Deck 19: Controlling,information,and Technology

Question 1

________ sets the goals for the firm,while ________ monitors progress towards the accomplishment of the goals.

A)Controlling;planning
B)Planning;leading
C)Planning;controlling
D)Influencing;controlling
E)Planning;influencing

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Outline the steps involved in the controlling process.

Answer 2

There are three main steps in the controlling process:
1.Measuring performance: Before managers can determine what must be done to make an organization more effective and efficient,they must measure current organizational performance.However,before they can take such a measurement,they must establish some unit of measure that gauges performance and observe the quantity of this unit as generated by the item whose performance is being measured.
2.Comparing measured performance to standards: Once managers have taken a measure of organizational performance,their next step in controlling is to compare this measure against some standard,or the level of activity established to serve as a model for evaluating organizational performance.Successful managers pinpoint all important areas of organizational performance and establish corresponding standards in each area.
3.Taking corrective action: After actual performance has been measured and compared with established performance standards,the next step in the controlling process is to take corrective action if necessary.Corrective action is managerial activity aimed at bringing organizational performance up to the level of performance standards.In other words,corrective action focuses on correcting organizational mistakes that are hindering organizational performance.Before taking any corrective action,however,managers should make sure the standards they are using were properly established and their measurements of organizational performance are valid and reliable.

Question 3

________ have been called the "Siamese twins of management."

A)Setting standards and measuring performance
B)Managing and leading
C)Planning and controlling
D)Problems and symptoms
E)Organizing and staffing

Answer 3

C

Question 4

________ helps managers enhance the success of the overall management system through effective controlling.

A)Planning
B)Organizing
C)The controlling subsystem
D)Designing
E)Motivation

Question 5

As part of the controlling process,you have finished measuring the performance of your team.What must you do next?

A)take corrective action
B)compare measured performance to standards
C)establish unit of measure to gauge performance
D)modify past plans
E)restructure control systems and subsystems

Question 6

Jose realizes actual productivity numbers are far less than the forecasted productivity numbers.Seeing this reality means Jose now needs to do which one of the following as an attempt to bring performance up to the standards?

A)measure performance
B)compare measured performance to standards
C)take corrective action
D)adjust what to measure
E)adjust how to measure

Question 7

________ indicate the type of training programs company personnel should undergo to develop properly.

A)Market position standards
B)Personnel development standards
C)Productivity standards
D)Product leadership standards
E)Social responsibility standards

Question 8

________ is managerial activity aimed at bringing organizational performance up to the level of performance standards.

A)Laddering
B)Corrective action
C)Reprogramming
D)Market correction
E)Contrarian investing

Question 9

Which one of the following is the first step in the controlling process?

A)controlling performance
B)taking corrective action
C)measuring performance
D)recognizing problems
E)comparing performance standards

Question 10

________ involves ensuring that an event occurs as it was planned to occur.

A)Control
B)Planning
C)Influencing
D)Organizing
E)Designing

Question 11

Which one of the following best identifies yardsticks that determine whether organizational performance is adequate?

A)problems
B)plans
C)lessons
D)standards
E)dollars

Question 12

The level of activity established to serve as a model for evaluating organizational performance is known as a(n)________.

A)symptom
B)problem
C)standard
D)correction
E)incentive

Question 13

Which one of the following is the last step in the controlling process?

A)comparing measured performance to standards
B)taking corrective action
C)measuring performance
D)establishing standards
E)establishing units for measuring performance

Question 14

Managers not only need to be concerned about how to measure performance toward goals,but they must also be concerned about ________ to measure.

A)where
B)why
C)numbers
D)what
E)when

Question 15

Before taking a corrective action,managers need to make sure they have properly established the correct ________.

A)symptom
B)problem
C)standard
D)threshold
E)performance gap

Question 16

A ________ is any factor within an organization that is a barrier to organizational goal attainment,while a ________ is a sign a barrier does exist.

A)problem;gap
B)symptom;problem
C)problem;symptom
D)symptom;gap
E)gap;problem

Question 17

A ________ is a sign that a problem exists.

A)standard
B)symptom
C)yardstick
D)correction
E)benchmark

Question 18

Before taking a corrective action,management should compare measured performance to standards and make sure that their measurements of organizational performance are ________.

A)valid and reliable
B)a problem and not a symptom
C)important to organizational success
D)related to tasks and not structure
E)goal-related

Question 19

ALB Corp.is in the middle of its monthly controlling process.After some benchmark checks and quality comparisons,managers have found out that the quality of their weapon systems has gone down.To bring it back to its previous quality standards,ALB Corp.should next ________.

A)take corrective action
B)measure performance of other companies
C)sell their weapons at a lower price
D)compare their weapons against rival companies
E)bring down their performance standards

Question 20

Factors within an organization that are barriers to organizational goal attainment are called ________.

A)problems
B)propositions
C)symptoms
D)standards
E)yardsticks

Question 21

The total power a manager possesses is made up of two different kinds of power: ________.

A)recognizing symptoms and problems
B)social power and reward power
C)authority and accountability
D)position power and personal power
E)ownership power and skill power

Question 22

________ standards are those associated with innovation and quality.

A)Profitability
B)Market position
C)Productivity
D)Product leadership
E)Social responsibility

Question 23

The process of developing information begins with gathering some type of facts or statistics,called ________.

A)knowledge
B)expertise
C)data
D)information
E)wisdom

Question 24

________ is power coming from the job a manager holds,while ________ is power coming from a manager's relationship with others.

A)Total power;personal power
B)Personal power;position power
C)Position power;personal power
D)Total power;positional power
E)Positional power;total power

Question 25

Explain the ways an individual can be successful in increasing his or her personal power.

Question 26

The power derived from a manager's relationship with others is called ________ power.

A)total
B)position
C)personal
D)social
E)authentic

Question 27

Most managers have substantial control over increasing their position power.

Question 28

A manager can increase his/her personal power by developing a perception among subordinates that they are dependent on the manager by ________.

A)adopting a wider span of control
B)downplaying their positional power
C)developing employees' sense of identification with the manager
D)demonstrating his control over organizational resources
E)espousing goals,values,and ideals commonly held by them

Question 29

Because Jamie is the manager,her subordinates follow her instructions.This is an example of ________.

A)personal power
B)position power
C)total power
D)social power
E)absolute power

Question 30

A manager can develop a sense of identification with his/her subordinates by ________.

A)moving up the organizational hierarchy
B)enhancing his position power
C)creating a perception that subordinates are dependent on the manager
D)demonstrating his control over organizational resources
E)espousing goals,values,and ideals commonly held by his subordinates

Question 31

Explain the importance of power to the control process.Describe the difference between positional power and personal power.

Question 32

Ed is successful in creating a sense of respect toward him among his employees.This is an example of ________.

A)personal power
B)position power
C)total power
D)social power
E)absolute power

Question 33

Which one of the following is true about the steps a manager can take to increase his or her total power?

A)Moving up the organizational hierarchy is the best way of enhancing personal power.
B)Avoid focusing on your professional achievements.
C)Making subordinates feel obligated to you will enhance your personal power.
D)Avoid using bonuses and raises to link rewards to performance.
E)Managers should increase the job rotation period.

Question 34

Identify the methods by which managers can make controlling a successful activity.

Question 35

________ standards are those associated with employee skill sets.

A)Profitability
B)Market position
C)Productivity
D)Product leadership
E)Personnel development

Question 36

To control successfully,managers must understand not only the control process,but also how organization members relate to it.

Question 37

________ standards are those associated with making contributions to the community.

A)Profitability
B)Market position
C)Productivity
D)Product Leadership
E)Social responsibility

Question 38

________ standards are those associated with return on investment.

A)Profitability
B)Market position
C)Productivity
D)Product leadership
E)Personnel development

Question 39

In order to increase his personal power,a manager should ________.

A)move up the organizational hierarchy
B)demonstrate a high level of expertise
C)downplay his authority over organizational resources
D)minimize subordinates' perception that they are dependent on him or her
E)focus on enhancing his position power

Question 40

The extent to which an individual is able to influence others so they respond to orders is called ________.

A)benchmark
B)responsibility
C)accountability
D)power
E)strength

Question 41

The operations manager of Pegasus Inc.wants to know the return on investment on a recent promotional drive to develop the marketing strategy for next year.The marketing manager sends him a detailed report on all the personnel in his department and the salaries and bonuses paid to them over the past year.This information is likely to be useless to the operations manager because it is not ________.

A)appropriate
B)timely
C)voluminous
D)real
E)expensive

Question 42

________ decisions relate to ensuring that specific organizational tasks are carried out effectively and efficiently.

A)Strategic planning
B)Operational control
C)Strategic control
D)Tactical control
E)Management control

Question 43

"Paralysis by analysis" is generally caused by ________.

A)information overload
B)insufficient information
C)lack of timely information
D)inappropriate information
E)data contamination

Question 44

Information required for decisions related to operational control should ________.

A)emphasize the future
B)be well defined and narrow
C)come largely from external sources
D)primarily contain historical data
E)provide an aggregate without going into the details

Question 45

________ is the extent to which the receipt of information allows decisions to be made and action to be taken so the organization can gain some benefit from possessing the information.

A)Information appropriateness
B)Information quality
C)Information timeliness
D)Information quantity
E)Information scope

Question 46

________ involves comparison of organizational information with the expected cost of obtaining that information.

A)Evaluating the cost of technology
B)Evaluating the cost of personnel
C)Evaluating the cost of data
D)Evaluating the cost of production
E)Evaluating the cost of distribution

Question 47

Information required for decisions related to strategic planning should ________.

A)emphasize the performance history of the organization
B)focus on the internal organization environment
C)focus largely on the external organizational environment
D)have a narrow scope and be to the point
E)be very detailed

Question 48

Information required for decisions related to strategic planning should ________.

A)emphasize the future
B)be well defined and narrow
C)focus largely on the internal organizational environment
D)be highly current
E)be very detailed

Question 49

Which one of the following is the first step in evaluating organizational information?

A)pinpointing the data to be analyzed
B)evaluating the cost of data
C)comparing the value of information with its cost
D)acquiring information
E)increasing value or decreasing cost of information

Question 50

In management terms,information refers to ________.

A)a collection of charts containing organizational statistics
B)the skill set of the employees carrying out a particular organizational function
C)the set of conclusions derived from the analysis of data that relate to the operation of an organization
D)a collection of numbers,characters,images or other outputs from devices that gather physical quantities and symbols
E)raw,unorganized representations of individual facts and/or figures

Question 51

________ decisions relate to determining organizational objectives and designating the corresponding action necessary to reach them.

A)Strategic planning
B)Operational control
C)Tactical control
D)Operational planning
E)Management control

Question 52

________ refers to the degree to which the information represents reality.

A)Information appropriateness
B)Information quality
C)Information timeliness
D)Information quantity
E)Information scope

Question 53

According to management writers,the process of converting information into action through decision making is known as ________.

A)management
B)benchmarking
C)controlling
D)organizing
E)planning

Question 54

Which of the following is a factor that determines the value of information?

A)information source
B)information quality
C)information cost
D)information scarcity
E)information application

Question 55

Derek recently asked for opinions on whether to install charging stations at every bay in his organization.The response was huge and mixed.There were a lot of pros and cons mentioned.Derek is now unable to come to a decision.Which one of the following describes the situation?

A)paralysis by organizing
B)paralysis by planning
C)paralysis by control
D)paralysis by analysis
E)paralysis by action

Question 56

Immediately after Randor Leather awarded a long-term contract for supply of raw materials,its operations manager gets information from a vendor about a much cheaper source of raw material.This information is likely to be of little use to the business because it is not ________.

A)appropriate
B)of good quality
C)timely
D)in sufficient quantity
E)wide in scope

Question 57

________ decisions relate to obtaining and effectively and efficiently using the organizational resources necessary to reach organizational objectives.

A)Strategic planning
B)Operational control
C)Strategic control
D)Operational planning
E)Management control

Question 58

As part of a process of job redesigning,the HR manager of Mars LLC conducted an informal survey of employees to assess their job satisfaction levels.However,fearing negative action,only a few employees gave clear and unambiguous responses to the HR manager's questions.This survey is likely to be of little use to the HR manager because it is ________.

A)not relevant
B)too costly
C)not timely
D)not in sufficient quantity
E)too wide in scope

Question 59

________ is defined in terms of how relevant the information is to the decision-making situation the manager faces.

A)Information appropriateness
B)Information quality
C)Information timeliness
D)Information control
E)Information quantity

Question 60

Data refers to the set of conclusions derived from the analysis of facts and figures that relate to the operation of an organization.

Question 61

Organizations must clearly define and acknowledge information security accountability and responsibility.Which one of the Generally Accepted System Security Principles (GASSP)for maintaining information security is being talked about here?

A)accountability principle
B)ethics principle
C)timeless principle
D)assessment principle
E)equity principle

Question 62

Irvine White's work primarily involves supervising the production in one of the factories of TM Corp,a large manufacturing and retail company.Which one of the following types of information is most likely to be relevant for Irvine?

A)trend forecasts for the industry
B)exception reports of operating results of his company
C)detailed reports of problems in his factory
D)environmental data for the company's business
E)decisions on strategic plans for his organization

Question 63

________ is a segment of technology which uses computers and telecommunication devices that focus on the use of information in the performance of work.

A)Information technology
B)Controlling technology
C)Corporate technology
D)Strategic planning technology
E)Management technology

Question 64

Which one of the following types of information would be most appropriate for the first-line management of a large corporation?

A)summary reports of operations
B)environmental data and trends
C)decisions on strategic plans
D)detailed reports of problems
E)forecasts

Question 65

Dorothy Wood's work primarily involves setting corporate objectives and making decisions that impact the control of the entire company.Which one of the following types of information is most likely to be relevant for Dorothy?

A)forecasts and exception reports of problems
B)summaries and exception reports of operating results
C)detailed reports of problems
D)summary reports of transactions
E)operating plans and policies

Question 66

Which one of the following is the first step in operating an information system properly?

A)transmitting data
B)determining the reason for gathering data
C)using the information
D)determining the information needed
E)determining the medium of technology to process information

Question 67

Which one of the following is the last step in operating an IS properly?

A)transmitting data
B)determining appropriate data
C)using the information
D)determining information needs
E)gathering appropriate data

Question 68

Which one of the following is true about managing the IS workforce?

A)During the economic and technological boom of the late 1990s,executives found it very easy to hire and retain IS employees.
B)Due to consumer backlash,companies are reducing the outsourcing of jobs to other countries.
C)Companies outsource work to other countries primarily for quality advantages.
D)Replacing IS personnel is inexpensive in today's technology-driven environment.
E)Outsourcing IS work overseas creates problems such as integrating domestic and nondomestic workforces and defining global work expectations.

Question 69

The ________ of GASSP's key principles states that organizations should periodically assess the risks to information and information systems.

A)accountability principle
B)ethics principle
C)timeless principle
D)assessment principle
E)equity principle

Question 70

The quality of the IS refers to ________.

A)the accuracy of the information
B)its cost
C)the relevance of the information
D)the proficiency of the users
E)its ease of use

Question 71

Martin has determined exactly what information he needs to assess worker productivity.He has collected the appropriate data necessary to produce the relevant information.What should Martin do next?

A)transmit the information
B)determine the quality of the data
C)use the information to assess productivity
D)summarize and analyze the data
E)evaluate the cost of the data

Question 72

Describe the information that is appropriate for making strategic planning decisions and for making operational control decisions.

Question 73

________ involves measuring the degree to which employees,or users,are satisfied with the IS.

A)Measuring employee satisfaction
B)Managing price satisfaction
C)Managing user satisfaction
D)Managing employee proficiency
E)Formatting the IS

Question 74

Which one of the following types of information would be most appropriate for the middle management of a large corporation?

A)environmental data and trends
B)summaries and exception reports of operating results
C)summary reports of transactions
D)detailed reports of problems
E)forecasts

Question 75

What are the steps in evaluating information?

Question 76

Which one of the following types of information would be most appropriate for top managers of a large corporation?

A)summary reports of transactions
B)operating plans and policies
C)detailed reports of problems
D)operational control procedures
E)environmental data and trends

Question 77

Since information is central to all organizational decision making,there is no such thing as too much information.

Question 78

Information for operational control decisions does not need to be completely accurate because such decisions tend to be characterized by subjectivity and focus on areas that are difficult to measure.

Question 79

In response to the increasing threat of security issues to information systems,private and public organizations around the world came together in 1992 to form the ________.

A)International Association for Computer Systems Security
B)Information Systems Security Association
C)International Information Security Foundation
D)Network Security Framework Forum
E)System Administration,Networking,and Security Institute

Question 80

Which one of the following activities improves IS effectiveness?

A)controlling the medium of information technology
B)planning the IS security
C)managing user satisfaction
D)organizing the information system procedure
E)controlling user authorization