Deck 11: Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Promote Good Strategy Execution

Question 1

From a strategy-implementing/strategy-executing perspective,operating budget allocations should:

A) primarily be based on the number of new strategic initiatives being implemented in each operating department.
B) be based on the number of people employed in each of the divisions.
C) be strategy-driven and be based on how much each organizational unit needs to carry out its piece of the strategic plan efficiently and effectively.
D) be linked to the costs of performing value chain activities as determined by benchmarking against best-in-industry competitors.
E) depend on how much stretch there is in each department's objectives and what additional resources are needed to help reach these performance targets.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

A) Placing limits on independent behavior channels individual and group efforts along a path more conducive to executing the strategy.
B) Providing top-down guidance to operating managers,supervisory personnel,and employees regarding how things need to be done and what behavior is expected.
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 of effort in how particular activities are performed in geographically scattered organization units.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Managers charged with implementing and executing strategy need to be deeply involved in the budgeting and resource allocation process because:

A) too little funding deprives organizational units of the necessary resources to execute their piece of the strategic plan while too much funding wastes organizational resources and reduces financial performance.
B) a change in strategy nearly always calls for budget reallocations and resource shifting.
C) without major budget reallocations there is little chance that desired core competencies and organizational capabilities will emerge.
D) lean,carefully managed budgets protect the company's financial condition and eliminate the wasteful use of cash.
E) All of these.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

A useful guideline in designing strategy-facilitating policies and operating procedures is:

A) to prescribe enough policies to give organizational members clear direction in implementing strategy and to place reasonable boundaries on their actions.This then empowers them to act within these boundaries in pursuit of company goals.
B) that strictly enforced policies work better than loosely enforced policies.
C) that more policies/procedures work better than fewer policies/procedures,and that strict enforcement always beats lax enforcement.
D) to let individuals act in an empowered and self-directed way,subject only to the constraint that their actions and behavior be ethical and in step with the corporate culture.
E) to prescribe enough policies and procedures that little is left to chance in performing value chain activities,and employees should have no leeway to do things in a manner that deviates from the company's best-practices standard.

Question 5

Merely fine-tuning the execution of a company's existing strategy normally requires that companies embrace:

A) big shifts of resources from one area to another.
B) a larger allocation of resources to the effort.
C) trimming costs and shifting resources to activities that have a higher priority.
D) a high degree of creativity in finding ways to find and reduce cost reductions (ways to do less with less)and reallocating those resource costs to other areas.
E) All of these.

Question 6

Visible actions to reallocate operating funds and move people into different and new organizational units:

A) can be dysfunctional in trying to implement a new strategy because of the anxiety and insecurity that big changes in budgets cause among company personnel.
B) signal a determined commitment to strategic change and can help catalyze and give credibility to the implementation process.
C) run the risk of inadvertently creating barriers to building the needed competencies and capabilities.
D) tend to impede the task of empowering employees and shifting to new,more strategy-supportive culture.
E) are rarely necessary in implementing a new strategy unless the new strategy entails a radically different set of value chain activities.

Question 7

A company's operating budget must be both:

A) strategy-driven in order to amply fund the performance of key value chain activities and lean in order to operate as cost effectively as possible.
B) risk-averse,so as not to run the risk of inadvertently creating barriers to building the needed competencies and capabilities,and best practices-driven to drive continuous improvement.
C) employee-driven to gain commitment to strengthening the company's core competencies and competitive capabilities and profit-driven to ensure adequate financial resource allocations.
D) action-driven in order to reflect a sense of activity and lean in order to operate efficiently.
E) All of these.

Question 8

A "best practice":

A) is a method of performing an activity or business process that at least one company has demonstrated works particularly well in terms of delivering some highly positive operating outcome.
B) refers to the best-known procedure for performing a specific task or activity so as to achieve the lowest possible costs.
C) refers to performing activities in a manner that conforms to established industry standards.
D) refers to a company's core competence.
E) refers to performing a particular value chain activity in "world-class" fashion (one unmatched by any other company in the world).

Question 9

New strategies often entail budget reallocations because:

A) revamping the performance of value chain activities can be costly.
B) the accompanying policy revisions and compensation incentives tend to require different levels of funding than before.
C) business units important in the prior strategy but having a lesser role in the new strategy may need downsizing,while units and activities that now have a bigger and more critical strategic role may need more people,new equipment,additional facilities,and above-average increases in their operating budgets.
D) empowering employees to carry out the new strategy elements and shifting to a total quality management type of culture to build skills in competent strategy execution typically require substantial new funding and budget revisions.
E) adopting best practices and pushing for continuous improvement tends to reduce costs and reduce overall resource requirements.

Question 10

What do companies need to do (in prescribing policies and procedures)to promote the creation of a favorable work climate that facilitates independent action on the part of empowered employees for good strategy execution?

A) Give organization members clear direction and place reasonable boundaries on their actions.
B) Empower employees to act within the company's set boundaries in pursuit of company goals.
C) Allow company personnel to act with some defined degree of freedom,especially when individual creativity and initiative are more essential to good strategy execution than standardization and strict conformity.
D) Institute policies that give employees substantial leeway to carry out activities the way they think best.
E) All of these.

Question 11

Prescribing new policies and operating procedures can aid the task of implementing strategy:

A) provided they promote greater use of and commitment to best practices and total quality management.
B) because really effective internal policies and procedures are not easily duplicated by other firms.
C) because astutely conceived policies or procedures can result in competitive advantage.
D) by helping align the actions and behavior of company personnel with the requirements for good strategy execution,placing limits on independent action and helping overcome resistance to change.
E) by making it easier to impose tight budget controls and avoid wasting scarce resources.

Question 12

The idea behind benchmarking and best practices is to:

A) identify which companies are the best performers of a strategically relevant activity and then copy their methods exactly.
B) search the world for a company that performs a strategically relevant task or value chain activity at the lowest possible cost and then use business process reengineering techniques to try to meet or beat the costs of the world's low-cost performer of that activity.
C) perform each activity in the industry value chain according to standard industry practice and then regularly benchmark the company's performance to see if it is actually achieving the industry standard.
D) identify companies that are the best performers of an activity and then "adapt" their practices to fit the company's own specific circumstances and operating requirements.
E) determine whether a company has a "world-class" value chain.

Question 13

In what ways do well-conceived policies and operating procedures facilitate strategy execution?

A) They provide top-down guidance regarding how things are to be done.
B) They help ensure consistency in how execution-critical activities are performed.
C) They promote the creation of a work climate that facilitates good strategy execution.
D) They channel individual and group efforts along a strategy-supportive path.
E) All of these.

Question 14

Company managers can significantly advance the cause of superior strategy execution by doing all of the following,EXCEPT:

A) employing best practices methods and using process management tools to drive continuous improvement in how internal operations are conducted.
B) adopting benchmarking of the company's operating activities and business processes against "best-in-industry" and "best in world" performers.
C) adopting "best-in-company" operating activities and processes when a company's various organizational units are performing the same functions differently.
D) instituting operating practices that generate economies of scale and scope with current value chain activities.
E) develop performance yardsticks for judging effectiveness and efficiency for particular value chain activities and business processes deemed strategically critical.

Question 15

The backbone of the process of identifying,studying,and implementing best practices is:

A) business process reengineering.
B) a corporate culture that has a core value of operating excellence.
C) benchmarking.
D) Six Sigma quality control techniques.
E) the innovative application of TQM techniques.

Question 16

Prescribing policies and operating procedures aids the task of implementing strategy by:

A) helping ensure that worker eligibility for incentive bonuses is measured consistently and awarded fairly.
B) fostering the use of best practices,TQM,Six Sigma,and continuous improvement efforts.
C) acting as a powerful lever for changing employee attitudes about the need for a different incentive and reward system.
D) helping build employee commitment to strengthening the company's core competencies and competitive capabilities.
E) placing limits on ineffective independent action.They also channel efforts of individuals along a path more conducive to good strategy execution and operating excellence.

Question 17

A company's ability to marshal adequate resources in support of new strategic initiatives and steer them to the appropriate organizational units is important to the strategy execution process because:

A) changes in strategy often require resource reallocation,and organizational units need the proper funding to carry out their part of the strategic plan effectively and efficiently.
B) accurate budgets are the key to exercising tight financial controls over what organization units can and cannot do in carrying out management's directives to execute the chosen strategy proficiently.
C) tight budget control is management's most powerful tool for first-rate strategy execution.
D) lean,carefully managed budgets protect the company's financial condition and eliminate the wasteful use of cash.
E) lean,strictly enforced budgets are management's best and most used means of getting organizational units to exercise the fiscal discipline needed to execute the chosen strategy in a cost-efficient manner.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a tool that managers can use to promote operating excellence and further the cause of good strategy execution?

A) Benchmarking and the adoption of best demonstrated practices.
B) Business process reengineering.
C) Strategic resource training.
D) TQM and Six Sigma quality control techniques.
E) Activity-based costing.

Question 19

A "best practice" refers to:

A) a policy or procedure that is unusually effective.
B) a method of performing an activity or business process that consistently delivers superior results compared to other approaches and that at least one company has demonstrated works particularly well in terms of delivering operating excellence.
C) performing a strategy-critical activity in a fashion that results in sustainable competitive advantage.
D) performing a value chain activity that is a company's distinctive competence.
E) a particular value chain activity that management has given top priority to performing in world-class fashion.

Question 20

Which one of the following is NOT a tool that company managers can use to promote operating excellence in performing value chain activities?

A) Utilize benchmarking.
B) Adapt best practices.
C) Install TQM and/or Six Sigma quality control techniques.
D) Undertake business process reengineering.
E) Adopt standard industry techniques.

Question 21

Without a strategic framework,managers lack the context in which:

A) to fix things that really matter to business-unit performance and competitive success.
B) to carry out company-wide goals related to the dynamics of a single business model.
C) to employ the company's resources in the pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage.
D) to communicateaspirations for the company.
E) to analyze the emerging market opportunities more precisely.

Question 22

Which one of the following statements about total quality management (TQM)is false?

A) TQM aims at instilling enthusiasm and commitment to doing things right from the top to the bottom of the organization.
B) TQM produces significant results very quickly,with very little benefit emerging after the first six months.
C) TQM doctrine preaches that there's no such thing as "good enough" and that everyone has a responsibility to participate in continuous improvement.
D) Effective use of TQM entails creating a corporate culture bent on continuously improving the performance of every task and every value chain activity.
E) Total quality management (TQM)is a philosophy of managing a set of business practices that emphasizes continuous improvement in all phases of operations,100 percent accuracy in performing tasks,involvement and empowerment of employees at all levels,team-based work design,benchmarking,and total customer satisfaction.

Question 23

Reengineering how a firm performs a business process:

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 that is in charge of the whole process and can be held accountable for performing the activity in a cheaper,better,and/or more strategy-supportive fashion.
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 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 24

Total quality management (TQM):

A) entails creating a total quality culture that strives for continuously improving the performance of every value chain activity and is driven by a philosophy of managing a set of business practices: 100 percent accuracy in performing tasks (zero defects),involvement and empowerment of employees at all levels,team-based work design,benchmarking,and total customer satisfaction.
B) is a valuable tool for helping company managers identify what the best practice is for performing a particular activity at a high level of quality.
C) works best when used in conjunction with Six Sigma quality control techniques.
D) is an excellent tool for reengineering business processes and making quantum gains in the efficiency and effectiveness with which the processes are performed.
E) is a philosophy of doing things that aims at mistake-free management of a company's entire business.

Question 25

Six Sigma programs:

A) utilize advanced statistical methods to improve quality by reducing defects and variability in the performance of business processes.
B) consist of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 2.5 defects per million iterations for a manufacturing or assembly process.
C) are based on three principles: (1)all work is a statistically controllable process;(2)no well-controlled process allows variability;and (3)defect-free work requires tight statistical controls.
D) suggest that all activities can be controlled,employee empowerment is the best control tool,and 100 percent control is possible.
E) All of these.

Question 26

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

A) All activities can be controlled,employee empowerment is the best control tool,and 100 percent 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 percent control is possible;and every well-controlled process is defect-free.
E) Most business processes are subject to control;Six Sigma can totally remove variability in how processes are performed;and most defects can be eliminated.

Question 27

To obtain maximum benefits from benchmarking,best practices,reengineering,TQM,and Six Sigma programs aimed at facilitating better strategy execution,managers need to:

A) start with a clear idea of what specific outcomes really matter,such as a Six Sigma defect rate or superior customer satisfaction,and then build a total quality culture that is genuinely committed to achieving these outcomes.
B) have annual contests to see which part of the company is making the greatest strides in approaching operating excellence.
C) strive for 100 percent control over the variability in how each and every value chain activity is performed.
D) have at least 50 percent of company personnel earn "green belts" in Six Sigma techniques.
E) build core competencies in TQM,Six Sigma,benchmarking,best practices adoption,and business process reengineering.

Question 28

Because functional organization structures often result in pieces of strategically relevant activities and capabilities being scattered across many different functional departments,companies have found that:

A) it is necessary to give these functional departments the freedom to collaborate closely with each other to achieve the desired degree of coordination.
B) it is necessary to outsource those activities that are fragmented to strategic partners in order to achieve the needed coordination.
C) there is merit in using business process reengineering to radically redesign and streamline strategy-critical processes and workflow from different departments and unifying their performance into a single department or cross-functional work group that has charge over the whole process.
D) TQM is a potent way to reengineer the work effort,avoid the shortcomings of a functional organization structure,and achieve rapid-response capability.
E) it makes good organizational sense to combine those functional departments where fragmentation is a problem into a single department.

Question 29

Business process reengineering is a tool for:

A) expediting the redesign of existing products and shortening the design-to-market cycle.
B) radically redesigning and streamlining how an activity (workflow)is performed,by pulling the pieces of strategy-critical activities out of different departments and unifying their performance in a single department or cross-functional work group that is in charge of the whole process,with the intent of achieving quantum improvements in performance.
C) instituting total quality management.
D) making the most effective use of Six Sigma techniques.
E) the rapid redesign of an organization's structure so as to quickly create organizational competencies and capabilities.

Question 30

An ambidextrous organization is one that:

A) pursues incremental improvements in operating efficiency,while R&D and other processes that allow the company to develop new ways of offering value to customers are given freer rein.
B) is capable of using efficiency and effectiveness with equal skill.
C) is very skillful and versatile with operating activity.
D) is managed by employing continuous improvement in operating practices while managing employees as a loosely integrated network of efficiency.
E) All of these.

Question 31

Six Sigma processes:

A) are based on three principles: (1)all work is a statistically controllable process;(2)no well-controlled process allows variability;and (3)defect-free work requires tight statistical controls.
B) can be used for both improving existing business processes and for developing new processes or products.
C) can be used for improving products or business processes but not for developing new products or new processes.
D) consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 10 defects per million iterations for a manufacturing or assembly process.
E) can be used for developing new products or new business processes but not for improving existing products or business processes.

Question 32

Six Sigma's DMADV process of define,measure,analyze,design,and verify is a particularly good vehicle for:

A) improving performance when there are small variations in how well an activity is performed.If there are wide variations,then the Six Sigma DMVSI process has to be used.
B) achieving 100 percent control over how a task is performed and eliminating 100 percent of the variability in how a task is performed.
C) improving performance when there are wide variations in how well an activity is performed.
D) developing new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels.
E) improving customer satisfaction,whereas Six Sigma improves manufacturing processes.

Question 33

Which one of the following statements about Six Sigma quality programs is true?

A) While Six Sigma programs often improve the efficiency of numerous operating processes,there is evidence that the approach can stifle innovative activities.
B) Six Sigma is a philosophy of managing a set of business practices that emphasizes continuous improvement in all phases of operations and 100 percent accuracy in performing tasks.
C) Six Sigma's DMAIC process is a particularly good vehicle for improving performance when there are small variations in how well an activity is performed.
D) The focus of Six Sigma programs is on the development of new products or new business processes but not on improving existing products or business processes.
E) Six Sigma is a system of statistical procedures for eliminating 92 percent of the variability in how a task is performed.

Question 34

Total quality management (TQM)programs:

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) entail creating a corporate culture bent on continuously improving the performance of every task and every value chain activity.
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 35

Total quality management (TQM)emphasizes all but which one of the following?

A) 100 percent accuracy in performing tasks.
B) Continuous improvement in all phases of operations.
C) Adoption of industry standard operating practices.
D) Benchmarking and total customer satisfaction.
E) Empowerment of employees and team-based work design.

Question 36

A company that successfully and methodically applies Six Sigma methods to its value chain,activity by activity,can:

A) clearly consider what it will take to overtake rivals with the industry's overall best strategy.
B) make major strides in improving the proficiency with which its strategy is executed without sacrificing innovation.
C) increase its bargaining power with suppliers and create better seller-supplier collaborations.
D) assess the extent to which rivals have competitively valuable competencies or capabilities.
E) construct a business model that entails a value proposition based on quality.

Question 37

Six Sigma quality control:

A) is a strategy implementer's best,most reliable tool for simultaneously achieving top-notch product quality and low manufacturing costs.
B) consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 2.5 defects per million iterations for a manufacturing or assembly process.
C) consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at producing not more than 3.4 defects per million iterations for any business process.
D) consists of a disciplined,statistics-based system aimed at fewer than 5.0 complaints per million customer transactions.
E) is a powerful tool for companies whose customers are very picky about product quality and product performance and who can't afford for the product they use to break down and require repairs.

Question 38

The big difference between business process reengineering and continuous improvement programs like TQM or Six Sigma is that:

A) reengineering is a tool for installing process organization,whereas TQM/Six Sigma concern defect-free production methods and delivering world-class customer service.
B) reengineering helps create core competencies,whereas TQM/Six Sigma are tools for making a core competence stronger and more efficient.
C) reengineering is a tool for achieving one-time quantum improvement,whereas TQM and Six Sigma programs aim at ongoing incremental improvement.
D) business process reengineering requires benchmarking,whereas TQM and Six Sigma do not.
E) reengineering represents an effort to totally revamp a firm's value chain,whereas TQM looks at incrementally improving the performance of two or three targeted value chain activities and Six Sigma is primarily for reducing manufacturing defects.

Question 39

The Six Sigma process of define,measure,analyze,improve,and control (DMAIC)is:

A) an improvement system for existing processes falling below specification and needing incremental improvement.
B) an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at 100 percent defect-free levels.
C) a system of statistical procedures for achieving 100 percent control over how a task is performed.
D) an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at Six Sigma levels.
E) a system of statistical procedures for eliminating 100 percent of the variability in how a task is performed.

Question 40

To build a total quality culture and achieve full value from the use of TQM or Six Sigma initiatives,managers can take such action steps as:

A) signaling unequivocal and unyielding commitment to total quality,continuous improvement,and operating excellence;encouraging quality-supportive behaviors on the part of employees,empowering employees to make changes to improve quality;and using online systems to give employees immediate access to best practice information and experiences.
B) requiring all company personnel to attend Six Sigma training programs and achieve "black belt" status.
C) instituting greater centralization of decision making to help enforce strict compliance with quality control policies and procedures.
D) stressing 100 percent accurate individual performance rather than group or team performance.
E) dismissing employees who repeatedly fail to achieve 100 percent accuracy in their work after a 12-month trial period.

Question 41

Which one of the following is NOT likely to be effective in trying to gain employees' wholehearted commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence?

A) Adopting aggressive management efforts to eliminate stress,anxiety,and job insecurity from the work environment.
B) Utilizing extensively such nonmonetary incentives as frequent words of praise (or constructive criticism),special recognition at company gatherings,and stimulating assignments.
C) Providing opportunities for high-performing employees to transfer to attractive locations.
D) Providing opportunities for rapid promotion (or the risk of being sidelined in a routine job).
E) Providing performance bonuses and reward incentives.

Question 42

Information systems provide managers with a means for:

A) monitoring up-to-the-minute and daily team performance in real time.
B) staying on top of implementation initiatives and daily operations as well as the performance of empowered workers to see that they are acting within specified guidelines.
C) monitoring daily and weekly operating statistics.
D) All of these.
E) None of these.

Question 43

A no-pressure/no-adverse-consequences work environment does not necessarily lead to:

A) superior strategy execution or operating excellence.
B) satisfactory outcomes because there is always a cadre of ambitious people who relish the challenge.
C) workforce morale issues.
D) establishing more positive than negative motivational reward elements.
E) None of these,because it depends on the organization's motivational approaches.

Question 44

A motivation and incentive system that is aimed at spurring stronger employee commitment to good strategy execution:

A) should focus on incorporating more positive than negative motivational elements.
B) should be tied first and foremost to whether employees satisfactorily perform their assigned duties in an ethical and honorable manner.
C) must involve deliberately assigning employees heavy workloads and tight deadlines.
D) needs to put top priority on making employees happy and secure in their jobs.
E) must avoid the potential for negative consequences if performance is subpar.

Question 45

Which of the following is not integral to superior strategy execution and operating excellence?

A) Having real-time information systems that permit company managers to stay on top of implementation initiatives and daily operations and to intervene if things seem to be drifting off course.
B) Having state-of-the-art operating systems,information systems,and real-time data.
C) Having access to online systems that provide statistical information about operating activities.
D) Having the systems capability to identify and diagnose problems,so as to take corrective actions.
E) These are all integral pieces of the process of managing strategy execution and overseeing operations.

Question 46

The areas that information systems need to cover include all but which one of the following?

A) Financial performance data.
B) Corporate culture data.
C) Customer data.
D) Operations data.
E) Employee data.

Question 47

A reward system that accentuates positive rewards for good performance:

A) works best in strong culture organizations,while negative motivational approaches and reward systems tend to be most successful in weak culture organizations.
B) is especially effective in aligning the well-being of organizational members with achieving the company's performance targets;reward systems with negative elements tend to be very dysfunctional in motivating employees.
C) seldom works very well because the threat of denying rewards to sub-par performers is typically the most powerful motivator.
D) works fine so long as 100 percent emphasis is placed on monetary incentives.
E) has considerable appeal because when cooperation is positively enlisted and rewarded,rather than strong-armed by orders and threats (implicit or explicit),people tend to respond with more enthusiasm,dedication,creativity,and initiative.

Question 48

Well-conceived,state-of-the-art information and operating systems:

A) are essential because business process reengineering efforts,TQM,Six Sigma,and benchmarking programs can't be carried out effectively without them.
B) not only enable better strategy execution but also strengthen organizational capabilities (perhaps enough to provide a competitive edge over rivals).
C) make it simple and easy to spot cost overruns and inefficiencies.
D) are valuable tools for shortening a company's value chain,boosting workforce morale and productivity,and simplifying the task of adopting best practices.
E) All of these.

Question 49

Enlisting employees' sustained and energetic commitment to good strategy execution and achievement of the strategic priorities and financial objectives is best done by:

A) having top executives commit to making employees the company's most valuable competitive asset.
B) developing core competencies in the use of TQM,Six Sigma programs,and business process reengineering.
C) resourceful and effective use of motivational incentives,both monetary and non-monetary.
D) clever and innovative use of benchmarking and best practices.
E) providing employees with a high degree of job security and attractive perks.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a way in which managers can monitor the operating performance of employees to ensure superior strategy execution?

A) Scrutinizing daily and weekly operating statistics without resorting to constant over-the-shoulder supervision.
B) Utilizing self-managed work groups in peer-based control environments.
C) Removing some layer of management hierarchy and relying on strong peer pressure to keep team members operating between the white lines.
D) Leaving empowered employees to meet performance standards and guidelines.
E) Using information systems capability to monitor team performance in real time.

Question 51

In trying to gain employees' wholehearted commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence,managers are well advised to use such incentives as:

A) providing attractive perks and fringe benefits.
B) giving frequent words of praise,special recognition at company gatherings,stimulating assignments,and opportunities to transfer to attractive locations.
C) creating a work atmosphere in which there is genuine caring and mutual respect among workers.
D) relying on opportunities for promoting from within (or the risk of being sidelined).
E) All of these.

Question 52

From the standpoint of promoting successful strategy execution,it is important that the firm's motivation and reward system:

A) be completely free of such elements as tension,pressure,anxiety,job insecurity,and tight deadlines-a no-pressure/no-adverse-consequences work environment is essential.
B) emphasize only positive types of rewards.
C) accentuate positive rewards but also carry the risk of an "up-or-out" policy for performance that does not meet expectations.
D) not deny rewards to employees who put forth good effort and try hard.
E) reduce job insecurity and give employees an incentive to stay busy and work hard.

Question 53

To create a strategy-supportive system of rewards and incentives,a company must:

A) reward people for accomplishing results,not just for dutifully performing assigned tasks.
B) focus jobholders' attention and energy on what to do as opposed to what to achieve.
C) demand jobholders' 100 percent attendance since it guarantees results.
D) hold jobholders' responsible for their function and not burden them with being accountable.
E) All of these.

Question 54

The broad areas that internal information business systems need to cover include:

A) financial performance data.
B) supplier/strategic partner data.
C) customer data.
D) operations data.
E) All of these.

Question 55

Installing well-conceived,state-of-the-art support systems is an important managerial component of implementing and executing strategy because:

A) such systems are essential to being able to engage in effective benchmarking and continuous improvement.
B) such support systems not only enable better strategy execution but also strengthen organizational capabilities (perhaps enough to provide a competitive edge over rivals).
C) they help managers run a tight ship and preserve strong,centralized control over internal activities.
D) they are the basis for revamping value chains,boosting labor productivity,and reducing operating costs.
E) decentralized decision making and employee empowerment cannot work well without having well-conceived information and operating systems to accurately benchmark internally performed value chain activities against best-in-industry and best-in-class performers.

Question 56

Reward and incentive systems serve as:

A) a direct stimulus for satisfying the basic expectations of the standard job and mechanisms.
B) an indirect motivational tool designed to convert employee commitment into high-powered incentives.
C) an indirect type of control mechanism that conserves on more costly control mechanisms of supervisory oversight.
D) a direct base-pay financial compensation mechanism that competes with rival companies' salary bands for similar work efforts.
E) All of these.

Question 57

The strategic role of a company's reward system is to:

A) compensate employees for performing their assigned duties in a diligent fashion.
B) boost employee morale in ways that create widespread job satisfaction.
C) enlist employees' commitment to successful strategy execution and operating excellence by rewarding them,both monetarily and non-monetarily,for their valuable contributions.
D) relieve managers of the burden of closely monitoring each employee's performance.
E) boost labor productivity and help lower the firm's overall labor costs.

Question 58

Management's most powerful tool for winning employee commitment to good strategy execution and operating excellence is:

A) the establishment of strategy-supportive policies and procedures.
B) empowering employees and encouraging them to adopt best practices.
C) setting stretch objectives.
D) a structure of rewards and incentives tied tightly to the achievement of the organization's strategic priorities.
E) aggressive use of TQM and Six Sigma quality control programs.

Question 59

Although it is relatively easy for rivals to implement process management tools,it is much more difficult and time-consuming for them to:

A) instill a deeply ingrained culture of operating excellence.
B) keep employees well-informed about the strides being made with continuous improvement.
C) unify the managerial efforts behind improving operating practices as a commendable goal.
D) combine the pursuit of financial objectives with the pursuit of its strategic objectives.
E) understand the barriers to installing new operating activities.

Question 60

Management's most powerful tool for mobilizing organizational commitment to competent strategy execution and operating excellence is the:

A) diligent and persistent use of benchmarking and best practices.
B) proper use of a reward structure with motivational incentives and rewards.
C) TQM and/or Six Sigma programs.
D) periodic inspirational speeches aimed at arousing employees' emotional energy.
E) process of providing employees with a high degree of job security (ideally,via a no-layoff policy).

Question 61

The guidelines for designing an incentive compensation system that will help drive successful strategy execution include:

A) making the performance payoff tiered,based on the actual performance level achieved (that is,for meeting or beating performance targets a major,not minor,piece of the total compensation package).
B) having incentives that apply to the management team (employees should generally not be included in incentive pay plans but should have attractive wages and salaries).
C) having an outside wage and salary expert administer the system so there is no doubt as to its fairness and impartiality.
D) basing the incentives on group performance rather than individual performance.
E) making minimal use of non-monetary incentives and rewarding people for diligently performing their assigned duties.

Question 62

Give three examples of support systems that a company can install to support the execution of its strategy.

Question 63

What is the role of budgets and resource allocation in successfully implementing and executing strategy? Why does a company's budget need to be closely linked to the needs of good strategy execution?

Question 64

What is the difference between Six Sigma DMAIC programs and Six Sigma DMADV programs?

Question 65

Identify and describe ways that policies and procedures facilitate strategy execution.

Question 66

Discuss how the Six Sigma process of define,measure,analyze,improve,and control (DMAIC)works.What is the logic underlying the DMAIC process?

Question 67

A well-designed reward system:

A) ties rewards to performance outcomes directly linked to good strategy execution and the achievement of financial and strategic objectives.
B) should be free of elements that induce stress,anxiety,tension,pressure to perform,and job insecurity.
C) puts the primary emphasis on denying rewards to those who fail to perform tasks in the prescribed fashion.
D) emphasizes weeding out employees who are consistently low performers.
E) strives for a 50-50 balance between positive and negative rewards and a 50-50 balance between monetary and non-monetary rewards.

Question 68

What action steps can managers take to build a total quality culture and instill a strong commitment to continuously improving how strategy is being executed?

Question 69

While Six Sigma programs often improve the efficiency of many operating activities and processes,there is evidence that innovation can be stifled by Six Sigma programs.True or false? Explain.

Question 70

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

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 that 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 high (say 50 percent of base salary)non-monetary rewards and a work environment that avoids placing pressure on managers and employees to perform at high levels.

Question 71

What is the value of total quality management from a strategy-executing standpoint? How does TQM differ from business process reengineering?

Question 72

Explain what Six Sigma quality control programs are all about and how their use can contribute to a company's strategy execution effort.

Question 73

Company strategies cannot be implemented or executed well without a number of real-time state-of-the-art support and control information systems to carry out business operations.Discuss the benefits and give examples of real-time systems by industry?

Question 74

The first principle in designing an effective compensation system and the most dependable way to keep people focused on strategy execution and the achievement of performance targets is to:

A) establish ethical compensation policies and convince employees that they are the firm's most valuable competitive asset.
B) design monetary and non-monetary incentives that boost labor productivity and help lower the firm's overall labor costs.
C) generously reward and recognize people who meet or beat performance targets and to deny rewards and recognition to those who don't.
D) pay employees a bonus for each strategic and financial objective that the company achieves.
E) allow employees to propose what rewards they would like to receive to achieve the company's stretch objectives.

Question 75

The resolute standard for judging whether individuals,teams,and organizational units have done a good job must be measured by:

A) comparing industry performance standards against the company's own internal criteria.
B) the level of rapid growth in industry (buyer)demand.
C) whether they meet or beat performance targets that reflect good strategy execution.
D) the number of rivals existing in the marketplace and their growth results.
E) the relative competitive strengths of the industry leaders and how vulnerable they are to mimicry.

Question 76

An important consideration in designing a strategy-supportive reward system is to:

A) link the payment of all monetary rewards to the company's bottom-line profitability.
B) employ incentives that will help motivate employees to put in long hours and sacrifice personal ambitions and aspirations to pursue the priorities of management.
C) choose those types of rewards and incentives that will focus employees' attention on total customer satisfaction.
D) make across-the-board wage and salary increases the cornerstone of monetary rewards.
E) make non-monetary rewards and recognition an integral part of the reward system.

Question 77

Which of the following is NOT a sound guideline for designing a reward and incentive system that helps promote good strategy execution?

A) The reward system must be administered with scrupulous objectivity and fairness.
B) The payoff for meeting or beating performance targets must be a major,not minor,piece of the total compensation package.
C) The incentive plan should extend to all managers and all employees,not just top management.
D) The reward system must reward non-performers who,despite expending tremendous effort,have not fared well in achieving the benchmarks under the incentive system.
E) Make sure that the performance targets each individual or team is expected to achieve involve outcomes that the individual or team can personally affect.

Question 78

Motivational and incentive compensation practices that aim at winning the commitment of company personnel to good strategy execution typically:

A) use only positive rewards and never involve the use of tension,fear,job insecurity,stress,or anxiety.
B) entail decidedly positive rewards for meeting or beating performance targets,but also impose sufficiently negative consequences when actual performance falls short of the target.
C) aim at creating a no-pressure/no-adverse-consequences work environment.
D) entail paying the highest wages and salaries in the industry for all jobholder positions and also stressing non-monetary rewards,like cash bonuses for high-performing employees.
E) put top priority on making employees happy and secure in their jobs.

Question 79

It is often said that competent strategy execution entails unyielding managerial commitment to best practices and continuous improvement.Why does this make good strategic sense?

Question 80

What three principles underlie the statistical thinking of Six Sigma quality control programs?