Question 1

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 is the process through which managers seek to improve employees' desire and ability to understand and manage the organization and its task environment so employees can make decisions that continuously raise organizational effectiveness.

Question 2

Individuals who pursue initiatives and opportunities to address social problems and needs in order to improve society and well-being,such as reducing poverty,are known as:

Accepted Answer

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who pursue initiatives and opportunities to address social problems and needs in order to improve society and well-being,such as reducing poverty,increasing literacy,protecting the natural environment,or reducing substance abuse.Social entrepreneurs seek to mobilize resources to solve social problems through creative solutions.

Question 3

An entrepreneur is likely to have:

Accepted Answer

Entrepreneurs are likely to have a high level of self-esteem and feel competent and capable of handling most situations,including the stress and uncertainty surrounding a plunge into a risky new venture.Entrepreneurs are likely to have an internal locus of control,believing that they are responsible for what happens to them and that their own actions determine important outcomes such as the success or failure of a new business.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

While focusing on systems thinking,managers must recognize the effects of one level of learning on another.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

During brainstorming,after a manager describes in broad outline the problem the group is to address,group members share their ideas and generate alternative courses of action.

Question 6

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 especially useful when an issue is controversial and when different managers might be expected to champion different courses of action.

Question 7

The concept of isolating intrapreneurs so that they become so intensely involved in a project,and as a result,the development time of new products is relatively brief and the quality of the final product is enhanced,is known as ______________.

Accepted Answer

A skunkworks is a group of intrapreneurs who are deliberately separated from the normal operation of an organization to encourage them to devote all their attention to developing new products.The idea is that if these people are isolated,they will become so intensely involved in a project that development time will be relatively brief and the quality of the final product will be enhanced.

Question 8

The main reason for the loss of productivity in brainstorming is:

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming is very useful in some problem-solving situations,but sometimes individuals working alone can generate more alternatives.The main reason for the loss of productivity in brainstorming appears to be production blocking,which occurs because group members cannot always simultaneously make sense of all the alternatives being generated,think up additional alternatives,and remember what they were thinking.

Question 9

A manager who takes "ownership" of a project and provides the leadership and vision that takes a commodity from the idea stage to the final customer is a product:

Accepted Answer

One way to promote intrapreneurship is to encourage individuals to assume the role of product champion,a manager who takes "ownership" of a project and provides the leadership and vision that take a product from the idea stage to the final customer.

Question 10

Adrian,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.Adrian is focusing on:

Accepted Answer

Organizations need to encourage employees to develop and use complex mental models.Mental models are sophisticated ways of thinking that challenge employees to find new or better ways of performing a task to deepen their understanding of what is involved in a particular activity.

Question 11

A critical analysis of a preferred alternative to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses before it is implemented,with the purpose of identifying all the reasons that might make the preferred alternative unacceptable is a:

Accepted Answer

Devil's advocacy is a critical analysis of a preferred alternative to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses before it is implemented.The purpose is to identify all the reasons that might make the preferred alternative unacceptable after all.In this way,decision makers can be made aware of the possible perils of recommended courses of action.

Question 12

At the heart of organizational learning is:

Accepted Answer

When new and useful ideas are implemented in an organization,creativity takes place.

Question 13

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 is the ability of a decision maker to discover original and novel ideas that lead to feasible alternative courses of action.

Question 14

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 group problem-solving technique in which managers meet face-to-face to generate and debate a wide variety of alternatives from which to make a decision.

Question 15

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

To develop a sense of personal mastery among employees,managers must empower employees and allow them to experiment and create and explore what they want.

Question 16

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 because group members cannot always simultaneously make sense of all the alternatives being generated,think up additional alternatives,and remember what they were thinking.

Question 17

A sales manager talks with his subordinates about the way they should treat customers.The sales manager is focusing on the __________________ aspect of creating a learning organization.

Accepted Answer

A shared vision is a common mental model that all organizational members use to frame problems or opportunities.In this situation,the manager is trying to create a common mental model that all members will use to frame problems or opportunities.

Question 18

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 is being implemented?

Accepted Answer

In the nominal group technique,the following procedure is used: (1)One manager outlines the problem to be addressed,and 30 minutes are allocated for group members,working individually,to write down their ideas and solutions.(2)Managers take turns reading their suggestions to the group.One manager writes all the alternatives on a flip chart.No criticism of alternatives is allowed until all alternatives have been read.(3)The alternatives are then discussed in the sequence in which they were first proposed.(4)When all alternatives have been discussed,each group member ranks all the alternatives from most preferred to least preferred,and the alternative that receives the highest ranking is chosen.

Question 19

Jack,a manager,allows Adam,his subordinate,to proceed on a work project even though Jack does not agree with how Adam wants to do the work.Jack is attempting to promote __________________ to create a learning organization.

Accepted Answer

By allowing Adam to proceed,Jack allows Adam to experiment,create,and explore what he wants,to develop a sense of personal mastery.For organizational learning to occur,top managers must allow every person in the organization to develop a sense of personal mastery.Managers must empower employees and allow them to experiment,create,and explore what they want.

Question 20

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

One way to bring distant managers together to brainstorm is to use the Delphi technique,a written approach to creative problem solving.The questionnaire is sent to the managers and departmental experts who are most knowledgeable about the problem.They are asked to generate solutions and mail the questionnaire back to the group leader.

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