Question 1

Which of the following countries has the highest level of productivity?
A) France
B) Japan
C) Korea
D) United States
E) Germany

Accepted Answer

According to the International Monetary Fund's data from 2020, the United States has the highest level of productivity among the listed countries, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per hour worked of $87.99. Japan comes in second with $61.89, followed by Germany with $61.52, and then France with $55.25. Korea was not included in the IMF's data.

Question 2

Toyota installed a flexible manufacturing assembly line in its plant outside Columbus,Ohio.It can make a variety of cars one after the other,switching production by using scanners that read codes.This is an example of
A) just-in-time inventory control.
B) employee involvement.
C) operations improvement.
D) research and development enhancement.
E) CIM.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Toyota installed a flexible manufacturing assembly line...

Question 3

Which of the following statements about productivity is TRUE?
A) It is a measure of efficiency.
B) It is an economic index of value.
C) It has different levels and forms.
D) It is related to quality in a positive way.
E) All of these choices

Accepted Answer

All of the options are true statements about productivity. Productivity measures efficiency, but it can also be seen as an economic index of value. Productivity has different levels and forms depending on the industry and type of work. Finally, productivity is related to quality in a positive way, as increasing productivity can lead to higher quality outcomes.

Question 4

____ sampling is a type of statistical quality control that involves testing products as they are being made.
A) Total factor
B) Acceptance
C) In-process
D) Conformance
E) Component

Accepted Answer

In-process sampling involves testing products during the manufacturing process to detect any defects or variations. This allows for corrections to be made before the product is completed, reducing the risk of producing defective products.

Question 5

An organization can manufacture 10,000 widgets with 10 hours of direct labor.What is its labor productivity?
A) 100 units per labor hour
B) 10 units per labor hour
C) 10 units per labor hour.
D) 1,000 units per labor hour
E) Cannot be determined from the information given

Accepted Answer

The answer of An organization can manufacture 10,000 widgets with...

Question 6

A consulting firm calculates an efficiency index for each of its consultants by dividing each consultant's total hours of work by the number of billable hours.This is a measure of ____ productivity.
A) unit
B) company
C) individual
D) labor
E) differential

Accepted Answer

The efficiency index calculated for each consultant is specific to that individual, indicating their individual productivity.

Question 7

At a UTC facility the quality control people sample 5 percent of the finished Carrier air conditioners to check for adherence to more than 25 quality standards.This is an example of
A) benchmarking.
B) acceptance sampling.
C) in-process sampling.
D) conformance sampling.
E) outsourcing.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes acceptance sampling, which involves inspecting a random sample of a product or batch at the end of the production process to determine whether it meets pre-specified quality standards. This is often used as a cost-effective way to ensure the quality of a large production run without examining every individual unit. Benchmarking involves comparing an organization's performance to that of others in the same industry, in-process sampling involves inspecting products at different stages of production, conformance sampling is similar to acceptance sampling but is used to assess whether a product meets regulatory or contractually obligated standards, and outsourcing involves contracting work to an external party.

Question 8

When General Mills looked for ideas on how to reduce the time it took to convert its production lines from one cereal to another,it sent a team to observe the pit crews at the Indianapolis 500.As a result of using ____,General Mills cut its plant changeover time by more than 50 percent.
A) benchmarking
B) conformance sampling
C) acceptance sampling
D) in-process sampling
E) outsourcing

Accepted Answer

The method used by General Mills is benchmarking, which involves identifying and studying the best practices of other companies or industries and using them to improve one's own operations. In this case, General Mills observed the pit crews at the Indianapolis 500, a well-known example of efficient and effective teamwork, and applied those techniques to their own production processes.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the importance of productivity is TRUE?
A) It is important to a firm's profitability.
B) It is important to a firm's ability to survive.
C) It contributes to our overall quality of life.
D) It contributes to a country's standard of living.
E) All of these choices

Accepted Answer

All of these choices are true. Productivity is important to a firm's profitability, as it determines how efficiently the firm uses its resources to produce goods and services. It is also critical to a firm's ability to survive, particularly in a competitive marketplace. Additionally, higher productivity can lead to increased economic growth and a higher standard of living for the country as a whole. Finally, productivity contributes to our overall quality of life as it enables us to produce more goods and services with fewer resources, freeing up time and resources for other activities.

Question 10

Almost 20,000 UPS employees are now equipped with ring scanners⎯small electronic devices worn on their index fingers and wired to a small computer on their wrists.When a UPS employee holds a package,the ring shoots a pattern of photons on the package.Within moments,its location is updated at the UPS website.This use of ____ allows UPS to better track its packages and to provide better customer service.
A) just-in-time inventory control
B) employee involvement
C) an operations improvement
D) research and development enhancement
E) CIM

Accepted Answer

The use of ring scanners is an operations improvement for UPS as it allows them to better track packages and provide better customer service. Just-in-time inventory control, employee involvement, research and development enhancement, and CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing) are not relevant to this specific scenario.

Question 11

Al Lovata,CEO of Be Our Guest Inc. ,rented a CFO from Milestone Advisors LLC to help cut cost during the economic downturn.Be Our Guest used
A) benchmarking.
B) conformance sampling.
C) acceptance sampling.
D) in-process sampling.
E) outsourcing.

Accepted Answer

The use of a rented CFO from a different company is an example of outsourcing, which involves hiring external companies or individuals to perform tasks or services that would otherwise be done in-house.

Question 12

The total productivity achieved by a country is called
A) total factor.
B) industry.
C) unit.
D) individual.
E) aggregate.

Accepted Answer

The term used in the question that fits best with the given definition is "aggregate," as it refers to the total amount of output generated by an economy or industry.

Question 13

According to the text,the major problem associated with total factor productivity is that
A) the data are too hard to obtain.
B) all ingredients must be expressed in the same terms.
C) it does not tell the manager what to do to correct a problem.
D) it is not compatible with standard accounting procedures.
E) it is nothing more than a cost-benefit analysis.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text,the major problem associated...

Question 14

Which of the following is classified as a partial productivity ratio?
A) Individual productivity
B) Company productivity
C) Capital productivity
D) Industry productivity
E) Aggregate productivity

Accepted Answer

Capital productivity is a partial productivity ratio because it measures the amount of output generated per unit of capital input. The other choices are not partial productivity ratios as they do not measure output with respect to a specific input factor.

Question 15

Ephraim is analyzing the productivity of his section.Last week his crew worked 4,000 hours and produced 600,000 units of product.The average hourly wage was $7 per hour,and 200 hours were lost to absenteeism.The sale price for the items produced is $2 per unit.What is the labor productivity index?
A) 21.43
B) 42.86
C) 150.00
D) 157.89
E) 300.00

Accepted Answer

Labor Productivity Index = (Total Units Produced / Total Hours Worked) x (Total Hours Available / Total Hours Worked)
Total Hours Available = Total Hours Worked + Hours Lost to Absenteeism
Total Hours Available = 4,000 + 200 = 4,200 hours
Labor Productivity Index = (600,000 / 4,000) x (4,200 / 4,000)
Labor Productivity Index = 150 x 1.05
Labor Productivity Index = 157.89
Therefore, the labor productivity index is 157.89. Option D is correct.

Question 16

____ productivity ratios are most useful to the manager for determining how to change operations to improve productivity.
A) Aggregate
B) Company
C) Total factor
D) Partial
E) Individual

Accepted Answer

Partial productivity ratios focus on one input and one output, making them useful in identifying areas where improvements can be made to increase productivity. They allow managers to see how changes to specific factors, such as labor or materials, impact overall productivity.

Question 17

When Intel assesses the productivity of each of its chip plants,it is determining ____ productivity.
A) unit
B) individual
C) company
D) industry
E) functional

Accepted Answer

Intel is specifically assessing the productivity of each individual chip plant, therefore it is determining unit productivity.

Question 18

Which of the following factors is NOT included in the formula for computing total factor productivity?
A) Cost of labor
B) Cost of capital
C) Cost of materials
D) Cost of energy inputs
E) Cost of inflation

Accepted Answer

The formula for total factor productivity includes factors such as labor, capital, materials, and energy inputs. Inflation is not included in this formula as it is a measure of the increase in prices over time and does not directly relate to the efficiency of factors of production.

Question 19

Statistical quality control is
A) a computerized quality control monitoring service.
B) a team approach to quality control.
C) useful only in determining completed items to reject.
D) most useful in service organizations.
E) a set of specific statistical techniques used to monitor quality control.

Accepted Answer

Statistical quality control is a set of specific statistical techniques used to monitor quality control. These techniques include control charts, acceptance sampling, and statistical process control, among others. It is not a computerized service or team approach, and it is not limited to determining items to reject. It can be applied in both manufacturing and service organizations.

Question 20

Operations management can BEST be used to improve speed by
A) maximizing the number of approvals needed so that mistakes are caught beforehand,then moving ahead at full speed.
B) using individual work assignments because of the clear accountability that results.
C) starting from scratch,which usually enhances speed more than modifying current systems.
D) rigidly adhering to schedules.
E) eliminating elements of the organization culture that have been ineffective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Operations management can BEST be used to...

Quiz 20: Managing Operations, quality, and Productivity

Which of the following countries has the highest level of productivity?

Toyota installed a flexible manufacturing assembly line in its plant outside Columbus,Ohio.It can make a variety of cars one after the other,switching production by using scanners that read codes.This is an example of

Which of the following statements about productivity is TRUE?

____ sampling is a type of statistical quality control that involves testing products as they are being made.

An organization can manufacture 10,000 widgets with 10 hours of direct labor.What is its labor productivity?

A consulting firm calculates an efficiency index for each of its consultants by dividing each consultant's total hours of work by the number of billable hours.This is a measure of ____ productivity.

At a UTC facility the quality control people sample 5 percent of the finished Carrier air conditioners to check for adherence to more than 25 quality standards.This is an example of

When General Mills looked for ideas on how to reduce the time it took to convert its production lines from one cereal to another,it sent a team to observe the pit crews at the Indianapolis 500.As a result of using ____,General Mills cut its plant changeover time by more than 50 percent.

Which of the following statements about the importance of productivity is TRUE?

Al Lovata,CEO of Be Our Guest Inc. ,rented a CFO from Milestone Advisors LLC to help cut cost during the economic downturn.Be Our Guest used

The total productivity achieved by a country is called

According to the text,the major problem associated with total factor productivity is that

Which of the following is classified as a partial productivity ratio?

Ephraim is analyzing the productivity of his section.Last week his crew worked 4,000 hours and produced 600,000 units of product.The average hourly wage was $7 per hour,and 200 hours were lost to absenteeism.The sale price for the items produced is $2 per unit.What is the labor productivity index?

____ productivity ratios are most useful to the manager for determining how to change operations to improve productivity.

When Intel assesses the productivity of each of its chip plants,it is determining ____ productivity.

Which of the following factors is NOT included in the formula for computing total factor productivity?

Statistical quality control is

Operations management can BEST be used to improve speed by