Deck 11: Strategy and Performance Excellence

Question 1

An iterative process in which senior management asks what lower levels of the organization can do,what they need,and what conflicts may arise can avoid many of the implementation problems that managers typically face.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Traditional organizations tend to develop structures that help them to maintain flexibility.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The second group of questions in the Baldrige Organizational Profile is listed under the heading "Organizational Environment."

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Catchball is an up,down,and sideways communication process as opposed to an autocratic,top-down management style.

Question 5

Strategic planning is the process of envisioning the organization's future and developing the necessary goals,objectives,and action plans to achieve that future.

Question 6

The term "management challenges" refers to those pressures that exert a decisive influence on an organization's likelihood of future success.

Question 7

An interrelationship digraph shows that every idea can be logically linked with more than one other idea at a time and allows for "linear thinking" rather than "lateral thinking."

Question 8

Effective strategy deployment is dependent upon,and tends to shape,organizational structure because the organizational structure must be aligned with and support the accomplishment of strategic initiatives.

Question 9

A key role of strategic planning is to align work processes and learning initiatives with an organization's strategic directions.

Question 10

The Seven Management and Planning Tools had their roots in post-World War II operations research developments in Japan,but were combined and refined by several U.S.companies over the past several decades as part of their planning processes.

Question 11

Mission statements typically includea definition of products and servicesthe organization provides,technologies used to provide these products and services,types of markets,important customer needs,and distinctive competencies or the expertisethat sets the firm apart from others.

Question 12

A strategy is a pattern or plan that integrates an organization's major goals,policies,and action sequences into a cohesive whole.

Question 13

Process decision program charts are spreadsheets that graphically display relationships between ideas,activities,or other dimensions in such a way as to provide logical connecting points between each item.

Question 14

Matrix data analysis takes data and arranges them to display quantitative relationships among variables to make them more easily understood and analyzed.

Question 15

The Organizational Profile provides the "finer picture" of the various organizational parts and thus sets the context for good strategic decisions.

Question 16

Mission is the pattern of decisions that determines and reveals an organization's goals,policies,and plans to meet the needs of its stakeholders.

Question 17

Strategic objectives are what an organization must change or improve to remain or become competitive.

Question 18

Strategic challenges frequently are driven by an organization's future competitive position relative to other providers of similar products or services.

Question 19

The use of arrow diagramming has generally been confined to technical experts.

Question 20

In the policy deployment process,employees negotiate with management the performance measures that are used to indicate progress toward accomplishing the objectives.

Question 21

With _____,top management is responsible for developing and communicating a vision,and then building organization-wide commitment to its achievement.

A)policy deployment
B)value development
C)mission development
D)quality deployment

Question 22

In policy deployment,the _____ process is called catchball.

A)negotiation
B)implementation
C)review
D)communication

Question 23

Outsourcing refers to the practice of transferring the operations of a business function to an outside supplier.

Question 24

One of the reasons for poor deployment of action plans is insufficient operational measures.Which of the following is a feature of this aspect?

A)New legislative mandates
B)Dedicating resources to make improvements or changes in those areas that are critical
C)Lack of changes resulting from new ventures
D)Insignificant innovations in products, services, and technology

Question 25

Effective implementation of a strategy is achieved through action plans.This is called _____.

A)deployment
B)installation
C)proactive implementation
D)strategic implementation

Question 26

According to the policy deployment process diagram,a catchball situation occurs between the _____ stage and the _____ stage.

A)corporate vision; long-term objectives
B)long-term objectives; midterm objectives
C)short-term objectives; policy deployment plan
D)policy deployment plan; plan approval

Question 27

Essentially,strategy deployment links the _____,who focus on "doing the right thing," with the _____,whose focus is on "doing things right."

A)management; employees
B)leaders; supervisors
C)innovators; coordinators
D)planners; doers

Question 28

An organization must address certain key practices to achieve a strategic focus on performance excellence.Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A)Gather and analyze relevant data and information pertaining to such factors as the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
B)Execute mergers and acquisitions, with an aim to expand business globally and to form coalitions and cartels to achieve the same
C)Understand the competitive environment, the principal factors that determine success, the organization's core competencies, and strategic challenges
D)Develop and refine a systematic approach for conducting strategic planning and setting strategic objectives

Question 29

In many cases,the decision to vertically integrate is based solely on costs without considering the impact on other business priorities.

Question 30

If everyone is able to answer the question,"What does strategy mean in terms that I can act on," which aspect of deployment will it address?

A)Lack of alignment across the organization
B)Improperly defined organizational goals
C)Misallocation of resources
D)Insufficient operational measures

Question 31

Japanese firms introduced a newer deployment process adapted by Japanese and American companies known as _____.

A)SWOT
B)hoshin planning
C)management by exception
D)management by objectives

Question 32

A _____ might include a definition of products and services an organization provides,technologies used to provide these products and services,types of markets,important customer needs,and distinctive competencies or the expertise that sets the firm apart from others.

A)strategy roadmap
B)mission statement
C)value statement
D)leadership statement

Question 33

Core competencies may involve technology expertise,unique service offerings,a marketplace niche,or a particular business acumen.

Question 34

In the line and staff form of organization structure,quality managers and inspectors may take on the role of guardians of quality.

Question 35

Which of the following is true of the policy deployment process?

A)The supervisory level has the primary responsibility of actively participating in generating strategies and action plans to attain a vision.
B)At the top management level, progressively more detailed and concrete means to accomplish the objectives are determined.
C)Employees negotiate the final short-term objectives with the implementation teams.
D)Middle management negotiates with senior management regarding the objectives that will achieve the strategies.

Question 36

A _____ statement articulates the basic characteristics that shape an organization's view of the future and its strategy.

A)value
B)mission
C)vision
D)leadership

Question 37

_____ set an organization's longer-term directions and guide resource allocation decisions.

A)Management values
B)Workforce principles
C)Core competencies
D)Strategic objectives

Question 38

_____ is essentially a quality-based approach to executing a strategy by ensuring that all employees understand the business direction and are working according to a plan to make the vision a reality.

A)Policy deployment
B)Mission development
C)Value development
D)Quality orientation

Question 39

In line and staff organizations,staff departments carry out the functions of marketing,finance,and production for the organization.

Question 40

_____ represents the critical stage in planning when strategic objectives and goals are made specific so that effective,organization-wide understanding and deployment are possible.

A)Mission statement development
B)Vision statement development
C)Action plan development
D)Operations planning and scheduling

Question 41

Which of the following is a proper description of a tree diagram?

A)A tool for organizing a large number of ideas, opinions, and facts relating to a broad problem or subject area
B)A method for mapping out every conceivable event and contingency that can occur when moving from a problem statement to possible solutions
C)A tool to take data and arrange them to display quantitative relationships among variables to make them more easily understood and analyzed
D)A tool to map out the paths and tasks necessary to complete a specific project or reach a specified goal

Question 42

The major drawback of the matrix-type organization is that it:

A)can be used only for project work.
B)requires split loyalty.
C)decreases the efficiency of personnel use.
D)decreases the coordination in a project work.

Question 43

The term "_____" refers to those pressures that exert a decisive influence on an organization's likelihood of future success.

A)systems
B)competencies
C)strategic challenges
D)strategic inertia

Question 44

The goal of _____ is to envision the future for purposes of decision making and resource allocation.

A)environmental assessment
B)strategy development
C)work systems
D)core competencies

Question 45

_____ coordinate the internal work processes and the external resources necessary to develop,produce,and deliver products and services to customers and to succeed in the marketplace.

A)Work systems
B)Operations scheduling systems
C)Organizational charts
D)Personnel management systems

Question 46

The _____ organization is the most prevalent type of structure for medium-sized to large firms.

A)line
B)line and staff
C)staff
D)matrix

Question 47

The clarification of authority,responsibility,reporting lines,and performance standards among individuals at each level of the organization is referred to as _____.

A)core competencies
B)the QID
C)organizational governance
D)the organizational structure

Question 48

In the policy deployment process,the _____ forms the basis for shorter-term planning.

A)operational plan
B)organizational objective
C)mission statement
D)long-term strategic plan

Question 49

In the context of the organization,which of the following is a factor that affects how work is organized?

A)Suppliers and partners
B)Competitiveness
C)Unionization of personnel
D)Customer influences

Question 50

Describe the Baldrige Organizational Profile.

Question 51

A firm purchasing a key supplier to strengthen its value chain is an example of _____.

A)collaboration
B)outsourcing
C)vertical integration
D)unrelated diversification

Question 52

All of the following are key factors included in an environmental assessment EXCEPT:

A)the organization's SWOT profile.
B)the workforce profile and future requirements.
C)the regulatory environment.
D)the long-term organizational sustainability.

Question 53

_____ is the process by which certain business functions are acquired and consolidated within a firm.

A)Acquisition
B)Outsourcing
C)Collaboration
D)Vertical integration

Question 54

Which of the following is a management and planning tool for organizing a large number of ideas,opinions,and facts relating to a broad problem or subject area?

A)Affinity diagram
B)Interrelationship diagraph
C)Matrix diagram
D)Process decision program chart

Question 55

An organization chart shows the _____ of the formal organization.

A)business model
B)apparent structure
C)competitive position
D)workforce distribution

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT considered in strategic human resource plans?

A)Redesign of the work organization to increase empowerment and decision-making or team-based participation
B)Partnerships with educational institutions to help ensure the future supply of well-prepared employees
C)Initiatives to foster knowledge sharing and organizational learning
D)Initiatives to reduce collective bargaining through union involvement

Question 57

Gary Hamel and C.K.Prahalad suggested that a core competency meets three conditions.Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A)It is difficult for competitors to imitate.
B)It contributes significantly to customer benefits.
C)It provides access to many products and markets.
D)It provides focus to the organizational objectives.

Question 58

Why are action plans important in strategy deployment?

Question 59

Decisions about work systems are _____.

A)operational
B)strategic
C)customer-focused
D)administrative

Question 60

Which of the following is an advantage of the matrix type of organizations?

A)It is a one-size-fits-all quality organization.
B)It improves the efficiency of personnel use.
C)The division of loyalty is especially advantageous in a quality assurance area.
D)It is especially suited for small and medium firms.

Question 61

What are core competencies? Describe its characteristics.

Question 62

What simple fact could help explain the rapid growth,holistic use,and impressive results of Six Sigma at Cigna?

Question 63

In Cigna's Holistic Six Sigma Model,_____ solves root cause problems to optimize existing processes.?a.hoshin kanri?b.kaizen?c.DMAIC?d.DFSS

Question 64

How does Six Sigma help Cigna improve quality and productivity?

Question 65

The challenges of the huge cost of care and quality of care facing the U.S.health care industry have led Cigna managers to wonder whether they could extend its improvement methodology to the industry as a whole.What are some of the key challenges in the U.S.health care marketplace?

Question 66

What are the factors that affect how work is organized in the context of an organization?

Question 67

What are the steps in the Branch-Smith strategic planning process?

Question 68

Which of the following is a key challenge of the U.S.health care marketplace?

A)A shift away from value-based models of health care toward a performance-based system
B)Demographic changes that necessitate the need for more care availability
C)The decreasing number of Americans who use emergency rooms for primary care because they lack health insurance
D)Rising consumer expectations curtailed by greater transparency of quality

Question 69

As part of its strategic planning process,managers at Cigna learn what behaviors are required to ensure effectiveness.Discuss.

Question 70

What are the Seven Management and Planning Tools?

Question 71

What are the five strategic imperatives of Cigna?

Question 72

Discuss the strategic planning process used by Cigna.

Question 73

What is the mission statement of Branch-Smith Printing Division?

A)To provide expert solutions for publishers
B)To market leading business results through an expert team providing turnkey solutions to customer partners
C)To continuously improve results for all stakeholders through the application of its Innovating Excellence Process
D)To become the industry leader and achieve superior growth and market share

Question 74

In Cigna's Holistic Six Sigma Model,tactical execution through _____ refers to an accelerated process streamlining event.

A)DMAIC
B)hoshin kanri
C)kaizen
D)DFSS

Question 75

When Six Sigma was launched at Cigna,leadership made it clear the approach would _____.?a.focus exclusively on productivity improvement
B)focus on health insurance?c.be innovation?d.be holistic

Question 76

What is the strategic planning process of Branch-Smith Printing Division?

Question 77

What is Branch-Smith Printing Division's vision statement?

A)The objective of the Branch-Smith Printing Division is to provide expert solutions for publishers.
B)Market leading business results through an expert team providing turnkey solutions to customer partners.
C)Our single focus will continue to be helping customers all over the world succeed in their businesses.
D)Branch-Smith Printing will seek to continuously improve results for all stakeholders through the application of its Innovating Excellence Process.

Question 78

What is the quality policy of Branch-Smith Printing Division?

A)Our single focus will continue to be helping customers all over the world succeed in their businesses.
B)Market leading business results through an expert team providing turnkey solutions to customer partners.
C)Branch-Smith Printing will seek to continuously improve results for all stakeholders through the application of its Innovating Excellence Process.
D)The objective of the Branch-Smith Printing Division is to provide expert solutions for publishers.