Chapter 02 Management Theory: Essential Background for the
Successful Manager Answer Key
True / False Questions
1.
During a manager’s meeting, Paula, a district manager, discussed how to handle sensitive
employee issues, and indicated correctly that management is really just an art.
2.
Supporters of evidence-based management would say there are many really new ideas.
3.
Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton believed that evidence-based management is based on
the belief that facing the hard facts about what works and having to accept the nonsense
that passes for sound advice will help organizations perform better.
4.
Peter Drucker, a famous 19th-century socialist, opposed capitalism and many current
business theories.
5.
Evidence-based management is based on the belief that understanding the sound
complete truths of conventional managerial wisdom and accepting much of the nonsense
that often passes for sound advice can at times help organizations perform better.
6.
The contemporary perspective of management includes three viewpoints: systems,
contingency, and quality management.
7.
The historical perspective of management includes three viewpoints—systems,
contingency, and quality management.
8.
Understanding theoretical perspectives of management will help you understand why
some practices are still favored, whether for right or wrong reasons.
9.
Studying theoretical perspectives of management can help a manager in many ways, but
seldom provides new ideas in new situations.
10.
Ali, a CEO of a large IT organization, understands that many challenges are coming in his
industry; therefore, he tells his upper-level management that it’s helpful to look at
theoretical perspectives of management to help make predictions and develop principles
to guide future company strategies and actions.
11.
Donna, the president of a national restaurant chain, believes that studying theoretical
perspectives of management seldom gives clues to the meaning of outside events that
could affect her company.
12.
The classical viewpoint of management emphasized ways to manage work more
efficiently.
13.
The behavioral viewpoint of management emphasized the importance of encouraging
employees to work more efficiently.
14.
The systems viewpoint of management regards the organization as systems of interrelated
parts that operate together to achieve a common purpose.
15.
Scientific management focused on ways to improve worker morale.
16.
By identifying the “therbligs” in a job, such as the supplies of a bricklayer, Frank and
Lillian Gilbreth were able to eliminate costs while simultaneously reducing supplies
wasted.
17.
When managing her company, Priya, the owner of ABC Manufacturing, utilizes the
behavioral viewpoint of management, which emphasizes ways to manage work more
efficiently.
18.
Don, a restaurant manager and MBA student, was reflecting on a how he can apply the
classical management viewpoint in his store from a recent class, which supposes his
employees are rational in their decisions.
19.
Susan, a department manager, believes that since the corporate office eliminated certain
benefits to reduce costs, her employees have not been working as hard as in the past.
This reduction in effort is known as “soldiering.”
20.
Scientific management emphasized the scientific study of work methods to improve the
productivity of individual workers.
21.
Motion studies broke down each worker’s job into basic physical motions and then trained
workers to use the methods of their best-performing coworkers.
22.
Joe, a plant manager, was interested in utilizing the differential rate system of scientific
management in his factory because it suggested paying workers less to cut costs when
production first increased.
23.
Paul, an MBA student and small-business owner, is interested in implementing the
administrative management approach because this method of management focuses on
improving employee morale.
24.
According to Fayol, the major functions of management are planning, monitoring, leading,
and motivating.
25.
Max Weber felt that bureaucracy is irrational, inefficient, and not ideal for organizations.
26.
In our time, the word
bureaucracy
has come to have negative associations: impersonality,
inflexibility, red tape, and a molasses-like response to problems.
27.
A problem with the classical viewpoint is that it does not consider overall company and
global problems and goals.
28.
Carmakers have broken down automobile manufacturing into its basic tasks, such as on
an assembly line, because the application of scientific methods and job specialization
boosts productivity.
29.
The behavioral viewpoint emphasized the importance of understanding human behavior
and of motivating employees toward achievement.
30.
The behavioral viewpoint emphasized the importance of understanding human behavior
and increasing diversity.
31.
Ann, an industrial psychologist, has been studying Hugo Munsterberg’s beliefs of human
behavior in the workplace because she feels his principles could contribute to her
industry, namely to determine which people are best suited to specific jobs, to identify the
psychological conditions under which employees do their best work, and devise
management strategies to influence employees to follow management’s interests.
32.
Mary Parker Follett believed that organizations should be under heavy management
control, with managers resolving conflicts and controlling the work process.
33.
Don, a production manager, has decided to utilize the Hawthorne effect in his facility
because studies have shown that this theory will increase production by giving more
independence to employees as they receive less attention.
34.
The Hawthorne studies succeeded in drawing attention to the importance of “social man”
and how managers using good human relations could improve worker productivity.
35.
The human relations movement proposed that better rules and procedures could increase
worker productivity.
36.
Abraham Maslow said that all needs are equal in importance and need to be satisfied
daily.
37.
Umar, a general manager in a fast-food chain, has employees all under the age of 25, and
most of his workers are good employees. However, Umar still believes his workers are
irresponsible and lack ambition. Umar is a Theory X manager.
38.
Olde Manufacturing, a parts supplier to the auto industry, has been using the behavioral
approach to management for over 100 years. However, since that method of management
is too simplistic for practical use, Olde should begin implementing the newer and more
sophisticated human relations movement approach to management.