MNGT CH 16
In the army, many tasks are done according to a precise series of steps. For example, rifles are broken down and reassembled the same way every time they are cleaned. This is an example of the __________ focus element of the path-goal theory.
environmental This is an example of an environmental characteristic—more specifically, a situation with high task structure. Because there is only one way to do this task, directive leadership is not needed. Supportive leadership leads to higher outcomes with structured, simple, repetitive tasks.
Because employees are high on ability and their tasks are complex , according to goal-path theory, you should use the __________ style of management in this example.
participative According to the path-goal theory, the best leadership style for this situation is the participative style. The group you are supervising is working on complex tasks. They are experienced and have high ability, but they receive few rewards for their efforts.
Sam, an Internet marketing manager, has coercive power at work. People are likely to do what Sam says because: He can lower their pay He is very charismatic He can increase their vacation time His social media skills are awesome Based on what you know from the preceding question, Sam is likely to have difficulty using his power if employees: Are not afraid of Sam's punishments Feel that Sam is unpleasant Don't believe in Sam's expertise Are not interested in Sam's rewards
He can lower their pay Are not afraid of Sam's punishments Sam uses coercive power to meet his goals; if his employees don't do what he wants them to do, he can lower their pay. This form of leadership does not work if the employees are not afraid of Sam's punishments. If one of Sam's employees was independently wealthy and working simply because he or she liked the job, taking away pay would be less of a punishment than changing the work that person does.
Which of the statements about impression management are true? Check all that apply. Impression management is a direct and intentional effort by someone to enhance his or her image in the eyes of others. It is natural to "put your best foot forward," and as long as you're not hurting anyone, doing so is not a form of impression management. People may take part in impression management to further their careers.
Impression management is a direct and intentional effort by someone to enhance his or her image in the eyes of others. People may take part in impression management to further their careers. Impression management is a direct and intentional effort by someone to enhance his or her image. Most people engage in impression management at least to some extent.
Why did you ever agree to be a head counselor at Camp Winahatchee? The general counselors are high school students who have never even been to a camp, much less worked at one. And the camp director has a "whatever" attitude and pretty much lets everyone do as they please. Whipping this place into shape is going to be a challenge. Because the camp counselors are inexperienced and the formal authority system is unclear , according to goal-path theory, you should use the (supportive/ directive/ participative) style of management in this example.
directive According to the path-goal theory, the best leadership style for this situation is the directive style. The group you are supervising is inexperienced, with few skills. Tasks are unstructured, and the camp director's attitude makes the hierarchy of the camp's leadership unclear.
Rensis Likert and other researchers at the University of Michigan identified job-centered behavior, where the leader's focus is on the _________ of subordinates, and claimed that more job-centered leaders are necessarily less employee centered, showing less concern for subordinates'_____________ .
performance / job satisfaction Researchers at the University of Michigan put forward a spectrum of leadership behavior. According to this model, leaders who demonstrate more job-centered behavior use less employee-centered behavior, and vice versa.
task or relationship-oriented? Combination of 1) High task structure 2) Bad leader-member relationship and 3) Moderately favorable situation Combination of 1) Low task structure 2) Bad leader-member relationship and 3) Moderately favorable situation
relationship Fiedler's LPC Theory explains that the style of leadership that is best depends upon the situation. The favorableness of the situation is based on the leader-member relations, the task structure, and the power of the leader. Situations that are favorable or unfavorable benefit from a task leader. Situations that are moderately favorable benefit from a relationship-oriented leader.
Google CEO Larry Page likes to "make big things happen," and he encourages his employees to always think bigger. This is an example of the leadership ________ element of the path-goal theory.
style This is an example of a leader behavior—specifically, an achievement-oriented leadership style. According to path-goal theory, different leadership styles should be used in different situations. Leadership can also be directive, supportive, or participative.
On your first day as a nursing home assistant, you realize that you and many of your coworkers have little experience in caring for the elderly. This is an example of the _______________ element of the path-goal theory.
subordinate characteristics This is an example of subordinates' characteristics—specifically, employees' experience. According to path-goal theory, managers should adopt a directive leadership style with employees who have little experience and a low perception of their ability to do the job well.
Because employees have structured tasks and the formal authority system in the factory is clear , according to goal-path theory, you should use the (supportive/ directive/ participative) style of management in this example.
supportive According to the path-goal theory, the best leadership style for this situation is the supportive style. The group you are supervising is working on structured, simple, repetitive tasks, which have the potential to be highly frustrating. Workers lack confidence, and there is a clear formal authority system.
task or relationship-oriented? 1) High task structure 2) Good leader-member relationship and 3) Most favorable situation 1) Low task structure 2) Bad leader-member relationship and 3) Most unfavorable situation Combination of 1) High task structure 2) Bad leader-member relationship and 3) Most unfavorable situation Combination of 1) Low task structure 2) Bad leader-member relationship and 3) Most unfavorable situation
task Fiedler's LPC Theory explains that the style of leadership that is best depends upon the situation. The favorableness of the situation is based on the leader-member relations, the task structure, and the power of the leader. Situations that are favorable or unfavorable benefit from a task leader. Situations that are moderately favorable benefit from a relationship-oriented leader.
ow did Escalante express confidence in his students and support their efforts? Check all that apply. He welcomed observers who wanted to benchmark the successful AP program at Garfield High School. He stays after school to work with students and goes into the community to meet with their families. He was an expert on teaching math, having taught it in Bolivia and earned credentials to teach the subject in the United States. He tells students that if they bring ganas (desire), they can earn a college credit-earning score on a difficult math exam.
He stays after school to work with students and goes into the community to meet with their families. He tells students that if they bring ganas (desire), they can earn a college credit-earning score on a difficult math exam. Like many charismatic leaders, Escalante communicates to his followers that they are highly capable and supports them when they face barriers to performance. He tells his students that as long as they are highly motivated, they can learn calculus, and he supports motivated students by teaching them outside of regular hours and even reaching out to their families.
Teresa, the CEO of Down Home Fashion, has legitimate power at work. Employees are likely to do what Teresa says because: Her job title is CEO She can fire them She has a charming personality They get raises from her Considering what you know from the preceding question, Teresa is likely to have difficulty using her power if employees: Doubt Teresa's accuracy Question why Teresa got her job Don't like her very much Are dissatisfied with their wages
Her job title is CEO Question why Teresa got her job Teresa has legitimate power because her job title is CEO. Employees do what she says because they respect the position she holds in the company. But if they begin to question why Teresa got her job, her legitimate power will be over, and employees will be less likely to do as Teresa asks.
Rina, a mother of three, has reward power at home. Her children are likely to do what Rina says because: She forces them to study She gives them cookies She is "the mom" She is so likeable Considering what you know from the preceding question, Rina is likely to have difficulty using her power if her children: Think Rina is strange Don't want cookies Like to study Don't understand Rina
She gives them cookies Don't want cookies Rina has reward power. Her children are rewarded when she gives them cookies. They are likely to receive other rewards, such as money, permission to go to parties, and so on, from Rina as well. But these rewards work only if the children desire them. If the kids don't want cookies, Rina will lose her power in the family.
Employees at a Taco Bell outlet consistently meet their manager's goal for completing each customer's order within a certain amount of time. This is due to the structured nature of the task, which includes a specific routine for taking orders, preparing the food, and delivering it to a customer. This is an example of the _________________________ element of the path-goal theory. On his first day as a police officer, Rudy learned about the importance of rank in the force. Beat officers were the lowest-ranking members, detectives the next level, then sergeants, then lieutenants, and then the captain. When a higher-level police officer issued an order, lower-ranking members of the force jumped. That's just the way it was, and no one questioned the chain of command. This is an example of the _____________ element of the path-goal theory.
environmental characteristics This is an example of environmental characteristics, more specifically, the task structure. There is a fixed routine for taking orders, preparing the food, and delivering it to the customer. Because of the task structure, employees do not need their manager continually telling them how to do these routine tasks. This is an example of an environmental characteristic —specifically, a situation with a clear formal authority system. The ranks of the police officers tell everyone in the organization exactly who is in charge in all situations and at all times. Because of this, the path-goal theory of management suggests that supportive leaders will be more effective, as giving strong direction in this situation may be seen as a way of circumventing the "natural" order imposed by job title.
You wish that your supervisor, Ashby, sought favors from you in a less threatening way. If you were in Ashby's role, and you wanted to rely on emotion and logic to get your way, which tactic would you use? Persuasion Inducement Coercion Creation of an obligation
Persuasion There are four basic forms of political behaviors. The form that relies upon emotion and logic is known as persuasion. Coercion uses force. Inducement relies on an exchange. The creation of an obligation relies upon the creation of a "debt."
hich variable is the most influential in identifying which type of leader, task or relationship, is most appropriate for the situation? Position power The favorableness of the situation Task structure Leader-member relations
The favorableness of the situation Fiedler's LPC Theory explains that the style of leadership that is best depends upon the situation. The favorableness of the situation is based on the leader-member relations, the task structure, and the power of the leader. Situations that are favorable or unfavorable benefit from a task leader. Situations that are moderately favorable benefit from a relationship-oriented leader. Although different variables can result in either a favorable, moderately, favorable, or unfavorable situation, ultimately it is the situation that determines which type of leadership style is best.
People can become leaders when other people perceive them as possessing leadership characteristics. Whose perceptions are important in this regard? The perceptions of chief executive officers The perceptions of human resource managers The perceptions of followers The perceptions of the board of directors
The perceptions of followers Because leaders are people whom others accept as leaders, the followers are the group whose perception determines leadership.
According to Vroom's Decision Tree model, which of the five styles leaves the ultimate decision to the group, rather than the leader? Facilitate Decide Consult group Consult individually
facilitate There are five styles in Vroom's model. Facilitate and delegate both give the final decision authority to the group. The other three reserve the final decision for the leader.
What is a common criticism of Vroom's Decision Tree model of leadership? It recommends a solution that is adapted to the situation. It relies on assessment of the situation. It provides five recommended solutions for managers. It is complex.
Vroom's Decision Tree is complex to use. Though there is a system for assessing the situation, leaders would need the diagram to identify which of the five behaviors they should use in any given situation.
Ashby would like you to introduce her to your friend Kevin so she can make a sales pitch to him, and you think maybe this would be a good idea. After all, it wouldn't hurt for Ashby to owe you a favor. Which political behavior describes exchanging something of value in return for someone's future support? Coercion Creation of an obligation Persuasion Inducement
Creation of an obligation There are four basic forms of political behaviors. In this example, you don't need anything from Ashby right now, but you are creating a sense of obligation that you may be able to leverage later.
Musashi, the second of five children, has referent power at home. People are likely to do what Musashi says because: He is so likeable He can get them higher allowances He can make their lives miserable He is so smart Based on what you know from the preceding question, Musashi is likely to have difficulty using his power if his siblings: Want fewer chores, not higher allowances Stop trusting him Are smarter than he is Don't believe in his expertise
He is so likeable Stop trusting him Musashi has referent power, so his siblings will do what he asks because he is so likable and because they trust him. If they stop trusting him, his referent power disappears, and his siblings will no longer see him as their leader.
When thinking of leadership as a property, how can we define leadership? Leadership is the set of characteristics attributed to individuals who are perceived to be leaders. Leadership is the same as management. Leadership is the use of noncoercive influence to motivate behavior. Leadership is the use of coercive influence to motivate behavior
Leadership is the set of characteristics attributed to individuals who are perceived to be leaders. Leadership is both a property and a process. As a property it is the set of characteristics attributed to individuals perceived to be leaders. As a process, leadership is the use of noncoercive influence.
As a teacher of AP calculus at Garfield High School, Escalante explained high-level math concepts to students with limited math backgrounds and potential futures to teenagers with limited life experience. His ability to do so is evidence of which leadership behavior? Trusting subordinates Encouraging risk taking Staying calm under pressure Simplifying complex ideas
Simplifying complex ideas Escalante's ability to help students who have not previously been good at math become adept at advanced math is evidence of his ability to simplify complex ideas for his followers. The same is true of his ability to convey the consequences for adult life to teenagers who can't yet clearly conceive of adulthood. Transformational leaders inspire followers in part by expressing complex ideas in ways their followers can readily grasp.
Leader behavior consistent with Likert's System 1 organization design, or __________ behavior , is most like the __________behavior that researchers at the Ohio State University identified as being appropriate in a situation requiring clear work direction.
job-centered / initiating-structure Likert and others at the University of Michigan identified job-centered behavior as aligning with Likert's System 1 organization design. A job-centered leader explains work procedures in detail to subordinates and monitors their work closely. In a System 1 design, responsibility rests with top management and decisions are made at high levels and flow down through the organization. Employee-centered behavior aligns with Likert's System 4 organization design. The impoverished management style is the label on Blake and McCanse's Leadership Grid for managers who show little concern for performance or people. Job-centered behavior is most like the initiating-structure behavior identified by Ohio State University researchers.
Your organization uses the Leadership Grid to identify management styles. During your last performance evaluation, you received 360-degree feedback indicating that you use the country club management style. In what way could you improve as a manager? By showing less concern for people By showing more concern for production By showing less concern for production By showing more concern for people
By showing more concern for production Per the Leadership Grid, the country club management style demonstrates high concern for people but low concern for production. To improve, you should increase the concern you show for production while maintaining your concern for people.
Which of the following might someone adjust to influence how they are perceived by others? Check all that apply. Clothing Thoughts Manners
Clothing Manners
Your supervisor, Ashby, wants you to make an appointment for her to meet with a friend of yours, Kevin. She wants to make a sales pitch to your friend, but you and your friend have an agreement not to mix business with your friendship. Ashby won't take no for an answer. She's threatened to withhold your promotion if you don't make the appointment. Which political behavior is Ashby using? Persuasion Coercion Inducement Creation of an obligation
Coercion Coercion relies upon force.
Which of the following are examples of impression management? Check all that apply. Jill usually wears t-shirts and jeans. She has an interview for a new job at a company that she knows requires business attire. She gets a new suit for the interview. During breaks, everyone else in the office talks about their latest adventures in the games they play together online, but Amy sits in a corner and opens a book. David has a meeting with a sales prospect who is an avid golf player. David only plays a little but he makes sure to say during the meeting what a great day it would be to get in a round of golf.
Jill usually wears t-shirts and jeans. She has an interview for a new job at a company that she knows requires business attire. She gets a new suit for the interview. David has a meeting with a sales prospect who is an avid golf player. David only plays a little but he makes sure to say during the meeting what a great day it would be to get in a round of golf.
Your manager has left, and their successor is not as skilled a leader. Which characteristics of your organization would substitute for the missing leadership? Check all that apply. Informal lines of authority Predictable rewards Strong group cohesion Clear, inflexible rules A high need for independence Few job-related skills A lot of experience in their jobs Little desire for organizational rewards Regular customer feedback Intrinsically satisfying work Predictability and simplicity Frequent emergencies
Predictable rewards Strong group cohesion Clear, inflexible rules A lot of experience in their jobs Little desire for organizational rewards A high need for independence Regular customer feedback Intrinsically satisfying work Predictability and simplicity Characteristics of the organization that substitute for leadership include formalization, group cohesion, inflexibility, and a rigid reward structure. If the staff at your organization follow a lot of rules and standard operating procedures to do their jobs, if rewards are given according to a policy rather than at the discretion of the leader, and if their relationships with each other are more important than their relationship to the leader, then they will probably continue to perform at a high level whether or not they have a highly capable leader.
Employee-centered leadership behaviors are likely to decrease/increase follower motivation.
increase Employee-centered leadership behaviors have been shown to increase a wide variety of outcomes, including job satisfaction, employee motivation, and employee commitment and loyalty. However, employee-centered behaviors do not increase performance. The most successful leaders combine job- and employee-centered behaviors to develop a productive, happy workforce.
In an interview with Newsweek, Christine Lagarde, chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund, says that she believes that it is important to waste time on occasion to build consensus in a team so that "you will not need to waste it in convincing people to implement." This is an example of the ___________ element of the path-goal theory.
leader behavior This is an example of a leader behavior—specifically, a participative leadership style. According to path-goal theory, different leadership styles should be used in different situations. Additional leadership styles include directive, supportive, and achievement-oriented style.