M1 - Assignment 1

A mission statement does NOT need to include?

• State what the company does.
• State time frame for completion.
• State where the company is headed.
• State who its customers are.

Which of the following impacts the number of job grades within an organization?

• Administrative need to develop a separate pay range for each job
• Vertical distance between the highest- and lowest-level job
• The difference between the maximum and minimum pay range divided by the minimum pay range
• Organization's pay position in the marketplace

In an effort to enrich jobs, management wants employees working at one of three assembly stations to complete the entire assembly job and put their names on the finished product. About half of the employees are resisting the change. What is the BEST course of action?

• Talk with those opposed to the change to determine their concerns.
• Train everyone and make the change as soon as possible.
• Set up a pilot program only for those who are in favor of the change.
• Institute positive reinforcement policies for those who welcome the change.

A complex environment affects and is affected by various forces that all share in an organization's values and activities. That any organization operates within a complex environment is proposed by:

• a mission statement.
• the planning team.
• a planning process.
• the stakeholder concept.

Which of the following BEST describes an organization's attitude toward HR if the HR executive is a member of the strategic planning group?

• HR assists in creating the organization's long-term success.
• HR reviews and revises strategic policy statements.
• HR integrates and coordinates diverse human resource functions.
• HR implements management-directed organizational change.

Which of the following is a description of the "frame of reference" barrier to effective communication?

• Individuals assign an overall worth to a message prior to receiving the entire message.
• Individuals tend to block out new information, especially if it conflicts with existing beliefs.
• Different individuals can interpret the same communication differently, depending on previous experiences.
• Individuals weigh the actions and words of the communicator based on the amount of confidence they have in that person.

A person, normally a high-level executive, who controls project resources and agrees to fund the project, is called a(n):

• Champion
• Manager
• Sponsor
• Coordinator

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of the matrix structure?

• The value of specialization is minimized.
• High joint task interdependence challenges coordination mechanisms.
• Can become highly confusing for employees who work inside the matrix.
• Dual authority breeds conflicting demands.

Which of the following best describes the reason why continual environmental scanning is important for an organization?

• To create a technologically advanced workforce
• To train their managers more effectively
• To attract a talented pool of applicants to choose for its workforce
• To identify potential external opportunities and threats to an organization

Which of the following is NOT a factor to consider when an organization performs an environmental scan? a) b) c) d)

• Technological factor
• Economic factor
• Religious factor
• Demographic factor