Question 1

What three principles underlie the statistical thinking of Six Sigma quality control programs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What three principles underlie the statistical thinking...

Question 2

Which of the following statements about adaptive corporate cultures is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  The hallmark of adaptive corporate cultures is a willingness on the part of organizational members to accept change and take on the challenge of introducing and executing new strategies. 
B)  Internal entrepreneurship and initiative on the part of individuals and groups is discouraged and punished. 
C)  Change is willingly embraced by management and nonmanagerial employees. 
D)  Adaptive cultures are exceptionally well suited to companies with fast-changing strategies and market environments. 
E)  For an adaptive culture to remain intact over time,top management must orchestrate organizational changes in a manner that (1) does not compromise core values and long-standing business principles and (2) tries to satisfy all their legitimate interests simultaneously. 
A)  The hallmark of adaptive corporate cultures is a willingness on the part of organizational members to accept change and take on the challenge of introducing and executing new strategies. 
B)  Internal entrepreneurship and initiative on the part of individuals and groups is discouraged and punished. 
C)  Change is willingly embraced by management and nonmanagerial employees. 
D)  Adaptive cultures are exceptionally well suited to companies with fast-changing strategies and market environments. 
E)  For an adaptive culture to remain intact over time,top management must orchestrate organizational changes in a manner that (1) does not compromise core values and long-standing business principles and (2) tries to satisfy all their legitimate interests simultaneously.

Question 3

The use of incentives and rewards is the single most powerful tool at management's disposal to win strong employee commitment to carrying out the strategic plan.True or false? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The use of incentives and rewards is...

Question 4

The hallmarks of a high-performance corporate culture include

Accepted Answer

A)  frequently revised and updated values and ethics statements,a deep commitment to employee training,and unusually attractive fringe benefit packages for company personnel. 
B)  a "can-do" spirit,pride in doing things right,no-excuses accountability,and a pervasive results-oriented work climate in which people go the extra mile to meet or beat stretch objectives. 
C)  a balanced scorecard approach to measuring performance,strong emphasis on teamwork,strict enforcement of company policies and procedures,and incentive compensation for all employees. 
D)  a deep commitment to pioneering new best practices,a preference for being a fast follower as opposed to a first mover or late mover (because the risks are more acceptable),and across-the-board bonuses for all personnel when the company meets or beats stretch objectives. 
E)  a deep commitment to top-notch quality and superior customer service,dedicated use of TQM and/or Six Sigma quality control programs,and the payment of big performance bonuses and stock options. 
A)  frequently revised and updated values and ethics statements,a deep commitment to employee training,and unusually attractive fringe benefit packages for company personnel. 
B)  a "can-do" spirit,pride in doing things right,no-excuses accountability,and a pervasive results-oriented work climate in which people go the extra mile to meet or beat stretch objectives. 
C)  a balanced scorecard approach to measuring performance,strong emphasis on teamwork,strict enforcement of company policies and procedures,and incentive compensation for all employees. 
D)  a deep commitment to pioneering new best practices,a preference for being a fast follower as opposed to a first mover or late mover (because the risks are more acceptable),and across-the-board bonuses for all personnel when the company meets or beats stretch objectives. 
E)  a deep commitment to top-notch quality and superior customer service,dedicated use of TQM and/or Six Sigma quality control programs,and the payment of big performance bonuses and stock options.

Question 5

The hallmark of an adaptive corporate culture is

Accepted Answer

A)  a shared willingness to adapt core values to fit the changing requirements of an evolving strategy. 
B)  a conservative strategy,prudent risk taking,and strong peer pressures to observe cultural norms. 
C)  a willingness on the part of organizational members to accept change and take on the challenge of introducing and executing new strategies. 
D)  a commitment to the types of core values and ethical standards that make a company a great place to work. 
E)  a strong preference for performance-based compensation systems,especially the payment of bonuses and stock options. 
A)  a shared willingness to adapt core values to fit the changing requirements of an evolving strategy. 
B)  a conservative strategy,prudent risk taking,and strong peer pressures to observe cultural norms. 
C)  a willingness on the part of organizational members to accept change and take on the challenge of introducing and executing new strategies. 
D)  a commitment to the types of core values and ethical standards that make a company a great place to work. 
E)  a strong preference for performance-based compensation systems,especially the payment of bonuses and stock options.

Question 6

Give at least three examples of nonmonetary motivation and rewards practices that have the capability to foster good strategy execution,and explain how they act to produce such a result.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give at least three examples of nonmonetary...

Question 7

A well-designed reward system

Accepted Answer

A)  is focused on "what to achieve" to be rewarded as opposed to "what to do" and is management's most powerful tool for gaining employee commitment to superior strategy execution. 
B)  should be free of elements that induce stress,anxiety,tension,pressure to perform,and job insecurity. 
C)  puts the primary emphasis on denying rewards to those who fail to perform tasks in the prescribed fashion. 
D)  emphasizes weeding out employees who are consistently low performers. 
E)  strives for a 50-50 balance between positive and negative rewards and a 50-50 balance between monetary and nonmonetary rewards. 
A)  is focused on "what to achieve" to be rewarded as opposed to "what to do" and is management's most powerful tool for gaining employee commitment to superior strategy execution. 
B)  should be free of elements that induce stress,anxiety,tension,pressure to perform,and job insecurity. 
C)  puts the primary emphasis on denying rewards to those who fail to perform tasks in the prescribed fashion. 
D)  emphasizes weeding out employees who are consistently low performers. 
E)  strives for a 50-50 balance between positive and negative rewards and a 50-50 balance between monetary and nonmonetary rewards.

Question 8

Management's most powerful tool for winning employee commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence is

Accepted Answer

A)  the establishment of strategy-supportive policies and procedures. 
B)  empowering employees and encouraging them to adopt best practices. 
C)  setting stretch objectives. 
D)  a properly designed system of rewards and incentives. 
E)  aggressive use of TQM and Six Sigma quality control programs. 
A)  the establishment of strategy-supportive policies and procedures. 
B)  empowering employees and encouraging them to adopt best practices. 
C)  setting stretch objectives. 
D)  a properly designed system of rewards and incentives. 
E)  aggressive use of TQM and Six Sigma quality control programs.

Question 9

The rationale for making strategy-critical value chain activities the primary building blocks in a company's organizational chart is based on the

Accepted Answer

A)  much shorter time it takes to build core competencies and competitive capabilities. 
B)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in reducing costs. 
C)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in improving the productivity of geographically scattered organizational units. 
D)  thesis that if activities crucial to strategic success are to have the resources,decision-making influence,and organizational impact they need,they have to be centerpieces in the organizational scheme. 
E)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in making the empowerment of employees more effective. 
A)  much shorter time it takes to build core competencies and competitive capabilities. 
B)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in reducing costs. 
C)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in improving the productivity of geographically scattered organizational units. 
D)  thesis that if activities crucial to strategic success are to have the resources,decision-making influence,and organizational impact they need,they have to be centerpieces in the organizational scheme. 
E)  benefit such an organizational scheme has in making the empowerment of employees more effective.

Question 10

Companies with politicized cultures

Accepted Answer

A)  are typically opposed to performance-based incentive compensation and employee empowerment. 
B)  tend to be preoccupied with making sure the company has a safe,follow-the-industry-leader type of strategic vision and to avoid risky business strategies. 
C)  tend be plagued with infighting that consumes a great deal of organizational energy and often results in the company's strategic agenda taking a backseat to political maneuvering. 
D)  are typically opposed to sound strategic initiatives designed to promote the well-being of specific functions. 
E)  are typically run by political managers who have little regard for high ethical standards. 
A)  are typically opposed to performance-based incentive compensation and employee empowerment. 
B)  tend to be preoccupied with making sure the company has a safe,follow-the-industry-leader type of strategic vision and to avoid risky business strategies. 
C)  tend be plagued with infighting that consumes a great deal of organizational energy and often results in the company's strategic agenda taking a backseat to political maneuvering. 
D)  are typically opposed to sound strategic initiatives designed to promote the well-being of specific functions. 
E)  are typically run by political managers who have little regard for high ethical standards.

Question 11

Which one of the following falsely characterizes a centralized organizational structure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Top executives should retain authority over most strategic and operating decisions and keep a tight rein on business-unit heads,department heads,and the managers of key operating units. 
B)  Strict enforcement of detailed procedures backed by rigorous managerial oversight is the most reliable way to keep the daily execution of strategy on track. 
C)  Tight control by the manager in charge makes it easy to fix accountability when things do not go well. 
D)  Most company personnel have neither the time nor the inclination to direct and properly control they work they are performing,and they lack the knowledge and judgment to make wise decisions about how best to do their work. 
E)  A company that draws on the combined intellectual capital of its people can outperform a company that relies on command and control. 
A)  Top executives should retain authority over most strategic and operating decisions and keep a tight rein on business-unit heads,department heads,and the managers of key operating units. 
B)  Strict enforcement of detailed procedures backed by rigorous managerial oversight is the most reliable way to keep the daily execution of strategy on track. 
C)  Tight control by the manager in charge makes it easy to fix accountability when things do not go well. 
D)  Most company personnel have neither the time nor the inclination to direct and properly control they work they are performing,and they lack the knowledge and judgment to make wise decisions about how best to do their work. 
E)  A company that draws on the combined intellectual capital of its people can outperform a company that relies on command and control.

Question 12

A company's corporate culture is best defined and identified by

Accepted Answer

A)  the strategy and business model that a company has adopted. 
B)  the character of a company's internal work climate-as shaped by the company's core values,beliefs,and business principles. 
C)  its statement of core values and its code of ethics. 
D)  its internal politics. 
E)  the traditions that company executives are committed to maintaining. 
A)  the strategy and business model that a company has adopted. 
B)  the character of a company's internal work climate-as shaped by the company's core values,beliefs,and business principles. 
C)  its statement of core values and its code of ethics. 
D)  its internal politics. 
E)  the traditions that company executives are committed to maintaining.

Question 13

What constitutes effective managerial leadership in achieving superior strategy execution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What constitutes effective managerial leadership in achieving...

Question 14

Companies engaged in a single line of business most commonly utilize an organizational structure that can be

Accepted Answer

A)  a functional (departmental) organizational structure. 
B)  either a centralized,principal,or critical-path organizational structure. 
C)  either independent,consolidated,or hybrid profit centers. 
D)  hybrid functional organizations with a combination of decentralized and centralized decision making. 
E)  None of these choices is correct. 
A)  a functional (departmental) organizational structure. 
B)  either a centralized,principal,or critical-path organizational structure. 
C)  either independent,consolidated,or hybrid profit centers. 
D)  hybrid functional organizations with a combination of decentralized and centralized decision making. 
E)  None of these choices is correct.

Question 15

Identify and briefly discuss four steps that managers can take to change a culture that is out of step with the company's strategy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify and briefly discuss four steps that...

Question 16

Successfully leading the effort to instill a spirit of high achievement into a company's culture and put constructive pressure on the organization to achieve good results

Accepted Answer

A)  entails such actions as treating employees with dignity and respect; celebrating individual,group,and company successes; and setting stretch objectives. 
B)  hinges on the extent to which top management emphasizes a positive rather than a negative reward system. 
C)  requires that top executives make operating excellence the company's only core value. 
D)  calls for top executives to stress the adoption of best practices,push for continuous product innovation,and provide employees with a stream of suggestions for improving company operations. 
E)  hinges on the degree to which lower-level managers and supervisors are good practitioners of MBWA. 
A)  entails such actions as treating employees with dignity and respect; celebrating individual,group,and company successes; and setting stretch objectives. 
B)  hinges on the extent to which top management emphasizes a positive rather than a negative reward system. 
C)  requires that top executives make operating excellence the company's only core value. 
D)  calls for top executives to stress the adoption of best practices,push for continuous product innovation,and provide employees with a stream of suggestions for improving company operations. 
E)  hinges on the degree to which lower-level managers and supervisors are good practitioners of MBWA.

Question 17

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process

Accepted Answer

A)  is a tool for pulling the pieces of strategy-critical processes out of different departments and unifying their performance in a single department or cross-functional work group. 
B)  is the most frequently used tool of total quality management (TQM). 
C)  requires that a company have many strategic partnerships and alliances with outsiders. 
D)  is typically cheaper and easier to do than using Six Sigma techniques to achieve the same cost savings. 
E)  is usually a company's most important "best practice" for achieving operating excellence. 
A)  is a tool for pulling the pieces of strategy-critical processes out of different departments and unifying their performance in a single department or cross-functional work group. 
B)  is the most frequently used tool of total quality management (TQM). 
C)  requires that a company have many strategic partnerships and alliances with outsiders. 
D)  is typically cheaper and easier to do than using Six Sigma techniques to achieve the same cost savings. 
E)  is usually a company's most important "best practice" for achieving operating excellence.

Question 18

Six Sigma quality control

Accepted Answer

A)  is a strategy-implementer's best,most reliable tool for simultaneously achieving top-notch product quality and low manufacturing costs. 
B)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 2.5 defects per million iterations for a manufacturing or assembly process. 
C)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 3.4 defects per million iterations for any business process. 
D)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at fewer than 5.0 complaints per million customer transactions. 
E)  is a powerful tool for companies whose customers are very picky about product quality and product performance and who can't afford for the product they use to break down and require repairs. 
A)  is a strategy-implementer's best,most reliable tool for simultaneously achieving top-notch product quality and low manufacturing costs. 
B)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 2.5 defects per million iterations for a manufacturing or assembly process. 
C)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 3.4 defects per million iterations for any business process. 
D)  consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at fewer than 5.0 complaints per million customer transactions. 
E)  is a powerful tool for companies whose customers are very picky about product quality and product performance and who can't afford for the product they use to break down and require repairs.

Question 19

Identify and briefly explain at least four major components of the strategy execution effort.

Accepted Answer

1. Organizational Structure: This compon

Question 20

Which one of the following statements about recruiting and retaining capable employees is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The quality of an organization's people is always an essential ingredient of successful strategy execution-knowledgeable,engaged employees are a company's best source of creative ideas for the nuts-and-bolts operating improvements that lead to operating excellence. 
B)  Recruiting and retaining capable employees is an essential element of developing a distinctive competence. 
C)  Recruiting and retaining capable employees is closely tied to developing strong information capital capabilities. 
D)  It is very difficult for a company to competently execute its strategy and achieve operating excellence without a cadre of young managerial talent committed to staying with the company for at least a decade. 
E)  In many industries,adding to a company's talent base and building intellectual capital are more important than having a good situational fit between the company's strategy and its external environment. 
A)  The quality of an organization's people is always an essential ingredient of successful strategy execution-knowledgeable,engaged employees are a company's best source of creative ideas for the nuts-and-bolts operating improvements that lead to operating excellence. 
B)  Recruiting and retaining capable employees is an essential element of developing a distinctive competence. 
C)  Recruiting and retaining capable employees is closely tied to developing strong information capital capabilities. 
D)  It is very difficult for a company to competently execute its strategy and achieve operating excellence without a cadre of young managerial talent committed to staying with the company for at least a decade. 
E)  In many industries,adding to a company's talent base and building intellectual capital are more important than having a good situational fit between the company's strategy and its external environment.

What three principles underlie the statistical thinking of Six Sigma quality control programs?

Which of the following statements about adaptive corporate cultures is false?

The use of incentives and rewards is the single most powerful tool at management's disposal to win strong employee commitment to carrying out the strategic plan.True or false? Explain.

The hallmarks of a high-performance corporate culture include

The hallmark of an adaptive corporate culture is

Give at least three examples of nonmonetary motivation and rewards practices that have the capability to foster good strategy execution,and explain how they act to produce such a result.

A well-designed reward system

Management's most powerful tool for winning employee commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence is

The rationale for making strategy-critical value chain activities the primary building blocks in a company's organizational chart is based on the

Companies with politicized cultures

Which one of the following falsely characterizes a centralized organizational structure?

A company's corporate culture is best defined and identified by

What constitutes effective managerial leadership in achieving superior strategy execution?

Companies engaged in a single line of business most commonly utilize an organizational structure that can be

Identify and briefly discuss four steps that managers can take to change a culture that is out of step with the company's strategy.

Successfully leading the effort to instill a spirit of high achievement into a company's culture and put constructive pressure on the organization to achieve good results

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process

Six Sigma quality control

Identify and briefly explain at least four major components of the strategy execution effort.

Which one of the following statements about recruiting and retaining capable employees is true?

Strategy,Business Models, and Competitive Advantage

Strategy Formulation, Execution, and Governance

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Company Resources, Capabilities, and Competitiveness

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies

Strength-Ending a Company Competitive Position: Strategic Moves, Timing, and Scope of Operations

Strategies for Competing in International Markets

Corporate Strategy: Diversification and the Multi-Business Company

Ethics,Corporate Social Responsibility,Environmental Sustainability, and Strategy

Filters

Exam 10: Super Strategy Execution-Another Path to Competitive Advantage

What three principles underlie the statistical thinking of Six Sigma quality control programs?

Which of the following statements about adaptive corporate cultures is false?

The use of incentives and rewards is the single most powerful tool at management's disposal to win strong employee commitment to carrying out the strategic plan.True or false? Explain.

The hallmarks of a high-performance corporate culture include

The hallmark of an adaptive corporate culture is

Give at least three examples of nonmonetary motivation and rewards practices that have the capability to foster good strategy execution,and explain how they act to produce such a result.

A well-designed reward system

Management's most powerful tool for winning employee commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence is

The rationale for making strategy-critical value chain activities the primary building blocks in a company's organizational chart is based on the

Companies with politicized cultures

Which one of the following falsely characterizes a centralized organizational structure?

A company's corporate culture is best defined and identified by

What constitutes effective managerial leadership in achieving superior strategy execution?

Companies engaged in a single line of business most commonly utilize an organizational structure that can be

Identify and briefly discuss four steps that managers can take to change a culture that is out of step with the company's strategy.

Successfully leading the effort to instill a spirit of high achievement into a company's culture and put constructive pressure on the organization to achieve good results

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process

Six Sigma quality control

Identify and briefly explain at least four major components of the strategy execution effort.

Which one of the following statements about recruiting and retaining capable employees is true?

Strategy,Business Models, and Competitive Advantage

Strategy Formulation, Execution, and Governance

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Company Resources, Capabilities, and Competitiveness

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies

Strength-Ending a Company Competitive Position: Strategic Moves, Timing, and Scope of Operations

Strategies for Competing in International Markets

Corporate Strategy: Diversification and the Multi-Business Company

Ethics,Corporate Social Responsibility,Environmental Sustainability, and Strategy

Filters