True/False Questions
The four contemporary functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
True (easy)
Effectiveness refers to the relationship between inputs and outputs.
False (moderate)
Efficiency is often referred to as "doing things right."
True (moderate)
When managers meet organizational goals, they are efficient and effective.
False (difficult)
According to Mintzberg’s management roles, the informational role involves receiving, collecting, and disseminating information.
True (moderate)
Technical skills become less important as a manager moves into higher levels of management.
True (moderate)
The systems perspective underscores and emphasizes the fact that organizations are different, face different circumstances, and thus may require different ways of managing.
False (moderate)
Multiple Choice
_____________ are organizational members who integrate and coordinate the work of others.
a. Managers (easy)
b. Team leaders
c. Subordinates
d. Operatives
e. Agents
Typically, in organizations it is the _____________ who are responsible for making organizational decisions and setting policies and strategies that affect all aspects of the organization.
a. team leaders
b. middle managers
c. first-line managers
d. top managers (easy)
e. subordinates
_____________ distinguishes a managerial position from a nonmanagerial one.
a. Manipulating others
b. Concern for the law
c. Increasing efficiency
d. Coordinating and integrating others' work (moderate)
e. Defining market share
Which of the following is NOT an example of a decisional role according to Mintzberg?
a.spokesperson (moderate)
b.entrepreneur
c.disturbance handler
d.resource allocator
e.negotiator
Which of the following skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing directly with employees doing the organization’s work?
a.human skills
b.technical skills (easy)
c.conceptual skills
d.empirical skills
Understanding building codes would be considered a _____________ skill for a building contractor.
a. human
b. technical (easy)
c. conceptual
d. empirical
e. functional
Which of the following phrases is best associated with managerial conceptual skills?
a. decision-making (easy)
b. communicating with customers
c. motivating subordinates
d. product knowledge
e. technical skills
According to the text, _____________ are not influenced by and do not interact with their environment.
a.open systems
b.closed systems (easy)
c.flextime systems
d.reverse systems
e.forward systems
The _____________ view of a manager's job implies that decisions and actions taken in one organizational area will impact other areas.
a. systems (moderate)
b. contingency
c. conceptual
d. functional
e. environmental
Which of the following best describes the concept that management is needed in all types and sizes of organizations, at all organizational levels and in all organizational work areas, and in all organizations, no matter what country they’re located in?
a.the partiality of management
b.the segmentation of management
c.the universality of management (moderate)
d.the cultures of management
Scenarios and Questions
The Busy Day (Scenario)
Don Eskew, plant manager at Control Systems, Inc., sighed as he sipped his first cup of coffee at 5 a.m. and read his agenda for the day. He is giving two company tours in the morning; the first to a newspaper reporter who is writing a story on the new plant expansion and has several questions, and the second to a group of Control Systems, Inc., managers from the east coast. He then has a meeting with unit manager, Phil Johnson, to discuss Phil's recent drop in performance (a task he always hates). Next, he is spending a couple of hours reviewing the trade journals he receives from his high-tech association and writing up a brief synopsis for his presentation next week to the Division President. Finally, in late afternoon, he will be reviewing the new equipment malfunction and deciding whether to bring in extra people to get the equipment running as soon as possible. Whew! Just another day in the glamorous life of a manager.
Together, all of these behaviors performed by Don during his busy day correspond to the management roles discovered in the late 1960s by which of the following management scientists?
a. Herzberg
b. Skinner
c. Mintzberg (easy)
d. Fayol
e. Maslow
When Don was meeting with Phil to discuss his performance concerns, he was operating in which management role?
a. leader (difficult)
b. figurehead
c. monitor
d. disturbance handler
e. spokesperson
114. What role was Don performing when he gave the plant tour to the newspaper reporter?
a. monitor
b. figurehead
c. disseminator
d. spokesperson (difficult)
e. resource allocator
115. When Don was reviewing the new equipment malfunction, what management role was he playing when deciding whether to bring in extra people?
a. monitor
b. disseminator
c. resource allocator (moderate)
d. disturbance handler
e. figurehead
Essay Questions
In a short essay, discuss the difference between efficiency and effectiveness and include a specific example to support each concept.
Answer
a.Efficiency refers to getting the most output from the least amount of inputs. Because managers deal with scarce inputs—including resources such as people, money, and equipment—they are concerned with the efficient use of resources. For instance, at the Beiersdorf Inc. factory in Cincinnati, where employees make body braces and supports, canes, walkers, crutches, and other medical assistance products, efficient manufacturing techniques were implemented by doing things such as cutting inventory levels, decreasing the amount of time to manufacture products, and lowering product reject rates. From this perspective, efficiency is often referred to as “doing things right”—that is, not wasting resources.
b.Effectiveness is often described as “doing the right things”—that is, those work activities that will help the organization reach its goals. For instance, at the Biersdorf factory, goals included open communication between managers and employees, and cutting costs. Through various work programs, these goals were pursued and achieved. Whereas efficiency is concerned with the means of getting things done, effectiveness is concerned with the ends, or attainment of organizational goals.
(moderate)
In a short essay, list and explain the four basic functions of management.
Answer
a.Planning – involves the process of defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities.
b.Organizing – involves the process of determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.
c.Leading – when managers motivate subordinates, influence individuals or teams as they work, select the most effective communication channel, or deal in any way with employee behavior issues, they are leading.
d.Controlling – to ensure that work is going as it should, managers must monitor and evaluate performance. The process of monitoring, comparing, and correcting is what is meant by the controlling function.
(moderate)
In a short essay, list and discuss the three essential skills according to Katz that managers need to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager.
Answer
a.Technical skills – include knowledge of an proficiency in a certain specialized field, such as engineering, computers, accounting, or manufacturing. These skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing directly with employees doing the organization’s work.
b.Human skills – involve the ability to work well with other people both individually and in a group. Managers with good human skills are able to get the best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. These skills are equally important at all levels of management.
c.Conceptual skills – these are the skill that managers must have to think and to conceptualize about abstract and complex situations. Using these skills, managers must be able to see the organization as a whole, understand the relationships among various subunits, and visualize how the organization fits into its broader environment. These skills are most important at the top management levels.
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