About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Public Management · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
Which is the first (primary) function of management?
- A) Controlling
- B) Planning ✔
- C) Staffing
- D) Directing
Why: Planning is the first function of management: all other functions (organising, staffing, directing, controlling) follow from the plan.
Planning means deciding in advance what to do, how, when and by whom. This was said by:
- A) Koontz and O'Donnell ✔
- B) F. W. Taylor
- C) Max Weber
- D) Elton Mayo
Why: Koontz and O'Donnell defined planning as deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who is to do it.
Plans made at the top level for the long term are called:
- A) Operational plans
- B) Strategic plans ✔
- C) Tactical plans
- D) Daily plans
Why: Strategic plans are long-term, broad plans made by top management, such as a ministry's five-year strategy.
A budget is an example of a:
- A) Standing plan
- B) Single-use plan ✔
- C) Rule
- D) Policy
Why: A budget is a single-use plan, made for a specific period (one fiscal year) and then replaced.
A rule is an example of a:
- A) Standing plan ✔
- B) Single-use plan
- C) Project
- D) Programme
Why: A rule is a standing plan: it is used again and again in similar situations.
Which standing plan allows no flexibility?
- A) Policy
- B) Procedure
- C) Rule ✔
- D) Strategy
Why: A rule allows no flexibility; it says exactly what must or must not be done, e.g. 'No smoking in the office'.
Who said "decision making is the heart of administration"?
- A) Herbert Simon ✔
- B) Henri Fayol
- C) Luther Gulick
- D) Woodrow Wilson
Why: Herbert Simon said decision making is the heart of administration.
Herbert Simon's famous book is:
- A) Administrative Behavior ✔
- B) The Practice of Management
- C) The General Theory
- D) Principles of Scientific Management
Why: Herbert Simon's famous book is 'Administrative Behavior' (1947), on decision making in organisations.
Herbert Simon won the Nobel Prize in Economics in:
- A) 1968
- B) 1978 ✔
- C) 1988
- D) 1998
Why: Herbert Simon won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1978 for his work on decision making.
Choosing a "good enough" option rather than the perfect one is called:
- A) Maximising
- B) Satisficing ✔
- C) Optimising
- D) Delegating
Why: Satisficing (satisfy + suffice), a term from Herbert Simon, means choosing the first option that is good enough.
Routine and repetitive decisions are called:
- A) Programmed decisions ✔
- B) Non-programmed decisions
- C) Strategic decisions
- D) Group decisions
Why: Programmed decisions are routine and repetitive, handled by set rules and procedures.
Responding to a sudden flood disaster requires a:
- A) Programmed decision
- B) Non-programmed decision ✔
- C) Routine decision
- D) Clerical decision
Why: A sudden disaster is new and unstructured, so it needs a non-programmed decision based on judgement.
Brainstorming was developed by:
- A) Alex Osborn ✔
- B) Herbert Simon
- C) Peter Drucker
- D) Henri Fayol
Why: Alex Osborn developed brainstorming, where a group produces many ideas freely without criticism.
In which technique do experts give opinions anonymously in rounds?
- A) Brainstorming
- B) Delphi technique ✔
- C) SWOT
- D) Decision tree
Why: In the Delphi technique, experts give opinions anonymously in several rounds until they reach agreement.
In SWOT, the letter O stands for:
- A) Objectives
- B) Opportunities ✔
- C) Operations
- D) Outputs
Why: In SWOT, O stands for Opportunities: outside factors the organisation can use to its advantage.
Who chairs the National Planning Commission of Nepal?
- A) Finance Minister
- B) Prime Minister ✔
- C) President
- D) Chief Secretary
Why: The Prime Minister chairs the National Planning Commission.
A plan for one to five years is a:
- A) Short-term plan
- B) Medium-term plan ✔
- C) Long-term plan
- D) Daily plan
Why: A medium-term plan covers about one to five years, such as Nepal's five-year periodic plans.
Assumptions about the future used in planning are called:
- A) Planning premises ✔
- B) Policies
- C) Rules
- D) Budgets
Why: Planning premises are assumptions about the future, such as expected population or budget, on which plans are based.
The first step in decision making is:
- A) Implementing the decision
- B) Identifying the problem ✔
- C) Choosing the best option
- D) Following up
Why: The first step is to identify and define the problem clearly.
A diagram showing choices and their possible outcomes is a:
- A) Decision tree ✔
- B) Gantt chart
- C) Organisation chart
- D) Flowchart of accounts
Why: A decision tree shows choices as branches with their possible outcomes and chances.
In Nepali, planning is:
- A) योजना ✔
- B) निर्णय
- C) नियन्त्रण
- D) समन्वय
Why: Planning is योजना (or योजना तर्जुमा) in Nepali.
In Nepali, decision making is:
- A) निर्णय प्रक्रिया ✔
- B) योजना तर्जुमा
- C) नियन्त्रण
- D) बजेट
Why: Decision making is निर्णय प्रक्रिया (or निर्णय निर्माण) in Nepali.
Planning bridges the gap between:
- A) Where we are and where we want to go ✔
- B) Office and home
- C) Salary and tax
- D) Staff and citizens only
Why: Planning bridges the gap between where we are now and where we want to be.
'Pervasive' planning means it is needed:
- A) At all levels ✔
- B) Only at the top
- C) Only at the bottom
- D) Never
Why: Planning is pervasive: it is needed at all levels of management and in all departments.
Planning is future-oriented, which means it:
- A) Looks ahead ✔
- B) Only records the past
- C) Ignores time
- D) Is random
Why: Planning looks ahead: it prepares for future conditions and goals.
Plans made at middle level are:
- A) Tactical ✔
- B) Strategic
- C) Operational
- D) Personal
Why: Middle managers make tactical plans that turn strategy into section-level actions.
Day-to-day plans at lower level are:
- A) Operational ✔
- B) Strategic
- C) Tactical
- D) National
Why: Lower-level managers make operational plans for day-to-day work, such as duty rosters.
A plan longer than 5 years is:
- A) Long-term ✔
- B) Short-term
- C) Medium-term
- D) Single-use
Why: A plan for more than five years is a long-term plan, such as a 15- or 20-year vision.
A plan up to one year is:
- A) Short-term ✔
- B) Long-term
- C) Medium-term
- D) Strategic only
Why: A short-term plan covers up to one year, such as an annual programme.
A policy is a:
- A) Standing plan giving a general guide for decisions ✔
- B) Single-use plan
- C) Project
- D) Budget
Why: A policy is a standing plan that gives general guidance for decisions while allowing some discretion.
A procedure is:
- A) Steps in order for a task ✔
- B) A one-time project
- C) A budget
- D) A vision
Why: A procedure sets out steps in order for doing a task, such as how to process a leave application.
A project is a:
- A) One-time task with set time and cost ✔
- B) Standing plan
- C) Rule
- D) Policy
Why: A project is a one-time task with a set goal, time and cost, such as building a bridge.
A programme is:
- A) A set of activities for a goal ✔
- B) A rule
- C) A procedure
- D) A policy only
Why: A programme is a set of related activities aimed at a goal, such as an immunisation programme.
Setting objectives comes after:
- A) Being aware of opportunities and problems ✔
- B) Implementation
- C) Budget
- D) Follow-up
Why: Planning starts with being aware of opportunities and problems; objectives are set after that.
After evaluating alternatives, the next step is:
- A) Selecting the best alternative ✔
- B) Setting objectives
- C) Being aware
- D) Developing premises
Why: After evaluating alternatives, you select the best one.
Supporting plans that come from the main plan are:
- A) Derivative plans ✔
- B) Premises
- C) Rules
- D) Policies
Why: Derivative plans are supporting plans that come from the main plan, such as a training plan under an HR plan.
Bounded rationality means:
- A) People cannot know everything when deciding ✔
- B) People know everything
- C) Decisions are random
- D) Only computers decide
Why: Bounded rationality (Simon) means decision makers have limited information, time and ability, so they cannot be perfectly rational.
Granting casual leave is a:
- A) Programmed decision ✔
- B) Non-programmed decision
- C) Strategic plan
- D) Policy
Why: Granting casual leave is routine and covered by rules, so it is a programmed decision.
Non-programmed decisions are usually made by:
- A) Top-level managers ✔
- B) Lower-level staff
- C) Visitors
- D) Computers only
Why: Non-programmed decisions, on new and complex problems, are usually made by top-level managers.
Programmed decisions follow:
- A) Rules and procedures ✔
- B) Creativity only
- C) Guesswork
- D) No rules
Why: Programmed decisions follow set rules, procedures and policies.
The Delphi technique was developed at:
- A) RAND Corporation ✔
- B) Harvard
- C) NPC Nepal
- D) World Bank
Why: The Delphi technique was developed at the RAND Corporation in the USA in the 1950s.
In brainstorming, ideas are produced:
- A) Freely without criticism ✔
- B) Only by the boss
- C) With immediate criticism
- D) In secret only
Why: In brainstorming, people produce as many ideas as possible freely, without criticism, and judge them later.
In SWOT, S stands for:
- A) Strengths ✔
- B) Strategy
- C) Staff
- D) Systems
Why: S is Strengths: internal advantages of the organisation.
In SWOT, T stands for:
- A) Threats ✔
- B) Targets
- C) Tasks
- D) Tactics
Why: T is Threats: outside factors that could harm the organisation.
Comparing costs and benefits of options is:
- A) Cost-benefit analysis ✔
- B) SWOT
- C) Delphi
- D) Brainstorming
Why: Cost-benefit analysis compares the total costs and benefits of each option to choose the best.
In the nominal group technique, members first:
- A) Write ideas alone ✔
- B) Vote immediately
- C) Argue openly
- D) Leave the meeting
Why: In the nominal group technique, members first write ideas alone, then share, discuss and vote.
After choosing an option in decision making, the next step is:
- A) Implement ✔
- B) Identify the problem
- C) Collect information
- D) Develop alternatives
Why: After choosing, the decision must be implemented: put into action.
The last step of decision making is:
- A) Follow up ✔
- B) Identify problem
- C) Choose
- D) Evaluate
Why: The last step is follow-up (evaluation): checking results and correcting if needed.
Simon's book Administrative Behavior appeared in:
- A) 1947 ✔
- B) 1978
- C) 1937
- D) 1911
Why: 'Administrative Behavior' was published in 1947.
Planning is called an intellectual process because it:
- A) Requires thinking, foresight and judgement ✔
- B) Needs only physical work
- C) Is random
- D) Needs no information
Why: Planning needs thinking, foresight and judgement about the future, so it is an intellectual process.