Organizational Behavior and Leadership Practice Test

When organizing a team to develop a new quality control system, management wanted to assign team members having characteristics common to effective teams. Which list specifies common characteristics of effective teams? Choose 1 answer A climate of trust, members who fill role demands, and a large team size Group performance evaluation, absence of conflict, and members who fill role demands A manageable level of conflict, members who are conscientious, and effective leadership Group performance evaluation, members who score low on the personality characteristic of extroversion, and effective leadership

A manageable level of conflict, members who are conscientious, and effective leadership

Which option defines organizational culture? Choose 1 answer A diverse cultural subset working together to strengthen impact A shared system of meanings that is unique to the organization An organizational segmentation according to cultural background A human resources department program for recognizing diversity

A shared system of meanings that is unique to the organization

How might a charismatic leader work to increase performance in an organization? Choose 1 answer Articulate an appealing vision. Demonstrate Type A behavior. Avoid unconventional behavior. Issue a memo calling for increased effort.

Articulate an appealing vision.

Which attributes are included in the seven primary characteristics that define an organization's culture? Choose 1 answer Aggressiveness, competitive focus, innovation Political attitude, attention to detail, team orientation Team orientation, political orientation, people orientation Attention to detail, innovation and risk taking, people orientation

Attention to detail, innovation and risk taking, people orientation

To resolve a conflict between the department staff and the janitorial staff, the department head informs the department staff of a new policy prohibiting the eating of food at the desk. Which type of conflict resolution technique does this represent? Choose 1 answer Problem solving Authoritative command Altering the human variable Altering the structural variables

Authoritative command

How can an organization transmit its culture to its employees? Choose 1 answer By analyzing employee gripes and complaints By using material symbols and specific language By requiring employees to memorize the mission statement By influencing the balance of employees' cultural backgrounds

By using material symbols and specific language

A newly-formed team is struggling to become productive but cannot decide who should do what. How should the team leader attempt to resolve the problem? Choose 1 answer Resign as team leader Coach the team through the difficulty Disband the team because the problem cannot be solved Research the problem and impose a solution without argument

Coach the team through the difficulty

Which approach might be used to mentor a less-experienced employee? Choose 1 answer Coaching and threatening Refereeing and counseling Counseling and sponsorship Threatening and sponsorship

Counseling and sponsorship

What type of team is formed when employees from about the same hierarchical level but from different work areas come together to accomplish a task? Choose 1 answer Virtual team Diverse team Divergent team Cross-functional team

Cross-functional team

Employees A and B work together on the same project team. When the team faces a complex problem, the team leader usually asks B to generate alternative solutions for the team to consider. Experience has shown that B is more likely to take initiative, to set ambitious goals, and to feel that the team can effectively influence its environment. Employee A tends to do well on jobs that are routine, is plagued with self doubt, and feels that the team is largely powerless over its environment. Which statement is correct? Employee A exhibits positive core self evaluation, and employee B exhibits negative core self evaluation. Employee A exhibits negative core self evaluation, and employee B exhibits positive core self evaluation. Employee A exhibits negative core self evaluation, and employee B exhibits negative core self evaluation. Employee A exhibits positive core self evaluation and employee B exhibits positive core self evaluation.

Employee A exhibits negative core self evaluation, and employee B exhibits positive core self evaluation.

Manager A supervises 10 district units with 100 employees and receives $100,000 in compensation. Manager B supervises 5 district units with 50 employees and also receives $100,000 in compensation. Manager A is upset by this relationship and is looking for a new job. Which theory explains A's motivation to look for a new job? Choose 1 answer Equity theory Inequity theory Perception theory Perceptual fairness theory

Equity theory

Which stage of the five-stage group development model is characterized by developing close relationships and cohesiveness? Choose 1 answer Forming Norming Storming Performing

Norming

Which type of group is defined by the organization's structure? Choose 1 answer Unified group Formal group Informal group Designated group

Formal group

What defines a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to a person occupying a given position in a social unit? Choose 1 answer Group role Group norm Group status Group conformity

Group role

What is a strength of group decision making? Choose 1 answer Power of groupthink Increased diversity of views Conformity pressures in groups Reduced time for making decisions

Increased diversity of views

A person is broadminded, courageous, and forgiving. Which type of values are these? Choose 1 answer Terminal values Transitory values Determinate values Instrumental values

Instrumental values

An employee enjoys having a large span of responsibility and is motivated to do well because of personal feelings. Which kind of reward is this? Choose 1 answer Intrinsic reward Extrinsic reward Affiliation reward Compensatory reward

Intrinsic reward

Which contingency theory of leadership proposes that early in the interaction between a leader and a given follower the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an "in" or an "out"? Choose 1 answer Path-goal theory Leader-participation model Situational leadership theory Leader-member exchange theory

Leader-member exchange theory

Which theory of motivation focuses on 5 levels of needs, and further separates those needs by lower-order needs and higher-order needs? Choose 1 answer McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y McClelland's Theory of Needs Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory Two-Factor Theory

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Which statement is true about work teams? Choose 1 answer Members work together to neutralize synergy. The members' primary focus is on improving individual effort. The primary goal is to share information that is helpful to individual efforts. Members of the group generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.

Members of the group generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.

What are primary factors that differentiate virtual teams from face-to-face teams? Choose 1 answer Reduce paraverbal cues and create more frequent social context Reduce telecommunications costs and increase paraverbal cues Improve employee satisfaction and create more frequent social context Overcome time and space constraints and create limited social context

Overcome time and space constraints and create limited social context

Management has noticed that the quality improvement work group is struggling because members seem to be working in different directions. Which suggested action can the company take to increase group cohesiveness? Choose 1 answer Make the group larger Physically isolate the group Establish more rigid roles for group members Decrease the difficulty of becoming a group member

Physically isolate the group

What is a characteristic of problem-solving teams that is different than cross-functional teams? Choose 1 answer Problem-solving team members meet only on a virtual basis. Problem-solving team members come from different work units. Problem-solving team members come from the same work unit. Problem-solving teams use only computer technology to tie them together physically

Problem-solving team members come from the same work unit.

What is a characteristic employed by transformational leaders? Choose 1 answer Contracts exchange of rewards for effort Provides vision and sense of mission and gains trust Practices management by exception Intervenes only if performance standards are not met

Provides vision and sense of mission and gains trust

A company is changing their work organization from employees working individually to the use of teams. Which reward system could be used to foster long-term team effectiveness? Choose 1 answer Reward system that recognizes only group activity Reward system that rewards only individual performance Reward system that discourages collaboration by individuals Reward system that rewards both individual and group activity

Reward system that rewards both individual and group activity

Employee B was upset by Employee A's behavior at the department's planning meeting. Which factors will influence Employee B's perception in this situation? Choose 1 answer Stimulation, task, and skills Situation, target, and perceiver Problem, criteria, and alternatives Heredity, environment, and perceiver

Situation, target, and perceiver

Which term describes the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually? Choose 1 answer Social loafing Independent effort Selective perception Employee disengagement

Social loafing

What is one of the forces that plays a particularly important role in sustaining an organization's culture? Choose 1 answer Socialization process Individualized interaction Personal background of key employees Educational level achieved by key employees

Socialization process

A manager challenged an employee to produce an average of 24 assemblies each day for a week. This production goal was higher than the employee had ever achieved during any week. The manager gave the employee a tally sheet to mark after each assembly was completed. Considering the goal-setting theory of motivation, the manager was counting on which factors to influence the employee to achieve the production goal? Choose 1 answer Challenge and direction Feedback and reflection Specificity and feedback Challenge and power

Specificity and feedback

Which conflict-resolution techniques might a manager use to control the level of conflict that has become dysfunctional? Choose 1 answer Roughing and compromise Authoritative command and roughing Expansion of resources and confrontation Superordinate goals and altering the structural variables

Superordinate goals and altering the structural variables

What is true about the relationship between performance evaluation and motivation? Choose 1 answer The relationship is a function of the degree of indirect empowerment of the supervisor. The relationship is negative because performance appraisals have no impact on employee behavior. The relationship is acceptable but performance evaluations have little potential for impacting motivation. Supervisors must have confidence that the effort they exert will lead to a favorable employee performance.

Supervisors must have confidence that the effort they exert will lead to a favorable employee performance.

A company switched from assembly lines to self-managed work teams. What can team members do to improve the synergy and success of their teams? Choose 1 answer Change work group roles at random Assign individual roles rather than mutual team roles Share information but not engage in collective performance goals Take action on problems as individual members as well as in work teams

Take action on problems as individual members as well as in work teams

A company has restructured around teams but performance has not met expectations. What should be the main evaluation criterion in an appropriate performance evaluation for supporting and improving the performance of teams? Choose 1 answer Team activities Team cooperativeness Team members' attitudes Team results being tied to important goals

Team results being tied to important goals

A team was assigned a project. Halfway through the project it was obvious that the team was failing to meet expectations. Management had made sure that individuals assigned to the team had good interpersonal skills as well as good problem-solving and decision-making skills. However, they overlooked other abilities of team members required for accomplishing the work. Which ability necessary for team members was overlooked? Choose 1 answer Type D personality Technical expertise Authoritarian personality Propensity for social loafing

Technical expertise

What is an advantage of a strong organizational culture? Choose 1 answer Employee behavior is rarely affected. There is a lack of behavioral consistency. The company has low employee turnover. Organizational purpose results in limited cohesiveness.

The company has low employee turnover.

What is the optimal method for maximizing team member participation in a global meeting? Choose 1 answer Hard copy messaging E-mail communications Video conferencing technology Unilateral communication techniques

Video conferencing technology

Management is considering a reorganization of sales regions and plans to allow employees to live and work in their respective sales territories throughout the United States. However, the vice president of sales wants the regionally-dispersed agents to participate in weekly sales meetings. Which type of teams should be organized? Choose 1 answer Virtual teams Quality teams Self-managed teams Cross-functional teams

Virtual teams

What is a purpose of employee performance evaluations? Choose 1 answer To provide feedback and determine reward allocations To determine who is best tuned to organizational politics To serve as a screening device for selecting new employees To measure the physiological symptoms of organizational dysfunctionality

To provide feedback and determine reward allocations

In which circumstances would the use of 360-degree performance evaluations apply? Choose 1 answer When only internal customer feedback is helpful When only external customer feedback is helpful When both internal and external customer feedback is helpful When feedback from supervisors is helpful but customer feedback is not helpful

When both internal and external customer feedback is helpful

When is organizational culture considered dysfunctional? Choose 1 answer When strong organizational cultures prohibit prejudice When core values are in agreement throughout the organization When different employee groups communicate common problems When cultural incompatibility deters making acquisitions or mergers

When cultural incompatibility deters making acquisitions or mergers

What is an advantage of a group that is not very cohesive? Choose 1 answer There is less need for giving rewards as group rewards. When making a group decision, groupthink is more likely to occur. When performance norms are high, productivity will be higher than in a cohesive group. When performance norms are low, productivity may be higher than in a cohesive group.

When performance norms are low, productivity may be higher than in a cohesive group.

Recognize how workplace politics influence behavior within an organization. How do employees often respond when feeling threatened by organizational politics? Choose 1 answer With defensive behaviors With proactive behaviors With high performance pressures With organizational investment

With defensive behaviors