Deck 1: Understanding the Managers Job

Question 1

_____ work in areas like new product development, promotion, and distribution.

A) Human resource managers
B) Marketing managers
C) Plant managers
D) Operations managers
E) Finance managers

Answer 1

B
Marketing managers work in areas related to the marketing function-getting consumers and clients to buy the organization's products or services. These areas include new product development, promotion, and distribution.

Question 2

In its simplest form, _____ means setting an organization's goals and deciding how best to achieve them.

A) coordinating
B) deskilling
C) organizing
D) controlling
E) planning

Answer 2

E
In its simplest form, planning means setting an organization's goals and deciding how best to achieve them.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true about first-line managers?

A) They are primarily responsible for implementing policies made by top managers.
B) They are typically involved in creating overall organizational strategies and goals.
C) They officially represent their organization to the external environment.
D) They typically spend a large proportion of their time supervising the work of their subordinates.
E) They make decisions about activities such as acquiring other companies.

Answer 3

D
In contrast to top and middle managers, first-line managers typically spend a large proportion of their time supervising the work of their subordinates.

Question 4

_____ are probably the largest group of managers in most organizations, and are primarily responsible for implementing the policies and plans of an organization.

A) Middle managers
B) Top managers
C) The members of board of directors
D) First-line managers
E) Floor supervisors

Question 5

Which of the following helps make the management process efficient?

A) Increasing overhead production costs
B) Using resources in a cost-effective manner
C) Making management decisions independently of the organization's external environment
D) Using the majority of resources for sales promotion activities
E) Using micromanagement techniques

Question 6

First-line managers:

A) are primarily responsible for implementing the policies and plans developed by top managers.
B) make decisions about activities such as acquiring other companies.
C) officially represent their organization to the external environment.
D) create organizational goals.
E) handle administrative duties.

Question 7

One of the titles found in the group of middle managers is _____.

A) director
B) vice president
C) supervisor
D) office manager
E) plant manager

Question 8

Determining how a company's activities and resources are to be grouped is called _____.

A) leading
B) controlling
C) deskilling
D) planning
E) organizing

Question 9

One of the titles found in the group of first-line managers is _____.

A) chief executive officer
B) coordinator
C) division head
D) general manager
E) plant superintendent

Question 10

Tyler works with Alpha Pharmaceuticals Inc. He is primarily responsible for overseeing production activities. Tyler is concerned with decisions such as the number of product units that need to be manufactured, the overall functioning of the production plants, and the quality of products. Tyler is most likely to be a(n)_____.

A) operations manager
B) marketing manager
C) human resource manager
D) sales manager
E) public relations manager

Question 11

A management process is considered to be effective when:

A) overhead production costs are increased.
B) the right decisions are made and implemented.
C) decisions are made independently of the organization's external environment.
D) the same amount of resources are allocated to all the functions of the organization.
E) the organization is highly centralized.

Question 12

_____ are typically involved in recruiting and selecting employees, training and development, designing compensation and benefit systems, formulating performance appraisal systems, and discharging low-performing and problem employees.

A) Operations managers
B) Human resource managers
C) Plant managers
D) Marketing managers
E) Finance managers

Question 13

Typical responsibilities of operations managers include:

A) inventory control.
B) sales promotion.
C) accounting.
D) employee development.
E) benefit systems development.

Question 14

_____ make decisions about activities such as investing in research and development (R&D) and entering or abandoning various markets.

A) Division heads
B) Limited partners
C) First-line managers
D) Middle managers
E) Top managers

Question 15

Which of the following is the role of top managers in an organization?

A) Overseeing day-to-day operations
B) Performing routine administrative tasks
C) Implementing plans of first-line managers
D) Creating organizational goals and overall strategy
E) Coordinating the work of first-line managers

Question 16

_____ involves selecting a course of action from a set of alternatives.

A) Divesting
B) Controlling
C) Leading
D) Decision making
E) Job deskilling

Question 17

Which of the following would be included in the management function of planning?

A) Selecting the course of action most likely to lead to success
B) Monitoring progress toward the achievement of goals
C) Motivating others to higher levels of achievement
D) Communicating company policies to subordinates
E) Organizing people and resources

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true about top managers?

A) They are the largest group of managers in most organizations.
B) They officially represent their organization to the external environment.
C) They primarily oversee the day-to-day operations of an organization.
D) They supervise and coordinate the activities of first-line managers.
E) They supervise and coordinate the activities of operating employees.

Question 19

_____ can be defined as a set of activities directed at an organization's resources, with the aim of achieving organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner.

A) Economics
B) Job de-skilling
C) Management
D) Self-dealing
E) Divestment

Question 20

A common middle-management title is:

A) chief executive officer.
B) division head.
C) supervisor.
D) office manager.
E) coordinator.

Question 21

Jordon, a manager, realizes that many employees are leaving the organization. He identifies inconvenient work timings and some of the new employment policies as the causes. Jordon decides to introduce better policies and flexible work timings to reduce employee turnover. This scenario illustrates Jordon's _____ skills.

A) mechanical
B) technical
C) diagnostic
D) spatial
E) time management

Question 22

The management function of leading involves:

A) setting an organization's goals.
B) motivating and influencing others.
C) grouping activities and resources.
D) interacting with the external business environment.
E) creating organizational strategies.

Question 23

_____ work at getting consumers and clients to buy the organization's products or services.

A) Operations managers
B) Marketing managers
C) Regional managers
D) Financial managers
E) Human resources managers

Question 24

_____ are not associated with any particular management specialty.

A) Office managers
B) Floor supervisors
C) Public relations managers
D) Operations managers
E) Administrative managers

Question 25

The skills necessary to accomplish or understand the specific kind of work done in an organization are called _____ skills.

A) diagnostic
B) time management
C) conceptual
D) technical
E) spatial

Question 26

_____ is the set of processes used to get members of an organization to work together to further the interests of the organization.

A) Planning
B) Organizing
C) Controlling
D) Leading
E) Deskilling

Question 27

_____ skills refer to the abilities of managers to think in the abstract, understand the overall workings of the organization and its environment, to grasp how all the parts of the organization fit together, and to view the organization in a holistic manner.

A) Time management
B) Technical
C) Conceptual
D) Interpersonal
E) Communication

Question 28

The management at Beta Corp. has introduced new employment policies. The mangers are now tracking and monitoring the implementation of the new policies. Which of the following management functions is illustrated in the scenario?

A) Deskilling
B) Controlling
C) Organizing
D) Leading
E) Planning

Question 29

When a manager writes a mail to a supplier apologizing for a delay in payment, he is most likely to be using his _____ skills.

A) conceptual
B) technical
C) communication
D) abstract
E) spatial

Question 30

_____ are concerned with creating and managing the systems that create an organization's products and services.

A) Marketing managers
B) Human resources managers
C) Financial managers
D) Operations managers
E) First-line managers

Question 31

When a manager answers a subordinate's question regarding the process of creating a report from raw data, he is relying on his _____ skills.

A) abstract
B) technical
C) time management
D) decision-making
E) spatial

Question 32

Technical skills:

A) are crucial for top managers more than any other managers.
B) are nonspecific and broad.
C) depend on a manager's ability to think in the abstract.
D) are especially important for first-line managers.
E) are used the most when making organizational policies.

Question 33

Sarah, a manager, has postponed the task of preparing a report as she has realized that she needs to meet a supplier immediately. This scenario illustrates Sarah's _____ skills.

A) conceptual
B) spatial
C) time management
D) technical
E) abstract

Question 34

_____ refer to a manager's ability to prioritize work, to work efficiently, and to delegate work appropriately.

A) Diagnostic skills
B) Commanding skills
C) Decision-making skills
D) Time-management skills
E) Conceptual skills

Question 35

Winston is often intimidated and uncomfortable with his superiors. Winston needs to develop his _____ skills to be able to communicate easily with his superiors.

A) time management
B) spatial
C) interpersonal
D) conceptual
E) diagnostic

Question 36

The final phase of the management process is _____ that involves monitoring the organization's progress toward its goals.

A) planning
B) organizing
C) leading
D) controlling
E) deskilling

Question 37

_____ skills refer to the abilities of managers to visualize the most appropriate response to a situation.

A) Social
B) Interpersonal
C) Technical
D) Diagnositc
E) Communication

Question 38

_____ skills refer to a manager's abilities to both effectively convey ideas and information to others and effectively receive ideas and information from others.

A) Technical
B) Abstract
C) Communication
D) Diagnostic
E) Conceptual

Question 39

Maria, a manager, studied the performances of the various business units of her organization. After making an assessment, Maria came to the conclusion that the overall costs of the organization can be reduced by integrating the functions of two of the business units. This scenario illustrates Maria's _____ skills.

A) technical
B) time management
C) social
D) interpersonal
E) conceptual

Question 40

The ability to motivate others is a(n) _____ skill.

A) conceptual
B) technical
C) communication
D) interpersonal
E) diagnostic

Question 41

Scientific management focuses on:

A) improving the efficiency of individual workers.
B) increasing employee turnover.
C) analyzing the external rather than the internal environment of an organization.
D) encouraging soldiering among employees.
E) increasing overhead costs.

Question 42

Early advocates of the classical management perspective viewed organizations and jobs from an essentially _____ point of view.

A) mechanistic
B) behavioral
C) humanistic
D) systematic
E) contingent

Question 43

The scientific management perspective:

A) assumed that workers liked their work.
B) focused on the overall management of an organization rather than individual employees.
C) emphasized the importance of supervising workers.
D) was based on the assumption that workers are internally motivated to achieve organizational goals.
E) placed maximum emphasis on individual attitudes and behaviors.

Question 44

Lillian Gilbreth was one of the earliest advocates of:

A) the contingency theory.
B) scientific management.
C) administrative management.
D) theory X and Y.
E) the Hawthorne studies.

Question 45

When employees deliberately work at a slower pace than their capabilities, it is called _____.

A) soldiering
B) persevering
C) controlling
D) planning
E) deceiving

Question 46

Which of the following was one of the findings of the Hawthorne studies?

A) Workers tend to underperform when they are given special attention or supervision.
B) Higher pay and incentives are more important to workers than social acceptance.
C) All the workers in a group work toward achieving productivity targets set by supervisors.
D) Both individual and social processes play a major role in shaping worker behavior.
E) Workers in all groups tend to encourage and support members who are over productive.

Question 47

A _____ is a conceptual framework for organizing knowledge and providing a blueprint for action.

A) classic
B) mnemonic
C) prediction
D) theory
E) doctrine

Question 48

In the Hawthorne Studies, workers who overproduced were branded as _____.

A) operators
B) squealers
C) rate busters
D) chiselers
E) producers

Question 49

A difference between Theory X and Theory Y is that:

A) Theory X makes positive assumptions.
B) Theory Y is consistent with the views of scientific management.
C) Theory Y assumes that people lack ambition.
D) Theory Y represents the assumptions made by human relations advocates.
E) Theory Y assumes that people naturally dislike work.

Question 50

The concept of _____, suggested by Weber, is based on a rational set of guidelines for structuring organizations in the most efficient manner.

A) adhocracy
B) bureaucracy
C) technocracy
D) meritocracy
E) scientocracy

Question 51

_____ is recognized as the father of industrial psychology.

A) Douglas McGregor
B) Elton Mayo
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Hugo Munsterberg
E) Henri Fayol

Question 52

A manager who uses the scientific approach to management when making decisions is most likely rely on:

A) instincts.
B) stereotypes.
C) personal experience.
D) intuition.
E) logic.

Question 53

Which of the following focuses on the management of the entire firm as opposed to the jobs of individual workers?

A) The Contingency theory
B) Scientific management
C) Administrative management
D) Theory X
E) The Hawthorne studies

Question 54

Which of the following is a Theory Y assumption?

A) Social processes do not influence the performance of workers.
B) People are not internally motivated to achieve their goals.
C) People do not naturally dislike work.
D) People like to be directed as they want security.
E) People perform better when they are threatened by the manager.

Question 55

The management pioneer who performed the Hawthorne studies at Western Electric was:

A) Lillian Gilbreth.
B) Elton Mayo.
C) Henry Gantt.
D) Frank Gilbreth.
E) Frederick Taylor.

Question 56

A Theory Y assumption is that:

A) incentives rather than social processes influence workers.
B) managers have to control, direct, coerce, and threaten employees to get them to work toward organizational goals.
C) people prefer to be directed, to avoid responsibility, and to want security; they have little ambition.
D) people are committed to goals to the degree that they receive personal rewards when they reach their objectives.
E) people naturally dislike work and try to avoid it.

Question 57

Which of the following assumptions is represented by Theory Y?

A) People prefer to be directed, to avoid responsibility, and to want security.
B) People are bright, but under most organizational conditions, their potential is underutilized.
C) People do not like work and try to avoid it.
D) The productivity of workers is not affected by social processes at the workplace.
E) Managers need to be coercive to get work done from their workers.

Question 58

Which of the following statements is true about the behavioral management perspective?

A) It was first introduced by Max Weber.
B) It viewed jobs and organizations from a mechanistic point of view.
C) It was influenced by the industrial psychology movement.
D) It essentially dealt with job specialization techniques.
E) It slighted the role of the individual in organizations.

Question 59

The first person to identify the managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling was:

A) Elton Mayo.
B) Lillian Gilbreth.
C) Henri Fayol.
D) Hugo Munsterberg.
E) Mary Parker Follett.

Question 60

Which of the following statements is true of administrative management?

A) It deals with the jobs of individual employees.
B) It was first introduced by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.
C) It focuses solely on combating soldiering.
D) It encompasses the concepts of planning, organizing, and controlling.
E) It exclusively focuses on individual attitudes and behaviors and group processes.

Question 61

_____ is considered to be a form of applied management science.

A) Scientific management
B) Lean manufacturing
C) Behavioral management
D) Human relations movement
E) Operations management

Question 62

A primary objective of management, from a systems perspective, is to continually reenergize the organization to avoid _____.

A) reciprocity
B) collaboration
C) diversity
D) entropy
E) synergy

Question 63

In the context of the systems perspective, an output would be:

A) technological processes.
B) labor skills.
C) services.
D) raw materials.
E) human resources.

Question 64

In the systems perspective, outputs include _____.

A) raw materials
B) controls
C) funds
D) human resources
E) employee attitudes

Question 65

In the systems perspective, _____ emphasizes the importance of working together in a cooperative and coordinated fashion.

A) synergy
B) entropy
C) contingency
D) diversity
E) uniformity

Question 66

In the context of the systems perspective, an input would be:

A) human resources.
B) losses.
C) feedback loops.
D) products.
E) services.

Question 67

Relatively new management concepts such as supply chain management and new techniques such as enterprise resource planning have evolved from the _____ perspective.

A) quantitative management
B) systems
C) contingency
D) classical management
E) behavioral management

Question 68

Which of the following statements is true about operations management?

A) It is more statistically sophisticated than management science.
B) It exclusively focuses on improving employee attitudes and behavior.
C) It can be applied more directly to managerial situations than management science.
D) It relies more on mathematical models than management science.
E) It cannot be applied to inventory control and production operations of an organization.

Question 69

The _____ proposed that workers respond primarily to the social context of the workplace, including social conditioning, group norms, and interpersonal dynamics.

A) classical management perspective
B) human relations movement
C) systems theory
D) management science perspective
E) organizational theory

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true about management science?

A) It is part of the classical management perspective.
B) It relies on bureaucratic techniques proposed by Max Weber.
C) It focuses on mathematical representations of reality.
D) It is concerned with improving the performance of individual workers.
E) It introduced the piecework pay system.

Question 71

_____ suggests that organizational units (or subsystems) may often be more successful working together than working alone.

A) Divestiture
B) Operations management
C) Synergy
D) Entropy
E) Soldiering

Question 72

Which of the following is a Theory X assumption?

A) People will both seek and accept responsibility.
B) Managers are harsh on their employees.
C) People have little ambition.
D) People are internally motivated.
E) People do not naturally dislike work.

Question 73

When a manufacturing plant uses mathematical models to plan production and schedule equipment maintenance, it is drawing upon:

A) scientific management.
B) administrative management.
C) management science.
D) behavioral perspective.
E) Theory X assumptions.

Question 74

Which of the following draws from psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and medicine?

A) Organizational behavior
B) Scientific management
C) Administrative management
D) Systems perspective
E) Contingency perspective

Question 75

Emilio says, "Employees and situations are unique. Sometimes I get good results by trying one approach, sometimes I decide to do something completely different." Emilio's statement is best aligned with which of the following management views?

A) The classical theory
B) Administrative management
C) The generalist perspective
D) Theory X
E) The contingency perspective

Question 76

_____ is a normal process that leads to system decline.

A) Economy of scale
B) Synergy
C) Entropy
D) Contingency
E) Symbiosis

Question 77

The _____ perspective focuses on decision making, cost-effectiveness, mathematical models, and the use of computers.

A) systems management
B) behavioral management
C) scientific management
D) administrative management
E) quantitative management

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true in the context of the systems perspective?

A) Entropy is a process that leads to system progress.
B) Products and services can be considered as system inputs.
C) A closed system is closely connected with and interacts with its environment.
D) The performance of one subsystem does not affect the performance of another subsystem.
E) Organizations essentially should be open systems.

Question 79

The _____ suggests that appropriate managerial behavior in a given situation depends on unique elements in a that situation.

A) behavioral management perspective
B) quantitative management perspective
C) systems perspective
D) contingency perspective
E) universal perspective

Question 80

Which of the following represent the two branches of the quantitative management theory?

A) Scientific management and administrative management
B) Human relations movement and organizational behavior
C) Contingency theory and systems theory
D) Theory X and Theory Y
E) Management science and operations management