Information Technology for  Managers

Assignment A

1.    Depict the differences between strategic and tactical planning     

2.    What is the recriuitment process? Explain the steps in the process of recruitment process.     

3.    Interpersonal Behavior Approach to management emphasizes managing people by understanding their individual psychological needs. Describe group influence and Hawthome    

4.    Differentiate between risk analysis and risk communication?     

5.    Incremental model emphasizes short-run solution of a problem rather than long-term goal accomplishment.  It has various models Explain the rational,incremental and garbage-can model.     

6.    Which approach management uses to understand managerial functions and individual psychological needs

7.    The communication process is made up of various components like feedback, message, understanding and channel. Which are the actual physical product from the source? 

8.    'What is JIT? Explain briefly its characteristics. 

Assignment B
Case Detail:
In the past three to four decades, many management theorists, and writers have made remarkable contribution in the study of decision making process management. By studying the various approaches to management analysis, we can understand the concept of management and have a better understanding of managerial functions and models like rational, garbage, top-down approach and so on.

1.     Rational model is a …………………..model  which suggests that managers engage in completely rational decision process, ultimately make optimal decisions and process, and understand all information relevant to their decisions at the time they make them 

    
2.     The garbage-can model is effective in which of the situation/s? just give one example 

    
3.     Which decision-making models emphasizes short-run solution of a problem rather than long-term goal accomplishment?     

Assignment C

Que 1
JIT (Just-In-Time) inventory control is an approach to inventory control, which stipulates that materials should arrive just, as they are needed, in the production process. Which of the following would generally not be associated with a successful JIT program, for the purpose of inventory control?     

Options     
    
Well-organized receiving and handling of materials purchased from suppliers 
Strong management commitment 
Suppliers located in diverse and distant locations 
High quality of materials purchased from suppliers 

Que 2.
Information that originates outside the organization is known as external information. Which of the following is/are example(s) of external information in an organization?     

Options     
    
Daily receipts and expenditures 
Salesperson Quotas 
Descriptions of customer satisfaction with products and services 
Quantity of an item in hand or in inventory 

Que 3.
Which of the following decision-making models emphasizes short-run solution of a problem rather than long-term goal accomplishment?     

Options     
    
Rational model 
Satisficing model 
Incremental model 
Garbage-can model 

Que 4.
Sofia works in one of seven research and development departments at General Automobile Corporation. This would suggest that General Automobiles has a     

Options     
    
Functional structure 
Divisional structure 
Flat structure 
High degree of centralization 

Que 5
Which of the following information processing systems gives the output in the form of summary and exception reports that are useful to the managers?     

Options     
    
Decision support system 
Management information system 
Office automation system 
Transaction processing system 

Que 6.
In which of Likert’s four systems of leadership, managers do not have complete confidence and trust in subordinates but nevertheless, solicit advice from subordinates while retaining the right to make final decision?     
Options     
    
Participative leadership style 
Benevolent-authoritative leadership style 
Suppliers located in diverse and distant locations 
High quality of materials purchased from suppliers 
e)   Consultative leadership style             

Que 7
Performance appraisals are important in an organization because they 
I.     Provide systematic judgments to support promotions.
II.     Provide a basis for coaching.    
III.    Provide a basis for counseling.
IV.   Let subordinates know where they stand with the boss.
Options     
    
Only (I) above 
Only (II) above                              
Both (I) and (II) above             
All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above. 

Que 8
Ratio analysis helps a manager to compare the performance of the organization with its previous performance or the performance of its competitors. Which of the following is a ratio of creditors’ contribution to that of the owners?     

Options     

Current ratio 
Debt-equity ratio 
Return on investment (ROI)  
Net profit margin  

Que 9.
Which of the following inventory techniques uses cards to monitor inventory movement?     

Options     
    
ABC Analysis  
JIT Approach 
Kanban 
Kaizen        

Que. 10
A decision support system (DSS) is an interactive computer system used to plan and make decisions. Which of the following is/are true with regard to Decision Support System (DSS)? 
I.     Executive decisions are the focal points in DSS.
II.     DSS specializes in easy-to-use software.
III.    DSS employs interactive processing.
IV.   The control and use of DSS rests with the central information management department.
    

Options     
    
Only (I) above     
Both (I) and (II) above 
Both (III) and (IV) above  
(I), (II) and (III) above 

Question No.  11    Marks - 10
Which of the following is/are postulates of the path – goal theory?
I.     The leader clearly defines the path to goal attainment for subordinates.
II.     The leader motivates subordinates to participate in decision-making.
III.    The leader sets clear and specific goals for subordinates.
IV. The leader suitably rewards employees as per their performance.      

Options    
Only (II) above         
Only (IV) above    
Both (II) and (IV) above              
All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.

Question No.  12    Marks - 10
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) is a sophisticated performance rating method. Which of the following is not true with regard to BARS?    

Options    
BARS minimizes subjective interpretation inherent in graphic rating scales    
BARS makes use of ‘anchors’ (common reference points of performance)    
BARS concentrates on job-specific behaviors and hence is highly meaningful    
BARS is a simple and cost-effective rating method     

Question No.  13    Marks - 10
Which of the following is not true with regard to functional authority?    

Options    
Functional authority is the authority staff members have over line members within the   limits of their functions    
Functional authority has the same effect as line authority but it doesn’t have the right that line authority has, to punish violations or deviations in order to ensure compliance    
Functional authority is limited to those areas where a staff member has some technical competence    
Functional authority is in sync with the principle of unity of command.

Question No.  14    Marks - 10
Creativity is an important factor in managing people. Which of the following is not truewith regard to the creative process?    

Options    
Creativity is the ability to develop new ideas    
The creative process starts with unconscious scanning    
Intuition connects the unconscious with the conscious    
Insight leads to intuition

Question No.  15    Marks - 10
According to "expectancy theory", the probability of an individual acting in a particular way depends on
I.     The personality of the individual and the likelihood it will change.
II.     The company and its potential to be moving in the right direction.
III.    The situation.
IV.   The strength of that individual's belief that the act will have a particular outcome and on whether the individual values that outcome.      

Options    
Only (I) above    
Only (IV) above    
Both (I) and (III) above       
Both (II) and (IV) above

Question No.  16    Marks - 10
Which of the following techniques for improving productivity aims at reducing costs by analyzing and improving individual operations of a product or service?    

Options    
Work simplification         
Time-event network    
Value engineering    
Total Quality Management  

Question No.  17    Marks - 10
Span of control an important factor, which is to be taken into account when undertaking organizational design. Maintaining a large span of control within an organization is most effective in all except one of the following situations?    

Options    
When subordinates prefer autonomy    
When tasks are routine    
When jobs are similar but have varying performance measures    
When subordinates are highly trained

Question No.  18    Marks - 10
Functional job analysis is a widely used systematic job analysis approach. Which of the following dimensions of an individual’s job does functional job analysis focus on?
I.     Data, people and jobs pertaining to the individual’s job.
II.     Interpersonal relationships required to perform the job.
III.    Tools and equipment used by the worker.
IV.   Products and services produced by the worker.      

Options    
Only (I) above             
Both (II) and (IV) above    
(I), (III) and (IV) above            
Both (II) and (IV) above

Question No.  19    Marks - 10
Organizational culture is the collection of shared values, beliefs, rituals, stories, myths and specialized language that foster a feeling of community among organization members. Which of the following is not a characteristic of organization culture?    

Options    
It differentiates one organization from another    
It defines the internal environment of an organization    
It ensures consistency in the behavior of organization members    
It remains absolutely stable throughout the life of an organization    

Question No.  20    Marks - 10
Management By Objectives (MBO) is a system for achieving organizational objectives, enhancement of employee commitment and participation. Which of the following is notan advantage of MBO?    

Options    
Role clarity          
Clarity in organizational action    
Personnel satisfaction         
Flexibility.

Question No.  21    Marks - 10
Which of the following are the characteristics of the planning process usually adopted in Japanese Management style?
I.     Long-term orientation.                    
II.     Individual decision-making.
III.    Decisions flowing from bottom to top and back.    
IV.  Slow decision-making.      

Options    
Both (I) and (II) above    
Both (I) and (III) above    
Both (II) and IV) above    
(I), (III) and (IV) above

Question No.  22    Marks - 10
Which of the following refers to the flow of information among persons at different levels, who have no direct reporting relationships?    

Options    
Horizontal communication    
Diagonal communication     
Upward communication    
Downward communication                 

Question No.  23    Marks - 10
Every organization structure, even a poor one, can be charted. Which of the following isfalse with respect to Organization Chart?    

Options    
It is a vital tool for providing information about organizational relationships    
It provides a visual map of the chain of command    
Charting an organization structure can show up the complexities and inconsistencies, which can be corrected    
It shows authority relationships as well as informal and informational relationships    

Question No.  24    Marks - 10
As ArvindMisra is reviewing the progress of his organization in meeting its organizational goals, he is struck by the fact that his organization has an organizational structure that might be causing problems. The current structure diffuses accountability, makes it difficult to respond to changing conditions quickly, and results in situations where someone might have two bosses. Which of the following organization forms best fits these disadvantages being experienced by Mr. Misra?    

Options    
Geographical structure         
Matrix structure    
Divisional structure    
Customer structure

Question No.  25    Marks - 10
The garbage-can model is effective in which of the following situation/s?
I.     When managers have no specific goal preferences.
II.     When the means of achieving goals are unclear.
III.    When there are frequent changes in the participants involved in decision-making.
IV.   When the degree to which decision-makers can determine optimal decisions is limited by the individuals’ capacity and intelligence.                

Options    
Only (IV) abov    
Both  (I) and (II) above              
Both (III) and (IV) above     
(I), (II) and (III) above

Question No.  26    Marks - 10
Which of the following is true about the conclusions drawn from the trait approach to leadership?    

Options    
The trait approach identifies traits that consistently separate leaders from nonleaders    
There are certain traits that guarantee that a leader will be successful    
The trait approach is based on early research that assumes that a good leader is born, not made    
Leadership is a simple issue of describing the traits of successful leaders    

Question No.  27    Marks - 10
Which of the following information systems has low-volume data and analytical models as data inputs?    

Options    
Management Information System    
Decision Support System    
Executive Support System     
Transaction Processing System

Question No.  28    Marks - 10
An objective is the object or aim of an action. Management by Objectives (MBO) is a management process that is popular in many organizations. It is the joint setting of goals and objectives by superiors and subordinates. A major difference between traditional objective setting and MBO is    

Options    
In MBO, there are multiple objectives covering a range of organisational activities    
In traditional objective setting the objectives, once formulated, provide direction for management decisions    
In traditional objective setting the objectives, once established, form the criteria against which actual accomplishments can be measured    
Traditional objective setting is ‘top down’ only, while MBO is both a ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ process.

Question No.  29    Marks - 10
In the Japanese management style, the controlling function is characteristic of
I.     Focus on individual performance.
II.     Control by peers.
III.    Extensive use of quality control circles.
IV.   Fixing blame.      

Options    
Both (I) and (II) above     
Both (I) and (III) above    
Both (I) and (IV) above     
Both (II) and (III) above    

Question No.  30    Marks - 10
The strengths and weaknesses of each alternative become obvious in which step of the decision making-process?    

Options    
Identifying the problem        
Identifying the decision criteria    
Analyzing the alternatives     
Implementing the alternative

Question No.  31    Marks - 10
The recruitment procedure is initiated when a vacancy occurs and is reported to the HR department. Which of the following is usually the first step followed in the recruitment procedure?    

Options    
Designing job description    
Developing a job specification    
Performing job analysis    
Attracting a pool of applicants

Question No.  32    Marks - 10
Managers making ethical decisions may belong to any of the three levels of moral development. Which of the following stages describes the conventional level of moral development?    

Options    
Following rules only when it is in one’s immediate interest    
Valuing rights of others and upholding absolute values and rights, regardless of the majority's opinion    
Sticking to rules to avoid physical punishment    
Living up to what is expected by people who are close to oneself

Question No.  33    Marks - 10
Direct control is the control that is exercised after the deviations from plans have occurred. Which of the following is not an underlying assumption of direct control?    

Options    
Performance can be measured    
Personal responsibility is absent    
he time expenditure is warranted    
Mistakes can be discovered in time

Question No.  34    Marks - 10
Which function of management involves filling, and keeping filled, the positions in the organization structure?    

Options    
Organizing    
Planning       
Staffing    
Controlling  

Question No.  35    Marks - 10
Which of the following is not true about ‘power’?    

Options    
Power requires no formal position    
Power works both ways – downward and upward      
Power is derived from many sources            
Power is a narrow term compared to authority.

Question No.  36    Marks - 10
In an organization, a superior has the right to get tasks accomplished by his subordinates, but the responsibility remains with the superior. This principle which intends to eliminate the practice of “passing the buck”, is known as    

Options    
Authority on par with responsibility    
Hierarchy of authority    
Unity of direction    
Downward delegation of authority    

Question No.  37    Marks - 10
Robert Owen was one of the prominent contributors to preclassical management thought. Which of the following did Robert Owen advocate/propose?    

Options    
Division of labor    
Legislative reforms to improve working conditions of labor    
Profit-sharing plan    
Study of management

Question No.  38    Marks - 10
The major disadvantage of the divisional structure is    

Options    
Diseconomies of scale    
Requires people with general managerial capabilities    
Managerial vacuum    
Duplication of activities and resources    

Question No.  39    Marks - 10
Power based upon identification with a person who has desirable resources or personal traits is known as    

Options    
Coercive power    
Legitimate power    
Expert power    
Referent power

Question No.  40    Marks - 10
Which of the following decision-making models emphasizes short-run solution of a problem rather than long-term goal accomplishment?    

Options    
Rational model    
Satisficing model    
Incremental model    
Garbage-can model