369 Questions: Part 1 Flashcards
Different authorities have conflicting views regarding delegation. However, there seems to be general agreement that if chief executive A delegates a task to subordinate executive B, Executive B cannot in-turn delegate junior executive C-
A. Within organizational policy, to prescribe the methods to be used in performing the task.
B. Responsibility for direct supervision of the task to be performed.
C. The duty to insure that predetermined standards are used in the results to be archived in performing the task.
D. Accountability of B to A of performing the task,
B. Responsibility for direct supervision of the task to be performed.
If the problem of administrative problem solving can be said to have formal steps, the final phase can most aptly described as: A. Effectuation B. Evaluation C. Indoctrination D. Interpretation
B. Evaluation
The principal difficulty in setting quantitative work standards for professional employees is:
A. Professional employees tend to oppose standards
B. Comparable units of work are difficult to devise
C. Jobs among professional employees vary substantially
B. Comparable units of work are difficult to devise
Most modern analysts claim that a high level of cooperation and motivation in an organization can be accomplished by linking employees’ motivation with organizational goals through:
A. Formal staff meetings regularly scheduled
B. Formal meetings with first line supervisors and employees regularly scheduled
C. Informal meetings of groups in regularly scheduled face to face work groups
D. Informal meetings of groups randomly scheduled
A. Formal staff meetings regularly scheduled
A study of the administrative set up in an organization yields several recommendations to be made in the structure of the organization and work procedures. In preparing a written report, the best approach to employ in “selling” the recommendations to operating personnel is by:
A. Acceptability i.e. first to explain those changes in which the operating personnel are most likely to assent
B. Ease of implantation i.e. first explain those changes which can be implemented with the least amount of effort and expense
C. Ease of implementation i.e. first explain those changes which can be implemented with the least amount of time and effort
D. Outlining the major improvements by order of importance
A. Acceptability i.e. first to explain those changes in which the operating personnel are most likely to assent
Analysis of departmental work programs in conjunction with the City’s budget is performed by the CAO’s staff by review of which of the following:
A. Annual work program
B. Personnel utilization charts
C. Cumulative cost reports (produced by DSB)
D. Financial status reports
B. Personnel utilization charts
On the organizational charts prepared in connection with the City's budget, which one of the following needs usually be shown only to the extent it is feasible to do so? A. Functional responsibilities B. Position authority and description C. Relationship of organizational units D. Staffing of established positions
D. Staffing of established positions
The main disadvantage of large organization of a large establishing its internal structure on a purely line basis is:
A. Inflexibility in emergencies
B. Lack of clear lines of authority
C. Lax discipline
D. Executives tend to get overloaded with details
D. Executives tend to get overloaded with details
In an organization with horizontal specialization, vertical is necessary in order to:
A. Coordinate work efforts of personnel toward certain objectives
B. Permit “commercialization” between horizontal divisions
C. Keep unrelated functions separate
D. Make delegation of authority possible
A. Coordinate work efforts of personnel toward certain objectives
Of the following, which is not required on a request for a transfer of funds:
A. Effect on the department work program
B. Alternative source of funds
C. Reason why shortage of funds has occurred or will occur
D. Effect on department operations if transfer is not effected
B. Alternative source of funds
The relative size of an organization’s administrative staff will increase as the size of the organization:
A. Increases and the complexity of the organization’s work increases
B. Increases and the complexity of the organization’s work decreases
C. Decreases and the complexity of the organization work decreases
D. Decreases and the complexity of the organization’s work increases
D. Decreases and the complexity of the organization’s work increases
To be considered measurable for budget purposes, work must be measured with respect to: A. Time only B. Workload only C. Either time or workload D. Both time and workload
D. Both time and workload
This document is normally used as a delivery receipt and often to confirm emergency orders from a vendor: A. Authority for expenditure B. Interdepartmental sub-order C. Sub-purchase-order D. Transmittal
C. Sub-purchase-order
In an organization containing both line supervisors and staff consultants, the preferred organizational relationship is for the consultants to be:
A. Above the line supervisors
B. At the same level reporting to the same superior as the line supervisors
C. Below the line supervisors
D. Autonomous with no responsibility or control by the line organization
B. At the same level reporting to the same superior as the line supervisors
In government agencies, ad hoc committees are used as:
A. Functional decision making
B. Temporary decision making bodies
C. Expedite decision making
D. Staff in the technical sense as compared to line
D. Staff in the technical sense as compared to line
Under Charter Section 355 (1), budgetary transfers involving less than $5,000 can be made with the approval of the CAO. An important limitation to this process is that it only applies to:
A. Transfers resulting from clerical or accounting errors in the budget document
B. Intra-departmental accounts
C. Transfers resulting from additions to the position authority
D. Transfers necessitated by unexpected fluctuations in the revenue estimate
B. Intra-departmental accounts
Council Committees’ power in relationship to City functions:
A. They have no control over departmental operations
B. Have limited administrative control over departmental operations
C. Have considerable administrative control over departmental Operations
A. They have no control over departmental operations
Who draws the distinction between curative medical visits and preventative medical visits in regard to sick time usage? A. Controller B. City Attorney C. Civil Service Commission D. Council E. CAO
B. City Attorney
Basic documents controlling City activities require the general managers of departments to submit monthly reports to the Mayor on the work of the department. Of the following documents, which explains the materials that must be included in the report? A. City Charter B. Administrative Code C. Department. budget manual D. Executive Directive E. CAO Rules
D. Executive Directive
A Civil Service rule which is reasonable and not in conflict with any law:
A. May be amended by ordinance
B. Has the same force and effect as the City Charter
C. May be overruled (set aside) by any competent court of law
D. May be suspended (overruled) by the Civil Service Commission
B. Has the same force and effect as the City Charter
The determination of what combination of duties and responsibilities is involved in a given position in a given department is the responsibility of:
A. Department head
B. Civil Service Commission
C. Department head with the approval of the Civil Service Commission
D. General manager, Personnel Department
A. Department head
An employee having full civil service status is discharged for cause and appeals the discharge against such an appeal is:
A. Proof by a clear and substantial preponderance of the evidence
B. Expressions as to opinions of the quality of the employee’s work by at least two supervisors familiar with his/her work
C. Sufficient evidence of particular facts and incidents to show a reasonable basis for the action taken
D. None; the burden is on the employee to show that the discharge was due to discrimination, politics or a similar factor
C. Sufficient evidence of particular facts and incidents to show a reasonable basis for the action taken
As result of disciplinary hearing under Civil Service Commission Rule 12, the Board finds that the changes against the employee are insufficient and/or not sustained. In this case the Board:
A. Must find the penalty not sustained
B. May or may not find the penalty sustained
C. Cannot sustain a discharge but may sustain a suspension
D. Cannot sustain the discharge without approval of the appointing authority
B. May or may not find the penalty sustained
Protection of the rights set forth in the California Fair Employment Practices act is done under what particular authority of the State?
A. Conservation of State resources
B. Welfare power
C. Police power
D. Power conferred under federal FEP legislation
C. Police power
Responsibility of department managers for affirmative action programs is explained in:
A. Personnel Policy and Procedures
B. Mayor Executive Directives
C. Los Angeles Municipal Code
D. LA City Affirmative Action ordinance passed by Council
B. Mayor Executive Directives
Of all the feasible possibilities, the soundest solution to the problem of increasing job opportunities and availability for the disadvantaged in a governmental setting operating under a merit system is:
A. Analysis and redesign of jobs
B. Exempting from Civil Service requirements
C. Establishing desirable rather than absolute exam performance requirements
A. Analysis and redesign of jobs
In the context of affirmative action, “discrimination” as defined by the Supreme Court and the EFOC is:
A. Overt, unequal treatment, sanctioned by official policy
B. Systemic, covert, subtle unequal treatment
C. Consequences of employment practices without regard to motivation
D. Unequal treatment resulting from motivated actions
C. Consequences of employment practices without regard to motivation
Public relations begin with supervisor-employee relationships mainly because:
A. Employees need extensive training in public relations
B. If morale and discipline are lacking it is usually at the expense of good public relations
C. Employees cannot have good public relations if they don’t have good supervisors
D. Well informed employees always keep their supervisors informed of any public relations problems
B. If morale and discipline are lacking it is usually at the expense of good public relations
Delegation of authority by executives is an accepted practice. But there are consequences of such delegation. The executive should most carefully guard against:
A. A tendency towards independence by the employee
B. Employee will do the work on his/her own, without showing steps to executive
C. The making of errors by employees
D. The executive is ultimately responsible for control of the unit
C. The making of errors by employees
The Budget Manual issued by the CAO provides that work units must meet all of the following criteria except that they need not: A. Be expressed in monetary terms B. Be countable C. Reflect work effort D. Have consistency
A. Be expressed in monetary terms
The value of in-service training can be judged by:
A. The number of training sessions attended
B. Employee’s opinion of training session
C. What employee has learned at training session
D. Employee’s performance on the job after training
D. Employee’s performance on the job after training
According to the Employee Relations Board provisions of the Administrative Code, a “qualified employee organization” is best defined as:
A. An exclusive representative unit
B. An organization certified by the Employee Relations Board
C. On organization whose primary purpose is to represent employees
C. On organization whose primary purpose is to represent employees
In most cases, if a department wishes to designate an employee as management or confidential, the approving authority is: A. CAO B. Employee relations Board C. Personnel Department D. All of the above
C. Personnel Department
Quantified work performance standards are of value in administrative budget preparation chiefly because they:
A. Reveal areas where staff development or training is needed
B. Serve to guide supervisors in making job assignments
C. Provide a basis for determining the number of workers needed
D. Indicate needs for labor-saving methods or machinery
C. Provide a basis for determining the number of workers needed
The attitude in enforcing safety regulations should be:
A. That all accidents are caused by the lack of knowledge of safety precaution
B. That safety regulations are the result of knowledge and experience in accident prevention
C. That failure to follow safety instructions will result in legal action
D. That following safety regulations will make other safety efforts unnecessary
B. That safety regulations are the result of knowledge and experience in accident prevention
The most significant measure of success of a safety program is the extent to which it affects the workers: A. Performance B. Attitude C. Interest D. Knowledge
A. Performance
Which one of the following elements of an accident is not included in the investigation of an accident? A. Extent of injury B. Unsafe condition C. Unsafe act D. Type of accident
A. Extent of injury
Appropriations are stated in \_\_\_\_\_\_ terms in the budget document. A. Performance B. Program C. Line-item D. Zero-based
C. Line-item
The biggest disadvantage of line-item budgeting is that it:
A. Overspecializes the use of city funds
B. Overemphasizes work programs
C. Doesn’t measure work performance
D. Lacks the ability to measure how efficiently work is performed
D. Lacks the ability to measure how efficiently work is performed
Program budgeting permits a higher degree of \_\_\_\_\_ for the attainment of objectives: A. Responsibility B. Accountability C. Achievement D. None of the above
B. Accountability
