Ugbs 104 Sample Questions

Just memorize POLC

The clouds form,
then there's a storm.
Soon everything becomes normal.
People go out and perform their activities
If they don't finish, they adjourn it

The given question is asking about the classification of conditions under which decisions are made. The three conditions mentioned are certainty, risk, and uncertainty. The term "duress" does not fit into this classification as it refers to a situation where someone is forced to make a decision under pressure or threat. Therefore, duress is not a condition under which decisions are typically made, making it the correct answer.

Human resource management refers to the strategic, integrated, and coherent approach to managing and developing the people working in an organization. It involves activities such as recruitment, selection, training, performance management, and employee well-being. This approach recognizes the importance of aligning HR practices with the overall goals and objectives of the organization. Strategic management is a broader concept that encompasses the overall direction and management of an organization, while human resource planning focuses specifically on forecasting and planning for future HR needs. Training, on the other hand, refers to the process of developing employees' skills and knowledge.

Sexual harassment refers to any unwarranted action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment or performance. This includes any form of unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or any other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or offensive work environment. It is a serious issue that can have severe consequences for the victim and is considered a violation of their rights and dignity.

Uncertainty refers to a condition in decision making where the individual is unsure about the problem at hand and is unable to define it clearly. This lack of clarity makes it difficult for them to identify alternative solutions and evaluate possible outcomes. In uncertain situations, there is a lack of information or knowledge, making it challenging to make informed decisions.

Procedures refer to a series of sequential steps that a manager follows in order to respond to a structured problem. These steps are predetermined and standardized, providing a systematic approach to problem-solving. Unlike guidelines, which are more flexible and open to interpretation, procedures offer a clear and specific course of action to address the problem at hand. Rules and norms, on the other hand, are more related to behavioral expectations and regulations within a group or organization, rather than problem-solving processes.

Conflict refers to perceived incompatible differences resulting in some form of interference or opposition. It occurs when individuals or groups have differing interests, goals, values, or perspectives that lead to disagreements and tensions. Conflict can arise in various contexts, such as interpersonal relationships, organizations, or even at a societal level. It is characterized by a struggle for power, resources, or the pursuit of different objectives. Conflict can be both constructive, leading to positive change and growth, or destructive, causing harm and negative outcomes.

its decoding, since its talking about the receiver

Mintzberg emphasized informational roles because these roles involve activities related to the collection, receiving, and dissemination of information. These roles include monitoring the organization's environment, gathering and analyzing information, and sharing it with relevant stakeholders. By focusing on informational roles, Mintzberg highlights the importance of information flow and the role it plays in decision-making and effective management.

Efficiency is doing things right.
Effectiveness is doing the right thing

Group cohesiveness refers to the degree to which group members are attracted to one another and share the group's goals. It is the measure of how well the group members bond and work together as a unified entity. This term encompasses the idea of group attraction, togetherness, and unity, as it reflects the level of unity and solidarity within the group.

Basic organisational design revolves around two organisational forms: mechanistic organisation, and organic organisation.

• Mechanistic Organisation: This is an organisational design that is rigid and tightly controlled.
• Organic Organisation: This is an organisational design that is highly adaptive and flexible.

When managers create or change the structure, they’re engaged in organizational design, a process that involves decisions about six key elements: work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization, and formalization.4

Organizing is arranging and structuring work to accomplish organizational goals. It’s an important process during which managers design an organization’s structure. Organizational structure is the formal arrangement of jobs within an
organization.

Management style is not considered an external factor that affects the HRM process. External factors are typically outside of the control of the organization and include factors such as economic conditions, labour unions, and demographic trends. Management style, on the other hand, is an internal factor that is determined by the organization's leadership and management practices. While management style can impact the HRM process indirectly by influencing the organizational culture and employee behavior, it is not considered an external factor in this context.

Judgement refers to the cognitive aspects of the decision-making process. It involves assessing information, considering different perspectives, and making a decision based on one's own values, beliefs, and experiences. Judgement requires critical thinking skills and the ability to weigh different options before making a choice. It goes beyond simply thinking or reasoning, as it involves evaluating and making a subjective determination about the best course of action.

A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals.

Teams are groups whose members work intensely on a specific, common goal using their positive synergy, individual and mutual accountability, and complementary skills.

Norms are standards or expectations that are accepted and shared by a group’s members.
Conformity means yielding to pressure from a group to behave in a certain way in order to be accepted by group members.

When the span gets larger, the organization gets more efficient

In a culture with monochromic time schedules, things are done in a linear manner, i.e., one activity at a time. With polychromic time schedules, people tend to do several things at the same time.

Programmed decisions are decisions that can be made using a routine approach and are repetitive in nature. Procedures, rules, and policies are all examples of programmed decisions as they provide a set of guidelines or steps to follow in order to make a decision. Norms, on the other hand, are not programmed decisions. Norms refer to the standard or expected behavior in a particular situation, and they are not typically used as a guideline for making decisions. Therefore, norms are not included in the category of programmed decisions.

One popular departmentalization trend is the increasing use of customer departmentalization.
Because getting and keeping customers is essential for success, this approach works
well because it emphasizes monitoring and responding to changes in customers’ needs.

Managers strive to make rational decisions, but their information processing abilities have limitations. As a result, they may not be able to maximize value in their decision-making process. Instead, they tend to "satisfice," which means they settle for a satisfactory or "good enough" solution rather than exhaustively searching for the optimal one. This approach allows managers to make decisions efficiently within the constraints of time, resources, and information availability.

When managers engage in the planning process, they develop both goals and plans. Goals are the desired outcomes or targets that the organization wants to achieve, while plans are the specific actions and strategies designed to reach those goals. By setting clear goals and creating well-thought-out plans, managers can effectively guide their teams towards success and ensure that everyone is working towards a common objective.

The term "paying attention to essential aspects or key points of the message" implies the act of concentrating on the most important elements or central ideas being conveyed. This aligns with the concept of "focus," which involves directing one's attention and concentration towards a specific objective or subject matter. Therefore, "focus" is the most suitable answer as it accurately captures the idea of giving importance to the crucial aspects or key points of a message.

The interpersonal roles are ones that involve people (subordinates and persons outside
the organization) and other duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in nature.

In a culture with monochromic time schedules, things are done in a linear manner, i.e., one activity at a time. With polychromic time schedules, people tend to do several things at the same time.

The core characteristics of organizations typically include goals, people, and structure. Strategy, on the other hand, is not considered a core characteristic, but rather a tool or approach used by organizations to achieve their goals. Strategy refers to the plan or course of action implemented by an organization to make decisions and allocate resources in order to achieve its objectives. While strategy is important for organizations, it is not inherently a core characteristic like goals, people, and structure.

These are the 3 key concepts from Fayol's 14 principles of management:

Authority: The rights inherent in a managerial position to tell people what to do and expect them to do it.
Responsibility: The obligation or expectation to perform any assigned duties.
Unity of Command: The principle that each person to report to only one manager.

This is the definition of one non-key concept:
Scalar chain. The line of authority from top management to the lowest ranks is the scalar chain.

Policies are a set of guidelines that provide direction and guidance for decision-making. They help establish a framework for making consistent and informed choices. Policies outline the principles and values that guide decision-making, ensuring that decisions are aligned with organizational goals and objectives. By following policies, individuals can make decisions that are fair, transparent, and in line with established standards. Therefore, policies are helpful in the decision-making process as they provide clear guidelines for making informed choices.

When designing a structure, managers may choose one of the traditional organisational designs:

Simple Structure: An organisational design with low departmentalisation, wide spans of control, centralised authority, and little formalisation.
Functional Structure: An organisation design that groups together similar related occupational specialities.
Divisional Structure: An organisational structure made up of separate, semi-autonomous units or divisions.

The term "organization" refers to the deliberate attempt to arrange people to accomplish a specific purpose. It involves establishing a structure, defining roles and responsibilities, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. This term encompasses the concept of organizational structure, which is the framework that determines how tasks, responsibilities, and authority are divided and coordinated within an organization. Departmentalization and people management are components of organizational structure, but the broader term "organization" encompasses all these elements.

The principle of relevance in communication emphasizes the importance of delivering a message that is meaningful and significant to the recipient. It suggests that the information shared should be directly related to the topic or purpose of the communication, avoiding unnecessary or unrelated details. By focusing on relevance, the communicator ensures that the message is clear, concise, and tailored to the needs and interests of the audience, increasing the chances of effective communication and understanding.

High performance work practices refer to the set of work practices that are designed to enhance both individual and organizational performance. These practices focus on creating a work environment that encourages employee involvement, skill development, and continuous improvement. By implementing these practices, organizations can improve productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational performance.

Vocalics refers to the use of vocal cues and paralinguistic features in non-verbal communication. Laughing, yawning, crying, and the use of interjections like "oh", "wow", "eish" are all examples of vocalics. These vocal cues and paralinguistic features help convey emotions, attitudes, and meanings in communication. Therefore, the correct answer is Vocalics.

The Traditional Viewpoint is split into three main branches:
a. Bureaucratic Management b. Scientific Management c. Administrative Management

Forming stage:
Has two phases. The first occurs as people join the group. In a formal group people join because of some work assignment.
Once they’ve joined, the second phase begins: defining the group’s purpose, structure and leadership.
It involves a great deal of uncertainty as members “test the waters” to determine what type of behaviour are acceptable.
This stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group.

The one with "E" is the correct answer. E as in mEssagE

Kinesics, a term originated by Birdwhistell (1970), a linguistic anthropologist, is concerned with abstracting from the continuous muscular shifts which are characteristic are of significance to particular social groups. It is generally referred to as body language. It is often observed in eye movements, hand movements, facial expressions.

Functional Departmentalization: Jobs are grouped according to function.
Geographical Departmentalization: Jobs are grouped according to geographic region.
Product Departmentalization: Jobs are grouped according to product line.
Process Departmentalization: Jobs are grouped on the basis of product or customer flow.
Customer Departmentalization: Jobs are grouped on the basis of specific and unique customers who have common needs.

This is the second stage of group development characterized by intragroup conflict. There is conflict over who will control the group and what the group needs to be doing. During this stage, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership and agreement on the group’s direction emerge.

A communicator’s personal appearance may help in establishing his or her social identity. Physical appearance may also include: body shape, posture, physique, body or breath odours, height, skin colour, etc.

The principle referred to in the question is organization. When communicating, it is important to arrange the message in a logical and coherent manner to ensure that it is easily understood by the recipient. By organizing the information into a series of points, the message becomes clearer and more structured, allowing for better comprehension and retention.