Question 1

Which three of the following are trends leading to increasing middle management involvement in strategy making?

Accepted Answer

A)  Middle managers are no longer expected to implement strategy. 
B)  Many organisations are decentralising their organisational structures. 
C)  Middle managers have become better trained and confident in strategy. 
D)  The shift from manufacturing to one based on professional services means that knowledge held by middle managers is often a source of competitive advantage. 
A)  Middle managers are no longer expected to implement strategy. 
B)  Many organisations are decentralising their organisational structures. 
C)  Middle managers have become better trained and confident in strategy. 
D)  The shift from manufacturing to one based on professional services means that knowledge held by middle managers is often a source of competitive advantage. B, C, D

Question 2

Strategic planners are also sometimes known as corporate development managers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

What term is used for a team of people assigned to work on particular strategy issues over a defined period of time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Strategy project 
B)  Off- site testing 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Strategy workshop 
A)  Strategy project 
B)  Off- site testing 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Strategy workshop A

Question 4

Which of the following are likely to increase the effectiveness of a strategy workshop? Choose all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Insist on prior preparation 
B)  Break organisational routines 
C)  Involve participants from outside the senior executive team 
D)  Centre the workshop on a series of lectures and other information- passing activities 
E)  Involve outside consultants as facilitators 
A)  Insist on prior preparation 
B)  Break organisational routines 
C)  Involve participants from outside the senior executive team 
D)  Centre the workshop on a series of lectures and other information- passing activities 
E)  Involve outside consultants as facilitators

Question 5

What term is used for managers spending too long perfecting their analysis, leaving little time to make decisions and plan action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Swotting 
B)  Analysisation 
C)  Paralysis by analysis 
D)  Quick and dirty 
A)  Swotting 
B)  Analysisation 
C)  Paralysis by analysis 
D)  Quick and dirty

Question 6

Eisenhardt suggests that decision makers in fast- moving environments must use real time information. What did she mean by this term?

Accepted Answer

A)  Information that is available to the decision makers without needing reference to others 
B)  Information that is quantitative and statistically significant 
C)  Up- to- date information 
D)  Information from current operations rather than statistical trends 
A)  Information that is available to the decision makers without needing reference to others 
B)  Information that is quantitative and statistically significant 
C)  Up- to- date information 
D)  Information from current operations rather than statistical trends

Question 7

Which of the following forms the critical starting place for a team working to create a strategic plan?

Accepted Answer

A)  Resources 
B)  Environmental analysis 
C)  Organisational analysis 
D)  The organisation's mission, vision and values 
E)  Proposed strategy 
A)  Resources 
B)  Environmental analysis 
C)  Organisational analysis 
D)  The organisation's mission, vision and values 
E)  Proposed strategy

Question 8

Which of the following is not one of the four elements that must be considered when shaping how strategy will be communicated to employees?

Accepted Answer

A)  Employee- engagement 
B)  Media 
C)  Focus 
D)  Impact 
E)  Risk of conflict 
A)  Employee- engagement 
B)  Media 
C)  Focus 
D)  Impact 
E)  Risk of conflict

Question 9

Which three key measures can client organisations take to improve outcomes in strategy consulting?

Accepted Answer

A)  Professionalise their purchasing of consulting services 
B)  Take care to limit the information that consultants receive 
C)  Develop supervisory skills 
D)  Form effective partnerships with consultants 
A)  Professionalise their purchasing of consulting services 
B)  Take care to limit the information that consultants receive 
C)  Develop supervisory skills 
D)  Form effective partnerships with consultants

Question 10

A project team is planning to make a business case. Which of the following guidelines should they follow? Choose all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A)  Focus on strategic needs. 
B)  Provide clear progress measures. 
C)  Support your argument with key data. 
D)  Demonstrate solutions and actions. 
E)  Think long term. 
A)  Focus on strategic needs. 
B)  Provide clear progress measures. 
C)  Support your argument with key data. 
D)  Demonstrate solutions and actions. 
E)  Think long term.

Question 11

What term is used for the fact that people tend to follow the lead taken by the most senior person in the decision- making process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Champion's bias 
B)  Horn's effect 
C)  Sunflower syndrome 
D)  Halo effect 
A)  Champion's bias 
B)  Horn's effect 
C)  Sunflower syndrome 
D)  Halo effect

Question 12

Which approach to communicating strategy involves tasking each level of managers to convey the strategy directly to the level below?

Accepted Answer

A)  Roadshows 
B)  Impacting 
C)  Delegating 
D)  Cascading 
A)  Roadshows 
B)  Impacting 
C)  Delegating 
D)  Cascading

Question 13

What two key points must be balanced when carrying out SWOT analysis?

Accepted Answer

A)  Purpose 
B)  Politics 
C)  Cost 
D)  Technical quality 
A)  Purpose 
B)  Politics 
C)  Cost 
D)  Technical quality

Question 14

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

Accepted Answer

A)  Deciding whether to sell alone or in a coalition 
B)  Balancing formal and informal channels of influence 
C)  Ensuring that you sell multiple issues 
D)  Timing 
A)  Deciding whether to sell alone or in a coalition 
B)  Balancing formal and informal channels of influence 
C)  Ensuring that you sell multiple issues 
D)  Timing

Question 15

What term is used for the process of winning the attention and support of top management and other important stakeholders for strategic issues?

Accepted Answer

A)  Strategic issue selling 
B)  Strategic analysis 
C)  Procrastination 
D)  Executive expansion 
A)  Strategic issue selling 
B)  Strategic analysis 
C)  Procrastination 
D)  Executive expansion

Question 16

Which form of testing uses a project team's existing experience and easily accessed data, thus allowing for rapid decision making?

Accepted Answer

A)  What- if analysis 
B)  Quick and dirty testing 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Organisational learning 
A)  What- if analysis 
B)  Quick and dirty testing 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Organisational learning

Question 17

Holding a strategy workshop offsite and adopting a casual style ensure that normal organisational politics is largely suspended.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

McKinsey & Co research indicates that the people involved in strategy making should remain constant over a period of years to ensure continuity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

Accepted Answer

A)  Balancing formal and informal channels of influence 
B)  Decision making 
C)  Timing 
D)  Packaging or framing the issue 
A)  Balancing formal and informal channels of influence 
B)  Decision making 
C)  Timing 
D)  Packaging or framing the issue

Question 20

What term is used for events in which groups of executives work intensively for one or two days or organisational strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Managerial engagements 
B)  Intense- day 
C)  Cascading 
D)  Strategy workshops 
A)  Managerial engagements 
B)  Intense- day 
C)  Cascading 
D)  Strategy workshops

Which three of the following are trends leading to increasing middle management involvement in strategy making?

Strategic planners are also sometimes known as corporate development managers.

What term is used for a team of people assigned to work on particular strategy issues over a defined period of time?

Which of the following are likely to increase the effectiveness of a strategy workshop? Choose all that apply.

What term is used for managers spending too long perfecting their analysis, leaving little time to make decisions and plan action?

Eisenhardt suggests that decision makers in fast- moving environments must use real time information. What did she mean by this term?

Which of the following forms the critical starting place for a team working to create a strategic plan?

Which of the following is not one of the four elements that must be considered when shaping how strategy will be communicated to employees?

Which three key measures can client organisations take to improve outcomes in strategy consulting?

A project team is planning to make a business case. Which of the following guidelines should they follow? Choose all that apply.

What term is used for the fact that people tend to follow the lead taken by the most senior person in the decision- making process?

Which approach to communicating strategy involves tasking each level of managers to convey the strategy directly to the level below?

What two key points must be balanced when carrying out SWOT analysis?

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

What term is used for the process of winning the attention and support of top management and other important stakeholders for strategic issues?

Which form of testing uses a project team's existing experience and easily accessed data, thus allowing for rapid decision making?

Holding a strategy workshop offsite and adopting a casual style ensure that normal organisational politics is largely suspended.

McKinsey & Co research indicates that the people involved in strategy making should remain constant over a period of years to ensure continuity.

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

What term is used for events in which groups of executives work intensively for one or two days or organisational strategy?

Introducing Strategy

The Environment

Strategic Capability

Governance and Stakeholders

Strategy and Culture

Business-Level Strategy

Innovation Entrepreneurship

Corporate Diversity

International Strategy

Directions Methods

Organising for Success

Enabling Success

Managing Change

Strategy Development Processes

Filters

Exam 15: The Practice of Strategy

Which three of the following are trends leading to increasing middle management involvement in strategy making?

Strategic planners are also sometimes known as corporate development managers.

What term is used for a team of people assigned to work on particular strategy issues over a defined period of time?

Which of the following are likely to increase the effectiveness of a strategy workshop? Choose all that apply.

What term is used for managers spending too long perfecting their analysis, leaving little time to make decisions and plan action?

Eisenhardt suggests that decision makers in fast- moving environments must use real time information. What did she mean by this term?

Which of the following forms the critical starting place for a team working to create a strategic plan?

Which of the following is not one of the four elements that must be considered when shaping how strategy will be communicated to employees?

Which three key measures can client organisations take to improve outcomes in strategy consulting?

A project team is planning to make a business case. Which of the following guidelines should they follow? Choose all that apply.

What term is used for the fact that people tend to follow the lead taken by the most senior person in the decision- making process?

Which approach to communicating strategy involves tasking each level of managers to convey the strategy directly to the level below?

What two key points must be balanced when carrying out SWOT analysis?

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

What term is used for the process of winning the attention and support of top management and other important stakeholders for strategic issues?

Which form of testing uses a project team's existing experience and easily accessed data, thus allowing for rapid decision making?

Holding a strategy workshop offsite and adopting a casual style ensure that normal organisational politics is largely suspended.

McKinsey & Co research indicates that the people involved in strategy making should remain constant over a period of years to ensure continuity.

Which of the following is not generally an important aspect of strategic issue selling?

What term is used for events in which groups of executives work intensively for one or two days or organisational strategy?

Introducing Strategy

The Environment

Strategic Capability

Governance and Stakeholders

Strategy and Culture

Business-Level Strategy

Innovation Entrepreneurship

Corporate Diversity

International Strategy

Directions Methods

Organising for Success

Enabling Success

Managing Change

Strategy Development Processes

Filters