Question 1

All of the following are biases that can affect a manager's judgment except:
A) being influenced by initial impressions.
B) justifying past decisions.
C) seeing what you don't want to see.
D) perpetuating the status quo.
E) being overconfident.

Accepted Answer

C) "Seeing what you don't want to see" is not a recognized bias affecting managerial judgment. Instead, it contradicts common biases like confirmation bias, where individuals tend to pay attention to information that confirms their preconceptions and ignore or undervalue evidence that contradicts their beliefs.

Question 2

__________ is the process of identifying problems and opportunities and then resolving them.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ is the process of identifying problems...

Question 3

Vaughn Bately
Vaughn Bately manages a group of eight electrical engineers at Defiance Designs. His team is highly trained and well respected by experts both inside and outside the company. Recently, one of Vaughn's engineers suggested a new technique for the development and use of an argon laser. There appeared to be rich potential for this technology, but Vaughn wasn't certain that developing this technology was the best use of his limited resources. Vaughn was facing a significant decision.
-Which of the following steps would Vaughn not take in making his decision?
A) Recognize the decision requirement
B) Implement the chosen alternative
C) Create a set of alternatives
D) Diagnose and analyze problem causes
E) All of these steps would be included.

Accepted Answer

All of these steps are typically included in a decision-making process. Vaughn would recognize the decision requirement, create a set of alternatives, diagnose and analyze problem causes, and implement the chosen alternative.

Question 4

As a top manager, Joanna works with others within her team every day in making important corporate decisions. Her preferred decision-making approach is to generate as many ideas as possible for solving problems in a short amount of time. This approach is referred to as:
A) groupthink.
B) devil's advocacy.
C) point-counterpoint.
D) escalating commitment.
E) brainstorming.

Accepted Answer

Joanna's preferred decision-making approach is to generate as many ideas as possible in a short amount of time. This approach is commonly referred to as brainstorming. Therefore, the correct answer is option E.

Question 5

Which decision style is adopted by managers who have a deep concern for others as individuals?
A) Behavioral
B) Classical
C) Analytic
D) Logical
E) Conceptual

Accepted Answer

Managers who have a deep concern for others as individuals typically adopt the behavioral decision-making style. This style focuses on building relationships and enhancing communication skills. It involves considering the impact of the decision on people and their emotions. Managers who use this style prioritize team morale and satisfaction above other factors.

Question 6

Vaughn Bately
Vaughn Bately manages a group of eight electrical engineers at Defiance Designs. His team is highly trained and well respected by experts both inside and outside the company. Recently, one of Vaughn's engineers suggested a new technique for the development and use of an argon laser. There appeared to be rich potential for this technology, but Vaughn wasn't certain that developing this technology was the best use of his limited resources. Vaughn was facing a significant decision.
-If Vaughn uses the classical model of decision making, which of the following assumptions would he reject?
A) The decision maker is rational and uses logic to assign values, order preferences, evaluate alternatives, and make the decision that will maximize the attainment of organizational goals.
B) The decision maker selects the alternative that will maximize the economic return to the organization.
C) The decision maker strives for conditions of certainty and tries to gather complete information.
D) Problems are precisely formulated and defined.
E) Managers are likely to have a variety of goals and objectives.

Accepted Answer

The classical model of decision making assumes that managers have a single, clear set of goals and objectives, which they seek to maximize. It does not account for the possibility of managers having a variety of goals and objectives, which is why option E would be rejected under this model.

Question 7

People with a(n) __________ style consider many broad alternatives, rely on information from both people and systems, and like to solve problems creatively.
A) classical
B) analytic
C) logical
D) behavioral
E) conceptual

Accepted Answer

This statement describes the conceptual style of decision-making which involves taking a creative, holistic approach to problem-solving, considering multiple options and sources of information.

Question 8

A(n) __________ is a choice made from available alternatives.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n) __________ is a choice made from...

Question 9

Finance managers at Big Bend Inc. made a financial blunder when they solely looked at the previous year's sales to estimate sales for the coming year. This an example of which management bias?
A) Being influenced by emotions
B) Perpetuating the status quo
C) Seeing what you want to see
D) Justifying past actions
E) Being influenced by initial impressions

Accepted Answer

This is an example of being influenced by initial impressions, as the managers relied solely on the previous year's sales data without considering other factors that could affect future sales.

Question 10

After implementation of any significant decision, managers at KTC Industries, Inc. meet to evaluate what worked, what didn't, and how to do things better. Managers at KTC are using what innovative decision-making technique?
A) After-action review
B) Postmortem bias
C) Decision learning
D) Brainstorming
E) Escalating commitment

Accepted Answer

The technique being used by managers at KTC Industries, Inc. is after-action review, which is a process of evaluating the effectiveness of decisions and actions taken by a team or organization after they have been implemented. The goal is to identify areas for improvement and lessons learned for future decision-making. Postmortem bias and escalating commitment are not decision-making techniques. Decision learning and brainstorming are related to decision-making but do not specifically address the evaluation of past decisions.

Question 11

Which of the following is a decision-making technique that can be used to stimulate rigorous debate?
A) Point-counterpoint
B) Brainstorming
C) Evidence-based decision making
D) Groupthink
E) All of these

Accepted Answer

Point-counterpoint is a technique where individuals present two contrasting perspectives on a given issue. This forces participants to think critically about the issue and exposes them to diverse viewpoints. It stimulates rigorous debate and helps participants refine their arguments. Brainstorming is a creative technique used to generate ideas and is not necessarily focused on rigorous debate. Evidence-based decision making involves using available evidence to make informed decisions, but it does not necessarily involve debate. Groupthink is a situation where group members tend to conform to the dominant viewpoint instead of critically analyzing the issue. Therefore, the best choice for stimulating rigorous debate is the point-counterpoint technique.

Question 12

Vaughn Bately
Vaughn Bately manages a group of eight electrical engineers at Defiance Designs. His team is highly trained and well respected by experts both inside and outside the company. Recently, one of Vaughn's engineers suggested a new technique for the development and use of an argon laser. There appeared to be rich potential for this technology, but Vaughn wasn't certain that developing this technology was the best use of his limited resources. Vaughn was facing a significant decision.
-If Vaughn uses the administrative model of decision making, which of these assumptions would he reject?
A) Most managers settle for a satisficing rather than maximizing solution.
B) Managers' searches for alternatives are limited because of human, information, and resource constraints.
C) Rational procedures will normally lead to the best solution in a complex organization.
D) Decision goals often are vague, conflicting, and lack consensus among managers.
E) Managers often are unaware of problems or opportunities that exist in the organization.

Accepted Answer

The administrative model of decision making assumes that rational procedures will not always lead to the best solution in a complex organization. Therefore, Vaughn would reject this assumption.

Question 13

__________ refers to the tendency of people in groups to suppress contrary opinions.
A) Point-counterpoint
B) Groupthink
C) Devil's advocacy
D) Escalating commitment
E) Brainstorming

Accepted Answer

Groupthink is the tendency of group members to conform to the opinions of the group and suppress any contrary opinions. This can lead to flawed decision-making and a lack of creativity or innovation. Point-counterpoint involves presenting contrasting viewpoints for discussion, Devil's advocacy involves intentionally presenting opposing viewpoints to challenge group decision-making, Escalating commitment refers to a phenomenon where individuals continue to invest resources in a failing course of action, and Brainstorming involves generating and sharing creative ideas in a non-judgmental setting. None of these options specifically address the suppression of contrary opinions in group settings.

Question 14

The __________ is the individual who is assigned the role of challenging the assumptions and assertions made by the group.
A) group gadfly
B) multiple advocate
C) devil's advocate
D) brainstormer
E) inferior member

Accepted Answer

The individual who challenges the assumptions and assertions made by the group is known as the devil's advocate. This role is important in improving the quality of group decision-making and facilitating productive discussion. A group gadfly is typically seen as someone who disrupts the group process without adding value, and a multiple advocate can actually undermine productive discussion by creating a polarizing atmosphere. The brainstormer is responsible for generating ideas, while an inferior member is not assigned a specific role in the group.

Question 15

__________ involve situations that have occurred often enough to enable decision rules to be developed and applied in the future.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ involve situations that have occurred often...

Question 16

__________ occurs when a manager puts too much value on evidence that is confident with a favored belief or viewpoint and discounts evidence that contradicts it.
A) The sunk cost effect
B) Evidence-based decision making
C) Escalating commitment
D) Anchoring bias
E) Confirmation bias

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias occurs when a manager puts too much value on evidence that is consistent with their favored belief or viewpoint and discounts evidence that contradicts it. This bias can lead to poor decision making as it can cause the manager to overlook important information that could have helped make a better decision.

Question 17

Which of the following defines a technique that uses a face-to-face interactive group to spontaneously suggest as many ideas as possible for solving a problem?
A) Brainstorming
B) Groupthink
C) Point-counterpoint
D) After-action review
E) Devil's advocate

Accepted Answer

The technique described in the question is brainstorming, which is a commonly used idea-generation process that invites participants to suggest as many ideas as possible within a certain time frame. The defining feature of brainstorming is that it encourages participants to generate ideas without criticism or judgment, thereby promoting creativity and free thinking.

Question 18

Managers are considered to have a(n) __________ style when they prefer to consider complex solutions based on as much data as they can gather.
A) behavioral
B) conceptual
C) directive
D) analytical
E) classical

Accepted Answer

Analytical managers prefer to consider all available data before making decisions, making them more suitable for complex problem-solving situations. The other options do not necessarily prioritize the use of data and analysis in decision-making.

Question 19

__________ are made in response to situations that are unique, are poorly defined and largely unstructured, and have important consequences for the organization.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ are made in response to situations...

Question 20

When managers base decisions on what has worked in the past and fail to explore new options, they are:
A) perpetuating the status quo.
B) being influenced by emotions.
C) being overconfident.
D) justifying past decisions.
E) seeing what they want to see.

Accepted Answer

Perpetuating the status quo means continuing the current situation without exploring new options. This is a common mistake made by managers who rely too heavily on past successes and are afraid to take risks or try new approaches.

Quiz 9: Managerial Decision Making

All of the following are biases that can affect a manager's judgment except:

__________ is the process of identifying problems and opportunities and then resolving them.

As a top manager, Joanna works with others within her team every day in making important corporate decisions. Her preferred decision-making approach is to generate as many ideas as possible for solving problems in a short amount of time. This approach is referred to as:

Which decision style is adopted by managers who have a deep concern for others as individuals?

People with a(n) __________ style consider many broad alternatives, rely on information from both people and systems, and like to solve problems creatively.

A(n) __________ is a choice made from available alternatives.

Finance managers at Big Bend Inc. made a financial blunder when they solely looked at the previous year's sales to estimate sales for the coming year. This an example of which management bias?

After implementation of any significant decision, managers at KTC Industries, Inc. meet to evaluate what worked, what didn't, and how to do things better. Managers at KTC are using what innovative decision-making technique?

Which of the following is a decision-making technique that can be used to stimulate rigorous debate?

__________ refers to the tendency of people in groups to suppress contrary opinions.

The __________ is the individual who is assigned the role of challenging the assumptions and assertions made by the group.

__________ involve situations that have occurred often enough to enable decision rules to be developed and applied in the future.

__________ occurs when a manager puts too much value on evidence that is confident with a favored belief or viewpoint and discounts evidence that contradicts it.

Which of the following defines a technique that uses a face-to-face interactive group to spontaneously suggest as many ideas as possible for solving a problem?

Managers are considered to have a(n) __________ style when they prefer to consider complex solutions based on as much data as they can gather.

__________ are made in response to situations that are unique, are poorly defined and largely unstructured, and have important consequences for the organization.

When managers base decisions on what has worked in the past and fail to explore new options, they are: