System theory multiple choice exam questions
Lecture 1 / chapter 1
(1) What is the main purpose of regulating systems?
a. Predicting future behavior of the system.
b. Eliminating all disturbances in the system.
c. Ensuring that a system exhibits desired behavior despite disruptions.
d. Maximizing system complexity.
(2) What is a 'disturbance' in the context of systems theory?
a. A random event that affects the system.
b. A positive change in system behavior.
c. An event that causes unwanted behavior to occur.
d. A necessary factor for system development.
(3) What kind of complexity is desirable in regulatory actions?
a. Negative complexity.
b. Neutral complexity.
c. Positive complexity.
(4) What does the 'structure' of a concrete system include?
a. Only the physical elements of the system.
b. The relationships between the elements of the system.
c. The goals that the system pursues.
d. The rules that govern the behavior of the system.
(5) What is the first step in regulating a system?
a. Determining the standard values.
b. Identifying potential disruptions.
c. Defining the system (concrete or abstract).
d. Formulating regulatory actions.
(6) What is the difference between 'general systems theory' (GST) and
'organizational systems theory' (OST)?
a. GST focuses on biological systems, while OST focuses on social
systems.
b. GST provides general ideas about systems, while OST applies these
ideas to organizations.
c. GST is an older theory, while OST is a more modern approach.
d. GST is more complex than OST.
(7) Which two 'archai' are identified in Lecture 1 as important for
understanding organizations?
, a. Efficiency and effectiveness.
b. Experiments and social systems.
c. Complexity and regulation.
d. Structure and culture.
(8) What is the definition of a system?
a. A collection of randomly connected elements.
b. A concrete unit with elements and relationships that exhibits specific
behavior.
c. A static whole that is unchangeable over time.
d. An abstract concept with no relevance to reality.
(9) What is the role of experiments in organizations?
a. Developing new products and services.
b. Making decisions with uncertain outcomes, similar to scientific
experiments.
c. Promoting creativity among employees.
d. Testing different management theories.
(10) What is meant by the rich meaning of survival for an organization?
a. Maximizing profits and market share.
b. Having a separate and meaningful existence in the environment,
contributing to social values.
c. Dominating the market and eliminating competitors.
d. Minimizing costs and risks.
(11) What is the difference between strategic regulation and operational
regulation?
a. Strategic regulation is reactive, while operational regulation is
proactive.
b. Strategic regulation involves setting goals, while operational
regulation involves managing disruptions in processes.
c. Strategic regulation is focused on the long term, operational
regulation on the short term.
d. Strategic regulation is top-down, operational regulation is bottom-up.
(12) What three elements does an organization’s infrastructure include?
a. Leadership, strategy and culture.
b. Human resources, technology and structure/task division.
c. Financial resources, marketing and sales.
d. Product development, production and logistics.
,(13) What is a disturbance in the context of system theory?
a. A random event in the environment.
b. A positive change in system behavior.
c. An event that causes undesirable behavior, causing values to fall
outside the norm.
d. A necessary factor for system development.
(14) How is complexity defined and measured in system theory?
a. Based on the time required to regulate a system.
b. Based on the costs of system regulation.
c. Based on the diversity, or the number of possible states that a
system can assume.
d. Based on the number of elements and the relationships between
them in a system.
(15) What is the role of decisions in organizations?
a. They mainly serve to reinforce the hierarchy.
b. They are always based on full information and rational analysis.
c. They are essential elements of the social system that constitutes an
organization and contribute to the self-production of the system.
d. They are always focused on maximizing profits.
(16) What is the function of decision premises in an organization?
a. They determine the ethical standards and values of the organization.
b. They ensure that all decisions are taken democratically.
c. They structure decision-making and increase the likelihood of
desired behavior by defining what counts as a 'decision' and by
guiding communication.
d. They reduce the complexity of decision-making processes.
(17) which of the following is not a step in the recipe for regulation?
a. Define the concrete and abstract system.
b. Determine the standard values.
c. Analyze historical performance of the system.
d. Formulate regulatory actions.
(18) What is meant by abstract system?
a. A system that does not physically exist.
b. A system too complex to regulate.
c. A collection of variables used to describe the effects of behavior.
d. A system without clear boundaries.
, (19) What is the importance of adapting and realizing for the survival of
organizations?
a. Adapting means copying successful competitors, realizing means
implementing best practices.
b. Adapting means revising goals in response to changes in the
environment, realizing means effectively achieving these goals.
c. Adapting means minimizing risks, realizing means maximizing
profits.
d. Adapting means increasing efficiency, realizing means improving
effectiveness.
Lecture 2 / chapter 2
(20) What is the purpose of cybernetics to Ashby?
a. Understanding the subjective experiences of individuals in
organizations.
b. Developing ethical guidelines for organizational design.
c. Providing effective methods for studying and controlling complex
systems.
d. Predicting the future of organizations and their environment.
(21) Which two types of influences on system behaviour are distinguished?
a. Internal and external influences.
b. Positive and negative influences.
c. Predictable and unpredictable influences.
d. Disruptions and regulatory actions.
(22) What is the difference between an open transformation and a closed
transformation in Ashby’s cybernetics?
a. In an open transformation, at least one state lacks a defined
transformation, while in a closed transformation all transformations
are defined.
b. An open transformation is chaotic and unpredictable, while a closed
transformation is stable and orderly.
c. An open transformation is typical of biological systems, while a
closed transformation is typical of machines.
d. An open transformation is more complex than a closed
transformation.
(23) What is a deterministic machine according to Ashby?
a. A machine that can adapt its own behavior.
b. A machine with a closed and single transformation, resulting in
predictable behavior.
Lecture 1 / chapter 1
(1) What is the main purpose of regulating systems?
a. Predicting future behavior of the system.
b. Eliminating all disturbances in the system.
c. Ensuring that a system exhibits desired behavior despite disruptions.
d. Maximizing system complexity.
(2) What is a 'disturbance' in the context of systems theory?
a. A random event that affects the system.
b. A positive change in system behavior.
c. An event that causes unwanted behavior to occur.
d. A necessary factor for system development.
(3) What kind of complexity is desirable in regulatory actions?
a. Negative complexity.
b. Neutral complexity.
c. Positive complexity.
(4) What does the 'structure' of a concrete system include?
a. Only the physical elements of the system.
b. The relationships between the elements of the system.
c. The goals that the system pursues.
d. The rules that govern the behavior of the system.
(5) What is the first step in regulating a system?
a. Determining the standard values.
b. Identifying potential disruptions.
c. Defining the system (concrete or abstract).
d. Formulating regulatory actions.
(6) What is the difference between 'general systems theory' (GST) and
'organizational systems theory' (OST)?
a. GST focuses on biological systems, while OST focuses on social
systems.
b. GST provides general ideas about systems, while OST applies these
ideas to organizations.
c. GST is an older theory, while OST is a more modern approach.
d. GST is more complex than OST.
(7) Which two 'archai' are identified in Lecture 1 as important for
understanding organizations?
, a. Efficiency and effectiveness.
b. Experiments and social systems.
c. Complexity and regulation.
d. Structure and culture.
(8) What is the definition of a system?
a. A collection of randomly connected elements.
b. A concrete unit with elements and relationships that exhibits specific
behavior.
c. A static whole that is unchangeable over time.
d. An abstract concept with no relevance to reality.
(9) What is the role of experiments in organizations?
a. Developing new products and services.
b. Making decisions with uncertain outcomes, similar to scientific
experiments.
c. Promoting creativity among employees.
d. Testing different management theories.
(10) What is meant by the rich meaning of survival for an organization?
a. Maximizing profits and market share.
b. Having a separate and meaningful existence in the environment,
contributing to social values.
c. Dominating the market and eliminating competitors.
d. Minimizing costs and risks.
(11) What is the difference between strategic regulation and operational
regulation?
a. Strategic regulation is reactive, while operational regulation is
proactive.
b. Strategic regulation involves setting goals, while operational
regulation involves managing disruptions in processes.
c. Strategic regulation is focused on the long term, operational
regulation on the short term.
d. Strategic regulation is top-down, operational regulation is bottom-up.
(12) What three elements does an organization’s infrastructure include?
a. Leadership, strategy and culture.
b. Human resources, technology and structure/task division.
c. Financial resources, marketing and sales.
d. Product development, production and logistics.
,(13) What is a disturbance in the context of system theory?
a. A random event in the environment.
b. A positive change in system behavior.
c. An event that causes undesirable behavior, causing values to fall
outside the norm.
d. A necessary factor for system development.
(14) How is complexity defined and measured in system theory?
a. Based on the time required to regulate a system.
b. Based on the costs of system regulation.
c. Based on the diversity, or the number of possible states that a
system can assume.
d. Based on the number of elements and the relationships between
them in a system.
(15) What is the role of decisions in organizations?
a. They mainly serve to reinforce the hierarchy.
b. They are always based on full information and rational analysis.
c. They are essential elements of the social system that constitutes an
organization and contribute to the self-production of the system.
d. They are always focused on maximizing profits.
(16) What is the function of decision premises in an organization?
a. They determine the ethical standards and values of the organization.
b. They ensure that all decisions are taken democratically.
c. They structure decision-making and increase the likelihood of
desired behavior by defining what counts as a 'decision' and by
guiding communication.
d. They reduce the complexity of decision-making processes.
(17) which of the following is not a step in the recipe for regulation?
a. Define the concrete and abstract system.
b. Determine the standard values.
c. Analyze historical performance of the system.
d. Formulate regulatory actions.
(18) What is meant by abstract system?
a. A system that does not physically exist.
b. A system too complex to regulate.
c. A collection of variables used to describe the effects of behavior.
d. A system without clear boundaries.
, (19) What is the importance of adapting and realizing for the survival of
organizations?
a. Adapting means copying successful competitors, realizing means
implementing best practices.
b. Adapting means revising goals in response to changes in the
environment, realizing means effectively achieving these goals.
c. Adapting means minimizing risks, realizing means maximizing
profits.
d. Adapting means increasing efficiency, realizing means improving
effectiveness.
Lecture 2 / chapter 2
(20) What is the purpose of cybernetics to Ashby?
a. Understanding the subjective experiences of individuals in
organizations.
b. Developing ethical guidelines for organizational design.
c. Providing effective methods for studying and controlling complex
systems.
d. Predicting the future of organizations and their environment.
(21) Which two types of influences on system behaviour are distinguished?
a. Internal and external influences.
b. Positive and negative influences.
c. Predictable and unpredictable influences.
d. Disruptions and regulatory actions.
(22) What is the difference between an open transformation and a closed
transformation in Ashby’s cybernetics?
a. In an open transformation, at least one state lacks a defined
transformation, while in a closed transformation all transformations
are defined.
b. An open transformation is chaotic and unpredictable, while a closed
transformation is stable and orderly.
c. An open transformation is typical of biological systems, while a
closed transformation is typical of machines.
d. An open transformation is more complex than a closed
transformation.
(23) What is a deterministic machine according to Ashby?
a. A machine that can adapt its own behavior.
b. A machine with a closed and single transformation, resulting in
predictable behavior.
