Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Questions + Answers

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Question 1
The decision-making authority delegated to lower management levels depends on:

I. The situation -
II. The extent of centralization or decentralization
III. Which people in the organization have the best information
VII. The complexity of the environment in which the organizationfunctions
A. I and III
B. II and IV
C. I, II, and IV
D. I, II, III, and IV


Answer : D

Question 2
Organizational culture is comprised of:
A. Organization policy
B. Strategic plans
C. Values, norms, and assumptions shared by the organization members
D. Core competency of the organization


Answer : C

Question 3
A leader derives her or his leadership role from:
A. Her or his experience and training
B. Acceptance of her or his direction by the followers
C. Top management
D. Acceptance by the external customers and the public


Answer : B

Question 4
Situational leadership is applicable when:
I. One approach does not meet every situation
II. A new person on the job requires a lot of direction
III. A new process has been introduced
IV. The performer has mastered the task assigned
A. II and III only
B. IV only
C. I, II, III, and IV
D. III only


Answer : C

Question 5
Which of the following is not usually a role of a manager?
A. Selects people to fill job vacancies
B. Mentors a potential candidate for management
C. Determines the legality of a supplier–partnership agreement
D. Organizes the work to be done


Answer : C


Question 6
The most effective approach for initiating a breakthrough process reengineering effort would be to:
A. Hire an external consultant to direct the planning and implementation of the process change
B. Form a cross-functional project team to carry out the process change
C. Appoint a change agent/sponsor, select a project manager, develop a preliminary plan (including feasibility analysis), obtain funds for detail planning, form a cross-functional projectteam, plan project details, obtain approval, and implement project. Retain an experienced external consultant as an advisor on issues where internal expertise may be lacking.
D. Create an awareness of the need for change and communicate a vision of what the change will accomplish


Answer : D

Question 7
An important benefit of using an internal change agent versus an external change agent is to:
A. Guarantee reduction of the cycle time for quality improvement because the internal change agent already knows what needs to be done and how to do it.
B. Set more goals for improvement because the internal change agent has a greater interest in the outcome.
C. Gain greater support for change from a respected leader who understands the companys key business factors and the need for change.
D. Better protect the needs of all stakeholders by providing feedback to top management that is nonthreatening and more objective.


Answer : C

Question 8
Studies in the healthcare field have identified stethoscopes as one major cause of patient infections. To combat this cause, all healthcare professionals are urged to sterilize their stethoscopes before and after using with each patient. What approach would be best to ensure that this happens?
A. Provide dispensers with sterilization pads at the entrance to all patient rooms, examining rooms, labs, and operating areas. Periodic unscheduled audits will be taken of the number of pads used. Praise or reprimand will be given based on audit findings.
B. Same as A above except each wrapper includes a coupon for entering a weekly drawing for a prize of ones choice, and no audit will be conducted.
C. Same as A above, except wrappers are saved and turned in to supervisor/ department head at end of each shift and no audit will be conducted. Cooperating professionals will receive positive reinforcement for taking action, regardless of number of wrappers submitted.
D. Professionals working in each unit will be allowed to design their own units nonmonetary incentive/reminder for participating in the stethoscope sterilization initiative.


Answer : D

Question 9
Which of the following is not a type of organizational structure?
A. Strategic
B. Process
C. Collateral
D. Matrix


Answer : A

Question 10
Which of the following are ways to promote quality and teamwork in organizations?

I. Reducing hierarchies -
II. Creating steering committees
III. Recognizing internal customers
IV. Structuring the organization into teams
A. I and III only
B. II and IV only
C. I, II, and III only
D. I, II, III, and IV


Answer : D




Question 11
Which of the following are good reasons for including workforce personnel on project teams?
I. Provide subject matter expertise.
II. Reduce the upper management time commitment.
III. Increase worker participation in the improvement process.
IV. Reduce the direct-labor allocation on over-budget product lines.
A. I and III only
B. II and IV only
C. I, III, and IV only
D. I, II, III, and IV


Answer : A

Question 12
Which of the following best describes the differences between crossfunctional and matrix organizations?
A. Cross-functionals deal with companywide issues, whereas matrices focus on specific projects.
B. Cross-functionals are often temporary, whereas matrices are permanent.
C. Cross-functionals deal with internal groups, whereas matrices deal with external groups.
D. Cross-functionals usually consist of personnel with technical skills, whereas matrices usually consist of high-level functional executives.


Answer : A

Question 13
Empowerment can be characterized by each of the following statements except:
A. Employees are able to operate in a state of self-control.
B. A partnership is formed between employees and management.
C. Employees are able to make decisions affecting their work.
D. Management relinquishes responsibility to employees.


Answer : D

Question 14
In your former position of employment you helped develop a statistical software package that the company markets, and because of your position there you receive royalties on the sales. Your current employer needs to purchase some statistical software and has asked you to select the best available package. You believe that the one sold by your former employer best meets the criteri a. You should:
A. State that you can not participate in the selection process because of your potential bias.
B. Tell the company of your financial interest in the software selected, along with the reasons for selecting it as the best option.
C. Simply purchase the software because you know it is the best based on the matrix you used for analysis of the various packages.
D. Select another statistical software package to avoid any possible perception of bias.


Answer : B

Question 15
A department has been asked to name two employees who will become part of a temporary team set up by an external customer to resolve a recurring problem. Which of the following is the least important criterion for selecting the two representatives?
A. Strong interpersonal skills
B. Problem-solving skills
C. Negotiation skills
D. Knowledge of the customer ’s product


Answer : D


Question 16
You have been meeting every day for four days with the purchasing manager, trying to decide the relative responsibilities of the quality and purchasing departments for dealing with supplier problems. Which of the following would likely be least effective at helping reach agreement?
A. Meet in a conference room rather than one of your offices.
B. Wait several days before meeting again.
C. Write a procedure outlining how you believe the process should work.
D. Spend more time listening than talking, in order to understand the purchasing manager s viewpoint.


Answer : C

Question 17
Managers who take shortcuts, push employees beyond their limits, eliminate training, and neglect equipment maintenance probably are:
A. Dissatisfied with their current salaries.
B. Evaluated against short-term results.
C. Striving for a promotion.
D. Tired and overworked.


Answer : B

Question 18
A tool used to assess the readiness of the organization to embrace and institutionalize change is:
A. Management review.
B. Hoshin planning.
C. Nominal group technique.
D. Force-field analysis.


Answer : D

Question 19
Two employees separately submitted the same idea to a companys formal suggestion system on the same date. Under the rules of the system the employee who submits an idea is to receive a portion of the financial savings in the first year, which for this idea will be a very substantial amount. However, each employee claims to have come up with the idea and insists that the other stole it and submitted it after a conversation theyd had about a processing problem in their department. Neither wants to share the reward. The company should:
A. Change the suggestion system to be available only to teams.
B. Call in an arbitrator to settle the issue.
C. Insist that the two employees negotiate with each other until they reach an agreement.
D. Ask others in the department how they believe the reward should be distributed.


Answer : C

Question 20
The leader of a team that had formerly worked together exceptionally well has noticed several disagreements between team members since two new people joined the team two weeks ago. The leader should:
A. Meet with all team members except the new ones and try to come up with suggestions for resolving any problems.
B. Have a one-on-one discussion with each of the new members and explain how the team used to avoid arguments.
C. Ask a facilitator to attend the next few meetings to help reduce conflict.
D. Do nothing.


Answer : D


Question 21
A facilitator notices that the team jumps to conclusions after only one or two members have stated their opinion. The facilitator should:
A. Tell the team to have a nonbinding vote before beginning a discussion, which will make each persons view apparent.
B. Ask the team to fill out a questionnaire rating themselves on effective group process.
C. Tell the quiet members they need to speak out.
D. Ask what the impact will be on the team if they don’t adequately discuss issues.


Answer : D

Question 22
A company has been very reactive in dealing with quality since it was started 19 years ago and management wants to develop a more proactive organization. Which of the following actions by top management would be most useful at the beginning of the process of change?
A. Change the reward system.
B. Create a new position with the title “preventive action coordinator.”
C. Reorganize into “small business units” that have a line of sight for quality problems.
D. Define, communicate, and demonstrate proactive quality behaviors.


Answer : D

Question 23
A team is frustrated by the difficulty of the project on which theyre working, and has asked the sponsor to attend their next meeting. The sponsor should:
A. Decline, since the team needs to own the process.
B. Attend with a clear vision of the importance of the project.
C. Try to identify resisting forces before attending the meeting.
D. Attend and communicate a sense of urgency.


Answer : B

Question 24
Which of the following process improvement teams projects is likely to be regarded as most successful where on-time deliverables are critical.
A. Deliverables were completed on time, but project incurred a one percent cost overrun.
B. Project team worked well together and worked hard but lacked sufficient resources to complete project on time and within budget.
C. Project required a reduction in scope in order to finish within planned time and cost and avoid a late penalty.
D. Project completed deliverables a week late and incurred a cost overrun but provided unplanned added value.


Answer : A

Question 25
As part of the continued evolution of their TQM philosophy, a company recently devised a sophisticated gain-sharing program that allows all employees to obtain financial rewards from improved organizational performance. Which of the following is true?
A. The company will see increased enthusiasm for their TQM efforts.
B. Management should ensure that the TQM effort also taps intrinsic motivation.
C. The gain-sharing program probably gives a greater proportion of the rewards to employees at higher levels of the organization.
D. Quality to the customer may drop as improvement efforts become more focused on financial results.


Answer : B


Question 26
Which of these circumstances might reasonably prompt a reevaluation of an organizations policies and strategic objectives?

I. The retirement of the CEO -
II. A merger with another company
III. Divestiture of a major division
IV. Obsolescence of a major technology
A. I, II, III, and IV
B. II, III, and IV only
C. I, II, and IV only
D. II and III only


Answer : A

Question 27
A small chain of five retail stores has just completed its initial strategic planning and wishes to determine the effectiveness of its plans for the first year. They should track and measure:
A. Results from action plans.
B. Frequency of application of the quality policy.
C. Attainment of the strategic objectives.
D. Organization goals.


Answer : C

Question 28
Three hospitals are located within the same metropolitan are a. One hospital determined that both its cafeteria and its gift shop ranked lower in variety and convenience than the other two hospitals. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate?
A. Normalize the data based on any significant differences in the customers being served (for example, economic strata).
B. Subcontract the cafeteria and gift shop to outside sources that can provide greater attention to these nonmedical aspects of the hospital operations.
C. Colocate the cafeteria and the gift shop in order to share resources, reduce costs, simplify access, and allow a greater investment in variety.
D. Look at customer purchasing patterns and profit margins to maximize investment payback.


Answer : A

Question 29
Strategic planning may include all but which of the following?
A. A SWOT analysis
B. Hoshin planning and deployment
C. A seven-step problem-solving technique
D. Scenario planning


Answer : C

Question 30
During the development of company strategy, input should be sought from:
A. Advertising agencies.
B. Competitors.
C. Stakeholders.
D. Public relations advisers.


Answer : C




Question 31
To establish the direction an organizations first strategic planning initiative should take, the organization should first create:
A. A mission statement.
B. Organizational objectives.
C. A vision statement.
D. Action plans.


Answer : C

Question 32
An organizations environmental scanning process has uncovered the following:
-> They have an underutilized core competency.
-> Their research and development capability is well recognized.
-> Retention of their best performers is a problem.
-> A new technology from another country can be employed in developing a whole new product family.
What technique/tool was most likely used to categorize and analyze these and other similar data?
A. Priorities matrix
B. Process map
C. Quality function deployment
D. SWOT analysis


Answer : D

Question 33
The role of the quality function in supporting strategic plans could include all but which of the following?
A. Institute and enforce a quality policy across all organizational functions.
B. Lead the implementation of an ISO 9001 QMS, as identified in the strategic plan.
C. Advise other functions in the setting of quality objectives that are linked to the organizations strategic plan.
D. Facilitate the deployment of the voice of the customer throughout the organization.


Answer : A

Question 34
In preparation for strategic planning, organizations should look closely at their industry to determine:
I. The amount of excess capacity.
II. Which competitors might join forces and become a greater threat.
III. How employees perceive competitor advertisements.
IV. What changes in regulatory requirements are likely to occur.
A. I and II
B. II and III
C. I, II, and IV
D. I, II, III, and IV


Answer : C

Question 35
Scenario planning is used for:
A. Deciding which continuous improvement project recommendations to implement first.
B. Determining which method of financial analysis to use.
C. Envisioning several alternative strategic viewpoints.
D. Analyzing the results of a SWOT analysis.


Answer : C