Exam 8: Foundations of Planning

Which of the following is identified in our textbook as a contingency factor that affects organizational planning?

Developing a plan to integrate two companies after a corporate merger is an example of a single-use plan.

A government plan that calls for a 2.45 percent increase in tobacco sales tax for the next three years would be considered what type of plan?

The statement that all stores should be well maintained both inside and out is an example of a ________.

Refer to the scenario given to answer the following questions. The Sea to Sky Collaborative (Scenario) Nadia Mainardi is the senior planner for the Whistler-Blackcomb Regional Development Council. She has met with a group of stakeholders, including the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, Tourism B.C., and others who are interested in working together to improve the Sea to Sky Highway between North Vancouver and Whistler. To date, Nadia has successfully obtained a Technical Assistance Grant from the province to help organize several small communities along the Sea to Sky Highway into an intergovernmental unit, all sharing the same mission and goals. Nadia is now charged with developing a strategic plan for this group, called the Sea to Sky Collaborative. -Nadia's first step in setting goals for this new group should be __________.

Which of the following statements about planning is true? A) It is concerned with means but not ends. B) It is concerned with ends but not means. C) It is concerned with both means and ends. D) It increases uncertainty. E) It establishes goals or standards that eliminate the need for controls.

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

describe how managers can effectively plan when the external environment is continually changing. Give examples of environmental factors that affect planning.

Generally speaking, formal planning is associated with _____________.

External environment has little or no impact on the formal planning process.

Refer to the scenario given to answer the following questions. 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. -The college's employment obligation to tenured faculty is an example of which contingency factor that can affect planning?

With traditional goal setting, employees' work efforts at their respective levels and work areas are geared to meet the goals __________

Refer to the scenario given to answer the following questions. The Sea to Sky Collaborative (Scenario) Nadia Mainardi is the senior planner for the Whistler-Blackcomb Regional Development Council. She has met with a group of stakeholders, including the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, Tourism B.C., and others who are interested in working together to improve the Sea to Sky Highway between North Vancouver and Whistler. To date, Nadia has successfully obtained a Technical Assistance Grant from the province to help organize several small communities along the Sea to Sky Highway into an intergovernmental unit, all sharing the same mission and goals. Nadia is now charged with developing a strategic plan for this group, called the Sea to Sky Collaborative. -After establishing the Collaborative's goals, Nadia's boss asks what contingency factors might influence the collaborative's plans to reach these goals. Nadia responds that planning contingency factors can be broadly grouped into three categories: __________.

An integrated network of goals is sometimes called a means-ends chain.

Refer to the scenario given to answer the following questions. 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. -The statement that each store should have sales equal to or greater than $900 per square metre per day is an example of __________.

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

Plans are documents that outline ____________.

Strategic goals focus exclusively on the financial performance of the organization.

In an uncertain environment, managers need to develop plans that are ________.

The number of years used to define short-term and long-terms plans has increased considerably because of the greater environmental certainty businesses have today.