?

Accepted Answer

Earl's restaurants used feedforward control by anticipating potential issues with sourcing antibiotic-free beef and proactively identifying the limitations of relying on a single Canadian supplier. This allowed them to identify alternative sourcing options and ensure a reliable supply chain for their customers' preferred beef.

Quiz 15: Control