Exam 5: Section 1: Planning and Decision Making

Planning works best when the goals and action plans at the_______ of the organization support the goals and action plans at the___________of the organization.

Groupthink occurs in __________.

How does a company benefit from planning?

Creating and executing a plan is one of the most important tasks of a manager.

_________can help organizations to maintain flexibility as they plan.

Define the terms decision making and rational decision making. Briefly differentiate between them.

Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme is a relatively small doughnut seller. It has only 295 stores while Dunkin Donuts has over 3,600 outlets in the United States and Canada. In spite of its size, Krispy Kreme has been described by many as "the hottest brand in America." The company's success in an environment which has made success difficult for many food operations is due in large part to the long-term vision of its top management and its establishment and achievement of S.M.A.R.T. goals. The company originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the mid-1930s when Vernon Rudolph bought a secret recipe for yeast doughnuts from a French pastry cook. Rudolph ran the company until he died in 1973 without naming a successor, which caused the company problems for the next decade. -Refer to Krispy Kreme. The company's goal to never reveal its secret recipe to anyone outside the company is an example of a(n)____________ goal.

What type of planning would be used to create the festivities necessary to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of a furniture manufacturer?

Planning works best when the goals and action plans at the bottom and middle of the organization supports the goals and action plans at the top of the organization.

Define the two types of conflict that may spontaneously occur in situations of group decision making. List and explain the approaches to structured conflict that may help to enhance the quality of group decisions. Be sure to comment on the research results which evaluate their effectiveness.

Identify the four basic steps in the management by objectives process.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Meaningful, Active, Reachable, and Timely.

Encouraging worker participation in goal setting, making goals public, and getting top management's support are all recommended ways to increase goal commitment in a company.

The us_of_____________ in planning produces a false sense of certainty and is often cited as one of the major pitfalls of planning.

When done correctly, management by objectives (MBO) is an extremely effective method for__________ .

____________is the emotional reaction that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional.

__________are standing plans that indicate the specific steps that should be taken in response to a particular event.

Which of the following is NOT a step in the management by objectives (MBO) process?

All decision making by management is rational.

A(n)____________ lists the specific steps, people, resources, and time period for accomplishing a goal.