Exam 9: Foundations of Planning

It's Academic (Scenario) Rachel is the academic dean for a regional community college. The president has asked her to develop a plan for the college. He wants a plan covering the next five years, and he wants it to be as specific as possible, but not to the extent that it constrains flexibility. In developing the plan, Rachel must address several emerging issues, including advancements in teaching technology, shifting demand for various academic programs, declining student enrolment, and increasing competition from other schools. Despite projections that student enrolment will continue to decline over the next five years, Rachel must ensure that the plan allows the college to meet its employment obligations to tenured faculty who have been offered long-term teaching positions. -Declining student enrolment and increasing competition are examples of which contingency factor that can affect planning?

Which of the following is TRUE of the impact of formal planning on organizational performance?

Which of the following is the best indicator of an organization's real goals?

Planning is not necessary to carry out organizational goals as long as strong controls are in place.

Planning reduces ________ by forcing managers to look ahead and anticipate ________.

When organizational members are more actively involved in planning,they see that the plans are ________.

The commitment concept means that plans should extend far enough to meet those commitments made when the plans were developed.

In the traditional approach to planning,planning is done entirely by top-level managers who are often assisted by ________.

In organizations where formal planning did not lead to higher performance,the cause was often ________.

The first step in the goal-setting process is to review the organization's mission.

In management by objectives (MBO),performance goals are often general rather than specific,giving managers and employees flexibility to respond to changing conditions.

Studies of actual MBO programs confirm that MBO ________ employee performance and organizational productivity.

________ involves the acquisition of proprietary materials or trade secrets of other companies by any means.

A well-designed goal should be ________ but ________.

Which of the following types of plans dominates managers' planning efforts at lower levels of the organization?

Planning reduces uncertainty regarding current events but often leaves rule-bound managers unable to anticipate change and develop appropriate responses to future events.

Governmental regulations,powerful labour unions,and other critical environmental forces constrain managers' options and ________.

Environmental scanning involves monitoring the firm's pollution emissions.

In a typical MBO program,successful achievement of objectives is reinforced by performance-based rewards.

Retail Planning (Scenario) Tyler Nall is president and CEO of a new chain of retail stores that is about to begin operations. During the last couple of months, he has been developing goals and directions for the stores, which will sell moderately priced home furnishings to average-income consumers. The plan is to open 20 to 30 stores in large shopping centres across Canada over the next three years. Tyler and his vice-presidents have decided that each store should have sales equal to or greater than $900 per square metre per day. To attract an adequate number of customers, each store should be: • located in an out-parcel site of a major shopping mall; • located at a mall that attracts an average of at least 2,000 customers daily; • well maintained both inside and out; • well lit, throughout the store; • arranged in room settings to highlight the home furnishing decor; • open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; • staffed with friendly, well-groomed sales personnel dressed in business attire. -The plan to open 20 to 30 stores over the next three years is ________.