Question 1

Implementing and executing a company's strategy

Accepted Answer

A)  is primarily the job of the company's board of directors since they direct the actions and policies of the top senior executives in executing the strategy. 
B)  is a task for every manager and the whole management team, but ultimate responsibility for success or failure falls upon the top senior executives, especially the chief executive officer of the company. 
C)  is primarily a responsibility of all company personnel because all personnel are active participants in the strategy execution process and their actions have a huge impact on the ultimate outcome. 
D)  should be delegated to a chief strategy implementer appointed by the chief executive officer. 
E)  is primarily a task for middle and lower-level managers because it is they who have responsibility for pushing the needed changes all the way down to the lowest levels of the organization. 
A)  is primarily the job of the company's board of directors since they direct the actions and policies of the top senior executives in executing the strategy. 
B)  is a task for every manager and the whole management team, but ultimate responsibility for success or failure falls upon the top senior executives, especially the chief executive officer of the company. 
C)  is primarily a responsibility of all company personnel because all personnel are active participants in the strategy execution process and their actions have a huge impact on the ultimate outcome. 
D)  should be delegated to a chief strategy implementer appointed by the chief executive officer. 
E)  is primarily a task for middle and lower-level managers because it is they who have responsibility for pushing the needed changes all the way down to the lowest levels of the organization.

Question 2

What is the rule for organizing the work effort to support good strategy execution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Match the firm's organizational structure to its unique strategy. 
B)  Decide on how much to spend on training managers and employees. 
C)  Choose an organization structure that is a tight fit with the corporate culture. 
D)  Ensure the firm hires a capable management team. 
E)  Learn how the collaborative partner does things. 
A)  Match the firm's organizational structure to its unique strategy. 
B)  Decide on how much to spend on training managers and employees. 
C)  Choose an organization structure that is a tight fit with the corporate culture. 
D)  Ensure the firm hires a capable management team. 
E)  Learn how the collaborative partner does things.

Question 3

General Electric has an up-or-out policy, where key personnel in underperforming units are pressured to boost performance to acceptable levels and keep it there or risk being replaced. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

A)  staffing the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy well 
B)  developing the resources and organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution 
C)  tying rewards and incentives directly to the achievement of strategic and financial targets 
D)  adopting best practices and business processes to drive continuous improvement in strategy execution activities 
E)  exercising the internal leadership needed to propel strategy implementation forward 
A)  staffing the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy well 
B)  developing the resources and organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution 
C)  tying rewards and incentives directly to the achievement of strategic and financial targets 
D)  adopting best practices and business processes to drive continuous improvement in strategy execution activities 
E)  exercising the internal leadership needed to propel strategy implementation forward

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT part of a senior executive's agenda in big organizations with geographically scattered operating units?

Accepted Answer

A)  communicating the case for change 
B)  directing resources to the right places 
C)  building consensus for how to proceed 
D)  establishing deadlines and measures of progress 
E)  orchestrating the action steps and implementation sequence 
A)  communicating the case for change 
B)  directing resources to the right places 
C)  building consensus for how to proceed 
D)  establishing deadlines and measures of progress 
E)  orchestrating the action steps and implementation sequence

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a network structure?

Accepted Answer

A)  It ensures that the right partners are included and the activities are coordinated. 
B)  It encourages a more effective collaboration and cooperation among partners. 
C)  It includes a hand-picked, integrated network of suppliers. 
D)  It is an arrangement of independent organizations involved in a common undertaking. 
E)  It established that no one firm has a central control over the others. 
A)  It ensures that the right partners are included and the activities are coordinated. 
B)  It encourages a more effective collaboration and cooperation among partners. 
C)  It includes a hand-picked, integrated network of suppliers. 
D)  It is an arrangement of independent organizations involved in a common undertaking. 
E)  It established that no one firm has a central control over the others.

Question 6

Once company managers have decided on a strategy, the emphasis turns to

Accepted Answer

A)  building the core competencies and competitive capabilities needed to execute the strategy. 
B)  developing a detailed implementation plan that sets forth exactly what every department and every manager needs to do to proficiently execute the company's strategy. 
C)  establishing policies and procedures that instruct company personnel in the ways and means of executing the strategy. 
D)  converting the strategy into actions and good results. 
E)  empowering employees to revise and reorganize value chain activities to match the strategy. 
A)  building the core competencies and competitive capabilities needed to execute the strategy. 
B)  developing a detailed implementation plan that sets forth exactly what every department and every manager needs to do to proficiently execute the company's strategy. 
C)  establishing policies and procedures that instruct company personnel in the ways and means of executing the strategy. 
D)  converting the strategy into actions and good results. 
E)  empowering employees to revise and reorganize value chain activities to match the strategy.

Question 7

Which of the following is part of strategy-supportive resources and capabilities?

Accepted Answer

A)  recruiting and retaining talented employees 
B)  instituting organizational arrangements 
C)  establishing lines of authority 
D)  creating reporting relationships 
E)  deciding how much authority to delegate 
A)  recruiting and retaining talented employees 
B)  instituting organizational arrangements 
C)  establishing lines of authority 
D)  creating reporting relationships 
E)  deciding how much authority to delegate

Question 8

The traits of the capability building process involve all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  evolving changes in customer needs and competitive conditions that often require tweaking and adjusting a company's portfolio of competencies and intellectual capital to keep its capabilities freshly honed and on the cutting edge. 
B)  a core competence or capability that emerges incrementally out of company efforts either to bolster skills that contributed to earlier successes or to respond to customer problems, new technological and market opportunities, and the competitive maneuverings of rivals. 
C)  core competencies or capabilities that are most often bundles of skills and know-how that grow out of the combined efforts of cross-functional work groups and departments performing complementary activities at different locations in a firm's value chain. 
D)  the key to leveraging a core competence into a distinctive competence (or transforming a capability into a competitively superior capability), which concerns concentrating more effort and talent than rivals on deepening and strengthening a competence or capability so as to achieve the dominance needed for competitive advantage. 
E)  saving time by creating capabilities from scratch to remain aligned with external conditions and company strategy rather than updating and remodeling existing capabilities. 
A)  evolving changes in customer needs and competitive conditions that often require tweaking and adjusting a company's portfolio of competencies and intellectual capital to keep its capabilities freshly honed and on the cutting edge. 
B)  a core competence or capability that emerges incrementally out of company efforts either to bolster skills that contributed to earlier successes or to respond to customer problems, new technological and market opportunities, and the competitive maneuverings of rivals. 
C)  core competencies or capabilities that are most often bundles of skills and know-how that grow out of the combined efforts of cross-functional work groups and departments performing complementary activities at different locations in a firm's value chain. 
D)  the key to leveraging a core competence into a distinctive competence (or transforming a capability into a competitively superior capability), which concerns concentrating more effort and talent than rivals on deepening and strengthening a competence or capability so as to achieve the dominance needed for competitive advantage. 
E)  saving time by creating capabilities from scratch to remain aligned with external conditions and company strategy rather than updating and remodeling existing capabilities.

Question 9

In which one of the following instances is the training and retraining of employees likely to make the LEAST important contribution to good strategy execution?

Accepted Answer

A)  when a company shifts to a strategy requiring different skills, competitive capabilities, managerial approaches, and operating methods 
B)  when an organization is striving to build skills-based competencies 
C)  when technical know-how is changing so rapidly that a company loses its ability to compete unless its skilled people have cutting-edge knowledge and expertise 
D)  when the chosen strategy calls for a deeper technological capability or building and using new capabilities 
E)  when the strategy execution effort is based on tried-and-true operating practices that vary little from year to year 
A)  when a company shifts to a strategy requiring different skills, competitive capabilities, managerial approaches, and operating methods 
B)  when an organization is striving to build skills-based competencies 
C)  when technical know-how is changing so rapidly that a company loses its ability to compete unless its skilled people have cutting-edge knowledge and expertise 
D)  when the chosen strategy calls for a deeper technological capability or building and using new capabilities 
E)  when the strategy execution effort is based on tried-and-true operating practices that vary little from year to year

Question 10

Which of the following statements about developing organizational competencies and capabilities is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Core competencies or capabilities are most often bundles of skills and know-how that grow out of the combined efforts of cross-functional work groups and departments performing complementary activities at different locations in a firm's value chain. 
B)  Evolving changes in customer needs and competitive conditions often require tweaking and adjusting a company's portfolio of competencies and intellectual capital to keep its capabilities freshly honed and on the cutting edge. 
C)  Normally, core competencies and competitive capabilities emerge incrementally as a company (1) acts to bolster skills that contributed to earlier successes, or (2) acts to respond to customer problems, new technological or market opportunities, and the competitive maneuvers of rivals. 
D)  Building organizational capabilities is best and most cost-effectively accomplished by hiring a cadre of people with the right talent and expertise, putting them together in a single work group, and then teaming the work group with key strategic allies/partners to mesh the skills, expertise, and competencies needed to perform the desired capabilities with some proficiency. 
E)  The key to leveraging a core competence into a distinctive competence (or transforming a capability into a competitively superior capability) is concentrating more effort 
A)  Core competencies or capabilities are most often bundles of skills and know-how that grow out of the combined efforts of cross-functional work groups and departments performing complementary activities at different locations in a firm's value chain. 
B)  Evolving changes in customer needs and competitive conditions often require tweaking and adjusting a company's portfolio of competencies and intellectual capital to keep its capabilities freshly honed and on the cutting edge. 
C)  Normally, core competencies and competitive capabilities emerge incrementally as a company (1) acts to bolster skills that contributed to earlier successes, or (2) acts to respond to customer problems, new technological or market opportunities, and the competitive maneuvers of rivals. 
D)  Building organizational capabilities is best and most cost-effectively accomplished by hiring a cadre of people with the right talent and expertise, putting them together in a single work group, and then teaming the work group with key strategic allies/partners to mesh the skills, expertise, and competencies needed to perform the desired capabilities with some proficiency. 
E)  The key to leveraging a core competence into a distinctive competence (or transforming a capability into a competitively superior capability) is concentrating more effort

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the traits of core competencies and/or competitive capabilities?

Accepted Answer

A)  The key to leveraging core competencies into competitive advantage is concentrating sufficient effort and talent on deepening and strengthening them so the firm achieves dominating depth and gains the capability to outperform rivals by a meaningful margin. 
B)  Core competencies have to be tweaked and adjusted to keep them fresh and responsive to changing customer needs and market conditions. 
C)  Core competencies typically are lodged in the combined efforts of different work groups and departments. 
D)  Core competencies generally grow out of company efforts to master a strategy-critical technology or to invent and patent a valuable technology. 
E)  Core competencies tend to emerge gradually rather than blossom quickly. 
A)  The key to leveraging core competencies into competitive advantage is concentrating sufficient effort and talent on deepening and strengthening them so the firm achieves dominating depth and gains the capability to outperform rivals by a meaningful margin. 
B)  Core competencies have to be tweaked and adjusted to keep them fresh and responsive to changing customer needs and market conditions. 
C)  Core competencies typically are lodged in the combined efforts of different work groups and departments. 
D)  Core competencies generally grow out of company efforts to master a strategy-critical technology or to invent and patent a valuable technology. 
E)  Core competencies tend to emerge gradually rather than blossom quickly.

Question 12

The most common approaches to capability building include all of the following, EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  developing capabilities internally. 
B)  acquiring capabilities through mergers and acquisitions. 
C)  accessing capabilities via collaborative partnerships. 
D)  renewing capabilities to align with customer expectations. 
E)  coaching average performers to improve their skills. 
A)  developing capabilities internally. 
B)  acquiring capabilities through mergers and acquisitions. 
C)  accessing capabilities via collaborative partnerships. 
D)  renewing capabilities to align with customer expectations. 
E)  coaching average performers to improve their skills.

Question 13

Which of the following is generally NOT among the common practices that companies use to staff jobs with talented people, particularly if intellectual capital greatly aids good strategy execution?

Accepted Answer

A)  careful screening and evaluation of job applicants, along with continuous training and retraining programs for employees that continue throughout their careers 
B)  rotating people through jobs that not only have great content but also span functional and geographic boundaries 
C)  eliminating the bottom 10 percent of the lowest-performing employees each year to increase the overall quality performance metrics to above-average industry standards 
D)  encouraging employees to challenge existing ways of doing things, to be creative and innovative in proposing better ways of operating, and to push their ideas for new products or businesses 
E)  fostering a stimulating and engaging work environment such that employees will consider the company a great place to work 
A)  careful screening and evaluation of job applicants, along with continuous training and retraining programs for employees that continue throughout their careers 
B)  rotating people through jobs that not only have great content but also span functional and geographic boundaries 
C)  eliminating the bottom 10 percent of the lowest-performing employees each year to increase the overall quality performance metrics to above-average industry standards 
D)  encouraging employees to challenge existing ways of doing things, to be creative and innovative in proposing better ways of operating, and to push their ideas for new products or businesses 
E)  fostering a stimulating and engaging work environment such that employees will consider the company a great place to work

Question 14

List the 10 principal managerial components of the strategy-implementing/strategy-executing process.

Accepted Answer

Despite the need to tailor a company's s

Question 15

When strategies fail, it is often because of

Accepted Answer

A)  poor execution of the strategy. 
B)  shortfalls exposed with the strategic management design process. 
C)  inadequate support for the management team responsible for the planning process. 
D)  secondary operating practices that hinder the required changes. 
E)  lack of sufficient information about operating systems. 
A)  poor execution of the strategy. 
B)  shortfalls exposed with the strategic management design process. 
C)  inadequate support for the management team responsible for the planning process. 
D)  secondary operating practices that hinder the required changes. 
E)  lack of sufficient information about operating systems.

Question 16

It is ideal for key management slots to be filled from outside

Accepted Answer

A)  in turnaround and rapid-growth situations. 
B)  when problems with the old strategy are obvious. 
C)  in a worst-case scenario. 
D)  when the managerial whole is greater than the sum of individual efforts. 
E)  in a centralized structure. 
A)  in turnaround and rapid-growth situations. 
B)  when problems with the old strategy are obvious. 
C)  in a worst-case scenario. 
D)  when the managerial whole is greater than the sum of individual efforts. 
E)  in a centralized structure.

Question 17

Diversified companies striving to capture the benefits of synergy between separate businesses have to be aware of all of the following challenges EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  giving business-unit heads full rein to operate independently. 
B)  having pieces of strategically relevant activities and capabilities scattered across many departments, with each pursuing its own priorities, projects, and agendas. 
C)  centralizing performance of functions requiring close coordination at the functional level. 
D)  serving the interests of individual businesses and not the company as a whole. 
E)  forming cross-business strategic fit by enforcing close collaboration. 
A)  giving business-unit heads full rein to operate independently. 
B)  having pieces of strategically relevant activities and capabilities scattered across many departments, with each pursuing its own priorities, projects, and agendas. 
C)  centralizing performance of functions requiring close coordination at the functional level. 
D)  serving the interests of individual businesses and not the company as a whole. 
E)  forming cross-business strategic fit by enforcing close collaboration.

Question 18

How is a functional structure or unitary structure organized?

Accepted Answer

A)  with a central executive handling all major decisions 
B)  to lighten the load of senior executives so they can concentrate on value chain action agendas 
C)  specifically to manage unrelated diversification opportunities 
D)  into functional departments, with departmental managers who report to the CEO and small corporate staff 
E)  with top-heavy management, and senior executives forming a central office of the chairman 
A)  with a central executive handling all major decisions 
B)  to lighten the load of senior executives so they can concentrate on value chain action agendas 
C)  specifically to manage unrelated diversification opportunities 
D)  into functional departments, with departmental managers who report to the CEO and small corporate staff 
E)  with top-heavy management, and senior executives forming a central office of the chairman

Question 19

Superior strategy execution capabilities are

Accepted Answer

A)  easy for rivals to copy. 
B)  socially simple. 
C)  develop quickly. 
D)  easy to achieve. 
E)  hard to imitate. 
A)  easy for rivals to copy. 
B)  socially simple. 
C)  develop quickly. 
D)  easy to achieve. 
E)  hard to imitate.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about outsourcing the performance of value chain activities to outside specialists is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Outsourcing support services often has the disadvantage of raising fixed and variable costs. 
B)  Outsourcing critics contend that shifting responsibility for performing value chain activities to outside specialists can hollow out a company's knowledge base and capabilities, leaving it at the mercy of outsider suppliers, and short of the resource strengths to be a master of its own destiny. 
C)  Outsourcing the performance of certain value chain activities to able supplier scan add to a company's arsenal of capabilities and contribute to better strategy execution. 
D)  The real debate surrounding outsourcing is not about whether too much outsourcing risks loss of control but about how to use outsourcing in a manner that produces greater competitiveness. 
E)  Outsourcing can enable a company to heighten its strategic focus and concentrate its full energies and resources on even more competently performing those value chain activities that are at the core of its strategy and for which it can create unique value. 
A)  Outsourcing support services often has the disadvantage of raising fixed and variable costs. 
B)  Outsourcing critics contend that shifting responsibility for performing value chain activities to outside specialists can hollow out a company's knowledge base and capabilities, leaving it at the mercy of outsider suppliers, and short of the resource strengths to be a master of its own destiny. 
C)  Outsourcing the performance of certain value chain activities to able supplier scan add to a company's arsenal of capabilities and contribute to better strategy execution. 
D)  The real debate surrounding outsourcing is not about whether too much outsourcing risks loss of control but about how to use outsourcing in a manner that produces greater competitiveness. 
E)  Outsourcing can enable a company to heighten its strategic focus and concentrate its full energies and resources on even more competently performing those value chain activities that are at the core of its strategy and for which it can create unique value.

Implementing and executing a company's strategy

What is the rule for organizing the work effort to support good strategy execution?

General Electric has an up-or-out policy, where key personnel in underperforming units are pressured to boost performance to acceptable levels and keep it there or risk being replaced. What is this an example of?

Which of the following is NOT part of a senior executive's agenda in big organizations with geographically scattered operating units?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a network structure?

Once company managers have decided on a strategy, the emphasis turns to

Which of the following is part of strategy-supportive resources and capabilities?

The traits of the capability building process involve all of the following EXCEPT

In which one of the following instances is the training and retraining of employees likely to make the LEAST important contribution to good strategy execution?

Which of the following statements about developing organizational competencies and capabilities is FALSE?

Which of the following is NOT one of the traits of core competencies and/or competitive capabilities?

The most common approaches to capability building include all of the following, EXCEPT

Which of the following is generally NOT among the common practices that companies use to staff jobs with talented people, particularly if intellectual capital greatly aids good strategy execution?

List the 10 principal managerial components of the strategy-implementing/strategy-executing process.

When strategies fail, it is often because of

It is ideal for key management slots to be filled from outside

Diversified companies striving to capture the benefits of synergy between separate businesses have to be aware of all of the following challenges EXCEPT

How is a functional structure or unitary structure organized?

Superior strategy execution capabilities are

Which of the following statements about outsourcing the performance of value chain activities to outside specialists is FALSE?

What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important

Leading the Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Companys Resources and Competitive Position

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies: Which One to Employ

Supplementing the Chosen Competitive Strategy: Other Important Business Strategy Choices

Strategies for Competing in Foreign Markets

Diversification: Strategies for Managing a Group of Businesses

Ethical Business Strategies, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Sustainabil ITY

Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Promote Good Strategy Execution

Corporate Culture and Leadership: Keys to Good Strategy Execution

Filters

Exam 10: Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy Execution

Implementing and executing a company's strategy

What is the rule for organizing the work effort to support good strategy execution?

General Electric has an up-or-out policy, where key personnel in underperforming units are pressured to boost performance to acceptable levels and keep it there or risk being replaced. What is this an example of?

Which of the following is NOT part of a senior executive's agenda in big organizations with geographically scattered operating units?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a network structure?

Once company managers have decided on a strategy, the emphasis turns to

Which of the following is part of strategy-supportive resources and capabilities?

The traits of the capability building process involve all of the following EXCEPT

In which one of the following instances is the training and retraining of employees likely to make the LEAST important contribution to good strategy execution?

Which of the following statements about developing organizational competencies and capabilities is FALSE?

Which of the following is NOT one of the traits of core competencies and/or competitive capabilities?

The most common approaches to capability building include all of the following, EXCEPT

Which of the following is generally NOT among the common practices that companies use to staff jobs with talented people, particularly if intellectual capital greatly aids good strategy execution?

List the 10 principal managerial components of the strategy-implementing/strategy-executing process.

When strategies fail, it is often because of

It is ideal for key management slots to be filled from outside

Diversified companies striving to capture the benefits of synergy between separate businesses have to be aware of all of the following challenges EXCEPT

How is a functional structure or unitary structure organized?

Superior strategy execution capabilities are

Which of the following statements about outsourcing the performance of value chain activities to outside specialists is FALSE?

What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important

Leading the Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Companys Resources and Competitive Position

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies: Which One to Employ

Supplementing the Chosen Competitive Strategy: Other Important Business Strategy Choices

Strategies for Competing in Foreign Markets

Diversification: Strategies for Managing a Group of Businesses

Ethical Business Strategies, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Sustainabil ITY

Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Promote Good Strategy Execution

Corporate Culture and Leadership: Keys to Good Strategy Execution

Filters