Quiz · Medium
SWOT, Porter's five forces and generic strategies, the functions of management, organizational structure, team development and motivation theories from Maslow, Herzberg, McGregor and Vroom.
A coffee chain learns that a large competitor will open stores in its city next year. In a SWOT analysis, this is a:
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat
Opportunities and threats are EXTERNAL factors the company does not control. Strengths and weaknesses are INTERNAL, such as its brand or its costs.
Which of the following is NOT one of Porter's five forces?
Threat of new entrants
Bargaining power of suppliers
Government regulation
Threat of substitute products
The five forces are rivalry among competitors, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, buyer power and supplier power. Regulation can affect them but is not one of the five.
Walmart's 'Everyday Low Prices,' backed by huge purchasing scale and efficient logistics, is an example of which generic strategy?
Differentiation
Cost leadership
Focus (niche)
Blue ocean
Cost leadership means being the lowest-cost producer in a broad market. Differentiation (like Apple) charges a premium for unique features.
A manager compares this quarter's actual sales with the targets, finds a shortfall and adjusts the sales plan. Which management function is this?
Planning
Organizing
Leading
Controlling
Controlling means measuring performance against goals and correcting course. Planning is setting the goals in the first place (POLC: plan, organize, lead, control).
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which needs must be met first?
Esteem needs
Physiological needs
Self-actualization
Belonging needs
From the bottom: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization. At work, a living wage meets basic needs before recognition can motivate.
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, salary and working conditions are:
Motivators that drive high performance
Hygiene factors that prevent dissatisfaction but do not by themselves motivate
Irrelevant to job satisfaction
Self-actualization needs
Herzberg separated hygiene factors (pay, policies, conditions) from motivators (achievement, recognition, responsibility, growth). Fixing hygiene removes complaints but does not create enthusiasm.
A manager believes employees dislike work and must be closely supervised and controlled. This reflects:
Theory X
Theory Y
Theory Z
Expectancy theory
McGregor's Theory X assumes people avoid work. Theory Y assumes people can be self-motivated and seek responsibility. Theory Z (Ouchi) is a later, Japanese-inspired model.
A company cuts several layers of middle management so each manager now oversees 15 people instead of 5. This creates:
A flatter structure with a wider span of control
A taller structure with a narrower span of control
A matrix structure
More centralized decision-making by definition
Span of control is the number of direct reports. Fewer layers and more reports per manager means a flatter organization, often with faster communication.
A new project team argues about roles and challenges the leader's decisions. Which of Tuckman's stages is the team in?
Forming
Norming
Storming
Performing
Storming involves conflict over roles and direction. It comes after forming (polite, uncertain) and before norming (agreeing on rules) and performing.
Which goal is written in SMART form?
Improve customer service
Be the best company in the industry
Increase online sales by 15% by December 31 through a new email campaign
Get more social media followers soon
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. The others lack a number, a deadline or both.
Vroom's expectancy theory says motivation depends on:
Expectancy × Instrumentality × Valence
Hygiene factors + Motivators
Comparing your pay to coworkers' pay
Meeting needs in a strict order
Will effort lead to performance (expectancy)? Will performance lead to a reward (instrumentality)? Do I value that reward (valence)? If any is zero, motivation is zero. Comparing pay with coworkers is equity theory.
In a matrix organization, an engineer reports to both a product manager and an engineering department head. Which classic principle does this break?
Division of labor
Unity of command
Span of control
Scalar chain
Fayol's unity of command says each employee should have only one boss. Matrix structures trade this away for flexibility, which can cause conflicting priorities.
