Chapter 2 Traditional and Contemporary Management Perspectives

Which of the following statements relative to the theory and practice of management is TRUE?

• Academic theories have little application in business because they are not grounded in reality.
• The value of theory is that it provides a conceptual framework for management activities.
• Theory is, by definition, very abstract and quite difficult to understand.
• Managers never develop their own theories of how to run an organization.
• Management theories tend to be mutually exclusive.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the early practice of management?

• The practice of management began about 100 years ago.
• Early economists were concerned with managerial efficiency and effectiveness.
• By 1900, most organizations were large.
• Survival was not an issue in most organizations before 1900.
• The scientific study of management as a field of inquiry dates back to the nineteenth century.

What is generally true about management theories that are used to build organizations and guide them to their goals?

• They are grounded in reality.
• They are abstract.
• They are simple.
• They are scientific in nature.
• They must be quantifiable to work.

Which of the following can be used to provide managers a sense of heritage and avoid the mistakes of others?

• historical context of management
• the classical perspective
• the Hawthorne studies
• quantitative management practices
• Plato's job specialization description

Managers at Ruth & Fishers Corp. recognize the value of history. The company maintains an extensive archival library of its old documents and records and has also employed a full-time corporate historian. This helps the managers ____.

• manage the behavior of their employees
• comply with government regulations
• maintain a code of ethics in the company
• avoid the mistakes of others
• Find simple solutions to complex problems

Scientific management evolved in the early 1900s because ____.

• labor was in abundant supply
• workers needed to be used more efficiently
• capital was in short supply
• information was rapidly changing
• piecework pay systems were not working

When employees make a pulled pork sandwich at the local restaurant, they spread the pork from premeasured cardboard containers. This improves speed and consistency. The restaurant is applying the principles of ____.

• scientific management
• organizational behavior
• management science
• contingency theory
• administrative management

Plummer Construction has three employees. Betina, the owner, does design, ordering, and customer interface. Paulo and Bhavik do demolition and construction with Paulo specializing in the detailed trim work and Bhavik responsible for clean-up. With which of the following management approaches do their actions most agree?

• management science
• contingency theory
• administrative management
• the bureaucratic perspective
• scientific management

Lifeguards at Water Works pool are required to work 40 hours per week. On the weekends, many will teach additional classes, and are paid based on the number of students in the class. This encourages employees to build clientele and happy customers. This is a form of ____.

• increased efficiency
• a piecework pay system
• soldiering
• Theory X
• Theory Y

A Gantt chart is a ____.

• listing of the steps required to complete a job
• method for developing employee wage systems
• device used in doing time and motion studies
• checklist used in equipment maintenance
• means of scheduling individual work or whole projects