Q&A Hero

Q: When inputs are turned into goods and services, value is created.

Q: Nick supervises a team of data entry specialists. Lately, productivity has been down, and Nick believes his subordinates are not working as efficiently as possible. Which of the following tools would provide Nick with daily information about each employee's rate, accuracy, and time spent entering data? A) digital dashboard device B) electronic performance monitoring system C) Web-based management oversight device D) electronic performance support system

Q: Operations management includes service industries but not manufacturing firms.

Q: Which of the following enables supervisors to oversee the amount of computerized data an employee is processing each day? A) computerized performance appraisal system B) online management assessment center C) digitized high-performance work center D) electronic performance monitoring system

Q: All of the following are benefits of using computerized or Web-based performance appraisal systems EXCEPT ________. A) merging examples with performance ratings B) helping managers maintain computerized notes C) combining different performance appraisal tools D) enabling managers to monitor employees' computers

Q: Employees are considered an input in transformation process.

Q: Which of the following terms refers to setting specific measurable goals with each employee and then periodically reviewing the progress made? A) behaviorally anchored rating scale B) management by objective C) mixed standard scales D) forced distribution

Q: Operations management is a subsystem of the transformation process.

Q: The goal of operations management is to manage the process of turning labor and raw materials into goods and services of some type.

Q: What is the primary goal of using mixed standard scales? A) improving validity B) reducing rating errors C) clarifying performance standards D) illustrating feedback for subordinates

Q: Wilson Consulting is a management consulting firm with 70 employees. As associate vice president of marketing, Suzanne Boyle is responsible for conducting performance appraisals of the 12 employees under her direct supervision. Suzanne plans to use the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) to evaluate the performance of her subordinates. Which of the following, if true, supports the argument that BARS is the most appropriate performance appraisal tool for Suzanne to use? A) Suzanne wants to provide her subordinates with specific examples of their good and poor job performance during the appraisal interview. B) Suzanne encourages her subordinates to review and make comments about their appraisal during a formal appeals process. C) Wilson Consulting recently installed an electronic performance monitoring system to help supervisors conduct appraisals. D) Suzanne provides her subordinates with upward feedback as a way to illustrate the ratings she assigns to each employee.

Q: Managers in the United States today see this as the path to establishing and maintaining global leadership. A) reducing costs B) increasing production C) operations management D) scientific management

Q: Stacey is using a behaviorally anchored rating scale as a performance appraisal tool. She has already asked employees and supervisors to describe critical incidents of effective and ineffective job performance. What should Stacey most likely do next? A) create a final appraisal instrument B) develop performance dimensions C) reallocate the incidents D) rate the incidents

Q: In the 1970s, many U.S. manufacturers fell behind because they ignored production issues and focused on ________. A) quality and efficiency B) marketing and finance C) efficiency and customers D) finance and quality

Q: The first step in developing a behaviorally anchored rating scale is to ________. A) develop performance dimensions B) generate critical incidents C) compare subordinates D) scale incidents

Q: After World War II, U.S. managers made the mistake of thinking that ________. A) production problems were solved B) marketing problems were solved C) finance problems were solved D) marketing problems were not solved

Q: Which of the following best describes a behaviorally anchored rating scale? A) chart of paired subordinates ranked in order of performance B) combination of narrative critical incidents and quantified performance scales C) diary of positive and negative examples of a subordinate's work performance D) list of subordinates from highest to lowest based on specific performance traits

Q: Where did the modern era of manufacturing primarily begin? A) the coal industry B) Detroit automobile factories C) southern cotton plantations D) northeastern textile mills

Q: Since Deming first proposed his 14 points for improving productivity, his prescriptions have ________. A) been largely discredited B) fallen into disuse C) been confirmed repeatedly D) been confirmed for U.S. workers only

Q: Which appraisal method combines the benefits of narrative critical incidents and quantified scales by assigning scale points with specific examples of good or poor performance? A) behaviorally anchored rating scale B) constant sums rating scale C) alternation ranking D) forced distribution

Q: Wilson Consulting is a management consulting firm with 70 employees. As associate vice president of marketing, Suzanne Boyle is responsible for conducting performance appraisals of the 12 employees under her direct supervision. Suzanne plans to use the critical incident method to evaluate the performance of her subordinates. Which of the following, if true, most likely undermines the argument that the critical incident method is the most appropriate performance appraisal tool for Suzanne to use? A) Employee performance standards are closely aligned with Wilson Consulting's long-term strategic plans. B) Suzanne will be conducting performance appraisals in conjunction with the HR manager to ensure EEO compliance. C) Wilson Consulting will be allowing employees to rate themselves as part of its organizational development strategy. D) Due to economic difficulties, the firm will be laying off the two lowest performing employees in Suzanne's department.

Q: Deming felt that any new skills that employees needed should be acquired ________. A) when they are hired and trained B) by the employees on their own C) when the need arises D) years ahead of time

Q: Deming felt that doing quality work was this. A) a job requirement B) a goal C) a standard to strive toward D) optional for most jobs

Q: Which of the following is NOT useful since it does not produce relative ratings for pay raise purpose critical incident method for performance appraisal? A) providing examples of excellent work performance B) comparing and ranking employees within a group C) reflecting performance throughout the appraisal period D) compiling examples of ineffective work performance

Q: Which performance appraisal tools require a supervisor to maintain a log of positive and negative examples of a subordinate's work-related behavior? A) alternation ranking B) paired comparison C) critical incident D) graphic rating

Q: Deming felt that ________ with statistics. A) employees should be capable of dealing B) employees should not be asked to deal C) managers only should deal D) employees only should deal

Q: Of all the emotions that affect a workplace, Deming felt that ________ was most important for increasing productivity. A) making workers fear failure B) eliminating fear C) making employees happy D) eliminating anger

Q: Which of the following is one of the primary complaints regarding the use of the forced distribution method for performance appraisals? A) difficult to implement B) harm to employee morale C) high costs of administration D) time consuming to administer

Q: Deming was a strong believer in keeping accurate statistics and advocated ________ goals. A) strictly nonnumerical B) strictly numerical C) both numerical and nonnumerical D) both numerical and statistical

Q: Which of the following measurement methods is similar to grading on a curve? A) forced distribution B) graphic rating scale C) constant sums rating D) behaviorally anchored rating scale

Q: With respect to product quality, Deming believed that a company should never ________. A) pay more attention to quality than to price B) be satisfied with its current level of quality C) try to fix a product if it "ain't broke" D) put quality ahead of profits

Q: John, the supervisor of the manufacturing department at a computer firm, is in the process of evaluating his staff's performance. He has determined that 15% of the group will be identified as high performers, 20% as above average performers, 30% as average performers, 20% as below average performers, and 15% as poor performers. Which performance appraisal tool has John chosen to use? A) behaviorally anchored rating scale B) forced distribution C) alternation ranking D) paired comparison

Q: With respect to planning, Deming believed that ________ was most important for productivity. A) short-term planning B) long-term planning C) medium-term planning D) flexible planning

Q: Which performance appraisal tool is being used when a supervisor places predetermined percentages of appraisees into various performance categories? A) behaviorally anchored rating scale B) graphic ranking scale C) alternation ranking D) forced distribution

Q: W. Edwards Deming thought that ________ the key to productivity. A) workers were B) controlling costs was C) managers were D) both managers and workers were

Q: Kendra needs to rate five of her subordinates. She makes a chart of all possible pairs of employees for each trait being evaluated. Then, she indicates the better employee of each pair with a positive symbol on the chart. Finally, she totals the number of positive symbols for each employee. Which method of performance appraisal has Kendra most likely used? A) graphic ranking scale B) alternation ranking C) paired comparison D) forced distribution

Q: Which of the following is NOT a way to increase productivity? A) increase inputs B) decrease costs C) increase outputs D) increase efficiency

Q: The most popular method for ranking employees is the ________ method. A) graphic ranking scale B) alternation ranking C) paired comparison D) forced distribution

Q: McDonald's recently made productivity gains by cutting the ________. A) wages of workers B) weight of an order of French fries C) time workers were trained D) time it takes to make French fries

Q: Which performance appraisal tool requires supervisors to categorize employees from best to worst on various traits? A) graphic rating scale B) critical incident method C) alternation ranking method D) electronic performance monitoring

Q: Most countries in today's global business climate see ________ as the key to success. A) maintaining productivity B) increasing productivity C) higher wages D) shorter working hours

Q: All of the following are usually measured by a graphic rating scale EXCEPT ________. A) generic dimensions of performance B) performance of co-workers C) achievement of objectives D) job-related competencies

Q: In the ever more difficult struggle to survive in a competitive world, Evans Findings Company has a work shift with ________. A) extra employees to increase productivity B) no employees to allow workers to rest C) no employees to punish unproductive workers D) no employees to increase productivity

Q: Wilson Consulting is a management consulting firm with seventy employees. As associate vice president of marketing, Suzanne Boyle is responsible for conducting performance appraisals of the twelve employees under her direct supervision. Suzanne plans to use a graphic rating scale to evaluate the performance of her subordinates. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that a graphic rating scale is the most appropriate performance appraisal tool for Suzanne to use? A) The firm wants Suzanne to evaluate her subordinates on an ongoing basis and to keep a log of critical incidents. B) Suzanne wants to ensure that the firm is protected from employee discrimination lawsuits, so she has conducted a job analysis of each position. C) Suzanne wants a quantitative rating of each employee based on competencies important to the firm, such as problem-solving skills. D) Employees in Suzanne's department participated in developing their own performance standards when they were first hired by the firm.

Q: You would expect an undeveloped country like ________ to have a predominately ________ economy. A) Laos; nonservice B) Laos; service C) Great Britian; manufacturing D) Belgium; nonservice

Q: Which performance appraisal technique lists traits and a range of performance values for each trait? A) behaviorally anchored rating scale B) graphic rating scale C) forced distribution D) critical incident

Q: A laptop computer company is a ________ organization because its product is ________. A) service; electronic B) manufacturing; electronic C) service; a computer D) manufacturing; a computer

Q: Which of the following is the easiest and most popular technique for appraising employee performance? A) alternation ranking B) graphic rating scale C) forced distribution D) constant sum rating scale

Q: You would expect a highly developed country like ________ to have a predominantly ________ economy. A) France; manufacturing B) France; service C) Vietnam; service D) the United Kingdom; manufacturing

Q: A bus company is a ________ organization because its product is ________. A) service; buses B) manufacturing; transportation C) service; transportation D) manufacturing; buses

Q: When designing an actual appraisal method, the two basic considerations are ________. A) when to measure and what to measure B) what to measure and who should measure C) what to measure and how to measure D) when to measure and how to measure

Q: It is estimated that in the United States, about ________ of all economic output is toward making tangible, physical objects. A) 10 percent B) 20 percent C) 40 percent D) 80 percent

Q: What is the first step of any performance appraisal? A) giving feedback B) setting work standards C) making plans to provide training D) assessing the employee's performance

Q: Which of the following is most likely NOT a role played by the HR department in the performance appraisal process? A) conducting appraisals of employees B) monitoring the appraisal system's effectiveness C) providing performance appraisal training to supervisors D) ensuring the appraisal system's compliance with EEO laws

Q: Which of the following is NOT an example of a service organization? A) a military force B) a university C) a lens maker D) a hospital

Q: Manufacturing organizations ________. A) produce physical outputs B) produce nonphysical outputs C) require nonphysical inputs D) require physical inputs

Q: In most organizations, who is primarily responsible for appraising an employee's performance? A) employee's direct supervisor B) company appraiser C) human resources manager D) employee's subordinates

Q: All of the following are reasons for appraising an employee's performance EXCEPT ________. A) correcting any work-related deficiencies B) creating an organizational strategy map C) determining appropriate salary and bonuses D) making decisions about promotions

Q: Service organizations ________. A) produce physical and nonphysical outputs B) produce physical outputs C) require nonphysical inputs D) produce nonphysical outputs

Q: It is easier to see the transformation process at work in manufacturing organizations than in service organizations because manufacturing organizations ________. A) produce goods and services B) turn inputs into outputs C) turn inputs into physical and nonphysical products D) produce physical goods

Q: SMART goals are best described as ________. A) specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely B) straightforward, meaningful, accessible, real, and tested C) strategic, moderate, achievable, relevant, and timely D) supportive, meaningful, attainable, real, and timely

Q: In a transformation process, people are considered to be inputs because they ________. A) are material beings B) are costly C) perform tasks that are needed to create outputs D) have knowledge and information

Q: Which of the following is NOT one of the recommended guidelines for setting effective employee goals? A) creating specific goals B) assigning measurable goals C) administering consequences for failure to meet goals D) encouraging employees to participate in setting goals

Q: The primary purpose of providing employees with feedback during a performance appraisal is to motivate employees to ________. A) apply for managerial positions B) remove any performance deficiencies C) revise their performance standards D) enroll in work-related training programs

Q: As a product, piano lessons are ________. A) a good because you can purchase them B) a service because they are nonmaterial C) a good because they can be divided into discrete lessons D) a service because someone needs to give them

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the process of evaluating an employee's current and/or past performance relative to his or her performance standards? A) employee selection B) performance appraisal C) employee orientation D) organizational development

Q: All organizations produce goods or services through the ________ process. A) transformation B) service C) manufacturing D) operations

Q: What is meant by the idea of organizational change? How does organizational development facilitate organizational change?

Q: Inputs in the transformation process include ________. A) physical, material substances only B) both material and nonmaterial items C) nonmaterial items only D) equipment and materials only

Q: In a brief essay, discuss the theory behind Kurt Lewin's model of change. According to Lewin, what is the process that should be followed to implement organizational change?

Q: Value is created during the process of ________. A) inputs being converted into outputs B) inputs being stored C) outputs being measured D) operations being controlled

Q: Both action learning and management games require trainees to work in groups. In a brief essay, explain the similarities and differences between the two management development techniques.

Q: The transformation process transforms ________. A) goods and services into products B) inputs into services only C) materials into goods only D) inputs into goods and services

Q: The purpose of operations management is to manage ________. A) inputs B) outputs C) the transformation process D) the manufacturing process

Q: What is programmed learning? What methods make it easier for trainees to transfer the skills they gain through programmed learning from the training site to the work site?

Q: What is audiovisual-based training? Under what circumstances is audiovisual-based training especially effective?

Q: ________ management oversees the transformation process that converts resources such as labor and raw materials into finished goods and services. A) Control B) Operations C) Systems D) Planning

Q: What is on-the-job training? What types of on-the-job training methods are most frequently used by employers?

Q: In a short essay, discuss technology's role in manufacturing.

Q: In a short essay, identify and explain the final two steps in developing a PERT network.