Q&A Hero

Q: A) Corporate espionage B) Business intelligence C) Data mining D) Data aggregation Answer: A

Q: A work slowdown is an alternative to striking where large numbers of workers perform at a much slower pace than normal.

Q: Which one of the following statements is true of competitive intelligence as a means of environmental scanning? A) The Competitive Espionage Act makes it a crime in the United States to engage in competitive intelligence. B) It is unethical to use competitive intelligence to make strategic business decisions. C) Competitive intelligence is ethical if competitor-related information is collected from sources accessible and available to the public. D) Buying competitors' products and asking their own employees to evaluate them to learn about new technical innovations is an example of the unethical practices followed in competitive intelligence.

Q: Wage reopener clauses are required by law.

Q: ________ refers to gathering information about competitors that allows managers to anticipate competitors' actions rather than merely react to them. A) Due diligence B) Competitor intelligence C) Data aggregation D) Value analysis

Q: Although millions of American workers still belong to unions, union membership as a percentage of the total workforce has steadily declined.

Q: A solution to a long-term contract based solely on COLA is called a wage reopener clause that does not allow wage rates to be renegotiated.

Q: A manager's analysis of the external environment can be improved by ________, which involves screening information to detect emerging trends. A) environmental scanning B) environmental activism C) critical path analysis D) social screening

Q: Labor relations refers to dealing with employees who are not represented by a union.

Q: Which one of the following statements is true of planning in dynamic environments? A) Organizations should follow a pyramidal structure when operating in uncertain environments. B) Organizations must discontinue formal planning in such a scenario. C) To be useful in a dynamic environment, plans need to be specific and unchanging. D) Flatter organizational hierarchies are necessary for planning in uncertain environments.

Q: Which alternative to striking encourages workers to work at a pace that results in significantly lower productivity for the organization? A) Work slowdown B) Lock out C) Sickout D) Picket E) Boycott

Q: How can managers effectively plan when the external environment is continually changing? A) They should discontinue formal planning. B) They should set general, but rigid plans. C) They should be ready to change directions if environmental conditions warrant. D) They should continue to follow the set organizational plans as persistence will eventually pay.

Q: What tactic could a unionized employee take to show why they are striking against an employer? A) Picketing B) Boycotting C) Work slowdowns D) Mediation E) Lockouts

Q: In a short essay, discuss the three planning contingency factors that influence the choice of plans and illustrate how these factors influence planning.

Q: In a union contract, future wage increases are often tied to the Consumer Price Index and provide for A) economic strikes. B) contract renegotiations. C) wage reopener clauses. D) pay tied to productivity. E) cost of living adjustments.

Q: In a short essay, list and discuss six characteristics of well-designed goals.

Q: What occurs when a neutral third party dictates a settlement between two sides that have agreed to submit to outside judgment? A) Mediation B) Arbitration C) Strikebreaker D) Impasse E) Picketing

Q: In a short essay, define management by objectives (MBO) and list four elements of this type of goal setting.

Q: If negotiations fail, what can a company choose to use to prevent union employees from coming to work? A) Wildcat strike B) Lockout C) Strikebreaker D) Economic strike E) Bailout

Q: When organizational members are more actively involved in planning, the probability that the plan will be used increases.

Q: Which of the following occurs when union members agree NOT to buy the products of a targeted employer? A) Lockout B) Boycott C) Mediation D) Arbitration E) Slowdown

Q: The commitment concept says that plans should extend far enough to meet those commitments made when the plans were developed.

Q: What is the process by which union leaders and managers negotiate common terms and conditions of employment for the workers represented by unions? A) Striking B) Picketing C) Informational gathering D) Collective bargaining E) Compensation planning

Q: The first step in goal setting is to evaluate available resources.

Q: What is the process of working with employees who are represented by a union? A) Labor relations B) Human resource management C) Negotiation D) Arbitration E) Contingency recruitment

Q: In the management by objectives (MBO) process of goal setting, goals are ambiguous, giving managers and employees more flexibility to respond to changing conditions.

Q: Who are temporary or permanent replacements for striking workers? A) Strikebreakers B) Union busters C) Union breakers D) Contingent workers E) Labor relation teams

Q: In traditional goal setting, goals set by top managers flow down through the organization and become subgoals for each organizational area.

Q: Which term refers to a labor action in which employees temporarily walk off the job and refuse to work? A) Strike B) Lockout C) Boycott D) Mediation E) Bargaining

Q: When lower-level managers and employees are involved in the planning process, ________. A) the documents they create are rarely reviewed B) the plans take on a life of their own C) their job satisfaction increases but productivity suffers D) they see the plans as more than just something written down on paper

Q: What is the name given to a group of individuals working together to achieve shared job-related goals such as higher pay, shorter working hours, greater benefits, or better working conditions? A) Management organization B) Company hierarchy C) Labor union D) External organization E) Permanent employees

Q: When is the traditional top-down approach to planning most likely to be effective? A) when lower level employees develop plans B) when the plans focus on developing a large number of plans and carefully documenting them C) when the management avoids the use of a formal planning department D) when plans are developed that can actually be used by organizational members

Q: Which one of the following is true of the traditional approach to planning? A) Plans are developed by organizational members at the various levels. B) This approach makes managerial planning thorough, systematic, and coordinated. C) Plans created through this method are seldom written down. D) Formal planning departments are rarely used in this approach.

Q: When does the collective bargaining process begin? A) When the contract is ratified by the members B) When the bargaining zone is identified C) When the union is recognized as the official bargaining agent for members D) When union and management representatives agree to contract terms E) When the employer establishes a maximum limit

Q: ________ planning dominates managers' planning efforts at lower levels of the organization. A) Strategic B) Organization-wide C) Operational D) Directional

Q: How can diversity create competitive advantage?

Q: Top executives are mainly involved in ________ planning. A) functional B) operational C) strategic D) departmental

Q: Explain the meaning of workforce diversity.

Q: The increased demand for knowledge workers will require firms to use extra measures, such as higher salaries and signing bonuses, to attract qualified employees.

Q: The commitment concept says that plans should ________. A) extend far enough to meet those commitments made when the plans were developed B) be done for as long a time period as possible C) be done for as short a time period as possible D) not commit to specifically meeting the goals made when the plans were developed

Q: The range of workers' attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors that differ based on age, gender, or ethnicity all represent workforce diversity.

Q: When uncertainty is high, plans should be ________ and ________. A) specific; flexible B) directional; standing C) short-term; directional D) general; informal

Q: In addition to increased flexibility, why do organizations use contingent workers? A) There is less need for training. B) Contingent workers can replace knowledge workers. C) Contingent workers often represent a higher quality labor force. D) Contingent workers cost less. E) The organization simply cannot find full time workers.

Q: Which one of the following is the last step in goal setting? A) review the organization's mission or purpose B) determine the goals individually or with input from others C) write down the goals and communicate them to all who need to know D) review results and whether goals are being met

Q: What is the advantage for a firm who works to hire from a diverse workforce? A) Limited social awareness among employees B) Increased ability to institute cafeteria-style benefits C) A higher quality labor force D) More flexibility in schedules E) Increased employee retention

Q: An organization is in the process of goal setting. It has finished reviewing the organization's mission. What should it do next? A) determine the goals individually or with input from others B) write down the goals and communicate them to all who need to know C) evaluate available resources D) review results and whether goals are being met

Q: What are independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary employees, contract employees, and leased employees all examples of? A) Union workers B) Contingent workers C) Migratory workers D) Ancillary workers E) International workers

Q: Well-written goals are ________. A) written in terms of actions rather than outcomes B) just out of reach C) easily achieved D) clear as to a time frame

Q: Which term refers to employees hired to supplement a firm's permanent workforce? A) Union workers B) Contingent workers C) Knowledge workers D) Flextime workers E) Remote workers

Q: A ________ is a broad statement of an organization's purpose that provides an overall guide to what organizational members think is important. A) mission B) vision C) project D) preamble

Q: Workers such as computer scientists, engineers, and software developers who typically require extensive and highly specialized training, are known as what? A) Technical workers B) Knowledge workers C) Contingent workers D) Labor relation workers E) Union workers

Q: Which is the first step managers should follow in goal setting? A) evaluating available resources B) determining goals individually or with input from others C) writing down goals and communicating them to all who need to know D) reviewing the organization's mission

Q: What is the name given to an employee who is hired on something other than a permanent or full-time basis? A) Knowledge expert B) Contingent worker C) Technical employee D) Supervisory manager E) Managing director

Q: Which one of the following reflects the way goals are used in an MBO program? A) Goals are used to prepare financial budgets for each unit. B) Goals are used to broadly set the direction subject to encourage interpretation by individual managers. C) Apart from being used to ensure that employees are doing what they are supposed to be doing, goals are used as a motivating tool for employees. D) Goals are used to compare organizational performance year over year.

Q: How do organizations develop workers' skills?

Q: Bill has been working his plan for about three months. He is now discussing his progress with Jim, his supervisor. If Bill and Jim are using the MBO planning process, this discussion is called ________. A) performance feedback B) redirection of goals C) advise and adjust D) the milestone checkpoint

Q: Bonnie is discussing with her subordinate, Julie, the types of projects Julie would like to work on in the coming year. They are setting goals and determining what success would look like. Bonnie and Julie are engaged in ________. A) performance planning B) strategic planning C) management by observation D) management by objectives

Q: The best method of evaluating the success of training is to ask how the employees liked the training and which aspects they feel will be most relevant to their job.

Q: Performance appraisals are designed to show workers how well they are doing their jobs.

Q: Which one of the following is the last step in MBO? A) Progress toward objectives is periodically reviewed, and feedback is provided. B) The organization's overall objectives and strategies are formulated. C) Successful achievement of objectives is reinforced by performance-based rewards. D) Action plans are implemented.

Q: What type of rating system incorporates feedback from customers, subordinates and peers, among others? A) Ranking B) Recency C) 360-degree feedback D) Judgmental E) Rating

Q: Which one of the following is the first step in MBO? A) The organization's overall objectives and strategies are formulated. B) Unit managers collaboratively set specific objectives for their units with their managers. C) Action plans are specified and agreed upon by managers and employees. D) Major objectives are allocated among divisional and departmental units.

Q: What is the advantage of using a rating method rather than a ranking method during the performance review process? A) Each employee is compared to all other employees in the group. B) Each employee is compared to a fixed standard. C) The recency error is eliminated. D) Managers do not need to utilize a 360-degree review. E) Providing employees with meaningful feedback is easier.

Q: ________ is a process of setting mutually-agreed upon goals and using those goals to evaluate employee performance. A) Management by objectives B) Management by walking around C) Management by observation D) Management by exception

Q: When conducting a performance appraisal that uses output as a basis for appraisal, what type of method is being used? A) Objective B) Judgmental C) Ranking D) Comparison E) Rating

Q: A ________ is an integrated network of goals in which the accomplishment of goals at one level makes possible the achievement of the goals at the next level. A) reverse pyramid B) means-ends chain C) bottom-up ladder D) process sequence

Q: Which of the following represents a formal process used to aid in decision making about training, raises, and promotions? A) Judgments B) Evaluation of training C) Vestibule training D) On-the-job training E) Performance appraisals

Q: Which one of the following statements is true of traditional goal setting? A) Traditional goal setting assumes that employees know best and employs a bottom-up approach of setting organizational goals. B) Evaluation of performance is carried out concurrently with the flow of goals through the organization. C) Goals defined narrowly by top managers need to be made more directional as they flow down through the organization. D) Managers at each level define goals and apply their own interpretations and biases as they make them more specific.

Q: How can an organization determine if training has been successful? A) Have employees fill out a survey on how well they liked the training. B) Track how much time employees spent at the training program. C) Monitor the waiting list for the training program. D) Test job performance both before and after training has been complete. E) Measure job performance after training has been completed.

Q: A problem associated with traditional goal setting is that ________. A) the narrowly defined goals inhibit a manager's ability to interpret them B) the high degree of reliance on employees for developing goals is not suited to many situations C) clarity is lost as the goals make their way down from the top of the organization to lower levels D) it promotes the growth of a flatter organizational structure and threatens organizational efficiency

Q: Which of the following will help a manager learn the skills needed to be more successful both now and at some point in the future? A) Training B) Development C) Cafeteria-style plans D) Pay-for-knowledge plans E) Vestibule training

Q: Which one of the following is a problem associated with traditional goal setting? A) Top level managers tend to define the organization's goals in very narrow terms. B) Transition of strategic goals into departmental, team, and individual goals is difficult. C) It can result in the formation of a means-ends chain. D) Goals set are invariably easily accomplished.

Q: A restaurant is undergoing a change in cuisine and style of service. It is important that new staff is hired and existing staff retrained. Why might the HR manager recommend vestibule training as being highly effective in this situation? A) Prospective and present employees can be screened to see if they convey the restaurant's new ethos. B) Off-site training has great value for evaluating the effectiveness of performance appraisals. C) Employees will be reluctant to undertake training removed from the workplace. D) The owners can be more confident that the change to the restaurant will be popular with customers. E) Employees will see limited connections to everyday work in this type of training.

Q: Which one of the following is an assumption associated with traditional goal setting? A) Employees will be more motivated to try to attain goals that they helped set. B) Clarity and specificity are preserved as the goals filter down through organizational levels. C) Top managers know what is best because they see the "big picture." D) Managers and employees together develop goals.

Q: Which of the following indicates that the assessment of one employee is affecting the ability to be objective when rating another employee? A) Halo error B) Recency error C) 360 degree feedback D) Judgmental methods E) Fixed standards

Q: In ________, goals set by top managers flow down through the organization and become subgoals for each organizational area. A) management by objectives B) management by observation C) traditional goal setting D) traditional planning

Q: A departmental manager is meeting with each of his subordinates to discuss how well each employee has done their job over the past year. What process is he involved in? A) Job description B) Labor negotiations C) Vestibule assessment D) Performance appraisal E) Financial remuneration

Q: In a short essay, describe the different classifications of plans.

Q: Which of the following types of training occurs while the employee is at his or her place of work? A) On-the-job training B) Vestibule training C) Off-site training D) Incentive training E) Remote training

Q: Distinguish between the stated and the real goals of an organization. Illustrate the difference with an example.