Management Situations Exam #3
Hilary knows she needs a full time job so she can buy groceries and clothing for her 3 children. Which level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs does this describe?
Physiological
When analyzing the pay scale of the staff in her department, Nanci felt that the varying pay scales that existed for several equivalent positions in the department needed to be balanced. Which aspect of equity theory is Nanci taking into consideration?
outputs
Jakob thought he'd enjoy his job as a web designed, but it turns out that he is responsible only for updating web pages and not for creating them, too. According to the jobs characteristics model, Jakorb has low ______________ p. 415
task identity
The question that individuals ask during the norming stage of development is?
"What do the others expect me to do?"
The HR manager told Jim that the company pays the total health insurance costs for a family of four. As a single man, this benefit did not seem especially important to him right now. Here, Jim is low on the _____ element of the expectancy theory.
valence
Workers at the factory walked out in a show of solidarity when one of their colleagues was fired, and they refused to return to work until he was reinstated. What influence tactic were the workers using?
Coalition tactics
Gregor feels that other employees in his department are given important tasks than he is. He doesn't understand why they are rewarded with these bigger projects because he has been working there as long as they have and has the same skill set. Which perspective explains how Gregor feels?
Equity theory
Jared is from the United States, but is working in Mexico. He believes that his culture, language, and behavior are superior to those of his Mexican employees. This illustrates which one of the following concepts.
Ethnocentrism
Trina never disagrees with what her manager asks her to do on a project even if she thinks there is a better way to do the job. Which type of follower does Trina represent?
Helpers
Jake is a member of the United Auto Workers (UAW). According to the wheel of diversity, which dimension of diversity does this illustrate?
Organizational
Alexis chooses to manage her team through a management-by-exception approach. She only becomes involved if there's a problem. Which of the following would BEST describe Alexis's leadership approach?
Passive leadership
Sam and Eric don't get along well because Sam is very rigid and goes "by the book," while Eric is much more likely to bend the rules. This is an example of which type of conflict?
Personality Conflict
Deb is frustrated because while she assigns responsibilities to members of her staff, the human resource director makes any final decisions about staff bonuses. Which aspect of situational control is Deb concerned with?
Position Power
A sales engineer tells a potential client, "This is state-of-the-art technology and it will streamline your inventory process." What form of persuasion is the sales engineer using?
Rational persuasion
In Michelle's group, individual members are beginning to assert their personalities, and the group is beginning to experience interpersonal conflict among its members. Michelle's group is entering the _____ stage of group development.
Storming
Asked to describe what was most meaningful about his job at senior citizen center, Marc answered, "I make a difference every day to the lives of elderly people in our community." This is an example of which element of the job characteristics model?
Task Significance
The results of the company survey showed that while the majority of employees were pleased with the advancement opportunities within the organization and the merit system in place, they were dissatisfied with things like pay scale and sharing an office with someone they did not get along with. These results exemplify which theory of motivation?
Two-factor theory
Dave has arranged a catered lunch for all his team members to celebrate the completion of their work so they can see one another before being assigned to new teams. Dave's team is now in which stage of team development?
adjourning
Brittani has worked long hours putting the finishing touches on a presentation to a major client, but she was a strong sense of self-satisfaction with her work and feels good about what he has accomplished. In terms of the model of motivation, this self-satisfaction would be categorized as _____________
an intrinsic reward
Travis asked his mother if she thought he should look for a new job because he wasn't happy in his current one. She told him it probably wouldn't matter because he was never happy with any job he had been in. His mother is remarking about Travis's ___________
attitude
Paige missed another deadline and her boss, Linda, is very upset. She will have to explain to the client again why the project is behind. Linda thinks she may say something she'll regret if she talks to Paige about this now, so she decides to wait awhile. Linda is using the ______ conflict-handling style.
avoiding
Elizabeth always starts her work day by drinking a cup of coffee. One day she was in a hurry and skipped the coffee. Later that day a potential client turned down a proposal that she had made, and Elizabeth blamed it on the missed cup of coffee. Her thinking would be an example of ____
causal attribution
Steve docks an employee's pay when he comes in late for work for the second time in a week. Steve is demonstrating ___________ power.
coercive
Frances suggested that the marketing team prepare extra copies of the new catalog in anticipation of the upcoming convention. She knew the sales staff would need plenty of catalogs during the event. Frances is the catalyst for ____ between the two departments.
collaboration
Louisa is a real estate salesperson. When she sells a house, she earns a sales _______ equal to 6% of the sales price of the house.
commission
Jordan enjoys working at his company because it has the philosophy that every employee is making an important contribution. As a result, there is a mutual level of respect among all employees. In this situation, the company is creating a feeling of ________.
community
Connie's manager criticizes her for not including enough information on the report. This criticism she receives is an example of _____.
conflict
Susan was able to get Steve to work with her in making decisions about how the new office should look by asking him for his thoughts on the design. This is an example of the _________________ influence tactic.
consultation
The community task force consisted of police officers, emergency service personnel, and other support service staff who worked with the public. Their job was to determine the best response system for the 911 services of the town. This task force is an example of a ____ team
cross-functional
Jan is involved in an office debate. She plays the role of _____________, which involves voicing possible objections to proposals to generate critical thinking and reality testing.
devil's advocate
They don't call Ed "Steady Eddy" for no reason. He is unfailingly calm, even under pressure or stress. It would appear that Ed has a high level of ____.
emotional stability
Bill has low self-efficacy. As a result, his ____ tends to be low.
expectancy
Mark failed his last test and blamed it on the fact that the test was poorly written and the room was too noisy for him to concentrate, not because he didn't study for the test. Mark would be said to have a(n) __________ locus of control.
external
Connor, Luke, and Mason are co-workers who meet regularly after work to talk about the latest video games on the market and strategies for improving their scores of the games. This is an example of a ______
group
People in Amy's group rarely offer contradicting opinions and could be described as yes-women and yes-men. The group is very cohesive and unwilling to consider alternatives or think outside the box. This is an example of _____.
groupthink
Levi lead a team that has just finished up a very challenging research project that will assist management in developing long-range plans. Despite the stress of the past few months, most participants seem sad it's over. Now Levi should ____
have an awards ceremony
Because hard feelings about group leadership and assignments have passed, the members of Robin's group now seem to be relating much better. At the meeting tomorrow, she should take advantage of this moment by
helping the team identify group goals and values
Sharon has excelled as an auditor for a large financial consulting firm. She loves building mutually beneficial relationships and is extremely well liked by her clients. Sharon likely has a _____.
high need for affiliation
Angelo's boss frequently exhorts his subordinates to work harder by promising them a substantial bonus at the end of each quarter. However, bonuses are only sporadically awarded regardless of meeting performance goals. As a result, Angelo's ____ may be low.
instrumentality
Jolene doesn't believe that "luck happens". She firmly believes that you make your own luck in life by what you do and how you do it. She has an _____ locus of control.
internal
Lu wants to better understand how to motivate employees at her company. Because she knows there is no single leading theory accepted by everyone on what motivates people, she looks into the top 4 perspectives: content, process, reinforcement, and ____
job design
Natalie loves her work at the shoe production facility. She is inspired by the company because for every pair of shoes someones buys, the company gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. What type of leadership is this company providing that empowers Natalie?
leading for meaningfulness
Trevor knows it is up to him to make the new business plan work. Even if the board of directors steps in to guide the resources, it is still Trevor's job to carry out the plan. Which aspect of a core self-evaluation does Trevor demonstrate?
locus of control
Carol really doesn't like her new boss and is not happy with the new tasks she's been assigned and the long hours she's been working. Still, she truly believes in what the company is trying to accomplish. Carol has _____.
low job satisfaction
Erin realized that the arguing during a discussion was getting out of control, so she commented, "Before we all drive off a cliff, let's slow this car down and find some common ground." Her comment eased the tension in the room. Erin is demonstrating a ___ role.
maintenance
Tension was apparent as the management team discussed changes to promotion requirements. But then Chris made a joke about Jake's white-knuckled grip on his pen, and the laughter seemed to lighten the mood. Chris was acting in a ______ role.
maintenance
Frederick has a disability and works at Goodwill. Because he works best by concentrating on a single task, his boss assigns him the job of carrying packages from the front of the warehouse to the back of the warehouse. By reducing the number of tasks Fredrick performs, his boss is engaging in scientific ____
management
Carlos worked overtime everyday last week and his boss didn't even say anything to him about his extra time. People who feel that they are being under-rewarded for their inputs/outputs on the job typically respond in a __________________(positive/negative) manner.
negative
In Jack's work group, members are beginning to develop close interpersonal relationships that have led to an emerging sense of unity and harmony within the team. This is an example of the activities that will occur during the ____ stage of group development.
norming
Having already developed relationships with another, Mikel's team members are now starting to focus on solving problems and completing their assigned tasks. Mikel's team has now entered the ____ stage of team development.
performing
Sue is very aggressive at her job, and her coworkers complain that she often manipulates them and her boss in order to get ahead. She attempts to direct everything and everyone, regardless of the consequences to other or even the organization itself. Sue is expressing what type of need for power?
personal
Merilee is a seamstress in a garment factory, and she is paid $10 for each women's skirt she produces. What compensation plan does this describe?
piece rate
At Allen and Thomas Architects, a group of designers are developing the first drawings for a proposed multi-use office development in an older section o f a large city that is being revitalized. What type of work team is this group?
project team
Lark's company has been operating for several years contracting with the government to create solar arrays around the country. In a recent election, the administration changed and several contracts for solar arrays were canceled. Lark has been meeting with his staff to figure out how to adapt to the lack of funds and keep the business going. This is an example of ______
punctuated equillibrium
John was given a list of tasks to accomplish at work, but he can only remember the last item discussed with his manager. He is experiencing _____________
recency effect
Jon's employees have a lot of personal respect and admiration for him. As a result, they are very loyal to him. This is an example of __________ power.
referent
An accounting firm reimburses employees for tuition and fees if they complete job-related coursework with a B or better, which helps them meet which of Maslow's levels of need?
self-actualization
Liam knew that everyone else thought he was lazy and incompetent, so rather than tell his work team about an idea, he just let them do all of the work. As a result, his coworkers continued to feel he was lazy and incompetent. What does Liam's behavior demonstrate?
self-fulfilling prophecy
Ken, whose primary job is supervising a small production group, is not getting cooperation from all members on the cross-functional team he leads. In particular, Bethany, a marketing manager, seems to resist his direction. The source of conflict in this cause may be
status differencesto empha
Karen was surprised when her friend said that the man at the first table in the restaurant must be a great basketball player just because he was tall and African American. Karen's friend was making a ....
stereotype
Benita, Sanjay, Brian, and Sonja are studying the sales figures for the automobile industry in the last six months and will then recommend strategy adjustments for the auto manufacturing facility they work at. These four people are an example of a _________________.
team
Peter divided his staff into two groups to play opposing roles in a debate in order to better understand all facets of the proposal before the organization. This process is know as _____.
the dialectic method
Darren is interviewing for a new administrative assistant. The three people he interviewed include an older woman, a man in a wheelchair, and a recent college graduate with beautiful blonde hair. Darren knew just by looking at each candidate which one he would hire. His impression of each person was based on a single trait. This is known as __________.
the halo effect
The Nordstrom department store chain emphasizes the great lengths to which it goes in customer service. By enforcing its norms for exceptional customer service. Nordstrom is seeking ____
to emphasize the organization's important values and identity
Morgan considers Jessica an effective leader because she is intelligent, has high energy, and displays self-confidence, Morgan is characterizing Jessica based on the ______________ approach to leadership.
trait
Heidi's boss asked her why the new product information wasn't included in the report. Heidi told her, "It's not my job to generate that information. Ask Carol. "Heidi is angry that her boss even asked her. What is the source of Heidi's anger?
unclear task responsibility
Dick is a customer service representative for William's Global Paints in New York City. Dick enjoys living and working in New York City because of the availability of public transportation as he does not own a car. William's Global Paints recently announced that they are giving a free monthly parking space to the worker with the highest level of customer service. This announcement does not affect Dick's level of motivation due to the impact it has on his ____.
valence