Deck 3: Improving Productivity and Increasing Profitability

Question 1

The action imperative that is LEAST like the Compete action imperative is

A)Control
B)Co-opt
C)Collaborate
D)Create
E)Constrain

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What is a vision?

A)A specific objective a firm wants to meet
B)A destination and a desired future
C)An idea from the top management team
D)What customers want from a company
E)A plan for reaching a specific goal

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Leaders such as Paul Levy at Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines have been successful in getting employees to commit to the visions for those organizations because they

A)Use the most current technologies such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate the vision to employees
B)Are consistent in communicating the vision in ways that address the head, hands, and hearts of employees
C)Communicate different visions to different groups of employees, depending on the particular interests of those groups
D)Provide incentives to employees who embrace the vision of the organization
E)Communicate the vision at an abstract level so employees don't get bogged down in the details of how the vision will be realized

Answer 3

B

Question 4

One of the five competencies discussed in relationship to the rational goal quadrant, the one that is the MOST DIRECTLY focused on generating energy in the organization is

A)Planning and coordinating projects.
B)Managing execution and driving for results
C)Developing and communicating a vision
D)Motivating self and others.
E)Setting goals and objectives

Question 5

The management model that appears diagonally opposite the rational goal model quadrant of the competing values framework is:

A)The human relations model
B)The open systems model
C)The theory Y model
D)The global values model
E)The rational goal model

Question 6

Which of the following key components of visions often proves to be the most difficult task?

A)Making the case for change
B)Making the vision short and to the point
C)Making the methods to achieve the vision explicit
D)All of these are equally difficult
E)None of these are particularly difficult

Question 7

Which of the questions below LEAST reflects the emphasis of the COMPETE quadrant?

A)Who are we as an organization?
B)Where are headed as an organization?
C)What talent will we need to reach our desired destination as an organization?
D)Why are we headed where we are as an organization?
E)Why should our people want to go where we are headed?

Question 8

Kouzes and Posner (1995) asked thousands of people on many continents what the most important thing was they wanted and needed from a leader. What was the most frequent FIRST choice?

A)Scenario tested strategy
B)Excellent speaking skills
C)Personal empathy
D)Vision
E)None of these

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the core competencies of the COMPETE quadrant?

A)Motivating self and others
B)Developing and growing talent
C)Developing and communicating a vision
D)Setting goals and objectives
E)Designing and organizing

Question 10

Where can visionary leaders be found?

A)In large businesses
B)In families
C)In not-for-profit organizations and governmental units
D)In all of these
E)In large businesses and not-for-profit organizations and governmental units, but not in families

Question 11

The management model associated with the Compete action imperative is

A)The open systems model
B)The human relations model
C)The theory Y model
D)The global values model
E)The rational goal model

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT part of a shortcut to remembering the critical elements of articulating and communicating a vision?

A)Heart
B)Hope
C)Hands
D)Head
E)All of these

Question 13

Which of the following are critical elements of the vision process?

A)The definition of the vision
B)The framing of the vision
C)Empowerment of followers through articulation and communication of the vision
D)Having the right components and content.
E)All of these are critical elements of the vision process.

Question 14

One of the paradoxes of emphasizing goal setting to motivate performance is that

A)Establishing and monitoring goals and performance takes time away from the actual tasks of the organization.
B)Goals only work in a relaxed, collaborate environment.
C)Goals tend to de-motivate employees
D)Goals do not change, but the business environment does change.
E)Goals inhibit creativity

Question 15

The designing and organizing competency

A)Focuses on having a flexible structure to meet the needs of employees
B)Focuses on deciding how to organize information flows to be more efficient
C)Focuses on the aesthetics of the physical space where employees work
D)Focuses on the same type of activities that are included in the competency for planning and coordinating projects
E)Focuses on organizational structure and culture

Question 16

In contrast to the Collaborate action imperative, the Compete action imperative take a more _________ focus

A)Internal
B)External
C)Individualistic
D)Collaborative
E)Long-term

Question 17

To improve productivity and increase profitability, the rational goal model assumes that

A)Clear direction leads to de-motivated employees
B)Goal clarification is unnecessary when workers are empowered
C)Goal clarification only works when workers are fully engaged
D)Clear direction critical to effectiveness
E)Rational analysis can be replaced with more subjective measures

Question 18

According to research on visionary leaders, they

A)Positively influence employees and inspire them to engage in extra work
B)Define the direction for the organization by using powerful imagery
C)Provide a sense of mission or purpose that supports the status quo
D)All of these
E)Positively influence employees and inspire them to engage in extra work and define the direction for the organization by using powerful imagery, but do not provide a sense of mission or purpose that supports the status quo

Question 19

The most critical and challenging aspect of communicating a vision is

A)Touching the hearts and personal values of followers
B)Explaining new policies and procedures to followers
C)Providing a clear philosophy that is centered on specific elements of the vision
D)Creating reporting mechanisms that reflect accurate data about the achievement of the vision
E)None of these

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a key component of vision?

A)Focusing on people
B)Specific desired end-states or outcomes
C)Identifying ideal goals
D)Making a case for change
E)All of these are key components of vision

Question 21

Meaningful objectives are:

A)TRAF
B)PERT
C)SMART
D)EASY
E)CPM

Question 22

Which of the following would research predict would be the most effective goal?

A)I will do my best to improve my ranking in the sales department.
B)I will increase my sales calls by 10% next month.
C)I will try really hard to get my sales report done on time.
D)I will learn Spanish for my trip to my new customer in Mexico.
E)I will increase my earnings from commission sales by 10% next month.

Question 23

When evaluating an employee's performance managers should take into account

A)Any organizational barriers that might have inhibited employees from achieving their goals
B)Any enablers that might have made it easier than anticipated for the employees to achieve their goals
C)The overall performance of the business unit in which the employee was employed during the period under review
D)All of these
E)Any organizational barriers that might have inhibited employees from achieving their goals and any enablers that might have made it easier than anticipated for the employees to achieve their goals, but not the overall performance of the business unit in which the employee was employed during the period under review

Question 24

Leaders such as Steve Jobs (Apple Computer and Pixar) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com and Blue Origin), are visionary because they are able to

A)Recognize the value of new technology before anyone else in their industries
B)Out negotiate other business leaders to gain a competitive advantage
C)Embrace competing values and transcend paradox
D)Engage in arrogant behavior and still be considered charming
E)Don't let their personal passions influence their business decisions

Question 25

Which of the following characteristics make goals more effective?

A)Specific
B)Challenging
C)Rewarded
D)All of these characteristics make goals more effective
E)Specific and rewarded, but not challenging

Question 26

Which of the following is true about effective goal setting?

A)Informal competition can reduce the benefits of goal setting
B)Goals should be prioritized
C)Feedback on progress is not necessary as long as goals are attainable
D)Managers should provide employees with action plans to explain how they should meet their goals.
E)The more challenging a goal is, the more motivating it will be.

Question 27

Goal setting focused on implementing decisions made as part of strategic visioning begins with:

A)Formulating specific objectives
B)Developing an action plan
C)Creating a schedule
D)Developing a budget
E)Establishing deadlines

Question 28

Individual goal setting that follows the classic MBO approach outlined by Peter Drucker includes which of the following?

A)Employees being empowered to set their own goals based on the strategic goals of the organization
B)Managers setting goals for employees based on the strategic goals of the organization
C)Managers establishing "Make or Break Opportunities" for employees to determine who will be promoted
D)Employees meeting with managers to jointly set the employee's goals
E)None of these

Question 29

In what type of goal-setting do lower level managers and supervisors engage?

A)Strategic
B)Directional
C)Tactical
D)Both strategic and directional
E)Both directional and tactical

Question 30

Who proposed that there are a series of 5 needs that operate hierarchically from lower order needs to higher order needs?

A)McClelland
B)Maslow
C)Hackman
D)Herzberg
E)Faerman

Question 31

Why is the measurement of productivity more controversial today than it was in the days when the rational goal model was initially developed?

A)Because employees today are less likely to stay with an employer for many years
B)Because we already know as much about productivity as we need to know, so spending time and money on additional measurement is wasteful
C)Because it is more important to measure an organizations carbon footprint than its productivity
D)Because it is more complex to measure the productivity of intellectual capital than other forms of capital such as natural resources
E)Because productivity is no longer important to organizational effectiveness

Question 32

Within the context of goal and objective setting, strategic unity and alignment is

A)Primarily a top-down process
B)Primarily a bottom-up process
C)Primarily a middle management prerogative
D)Primarily needed by small organizations
E)Useless unless the organization operates internationally

Question 33

In what type of goal setting do senior levels of management engage?

A)Strategic
B)Directional
C)Tactical
D)Both strategic and directional
E)Both strategic and tactical

Question 34

Which of the following is an example of an EXTRINSIC motivator?

A)Sense of responsibility
B)Sense of challenge
C)Praise from another person
D)Feeling of accomplishment
E)Pride in achievement

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of an INTRINSIC motivator?

A)Money
B)Praise from another
C)Autonomy
D)Job title
E)Promotion

Question 36

Strategic unity and alignment is important because

A)It ensures that the organizational strategy is aligned with the external environment
B)It reduces the amount of work that managers must do to develop employees because their tasks are more clearly defined for them
C)It encourages discussion of new methods for measuring performance among lower-level employees
D)It increases motivation by helping employees see a direct connection between their daily tasks and the organizations vision
E)It signals to the stock market that the company is moving in the right direction

Question 37

Strategic unity and alignment requires that organizations have all of the following except?

A)Knowledge, skills and mindset required to achieve the vision
B)Goals that are much higher than current performance
C)Goals and actions that are aligned across individuals, teams and units
D)Deep understanding, ownership and commitment to the vision
E)A motivating and compelling vision and inspiring values

Question 38

To sustain the passion you need to persevere as a leader in challenging times, it helps if you have addressed which of the following fundamental questions?

A)What is my vision for the company? and Who else in the organization agrees with my vision?
B)What do my employees want? How can I help them obtain what they want?
C)Who am I? and Who do other people think that I am?
D)What do my shareholders want? How can I help them obtain what they want?
E)Where am I going? and Why am I going there?

Question 39

Most performance management systems in organizations contain all of the following except?

A)Formal evaluation of performance.
B)On-going coaching and feedback.
C)Forced-ranking of all of employees.
D)Joint establishment of individual goals (i.e.individual with manager).
E)Translation of vision to organizational unit goals

Question 40

"Smart" goals are:

A)Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound
B)Specific, marketable, active, reasonable, time related
C)Specific, measurable, active, rewarded, targeted
D)Special, measurable, assignable, rewarded, targeted
E)Special, marketable, active, rewarded, temporary

Question 41

How might a manager link performance to outcomes?

A)Make certain that they know what outcomes are important to employees.
B)Make sure to follow through with promised outcomes based on performance.
C)Be a positive Pygmalion.
D)Identify the performance outcome without the participation of the employee.
E)Encourage employee effort.

Question 42

Justin is a new manager with 27 direct reports. He has been feeling overwhelmed at work and just learned that the last three managers who held his position quit after only a few months.Which design principle appears to have been violated in this organization?

A)Unity-of-command
B)Scalar principle
C)Span of control
D)Tall organizations
E)Management by objective

Question 43

Which of the following psychological states related to empowerment is described as the innate worthiness of the task or pursuit?

A)Meaning
B)Impact
C)Self-determination
D)Self-motivation
E)Competence

Question 44

How do "content" theories of motivation help managers?

A)Content theories of motivation give managers useful information about broad categories of needs that individuals seek to fulfill.
B)Content theories of motivation give managers useful information about specific things that individuals want to get out of their jobs.
C)Content theories of motivation help managers understand the steps involved in motivating employees
D)Content theories of motivation help managers understand why employees are likely to be dissatisfied if they are passed over for promotion.
E)Content theories of motivation are useful to psychologists and academics but are not helpful to managers

Question 45

The Gallup employee engagement survey asks which of the following questions of employees?

A)Do you have the chance to do what you do best every day at work?
B)Does your supervisor seem to care about you as a person?
C)Does the organization's mission make you feel your job is important?
D)All of these
E)Do you have the chance to do what you do best every day at work and does the organization's mission make you feel your job is important?

Question 46

All of the following are psychological states of empowerment except?

A)Meaning
B)Competence
C)Self-motivation
D)Impact
E)Self-determination

Question 47

Which need is associated with an imperative to strive for success as meeting an intrinsically rewarding goal or standard?

A)Need for power
B)Need for affiliation
C)Need for achievement
D)Need for autonomy
E)Need for comfort

Question 48

Which of the following describes the Pygmalion effect?

A)What managers expect of their employees and the way they treat them largely determines their performance and career progress.
B)Employees, more often than not, do what they believe they are expected to do.
C)Managers have the ability to create high performance expectations that their employees fulfill.
D)All of these describe the Pygmalion effect.
E)None of these describes the Pygmalion effect.

Question 49

Which element of expectancy theory is described as the probability that achieving performance target will lead to various work-related outcomes?

A)Expectancy, the E to P condition
B)Instrumentality, the P to O condition
C)Valence, the Value of the Outcome to the individual
D)Motivation, the level of Effort predicted to be exerted
E)Work -related outcomes, the O element in the model

Question 50

Which psychological state is described as the degree to which an individual can influence strategic, administrative, or other outcomes at work?

A)Meaning
B)Competence
C)Self-motivation
D)Impact
E)Self-determination

Question 51

According to Gallup's categorization of employee engagement, employees who do their work as required, but nothing more fall into which category?

A)Actively disengaged
B)Not-engaged
C)Uncertain
D)Engaged
E)Empowered

Question 52

Which of the following are "process" theories of motivation?

A)Equity Theory
B)Expectancy Theory
C)Goal setting model
D)Job Characteristics model
E)All of these

Question 53

What is organizing?

A)Deciding where you want to go and how best to get there
B)Dividing work into manageable components and assigning activities
C)Monitoring performance and comparing to the plan
D)Hiring the right people for the organization
E)Acquiring resources and allocating them based on performance

Question 54

How might a manager help tie the effort to performance?

A)Make certain that they know what outcomes are important to employees.
B)Make sure employees are aware of all possible outcomes that will result from performance.
C)Use the power of positive expectations with subordinates.
D)Identify the performance outcome without the participation of the employee.
E)Make certain that employees understand that rewards are not guaranteed.

Question 55

Which element of expectancy theory is described as the probability that effort will lead to achievement of performance target?

A)Expectancy, the E to P condition
B)Instrumentality, the P to O condition
C)Valence, the Value of the Outcome to the individual
D)Motivation, the level of Effort predicted to be exerted
E)Work related outcomes, the O element in the model

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT part of the job characteristics model?

A)Feedback
B)Efficacy
C)Autonomy
D)Task Significance\
E)Skill variety

Question 57

Which psychological state is described as the discretion, autonomy, and choice involved in initiating, maintaining, and regulating one's actions in the pursuit of the task?

A)Meaning
B)Self-determination
C)Self-motivation
D)Competence
E)Impact

Question 58

According to the Corporate Leadership Council, ____________ relates to and employees commitment to financial and developmental opportunities provided by their organization and __________ refers to employees' trust in their managers and how much they enjoy belong to their organizations.

A)professional engagement; social engagement
B)social engagement; professional engagement
C)rational commitment; emotional commitment
D)emotional commitment; rational commitment
E)professional engagement; emotional commitment

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a core principle of organizational structure?

A)Division of labor and specialization
B)Culture
C)Hierarchy and lines of authority
D)Standardization and formalization
E)Decision-making authority

Question 60

Which element of expectancy theory is described as the individual's positive or negative assessment of work outcomes?

A)Expectancy, the E to P condition
B)Instrumentality, the P to O condition
C)Valence, the Value of the Outcome to the individual
D)Motivation, the level of Effort predicted to be exerted
E)Work -related outcomes, the O element in the model

Question 61

Which of Peter Drucker's recommendations for improving time management is the MOST DIFFICULT for managers to actually achieve in the workplace today?

A)Recording their time
B)Managing their time
C)Consolidating their time
D)Prioritizing their time
E)None of the activities listed is difficult for managers to achieve in the workplace today

Question 62

Your friend Terry has asked you to explain the time management matrix to him.After showing him the tool, he asks you where he should spend most of his time.What advice should you give him?

A)The easy and urgent quadrant
B)The important and not urgent quadrant
C)The difficult and unimportant quadrant
D)The urgent and unimportant quadrant
E)The important and urgent quadrant

Question 63

Janice is starting a new custom clothing business. She has decided to hire workers to focus on different tasks such as taking measurements, cutting out fabric, and sewing garments.Which design principle is Janice applying in this situation?

A)Unity-of-command
B)Scalar principle
C)Span of control
D)Division of labor
E)Management by objective

Question 64

Which of the following activities is NOT essential for a healthy "operations process" (Bossidy and Charan, 2009)?

A)Linking the operations process to the people and strategy processes
B)Basing operations plans primarily on budgets
C)Identifying action programs that will make outcomes a reality
D)Attending to political realities and game playing within the organization
E)Assuring accountability at every stage

Question 65

Which organizational culture mirrors the internal process model?

A)Enterprise
B)Hierarchy
C)Rational/Market
D)Adhocracy
E)Clan

Question 66

Which of the following is NOT a form of departmentalization?

A)Matrix
B)Functional
C)Virtual
D)Divisional
E)All of these

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics that is essential for creating a robust "people process" according to Bossidy and Charan (2002)?

A)Honesty and integrity
B)Common language
C)Consistency
D)Frequent feedback
E)Primary responsibility for success is on the individual

Question 68

All of the following strategies are consistent with Peter Drucker's advice for managing your time EXCEPT?

A)Clarifying your values
B)Scheduling appointments back to back to avoid any wasted time.
C)Planning and prioritize on a regular basis
D)Regularly reviewing how you are spending your time
E)All of these are consistent with Drucker's advice for managing your time

Question 69

Casey has been trying to use the time management matrix approach to help improve his performance at work.He is primarily evaluated on the number of hits that he gets relative to the number of times that he comes up to bat.He is also evaluated on whether or not he arrives on time for practice and how neat his locker is kept.Given this situation, how should Casey classify the time that he spends cleaning his locker?

A)Not important but urgent
B)Important but not relevant
C)Not important and not urgent
D)Important and urgent
E)Important but not urgent

Question 70

Bossidy and Charan (2009) argue that the "strategy process" should focus on more than just formulating the strategy.What else should be included in the "strategy process" according to these researchers?
A)Paying attention to specific ways the strategies will be executed

A)Paying attention to specific ways the strategies will be executed and raising critical questions and testing assumptions, but not evaluating the adaptability of the plan to rapid changes in the external environment.
B)Evaluating the adaptability of the plan to rapid changes in the external environment
C)Raising critical questions and testing assumptions
D)All of these

Question 71

Dynamo Designs is a seven year old organization. It has tried to establish an organizational culture that emphasizes flexibility and change.What type of organizational culture is Dynamo trying to create?

A)Clan
B)Community
C)Market
D)Adhocracy
E)Hierarchy

Question 72

In writing about execution, Charan and Bossidy (2009) identified seven leader behaviors that they consider essential for effective execution.Which of the following is NOT one of the behaviors that they identified?

A)Insisting on realism
B)Follow through
C)Know yourself
D)None of these were identified by Charan and Bossidy as essential leader behaviors
E)Insisting on realism, follow through and know yourself

Question 73

Head Gear Generation manufactures and markets cutting edge products that are designed for young adults.Because preferences in this age group change rapidly, Head Gear Generation spends a great deal of time and energy trying to understand its customers and putting products into stores before any of its competitors. What type of organizational culture would be most appropriate for Head Gear Generation?

A)Clan
B)Hierarchy
C)Market
D)Adhocracy
E)Community

Question 74

Gypsy Industries has created numerous organizational subsystems to help it stay responsive to its environment.While this flexibility has helped the company meet its customers' needs, it has also created a need for ____________ within the organization.

A)Differentiation
B)Integrating mechanisms
C)Additional levels in the hierarchy
D)Centralized decision making
E)Additional employees

Question 75

Which type of individual is likely to be the most comfortable in a position that focuses on managing execution and driving for results?

A)An individual who is interested in controlling processes to ensure that they are as efficient as possible
B)An individual who likes to engage in extensive collaboration to ensure that everyone is on board with new initiatives
C)An individual who is task-oriented and likes to ensure that all necessary activities are completed effectively
D)An individual who focuses on creativity and coming up with new ideas
E)None of these

Question 76

Geo Corp.has departments for each of its territories. They are considering adding a new service area that would be focused on developing business in sub-Saharan Africa.What type of departmentalization does Geo Corp use?

A)Functional
B)Divisional
C)Matrix
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 77

Highly mechanistic organizations tend to have:

A)Broadly defined jobs and highly detailed rules
B)Narrowly defined jobs and wide spans of control
C)Centralized decision making and few layers in the hierarchy
D)High levels of formalization and decentralized decision making
E)A tall hierarchy and narrow spans of control

Question 78

Cross Stationary has grown from a small organization with a functional structure to a large multi-product, international company.They have been using ad hoc cross-functional teams extensively and are considering altering their structure to make these types of teams permanent. Which type of departmentalization is Cross Stationary considering adopting?

A)Functional
B)Divisional
C)Matrix
D)Virtual
E)None of these

Question 79

Which of the following elements should be considered in designing an organization according to the "star model"?

A)Strategy
B)Structure
C)Rewards
D)All of these
E)Strategy and structure, but not rewards

Question 80

In Galbraith's "star model," processes refer:

A)Methods of manufacturing products
B)Sets of steps created to help service workers improve the quality of their customer interactions
C)Information and decision processes that span the breadth and depth of the organization's
D)All of these
E)Methods of manufacturing products and sets of steps created to help service workers improve the quality of their customer interactions, but not information and decision processes that span the breadth and depth of the organization's.