Mana 5345 - Exam 1- Chapter 3
50. Which part of the skills model supports people as they apply their leadership competencies? A. individual attributes B. technical skills C. knowledge D. leadership outcomes
Ans: A
53. Jonathan has equally high skills in managing relationships with the employees he supervises and in helping the firm shape the vision for growth. He is not as adept in the technical aspects of the company. Applying Katz's skills model, at what level of management is Jonathan? A. top management B. middle management C. supervisory management D. dictatorial management
Ans: A
65. The breadth of the skills approach, which includes motivation, critical thinking, and personality, ______. A. is considered a strength of this approach B. is considered a weakness of this approach C. adds to the precise nature of the approach D. adds to the approach's prescriptive value
Ans: B
7. The classic article "skills of an effective administrator" by Katz was published in the ______. A. Journal of Leadership Education B. Harvard Business Review C. Journal of Education and Behavior D. Forbes Business Journal
Ans: B
71. Katz started the research focus on skills during a time when ______. A. there finally was a definitive list of leader traits described in the literature B. there was still disagreement about leader traits in the literature C. there was no research yet on the individual attributes of leaders D. there was emphasis in the literature on putting followers first
Ans: B
72. According to the skills model, performance outcomes are affected by ______. A. followers' career paths B. the leader's experiences C. subordinate expectations D. research methods
Ans: B
73. Katz describes human skills as ______. A. competency with the process or product within a company B. being aware of the perspective of others on issues C. ability to shape the strategic ideas of an organization D. the trait of high extraversion
Ans: B
79. Which of the following problem-solving skills can best be described as the ability to anticipate the implications of executing a plan? A. planning B. forecasting C. idea evaluation D. constraint analysis
Ans: B
80. Abby is a gifted communicator in her club and has a talent for verbally articulating what the future can hold for the members. According to Mumford's nine key problem solving skills, which is Abby demonstrating? A. creative thinking B. visioning/sensemaking C. social judgment D. wisdom
Ans: B
12. Human skills are about working with ______. A. ideas B. concepts C. people D. things
Ans: C
16. The main goal of Mumford et al.'s research was ______. A. to identify effective human leadership skills B. to understand military structure C. to explain the elements of effective performance D. to refute Katz's work on administrative skills
Ans: C
17. Mumford et al.'s model is characterized as a capability model because ______. A. it identifies leader traits that followers perceived as valuable B. it identifies behaviors leaders use that are value-added in the workplace C. it examines the relationship between knowledge and skills and leader performance D. it implies leadership is reserved for a gifted few who are knowledgeable about the work
Ans: C
20. In Mumford's skills model, social judgment skill is defined as ______. A. the accumulation of information and the mental structures to organize the information B. intellectual ability learned or acquired over time C. the capacity to understand people and social systems D. creative ability to solve ill-defined organizational problems
Ans: C
23. Which of these statements about the skills approach is false? A. describes leadership as something that is available to everyone B. it is applicable to leaders at all levels within the organization C. it clearly predicts how variations in social judgment and problem-solving skills affect performance D. knowledge about and ability to work with people is important in this approach
Ans: C
28. Jim is a district manager of Wendy's in west Michigan. when he hires people, the most important thing he looks for is whether people are good problem solvers. A. Jim is using the trait approach B. Jim is using Katz's skills approach C. Jim is using the Mumford skills model D. Jim is using the style approach
Ans: C
29. Pat Smith is human resources director for a large bank. Her major goal is to find a person who has developed their ability to effectively work with others in solving organizational problems. Pat is basing her selections on ______. A. the great person approach B. the trait approach C. the skills approach D. leader emergence theory
Ans: C
32. The individual attributes factor in the skills model suggests ______. A. that complex problem-solving is not difficult B. that traits are not important to leadership C. that the skills model is not just a competency-based model D. motivation plays little to no role within the model
Ans: C
35. The abilities that help a leader to work effectively with subordinates, peers, and superiors to accomplish the organizational goal. A. technical skills B. conceptual skills C. human skills D. problem-solving skills
Ans: C
36. The environmental influences listed are all external, with the exception of ______. A. hurricane damage B. closure of major supplier C. highly competent employees D. federal government policy change
Ans: C
37. By including such a large number of components, the skills approach and its models are criticized for ______. A. being too similar to previously detailed approaches to leadership B. stressing the value of developing specific skills C. the range of skills extending beyond the boundaries of leadership D. not making leadership readily available to all
Ans: C
4. ______ are what leaders can accomplish, whereas ______ are who leaders are. A. Traits, outcomes B. Behaviors, skills C. Skills, traits D. Outcomes, skills
Ans: C
46. Skill in persuasion and communicating change describes which social judgment competency? A. behavioral flexibility B. social perceptiveness C. social performance D. social intelligence
Ans: C
51. Johanna is excellent at applying tax law and other accounting principles in her job as a manager in her accounting firm. She has equally high skills in working with the employees she supervises but does not have as much skill in helping the firm shape the vision for growth. Applying Katz's skills model, at what level of management is Johanna? A. top management B. middle management C. supervisory management D. CEO management
Ans: C
58. The knowledge competency in the skills model is most similar to ______. A. self-confidence in trait approach B. Katz's conceptual skill C. Katz's technical skill D. determination in the trait approach
Ans: C
62. Individual leader attributes can affect the leader's skills, but it is the ______ themselves that are most important in addressing organizational problems. A. traits B. behaviors C. skills D. followers
Ans: C
63. Which is not a strength of the skills approach? A. It is intuitively appealing. B. Skills can be learned. C. It has high predictive value. D. It is an expansive view of leadership.
Ans: C
68. Research data on Mumford et al.'s model was tested on military personnel. which of the following is true? A. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in small organizations B. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in large organizations C. the model cannot be effectively applied to leadership skills in startup businesses D. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in startup businesses
Ans: C
70. The basic premise of the skills approach is to ______. A. identify the behaviors necessary for leadership B. identify the behaviors of leaders C. identify the skills of leaders D. identify the individual attributes of leaders
Ans: C
74. Mumford's skills model includes which of these main components? A. technical skill B. conceptual skill C. individual attributes D. analytical ability
Ans: C
75. Social judgment competencies described in Mumford et. al.'s skills model are similar to skills in this framework. A. trait approach B. management theory C. emotional intelligence D. informational power
Ans: C
76. In the previous company Leo worked for, he led the downsizing of a major division and had to terminate hundreds of employees. This event had an impact on Leo that influences how he approaches his leadership role in his current company. According to Mumford's skills model, this is an example of ______. A. environmental influences B. general cognitive ability C. career experiences D. human skills
Ans: C
11. At the upper-management level in an organization, ______. A. technical skills are not important B. human skills are not important C. technical skills are more important than conceptual skills D. technical skills are less important than human skills
Ans: D
15. The research Mumford et al. completed used a sample of ______. A. college business students B. corporate executives C. high school principals D. army officers
Ans: D
18. Which of the following is a competency in Mumford's skills model? A. crystallized cognitive ability B. career experiences C. personality D. knowledge
Ans: D
2. The skills approach takes a ______ on leadership, like the trait approach. A. leader-follower centered perspective B. organizational-centered perspective C. situational-centered perspective D. leader-centered perspective
Ans: D
22. Birds hitting a plane on takeoff causing engine failure in flight is an example of what component of the skills model by Mumford? A. competencies B. individual attributes C. career experiences D. environmental influence
Ans: D
25. Who developed a capability model that includes individual attributes, competencies, and leadership outcomes? A. Katz B. Stogdill C. Goleman D. Mumford et al.
Ans: D
27. Bill is in charge of hiring a new manager for the first shift on the production line. according to Katz's model, bill should be looking for a person with ______. A. problem-solving skills B. cognitive ability C. social judgment skills D. technical skills
Ans: D
33. Which of the following attributes begins to decline in later adulthood? A. personality B. motivation C. crystallized cognitive ability D. general cognitive ability
Ans: D
34. Which of the following is not an example of an internal environmental influence that can affect leadership outcomes? A. skill level of employees B. gender ratio of employees C. up-to-date technology D. an economic recession
Ans: D
38. All of the following environmental influences are external except ______. A. slow Internet B. traffic C. computer network crash D. inexperienced followers
Ans: D
39. According to Katz, the most important leadership skills for lower-levels of management are ______. A. technical skills B. problem-solving skills C. technical, human, and conceptual skills D. technical and human skills
Ans: D
40. Within an organization, the employees in the information technology department are crucial for the success of the organization due to their ______. A. social judgment skills B. problem-solving skills C. conceptual skills D. technical skills
Ans: D
41. You recently received a promotion to a higher level of management within your organization. this is your third promotion with your department. using Mumford's skills model, what best represents this type of promotion and its outcomes? A. personality B. motivation C. environmental influences D. career experiences
Ans: D
42. What best explains the comparison of the skills approach to sports such as golf and tennis? A. Specific techniques are required to succeed. B. Input from both sides takes place constantly. C. Competition takes a high level of motivation. D. People can improve their skills through practice and instruction.
Ans: D
45. Which is not a social judgment skill? A. perspective taking B. behavioral flexibility C. social performance D. knowledge acquisition
Ans: D
56. The research by Mumford et al. was done on a sample of ______. A. higher education administrators B. high-level managers in industry C. managers at multiple levels of industry D. military leaders at multiple levels
Ans: D
6. Leadership skills research attempts to ______. A. identify largely fixed abilities in leaders B. identify multiple behaviors in leaders C. identify personality factors of leadership D. identify competencies that can be acquired by leaders
Ans: D
60. Mumford's skills model contends that leadership outcomes are the direct result of ______. A. a leader's sociability B. a leader's career experiences C. a leader's willingness to lead D. a leader's competencies
Ans: D
66. The skills approach is ______. A. high in predictive value B. narrow in its focus C. suitable for application across leadership contexts D. not suitable for application across leadership contexts
Ans: D
69. General cognitive ability is similar to which of the five leadership traits in this text? A. sociability B. dominance C. extraversion D. intelligence
Ans: D
9. Leadership skills are defined in the chapter as ______. A. using individual attributes to communicate well with others B. developing behaviors for effective leadership outcomes C. technical ability to interact in the work environment D. knowledge and competencies to accomplish goals
Ans: D
3. Using to Katz's three skill model, to what degree are each of the three skills needed at the top management level?
Ans: Top managers need equally high levels of human and conceptual skills, and they need fewer technical skills.
1. According to Katz's skills model, which two skills are most important for supervisory- (low-) level managers to be successful leaders? A. technical skill and human skill B. human skill and conceptual skill C. technical skill and conceptual skill D. all three skills are equally important for supervisory level management
Ans: A
10. Technical skills are the ______. A. ability to work with things B. ability to work cooperatively with others C. ability to work with ideas D. ability to be behaviorally flexible
Ans: A
14. A chief operating officer of the company who applies the level of administrative skills to the degrees delineated in Katz's model ______. A. incorporates the entire staff in the process of shaping the company's goals B. is more "hands-on" with producing the company's product than interacting with staff C. has higher involvement with things than people or ideas D. avoids getting to know the staff
Ans: A
24. The two leadership outcomes outlined in the skills model are ______. A. effective problem solving and performance B. motivation and personality C. knowledge and social judgment skills D. problem-solving skills and cognitive ability
Ans: A
44. The ideas and mental abilities that people learn through experiences can best be described as ______. A. crystallized cognitive ability B. motivation C. career experiences D. general cognitive ability
Ans: A
49. Problem solving is ______. A. a competency B. a trait C. an individual attribute D. a leader outcome
Ans: A
54. Ashlyn focuses her energy at her car manufacturing company on assessing market fluctuations and shaping the goals of the organization for the future. She communicates well with her staff and enjoys the social aspect of work with the people around her. She leaves the details and daily operations primarily to other capable staff in the organization. Applying Katz's skills model, at what level of management is Ashlyn? A. top management B. middle management C. supervisory management D. low-level management
Ans: A
59. Additional research completed by Mumford, Campion, and Morgeson used a four skill model to assess cognitive, interpersonal, business, and strategic skills in managers at junior and senior levels of an organization. the research findings in this study were most similar to ______. A. Katz's hierarchical three skills model B. Mumford's skills model C. Blake and Mouton's leadership grid D. the Ohio State studies
Ans: A
61. The skills approach is primarily ______. A. descriptive B. prescriptive C. unscripted D. technical
Ans: A
67. The skills approach framework ______. A. can be applied at all levels of leadership B. has been applied to many formal training programs C. has been widely used in formal training programs D. can be applied to followership training programs
Ans: A
77. Career experiences directly contribute to which of the other main components of Mumford et. al's skills model? A. competencies B. leadership outcomes C. environmental influences D. follower strengths
Ans: A
78. Which of the following problem-solving skills can best be described as the ability to define noteworthy issues or significant problems affecting the organization? A. problem definition B. forecasting C. planning D. idea evaluation
Ans: A
8. Who developed the three skill model of leadership? A. Katz B. Stogdill C. Goleman D. Mumford et al.
Ans: A
5. Environmental influences are considered those things that are outside the control of the leader's capabilities. Describe why you think the authors of the skills model of leadership included environmental influences in the model.
Ans: Answers will vary considerably but should include that environmental influences shape the leaders' skills by influencing the individual attributes, competencies, and leadership outcomes in the skills model. Leaders learn from dealing with outside and inside influences they could not have anticipated. An example answer might be: this learning can shape their motivation to continue to work hard (individual attributes), their social judgment ability to perceive the needs of others (competencies), and their effectiveness in handling an unforeseen problems (leadership outcomes).
13. A leader using human skills will ______. A. develop criteria for the implementation of a new product B. use sensitivity to assess the needs and motivations of others C. use tools and techniques to get things done D. create the vision for restructuring the organization
Ans: B
19. Social judgment skill is similar to ______. A. sociability in trait approach B. Katz's human skill C. Katz's technical skill D. knowledge in Mumford's model
Ans: B
21. The environmental influences listed are all internal with the exception of ______. A. access to technology B. flooding of the office C. highly competent followers D. limited office space
Ans: B
26. Which of the following is not a competency in the skills model? A. problem-solving skills B. cognitive ability C. social judgment skills D. knowledge
Ans: B
3. Which of the following presents a competency-based approach to leadership? A. trait approach B. skills approach C. style approach D. great person approach
Ans: B
30. In the skills model, crystallized cognitive ability refers to ______. A. intelligence quotient B. intellectual ability acquired over time C. motivation D. effectiveness
Ans: B
31. In the skills model, which of these is a general cognitive ability? A. knowledge B. information processing C. motivation D. intellectual ability acquired over time
Ans: B
43. Skills approach helps us best identify our ______. A. place within an organization B. strengths and weaknesses C. performance as a leader D. outcomes of leadership
Ans: B
47. Which skills model competency consists of creating a schema for learning and organizing data? A. personality B. knowledge C. perspective taking D. career experiences
Ans: B
48. The problem-solving component of the skills model ______. A. assesses leader performance B. demonstrates ability to construct organizational solutions C. demonstrates leader personality D. assesses social perceptions and behavioral flexibility
Ans: B
5. The research Katz completed for his article describing the skills of an effective administrator ______. A. was quantitative research B. was qualitative research C. was a meta-analysis of skills research D. was research focused on traits of leaders
Ans: B
52. Tamika uses her ability to sense and perceive her staff's emotions every day to help them feel comfortable in the workplace. She is very knowledgeable about day-to-day operations and also is quite successful at anticipating problems and sharing ideas for improvements up the chain of command. Applying Katz's skills model, at what level of management is Tamika? A. top management B. middle management C. supervisory management D. impoverished management
Ans: B
55. A supervisory-level manager of a company who applies the level of administrative skills to the degrees delineated in Katz's model ______. A. incorporates the entire staff in the process of shaping the company's goals B. is more "hands-on" with producing the company's product than interacting with staff C. has higher involvement with ideas than with people D. avoids getting to know the staff
Ans: B
57. The problem-solving competency in the skills model is most similar to ______. A. dominance in trait approach B. Katz's conceptual skill C. Katz's technical skill D. knowledge in Mumford's model
Ans: B
64. The structure of the skills approach is ______. A. consistent with followership education programs B. consistent with leadership education programs C. not compatible with leadership education programs D. precise enough to assure good leadership outcomes
Ans: B
2. How do career experiences affect the characteristics and competencies of leaders?
Ans: Experiences acquired over a leader's career influence their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems. Leaders can gain this knowledge and skill via challenging job assignments, mentoring, training, and hands-on experience. Researchers even suggest that on-the-job experience can impact individual attributes like motivation and cognitive ability. Considering Katz's three skill model, leaders gain more and more experience with conceptual skills over the course of a career, and these are the skills assumed to be more important as a leader rises in levels of management, as problems become increasingly complex as leaders climb the organizational hierarchy. Ultimately, the skills approach to leadership supports the notion that leaders are shaped by their experiences.
True/False 2. Technical skills grow in importance as one moves up the managerial hierarchy.
Ans: F
True/False 6. Social judgment is considered an individual attribute in the skills model.
Ans: F
True/False 7. Crystallized cognitive ability refers to one's innate intellectual ability or intelligence.
Ans: F
4. Name one strength and one criticism of the skills approach to leadership.
Ans: For strengths, students may name any one of the following: it was the first approach to focus on the development of skills (vs. innate traits); it is intuitively appealing; it provides an expansive view of leadership and acknowledges leadership's complexity; it provides a structure consistent with leadership development programs; for criticisms, students can name any one of the following: the skills approach is so broad that it is more general and less precise; it is weak in predictive value; it claims to not be a trait model when in fact it includes traits (attributes/personality); it may not be applied across a variety of leadership contexts.
2. In the skills model, what is the difference between general cognitive ability and crystallized cognitive ability?
Ans: General cognitive ability is a person's intelligence, sometimes called fluid intelligence. It is linked to biology and includes processing ability, general reasoning, and creative thinking ability. Crystallized cognitive ability is a person's store of knowledge acquired over time and is based on experience.
5. What are the three competencies outlined in the skills model of leadership?
Ans: Problem-solving skills, social judgment skills, and knowledge.
4. There are two main models in the skills approach, Katz's three skill approach and Mumford et al.'s skills model. Compare these two models by describing two similarities and two differences between these models.
Ans: Similarities include the competencies in Mumford's model and the three skills in Katz's model. Knowledge is similar to technical skill, social judgment is similar to human skill, and problem solving is similar to conceptual skill. Both models are focused on identifying skills of leaders; however, Mumford's model attempted to assess leadership outcomes whereas Katz's model did not have an assessment component. Additional differences include the addition of individual attributes, career experiences, and environmental influences in Mumford's model.
1. Name three of the problem-solving skills leaders employ to address problems.
Ans: Students can name any three of the following: problem definition; cause/goal analysis; constraint analysis; planning; forecasting; creative thinking; idea evaluation; wisdom; sensemaking/visioning.
1. Using Mumford et al.'s skills model, name and briefly describe two types of problem-solving skills and two types of social judgment skills used by leaders to solve complex organizational problems.
Ans: Students may answer with any two of the following for problem-solving skills: Problem definition is the ability to define noteworthy issues or significant problems affecting the organization. Cause/goal analysis is the ability to analyze the causes and goals relevant to addressing problems. Constraint analysis is the ability to identify the constraints, or limiting factors, influencing any problem solution. Planning is the ability to formulate plans, mental simulations and actions arising from cause/goal and constraint analysis. Forecasting is the ability to anticipate the implications of executing the plans. Creative thinking is the ability to develop alternative approaches and new ideas for addressing potential pitfalls of a plan identified in forecasting. Idea evaluation is the ability to evaluate these alternative approaches viability in executing the plan. Wisdom is the ability to evaluate the appropriateness of these alternative approaches within the context, or setting, in which the leader acts. Sense making/visioning is being able to articulate a vision that will help followers understand, make sense of, and act on the problem. Students may answer with any two of the following for social judgement skills: Perspective taking means understanding the attitudes that others have toward a particular problem or solution. included in perspective taking is knowing how different constituencies in an organization view a problem and possible solutions. Social perceptiveness is insight and awareness into how others in the organization function. a leader with social perceptiveness has a keen sense of how followers will respond to any proposed change in the organization. Behavioral flexibility is the capacity to change and adapt one's behavior in light of an understanding of others' perspectives in the organization. Social performance includes a wide range of leadership competencies such as communication, persuasion, conflict resolution, mediation, and coaching.
True/False 1. Mumford's skills model of leadership was designed to determine the competencies needed for effective leader performance.
Ans: T
True/False 10. Skills approach provides a structure consistent with leadership education programs.
Ans: T
True/False 3. According to Katz's three skill model, human skills are important at all levels of management.
Ans: T
True/False 4. Mumford's research studied military personnel rather than business leaders.
Ans: T
True/False 5. The skills approach suggests that many individuals have the potential for leadership.
Ans: T
True/False 8. Career experience is a strong influence on a leader's competencies.
Ans: T
True/False 9. Environmental influences are factors in situations that lie outside the leader's competencies, characteristics, and experiences.
Ans: T
3. Defend or refute: although personal attributes are important, it is the leader's skills that are most important in addressing organizational problems.
Ans: This question can be addressed two ways. First, are a leader's attributes or skills more useful when addressing organizational problems? In favor of the skills approach, the Mumford skills model shows that leader attributes and competencies lead to outcomes, whereas the trait approach does not. the skills identified as most important in the model are problem solving, social judgment, and knowledge, all of which, theoretically, should lead to clear thinking, concern for others, and seeing "the big picture." Second, stable attributes such as intelligence, trustworthiness, and determination certainly would go a long way toward gaining cooperation from others and making ethical choices for the organization.