People Flashcards
Three of your stakeholders have approached you regarding the difficulty they are having with one of your team members. This team member is making inappropriate jokes, continually interrupts others, and is argumentative and unwilling to listen to the stakeholders’ ideas. What is the offending team member lacking in this situation?
Training
Team-building activities
Interpersonal and team skills
Ground rules
Interpersonal and team skills
While all options listed may help the situation, interpersonal and team skills is the prominent area that the offending team member lacks.
Your project has kicked off, and you are beginning a series of overview sessions with key users to determine requirements for a new enterprise resource software implementation. One of your stakeholders is exceptionally contentious and throws obstacles up at every turn. One of the problems she has described does seem to be legitimate. There is an issue with the data from the legacy system that needs to be resolved before moving forward. Which of the following statements is not true regarding this situation?
You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms.
Your decision-making involves asking questions to determine whether the issues are internal or external to the project.
Your decision-making has a timing element.
You should use a two-step process involving problem definition and decision-making.
You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms.
Problem-solving involves asking questions to separate the causes of the problem from the symptoms. Decision-making involves considering alternative solutions to the problem. Choices are made from among the alternatives. Timing is important in decision-making, because good decisions made too soon or too late can turn into inferior solutions
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. What type of power does the submitter of the change request typically use?
Expert
Punishment
Legitimate
Referent
Legitimate, or formal, power comes as a result of the influencer’s position.
You are working on a critical project for your organization. The CEO has made it clear this is a top priority. One of the key stakeholders on your project resigned, and her replacement started about three weeks ago. She does not make time for you or seem to have the same level of urgency regarding this project as the CEO. You are concerned with overall project success and want to efficiently manage the processes involved with this project. All of the following are methods referred to within this scenario except for which one?
Ground rules
Data analysis
Decision-making
Meetings
Ground rules
This question describes activities associated with monitoring the engagement levels of stakeholders. The tools and techniques used to perform these activities include data analysis, decision-making, data representation, communication skills, interpersonal and team skills, and meetings. Ground rules are used to manage stakeholder engagement.
A project manager hosted a celebration for the project team to reward them for a job well done that led to the successful completion of a major project. It was clear to the project manager that the team was relaxed and enjoying themselves, with some talking about upcoming vacation plans. What type of project ending is this?
Starvation Integration Extinction Addition
Extinction is the best type of project ending, meaning that the project came to an end because it was completed and accepted by the stakeholders.
A project manager managing a small project has a total of 12 active stakeholders. How many lines of communication exist?
72 12 66 24
The formula for calculating lines of communication is as follows, where n represents the total number of stakeholders (you are already assumed to have been included in the number): n (n – 1) ÷ 2 Plug in the numbers to get the following: 12(12 - 1) ÷ 2 = 66.
A project manager is leading a project with team members dispersed globally. Which of the following tools or methods can the project manager use to create virtual workspaces? Select 2
Split the team in half by colocating them in two groups, using instant messaging software to connect them. Establish remote pairing using video conferencing tools to allow for face-to-face meeting options. Create a fishbowl window through an ongoing video conferencing feed between various locations. All of the above.
According to the Agile Practice Guide, there are various ways for geographically distributed teams to come together via a virtual workspace. Two examples provided include fishbowl windows and remote pairing.
To whom is the theory attributed that says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation?
Victor Vroom Douglas McGregor David McClelland Frederick Herzberg
The Achievement Theory is attributed to David McClelland and says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation. Vroom introduced the Expectancy Theory, Herzberg introduced the Hygiene Theory, and McGregor is known for Theory X and Theory Y
Lewis is a marketing associate reporting to Antwon, the company’s director of marketing. He pulls you aside to get your opinion about the latest project that he claims was his idea. He expresses frustration that Antwon was named sponsor of the project instead of himself. Based on the scenario presented, who is the correct project sponsor?
Neither Antwon Lewis Both
Based on the little information provided in the scenario, you can conclude that Antwon is the project sponsor through his title. A project sponsor is typically an executive in the organization with authority to assign resources and enforce decisions regarding the project. As a marketing associate, Lewis is least likely to be the sponsor, although it is possible that he may play an important role within the project.
A project manager meets with the team to increase cultural awareness by conducting training on cultural norms relating to countries they will be closely engaged with. What activity is the project manager engaged in?
Managing communications
Monitoring stakeholder engagement
Managing stakeholder engagement
Planning stakeholder engagement
The project manager is performing activities related to the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. Interpersonal and team skills, a tool and technique of this process, involves cultural awareness.
One of your project’s deliverables requires skills in journalism. You have three resources working on the activities that need to be completed for this deliverable. One of the resources is beyond happy with her situation and tells you that she is finally in a project where she feels like she is performing at her peak potential. Which of the following statements best describes this situation?
This team member’s need has been fulfilled, and now, according to Maslow, the ability to advance, the opportunity to learn new things, and the challenges involved in the work become motivators.
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Salary is not a motivator because her basic needs have been fulfilled.
The Expectancy Theory says that the importance of camaraderie with other team members is an important motivator
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
You are very interested in becoming a project manager. You have mentored with other experienced project managers in your organization to learn more about how to be an effective project manager. You’ve been told your organizational skills and communication skills are excellent. However, you need some additional training in accounting and budgeting skills, because you are weak in these general management areas. The mentor who was honest enough to tell you this explained it which of the following ways?
You will not be able to sit for the exam unless you get formal training in the general management areas. General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. If you lack any of these skills, it could affect your project and your career adversely, so you should get some training in these areas. General management skills are important to your project outcomes, and Estimating Costs and Control Costs are two of the most important processes within the Executing phase of a project, so you should get some training in these areas. The Estimating Costs and Control Costs processes are under the Planning process group, and you will not be able to pass the questions on the PMP exam that pertain to these processes if you don’t get some training.
General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. Estimating Costs is part of the Planning process group, and Control Costs is part of the Monitoring and Controlling process group. PMI requires either a degree or a certain number of years of experience in project management to sit for the exam, along with other requirements.
Reasons to Lyv is the top customer of a large marketing firm. Trudy is the president of Reasons to Lyv and has decided to launch a product that leverages new GPS tracking technology. She sits down with Roy, the project manager on the project, to discuss which stakeholders are resistant, unaware, neutral, supportive, or leading within the project. What activity are they performing?
Monitoring stakeholder engagement Planning stakeholder engagement Identifying stakeholders Managing stakeholder engagement
Trudy and Roy are carrying out activities associated with planning stakeholder engagement, which involves developing the approaches to engage stakeholders based on their interests, impact on the project, needs, and expectations.
You are a project manager for Dakota Software Consulting Services. You’re working with a major retailer that offers its products through mail-order catalogs. It’s interested in knowing customer characteristics, the amounts of first-time orders, and similar information. At one of your first project meetings, you explain to the team that quality is the number-one priority with this project and you will immediately deal with any project results (and those who caused them) that are not in keeping with this goal. The last software company that worked with this retailer was terminated because the quality of the end product was unacceptable. You tell the team there will be rewards for those who meet the quality requirements of this project. You also tell them the guidelines for escalating issues with the retailer and instruct them there are to be no deviations from this process. You want to know about anything that has the potential to become an issue. You conclude the meeting and return to your office to write the next status report. Which of the following is true regarding this question?
This behavior is most like the situational leadership style. This behavior is most like the transactional leadership style. This behavior is most like the transformational leadership style. This behavior is most like the democratic leadership style.
This question describes a transactional leadership style. Transactional leaders are autocratic, activity focused, and autonomous; they use contingent reward systems and manage by exception.
A project manager is interested in organizing the team based on individual team member strengths. What tool can they use to gain insights into team strengths and weaknesses, including how they make decisions, interact with others, and process information? Select 3
Training
Structured interviews
Attitudinal surveys
Ability tests
Structured interviews, ability tests, and attitudinal surveys are examples of individual and team assessments that can provide the project manager with insights into team member strengths and weaknesses. This enables them to be organized based on their strengths. Training is not an example of an assessment.
A project manager is preparing to send five engineers to Japan to install a high-security network. The engineers have never been outside of the United States before. Prior to their travel, the project manager asks the Japan-based manager to give the engineers an overview of their history, customs, and social norms. What is the project manager’s motive?
To take a breather after a hard day’s work To ensure the engineers understand how to interact abroad To prevent culture shock To teach the engineers about the Japanese culture
Working in a foreign country can bring about an experience called culture shock. When you’ve spent years acting in certain ways and expecting normal, everyday events to follow a specific course of action, you might find yourself disoriented when things don’t go as you expected. In this scenario, the project manager was attempting to prevent culture shock.
As part of establishing a new project team, a project manager chooses to create an official team charter. What will the project manager likely include within the document? Select 2
Decision-making criteria
Team responsibilities
Team assignments
Team values
The team charter is used to establish the team, clarify expectations, and create team norms. It typically highlights team values, agreements, and how the team will operate together throughout the project’s life. It may also define team ground rules and other expected behaviors.
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. You invite a financial analyst to the meeting to walk the team through the negative impact of the change request, and the team votes to reject the change. What type of power did you use?
Referent
Legitimate
Expert
Punishment
Expert power occurs when the person being influenced believes the person doing the influencing, typically because they are knowledgeable about the subject or have special abilities that make them an expert.
You are a project manager for a network cabling project for your organization. Your project team consists of six full-time employees and three contractors. They have all worked together on a previous project a year ago. You are new to the team. Which of the following is true?
According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the storming stage of team development. According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the forming stage of team development. According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the performing stage of team development. According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the forming stage of team development.
The stages of team development are as follows: forming, storming, norming, and performing. This model was developed by Tuckman-Jensen, and whenever a new member is added, the team reverts to the forming stage of development.
Alfred accepts a job as a security program manager, even though he is not qualified for the role. He reasons that he can learn on the job, despite not having met the position requirements. What value did Alfred fail to uphold?
Responsibility Honor Honesty Respect
Responsibility includes accepting assignments that you are qualified to take on. You should always honestly report your qualifications, your experience, and your past performance of services to potential employers, customers, PMI, and others.
Compromise
Collaborate
Avoid
Force
Compromise, also known as reconcile, involves resolving conflict by seeking to appease all parties involved (lose-lose outcome); collaborate is a win-win conflict-resolution technique that seeks to resolve the problem through open dialogue and varying perspectives; force, also known as direct, is a win-lose conflict-resolution technique where one person is able to get their way; and avoid, also known as withdraw, is a conflict-resolution technique where participants retreat from the situation in hopes that others will resolve the conflict.
Which of the following statements is true regarding lateral thinking? Select 2
- Lateral thinking is a tool and technique of the processes used when identifying risks.
- This is a way of reasoning and thinking about problems from perspectives other than the obvious.
- It is a form of parallel analysis.
- Edward de Bono created this term and has done extensive research on the topic.
Lateral thinking is a form of alternatives analysis often used to determine a project’s scope. It was created by Edward de Bono and serves as a means of reasoning and thinking about problems differently than what can be classified as evident.
A project manager is performing closure activities for the project and meets with the project sponsor to review the final report. The report reveals that the project budget is 90 percent consumed. The project sponsor expresses concern that there may be a risk of going over budget. How is the project manager likely to respond?
- Assure the project sponsor that the risk of going over budget is low.
- Email the project team to express disappointment in project spending.
- Agree with the project sponsor and begin risk mitigation activities.
- Take offense at the project sponsor’s lack of trust and confidence.
As the project progresses, project costs begin to taper off. The project is currently in the closing stage, and risk of overspending should be minimal at this point.
Your team has done an outstanding job, and you have notified their functional managers that their assignment is over. They are all reluctant to go back to their functional work group and are sorry to see the project come to an end. They enjoy working for you and say this project, and working for you, has been one of the best experiences of their career. Which of the following does this describe?
That you are likely a Theory Y manager
Recognition and rewards
The adjourning stage of team development
Maslow’s performing level on the Hierarchy of Needs
This describes the adjourning stage of team development.
At minimum, measuring stakeholder satisfaction typically occurs at what point of the project life cycle?
During project execution During project closure During project initiation During project planning
Measuring customer satisfaction is just one of the many activities that occur during administrative closure of a project. While some projects check in and measure satisfaction at key points throughout the project’s life cycle, it should occur during project closure at a minimum.
Nancy is a senior systems engineer who loves to work with people and can typically grasp the big picture. Because of her functional knowledge, organized nature, and ease in getting others to follow her lead, her manager decides to move her into a project manager role. Despite all of her strengths, Nancy struggles greatly with her first project. The first major milestone was missed, and the project was already over budget by $20,000. What part of the PMI Talent Triangle™ is Nancy missing?
Schedule management Leadership Strategic and business management Technical project management
The PMI Talent Triangle® consists of the following three categories of skill set: technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management. With the project being over budget and behind schedule, Nancy is most likely lacking in formal project management training and knowledge.
You are a project manager working in a foreign country. You observe that some of your project team members are having a difficult time adjusting to their new environment. You provided them with training on cultural differences and the customs of this country before arriving, but they still seem uncomfortable and disoriented. Which of the following statements is true?
This is the result of working with teams of people from two different countries. This condition comes about when working in an unfamiliar environment or culture and is called culture shock. This condition is best resolved by providing diversity training to the team. This is the result of jet lag and travel fatigue.
When people work in unfamiliar environments, culture shock can occur. Training and researching information about the country you’ll be working in can help counteract this.
Your project sponsor approaches you with a small bonus check for your excellent work keeping costs in line with the budget. You think the amount of the bonus check is fair and deserved. Which of the following statements are true? Select 2
The reward is in line with the performance, and you should accept it.
Rewards and recognition systems are informal ways of promoting desirable behavior.
Rewards and recognition systems are created as a result of the project.
The reward is appropriately linked to the performance.
Rewards and recognition systems are formal ways of promoting desirable behavior.
Abiding by and complying with laws and regulations, confidentiality of information, and accepting assignments for which you are qualified as a project manager are examples of upholding which value?
Responsibility
Honesty
Respect
Honor
Responsibility is the act of making decisions that are for the good of the organization rather than ourselves, admitting our mistakes, and being responsible for the decisions we make (or those we don’t make) and the consequences that result, along with other actions. It represents one of four values that project management practitioners should uphold.
Carina is a principal project manager of You’ve Got Dogs, a specialty company that creates custom dog apparel and toys. As is part of her practice, she sits down with her sponsor to evaluate how the project is performing. She reviews feedback from the most recent prototype, which the team has produced successively to yield additional insight. Carina notes to the sponsor that the use of timeboxing has been helpful in reducing the uncertainty in the project. What type of life cycle is Carina using?
Waterfall Predictive Agile Iterative
Iterative life cycles use successive prototypes or proofs of concept to improve the product or result. Activities are repeated in cycles to produce new information and team insights.
You are working with your stakeholders and performing activities associated with the Executing process group. You are dealing with some issues involving the project objectives and are working to maintain consensus among the five stakeholders participating in this project. You have used both influencing and negotiating skills and have finally come to consensus on the issue at hand. Which of the following options best describes the contents of this question?
You are using the communication method tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Management process. You are using the interpersonal and team skills tool and technique of the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. You are using the management skills tool and technique of the Control Stakeholder Engagement process. You are using the meetings tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Management process.
You are in the Executing processes, so therefore you are in the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. This question describes the interpersonal and team skills tool and technique for this process.
A superuser of a customer relationship management system calls the project manager for assistance in resolving a system bug recently discovered by a member of his team. What has the project manager failed to do?
Release the project team back to their ongoing responsibilities, including the superuser community. Publish the final report of the project, which would detail how ongoing activities are to be addressed. Provide the appropriate training to superusers to ensure they are equipped to address bugs as they arise. Transition the ongoing support and maintenance of the system to the appropriate operational team.
As part of closing out a project, ongoing activities (such as support and maintenance) are transitioned to the appropriate teams. When this does not occur, project resources cannot be fully released from these activities.
Reasons to Lyv is the top client of a large marketing firm. Trudy is the president of Reasons to Lyv and has decided to launch a product that leverages new GPS tracking technology. She sits down with Roy, the project manager on the project, to discuss which stakeholders are resistant, unaware, neutral, supportive, or leading within the project. What tool or technique are they using?
Data gathering
Data analysis
Data representation
Expert judgment
Trudy and Roy are using the stakeholder engagement assessment matrix tool, which is part of the data representation tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process. This matrix classifies stakeholders in five ways: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, or leading.
Your manager requests a meeting with you. When you meet, she asks you about the third paragraph of the recent status report. She doesn’t understand what it means and believes that it may cast a bad light on her and the team. She asks you to explain, listens to your response, restates what you said, and then offers suggestions regarding how to phrase this type of information on future status reports. Which style of leadership and type of power does your manager practice?
Democratic and referent
Transformational and legitimate
Laissez-faire and reward
Transactional and punishment
The best response is transformational and legitimate. This leader is focusing on collaborating and influencing. She listens to your responses and then offers suggestions of her own. The situational style of leadership could have been a correct response to this question, but it wasn’t an option. Her power of leadership is legitimate because of the position she holds.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that notes that humans have five basic needs arranged in a hierarchical order. What is the first set of needs that must be met before a person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy?
Basic physical needs Self-actualization Safety and security needs Social needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs notes that there are five sets of needs that must be met in the following hierarchical order: basic physical needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization. The idea is that these needs must be met before the person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy.
You are a senior project manager working at a manufacturing plant that produces components used by the aviation industry. You have just finalized team assignments. What action are you likely to perform next?
Develop the team by refreshing team skills
Manage resources by monitoring activities
Develop the training plan
Review pre-assignments
You have just completed activities associated with building the project team. Activities associated with developing the team are likely to follow.
You are a contract project manager and have entered into the requirements-gathering phase of your project. Two of the departments you’re working with on this project have competing interests regarding this project and have done everything they can, including sabotage, to undermine the work so far. To finish up the requirements-gathering phase, you will have to exert some influence. Which of the following statements is true regarding influencing the organization? Select 3
- Influencing entails the ability to get things done.
- Power entails getting these two departments with competing interests cooperating effectively to achieve the goals of the project.
- Politics involves getting the people in these two departments to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.
- Influencing requires an understanding of the formal and informal structures of the organization, including the use of power and politics.
Influencing entails the ability to get things done using power and politics. Power is the ability to get people to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do, and it’s the ability to change minds and influence outcomes. Politics involve getting groups of people with diverse interests to cooperate creatively, even in the midst of conflict and disorder.
All of the following are methods used to develop project teams except for which one?
Negotiation Colocation Training Emotional intelligence
There are several methods and tools that a project manager can use to develop the project team, including colocation, virtual teams, communication technology, interpersonal and team skills (conflict management, influencing, motivation, negotiation, team building), recognition and rewards, training, individual and team assessments, and meetings. Emotional intelligence is used to manage versus develop teams.
A project manager presents a summary of project team roles and responsibilities, training needs, and recognition and rewards to the project sponsor for approval. In what activity are they engaged?
Developing the stakeholder engagement plan Identifying resource risk Developing the resource management plan Estimating project costs
Roles and responsibilities, training needs, and recognition and rewards are all elements documented in the resource management plan. Other elements covered in the plan are the list of methods for identifying resources, acquiring resources, project organizational charts, project team resource management, team development, and resource control.
Herzberg’s Hygiene Theory notes that there are two factors that contribute to motivation, one being hygiene factors. Which of the following represents the second factor?
Hygiene Self-actualization Motivators Basic needs
The Hygiene Theory states that hygiene and motivators are the two factors that contribute to motivators. Hygiene factors deal with work environment issues. Motivators deal with the substance of the work itself and the satisfaction one derives from performing the functions of the job.
You are in the process of hiring resources for a project. Some of the resources can be found within the organization, but three of the resources you’ve identified will be contracted from outside the organization. You need to consider previous experience, personal interests, personal characteristics, availability, and competencies and proficiency of the contractors as well as the internal staff. You have a friend who is looking for a job. He isn’t qualified for the position, but you know him well enough to know he will come up to speed quickly. A couple of training classes should do the trick. What process is this question describing, and which area of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct does this question refer to?
- Manage Team and Honesty
- Plan Resource Management and Fairness
- Acquire Resources and Responsibility
- Develop Team and Respect
This question describes the enterprise environmental factors input of the Acquire Resources process and refers to the Responsibility section of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Responsibility is concerned with making decisions that are for the good of the organization.
You are a new project manager and have always been self-motivated. You are destined to achieve good things and desire to attain the coveted PMP designation. Even after attaining the designation, you will strive to apply professional knowledge to your future projects and adhere to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Which theory is described in this question, and what area of the PMI role delineation study does this question refer to?
Leadership Theory and responsibility Hygiene Theory and ensure personal integrity and professionalism Expectancy Theory and enhance professional competence Contingency Theory and contribute to the project management knowledge base
The Contingency Theory proposes that people are motivated to achieve levels of competency and will continue to be motivated even after the competency is reached. The area of the role delineation study this question refers to is contributing to the project management knowledge base.
Which of the following represents a key benefit of rapid delivery approaches?
The ability to work in increments The ability to get feedback The ability to get more done The ability to flow as a team
Obtaining feedback prevents the team from moving in the wrong direction. Early and continuous feedback allows for microcorrections to ensure stakeholder feedback is achieved and incremental value is delivered.
The project manager using a predictive delivery approach develops a project management plan to describe how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed. Which of the following is a valid tool to assist the project manager to assure the success of the project management plan?
Meetings Enterprise environmental factors Outputs from other processes Organizational process assets
Meetings are one of the four sets of tools and techniques used to develop the project management plan. Other tools and techniques include leveraging expert judgment, utilizing data gathering techniques (brainstorming, checklists, focus groups, interviews), and interpersonal and team skills (conflict management, facilitation, meeting management).
You are working on a project with contentious team members. You know if you resolve the conflicts, it will result in increased productivity and better working relationships. Most conflicts come about as a result of all the following except for which one?
Scheduling issues Personal work habits Cultural differences Availability of resources
When managing project teams, many conflicts come about as a result of scheduling issues, availability of resources, or personal work habits.
You are in the midst of some difficult procurement negotiations. The schedule, service-level agreements, and incentives have not been agreed upon. One of the parties representing the vendor lashes out at you during the negotiations. You were not expecting this outburst and are just about to stoop to their level when you remember which of the following in reference to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the process you are currently performing?
- Your actions and you should maintain respect even though the other party is out of control. The Control Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should ensure personal integrity by controlling yourself even though the other party is out of control. The Control Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should maintain respect even though the other party is out of control. The Conduct Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should ensure personal integrity by controlling yourself even though the other party is out of control. The Conduct Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
You should always maintain respect and professional demeanor when interacting with others. You can’t control their actions, but you can control your own. This question refers to the Conduct Procurements process. Procurement negotiation is a tool and technique of this process.
Dr. William Ouchi developed a theory that is concerned with increasing employees’ loyalty to their organizations and places emphasis on the well-being of the employees, both at work and outside of work. What is the name of this leadership theory?
Theory X Theory Y/Z Theory Y Theory Z
Theory Z was developed by Dr. William Ouchi. This theory is concerned with increasing employee loyalty to their organizations. This theory results in increased productivity, puts an emphasis on the well-being of the employees both at work and outside of work, encourages steady employment, and leads to high employee satisfaction and morale.
——- also known as reconcile, involves resolving conflict by seeking to appease all parties involved (lose-lose outcome)
Compromise
Avoid
Force
Collaborate
Compromise
——— is a win-win conflict-resolution technique that seeks to resolve the problem through open dialogue and varying perspectives
collaborate
—— is a win-lose conflict-resolution technique where one person is able to get their way
force/direct
——- is a conflict-resolution technique where participants retreat from the situation in hopes that others will resolve the conflict.
avoid/withdraw
Colocation is also known as what?
Dedicated teams
Effective teams
Virtual teams
Tight matrix
Colocation is also known as a tight matrix. These terms refer to placing many or all of the project team members physically together in the same place.
A role delineation study can best be described as which of the following?
A feasibility study
A credential
A business case
A job analysis
job analysis
Balancing stakeholder interests and attaining customer satisfaction are important activities for project managers. One of the best things you can do to ensure customer satisfaction is to define and document which of the following?
Select one Mark question
Estimates Objectives Requirements Quality
Defining the requirements and obtaining sign-off on the requirements will help you to ensure customer satisfaction. When stakeholders are aware of and agree to the requirements, they know exactly what the project is expected to deliver as well as what is not part of the deliverables.
Carina is a principal project manager of You’ve Got Dogs, a specialty company that creates custom dog apparel and toys. As part of her latest project, she struggles to rein in the team, who seem to be at each other’s throats. She knows everyone has good intentions, but they are not yet open and trusting with each other. What phase of the team development model is the team currently in?
Select one Mark question
Forming Norming Storming Performing
The team is currently in the storming phase of Tuckman’s team development model. In this phase, the team members begin to address the project work and are not yet collaborative or open with each other.
Which of the following statements is true regarding lateral thinking?
Select two Mark question
Edward de Bono created this term and has done extensive research on the topic. It is a form of parallel analysis. This is a way of reasoning and thinking about problems from perspectives other than the obvious. Lateral thinking is a tool and technique of the processes used when identifying risks.
Lateral thinking is a form of alternatives analysis often used to determine a project’s scope. It was created by Edward de Bono and serves as a means of reasoning and thinking about problems differently than what can be classified as evident.
Who is responsible for understanding the interests and personal agendas of stakeholders?
Select one Mark question
Project manager Project sponsor Project team Executive sponsor
The project manager is responsible for understanding the interests of stakeholders and getting in front of any potential conflict that may arise as a result of their personal interests.
A project manager is performing closure activities for the project and meets with the project sponsor to review the final report. The report reveals that the project budget is 90 percent consumed. The project sponsor expresses concern that there may be a risk of going over budget. How is the project manager likely to respond?
Select one Mark question
Agree with the project sponsor and begin risk mitigation activities. Take offense at the project sponsor’s lack of trust and confidence. Assure the project sponsor that the risk of going over budget is low. Email the project team to express disappointment in project spending.
As the project progresses, project costs begin to taper off. The project is currently in the closing stage, and risk of overspending should be minimal at this point.
The project sponsor of a project has just met with the organization’s senior executives to provide them with a summary of the latest project that is about to kick off. He introduces Yasmin, the project manager, and commits to the room of executives that the project is bound to be a success. Who assumes responsibility for the success of the project?
Select one Mark question
Project manager Senior executives Project sponsor Project team
While the project sponsor is typically accountable for the project, it is the project manager who assumes responsibility for the overall success of the project.
Which of the following best describes the performing stage of the team development model, developed by Tuckman?
Select one Mark question
The phase where the team members begin to address the project work and are not yet collaborative or open with each other The phase where the team is functioning as a well-organized unit and work through their issues smoothly The phase where team members meet and learn about the project and formalize their roles and responsibilities The phase where team members begin to work together and adjust their work habits and behaviors to support the team
In the performing phase, the team members reach the point where they are performing as a well-organized unit; they are interdependent, and they work well through the issues. Other options describe the forming, storming, and norming phases.
You’re the project manager for Dream Clinics, a research organization that specializes in sleep disorders. You’re working on an internal service project and are in the Executing process group. You negotiate with a manager to obtain resources for specific activities on the project that your team is not able to fulfill. These resources will roll off the project as soon as the activities are completed. Which of the following does this scenario describe?
Select one Mark question
Staffing requirements, which is information needed when acquiring resources Resource requirements, which are generated when carrying out resource requirement planning activities Interpersonal and team skills, which are capabilities used by project managers to acquire resources Resource pool description, which is information needed when planning out resource requirements
This describes the use of interpersonal and team skills, which is a common skill set used when acquiring resources. This often encompasses negotiation with other project managers and/or managers.
You are managing a project on contract. Your bonus is contingent on the timely completion of the project. The project is behind schedule, but the remaining tasks are easy to complete and won’t take more than a week. Which of the following is the most appropriate response?
Select one Mark question
Invoice the customer for the full amount of the contract at the originally scheduled completion date. Submit an invoice and complete the remaining tasks while the payment request is being processed because the work will be finished before the payment is made. Invoice the customer for the amount of work as of the actual project completion date. Tell the customer about the delay and negotiate a change to the schedule and/or invoice payment date and then bill for the full amount when the work is completed.
The most appropriate response is to tell the customer about the remaining tasks and work with them to modify the schedule date or modify the agreement regarding the payment date.
Victor Vroom developed a theory that recognizes the belief that a positive outcome drives motivation. You are looking for a new position as a program manager. You don’t have the experience for this level of responsibility, but you are rationalizing that if you have enough motivation and can fudge a bit of experience on the application, you’re showing initiative, and hopefully, the outcome will be in your favor. What theory is this question describing, and what area within the Responsibility domain of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct does this question refer to?
Select one Mark question
Expectancy Theory and Accepting Assignments Self-actualization level of the Hierarchy of Needs and Conflict of Interest Hygiene Theory and Professional Demeanor Achievement Theory and Ensuring Integrity
The Expectancy Theory proposes that the expectation of a positive outcome drives motivation. Motivation may drive negative behaviors as well as positive ones. The Responsibility domain covers several elements including the following: ensuring integrity, accepting assignments, laws and regulations compliance, and confidential information. Accepting assignments concerns being honest about your qualifications, and fudging your experience is dishonest.
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. What type of power does the submitter of the change request typically use?
Select one Mark question
Punishment Legitimate Expert Referent
Legitimate, or formal, power comes as a result of the influencer’s position.
You are a project manager for Dakota Software Consulting Services. You’re working with a major retailer that offers its products through mail-order catalogs. It’s interested in knowing customer characteristics, the amounts of first-time orders, and similar information. At one of your first project meetings, you explain to the team that quality is the number-one priority with this project and you will immediately deal with any project results (and those who caused them) that are not in keeping with this goal. The last software company that worked with this retailer was terminated because the quality of the end product was unacceptable. You tell the team there will be rewards for those who meet the quality requirements of this project. You also tell them the guidelines for escalating issues with the retailer and instruct them there are to be no deviations from this process. You want to know about anything that has the potential to become an issue. You conclude the meeting and return to your office to write the next status report. Which of the following is true regarding this question?
Select one Mark question
This behavior is most like the situational leadership style. This behavior is most like the transformational leadership style. This behavior is most like the transactional leadership style. This behavior is most like the democratic leadership style
This question describes a transactional leadership style. Transactional leaders are autocratic, activity focused, and autonomous; they use contingent reward systems and manage by exception.
Sue is the head of an enterprise PMO. She delivers a presentation at the annual company meeting to describe her role’s responsibilities and the value of the PMO. As part of her presentation, Sue stresses the critical skill sets that PMs must have in order to be effective. She stresses one in particular, which is that PMs must exhibit the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to guide, motivate, and direct a team. What skill set is Sue referring to?
Select one Mark question
Leadership skills Business management and strategic skills Communication skills Technical project management skills
Sue is referring to leadership skills, which is one of the categories of skill set that make up the PMI Talent Triangle®. The PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition describes leadership as the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to guide, motivate, and direct a team to help an organization achieve its business goals.
You hold a position that is primarily concerned with satisfying stakeholder needs as well as issues such as plans, controls, budgets, policies, procedures, and team motivation. You have signed a nondisclosure agreement, promising not to give away trade secrets, and you have signed a noncompete agreement with your current employer that says you will not go to work for a competitor any sooner than 18 months after the date of your termination. You will be working with a virtual team, and during the hiring process, the members will be required to sign similar agreements, but their noncompete agreement is for 12 months rather than 18 months. Because this virtual team will have members from all over the globe, you should be concerned with one area in particular of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Which of the following options best describes this situation?
Select one Mark question
You are a manager, working in the Develop Team process, and need to pay particular attention to fairness and stakeholder influence. You are a manager, working in the Develop Team process, and need to pay particular attention to cultural awareness and diversity training. You are a manager, working in the Acquire Resources process, and need to pay particular attention to cultural awareness and diversity training. You are a manager, working in the Acquire Resources process, and need to pay particular attention to fairness and stakeholder influence.
This question describes the Acquire Resources process because it states you will be hiring virtual team members from across the globe. Virtual teams are a tool and technique of this process. Because of the diversity of the team, you should pay particular attention to cultural awareness and perhaps provide diversity training.
You are working on the creation of a new television series. The producer for this series has informed you that he is the final decision-maker for all questions that arise during the course of the series. He tells you that he’ll set up a meeting with you to discuss the budget he’s set aside for the project. Your organization has created many winning series in the past, almost all of which had the same producer as the one for this project. The producer believes this will be the best series they have produced to date and has already generated a lot of excitement about this project. No other series on the air is like the series that’s being proposed. The series must be ready to debut during sweeps week in November. Which of the following is true?
Select one Mark question
The producer is the program manager. The producer is the project manager. The producer is the project sponsor. The producer’s only involvement on the project is to provide funds.
The producer is the project sponsor because the question states that he is the final decision-maker for all questions that arise on the project. He also created the budget, implying he has the authority to spend money on the project.
Nancy is a senior systems engineer who loves to work with people and can typically grasp the big picture. Because of her functional knowledge, organized nature, and ease in getting others to follow her lead, her manager decides to move her into a project manager role. Despite all of her strengths, Nancy struggles greatly with her first project. The first major milestone was missed, and the project was already over budget by $20,000. What part of the PMI Talent Triangle™ is Nancy missing?
Select one Mark question
Technical project management Strategic and business management Schedule management Leadership
The PMI Talent Triangle® consists of the following three categories of skill set: technical project management, leadership, and strategic and business management. With the project being over budget and behind schedule, Nancy is most likely lacking in formal project management training and knowledge.
You are a project manager working in a foreign country. You observe that some of your project team members are having a difficult time adjusting to their new environment. You provided them with training on cultural differences and the customs of this country before arriving, but they still seem uncomfortable and disoriented. Which of the following statements is true?
Select one Mark question
This is the result of working with teams of people from two different countries. This condition comes about when working in an unfamiliar environment or culture and is called culture shock. This condition is best resolved by providing diversity training to the team. This is the result of jet lag and travel fatigue.
When people work in unfamiliar environments, culture shock can occur. Training and researching information about the country you’ll be working in can help counteract this.
What motivational theory is a combination of Theory Y behaviors and the Hygiene Theory?
Select one Mark question
Contingency Theory Recognition and Rewards Theory Situational Leadership Theory Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum Management Theory
The Contingency Theory is a combination of Theory Y and the Hygiene Theory. It states that people are motivated to achieve levels of competency even after competency is reached.
Avoiding, accommodating, reconciling, directing, and problem-solving are all considered to be types of what?
Select one Mark question
Interpersonal and team skills Communication skills Power Conflict resolution
Conflict-resolution techniques include the following: withdraw/avoid, smooth/ accommodate, compromise/reconcile, force/direct, collaborate/problem-solve.
A superuser of a customer relationship management system calls the project manager for assistance in resolving a system bug recently discovered by a member of his team. What has the project manager failed to do?
Select one Mark question
Provide the appropriate training to superusers to ensure they are equipped to address bugs as they arise. Publish the final report of the project, which would detail how ongoing activities are to be addressed. Release the project team back to their ongoing responsibilities, including the superuser community. Transition the ongoing support and maintenance of the system to the appropriate operational team.
As part of closing out a project, ongoing activities (such as support and maintenance) are transitioned to the appropriate teams. When this does not occur, project resources cannot be fully released from these activities.
A project manager meets with the team to increase cultural awareness by conducting training on cultural norms relating to countries they will be closely engaged with. What activity is the project manager engaged in?
Select one Mark question
Monitoring stakeholder engagement Managing communications Managing stakeholder engagement Planning stakeholder engagement
The project manager is performing activities related to the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. Interpersonal and team skills, a tool and technique of this process, involves cultural awareness.
Diana is a newly appointed project manager. As part of onboarding to the new team, she shadows Charlie, a senior project manager. During a team meeting, she witnesses Charlie using several profanities when engaging with one engineer in particular. She cringes in her seat as she sees Charlie talk over the engineer and chastise him for challenging the schedule. Although new to the team, Diana decides to report Charlie’s behavior to her manager. What core value has Charlie violated?
Select one Mark question
Honesty Responsibility Fairness Respect
Respect involves several areas, including the way we conduct ourselves, the way we treat others, listening to other viewpoints, and conducting ourselves in a professional manner. According to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, an environment of respect generates trust and confidence and fosters mutual cooperation.
You have accepted a position in a new company and have spent the first 30 days observing your team. Your findings, unfortunately, are not encouraging. The team exhibits a lack of motivation, poor communication among team members, a lack of respect for you and your position, and project work results that are less than satisfactory. For a fleeting moment, you think about leaving but realize that’s not in keeping with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You know all of the following are true, given the circumstances, except for which one?
Select one Mark question
You are carrying out activities associated with team management and realize that since you are new, the stages of team development will start over again at the forming stage. You know that quitting would not be in keeping with the Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, or Honesty domains of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You will use ground rules, recognition and rewards, and personnel assessment tools, among others, to attempt to improve this dysfunctional team. You will use interpersonal skills, training, and team-building activities, among others, to attempt to improve this dysfunctional team.
The question describes activities associated with developing the team, and that’s also where sensitivity to the stages of team development are critical.
Ralph is a project manager for Storm Health. He has struggled since joining the company, and his manager has noticed multiple gaps in critical PM skills. During a recent meeting, Ralph incorrectly claimed that the project budget had been fully approved. As a result, multiple purchase orders were processed, which alerted his manager, who knew that the budget had not yet been approved. The manager decides to confront Ralph, who admits to intentionally giving misinformation in the hopes that the budget would be approved and that all would be OK. What core value has Ralph violated as a project management practitioner?
Select one Mark question
Honesty Fairness Responsibility Respect
Honesty involves not only information regarding your own background and experience but information regarding the project circumstances as well. This includes being up front and truthful about the project’s status and information.
Sue is the head of an enterprise PMO. She delivers a presentation at the annual company meeting to describe her roles and responsibilities and the value of the PMO. As part of her presentation, she notes that, as practitioners, project managers should abide by four core values. In particular, Sue notes that project managers should avoid conflicts of interest. Which core value addresses conflict of interest?
Select one Mark question
Fairness Respect Honesty Responsibility
Fairness includes avoiding favoritism and discrimination against others, avoiding and reporting conflict-of-interest situations, and maintaining impartiality in a decision-making process.
Which of the following activities involves determining and documenting a team’s effectiveness?
Select one Mark question
Organizational process assets updates Enterprise environmental factors updates Project performance appraisals Team performance assessments
Team performance assessments are a result of developing the project team. This activity typically involves determining and documenting a team’s effectiveness.
The project manager is facilitating an exercise with the team by asking questions about the product and forming answers to describe the use, characteristics, and other relevant aspects of what will be delivered. In what activity is the team involved?
Select one Mark question
Alternatives analysis Product analysis Facilitation Data analysis
The project team is using the product analysis technique to define the scope of the project.
Reasons to Lyv is the top customer of a large marketing firm. Trudy is the president of Reasons to Lyv and has decided to launch a product that leverages new GPS tracking technology. She sits down with Roy, the project manager on the project, to discuss which stakeholders are resistant, unaware, neutral, supportive, or leading within the project. What activity are they performing?
Select one Mark question
Identifying stakeholders Monitoring stakeholder engagement Managing stakeholder engagement Planning stakeholder engagement
Trudy and Roy are carrying out activities associated with planning stakeholder engagement, which involves developing the approaches to engage stakeholders based on their interests, impact on the project, needs, and expectations.
A project manager is preparing to send five engineers to Japan to install a high-security network. The engineers have never been outside of the United States before. Prior to their travel, the project manager asks the Japan-based manager to give the engineers an overview of their history, customs, and social norms. What is the project manager’s motive?
Select one Mark question
To teach the engineers about the Japanese culture To ensure the engineers understand how to interact abroad To prevent culture shock To take a breather after a hard day’s work
Working in a foreign country can bring about an experience called culture shock. When you’ve spent years acting in certain ways and expecting normal, everyday events to follow a specific course of action, you might find yourself disoriented when things don’t go as you expected. In this scenario, the project manager was attempting to prevent culture shock.
You are in the process of hiring resources for a project. Some of the resources can be found within the organization, but three of the resources you’ve identified will be contracted from outside the organization. You need to consider previous experience, personal interests, personal characteristics, availability, and competencies and proficiency of the contractors as well as the internal staff. You have a friend who is looking for a job. He isn’t qualified for the position, but you know him well enough to know he will come up to speed quickly. A couple of training classes should do the trick. What process is this question describing, and which area of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct does this question refer to?
Select one Mark question
Manage Team and Honesty Develop Team and Respect Plan Resource Management and Fairness Acquire Resources and Responsibility
This question describes the enterprise environmental factors input of the Acquire Resources process and refers to the Responsibility section of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Responsibility is concerned with making decisions that are for the good of the organization.
At minimum, measuring stakeholder satisfaction typically occurs at what point of the project life cycle?
Select one Mark question
During project closure During project execution During project initiation During project planning
Measuring customer satisfaction is just one of the many activities that occur during administrative closure of a project. While some projects check in and measure satisfaction at key points throughout the project’s life cycle, it should occur during project closure at a minimum.
David is a project manager working for a prominent book publishing company. As the most senior project manager within the organization, he often gets paired with strongwilled project sponsors. During a recent project meeting, David’s project sponsor began yelling in frustration at the project’s status, which was blocked because of a critical resource being out ill. In frustration, the sponsor began spewing profanities at David, questioning his ability to manage effectively. In response, David calmly assured the project sponsor that a contingency plan would be implemented and requested that they speak privately to address his frustrations. David then excused the rest of the project team. What core value did David uphold during the meeting?
Select one Mark question
Honesty Respect Fairness Responsibility
Respect involves behaving in a professional manner. While project managers are not responsible for the actions of others, they are responsible for their own actions and reactions. Part of acting professionally involves controlling one’s self and reactions in questionable situations, as David did in this scenario.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that notes that humans have five basic needs arranged in a hierarchical order. What is the first set of needs that must be met before a person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy?
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Basic physical needs Safety and security needs Social needs Self-actualization
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs notes that there are five sets of needs that must be met in the following hierarchical order: basic physical needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization. The idea is that these needs must be met before the person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy.
Three of your stakeholders have approached you regarding the difficulty they are having with one of your team members. This team member is making inappropriate jokes, continually interrupts others, and is argumentative and unwilling to listen to the stakeholders’ ideas. What is the offending team member lacking in this situation?
Select one Mark question
Team-building activities Ground rules Interpersonal and team skills Training
While all options listed may help the situation, interpersonal and team skills is the prominent area that the offending team member lacks.
Yasmin is a senior project manager for a project that aims to produce a new line of medical widgets for a Fortune 100 company. The entire industry has been buzzing with excitement over this project, which was estimated to span three years and require an investment of $1.5 billion from the company. While wrapping up for the week, Yasmin receives a fifth call from a vendor that has been pursuing an active RFP for the project. The vendor notes that they have connections in the offshore company by which the product will be manufactured, and if they win the contract, they are certain that they could bypass customs, saving Yasmin’s company millions of dollars in the process. What should Yasmin do?
Select one Mark question
Pass on the offer and report the conversation to the company’s legal department. Pass on the offer but take down the vendor’s phone number to keep options open. Pass on the offer and report the conversation to her colleagues. Agree to discuss options with the vendor, since it would save the company millions of dollars.
As part of upholding the value of responsibility and ensuring integrity, project managers are required to follow all applicable laws and regulations that apply to the industry, organization, or project. Bypassing customs is an example of violating a country’s laws.
Carina is a principal project manager of You’ve Got Dogs, a specialty company that creates custom dog apparel and toys. Three months into the project, she kicks off the second phase of a project that is developing high-tech dog bones. As part of her practice, she sits down with her sponsor to determine whether there are any new players that they missed in the first phase, and they hold a discussion on the direction of influence of these new stakeholders. What activity is Carina carrying out?
Select one Mark question
Planning resource management Planning stakeholder engagement Identifying risks Identifying stakeholders
Carina is in the process of identifying stakeholders and analyzing their level of influence. Although the project has been active for three months, it is customary to perform this activity iteratively, especially at the start of a phase.
Match the decision-making technique with its description.
Matching Mark question
Autocratic - One individual makes the decision
Multicriteria decision analysis - Uses unanimity, majority, or plurality to make decisions
Voting - Uses a systematic approach to making decisions
The PMBOK® Guide highlights three decision-making techniques: voting, autocratic, and multicriteria decision analysis.
Which of the following best defines virtual teams?
Select two Mark question
Groups of colocated people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face
Groups of people with varying goals who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face
Groups of people with a shared goal who are dispersed across various locations
Groups of people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face
According to the PMBOK® Guide, virtual teams can be defined as groups of people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face. Oftentimes, team members are dispersed across various locations.
Charles works for a prominent company within the entertainment industry as head project manager. He recently learned that a highly confidential movie deal under negotiation may feature his wife’s favorite actress. Despite the confidentiality agreement he signed, he decides to reveal the information, knowing that she will keep it to herself. What core value upheld by project managers has Charles violated?
Select one Mark question
Responsibility Honor Respect Honesty
Upholding confidentiality agreements is part of the responsibility value. Protecting proprietary or confidential information that has been entrusted to you is part of a project manager’s responsibility.
Ralph is a project manager for Storm Health. He has struggled since joining the company, and his manager has noticed a gap in a critical PM skill. In a recent kick-off meeting, he struggled to answer questions on how the project aligns with the organization’s goals, insisting it wasn’t relevant. What critical skill should Ralph sharpen?
Select one Mark question
Leadership skills Business management and strategic skills Communication skills Technical project management skills
There are three categories of skill sets that make up the PMI Talent Triangle®: business management and strategic skills, technical project management skills, and leadership skills. Business management and strategic skills encompass a project manager being able to describe the business needs of the project and how they align with the organization’s goals.
You are a project manager with a new company. You started less than 30 days ago. Your boss has told you it’s urgent that resources are attained and assigned to the project as soon as possible. This is your top priority. You have both internal and external resources. You have two internal positions that will be full-time employees, but the positions are vacant, so you need to recruit for and fill these positions. You happen to have a good friend you’ve known for several years who also attends your local PMI chapter. He is well qualified and looking for a new position. You call him up and hire him on the spot. You will be hiring your external resources using a work order against a contract you have with a local staffing agency. Which of the following is true regarding this situation?
Select one Mark question
The personal interests and characteristics of the person you hired were not considered. The resource management plan will need to be updated. Since the project is not yet underway, the new resource you hired will be considered a pre-assignment. You have not accounted for the organization’s standard processes that may impact how you build your team.
When building your team, it is important to consider things such as the organization’s recruitment and procurement procedures and processes. You hired your friend on the spot, so important steps in the process could have been missed. Pre-assignment is when resources are assigned prior to the project start.
Your colleague has reported to their manager that they passed their PMP certification exam. You know this is inaccurate, since you both took your exams at the same time and the colleague shared the results with you. What should you do?
Select one Mark question
Give them an opportunity to correct their behavior and report them to PMI if they do not. Tell their manager immediately and report the violation to PMI directly. Don’t say anything. Since this is your friend, the code states that you must look out for each other. Give your friend a difficult time to teach them a lesson and disassociate with them.
When you hold the PMP certification, one of the responsibilities is to report violations of the PMP code of conduct. In some cases, we make poor judgments that can be corrected. To maintain the integrity of the profession, everyone who holds the PMP certification must adhere to the code of conduct that makes all of us accountable to each other.
Which of the following conflict-resolution techniques emphasizes areas of agreement rather than areas of difference?
Select one Mark question
Reconciling Compromising Smoothing Directing
Smoothing, also known as accommodating, emphasizes areas of agreement rather than areas of difference.
You are a project manager for a network cabling project for your organization. Your project team consists of six full-time employees and three contractors. They have all worked together on a previous project a year ago. You are new to the team. Which of the following is true?
Select one Mark question
According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the forming stage of team development. According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the storming stage of team development. According to Hersey and Blanchard, they will start with the performing stage of team development. According to Tuckman-Jensen, they will start with the forming stage of team development
The stages of team development are as follows: forming, storming, norming, and performing. This model was developed by Tuckman-Jensen, and whenever a new member is added, the team reverts to the forming stage of development.
You are the project manager for a large project. The initial project schedule shows the project takes approximately three years to complete. Some of the stakeholders have changed over the course of this project, and new stakeholders will become involved toward the end of the project. The project team members have also changed as the project has evolved into a new set of deliverables. You are having a difficult time motivating the new team members. The techniques you used with the previous team don’t seem to be working with this team. More resources will be brought on and off the project team at various stages throughout the life cycle, so you’d like to resolve this problem soon. You know from studying the Project Resource Management Knowledge Area that you should do which of the following?
Select one Mark question
The same communication style should be used throughout the life of the project. The processes in this Knowledge Area ensure that the human and material resources involved on the project are used in the most effective way possible. This Knowledge Area’s processes include Acquire Resources, Develop Team, and Manage Team. You will change the techniques used to motivate, lead, and coach the human resources involved on the project as the project progresses.
As the project progresses, you should use different techniques to perform these processes, including using different techniques to motivate, lead, and coach. The techniques you’ll use will depend on the makeup of the project team and the stakeholders involved in that stage. The processes in this Knowledge Area concern human and material resources, and they consist of Plan Resource Management, Acquire Resources, Develop Team, Manage Team, and Control Resources.
Alfred accepts a job as a security program manager, even though he is not qualified for the role. He reasons that he can learn on the job, despite not having met the position requirements. What value did Alfred fail to uphold?
Select one Mark question
Honor Honesty Responsibility Respect
Responsibility includes accepting assignments that you are qualified to take on. You should always honestly report your qualifications, your experience, and your past performance of services to potential employers, customers, PMI, and others.
A role delineation study can best be described as which of the following?
Select one Mark question
A feasibility study A job analysis A business case A credential
A role delineation study (RDS) can be best described as a job analysis. PMI conducts a role delineation study every five to seven years for every discipline it credentials. An RDS is conducted by bringing together volunteers to discuss the specific roles associated with each certification to identify the tasks and responsibilities that the roles will be expected to perform.
Colocation is also known as what?
Select one Mark question
Dedicated teams Tight matrix Virtual teams Effective teams
Colocation is also known as a tight matrix. These terms refer to placing many or all of the project team members physically together in the same place.
You are working with your stakeholders and performing activities associated with the Executing process group. You are dealing with some issues involving the project objectives and are working to maintain consensus among the five stakeholders participating in this project. You have used both influencing and negotiating skills and have finally come to consensus on the issue at hand. Which of the following options best describes the contents of this question?
Select one Mark question
You are using the management skills tool and technique of the Control Stakeholder Engagement process. You are using the meetings tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Management process. You are using the interpersonal and team skills tool and technique of the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. You are using the communication method tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Management process.
You are in the Executing processes, so therefore you are in the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. This question describes the interpersonal and team skills tool and technique for this process.
A project manager has a reputation for leading project teams by focusing on developing team member skills, coaching them, and empowering them. What are these a characteristic of?
Select one Mark question
Facilitator Servant leader Situational leader Coach
A servant leader encourages the distribution of responsibility across the team; they support the team through coaching, removing blockers, helping to develop their skills, and fostering collaboration.
Which of the following represents a key benefit of rapid delivery approaches?
Select one Mark question
The ability to flow as a team The ability to get feedback The ability to get more done The ability to work in increments
Obtaining feedback prevents the team from moving in the wrong direction. Early and continuous feedback allows for microcorrections to ensure stakeholder feedback is achieved and incremental value is delivered.
A project manager traveled from the United Kingdom to Mexico for a project kickoff meeting. During the meeting, they became highly offended when the project sponsor attempted to welcome them by giving them a hug. The project manager noticed that many people gave a hug as part of personal introductions and decided to leave the meeting after feeling that the project team was exhibiting inappropriate behavior. What did the project manager experience?
Select one Mark question
Sexual harassment Inappropriate behavior Culture shock An overfriendly team
Working in a foreign country can bring about an experience called culture shock. When you’ve spent years acting certain ways and expecting normal, everyday events to follow a specific course of action, you might find yourself disoriented when things don’t go as you expected.
Your project involves the research and development of a new food additive. You’re ready to release the product to your customer when you discover that a minor reaction might occur in people with certain conditions. The reactions to date have been very minor, and no known long-lasting side effects have been noted. As project manager, what should you do?
Select one Mark question
Do nothing because the reactions are so minor that very few people will be affected. Inform the customer that you’ve discovered this condition and tell them you’ll research it further to determine its impacts. Inform your customer that there is no problem with the additive except for an extremely small percentage of the population and release the product to them. Tell the customer you’ll correct the reaction problems in the next batch, but you’ll release the first batch of product to them now to begin using.
Honesty and truthful reporting are required of PMP credential holders. In this situation, you would inform the customer of everything you know regarding the problem and work to find alternative solutions.
Collaborate - A resolution technique that involves withdrawing from the conflict
Compromise - A resolution technique that partially resolves conflict by finding a solution that brings some satisfaction to all parties
Force - A resolution technique that often leads to consensus and commitment
Avoid - A resolution technique that results in a win-lose situation
Compromise, also known as reconcile, involves resolving conflict by seeking to appease all parties involved (lose-lose outcome); collaborate is a win-win conflict-resolution technique that seeks to resolve the problem through open dialogue and varying perspectives; force, also known as direct, is a win-lose conflict-resolution technique where one person is able to get their way; and avoid, also known as withdraw, is a conflict-resolution technique where participants retreat from the situation in hopes that others will resolve the conflict.
Your project has kicked off, and you are beginning a series of overview sessions with key users to determine requirements for a new enterprise resource software implementation. One of your stakeholders is exceptionally contentious and throws obstacles up at every turn. One of the problems she has described does seem to be legitimate. There is an issue with the data from the legacy system that needs to be resolved before moving forward. Which of the following statements is not true regarding this situation?
Select one Mark question
You should use a two-step process involving problem definition and decision-making. Your decision-making involves asking questions to determine whether the issues are internal or external to the project. You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms. Your decision-making has a timing element.
Problem-solving involves asking questions to separate the causes of the problem from the symptoms. Decision-making involves considering alternative solutions to the problem. Choices are made from among the alternatives. Timing is important in decision-making, because good decisions made too soon or too late can turn into inferior solutions.
Sue, a project management office (PMO) leader, is interested in shifting the organization from using a predictive to an adaptive delivery model. The majority of the key stakeholders she works with have been around for more than 10 years and tend to be averse to change. What approach is Sue likely to take in shifting to an adaptive approach?
Select one Mark question
Adopt a hybrid model Maintain a waterfall approach Adopt Scrum Shift toward Kanban
Teams that are resistant to change respond better to a gradual transition where components of both predictive and adaptive delivery models are used. This is referred to as a hybrid approach
You are in the process of attaining and hiring resources for the project. Some of the resources can be found within the organization, but three of the resources you’ve identified must be hired on contract. You need to consider previous experience, personal interests, personal characteristics, availability, and the competencies and proficiency of the contractors as well as the internal staff. Which of the following statements best describes the situation?
Select one Mark question
The situation in this question refers to the project staff assignment, which is an output of Plan Resource Management. The situation in this question refers to the project staff assignments, which are an output of Acquire Resources. The situation in this question refers to the enterprise environmental factors input to the Acquire Resources process. The situation in this question refers to organizational process assets, which are an input of Plan Resource Management.
You must consider the characteristics of potential project team members, whether they’re from inside or outside the organization. This question describes the enterprise environmental factors that should be considered as an input to Acquire Resources.
All of the following are methods used to develop project teams except for which one?
Select one Mark question
Colocation Training Emotional intelligence Negotiation
there are several methods and tools that a project manager can use to develop the project team, including colocation, virtual teams, communication technology, interpersonal and team skills (conflict management, influencing, motivation, negotiation, team building), recognition and rewards, training, individual and team assessments, and meetings. Emotional intelligence is used to manage versus develop teams.
During the first project kickoff meeting, Ron introduces himself to key team members, noting that he will work hard to minimize distractions that may keep them from their work at hand and will serve in more of a facilitator role. What is Ron’s role?
Select one Mark question
Scrum master Product owner Stakeholder Team member
Ron is a Scrum master. In Agile project management, the Scrum master coordinates the work of the sprint and runs interference between the team and any distractions that may keep them from the work at hand. They also support the product owner in maintaining the backlog, prioritizing work, and defining when work is done.
Servant leaders tend to exhibit what characteristics?
Select three Mark question
Promoting self-awareness Coaching Creating clarity by directing Helping people grow
A servant leader facilitates team success by helping the team be collaborative and deliver value more quickly. They do this by listening; promoting self-awareness, respect, and trust; and adopting the mindset that they are there to serve the team.
Reasons to Lyv is the top client of a large marketing firm. Trudy is the president of Reasons to Lyv and has decided to launch a product that leverages new GPS tracking technology. She sits down with Roy, the project manager on the project, to discuss which stakeholders are resistant, unaware, neutral, supportive, or leading within the project. What tool or technique are they using?
Select one Mark question
Data gathering Expert judgment Data representation Data analysis
Trudy and Roy are using the stakeholder engagement assessment matrix tool, which is part of the data representation tool and technique of the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process. This matrix classifies stakeholders in five ways: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, or leading.
A project manager considers how best to navigate through the politics of the organization where most of their project team resides. What skill set is the project manager exercising?
Select one Mark question
Strategic and business management Technical project management Stakeholder management Leadership
The project manager is utilizing strategic and business management skills, which is one of three categories of skill set that make up the PMI Talent Triangle®. The other two are technical project management and leadership.
You are working on a project with contentious team members. You know if you resolve the conflicts, it will result in increased productivity and better working relationships. Most conflicts come about as a result of all the following except for which one?
Select one Mark question
Scheduling issues Cultural differences Availability of resources Personal work habits
When managing project teams, many conflicts come about as a result of scheduling issues, availability of resources, or personal work habits.
Recognition and rewards are important parts of team interaction. They are both formal ways of recognizing and promoting desirable behavior. Which of the following statements are true regarding reward and recognition?
Select three Mark question
Rewards should be linked to performance. They should be proportional to the achievement. They are an input of the Develop Team process. Rewards can kill motivation if used improperly.
Recognition and rewards are often used when developing the team. Rewards should be in proportion to the achievement and linked to the performance. If you reward the same team members over and over again, it could be a morale killer for other team members.
Leticia is a project manager working for Dancing Apron, a company that combines cooking with simple children’s cooking recipes and music. Her latest project involves the release of the company’s first digital product, which parents will be able to purchase and download online. While overseeing the project, Leticia notices that recent stakeholder engagement levels have dropped significantly, and they’ve begun to disagree during status meetings. She decides to evaluate their engagement levels using prioritized criteria and weights that she documented in the stakeholder engagement plan so that she can share and discuss the results with the project sponsor. What primary activity is Leticia performing?
Select one Mark question
Managing stakeholder engagement levels Monitoring the engagement levels of stakeholders Strategizing how to engage stakeholders Influencing stakeholder engagement levels
Leticia is performing activities associated with the Monitor Stakeholder Engagement process. Specifically, she is using the multicriteria decision analysis tool, which is a subset of the decision-making tool and technique of the process.
You are looking over project team assignments and see that one of your resources is overallocated. You are concerned about the future availability of this resource and also notice the resource is assigned to more than one critical activity. To keep the project on schedule, which of the following techniques should you use?
Select one Mark question
Reverse resource allocation scheduling Resource loading Resource leveling Resource smoothing
Resource leveling is used when resources are overallocated, available only at certain times, or assigned to more than one activity at a time. This is part of resource optimization techniques and a tool and technique of the Develop Schedule process.
Your team has done an outstanding job, and you have notified their functional managers that their assignment is over. They are all reluctant to go back to their functional work group and are sorry to see the project come to an end. They enjoy working for you and say this project, and working for you, has been one of the best experiences of their career. Which of the following does this describe?
Select one Mark question
That you are likely a Theory Y manager
Maslow’s performing level on the Hierarchy of Needs
Recognition and rewards
The adjourning stage of team development
This describes the adjourning stage of team development.
To whom is the theory attributed that says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation? Select one Mark question David McClelland Douglas McGregor Frederick Herzberg Victor Vroom
The Achievement Theory is attributed to David McClelland and says people are motivated by the need for power, achievement, and affiliation. Vroom introduced the Expectancy Theory, Herzberg introduced the Hygiene Theory, and McGregor is known for Theory X and Theory Y.
Your project has a total of 35 stakeholders. How many lines of communication exist? Select one Mark question 595 600 613 630
The formula for calculating lines of communication is as follows, where n represents the total number of stakeholders (you are already assumed to have been included in the number): Plug in the numbers to get the following: 35(35 - 1) ÷ 2 = 595.
You’ve noticed that your CIO shows all the signs of being a good leader. Which of the following statements are true regarding leaders?
Select three Mark question
Leaders are concerned with satisfying stakeholder needs.
Leaders impart vision.
Leaders use referent power.
Leaders are concerned with strategic plans.
Good leaders use referent power, which is inferred to them by their subordinates. They are visionaries and are concerned with the big picture, or strategic direction and plans. A project manager’s primary goal is to satisfy stakeholder needs.
Silvana is a junior project manager who was recently hired to work on projects supporting the networking team. Her first project is plagued with issues, mostly caused by team member conflicts. Her sponsor attempts to reassure Silvana. What fact is she likely to share with Silvana?
Select one Mark question
Conflict is never a reflection of the project manager.
Conflict often occurs within a technical environment.
Conflict is inevitable in a project environment.
Conflict is always good.
Within a project environment, conflict is inevitable. The key is how conflict is dealt with and managed.
A project manager is interested in organizing the team based on individual team member strengths. What tool can they use to gain insights into team strengths and weaknesses, including how they make decisions, interact with others, and process information? Select three Mark question Attitudinal surveys Training Structured interviews Ability tests
Structured interviews, ability tests, and attitudinal surveys are examples of individual and team assessments that can provide the project manager with insights into team member strengths and weaknesses. This enables them to be organized based on their strengths. Training is not an example of an assessment.
Lewis is a marketing associate reporting to Antwon, the company’s director of marketing. He pulls you aside to get your opinion about the latest project that he claims was his idea. He expresses frustration that Antwon was named sponsor of the project instead of himself. Based on the scenario presented, who is the correct project sponsor? Select one Mark question Antwon Lewis Both Neither
Based on the little information provided in the scenario, you can conclude that Antwon is the project sponsor through his title. A project sponsor is typically an executive in the organization with authority to assign resources and enforce decisions regarding the project. As a marketing associate, Lewis is least likely to be the sponsor, although it is possible that he may play an important role within the project.
You are in the Manage Team process and preparing for your individual team members’ performance assessments. You will use one of the tools and techniques of this process to determine each team member’s leadership, influencing, and effective decision-making capabilities. Which tool and technique is this referring to? Select one Mark question General management skills Interpersonal and team skills Observation and conversation Leadership skills
The Manage Team process has two tools and techniques: interpersonal and team skills and project management information system.
Which of the following options explains one of the reasons that a project manager spends time developing the project team?
Select one Mark question
To create a disciplined environment in which team members can contribute
To create a colocated environment in which team members can contribute
To create a colocated, disciplined environment in which team members can contribute
To create an open, encouraging environment in which team members can contribute
Engaging in development activities for the team allows the project manager to improve team competencies, team member interaction, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance.
You are in the process of facilitating a change control meeting. You review a change request that would double the scope of the project but would not yield a major increase in the project’s resulting benefits. You know that the submitter of the change request has a tendency to bloat a project’s scope without fully thinking through the impact, but as a result of their position in the company, their changes tend to be approved. You invite a financial analyst to the meeting to walk the team through the negative impact of the change request, and the team votes to reject the change. What type of power did you use? Select one Mark question Referent Legitimate Punishment Expert
Expert power occurs when the person being influenced believes the person doing the influencing, typically because they are knowledgeable about the subject or have special abilities that make them an expert.
Abiding by and complying with laws and regulations, confidentiality of information, and accepting assignments for which you are qualified as a project manager are examples of upholding which value? Select one Mark question Honor Responsibility Respect Honesty
Responsibility is the act of making decisions that are for the good of the organization rather than ourselves, admitting our mistakes, and being responsible for the decisions we make (or those we don’t make) and the consequences that result, along with other actions. It represents one of four values that project management practitioners should uphold.
A project manager is planning the kickoff meeting for a project that will have team members dispersed across nine countries. What can the project manager do to support an environment where diverse perspectives and views are encouraged and valued?
Select one Mark question
Have all team members attend the kickoff in person.
Include videoconferencing as an option.
Have each team member state their name and country.
Hold diversity training.
Sometimes you might find yourself working with teams of people from different countries or cultures. Some team members might be from one country and some from another. The best way to ensure that cultural or ethical differences do not hinder your project is to provide training for all team members.
You’ve decided to branch out into project management consulting and have landed your first contracting assignment. You are working on an exciting project for a midsize company that provides pet-sitting services in people’s homes. The employee who is the designated project manager on this project doesn’t have much experience running projects. He insists that all the stakeholders have been identified and that he alone understands their expectations so there is no need for you to meet with them. As a more experienced project manager, you know which of the following is true?
Select one Mark question
- You should meet with the stakeholders, identify them, assess their needs, and record their expectations as part of the Project Stakeholder Management Knowledge Area.
- You should meet with the stakeholders. Project Communications Management is concerned with documenting the needs and demands of the stakeholders and capturing this information in the project scope statement.
- You do not need to meet with the stakeholders since they have already been identified. You can meet them when you capture their requirements in the Collect Requirements process, which is part of the Project Integration Management Knowledge Area.
- He is correct. You do not need to meet with the stakeholders as long as they have been identified. His knowledge of their expectations alone is sufficient
As a project manager, it is important for you to establish relationships with the stakeholders. Project Stakeholder Management is concerned with identifying all of the stakeholders on the project and assessing their needs, expectations, and involvement on the project.
Your virtual project team consists of 12 people in the same building you’re located in plus 4 people from the West Coast office, 2 people from the Kansas City office, and 6 people from the London office. Your office works different hours from all the other offices. Additionally, not all of the resources in your building are available at the same times during the day. Three of those 12 team members work swing shift hours. Which of the following are true?
Select three Mark question
- The teams do not have the same project goals because of the differences in location. Your role is to make certain team members understand the goals and how you will be measuring their performance.
- Your role is to make certain that team members are given credit for their performance and actions on the project.
- Your role is to communicate to all team members and make certain they understand the protocols for communicating with you and each other.
- Team members should understand the expectations you have for them on the project, and you should make certain they understand the decision-making processes.
Virtual teams may not work in the same location, but they all share the goals of the project and have a role to fulfill.
All of the following make up the PMI Talent Triangle™ except for which one?
Select one Mark question
Communication skills
Technical project management skills
Leadership skills
Business management and strategic skills
There are three categories of skill set that make up the PMI Talent Triangle®: business management and strategic skills, technical project management skills, and leadership skills.
Knowledge that can be codified using images, numbers, and words is called what? Select one Mark question Formal knowledge Explicit knowledge Tangible knowledge Tacit knowledge
Knowledge can be split into explicit or tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge refers to knowledge that can be codified using pictures, numbers, or words.
One of your team members, Daniela, talks with you privately about a confrontation she just had with Noelle, another team member working on the same project. It seems they can’t agree on a fundamental business process needed for the project. They both think they are correct in their view, and each has set up a meeting with you, independently, to convince you of her position. Which of the following statements is true?
Select one Mark question
This describes the performing stage of team development. This describes the storming stage of team development. This describes the forming stage of team development. This describes the norming stage of team development
These team members are confrontational with each other and are trying to find their position within the team and their standing with you. This describes the storming stage of team development.
Alyssa is a project manager tasked with managing an infrastructure project that will consolidate five data centers into one. After kicking off the execution of the project work, she holds a team-building workshop with the core project team. What is she looking to achieve?
Select one Mark question
Resolve existing conflicts Improve overall project performance Enhance team competencies Address people-related corrective actions
Activities such as team building, motivating, and recognition and rewards are a means of improving teamwork, motivating employees, reducing attrition, and improving overall project performance.
You are very interested in becoming a project manager. You have mentored with other experienced project managers in your organization to learn more about how to be an effective project manager. You’ve been told your organizational skills and communication skills are excellent. However, you need some additional training in accounting and budgeting skills, because you are weak in these general management areas. The mentor who was honest enough to tell you this explained it which of the following ways?
Select one Mark question
- The Estimating Costs and Control Costs processes are under the Planning process group, and you will not be able to pass the questions on the PMP exam that pertain to these processes if you don’t get some training.
- General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. If you lack any of these skills, it could affect your project and your career adversely, so you should get some training in these areas.
- You will not be able to sit for the exam unless you get formal training in the general management areas.
- General management skills are important to your project outcomes, and Estimating Costs and Control Costs are two of the most important processes within the Executing phase of a project, so you should get some training in these areas.
General management skills are likely to affect project outcomes. Estimating Costs is part of the Planning process group, and Control Costs is part of the Monitoring and Controlling process group. PMI requires either a degree or a certain number of years of experience in project management to sit for the exam, along with other requirements.
You are a project manager carrying out various activities that involve managing the team. At present, you are preparing for your individual team members’ performance assessments. Which of the following will assist you as you carry out this activity?
Select three Mark question
Team performance assessments Work performance reports Project management information system Resource management plan
You are carrying out activities associated with the Manage Team process. The following information will provide useful insight into team member performance: resource management plan, issue log, lessons learned register, project team assignments, team charter, team performance assessments, work performance reports, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets. A project management information system is a tool versus information that would be used to assess performance.
During a project status meeting, you request updates to work tasks. One of your close friends accountable for the most critical milestone on the schedule notes that they are on track. Over wine the previous evening, the friend had confided that the task was two weeks behind schedule. What should you do as the project manager?
Select one Mark question
Throw your friend under the bus—after all, the wine was cheap and not worth it. Immediately report the slip, along with the source of your information. Give your friend an opportunity to report accurate status; if this does not occur, report accurately that a slippage has occurred. Do nothing. Honoring friendship is far more important, and this is an opportunity to display trust.
You know that your friend has reported the status untruthfully, and you are obligated to ensure that the truth is reported at all times. Giving your friend an opportunity to correct their behavior is appropriate; should the person not be truthful, it is your responsibility to report status based on accurate information provided.
You are a new project manager and have always been self-motivated. You are destined to achieve good things and desire to attain the coveted PMP designation. Even after attaining the designation, you will strive to apply professional knowledge to your future projects and adhere to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Which theory is described in this question, and what area of the PMI role delineation study does this question refer to?
Select one Mark question
Leadership Theory and responsibility Hygiene Theory and ensure personal integrity and professionalism Expectancy Theory and enhance professional competence Contingency Theory and contribute to the project management knowledge base
The Contingency Theory proposes that people are motivated to achieve levels of competency and will continue to be motivated even after the competency is reached. The area of the role delineation study this question refers to is contributing to the project management knowledge base.
A project manager hosted a celebration for the project team to reward them for a job well done that led to the successful completion of a major project. It was clear to the project manager that the team was relaxed and enjoying themselves, with some talking about upcoming vacation plans. What type of project ending is this?
Select one Mark question
Addition Starvation Integration Extinction
Extinction is the best type of project ending, meaning that the project came to an end because it was completed and accepted by the stakeholders.
Rianna is a developer who is interested in moving toward a career in project management. She takes on a small project that will implement a new security feature to protect her company’s internal network. To date, she has baselined the project’s scope, schedule, and budget, and she is now actively helping to resolve issues as they arise. What outcome is she looking to produce?
Select one Mark question
Optimize project performance Allocate resources appropriately Improve competencies Improve team interaction
Rianna is currently performing the Manage Team process, which includes managing conflict. This process is concerned with tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team changes to optimize project performance.
Knowledge that is difficult to express is called what?
Select one Mark question
Tacit knowledge Explicit knowledge Tangible knowledge Formal knowledge
Knowledge can be split into explicit or tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to knowledge that is difficult to express, such as insights, experience, beliefs, and know-how.
Your project sponsor approaches you with a small bonus check for your excellent work keeping costs in line with the budget. You think the amount of the bonus check is fair and deserved. Which of the following statements are true?
Select two Mark question
The reward is appropriately linked to the performance. The reward is in line with the performance, and you should accept it. Rewards and recognition systems are created as a result of the project. Rewards and recognition systems are informal ways of promoting desirable behavior.
Rewards and recognition systems are formal ways of promoting desirable behavior.
Carina is a principal project manager of You’ve Got Dogs, a specialty company that creates custom dog apparel and toys. As is part of her practice, she sits down with her sponsor to evaluate how the project is performing. She reviews feedback from the most recent prototype, which the team has produced successively to yield additional insight. Carina notes to the sponsor that the use of timeboxing has been helpful in reducing the uncertainty in the project. What type of life cycle is Carina using?
Select one Mark question
Agile Iterative Waterfall Predictive
Iterative life cycles use successive prototypes or proofs of concept to improve the product or result. Activities are repeated in cycles to produce new information and team insights.
Your project is running behind schedule and over budget. The account manager of a supplier you’ve worked with before tells you that if you select them for a contract they are bidding on, they will throw in a free resource. Later that day, you meet with the vendor selection committee and see that the vendor ranks at the bottom of the stack. You select the vendor anyway to help the budget, even though it goes against the procurement policy. How may your actions be perceived?
Select one Mark question
Improving cost variance Conflict of interest Justified Heroic
A conflict of interest is when you put your personal interests above the interests of the project or when you use your influence to cause others to make decisions in your favor without regard for the project outcome. Violating the procurement policy to improve the budget situation was not the appropriate action to take.
You are in the midst of some difficult procurement negotiations. The schedule, service-level agreements, and incentives have not been agreed upon. One of the parties representing the vendor lashes out at you during the negotiations. You were not expecting this outburst and are just about to stoop to their level when you remember which of the following in reference to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the process you are currently performing?
Select one Mark question
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should maintain respect even though the other party is out of control. The Conduct Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should ensure personal integrity by controlling yourself even though the other party is out of control. The Conduct Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- Your actions and you should maintain respect even though the other party is out of control. The Control Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
- You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your actions, and you should ensure personal integrity by controlling yourself even though the other party is out of control. The Control Procurements process can be difficult when you are negotiating complex contracts.
You should always maintain respect and professional demeanor when interacting with others. You can’t control their actions, but you can control your own. This question refers to the Conduct Procurements process. Procurement negotiation is a tool and technique of this process.
As part of establishing a new project team, a project manager chooses to create an official team charter. What will the project manager likely include within the document?
Select two Mark question
Team responsibilities Team assignments Decision-making criteria Team values
The team charter is used to establish the team, clarify expectations, and create team norms. It typically highlights team values, agreements, and how the team will operate together throughout the project’s life. It may also define team ground rules and other expected behaviors.
You are a senior project manager working at a manufacturing plant that produces components used by the aviation industry. You have just finalized team assignments. What action are you likely to perform next?
Select one Mark question
Manage resources by monitoring activities Develop the team by refreshing team skills Develop the training plan Review pre-assignments
You have just completed activities associated with building the project team. Activities associated with developing the team are likely to follow.
A project manager working under contract for an enterprise PMO contributes to the creation of a project management handbook as part of his assignment. At the conclusion of the project, he decides to sell and market the handbook under his consulting group’s brand, even though he was one of many contributors acting as agents of the organization. He reasoned that his contribution to the creation of the handbook afforded him this right. How are his actions likely to be viewed by the contracting organization?
Select one Mark question
As a violation of intellectual property As acting on his rights as a content contributor As a collaborator, given his contributions to the work As operating against his agreement
Given that the project manager contributed to the handbook while under assignment by the contracting organization and was just one of multiple contributors, it is likely that his actions would be viewed as a violation of the organization’s policies on intellectual property. This would be verified by reviewing the project manager’s contractual agreement.
Your team has done an outstanding job, and you have notified their functional managers that their assignment is over. They are all reluctant to go back to their functional work group and are sorry to see the project come to an end. They enjoy working for you and say this project, and working for you, has been one of the best experiences of their career. According to the adjourning phase of team formation, you could take all of the following actions except for which one?
Select one Mark question
Conduct a team celebration Focus on closing out the project management processes Thank your team members for their contributions Guide the team through a closure process
You could conduct a team celebration, thank your team members for their contributions, and guide them through a closure process.
You are a project manager working on contract. The organization that’s contracted with your company is not happy with the progress of the project to date. They claim that an important deliverable was overlooked and that you should halt the project and reassess how to meet this deliverable. You know that the customer has approved all phases of the project to date. Which of the following statements is true?
Select one Mark question
- You and your company might have to use communication techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement.
- You and your company might have to use negotiation techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement.
- You and your company might have to use influencing techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement.
- You and your company might have to use problem-solving techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement.
Negotiation is working with others to come to an agreement. Arbitration and mediation are two forms of negotiation.
You’ve just accepted a new project management assignment. The project is for a customer in a foreign country. You’ve requested a business analyst and two other project team members from the country the customer resides in to participate on your team. The remaining team members are from your country. You know that the best way to ensure that the project team doesn’t get bogged down in cultural differences and hold up project progress is to do which of the following?
Select one Mark question
- Require project team members to read and sign the organization’s diversity policy.
- Establish your role as project manager as the first order of business and require compliance with company policies.
- Provide diversity training for all the team members to make them aware of cultural differences and teach them to function effectively as a team despite these differences.
- Perform team-building exercises using videoconferencing to allow team members to get to know each other and get to the performing stage of team development as soon as possible.
Diversity training is the best way to ensure that team members will learn to recognize and deal with cultural differences among the members because clashes could impede the project’s progress. Team-building exercises are not a bad idea, but this question is specifically asking about cultural differences, which are best handled with diversity training.
Your colleague recently accepted a job transfer that requires a PMP credential. During a recent conversation, he confided to you that he lied on his application in order to get the assignment. This is an example of what?
Select one Mark question
Unprofessional behavior A bad friend An ethics violation Poor judgment
While a case can be made that all of the options presented are valid answers, incorrectly reporting credentials is an example of an ethics violation. As a credential holder, it is your responsibility to report violations of the PMP code of conduct.
Which of the following statements best describes stakeholders?
Select one Mark question
- Individuals assigned to carry out the work of the project, as defined by the project management plan
- The person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives
- An individual, group, or organization that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project
- An individual or a group that provides resources and support for the project and is accountable for enabling success
The PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition defines a stakeholder as “an individual, group, or organization that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.”
Sally and Joe are two project managers working in the corporate offices of a popular fast-food franchise. They are both studying for their PMP® certification, and they have a spirited debate over who is responsible for managing and performing project integration activities. Sally claims it is the project sponsor, while Joe adamantly insists it is the project manager. Who is correct? Select one Mark question Neither Sally Both Joe
Joe is correct. The project manager is responsible for managing and performing activities relating to project integration management activities.
A junior project manager works with the procurement manager to review vendor proposals. The procurement manager decides to select a vendor who did not have the highest weighted score against the criteria that were predetermined. The project manager learns that the vendor is the procurement manager’s cousin. What should the project manager do?
Select one Mark question
Bring this to the procurement manager’s attention and report it to the appropriate department for investigation.
Confront the procurement manager and threaten to report their behavior to the ethics committee.
Overturn the procurement manager’s decision and select the vendor with the highest weighted score.
Do nothing. Project managers should respect the role and authority of each member of the team.
The procurement manager’s behavior can be viewed as a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is when you put your personal interests above the interests of the project or when you use your influence to cause others to make decisions in your favor without regard for the project outcome. In other words, your personal interests take precedence over your professional obligations, and you make decisions that allow you to personally benefit regardless of the outcome of the project.
Dr. William Ouchi developed a theory that is concerned with increasing employees’ loyalty to their organizations and places emphasis on the well-being of the employees, both at work and outside of work. What is the name of this leadership theory? Select one Mark question Theory X Theory Y Theory Y/Z Theory Z
Theory Z was developed by Dr. William Ouchi. This theory is concerned with increasing employee loyalty to their organizations. This theory results in increased productivity, puts an emphasis on the well-being of the employees both at work and outside of work, encourages steady employment, and leads to high employee satisfaction and morale.
Your project has kicked off, and you are beginning a series of overview sessions with key users to determine requirements for a new enterprise resource software implementation. One of your stakeholders is exceptionally contentious and throws obstacles up at every turn. One of the problems she has described does seem to be legitimate. There is an issue with the data from the legacy system that needs to be resolved before moving forward. Which of the following statements is not true regarding this situation?
Select one Mark question
Your decision-making has a timing element.
Your decision-making involves asking questions to determine whether the issues are internal or external to the project.
You should use a two-step process involving problem definition and decision-making.
You should approach this by defining the problem and focusing on separating causes and symptoms.
Problem-solving involves asking questions to separate the causes of the problem from the symptoms. Decision-making involves considering alternative solutions to the problem. Choices are made from among the alternatives. Timing is important in decision-making, because good decisions made too soon or too late can turn into inferior solutions.
A project manager presents a summary of project team roles and responsibilities, training needs, and recognition and rewards to the project sponsor for approval. In what activity are they engaged?
Select one Mark question
Developing the stakeholder engagement plan
Estimating project costs
Developing the resource management plan
Identifying resource risk
Roles and responsibilities, training needs, and recognition and rewards are all elements documented in the resource management plan. Other elements covered in the plan are the list of methods for identifying resources, acquiring resources, project organizational charts, project team resource management, team development, and resource control.
You are working on a project with contentious team members. You know if you resolve the conflicts, it will result in increased productivity and better working relationships. Most conflicts come about as a result of all the following except for which one? Select one Mark question Scheduling issues Availability of resources Cultural differences Personal work habits
When managing project teams, many conflicts come about as a result of scheduling issues, availability of resources, or personal work habits.
Your virtual project team consists of 12 people in the same building you’re located in plus 4 people from the West Coast office, 2 people from the Kansas City office, and 6 people from the London office. Your office works different hours from all the other offices. Additionally, not all of the resources in your building are available at the same times during the day. Three of those 12 team members work swing shift hours. Which of the following should you use to capture the availability information for these resources and potential future resources, as well as their capabilities and skills? Select one Mark question Project calendar Activity calendar Resource calendar Team roster
Resource calendars are an output of the Acquire Resources process and include the availability, skills, and abilities of resources.
Which of the following stages of the Tuckman ladder addresses the completion of the work and release of staff? Select one Mark question Adjourning Concluding Closing Releasing
The Tuckman ladder, also referred to as stages of team development, consists of five stages that teams may go through: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. In the adjourning stage, teams complete the work and are released.
You hold a position that is primarily concerned with satisfying stakeholder needs as well as issues such as plans, controls, budgets, policies, procedures, and team motivation. You have signed a nondisclosure agreement, promising not to give away trade secrets, and you have signed a noncompete agreement with your current employer that says you will not go to work for a competitor any sooner than 18 months after the date of your termination. Your staff members have signed similar agreements, but their noncompete agreement is for 12 months rather than 18. You have discovered, through a friend of a friend, that one of your staff members is interviewing at a competing company, and if the position is offered and accepted, it would violate the noncompete agreement your staff member signed. Which of the following describes the type of position you hold and the domain within the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct that pertains to this situation? Select one Mark question Manager and Honesty Leader and Fairness Leader and Respect Manager and Responsibility
This question describes a manager, not a leader. The Responsibility domain covers the concept of confidential information.
One of your project’s deliverables requires skills in journalism. You have three resources working on the activities that need to be completed for this deliverable. One of the resources is beyond happy with her situation and tells you that she is finally in a project where she feels like she is performing at her peak potential. Which of the following statements best describes this situation?
Select one Mark question
Salary is not a motivator because her basic needs have been fulfilled.
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
This team member’s need has been fulfilled, and now, according to Maslow, the ability to advance, the opportunity to learn new things, and the challenges involved in the work become motivators.
The Expectancy Theory says that the importance of camaraderie with other team members is an important motivator.
This team member is describing the self-actualization level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Knowledge that is difficult to express is called what? Select one Mark question Explicit knowledge Tangible knowledge Formal knowledge Tacit knowledge
Knowledge can be split into explicit or tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to knowledge that is difficult to express, such as insights, experience, beliefs, and know-how.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that notes that humans have five basic needs arranged in a hierarchical order. What is the first set of needs that must be met before a person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy? Select one Mark question Self-actualization Safety and security needs Social needs Basic physical needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs notes that there are five sets of needs that must be met in the following hierarchical order: basic physical needs, safety and security needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization. The idea is that these needs must be met before the person can move to the next level of needs in the hierarchy.
A project manager is preparing to send five engineers to Japan to install a high-security network. The engineers have never been outside of the United States before. Prior to their travel, the project manager asks the Japan-based manager to give the engineers an overview of their history, customs, and social norms. What is the project manager’s motive?
Select one Mark question
To take a breather after a hard day’s work
To ensure the engineers understand how to interact abroad
To teach the engineers about the Japanese culture
To prevent culture shock
Working in a foreign country can bring about an experience called culture shock. When you’ve spent years acting in certain ways and expecting normal, everyday events to follow a specific course of action, you might find yourself disoriented when things don’t go as you expected. In this scenario, the project manager was attempting to prevent culture shock.
You have accepted a position in a new company and have spent the first 30 days observing your team. Your findings, unfortunately, are not encouraging. The team exhibits a lack of motivation, poor communication among team members, a lack of respect for you and your position, and project work results that are less than satisfactory. For a fleeting moment, you think about leaving but realize that’s not in keeping with the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You know all of the following are true, given the circumstances, except for which one?
Select one Mark question
You are carrying out activities associated with team management and realize that since you are new, the stages of team development will start over again at the forming stage. You know that quitting would not be in keeping with the Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, or Honesty domains of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You will use ground rules, recognition and rewards, and personnel assessment tools, among others, to attempt to improve this dysfunctional team. You will use interpersonal skills, training, and team-building activities, among others, to attempt to improve this dysfunctional team.
The question describes activities associated with developing the team, and that’s also where sensitivity to the stages of team development are critical.
Match the decision-making technique with its description.
Matching Mark question
Multicriteria decision analysis - Uses a systematic approach to making decisions
Autocratic - One individual makes the decision
Voting - Uses unanimity, majority, or plurality to make decisions
The PMBOK® Guide highlights three decision-making techniques: voting, autocratic, and multicriteria decision analysis.
This win-win conflict-resolution technique is the one that project managers should use most. Select one Mark question Smoothing Withdrawal Compromise Collaboration
Collaborate is also called problem-solving and should be the technique most commonly used by project managers.
Carina is a principal project manager of You’ve Got Dogs, a specialty company that creates custom dog apparel and toys. Three months into the project, she kicks off the second phase of a project that is developing high-tech dog bones. As part of her practice, she sits down with her sponsor to determine whether there are any new players that they missed in the first phase, and they hold a discussion on the direction of influence of these new stakeholders. What activity is Carina carrying out? Select one Mark question Identifying stakeholders Planning resource management Planning stakeholder engagement Identifying risks
Carina is in the process of identifying stakeholders and analyzing their level of influence. Although the project has been active for three months, it is customary to perform this activity iteratively, especially at the start of a phase.
Which of the following activities involves determining and documenting a team’s effectiveness?
Select one Mark question
Project performance appraisals
Team performance assessments
Organizational process assets updates
Enterprise environmental factors updates
Team performance assessments are a result of developing the project team. This activity typically involves determining and documenting a team’s effectiveness.
Which of the following best describes the directing conflict-resolution technique?
Select one Mark question
Pushing one’s viewpoint at the expense of others
Searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction
Retreating from a potential conflict solution
Incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights
Directing, also referred to as forcing, is a conflict-resolution technique where one’s viewpoint is pushed at the expense of others. This is typically a win-lose solution.
A project manager hosted a celebration for the project team to reward them for a job well done that led to the successful completion of a major project. It was clear to the project manager that the team was relaxed and enjoying themselves, with some talking about upcoming vacation plans. What type of project ending is this? Select one Mark question Integration Addition Starvation Extinction
Extinction is the best type of project ending, meaning that the project came to an end because it was completed and accepted by the stakeholders.
Diana is a newly appointed project manager. As part of onboarding to the new team, she shadows Charlie, a senior project manager. During a team meeting, she witnesses Charlie using several profanities when engaging with one engineer in particular. She cringes in her seat as she sees Charlie talk over the engineer and chastise him for challenging the schedule. Although new to the team, Diana decides to report Charlie’s behavior to her manager. What core value has Charlie violated? Select one Mark question Fairness Honesty Responsibility Respect
Respect involves several areas, including the way we conduct ourselves, the way we treat others, listening to other viewpoints, and conducting ourselves in a professional manner. According to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, an environment of respect generates trust and confidence and fosters mutual cooperation.
Which of the following statements is true regarding lateral thinking?
Select two Mark question
Edward de Bono created this term and has done extensive research on the topic. It is a form of parallel analysis. This is a way of reasoning and thinking about problems from perspectives other than the obvious. Lateral thinking is a tool and technique of the processes used when identifying risks.
Lateral thinking is a form of alternatives analysis often used to determine a project’s scope. It was created by Edward de Bono and serves as a means of reasoning and thinking about problems differently than what can be classified as evident.
You’re the project manager for Dream Clinics, a research organization that specializes in sleep disorders. You’re working on an internal service project and are in the Executing process group. You negotiate with a manager to obtain resources for specific activities on the project that your team is not able to fulfill. These resources will roll off the project as soon as the activities are completed. Which of the following does this scenario describe?
Select one Mark question
Interpersonal and team skills, which are capabilities used by project managers to acquire resources
Staffing requirements, which is information needed when acquiring resources
Resource requirements, which are generated when carrying out resource requirement planning activities
Resource pool description, which is information needed when planning out resource requirements
This describes the use of interpersonal and team skills, which is a common skill set used when acquiring resources. This often encompasses negotiation with other project managers and/or managers.
As part of establishing a new project team, a project manager chooses to create an official team charter. What will the project manager likely include within the document? Select two Mark question Team assignments Team values Decision-making criteria Team responsibilities
The team charter is used to establish the team, clarify expectations, and create team norms. It typically highlights team values, agreements, and how the team will operate together throughout the project’s life. It may also define team ground rules and other expected behaviors.
At minimum, measuring stakeholder satisfaction typically occurs at what point of the project life cycle? Select one Mark question During project execution During project closure During project planning During project initiation
Measuring customer satisfaction is just one of the many activities that occur during administrative closure of a project. While some projects check in and measure satisfaction at key points throughout the project’s life cycle, it should occur during project closure at a minimum.
During a project status meeting, you request updates to work tasks. One of your close friends accountable for the most critical milestone on the schedule notes that they are on track. Over wine the previous evening, the friend had confided that the task was two weeks behind schedule. What should you do as the project manager?
Select one Mark question
Give your friend an opportunity to report accurate status; if this does not occur, report accurately that a slippage has occurred.
Do nothing. Honoring friendship is far more important, and this is an opportunity to display trust.
Throw your friend under the bus—after all, the wine was cheap and not worth it.
Immediately report the slip, along with the source of your information
You know that your friend has reported the status untruthfully, and you are obligated to ensure that the truth is reported at all times. Giving your friend an opportunity to correct their behavior is appropriate; should the person not be truthful, it is your responsibility to report status based on accurate information provided.
You are working on a critical project for your organization. The CEO has made it clear this is a top priority. One of the key stakeholders on your project resigned, and her replacement started about three weeks ago. She does not make time for you or seem to have the same level of urgency regarding this project as the CEO. You are concerned with overall project success and want to efficiently manage the processes involved with this project. All of the following are methods referred to within this scenario except for which one? Select one Mark question Ground rules Decision-making Data analysis Meetings
This question describes activities associated with monitoring the engagement levels of stakeholders. The tools and techniques used to perform these activities include data analysis, decision-making, data representation, communication skills, interpersonal and team skills, and meetings. Ground rules are used to manage stakeholder engagement.
