1. You are assigning management responsibilities for the air hockey tournament. To do this, you have to identify which committee member has the management skill to accomplish each task. Use the drop-down menu to identify manager has the skill needed for each task.

1. Brenda is a technology buff and can use many digital devices and applications.
2. Derek is experienced in both writing and public speaking.
3. Jonathan is known for creative thinking and devising solutions to unusual problems.
4. Jane enjoys networking with many groups and connecting people with each other.
5. Bob is a big-picture person, seeing how things fit within the whole situation.

SelectBrendaDerekJonathanJaneBob Think about different ways to resolve problems like not having money to pay for promoting the tournament.

SelectBrendaDerekJonathanJaneBob Utilize software to make attractive registration forms and fundraising receipts for the tournament.

SelectBrendaDerekJonathanJaneBob E-mail two air hockey experts and persuade them to donate their time by attending your tournament.

SelectBrendaDerekJonathanJaneBob Envision the scope of the tournament and how many people will be needed behind the scenes before, during, and after the actual event.

SelectBrendaDerekJonathanJaneBob Accomplish tasks through the ability to get along with people at the charity, people who want to play in the tournament, and others whose efforts will make the fundraiser successful.

2. Newbie Food is considering whether to introduce a frequent-buyer reward program. To answer that question, you’ll have to ask a lot of other questions, including the four shown below. Using the drop down menu, identify where they fit in the managerial decision-making process.
SelectIdentifying the problem or opportunityGenerating alternativesSelecting an alternativeImplementing and evaluating the solution What do food trucks and snack-food stands do to encourage repeat purchasing and attract new customers on a regular basis?
SelectIdentifying the problem or opportunityGenerating alternativesSelecting an alternativeImplementing and evaluating the solution How would Newbie Food define success for a reward program, and how long would the program be allowed to continue if it does not meet the success criteria?
SelectIdentifying the problem or opportunityGenerating alternativesSelecting an alternativeImplementing and evaluating the solution Would introducing a frequent-buyer reward program enable Newbie to profit by appealing to a new group of customers and retaining the loyalty of current customers?
SelectIdentifying the problem or opportunityGenerating alternativesSelecting an alternativeImplementing and evaluating the solution Can Newbie conduct a limited test of two different reward programs and determine the pros and cons of each before settling on a single program?

3. It's your first day as a management trainee, working for a printing company that produces color brochures and catalogs for local businesses. You assist a production manager who oversees three shift supervisors responsible for round-the-clock printing, folding, boxing, and shipping of finished brochures and catalogs. As the production manager, is your boss at the printing company a top manager, a middle manager, or a first-line manager?

a. Top manager

b. Middle manager

c. First-line manager

4. You want to involve IBM's summer interns in generating creative ideas and you want to reinforce their commitment to the project. You have decided to apply participative leadership, even though you know the young interns have been with IBM only a few weeks and have little business experience. Which type of participative leadership would be most effective in this situation?

a. Consultative leader

b. Consensus leader

c. Democratic leader

5. You and your partner at Newbie Food agree that quality is extremely important to the success of your small business. The two of you have brainstormed a number of ways to achieve and maintain total quality as you put your first food truck on the road. Which idea would be the most effective to implement right away for total quality management?

a. Hold a monthly meeting with representatives of all your food and non-food suppliers to discuss ways to make your business more profitable, month after month.

b. Ask your two part-time employees to critique the efficiency of the work force and the competitive compensation package you offer, so you can increase participation.

c. Apply satisficing by providing customers with a variety of quality smoothie choices at various prices.

d. Use benchmarking to determine how many customers per hour other food trucks typically serve and how many are repeat customers, so you can gauge productivity and loyalty.

e. Prepare a contingency plan to implement in the case of a problem with food quality.

6. Newbie Food became so successful that after the first year, you merged with another smoothie food truck and purchased a third truck to expand your territory and meet high demand. Although benchmarking was the primary tool you used for total quality management in the early months, you're ready to do more because the business is now much bigger. Which of the following ideas would not help you achieve continuous quality improvement?

a. Ask customers about new smoothie flavors they would like to try and about the quality of each truck's service.

b. Use your core competencies to address external threats that may hurt the company's long-term performance.

c. Stay in touch with your food suppliers to secure a stable source of fresh, all-natural ingredients all year long.

d. Call an employee meeting each quarter to discuss service problems and explore potential solutions.