TEST BANK
** All Chapters included
,Table of Contents are given below
1. Introducing the Strategy Concept
2. Thinking Strategically and the 'Why' of Strategy
3. Macro and Industry Contexts
4. Industry Contexts - the 'where' of strategy
5. The 'how' of Strategy: resources, capabilites and culture
6. Protecting Resources and Capability Advantages
7. Overcoming Inertia to Change Capabilities
8. Organisational Learning, Ambidexterity and Strategic Innovation
9. Making the Value Proposition a Viable Business Model
10. The 'What' of Strategy: Viable and Valuable Strategic Alternatives
11. Evaluating the 'What' of Strategy
12. Strategic Contexts: When Specific Circumstances Matter
,Strategy in Context: Chapter 1
Short essay questions
1. Choose three of the eight perspectives of strategy presented in this chapter and explain
how they can enable different insights into the concept to shed light on an organisation’s
strategy.
2. Choose an organisation you consider to be undergoing a transition in its strategy. Explain
what ‘wicked problems’ it faces, and what might be the causes of these issues.
Quiz questions.
Question 1. Strategy concerns;
a) The overall well‑being of the organisation, currently and in the future.
b) What to tackle when it comes to urgent, pressing issues.
c) Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
d) How an organisation plans and executes its aims.
Question 2. Which four of these outcomes could result if strategy is not taken seriously?
a) Short-term disadvantages by losing some stakeholders.
b) Reform of a public organisation’s mandate.
c) Losing ground to competitors, which is difficult or impossible to recover.
d) Large cost or revenue setbacks.
e) Consistently unsuccessful attempts to innovate, which squander resources.
Question 3. Strategy questions involve;
a) ‘High stake’ implications for the future relevance of the organisations in question.
b) Catching up to rivals.
c) Reacting to issues already been resolved or have general agreement internally about
how to address them.
d) Trying to understand the needs of stakeholders and addressing everything they need.
Question 4. Public services organisations such as local authorities, or central government
departments have little to learn from thinking strategically.
a) True
b) False
Question 5. It is clear from Henry Mintzberg’s five Ps of strategy that the absence of a plan does
not mean strategy is unimportant in an organisation.
a) True
b) False
, Question 6. Which three of these, from the wider 8 ‘P’s for strategy define the scope of the
concept?
a) Pattern
b) Process
c) Performative
d) Pricing
e) Ploy
Question 7. In a public services context strategy will need (more than one answer is correct);
a) Careful adaptation of the competitive advantage concept to remain relevant, especially
if the aim of the organisation is not to be directly competitive with rivals.
b) The role of competition to be ignored, as it is irrelevant to all types of public body.
c) Aim at strengthening the long‑term health and effectiveness of governmental units and
leading them through positive changes to ensure a continuing productive ‘fit’ with
changing environments.
d) To prioritise key trade-offs over a universal delivery mandate when imposed on a public
body.
Question 8. Which two of these characteristics are reflective of tactical rather than strategic
issues?
a) Urgent issues, resolved in the short term.
b) Extensive new organisational learning.
c) Minor resource amounts or sources.
d) Major compromises to be made.
Question 9. Business unit strategy concerns which one of these alternatives?
a) The long‑term sustainability of an organisation in each of its competitive domains.
b) Answering the question “What industries should the organisation be in?”
c) Thinking about individual or cross‑functional service processes, particular departments
or parts of matrix organisation structures.
d) A particular product or service within a multi-product or service business.
e) How the parent organisation will set the strategic context for sub-units in different
geographies.
Question 10. Which two of these statements is correct?
a) Strategy is about sense‑making – the ability to appraise complex and enduringly
changing competitive environments.
b) Strategy tools always produce a successful strategy.
c) Strategy is considered a planning and execution process which research shows creates
differential performance versus rivals, or comparators.
** All Chapters included
,Table of Contents are given below
1. Introducing the Strategy Concept
2. Thinking Strategically and the 'Why' of Strategy
3. Macro and Industry Contexts
4. Industry Contexts - the 'where' of strategy
5. The 'how' of Strategy: resources, capabilites and culture
6. Protecting Resources and Capability Advantages
7. Overcoming Inertia to Change Capabilities
8. Organisational Learning, Ambidexterity and Strategic Innovation
9. Making the Value Proposition a Viable Business Model
10. The 'What' of Strategy: Viable and Valuable Strategic Alternatives
11. Evaluating the 'What' of Strategy
12. Strategic Contexts: When Specific Circumstances Matter
,Strategy in Context: Chapter 1
Short essay questions
1. Choose three of the eight perspectives of strategy presented in this chapter and explain
how they can enable different insights into the concept to shed light on an organisation’s
strategy.
2. Choose an organisation you consider to be undergoing a transition in its strategy. Explain
what ‘wicked problems’ it faces, and what might be the causes of these issues.
Quiz questions.
Question 1. Strategy concerns;
a) The overall well‑being of the organisation, currently and in the future.
b) What to tackle when it comes to urgent, pressing issues.
c) Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
d) How an organisation plans and executes its aims.
Question 2. Which four of these outcomes could result if strategy is not taken seriously?
a) Short-term disadvantages by losing some stakeholders.
b) Reform of a public organisation’s mandate.
c) Losing ground to competitors, which is difficult or impossible to recover.
d) Large cost or revenue setbacks.
e) Consistently unsuccessful attempts to innovate, which squander resources.
Question 3. Strategy questions involve;
a) ‘High stake’ implications for the future relevance of the organisations in question.
b) Catching up to rivals.
c) Reacting to issues already been resolved or have general agreement internally about
how to address them.
d) Trying to understand the needs of stakeholders and addressing everything they need.
Question 4. Public services organisations such as local authorities, or central government
departments have little to learn from thinking strategically.
a) True
b) False
Question 5. It is clear from Henry Mintzberg’s five Ps of strategy that the absence of a plan does
not mean strategy is unimportant in an organisation.
a) True
b) False
, Question 6. Which three of these, from the wider 8 ‘P’s for strategy define the scope of the
concept?
a) Pattern
b) Process
c) Performative
d) Pricing
e) Ploy
Question 7. In a public services context strategy will need (more than one answer is correct);
a) Careful adaptation of the competitive advantage concept to remain relevant, especially
if the aim of the organisation is not to be directly competitive with rivals.
b) The role of competition to be ignored, as it is irrelevant to all types of public body.
c) Aim at strengthening the long‑term health and effectiveness of governmental units and
leading them through positive changes to ensure a continuing productive ‘fit’ with
changing environments.
d) To prioritise key trade-offs over a universal delivery mandate when imposed on a public
body.
Question 8. Which two of these characteristics are reflective of tactical rather than strategic
issues?
a) Urgent issues, resolved in the short term.
b) Extensive new organisational learning.
c) Minor resource amounts or sources.
d) Major compromises to be made.
Question 9. Business unit strategy concerns which one of these alternatives?
a) The long‑term sustainability of an organisation in each of its competitive domains.
b) Answering the question “What industries should the organisation be in?”
c) Thinking about individual or cross‑functional service processes, particular departments
or parts of matrix organisation structures.
d) A particular product or service within a multi-product or service business.
e) How the parent organisation will set the strategic context for sub-units in different
geographies.
Question 10. Which two of these statements is correct?
a) Strategy is about sense‑making – the ability to appraise complex and enduringly
changing competitive environments.
b) Strategy tools always produce a successful strategy.
c) Strategy is considered a planning and execution process which research shows creates
differential performance versus rivals, or comparators.
