Deck 17: Evidence-Based Decision Making

Question 1

Gina also recognizes that it is not enough to just set up the control system.As an effective manager,she also needs to ________.

A)follow up and ensure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing
B)ensure that employees are given tasks that they can handle
C)ensure that productivity levels stay the same for stability
D)do the most important tasks herself to make sure they get done correctly

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Managers should use subjective measures when ________.

A)work activities cannot be expressed in quantifiable terms
B)organizational processes and activities are complex
C)immediate managerial action is required
D)organizational efficiency is in question

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The control process is a two-step process that compares actual performance against a standard and then taking managerial action to correct deviations or inadequate standards.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The control system that Gina chooses should ultimately be one that ________.

A)monitors everything that happens in the department
B)monitors only the important activities in the department
C)helps the organization effectively and efficiently reach its goals
D)requires minimal management involvement

Question 5

In the control process,which step follows "measuring actual performance"?

A)establishing standards
B)obtaining employee input to performance gaps
C)comparing actual performance against a standard
D)checking performance measurement for reliability

Question 6

Appropriate controls can help managers look for ________ and areas for improvement.

A)unmotivated employees
B)specific performance gaps
C)equipment failures
D)failing technologies

Question 7

Managers engage in controlling activities to protect the organization and its assets.

Question 8

Jaspreet's job is to compare each department's monthly budget to its actual expenditures.Jaspreet is performing part of the ________ function.

A)planning
B)organizing
C)budgeting
D)controlling

Question 9

An effective control system ensures that activities are completed in ways that ________.

A)motivate employees
B)maximize profits
C)lead to the attainment of organizational goals
D)maximize production output

Question 10

Which information source used to measure performance provides information that is NOT filtered through others?

A)statistical reports
B)personal observation
C)written reports
D)oral reports

Question 11

Many managers are reluctant ________ because they fear something will go wrong for which they would be held responsible.

A)to institute strict controls
B)to empower employees
C)to give up personal observations
D)to stop monitoring profits

Question 12

Having a control system reduces the scope of employee empowerment and autonomy.

Question 13

The criterion that determines the effectiveness of a control system is how well it reduces unnecessary costs.

Question 14

Which of the following management responsibilities determines if organizational goals are being achieved?

A)motivating employees
B)formulating business strategy
C)measuring firm performance
D)making profit year after year

Question 15

The control process assumes that ________.

A)employees require clear directions from management
B)performance standards are already in place
C)employee monitoring costs are necessary part of doing business
D)strategic plans are fixed

Question 16

Controlling is the process of monitoring,comparing,and correcting work performance.

Question 17

In a short essay,explain the reasons why control is important for managers.

Question 18

An effective control system can provide information and feedback on employee performance and ________.

A)ensure profits increase annually
B)eliminate the need for continual measurement
C)increase the company's competitiveness in the marketplace
D)minimize the chance of potential problems

Question 19

Which of the following observations is TRUE of organizational controlling?

A)An effective control system facilitates employee empowerment.
B)Forming an organizational structure is a crucial control activity.
C)Human resource management is a subset of the controlling process.
D)Organizational strategies are formed during the controlling stage.

Question 20

In selecting the best control system,Gina understands that ________.

A)everything in the department must ultimately be monitored
B)control must precede planning
C)what gets measured is less important than how it is measured
D)planning must precede control

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT an option for taking managerial action at AirCargo?

A)do nothing
B)revise the standard
C)take immediate corrective action
D)take basic corrective action

Question 22

In the control process,changing strategy is an example of what course of action?

A)following competitors
B)correcting actual performance
C)changing standards
D)determining standards

Question 23

Which common source of information for measuring performance reports only on key areas and may ignore important facts?

A)personal observation
B)statistical reports
C)jury of opinion
D)written reports

Question 24

The third and final step in the control process is ________.

A)measuring actual performance
B)comparing actual performance with the standard
C)taking managerial action
D)determining the acceptable range of variation

Question 25

Constantly "putting out fires" refers to which type of corrective action?

A)strategic corrective action
B)timely corrective action
C)immediate corrective action
D)basic corrective action

Question 26

Judy's job requires her to handle unexpected problems that always seem to require a quick decision.She seems to spend most of her "day putting out fires" by taking ________ corrective action.

A)timely
B)remedial
C)concurrent
D)immediate

Question 27

________ is (are)considered slow,easy to file and reference,and provide greater comprehensiveness and conciseness than oral reports.

A)Personal observation
B)Standardized tests
C)Statistical reports
D)Written reports

Question 28

Which of the following represents the upper limit in the acceptable range of variation for AirCargo deliveries to smaller communities?

A)24 hours
B)48 hours
C)96 hours
D)7 days

Question 29

If sales of "Cool Ranch"-flavoured Doritos chips are consistently higher than targets set by parent company Frito-Lay,which type of managerial action is most likely warranted?

A)take immediate corrective action
B)revise the standard
C)take basic corrective action
D)increase the range of variation

Question 30

Which information source used to measure performance has the disadvantages of being subject to personal bias and consuming a lot of time?

A)standardized tests
B)statistical reports
C)personal observation
D)written reports

Question 31

________ corrective action looks at how and why performance has deviated and then proceeds to correct the source of deviation.

A)Basic
B)Remedial
C)Immediate
D)Applied

Question 32

AirCargo's district manager in Yellowknife advises Mick that some deliveries are delayed because of missed connecting flights.She has examined the situation and believes that the problem can be fixed by adjusting the departure times by one hour.Mick tells her to reschedule the flight times to fix the problem once and for all.This is an example of ________.

A)revising the standard
B)taking basic corrective action
C)taking immediate corrective action
D)market control

Question 33

Which of the following is an advantage of oral reports as a source of information for measuring performance?

A)information is filtered
B)comprehensive
C)fast way to get information
D)ignores subjective factors

Question 34

If a manager investigates how and why performance has deviated beyond the acceptable range of variation,and then corrects the source of the deviation,she is using ________.

A)immediate corrective action
B)basic corrective action
C)concurrent control
D)feedforward control

Question 35

Which information source allows for feedback,is fast,but historically has a problem of being unable to document information for later reference?

A)oral reports
B)written reports
C)personal observation
D)standardized tests

Question 36

In the control process,when a manager cannot find a quantifiable performance indicator,he or she should ________.

A)not measure the factor
B)use the most appropriate objective indicator
C)use a subjective indicator
D)use an objective indicator but measure it several times to ensure reliability

Question 37

George has been asked to investigate last month's production shortfall and correct the problem.This is the third shortfall this year,and this time George wants to get to the source of the problem and fix it for good.George will take ________ corrective action.

A)basic
B)remedial
C)applied
D)timely

Question 38

Which common source of information for measuring performance is obtrusive,time consuming,and most subject to personal biases?

A)personal observation
B)financial reports
C)written reports
D)oral reports

Question 39

________ is (are)an effective information source for showing relationships but may ignore subjective factors.

A)Personal observation
B)Standardized tests
C)Written reports
D)Statistical reports

Question 40

The first step in the control process is ________.

A)developing standards
B)measuring actual performance
C)comparing performance against standards
D)taking managerial action

Question 41

When a performance indicator cannot be stated in quantifiable terms,managers should look for and use subjective measures.

Question 42

In a short essay,list and briefly explain the three steps in the control process.Provide examples where appropriate.

Question 43

In order to increase the ratio of outputs to inputs,a manager would have to ________.

A)decrease inputs
B)increase productivity
C)increase the cost of the input
D)hire additional employees

Question 44

Statistical reports provide only limited information and may ignore important subjective factors.

Question 45

New Citi Bank monitors the length of time customers are kept on hold when they call into the bank for information.This is an example of a(n)________.

A)performance indicator
B)performance standard
C)customer relationship management
D)employee performance evaluation

Question 46

Managers should do nothing if the variance observed from the standard is acceptable.

Question 47

Managers need to provide their employees with ________ so that the employees know where they stand in terms of their work.

A)tools and equipment
B)feedback
C)leadership
D)benchmarks

Question 48

________ is the overall output of goods or services produced divided by the inputs needed to generate that output.

A)Factoring
B)Effectiveness
C)Performance correlation
D)Productivity

Question 49

________ is measured by the sales revenue an organization receives when goods or services are sold.

A)Input
B)Output
C)Effectiveness
D)Efficiency

Question 50

Basic corrective action corrects problems at once to get performance back on track.

Question 51

________ are the specific goals created during the planning process.

A)Operational tasks
B)Benchmarks
C)Performance standards
D)Performance indicators

Question 52

One advantage of using oral reports to measure performance is that the information will be filtered.

Question 53

Deviations that exceed the acceptable range of variation become significant and need a manager's attention.

Question 54

How we measure is probably more important to the control process than what we measure.

Question 55

Customer satisfaction with service provided can be considered an important performance indicator.

Question 56

Organization's ranking in its industry is a good measure of the company's performance.

Question 57

Organizational ________ is a measure of how appropriate organizational goals are and how well an organization is achieving those goals.

A)effectiveness
B)productivity
C)performance
D)efficiency

Question 58

Organizational effectiveness is a measure of how appropriate organizational goals are and how well those goals are being met.

Question 59

Some control criteria,such as employee satisfaction and retention,are applicable to any management situation.

Question 60

The accumulated end results of all the organization's work processes and activities are called ________.

A)organizational performance
B)organizational planning
C)scenario planning
D)feedback control

Question 61

Michelle's Restaurant gives customers a questionnaire to rate the quality of their dining experience.They are using ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)applied
D)feedforward

Question 62

A manufacturer of pesticides developed a training video to show customers how to handle the potentially dangerous products.They hoped this form of ________ control would reduce the risk of injury associated with their products.

A)concurrent
B)applied
C)progressive
D)feedforward

Question 63

Financial statements are an example of ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)strategic
D)feedforward

Question 64

With the usual Christmas rush,the Toys-For-Everyone store hired another 10 sales clerks.This is an example of ________ control.

A)concurrent
B)applied
C)progressive
D)feedforward

Question 65

Management at Giant Department Stores uses video equipment to periodically monitor their employee interactions with customers.This is a form of ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)applied
D)feedforward

Question 66

In giving employees feedback on their performance,the only important topic for discussion is the employee's job and how it is carried out.

Question 67

Managers should not consider standards when measuring the actual performance of employees.

Question 68

Organizational effectiveness is a better measure of organizational performance than organizational productivity.Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Question 69

Direct supervision is the best known form of ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)applied
D)progressive

Question 70

Most employees do their jobs well and never require disciplinary action.

Question 71

________ are a control tool because they provide managers with quantitative standard for measurement and compare resource consumption.

A)Strategic plans
B)Feedback controls
C)Profitability ratios
D)Budgets

Question 72

One advantage of ________ control is that it can enhance employee motivation.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)applied
D)progressive

Question 73

Organizational performance is also measured by the quantity and quality of employees' work efforts towards accomplishment of organizational goals.

Question 74

Control that prevents anticipated problems is ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)disciplinary
D)feedforward

Question 75

________ ratios assess how efficiently the firm is using its assets to generate profits.

A)Liquidity
B)Leverage
C)Activity
D)Profitability

Question 76

The key to ________ control is taking managerial action before a problem occurs.

A)concurrent
B)timely
C)progressive
D)feedforward

Question 77

In a short essay,describe the various tools organizations can use to control employee performance.

Question 78

Canadian Credit Corp.advises telephone customers that their calls may be monitored to help improve the quality of customer service This is a form of ________ control.

A)feedback
B)concurrent
C)applied
D)feedforward

Question 79

________ is when a manager in the work area interacts directly with employees to maintain supervision.

A)Preventive maintenance
B)Management by walking around
C)Feedforward control
D)Benchmarking

Question 80

________ measure how efficiently and effectively the company uses its assets.

A)Strategic plans
B)Feedback control
C)Profitability ratios
D)Budgets