HUMAN RESOURCES
1. Answer: b
The major advantage of the functional organization over those listed is that the
organization is quite stable. Project organizations are created and disbanded as
the need for them arises. Functional organizations are also able to have high
level of expertise in specific skill areas. These organizations also resist change.
2. Answer: d
Managing is primarily concerned with ‘‘consistently producing key results ex-
pected by stakeholders,’’ while leading involves:
• Establishing direction—developing both a vision of the future and strategies
for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision.
• Aligning people—communicating the vision by words and deeds to all those
whose cooperation may be needed to achieve the vision.
• Motivating and inspiring—helping people energize themselves to overcome
political, bureaucratic, and resource barriers to change.
3. Answer: c
The matrix organization allows for multifunctional teams to be formed as the
need arises with different projects being contracted for by the company.
4. Answer: d
The pure project organization is best used in cases where the project is very
large and some distance from the home office. The project manager has a high
level of authority.
5. Answer: c
A weak matrix organization is one where the project managers have less author-
ity over their projects than in the strong matrix or balanced matrix organiza-
tions. In many organizations these managers are not called project managers
but project expediters or coordinators.
6. Answer: d
When the projectmanagement team is able to influence or direct staff assign-
ments, it must consider the characteristics of the potentially available staff.
Considerations include, but are not limited to:
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• Previous experience—have the individuals or groups done similar or related
work before? Have they done it well?
• Personal interests—are the individuals or groups interested in working on
this project?
• Personal characteristics—are the individuals or groups likely to work well
together as a team?
• Availability—will the most desirable individuals or groups be available in the
necessary time frames?
7. Answer: d
Since the project manager is responsible for a temporary multifunctional team
of people that are brought together for the purpose of one project it is most
important that the project manager perform the function of integration.
8. Answer: b
The project office is an organization for supporting many project teams. This
organization may support the project teams with common services that each of
the teams needs, such as training, software, tools, and methodologies.
9. Answer: d
Human resource administrative activities are seldom a direct responsibility of
the projectmanagement team. Many organizations have a variety of policies,
guidelines, and procedures that can help the projectmanagement team with
various aspects of organizational planning. For example, an organization that
views managers as ‘‘coaches’’ is likely to have documentation on how the role
of ‘‘coach’’ is to be performed.
10. Answer: d
The projectmanagement office is the place where the project teams and the
project managers reside. It should not be confused with the project office,
which is a support organization for the project teams and the project managers.
The manager of the projectmanagement office has the project managers report
to him or her.
11. Answer: a
Of the four conflict resolution techniques listed, problem solving is the most
long lasting. In problem solving more additional facts are gathered until it
becomes clear that there is one solution to the problem that is the best solution.
The others listed do not provide permanent solutions, as the persons in conflict
will later disagree again.
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12. Answer: b
Weak matrices maintain many of the characteristics of a functional organiza-
tion, and the project manager role is more that of a coordinator or expediter
than that of a manager. In similar fashion, strong matrices have many of the
characteristics of the projectized organization—full-time project managers with
considerable authority and full-time project administrative staff.
13. Answer: c
Particular attention should be paid to how project team members (individuals
or groups) will be released when they are no longer needed on the project.
Appropriate reassignment procedures may:
• Reduce costs by reducing or eliminating the tendency to ‘‘make work’’ to fill
the time between this assignment and the next.
• Improve morale by reducing or eliminating uncertainty about future employ-
ment opportunities.
14. Answer: d
The project life cycle defines the beginning and the end of the project. Depend-
ing on the project life cycle definition, the beginning and ending parts of the
project may or may not be included in this project. For example, transition at
the end of the project to some ongoing effort may be part of the project or the
ongoing effort.
15. Answer: d
Projects must often have their own reward and recognition systems since the
systems of the performing organization may be not appropriate. For example,
the willingness to work overtime in order to meet an aggressive schedule objec-
tive should be rewarded or recognized; needing to work overtime as the result
of poor planning should not be.
16. Answer: c
Good listening is an important skill for any manager. One of the ways that you
can become a skilled listener is by repeating some of the things that are said.
Summarizing gives yourself and others a repeat of important points and makes
the speaker feel more relaxed and in a friendly atmosphere.
17. Answer: a
The outputs from team development are performance improvements and input
to performance appraisals.
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18. Answer: b
Creative problem solving is when an innovative approach to the problem is
used. The problem was solved not by improving service but by making the area
where the customers wait more friendly and enjoyable.
19. Answer: a
The projectmanagement team must identify the stakeholders, determine what
their needs and expectations are, and then manage and influence those expecta-
tions to ensure a successful project. Key stakeholders on every project include:
• Performing organization—the enterprise whose employees are most directly
involved in doing the work of the project.
• Sponsor—the individual or group within the performing organization who
provides the financial resources, in cash or in kind, for the project.
• The structure of the performing organization often constrains the availability
of or terms under which resources become available to the project. Therefore,
commitment of top levels of management is important to every aspect of the
project.
20. Answer: b
The project team kick-off meeting is the first meeting of the project team. It
should aim to do all of the items mentioned.
21. Answer: b
Co-location involves placing all, or almost all, of the most active project team
members in the same physical location to enhance their ability to perform as a
team. Co-location is widely used on larger projects and can also be effective for
smaller projects (e.g., with a ‘‘war room’’ where the team congregates or leaves
in-process work items).
22. Answer: a
Groups of people will generally take longer to solve a problem, but the quality
of the solution will be superior to the individual solutions that are reached.
23. Answer: c
The projectized organization has a very strong project manager because there is
little chance for the home company organization to be able to correctly judge
and make decisions for the project. The project manager has nearly autono-
mous authority.
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24. Answer: a
From the Guide to the PMBOK, project human resource management includes
the processes required to make the most effective use of the people involved
with the project. The following are major processes:
• Organizational planning—identifying, documenting, and assigning project
roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.
• Staff acquisition—getting the human resources needed assigned to and work-
ing on the project.
• Team development—developing individual and group skills to enhance proj-
ect performance.
25. Answer: c
Team development on a project is often complicated when individual team
members are accountable to both a functional manager and to the project man-
ager. Effective management of this dual reporting relationship is often a critical
success factor for the project and is generally the responsibility of the project
manager.
26. Answer: c
In a projectized organization, team members are often co-located. Most of the
organization’s resources are involved in project work exclusively for this project,
and project managers have a great deal of independence and authority. In func-
tional organizations the project manager may not exist and therefore little atten-
tion is paid to individual projects. In the weak matrix organization the project
manager is given little authority to get things done and is primarily concerned
with communication problems with managers who direct the work of people
for the project.
In a strong matrix organization the project manager manages the people
and usually co-locates them at the project’s location. This would be the best
organization for the situation.
27. Answer: b
According to McGregor, managers are of two types, theory X and theory Y.
Theory X managers believe their subordinates to be lazy and irresponsible and
will not work unless forced to by fear. Theory Y managers think that their
people are creative and imaginative and want to do good things if only they are
given the means to do them.
28. Answer: c
The functional manager in a balanced matrix organization should be the person
responsible for the training of the people within his or her organization. It is
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appropriate for this manager to have this responsibility since this manager
knows the skills of the people in the functional department and knows what
training is appropriate for them.
29. Answer: d
In management by objectives the supervisor and the employee jointly set the
objectives for the employee over the next time period. The objectives do not
necessarily have to be quantifiable, and the supervisor should not set the objec-
tives for the employee.
30. Answer: b
In matrix organizations the functional manager is responsible for skills improve-
ment and training since the functional manager is the best person to evaluate
skills and development improvement for the employee. The project manager is
more expert in the project work and not necessarily the skills of each person on
the multifunctional team.
31. Answer: c
The system that controls the starting of activity on a project is the work authori-
zation system. It should be used when it is economical. On large complicated
projects the cost of having a formal work authorization system may be justified
by adding more control. On small projects this may not be worthwhile.
32. Answer: d
These are the process groups that make up the projectmanagement processes.
33. Answer: c
The staffing plan is like the Gantt chart in looks. It has a bar for each person
on a time scale, showing the length of time and the dates that each person will
be working on which specific projects.
34. Answer: c
A project team directory is like a telephone book of the project team. It shows
where people can be found. This is helpful in matrix organizations because
teams are being formed and disbanded often, and when they disband, people
frequently change their physical locations.
35. Answer: d
One of the major responsibilities of the functional manager in a matrix organi-
zation is to see that the right people are in the right place at the right time.
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Project managers tend to ask for the best person for their projects when a lesser
skilled person might do the work just as well.
36. Answer: a
In reward systems it is important that there be a clear connection between the
reward and the reason that it is being given. Rewards that are distributed to as
many people as possible lose their motivational effect. To have motivational
value, rewards need not be valuable in terms of monetary worth. Rewards that
are approved by all team members generally end up being popularity contests.
37. Answer: b
When projects are many and resources are few the resources must be shared
between projects in a sensible way. The matrix management method of organiz-
ing allows the sharing of resources and concentrated focus on different projects.
38. Answer: c
The disadvantage of using a functional form of organization is that there is
considerable difficulty for customers to recognize who in the company repre-
sents them. This is because as the project progresses through the organization
of a functionally organized company, the person responsible for the project
changes.
Usually communications in a functional organization are good. This is
because the organization is relatively stable and communications are well estab-
lished.
There is no project manager in a functional organization, so there is little
problem of conflict between project managers and functional managers. If there
are project managers, they will have little influence in a functional organization.
39. Answer: c
It is important in reward systems that there be a strong connection between
something being done that is considered outstanding performance and the re-
ward. Reward systems must be explicitly fair to all participants.
40. Answer: c
A project team organization chart is essential to communicating to others and
within the project team where different individuals are working. Of course, this
should be kept up to date.
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. Answer: d
The project management office is the place where the project teams and the
project managers reside. It should not be confused with the project office,
which. support organization for the project teams and the project managers.
The manager of the project management office has the project managers report
to him