IS706 MidTerm Exam
Spring 2015
IS 706 Sec 002: Mid Term Exam
IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Instructions: Please read carefully
1. This exam is 30% of your final grade
2. Please answer each question completely. Note: questions are multi-part.
3. Answers should reflect critical thinking in addition to material from the textbook
and class lectures. Provide rationale for each answer.
4. Answers should contain two example of your real-life experiences, one to support your
answers, the other one is give an opponent example of your answer and explain it.
side is wrong. For example, the question is what is a good manager, I need you give me an
example of a good manager of your own experience and give me an example of a bad
manager and explain why.
5. Exam is open book and open notes, but cannot use internet search
5. Please return the exam prior to 6:00 pm on Tuesday,
April 14th
1. When should out-plan projects be reconsidered for inclusion? (4) Why do you think managers underutilize project selection models? (4)
(TOTAL: 8 points)
2. What are some of the limitations of project selection models? (3) Are there certain types of projects that are better suited for nonnumeric selection methods as opposed to numeric ones? (3)
How does functional managers differ from and project manager? (2)
(TOTAL: 8 points).
3. Can you think of several ways to assure “breadth of communication” in a project? Do you think “socialization” off the job helps or hinders? (2)
How does the type of project organization affect each of the types of conflict that occur over the project life cycle? (2)
Suppose you have a talented scientist temporarily working for you on a client
contract who is due to be transferred back to her regular job. Although you
could do without her efforts at this point of the contract, you happen to know
that she will be laid off for lack of work at her regular job and her personal
financial situation is dire. You feel it is important that her talent be kept on
the company payroll, although keeping her on the contract will increase
expenses unnecessarily. Is the transfer decision a business decision or an
ethical one? Why? If the decision were yours to make, what would you
decide? (4)
(TOTAL 8 points)
A disadvantage of the projectized organization has to do with the tendency of project professionals to fall behind in areas of technical expertise not used on the project. Name several ways that a project manager might avoid this problem. (3)
How would you organize a project to develop a complex new product such as
a new color fax–copy–scanner–printer -machine? How would you organize if
the product was simpler, such as a new flash drive? (3)
(TOTAL: 6 points)