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Project Management Final
Final Test
140
Business
Undergraduate 4
04/26/2011
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Term
1.) The unnecessary project was a low priority for many members of the department. Why bother to attend meetings or do anything if there was no opportunity for advancement. The team suffered a serious lack of ________ and there was little that could be done to rectify it.
 Definition
motivation
Term
2)A(n) ________ is an overall purpose that is important to all functional groups involved, but whose attainment requires the resources and efforts of more than one group.
 Definition
superordinate goal
Term
3)Conflict begins as team members begin to resist authority and demonstrate hidden agendas during the ________ stage of group development.
 Definition
storming
Term
4)Team building and conflict management are two of the more important and difficult ________ that project managers can cultivate.
 Definition
people skills
Term
5)Confrontation and defusion are two approaches to ________.
 Definition
mediation
Term
6)The first step in assembling a project team is to study the work breakdown structure in order to ________.
 Definition
identify skills
Term
7)A(n) ________ encourages conflict in an organization because it keeps an organization from stagnating.
 Definition
interactionist
Term
8)________ reflects the fact that different functional departments develop their own mindsets and value systems that can conflict with those of other departments.
 Definition
differentiation
Term
9)The project wouldn't have been possible without the combined efforts of its members from several different functional areas of the organization. Each member contributed what he could and left other pieces of the puzzle to other members with the requisite skills. This reliance on the team was a classic example of ________.
 Definition
(productive) interdependency
Term
10)A team that is firmly committed to achieving the project's goals is said to have a(n) ________ orientation.
 Definition
results
Term
11)A rule of thumb for project risk score calculations is that a risk score of ________ is considered high risk.
 Definition
.70 or higher
Term
12)A common method of transferring the risk of a cost overrun is to establish a(n) ________.
 Definition
fixed price contract
Term
13)A(n) ________ process as part of risk mitigation strategies requires a useful documentation system that all partners in the project can access.
 Definition
change management
Term
14)There is always a chance that different entities that should work together to complete a project won't be able to do so. This likelihood is called ________.
 Definition
integration risk
Term
15)The first step in the risk management process is ________.
 Definition
(risk) identification
Term
16)________ is defined as the art and science of identifying, analyzing and responding to risk factors throughout the life of a project and in the best interests of its objectives.
 Definition
risk management
Term
17)An agreement between two firms that has provisions for fixed costs or liquidated damages contains an element of ________.
 Definition
contractual or legal risk
Term
18)One technique that can be used to identify risk factors associated with a project is ________.
 Definition
brainstorming or expert opinion or past history or multiple assessments
Term
19)PERT analysis is based on ________ estimates, which, if unreasonably determined, can lead to inaccurate and misleading project schedules.
 Definition
problabilistic time
Term
20)In analyzing crash options for project activities, each activity has a slope that is calculated as the ________ divided by the ________.
 Definition
change in cost, change in time
Term
21)________ represent one of the first attempts to develop a network diagram that orders project activities by baseline calendar dates.
 Definition
gantt charts
Term
22)The process of accelerating a project is referred to as ________.
 Definition
crashing
Term
23)The logical relationship between the start and finish of one activity and the start and finish of another activity is the ________.
 Definition
lag
Term
24)The three principal methods for accelerating project activities are to change the ________, ________, and ________ of the project resources.
 Definition
productivity, types, quantity
Term
25)The primary drawback with ________ networks occurs when the project is very complex, with numerous paths through the model.
 Definition
AON
Term
26)The ________ theorem states that as a number of probability distributions are summed, the variance of the sum equals the sum of the variances.
 Definition
Central Limit
Term
27)A(n) ________ refers to a safety margin separating different projects scheduled to use the same resource.
 Definition
capacity constraint buffer
Term
28)In classic project management, activity durations are estimated based on a(n) ________ likelihood of successful completion, but in CCPM, activity estimates are at the ________ level.
 Definition
90%, 50%
Term
29)Project managers often add a(n) ________ to individual worker's estimates of activity duration.
 Definition
safety margin
Term
30)________ is variation that is a fact of life in the normal course of system operation.
 Definition
Common cause variation
Term
31)CCPM advocates putting off noncritical activities as late as possible and providing each activity with a(n) ________.
 Definition
feeder buffer
Term
32)One heuristic for prioritizing resource allocation is to apply resources to activities with the smallest ________, which proponents say results in the smallest schedule slippage in the overall project.
 Definition
slack
Term
33)The ________ is primarily limited by availability of a type of labor or productive asset but may also contain some activities of work package elements that must be finished by a certain date.
 Definition
mixed-constraint project
Term
34)As resource leveling proceeds, a(n) ________ commonly occurs when the resource schedule is reworked to eliminate sources of resource conflict.
 Definition
ripple effect
Term
35)The concept of ________ refers to the amounts of individual resources that a schedule requires during specific time periods.
 Definition
resource-loading
Term
36)The Work Breakdown Structure and activity networks are needed to create a resource ________ or ________.
 Definition
loading form, usage calendar
Term
37)A(n) ________ identifies the stage of completion each task has attained by a specified date within the project.
 Definition
tracking Gantt chart
Term
38)The Project Implementation Profile allows teams to make mid-course correction and improvement of the ________.
 Definition
management process
Term
39)The budgeted cost of the work that has been performed to date is the ________.
 Definition
earned value
Term
40)If the actual cost line on an S-curve undercuts the budgeted cost line, the project has a(n) ________ variance.
 Definition
negative
Term
41)It is important to fix the problem, not the ________ during a lesson-learned meeting.
 Definition
blame
Term
42)________ can be made by a client when there is not a contractual basis for a lawsuit but they consider that because of some unexpected event there is a moral or commercial obligation on the project organization to pay compensation.
 Definition
ex-gratia claims
Term
43)Activity and funding for the CEO's pet project stopped during the economic downturn and even after her retirement the file remained open. A few years and 30% turnover later, many employees didn't know the purpose of the half finished obelisk in the cafeteria. The obelisk was fated to a permanent half-finished state thanks to its termination by ________.
 Definition
starvation
Term
44)Research clearly demonstrates that when team members have experienced positive psycho-social outcomes from a project they are ________ to work collaboratively in the future.
 Definition
more inclined
Term
45)Risk is a function of the probability of an adverse event occurring and its ________.
 Definition
consequence
Term
46)A risk impact matrix displays an event's ________ and ________.
 Definition
likelihood, consequence
Term
47)The horizontal axis for a Gantt chart is ________.
 Definition
time
Term
48)An activity of duration zero whose sole purpose is to maintain network logic is a(n) ________.
 Definition
dummy activity
Term
49)If a project is extraordinarily complex, rather than showing every possible path through the network and every activity sequence, a(n) ________ that shows only the key subroutines or network paths can be created.
 Definition
meta-network
Term
50)Project personnel often become involved in several activities simultaneously; this ________ has negative consequences for the timely completion of these activities.
 Definition
multitasking
Term
51)Critical Chain Project Management is based on the ________.
 Definition
Theory of Constraints
Term
52)Critical Chain Project Methodology ________ risk for the entire project.
 Definition
aggregates
Term
53)Schedule slippage often results in financial penalties, or ________, for each day a project is delayed past the contracted delivery date.
 Definition
liquidated damages
Term
54)________ an activity means interrupting the continuous stream of work on an activity at some midpoint in its development process and applying that resource to another activity for some time period before returning the resource to complete the original task.
 Definition
Splitting
Term
55)Earned value management allows a project manager to monitor the project's ________, ________, and ________.
 Definition
cost, performance, schedule
Term
56)Once an activity has been started it is immediately valued at 50% completed under the ________.
 Definition
50/50 rule
Term
57)Project termination issues can be categorized into ________ and ________.
 Definition
emotional, intellectual
Term
58)At a minimum, a project assessment system should specify the ________, the ________, and the ________.
 Definition
criteria, points in time, individual
Term
59)Delays in project activity are known as ________ variation.
 Definition
negative
Term
60)________ are used to display the amount of resources required as a function of time on a graph.
 Definition
Resource loading charts
Term
61)The data collected from the various evaluation and control techniques represents important ________ measures of the project.
 Definition
outcome
Term
62)The development of a quartz watch that was more accurate than a multi-jewel movement watch at a fraction of the cost resulted in a(n) ________ of the 40 jewel movement project that Swiss watchmaker Yodelhaus was currently managing.
 Definition
unnatural termination
Term
63)The best method for establishing the existence of resource conflicts across project activities uses ________ to analyze project resources against scheduled activities over the project's baseline schedule.
 Definition
resource-loading charts
Term
64)The degree to which anyone who will be ultimately making use of the product of the project is personally involved in the implementation process is the ________ critical success factor in the Project Implementation Profile.
 Definition
client consultation
Term
65)Business benefits are often crucial; so many projects must first clear ________ as a criterion for their selection and startup.
 Definition
ROI, return on an investment
Term
66)________ is the process that addresses the complex challenges of project constraints as to minimize the effects of resource demands across the project's life cycle.
 Definition
resource leveling (resource smoothing)
Term
67)The ________ allows the project manager to calculate the project's budget to completion.
 Definition
cost performance index
Term
68)Two early warning signs of project failure are ________ and ________.
 Definition
lack of commercial objective; lack of sufficient authority; low priority assigmnent, poor market volatility
Term
69)The project costs plotted against the elapsed time in weeks is known as the ________.
 Definition
S-Curve
Term
70)The project contractor takes initial ownership of the project for a specified period under a(n) ________ contract.
 Definition
BOOT
Term
71)The over the fence approach to project management enabled Chrysler Corporation to rebound from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1980s.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
72)If preferred project team members are not available, the project manager should notify top management of the consequences
 Definition
TRUE
Term
73)Project team productivity is at its peak during the norming phase of group development.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
74)The first step in assembling a project team is to talk to potential team members.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
75)Cross-functional cooperation directly influences both the actual implementation of the project and the team members' assessment that the project experience was worthwhile.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
76)The behavioral view of conflict is that conflict has a negative effect on organizations.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
77)The two main challenges that virtual project teams face are building trust and establishing the best modes of communication.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
78)Project managers are best able to promote a sense of enthusiasm within the project team when they create an environment that is challenging, supportive, and personally rewarding.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
79)High turnover among project team members is a key element of success since new team members will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the group.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
80)The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups spend the majority of their time in stasis.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
81)Risks can be quantified by multiplying the likelihood a failure will occur by the severity of the failure.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
82)The PRAM model for risk management proposes that risk management follow a life cycle much as projects follow a life cycle.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
83)The probability that the investments made to fund the front-end activities will be lost due to project abandonment is financing risk.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
84)The risk is highest in the earliest phase of the project life cycle.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
85)One approach to risk mitigation is simply to accept it.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
86)As risk decreases in the project life cycle, opportunity increases.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
87)Technical risk is the probability that the project will not perform to the required standards or produce substandard products or have excessive operating cost consumption.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
88)Risk cannot be transferred because ultimately your own project will suffer the consequences if the event occurs.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
89)Most activity estimations using PERT methods lead to overly optimistic activity duration estimates.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
90)The critical path may not contain a dummy activity.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
91)AOA is a more useful technique than AON if the project is complex and has many significant milestones.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
92)Gantt charts cannot depict float.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
93)Networks are adaptable and useful for all scheduling challenges that an organization faces.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
94)The least common type of lag relationship occurs when a successor's finish is dependent upon a predecessor's start.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
95)In order to accelerate completion of a project, the manager must crash critical path activities.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
96)The Central Limit Theorem states that if a number of probability distributions are summed, the variance of the sum equals the sum of the variances of individual distributions.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
97)The critical chain is usually the same as the critical path.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
98)An organization's budget estimating process routinely misses the actual cost of a project by 25%. For the most recent project, the budget variance was a ridiculous 23%, but this must be considered common cause variance.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
99)The legal department is needed to review all contracts a project organization enters. The legal department is continually swamped with work and all other departments find themselves waiting on legal before they can begin their work. Legal is the drum for this organization.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
100)In order to estimate completion of a Gaussian distributed activity with a 90% or higher degree of confidence, the time may be overestimated by as much as 200%.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
101)A feeder buffer is a buffer that is created for a noncritical path activity.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
102)All that is needed to create a resource loading calendar is the Work Breakdown Structure and the activity network.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
103)In a resource constrained project, the work must be finished by a certain time, or date, as efficiently as possible.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
104)In-process inventory represents the amount of work waiting to be completed but delayed due to unavailable resources.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
105)If resources have been over-allocated, the loading table must be reconfigured to eliminate resource contention points. The project manager can focus solely on the original point of contention since the activities in a project are separate entities.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
106)Resource loading charts are used to display the amount of resources required as a function of time on a graph.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
107)The project implementation profile assesses the performance of the project team with respect to 10 critical success factors and can be used on an ongoing project.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
108)Positive variance on an S-curve represents significant project progress.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
109)The schedule performance index is the ratio of the actual cost to the earned value.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
110)The one factor that earned value management considers that an S-curve does not include is performance.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
111)Closeout activities are typically among the highest priority activities in a project.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
112)Termination by addition and termination by integration both represent successful project completion.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
113)Systematic errors are not one-time incidents, but instead represent built-in components of the project management process.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
114)A project that is terminated by extinction is not completed successfully.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
115)The highest dollar value of reserves is typically task contingency.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
116)Contingency reserves require a construction company to hold back some funds in an account just in case something happens that increases the overall project cost.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
117)Quite often the marginal gains in employee productivity decrease dramatically with the increased use of overtime.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
118)Finish to start lags are the same as additional activity slack.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
119)Most project management software employs AOA diagramming.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
120)If people believe that they built extra time into their initial estimates, they are usually more likely to begin project work right away.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
121)An important element in critical chain scheduling is to change from a late-finish (procrastination) approach to an early-start approach.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
122)Once the organization elevates their constraint, their system has no constraint.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
123)If an activity can be split, only the functional portion of the original activity needs to be accomplished for the project to be fully completed.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
124)Because resource management is typically a multivariate, combinatorial problem (i.e., one that is characterized by multiple solutions involving literally dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of activity variables), truly correct answers are not possible.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
125)The classic S-curve is a plot of cumulative cost versus elapsed time in weeks.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
126)Your organization is in the midst of a project in uncharted waters; nothing you have attempted before comes close to many of the activities that are necessary to bring this project to completion. Your earned value management should probably be tracked closely with a percentage complete rule in increments of 5 to 10 percent.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
127)Arbitration refers to the formalized system for dealing with grievances and administering corrective justice to parties in a bargaining situation.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
128)Static factors that may play a role in the decision to terminate a project early include company image and the presence of high sunk costs.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
129)Both positive and negative variations are usually passed downstream during a project.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
130)The problem of resource underutilization that a project manager faces when managing a single project disappears in the multi-project environment.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
131)Five weeks in the semester you have completed 0% of your project management class under the 0/100 rule.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
132)A classic early warning sign of project failure is the realization that a product being developed was targeting a market that few new products and firms were entering.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
133)A resource loading table is created through identifying the project activities and their resources required to completion and applying this information to the project schedule baseline.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
134)The earned value of a project is the cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various work packages.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
135)The build, operate, transfer option for projects requires the project contractor to take initial ownership of the project in order to make sure it works, thus mitigating risk in the short run.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
136)There is, for almost all projects, usually a dominant constraint that serves as the final arbiter of project decisions.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
137)Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
138)The actual carryover from one project to another is minimal because projects are unique, one-time events.
 Definition
FALSE
Term
139)It is possible to measure both positive and negative deviations from the schedule baseline with the tracking Gantt chart.
 Definition
TRUE
Term
140)Loss of team identity during project termination is a significant internal intellectual issue.
 Definition
FALSE
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