Question 1

Which of the following is true of the project life cycle?
A) In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest.
B) In the later phases of the project life cycle, the level of uncertainty is usually the highest.
C) It is much more expensive to make major changes to a project during the earlier phases than the latter phases.
D) More resources are usually needed during the initial phases of a project than during the middle or final phases.

Accepted Answer

In the early phases of a project life cycle, resource needs are usually lowest and the level of uncertainty is highest.

Question 2

Which systems development life cycle model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined?
A) Spiral life cycle
B) Waterfall life cycle
C) Prototyping life cycle
D) RAD life cycle

Accepted Answer

The waterfall life cycle model has well-defined, linear stages of systems analysis, design, construction, testing, and support. This life cycle model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined.

Question 3

Which is a disadvantage for virtual teams compared to traditional teams?
A) Increased costs for office space and support
B) Reduced opportunities for informal transfer of information
C) Limited flexibility in team working hours
D) Reduced dependence on technology and processes for accomplishing work

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams reduce the ability of team members to network and transfer information informally.

Question 4

Which approach to product development is currently used by many organizations so a predictive set of steps is used as an overall means to coordinate more detailed steps that are adaptively managed?
A) Adaptive
B) Hybrid
C) Predictive
D) Incremental

Accepted Answer

Many organizations today use a hybrid approach to product development where a predictive set of steps is used as an overall means to coordinate more detailed steps that are adaptively managed. Predictive and adaptive approaches are not a mutually exclusive choice.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes a kill point in the project life cycle?
A) The period of time given to managers during the feasibility phases to decide on the cost, quality, and time constraints for the project
B) A review of the status of a project at each phase of development to determine if it should be continued, redirected, or terminated
C) The point of time in the project lifecycle after which it is impossible to terminate a running project
D) The final submission of the project deliverables after which the project is terminated

Accepted Answer

A management review should occur after each phase to evaluate progress, potential success, and continued compatibility with organizational goals. These management reviews, called phase exits, phase gate reviews, or kill points, are very important for keeping projects on track and determining if they should be continued, redirected, or terminated.

Question 6

In which development life cycle do stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start on an iteration?
A) Adaptive
B) Hybrid
C) Incremental
D) Iterative

Accepted Answer

In an adaptive life cycle: stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start of an iteration, producing a useable product at the end of each iteration.

Question 7

Which observation is true of the agile approach to software development?
A) In the agile method, requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration.
B) An agile approach sets scope goals, but leaves time and cost goals flexible.
C) Agile is a predictive model of software development.
D) In the agile approach, requirements must be clearly expressed early in the life cycle.

Accepted Answer

Agile today means using an approach where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration.

Question 8

In organizational culture, what does people focus refer to?
A) The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment
B) The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior
C) The degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on employees within the organization
D) The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking

Accepted Answer

People focus refers to the degree to which management's decisions take into account the effect of outcomes on people within the organization.

Question 9

In which systems development life cycle do model developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously?
A) RAD life cycle
B) Prototyping life cycle
C) Spiral life cycle
D) Waterfall life cycle

Accepted Answer

The prototyping life cycle model is used for developing software prototypes to clarify user requirements for operational software. It requires heavy user involvement, and developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously. This approach is often used in systems that involve a great deal of user interface design, such as website projects.

Question 10

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment?
A) Means-ends orientation
B) Open-systems focus
C) Conflict tolerance
D) Risk tolerance

Accepted Answer

Open-systems focus refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment

Question 11

In organizational culture, what does means-end orientation refer to?
A) The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment
B) The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior
C) The degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results
D) The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking

Accepted Answer

Means-ends orientation refers to the degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results.

Question 12

In which product life cycle the scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed?
A) Iterative
B) Incremental
C) Predictive
D) Adaptive

Accepted Answer

In the predictive life cycle the scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed. PMI also refers to predictive life cycles as waterfall.

Question 13

In organizational culture, what does control refer to?
A) The degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment
B) The degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee employee behavior
C) The degree to which management focuses on outcomes rather than on techniques and processes used to achieve results
D) The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking

Accepted Answer

Control refers to the degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior.

Question 14

Which statement best describes outsourcing?
A) An organization selling its products in a market outside its domestic market
B) An organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source
C) An organization setting up manufacturing and retailing facilities in a new country
D) An organization's use of virtual teams with employees located in different countries

Accepted Answer

Outsourcing is an organization's acquisition of goods and services from an outside source. The term offshoring is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country.

Question 15

The _____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype, using tools such as computer-aided software engineering, joint requirements planning, and joint application design to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation.
A) prototyping life cycle
B) waterfall life cycle
C) RAD life cycle
D) spiral life cycle

Accepted Answer

The RAD life cycle model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype. This life cycle model also requires heavy user involvement and helps produce systems quickly without sacrificing quality.

Question 16

Which characteristic is true of virtual teams?
A) It is easier for a virtual team to build relationships and trust.
B) Negative incentives do not impact virtual team members.
C) It is important to select team members carefully.
D) As they never meet, virtual teams do not have conflicts.

Accepted Answer

It is important to select team members carefully and to form a team in which all roles are covered. All virtual team members must also understand their roles on the team.

Question 17

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than with their types of job or profession?
A) Member identity
B) People focus
C) Group emphasis
D) Unit integration

Accepted Answer

Member identity refers to the degree to employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than with their types of job or profession.

Question 18

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which departments within an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other?
A) Member identity
B) People focus
C) Group emphasis
D) Unit integration

Accepted Answer

Unit integration refers to the degree to which units or departments within an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other.

Question 19

Which term refers to a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project?
A) Deliverable
B) Input
C) System
D) Resource

Accepted Answer

A deliverable is a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project.

Question 20

Select an example of external stakeholders for an organization.
A) Top managers
B) Functional managers
C) Employees
D) Competitors

Accepted Answer

External project stakeholders include the project's customers (if they are external to the organization), competitors, suppliers, and other external groups potentially involved in the project or affected by it, such as government officials or concerned citizens.

Quiz 2: The Project Management Information Technology Context

Which of the following is true of the project life cycle?

Which systems development life cycle model assumes that requirements will remain stable after they are defined?

Which is a disadvantage for virtual teams compared to traditional teams?

Which approach to product development is currently used by many organizations so a predictive set of steps is used as an overall means to coordinate more detailed steps that are adaptively managed?

Which of the following best describes a kill point in the project life cycle?

In which development life cycle do stakeholders define and approve the detailed scope before the start on an iteration?

Which observation is true of the agile approach to software development?

In organizational culture, what does people focus refer to?

In which systems development life cycle do model developers use a model to generate functional requirements and physical design specifications simultaneously?

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which the organization monitors and responds to changes in the external environment?

In organizational culture, what does means-end orientation refer to?

In which product life cycle the scope, schedule, and cost are determined early, and changes to scope are carefully managed?

In organizational culture, what does control refer to?

Which statement best describes outsourcing?

The _____ model uses an approach in which developers work with an evolving prototype, using tools such as computer-aided software engineering, joint requirements planning, and joint application design to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation.

Which characteristic is true of virtual teams?

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which employees identify with the organization as a whole, rather than with their types of job or profession?

Which characteristic of organizational culture refers to the degree to which departments within an organization are encouraged to coordinate with each other?

Which term refers to a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project?

Select an example of external stakeholders for an organization.