Q&A Hero

Q: The step in the decision-making process where you demonstrate your creativity is to ________. A) evaluate and follow-up B) develop alternatives C) identify the problem D) collect relevant information E) implement the decision

Q: Once the problem has been identified in the decision-making process, you will need to ________. A) diagram a decision tree B) develop alternatives C) evaluate alternatives D) collect information E) interview employees

Q: A discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs is called a(n) ________. A) problem B) opportunity C) puzzle D) possibility E) graphic illustration

Q: The first step in the decision-making process is ________. A) diagram a decision tree B) identify the problem C) evaluate alternatives D) collect information E) interview employees

Q: The following are steps in the decision-making process EXCEPT ________. A) collect relevant information B) develop objectives C) develop alternatives D) follow up and evaluate E) select the best alternative

Q: A rational and analytical way of looking at decisions is called the ________. A) judgmental process B) information super highway C) intuitive process D) subjective instinct E) decision-making process

Q: Describe some of the contemporary thinking about why employees steal.

Q: The ready availability of information technology has made ________ an escalating problem in all kinds and sizes of organizations. A) misuse of computers B) time spent surfing the web C) employee stealing D) collection of employee data E) surveillance of employees

Q: Employee theft and fraud is a costly problem for organizations, estimated to be approximately ________ per worker per year. A) $1500 B) $2500 C) $3500 D) $4500 E) $5500

Q: In recent years, sophisticated communication systems and computer software have made it impossible for a supervisor's control capability to potentially interfere with an employee's right to privacy.

Q: For supervisors to benefit from the control information provided by computer monitoring systems and yet minimize the potential behavioral and legal drawbacks experts suggest that organizations ________. A) monitor employees surreptitiously B) maintain written policies in a notebook at the supervisor's work space C) monitor all areas in a facility D) use surveillance techniques to catch employees slacking on the job E) use feedback to help supervisors with employee development

Q: Technological advances have provided supervisors a means of sophisticated employee monitoring. Most monitoring systems are designed to enhance worker productivity, although use of them may cause concern about ________. A) supervisor-employee relationships B) co-worker relationships C) worker privacy D) worker productivity E) wasted time

Q: Effective controls must be flexible enough to adjust to adverse change or to take advantage of new opportunities.

Q: The following checklist is used by a supervisor in designing a unit's control system EXCEPT ________. A) timeliness B) arbitrary criteria C) understandability D) flexibility E) economy

Q: Which of the following is a characteristic of an effective control system? A) strict criteria B) emphasis on the status quo C) understandability D) pre-established standards E) value-chain standards

Q: A process that emphasizes identifying mistakes that may have already occurred and then continues to address monitoring quality is called ________. A) quality assurance B) quality control C) CAD/CAM D) kanban E) total process management

Q: Shipped in a container, a kanban is returned to the supplier when the container is opened, initiating the shipment of a second container that arrives just as the last part in the first container is being used up.

Q: Supervisors are routinely responsible for ensuring that adequate inventories of materials and supplies are available for activities under their jurisdiction.

Q: When Japanese suppliers ship parts to manufacturers in containers with a card slipped into a side pocket, the JIT system ________ is in effect. A) continuous improvement B) material management C) raw material management D) kanban E) container management

Q: When items arrive as they are needed in the production process instead of being stored in stock is called ________. A) first-in, first out inventory B) just-in-time inventory C) precision scheduling D) material requirement planning E) on-hand inventory planning

Q: Why is it important for a supervisor to pay attention to inventories? What might result if inventories are too small or too large?

Q: Supportive supplies costs are expenditures for necessary items that become part of the finished product or service.

Q: Most of the control efforts of a supervisor are directed at one of five areas: costs, inventories, quality, safety, or employee performance.

Q: A six-step program that can guide supervisors to reduce costs in their department includes the following EXCEPT ________. A) improve methods B) invest in employee training C) minimize waste D) make across-the-board cuts E) level the work flow

Q: By monitoring expenditures a supervisor can keep costs within a total ________ plan. A) inventory B) budget C) waste reduction D) stock E) support

Q: Expenditures for materials that go directly into the creation of a product or service are called ________ costs. A) indirect labor B) direct labor C) maintenance D) raw material E) supportive supplies

Q: Expenditures for labor that are directly applied in the creation or delivery of the product or service are called ________ costs. A) raw material B) fixed C) supportive supplies D) direct labor E) indirect labor

Q: A primary concern for supervisors is to monitor which of the following costs? A) hiring B) sales C) delivery D) direct labor E) safety

Q: Supervisors control which of the following? A) safety B) insurance C) turnover D) delivery E) mission

Q: Identify and explain the types of controls supervisors can implement.

Q: If a supervisor implements a control before an activity commences, it is called correctional control.

Q: An obvious shortcoming of ________ control is that, by the time a supervisor has the information, it's often too late. A) feedback B) measuring C) concurrent D) preventive E) corrective

Q: Temperature, pressure, and similar gauges that are checked regularly during a production process, and that automatically send a signal to an operator that there is a problem, are examples of ________ controls. A) concurrent B) corrective C) preventive D) feedback E) measuring

Q: The type of control that provides feedback, after an activity is finished, in order to prevent any future deviation is ________ control. A) preventive B) corrective C) break-even analysis D) contact E) proactive

Q: When supervisors directly oversee the actions of employees, monitoring employees' work and correcting problems as they occur, ________ control is taking place. A) preventive B) concurrent C) measuring D) feedback E) basic

Q: The type of control that is enacted while work is being done so that management can correct problems before they get out of hand or become too costly is ________ control. A) preventive B) feedback C) steering D) concurrent E) measuring

Q: One example of a type of preventive control is ________. A) reviewing quarterly budget reports B) inspecting raw materials C) inspecting finished goods D) reviewing monthly sales reports E) scheduling annual performance appraisals

Q: The type of control that anticipates and prevents undesirable outcomes is ________. A) basic corrective action B) preventive control C) concurrent control D) feedback control E) corrective control

Q: A type of action that asks how and why performance deviated is called ________. A) corporate downsizing B) profit diagramming C) constructing Pareto charts D) basic corrective action E) break even analysis

Q: Which corrective action is described as "putting out fires"? A) long-term B) intermediate C) immediate D) basic E) extreme

Q: Identify and explain the four common sources of information used by supervisors to measure actual performance.

Q: Identify the three steps in the control process that a supervisor can take and explain what must precede using the three steps.

Q: Information acquired through statistical reports, that is, through conferences, meetings, one-to-one conversations, or e- and voice mail, help supervisors measure actual performance.

Q: Personal observation provides after-the-fact insight into the activity being reviewed.

Q: Planning must precede application of the control process.

Q: The final step in the control process is taking the action that will ________. A) tighten standards B) smooth average cost C) correct deviations D) correct standards E) re-engineer the work process

Q: The statistical technique used to measure variation in a system to produce an average with statistically determined upper and lower limits is ________. A) control chart B) production bottleneck C) Pareto diagram D) plot diagram E) scatter diagram

Q: The type of diagrams that illustrate the relationship between two variables such as height and weight or the hardness of a ball bearing and its diameter are ________. A) control charts B) re-engineering work process C) scatter diagrams D) empowerment diagrams E) production schedules

Q: Visual representations of the sequence of events for a particular process are called ________. A) cause-effect diagrams B) scatter diagrams C) control charts D) systems diagrams E) flow charts

Q: All the following are charts used to measure the statistical process EXCEPT ________. A) cause-effect diagrams B) pie charts C) scatter diagrams D) control charts E) flowcharts

Q: The type of measurement tools that are used to depict the causes of a certain problem and to group them according to common categories such as machinery, materials, methods, personnel, finances, or management are ________. A) scatter diagrams B) control charts C) cause-effect diagrams D) systems diagrams E) flow charts

Q: The step in the control function that determines the degree of variation between actual performance and the standard is the ________. A) measuring step B) job description C) job specification D) comparing step E) collaborative step

Q: In the control application, what supervisors measure determines to a great extent what ________. A) employees will attempt to emphasize B) leadership style is exhibited C) form of employee empowerment is undertaken D) reactive stimuli are implemented E) job specialization is undertaken

Q: In the control function, a type of measure that offers great comprehensiveness and conciseness is ________. A) written reports B) personal observations C) diary logs D) oral reports E) subjective interpretation

Q: The management function that is concerned with monitoring activities to ensure that they are being accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviations is ________. A) controlling B) setting objectives C) leading D) organizing E) planning

Q: The control process consists of three steps: measuring actual performance, comparing results to standards, and ________. A) creating new standards B) adjusting actual performance C) retraining employees D) forecasting performance E) taking corrective action

Q: To address survivor syndrome, supervisors may want to limit opportunities for employees to talk to counselors about their guilt, anger, and anxiety.

Q: Sexual harassment can be regarded as any unwanted activity of a sexual nature that affects an individual's employment.

Q: More than 10 thousand sexual harassment complaints were filed yearly from 2010-2013 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Q: Settlements in ________ cases have incurred substantial costs to companies in terms of litigation. In addition it is estimated that this issue is the single biggest financial risk facing companies today. A) unfair labor practices B) wage dispute C) non-exempt status D) mandatory overtime E) sexual harassment

Q: With more than ________ percent of employees seeking to "meet their mate" in the workplace, supervisors must work with human resource professionals to develop new policies and procedures for dealing with these risky relationships. A) 23 B) 33 C) 43 D) 53 E) 63

Q: Supervisors in larger organizations with HRM specialists are seldom involved in which of the following hiring activities? A) recruiting candidates B) reviewing application form C) interviewing applicants D) inducting new employees E) background checks

Q: Once employers have selected competent people, they need to help them adapt to the organization and ensure that their job skills and knowledge remain current. This is accomplished through ________. A) identification and fulfillment B) discrimination and deployment C) analysis and fellowship D) orientation, training and development E) reporting, justification and contribution

Q: Employment planning translates the organization and department's goals into ________ that will allow objectives to be achieved. A) checklists B) procedures C) job descriptions D) a personnel plan E) a development program

Q: A database listing name, education, training, prior employer, languages spoken, and other information for each employee in the organization is called ________. A) background check B) human resource inventory C) personnel plan D) job evaluation E) performance appraisal

Q: The demand for human resources is a result of ________. A) the demand for the organization's products or services B) the supply of qualified people C) competitive forces in the marketplace D) marketing research results E) economic forces

Q: Nearly four out of five organizations use this popular method to communicate to the public that they have job openings. A) word of mouth B) Internet C) advertisements D) referrals E) head hunters

Q: Describe the activities that a supervisor will be involved in when staffing decisions are made, regardless of the size of the organization or the presence of a human resource department.

Q: Employment planning is the process by which supervisors ensure that they have the right number and kinds of people in place to help the organization achieve its overall goals.

Q: Affirmative action requires employers to make an active effort to recruit, select, train, and promote ________. A) 33% from minorities B) temporary employees C) members of protected groups D) non-exempt employees E) professional employees

Q: Employment laws are not written to protect most employees whose religious beliefs require a specific style of dress such as robes, long shirts, long hair, and the like.

Q: The process of locating, identifying, and attracting capable applicants is called ________. A) interviewing B) selection C) recruitment D) employment E) hiring

Q: A recruiting source that is good but may not increase the diversity and mix of employees is ________. A) school placement B) advertisements C) internal searches D) temporary help E) employee referral

Q: Public employment agencies are perceived by prospective applicants as having few high-skilled jobs; therefore, employers tend to see such agencies as ________. A) screening agencies for top management positions B) suitable for mid-management positions C) tending to have lower-skilled applicants D) non-functional and therefore do not use them E) places to hire applicants at a reduced salary

Q: Advantages of using employee referrals to fill company vacancies include all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) a good referral reflects on the recommender B) knowledge about the candidate C) well-qualified candidates D) increases diversity in the organization E) candidates well-informed about the organization

Q: An excellent source of potential employees for entry-level positions in organizations is ________. A) private employment agencies B) head-hunter consulting firms C) management consultants D) temporary help services E) education institution placement services

Q: What type of recruitment source is near extinction? A) temporary services B) school placement offices C) Internet D) newspaper advertisements E) employee referrals

Q: A downsizing option that provides temporary involuntary termination and may last a few days or extend to years is called ________. A) early retirement B) firing C) transfer D) job sharing E) layoff

Q: Which one is not a supervisor's downsizing option? A) attrition B) job sharing C) firing D) layoffs E) late retirements

Q: A method for screening applicants and identifying the most appropriate candidate is ________. A) advertising B) the selection process C) recruiting D) performance appraisal E) job evaluation