Question 1

Companies with heroism as the basis of noble purpose often:

Accepted Answer

Companies with heroism as the basis of their noble purpose often reflect almost an obsession with winning, as heroism typically involves overcoming challenges or adversaries to achieve a significant goal.

Question 2

Identify the true statement regarding visions.

Accepted Answer

Visions often fail to adequately involve employees, leading to a lack of engagement and commitment to the vision. Effective visions should be inclusive and consider the perspectives and contributions of employees to ensure buy-in and successful implementation.

Question 3

In companies with excellence as a guiding purpose, _____.

Accepted Answer

In companies with excellence as a guiding purpose, managers and employees are seen as valuable resources which implies that the company values and invests in its human capital. This helps to create a culture of excellence where everyone is motivated to contribute to achieving the company's goals.

Question 4

Victoria heads an electronics corporation. She expects each employee to perform to his or her best and be successful. She wants to achieve production with zero quality control issues. Victoria uses the _____ approach to frame a noble purpose for her organization.

Accepted Answer

The excellence approach aims for employees to perform to their full potential and achieve high levels of success in production, which aligns with Victoria's expectations. This approach emphasizes continual improvement and the pursuit of excellence, including the avoidance of quality control issues. The other options are less applicable - discovery is focused on exploration and uncovering new knowledge, altruism is focused on helping others, and heroism is more focused on individual achievement or overcoming obstacles.

Question 5

Samuel heads a company that manufactures cell phones. He places emphasis on innovation and creation of new products and features rather than imitation of competitors' products. This instance shows that Samuel uses the _____ approach to frame the purpose of his organization.

Accepted Answer

Samuel's emphasis on innovation and creation of new products and features suggests that he is using the discovery approach to frame the purpose of his organization. This approach prioritizes exploration and experimentation to create original products or services rather than simply copying what competitors are doing (imitation). The other options (excellence, altruism, and heroism) are not necessarily incompatible with the discovery approach, but they don't seem to be the best fit for Samuel's focus on innovation.

Question 6

Which of the following statements is true of strategy?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements is true...

Question 7

An effective mission statement:

Accepted Answer

An effective mission statement captures people's idealistic motivations for why the organization exists. It should inspire and guide the organization towards a desired future state, but should not simply describe its products or services. Additionally, a well-crafted mission statement should be enduring and able to withstand changes in technology and economic conditions.

Question 8

Identify the correct statement regarding a mission.

Accepted Answer

A mission statement is a short statement that defines the purpose or reason for an organization's existence. It serves as the glue that holds the organization together, providing direction and focus to all employees, especially in times of change. Option A refers to a vision statement, not a mission statement. Option C is incorrect since the mission statement and vision statement work together to provide a comprehensive view of the company's goals and aspirations. Option D may sometimes be true, but it is not always the case, and mission statements should ideally remain stable over time.

Question 9

The basis of action for the purpose of altruism is to:

Accepted Answer

The basis of altruism is to act for the benefit of others without regard for oneself. Therefore, the purpose of altruism is to increase the happiness or well-being of others, not oneself.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of activities that have a low strategic impact but which are relatively easy to execute?

Accepted Answer

Incremental improvements in products have a low strategic impact, as they are relatively small changes to existing products or processes. However, they are relatively easy to execute as they do not require major changes or resources.

Question 11

If the company's purpose is _____, its purpose is based on being strong, aggressive, and effective.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If the company's purpose is _____, its purpose...

Question 12

A good vision brings out the best in people by:

Accepted Answer

A good vision is not only about the leader, but it is about a collective goal that everyone works towards. When people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, they are more motivated and committed to achieving that goal.

Question 13

_____ can be defined as the general plan of action that describes resource allocation and other activities for dealing with the environment and helping the organization attain its goals and achieve the vision.

Accepted Answer

Strategy is defined as the general plan of action and describes resource allocation to help the organization attain its goals and achieve its vision. A noble purpose, a mission, and core values are important components of an organization's overall strategy, but they alone do not define the plan of action for dealing with the environment and allocating resources.

Question 14

A leader should explain what a new strategic direction means to each person because:

Accepted Answer

People are often fearful of change, and explaining what a new strategic direction means to each person can help alleviate those fears by providing clarity and understanding.

Question 15

In an organization, when every person understands and embraces a vision _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an organization, when every person understands...

Question 16

The purpose of _____ inspires people to see the adventure in their work and experience the joy of a pioneering or entrepreneurial spirit.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of discovery involves exploring and uncovering new ideas or opportunities, which can provide a sense of excitement and thrill similar to that of pioneers or entrepreneurs. This can inspire individuals to take risks and tackle challenges with a pioneering or entrepreneurial spirit.

Question 17

A change that both produces a high strategic impact and is easy to execute would be:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A change that both produces a high...

Question 18

Freddie is the head of operations of Ambassador Inc. He wants to cocreate a vision for his organization. Which of the following steps should Freddie perform?

Accepted Answer

Freddie should get something down in writing and make sure to get feedback from others. A vision should be a collaborative effort that involves multiple stakeholders in the organization, rather than just the leader. Writing from the heart should be encouraged to create an emotional appeal to human needs. Communicating the vision through multiple channels helps to ensure that everyone in the organization understands and is committed to it.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of mission?

Accepted Answer

Mission defines the company's core values and reason for being. It is not just an ambitious desire for the future, but rather the purpose for which the company exists. It also tends to remain constant even in the face of environmental shifts, unlike vision which may need to adapt to changing circumstances. Mission and vision work together to provide a clear direction for the company's goals and actions.

Question 20

Diane heads an event management company called Venus Inc. The company encourages an innovative and creative approach to work. Diane plans to cocreate a vision. Which of the following steps should she apply to implement her plan?

Accepted Answer

Diane should target a vision for a desired future, involving all relevant stakeholders in the co-creation process. This approach helps to ensure that the vision is aligned with the values and aspirations of the organization and is more likely to inspire commitment and motivation among those who will be responsible for implementing it. The other options listed – making a vision the property of the leader, creating a final vision statement without several drafts, and communicating the vision using a single channel – are not effective steps in co-creating a vision.

Quiz 13: Creating Vision and Strategic Direction