Questions for Management Students (MBA Quiz - 64)

1. With respect to a SWOT analysis of the competitive environment in which a company operates, which of the following could be a ‘potential resource weakness for a company?’
[A]Narrow product line relative to rivals
[B]Loss of sales to substitute products
[C]Entry of new competitors
[D]Technological changes that undermine demand for a product


2. Which of the following can be said to be an appropriate technique for line personnel in reducing linestaff conflict?
[A]Work independent of staff personnel
[B]Make proper use of the staff abilities
[C]Obtain any necessary skills they do not already possess
[D]Treat staff personnel as sub-ordinates instead of partners so that there is no overlap of roles


3. Which of the following is not a factor that effects ethical/unethical behavior?
[A]Individual characteristics
[B]Stage of moral development
[C]Ethical hotline
[D]Organizational culture


4. Which of the following steps in the ‘Nominal Group Procedure’ precedes the others?
[A]Individuals vote by rank ordering the alternatives
[B]Poll voted results in references
[C]Discussion, clarification and evaluation
[D]Ideas listed for review


5. Delegation includes the three stages of briefing, monitoring progress, and evaluation and feedback. Which of the following is included in the briefing stage?
[A]Discuss the areas of the task that are sensitive to error or risk
[B]Allow the person to proceed with the task without interference
[C]Stand back from the process and retain a view of the bigger picture
[D]Encourage frequent informal discussions


6. The function of planning in organizations is
[A]Not as important today because of the increased speed of communication
[B]Carried out only by top management
[C]Not as important today because of the increased volume of information available to managers
[D]Very closely linked to controlling, because it sets the goals or standards against which performance is measured


7. Which of the following is true about a highly decentralized organization?
[A]Very few decisions are made at the lower levels in the hierarchy
[B]Very few functions rely on the lower levels for decision-making
[C]Decisions made at the lower levels are very important
[D]Top management exercises a great deal of monitoring on lower level decision-making


8. Which of the following is not one of Taylor’s principles of ‘Scientific Management?’
[A]Replacing rules of thumb with organized knowledge
[B]Obtaining harmony in group action, rather than discord
[C]Working for maximum output, rather than restricted output
[D]Discipline is vital for running an organization


9. The MBO process is characterized by an emphasis on the clarity and balance of objective and participation of managers with accountability for results. The MBO process has many steps. Which of the following is a final step of a typical MBO process?
[A]The organisation’s overall objectives and strategies are formulated
[B]Successful achievement of objectives is reinforced by performance based rewards
[C]The action plans are implemented
[D]Progress towards objectives is periodically reviewed, and feedback is provided


10. An organization characterized by a very formal structure, strict lines of communication, existence of many rules, and fixed duties, has a/an
[A]Strategic structure
[B]Mechanistic structure
[C]Organic structure
[D]Matrix structure


11. Departmentation helps an organization take advantage of functional specialization. Which of the following is not a reason why departmentation is required?
[A]It defines the role of every individual, indicating activities to be performed
[B]It facilitates control, coordination and communication
[C]It helps in avoiding conflicts among power centers
[D]It provides the necessary platform to build loyalty among members of the organization


12. Which approach to management emphasizes managing people by understanding their individual psychological needs?
[A]Group behaviour approach
[B]Decision theory approach
[C]Contingency approach
[D]Interpersonal behaviour approach


13. Henry R. Towne was one of the prominent contributors to preclassical management thought. Which of the following did Henry R. Towne advocate/propose?
[A]Division of labor
[B]Legislative reforms to improve working conditions of labor
[C]Profit-sharing plan
[D]Emphasis on the importance of business skills for running a business


14. Which of the following is/are not assumption(s) of the rational decision-making model?
I. The problem is clear and unambiguous.
II. A single well-defined goal is to be achieved.
III. Preferences change slowly.
IV. Final choice will maximize economic payoff.
[A]Only (II) above
[B]Only (III) above
[C]Both (I) and (III) above
[D]Both (I) and (IV) above


15. The decision-making process has seven steps. Which of the following is/are approache(s) for ‘selecting among alternatives’, in the decision-making process?
I. Experience.
II. Experimentation.
III. Research and analysis.
IV. Brainstorming.
[A]Only (III) above
[B]Both (I) and (IV) above
[C]Both (II) and (IV) above
[D](I), (II) and (III) above