Exam 12: Task-Oriented Behaviors

Many tools are used in operations planning. These tools include all of the following except:

Clarifying roles and expectations is most important when subordinates are new or when roles and expectations are changing or not clearly articulated in policies, procedures, and formal training programs.

All problems share a similar decision-making protocol. Under which of the following steps would the statement "narrow participation is faster in times of crisis, but broader participation enhances buy-in," fit?

It is more important today for leaders to be able to recognize and support the ideas of others than to be the source of those ideas themselves.

The guidelines for managing technical innovation and creativity include all of the following except:

Explain the difference between problem solving and decision making, as discussed in the text.

The reasons for not delegating can be both legitimate and illegitimate. If subordinates do not possess the same decision making or problem solving skills as the supervisor, this is a legitimate reason not to delegate.

The technical aspects of informing simply provide the information that people need to do their jobs and to coordinate tasks.

It is important to guard against information overload as it may result in diminished productivity. This warning is key to which of the following guidelines for the function of informing:

It is important to delegate not only tasks that are easily within the subordinate's range, but also some tasks that might require a moderate stretch in the subordinate's capabilities. This advice is consistent with the delegation guideline of:

A number of management tools are used in operations planning. Discuss some of these tools and their specific uses.

Problem solving involves the identification, analysis, and handling of work-related problems. Depending on the type of problem, different types of tools are more likely to be used. Flow charts and work mapping would be a good fit when:

The major guidelines for operations planning include all of the following except:

The typical behaviors in the task domain are problem solving and managing change and innovation. This rationale is repeated in the other behavioral domains.

Problem solving tends to be case-by-case and production-focused, whereas decision making is oriented toward direction setting and policy with an eye to the organization at large.

The focus of leadership behaviors can vary based on one's level in the organization. According to a U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) survey, the top priority for executives is:

Some of the more common improvement strategies for problem solving in organizations are discussed. The activities of studying the needs of customers, conducting time-and-motion studies and experimenting with a process, support which of the following strategies?