A company has a number of Strategic Business Units (SBUs), one of which operates in a market that is experiencing high growth. The SBU has only been in operation for a short while and therefore its market share relative to its competitors is small.
Which of the following is the most appropriate term for the SBU according to the Boston Consulting Group model?
An organisation undertakes a planned strategy and it is currently at the stage of completing a strategic analysis.
It has defined what it is seeking to achieve, identified the strengths and weaknesses of the company and has undertaken a corporate appraisal.
What stage of its strategic analysis has the organisation failed to carry out?
Harvey Maylor created a project life cycle model based on four discrete and sequential stages. This is known as the 4D model. One of the stages involves the following activities:
- Documentation must be completed. Contracts, letters, accounting records etc. must be filed properly.
- Project systems must be closed down, including accounting systems - only after all costs have been settled.
- Handover to the client/end users must take place, and where appropriate obtain sign-off to signify that the contract is complete.
- Review the project to provide project staff with immediate feedback on performance.
To which stage of the 4D model do these activities apply?
Identify ways in which an orgnisation can undertake qualitative research.
Select ALL that apply.
Because of the severity of actions of the employer an employee takes the decision to resign. This could be classed as which of the following?
V is the owner of a small jewellery business which deals exclusively in pearls. The business has built up an excellent network of suppliers which deliver a steady stream of high quality pearls to its workshops, where a team of highly skilled craftsmen turn basic pearls into items of jewellery. V feels that no other company has such a talented and valuable workforce and believes their skills are rare and difficult if not impossible to imitate. They are the key to the company's sustainable competitive advantage and success.
What is the approach to strategy which proposes that competitive advantage is achieved from the organisation's unique assets or competences?
Q has been appointed as the Commercial Director of a medium-sized publishing company that is facing strong competitive pressures in difficult trading conditions. Q is surprised to find that the firm is pursuing the formal/rational approach to strategy development.
Q is now preparing a presentation to the Board to change the basis of strategy development to an emergent approach.
Which THREE arguments could Q use in the presentation?
According to Kurt Lewin, which of the following leadership styles was thought to result in the highest level of productivity and satisfaction?
Which THREE of the following are determinants of national competitive advantage outlined in Porter's Diamond?
The organisational iceberg describes which TWO levels at which culture operates?
P is a chartered management accountant working for a large project engineering company. P's functional superior is the Chief Management Accountant.
However for about two thirds of the time available, P is seconded to work with various project teams on a concurrent basis under a matrix organisation structure. This has turned out to be a demanding job role for P, with a number of disadvantages.
Select ALL the disadvantages that apply.
Which of the following statements relate to Handy's role culture?
Select ALL that apply.
Which of the following are classed as part of the move stage of Lewin's model of change?
Select ALL that apply.
At present teams in an organisation are cohesive, successful and operate independently depending on the nature and location of the work. The introduction of competition between groups will heighten the cohesive aspect and reduce the cooperation overall.
In this organisation this will be accentuated by the intended change to the wage system, meaning that teams will compete for a share of a single bonus pool.
Some of these changes will be beneficial while others negative. Which of the following is the beneficial change?
Which of the following statements are not true about Gantt Charts, Resource Histograms and Work Breakdown Structures?
Select ALL that apply.
Organisational change can be promoted by many different triggers. Which THREE of the following are external triggers of change?
The role of competitor analysis, according to Wilson and Gilligan is threefold.
Which of the following does NOT apply?
Various methods of communication are available, including face to face, by telephone or online.
Which THREE of the following interactions are best conducted face to face?
Harvey Maylor defined four stages in the life cycle of a project. This became known as the 4D model.
Match the correct stage to each activity.
FF Ltd was established three years ago. Since then the company, which provides online financial advice, has experienced rapid growth and the management team has not really had the time to put management systems and procedures into place.
The organisation has asked you to look at the way in which the company deals with its disciplinary problems and procedures.
Choose from the following ALL that apply as recommended guidelines for drawing up a disciplinary procedure:
X is a manufacturing company that has achieved long term success by understanding the structure of its industry, and where necessary changing its strategy in order to achieve improved performance by outperforming its competitors.
Success has depended on the company exploiting the underlying economic factors (such as economies of scale) better than its competitors and maintaining this over time, so achieving sustainable competitive advantage.
Researchers would call this an "outside-in" approach to strategy, with the company choosing a strategy that responds to the challenges and changes posed by the external environment.
Which type of strategy is X adopting?
Identify THREE advantages of a matrix organisation structure for the execution of significant business projects:
A company displaying creativity in its workforce, and an ability to react to the dynamic environment in which it operates, is most likely to avoid which of the approaches to strategy formulation listed below?
A project team is engaged in a risk assessment process prior to the execution of a major project. One risk is assessed to be of low impact but medium likelihood (probability). In these circumstances the appropriate response is:
In the UK there is a principles based approach to corporate governance. Which THREE of the following statements are part of this approach?
Michael Porter argued that nations can develop advanced business environments that are conducive to business development and lead to firms from one nation gaining a competitive advantage over firms from other countries. Porter used a diamond shaped diagram as the basis of a framework to illustrate and analyse the determinants that lead to national advantage.
Which of the following factors are present within the diamond framework?
Select ALL that apply.
TESTED 26 Dec 2024
