Deck 3: Organizational Capability: Structure,Culture and Roles

Question 1

The decision to kill a project if needed is typically reached jointly through agreement between the project customer and the project contractor.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Among the most important behaviors required of project managers are honoring trust,protecting people,establishing a culture of honesty,defending core values and leading major change.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The steering team is often responsible for ensuring that several customer related tasks are performed,including identification of the customers and prioritization of their desires.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In a projectized organization the project manager has extensive authority for budgets,personnel and decision making.

Question 5

The project sponsor is the person or group that provides resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling project success.

Question 6

In a functional organization,staff are grouped by areas of specialization and managed by a person with expertise in that area.

Question 7

In a functional organization workers can learn readily from others in their discipline and keep their skills sharp.

Question 8

While differing in details,all of the major types of project life cycle models have a series of exactly four phases with activities that need to be completed and approvals that must be received before the project can proceed to the next phase.

Question 9

Projectized organizations are especially effective at helping team members to maintain their discipline-specific competencies.

Question 10

In a projectized organization the functional manager has the most control.

Question 11

A form of matrix organization in which the functional manager and project manager have equal amounts of power is called a weak matrix.

Question 12

When the project sponsor and manager are determining how to create the project culture,it is important to make the project culture as ethical as possible.

Question 13

A matrix organization is any organizational structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the functional manager for assigning priorities and directing the work of persons assigned to the project.

Question 14

If the project scope is hard to define early in the project or much change is expected,a traditional or plan-driven approach should be adopted.

Question 15

A scrum master is a project manager who serves and leads in a collaborative,facilitating manner.

Question 16

Hallmarks of "personal cultures" are skill-based assignments,self-motivated workers,and more deference paid to knowledge than to formal authority.

Question 17

In a projectized organization most people are assigned to a project and report upward through the project manager.

Question 18

In "personal cultures" people display an attitude that collaboration is satisfying and stimulating.

Question 19

Organizational culture is comprised of the values,social rituals,and symbols that are shared among members of the organization and taught to new members.

Question 20

In "role cultures" reliable workers have the utmost respect for regulations and laws.

Question 21

Which of the following is an advantage associated with managing projects in a functional organization?

A) Each unit contains a variety of specialists suited to solving complex problems.
B) Unity of command - one clear supervisor for each worker.
C) Rapid communication between the various functions working on the project.
D) Combines task focus with technical capability.

Question 22

Which of the following characteristics is NOT associated with a functional organization?

A) Each employee has one clear superior.
B) Resources are easily shared between departments and projects.
C) Staff are managed by a person with expertise in their area.
D) Staff are grouped by areas of specialization.

Question 23

Which of the following organizational structures runs contrary to the unity of command principle - that each employee works for a single supervisor?

A) functional organization
B) projectized organization
C) matrix organization
D) siloed organization

Question 24

Project planning teams use project life cycle models because various types of projects have differing demands.Which of the following sequences of stages is most appropriate for a life cycle model for construction projects?

A) define - measure - analyze - improve - control
B) concept definition - demonstration - development - production
C) pre-planning - design - procurement - construction - start up
D) concept - requirements - design - code - test - turnover

Question 25

Some organizational culture characteristics make project success more likely.These characteristics include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) collaboration to meet organizational goals
B) lack of appreciation for project management
C) engagement of stakeholders
D) teamwork across cultures

Question 26

When trying to understand a corporate culture,it is helpful to understand the types of power that are used.In "power cultures":

A) workers closely follow their appointed roles.
B) supervisors exert a great deal of economic and political power.
C) deference is paid to knowledge rather than authority.
D) collaboration is believed to be satisfying and stimulating.

Question 27

Projectized organizations often adopt which of the following techniques where project team members are physically placed close to one another to improve communications and working relationships?

A) collaboration
B) co-location
C) coordination
D) consolidation

Question 28

Core teams on agile projects need strong direction from the sponsor and project manager.

Question 29

The project life cycle where the majority of the project work is conducted in iterations (sometimes called sprints)is called:

A) Construction project life cycle
B) DMAIC model
C) Agile project life cycle
D) R & D project life cycle

Question 30

According to PMI's "Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct",project managers should exhibit all of the following behaviors EXCEPT:

A) authority - exert economic and political power
B) fairness - make decisions and act impartially
C) honesty - understand the truth and act in a truthful manner
D) responsibility - take ownership for decisions

Question 31

All of the following are advantages associated with managing projects in a projectized organization EXCEPT:

A) One boss - the project manager
B) Response times and decision making are swift.
C) Departmental barriers are reduced.
D) New assignment is guaranteed after the project ends

Question 32

During project execution,the project sponsor's responsibilities include all of these EXCEPT:

A) ensure communications
B) charter the project
C) nurture key stakeholders
D) ensure quality

Question 33

Through shared values,organizational cultures can informally do all the following EXCEPT:

A) motivate the ethical actions and communications of managers and subordinates.
B) determine how people are treated,controlled and rewarded.
C) establish how cooperation,competition,conflict and decision making are handled.
D) eliminate politics in the workplace

Question 34

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with managing projects in a projectized organization?

A) Response times and decision making are slow.
B) Team members assigned to a project are often underutilized.
C) Team members have difficulty focusing on project issues.
D) Traditional department barriers are reduced.

Question 35

Project planning teams use project life cycle models because various types of projects have differing demands.Which of the following sequences of stages is most appropriate for a life cycle model for research and development (R & D)projects?

A) define - measure - analyze - improve - control
B) project envisioning - requirements gathering - incremental implementation - production release
C) pre-planning - design - procurement - construction - start up
D) idea generation - idea screening - concept development - validation - transition

Question 36

Which of the following executive roles is responsible for overall priority setting,project selection and prioritization,general guidance and encouragement?

A) Steering Team
B) Sponsor
C) Project Management Office
D) Chief Projects Officer

Question 37

It is generally unnecessary to have every function represented on the core team of the project,as that would make communications and scheduling of meetings more difficult.

Question 38

Which of the following organizational structures is designed to achieve a balance of task focus and technical capability?

A) functional organization
B) projectized organization
C) matrix organization
D) siloed organization

Question 39

In agile projects,the individual who leads in a collaborative manner by guiding teams and removing obstacles to their progress is called the:

A) project manager
B) sponsor
C) scrum master
D) facilitator

Question 40

Which of the following is an advantage associated with the matrix organization?

A) Resources can be shared between departments and projects.
B) Unity of command - one clear supervisor for each employee.
C) Faster response times and decision making.
D) Having multiple bosses.

Question 41

How might the behaviors of a project manager be different in an agile project life cycle,versus a plan-driven or traditional project life cycle?

Question 42

Describe the role of the steering team with respect to projects.

Question 43

In agile projects,overall planning is at a high level,and only the near-term work is planned in detail.The project work is conducted in iterations (sprints)that are normally:

A) no more than one calendar year
B) a variable length depending on project scope
C) a fixed length of two or four weeks
D) assigned to one person on the team

Question 44

Which of the following are among the challenges faced by project managers?

A) They frequently have more authority than responsibility.
B) They must determine how networks of people function in the organization.
C) They must learn how to accomplish project work unilaterally - on their own.
D) They are not allowed to be flexible about how the project should be accomplished.

Question 45

There are several tasks that a project customer (or sponsor acting in that capacity)can do to enhance the probability of success.All of the following are generally performed jointly with the project contractor who will perform the work EXCEPT:

A) terminate project if needed
B) develop clear requirements
C) use a control system
D) conduct a kick-off meeting

Question 46

Subject matter experts often perform specific project activities when necessary.Which of the following statements regarding subject matter experts is accurate?

A) The number of subject matter experts is generally limited to fewer than the number of core team members.
B) The subject matter experts are typically assigned to the project from start to finish.
C) The subject matter experts may not relate strongly with a project due to the temporary nature of their involvement.
D) The subject matter experts should only be used for staff augmentation.

Question 47

The PMI "Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct" provides guidelines for ethical behavior by project management practitioners.It describes four main values that should guide a project manager's actions.List these four values and give one example per value of why it should guide a project manager's actions.

Question 48

The Chief Projects Officer (CPO)is responsible for the individuals working on a project in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A) that they follow the detailed project plan that the CPO has created.
B) that they capture lessons learned from completed projects.
C) that they use templates and standards when appropriate.
D) that they receive the training they need.

Question 49

Which of the following roles and attributes do NOT describe the core team members on a project?

A) Core team members often make project decisions jointly with the project manager.
B) Core team members are the small group of people who are usually on the project from start to finish.
C) Core team members join the project on a temporary basis to perform specific project activities as necessary.
D) Core team members may supervise the work of subject matter experts.

Question 50

There are several tasks that a project customer (or sponsor acting in that capacity)can do to enhance the probability of success.Which of the following are generally performed independent of the project contractor who will perform the work?

A) conduct kick-off meeting
B) develop clear requirements
C) prioritize project
D) write and sign the project charter