Deck 11: Assessments by Leaders and the Goals to Which They Lead

Question 1

Van Wart discusses five sources of information that leaders can use to assess organizational effectiveness. Complaint logs, grievances, and quality control refer to which of the following sources?

A) Performance data
B) Documents relating to mission, vision and values
C) Employees
D) Clients, customers or constituents

Answer 1

Performance data

Question 2

The chapter splits important organizational perspectives into eight elements. For each of these elements three important questions are included. Which of the following is not one of these questions?

A) How do you know there is a problem?
B) How do you study the problem?
C) What are the major strategies used to address a deficiency?
D) What measures of effectiveness should be applied?

Answer 2

What measures of effectiveness should be applied?

Question 3

If task skills are a problem, three identification strategies may be used. Which of the following is not one of these strategies?

A) Examine the type of work that is undone
B) Study the practices of those who excel
C) Compare individual work samples
D) Compare groups based on data review

Answer 3

Examine the type of work that is undone

Question 4

Improving the linkage between work and rewards or worker feedback are possible strategies to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Task skills
B) Role clarity
C) Innovation and creativity
D) Resources or support services

Question 5

The accurate and precise knowledge that workers, groups, and managers have refers to __________.

A) Task skills
B) Role clarity
C) Subordinate effort
D) Cohesiveness and cooperation

Question 6

Providing better job descriptions is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Task skills
B) Role clarity
C) Innovation and creativity
D) Resources or support services

Question 7

Encouraging outside training and education is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Task skills
B) Role clarity
C) Innovation and creativity
D) Resources or support services

Question 8

Sources of creativity can be understood from both individual and organizational viewpoints. Individual creativity emphasizes __________.

A) Vertical thinking
B) Lateral thinking
C) Shared goals
D) Shared vision

Question 9

__________ refers to the degree to which the workers have the equipment, personnel, facilities and funds to accomplish work.

A) Resource allocation
B) Organization of work
C) Availability of resources
D) Resource ambiguity

Question 10

Workers will assist with problem solving when asked, but do not initiate problem solving on their own. This is an example of which of the following levels of motivation?

A) Worker resistance
B) Worker indifference
C) Worker compliance
D) Worker commitment

Question 11

Establishing better worker accountability for performance and clear disincentives for nonperformance is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Effort of subordinates
B) Cohesiveness and cooperation
C) Organization of work and performance strategies
D) Adaptability

Question 12

Decreasing unhealthy competition that leads to resource squabbles is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Effort of subordinates
B) Cohesiveness and cooperation
C) Organization of work
D) Adaptability

Question 13

The most obvious source of cooperation and cohesiveness is the __________.

A) Organizational climate
B) Operational plan
C) Effectiveness of the leader
D) Work structure

Question 14

Enhancing planning structures at operational or strategic levels is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Effort of subordinates
B) Cohesiveness and cooperation
C) Organization of work and performance strategies
D) Adaptability

Question 15

The organization of work refers to the way it is arranged and structured to maximize efficient and effective use of personnel, equipment and other resources, as well as the __________ used to ensure quantity and quality of production:

A) Plans and measures
B) Goals and policies
C) Strategies
D) Processes

Question 16

Enhancing responsiveness by creating a learning organization is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Effort of subordinates
B) Cohesiveness and cooperation
C) Organization of work
D) Adaptability

Question 17

When there deficiencies in external coordination and adaptability, there is nearly always:

A) Competing values
B) Weak communication
C) Weak external alignment
D) Absence of liaison positions

Question 18

Requesting policy changes through appropriate channels as a long term project is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Legal/contractual constraints
B) Excessive position constraints
C) Lack of resources
D) Lack of leadership abilities

Question 19

Gaining the confidence of those setting policy to attain the full latitude of management discretion is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Legal/contractual constraints
B) Excessive position constraints
C) Lack of resources
D) Lack of leadership abilities

Question 20

Using more delegation, training, mentoring, and planning is a possible strategy to use when deficiencies exist in the area of __________.

A) Legal/contractual constraints
B) Excessive position constraints
C) Lack of resources
D) Lack of leadership abilities

Question 21

When leaders are constrained by a lack of certain leadership abilities, one of the strategies to consider is:

A) Using more delegation
B) Analyzing the demands of the position
C) Requesting expanded authority
D) Requesting a transfer

Question 22

Of the three metacategories for goals, __________ goals are emphasized more when a leader is newer to the job and functionally specialized areas of responsibility are under scrutiny.

A) Technical performance
B) Follower development
C) Organizational alignment
D) Implicit

Question 23

When assessing organizational performance, documents pertaining to the values of an organization are seldom relevant.

Question 24

When task skills are a problem, analysis of both task and subordinate characteristics will point to effective strategies to correct the problem.

Question 25

When role clarity is lacking quantitative measures will quickly point out problems in this area.

Question 26

Vertical thinkers implicitly allow opportunities that generate alternatives, challenge assumptions, look at problems in reverse, focus on one element at a time, and play at and reorganize standard patterns to move past inflexibility.

Question 27

Resource needs should be based on work needs, which in turn are based on the service and product standard levels desired by the law, clients, and employee needs.

Question 28

When assessing subordinate effort, the information provided by climate surveys must often be discounted because of various types of bias based on their anonymity.

Question 29

The most obvious source of cooperation and cohesiveness is the work structure itself, encouraged by manageable unit sizes, a balance of responsibilities and authority, the presence of group rewards, and the absence of excessive internal competition.

Question 30

When examining the organization of work and performance strategies, strong indications of problems occur from three sources: Contractual constraints, availability of resources and organizational alignment.

Question 31

External coordination and adaptability describe the degree to which the organization is aligned with its constituents-legislators, clients, suppliers, and so forth-and adapts to changing circumstances.

Question 32

Constraints on leadership are generally substantial and need considerable time, energy and luck to change.

Question 33

Discuss the approach a new leader could take in assessing organizational effectiveness.

Question 34

Explain how subordinate effort can be assessed and motivation can improve the overall level of effort.

Question 35

Describe how a leader would approach determining if the organization has the right performance strategies.

Question 36

The lack of sufficient resources is a chronic problem at some level for all leaders. Describe some actions leaders can take to deal with these constraints.

Question 37

One important aspect of goal setting is the balance of goals across organizational or leadership functions. Describe the three metacategories of goals that should be well represented.