PMP Self Test - Project HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Self Test

1.	You are the project manager for the JHG Project. This project requires coordination with the Director of Manufacturing, Human Resources, the IT department, and the CIO. This is an example of what type of input to organizational planning? Organizational interfaces Technical interfaces Interpersonal interfaces Human resource coordination
2.	Your project requires an electrician at month eight. This is an example of which of the following? Organizational interfaces Staffing requirements Contractor requirements Resource constraints
3.	You are the project manager of the PUY Project. This project requires a chemical engineer for seven months of the project although there are no available chemical engineers within your department. This is an example of which of the following? Organizational interfaces Staffing requirements Contractor requirements Resource constraints
4.	You are the project manager in an organization with a weak matrix. Who will have the authority on your project? The project manager The customer Functional management The team leader
5.	You are the project manager for the LMG Project. Your project will have several human resource issues that must be coordinated and approved by the union. Which of the following statements is correct about this scenario? The union is considered a resource constraint. The union is considered a management constraint. The union is considered a project stakeholder. The union is considered a project team member.
6.	You are the project manager of the PLY Project. This project is very similar to the ACT Project you have completed. What method can you do to expedite the process of organization planning? Use the project plan of the ACT Project on the PLY Project. Use the roles and responsibilities definitions of the ACT Project on the PLY Project. Use the project team structure of the ACT Project on the PLY Project. Use the project team of the ACT Project on the PLY Project.
7.	In your organization, management is referred to as coaches. As a project manager, you are referred to as a project coach. A human resource document should be created to handle this scenario. What should it cover? How coaches are separate from managers. How coaches are the same as managers. How a coach is to complete his or her job. How the project team is to work for a coach.
8.	Management has requested that you create a chart depicting all of the project resource needs and the associated activities. Management is looking for which type of chart? . A roles chart A roles matrix A roles and responsibilities matrix A Gantt chart
9.	Which of the following is an example of Theory X? Self-led project teams Micromanagement Team members able to work on their own accord EVM
10.	You are the project manager of the PLN Project. The team members are somewhat “afraid” of you as project manager because they see you as management. They know that a negative review from you about their project work will impact their yearly bonus. This is an example of which of the following? Formal power Coercive power Expert power Referent power
11.	You are the project manager of the MMB Project. The president of the company has spoken to the project team and told them the confidence and respect he has in you to lead the project to a successful completion. The project manager has what type of power on this project? Formal power Coercive power Expert power Halo power
12.	Management has approached Tyler, one of your project team members. Tyler is a database administrator and developer, whose work is always on time, accurate, and of quality. He also has a reputation of being a “good guy” and is well liked. Because of this, management has decided to move Tyler into the role of a project manager for a new database administration project. This is an example of which of the following? Management by exception The halo effect Management by objectives McGregor’s Theory of X and Y
13.	Susan is the project manager for the PMG Project. She makes all decisions on the project team regardless of the project team objections. This is an example of which of the following management styles? Autocratic Democratic Laissez faire Exceptional
14.	Which problem-solving technique is the best for most project management situations? Confronting Compromising Forcing Avoidance
15.	Harold is a very outspoken project team member. All of the project team members respect Harold for his experience with the technology, but often things have to go in Harold’s favor or things do not go well. During a discussion on a solution, a project team member waves her arms and says, “Fine, Harold, do it your way.” This is an example of which of the following? A win-win solution A leave-lose solution A lose-lose solution A yield-lose solution
16.	You are the project manager for the GBK Project. This project effects a line of business and the customer is anxious about the success of the project. Which of the following is likely not a top concern for the customer? Project priorities Schedule Cost Personality conflicts
17.	Which theory believes that workers need to be involved with the management process? McGregor’s Theory of X and Y Ouchi’s Theory Z Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation Expectancy Theory
18.	_______________ states that as long as workers are rewarded they will remain productive. McGregor’s Theory of X and Y Ouchi’s Theory Z Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation Expectancy Theory
19.	You are the project manager for Industrial Lights Project. You have been hired by your organization specifically because of your vast experience with the technology and with projects of this nature. The project is aware of your experience. You likely have what type of power on this project? Formal power Coercive power Expert power Referent power
20.	You are the project manager for GHB Project. You have served as a project manager for your organization for the past ten years. Practically all of your projects come in on time and on budget. The project team has worked with you in the past and they consider you to be an expert project manager. They also like working with you. Given all of this, you likely have what type of power on this project? Formal power Coercive power Expert power Referent power
21.	Which of the following is an example of coercive power? A project manager that has lunch with the project team every Thursday. A project manager that will openly punish any team member who is late with an activity. A project manager that has worked with the technology on the project for several years. A project manager that is friends with all of the project team members.
22.	Charles is the project manager for the WAC Project. The customer and a project team member are in conflict over the level of quality needed on a sampling. Charles decides to split the difference between what the two stakeholders want. This is an example of which of the following? . A win-win solution A win-lose solution A lose-lose solution . A leave-lose solution
23.	Mike is the project manager for a project with a very tight schedule. The project is running late and Mike feels that he does not have time to consider all the possible solutions that two team members are in disagreement over. Mike quickly decides to go with the team member with the largest amount of seniority. This is an example of which of the following? Problem solving Compromising Forcing Withdrawal
24.	You are a project manager in a projectized organization. Your job as a project manager can be described best by which of the following? Full-time Part-time Expeditor Coordinator
25.	What is the benefit of using a collocated team? The project team is dispersed so the team is self-led. The project team is dispersed so communication increases. The project team is in the same physical location so their ability to work as a team is enhanced. The project team is in the same physical location so project costs are greatly reduced.

Answers

1.	þ A. The reporting interfaces for this project—the Directors of Manufacturing, Human Resources, and the IT department, as well as the CIO—are examples of the organizational interfaces. ý B is incorrect; technical interfaces are the technical gurus for the project, such as the engineers and designers. C, the interpersonal interfaces, is not the best choice since this relationship describes the different individuals working on the project. D, human resource coordination, is also incorrect.
2.	þ B. Because the project requires the electrician, a project role, this is a staffing requirement. ý A is incorrect because it does not accurately describe the situation. C is incorrect; contractor requirements would specify the procurement issues, the minimum qualifications for the electrician, and so on. D is incorrect; a resource constraint, while a tempting choice, deals more with the availability of the resource or the requirement to use the resource.
3.	þ B. The project needs the resource of the chemical engineer to be successful. When the project needs a resource, it is a staffing requirement. ý A, C, and D are all incorrect. This is not a situation describing an organizational interface or contractor requirements. Resource constraints might include a requirement to use a particular resource or that a resource must be available when certain project activities are happening.
4.	þ C. In a Weak Matrix structure, functional management will have more authority than the project manager. ý A, C, and D are all incorrect since they do not have as much authority on a project in a weak matrix environment as functional management will have.
5.	þ C. In this instance, the union is considered a project stakeholder since it has a vested interest in the project’s outcome. ý A is incorrect because the union is not a resource constraint; they are interested in the project management methodology and the project human resource management. B is incorrect; the union is the counterweight to the management of the organization—not to the project itself. D is also incorrect; the union is not a project team member.
6.	þ B. When projects are similar in nature, the project manager can use the roles and responsibilities definitions of the historical project to guide the current project. ý A is incorrect; the entire project plan of the ACT Project is not needed. Even the roles and responsibilities matrix of the historical project may not be an exact fit for the current project. C is incorrect; copying the project team structure is not the best choice of all the answers presented. D is also incorrect because using the same project team may not be feasible at all.
7.	þ C. When project managers, or managers in general, are referred to as different terms, a job description is needed so the project manager can successfully complete the required obligations. ý A and B are incorrect choices. The project manager must know what the specific responsibilities, not the similarities and differences, between the current role and management. D is also incorrect; by the project manager knowing how to complete their job, the role of the project team should be evident.
8.	þ C. Management is looking for a roles and responsibility matrix. This chart lists the roles and responsibilities, and depicts the intersection of the two. ý A and B are incorrect; management is looking for more than a listing of the roles and the associated responsibilities. D is not an acceptable answer for the scenario presented.
9.	þ B. Theory X believes workers have an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if possible. Micromanagement is a method, in regard to Theory X, to make certain workers complete their work. ý A and C are actually examples of McGregor’s Theory Y. D is incorrect because EVM is not directly related to McGregor’s Theory X and Y.
10.	þ B. When the project team is afraid of the power the project manager yields, this is called coercive power. ý A, C, and D are incorrect since these describe assigned, referential, and technical power over the project.
11.	þ A. The company president has assigned you to the position of the project manager, so you have formal power. ý B is incorrect because coercive power is the associated fear of the project manager. C is incorrect because expert power is derived from the project manager’s experience with the technology being implemented. D is also incorrect; halo power is not a viable answer to the question.
12.	þ B. The halo effect is the assumption that because the person is good at a technology they’d also be good at managing a project dealing with said technology. ý A, C, and D are all incorrect since these do not describe the halo effect.
13.	þ A. Susan is an autocratic decision maker. ý B is incorrect because a democracy counts each project team member’s opinion. C is incorrect; laissez faire allows the project team to make all the decisions. D is also incorrect; this is not exceptional project management.
14.	þ A. Confronting is the best problem-solving technique since it meets the problem directly. ý B is incorrect; compromising requires both sides on an argument to give up something. C is incorrect; forcing requires the project manager to force a decision based on external inputs, such as seniority, experience, and so on. D is also incorrect; avoidance ignores the problem and does not solve it.
15.	þ D. When Harold always has to win an argument and team members begin to give into Harold’s demands simply to avoid the argument rather than to find an accurate solution, this is a yield-lose situation. ý A is incorrect since both parties do not win. B is incorrect since the project team member did not leave the conversation, but rather ended it. C is incorrect; a lose-lose is a compromise where both parties give up something.
16.	þ D. Personality conflicts are likely a concern for the customer, but are not as important as project priorities, schedule, and cost. The customer hired your company to solve the technical issues. ý Choices A, B, and C are all incorrect since these are most likely the top issues for a company in a project of this magnitude.
17.	þ B. Ouchi’s Theory Z states that workers need to be involved with the management process. ý A is incorrect; McGregor’s Theory of X and Y believes X workers don’t want to work and need constant supervision; Z workers will work if the work is challenging, satisfying, and rewarding. C is incorrect; Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation describes the type of people and what excites them to work. D, the Expectancy Theory, describes how people will work based on what they expect because of the work they do.
18.	þ D. The Expectancy Theory describes how people will work based on what they expect because of the work they do. If people are rewarded because of the work they complete, and they like the reward (payment), they will continue to work. ý A, B, and C are all incorrect since these theories do not accurately describe the scenario presented.
19.	þ C. You, the project manager, have expert power on this project because of your experience with the technology and with projects that are similar in nature. ý A, B, and D are all incorrect. These project management powers do not accurately describe the scenario. Formal power is appointed power. Coercive power describes fear of the project manager. Referent power describes power by association and personal knowledge.
20.	þ D. This is referent power because the project team knows the project manager personally. ý A and B are incorrect choices; these do not describe the scenario. C is incorrect; expert power does not deal with the ability to lead and complete a project, but it focuses on being an expert with the technology that the project deals with.
21.	þ B. Coercive power is the power a project manager yields over the project team. Coercive power is the formal authority a project manager has over the project team. ý A is incorrect; only referent power may come through lunch meetings. C is incorrect; experience is expert power. D is incorrect; interpersonal relationships are examples of referent power.
22.	þ C. When both parties give up something, it is a compromise. A compromise is an example of a lose-lose solution. ý A is incorrect; win-win is accomplished through confrontation. B is incorrect; win-lose allows only one party to get what they want from the scenario. D is incorrect since a leave-lose solution is when one party walks away from the problem.
23.	þ C. Forcing happens when the project manager makes a decision based on factors not relevant to the problem. Just because a team member has more seniority does not mean this individual is correct. ý A, B, and D are incorrect choices. Problem solving is not described in the scenario. B, compromising, happens when both parties agree to give up something. D, withdrawal, happens when a party leaves the argument.
24.	þ A. project managers are typically assigned to a project on a full-time basis in a projectized organization. ý B, C, and D do not accurately describe the work schedule of a project manager in a projectized environment.
25.	þ C. When a project team is collocated, all of the project team members are in the same physical location in order to increase their ability to work as a team. ý A and B are incorrect; collocated teams are not dispersed; non-collocated teams are dispersed. D is incorrect since a collocated team does not ensure that costs are reduced; in some situations, costs may be increased due to travel to bring all the team members together to complete the project.

Self Test

1.	Which of the following is responsible for the quality of the project deliverables? Project champion Project team Stakeholders Customers
2.	What type of chart is this? Control Pareto Scatter Flow
3.	You are the project manager for the BBB Project. Stacy, a project team member, is confused about what QA is. Which of the following best describes QA? QA is quality assurance for the overall project performance. QA is quality acceptance according to scope verification. QA is quality assurance for the project deliverable. QA is quality assurance for the project stakeholders.
4.	You are the project manager for the Photo Scanning Project. This project is similar to another project you have completed. Your project is to electronically store thousands of historical photos for your city's historical society. Quality is paramount on this project. Management approaches you and asks why you have devoted so much of the project time for planning. Your response is which of the following? This is a first-time, first-use project, so more time is needed for planning. Planning for a project of this size, with this amount of quality, is mandatory. Quality is planned into a project, not inspected in. Quality audits are part of the planning time.
5.	You are the project manager for the Floor Installation Project. Today, you plan to meet with your project team to ensure the project is completed with no deviations from the project requirements. This process is which of the following? Quality planning Quality management Quality control Quality assurance
6.	You are the project manager for the ASE Project. This project must map to industry standards in order to be accepted by the customer. You and your team have studied the requirements and have created a plan to implement the deliverables with the appropriate level of quality. This process is called which of the following? Quality planning Quality management Quality control Quality assurance
7.	Which of the following is an example of internal failure cost? Rework Quality audits Random quality audits Project team training
8.	QC is typically a(n) _________________ process. Management Project manager Audit Inspection
9.	QA is typically a(n) ____________________ process. Management Project manager Audit Inspection
10.	You are the project manager for a large manufacturer of wood furniture. Your new project is the Shop Table Project, which will be the creation and manufacturing of a new table for woodworkers to use in their wood shops. On this project you have elected to use JIT for scheduling. Which of the following is an advantage to using JIT? Requires materials to be readily available. Allows the project team to have control over the materials. Decreases the inventory investment. Allows for a broad range of deviation than other inventory solutions.
11.	Your company has elected to use ISO 9000 standards. What is an attribute of ISO 9000? It ensures your company follows its own quality procedures. It ensures that your company will follow the set phases in each project from initiation to closure. It ensures that your company maps its processes to a proven process within the program. It ensures that QA and QC are integrated into the product or service your organization offers.
12.	You are the project manager of the Halogen Installation Project. As this project gets underway, you receive notice from the program manager that the organization will be moving to Kaizen technologies as part of its quality management program. What are Kaizen technologies? Small improvements for small results Small improvements for all projects Small process and product improvements that are carried out on a continuous basis Small process improvements that are made to shorten the project duration
13.	A fishbone diagram is the same as a(n) ______________________ chart. Ishikawa Pareto Flow Control
14.	Management has asked you to define the correlation between quality and the project scope. Which of the following is the best answer? The project scope will include metrics for quality. Quality metrics will be applied to the project scope. Quality is the process of completing the scope to meet stated or implied needs. Quality is the process of evaluating the project scope to ensure quality exists.
15.	Which of the following is most true about quality? It will cost more money to build quality into the project. It will cost less money to build quality into the project process. Quality is inspection driven. Quality is prevention driven.
16.	_________________ is a business philosophy to find methods to continuously improve products, services, and business practices. TQM ASQ QA QC
17.	In quality management, which of the following is not an attribute of the cost of nonconformance? Loss of customers Downtime Safety measures Rework
18.	You are the project manager for the KOY Project. This project requires quality that maps to federal guidelines. To ensure that you can meet these standards, you have elected to send the project team through training specific to the federal guidelines your project must adhere to. The costs of these classes can be assigned to which of the following? Cost of doing business Cost of quality Cost of adherence Cost of nonconformance
19.	You are the project manager for the KOY Project. This project requires quality that maps to federal guidelines. During a quality audit, you discovered that a portion of the project work is faulty and must be done again. The requirement to do the work is an example of which of the following? Cost of quality Cost of adherence Cost of nonconformance Cost of doing business
20.	Optimal quality is reached at what point? When the stakeholder accepts the project deliverable. When revenue from improvements equal the costs of conformance. When revenue from improvement equals the incremental costs to achieve the quality. When revenue from corrective actions equals the costs of the improvement.
21.	You are the project manager of the JKL Project. The project is having some flaws in its production. Which analysis tool will allow you to determine the cause-and-effect of the production faults? Flow chart Pareto diagram Ishikawa Control chart
22.	Linda is the project manager of a manufacturing project. She and her project team are using design of experiments to look for ways to improve quality. Which of the following best describes the method Linda and her team are using? Design of experiments allows the project manager to move the relationship of activities to complete the project work with the best resources available. Design of experiments allows the project manager to experiment with the project design to determine what variables are causing the flaws. Design of experiments allows the project manager to experiment with variables to attempt to improve quality. Design of experiments allows the project manager to experiment with the project design document to become more productive and provide higher quality.
23.	You are the project manager of the Global Upgrade Project. Your project team consists of 75 project team members around the world. Each project team will be upgrading a piece of equipment in many different facilities. Which of the following could you implement to ensure the project team members are completing all of the steps in the install procedure with quality? Checklists WBS PND The WBS dictionary
24.	Mark is the project manager of the PMH Project. Quality audits of the deliverables show there are several problems. Management has asked Mark to create a chart showing the distribution of problems and their frequencies. Management wants which of the following? Control chart Ishikawa chart Pareto diagram Flow chart
25.	In the following graphic, what does the highlighted area represent? Out of control data points In control data points Rule of seven Standard deviation

Answers

1.	þ B. The project team (the individuals completing the project work) is responsible for the quality of the project deliverables. ý A is incorrect; the project champion may review the work, but the responsibility to quality does not lie with this individual. C and D are also incorrect choices; the customer and other stakeholders are not responsible for the quality of the project.
2.	þ A. The chart shown is a control chart. ý B is incorrect since a Pareto diagram maps categories of issues and their frequency. C is incorrect; a scatter chart compares common values across multiple categories. D, a flow chart, is incorrect also; flow charts illustrate how a process moves through a system and how the components are interrelated.
3.	þ A. QA is concerned with overall project quality performance. ý B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not correctly explain quality assurance.
4.	þ C. Of all the choices presented, this is the best answer. Quality is planned into the project and the planning requires time. ý A is incorrect because a project of this nature has been completed before. B is incorrect because there is not enough information provided to determine what the quality demands of the project are. D is incorrect because quality audits are not part of the planning processes.
5.	þ A. Quality planning should be completed prior to the work beginning-and thereafter be revisited as needed. ý B is incorrect as Quality management is not an applicable answer to the scenario; C and D are incorrect, because QA and QC are part of quality management.
6.	þ A. Quality planning is the process of creating a plan to meet the requirements of quality. ý Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not explain the process in the questions scenario.
7.	þ A. Internal failure cost is attributed to failure that results in rework. It is an example of the cost of nonconformance to quality. ý B and C are incorrect; quality audits are not a cost associated with nonconformance. D is incorrect because project team training is an example of the cost of conformance to quality.
8.	þ D. QC requires an inspection of the work results. While quality is planned into a project, inspections ensure it exists. ý A is incorrect; QA is a managerial function. B is incorrect because another department, team member, or SME can complete QC. C is incorrect; an audit is too broad an answer for this question. Audits can be financial, schedule, or quality driven.
9.	þ A. QA is typically a management process. ý B is incorrect because another department, team member, or SME can complete QC. C is incorrect because an audit is too broad of an answer for this question. Audits can be financial, schedule, or quality driven. D is wrong because QA is typically not an inspection process.
10.	þ C. JIT, just-in-time scheduling, decreases the investment in inventory. However, mistakes with the materials can cause downtime if no additional materials are on hand. ý A is incorrect because materials are only available when they are needed. B is incorrect; the project team must use caution not to waste the materials. D is incorrect because JIT does not allow a broad range of deviation.
11.	þ A. ISO 9000 is not a quality management system, but a system to ensure an organization follows its own quality procedures. ý B, C, and D are all incorrect. These choices do not correctly describe ISO 9000.
12.	þ C. Kaizen technologies are small changes to processes and products on a steady, continuous basis to save costs and improve quality. ý A is incorrect; while Kaizen does implement small process changes, it does not aim for small results. B and D are also incorrect. Kaizen does not have to be implemented in all projects, though it often is. Kaizen is also not interested in necessarily reducing the project duration.
13.	þ A. A fishbone diagram is the same as an Ishikawa diagram. ý B, C, and D are incorrect; these charts and diagrams accomplish goals other than the cause-and-effect of the Ishikawa.
14.	þ C. Quality, in regard to the project scope, is about completing the work as promised. ý A is incorrect; the project scope will have requirements for acceptance, but may not have metrics for quality defined. B and D are also incorrect.
15.	þ D. Quality is prevention driven. Quality wants to complete the work correctly the first time to prevent poor results, loss of time, and loss of funds. ý A and B are incorrect; there is no guarantee that a project will cost more or less depending on the amount of expected quality. Incidentally, lack of quality will likely cost more than quality planning because of the cost of nonconformance. C is incorrect because quality is planned into a project, not inspected in.
16.	þ A. TQM, Total Quality Management, is a business philosophy to find methods to continuously improve. ý B, ASQ (American Society of Quality) is not a business philosophy. C and D are attributes of TQM, but are not correct answers for this question.
17.	þ C. A safety measure is not an attribute of the cost of nonconformance, but rather a cost of adhering to quality. ý A, B, and D are incorrect choices; these are all attributes of the cost of nonconformance.
18.	þ B. Training to meet the quality expectations are attributed to the cost of quality. ý A, C, and D are incorrect because these choices do not describe training as a cost of quality.
19.	þ C. When project work results are faulty and must be done over, it is attributed to the cost of nonconformance to quality. ý A, B, and D are all incorrect; these values do not describe faulty work or the cost of nonconformance.
20.	þ C. Marginal analysis provides that optimal quality is reached when the cost of the improvements equals the incremental costs to achieve the quality. ý A, B, and D are incorrect. These answers do not describe marginal analysis.
21.	þ C. The key words 'cause-and-effect' equate to the Ishikawa diagram. ý A is incorrect; a flow chart will show how a process moves through the system, but not the cause-and-effect of the problems involved. B is incorrect as well. A Pareto chart maps out the causes and frequency of problems. D, a control chart, plots out the results of sampling, but does not show the cause-and-effect of problems.
22.	þ C. Of all the choices presented, C is the best. Design of experiments uses experiments and 'what-if' scenarios to determine what variables are affecting quality. ý A is incorrect because design of experiments, in regard to quality, is not interested in changing the relationship of activities to complete project work. B and D are also incorrect because design of experiments will not be changing project design to determine where flaws exist or to become more productive.
23.	þ A. Checklists are simple but effective quality management tools that the project manager can use to ensure the project team is completing the required work. ý B, C, and D are all incorrect. The WBS, PND, and WBS dictionary are not tools the project team can necessarily use to prove they've completed required work. Checklists are the best approach for this scenario.
24.	þ C. Management wants Mark to create a Pareto diagram. Recall that a Pareto diagram maps out the causes of defects and illustrates their frequency. ý A is incorrect because a control chart does not identify the problems, only the relation of the results to the expected mean. B is incorrect because a cause-and-effect diagram does not map out the frequency of problems. D is also incorrect; flow charts show how a process moves through a system and how the components are related.
25.	þ C. The highlighted area shows seven consecutive sampling results all on one side of the mean; this is known as the rule of seven and is an assignable cause. ý A is incorrect; these values are in control. B is correct, but it does not fully answer the question as choice C does. D is incorrect; standard deviation is a predicted measure of the variance from the expected mean of a sampling.