MGT304 Chapter 3: Individual Differences

16. Which of the following Big 5 personality traits describes a willingness to embrace new ideas and situations? a. Openness b. Conscientiousness c. Extraversion d. Agreeableness

a. Openness

4. Which of the following is not a reason why understanding personality is important to organizational behavior? a. Personality is easily influenced by intervention efforts b. Personality is linked to social behavior c. Personality affects work habits d. Personality effects how individuals interact with others

a. Personality is easily influenced by intervention efforts

28. Frank is concerned about the potential health consequences related to the personality traits of his employees. He can do which of the following to offset the detrimental effects of personality on the health of his employees? a. Provide social support from friends, family, and coworkers b. Hang on to stress c. Increase psychological risk factors d. Work longer hours

a. Provide social support from friends, family, and coworkers

33. Which of the following characteristics of psychological capital refers to the will to succeed and the ability to identify and pursue the path to success? a. Resiliency b. Hope c. Efficacy d. Optimism

b. Hope

47. Ted works in a call center environment, and he woke up on the "wrong side of the bed" today. Which of the following is this start to the workday likely to affect? a. It will have no effect on his performance. b. It will affect his perception of customers' moods. c. He will be more productive. d. It will not affect how he interacts with customers.

b. It will affect his perception of customers' moods

39. Which of the following are general feeling states that are not related to something that happens to a person, and are not intense enough to interrupt regular thought patterns at work? a. Emotions b. Moods c. Personalities d. Habits

b. Moods

11. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which of the following personality characteristics is related to being practical or "idea people"? a. Introversion/extraversion b. Sensing/intuition c. Thinking/feeling d. Judging/perceiving

b. Sensing/intuition

49. Julie is adept at reading emotions and moods of coworkers and customers. Julie is demonstrating high levels of ____________. a. sympathy b. organizational citizenship behaviors c. psychological capital d. emotional intelligence

d. emotional intelligence

36. Andrea has been reading about a relatively new concept of psychological capital. Which of the following is not a characteristic of psychological capital? a. It is unique. b. It is impactful on performance. c. It is difficult to measure. d. It is developable.

c. It is difficult to measure

56. Which of the following is not something we can safely say about emotional intelligence? a. It is distinct from but positively related to other intelligences (such as IQ) b. It is an individual difference, where some people are more endowed and others are less so. c. It is foolproof and has no detractors d. It develops over a person's life span and can be enhance through training

c. It is foolproof and has no detractors

74. Brennan wants to build parallel careers and believes work is not everything. He is likely a member of which generation? a. Boomer b. Traditionalist c. Millennial d. Gen Xer

c. Millennial

78. ________ is defined as a state of open attention on what is happening in the present without thinking about the past or worrying about the future. a. Emotional labor b. Psychological capital c. Mindfulness d. Diversity

c. Mindfulness

20. Which of the following Big 5 personality traits describes a tendency to be anxious or moody? a. Openness b. Conscientiousness c. Neuroticism d. Agreeableness

c. Neuroticism

32. Which of the following characteristics of psychological capital is a positive outcome outlook or attribution of events, which includes positive emotions and motivation? a. Hope b. Resiliency c. Optimism d. Efficacy

c. Optimism

60. Which of the following examines the potential of brain science to enhance prediction of organizational behavior? a. Emotional intelligence b. Positive psychology c. Organizational neuroscience d. Affective events theory

c. Organizational neuroscience

30. Which of the following is not one of the psychological capital characteristics? a. Hope b. Efficacy c. Pessimism d. Resiliency

c. Pessimism

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most popular personality test in use in organizations. Over 2 million people take it every year. It is a popular approach in many organizations' leadership training and development programs. Weaknesses: There is limited research support for the reliability and validity of the MBTI. If you take the test again, you may not receive the same score, and the matter of whether people are actually classifiable into the 16 categories is questionable. It has not been validated for selection purposes.

96. Are leaders born or made?

There are arguments on both sides of the issue. Research suggests genetic factors contribute as much as 40% to the explanation of transformation leadership (meaning 60%+ may come from other factors such as experience/training). Many people believe that transformational leadership can be learned. Experimental research has shown that leaders can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviors. The best thinking at present is that it is most likely a combination of inborn and learned behavior

81. Personality is relatively stable over the life course of an individual. a. True b. False

True

83. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most often administered personality test to non-psychiatric populations. a. True b. False

True

86. The opposite of neuroticism is emotional stability. a. True b. False

True

88. Positive emotions can be contagious. a. True b. False

True

89. Research has shown happier people perform better and have higher incomes. a. True b. False

True

91. In order to control customer service interactions, employee may follow scripts. a. True b. False

True

46. Sean has been told he has negative affect. Which of the following is likely to be true about him? a. Lower productivity b. Higher performance c. Generally happy all the time d. Better working relationships

a. Lower productivity

34. Which of the following characteristics of psychological capital is coping in the face of risk or adversity, the ability to "bounce back" after a setback? a. Resiliency b. Hope c. Optimism d. Efficacy

a. Resiliency

18. Which of the following Big 5 personality traits describes a person who is outgoing, talkative, and sociable as well as enjoys social situations? a. Openness b. Neuroticism c. Extraversion d. Agreeableness

c. Extraversion

70. The generation of employees called ______ were born between 1900 and 1945 and are retiring or out of the work force already. A. Traditionalists B. Millennials C. Boomers D. Gen Xers

A. Traditionalists

100. Discuss ways to deal with jobs that require one to suppress affect.

Answers may vary. Jobs that require employees to suppress affect are said to require emotional labor. Following scripts can help control emotions. Emotional contagion can spread positive/negation affect throughout a group. Fake it until you make it.

95. Discuss the fairness of using personality tests for selection of new employees.

Answers will vary, but may include: employees may fake answers on personality test to fit in with what they think the employer might want for the position. Personality tests are not always the best fit for selection purposes (e.g., MBTI). Just because a personality has shown a relationship with job types does not mean that other personalities characteristics can override the deficient trait (e.g., introverts may still be good sales people if highly conscientious, agreeable, and open to new ideas). There is no one-size-fits-all personality for job types.

93. Discuss why personality traits of founders may not allow them to adjust to requirements of leading others.

As organizations grow and change, the role of the founders should adjust as well. The personality traits of entrepreneurs and business founders are not always in line with the organizational needs to lead, motivate, and communicate with others. A growing organization may need a different leadership skill set depending on organizational size and complexities. 80% of founders are not able to make the adjustment. An understanding of individual differences is essential for leaders.

71. The generation of employees called ______ were born between 1946 and 1964 and have career progression as a career goal. A. Millennials B. Boomers C. Gen Xers D. Traditionalists

B. Boomers

72. The generation of employees called ______ were born between 1965 and 1980 and are sometimes referred to as "baby busters" or "latchkey kids." A. Boomers B. Traditionalists C. Gen Xers D. Millennials

C. Gen Xers

73. People in the generation of employees called ___________ were born between 1981 and 1999 and look for flexibility and choice in their careers. A. Gen Xers B. Boomers C. Traditionalists D. Millennials

D. Millennials

99. Discuss the value and limitations of emotional intelligence.

EI may be more important for long-term success than IQ. EI is related to job performance and citizenship behaviors. EI has been shown to predict teamwork effectiveness, but EI has been said to be too vague, as it cannot be measured. Claims of the value of EI may have been overstated. Meta-analysis has shown a significant but modest correlation between EI and performance.

98. Discuss the importance of emotions and moods at work.

Emotions and moods during the workday do matter. Some leaders are more adept than others at reading emotions and/or moods of coworkers or customers. Groups can exhibit good/bad moods. Positive moods lead to better performance and higher incomes. Bad moods at the start of the day can affect perceptions of customers' moods which affect workers moods. Positive/negative emotions can be contagious.

97. Compare and contrast emotions and moods.

Emotions are triggered by specific events and are brief, but intense enough to disrupt a person's thinking, lasting only seconds or minutes. Moods are general feeling states that are not related to something that happens to a person and are not intense enough to interrupt regular thought patterns of work. Both comprise the term affect.

82. Individual differences are easily changed by management interventions. a. True b. False

False

84. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) will put individuals into one of five dominant personality types. a. True b. False

False

85. Some labels in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are better than others. a. True b. False

False

87. If an individual's personal characteristics are described as state-like then they are generally unchangeable. a. True b. False

False

90. Groups cannot exhibit a collective bad mood. a. True b. False

False

92. Deep-level diversity characteristics are easily visible by others. a. True b. False

False

101. Discuss ethical implications of organizational neuroscience.

Knowledge of a person's brain chemistry may be used for selection, retention, or firing of employees. Invasion of privacy is the biggest concern, as it may infringe on individual rights.

102. Discuss how to manage millennials.

Understanding what makes millennials unique is the key to managing them successfully. They tend to be optimists and crave new experiences. They are "pro-business." They have endured years of cynicism from boomers and gen Xers, who are both burnt out from overwork. They have a complex mix of values and attitudes and they are worth taking the time to understand. With millennials, managers will need to make training and mentoring a priority, set clear objectives, and consider the medium. They will also need to provide feedback early and often, and pause before reacting.

76. Which of the following is not something the field of organizational behavior has come to recognize about diversity? a. Diversity is something to be managed b. Diversity must be embraced c. Diversity is a business imperative d. Diversity matters just as much as individual ability

a. Diversity is something to be managed

22. Victoria is a new sales manager and wants to know which Big 5 personality trait has been shown to be beneficial for sales performance? a. Extraversion b. Agreeableness c. Neuroticism d. Openness

a. Extraversion

52. Which of the following is not an outcome associated with emotional intelligence? a. Increased turnover b. Increased performance c. Increased organizational citizenship behavior d. Increased teamwork effectiveness

a. Increased turnover

64. Michaela wants to create a shared culture that all followers can embrace regardless of gender race or ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and/or disability status. Which of the following statements should she be cognizant of? a. She should balance needs of organization and employees b. She should focus solely on the needs of the organization c. She should focus solely on her needs d. She should focus solely on the needs of her employees

a. She should balance needs of organization and employees

40. Which of the following is not true of positive emotions? a. They are trait-like and last a long time b. Opens peoples' minds c. Can affect emotional reactions of coworkers d. Begin to build personal and societal resources

a. They are trait-like and last a long time

58. Valerie's bad mood has spread to her group members. This phenomenon is known as ____________. a. emotional contagion b. emotional labor c. emotional intelligence d. affect

a. emotional contagion

10. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which of the following personality characteristics is related to whether individuals are outgoing or shy? a. introversion/extraversion b. sensing/intuition c. thinking/feeling d. judging/perceiving

a. introversion/extraversion

69. Which of the following is an element of deep-level diversity? a. Race b. Attitudes c. Sex d. Age

b. Attitudes

51. Which of the following is not one of the three aspects of emotional intelligence? a. Self-awareness b. Cognitive ability c. Emotional regulation d. Other awareness

b. Cognitive ability

17. Which of the following Big 5 personality traits describes a person who follows through and gets things done? a. Openness b. Conscientiousness c. Extraversion d. Agreeableness

b. Conscientiousness

21. Mary wants to know which of the Big 5 personality traits has been shown to best predict job performance in general. Which characteristic should she look for? a. Openness b. Conscientiousness c. Agreeableness d. Neuroticism

b. Conscientiousness

59. Which of the following is not true of affective events theory? a. Integrates personality, emotions, and moods b. Deals with emotional intelligence development c. Considers impact of work environment on affect d. Considers events that trigger emotional reactions

b. Deals with emotional intelligence development

63. Which of the following is not one of the individual attributes related to diversity in the workplace? a. Gender b. Emotions c. Race d. Sexual orientation

b. Emotions

41. The broaden-and-build model is focused on ____________. a. moods b. emotions c. training d. personality

b. emotions

15. Which of the following is not a limitation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? a. Limited research support for its reliability b. Hardly ever used in organizations c. Limited research support for its validity d. Not been validated for selection purposes

b. Hardly ever used in organizations

53. Sal just went through an emotional training program. Which of the following outcomes might he expect to experience? a. Higher work related stress b. Higher morale c. No change in emotional intelligence d. Incivility towards others

b. Higher morale

9. The personality test most often administered in the workplace is __________. A. big 5 b. Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) C. type ABCD theory D. psychological capital

b. Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)

5. Which of the following is not generally affected by managerial intervention? a. Job attitudes b. Personality c. Work behaviors d. Performance

b. Personality

35. Although research on psychological capital is relatively new, which of the following is not one of the things we know about psychological capital? a. Predicts job performance b. Tell us "what you know" c. Predicts satisfaction d. Can be increased by training interventions

b. Tell us "what you know"

75. Pete wants to build a legacy and wants security and fair rewards. He is likely a member of which generation? a. Boomer b. Traditionalist c. Millennial d. Gen Xer

b. Traditionalist

23. Which of the following personality types in the Type ABCD personality theory has been shown to be linked with heart disease? a. Type B b. Type A c. Type D d. Type C

b. Type A

27. Sally wants to use a personality measure to assess the potential health consequences in her work group. Which measure has the most empirical support in this regard? a. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator b. Type ABCD theory c. Big 5 d. Psychological capital

b. Type ABCD theory

77. Brenda is a human resources manager concerned with building a diverse workforce. Which of the following questions could promote a healthy discussion about diversity in her organization? a. How can we treat everyone with no regard for individual differences? b. What are our future plans for diversity? c. How have we always done things in the past and how can we continue to do so? d. How can we develop and maintain a heterogeneous workforce?

b. What are our future plans for diversity?

57. Tameka is a flight attendant who displays the effort required to effectively manage emotions successfully at her job. She is displaying ____________. a. psychological capital b. emotional labor c. affect d. mood swings

b. emotional labor

65. With regard to diversity in the workplace, one of a leader's top goals should be to ____________. a. enforce organizational policies rigidly b. integrate individuals with organizational culture c. treat everyone exactly the same d. remember human beings are generally indifferent to belonging

b. integrate individuals with organizational culture

29. Psychological capital is an emerging area of study that shows personal characteristics are ______________. a. trait-like b. open to change c. unchanging d. within the negative psychology movement

b. open to change

3. Personality is __________. a. constantly changing b. relatively stable c. unable to change at all d. unimportant to organizational behavior

b. relatively stable

45. Emotions are ____________. a. not intense enough to disrupt a person's thinking b. triggered by specific events c. more enduring than moods d. long-lasting

b. triggered by specific events

6. According to the Minnesota twin studies, what percentage of occupational choice is due to heredity? a. 0% b. 30% c. 50% d. 80%

c. 50%

68. Which of the following is not an element of deep-level diversity? a. Attitudes b. Beliefs c. Age d. Values

c. Age

80. Jeff wants his employees to be mindful. Which of the following is not a step in the mindfulness coaching process: a. Based on your preparation, start with an empty mind b. Be nonreactive c. Always be thinking about what you are going to say next d. Practice permissive attention

c. Always be thinking about what you are going to say next

50. Which of the following is defined as the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions? a. Cultural intelligence b. IQ c. Emotional intelligence d. Street smarts

c. Emotional intelligence

38. Which of the following are brief, lasting only seconds or minutes, but intense enough to disrupt a person's thinking? a. Personalities b. Moods c. Emotions d. Habits

c. Emotions

62. Roger is interesting in applying concepts of organizational neuroscience, which of the following is not an ethical issue he should be aware of? a. Invasion of privacy b. Using brain density to justify promotions c. The abundance of research in this area d. Applying brain scans to the selection process

c. The abundance of research in this area

12. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which of the following personality characteristics is related to using logic or emotion? a. Introversion/extraversion b. Sensing/intuition c. Thinking/feeling d. Judging/perceiving

c. Thinking/feeling

24. In the Type ABCD personality theory, which type is more relaxed and easy-going? a. Type C b. Type A c. Type B d. Type D

c. Type B

26. In the Type ABCD personality theory, which type is anxious, irritable, and in a depressed mood? a. Type B b. Type C c. Type D d. Type A

c. Type D

66. Which of the following is not an element of surface-level diversity? a. Sex b. Race c. Values d. Age

c. Values

54. Which of the following is the first stage in the process of increasing emotional intelligence? a. Who am I? b. Trying new behaviors c. Who do I want to be? d. Developing trusting relationships that enable change

c. Who do I want to be?

2. Kristi is a new manager and she wants to successfully grasp how individual differences affect organizational behavior. She should be able to understand __________. a. her own personality only. b. others' personalities only. c. both her own personality and the personalities of others. d. neither her own personality nor the personalities of others.

c. both her own personality and the personalities of others

42. Scott believes leaders and followers behave in a rational manner at all times. This might lead him to discount research on ____________. a. financial rewards b. selection processes c. emotions and moods d. training interventions

c. emotions and moods

14. One primary value of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is that it ______________. a. is highly reliable b. is valid for deciding who to hire c. enables people to discuss personality in organizations d. is easy to make value judgments

c. enables people to discuss personality in organizations

44. Moods are ____________. a. related to something that happens to a person b. less enduring than emotions c. general feeling states d. intense enough to interrupt thought patterns at work

c. general feeling states

48. John is interested in how moods affect a work group. After reading relevant research John learns that ____________. a. moods have no effect on groups b. group mood has no effect on individuals c. if a group mood is positive, teammates typically experience positive mood states d. negative moods have little if no effect on group members

c. if a group mood is positive, teammates typically experience positive mood states

8. Alexis is a manager who is having difficulty with a subordinate Tim's personality. Alexis should ___________. a. try to change Tim's personality b. try to change her own personality c. try to understand how different personalities operate at work d. do nothing

c. try to understand how different personalities operate at work

7. According to the Minnesota twin studies, what percentage of variance in values related to work motivation is related to heredity? a. 100% b. 80% c. 60% d. 40%

d. 40%

19. Which of the following Big 5 personality traits describes being a nice person in general? a. Openness b. Neuroticism c. Extraversion d. Agreeableness

d. Agreeableness

61. Which of the following is not one area that organizational neuroscience may help with? a. Team processes b. Role modeling c. Learning through watching others d. Econometrics

d. Econometrics

31. Which of the following characteristics of psychological capital is a person's belief that they have the ability to execute a specific task in a given context? a. Hope b. Optimism c. Resiliency d. Efficacy

d. Efficacy

37. Which of the following has an important role in explain how personality traits translate into improved attitudes and performance? a. Financial capital b. Supervisor actions c. Transfer of training d. Emotions and moods

d. Emotions and moods

79. Which of the following is not a characteristic of mindlessness? a. I forget a person's name almost as soon as I've been told it for the first time b. I find myself listening to another person with one ear and doing something else at the same time. c. I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past. d. I remain in the moment regardless of the situation.

d. I remain in the moment regardless of the situation.

13. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which of the following personality characteristics is related to making quick decisions or being flexible? a. Introversion/extraversion b. Sensing/intuition c. Thinking/feeling d. Judging/perceiving

d. Judging/perceiving

67. Which of the following is an element of surface-level diversity? a. Values b. Beliefs c. Attitudes d. Race

d. Race

55. Which of the following is a limitation of emotional intelligence? a. Relatively unimportant at work b. Ease of measurement c. Cannot be learned d. Too vague

d. Too vague

25. In the Type ABCD personality theory, which type is nice, self-sacrificing, and compliant as well as trying to appease others? a. Type B b. Type D c. Type A d. Type C

d. Type C

43. Another term for emotions and moods is ____________. a. personality b. attitudes c. effect d. affect

d. affect

1. Regularities in feeling, thought and action that are characteristic of an individual: this is the definition of __________. a. attitude b. emotion c. behavior d. personality

d. personality