Question 1

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 2

Which of the following is most integral to the task of leading the drive for good strategy execution and operating excellence?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pushing lower-level managers and supervisors to practice MBWA 
B)  Being a good motivator and a decisive decision maker 
C)  Making sure the company has a good strategic plan,staying on top of how well things are going,pushing organization units to achieve good results,pushing for corrective actions to improve both the company's strategy and how well it is being executed,and displaying ethical integrity and leading social responsibility initiatives 
D)  Practicing enlightened empowerment of employees and using a decentralized approach to decision making 
E)  Being good at designing a strategy-supportive reward structure 
A)  Pushing lower-level managers and supervisors to practice MBWA 
B)  Being a good motivator and a decisive decision maker 
C)  Making sure the company has a good strategic plan,staying on top of how well things are going,pushing organization units to achieve good results,pushing for corrective actions to improve both the company's strategy and how well it is being executed,and displaying ethical integrity and leading social responsibility initiatives 
D)  Practicing enlightened empowerment of employees and using a decentralized approach to decision making 
E)  Being good at designing a strategy-supportive reward structure

Question 3

Proficient strategy execution requires executive managers to

Accepted Answer

A)  be current with events and closely monitor progress,put constructive pressure on the organization for operating excellence,and initiate corrective action when necessary to improve performance and achieve desired results. 
B)  understand all the tasks required to implement the strategy so as to ensure staff will not shortchange any strategic-critical activity. 
C)  attach great importance to gathering statistics that define every task effort and ensure limited variability. 
D)  initiate a problem-solving search to ensure obstacles to success are identified. 
E)  All of these. 
A)  be current with events and closely monitor progress,put constructive pressure on the organization for operating excellence,and initiate corrective action when necessary to improve performance and achieve desired results. 
B)  understand all the tasks required to implement the strategy so as to ensure staff will not shortchange any strategic-critical activity. 
C)  attach great importance to gathering statistics that define every task effort and ensure limited variability. 
D)  initiate a problem-solving search to ensure obstacles to success are identified. 
E)  All of these.

Question 4

The statistical thinking underlying Six Sigma is based on the following three principles:

Accepted Answer

A)  All activities can be controlled,employee empowerment is the best control tool,and 100% control is possible. 
B)  All work is a process,all processes have variability,and all processes create data that explains variability. 
C)  All work activities can be done accurately most of the time,empowered employees are necessary for effective control,and good statistical data is an empowered employee's best control tool. 
D)  All work is a statistically controllable process,100% control is possible,and every well-controlled process is defect-free. 
E)  Most business processes are subject to control,Six Sigma can remove variability in how processes are performed,and most defects can be eliminated. 
A)  All activities can be controlled,employee empowerment is the best control tool,and 100% control is possible. 
B)  All work is a process,all processes have variability,and all processes create data that explains variability. 
C)  All work activities can be done accurately most of the time,empowered employees are necessary for effective control,and good statistical data is an empowered employee's best control tool. 
D)  All work is a statistically controllable process,100% control is possible,and every well-controlled process is defect-free. 
E)  Most business processes are subject to control,Six Sigma can remove variability in how processes are performed,and most defects can be eliminated.

Question 5

For decentralized decision making to be successful it is predicated on a belief that

Accepted Answer

A)  top executives should establish a collegial,collaborative culture where decisions are made by general consensus on what to do and when. 
B)  strict enforcement of detailed procedures backed by rigorous managerial oversight is necessary because company personnel cannot be counted on to act wisely or keep costs to a bare-bones level. 
C)  decision-making authority should be pushed down to the lowest organizational level capable of making timely,informed,competent decisions. 
D)  most company personnel have neither the time nor the inclination to direct and properly control the work they are performing and that they lack the knowledge and judgment to make wise decisions about how best to do their work. 
E)  lower-level managers and employees should go up the ladder of command for approval on most all strategic and operating issues of much importance. 
A)  top executives should establish a collegial,collaborative culture where decisions are made by general consensus on what to do and when. 
B)  strict enforcement of detailed procedures backed by rigorous managerial oversight is necessary because company personnel cannot be counted on to act wisely or keep costs to a bare-bones level. 
C)  decision-making authority should be pushed down to the lowest organizational level capable of making timely,informed,competent decisions. 
D)  most company personnel have neither the time nor the inclination to direct and properly control the work they are performing and that they lack the knowledge and judgment to make wise decisions about how best to do their work. 
E)  lower-level managers and employees should go up the ladder of command for approval on most all strategic and operating issues of much importance.

Question 6

Unhealthy company cultures typically have such characteristics as

Accepted Answer

A)  tight budget controls,overly strict enforcement of longstanding policies and procedures,and low ethical standards. 
B)  a preference for conservative strategies,an aversion to incentive compensation,and excessive emphasis on profitability. 
C)  a politicized internal environment,hostility to change,an insular,inwardly focused culture,and unethical or greed-driven behavior on the part of executives. 
D)  overemphasis on employee empowerment,a complacent approach to building competencies and capabilities,no coherent business philosophy,and excessively bureaucratic policies and procedures. 
E)  too little emphasis on innovation,a strong preference for hiring managers from outside the company,very few core values and traditions,and a weakly enforced code of ethics. 
A)  tight budget controls,overly strict enforcement of longstanding policies and procedures,and low ethical standards. 
B)  a preference for conservative strategies,an aversion to incentive compensation,and excessive emphasis on profitability. 
C)  a politicized internal environment,hostility to change,an insular,inwardly focused culture,and unethical or greed-driven behavior on the part of executives. 
D)  overemphasis on employee empowerment,a complacent approach to building competencies and capabilities,no coherent business philosophy,and excessively bureaucratic policies and procedures. 
E)  too little emphasis on innovation,a strong preference for hiring managers from outside the company,very few core values and traditions,and a weakly enforced code of ethics.

Question 7

Briefly identify three types of unhealthy corporate cultures.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly identify three types of unhealthy corporate...

Question 8

Total quality management (TQM)programs

Accepted Answer

A)  deal exclusively with procedures to achieve defect-free manufacturing and assembly. 
B)  nearly always contribute more to the achievement of operating excellence than either business process reengineering or Six Sigma quality control techniques. 
C)  achieve the biggest success when extended to employee efforts in all departments-human resources,R&D,accounting and records,information systems,and so forth. 
D)  are considerably more effective in improving manufacturing and assembly activities than they are in improving such value chain activities as R&D,human resources management,supply chain management,information technology,sales and marketing,and finance. 
E)  are generally considered the best tool for reengineering strategy-critical business processes. 
A)  deal exclusively with procedures to achieve defect-free manufacturing and assembly. 
B)  nearly always contribute more to the achievement of operating excellence than either business process reengineering or Six Sigma quality control techniques. 
C)  achieve the biggest success when extended to employee efforts in all departments-human resources,R&D,accounting and records,information systems,and so forth. 
D)  are considerably more effective in improving manufacturing and assembly activities than they are in improving such value chain activities as R&D,human resources management,supply chain management,information technology,sales and marketing,and finance. 
E)  are generally considered the best tool for reengineering strategy-critical business processes.

Question 9

Companies with insular,inwardly focused cultures usually

Accepted Answer

A)  tend to possess arrogant overconfident mind-sets,thereby tending to underestimate the competencies and accomplishments of rival companies and overestimate their own progress. 
B)  tend to concentrate on benchmarking to find out the best methods of doing things. 
C)  tend to concentrate greed and ego-gratification. 
D)  tend to discount and doubt their own performance statistics. 
E)  All of these 
A)  tend to possess arrogant overconfident mind-sets,thereby tending to underestimate the competencies and accomplishments of rival companies and overestimate their own progress. 
B)  tend to concentrate on benchmarking to find out the best methods of doing things. 
C)  tend to concentrate greed and ego-gratification. 
D)  tend to discount and doubt their own performance statistics. 
E)  All of these

Question 10

Which of the following is not an example of an unhealthy company culture?

Accepted Answer

A)  Insular inwardly focused cultures 
B)  Change-resistant cultures 
C)  Unethical and greed-driven cultures 
D)  Politicized cultures 
E)  Hyper-adaptive cultures 
A)  Insular inwardly focused cultures 
B)  Change-resistant cultures 
C)  Unethical and greed-driven cultures 
D)  Politicized cultures 
E)  Hyper-adaptive cultures

Question 11

Which one of the following is not a fundamental part of a company's culture?

Accepted Answer

A)  The work practices and behaviors that define "how we do things around here" 
B)  The "chemistry" that permeates its work environment 
C)  The company's core values and business principles 
D)  The company's strategic vision,strategic intent,and strategy 
E)  The style of operating and ingrained behaviors and attitudes 
A)  The work practices and behaviors that define "how we do things around here" 
B)  The "chemistry" that permeates its work environment 
C)  The company's core values and business principles 
D)  The company's strategic vision,strategic intent,and strategy 
E)  The style of operating and ingrained behaviors and attitudes

Question 12

What is the value of striving for continuous improvement in internal processes? How does TQM differ from business process reengineering?

Accepted Answer

Striving for continuous improvement in i

Question 13

Which of the following is not among the types of actions and initiatives undertaken by management in the strategy execution process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Building an organization capable of executing the strategy 
B)  Instituting policies and procedures that facilitate rather than impede strategy execution 
C)  Deciding which core competencies and value chain activities to leave as is and which ones to overhaul and improve 
D)  Pushing for continuous improvement in how value chain activities are performed 
E)  Tying rewards directly to the achievement of strategic and financial targets and to good strategy execution 
A)  Building an organization capable of executing the strategy 
B)  Instituting policies and procedures that facilitate rather than impede strategy execution 
C)  Deciding which core competencies and value chain activities to leave as is and which ones to overhaul and improve 
D)  Pushing for continuous improvement in how value chain activities are performed 
E)  Tying rewards directly to the achievement of strategic and financial targets and to good strategy execution

Question 14

Which one of the following is not a benefit of prescribing policies and operating procedures to aid management's task of implementing strategy?

Accepted Answer

A)  Painting a set of white lines that provides boundaries for the independent actions of empowered personnel 
B)  Providing top-down guidance to operating managers,supervisory personnel,and employees regarding how things need to be done 
C)  Promoting the creation of a work climate that facilitates good strategy execution 
D)  Helping build employee commitment to adopting best practices and using the tools of TQM and Six Sigma 
E)  Helping enforce consistency in how particular activities are performed 
A)  Painting a set of white lines that provides boundaries for the independent actions of empowered personnel 
B)  Providing top-down guidance to operating managers,supervisory personnel,and employees regarding how things need to be done 
C)  Promoting the creation of a work climate that facilitates good strategy execution 
D)  Helping build employee commitment to adopting best practices and using the tools of TQM and Six Sigma 
E)  Helping enforce consistency in how particular activities are performed

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

A)  the much shorter time it takes to build core competencies and competitive capabilities. 
B)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in reducing costs. 
C)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in improving the productivity of geographically scattered organizational units. 
D)  the 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)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in making the empowerment of employees more effective. 
A)  the much shorter time it takes to build core competencies and competitive capabilities. 
B)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in reducing costs. 
C)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in improving the productivity of geographically scattered organizational units. 
D)  the 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)  the benefit such an organizational scheme has in making the empowerment of employees more effective.

Question 16

Which of the following is not characteristic of a compensation and reward system designed to help drive successful strategy execution?

Accepted Answer

A)  Tying incentives to performance outcomes directly linked to good strategy execution and financial performance 
B)  Keeping the time between achieving the target performance outcome and the payment of the reward as short as possible 
C)  Making sure the performance targets that each individual or team is expected to achieve involve outcomes that the individual or team can personally affect 
D)  Generous rewards for people who turn in outstanding performances 
E)  A reward system that involves 50 percent nonmonetary rewards and a work environment that avoids placing pressure on managers and employees to perform at high levels 
A)  Tying incentives to performance outcomes directly linked to good strategy execution and financial performance 
B)  Keeping the time between achieving the target performance outcome and the payment of the reward as short as possible 
C)  Making sure the performance targets that each individual or team is expected to achieve involve outcomes that the individual or team can personally affect 
D)  Generous rewards for people who turn in outstanding performances 
E)  A reward system that involves 50 percent nonmonetary rewards and a work environment that avoids placing pressure on managers and employees to perform at high levels

Question 17

A decentralized organization structure is more likely to further the cause of good strategy execution than is a centralized organization structure.True or false? Justify your answer.

Accepted Answer

The statement that a decentralized organ

Question 18

Identify four tactics that are common among companies dedicated to staffing jobs with the best people they can find.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identify four tactics that are common among...

Question 19

The principal managerial actions and initiatives undertaken in the strategy execution process include which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  Deciding how much to spend on employee training 
B)  Instituting policies and procedures that facilitate rather than impede effective strategy execution 
C)  Doing an effective job of empowering employees 
D)  Revamping the value chain in a manner calculated to maximize operating efficiency 
E)  Selecting a capable top management team 
A)  Deciding how much to spend on employee training 
B)  Instituting policies and procedures that facilitate rather than impede effective strategy execution 
C)  Doing an effective job of empowering employees 
D)  Revamping the value chain in a manner calculated to maximize operating efficiency 
E)  Selecting a capable top management team

Question 20

The character of a company's corporate culture is a product of

Accepted Answer

A)  the company's core values and business principles. 
B)  its style of operating and ingrained behaviors and attitudes. 
C)  the "chemistry" that permeates its work environment. 
D)  the work practices and behaviors that define "how we do things around here." 
E)  All of these. 
A)  the company's core values and business principles. 
B)  its style of operating and ingrained behaviors and attitudes. 
C)  the "chemistry" that permeates its work environment. 
D)  the work practices and behaviors that define "how we do things around here." 
E)  All of these.

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process

Which of the following is most integral to the task of leading the drive for good strategy execution and operating excellence?

Proficient strategy execution requires executive managers to

The statistical thinking underlying Six Sigma is based on the following three principles:

For decentralized decision making to be successful it is predicated on a belief that

Unhealthy company cultures typically have such characteristics as

Briefly identify three types of unhealthy corporate cultures.

Total quality management (TQM)programs

Companies with insular,inwardly focused cultures usually

Which of the following is not an example of an unhealthy company culture?

Which one of the following is not a fundamental part of a company's culture?

What is the value of striving for continuous improvement in internal processes? How does TQM differ from business process reengineering?

Which of the following is not among the types of actions and initiatives undertaken by management in the strategy execution process?

Which one of the following is not a benefit of prescribing policies and operating procedures to aid management's task of implementing strategy?

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

Which of the following is not characteristic of a compensation and reward system designed to help drive successful strategy execution?

A decentralized organization structure is more likely to further the cause of good strategy execution than is a centralized organization structure.True or false? Justify your answer.

Identify four tactics that are common among companies dedicated to staffing jobs with the best people they can find.

The principal managerial actions and initiatives undertaken in the strategy execution process include which of the following?

The character of a company's corporate culture is a product of

Strategy, Business Models, and Competitive Advantage

Charting a Companys Direction: Vision and Mission, Objectives, and Strategy

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Companys Resources, Capabilities, and Competitiveness

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies

Strengthening a Companys Competitive Position: Strategic Moves, Timing, and Scope of Operations

Strategies for Competing in International Markets

Corporate Strategy: Diversification and the Multibusiness Company

Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability, and Strategy

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

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process

Which of the following is most integral to the task of leading the drive for good strategy execution and operating excellence?

Proficient strategy execution requires executive managers to

The statistical thinking underlying Six Sigma is based on the following three principles:

For decentralized decision making to be successful it is predicated on a belief that

Unhealthy company cultures typically have such characteristics as

Briefly identify three types of unhealthy corporate cultures.

Total quality management (TQM)programs

Companies with insular,inwardly focused cultures usually

Which of the following is not an example of an unhealthy company culture?

Which one of the following is not a fundamental part of a company's culture?

What is the value of striving for continuous improvement in internal processes? How does TQM differ from business process reengineering?

Which of the following is not among the types of actions and initiatives undertaken by management in the strategy execution process?

Which one of the following is not a benefit of prescribing policies and operating procedures to aid management's task of implementing strategy?

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

Which of the following is not characteristic of a compensation and reward system designed to help drive successful strategy execution?

A decentralized organization structure is more likely to further the cause of good strategy execution than is a centralized organization structure.True or false? Justify your answer.

Identify four tactics that are common among companies dedicated to staffing jobs with the best people they can find.

The principal managerial actions and initiatives undertaken in the strategy execution process include which of the following?

The character of a company's corporate culture is a product of

Strategy, Business Models, and Competitive Advantage

Charting a Companys Direction: Vision and Mission, Objectives, and Strategy

Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Evaluating a Companys Resources, Capabilities, and Competitiveness

The Five Generic Competitive Strategies

Strengthening a Companys Competitive Position: Strategic Moves, Timing, and Scope of Operations

Strategies for Competing in International Markets

Corporate Strategy: Diversification and the Multibusiness Company

Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability, and Strategy

Filters