Test Bank for Fundamentals of Management (Q and A 61-88)

61) All of the following are examples of informational roles according to Mintzberg EXCEPT ________. A) entrepreneur B) monitor C) disseminator D) spokesperson Answer: A Explanation: The role of an entrepreneur in an organization is typically to identify and procure new business opportunities. In Mintzberg's scheme, an entrepreneur takes on a decisional role in deciding where to look for opportunities and which ones to invest in. The other three choices here–monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson–are informational in nature. A monitor keeps track of information. Both a disseminator and spokesperson distribute information. 62) Which of the following is NOT an example of a decisional role according to Mintzberg? A) spokesperson B) entrepreneur C) disturbance handler D) resource allocator Answer: A Explanation: Mintzberg sees entrepreneur, disturbance handler, and resource allocator as decisional roles. The entrepreneur must decide which opportunity to select. A disturbance handler must stand in judgment of individuals in a conflict. A resource allocator must decide how to divide resources. Mintzberg sees a spokesperson having a primary function of communicating what has already been decided. 63) One managerial function that is identical in both Fayol's and Mintzberg's systems is ________. A) leader B) resource allocator C) monitor D) negotiator Answer: A Explanation: There is a great deal of overlap in the schemes of Fayol and Mintzberg, but only one category is identical in each system–that of leadership. The resource allocator role of Mintzberg corresponds to the organizing category of Fayol. Mintzberg's monitor category is taken by Fayol's controlling category. Finally, Mintzberg's negotiator role falls under Fayol's leading category. 64) The managerial role that changes the most between middle and top managers is ________. A) planning B) organizing C) controlling D) leading Answer: A Explanation: According to Exhibit 1-6, as managers move up in the organization, they do more planning and less direct overseeing of others. 65) Non-profit organizations are different from for-profit organizations primarily ________. A) in the way make decisions B) in the way they measure success C) in the way they motivate employees D) in how they hire employees Answer: B Explanation: The big difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations is the way they "keep score" or measure success. For-profit organizations usually look at the "bottom line"–how much profit they make–as a way to measure success. Non-profits look at more varied metrics: a school may look at how well students test; a soup kitchen may look at how many people they help, and so on. The way organizations make decisions, motivate employees, and hire employees is virtually the same for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. 66) The role of ________ is more important for managers of small organizations than for managers working in large corporations. A) disseminator B) spokesperson C) entrepreneur D) resource allocator Answer: B Explanation: A manager of a small organization must wear more than one hat at a time. In a small organization, a manager must frequently take on a role of spokesperson, the embodiment of the organization to the outside world. Less important for the small organization manager is the role of official disseminator of information, as that function is usually carried out in a more personal, informal manner in a small firm than in a large firm. Small firm managers must take on entrepreneurial duties but not to the extent that their spokesperson role takes. Finally, though resource allocator is a major part of a manager's job for a large firm, it plays almost no part in the priorities of a manager of a small firm. A) Planning is not likely to be an orchestrated ritual. B) Relationships are more likely to be informal. C) Workers are likely to be observed by computerized monitoring systems. D) The design of the organization is likely to be less structured and complex. Answer: C Explanation: A small firm is typically more flexible, less formal, less structured, and less complex than a large firm. Planning in a small firm is likely to be a freewheeling affair rather than follow a rigid protocol. One thing you would not see in a small firm would be computerized monitoring systems. Instead, you would expect monitoring to be done on a more personal basis, with plenty of opportunity for employees to rectify any mistakes they make. 68) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a small business? A) has more formal managers than a large business B) has about 200 employees C) is not a "player" with impact within its industry D) has a relatively small market share of its product Answer: A Explanation: A small business as defined has 500 or fewer employees, a small impact on its industry, and a fairly small market share of its product. However, the structure and formality that characterize a manager's job in a large organization tend to give way to informality in small firms. 69) Why might a manager for a non-profit organization seem as concerned with his or her organization's financial well-being as a for-profit manager? A) Non-profit managers are evaluated on financial performance only. B) Non-profit managers try to give the illusion that they care about the "bottom line." C) Not-for-profit organizations need to make money to continue operating. D) Non-profit organizations have an obligation to turn a profit. Answer: C Explanation: Not-for-profit organizations still need money if they are to operate and though performance is never evaluated solely on finances, budgetary health is often critically important in helping the organization achieve its goals. Being concerned about the "bottom line" is never an illusion to these organizations. 70) Which of the following is NOT considered an interpersonal skill for a manager as suggested by Katz? A) communicating B) mentoring C) delegating D) decisiveness Answer: D Explanation: Working well with other people both individually and in groups by communicating, motivating, mentoring, and delegating. Decisiveness is classified as another important managerial competency. 71) Compared to the manager of a large organization, a small business manager is more likely to be a(n) ________. A) specialist B) figurehead C) generalist D) information monitor Answer: C Explanation: The nature of a small business requires its managers to be generalists and take on multiple roles that would be assumed by separate individuals in larger firms. For example, the manager of a bike shop might need to function as a long-range planner, salesperson, spokesperson, and task supervisor all at the same time. This requirement of versatility would rule out being a specialist. Though a small firm manager may function exclusively as a figurehead and information monitor from time to time, a more accurate description of his or her job would be as a generalist. 72) Unlike the manager of a small business, the most important concerns of a manager in a large organization are focused ________. A) externally, particularly on entrepreneurial tasks B) internally, particularly on the allocation of resources C) on setting goals D) on planning ways to improve organizational structure Answer: B Explanation: Resource allocation is typically the most important concern for a manager in a large organization. For example, goals and structural issues in a large car company are likely to be well worked out, causing the manager to focus on apportioning the organization's ample resources wisely with respect to commitments of time, funds, manpower, and creative energy. Creation of new business opportunities are much less likely to be needed in a large firm than in a small one as the large firm may have entire departments devoted to that task. 73) Which of the following statements regarding management and national culture is the most correct? A) The basic principles of management are universal. B) Research shows that managerial practices across all countries are not consistent. C) There are major differences in the way that most English speaking countries view management. D) The route of the differences between how countries practice management is based on their economic principles solely. Answer: B Explanation: If managerial concepts were completely generic, they would also apply universally in any country in the world, regardless of economic, social, political, or cultural differences. Studies that have compared managerial practices between countries have not generally supported the universality of management concepts. 74) Which of the following would political skills be most likely to help a manager accomplish? A) increasing communication B) mentoring C) defining goals D) building a power base Answer: D Explanation: Political skills help managers in building a power base and establishing the right connections so they can get needed resources for their groups. 75) Almost all managerial tasks involve ________. A) decision making B) technical skills C) long-term planning D) superb political skills Answer: A Explanation: Some managerial tasks, such as motivating store employees, require little or no technical skill or long-term planning. Employee motivation employs a modicum of political skill–e.g., to enlist people to your cause–but a high-level political skill is generally not required. What can't be avoided at all levels of management is the necessity of making decisions. The manager trying to motivate employees, for example, must decide on the appropriate "carrots and sticks" to get his or her people to perform successfully. 76) According to Katz, the four critical managerial skills can be classified as ________. A) technical, political, conceptual, and empirical B) interpersonal, political, empirical, and technical C) technical, interpersonal, political, and controlling D) technical, political, interpersonal, and conceptual Answer: D Explanation: Empirical skills are not a part of Katz's scheme. Controlling is a Fayol category for managerial function, not a Katz skill category. 77) Understanding building codes would be considered a(n) ________ skill for a building contractor. A) interpersonal B) technical C) conceptual D) political Answer: B Explanation: Building codes have little to do with understanding and relating to people, so interpersonal skills and political skills can be ruled out for this question. Interpreting a building code would require a contractor to analyze a complex situation, so it would entail a measure of conceptual skill. However, the difficulty of dealing with a building code is largely a technical matter of understanding and interpreting the terms and various highly specialized conventions of the code itself. 78) Under which category would you classify skill in motivating subordinates? A) interpersonal skills B) conceptual skills C) technical skills D) political skills Answer: A Explanation: Conceptual and technical skills are too abstract and impersonal to qualify as a classification for motivational skill. Motivating people can feature a considerable amount of political skill. However, motivation is less about manipulating a power base within an organization than it is in simply relating well to other people, so interpersonal skills is the best choice for this question. 79) Designing a series of interview questions to provide information about possible customers for a company would primarily require ________. A) technical skills B) interpersonal skills C) conceptual skills D) political skills Answer: C Explanation: Designing interview questions would certainly require some degree of both interpersonal and political skills. However, the main challenge of the problem is to think through the complex situation of who would make a likely customer for a product. Therefore, conceptual skills would be of the highest priority for this task. The task would require little, if any, technical skills as writing the questions could be easily accomplished with a simple wordprocessing program or pencil and paper. 80) Technical skills might include ________. A) excellent verbal skills B) proficiency in computer programming C) exceptional writing ability D) decision-making ability Answer: B Explanation: Technical skills typically involve the mastery of some kind of specialized technology or technique that is helpful for a job. Verbal skills and writing ability are too general to qualify as "technical." Decision-making ability does not involve a special technology or technique. Computer programming, though more common today than it was in previous decades, best qualifies as a technical skill. 81) Which level of management would be more concerned with designing the overall structure of an organization? A) Middle management B) Supervisory management C) Top management D) First line management Answer: C Explanation: Top managers are concerned with designing the overall organization's structure, whereas middle and ower-level managers focus on designing the jobs of individuals and work groups. 82) Which set of skills would you expect the President of the United States to be least in need of? A) interpersonal B) political C) conceptual D) technical Answer: D Explanation: A president undoubtedly needs all four skills, but not in equal quantities. Political skills are obviously required for a politician to get elected and mobilize alliances once elected. Interpersonal skills would be critical to persuading people to support one's point of view. Conceptual skills would be required for analyzing difficult situations and navigating through dangerous political waters. If any skill would be less needed, it would be technical, as technical matters for a president would likely be covered by subordinates. Joe, the Manager (Scenario) As a production supervisor, Joe determines the number of output units his department will produce each week. On Monday, he informs his team that the schedule is going to be difficult this week due to the increased number of output units. He goes on to tell them that he is confident that they can fulfill the schedule because they are tough, talented, and "when the going gets tough, they are the ones who get going." Each day during the week, Joe checks the amount of output that the employees have completed and the number of units that have been rejected. 83) When Joe checks the amount of output units that the team has completed and the number of units that have been rejected, he is performing which management process? A) controlling B) leading C) planning D) organizing Answer: A Explanation: Controlling involves monitoring ongoing tasks and evaluating them to see if they are proceeding as planned. Since Joe is both monitoring and evaluating, the function he is performing is controlling. Leading, planning, and organizing do not have an explicit monitoring component, so controlling is the only function that fits here. 84) When Joe tells the employees that he is sure they can fulfill the schedule because they are the ones "who get going when the going gets tough," he is performing which management process? A) controlling B) leading C) planning D) organizing Answer: B Explanation: Leading involves motivating employees and getting them to the point where they take "ownership" of their task and are internally driven to do a good job. Since Joe is appealing to these impulses, he is demonstrating leadership. Leading is the only function that specifically involves motivating workers, so it is the only choice that fits for this question. Motivation is not a critical component of controlling, planning, or organizing. The Busy Day (Scenario) Don Sakaguchi, manager at Control Systems, Inc., sighs as he sips his coffee at 5 A.M. and reads his agenda for the day. Don's first duty is to preside over a retirement party for a beloved employee and say a few words on her behalf. Next, he will give a tour to a news reporter who is writing a story on the new plant expansion. Don then has a meeting with the unit manager, Phil Johnson, to discuss Phil's recent performance drop (a task Don always hates). Finally, in the late afternoon, Don will be reviewing the recent equipment malfunction and deciding whether to deploy extra people to get the equipment running as soon as possible. What a day! 85) What role will Don be performing when he gives the plant tour to the newspaper reporter? A) monitor B) entrepreneur C) spokesperson D) resource allocator Answer: C Explanation: Giving a tour to a newspaper reporter is an informational role. Don will be showcasing the features of the new plant expansion. This role of speaking for the company fits that of a spokesperson. Giving a tour is not a way of procuring new business opportunities, so it is not an entrepreneurial role. Don is not checking on ongoing tasks, so he is not functioning as a monitor. Finally, Don is speaking rather than making decisions, so he is not functioning in the role of resource allocator. 86) When Don attends the retirement party, he will be operating in which of the management roles? A) leader B) liaison C) monitor D) figurehead Answer: D Explanation: Don's appearance at the party is largely a ceremonial role–he is representing the organization during an important event–so he is performing the role of a figurehead. Don is not specifically providing motivation for employees, so he is not functioning as a leader. He is not linking to the outside world, so his role does not fit that of a liaison. Finally, he is not evaluating or keeping track of tasks, so he is not functioning in the role of a monitor. 87) When Don meets with Phil to discuss Phil's output decline, in which management role will Don be operating? A) leader B) figurehead C) disseminator D) spokesperson Answer: A Explanation: A person who resolves conflicts and "fixes" tricky situations that involve people is being a leader. Don's ability to point out Phil's failings while at the same time exhorting Phil to do better in the future is evidence of Don's leadership talent. Since both disseminator and spokesperson focus on informational rather than motivational issues, neither matches Don's role in this task. Being a figurehead is an interpersonal role, but it does not involve ironing out interpersonal problems, so it is not the correct choice here. 88) What kind of a manager is Don likely to be? A) first-line manager B) CEO of a major corporation C) low-level middle manager D) plant manager Answer: D Explanation: Don's appearance at the party and role as host to the reporter suggest that he is clearly above the level of first-line manager and low-level middle manager. Don is too involved with everyday activities (Phil's problem and equipment malfunction) to be a top CEO. All of this evidence suggests that Don is a fairly high-level middle manager–a plant manager.