MGMT 310a Quiz Questions

Role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload are all examples of work challenge stressors. TRUE OR FALSE

FALSE Explanation: Role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload are all examples of work hindrance stressors.

________ refers to how you feel about your work and what you think about your work. a) Job satisfaction b) Organizational culture c) Job culture d) Life satisfaction e) Organizational commitment

a) Job satisfaction Explanation: Job satisfaction refers to how you feel about your work and what you think about your work.

Serious interpersonal counterproductive behaviors include a) gossiping b) sabotage c) theft d) harassment e) incivility

d) harassment Explanation: Serious interpersonal actions may involve personal aggression, defined as hostile verbal and physical actions directed toward other employees. Harassment falls under this heading and occurs when employees are subjected to unwanted physical contact or verbal remarks from a colleague.

The transactional theory of stress includes both a primary appraisal of a stressor to determine if a demand is stressful, and a secondary appraisal to determine how to cope with the stressor. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE Explanation: The transactional theory of stress includes both a primary appraisal and a secondary appraisal of a stressor. The primary appraisal is to determine if a demand is stressful and the secondary appraisal determines how people cope with the stressor.

People of the Type A Behavior Pattern add to the creation of a stressful environment. TRUE OR FALSE

TRUE Explanation: Type A people tend to be hard-driving and have a strong desire to achieve. Because the behaviors that reflect these tendencies are valued by the organization, Type A individuals receive "rewards" in the form of increases in the amount and level of work required. In addition, because Type A people tend to be aggressive and competitive, they may be more prone to interpersonal conflict. Most of you would agree that conflict with peers and coworkers is an important stressor.

Which of the following is a "hidden cost" of employee turnover? a) decreased morale b) reputation damage c) recruitment expenses d) retraining delays e) administrative fees

a) decreased morale Explanation: Estimates suggest that turnover costs between 90 percent and 200 percent of an employee's annual salary. Those estimates include various costs, including the administrative costs involved in the separation, recruitment expenses, screening costs, and training and orientation expenses for the new hire. They also include "hidden costs" due to decreased morale, lost organizational knowledge, and lost productivity.

Which of the following answer options is not one of the four primary responses to negative events at work? a) withdrawal b) neglect c) exit d) loyalty e) voice

a) withdrawal Explanation: Reactions to negative work events suggests you might respond in one of four general ways—exit, voice, loyalty, or neglect.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates role ambiguity? a) Kim's supervisor asked him to prepare a report of the recent tornado damage but wants the report in two days. Kim hopes he can complete the report on time. b) Steve is hired to cover the visitor information desk at the zoo but on his first day realizes the large, easy-to-understand map is constructed a good 20 feet away from his information desk, which he is not supposed to leave. c) The library's marketing department consisted of a single position, who organized marketing for all the various departments. d) Rose as the manager of the accounting department, must reprimand her best friend, a subordinate, for returning late from lunch. e) A customer at the coffee shop began informing the clerk about her recent health status before even placing her order, the clerk found it difficult to listen as he notices the next customer is showing signs of irritation.

b) Steve is hired to cover the visitor information desk at the zoo but on his first day realizes the large, easy-to-understand map is constructed a good 20 feet away from his information desk, which he is not supposed to leave. Explanation: Steve's position of being a new employee and told to remain at the desk, yet the map is 20 feet away, best represents role ambiguity. He knows the directive—stay at the desk; yet, he wants to use the large, easy-to-understand map. Should he leave the desk and use the map with visitors? As a new employee, Steve does not have the advantage of being able to observe how others worked around this problem.

Joe takes a personal location device with him whenever he goes hiking in the woods because the park ranger said they save lives when a hiker becomes lost. Joe is exhibiting the method of a) experience b) authority c) intuition d) divination e) science

b) authority Explanation: Joe is following the advice of a park ranger, a person of authority.

Which of the following is the most widely used supportive practice among small, medium, and large companies? a) a company-supported child care center b) flextime c) compressed workweek d) full-time telecommuting e) a lactation program

b) flextime Explanation: Flextime was used by 56 percent of the medium and large organizations, and 57 percent of the small organizations in the survey. Organizations that use flextime give employees some degree of latitude in terms of which hours they need to be present at the workplace.

Which of the following qualities of an organization adds to the value of its resources by making it inimitable? a) its lean processes b) its people c) its utilization of diverse materials d) its technological superiority e) its marketing

b) its people Explanation: People create a history—a collective pool of experience, wisdom, and knowledge—that benefits the organization. History cannot be bought and is inimitable while adding to the value of resources.

Which of the following is an example of a daily hassle? a) working late b) office equipment malfunctions c) role ambiguity d) benign job demands e) time pressure

b) office equipment malfunctions Explanation: Daily hassles refer to the relatively minor day-to-day demands that get in the way of accomplishing the things that we really want to accomplish.

Which of the five satisfaction facets is most likely to be viewed as undesirable by an employee? a) pay satisfaction b) promotion satisfaction c) satisfaction with the work itself d) coworker satisfaction e) supervision satisfaction

b) promotion satisfaction Explanation: Promotion satisfaction is most likely to be viewed as undesirable by employees. Some employees might not want frequent promotions because they bring more responsibility and increased work hours.

Which of the following is true of diversity in the workplace? a) An increasingly diverse workforce decreases the economic output of a country. b) Remaining a member of the workforce is detrimental to the health of older workers. c) Diversity makes it more challenging to retain valued employees by reducing affective and continuance commitment d) Fewer American employees are working as expatriates in foreign countries. e) The average age of the workforce is decreasing as the baby boomer generation nears retirement.

c) Diversity makes it more challenging to retain valued employees by reducing affective and continuance commitment Explanation: As work groups become more diverse with respect to race, gender, age, and national origin, there is a danger that minorities or older employees will find themselves on the fringe of such networks, which potentially reduces their affective commitment. At the same time, foreign-born employees are likely to feel less embedded in their current jobs and perceive fewer links to their community and less fit with their geographic area. This feeling may reduce their sense of continuance commitment.

A management philosophy that bases an employee's evaluations on whether the employee achieves specific, mutually agreed-upon performance goals is known as a) forced ranking b) social networking systems c) behaviorally anchored rating scales d) management by objectives e) 360-degree feedback

d) management by objectives Explanation: Management by objectives (MBO) is a management philosophy that bases an employee's evaluations on whether the employee achieves specific performance goals.

Which of the following is true of organizational behavior? a) It focuses on the product choices and industry characteristics that affect an organization's profitability b) It is concerned with the application of the theories and principles established in management studies in organizations c) It is a field of study devoted to understanding the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations d) It examines the best ways to structure training programs to promote employee learning e) It examines the relationship between firm diversification and firm profitability

c) It is a field of study devoted to understanding the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations. Explanation: Organizational behavior (OB) is a field of study devoted to understanding, explaining, and ultimately improving the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations.

Maintaining a good attitude with coworkers, even when they have done something annoying or when the unit is going through tough times, is known as: a) civic virtue b) helping c) sportsmanship d) courtesy e) boosterism

c) Sportsmanship Explanation: Sportsmanship involves maintaining a good attitude with coworkers, even when they have done something annoying or when the unit is going through tough times.

Which of the following is a consequence of high job identity? a) The employee rarely feels a sense of monotony or repetition. b) The employee receives constant information about how they're performing. c) The employee feels annoyed about not getting a job finished d) The employee feels free from scheduling and sequencing of work activities. e) The employee does work that has a positive impact on society.

c) The employee feels annoyed about not getting a job finished Explanation: Identity is the degree to which the job requires completing a whole, identifiable, piece of work from beginning to end with a visible outcome. When a job has high identity, employees can point to something and say, "There, I did that." As a result, an employee with high job identity often feels annoyed about not getting a job finished.

Which of the following is specifically identified with job significance? a) a sense of satisfaction and pleasure b) a sense of how well one is performing c) a sense of value to society d) a distinct sense of beginning and closure e) a sense of monotony or repetition

c) a sense of value to society Explanation: Significance is the degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives of other people, particularly people in the world at large. When employees feel that their jobs are significant, they can see that others value what they do and they're aware that their job has a positive impact on the people around them.

Sierra was meeting with board members of the League of Women Voters and was aware from previous meetings that all the female board members wore dresses to meetings. Sierra normally wore pantsuits to work, or dress pants and a blouse, but on this day, Sierra wore a dress. Sierra is exhibiting a) courtesy b) civic virtue c) adaptability d) interpersonal citizenship behavior e) boosterism

c) adaptability Explanation: In this example Sierra is demonstrating cultural adaptability by willingly adjusting her appearance to show respect for the custom of wearing dresses held by the ladies on the board of the League of Women Voters.

Norcraft, Inc. usually moves new employees to a higher position within a year and fills most of its higher-level positions internally, resulting in a satisfied workforce as well as cost saving through lower turnover of employees. Which facet of job satisfaction has Norcraft fostered? a) pay satisfaction b) task satisfaction c) promotion satisfaction d) supervision satisfaction e) coworker satisfaction

c) promotion satisfaction Explanation: Many employees value promotions because they provide opportunities for more personal growth, a better wage, and more prestige.

Well-known responses to demands that occur in a normal, predictable way are known as: a) interpersonal citizenship behavior b) creative task performance c) routine task performance d) organizational citizenship behavior e) adaptive task performance

c) routine task performance

Which of the following statements is an expression of normative commitment? a) My salary and benefits get us a nice house in our town . . . the cost of living would be higher in a new area. b) I really like the atmosphere at my current job . . . it is fun and relaxed. c) I'm due for a promotion soon . . . will I advance as quickly at a new company? d) My organization gave me my start . . . they hired me when others thought I was not qualified e) Some of my best friends work in my office . . . I'd miss them if I left.

d) My organization gave me my start . . . they hired me when others thought I was not qualified Explanation: Normative commitment is defined as a desire to remain a member of an organization due to a feeling of obligation.

Which of the following is an example of a cognitive method of emotion-focused coping? a) seeking support b) positive thinking c) changing priorities d) avoiding e) working faster

d) avoiding Explanation: Emotion-focused coping refers to the various ways in which people manage their own emotional reactions to stressful demands. An employee may use avoidance and distancing behaviors to reduce the emotional distress caused by a stressful situation.

________ is an example of a behavioral strain resulting from prolonged stress. a) Presenteeism b) Aggression c) Absentmindedness d) Avoidance e) Overeating

e) Overeating Explanation: Behavioral strains are unhealthy behaviors such as grinding one's teeth at night, being overly critical and bossy, excessive smoking, compulsive gum chewing, overuse of alcohol, and compulsive eating.

Which of the following is true of stress? a) The demands and situations that cause people to experience stress are called strains. b) Stress is defined as the negative consequences that occur when demands exceed a person's capacity. c) Stressors are defined as psychological responses to demands that tax or exceed the person's capacity or resources. d) People evaluate and cope with similar stresses in the same way and hence experience the same stress levels. e) Stress depends on both the nature of the demand and the person who confronts it.

e) Stress depends on both the nature of the demand and the person who confronts it. Explanation: The definitions for stress, stressors, and strains illustrates that stress depends on both the nature of the demand and the person who confronts it. People differ in terms of how they perceive and evaluate stressors and the way they cope with them.

Which of the following describes the relationship between challenge stressors and job performance? a) There is no correlation between the two. b) There is a strong positive correlation. c) There is a weak negative correlation. d) There is a strong negative correlation. e) There is a weak positive correlation.

e) There is a weak positive correlation. Explanation: Challenge stressors have a weak relationship with job performance and a moderate relationship with organizational commitment. However, in contrast to the results for hindrance stressors, the relationships are positive rather than negative.

If a scatter plot comparing two variables results in a straight line, which of the following best describes the correlation between the two variables? a) They show a strong correlation of 0.7 or less. b) They show a negative correlation of -0.1. c) They show a partial correlation of 0.5. d) They show a correlation greater than 0.5 but less than 1.0. e) They show a perfect correlation of 1.0.

e) They show a perfect correlation of 1.0. Explanation: A perfect correlation between two variables will result in a straight line because the events are extremely compact.

Organizations identify the behaviors that underlie task performance by a) adopting a results-based rating system b) emphasizing citizenship behavior c) creating a correlation grid d) eliminating activities with high failure rates e) conducting a job analysis

e) conducting a job analysis Many organizations identify task performance behaviors by conducting a job analysis.

Mentally "checking out" and going through the motions at work is a reaction known as a) absence b) exit c) attrition d) moonlighting e) neglect

e) neglect Explanation: Allowing one's performance to deteriorate slowly while mentally "checking out" is termed neglect. It is defined as a passive, destructive response in which interest and effort in the job decline.