COA Leadership & Strategic Planning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager who tells employees exactly what to do and closely supervises them is using which leadership style?
- Laissez-faire
- Democratic
- Autocratic (Correct answer)
- Transformational
Correct answer: Autocratic
Autocratic leadership involves centralized decision-making and close supervision with little input from subordinates.
Question 2: Which strategic planning tool uses two axes to plot business units by market growth rate and relative market share?
- PEST analysis
- BCG matrix (Correct answer)
- Balanced Scorecard
- Porter's Five Forces
Correct answer: BCG matrix
The BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix categorizes business units as Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, or Dogs based on growth and share.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes transformational leadership?
- Focusing on immediate task completion and rewards
- Inspiring followers to exceed expectations through vision and motivation (Correct answer)
- Maintaining stability by enforcing rules and procedures
- Avoiding involvement in team decisions
Correct answer: Inspiring followers to exceed expectations through vision and motivation
Transformational leaders motivate through shared vision, inspiring employees to perform beyond their own interests for the good of the organization.
Question 4: An office manager is developing a strategic plan. Which step comes FIRST?
- Implement action plans
- Establish objectives
- Define the mission and vision (Correct answer)
- Monitor and evaluate results
Correct answer: Define the mission and vision
Defining the mission and vision provides the foundational direction before objectives, action plans, or evaluation can be meaningfully developed.
Question 5: Which leadership behavior is associated with building team cohesion and trust?
- Withholding feedback to avoid conflict
- Communicating openly and recognizing contributions (Correct answer)
- Making all decisions independently
- Focusing solely on task completion metrics
Correct answer: Communicating openly and recognizing contributions
Open communication and recognition of team contributions directly build trust and cohesion within a group.
Question 6: A contingency plan in strategic planning is designed to:
- Replace the primary strategic plan entirely
- Address scenarios if the original plan fails or conditions change unexpectedly (Correct answer)
- Reduce the organization's budget
- Set performance benchmarks for employees
Correct answer: Address scenarios if the original plan fails or conditions change unexpectedly
A contingency plan is a backup strategy prepared for unexpected events or when primary plans do not unfold as anticipated.
Question 7: Which of the following is the BEST example of a strategic objective for an administrative department?
- Answer the phone promptly
- Reduce document processing errors by 20% within 12 months (Correct answer)
- Order office supplies weekly
- Schedule meetings as requested
Correct answer: Reduce document processing errors by 20% within 12 months
A strategic objective is measurable and time-bound with a clear performance target, unlike routine operational tasks.
COA Leadership & Strategic Planning 3
A manager who tells employees exactly what to do and closely supervises them is using which leadership style?