Study Guide for Final Exam

For BPA 141 Office Management 12/12/01

 

There will be 4 parts to the exam.  True/False, Matching, Short Answer and Production.  To prepare for the exam, I (the professor) would recommend the following:

 

I.                    The best way to study for the True/False is to study the End-of-Chapter Reviews from Chapters 1-10 in your textbook.

II.                 Study the following terms: (Matching)

 

Business ethics – The study of just and unjust behavior in business.

 

Chronic stress – Occurs when a distressful situation is prolonged with no rest or recuperation for the body.

 

Acute stress – Occurs when a person has to respond instantaneously to a crisis situation.

 

Outsourcing – Refers to utilizing an outside company or consultant to complete a project.

 

Social Responsibility – The trustworthiness of business to assume accountability for the impact it has on people, the community in which it exists, and the larger world in which it operates.

 

CTD’s  - Cumulative Trauma Disorders.  Pain or discomfort in hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, or neck.

 

Virtual conferencing – using media to have a conference.

 

Hierarchy – The organizational structure of a company.

 

Role ambiguity – Lack of adequate information about the job and lack of clarity about work objectives and expectations. 

 

WORM – Write once, read many. (Disk).  Nonerasable, and is used in applications that require the data to be written once as a permanent record. 

 

Biases – A prejudiced view based on background or experiences of others. 

 

LAN – Local Area Network.  Link various types of technological equipment within a building or several buildings, within the same geographic area, such as a business or a college with multiple buildings.

 

WAN  - Link technological equipment in an area of hundreds of thousands of miles. 

 

Extranet – Operates behind a firewall, but the firewall allows the inclusion of selected individuals, companies, and organizations outside the company itself.  You can access an extranet if you have a username and password. 

 

DVD – Digital Versatile Disk.  More storage space, faster access and response times.

 

Internet – The world’s largest croup of connected computers, allowing people from all over the world to communicate. 

 

ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network.  ISDN lines achieve greater speed and reliability than modems and regular telephone lines by using digital format.

III.             You will be asked to answer 4 of the 8 questions below – choose the 4 you feel most knowledgeable and discuss:

(Short answer and explain)

 

1.      Define and explain the 5 steps used in the decision making process.

2.      The internal workplace team includes three different types of teams.  What are they?  List and explain.

a. Project Team – A group of individuals working together to accomplish a specific goal.

b. Supervisor/Employee Team – The team between a boss and his employee.  Loyalty on both sides here is important.

c. Co-Worker to Co – Worker Team – Working effectively with other co-workers to get the job done.

 

3.      Communication in the office can be improved by the following: (list 3 ways)

a. Understand the organizational structure – Ask for an organizational chart of the company, to show you where you should go and communicate to, instead of talking to the wrong person.

b. Be Word Conscious – Be wary of what words you use, and their interpretations.

c. Write and Speak Clearly – Use simple language when you write and talk, try not to use difficult and long words that are hard to understand.

 

4.      Negative stress in the workplace can be categorized into 2 types.  List and explain the 2 types of negative stress.

 

5.      Suggestions for coping with stress include: (list 4 ways)

a. Take a deep breath.

b. Sit still for five minutes, take a moment, and relax.

c. Take a walk.

d. Cry.

 

6.      Time management techniques include: (list 5 techniques)

a. Use voicemail to screen calls so they won’t interrupt you.

b. For the office, get in the habit of using manila file folders for easy sorting and locating.

c. For business and personal usage – a planner with the day and month views, with plenty of space for taking notes.

d. Take five minutes and plan your day, either in the morning or the afternoon before.

e. Make a To-Do list, and prioritize in order of importance.

7.      Both manual and electronic systems are available to help you manage your time.  Electronic systems provide the following features. (list 5 features)

8.      The ethical organization should possess several characteristics: (list & explain 4 characteristics of an ethical organization)

IV.  Also, review report format, spacing – cheat sheets will not be allowed during the final exam!  (Manuscript format)