Directions (1-15):
Read the following passage carefully and
answer the questions given below it. Certain words are given bold to help you
to locate them while answering some of the questions.
Paragraph 1: Management is a set of processes that can
keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most
important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing,
staffing, controlling and problem-solving. Leadership is a set of processes
that create organizations in the first place or adapts them to significantly
changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like,
aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the
obstacles. This distinction is absolutely crucial for our purposes here.
Successful transformation is 70 to 90 percent leadership and only 10 to 30
percent management. Yet for historical reasons, many organizations today don’t
have much leadership. And almost everyone thinks about the problem here as one
of managing change.
Paragraph 2: For most of this century, as we created
thousands and thousands of large organizations for the first time in human
history, we didn’t have enough good managers to keep all those bureaucracies
functioning. So many companies and universities developed management programs
and hundreds and thousands of people were encouraged to learn management on the
job. And they did. But, people were taught little about leadership. To some
degree, management was emphasized because it’s easier to teach than leadership.
But even more so, management was the main item on the Twentieth–Century agenda
because that’s what was needed for every entrepreneur or business builder who
was a leader, we needed hundreds of managers to turn their ever-growing
enterprises.
Paragraph
3: Unfortunately for us today, this
emphasis on management has often been institutionalized in corporate cultures
that discourage employees from learning how to lead. Ironically, past success
is usually the key ingredient in producing this out come. The syndrome, as I
have observed it on many occasions, goes like this success creates some degree
of marked dominance, which in turn produces much growth. After a while keeping
the ever larger organization under control becomes the primary challenge. So
attention turns inward, and managerial competencies are nurtured. With a strong emphasis on management but not leadership,
bureaucracy and an inward focus take over. But with continued success, the
result mostly of market dominance the problem often goes unhealthy arrogance
begins to evolve. All of these
characteristics than making any transformation effort much more difficult.
Paragraph 4: Arrogant managers can over-evaluate their
current performance and competitive position, listen poorly, and learn slowly.
Inwardly focused employees can have difficulty seeing the very forces that
present threats and opportunities. Bureaucratic cultures can smother those who want to respond to
shifting conditions. And the lack of leadership leaves no force inside these
organizations to break-out the morass.
Q1. Why, according to the author, a distinction between
management and leadership is crucial?
(a)
Leaders are reactive whereas managers are proactive.
(b)
Organizations are facing problems of not getting good managers.
(c)
Organizations are pursuing the strategy of status-quo.
(d)
In today’s context organizations need leaders much more than managers in
transforming them.
(e)
None of these
Q2. Why did companies and universities develop programmes to
prepare managers in such a large number?
(a)
Companies and Universities wanted to generate funds through these programs
(b)
A large number of organizations were created and they needed managers in good
number.
(c)
Organizations did not want spend their scarce resources in training managers.
(d)
Organizations wanted to create communication network though trained managers.
(e)
None of these
Q3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the
context of the passage?
(a)
Bureaucratic culture smothers those who want to respond to changing conditions.
(b)
Leadership produces change and has the potential to establish direction.
(c)
Pressure on managers comes mostly from within.
(d)
Leadership centers on carrying out important functions such as planning and
problem-solving.
(e)
Managers believe that they are the best and that their idiosyncratic traditions
are superior.
Q4. Which of the following is not the characteristic of
bureaucratic culture?
(a)
Managers listen poorly and learn slowly.
(b)
Managerial competencies are nurtured.
(c)
Employees clearly see the forces that present threats and opportunities.
(d)
Prevalence of unhealthy arrogance.
(e)
Managers tend to stifle initiative
Q5. Which of the following is SIMILAR in meaning of the word
SMOTHER as used in the passage?
(a)
suppress
(b)
encourage
(c)
instigate
(d)
criticize
(e)
attack
Q6. How has the author defined management?
(a)
It is the process of adapting organizations to changing circumstances.
(b)
It is the system of aligning people with the direction it has taken.
(c)
It refers to creating a vision to help direct the change effort.
(d)
It keeps a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly.
(e)
None of these
Q7. Management education was emphasized in the management
programs because
(a)
establishing direction was the main focus of organizations.
(b)
motivating employees were thought to be done by the manager.
(c)
strategies for producing change was the main focus of organizations.
(d)
organizations wanted to create a powerful guiding coalition.
(e)
Management was the main item of agenda in organizations.
Q8. What is the historical reason for many organizations not
having leadership?
(a)
A view that leaders are born, they are not made.
(b)
Leaders lack managerial skills and organizations need managers.
(c)
Leaders are weak in carrying out traditional functions of management.
(d)
Leaders allow too much complacency in organizations.
(e)
None of these
Q9. In the passage, management is equated with
(a)
Organizing
(b)
Leadership
(c)
Organizational vision
(d)
Inspire people
(e)
Managerial training
Q10. Why does the attention of large organizations turn
inward?
(a)
Their managers become arrogant.
(b)
They have to keep themselves under control.
(c)
Their success creates market dominance.
(d)
They want to project their predictability.
(e)
None of these
Solutions
S1.
Ans.(d)
Sol.
The clue for answering this question contains in the first paragraph of the
passage. Here leaders are presented as the agents of change. Leaders are needed
to bring changes or transforming the organizations. So, the answer is (d).
S2.
Ans.(b)
Sol.
At the beginning of the second paragraph, the author tells us that thousands
and thousands of large organizations have been created which in turn has
created the need for a large number of managers. This is why universities and
companies have developed programs to prepare managers in such a large number.
S3.
Ans.(d)
Sol.
Planning and problem solving are said as the functions of the managers (Refer
para 1).
The
author also differentiates between managers and leaders. This shows that the
statement (d) is not true in the context of the passage.
S4.
Ans.(c)
Sol.“
Inwardly focused employees can have difficulty seeing the very forces that
present threats and opportunities.” In the last paragraph of the passage in
context to the bureaucratic culture. This shows that option (c) is not a
characteristic culture.
S5.
Ans.(a)
Sol.
The word smother here means to suppress.
S6.
Ans.(d)
Sol.
It keeps a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. (Refer
1st sentence of para 1)
S7.
Ans.(e)
Sol.
“But even more so, management was the main item on the twentieth-century agenda
because that’s what was needed… hundreds of managers to run their ever growing
enterprises”.
From
the above-mentioned assertions, it becomes clear that the item management is
very much on the agenda of the universities because enterprises are in great
need of managers.
S8.
Ans.(e)
Sol.
None of these.
S9.
Ans.(a)
Sol.
Organizing (Refer para 1). The most important aspects of management include
planning, budgeting, organizing
S10.
Ans.(b)
Sol.
“After a while keeping the ever-larger organization under control becomes the
primary challenge. So, attention turns inward, and managerial competencies are
nurtured”. Here the first sentence is presented as the cause for the turning of
attention inward. So, the answer is (b).
English Quizzes For SBI PO Mains 2023 - ...
