罗宾斯-管理学-常考题目和答案(共11页)

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1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上1.In a short essay, discuss the difference between efficiency and effectiveness and include a specific example to support each concept.a. Efficiency refers to getting the most output from the least amount of inputs. Because managers deal with scarce inputsincluding resources such as peo

2、ple, money, and equipmentthey 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 impleme

3、nted by doing things such as cutting inventory levels, decreasing the amount of time needed 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

4、 “doing the right things”that is, those work activities that will help the organization reach its goals. For instance, at the Beiersdorf factory, goals included open communication between managers and employees and cutting costs. Through various work programs, these goals were pursued and achieved.

5、Whereas efficiency is concerned with the means of getting things done, effectiveness is concerned with the ends, or attainment of organizational goals.2In a short essay, list an explain the four basic functions of management.Answer(pg11): Planning:mangement founction that involves defining goals,est

6、abiashing strategies for achieving those goals and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities.Organising:management founction that involves 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.Le

7、ading:management founction that involves motivating subordinates, influencing individuals or teams as they work, selecting the most effective communication channels or dealing in any way with employee behaviour issues.Controlling:management founction that involves monitoring actual to standard and t

8、aking action if necessary.3In a short essay, explain the four approaches that organisations can take with respect to environmental issues.The first approach simply is doing what is required legally: the legal approach. Under this approach, organizations exhibit little environmental sensitivity. They

9、 obey laws, rules, and regulations willingly and without legal challenge, and they may even try to use the law to their own advantage, but thats the extent of their being green. This approach is a good illustration of social obligation: These organizations simply are following their legal obligation

10、s of pollution prevention and environmental protection. As an organization becomes more aware of and sensitive to environmental issues, it may adopt the market approach. In this approach, organizations respond to the environmental preferences of their customers. Whatever customers demand in terms of

11、 environmentally friendly products will be what the organization provides. Under the next approach, the stakeholder approach, the organization chooses to respond to multiple demands made by stakeholders. Under the stakeholder approach, the green organization will work to meet the environmental deman

12、ds of groups such as employees, suppliers, or the community. Both the market approach and the stakeholder approach are good illustrations of social responsiveness. Finally, if an organization pursues an activist approach, it looks for ways to respect and preserve the earth and its natural resources.

13、 The activist approach exhibits the highest degree of environmental sensitivity and is a good illustration of social responsibility.4.List the factors that influence the strength of an organizations culture and discuss the impact of a strong culture on employees.a. size of the organizationb. how lon

14、g it has been aroundc. how much turnover there has been among employeesd. intensity with which the culture was originatede. clear to employees what is important and what is not important5.Compare and contrast the ideas social obligation an social responsiveness.The more employees accept the organiza

15、tions key values and the greater their commitment to those values, the stronger the culture is. Strong cultures have a greater influence on employees than do weak cultures and are associated with high organizational performance. Strong culture also enhances performances Explanation of this is that i

16、f values are clear and widely accepted, employees know what theyre supposed to do and whats expected of them so they can act quickly to take care of problems, thus preventing any potential performance decline.6.In a short essay, discuss the assumption of raionality and the validity of those assumpti

17、on.AnswerA decision maker who was perfectly rational would be fully objective and logical. He or she would carefully define a problem and would have a clear and specific goal. Moreover, making decisions using rationality would consistently lead toward selecting the alternative that maximizes the lik

18、elihood of achieving that goal. The assumptions of rationality apply to any decision. Rational managerial decision making assumes that decisions are made in the best economic interests of the organization. That is, the decision maker is assumed to be maximizing the organizations interests, not his o

19、r her own interests. Managerial decision making can follow rational assumptions if the following conditions are met: the manager is faced with a simple problem in which the goals are clear and the alternatives limited; the time pressures are minimal; the cost of seeking out and evaluating alternativ

20、es is low; the organizational culture supports innovation and risk taking; and outcomes are relatively concrete and measurable. However, most decisions that managers face in the real world dont meet all of those tests.7.In a short essay, discuss bounded rationality and satisficing.AnswerDespite the

21、limits to perfect rationality, managers are expected to follow a rational process when making decisions. However, certain aspects of the decision-making process are not realistic as managers make decisions. Instead, managers tend to operate under assumptions of bounded rationality; that is, they beh

22、ave rationally within the parameters of a simplified decision-making process that is limited by an individuals ability to process information. Managers satisfice, rather than maximize, because they cant possibly analyze all the information on all of the alternatives. That is, they accept solutions t

23、hat are “good enough.” They are being rational within the limits of their information-processing ability.8.In a short essay, list and discuss the three levels of strategy that a large organization must develop.Answera. Corporate strategythis strategy seeks to determine what businesses a company shou

24、ld be in or wants to be in. Corporate strategy determines the direction that the organization is going and the roles that each business unit in the organization will plan in pursuing that direction. b. Business strategythis strategy seeks to determine how an organization should compete in each of it

25、s businesses. For a small organization in only one line of business or the large organization that has not diversified into different products or markets, the business strategy typically overlaps with the organizations corporate strategy. For organizations with multiple businesses, however, each div

26、ision will have its own strategy that defines the products or services it will offer and the customers it wants to reach.c. Functional strategythis strategy seeks to determine how to support the business strategy. For organizations that have traditional functional departments such as manufacturing,

27、marketing, human resources, research and development, and finance, these strategies need to support the business strategy.9. In a short essay, list the tree traditional organizational designs. Describe the characteristics that are commonly associated with each. (P309)10.In a short essay, discuss the

28、 concept of competitive advantage. Include specific examples of companies and their respective competitive advantages to support your answer.AnswerCompetitive advantage is what sets an organization apart, that is, its distinctive edge. That distinctive edge comes from the organizations core competen

29、cies, which might be in the form of organizational capabilitiesthe organization does something that others cannot do or does it better than others can do it. For example, Dell has developed a competitive advantage based upon its ability to create a direct-selling channel thats highly responsive to c

30、ustomers. Southwest Airlines has a competitive advantage because it is skilled in giving passengers what they wantquick, convenient, and fun service. Or those core competencies that lead to competitive advantage also can come from organizational assets or resourcesthe organization has something that

31、 its competitors do not have. For instance, Wal-Marts state-of-the-art information systems allows it to monitor and control inventories and supplier relations more efficiently than its competitors, which Wal-Mart has turned into a price advantage.11.In a short essay, define management by objectives

32、(MBO) and list four elements of this type of goal setting. What are some problems associated with this approach?AnswerManagement by objectives (MBO) is a management system in which specific performance goals are jointly determined by employees and their managers, progress toward accomplishing these

33、goals is periodically reviewed, and rewards are allocated on the basis of this progress. Rather than using goals only as controls, MBO uses them to motivate employees as well. Management by objectives consists of four elements: goal specificity, participative decision making, an explicit time period

34、, and performance feedback. Its appeal lies in its focus on employees working to accomplish goals they have had a hand in determining. One problem is that MBO may not be as effective in times of dynamic environmental change. Under an MBO program, employees need some stability to work toward accompli

35、shing the set goals. If new goals must be set every few weeks, theres no time for employees to work on accomplishing the goals and measuring that accomplishment. Another problem of MBO programs is that an overemphasis by an employee on accomplishing his or her goals without regard to others in the w

36、ork unit can be counterproductive. A manager must work closely with all members of the work unit to assure that employees arent working at cross-purposes. Finally, if MBO is viewed simply as an annual exercise in filling out paperwork, employees wont be motivated to accomplish the goals.12.In a shor

37、t essay, list and discuss the five needs that are based on Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. Answera. Physiological needs: food, drink, shelter, sexual satisfaction, and other physical requirements.b. Safety needs: security and protection from physical and emotional harm, as well as assurance that

38、physical needs will continue to be met.c. Social needs: affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.d. Esteem needs: internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention.e. Self-actualization needs: gr

39、owth, achieving ones potential, and self-fulfillment; the drive to become what one is capable of becoming.1.In a short essay, explain the difference between a multinational corporation (MNC), a transnational corporation (TNC), and a borderless organization. Include examples of companies for each of

40、the types of organizations discussed.Answera.Multinational corporationthese organizationswhich maintain significant operations in multiple countries but are managed from a base in the home countryinaugurated the rapid growth in international trade. With its focus on control from the home country, th

41、e MNC is characteristic of the ethnocentric attitude. Some examples of companies that can be considered MNCs include Sony, Deutsche Bank AG, ExxonMobil, and Merrill Lynch. Although these companies have considerable global holdings, management decisions with company-wide implications are made from he

42、adquarters in the home country.b.Transnational corporation (TNC)this company maintains significant operations in more than one country but decentralizes management to the local country. This type of organization doesnt attempt to replicate its domestic successes by managing foreign operations from i

43、ts home country. Instead, nationals typically are hired to run operations in each country, and marketing strategies for each country are tailored to that countrys unique characteristics. This type of global organization reflects the polycentric attitude. For example, Switzerland-based Nestl, the wor

44、lds largest food company, can be described as a transnational. With operations in almost every country on the globe, its managers match the companys products to its consumers. In parts of Europe, Nestl sells products that are not available in the United States or Latin America.c.Borderless organizat

45、ionbecause of the increasingly global environment, many large well-known companies are moving to more effectively globalize their management structure by eliminating structural divisions that impose artificial geographical barriers. The borderless organization approaches global business from a geoce

46、ntric attitude. For example, IBM dropped its organizational structure based on country and reorganized into 14 industry groups. Borderless management is an attempt by organizations to increase efficiency and effectiveness in a competitive global marketplace.2.In a short essay, define organizational

47、culture and discuss the three implications of culture as discussed in the textbook.AnswerOrganizational culture is a system of shared meaning and beliefs held by organizational members that determines, in large degree, how they act. It represents a common perception held by the organizations members

48、. In every organization, there are systems or patterns of values, symbols, rituals, myths, and practices that have evolved over time. These shared values determine, to a large degree, what employees see, and how they respond to their world. When confronted with problems or work issues, the organizat

49、ional culture influences what employees can do and how they conceptualize, define, analyze, and resolve these issues. This definition of culture implies several things. First, culture is a perception. Individuals perceive the organizational culture on the basis of what they see, hear, or experience

50、within the organization. Second, even though individuals may have different backgrounds or work at different organizational levels, they tend to describe the organizations culture in similar terms. That is the shared aspect of culture. Finally, organizational culture is a descriptive term. Its conce

51、rned with how members perceive the organization, not with whether they like it. It describes rather than evaluates.3.In a short essay, list and briefly explain the steps, processes, and best practices managers typically utilize in the control process. Provide examples where appropriate.Answera. Meas

52、uringthe first step in the control process is measuring. Most jobs and activities can be expressed in tangible and measurable terms. However, managers frequently use a variety of sources of information to measure actual performance, such as personal observation, statistical reports, oral reports, an

53、d written reports. For most managers, using a combination of approaches increases both the number of input sources and the probability of getting reliable information.b. Comparingthe second step involves determining the degree of variation between actual performance and the prespecified standard. So

54、me variation is to be expected. However, it is important for managers to determine the acceptable range of variation.c. Taking managerial actionmanagers can choose among three possible courses of action: do nothing, correct the actual performance, or revise the standards. Examples of corrective acti

55、ons might include changing strategy, structure, compensation plans, training programs, redesigning jobs, or firing employees. Revising standards is an appropriate response if the variance was the result of unrealistic expectations. However, revising standards downwards can be troublesome when an emp

56、loyee or work unit fall short of reaching a goal. If they dont meet the standard, their natural response is to attack the standard. If the manager believes the standard is fair, they should explain their position, reaffirm their desire for the employee or work unit to meet the standard, and then tak

57、e necessary corrective action to turn that expectation into reality.4.In a short essay, list and discuss three of the main performance control tools used for monitoring and measuring organizational performance.Answera. Feedforward, concurrent, and feedback controlsthe most desirable type of controlf

58、eedforward controlprevents anticipated problems since it takes place before the actual activity. Concurrent control, as its name implies, takes place while an activity is in progress. The most popular type of control relies on feedback. In feedback control, the control takes place after the activity

59、 is done.b. Financial controlsone of the primary purposes of every business firm is to earn a profit. In pursuit of this objective, managers need financial controls. They might perform several financial ratio tests to ensure that sufficient cash is available to pay ongoing expenses, that debt levels

60、 havent become too high, or that assets are being used productively. Or, they might look at some newer financial control tools such as Market Value Added (MVA) to see if the companys market value is greater than the capital invested in it.c. Information controlsinformation can be critical to monitor

61、ing and measuring an organizations performance. Managers need the right information at the right time and in the right amount. Inaccurate, incomplete, excessive, or delayed information will seriously impede performance. d. Balanced scorecardthis is a performance measurement that was introduced as a

62、way to evaluate organizational performance from more than just the financial perspective. The balanced scorecard is a performance measurement tool that looks at four areasfinancial, customer, internal processes, and people/innovation/growth assetsthat contribute to a companys performance. According

63、to this approach, managers should develop goals in each of the four areas and measure to determine if these goals are being met.e. Benchmarking of best practicesbenchmarking is the search for the best practices among competitors or noncompetitors that lead to their superior performance. At its most fundamental level, benchmarking means learning from others. As a tool for monitoring and measuring organizational performance, benchmarking can be used to help identify specific performance gaps and potential areas for improvement.专心-专注-专业