Management Flashcards

Which of the following best describes 'management by objectives' (MBO)?

Answer: Managers and employees jointly set goals and evaluate performance against them

MBO is a participative process where managers and subordinates collaboratively establish goals and use them as performance benchmarks.

In project management, the critical path is defined as:

Answer: The longest sequence of dependent tasks determining project completion time

The critical path is the longest chain of dependent activities; any delay on this path delays the entire project.

Which type of control occurs during the transformation process to catch problems before output is complete?

Answer: Concurrent control

Concurrent (steering) control monitors activities as they happen, allowing real-time corrections during the process.

Chester Barnard's 'zone of indifference' refers to:

Answer: The range of orders employees will follow without questioning them

Barnard's zone of indifference describes the set of directives an employee accepts and carries out without critical evaluation.

Which of the following is an example of an informal organization?

Answer: A group of coworkers who regularly lunch together and share information

Informal organizations arise spontaneously from social relationships and are not depicted in official organizational charts.

The 'span of control' concept in management refers to:

Answer: The number of subordinates a manager can effectively supervise

Span of control specifies how many direct reports a single manager can oversee effectively.

Which decision-making model assumes that managers have complete information and will select the optimal solution?

Answer: Rational model

The rational (classical) model assumes perfect information, clear goals, and the ability to identify and choose the best possible alternative.