Fundamentals & Core Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real COA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Fundamentals & Core Principles flashcards as text
Which type of organizational chart shows authority flowing from top management down through departments to employees?
Answer: Vertical (hierarchical) chart
A vertical or hierarchical chart depicts the chain of command from the highest authority downward through layers of management to individual employees.
What is the primary purpose of a mission statement for an organization?
Answer: To define the organization's core purpose and reason for existence
A mission statement articulates why an organization exists, its fundamental purpose, and the value it provides to stakeholders.
When indexing personal names for alphabetical filing, what is the correct order of filing units?
Answer: Last name, first name, middle name
Standard alphabetical indexing for personal names uses the last name as the first filing unit, followed by first name, then middle name or initial.
Which of the following is an example of downward communication in an organization?
Answer: A manager distributing a policy memo to all department staff
Downward communication flows from higher levels of management to lower levels, such as a manager sending directives, policies, or information to staff.
What is the purpose of an agenda distributed before a meeting?
Answer: To inform participants of topics to be discussed so they can prepare
An agenda outlines the meeting's topics and sequence in advance, allowing participants to prepare relevant information and materials.
Which type of records retention schedule specifies how long documents must be kept based on legal and operational requirements?
Answer: Disposition schedule
A records disposition (or retention) schedule defines how long each category of record must be retained before it can be destroyed or archived.
In the context of office administration, 'span of control' refers to:
Answer: The number of subordinates a manager directly supervises
Span of control describes how many employees report directly to one manager, which affects organizational structure and management effectiveness.