Chapter 1: An Overview of Organizational Behavior

Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

What behaviors is performance, an important individual-level outcome variable, made up of?

All work-related

What behaviors is performance, an important individual-level outcome variable, made up of? · Discretionary · All work-related · Positive · Negative

All work-related

What is the relationship between organizational behavior (OB) concepts and a company's bottom line? · Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical and its employees happier but at a great cost to its bottom line. · Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical, its employees happier, and its bottom line better. · Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical and its employees happier at a small cost to its bottom line. · Research has shown no consistent correlation between OB concepts and a company's bottom line.

Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical, its employees happier, and its bottom line better.

What is the relationship between organizational behavior (OB) concepts and a company's bottom line? · Research has shown no consistent correlation between OB concepts and a company's bottom line. · Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical and its employees happier at a small cost to its bottom line. · Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical, its employees happier, and its bottom line better.

Applying OB concepts makes a company more ethical, its employees happier, and its bottom line better.

Which of the following is NOT a dysfunctional behavior? · Attribution · Absenteeism · Turnover · Sabotage

Attribution

Sally, CEO and founder of Sally Tech Support and Repair, hires Juanita to manage operational and inventory costs. Juanita must also implement an evaluation system for employees and reward the ones who do well while firing or improving the ones who underperform. While performing these activities, Juanita is engaged in which core managerial function? · Planning · Leading · Controlling · Organizing

Controlling

Jerome is an organizational behavior consultant. Companies hire him to identify and fix problems that make them unappealing places to work or hurt financial and operational performance. In his capacity as a consultant, Jerome relies most crucially upon which of the following types of skills? · Technical · Conceptual · Diagnostic · Interpersonal

Diagnostic

Which of the following could NOT be a source of competitive advantage? · Ethnocentrism · Speed · Convenience · Distribution

Ethnocentrism

Which of the following statements correctly reflects the existing research on the relationship between job satisfaction and performance? · There has been no conclusive research on the relationship between job satisfaction and performance. · High levels of job satisfaction lead to higher levels of performance. · High levels of job satisfaction lead to lower levels of performance. · High levels of job satisfaction do not necessarily have an effect on performance.

High levels of job satisfaction do not necessarily have an effect on performance.

Arkady is a salesperson at an expensive car dealership. He helps prospective customers find the car that will best suit their needs, then works his charm and convinces them to close the sale. Arkady relies most crucially upon which of the following types of skills? · Technical · Conceptual · Diagnostic · Interpersonal

Interpersonal

Which of the following statements is true of interactionalism? · It implies that the cause-and-effect relationships underlying organizational phenomena are relatively simple, even if we cannot deduce what they are. · It implies that the cause-and-effect relationships underlying organizational phenomena are complex. · It posits that there is one best way to fix most organizational problems. · It denies that effects always occur after their causes.

It implies that the cause-and-effect relationships underlying organizational phenomena are complex.

Which of the following is true of organizational behavior (OB)? · It is exciting and complex. · It is complex yet can be boring. · It is simple and thus boring. · It is exciting yet simple.

It is exciting and complex

Which of the following was a problem with the human relations movement? · It was ultimately dehumanizing. · It used unsophisticated research methods. · It viewed workers as interchangeable parts in an organizational machine. · Its prescriptions resulted in a loss of productivity.

It used unsophisticated research methods.

Which of the following statements about the origins of organizational behavior (OB) is true? · OB did not come into existence until the Renaissance. · OB could date back to prehistoric times. · OB first began in the nineteenth century. OB did not take shape until modern times

OB could date back to prehistoric times.

What term refers to maximizing the efficiency of the manufacturing or product development process to minimize costs? · Business superiority · Operational excellence · Maintenance strategy · Managerial skill

Operational excellence

What term refers to maximizing the efficiency of the manufacturing or product development process to minimize costs? · Operational excellence · Managerial skill · Maintenance strategy · Business superiority

Operational excellence

After founding Sally Tech Support and Repair, Sally quickly realized that she couldn't do everything by herself. Before she could hire any employees, however, Sally had to figure out what the new jobs would entail, how the jobs would be grouped, and what patterns of authority would exist between herself and the new people she was hiring. While performing these activities, Sally was engaged in which core managerial function? · Planning · Leading · Controlling · Organizing

Organizing

Ahmed is designing a new role in his organization, specifying what the employee who fills the role will be responsible for and how that employee will be evaluated. Which managerial function is Ahmed working on? · Planning · Leading · Controlling · Organizing

Organizing

Which part of the textbook is at the center of the framework of the book? · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4

Part 1

Which part of the textbook discusses the factors that relate to individuals and include individual characteristics; individual values, perceptions, and reactions; motivation concepts and models; and the role of work and reward in tapping those motivation concepts and models? · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4

Part 2

Which part of the textbook discusses how organizations manage change? · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4 · Part 5

Part 5

Which part of the textbook discusses organization design, structure, and culture? · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4 · Part 5

Part 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the three perspectives on the human side of management? · People as organizations · People as resources · People as people · People as managers

People as managers

The formal study of organizational behavior (OB) is widely considered to have begun with which theory? · Systems theory · Interactionalism · Scientific management · Human relations

Scientific management

Isabelle's spreadsheets feature a lot of formula-driven automation, which enables her to complete her job more quickly than her fellow managers. Which type of skill has Isabelle used to drive her success? · Conceptual · Diagnostic · Technical · Interpersonal

Technical

occurs when people temporarily improve their performance because they know they are being judged

The Hawthorne effect

In the systems approach to organizations, what mediates the feedback to the process of transforming inputs into outputs? · 360 performance reviews · Project management post-mortems · The environment · A board of directors

The environment

Which of the following statements is true about the study of organizational behavior (OB)? · Understanding OB is important only for people who plan to pursue a Ph.D. in it. · Understanding OB is not important unless one plans to become a manager, in which case it becomes very important. · Understanding OB will help anyone who will ever work in an organization. · OB has little practical use outside of theoretical study.

Understanding OB will help anyone who will ever work in an organization

Most of the firms on Fortune's list of the world's most admired companies have reputations for which of the following? · Valuing and respecting the people who work for them · Publishing results that contradict most of the accepted findings of organizational behavior researchers · Employing PhDs in organizational behavior as consultants

Valuing and respecting the people who work for them

Probably no organization has a position called "organizational behavior (OB) manager." Each of the following helps explain why this is the case EXCEPT: · a company's OB should be managed not by a single person but by a group. · an understanding of OB is important for all managers to be good at their jobs. · OB is not a defined area of responsibility such as finance or marketing. OB is not a defined business function.

a company's OB should be managed not by a single person but by a group.

Cheeky Chuck's Cheap Chops offers the cheapest haircuts in town. Cheeky Chuck's primary business strategy is most likely: · specialization. · cost leadership. · differentiation. · human resource management.

cost leadership.

Organizations pursuing a competitive advantage based on _____ try to deliver unique and customizable products or services to meet their customers' needs and increase customer loyalty. · cost leadership · customer intimacy · branding · delivery speed

customer intimacy

Busy Bernie's Bodacious Buzzes is the most expensive barbershop in town. Busy Bernie offers legendary customer service, and his customers are willing to pay a premium price for his exceptional cuts. Busy Bernie's primary business strategy is most likely: · specialization. · cost leadership. · differentiation. · human resource management.

differentiation

Each of the following is a source of competitive advantage EXCEPT: · high salaries. · a well-known brand name. · low prices. excellent customer service.

high salaries.

In organizations, most situations and outcomes are contingent; that is, the precise relationship between any two variables is likely to be situational. In this context, situational means that the relationship: · is subjective and different managers will interpret it differently. · cannot be understood without employing prohibitively complex mathematical models. · fluctuates randomly over time. · is dependent on other variables.

is dependent on other variables

Successfully applying the principles of organizational behavior (OB) can result in each of the following EXCEPT: · lower turnover. · higher job satisfaction. · lower absenteeism. · lower operating earnings.

lower operating earnings.

Theories

organized sets of concepts that explain phenomena

four functions are:

planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

Productivity measures a person's efficiency in terms of: · products or services created per unit of input. · units of time per units of output. · units of input per units of output. · products or services created per unit of time.

products or services created per unit of input.

Organizational citizenship is most likely to be promoted by: · discouraging dysfunctional behaviors. · hiring only employees who fit a desirable psychological profile. · firing employees who do not exhibit desirable behaviors. · recognizing and subsequently rewarding desirable behaviors.

recognizing and subsequently rewarding desirable behaviors.

differentiation strategy

the development of a product or service with unique characteristics valued by customers. The dimensions along which a firm can differentiate include image, product durability, safety, usability, and quality.

An organization with a product innovation competitive advantage would likely seek a core workforce of research and development employees who have which quality? · Conservative values · An entrepreneurial mindset · Low tolerance for ambiguity · Shorter-term focus

· An entrepreneurial mindset

Jillian, a manager at a car dealership, writes a performance improvement plan for an employee who is consistently struggling to make sales. Which of the four managerial functions is Jillian primarily exercising? · Planning · Leading · Controlling · Organizing

· Controlling

Which of the following could NOT be a source of competitive advantage? · Speed · Distribution · Ethnocentrism · Convenience

· Ethnocentrism

In the systems approach to organizations, which of the following is NOT an output? · Services · Employee behaviors · Feedback · Products

· Feedback

In the systems approach to organizations, which of the following is NOT an output? · Services · Products · Feedback Employee behaviors

· Feedback

_____ attempts to explain how people select, interpret, and change various situations. · The human relations movement · Systems theory · Interactionalism Scientific management

· Interactionalism

What term refers to discretionary behaviors that benefit the organization but are not formally rewarded or required? · Organizational citizenship · Normative commitment · Organizational commitment · Affective commitment

· Organizational citizenship

On her last organizational behavior (OB) quiz, Anabel missed all of the questions pertaining to decision-making and problem-solving processes. Which part of the textbook does she need to review? · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4 · Part 5

· Part 3

Which part of the textbook discusses the factors that relate to the role of groups and how organizations use teams, decision-making and problem-solving processes, communication, and diversity?

· Part 3

Which part of the textbook discusses the factors that relate to the role of groups and how organizations use teams, decision-making and problem-solving processes, communication, and diversity? · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4

· Part 3

Which part of the textbook discusses leadership? · Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4

· Part 4

Thierry loves organizational behavior (OB) and easily understood the OB concepts pertaining to individuals and groups. However, he really struggled to understand the factors associated with organizations. Which part of the textbook did Thierry have a hard time with? · Part 2 · Part 3 · Part 4 · Part 5

· Part 5

Which of the four managerial functions is the most big-picture thinking? · Planning · Leading · Controlling · Organizing

· Planning

Shady Sam's Shimmering Shaves is the only barbershop in town that offers full facial shaves with an old-timey shaving knife. Shady Sam charges high rates, hoping that the novelty and high quality of his shaves will justify the extra cost compared to his competitors. Which two business strategies is Shady Sam employing? · Specialization and differentiation · Specialization and human resource management · Differentiation and cost leadership · Cost leadership and specialization

· Specialization and differentiation

According to service-quality experts, what is the most important element in the creation of a customer-oriented company?

· Talent

According to service-quality experts, what is the most important element in the creation of a customer-oriented company? · Talent · Product variety · Delivery speed · Price

· Talent

What is the first step in using the scientific method? · Data · Theory · Verification · Hypothesis

· Theory

A consultant seeking to understand why a company's rate of turnover is steadily increasing should first ask which of the following questions? · What programs does the company have to help new employees fit in? · How are new employees trained? · What types of people does the company usually hire? · How do managers treat their employees?

· What types of people does the company usually hire?

Probably no organization has a position called "organizational behavior (OB) manager." Each of the following helps explain why this is the case EXCEPT: · OB is not a defined business function. · OB is not a defined area of responsibility such as finance or marketing. · an understanding of OB is important for all managers to be good at their jobs. · a company's OB should be managed not by a single person but by a group.

· a company's OB should be managed not by a single person but by a group.

Bob never gets sick, but he uses all of his sick days anyway because he thinks his company doesn't give enough paid time off. When he feels like taking a long weekend, Bob texts his boss and pretends to be sick. Bob is exhibiting: · good organizational citizenship. · absenteeism. · sabotage. · turnover.

· absenteeism.

According to the framework of this textbook, organizations and the behaviors of the people who comprise them all function within a(n) _____ context.

· environment

According to the framework of this textbook, organizations and the behaviors of the people who comprise them all function within a(n) _____ context. · centralized · hierarchical · managerial · environment

· environment

In characterizing managerial work, most educators and other experts find it useful to conceptualize the activities performed by managers as reflecting one or more of _____ basic functions. · two · four · five · three

· four

A company's expansion organically or through acquisitions reflects its _____ strategy

· growth

A company's expansion organically or through acquisitions reflects its _____ strategy.

· growth

Each of the following is a source of competitive advantage EXCEPT: · excellent customer service. · high salaries. · low prices. a well-known brand name.

· high salaries.

Each of the following was a disadvantage of scientific management EXCEPT: · lower productivity. · increased monotony. · resistance from workers. no room for initiative.

· lower productivity.

Many of the findings of organizational behavior (OB) research match what people already know from common sense. Each of the following explains why scientific OB research is important EXCEPT: · people are reluctant to trust their intuition unless it's backed up by systematic research. · common sense can be contradictory. · common sense isn't common. common sense isn't always right.

· people are reluctant to trust their intuition unless it's backed up by systematic research.

For companies pursuing a competitive advantage based on _____, the frequent introduction of new products is key to staying competitive. · product usability · product innovation · customer service · cost leadership

· product innovation

Productivity measures a person's efficiency in terms of: · products or services created per unit of input. · units of time per units of output. · products or services created per unit of time. · units of input per units of output.

· products or services created per unit of input.

The _____ perspective is becoming increasingly important throughout the entire field of organizational behavior (OB).

· situational

The _____ perspective is becoming increasingly important throughout the entire field of organizational behavior (OB). · situational · universal · interactional · human relations

· situational

The study of organizational behavior encompasses all of the following EXCEPT · human behavior in organizational settings. · the interface between human behavior and an organization. · organizations themselves. · the behavior of individual organizations within groups of organizations.

· the behavior of individual organizations within groups of organizations.

A consultant seeking to understand why a company has high turnover among its entry-level employees should consider each of the following EXCEPT: · the discrepancy between the income of entry-level employees and that of managers. · the company's decision-making and communication patterns. · the structure of the company. the company's performance evaluation and reward systems

· the discrepancy between the income of entry-level employees and that of managers.

Aaron, a student of organizational behavior (OB), is focusing his studies on the behavior of humans within organizations. To complete his understanding of OB, Aaron must also study each of the following EXCEPT: · the interface between humans and organizations. · the effect of the environment on organizational behavior. · the management practices of Fortune 500 CEOs. · organizations themselves.

· the management practices of Fortune 500 CEOs.

A collection of verbal and symbolic assertions that specify how and why variables are related, and the conditions under which they should and should not relate, is called a: · statistic. · theory. · fact. · data set.

· theory.

What term refers to anything that gives a firm an edge over rivals in attracting customers and defending itself against competition? · Personal talent · Cultural privilege · Business bias ·Competitive advantage

·Competitive advantage