Deck 6: Understanding the Management Process

Question 1

The term "satisfice" describes solutions that managers choose that may only adequately solve a problem.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Common names for top-level managers are vice president, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Making a successful sales presentation or holding an effective press conference takes quality communication skills.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

As a manager carries out his or her functions, the first step is to control, the second is to organize, and the third is to plan.

Question 5

The effectiveness of a total quality management program is directly related to top management's commitment to its success.

Question 6

Goals are established for only one year at a time.

Question 7

In a SWOT analysis, opportunities are considered external to the organization.

Question 8

Of the three styles of leadership, the most effective is the participative style.

Question 9

The cost of implementing a total quality management program normally results in lower returns on sales and investments.

Question 10

Most organizations use four types of resources: material, human, financial, and informational.

Question 11

Top managers rely a great deal on technical skills.

Question 12

Managerial decision making involves a four-step process that begins with generating alternatives and ends with selecting an alternative.

Question 13

The primary functions a manager performs include planning, solving problems, leading and motivating, and controlling.

Question 14

Foreign competition, poor financial performance, and more demanding customers have encouraged businesses to place more emphasis on quality.

Question 15

An interpersonal role is one in which the manager must either gather or provide information.

Question 16

Controlling is the process of evaluating and regulating ongoing activities to ensure achievement of goals.

Question 17

Nearly all experts and academics in the field of leadership agree that a participative leadership style is the best within an American organization.

Question 18

Conceptual skills refer to the ability to deal effectively with other people, both inside and outside the organization.

Question 19

Decision making involves identifying the problem or opportunity, generating alternatives, selecting an alternative, and implementing and evaluating the solution.

Question 20

A broad set of plans that outlines alternative courses of action when problems develop is called a strategy.

Question 21

Financial managers create and manage the systems that convert resources into goods and services.

Question 22

Achieving a balance between competing and conflicting goals is called optimization.

Question 23

Middle managers are generally responsible for developing an organization's mission.

Question 24

Dell Computer attempts to earn a profit by manufacturing premium-quality computers. This action represents its mission.

Question 25

The four basic management functions are planning, organizing, leading and motivating, and controlling.

Question 26

A manager with strong conceptual skills is able to think well in concrete terms.

Question 27

Organizing is the process of grouping resources and activities efficiently and effectively to accomplish an end result.

Question 28

An aspect of the strategic planning process is to allocate resources to achieve an organization's goals and objectives.

Question 29

Core competencies of an organization are the aspects that a company performs well.

Question 30

Goals are set only for top-level management.

Question 31

Common titles for first-line managers include department managers and operations managers.

Question 32

Over the last few years, most U.S. firms have regained the dominant competitive positions they had previously held.

Question 33

The process of establishing an organization's major goals and objectives and allocating the resources to achieve them is called tactical planning.

Question 34

Top managers probably make up the largest group of managers in most organizations.

Question 35

A plan is an outline of the actions by which the organization intends to accomplish its goals and objectives.

Question 36

Technical skills are more important to the first-line manager than to other managers.

Question 37

First-line managers spend most of their time working with and motivating their employees, answering questions, and solving daily problems.

Question 38

Certain techniques can help generate creative alternatives, but those techniques do not include brainstorming.

Question 39

Formal leaders have legitimate power that is based on their position within the organization.

Question 40

The first step in benchmarking is to identify the objectives.

Question 41

Management is the process of coordinating people and other resources.

Question 42

Gary Downs recently has noticed that the plant he is managing is delivering only 30 percent of its products on time. To determine what is causing the problem, he assembles the various department heads and the plant supervisor to get their input on the matter. Although the ultimate responsibility is his, he has no difficulty in delegating decision-making authority to any member of this group. This style of leadership suggests that Gary is a(n) ____ leader.

A)participative
B)authoritative
C)autocratic
D)passive
E)dependent

Question 43

The ability to write and speak effectively within an organization is an example of interpersonal skills.

Question 44

Common titles for middle managers are office managers and supervisors.

Question 45

Improved customer satisfaction can include developing good working relationships with suppliers, developing self-managed work teams, and improving quality of employee work.

Question 46

In the entrepreneurial style of leadership in an organization, leaders take responsibility for the success or failure of their firm.

Question 47

When Robert Keening became the president of Snow Bird Airlines, he began meeting with groups of employees to get their opinions on how to turn around the airline's declining sales. This part of the decision-making process is an example of

A)Keening's leadership style.
B)trying to reach consensus.
C)identifying the problem.
D)generating alternatives.
E)selecting an alternative.

Question 48

Strengths and weaknesses are the external factors of a company SWOT analysis.

Question 49

Specific skills needed to accomplish specialized activities such as drafting and welding are known as ____ skills.

A)standard operating
B)tactical
C)interpersonal
D)conceptual
E)technical

Question 50

An organization's tactical plan is its broadest set of plans developed as a guide for major policy setting and decision making.

Question 51

The control function includes three steps: setting standards, measuring performance, and recycling the system.

Question 52

The ability to see the big picture is at the heart of a manager's interpersonal skills.

Question 53

In the last stage of the decision-making process, managers may decide to

A)strengthen supplier relationships.
B)start the problem identification process all over again.
C)ensure customer satisfaction.
D)continue quality improvement.
E)hand the monitoring task to another manager.

Question 54

Grant is a division manager for a large chemical company. He frequently works to implement the strategies set by the CEO and supervises the activities of the supervisors under him. Grant is a ____ manager.

A)top
B)middle
C)front-line
D)first-line
E)financial

Question 55

Middle managers occupy the management level that falls between the operating employees and first-line managers.

Question 56

Accounting and investments are specialized areas within financial management.

Question 57

Centrum Springs, Inc.
Riley has worked for Centrum Springs, Inc., for many years and has now been given the opportunity to advance in the company. His manager is retiring and hopes that Riley will take over for him. However, even though Riley is an experienced employee, there are many things that he still needs to learn. Riley has trained many new employees, but he has never held a management position. Riley needs to have a general understanding of what it takes to be a manager.
There are many problems in Riley's department. There are no plans to fall back on in case the initial plan fails. Riley also will need to learn how to direct people in such a way that makes them want to do more than they absolutely have to. Riley feels that this is a great opportunity, and he is anxious to learn everything to be a great manager. He knows that if he performs well in this position, he will have the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder.
Refer to Centrum Springs, Inc. The different resources available to all managers include all of the following except

A)material.
B)competitors.
C)financial.
D)human.
E)information.

Question 58

Common job titles associated with ____ management include president, vice president, and chief executive officer.

A)first-line
B)middle
C)top
D)executive
E)functional

Question 59

Operations managers are concerned strictly with the production of goods, not services.

Question 60

Middle managers implement the strategy developed by top management.

Question 61

Dazzle Magazine
Rosalea recently switched careers. Previously, she was a college professor, but she felt she needed more real-world experience to help her business students more fully. She became a manager at Dazzle Magazine, where she was in charge of the layout. Always open to new ways of doing things, Rosalea let her staff implement their ideas at times. Rosalea learned firsthand the different roles she had to play as a manager.
It always got stressful when the publication deadline neared. At one point, there was a major mix-up in the layouts for the front cover. Rosalea was not sure of the correct layout because she had allowed one of her employees, Joseph, to modify and run with his idea on this matter. However, she could not ask for Joseph's help with the covers because he happened to be out of town at the tim
She decided to ask the design manager for her help. The design manager did not feel comfortable making a decision on the issue, so she did not give Rosalea an answer. Rosalea then went to an employee within her department for advic
Refer to Dazzle Magazine. The graduate student's assistance represents which step of the decision-making process?

A)Evaluate solution
B)Generate many alternatives
C)Identify problem and opportunity
D)Select alternative
E)Implement solution

Question 62

​Lower operating costs and higher return on sales and on investments are the benefits of

A)​total quality management (TQM).
B)​communication skills.
C)​technical skill development.
D)​financial oversight.

Question 63

Jack is reviewing the recently implemented sales strategy the company developed and considering whether or not the company made the right decision. Jack is in the ____ stage of the managerial decision-making process.

A)adopting a different alternative
B)identifying the problem or opportunity
C)selecting an alternative
D)implementing and evaluating the solution
E)generating alternatives

Question 64

If Southwest Airlines closely evaluates the products and processes of United Airlines with the intent of improving quality among their own products and practices, Southwest is using

A)SWOT analysis.
B)long-term strategy.
C)partnering strategy.
D)benchmarking.
E)goal establishment.

Question 65

​Total quality management (TQM) has several components, but ___ is not one of them.

A)​continuous supervision of employees
B)​employee participation
C)​customer satisfaction
D)​continuous quality improvement

Question 66

Dazzle Magazine
Rosalea recently switched careers. Previously, she was a college professor, but she felt she needed more real-world experience to help her business students more fully. She became a manager at Dazzle Magazine, where she was in charge of the layout. Always open to new ways of doing things, Rosalea let her staff implement their ideas at times. Rosalea learned firsthand the different roles she had to play as a manager.
It always got stressful when the publication deadline neared. At one point, there was a major mix-up in the layouts for the front cover. Rosalea was not sure of the correct layout because she had allowed one of her employees, Joseph, to modify and run with his idea on this matter. However, she could not ask for Joseph's help with the covers because he happened to be out of town at the tim
She decided to ask the design manager for her help. The design manager did not feel comfortable making a decision on the issue, so she did not give Rosalea an answer. Rosalea then went to an employee within her department for advic
Refer to Dazzle Magazine. Now that Rosalea has real-world experience, she understands more than ever that certain skills are needed for any manager's success. These skills include all of the following except

A)oral communication skills.
B)written communication skills.
C)analytic skills.
D)corporate behavior skills.
E)conceptual skills.

Question 67

Shane does not specialize in a particular function; instead, he provides overall guidance and leadership for the company. Shane is an administrative or ____ manager.

A)marketing
B)first-line
C)general
D)operations
E)human resources

Question 68

A certain chicken company decides that it will become the market leader in the poultry business in five years with a 40 percent share of the market. This statement would be classified as a(n)

A)objective.
B)mission.
C)strategy.
D)operational plan.
E)goal.

Question 69

Managers who create and manage systems that convert resources into goods and services are known as ____ managers.

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

Question 70

All of the following are reasons for a greater focus on quality by U.S. firms except

A)competition from foreign firms.
B)customers that are more demanding.
C)unpredictability on Wall Street.
D)poorer financial performance.
E)reduced market share.

Question 71

A manager responsible for facilitating the exchange of products between an organization and its customers through distribution and advertising is known as a(n) ____ manager.

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

Question 72

Frank Roberts recently has been named to head a major manufacturing plant at Dow Chemical. The plant has had significant increases in inventory and declines in net income over the past two years. Frank's task is to eliminate the excess inventory and return the plant to its previous level of profitability. To begin solving this problem, Frank invites suggestions from line workers, gathers managers from various levels of the plant to brainstorm, and talks with experts in the field of operations management. This step in the managerial decision-making process is known as

A)identifying the problem.
B)generating alternatives.
C)selecting an alternative.
D)implementing a solution.
E)performance measurement.

Question 73

Coordinating people and the other resources of an organization to achieve the goals of the organization is the process of

A)management.
B)planning.
C)organizing.
D)directing.
E)leading.

Question 74

Which of the following is a TQM tool?

A)Organizing
B)Leading
C)Benchmarking
D)Planning
E)SWOT analysis

Question 75

American Airlines has established a goal of increasing its profits by 12 percent next year. To ensure that the goal is reached, management monitors profits on a monthly basis. After three months, if profits have not increased by 3 percent, management will take corrective action to get the company on track. By doing so, management is carrying out its ____ function(s).

A)planning
B)leading and motivating
C)goal-setting and planning
D)organizing
E)controlling

Question 76

An outline of the actions an organization intends to take to accomplish its goals and objectives is called its

A)policy.
B)plan.
C)organization function.
D)mission.
E)control function.

Question 77

Although Frank is not in top management, he is charismatic and well liked by others in his organization. Other employees often look to Frank to see how he reacts to new policies implemented by top management, and they follow his lead. Frank has ____ leadership in his organization.

A)personal
B)formal
C)informational
D)unofficial
E)informal

Question 78

Revenues, proceeds from stock sales, and loans from banks are ____ resources for Sears.

A)financial
B)material
C)informational
D)monetary
E)human

Question 79

Lawyers, accountants, and engineers are ____ resources of Microsoft.

A)informational
B)non-revenue-producing
C)material
D)human
E)financial

Question 80

Alex notices that sales of the company's best products are declining. He gathers together his sales staff to generate solutions to the decline in sales. He encourages all the participants to generate as many new ideas as possible and forbids anyone from criticizing or ridiculing the ideas of others. Alex is using

A)Blast! Then Refine.
B)trial and error.
C)generation.
D)group think.
E)brainstorming.