MIS Chapter 2

D

Which of the following is a key difference between collaboration and cooperation? A) Unlike cooperation, collaboration occurs when a job has to be accomplished. B) Cooperation requires people to have a common goal, whereas collaboration occurs even without a common goal. C) People should work together to cooperate, whereas they need not work together to collaborate. D) Unlike cooperation, collaboration gives importance to iteration and feedback.

A

A student team, which is assigned a term project, meets and divides the work into sections and then team members work independently on their individual pieces. An hour before the project is due the team members meet again to assemble their independent pieces into a whole. Which of the following is lacking in this activity? A) collaboration B) cooperation C) systems thinking D) interdependence

B

Andrea, the floor supervisor at a call center, calls Bryan, a call attendant, to her office. She reports observing a few critical omissions in his calls, a finding supported by recent customer surveys. Bryan feels that Andrea is just throwing her weight around. Which of the following is a valid observation of this scenario? A) Andrea failed to express an unpopular viewpoint. B) Bryan needs to learn to receive feedback. C) The office lacks a communication system. D) Bryan is self-managing and requires low supervision

B

Being ________ is one of the most important characteristics of an effective collaborator. A) a well organized a nd popular person B) able to give negative feedback C) experienced in collaborating D) a dynamic and persuasive presenter

C

Which of the following is the most important trait that an effective collaborator should have? A) ability to identify and not raise unpopular viewpoints B) persuasive presentation skills C) willingness to enter into difficult conversations D) previous experience as a collaborator

B

Identify the least important characteristic for an effective collaborator. A) willingness to enter difficult conversations B) being an experienced businessperson C) showing ability to receive negative feedback D) being skillful at giving negative feedback

A

According to Hackman, which of the following is a primary criterion for judging team success? A) growth in team capability B) experience in collaborating C) ability to be dynamic D) availability of external help

B

Which of the following is a primary purpose of collaboration? A) combining pieces of work B) becoming informed C) evaluating coworkers D) performing routine tasks

A

________ decisions are decisions that support day-to-day activities. A) Operational B) Tactical C) Strategic D) Managerial

D

Kyra, a plant supervisor, orders 500 units of Type-2 steel beams for the coming month. In doing so, she has made a(n) ________ decision. A) managerial B) tactical C) strategic D) operational

D

A decision is called an operational decision if it ________. A) is made by an individual rather than a group B) is made by managers C) involves allocation of resources D) concerns day-to-day activities

C

Project leaders have to take decisions on the allocation and utilization of materials and labor. Such decisions are called ________ decisions. A) operational B) top-level C) managerial D) strategic

D

Departmental heads should determine the computer hardware and programs that are needed for their department. This is an example of a(n) ________ decision. A) operational B) strategic C) procedural D) managerial

A

Managerial decisions in an organization concern ________. A) the utilization of resources B) broad organizational issues C) the day-to-day activities D) strategic decision making

B

________ decisions are those that support broad-scope, organizational issues. A) Operational B) Strategic C) Mid-level D) Managerial

B

The directors of a company meet to decide if they should start a new product line or not. This is an example of a ________ decision. A) operational B) strategic C) managerial D) procedural

B

Which of the following is an example of a strategic decision? A) deciding to increase the salaries of a group of employees B) deciding to open a centralized distribution system C) deciding to increase the reorder quantity of raw materials D) deciding to give an employee certain tasks and responsibilities

C

Which of the following is a key difference between strategic decisions and managerial decisions? A) Strategic decisions deal with the allocation and utilization of resources, whereas managerial decisions deal with day-to-day activities. B) Managerial decisions concern organizational issues, whereas strategic decisions concern external issues. C) Managerial decisions concern allocation and utilization of resources, whereas strategic decisions concern organizational issues D) Strategic decisions involve financial issues, whereas managerial decisions do not involve financial issues.

A

Identify a key difference between managerial decisions and operational decisions. A) Managerial decisions concern the allocation of resources, whereas operational decisions concern day-to-day activities B) Managerial decisions are corporate decisions, whereas operational decisions concern the utilization of resources. C) Managerial decisions deal with the allocation of resources, whereas operational decisions deal with the utilization of resources. D) Operational decisions have broad scope, whereas the scope of managerial decisions is limited by day-to-day activities.

B

Using a standardized procedure to calculate the incentives of employees is an example of a(n) ________ decision. A) sequential B) structured C) unstructured D) parallel

A

An organization uses a formula to compute the reorder quantity of an item in inventory. This is an example of a(n) ________ decision process. A) structured B) organizational C) corporate D) strategic

B

A company’s top managers meet to decide on a potential merger with one of its competitors. They discuss various aspects of the merger, such as business valuations and conducting due diligence. This is an example of ________ decision making. A) asynchronous B) unstructured C) programmed D) operational

B

Which of the following questions is best answered through unstructured decision making? A) How many overtime hours should be used to fill this order? B) Should we continue to outsource our bookkeeping processes? C) What is the acceptable defect ratio for this product? D) When should the next batch be scheduled to reduce idle time?

A

Which of the following decisions is least likely to involve collaboration? A) How much of product A should be ordered from vendor B? B) What products should we include in the new product line? C) Should our company acquire company A? D) What type of relationships should the company maintain with company A?

B

Which of the following observations about the relationship between decision type and decision process is true? A) Managerial decisions tend to be highly structured, whereas operational decisions are unstructured. B) The higher levels of decision making are associated with unstructured decision processes. C) Higher-level organizational decisions should be highly structured. D) Need for collaboration is highly significant for lower-level, structured decisions.

C

The need for collaboration is greatest for ________ decisions. A) operational B) procedural C) strategic D) managerial

A

________ decisions are the most structured and have very little need for collaboration. A) Operational B) Tactical C) Managerial D) Strategic

D

The fundamental purpose of the starting phase of a project is ________. A) accomplishing the project tasks effectively B) outlining the tasks to be accomplished C) managing tasks and budgets D) setting the ground rules for the collaboration

A

An organization defines the rules that govern a project that it needs to undertake and the people who should perform the tasks. The project is in the ________ phase of project management. A) starting B) finalizing C) doing D) planning

A

The decision about team members’ roles and authorities is made during the ________ phase of a project. A) starting B) planning C) doing D) evaluating

C

The main purpose of the planning phase in a project is to ________. A) set up the project scope and initial budget B) accomplish the project tasks effectively C) determine who will do what and by when D) decide if the task status reporting process is needed or not

B

Which of the following tasks should be performed during the planning phase of project management? A) reporting project progress B) determining schedule C) performing project tasks D) preparing archival documents

A

A project manager defines the tasks that her team members have to perform and determines the schedule for carrying out each of the tasks. This project is in the ________ phase of project management. A) planning B) starting C) doing D) finalizing

C

A project manager has to manage tasks and budgets and solve problems during the ________ phase of project management. A) planning B) starting C) doing D) finalizing

D

Project teams should document project results and learnings. Which of the following is the project management phase in which the teams perform this function? A) doing B) planning C) starting D) finalizing

C

One of the procedures of a collaboration project is task status reporting. This is performed in the ________ phase of the project. A) starting B) planning C) doing D) following

B

Identify the project management phase in which the tasks of a project are performed. A) finalizing B) doing C) planning D) starting

A

Project data is data that is ________. A) part of the collaboration’s work product B) used to manage a project C) used as a pointer to task data D) part of documents such as schedules and budgets

B

Project metadata is data that is ________. A) part of the collaboration’s work product B) utilized to manage the project C) developed to design new offerings D) used in documents to describe recommended solutions

D

Which of the following is an example of project data? A) list of project tasks B) schedule C) budget D) design document

C

Which of the following collaboration activities is mainly concerned with content sharing rather than communication? A) promoting team growth B) feedback C) iteration D) increasing team satisfaction

B

Which of the following information system requirements falls into the content sharing category? A) providing for team and member recognition B) tracking versions of many documents C) presenting intrateam learning D) offering easy-to-use multiparty communication

A

________ communication occurs within a team when all team members meet at the same time. A) Synchronous B) Sequential C) Virtual D) Unidirectional

C

Asynchronous communication occurs when team members ________. A) cannot arrive at a common consensus after discussions B) engage in conflicting discussions C) do not meet at the same time D) communicate in a sequential manner

B

The use of a conference call is an example of ________ communication. A) sequential B) synchronous C) indirect D) unidirectional

A

Who is most likely to use asynchronous communication? A) members of a team who work in different time zones B) managers who work in the same office C) employees who work in an assembly line D) a group of directors who periodically meet for board meetings

C

Which of the following tools facilitates asynchronous communication? A) videoconferencing B) webinar C) discussion forum D) screen-sharing application

C

________ is a popular commercial webinar product used in virtual sales presentations. A) Microsoft SharePoint B) MS Office Web C) WebEx D) Google Docs

C

Which of the following is a reason why discussion forums are better than emails in asynchronous communication? A) They are best suited to transmit personalized information. B) They facilitate real-time communication between participants. C) They keep the discussion from getting off track. D) They ensure that all team members are involved in the discussion.

D

The term ________ refers to a collaboration tool where team members can easily respond and the management can easily identify the people who have not responded to a request. A) discussion forums B) wikis C) webinars D) team surveys

D

Which of the following alternatives for sharing content provides version control? A) Windows Live SkyDrive B) Wikis C) Google Docs D) Microsoft SharePoint

B

Version-management systems ________. A) provide version control of documents B) track changes to shared documents C) allow checkout of documents before they are edited D) provide workflow control to manage the activities that are predefined by the group

D

Which of the following statements is true about working with Google Docs? A) Google accounts are not necessarily required to edit documents. B) Documents are stored on the user’s computer. C) Users are not allowed to simultaneously see and edit documents. D) Google tracks document revisions, with brief summaries of changes made.

B

________ is a process that occurs when the collaboration tool limits, and sometimes even directs, user activity. A) Document monitoring B) Version control C) Document tracking D) Version management

C

With version-control systems, shared documents are placed into shared directories called ________. A) caches B) data cubes C) libraries D) data mines

C

Identify the most popular version control application for general business. A) Windows Live SkyDrive B) Wikis C) Microsoft SharePoint D) Google Docs

B

Free data communications and data storage will make collaboration systems cheaper and easier to use by 2022. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of this development? A) Technological products will become unimportant commodities. B) Face-to-face (F2F) meetings will become very rare. C) Companies will rarely use online training tools. D) Synchronous collaboration will replace asynchronous collaboration efforts.

B

Collaboration occurs when a number of people ________. A) come together to perform tasks that are different B) work together to achieve a common goal C) perform independent tasks that are important D) work without having to critically analyze each other’s work

B

________ occurs when a group of people working together to achieve a common goal via a process of feedback and iteration. A) Systems thinking B) Collaboration C) Groupthink D) Experimentation

F

The process of feedback and iteration is more important to cooperation than collaboration.

F

A group of programmers work separately to create modules and merge the modules later to build an application. This is an example of collaboration.

T

Feedback and iteration enable a group to produce something greater than any single person could accomplish working independently.

F

Being a skilled and persuasive presenter is extremely important for an effective collaborator.

T

Being a perceptive listener is more important for a collaborator than being gregarious and dynamic.

F

In order to be an effective collaborator, one should refrain from airing unpopular and different viewpoints.

F

Behaving friendly with others is the single most important collaboration skill.

T

Richard Hackman’s studies revealed that growth team capability is a major criterion for collaboration.

T

Informing is the first and most fundamental collaboration purpose.

T

The facility manager of an insurance company makes decisions on the monthly purchase of office supplies. This is an example of an operational decision.

F

Operational decisions concern the allocation and utilization of resources.

F

Strategic decisions are typically not collaborative.

T

Moving a factory from Detroit to Mexico is an example of a strategic decision.

F

Finding the best location for building a new plant is an example of a structured decision.

F

Need for collaboration increases as the decisions become more structured.

T

An unstructured decision is one for which there is no agreed-on decision-making method.

F

Determining the reorder quantity of an item in inventory is an example of an unstructured decision.

T

Determining the best mix of products that a company should sell is an example of an unstructured decision.

F

Operational decisions require a high degree of collaboration.

T

The fundamental purpose of the starting phase of project management is to set the ground rules for the project and the team.

F

Project documentation and a progress report are prepared during the starting phase of a project.

T

Project documentation is performed during the finalizing phase of a project.

T

Managers assign project tasks to team members during the planning phase.

F

The purpose of the planning phase of project management is to accomplish project tasks.

F

Project plan and budget are prepared during the finalizing phase of project management.

F

Project metadata is data that is part of the collaboration’s work product.

T

A collaboration tool is the program component of a collaboration system.

T

To facilitate iteration, a collaboration system must track many versions of many documents and other work documents.

T

Susan, the operations manager at Multitech Systems Inc., is having a face-to-face meeting with her vendors and some of her senior engineers to arrive at the specifications for the project the company is currently working on. This is an example of synchronous communication.

F

Margaret finds that calling all her senior supervisors and quality managers for a face-to-face meeting is not feasible. She arranges for a multiparty text chatting session involving all of them. This is an example of asynchronous communication.

F

Webinar is a tool used to facilitate asynchronous communication.

T

Email is a form of asynchronous communication.

F

Discussion forums ensure the participation of the entire team.

T

One of the advantages of a team survey is that it is easy to determine who has not yet responded.

T

The choice of information systems used for sharing content depends on the degree of control required.

F

Version management applications offer a higher degree of control than the version control applications.

F

Email is the medium preferred for collaborations in which content control is highly desired.

F

A shared file server is best suited for sharing content when there is increased risk of interference with your work by other team members.

T

Google Docs is a thin-client application for sharing documents.

F

With Google Docs, documents are stored on the user’s computer.

T

Windows Live SkyDrive includes license-free Web application versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

T

Only one user at a time can open SkyDrive documents for editing.

F

Version management systems improve the tracking of shared content and provide version control.

T

In version control systems, the shared directories used to store shared documents are called libraries.

T

Collaboration tools that provide workflow control manage the activities that are predefined by the group.

T

Office 365 is a suite of programs that offers the collaboration facilities such as multiparty text chat.

T

SharePoint Online is an industrial-strength product for content sharing.

T

SharePoint supports discussion forums in which team members can conduct an asynchronous online discussion.

F

Microsoft Exchange does not provide email services to its customers.

T

An Office Web App is a browser-based application.