Chapter 5 - Terms

Question 1

Planning

Answer 1

choosing a goal and developing a strategy to achieve that goal

Question 2

S.M.A.R.T. goals

Answer 2

goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely

Question 3

Goal commitment

Answer 3

the determination to achieve a goal

Question 4

Action plan

Answer 4

a plan that lists the specific steps, people, resources, and time period needed to attain a goal

Question 5

Proximal goals

Answer 5

short-term goals or subgoals

Question 6

Distal goals

Answer 6

long-term or primary goals

Question 7

Options-based planning

Answer 7

maintaining planning flexibility by making small, simultaneous investments in many alternative plans

Question 8

Slack resources

Answer 8

a cushion of extra resources that can be used with options-based planning to adapt to unanticipated changes, problems, or opportunities

Question 9

Strategic plans

Answer 9

overall company plans that clarify how the company will serve customers and position itself against competitors over the next two to five years

Question 10

Purpose statement

Answer 10

a statement of a company’s purpose or reason for existing

Question 11

Strategic objective

Answer 11

a more specific goal that unifies company-wide efforts, stretches and challenges the organization, and possesses a finish line and a time frame

Question 12

Tactical plans

Answer 12

plans created and implemented by middle managers that direct behavior, efforts, and attention over the next six months to two years

Question 13

Management by objectives

Answer 13

a four-step process in which managers and employees discuss and select goals, develop tactical plans, and meet regularly to review progress toward goal accomplishment

Question 14

Operational plans

Answer 14

day-to-day plans, developed and implemented by lower-level managers, for producing or delivering the organization’s products and services over a 30-day to six-month period

Question 15

Single-use plans

Answer 15

plans that cover unique, one-time-only events

Question 16

Standing plans

Answer 16

plans used repeatedly to handle frequently recurring events

Question 17

Policies

Answer 17

standing plans that indicate the general course of action that should be taken in response to a particular event or situation

Question 18

Procedures

Answer 18

standing plans that indicate the specific steps that should be taken in response to a particular event

Question 19

Rules and regulations

Answer 19

standing plans that describe how a particular action should be performed or what must happen or not happen in response to a particular event

Question 20

Budgeting

Answer 20

quantitative planning through which managers decide how to allocate available money to best accomplish company goals

Question 21

Decision making

Answer 21

the process of choosing a solution from available alternatives

Question 22

Rational decision making

Answer 22

a systematic process of defining problems, evaluating alternatives, and choosing optimal solutions

Question 23

Problem

Answer 23

a gap between a desired state and an existing state

Question 24

Decision criteria

Answer 24

the standards used to guide judgments and decisions

Question 25

Absolute comparisons

Answer 25

a process in which each decision criterion is compared to a standard or ranked on its own merits

Question 26

Relative comparisons

Answer 26

a process in which each decision criterion is compared directly with every other criterion

Question 27

Maximize

Answer 27

choosing the best alternative

Question 28

Satisficing

Answer 28

choosing a “good-enough” alternative

Question 29

Groupthink

Answer 29

a barrier to good decision making caused by pressure within the group for members to agree with each other

Question 30

C-type conflict (cognitive conflict)

Answer 30

disagreement that focuses on problem- and issue-related differences of opinion

Question 31

A-type conflict (affective conflict)

Answer 31

disagreement that focuses on individuals or personal issues

Question 32

Devil’s advocacy

Answer 32

a decision-making method in which an individual or a subgroup is assigned the role of critic

Question 33

Dialectical inquiry

Answer 33

a decision-making method in which decision makers state the assumptions of a proposed solution (a thesis) and generate a solution that is the opposite (antithesis) of that solution

Question 34

Nominal group technique

Answer 34

a decision-making method that begins and ends by having group members quietly write down and evaluate ideas to be shared with the group

Question 35

Delphi technique

Answer 35

a decision-making method in which members of a panel of experts respond to questions and to each other until reaching agreement on an issue

Question 36

Brainstorming

Answer 36

a decision-making method in which group members build on each others’ ideas to generate as many alternative solutions as possible

Question 37

Electronic brainstorming

Answer 37

a decision-making method in which group members use computers to build on each others’ ideas and generate as many alternative solutions as possible

Question 38

Production blocking

Answer 38

a disadvantage of face-to-face brainstorming in which a group member must wait to share an idea because another member is presenting an idea

Question 39

Evaluation apprehension

Answer 39

fear of what others will think of your ideas