Q&A Hero

Q: According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management narrows when ________. A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are similar B) subordinates are carrying out simple functions C) the manager spends little time on planning activities D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully E) subordinates are physically located close to one another

Q: According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management narrows when ________. A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are similar B) subordinates are carrying out simple functions C) the manager needs to spend a lot of time on planning activities D) subordinates' activities need little synchronization E) subordinates are physically located close to one another

Q: Dorothy Woods, CEO of Arcadia Corp., is planning to widen the spans of management in the organization in order to have a flatter organization. Which of the following, if true, would support Dorothy's strategy? A) Arcadia Corp. is a market leader in developing, manufacturing and selling customized innovative, cutting edge communication technology to corporations. B) Arcadia Corp. is engaged in manufacturing bottle caps for a leading cola brand. C) Arcadia Corp. relies heavily on virtual teams spread across its offices in several countries. D) Arcadia Corp. will save a significant amount of money on managers' salaries if it reduces the number of managerial levels. E) Arcadia Corp. has a reputation for pioneering innovative managerial practices in the industry.

Q: According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management widens when ________. A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are dissimilar B) subordinates are carrying out simple functions C) the manager needs to spend a lot of time on planning activities D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully E) subordinates are widely physically separated

Q: According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management widens when ________. A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are dissimilar B) subordinates are carrying out complex functions C) the manager needs to spend a lot of time on planning activities D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully E) subordinates are physically located close to one another

Q: According to the contingency viewpoint to designing span of management, the appropriate span of management widens when ________. A) the activities performed by supervised individuals are similar B) subordinates are carrying out complex functions C) the manager needs to spend a lot of time on planning activities D) subordinates' activities need to be synchronized carefully E) subordinates are widely physically separated

Q: Explain the critical path of the program evaluation and review technique (PERT).

Q: Define the program evaluation and review technique (PERT).

Q: What is a Gantt chart, explain its features.

Q: Briefly discuss the quantitative methods of sales forecasting.

Q: Explain the Delphi method and outline the steps that are employed by this method.

Q: Explain the qualitative methods of sales forecasting.

Q: Explain the concept of input planning.

Q: Compile a list of a few situations where plans can fail.

Q: What is a standing plan and a single-use plan? Briefly discuss the various types of standing and single-use plans.

Q: What is a plan? Describe the four major dimensions of plans?

Q: Which of the following is the fourth primary step in designing a PERT network? A) determining the time needed for the completion of each activity or event B) designing a PERT network reflecting all the information needed C) identifying the sequence of events and activities requiring the longest period of time to complete D) listing the sequence in which the activities/events have to be performed E) listing all the activities or events that must be accomplished for the project

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding the critical path of a PERT network? A) It refers to the sequence of events and activities requiring the shortest period of time to complete. B) A delay in completing the sequences in the critical path causes no delay in completing the project. C) It plays a negligible role in controlling the completion time of the project. D) It provides an insight into how the unrealistic features of a schedule can be modified. E) It is essentially a bar graph mainly used for scheduling resources.

Q: In a PERT network, the sequence of events and activities requiring the longest period of time to complete is known as the ________. A) critical chain B) critical plan C) critical chart D) critical path E) critical incident

Q: In a PERT network, a(n) ________ is the completion of major project tasks. A) exercise B) deed C) event D) activity E) route

Q: In a PERT network, a(n) ________ is a specified set of behavior within a project. A) route B) activity C) event D) incident E) occurrence

Q: The two primary elements of a PERT network are ________. A) activities and events B) activities and routes C) activities and occurrences D) occurrences and events E) routes and events

Q: The major weakness of the Gantt chart is that it does not ________. A) help in identifying the resources that are contributing to or hindering the productivity B) contain any information about the interrelationship of tasks to be performed C) establish realistic worker output standards D) help coordinate organizational resources E) list all the tasks to be performed

Q: Which scheduling tool is typically used to schedule management system inputs such as human resources and machinery? A) planning sheets B) Gantt charts C) PERT diagrams D) work flow diagrams E) SWOT analysis

Q: A bar graph with time on the horizontal axis and the resource to be scheduled on the vertical axis is a ________. A) managerial grid B) PERT network C) materials production source graph D) Gantt chart E) SWOT analysis

Q: Which of the following is true regarding Gantt charts? A) time is plotted on the vertical axis B) does not provide an overview of the use of organizational resources C) is essentially a bar graph D) does not establish realistic worker output standards E) resource to be scheduled is plotted on the horizontal axis

Q: The two popular scheduling techniques are ________. A) Gantt charts and the Delphi method B) Gantt charts and the jury of executive opinion method C) Gantt charts and the program evaluation and review technique D) the Delphi method and the program evaluation and review technique E) the jury of executive opinion method and the program evaluation and review technique

Q: Which of the following activities is carried out during scheduling? A) Future environmental happenings that will influence the operation of the organization are predicted. B) Goods are produced based on forecasts and are stocked in a warehouse. C) Raw materials, subcomponents, and accessories are procured based on forecasts. D) Appropriate managers assemble and discuss their opinions on what will happen to sales in the future. E) Activities that must be accomplished to attain organizational objectives are listed and resources are allocated.

Q: ________ is the process of formulating a detailed listing of activities that must be accomplished to attain an objective, allocating the resources necessary to attain the objective, and setting up and following timetables for completing the objective. A) Influencing B) Leading C) Controlling D) Scheduling E) Forecasting

Q: Impetus Solutions developed a technology which enjoyed a successful run in the market for three years. In the last six months however, sales have started decreasing as several other competitors have entered the market and are selling the same product at a cheaper price. This has had an impact on the sales of Impetus. Which stage of the product life cycle is Impetus's product in? A) introduction B) growth C) maturity D) saturation E) obsolescence

Q: What can managers do to prevent products from entering the decline stage? A) They can improve the product quality. B) They can reduce the product features. C) They can increase the advertising product. D) They can reduce the sales promotion. E) They can increase the price of the product.

Q: Which of the following is a characteristic of the decline stage of the product life cycle? A) competitors enter the market B) sales are typically due to the need to replace a worn-out product C) the product is replaced by a competing product D) sales are just beginning to build E) product sales continue to climb

Q: In the product life cycle, which of the following stages typically follows the maturity stage? A) saturation B) decline C) obsolescence D) growth E) resurrection

Q: Sales during the ________ stage is typically due to the need to replace a worn-out product. A) decline B) maturity C) saturation D) growth E) introduction

Q: Which of the following is true regarding the maturity stage of the product life cycle? A) product sales continue to climb B) competitors enter the market C) sales are typically due to population growth D) the product is replaced by a competing product E) sales are just beginning to build

Q: In which of the following stages do product sales continue to climb because of the fact that the product has been in the marketplace for some time and has become more accepted by the people? A) decline stage B) introduction stage C) growth stage D) maturity stage E) saturation stage

Q: In the ________ stage, the sales of a product are just beginning to build. A) decline B) introduction C) growth D) maturity E) saturation

Q: Which of the following sales forecasting methods provides the forecaster with a trend-line that best explains the historical relationship between sales and time? A) the regression method B) the product stages method C) the jury of executive opinion D) the Delphi method E) the moving average method

Q: The ________ method predicts future sales by analyzing the historical relationship between sales and time. A) moving average B) regression C) salesforce estimation D) Delphi E) product stages

Q: In which of the following methods of sales forecasting, do the forecasters compute average sales levels for x historical time periods and are also in a position to choose the number of time periods that best fit their situations? A) the moving average method B) the regression method C) the product stages method D) the salesforce estimation method E) the Delphi method

Q: The ________ method utilizes historical data to predict future sales levels. A) jury of executive opinion B) moving average C) regression D) product stages E) salesforce estimation

Q: Which of the following is a characteristic of the Delphi method? A) It is a more formal method than the jury of executive opinion method. B) It gives accurate data because the data is collected by the sales people who continually interact with customers. C) It utilizes historical data to predict future sales levels. D) It predicts future sales by analyzing the historical relationship between sales and time. E) It predicts future sales by using the product life cycle.

Q: A relatively formal sales forecasting method that gathers, evaluates, and summarizes expert opinions as the basis for a forecast is the ________. A) nominal group technique B) salesforce estimation method C) time series analysis method D) Delphi method E) trend analysis method

Q: Which of the following is a characteristic of the jury of executive opinion method of sales forecasting? A) The resulting forecast is a blend of informed opinions. B) It is a more formal method than the Delphi method. C) It gives accurate data because the data is collected by the sales people who continually interact with customers. D) It utilizes historical data to predict future sales levels. E) It predicts future sales by analyzing the historical relationship between sales and time.

Q: In which of the following sales forecasting methods do managers within the organization assemble to discuss their opinions on what will happen to sales in the future? A) trend analysis B) nominal group technique C) the Delphi method D) jury of executive opinion method E) the product stages method

Q: The regression method is a ________ method of sales forecasting. A) hall test B) surveys C) quantitative D) qualitative E) focus group

Q: Which of the following is a quantitative method of sales forecasting? A) consumer surveys B) product stages C) jury of executive opinion D) the Delphi method E) salesforce estimation

Q: The salesforce estimation method is a ________ method of sales forecasting. A) quantitative B) focus group C) hall test D) survey E) qualitative

Q: Which of the following is a qualitative method of sales forecasting? A) moving average method B) regression method C) product stage method D) jury of executive opinion method E) correlation method

Q: The two broad types of sales forecasting methods are ________. A) hall tests and Internet surveys B) hall tests and omnibus surveys C) qualitative and quantitative D) qualitative and focus groups E) focus groups and quantitative

Q: Which of the following is considered the key organizational forecast? A) utility forecasting B) sales forecasting C) social trends forecasting D) technological forecasting E) economic forecasting

Q: ________ is the process of predicting future environmental happenings that will influence the operation of the organization. A) Forecasting B) Scheduling C) Routing D) Controlling E) Designing

Q: The two most important planning tools are ________. A) forecasting and scheduling B) forecasting and routing C) designing and scheduling D) routing and designing E) procuring and simulating

Q: In the human resource planning process, after determining the human resource requirements, managers should ________. A) contract, expand, or adjust the human resource programs B) assess organizational objectives and plans C) prepare a human resource inventory D) determine net human resource requirements E) develop human resource programs

Q: Which of the following is the first step in the human resource planning process? A) developing human resource programs B) assessing organizational objectives and plans C) determining human resource requirements D) preparing a human resource inventory E) determining net human resource requirements

Q: Before zeroing in on the new site, the management of a company decided to check whether there were good schools which the children of their employees' could attend. The company was trying to check out the ________ of the new site. A) living condition B) degree of unionization C) community relations D) labor condition E) transportation facility

Q: When selecting a site for their new plant, company management is interested in gaining information about the competitive situation that exists at the site. Which area of consideration is management looking into when selecting the new site? A) operating costs B) investment cost C) profit D) community relations E) transportation

Q: BBM Inc. is a consumer electronics giant based in the U.S. Unlike most of its competitors, the company recently chose to set up its manufacturing unit in Finland instead of China. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this decision? A) China offers a large talent pool of highly skilled, but low cost labor. B) The Finnish government encourages domestic businesses and provides them with ample financial support. C) Research suggests that consumers have a negative perception of goods that are manufactured in China. D) BBM was recently fined by the government for dumping its products in developing countries. E) Suppliers in China have lower bargaining power than those in Finland.

Q: Planning for plant facilities and human resources are instances of ________. A) process planning B) input planning C) community planning D) environmental planning E) system planning

Q: ________ is the process of development of proposed action that will furnish sufficient and appropriate organizational resources for reaching established organizational objectives. A) Input planning B) Regenerative planning C) Forecast planning D) Batch planning E) Community planning

Q: Which of the following is NOT a reason for failure of plans? A) Responsibility for planning is wrongly vested solely in the planning department. B) Management expects that plans developed will be realized with little effort. C) Financial projections are confused with planning. D) Adequate inputs are used in the planning. E) Management fails to grasp the overall planning process.

Q: Which of the following will lead to the failure of a plan? A) Corporate planning is integrated into the total management system. B) In starting formal planning, too much is attempted at once. C) There is clarity of understanding of the different steps of the planning process. D) Responsibility of the planning process is shared by all departments. E) Management knows that the plans developed will require huge efforts in order to be successful.

Q: Which of the following is a planning device as well as a strategy for organizational control? A) policy B) procedure C) program D) budget E) rule

Q: A ________ is a single-use financial plan that covers a specified length of time. A) budget B) policy C) procedure D) rule E) program

Q: A ________ is a single-use plan designed to carry out a special project within the organization. A) procedure B) rule C) program D) budget E) policy

Q: Programs and budgets are ________. A) standing plans B) policies C) single-use plans D) procedures E) rules

Q: A supervisor informs his subordinates that those who work late or on overtime must ensure that all equipment, lights, and air conditioners are switched off when they leave the work place. The supervisor is informing his subordinates of the ________. A) processes B) rules C) programs D) budgets E) policies

Q: A company announces in a memo that smoking will not be allowed on the premises. This statement is an example of a ________. A) rule B) program C) budget D) policy E) program

Q: A standing plan that designates specific required action, indicates what organizational members should or should not do, and allows no room for interpretation is known as a ________. A) budget B) rule C) procedure D) policy E) program

Q: A company informs the employees of its production unit to immediately remove any nonconforming material from the normal process flow when detected, and notify either the President, Quality Manager, or Sales Manager. This is the ________ followed by the company. A) policy B) procedure C) rule D) program E) budget

Q: At Stangor Industries, all employees who wish to apply for a leave of absence, must fill up an application form available on the company's online leave tracking system. Employees are requested to submit the application at least 5 days before going on leave. This is an example of a ________. A) procedure B) rule C) program D) budget E) policy

Q: A ________ is a standing plan that outlines a series of related actions that must be taken to accomplish a particular task. A) policy B) form C) procedure D) rule E) program

Q: Axiom Industries believes in promoting from within. If qualified applicants are available internally, a job posting will be issued by the HR department providing the necessary details about all vacancies. This is an example of a ________. A) form B) policy C) process D) rule E) program

Q: Juno Corp. is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is an example of a ________. A) policy B) procedure C) rule D) program E) form

Q: A ________ is a standing plan that furnishes broad guidelines for taking action consistent with reaching organizational objectives. A) budget B) policy C) procedure D) rule E) schedule

Q: Which of the following plans focuses on organizational situations that occur repeatedly? A) programmed plan B) budgetary plan C) standing plan D) single-use plan E) intermediate plan

Q: Standing plans and single-use plans are examples of which dimension of planning? A) time B) level C) scope D) repetitiveness E) environment

Q: The portion of the total management system at which a plan is aimed is called the ________ of the plan. A) repetitiveness B) level C) time dimension D) scope E) longevity

Q: Some plans are designed to cover the entire open management system: the organizational environment, inputs, process, and outputs. Such a plan is often referred to as a ________. A) rule B) master plan C) level plan D) policy E) procedure

Q: Strategic planning and tactical planning are directly related to which dimension of planning? A) time B) level C) scope D) repetitiveness E) flexibility