Deck 1: Introduction to Management

Question 1

"How does the competitive landscape shape the potential for success or failure?" Which of the following pillars of management addresses this question?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design and structure
C) Individual leadership
D) Shareholder value

Answer 1

A

Question 2

According to the _____ view of the firm,the job of top managers was to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets.

A) managerial
B) stakeholder
C) contingent
D) shareholder

Answer 2

D

Question 3

John is a top executive in an organization.He is involved in developing and improving the organization's strategy by working along with other senior executives.From this scenario,it can be inferred that John uses _____ of management.

A) technical skills
B) conceptual skills
C) interpersonal skills
D) behavioral skills

Answer 3

B

Question 4

After hiring a consultant,a senior management team realized that the organizations's structure did not enable proper usage of its resources and the culture was not reinforcing employee performance.Which of the following pillars of management has the organization failed to consider?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design
C) Individual leadership
D) Organizational climate

Question 5

Harry,a top manager of an organization,clearly differentiated the tasks and responsibilities of his employees.Moreover,he emphasized that top level executives should do the planning and the lower level executives should execute those plans.Identify the management technique used by Harry.

A) Bureaucratic organization structure
B) Human relations movement
C) Scientific management
D) Contingent view

Question 6

The factor that distinguishes leadership from management is that:

A) leadership focuses on planning and budgeting.
B) leadership is the act of working with people to accomplish a desired goal.
C) leadership involves budgeting,controlling and staffing resources.
D) leadership is the ability to drive change through motivation.

Question 7

Which of the following questions is addressed by the organizational perspective of management?

A) How should a business compete?
B) How will performance be measured?
C) What strategy will allow a firm to adapt as the context evolves?
D) How do managers use power and influence?

Question 8

_____ is a business framework that attempts to organize and analyze multiple groups that interact with the firm.

A) Stakeholder view
B) Contingent view
C) Shareholder view
D) Managerial view

Question 9

The factor that distinguishes human relations movement from scientific management is that human relations movement:

A) focuses on how jobs could be designed to improve productivity.
B) emphasized the importance of informal social relations at work.
C) views the firm as a machine and the manager as a machine operator.
D) shifted emphasis from the social side of the firm to the output of the firm.

Question 10

Through _____,senior leaders of a corporation meet with business unit managers to assess progress toward specific goals.

A) contingency planning
B) scientific management
C) strategic review process
D) scenario building

Question 11

Which of the following statements about the three pillars of management is true?

A) The interaction between the three pillars of management is a linear process.
B) The strategic perspective involves developing and aligning the organizational components to achieve strategic objectives.
C) The interplay of strategy,organizational design,and individual action operates within a broad contextual landscape.
D) Individual leadership addresses the impact of globalization on competitive positioning of a business.

Question 12

The first step of stakeholder mapping process involves:

A) identifying specific subgroups within each stakeholder.
B) mapping all of the stakeholder relationships with the firm.
C) determining stakes for each stakeholder.
D) mapping connections between various stakeholders.

Question 13

Which of the following is the most important skill of a middle manager?

A) Technical skills to earn credibility of his/her team
B) Interpersonal skills such as motivating and developing teams
C) Setting vision and objectives for the organization
D) Conceptual skills for developing organization's strategy

Question 14

Which of the following refers to the systematic assessment of the external environment to prepare for a possible range of alternative futures for the organization?

A) Scenario building
B) Trend analysis
C) Contingency planning
D) Environmental scanning

Question 15

Which of the following individuals is a best example of a frontline supervisor?

A) A person who,along with other senior executives,develops the organization's strategy using conceptual skills
B) A person who develops and motivates his team using interpersonal skills
C) A person who focuses on technical issues to ensure that operations are running smoothly
D) A person who sets the vision and objectives of an organization

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the managerial view on the purpose of business?

A) A business framework where the job of top managers is to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets
B) A business framework that attempts to organize and analyze multiple groups that interact with the firm
C) A business framework where organizational structure is based on fit between the organization and various aspects in its environment
D) A business framework where the firm is seen as a mechanism for converting raw materials into products to sell to customers

Question 17

Forecasting the likely result that might occur when several events and stakeholders are linked together is known as _____.

A) strategic review process
B) environmental scanning
C) scenario building
D) contingency planning

Question 18

According to the contingent view:

A) organizations must be understood as systems of interdependent human beings.
B) jobs must be designed to improve productivity using industrial engineering methods.
C) coordination should take place through a strict hierarchy of authority.
D) the organization's structure should fit the firm's environment.

Question 19

Z-Gadget organizations often face opposition when they go into a community to open a new Z-Gadget store.One reason for this is that the management of Z-Gadget has been accused of unethical acts such as discriminating against women and minorities.The top manager's poor treatment of women and minority employees might be considered a failure with respect to what area of management?

A) Strategic positioning
B) Organizational design
C) Individual leadership
D) Shareholder value

Question 20

Which of the following statements best describes scientific management?

A) It focuses on how jobs,work,and incentive schemes could be designed to improve productivity using industrial engineering methods.
B) It involves a clear differentiation of tasks and responsibilities among individuals and coordination through a strict hierarchy of authority and decision rights.
C) It holds the belief that organizations must be understood as systems of interdependent human beings who share a common interest in the survival and effective functioning of the firm.
D) It is a view of the firm where effective organizational structure is based on fit or alignment between the organization and various aspects in its environment.

Question 21

A stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of an organization's purpose.

Question 22

The interaction between the formulation of strategy,the design of the organization,and the leadership of the firm is a linear process.

Question 23

Fine Electronics,a manufacturing company,plans to secure new suppliers in Rhodia.Therefore,the manager of the company and his executives visit Rhodia to better understand its culture and explore opportunities.This shows that the manager of Fine Electronics is using _____ to make strategic changes.

A) technical skills
B) contingency approach
C) contextual intelligence
D) scientific management

Question 24

To be successful,organizations need to develop and nurture managers and leaders throughout the organization,not just at the top.

Question 25

Managerial view is a business framework where the job of top managers is to produce the highest possible stock market valuation of the firm's assets.

Question 26

Bureaucratic organization structure involves vertical separation of planning and execution so that plans are made in the upper ranks of an organization and executed in the lower.

Question 27

Managers generally face lesser uncertainty when many contextual forces impact an industry and when these same forces are constantly changing.

Question 28

Define business environment and discuss the changing perspectives on the purpose of business.

Question 29

Which of the following best describes environmental scanning?

A) Forecasting and scanning the likely result that might occur when several events and stakeholders are linked together
B) A tool where key variables are monitored and modeled to help predict a change that might occur in the environment
C) The ability to understand the impact of environmental factors on a firm and the ability to understand how to influence those same factors
D) A tool that managers use to scan the business horizon for key events and trends that will affect the business in the future

Question 30

Differentiate between management and leadership.

Question 31

Henry,a manager of an automobile company,wants to know about the influence of various environmental factors on his organization and its stakeholders.He needs an appropriate tool to carry out this function,which in turn will help him predict stakeholder response.Which of the following tools will best serve this purpose?

A) Stakeholder mapping
B) Scientific management
C) Strategic positioning
D) Trend analysis

Question 32

Conceptual skills consume more of a top executive's time,while technical skills are more important for new employees and frontline supervisors.

Question 33

Describe the three pillars of management.

Question 34

With regard to managing uncertainty,high uncertainty requires:

A) less vigilance of contextual forces and less adaptation.
B) stronger vigilance of contextual forces and less adaptation.
C) less vigilance of contextual forces and more adaptation.
D) stronger vigilance of contextual forces and more adaptation.

Question 35

Which of the following is a significant factor in building contextual intelligence?

A) Developing appreciation and awareness of history
B) Emphasizing the importance of informal social relations at work
C) Converting raw materials into products to sell to customers
D) Developing standardized rules and procedures

Question 36

Frontline supervisors in an organization tend to focus on tasks such as financial reporting,planning,recruiting of talent,and team development.

Question 37

Management is defined as the ability to drive change and innovation through inspiration and motivation.

Question 38

Define stakeholder.What are the steps involved in stakeholder mapping?

Question 39

Briefly discuss the human relations movement.

Question 40

The human relations movement emphasized the importance of informal social relations at work.