Deck 8: Using Information Technology for Control and Coordination

Question 1

Which of the following is the first step in the feedback control model?

A)Taking corrective action as needed
B)Establishing metrics and standards of performance
C)Comparing metrics of actual performance to standards
D)Setting strategic goals

Answer 1

D
Explanation:Managers set up systems for organizational control that consist of the four key steps in the feedback control model.The cycle of control includes setting strategic goals for departments or the organization as a whole,establishing metrics and standards of performance,comparing metrics of actual performance to standards,and correcting or changing activities as needed.

Question 2

_____ means searching out and analyzing data from multiple sources across the enterprise,and increasingly from outside sources as well,to identify patterns and relationships that might be significant.

A)Data warehousing
B)Data processing
C)Data entry
D)Data mining

Answer 2

D
Explanation:Sometimes referred to as data mining,business intelligence means searching out and analyzing data from multiple sources across the enterprise,and increasingly from outside sources as well,to identify patterns and relationships that might be significant.Retailers are some of the biggest users of business intelligence software.

Question 3

Feedback control helps managers:

A)make needed adjustments to help the organization be successful.
B)emphasize decentralized control over employees.
C)have complete hierarchical control on their subordinates.
D)set organizational mission and vision.

Answer 3

A
Explanation:Managers set up systems for organizational control that consist of the four key steps in the feedback control model.Feedback control helps managers make needed adjustments in work activities,standards of performance,or goals to help the organization be successful.

Question 4

Software for business intelligence,also called _____,helps users make sense of all of a company's data.

A)dynamic software
B)analytic software
C)decision support software
D)warehousing software

Question 5

xIn connection with the shift to employee participation and empowerment,many companies are adopting a:

A)decentralized control process.
B)hierarchical control process.
C)vertical organizational structure.
D)centralized organizational structure.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of an organization with decentralized control?

A)The organization emphasizes extrinsic rewards, and task-related job descriptions are given to employees.
B)The organization assumes that people are incapable of self-discipline and cannot be trusted.
C)The organization uses detailed rules and procedures and formal control systems.
D)The organization places great emphasis on the selection and socialization of employees.

Question 7

In contrast to hierarchical control,decentralized control relies on:

A)extensive use of rules and policies.
B)close personal supervision.
C)reward systems.
D)cultural values.

Question 8

A(n)_____ collects data from sales,purchases from suppliers,and inventory changes and stores them in a database.

A)inventory control system
B)automated analysis system
C)transaction processing system
D)decision support system

Question 9

_____ is based on values and assumptions that are almost opposite to those of hierarchical control.

A)Centralized control
B)Decentralized control
C)Vertical control
D)Horizontal control

Question 10

With _____,the culture is adaptive,and managers recognize the importance of organizational culture for uniting individual,team,and organizational goals for greater overall control.

A)centralized control
B)decentralized control
C)vertical control
D)hierarchical control

Question 11

_____ define explicit rules,policies,and procedures for employee behavior.

A)Hierarchical methods
B)Decentralized methods
C)Traditional methods
D)Reorganized methods

Question 12

Decentralized control differs from hierarchical control in that:

A)power is more dispersed in decentralized control.
B)top-down authority is used in decentralized control.
C)detailed rules and procedures and formal control systems are used in decentralized control.
D)organizational structure is vertical in decentralized control.

Question 13

Shaina,a manager for a fashion magazine,puts out two messages a day on her company's Facebook fan page.She does this to obtain feedback from readers and also to determine what the readers would like to see in the magazine.This scenario is an example of _____.

A)feedback processing
B)data warehousing
C)social business
D)business intelligence

Question 14

Which of the following helps managers to make smarter decisions?

A)Restricting the use of social media technologies
B)Using business intelligence software to analyze data
C)Restricting use of intranets for knowledge management
D)Using only horizontal linkages and not vertical linkages

Question 15

_____ refers to using technologies such as blogs,Facebook,or Twitter for interacting with and facilitating communication and collaboration among employees,customers,and other stakeholders.

A)Social business
B)Decision support
C)Transaction processing
D)Business intelligence

Question 16

Which of the following is true of decentralized control?

A)Rules and procedures are used only when necessary.
B)Managers do not rely on shared goals and values to control employee behavior.
C)Top-down authority is used.
D)Task-related job descriptions are given to employees.

Question 17

All effective control systems involve the use of _____ to determine whether organizational performance meets established standards to help the organization attain its goals.

A)decentralization
B)hierarchical referral
C)feedback
D)employee referral

Question 18

_____ refers to technologies,skills,and processes for searching and examining massive,complex sets of data that traditional data processing applications cannot handle to uncover hidden patterns and correlations.

A)Social business
B)Data warehousing
C)Big data analytics
D)Business intelligence

Question 19

_____ involves monitoring and influencing employee behavior through extensive use of rules,policies,order of authority,written documentation,reward systems,and other formal mechanisms.

A)A vertical organizational structure
B)Decentralized control
C)A horizontal organizational structure
D)Hierarchical control

Question 20

The use of huge databases that combine all of a company's data and allow users to access the data directly,create reports,and obtain responses to what-if questions is referred to as:

A)data mining.
B)data processing.
C)transaction processing.
D)data warehousing.

Question 21

_____ refers to the efforts to systematically find,organize,and make available a company's intellectual capital and to foster a culture of continuous learning and information sharing.

A)Feedback control
B)Outcome control
C)Knowledge management
D)Transaction management

Question 22

Which of the following is not a perspective of the balanced scorecard?

A)Financial performance
B)Customer service
C)Learning and growth
D)Quality control

Question 23

Hierarchical methods define explicit rules,policies,and procedures for employee behavior.

Question 24

_____ are people who are at the center of an information network.These are people who are sought out for their knowledge and information.

A)Brokers
B)Peripheral players
C)Hubs
D)Communicators

Question 25

Effective control systems involve the use of feedback to determine whether organizational performance meets established standards to help the organization attain its goals.

Question 26

Data warehousing is also known as data mining.

Question 27

In decentralized control,managers rely on shared goals and values to control employee behavior.

Question 28

Establishing metrics and standards of performance is one of the four key steps in a feedback control model.

Question 29

_____ is based on managers' direct observation and supervision of employee actions to see whether the individual follows rules and policies and performs tasks as instructed.

A)Feedback control
B)Outcome control
C)Behavior control
D)Transaction control

Question 30

In decentralized control,the organizational structure is vertical,like a pyramid.

Question 31

_____ focus on production and operating statistics,such as order fulfillment or cost per order.

A)Customer service indicators
B)Business process indicators
C)Learning and growth potentials
D)Quality control perspectives

Question 32

Data mining software is designed to print out data from the government sector,particularly from census reports.

Question 33

A(n)_____ provides a visual representation of the key drivers of an organization's success and shows how specific outcomes in each area are linked.

A)feedback map
B)outcome map
C)strategy map
D)transaction map

Question 34

An organization's _____ focuses on how well resources and human capital are being managed for the company's future.

A)business process indicator
B)customer service indicator
C)learning and growth potential
D)quality control perspective

Question 35

Executive information systems collect data from transactions such as sales,purchase from suppliers,and inventory changes and store them in a database.

Question 36

A form of outsourcing is to use _____,firms that collect data from multiple organizations and analyze the combined data for them.

A)hubs
B)peripheral players
C)data summarizers
D)data intermediaries

Question 37

Hierarchical control involves cultural values,traditions,shared beliefs,and trust to foster compliance with organizational goals.

Question 38

Which of the following perspectives of a balanced scorecard includes traditional measures such as net income and return on investment?

A)Learning and growth potential
B)Customer service indicators
C)Financial perspective
D)Quality control perspective

Question 39

With hierarchical control,the organizational culture is flexible,and managers consider culture a useful means for coordinating employees and the organization.

Question 40

In recent years,the balanced scorecard has evolved into a system that helps managers see how:

A)organizational performance results from cause-effect relationships among the four mutually supportive perspectives of balanced scorecard.
B)decentralized control is effective for organizations to achieve the preset goals, mission, and vision.
C)accuracy and responsiveness of employees improve drastically from the usage of outcome control instead of behavior control in their organization.
D)each and every perspective of a balanced scorecard is dependent on each other.

Question 41

The formal routines,reports,and procedures that use information to maintain or alter patterns in organization activities are referred to as the balanced scorecard.

Question 42

Custom service indicators focus on production and operating statistics,such as order fulfillment or cost per order.

Question 43

Hubs link specialized pools of knowledge and integrate the larger network within the organization.

Question 44

Social businesses always use a top-down approach.

Question 45

Explain the concept of decentralized control with an example.

Question 46

With a network structure,most activities are outsourced so that different companies perform the various functions needed by the organization.

Question 47

Explain big data analytics with an example.

Question 48

One of the greatest outcomes of information technology is its potential to improve coordination,communication,and collaboration across the firm.

Question 49

Information technology enables an organization to do more work with fewer people.

Question 50

With behavior control,people have a great deal of autonomy in terms of how they do their job.

Question 51

Using data intermediaries is a form of data mining.

Question 52

Two approaches to knowledge management are the use of dialogue and communities of practice.

Question 53

A primary use of intranets is for knowledge management.

Question 54

With outcome control,rather than monitoring how many hours an employee works,managers focus on how much work the employee accomplishes.

Question 55

Explain social business using an example.

Question 56

Behavior control is based on monitoring and rewarding results,and managers might pay little attention to how those results are obtained.

Question 57

Peripheral players have the fewest number of connections and operate on the boundaries of a network.

Question 58

Discuss transaction processing systems,and give an example of how a company utilizes the system.

Question 59

Compare behavior control with outcome control.

Question 60

Tacit knowledge is formal,systematic knowledge that can be written down and passed on to others.

Question 61

Briefly explain social network analysis.

Question 62

What is meant by big data?

Question 63

What is a social media command center? Explain its functions using relevant examples.

Question 64

Discuss the working of a balanced design.

Question 65

What is social business? Discuss its advantages using relevant examples.