ASHWORTH C15 ONLINE EXAM 5

Question 1 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Examining environmental factors in the planning process helps the firm __________ .

A. gain buy-in from those who will implement the plan

B. coordinate the efforts of everyone

C. provide a sense of direction

D. deal with environmental uncertainty

Question 2 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Opportunistic planning __________ .

A. is a system designed to identify objectives and to structure the major tasks of the organization to accomplish them

B. is derailed by unexpected events

C. involves programmatic actions triggered by unforeseen circumstances

D. seldom has discretionary resources

Question 3 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A firm's strategic plan to create and manage a mix of businesses owned by the firm is a __________ .

A. BCG Matrix

B. diversification strategy

C. business-unit strategy

D. functional-unit strategy

Question 4 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following is true of opportunistic and formal planning?

A. Firms that use only opportunistic planning will have no clear sense of direction.

B. Formal planning should allow for creative responses within the organized framework.

C. Jack Welch, formerly of GE, was a strong proponent of formal planning over opportunistic planning.

D. Firms should carefully choose either formal or opportunistic planning after thoughtful consideration.

Question 5 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Planning that identifies different views of the future and spells out what to do in each session is referred to as __________ .

A. escalation of commitment.

B. contingency planning.

C. a control system.

D. formal planning.

Question 6 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

The SWOT analysis is used in which step of the strategic management process?

A. formulating strategy

B. implementing strategy

C. evaluating strategy

D. analyzing the internal and external environments

Question 7 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A well-designed plan leads to __________ .

A. success

B. identifying the resources needed for the future

C. competitive advantage

D. identification of core competencies

Question 8 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

When the Justice Department sued Microsoft for a high-tech monopoly, which component of the external environment was being addressed?

A. demographic trends

B. political/legal forces

C. economic trends

D. socio-cultural conditions

Question 9 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

In keeping planning a continuous process that is attuned to changes in both the internal and external environment, firms should consider all of the following except __________ .

A. the use of two-way feedback between managers and employees in the performance appraisal process

B. scheduled retreats of key managers and employees

C. carefully analyzing circumstances and avoiding "seat of the pants" crisis management

D. the creation of standing cross-functional committees

Question 10 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

McDonald's was able to make progress in the French market by adapting its menu and the look of its restaurants after carefully analyzing which component of the external environment?

A. demographic trends

B. political/legal forces

C. economic trends

D. socio-cultural trends

Question 11 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Effective planning improves a company's control systems by __________ .

A. making assumptions explicit

B. making it possible to compare target versus actual results and take corrective action on gaps to modify future activities

C. developing "what if" scenarios

D. ensuring adequate resources are available

Question 12 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Successful planning includes which of the following?

A. centralizing the planning process

B. viewing planning as a commitment to sunk costs

C. using both numerical and judgmental methods

D. overanalyzing every detail to ensure effective implementation

Question 13 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

When workers participate in the planning process, they tend to __________ .

A. "buy in" and work harder

B. confuse the issues

C. bring little to the table

D. provide too much detail

Question 14 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following is not true of the SWOT analysis?

A. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

B. Strengths and weaknesses are found in the internal analysis of the firm.

C. The SWOT analysis tells the firm what strategies to pursue.

D. The objective is to analyze factors from both inside and outside the organization that may influence success.

Question 15 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

When the Acme Company anticipates what may happen in the future by planning four different views of the future and then spells out what to do in each of these future views, they are using __________ .

A. escalation of commitment

B. contingency planning

C. a control system

D. opportunistic planning

Question 16 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A centralized planning process __________ .

A. should be replaced with a decentralized process in large corporations to ensure buy-in

B. can help managers understand how actions in one area have consequences for other units

C. focuses attention on different time horizons

D. ensures adequate assessment of external forces

Question 17 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Observing environmental changes on a continuous basis to determine whether a clear trend is emerging is __________ .

A. assessing

B. scanning

C. monitoring

D. forecasting

Question 18 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

The performance targets set during the planning cycle are __________ .

A. goals

B. procedures

C. budgets

D. objectives

Question 19 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

The final step of the strategic management process is __________ .

A. formulation of the strategy

B. implementation of the strategy

C. analysis of the strategic outcomes

D. formulation of the firm's strategic intent and mission

Question 20 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

What are the three types of actions normally planned after objectives have been established?

A. strategic, divisional, and departmental

B. strategic, tactical, and operational

C. operational, departmental, and executive

D. departmental, strategic, and mid-level

Part 2 of 2 - Lesson 5 Questions 45.0/ 50.0 Points

Question 21 of 40

0.0/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following is true of workforce diversity?

A. The US workforce is becoming less diverse.

B. In large urban centers, the workforce is often 50% to 75% nonwhite.

C. The workforce includes a smaller proportion of disabled employees.

D. The workforce is becoming younger on average.

Question 22 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Managers who assist others in achieving bottom-line results, but don't contribute directly to the outcomes, might include which of the following?

A. accounting managers

B. legal department managers

C. human resource managers

D. all of the above

Question 23 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

__________ companies can coordinate activities in a consistent way across diverse departments of an organization.

A. Decentralized

B. Centralized

C. Formal

D. Divisional

Question 24 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Organizational communication patterns operate __________ .

A. downward

B. upward

C. horizontally

D. all of the above

Question 25 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Affirmative action __________ .

A. aims to accomplish the goal of fair employment by urging employers to make a conscious effort to hire members from protected classes

B. aims to ensure that employment decisions are not made based on demographic characteristics such as race, sex, or age

C. does not hurt people who are not members of a protected class

D. has yet to be addressed in Supreme Court decisions

Question 26 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

The law considered to be the most important addressing discrimination is __________ .

A. the Occupational and Safety Act

B. the Fair Labor Standards Act

C. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

D. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act

Question 27 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Production managers and sales managers who contribute directly to the bottom line of a manufacturing firm are considered __________ .

A. staff managers

B. staff authority

C. line managers

D. all of the above

Question 28 of 40

0.0/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following is not one of the basic organization designs?

A. mechanistic

B. matrix

C. boundaryless

D. organic

Question 29 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A large span of control works best when __________ .

A. there are routine tasks

B. there are highly trained subordinates

C. there are similar jobs with comparable performance measures

D. all of the above

Question 30 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Small spans of control __________ .

A. are usually associated with flatter organizational structures

B. may yield tall vertical structures that have too many levels of management separating front-line employees from top executives

C. mean more responsibility is pushed to lower levels

D. are generally seen in well-managed companies such as General Electric and NuCor

Question 31 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

An advantage to companies using social networking tools for recruiting is __________ .

A. they are faster and cheaper than traditional recruiting methods

B. everyone is already on a social networking site

C. they ensure that applicants have IT skills

D. they allow companies to perform due diligence on applicants

Question 32 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following is not considered a protected class under discrimination legislation?

A. women workers

B. Asian American workers

C. Native American workers

D. young workers

Question 33 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which organization design has a high degree of formalization with centralized decision making and rigid hierarchical relationships?

A. mechanistic

B. matrix

C. boundaryless

D. organic

Question 34 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which of the following statements is true about the strategic factors impacting the choice of organization design?

A. As organization size increases, work specialization decreases.

B. Large organizations need more coordinating mechanisms than small ones.

C. Centralized structures are used in turbulent environments.

D. Organizations that use digital technology tend to be structured on a centralized basis.

Question 35 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

The linking of activities so that diverse departments or divisions work in harmony and learn from each other is referred to as __________ .

A. chain of command

B. unity of command

C. coordination

D. centralization

Question 36 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A fast food company with operations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe might use which approach to departmentalization to allow the menus of each country to focus on regional customer preferences and tastes?

A. functional approach

B. geographic-based divisions

C. customer-based divisions

D. matrix

Question 37 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A(n. __________ manager coordinates work on scientific, aerospace, or construction projects.

A. integrating

B. project

C. product

D. brand

Question 38 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Organizing is reflected in __________ .

A. the organization's division of labor that forms jobs and departments

B. formal lines of authority

C. the mechanisms used for coordinating diverse jobs and roles in the organization

D. all of the above

Question 39 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

A management role used to facilitate communications between two or more departments is referred to as a __________ .

A. liaison role

B. staff manager role

C. line manager role

D. brand manager role

Question 40 of 40

2.5/ 2.5 Points

Which dimension of organizational structure indicates who has the authority to make decisions and who is expected to supervise which subordinates?

A. unity of command

B. responsibility

C. horizontal dimension

D. vertical dimension