Deck 6: Managing the Business Enterprise

Question 1

"Hey Reg! I just caught two kids shoplifting! What do I do now?" the assistant manager said to his boss,Reg Caluza.Reg was about to function in the role Mintzberg identified as the

A) spokesperson.
B) figurehead.
C) disturbance handler.
D) resource allocator.
E) monitor.

Answer 1

C
disturbance handler.

Question 2

Ronald Koslowsky,a marketing manager at Wintron Co.,receives a telephone call from LeRoy Shelton,a marketing manager at Young-Times Inc.The two chat socially,occasionally talking about different parts of their work.This is an example of a manager operating in Mintzberg's ________ role.

A) disseminator
B) spokesperson
C) liaison
D) negotiator
E) resource allocator

Answer 2

C
liaison

Question 3

Which of the following is supported by Mintzberg's research on chief executive officers?

A) Managerial activities are characterized by variety.
B) Managers work at an unrelenting pace.
C) Managers prefer verbal media.
D) Managers prefer live action.
E) All of these are supported.

Answer 3

E
All of these are supported.

Question 4

________ involves determining what the business needs to do and the best way to achieve it.

A) Organizing
B) Planning
C) Leading
D) Controlling
E) None of these

Question 5

Managers at Edson Corp.have decided to embark on a systematic planning process.What should they do first?

A) Determine how well employees understand the current plan.
B) Establish goals for the organization.
C) Determine whether a gap exists between the company's desired and actual positions.
D) Develop plans to achieve the desired goal.
E) Implement new plans.

Question 6

In terms of Mintzberg's managerial roles,the person responsible for the work of the unit is a

A) disturbance handler.
B) negotiator.
C) leader.
D) spokesperson.
E) liaison.

Question 7

Which of the following best captures the difference between efficiency and effectiveness?

A) Efficiency means doing what the company's engineers want,while effectiveness means doing what consumers want.
B) Efficiency means maximizing output,while effectiveness means maximizing profit.
C) Efficiency means doing things right,while effectiveness means doing the right things.
D) Efficiency means doing what production wants,while effectiveness means doing what the marketing department wants.
E) Efficiency means working as fast as possible,while effectiveness means working smart.

Question 8

Jack Leutens,senior manager of marketing research at Tromex Enterprises,calls in seven of his subordinates to brief them on his recent research findings regarding new machinery that might be relevant for Tromex.This is an example of a manager functioning in the role Mintzberg called the

A) leader.
B) disseminator.
C) monitor.
D) spokesman.
E) resource allocator.

Question 9

Midge thought anxiously about how to position her company for the future.By so doing,Midge functioned in the role Mintzberg called

A) negotiator.
B) spokesperson.
C) entrepreneur.
D) resource allocator.
E) figurehead.

Question 10

Executives at Blendon Corp.are trying to determine what went wrong with a major project that recently failed.There were problems in every area of management (planning,organizing,leading,and controlling).Which of the following would MOST strongly suggest that there were failures in planning?

A) Two employees who were put on the project couldn't stand each other.
B) The controlling problems the project experienced were commonly experienced by other project leaders in this industry.
C) Suppliers of components for the project had to produce at maximum capacity.
D) There was a failure to monitor production output.
E) Even if planning had been effective,the project would have failed because of controlling problems.

Question 11

When a manager responds to a strike at a supplier,the manager is acting in the ________ role.

A) disturbance handler
B) liaison
C) monitor
D) resource allocator
E) leader

Question 12

If a manager attends a subordinate's wedding,this is an example of the ________ role.

A) liaison
B) entrepreneur
C) figurehead
D) leader
E) disseminator

Question 13

The president of Bob's Barbecue is reassessing his company's goals with the expectation that the company's strategy will be modified.He is involved in ________.

A) staffing
B) planning
C) directing
D) organizing
E) controlling

Question 14

With respect to the concepts of management roles and management functions,it is correct to say that

A) focusing on management functions is a more effective way to view management than focusing on management roles.
B) the idea of management roles is more relevant for private sector companies,and the idea of management functions is more relevant for government organizations.
C) managers who focus on roles have more highly satisfied subordinates than managers who focus on functions.
D) management functions give us a good general idea of what managers do,while management roles give us an understanding of the specific details of managerial work.
E) all of these are correct.

Question 15

Which of the following would be included under the definition of a manager?

A) President of IBM
B) Prime Minister of Canada
C) Head of the business department at a local college
D) Shipping dock foreman
E) All of these would be included

Question 16

The executive team at Marlon Corp.is involved in a systematic planning process.The first thing they did was to establish goals for the organization.What should they do next?

A) Convey the new goals to employees.
B) Assess the feasibility of achieving the new goals.
C) Determine whether a gap exists between the company's desired and actual positions.
D) Develop plans to achieve the new goals.
E) Implement new plans.

Question 17

Tom Smith Jr.,a manager responsible for hockey stick tape production at StickStuck Corp.,spontaneously tours the plant to check on what's going on.By so doing,Tom is functioning in Mintzberg's ________ role.

A) resource allocator
B) monitor
C) figurehead
D) leader
E) liaison

Question 18

The purpose of the four-part management process is to

A) determine what the organization needs to do.
B) create jobs for society.
C) monitor the organization's performance in order to ensure that goals are achieved.
D) increase employee satisfaction.
E) achieve the organization's goals of supplying various products and services to society.

Question 19

"Ms.Jensen,there's someone here from the radio station to interview you about the explosion." Ms.Jensen is about to function in the role Mintzberg described as

A) monitor.
B) disseminator.
C) spokesperson.
D) resource allocator.
E) leader.

Question 20

Determining what a firm needs to do and how best to accomplish that is called

A) controlling.
B) staffing.
C) directing.
D) planning.
E) organizing.

Question 21

Scott is the store manager at one of the Computers R Us retail stores.Each Monday he meets with all the employees to review the assignments for the week and provide assistance for those who need it.Scott is engaged in the management process of

A) planning.
B) organizing.
C) controlling.
D) staffing.
E) leading.

Question 22

When the CEO of a company monitors the engineers' performance to make sure that they are on track to reach their goals,he is

A) leading.
B) planning.
C) staffing.
D) controlling.
E) organizing.

Question 23

Which of the following is not supported by Mintzberg's research on chief executive officers?

A) Managers work at an unrelenting pace.
B) Managers prefer "live" action.
C) Managerial activities are characterized by brevity.
D) Managers are attracted to the verbal media.
E) Managerial activities are characterized by a lack of variety.

Question 24

A(n)________ is a plan that is decided by a firm's top management,and that reflects the company's priorities,as well as the steps needed to meet strategic goals.

A) tactical plan
B) operational plan
C) standing plan
D) strategic plan
E) single-use plan

Question 25

Top-level managers are responsible for all of the following except

A) the overall performance of the organization.
B) formulating strategies.
C) representing the organization in its dealings with other organizations.
D) implementing policies.
E) dealing with the external environment.

Question 26

The title "Division Manager" is an example of a ________ management position.

A) lower
B) middle
C) liaison
D) first-line
E) top

Question 27

Burton Kawalski,Vice President of Personnel at QVJ Corporation,sat down at the bargaining table across from the leader of the union,Vladmir Ramonovitch.Burton's expertise in the managerial role Mintzberg called ________ was about to be tested.

A) entrepreneur
B) liaison
C) disseminator
D) figurehead
E) negotiator

Question 28

Scott,the manager of a Computers R Us store,in reviewing the sales results from last week noticed that all but one employee was on target.As he contemplated how to fix the problem he was engaged in the management process of

A) controlling.
B) organizing.
C) planning.
D) directing.
E) staffing.

Question 29

The first step in the control process is to

A) establish standards.
B) determine the jobs to be performed.
C) determine what the organization needs to do.
D) measure performance.
E) define the problem.

Question 30

Determining the best way to arrange a business's resources and activities into a proper structure is

A) staffing.
B) controlling.
C) directing.
D) planning.
E) organizing.

Question 31

When Millie was appointed president of Goodcare Hospital,she noticed that the former president had all the major functions reporting directly to him.She is analyzing the functions to see how they could be restructured to be more efficient.She is engaged in the management process of

A) planning.
B) staffing.
C) organizing.
D) directing.
E) controlling.

Question 32

Mintzberg believes that there are three categories of roles that managers perform.They are

A) inspirational,managerial,interpersonal.
B) interpersonal,informational,decision-making.
C) managerial,interpersonal,decision-making.
D) managerial,interpersonal,informational.
E) decision-making,inspirational,informational.

Question 33

"Excuse me," the secretary said."Don't you have a 3:30 appointment to present a gold watch to Mr.Chung?" The manager froze in her tracks,realized the secretary was correct,and immediately began preparing herself to fulfill the managerial role identified by Mintzberg as

A) figurehead.
B) leader.
C) disseminator.
D) liaison.
E) entrepreneur.

Question 34

The management process of monitoring a firm's performance to make sure that it is meeting its goals is known as

A) directing.
B) planning.
C) staffing.
D) controlling.
E) organizing.

Question 35

Guiding and motivating employees to meet an organization's objectives is called

A) controlling.
B) planning.
C) organizing.
D) leading.
E) staffing.

Question 36

Cecil and Cyrus,two of Simpson's top employees,stormed into their manager's office.Both were intent on securing approval from her for projects they were proposing for the company.Shelly Simpson,manager at Soho,Howso,Tatso & Associates,was about to function in the role Mintzberg identified as the

A) resource allocator.
B) entrepreneur.
C) figurehead.
D) liaison.
E) monitor.

Question 37

When the CEO of Compaq Computers broke the company down into several smaller units,each being responsible for its own functions,he was engaging in the management function of

A) organizing.
B) staffing.
C) planning.
D) controlling.
E) directing.

Question 38

The four-part management process includes

A) planning,organizing,leading,and decision making.
B) planning,decision making,target establishment,and comparison of performance to the standard.
C) organizing,planning,leading,and controlling.
D) leading,organizing,controlling,and goal establishment.
E) planning,controlling,leading,and decision making.

Question 39

Middle managers typically have the following job titles except

A) general manager.
B) operations manager.
C) plant manager.
D) production supervisor.
E) division manager.

Question 40

Vice president,treasurer,chief executive officer,and president are positions found at the ________ level of management.

A) first-line
B) intermediate
C) top
D) middle
E) officer

Question 41

Supervisor,office manager,and group leader are at the ________ management level.

A) middle
B) officer
C) top
D) intermediate
E) first-line

Question 42

The ________ manager is responsible for getting the product from the producer to the consumer.

A) information
B) human resources
C) finance
D) operations
E) marketing

Question 43

The ability to type,to create a spreadsheet,or to write a computer program are examples of which basic skill?

A) Decision-making
B) Conceptual
C) Human relations
D) Time-management
E) Technical

Question 44

The ________ managers are responsible for planning and overseeing the firm's accounting function and publication of the annual report.

A) marketing
B) financial
C) operations
D) human resources
E) information

Question 45

Plant manager,operations manager,and division manager are at the ________ management level.

A) top
B) officer
C) first-line
D) intermediate
E) middle

Question 46

________ managers design and implement systems to gather,organize,and distribute data.

A) Information
B) Finance
C) Operations
D) Human resources
E) Marketing

Question 47

The ________ of a firm spend most of their time working with and managing the employees who report to them.

A) middle managers
B) officers
C) top managers
D) intermediate managers
E) first-line managers

Question 48

Technical skills are especially important for

A) middle level managers.
B) members of the board of directors.
C) top level managers.
D) company presidents.
E) first-line managers.

Question 49

The technical skills,human relations skills,and conceptual skills of managers

A) shift in their degree of importance as the manager rises to the top of the organization.
B) shift so that the technical skills become more important to the higher level manager.
C) retain the same degree of importance as a manager progresses "up the organization ladder" to the top.
D) shift so that the conceptual skills become less important to the higher level manager.
E) shift so that human relations skills become more important than conceptual skills to the higher level manager.

Question 50

A study by Google found that technical expertise ranked last among a list of eight "Habits of Highly Effective Google Managers." What was at the top of the list?

A) Bosses who had a strong concern for social responsibility and ethics.
B) Bosses who completed their work in a timely fashion.
C) Bosses who did what they promised.
D) Bosses who were even-tempered who made time for one-on-one meetings,and who helped subordinates work through problems.
E) Bosses who protected their employees from harassment by managers in other divisions.

Question 51

Selection of the best course of action in a particular situation is known as

A) organizing.
B) planning.
C) management.
D) decision making.
E) controlling.

Question 52

The hiring,training,evaluation,and compensation of employees is the responsibility of

A) research and development managers.
B) operations managers.
C) vice-presidents.
D) human resource managers.
E) supervisors.

Question 53

Jackie is responsible for hiring,training,development,and evaluation of employees.She is

A) a research and development manager.
B) a human resource manager.
C) a supervisor.
D) an operations manager.
E) a marketing manager.

Question 54

John is the manager who is responsible for production,inventory,and quality control.He is a(n)__________ manager.

A) operations
B) finance
C) human resources
D) marketing
E) information

Question 55

The ________ skills are those needed to perform specialized tasks.

A) time-management
B) technical
C) human relations
D) conceptual
E) decision-making

Question 56

The development,pricing,promotion,and distribution of a product is the responsibility of

A) first-level managers.
B) financial managers.
C) human resource managers.
D) marketing managers.
E) operations managers.

Question 57

The ________ manager helps hire and train employees as well as determine compensation.

A) marketing
B) finance
C) information
D) operations
E) human resources

Question 58

Martin is the CEO of Carter Inc.He has found that he must have the ability to think in the abstract,to diagnose and analyze different situations,and to see beyond what is known in the present.Martin's job requires ________ skill.

A) technical
B) intuition
C) conceptual
D) human relations
E) decision making

Question 59

Companies like Procter & Gamble,Coca-Cola,and Levi Strauss have a particularly strong need for ________ managers.

A) human resources
B) information
C) finance
D) operations
E) marketing

Question 60

Which is the skill that top-level managers use more than first-level managers?

A) Strategy
B) Technical
C) Human relations
D) Conceptual
E) Marketing

Question 61

Two executives at Lexar Corp.are having a disagreement about the managerial skills needed by the person who will be hired to head up an important software development project.Executive A argues that the person must be very knowledgeable about the latest technology that is relevant for the project,but Executive B says that the person who heads up the project must have strong conceptual skills.These two executives are MOST likely disagreeing about which of the following questions?

A) Does the manager need to have any technical skills?
B) Are conceptual skills more important than human relations skills?
C) Would it be a bad decision to choose a person with good technical skills but poor conceptual skills?
D) Is it a good idea to require strong conceptual skills when choosing a manager for a project?
E) Is it likely that the project requirements will change after the project is under way?

Question 62

General Electric's goal to have each of its divisions be #1 or #2 in its industry illustrates which basic purpose of goal setting?

A) Goal setting provides direction,guidance,and motivation for managers.
B) Goal setting helps firms allocate resources.
C) Goal setting helps to define corporate culture.
D) Goal setting helps managers assess performance.
E) None of the above.

Question 63

When people take certain actions as they try to get the outcomes they want,this is known as

A) intuition.
B) quantitative analysis.
C) organizational politics.
D) escalation of commitment.
E) risk propensity.

Question 64

Garrett Corp.wants to be known as a company that produces products that enhance consumers' "satisfaction with easy living." If Garrett actually achieves this goal in the eyes of consumers,what is the MOST likely result?

A) The company would feel pressure to expand its business to include a wider range of products and services.
B) Customers who have a positive experience with one of Garrett's products try other products made by the company.
C) Company divisions would be more likely to create their own individual mission statements.
D) Sales of Garrett's higher-priced offerings would increase less than sales of lower-priced offerings.
E) Customers would put more emphasis on price and less on customer service.

Question 65

Port Metro Vancouver's successful reduction of container "dwell time" illustrates which basic purpose of goal setting?

A) Goal setting provides direction,guidance,and motivation for managers.
B) Goal setting helps firms allocate resources.
C) Goal setting helps to define corporate culture.
D) Goal setting helps managers assess performance.
E) None of the above.

Question 66

A top manager at Belcourt Ltd.thinks the company should sell off a division that has so far failed to achieve a return on investment that is required at Belcourt.Which of the following would MOST weaken the manager's argument to sell off the division?

A) Some other divisions at Belcourt have had even lower returns on investment than the division the manager wants to sell off.
B) The division's product is gaining in popularity with consumers.
C) Other companies don't have return on investment expectations as high as those at Belcourt.
D) The division in question uses a technology that was developed outside of Belcourt.
E) If Belcourt sold off the division,outsiders might think a new trend was developing with the product the division makes.

Question 67

What is the primary purpose of setting a goal for an organization?

A) It determines if the firm is highly leveraged.
B) It makes workers think in quantitative terms.
C) It identifies threats and opportunities.
D) It assures successes for the firm.
E) It provides guidance and direction for all managers.

Question 68

General Industries Ltd.is a large conglomerate with many diverse divisions.One of the divisions has been experiencing poor performance,and it also has a small market share.Management is therefore thinking about selling the division.Which of the following would MOST strongly suggest that General Industries should keep the division instead?

A) The division has been able to reduce its losses in each of the last three years.
B) The chain has a better market share in eastern Canada than in western Canada.
C) Other divisions at the company use the services of the division in question,and this results in significant overall savings for General Industries.
D) The division has very up-to-date technology.
E) Staffing levels in the division in question are not much different than those at competitors in the industry.

Question 69

When Boeing and Airbus were trying to decide how they should respond to the question of how they could increase their international capacity,they were in what stage of the rational decision-making process?

A) Select the best alternative
B) Identify alternatives
C) Evaluate alternatives
D) Implement the chosen alternative
E) Follow up and evaluate the results

Question 70

What does the term "escalation of commitment" mean?

A) As a project proceeds toward successful completion,managers make an increased commitment to doing a good job.
B) It means the actions that managers take as they try to get the outcomes they desire.
C) As a project proceeds,managers become increasingly committed to it even if there is evidence that it is not working out as planned.
D) It refers to how much a manager is willing to gamble when making decisions.
E) None of these.

Question 71

The basic management skill that deals with understanding and getting along with people is

A) conceptual.
B) technical.
C) human relations.
D) decision-making.
E) time-management.

Question 72

Expo '86,the world's fair that was held in British Columbia,is cited as an example of

A) good use of intuition.
B) quantitative analysis.
C) organizational politics.
D) escalation of commitment.
E) risk propensity.

Question 73

Reebok wants to make a profit by manufacturing and selling athletic shoes and related merchandise.This is their

A) strategic goal.
B) long-term goal.
C) purpose.
D) short-term goal.
E) mission.

Question 74

Because many managers are paid large sums of money,the ________ skill is particularly important.

A) conceptual
B) technical
C) human relations
D) decision-making
E) time-management

Question 75

Marilyn is involved in making an important decision regarding the purchase of new equipment for her company's only manufacturing plant.She has just identified several alternatives that will solve the problem that is facing her.What should she do next?

A) Select the best alternative
B) Identify alternatives
C) Evaluate alternatives
D) Implement the chosen alternative
E) Follow up and evaluate the results

Question 76

Two executives at Lexar Corp.are having a disagreement about the managerial skills needed by the person who will be chosen to head up an important software development project.Executive A argues that the person must have strong technical skills and be very knowledgeable about the latest technology that is relevant for the project,but Executive B says that the person who heads up the project must first and foremost have strong conceptual skills in order to effectively manage the project.Which of the following would weaken Executive A's argument?

A) The project manager with the weakest technical skills also has the weakest human relations skills.
B) The project is very large and time-consuming,so the project manager won't be able to take on any other projects until this project is completed.
C) The project is complex and has unusual requirements.
D) The project manager with the strongest technical skills in the company has no experience with an important technology that is part of the project.
E) The project manager with the strongest conceptual skills in the company has the weakest technical skills.

Question 77

Toyota's goal to sell 200 000 vehicles in Canada in 2012 illustrates which basic purpose of goal setting?

A) Goal setting provides direction,guidance,and motivation for managers.
B) Goal setting helps firms allocate resources.
C) Goal setting helps to define corporate culture.
D) Goal setting helps managers assess performance.
E) None of the above.

Question 78

When Airbus decided to develop and manufacture a new jumbo jet to meet the demand for increased international travel,it was involved in what stage of the rational decision-making process?

A) Select the best alternative
B) Identify alternatives
C) Evaluate alternatives
D) Implement the chosen alternative
E) Follow up and evaluate the results

Question 79

Jim wants to apply the rational decision-making process to a management problem he is facing.He has already recognized and defined the decision-making situation.What should he do next?

A) Select the best alternative
B) Identify alternatives
C) Evaluate alternatives
D) Implement the chosen alternative
E) Follow up and evaluate the results

Question 80

Two executives at Lexar Corp.are having a disagreement about the managerial skills needed by the person who will be hired to head up an important software development project.Executive A argues that the person must have strong technical skills and be very knowledgeable about the latest technology that is relevant for the project,but Executive B says that the person who heads up the project must first and foremost have strong conceptual skills.Which of the following statements is MOST similar to the reasoning employed by Executive A?

A) The technical requirements may change as the project develops.Because of that,a project leader should be chosen who is very versatile in terms of skills.
B) Since it is obvious that we have a lot of office furniture to move,we should get the largest truck possible.
C) Because the project that is planned requires both human relations and conceptual skills,we should hire two managers,one with strong human relations skills and one with strong conceptual skills.
D) If we choose a site for our sales conference that is close to our workplace we would save on travel costs,but some employees would probably prefer to travel to some exotic location that is far away.We can't meet both those goals,so let's focus on the goal that is easiest to accomplish.
E) We want the design of our new office building to impress visitors,but we can't possibly let that be the dominant factor in our decision since we only get a few visitors.So,we should save money by choosing an energy-efficient design for the building.