Deck 9: Empowerment in the Workplace and the Quality Imperative

Question 1

Robert Cole identifies five principles of leadership that empower people. Which of the following is NOT included in these principles?

A) Trust in people
B) Demand loyalty
C) Recognize accomplishments
D) Decentralize decision making
E) View work as a cooperative effort

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Frederick Winslow Taylor has most likely been criticized for advocating a(n) ________.

A) elaborate reward system for employees
B) systematic approach to problem solving
C) extreme division of labor
D) scientific selection and training methodology for employees

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to W. Edwards Deming, which of the following points is essential for a successful workplace and is most likely applied in both private and public organizations?

A) Heavily depending on mass inspection for quality
B) Increasing the number of suppliers who offer value for money
C) Creating robust barriers between departments
D) Creating consistency and continuity of purpose

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, identify the three things a leader should do to unleash and channel the power of people.

A) Choose the right people, allocate the right numbers of dollars, and transmit ideas from one group to another quickly
B) Be a role model for time management, develop good human relations, and maintain effective communication
C) Develop future leaders, interact with internal agencies, and uphold established traditions
D) All of these
E) None of these

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of Deming's 14 points for a successful workplace?

A) Reducing the number of suppliers
B) Improving job training
C) Setting numerical goals and slogans
D) Stamping out fear by encouraging open, two-way communication

Question 6

Identify the philosophy behind the quality movement.

A) People respond positively to measurements and controls.
B) People closest to the work usually have the experience and knowledge to come up with the best solutions to work-related problems.
C) People want economic security.
D) People need sufficient pay and benefits to enhance their morale.
E) All of these

Question 7

When communicating in an empowered and high-performance workplace, which of the following is the most preferred source of information?

A) Bulletin boards
B) Annual business reports
C) The grapevine
D) Immediate supervisors

Question 8

All of the following are included in Robert Cole's principles that empower people EXCEPT ________.

A) trust in people
B) invest in people
C) recognize accomplishments
D) view individual work as more important than collective effort

Question 9

The Hawthorne studies ________.

A) proved that TQM practice works
B) were completed in 1975
C) marked the beginning of the human relations school
D) were conducted by Abraham Maslow

Question 10

According to Robert Cole, an influential author and educator, which of the following principles of leadership empower people?

A) Encouraging leadership by intimidation operating primarily on the principles of fear
B) Viewing people as an organization's most important resource
C) Centralizing the decision-making process
D) Building robust barriers between departments

Question 11

According to Deming, which of the following is a way to improve quality?

A) Setting high standards
B) Improving job training
C) Providing a high level of supervision
D) Removing barriers to pride of work
E) All of these

Question 12

W. Edwards Deming identified ________ for a successful workplace.

A) 13 secrets
B) 17 habits
C) 10 commandments
D) 12 rules
E) 14 points

Question 13

Identify a true statement about General Electric's Jack Welch.

A) He ensured that his exchanges with managers were restrained and uncandid.
B) He strengthened all the layers of bureaucratic management.
C) He believed that the best strategies could work even without the right leaders.
D) He launched the famous workout process.

Question 14

Identify a practical tip for developing high-performance workplaces.

A) Be customer driven
B) Benchmark the best
C) Show concern for others
D) Manage meetings effectively
E) All of these

Question 15

Procter & Gamble independently developed a concept of ________ in the 1940s and 1950s.

A) group work
B) work simplification
C) job enrichment
D) top-down management

Question 16

When developing a high-performance workplace, leaders improve performance using technology through Captio that

A) makes it simple to maintain relationships with people in one's network.
B) saves time by making repetitive tasks easier to do.
C) allows clear visibility of must-do priorities.
D) keeps teams on task.

Question 17

Identify an essential ingredient of total quality management (TQM).

A) Continuous process improvement
B) Authoritative leadership
C) Employee downsizing
D) Reducing psychological size of leaders

Question 18

________ created 4 points for a successful workplace.

A) W. Edwards Deming
B) Robert Frost
C) Donald Dewar
D) Peter Drucker

Question 19

Which of the following is a characteristic of empowered workplaces?

A) In the process of performance planning, subordinates write performance plans and review with leaders.
B) In the process of decision making, subordinates check with leaders on all decisions.
C) In the process of policy making, leaders decide policies and subordinates have the right to ignore these policies.
D) In the process of problem solving, subordinates bypass the "system" to work around problems.

Question 20

Deming was recruited by American authorities to help prepare a census, and immediately he took an interest in the restructuring of the ________ economy.

A) English
B) Japanese
C) German
D) Soviet

Question 21

The synthesis of "hard" efforts to improve work performance, such as scientific management and quantitative methods, with "soft" efforts, such as improving morale and building community, is called quality movement.

Question 22

In My American Journey and It Worked for Me, which of the following rules is identified by Colin Powell that is gleaned from his years of experience?

A) Uphold discipline
B) Always prepare
C) Check small things
D) Pursue with force

Question 23

Which of the following standards is identified by ISO 1401?

A) Standards for market place performance
B) Standards for government compliance
C) Standards for environmental performance
D) Standards for diversity performance
E) All of these

Question 24

In the context of filling the "need to know" gap, leaders must avoid communicating the grand plan-the purpose, values, and strategies for success for an organization-to employees.

Question 25

The term "Hawthorne effect" describes ________.

A) the sense of control that men feel over women
B) the tendency of an organization to become rigid over time
C) the tendency for morale to deteriorate without management attention
D) a predictable change in attitude when one is promoted
E) an artificial change in behavior due merely to the fact that a person or group is being studied

Question 26

In a lean operation, rejects are acceptable and employees are refrained from halting production to correct problems at their source.

Question 27

According to the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, ________ is defined by the ________.

A) quality; customer
B) success; balance sheet
C) innovation; opportunity
D) performance; market

Question 28

Gordon Lippitt identified eight communication problems, including all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) trust
B) complexes
C) size
D) fear
E) technology

Question 29

Empowerment is closely associated with the concepts of democratic and participative leadership.

Question 30

When developing a high-performance workplace, leaders should avoid asking for suggestions from their staff.

Question 31

In empowered workplaces, employers and leaders work together to determine standards of employee effectiveness.

Question 32

Identify one of the seven simple rules that should be followed by leaders when planning, conducting, and using meetings effectively.

A) Meetings should be held on a daily basis rather than on a need basis.
B) Meetings should be held at a time and place that are convenient and conducive to productive work.
C) Pertinent materials should be provided to the participants during the course of the meetings.
D) Leaders should solely decide the actions, steps, and responsibilities without involving the participants.

Question 33

In empowered workplaces, the roles and responsibilities of subordinates are defined by their leaders.

Question 34

Identify the essence of lean manufacturing, an approach developed by Toyota as a way of achieving quality, flexibility, and cost effectiveness.

A) Military leadership
B) Democratic management
C) Commonsense management
D) Servant leadership

Question 35

Caring leadership is marked by two principal aspects, which are commitment to a task and concern for people.

Question 36

At Six Sigma, a product or service is defect free 6.66 percent of the time.

Question 37

In essence, Six Sigma seeks to

A) empower employees to halt production to correct problems at their source.
B) encourage creative thinking when designing work processes.
C) reliably measure important inputs and outputs.
D) remove variability from a process.

Question 38

In the context of filling the "need to know" gap, employees from the executive suite to the shop floor need to know what is expected of them personally.

Question 39

When developing a high-performance workplace, leaders should pay attention to "middle stars" and avoid the trap of focusing only on the "super stars" and the "fallen stars."

Question 40

According to Deming, "checking on" employees has a positive effect on employee morale and performance.

Question 41

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) central figure in the Quality movement
B) three principles of an empowered workplace
C) preferred sources of information
D) gains the benefits of hard and soft sides of management
E) two secrets to organizational success
quality movement

Question 42

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) central figure in the Quality movement
B) three principles of an empowered workplace
C) preferred sources of information
D) gains the benefits of hard and soft sides of management
E) two secrets to organizational success
trust in people, recognize accomplishments, view work as a cooperative effort

Question 43

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) central figure in the Quality movement
B) three principles of an empowered workplace
C) preferred sources of information
D) gains the benefits of hard and soft sides of management
E) two secrets to organizational success
W. Edwards Deming

Question 44

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) central figure in the Quality movement
B) three principles of an empowered workplace
C) preferred sources of information
D) gains the benefits of hard and soft sides of management
E) two secrets to organizational success
immediate supervisor, small group meetings, top executives, policy handbook, orientation programs, member newsletter

Question 45

Match the items below with their descriptions:

A) central figure in the Quality movement
B) three principles of an empowered workplace
C) preferred sources of information
D) gains the benefits of hard and soft sides of management
E) two secrets to organizational success
caring leadership, the empowerment of people