IIA IIA-CIA-PART4 Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

IIA IIA-CIA-PART4 Online Questions & Answers

• Question 411:

  Which of the following characteristics is a strength of group decision making?

  A. Group decision making is quicker than individual decision making.
  B. More information can be processed by the group than by an individual.
  C. It is less costly to have decisions made by groups than by an individual.
  D. Group decision making leads to the selection of the most appropriate alternative.
  B. More information can be processed by the group than by an individual.

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  The advantages of group decision making are that the group will have broader experience, greater expertise, a wider range of perspectives, and a greater capacity for absorbing facts than an individual. The exchange of viewpoints within the group may provide more illumination of the problem than could be achieved by one person.

• Question 412:

  Management literature describes generic influence tactics used to change the behavior of others in the workplace. According to the relevant research.

  A. Male managers are significantly more likely than female managers to use pressure tactics.
  B. Female managers are significantly more likely that male managers to use consultation.
  C. Influence tactics tend to be used laterally and downward, but not upward.
  D. Influence tactics tend to vary with the leadership styles of superiors.
  D. Influence tactics tend to vary with the leadership styles of superiors.

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  Upward influence methods used by employees of authoritarian managers are most likely to consist of ingratiating tactics and upward appeals. Rational persuasion is the method used most often by employees of participative managers.

• Question 413:

  Which of the following is not a cost of decentralization?

  A. Dysfunctional decision making owing to disagreements of managers regarding overall goals and sub goals of the individual decision makers.
  B. A decreased understanding of the overall goals of the organization.
  C. Increased costs for developing the information system.
  D. Increased costs of corporate-level staff services and management talent.
  D. Increased costs of corporate-level staff services and management talent.

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  The costs of centralized staff may actually decrease under decentralization. On the other hand, the corporate staff and the various services they provide may have to be duplicated in various divisions, thereby increasing overall costs. Suboptimal decisions may result fromdisharmony among organizational goals, subgoals of the division, and the individual goals of managers. The overall goals of the firm may more easily be misunderstood because individual managers may not see the larger picture. Moreover, the information system necessary for adequate reporting in a decentralized mode will tend toward redundancy, which increases costs.

• Question 414:

  Cross-training of employees in various functions is an example of job:

  A. Enlargement.
  B. Rotation.
  C. Enrichment.
  D. Redesign.
  B. Rotation.

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  Job rotation may introduce a welcome element of change in boring, highly specialized jobs. It may also have such benefits as cross-functional training and avoidance of repetitive stress injuries.

• Question 415:

  According to Michael E. Porter's generic strategies model, a firm that successfully adopts a cost focus strategy is most likely to:

  A. Have weak customer loyalty.
  B. Have a strong RandD function.
  C. Know its market well.
  D. Enjoy economies of scale.
  C. Know its market well.

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  Cost focus is the generic strategy favored by firms that seek competitive advantage through lower costs and that have a narrow competitive scope (e.g., a regional market or a specialized product line). The rationale for a cost focus strategy is that the narrower market can be better served because the firm knows it well.

• Question 416:

  "But I mailed the order 4 weeks ago, giving the supplier plenty of time," said the parts manager when asked why a critical part was not available. The most likely reason for this failed communication between the parts manager and the supplier was?

  A. Lack of feedback.
  B. Confusing language.
  C. Inappropriate medium.
  D. Perceptual selectivity.
  A. Lack of feedback.

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  The effectiveness of communication can be determined only by the sender seeking feedback and observing the impact of the communication on the receiver. The sender is obligated to solicit feedback to ensure that the communication process is complete. The receiver should give feedback to the sender. The importance of feedback to check the effectiveness of the communication process indicates the limitations of one-way communications e.g., memos). Effectiveness can only be measured when the sender perceives a change in the receiver's behavior. Thus, the parts manager the sender) should have sought and the supplier the receiver) should have provided, feedback.

• Question 417:

  A line position:

  A. Is indirectly responsible for achieving the organization's basic objectives.
  B. Makes administrative and operating decisions.
  C. Advises and assists staff positions.
  D. Is indirectly involved with the organization's product(s) and/or services.
  B. Makes administrative and operating decisions.

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  A line position is in the direct chain of command and is responsible for administering policy and making operating decisions. People in line positions have direct responsibility for achieving the organization's basic objectives and thus have formal or legitimate authority.

• Question 418:

  A likely effect of a bureaucratic structure on employee motivation is that:

  A. Employee performance will be mediocre because of inflexible standards and impersonal surroundings.
  B. An employee will pursue organizational goals because of his/her participation in establishing them.
  C. Morale will be high because of each employee's feeling of belonging and ownership.
  D. Job enrichment will be high because of each employee's involvement in developing and adapting his/her job description and required tasks.
  A. Employee performance will be mediocre because of inflexible standards and impersonal surroundings.

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  In a bureaucracy, standards for evaluating job performance do not fluctuate because required tasks never change. The work environment is impersonal, which limits individual growth of employees because no incentive for extraordinary performance is present.

• Question 419:

  A production manager is working on a plan to increase employee motivation at a local plant by comparing results of employee interviews to those from employees at a higher performing plant. The manager is puzzled about the results of two sets of employee interviews. The employees interviewed performed identical jobs. Local employees thought their jobs were boring and unfulfilling while the other plant's employees were very satisfied. Even new employees at the local plant indicated they quickly lost enthusiasm. Identify the primary element the manager must overcome to enhance performance.

  A. Negative job perception.
  B. Inadequate job autonomy.
  C. Lack of skill variety.
  D. Low task significance.
  A. Negative job perception.

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  The tasks and environment for both sets of employees are the same. Thus, the individuals' perceptions are the key to the problem.

• Question 420:

  Which of the following is true regarding Fiedler's studies of contingency theory?

  A. The three dimensions to contingency theory are position power, task structure, and relationship structure.
  B. The two types of leaders that emerged from Fiedler's studies include task-oriented style and leader-member style.
  C. Placement of leaders in the organization is not as important as the leaders' leadership skills.
  D. People become leaders not only because of personality attributes, but also because of various situational factors and the interaction between the leaders and the situation.
  D. People become leaders not only because of personality attributes, but also because of various situational factors and the interaction between the leaders and the situation.

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  According to Fred E. Fiedler's contingency theory, people become leaders not only because of personality attributes, but also because of various situational factors and the interaction between the leaders and the situation. Thus, the right person at the right time may rise to a position of leadership if his or her personality and the needs of the situation complement each other.