Deck 7: Supervisory Planning

Question 1

Supervisory-level objectives are typically more specific than organizational objectives.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

MBO provides a sound means of appraising individuals' performance by emphasizing objective criteria rather than personality characteristics.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Planning is a reactive approach to how a business can improve upon its mistakes.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The goals formulated for an organization as a whole become the general framework for operations and lead to more specific objectives for department managers.

Question 5

Standing or single-use plans are policies, procedures, methods, and rules that can be applied to recurring situations.

Question 6

When developing their own set of objectives in the MBO process, employees should make sure objectives are broad and easily achievable.

Question 7

Good planning guarantees desired results.

Question 8

Once the organization has developed its objectives it should move forward by creating goals.

Question 9

Management by objectives (MBO) is a management approach in which managers, supervisors, and employees jointly set objectives against which performance is later evaluated.

Question 10

A mission statement is usually very specific including the company's financial forecast.

Question 11

Effective strategic planning usually begins with the development of a mission statement.

Question 12

Policies specify all employee limitations.

Question 13

The determination of specific, measurable, and verifiable objectives is the foundation of management by objectives.

Question 14

The process of creating objectives and making choices that will allow an organization to achieve its long- and short-term goals is called strategic planning.

Question 15

Supervisors should not bother others when planning for the short-term because it will only pull employees away from what they are paid to do.

Question 16

Planning at the supervisory level of an organization tends to be more detailed than planning that occurs at top levels.

Question 17

Planning involves asking the who, when, where, why, and how questions.

Question 18

Upper management is typically responsible for long-term planning.

Question 19

Policies help managers delegate authority because they guide the decisions a subordinate supervisor makes.

Question 20

Planning for the future does not involve an evaluation of the past.

Question 21

When an employee requests a piece of new equipment, the first thing a supervisor should do is solicit prices from equipment suppliers to find the best deal for the new equipment.

Question 22

Because budgeting is associated with control, the preparation of a budget should be left to higher-level management and supervisors should have no hand in it.

Question 23

"Employees are prohibited from smoking at their workstations" is an example of a rule.

Question 24

Rules are no different than policies.

Question 25

Written policies are more likely to be followed consistently than policies that are simply communicated orally.

Question 26

Small amounts of wasted or spoiled materials are to be expected on any job and do not have a significant impact on the organization's bottom line.

Question 27

A budget is a single-use plan because once the stated period is over it is no longer valid.

Question 28

Supervisors in every profession have the same degree of concern about workplace safety.

Question 29

Human resource and financial planning are the function responsibilities that supervisors must be concerned.

Question 30

Policies enable supervisors to arrive at similar decisions to those that their managers would make.

Question 31

The primary responsibility of supervisory management is planning to use physical resources fully.

Question 32

A procedure is a standing plan that defines the sequence of activities to be performed to achieve objectives.

Question 33

Methods tend to be the most efficient way for the job to get completed.

Question 34

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) is devoted to reducing and preventing injuries and accidents in municipal buildings.

Question 35

A program is a plan for accomplishing a specific, nonrecurring activity.

Question 36

Requiring supervisors to go through the human resource department during the preliminary steps of the hiring process is an example of a policy.

Question 37

Programs and projects are single-use plans.

Question 38

Supervisors are responsible for allocating space and managing physical resources.

Question 39

An old piece of equipment can usually be made to do the job if it has been properly maintained.

Question 40

The more latitude given to a supervisor, the better the department will function.

Question 41

Organizations use the MBO process for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:

A) MBO is results oriented.
B) MBO motivates employees.
C) MBO provides a sound means of appraising employees.
D) MBO does not require thorough planning.

Question 42

If an organization is run effectively, it will never face a "crisis situation."

Question 43

Marco is indulging in an alcoholic beverage on company premises. His supervisor catches him in the act. His supervisor should resort to using which of the following?

A) A company method.
B) A company procedure.
C) A company rule.
D) A company program.

Question 44

Objectives are usually stated in terms of what is to be accomplished and:

A) Why the task needs to occur.
B) When the task needs to be completed.
C) Who should be chosen to carry out the task.
D) How employees should go about accomplishing it.

Question 45

The advent of flextime has helped supervisors cover workstations more effectively and has allowed them to exercise supervisory control more consistently throughout the work day.

Question 46

Supervisors are frequently so caught up in the day-to-day routine that they may not notice when work procedures and methods need to be revised.

Question 47

Which of the following statements concerning planning is INCORRECT?

A) Planning should come before all other managerial functions.
B) Good plans guarantee good results.
C) Supervisors should conduct planning activities every day.
D) Planning involves anticipating future problems and opportunities.

Question 48

Supervisors must remember when developing their departmental objectives:

A) They don't always have to compliment the overall goals and objectives of the organizaiton.
B) They should be vague to allow for flexibility.
C) There must be a means to measure and document the department's contributions to the organization's bottom line.
D) All goals need to be equally important.

Question 49

In most organizations, responsibility for developing and executing strategic or long-term plans falls primarily to:

A) Top-level managers.
B) Middle managers.
C) Supervisors.
D) Non-supervisory employees.

Question 50

All of the following are part of the planning function EXCEPT:

A) Analyzing a situation.
B) Establishing objectives.
C) Checking to determine whether operations are adhering to established plans.
D) Deciding which actions to take to achieve objectives.

Question 51

Beatriz has been asked to create specific objectives for the quality-control department she supervises. Her company has received a number of complaints from customers who have found broken or ill-fitting parts in the products they have purchased. Which of the following would be a well-stated objective?

A) Reduce the number of defective products that leave the factory by 50% over the next four months.
B) Work smarter not harder.
C) Get it right the first time.
D) Strive for customer satisfaction at all times.

Question 52

A wise supervisor realizes that "time is money" and therefore expects most employees to work continuously at top-speed.

Question 53

A just-in-time inventory control system is a system for scheduling employees.

Question 54

The passage of time will usually take care of most crises an organization faces.

Question 55

All of the following statements about supervisory planning are true EXCEPT:

A) Supervisors do not need to consider past performance when planning for the future.
B) Supervisors should consult with specialists to help carry out the required planning responsibilities.
C) Supervisors are usually not involved in long-term planning.
D) The plans a supervisor makes should be integrated and coordinated with the organization's long-term plans.

Question 56

A _____ is a standing plan that defines the sequence of activities to be performed to achieve objectives.

A) Procedure.
B) Method.
C) Policy.
D) None of the above.

Question 57

PERT diagrams have been successfully used in many projects involving production and construction.

Question 58

Total quality management (TQM) is a system for scheduling materials to arrive precisely when they are needed in the production process.

Question 59

A mission statement should reflect all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) The nature of the business that the organization is engaged in.
B) The philosophy and values of the organization.
C) The purpose for the organization's existence.
D) The profit that the organization wishes to obtain this year.

Question 60

Bart is the CEO of an organization. His concept of what he would like the organization to become goes beyond what is said in the mission statement. His concept can be termed as:

A) Organizing.
B) Visioning.
C) Performing.
D) Wishful thinking.

Question 61

What is strategic planning? In most organizations, who is responsible for strategic planning?

Question 62

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was established to:

A) Protect employers against lawsuits when injuries happen in the workplace.
B) Reduce injuries and accidents on the job.
C) Defend employees when injuries occur in the workplace.
D) Eliminate jobs highly prone to injury.

Question 63

How are procedures and methods similar? How are procedures and methods different?

Question 64

Joanne and Timothy have just come out of a meeting with the Board of Directors concerning organizational planning for the future. Joanne is a first-line supervisor, while Timothy is an upper-level manager. What types of planning activities will each of them be most likely to be responsible for?

Question 65

Describe the most important reasons why firms have adopted the MBO model.

Question 66

Raul comes to work every day from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. He works an additional four hours every day when it is convenient. This is an example of:

A) Flextime.
B) Job sharing.
C) Part-time work.
D) Telecommuting.

Question 67

A budget does NOT take into consideration:

A) Employee hours.
B) Sales figures.
C) Competitors' units sold.
D) All of the above.

Question 68

What is a major disadvantage to telecommuting? What are companies doing to deal with this issue?

Question 69

Physical resources include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Tools.
B) Machinery.
C) Water.
D) Computers.

Question 70

When a crisis occurs, it is a major mistake for an organization to:

A) Respond defensively.
B) Have multiple spokespeople.
C) Deny fault.
D) Downplay the issue.

Question 71

What is knowlege management?

Question 72

Which of the following statements about employee work schedules is TRUE?

A) Work schedules should be based on maximum output.
B) Supervisors must plan for all employee absences.
C) Supervisors should expect all employees to work at their top speed at all times.
D) Employees tend to be a bit less productive when they are working overtime.

Question 73

_____ is a leading cause of accidents in the workplace.

A) Poor attitudes.
B) Faulty tools and equipment.
C) Unethical decision making.
D) None of the above.

Question 74

TQM includes all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) Continuously improving quality.
B) Making a total effort toward meeting customer needs.
C) Making everyone responsible for doing the right job the first time.
D) Top management being solely responsible for meeting quality standards.

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of preparing a procedure?

A) Procedures require an analysis of work to be done.
B) Procedures encourage employees to find their own unique ways of getting the job done.
C) Procedures give a supervisor standards for evaluating employees' work.
D) Procedures reduce the need for much routine decision making.

Question 76

In what way should supervisory objectives be stated? Why?

Question 77

_____ is an example of a major program.

A) Expansion of a manufacturing plant.
B) Problem-solving a customer's issue.
C) Reviewing the organization's operating budget.
D) Creating a new rule to address a compliance issue.

Question 78

What is included in the planning function of management? Why is it so important?

Question 79

Which of the following statements about company policies is NOT true?

A) When a firm has few policies, a supervisor has greater flexibility to deal with situations as they occur.
B) Policies are guides to decision making, not guides to action.
C) Written policies are more flexible and informal than unwritten ones.
D) Supervisors seldom need to issue policies.

Question 80

Knowledge management involves all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Retrieving information.
B) Sharing information.
C) Memorizing information.
D) Storing information.