Project Management Test 1.4

Front 1

In a conflict scenario between two parties, when the level of frustration for the first party has been lowered to the point where no action against the second party is contemplated, the first party will usually be __________.

Back 1

satisfied with the outcome

Front 2

Property rights and contractual obligations provide a major source of conflicts that involve the organization and __________.

Back 2

outsiders

Front 3

Within the organization, conflicts are viewed as __________.

Back 3

conflicts between allies

Front 4

If a resource conflict arises between two high-priority projects, precedence is typically given to the project with the __________.

Back 4

earliest due date

Front 5

Pressure to complete the project and anxiety about leaving the project will often generate __________ conflicts during project phaseout.

Back 5

personality

Front 6

__________ has been described as the process which begins when one party perceives that the other has been frustrated, or is about to frustrate, some concern of his.

Back 6

Conflict

Front 7

Which of the following is the correct list of reasons why firms might contract with one another in a partnership?

Back 7

avoid litigation, shorten the duration of the project, avoid capital investment, and reduce political risk

Front 8

During the early phases of the project, the highest level of conflict comes from __________.

Back 8

priorities

Front 9

The technical objectives of the project must be specified during the __________ stage.

Back 9

project formation

Front 10

The project should move from a general concept to a highly detailed set of plans during the project __________ phase.

Back 10

buildup

Front 11

During project buildup, if the project is independent and standalone, the PM seeks a commitment of __________from the functional departments.

Back 11

people

Front 12

During project buildup, if the project is functionally tied down, the PM seeks a commitment of __________ from the functional departments.

Back 12

work

Front 13

The need to manage technical interfaces and to correct incompatibilities is likely to create technical conflicts during the __________ phase of the project life cycle.

Back 13

main program

Front 14

Technical problems are comparatively rare during project phaseout because most have been solved or bypassed earlier.

Back 14

True

Front 15

The fundamental issue of setting the project’s relative priority must be resolved irrespective of what organizational form is selected for the project.

Back 15

True

Front 16

Negotiation is the process through which two or more parties seek an acceptable rate of exchange for items they own or control.

Back 16

True

Front 17

The general objective of a Pareto-optimal solution to conflict is to find a solution such that one party can be made better off without making another party worse off by the same amount or more.

Back 17

False

Front 18

The total level of conflict in the project life cycle is the highest during the project buildup stage.

Back 18

True

Front 19

The key to conflict resolution is negotiating a win-win solution

Back 19

True

Front 20

Negotiators should prefer subjective criteria to objective criteria in order to ensure a win-win negotiation.

Back 20

False

Front 21

Identify the statement that is not a major advantage of placing a project within a functional element of the parent organization.

Back 21

The functional division tends to be oriented towards activities particular to its function

Front 22

Identify the statement that is not a major disadvantage of placing a project within a functional element of the parent organization.

Back 22

The functional division contains the normal path of advancement for individuals whose expertise is in the functional area

Front 23

Identify the statement that is not a major advantage of placing a project within the pure project organization.

Back 23

The functional manager retains full line authority over project team members

Front 24

Identify the statement that is not a major disadvantage of placing a project within the pure project organization.

Back 24

The project manager has full line authority over the project

Front 25

If the project manager controls when and what people do while the functional managers control who will be assigned to the project and what technology will be used, the ________ organizational form is probably being used.

Back 25

Matrix

Front 26

In the systems approach to design, one organization would have to take responsibility for ________.

Back 26

The integrity of the project design

Front 27

Identify the statement that is not a major advantage of placing a project in the matrix approach.

Back 27

The division of authority between the project manager and the functional managers is complex

Front 28

Identify the statement that is not a major disadvantage of placing the project in the matrix approach.

Back 28

The project manager takes responsibility for managing the project

Front 29

When a project requires the integration of inputs from several functional areas and involves reasonably sophisticated technology, but does not require all the technical specialists to work for the project on a full-time basis, the ________ organizational form should be used.

Back 29

Matrix

Front 30

The process of dealing with uncertainties in projects has come to be known as ________.

Back 30

Risk management

Front 31

The project management office is often created by organizations to ________.

Back 31

Establish consistent project management standards and methods

Front 32

A major purpose of the project management office should be to serve as

Back 32

The critical link between strategic management and project management in the organization

Front 33

This member of the project team is in charge of product design and development and is responsible for functional analysis, specifications, drawings, cost estimates, quality/reliability, engineering changes, and documentation.

Back 33

Project engineer

Front 34

This member of the project team is responsible for the efficient production of the product of the process, including the manufacturing engineering, design and production of tooling, production scheduling, and other production tasks.

Back 34

Manufacturing engineer

Front 35

This behavior in a project manager would be highly correlated with unsuccessful project management.

Back 35

Conflict avoidance

Front 36

The underlying principle of modern organizations is ________ of the human elements in the group.

Back 36

specialization

Front 37

The ________ organizational form is a pure project organization overlaid on the functional divisions of the parent firm

Back 37

matrix

Front 38

. The ________ matrix is most similar to the pure project organizational form.

Back 38

strong

Front 39

The ________ matrix is least similar to the pure project organizational form

Back 39

weak

Front 40

The ________ approach to design would require that the engine, airframe, and weapons systems of an airplane be designed as a unit. The attempt is to optimize the composite system rather than the parts.

Back 40

systems

Front 41

________ is a means of dividing a large and monolithic organization into smaller, more flexible units. When this is done, the parent organization is seeking to capture some of the advantages of small, specialized organizational units while retaining some of the advantages that come with larger size.

Back 41

divisionalization

Front 42

In the ________ form of organizational structure, pure functional and pure project organizations may coexist in the firm.

Back 42

mixed

Front 43

When the major focus of a project must be on the in-depth application of a technology rather than on minimizing cost, meeting a specific schedule or achieving speedy response to change, the ________ organizational form is apt to be the form of choice.

Back 43

functional

Front 44

When a firm engages in a large number of similar projects, the ________ organizational form is apt to be preferred.

Back 44

pure project

Front 45

The ________ method of participative management allowed the worker to take responsibility for the design and performance of a task under controlled conditions.

Back 45

MBO (management by objectives)

Front 46

According to Dawson, a group of individuals working independently is a ________.

Back 46

name only team (NOT)

Front 47

The ________ is a detailed plan of what needs to be done and when.

Back 47

action plan

Front 48

________ engineering refers to the use of a design team that includes design and manufacturing engineers as well as staff from other relevant areas of the business.

Back 48

concurrent

Front 49

. The ________ manager is typically responsible for a number of related projects, each with its own project manager.

Back 49

program

Front 50

________ is defined as inappropriately intense loyalty to the project.

Back 50

projectitis

Front 51

________ is the term that describes the optimization of a sub-element of a system, perhaps to the detriment of the overall system.

Back 51

suboptimization

Front 52

A room where project teams can meet, and where the latest details on project progress will be available, is called the ________.

Back 52

project war room

Front 53

The ________ describes how the scope of the project will be accomplished.

Back 53

WBS (work breakdown structure)

Front 54

Identify the major reasons for the rapid growth of project-oriented organizations.

Back 54

First, speed and market responsiveness have become requirements of successful competition. Moreover, clients want increased customization of project outputs. Second, the development of new products, processes, and services has become increasingly complex. This requires interdisciplinary collaboration and coordination. Third, rapid expansion of technological possibilities tends to destabilize organizational structures. And finally, business managers are seeking to gain greater control over the operations of the business.

Front 55

Identify three major advantages and disadvantages of using functional elements of the parent organization as the administrative home for a project. Assume that the structure is appropriate for the project being undertaken.

Back 55

The advantages would include: the flexible use of staff in a manner that maximizes utilization of staff, the sharing of expertise among multiple projects, and the provision of a stable base for technological continuity for the organization. The disadvantages would include: the client is not the primary focus of activity within the function, lines of cross-functional communication may be unclear, and responsiveness to client needs may be slow and arduous.

Front 56

Identify three major advantages and disadvantages of using the pure project organization as the administrative home for project. Assume that the structure is appropriate for the project being undertaken.

Back 56

The advantages would include: the project manager has full line authority over the project, the structure tends to support a holistic approach to running the project, and the ability to make swift decisions is greatly enhanced. The disadvantages would include: the duplication of resources which are not shared between projects, the inconsistent adherence to corporate policies and procedures, and the potential to develop projectitis in a manner that distorts relationships between project team members and their counterparts in the parent organization.

Front 57

Briefly described the six processes for risk management identified in the PMBOK Guidelines.

Back 57

Risk management planning is focused on how to approach and plan the risk management activities for a project. In risk identification, the risks that can affect the project for better or for worse are identified. In qualitative risk analysis, nonnumerical priorities are established for the risk events identified previously. In quantitative risk analysis, probability and impact are converted into expected monetary value. In risk response planning, contingency plans are established to capture opportunities and respond to threats. In risk monitoring and control, warning signs and triggers are used to determine when corrective actions are required to bring the project back on track.

Front 58

Discuss the advantages of empowering the project team.

Back 58

By empowering a project team, team members are enabled to manipulate tasks so that project objectives are met. Team members are encouraged to find better ways to do things. A participative style of management avoids micromanaging professionals and enables them to achieve goals using appropriate methods of their choosing. Team members begin to understand that they are responsible and accountable for achieving the project’s deliverables. There is a good chance that synergistic solutions will result from team collaboration. The project manager will serve as a tool for evaluating a team's performance and will be positioned to provide timely feedback to keep the team on track.