Accounting
Anthropology
Archaeology
Art History
Banking
Biology & Life Science
Business
Business Communication
Business Development
Business Ethics
Business Law
Chemistry
Communication
Computer Science
Counseling
Criminal Law
Curriculum & Instruction
Design
Earth Science
Economic
Education
Engineering
Finance
History & Theory
Humanities
Human Resource
International Business
Investments & Securities
Journalism
Law
Management
Marketing
Medicine
Medicine & Health Science
Nursing
Philosophy
Physic
Psychology
Real Estate
Science
Social Science
Sociology
Special Education
Speech
Visual Arts
Business Development
Q:
Which of the following statements is true regarding an organization that uses fixed automation?
A) The organization will have to train its employees so that they can perform multiple tasks skillfully.
B) The organization generally performs nonroutine tasks.
C) The organization uses highly complex machines that can perform a wide range of tasks.
D) The organization finds it difficult to quickly respond to changing customer needs.
Q:
In a CPM analysis if you subtract the late finish from the early finish the result is the activity's slack time.
Q:
Which of the following is a typical characteristic of traditional mass production?
A) sequential task interdependence
B) low technical complexity
C) nonroutine nature of production tasks
D) rotation of workers among multiple tasks
Q:
Slack activity time is the difference between the early start and the late finish of a project activity time.
Q:
Dedicated machines ________.
A) are ideal for short production runs
B) produce a narrow range of products
C) are very expensive to operate
D) require high-skilled operators
Q:
The critical path in a CPM analysis is always the shortest path through the network.
Q:
A pharmaceutical company concentrates on producing drugs for diabetes patients. This company is pursuing a strategy of ________.
A) specialism
B) licensing
C) outsourcing
D) vertical integration
Q:
The critical path in a project is that sequence of activities that consume the longest amount of time in a project network of activities.
Q:
Which of the following strategies is most likely to be used by an organization using intensive technologies to reduce uncertainty and the costs associated with intensive technology?
A) creating slack resources
B) increasing the number of customers served
C) producing only a narrow range of outputs
D) using vertical integration
Q:
In CPM the late start time estimate is the latest time you can start an activity and still keep the entire project on schedule.
Q:
Which of the following organizational structures is most likely to be used by an organization that uses intensive technology?
A) functional structure
B) geographic structure
C) product team structure
D) market structure
Q:
CPM is an abbreviation for Critical Path Method.
Q:
As identified by Thompson, ________ technology is characterized by a work process where input, conversion, and output activities are inseparable.
A) intensive
B) continuous-process
C) mediating
D) long-linked
Q:
The critical path of activities in a project is the sequence of activities that form the shortest chain in a project network of activities.
Q:
Which of the following statements is true regarding intensive technology?
A) Intensive technology is less expensive to manage than either mediating or long-linked technology.
B) Intensive technology is based on pooled task interdependence.
C) In an organization using intensive technology, activities of all people and all departments fully depend on one another.
D) Typically, organizations using intensive technology create slack resources to reduce uncertainty.
Q:
A disadvantage of a matrix project organizational structure is that a project manager is held responsible for successful completion of the project.
Q:
Which of the following departments in an organization is most likely to use intensive technology?
A) sales
B) manufacturing
C) R&D
D) accounting
Q:
A matrix project structure may be referred to as a "skunk works".
Q:
Intensive technology is based on ________ task interdependence.
A) random
B) pooled
C) sequential
D) reciprocal
Q:
A matrix project attempts to blend properties of functional and pure project structures.
Q:
With reference to the types of technologies as identified by Thompson, hospitals are organizations that use ________ technology.
A) intensive
B) mediating
C) long-linked
D) continuous-process
Q:
One of the advantages of a functional project organizational structure is that a team member can work on several projects.
Q:
Which of the following statements is true regarding long-linked technology?
A) Employees working according to long-linked technology become highly skilled as they have to perform a wide range of tasks.
B) Long-linked technology is characterized by routine tasks.
C) Long-linked technology is based on pooled task interdependence.
D) Long-linked technology requires less direct coordination than mediating technology.
Q:
One of the disadvantages of a pure project organizational structure is that the project manager has full authority over the project.
Q:
Which of the following technologies as identified by Thompson, is based on a work process where input, conversion, and output activities must be performed in series?
A) mediating technology
B) small-batch technology
C) long-linked technology
D) intensive technology
Q:
Upper level management must decide between pure, functional and matrix structures as ways to organize projects.
Q:
A manufacturing company stockpiles inputs and holds inventories of component parts so the conversion process is not disrupted if there is a problem with suppliers. It also stockpile finished products so it can respond quickly to an increase in customer demand without changing its established conversion processes. Which of the following technologies, as identified by Thompson, is most likely being used by this company?
A) small-batch technology
B) long-linked technology
C) intensive technology
D) mediating technology
Q:
The Gantt chart is an example of a project control chart.
Q:
Long-linked technology is based on ________ task interdependence.
A) pooled
B) sequential
C) reciprocal
D) intensive
Q:
The fact that organizations are flattening is one reason that projects are more crucial and project management is important as a way to get things done.
Q:
Each of the Walmart stores operates essentially independently. The performance of one store does not affect another store, but together all stores determine the performance of the whole organization. According to this information, which of the following technologies, as identified by Thompson, is being used by Walmart?
A) mediating technology
B) sequential-process technology
C) long-linked technology
D) intensive technology
Q:
An organization using which of the following technologies, as identified by Thompson, is most likely to use vertical integration as a strategy for reducing uncertainty?
A) mediating technology
B) long-linked technology
C) sequential-process technology
D) intensive technology
Q:
Most project work is controlled by PERT or CPM and thus team leadership is less crucial than in other parts of an organization.
Q:
Which of the following strategies is most likely to be used by an organization using mediating technology for reducing uncertainty?
A) creating slack resources
B) using vertical integration
C) increasing the number of customers served
D) producing only a narrow range of outputs
Q:
A work breakdown structure is used in project management but not in the critical path method.
Q:
Which of the following technologies identified by Thompson is characterized by a work process in which input, conversion, and output activities can be performed independently of one another?
A) mediating technology
B) operations technology
C) long-linked technology
D) intensive technology
Q:
The work breakdown structure (WBS) defines a hierarchy of project tasks, subtasks and work packages.
Q:
Complex projects are often subdivided into a series of tasks that are typically configured to be not longer than several months in duration.
Q:
Mediating technology is based on ________ task interdependence.
A) pooled
B) sequential
C) reciprocal
D) intensive
Q:
An event is a subdivision of a project.
Q:
With reference to the Perrow's model, in an organization, which of the following departments is most likely to have an organic structure?
A) manufacturing
B) sales
C) accounting
D) R&D
Q:
The second step in managing a project is writing the Statement of Work (SOW).
Q:
According to Perrow an organization that performs nonroutine tasks will have a(n) ________.
A) mechanistic structure
B) flat hierarchy of authority
C) centralized decision-making authority
D) high degree of formalization
Q:
Project Management can be defined as planning, directing and controlling resources to meet the technical, cost and time constraints of the project.
Q:
According to Perrow an organization that performs routine tasks will have a ________.
A) flat hierarchy of authority
B) decentralized decision-making authority
C) mechanistic structure
D) low degree of standardization
Q:
What is the criterion for determining whether a project activity is on the "critical path" or not?
Q:
The manufacture of specialized or customized products like furniture, clothing are examples of ________.
A) routine manufacturing
B) craftswork
C) engineering production
D) nonroutine research
Q:
Describe how CPM handles the trade-offs between time and cost in the scheduling of a project?
Q:
Nonroutine research is characterized by ________.
A) high task variability and high task analyzability
B) low task variability and low task analyzability
C) low task variability and high task analyzability
D) high task variability and low task analyzability
Q:
Below are the data for a Time-Cost CPM Scheduling analysis. The time is in days and the costs include both direct and indirect costs. If you crash this project to reduce the total time by four days, what is the total time of the project and total cost?
Q:
Which of the following technologies has low task variability and low task analyzability?
A) routine manufacturing
B) craftswork
C) engineering production
D) nonroutine research
Q:
If the pessimistic duration of an activity is 24, the most likely duration is 15 and the optimistic duration is 6, what is the variance for the activity time when using CPM analysis?
Q:
Which of the following technologies has low task variability and high task analyzability?
A) routine manufacturing
B) craftswork
C) engineering production
D) nonroutine research
Q:
You have collected the data for a Time-Cost CPM Scheduling model analysis. The time is in days and the project "direct costs" are given below. The indirect costs for the project are determined on a daily duration basis. If the project lasts 16 days the total indirect costs are $400, 15 days they will be $250, 14 days they will be $200 and 13 days they will be $100. If you crash this project by one day what is the total (i.e., direct and indirect) project cost?
Q:
Which of the following technologies has high task variability and high task analyzability?
A) routine manufacturing
B) craftswork
C) engineering production
D) nonroutine research
Q:
What are "project milestones"?
Q:
According to Charles Perrow, task analyzability is the ________.
A) number of exceptions encountered while performing a task
B) degree to which the actions of one person affect another person's ability to perform his or her tasks
C) maximum number of tasks a worker is assigned
D) degree to which search activity is needed to solve a problem
Q:
What is that sequence of activities that consume the longest amount of time in a project network of activities called?
Q:
According to Charles Perrow, task ________ is the number of new or unexpected situations that a person encounters while performing a task.
A) variability
B) analyzability
C) customizability
D) adaptability
Q:
An assumption of three-activity-time CPM analysis is that the activity time estimates conform to the beta distribution. Which of the following is a valid criticism of this assumption?
A. Project activities cannot always be networked
B. Project control doesn't focus enough on the critical path
C. Obtaining three valid time estimates to put into the formula is difficult
D. Beta distributions do not occur naturally
E. None of the above
Q:
Which of the following is an assumption made in using CPM analysis?
A. Project activities flow together without distinct boundaries
B. Project activity times can be estimated accurately and do not vary
C. Project management should focus on crashing activities
D. There is never a work stoppage in any activity until it is complete
E. There are no learning curve effects in setting activity time
Q:
According to Charles Perrow, which of the following dimensions underlie the difference between routine and nonroutine or complex tasks?
A) task variability and task interdependence
B) task variability and task analyzability
C) task analyzability and technical complexity
D) task interdependence and task analyzability
Q:
According to Woodward's research, which of the following is a main factor that determines the design of organizational structure?
A) technology
B) size of the organization
C) organizational culture
D) external environment of the organization
Q:
In CPM analysis it is generally expected that the relationship between activity direct costs and project indirect costs will be which of the following?
A. Positively related
B. Optimally related
C. Negatively related
D. Not related
E. Fractionally related
Q:
The Aston Studies concluded that ________ in determining an organization's choice of structure.
A) external environment of the organization is more important than organizational size
B) organizational size is more important than technology
C) organizational culture is more important than organizational size
D) organizational technology is more important than organizational culture
Q:
You know when you have arrived at the optimal solution in using the Time-Cost CPM Scheduling model analysis when what happens?
A. You have found the critical path
B. You have run out of crash time
C. You no longer have a linear relationship with costs
D. You have reached the minimum total cost
E. You have run out of crash costs
Q:
The argument that technology determines structure is known as the ________.
A) transaction cost imperative
B) resource dependency
C) technological imperative
D) external dependency
Q:
Why might a partial productivity measure be preferred to the more comprehensive total factor measure of productivity?
Q:
Explain the role that "order qualifiers" and "order winners" play as the interface between marketing and operations?
Q:
With reference to the types of production technologies identified by Joan Woodward, a mechanistic structure is most appropriate for an organization using ________ technology.
A) mass production
B) small-batch
C) intensive
D) continuous-process
Q:
Describe a specific example of the trade-offs between any two of the seven operational competitive dimensions?
Q:
According to Joan Woodward's research, organization using which of the following technologies is most likely to have the tallest hierarchy of authority?
A) small-batch technology
B) mass production technology
C) continuous-process technology
D) sequential-process technology
Q:
The skills that differentiate a manufacturing or service firm from its rivals are called what?
Q:
According to Woodward's research, an organization using which of the following technologies is most likely to have the flattest organizational structure?
A) small-batch technology
B) sequential-process technology
C) large-batch technology
D) continuous-process technology
Q:
With reference to the types of production technologies identified by Joan Woodward, which of the following technologies has the highest level of technical complexity?
A) small-batch technology
B) sequential-process technology
C) mass production technology
D) continuous-process technology
Q:
A diagram showing how a company's strategy is delivered through a set of tailored activities is called what?
Q:
With reference to the types of production technologies identified by Joan Woodward, which of the following technologies is most likely to be used by an oil refinery?
A) small-batch technology
B) continuous-process technology
C) mass production technology
D) intensive technology
Q:
What is a criterion or product characteristic that differentiates a product from the products of competitors in a way meaningful to the market called?
Q:
With reference to the types of production technologies identified by Joan Woodward, which of the following technologies, when operated at full capacity, has the lowest production costs?
A) sequential-process
B) small-batch
C) continuous-process
D) mass production
Q:
Strategy typically breaks down into what three major components?