Pre-test
Practical Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace 9541A
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1. In today’s global economy:
(a) transportation and communication are slow.
(b) consumers must select from the goods and services produced in their own countries.
(c) businesses have to work smarter to be competitive internationally.
(d) there has been a tapering of American and Russian manufacturing because the global economy has opened up new markets for high-cost products.
2. Which of the following is not a valid generalization about American workers in the late twentieth century?
(a) To compete with workers in other countries, American workers are going to have to learn to work smarter.
(b) Many low-skill jobs formerly performed by American workers are being exported to countries with lower wages.
(c) Opportunities are expanding in America for people with low educational levels to obtain jobs with good wages and benefits.
(d) Increasingly, employers are looking for employees with problem-solving skills.
3. Why are companies looking for employees with problem-solving skills?
(a) Humans are taking over the routine tasks in the workplace; increasingly, the role of computers is to solve the problems identified by humans.
(b) New federal regulations aimed at increasing American competitiveness require companies to hire specified percentages of people with problem-solving skills.
(c) Companies are looking for problem-solving employees in order to decrease their flexibility and response time in the competitive global economy.
(d) Many companies are restructuring their work so that more and more of it is handled by problem-solving teams.
4. Many American bosses become worried or annoyed because:
(a) too many American workers have educational and skill levels that exceed the requirements of American businesses.
(b) many employees do not bring small problems to their attention to be solved.
(c) they want employees to take responsibility for identifying and correcting major problems.
(d) they want to be notified quickly when employees identify more serious problems.
5. Which of the following is not an attribute of a successful problem solver?
(a) Flexibility
(b) Knowledge of how to gather information
(c) Self-confidence
(d) Careful avoidance of risk taking
6. A good principle for problem solvers in the workplace is:
(a) don’t try to solve big problems without the support of your boss.
(b) resist attempts to change your work habits; it could reveal a lack of self-esteem.
(c) recognize that spending time now to resolve a problem will probably waste time in the future.
(d) remember it is not in your interest to help your organization make effective use of its resources.
7. What is the first stage of problem solving?
(a) Brainstorming solutions to the problem
(b) Gathering information
(c) Developing a work plan
(d) Identifying the problem; sensing that something is wrong
8. Which of the following is a good response to being alerted that something is wrong?
(a) Try to decide whether what is wrong is a real problem or just a distraction.
(b) Keep the news to yourself to avoid being labeled as a troublemaker
(c) Try to figure out whose problem it is so you won’t be held responsible for it.
(d) Summarize the potential problem in writing and put the note in the organization’s suggestion box.
9. Which of the following is a valid rule for using the problem-solving tree?
(a) You need to use the problem-solving tree only when you answer no to the question, Can I complete the task I have started in the usual way?
(b) It is important to check through the problem-solving tree every time a problem arises to be sure you aren’t evading a problem.
(c) If you discover that the problem on which you are working is caused by another unit in your company, corporate protocol requires you to desist from all further activity.
(d) If you discover that you need to take extraordinary steps to solve your problem, do so immediately.
10. Which of the following is not a typical feature of problems that occurring processing-type tasks?
(a) They involve customer complaints or interruptions.
(b) They interrupt the flow of work in such a way that some extraordinary step must be taken to resume work or complete the task.
(c) Routine procedures have been developed to cover frequently occurring problems.
(d) The problems have an immediate, adverse effect on the quality of end-services and -products.
11. Which of the following is not a typical feature of problems that occur during special-assignment tasks?
(a) There are unlikely to be routine procedures for problems.
(b) There is a greater likelihood that the problems are systemic.
(c) Problem-solving procedures are likely to be in the quality-control mode.
(d) There is a greater likelihood that the problem is complex and requires sophisticated problem-solving skills.
12. The Ws are best described as:
(a) questions that you can ask yourself anytime in the problem-solving process when you need to formulate or clarify ideas.
(b) flow-chart procedures used by problem solvers to determine which step to take next.
(c) job-task scenarios that can be used to predict the typical problems that an employee is likely to encounter in the workplace.
(d) Japanese-inspired, problem-solving techniques that rely heavily on mental concentration and meditation powers.
13. The problem-defining process:
(a) is a scientific process in which clearly described steps eliminate the possibility of error.
(b) is a trial-and-error process in which answers emerge in stages and errors are made along the way.
(c) is an intuitive process that relies on the investigator’s powers of empathy and inspiration.
(d) is a bureaucratic process in which the key to success is obtaining multiple authorizations and approvals from higher authorities.
14. The two steps of problem defining are:
(a) develop a working definition that is in the right ballpark and then refine the definition.
(b) identify all people who might know something about this issue and then interview each one of them.
(c) circulate a draft definition among all important people in the organization and then revise the definition to reflect the consensus of these decision makers.
(d) identify the solution that should be implemented and then develop a definition of the problem that requires implementation of the preferred solution.
15. The role of information gathering in the problem-solving process is best described by which statement?
(a) If no solutions have been identified after 10 days have elapsed, you should consider switching to an information-gathering mode.
(b) Information gathering rarely is used in business problem solving because business security standards prohibit employees from responding to unauthorized questions.
(c) Information gathering is essential to good problem solving.
(d) Information gathering is a desirable approach to problem solving; but, unfortunately, the business world lacks people with research skills.
16. The two basic methods of gathering information are:
(a) talking with knowledgeable people and reading pertinent documents.
(b) doing computer searches and taking surveys.
(c) searching library electronic databases and paper card catalogs.
(d) interviewing knowledgeable insiders and interested but impartial outsiders who are not familiar with the particular problem.
17. According to some studies, which of the following can be a major block to problem solving?
(a) Willingness to be flexible
(b) Confidence in your ability to get the job done
(c) Networks of knowledgeable people in the organization
(d) The perception that the problem is too big
18. What are the major elements of any work project?
(a) Research standards
(b) Project objectives
(c) The project tasks
(d) Both (b) and (c)
19. Which of the following is not a valid generalization about the process of developing a task list?
(a) Each task on the list should be necessary to get the task done.
(b) There is no absolutely correct set of tasks for any project.
(c) Any ten people will probably generate ten different sets of task lists for the same project.
(d) There is only one reliable procedure for generating task lists.
20. Category sorting and last-to-first sorting are examples of:
(a) reliable procedures for generating task lists.
(b) business research methods.
(c) standard economic intelligence security routines.
(d) the two steps of problem identification.
21. Which of the following best describes the value of applying a critical-needs test in problem solving?
(a) It provides a statistical basis for selecting the correct solution from a list of potential solutions.
(b) It enables the problem solver to eliminate inessential and time-wasting tasks from the project work plan.
(c) It helps researchers identify the most knowledgeable people to interview when researching a specified project.
(d) It enables CEOs with limited resources to identify critical problems.
22. Which of the following is not a valid statement about work plans?
(a) Work plans enable you to estimate the time that tasks will take to complete and the order in which tasks need to be done.
(b) Developing a work plan is justified if your project will require significant amounts of time or involve more than three tasks.
(c) The work plan is a useful innovation that was developed in American graduate schools of business management.
(d) The urgency of a project has very little to do with whether a work plan is needed.
23. A task-analysis form is:
(a) a retreat (forum) in which business executives can focus on problem solving with the assistance of resident experts.
(b) a format that enables you to record project information in a way that is easy to look at and work with.
(c) a sophisticated spreadsheet that can be used to profile successful stocks.
(d) a coding sheet used by interviewers to record the responses of knowledgeable people being interviewed in the context of a business problem.
24. Which of the following is a valid generalization about project management?
(a) Despite its forbidding name, project management is a simple and essential component of all problem solving.
(b) Computers perform modern project management.
(c) It usually pays to contract with certified contract management specialists if you want the job done correctly.
(d) The goal of project management is to keep a project on track, identifying the need for revising your work plan before you have a crisis.
25. Which of the following is not a valid statement about milestones?
(a) Milestone is another name for reminder.
(b) Milestones are keyed to certain dates.
(c) Milestones remind you to take a close look at your project to determine whether it is proceeding as planned.
(d) Sophisticated computer software has enabled the typical business employee to generate milestones without doing any task analysis.