Mixed Deck — All CME Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real CME practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All CME Topics flashcards as text
During a merger, which risk category encompasses the possibility that the cultures of two organizations will not integrate successfully?
Answer: People and cultural risk
People and cultural risk in M&A refers to the danger that incompatible values, leadership styles, or workforce behaviors will undermine the deal's objectives.
A manager notices a favorable price variance but an unfavorable efficiency variance for direct materials. What does this most likely mean?
Answer: Materials were purchased cheaply but more was used than standard
A favorable price variance means actual cost per unit was below standard; an unfavorable efficiency variance means more material was consumed than the standard allowed.
An executive sponsor withdraws visible support for a change initiative midway through implementation. According to change management best practices, the MOST likely consequence is:
Answer: Change momentum stalls and resistance increases significantly
Visible executive sponsorship is a primary predictor of change success; withdrawal signals organizational doubt and empowers resistors.
Which concept describes the tendency for change implementation to slow or stall after initial enthusiasm fades, often depicted as a valley in adoption curves?
Answer: Implementation dip
The implementation dip (coined by Michael Fullan) describes a temporary decline in performance and morale that often occurs as people struggle with new practices before mastering them.
What is the primary risk of a 'diversification' strategy according to the Ansoff Matrix?
Answer: High risk because the organization operates in an unfamiliar market with a new product
Diversification is the highest-risk Ansoff strategy because the company ventures into new markets with new products, lacking established expertise in both dimensions.
The 'McKinsey 7-S Framework' includes which of the following as one of its seven elements?
Answer: Shared Values
Shared Values (originally called Superordinate Goals) is the central element of the McKinsey 7-S Framework, connecting Strategy, Structure, Systems, Staff, Skills, and Style.
A team manager must provide critical negative feedback to a team member in a way that preserves motivation. Which approach is MOST effective?
Answer: Use the SBI model — describe the Situation, Behavior, and Impact specifically
The Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) model provides specific, observable, non-judgmental feedback that is easier for recipients to understand, accept, and act on.
Which leadership theory proposes that effective leadership depends on matching the leader's style to the maturity level of the followers?
Answer: Situational Leadership Theory
Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey and Blanchard) prescribes varying leadership style based on follower readiness and maturity.
When sending a critical update to a diverse group of stakeholders, a manager should FIRST consider:
Answer: The audience's knowledge level, preferred channels, and need for information
Effective communication begins with audience analysis to ensure the right message reaches the right people through the right channel.
Why is monitoring important for performance management?
Answer: It provides real-time visibility into system behavior and early warning of issues
Continuous monitoring provides real-time visibility, enables proactive issue detection, and supplies data for informed optimization decisions.
The concept of 'noise' in communication theory refers to:
Answer: Any interference that distorts or disrupts the intended message
Noise encompasses any physical, psychological, or semantic interference that prevents the message from being received as intended.
Which type of organizational conflict is considered potentially beneficial because it stimulates debate and innovation?
Answer: Cognitive conflict
Cognitive (or task) conflict involves substantive disagreements about ideas and approaches, which can lead to better decision-making and innovation when managed constructively.
The concept of 'psychological safety' in a team context was primarily developed by which researcher?
Answer: Amy Edmondson
Amy Edmondson coined and extensively researched psychological safety, defining it as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.
A global retailer is shifting from a product-centric to a customer-centric model. The change is failing because each department has its own definition of 'customer success.' This illustrates:
Answer: Lack of a shared change vision and common language
Fragmented definitions signal an absent or ineffectively communicated shared vision, which is prerequisite to coordinated organizational change.
Which of the following describes 'task interdependence' and why it matters for team design?
Answer: The degree to which team members rely on each other to complete their work, requiring coordination mechanisms matched to that level
Task interdependence determines how much coordination a team needs — highly interdependent tasks require intensive communication and shared decision-making structures.
A rolling forecast differs from a traditional annual budget primarily in that it:
Answer: Extends the forecast horizon continuously as each period passes
A rolling forecast is updated regularly so that the planning horizon always extends the same number of periods into the future.
Which framework asks managers to evaluate strategy along four actions: Eliminate, Reduce, Raise, and Create?
Answer: Blue Ocean Strategy's ERRC Grid
The ERRC (Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create) Grid is central to Blue Ocean Strategy, helping organizations reconstruct market boundaries and create uncontested market space.
In Fiedler's Contingency Model, the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) scale is used to measure a leader's:
Answer: Task versus relationship orientation
A high LPC score indicates a relationship-oriented leader, while a low LPC score indicates a task-oriented leader.
What is the key difference between invention and innovation in a managerial context?
Answer: Invention creates something new; innovation successfully commercializes or applies it to create value
Invention is the creation of a novel idea or product, while innovation requires successfully implementing or commercializing that invention to deliver economic or social value.
What is the primary benefit of using a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram in problem-solving?
Answer: It visually organizes potential causes into categories for root cause analysis
A fishbone diagram categorizes potential causes (such as people, process, equipment, environment) to systematically identify root causes.