The document discusses key concepts in management studies. It covers topics such as the context in which management is practiced, different mindsets and approaches to production, and criticisms of universal theories of management. It also addresses characteristics of jobs and effective management, aspects of the employment relationship like psychological contracts, and issues relating to leadership, motivation and talent management. The document consists of multiple choice questions testing comprehension of chapters addressing these various subjects.

1. CHAPTER 1
1.1 The study of management is based on which one of the following
characteristics?
A The need to understand the difference between private
and public sector work practices.
(B) Understanding the context in which management is
Practiced and how this context changes over time.
C The role of management gurus and their ability to shift
the dominant managerial mindset.
D The routines and structures that make up an organization.
1.2 Which one of the following is the main criticism of universalism?
A It is too abstract to work in practice.
B It stems from predominantly US theorists.
C It is seen as a fad and lacks concrete evidence.
(D) It assumes that practices developed in one context can
be applied in all contexts.
1.3 For which of the following reasons was co-determination in
Germany not popular with US business and political leaders?
(A) It directly contradicted the American belief in management’s
right to manage and hierarchical control.
B It meant a loss of US control over German worker relations.
C It threatened the US economy for German workers to
have consultation rights.

2. D The US government did not want the German economy
to grow.
1.4 Which one of the following provides the best definition of
a ‘mindset’?
A A biased point of view.
(B) A way of thinking and seeing that is based on one’s values
and attitudes.
C A fully articulated truth.
D A constant state of change.
1.5 Which one of the following explains how particular mindsets
become fashionable in management thinking?
(A) Economic success of a country.
B Promotion of the most up-to-date theory.
C International conferences on new management practices.
D A positive response from the workforce to the application
of new ideas in management.
1.6 Which one of the following is a characteristic of Taylorist
and Fordist methods of production?
(A) Close levels of personal supervision.
B High levels of productivity.
C An emphasis on consultation with workers.
D Flexible production systems.

3. 1.7 Which one of the following explains the backlash against
‘top-down’ control in industry?
A A rise in living standards.
B The rise of trade unions.
(C) The changing nature of work.
D An international anti-US feeling.
True or false questions
1.8 Managers don’t trust theory because it doesn’t fit in with
their experience of practice. T or F? T
1.9 Relativism in management knowledge and practice means
that there is a single best way of managing that can be
applied in all circumstances. T or F? F
1.10 There is no middle ground between a universalist and
relativist position. T or F? F
1.11 The major difference between a mechanical and organic
mindset is their opinion of the external environment of
business and the ability to respond to outside influences. T
or F? T
1.12 The American model of management, although it has its
critics, is broadly successful in most countries. T or F? T
1.13 Japanese management models are characteristically
‘bottom up’ and give workers a great deal of say in how they
are managed. T or F? F
1.14 Richard Pascale’s claim that ‘nothing fails like success’ in
business is a form of relativist thinking. T or F? T

4. 1.15 The mechanical model of management is no longer applicable
to modern business. T or F? F
CHAPTER 2
2.1 Early studies on managers were mainly criticized for which
one of the following reasons?
A Being too simplistic.
B Not having enough prescription of how managers
should behave.
(C) Lacking evidence of how managers behaved in practice.
D Lacking cohesion between roles and activities.
2.2 You have just been asked to think about taking on a new
job, which takes you outside your present function and
would put you in charge of a large number of people.
Which of the following characteristics should be highest on
your list of ‘things to reflect on’?
(A )Your self-awareness.
B Your social awareness.
C Your interpersonal effectiveness.
D Your ability to deal with ambiguity.

5. 2.3 According to Mintzberg, the frame of a job consists of
which of the following?
A Networking, communications and interpersonal skills.
(B) Purpose, perspective and position.
C Conceiving and planning.
D Purpose, position and conceiving.
2.4 Scheduling is the ability to do which of the following?
A Understand the frame of the job.
(B) Prioritize targets, activities and resources.
C Create a performance culture.
D Produce a quantifiable outcome.
2.5 During your appraisal, you boss tells you that he wants you
to develop a ‘performance-oriented culture’ in your
department. He then asks you for ideas on how to achieve
this at the next meeting. Which one of the following would
be the best response for long-run success?
A Create an environment in your department in which
everyone has an equal say in decision-making.
(B) Create an environment where you welcome new ideas
and encourage everyone to engage in continuous offand
on-the-job training.
C Create an environment in which change is the norm and
in which maintaining things as they are is discouraged.
D Create a system of rewards in which people are paid
extra for their expertise.

6. 2.6 Which of the following is considered a core competence
when managing at the action level?
(A)Technical expertise.
B Effective communication.
C Managing conflict.
D Strategic flexibility.
2.7 Which one of the following best describes a ‘well-rounded
manager’?
A Someone who is flexible in exercising leadership styles.
(B) Someone who is flexible in style and can work at different
levels.
C Someone who is slightly overweight.
D Someone who can deal effectively with customers and
employees.
True or false questions
2.8 A detailed list of the kinds of competences needed by all
managers is the best way of underpinning management
development. T or F? F
2.9 It is best to recruit managers who have little experience of
managing because you can easily mould them into your
own way of doing things. T or F? F
2.10 The ability to be self-reflective is innate and cannot be
taught. T or F? F
2.11 Your boss says to you that a good manager should always
‘lead from the front’ by becoming directly involved. T or F? F

7. 2.12 Non-verbal communication is as important to managers as
verbal communication. T or F? T
2.13 The study of decision science aimed to take the risk out of
decision-making by eliminating human bias. T or F? T
2.14 Managers always need to be confident in their own judgements.
T or F? F
CHAPTER 3
3.1 A psychological contract differs from a legal contract in
which of the following ways?
(A) It is based on perception and individual expectations.
B It is based on spoken communication.
C It is based on individual circumstances.
D It is based on written communication.
3.2 A trade union has adopted a ‘passive positive’ stance to new
changes that have been enforced after many months of
tense negotiation. Which one of the following is most likely
to occur?
A The employees and union representatives call a meeting
to discuss the new changes.
(B) The employees accept the negotiated deal.
C The employees and union representatives go out on a strike.

8. D Some employees take voluntary redundancy.
3.3 A CEO makes a number of promises on providing bonus
payments to his workforce as part of his personal vision to
have everyone benefit from the success of the business.
Unfortunately, the promises failed to materialize because
of poorer-than-expected results. As a result, workforce
morale plummets dramatically and many people begin to
look for other jobs.
Which of the following reasons is most likely to be the
main cause of these negative outcomes, resulting in
employees treating the psychological contract as having
been breached?
A The CEO lied.
B The CEO should have consulted his colleagues before
announcing this direction.
C The rewards did not materialize.
(D) The CEO had made a personal commitment regarding
the bonuses.
3.4 Which one of the following best explains why the employability
thesis has not become a widespread phenomenon in all
industries?

9. A There is little evidence to support the claim that many
people are taking greater responsibility for managing
their own careers.
(B) Employability is restricted mainly to knowledge
workers.
C The evidence suggests that organizations are still
characterized by traditional relational psychological
contracts and long-term careers with a single
company.
D Most employers don’t want to project an image of
instability among the workforce.
3.5 Which one of the following has been the most damaging
consequence of ‘the individualization of the employment
relationship’?
A The short supply of talent.
B The lack of flexibility among employees.
C The greater responsibility given to HR to manage individual
careers.
(D) Employers decreasing responsibility for job security.
3.6 A new CEO wants to introduce a talent management strategy
and has asked her HR managers to initiate the process.
Which one of the following should the HR manager set as
her first priority?

10. A Look for new pools of talent from non-traditional
sources.
(B) Evaluate existing staff to identify their performance
levels.
C Create comprehensive action plans for the development
and retention of high performers.
D Use consultants to identify lists of high-potential people.
3.7 When creating a survey to find employee expectations, why
is it important for an HR manager to distinguish between
commitment, identification and citizenship?
(A) To be precise about what you are trying to measure
and achieve.
B To show line managers that they are actively seeking to
achieve ‘bottom-line’ results.
C To show they know what they are talking about.
D To relay to the employees that HR managers are truly
concerned about finding out their real beliefs and attitudes
to work.
3.8 Which one of the following describes the most likely outcome
from increased feelings of psychological ownership?
A Employees are more likely to feel self-worth.
(B) Heightened perceptions that employees have rights
and feelings of a sense of duty.

11. C Increased employee support for the organization’s
values.
D Employees are more likely to remain in the organization.
3.9 When thinking about leadership, why might it be less
important to focus on the characteristics of leaders than on
the motivations of followers?
A The characteristics of leaders are not as important as
the style of leadership.
(B) Leaders cannot lead people in a direction that they don’t
want to travel, but have to establish a common purpose.
C Researchers cannot agree on the key characteristics of
leaders, but understand employee motivation.
D In order to understand what motivates people in different
cultures.
True/false questions
3.10 An organization that seeks an ideological ‘contract’ relationship
with its employees usually focuses on the aims of
what it is trying to achieve rather than the rewards or development
opportunities for employees. T or F? T
3.11 Talented people are those who are the most intelligent and
knowledgeable. T or F? F
3.12 Recruiting ‘stars’ from outside nearly always leads to

12. increased levels of wisdom in an organization. T or F? F
3.13 Those who sought challenge in their careers would be
more likely to remain with a single organization. T or F? F
3.14 Idiosyncratic deals are more likely to take place when
employers are in powerful positions in the labour market.
T or F? F
3.15 Workaholism is not necessarily a negative characteristic of
managers. T or F? T
3.16 Leadership means the same thing in different national cultures.
T or F? F
3.17 Leaders who set teams stretching and exciting goals
achieve the best results. T or F? F