Deck 11: Strategic Leadership by Top Executives

Question 1

Research finds that major changes in companies are usually initiated by:

A)a strong chief executive who has occupied the position for many years
B)an internal successor selected by the prior chief executive before retiring
C)an internal successor selected to replace the prior CEO who was forced out
D)an external successor brought in to replace a CEO who was forced out

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which is not a core performance determinant for an organization in the flexible leadership theory?

A)efficiency and process reliability
B)leader experience and intelligence
C)human resources and relations
D)innovation and adaptation

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When an organization has declining performance,a CEO who has been in office for many years is least likely to:

A)look for ways to improve implementation of the existing strategy
B)make small, incremental changes in the strategy
C)give a pep talk and urge people to redouble their effort
D)make major changes in the organization's strategy

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to flexible leadership theory,strategic leadership is most difficult when:

A)adaptation is more important than the other performance determinants
B)efficiency is more important than the other performance determinants
C)the performance determinants are all very important
D)the performance determinants all differ in importance

Question 5

In what situation are executive teams least likely to be useful?

A)the organization includes several business units with diverse products
B)there is intense competition among executives to become the next CEO
C)the organization has a complex and turbulent environment
D) the executives in the team have very diverse backgrounds and perspectives

Question 6

What is the best summary of findings in research on leadership succession?

A)chief executives have little influence on organization performance due to the overwhelming influence of economic and market conditions
B)chief executives have a strong impact on organization performance and are the primary determinant of whether the organization prospers or declines
C)chief executives have a moderate impact on organizational performance when measured over a period of several years
D)chief executives influence stock prices but have little or no influence on the firm's actual economic performance

Question 7

How is a strong organizational culture related to the financial performance of an organization?

A)performance is enhanced
B)performance is reduced
C)performance may be enhanced or reduced
D)there is little impact on performance

Question 8

Which guideline about management programs and systems is most consistent with flexible leadership theory?

A)programs and systems should be used to reduce the number of individual managers that are needed
B)a program or system should not be used if more than one performance determinant will be affected
C)a program or system should not duplicate the effects of direct behavior by individual managers
D)programs and systems should be supported by the direct behavior of individual managers

Question 9

Which of the following theories most strongly emphasizes the importance of emergent processes for the adaptation of organizations to their environment?

A)complexity leadership theory
B)relational leadership theory
C)informal leadership theory
D)distributed leadership theory

Question 10

When the competition is intense and the environment is changing rapidly,it is especially important to:

A)have detailed plans and operating procedures
B)increase the power of the chief executive
C)maintain a high level of external monitoring
D)strengthen the organization culture

Question 11

Which condition is not likely to limit a chief executive's discretion to make major changes in the strategy of an organization?

A)the organization has a few major clients who account for most sales
B)the organization has ample financial reserves
C)the culture of the organization is strong
D)the organization has a strong board of directors

Question 12

Which of the following actions by the CEO is not likely to improve the effectiveness of an executive team?

A)clearly define objectives consistent with shared values of team members
B)eliminate most meetings and use email to communicate separately with individuals
C)give the team considerable discretion but specify limits of team authority
D)rely more on advice from members with the most expertise

Question 13

According to the flexible leadership theory,the CEO of an organization should:

A)focus primarily on short-term objectives such as quarterly profits
B)provide heroic, charismatic leadership for the organization
C)coordinate leadership processes across levels and subunits
D)emphasize direct behaviors more than management programs and systems

Question 14

Which condition is least important for the success of a new strategy?

A)it is similar to a strategy that was previously successful
B)it is based on the core competencies of the organization
C)it is compatible with significant changes in the external environment
D)it has a few clear themes relevant to the shared values of the members

Question 15

Which of the following was not given as a guideline for external monitoring?

A)examine a wide range of developments and trends in the environment
B)make an extra effort to learn what clients and customers want and need
C)identify both the strengths and weaknesses of competing products
D)rely primarily on your own intuition to analyze the environment

Question 16

According to Schein,organization culture is best described as:

A)basic values and beliefs shared by members of the organization
B)member perception of the primary mission of the organization
C)the values and objectives espoused by the top executives
D)member commitment to the organizational objectives