Question 1

A group of managers meets face-to-face and generates and debates a wide variety of alternatives from which to make a decision. What is this process of decision making called?

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming is a process where a group meets face-to-face to generate and discuss a wide variety of ideas and alternatives for decision-making.

Question 2

Managers can increase their ability to make nonprogrammed decisions that will allow them to adapt to, modify, and even drastically alter their task environments so that they can continually increase organizational performance through organizational

Accepted Answer

Organizational learning helps managers and employees to continuously improve and adapt by acquiring new knowledge and skills, which enhances their ability to make effective nonprogrammed decisions.

Question 3

Which of the following is most likely to be a disadvantage of brainstorming in an organization?

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming can lead to cognitive overload where group members struggle to process existing ideas while also generating new ones, hindering creativity and productivity.

Question 4

Sometimes in a brainstorming session, group members cannot simultaneously make sense of all the alternatives being generated, think up additional alternatives, or remember what they were thinking. This problem is known as

Accepted Answer

Production blocking occurs when group members are unable to effectively process information, generate new ideas, or recall their thoughts due to the overwhelming number of alternatives being discussed simultaneously.

Question 5

Fatima is the manager of the tennis division of a large sporting goods company. An employee named Anika shows great promise but seems to lack the confidence to share her creative ideas. Based on what you know about promoting creativity, which of the following actions should Fatima take?

Accepted Answer

Praising Anika for her idea and allowing her to think of more ideas without hands-on supervision can boost her confidence and encourage her creativity.

Question 6

To counteract groupthink on a merchandising team, a manager decides to brings in two

Accepted Answer

Bringing in co-workers of Mexican descent introduces diversity in cultural background, which can help counteract groupthink by providing different perspectives and reducing homogeneity in the team.

Question 7

When an issue is controversial and when different managers might be expected to champion different courses of action, which of the following is the preferred technique for encouraging creativity?

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique is preferred in controversial situations as it allows individuals to generate ideas independently before sharing them with the group, reducing the influence of dominant personalities and encouraging diverse input.

Question 8

After one person shares an idea, the next thing that should happen in a brainstorming session is

Accepted Answer

In a brainstorming session, the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible without judgment or evaluation, so after one idea is shared, others should continue to share more ideas.

Question 9

A sales manager wants to promote a shared vision among his staff. Considering this, which of the following would he do?

Accepted Answer

Talking with his sales staff about the way they should all treat customers helps to promote a shared vision by aligning everyone with common values and goals.

Question 10

In managerial decision making, the ability of a manager to discover novel ideas that lead to alternative courses of action for the organization to use for solving a particular problem is known as

Accepted Answer

Creativity refers to the ability to generate novel and useful ideas, which can lead to alternative solutions for organizational problems.

Question 11

The idea that one level of learning affects other levels is part of the ________ principle of creating a learning organization.

Accepted Answer

Systems thinking is the idea that one level of learning affects other levels.

Question 12

Anja is taking part in a brainstorming group that is supposed to think of new storylines for films for a major studio. The studio wants creative stories that are different from previously produced films, but also marketable. However, Anja soon notices that members in the group tend to rely on old storylines, especially about superheroes, that seem like "safe" bets at the box office. Additionally, when one of them proposes an idea, the others almost invariably go along with it. What should Anja do in order to effectively counteract this dynamic?

Accepted Answer

Anja should point out the recent failures of superhero films to encourage the group to think outside the box and consider alternative, more creative storylines that audiences might be seeking.

Question 13

To create a learning organization, managers must empower employees and allow them to experiment, create, and explore what they want through developing a sense of

Accepted Answer

Personal mastery is the ability to continuously improve and learn. It is essential for creating a learning organization because it allows employees to experiment, create, and explore new ideas.

Question 14

Fyodor, a manager of the research and development team of an organization, challenges his subordinates to "think outside the box" to improve the way the unit does its work. Fyodor is focusing on ________.

Accepted Answer

Mental models are the assumptions and beliefs that shape our perception of the world and influence our behavior. Fyodor is challenging his subordinates to question their assumptions and beliefs about how the unit does its work in order to find new and innovative ways to improve.

Question 15

Jack, a manager, wants to promote creativity in his company. To do this, which of the following actions would he take?

Accepted Answer

Allowing a subordinate to proceed with their own approach encourages independent thinking and creativity, even if the manager disagrees with the method.

Question 16

Which of the following is a way to bring distant managers together to brainstorm and is a written approach to creative problem solving?

Accepted Answer

The Delphi technique is a structured communication method originally developed as a systematic, interactive forecasting method which relies on a panel of experts. It is used to gather opinions and achieve consensus among geographically dispersed participants.

Question 17

In a meeting, after hearing a member describe a problem to be addressed, all other members of the group first wrote down ideas and solutions. After this, everyone shared those suggestions without criticism. The group, one by one, clarified, critiqued, and then discussed the alternatives in the sequence in which they were first proposed. Finally, each member ranked all the alternatives, and the highest-ranking alternative was chosen. Which of the following decision-making techniques did the group implement?

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique involves individuals writing down ideas independently, sharing them without criticism, discussing and clarifying them, and then ranking the alternatives to reach a decision.

Question 18

Which of the following is a part of the Delphi technique of group decision making?

Accepted Answer

The Delphi technique involves group members responding in writing to questions posed by a group leader, often through multiple rounds, to reach a consensus without face-to-face meetings.

Question 19

At the heart of organizational learning is

Accepted Answer

Creativity is central to organizational learning as it involves generating new ideas and approaches, which are essential for adapting and improving within an organization.

Question 20

The main reason for the loss of productivity in brainstorming is

Accepted Answer

Production blocking occurs when only one person can speak at a time in a group, which can hinder the flow of ideas and reduce overall productivity in brainstorming sessions.

Quiz 5: Decision Making, Learning, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship