Deck 11: Decision Support Systems

Question 1

The most sophisticated computer application is:

A)group decision support systems.
B)artificial intelligence.
C)expert systems.
D)knowledge- based systems.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The type of GDSS that can include teleconferencing, computer conferencing, audio conferencing, and video conferencing is the:

A)local area decision network.
B)decision room.
C)computer- mediated conference.
D)legislative session.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

When members of a JAD session are deciding which approach to take in implementing an executive information system, they are using Mintzberg's:

A)judgment approach.
B)garbage can approach.
C)analysis approach.
D)bargaining approach.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The portion of the expert system that contains both facts that describe the problem area and knowledge representation techniques that describe how the facts fit together in a logical manner is the:

A)problem domain.
B)inference engine.
C)knowledge base.
D)expert system shell.

Question 5

The economic order quantity chart is an example of the:

A)narrative model.
B)mathematical model.
C)graphic model.
D)physical model.

Question 6

When performance standards describe what the system should achieve, they are called the:

A)desired state.
B)solution criterion.
C)current state.
D)optimum state.

Question 7

Which type of model has predictive capability?

A)physical model
B)mathematical model
C)narrative model
D)graphic model

Question 8

What type of model is a three- dimensional representation of its entity?

A)graphic model
B)mathematical model
C)narrative model
D)physical model

Question 9

Which of the following is not a type of database used in the DSS model presented in the text?

A)relational database
B)hierarchical database
C)multidimensional database
D)knowledge database

Question 10

When performance standards describe what it will take to bring the current state to the desired state, they are called the:

A)solution criterion.
B)optimum state.
C)desired state.
D)current state.

Question 11

What term does Robert Anthony use to describe the middle level of management?

A)operational control level
B)tactical planning level
C)management control level
D)strategic planning level

Question 12

The act of using a model is called:

A)simulation.
B)satisficing.
C)suboptimizing.
D)optimizing.

Question 13

Which type of information system has been the most successful since 1971?

A)TPS
B)DSS
C)EIS
D)MIS

Question 14

The type of GDSS that is ideal for small groups of people meeting face- to- face is the:

A)computer- mediated conference.
B)legislative session.
C)local area decision network.
D)decision room.

Question 15

Which part of the expert system configuration contains an expert system shell?

A)inference engine
B)knowledge base
C)development engine
D)user interface

Question 16

If a personnel problem exists in a department where the employees cannot work as a team because of behavior differences, it is referred to as what type of problem?

A)semistructured problem
B)personnel problem
C)structured problem
D)unstructured problem

Question 17

What type of model is used daily?

A)mathematical model
B)graphic model
C)physical model
D)narrative model

Question 18

What is the type of problem that occurs when the elements and relationships between elements are understood by the problem solver?

A)structured problem
B)programmed problem
C)unstructured problem
D)semistructured problem

Question 19

What term does Robert Anthony use to describe the lower level of management?

A)strategic planning level
B)management control level
C)tactical planning level
D)operational control level

Question 20

Which statement is false regarding the systems view?

A)prevents the manager from getting lost in the complexity of the organizational structure and details of the job
B)places a high value on feedback information that can only be achieved by means of an open- loop system
C)recognizes the necessity of having good objectives
D)acknowledges the interconnections of the organization with its environment

Question 21

Which statement is false regarding mathematical models?

A)The modeling process can be a learning experience.
B)It is possible to simulate several months, quarters, or years of company operations in a matter of minutes.
C)Models are more expensive than the trial- and- error method.
D)Models provide a predictive power.

Question 22

According to Herbert A. Simon, problem solvers engage in activity which consists of assessing past choices.

Question 23

The type of decisions that are "novel, unstructured, and unusually consequential" are referred to as:

A)semistructured decisions.
B)programmed decisions.
C)unstructured decisions.
D)nonprogrammed decisions.

Question 24

The term used to define a response to things going good as well as things going bad is:

A)a problem.
B)decision making.
C)problem solving.
D)a decision.

Question 25

According to Herbert A. Simon, problem solvers engage in activity which consists of searching the environment for conditions calling for a solution.

Question 26

constraints take the form of limited resources that exist within the firm.

Question 27

According to Herbert A. Simon, problem solvers engage in activity which consists of inventing, developing, and analyzing possible courses of action.

Question 28

A is a condition produced by the problem.

Question 29

constraints take the form of pressures from various environmental elements that restrict the flow of resources into and out of the firm.

Question 30

A _ problem is one that contains some elements or relationships that are understood by the problem solver and some that are not.

Question 31

The portion of the expert system that performs reasoning by using the contents of the knowledge base in a particular sequence is the:

A)development engine.
B)inference engine.
C)user interface.
D)knowledge base.

Question 32

According to Herbert Simon, which problem- solving phase incorporates inventing, developing, and analyzing possible courses of action?

A)choice activity
B)review activity
C)design activity
D)intelligence activity

Question 33

A is a rule of thumb or a rule of good guessing.

Question 34

is the activity of providing such machines as computers with the ability to display behavior that would be regarded as intelligent if it were observed in humans.

Question 35

Pressures from various environmental elements that restrict the flow of resources into and out of the firm are referred to as:

A)environmental constraints.
B)resource constraints.
C)external constraints.
D)internal constraints.

Question 36

The type of problem that decision support systems were designed to help solve were:

A)semistructured problems.
B)structured problems.
C)nonprogrammed problems.
D)programmed problems.

Question 37

What has/have been the most recent capability(ies)added to DSS?

A)group decision support
B)periodic and special reports
C)artificial intelligence
D)mathematical models

Question 38

A _ is a selected course of action.

Question 39

The model that does not include probabilities is referred to as a(n):

A)probabilistic model.
B)optimizing model.
C)deterministic model.
D)suboptimizing model.

Question 40

The type of decisions that are repetitive and routine, to the extent that a definite procedure has been worked out for handling them so that they don't have to be treated as new each time they occur are referred to as:

A)unstructured decisions.
B)programmed decisions.
C)structured decisions.
D)semistructured decisions.

Question 41

decisions are "novel, unstructured, and unusually consequential. There is no
cut- and- dried method for handling the problem because it hasn't arisen before, or because its precise nature and structure are elusive or complex, or because it so important that it deserves a custom- tailored treatment."⁴

Question 42

The difference between the current state and the desired state represents the .

Question 43

A satisficing model is one that selects the best solution among the alternatives.

Question 44

When members of a GDSS meet at the same time, it is called an asynchronous exchange.

Question 45

All business communications are physical models.

Question 46

Gorry and Scott- Morton identified systems that were able to solve identified problems as decision support systems.

Question 47

An problem is one that contains no elements or relationships between elements that are understood by the problem solver.

Question 48

The most popular type of knowledge- based system is the expert system.

Question 49

Artificial intelligence can mimic human reasoning with 100% accuracy.

Question 50

Most users are able to personally develop complex models.

Question 51

According to Herbert A. Simon, problem solvers engage in activity which consists of selecting a particular course of action from those available.

Question 52

The term scenario is used to describe the conditions that influence a simulation.

Question 53

When groupware is added to a DSS, it is referred to as a group decision support system.

Question 54

The iterative process of trying out decision alternatives is known as playing the what- if game.

Question 55

A semistructured problem is one that contains some elements or relationships that are understood by the problem solver and some that are not.

Question 56

decisions are "repetitive and routine, to the extent that a definite procedure has been worked out for handling them so that they don't have to be treated de novo (as new)each time they occur."³

Question 57

A spreadsheet does not work very well to use as a dynamic model.

Question 58

The rows and columns of a spreadsheet make it an ideal tool to use as a static model.

Question 59

Nonprogrammed decisions are repetitive and routine, to the extent that a definite procedure has been worked out for handling them so that they don't have to be treated as new each time they occur.

Question 60

When a manager uses a DSS, the manager is sitting at the workstation and there is a consultant sitting next to the manager, giving suggestions on how to solve the problem.

Question 61

The EOQ is an example of a model used to solve a structured problem.

Question 62

The reasoning process of an expert system finishes after the rule set has been passed through one time.

Question 63

The cost of modeling is not as high as the cost of bad decisions that are implemented.

Question 64

A symptom is the cause of the trouble or the cause of the opportunity.

Question 65

The user interface of an expert system enables the manager to enter instructions and information into the expert system and to receive information from it.

Question 66

Explain the five things that the systems view does to increase its value to the manager.

Question 67

The desired state identifies the standards for what the system should achieve.

Question 68

A spreadsheet lends itself to playing the what- if game because the user can manipulate one or more variables to see the effect of the outcome of the simulation.

Question 69

DSS was originally conceived to produce outputs from groupware.

Question 70

Briefly trace the history of artificial intelligence.

Question 71

Another name for a GDSS is computerized collaborative work support.

Question 72

What are the three dimensions that can be used to classify mathematical models?

Question 73

Identify and define the three approaches Henry Mintzberg suggests for selecting the best solution.

Question 74

A model only represents its entity and never matches it exactly.

Question 75

Two unique GDSS features are parallel communication and anonymity.

Question 76

The difference between the current state and the desired state represents the optimal state.

Question 77

When a group is too large to meet in a decision room, a legislative session is required.

Question 78

External constraints take the form of pressures from various environmental elements that restrict the flow of resources into and out of the firm.

Question 79

A model is an abstraction of something.