BIZ 2331

Final Exam

Study Guide

Chapters 11-15

This study guide is intended to provide focused pointers as far as the important elements that you should know about to do well on the Final Exam. It is not intended to be all inclusive, but rather another source of information to study to be well prepared for the exam.

Chapter 11- Decision Making

  1. Understand the role that ethics plays in decision-making.
  2. Provide an example of a programmed and an unprogrammed decision.
  3. Discuss how the concept known as a decision rule applies to programmed decisions.
  4. Be able to discuss what types of situations are involved in strategic, tactical and operational decisions and who is involved with each.
  5. Be able to identify and discuss each of the four types of decision-making models.
  6. Discuss the differences between rational decision making differ and bounded rationality?
  7. Discuss the differences between intuitive and creative decision-making.
  8. Explain how brainstorming is different than wildstorming.
  9. Discuss five reasons for faulty decision-making
  10. Be able to explain eight symptoms of groupthink.
  11. Give examples for each of the tools/techniques for making better decisions.

Chapter 12 -Communication in Organizations

  1. Explain why communication is so vital to the success of organizations.
  2. Discuss the parts of the communication process.
  3. Provide an example of each barrier to effective communication.
  4. Discuss active listening how it can help support effective communication.
  5. Give examples of how organizations value effective writing skills.
  6. Discuss nonverbal communication and its role in the communication process.
  7. Explain the various types of space involved in interpersonal communication.
  8. Discuss the relationship between information rich environments and the communication channel utilized.
  9. Identify how communication flows in organizations.
  10. Discuss how managers spend their time in terms of internal and external communication.
  11. Discuss examples of both internal and external communication.

Chapter 13 – Managing Groups and Teams

  1. Discuss how our class can be a group and a team.
  2. Be able to discuss the differences between formal and informal groups.
  3. Discuss the stages of group development and at what stage stability takes place and at what stage rapid change occurs.
  4. Explain how too much group cohesion may be a bad thing.
  5. Explain the situation when high cohesion can make groups effective.
  6. Discuss why and when it is important to assemble a team.
  7. What are the key properties of teams and the major classes of team tasks?
  8. Give examples of the different types of group interdependence.
  9. Explain task, social and boundary spanning roles of teams.

Chapter 13 – Managing Groups and Teams (continued)

  1. Give examples of the different types of teams found in organizations.
  2. Discuss team factors such as autonomy, composition, size and diversity.
  3. Discuss the difference between team norms and contracts.
  4. Explain some of the recommended ways to plan and conduct effective meetings.
  5. Identify common barriers to effective teams.

Chapter 14 – Motivating Employees

  1. Discuss the role of motivation in determining employee performance.
  2. Identify basic motivation elements.
  3. Identify the three general classes of motivation theory.
  4. Discuss the need-content, process motivation and reinforcement motivation theories
  5. Discuss how Scientific management techniques resulted in job specialization and possible dissatisfaction.
  6. Explain how the various alternatives to job specialization are designed to reduce dissatisfaction.
  7. Discuss the job enrichment process known as the Job Characteristics Model.
  8. Discuss SMART Goal setting and how it motivates.
  9. Show how feedback in performance appraisals helps motivate employees.

Chapter 15 – The Essentials of Control

  1. Discuss organizational control and the four steps involved in applying it.
  2. Identify common pros and cons of the controlling function.
  3. Show how strategic control differs from tactical control.
  4. Discuss the three types of control – feedforward, concurrent and feedback.
  5. Understand the differences between financial and non-financial controls.
  6. Discuss some common mistakes associated with non-financial controls.
  7. Discuss the concepts known as lean control, muda and kaizen.
  8. Show how the Balanced Scorecard approach to control helps organizations ties strategy, goals and objectives and performance outcomes.