Tuesday, 4 June 2019

Short-term objectives and action plans are types of boundaries that channel the efforts of employees toward goal accomplishment.


21.
Short-term objectives and action plans are types of boundaries that channel the efforts of employees toward goal accomplishment. 
 
TRUE
Short-term objectives and action plans represent boundaries that help to allocate resources in an optimal manner and to channel the efforts of employees at all levels throughout the organization.


AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-04 The benefits of having the proper balance among the three levers of behavioral control: culture; rewards and incentives; and boundaries.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 

22.
Unexpected events have little effect on short-term objectives, because short-term objectives are not changeable. 
 
FALSE
Short-term objectives must provide proper direction and also provide enough flexibility for the firm to keep pace with and anticipate changes in the external environment, new government regulations, a competitor introducing a substitute product, or changes in consumer taste.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-04 The benefits of having the proper balance among the three levers of behavioral control: culture; rewards and incentives; and boundaries.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 

23.
Action plans permit a degree of autonomy for managers who sometimes must modify activities to achieve the desired outcome. 
 
TRUE
Short-term objectives must provide proper direction and also provide enough flexibility for the firm to keep pace with and anticipate changes in the external environment. Unexpected events within a firm may require a firm to make important adjustments in both strategic and short-term objectives.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-04 The benefits of having the proper balance among the three levers of behavioral control: culture; rewards and incentives; and boundaries.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 

24.
Boundaries and constraints, when used properly, can minimize improper and unethical conduct. 
 
TRUE
Boundaries and constraints can serve many useful purposes for organizations, including minimizing improper and unethical conduct. Guidelines can be useful in specifying proper relationships with customers and suppliers of the company. Many companies have explicit rules regarding commercial practices, including the prohibition of any form of payment, bribe, or kickback.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-04 The benefits of having the proper balance among the three levers of behavioral control: culture; rewards and incentives; and boundaries.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 

25.
Rule-based controls are appropriate in organizations, where most of the employees are unskilled. 
 
TRUE
Control in bureaucratic organizations is dependent on members following a highly formalized set of rules and regulations. Most activities are routine and the desired behavior can be specified in a detailed manner because there is generally little need for innovative or creative activity.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-04 The benefits of having the proper balance among the three levers of behavioral control: culture; rewards and incentives; and boundaries.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 

26.
The primary participants in corporate governance, according to Monks and Minow, are the shareholders, board of directors, and employees. 
 
FALSE
Robert Monks and Nell Minow, two leading scholars in corporate governance, define it as the relationship among various participants in determining the direction and performance of corporations. The primary participants are the shareholders, the management (led by the CEO), and the board of directors. Agency theory is concerned with resolving two problems that can occur in agency relationships. The first is the agency problem that arises when the goals of the principals and agents conflict and when it is difficult or expensive for the principal to verify what the agent is actually doing.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 09-05 The three key participants in corporate governance: shareholders; management (led by the CEO); and the board of directors.
Level of Difficulty: 1 Easy
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

27.
Central to agency theory is the relationship between two primary players, the principals (stockholders) and agents (management). 
 
TRUE
Central to agency theory is the relationship between two primary players, the principals who are the owners of the firm (stockholders) and the agents, who are the people paid by principals to perform a job on their behalf (management).

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-05 The three key participants in corporate governance: shareholders; management (led by the CEO); and the board of directors.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

28.
Research has shown that executives who have large holdings of stock in their firm were more likely to have diversification strategies more consistent with shareholder interests, like increasing long-term returns. 
 
TRUE
Agents (executives) may have a stronger preference toward diversification than shareholders, because it reduces their personal level of risk from potential loss of employment. Executives who have large holdings of stock in their firms were more likely to have diversification strategies that were more consistent with shareholder interests, like increasing long-term returns.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-05 The three key participants in corporate governance: shareholders; management (led by the CEO); and the board of directors.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

29.
One of the most critical roles of the board of directors is to create incentives that align the interests of the CEO and top executives with the interests of shareholders. 
 
TRUE
Managerial incentives, sometimes called contract-based outcomes, consist of reward and compensation agreements for managers. Here the goal is to carefully craft managerial incentive packages to align the interests of management with those of the stockholders.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

30.
According to the Business Roundtable, representing the largest U.S. corporations, the most important quality of a good board of directors is that they do not get involved in critiquing company strategies. 
 
FALSE
According to the Business Roundtable, the most important quality for a good board of directors is to be active, critical participants in determining company strategies. That does not mean board members should micromanage or circumvent the CEO. Rather, they should provide strong oversight going beyond simply approving the plans of the CEO.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

31.
In order to have effective board operations, firms need to cultivate engaged and committed boards. 
 
TRUE
Research and simple observations of boards indicate that simple prescriptions, such as having a majority of outside directors, are insufficient to lead to effective board operations. Firms need to cultivate engaged and committed boards.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

32.
Changes in board of director configurations since 1987 indicate that board directors were paid more in 2011, were older, were likely to be female and were independent from the company (not insiders). 
 
TRUE
According to a Harvard Business Review article in 2011, the percentage of boards that had an average age of 64 or older increased; the average pay for directors increased; the percentage of board members who were female increased; the percentage of boards with 12 or fewer members increased; and the percentage of directors who were independent increased. These changes resulted from regulator and investor efforts in response to financial crises and corporate scandals.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

33.
CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System, manages over 240 billion dollars in assets. As an example of shared activism, they review all short- and long-term performance figures for each of the firms in which they invest and request changes in the governance structure of those firms, when they feel the firm is not responsive to their concerns. 
 
TRUE
Shareholder activism refers to actions by large shareholders, both institutions and individuals, to protect their interests when they feel that managerial actions diverge from shareholder value maximization. Every year CalPERS reviews the performance of the 1,000 firms in which it retains a sizable investment. They review short- and long-term performance of each firm in its portfolio, its governance characteristics, its financial status, and market expectations for the firm. CalPERS then meets with selected companies to better understand their governance and business strategy. If needed, CalPERS requests changes in the governance structure of the firm and works to ensure shareholder rights.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

34.
When firms like Siebel Systems, Disney, Oracle, and Microsoft separated the roles of CEO and chairman of the board, they were creating CEO duality. 
 
FALSE
CEO duality also serves to reinforce popular doubts about the legitimacy of the system as a whole and evokes images of bosses writing their own performance reviews and setting their own salaries. Firms like Siebel Systems, Disney, Oracle, and Microsoft have also decided to divide the roles between the CEO and chairman and eliminate duality.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

35.
The risk of being acquired by hostile raiders is often referred to as the takeover constraint. 
 
TRUE
The risk of being acquired by a hostile raider is often referred to as the takeover constraint. The takeover constraint deters management from engaging in opportunistic behavior since the first thing that the raider may do on assuming control over the company will be to fire the underperforming management.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Remember
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 1 Easy
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

36.
Auditors are appointed by the Securities and Exchange Commission to audit company financial statements. 
 
FALSE
All accounting statements are required to be audited and certified to be accurate by external auditors. But auditors are appointed by the firm being audited. The desire to continue that business relationship sometimes makes them overlook financial irregularities.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

37.
Stock analysts generally issue more sell recommendations than buy recommendations. 
 
FALSE
It is generally observed that analyst recommendations are often more optimistic than warranted by facts. Sell recommendations tend to be exceptions rather than the norm. Part of the explanation may be that most analysts work for firms that also have investment banking relationships with companies they follow. Negative recommendations may cause them to take their investment banking business to a rival firm.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

38.
Public companies are required by law to disclose information regarding executive compensation packages. 
 
TRUE
All public corporations are required to disclose a substantial amount of financial information by bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission. These include quarterly and annual filings of financial performance, stock trading by insiders, and details of executive compensation packages.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

39.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that CEOs and CFOs of publicly-listed companies must reveal off-balance-sheet finances and vouch for the accuracy of information provided. 
 
TRUE
The failure of a variety of external control mechanisms led the U.S. Congress to pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. This act calls for many stringent measures that would ensure better governance of U.S. corporations. One of these measures is that CEOs and CFOs must fully reveal off-balance-sheet finances and vouch for the accuracy of the information revealed.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

40.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 stipulates that executives of a firm will still be able to sell their shares in the firm when other employees cannot. 
 
FALSE
The failure of a variety of external control mechanisms led the U.S. Congress to pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002. This act calls for many stringent measures that would ensure better governance of U.S. corporations. One of these measures is that executives must promptly reveal the sale of shares in firms they manage and are not allowed to sell when other employees cannot.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 
41.
In emerging economies and continental Europe, principal-principal conflicts are frequent. These consist of conflicts between controlling shareholders and executives. 
 
FALSE
In emerging economies and continental Europe there is often concentrated ownership, along with extensive family ownership and control, business group structures, and weak legal protection for minority shareholders. Serious conflicts tend to exist between two classes of principals: controlling shareholders and minority shareholders. Such conflicts can be called principal-principal (PP) conflicts.


AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 

42.
Principal-principal (PP) conflicts frequently result in expropriation, which is defined as activities to enrich minority shareholders to assure their support. 
 
FALSE
The result of PP conflict is often that family managers, who represent (or actually are) the controlling shareholders, engage in expropriation of minority shareholders, which is defined as activities that enrich the controlling shareholders at the expense of minority shareholders.

AACSB: Analytic
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 09-06 The role of corporate governance mechanisms in ensuring that the interests of managers are aligned with those of shareholders from both the United States and international perspectives.
Level of Difficulty: 2 Medium
Topic: The Role of Corporate Governance
 
 

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