Chapter 1: Organizational Behavior

In choosing among alternatives to qualify a solution, a person is focusing on ___ if he or she considers such things as ethical implications, personal values, profits, and/or company reputation.

Selection criteria

According to research, which area are job applicants most likely to lie about?

Work history

To demonstrate credibility through performance, a manager should be able to:

- provide constructive feedback - apply different motivational tools - develop and lead productive teams

Place the 3-step approach to problem solving in order.

(1) define the problem (2) identify the causes (3) make recommendations

Widespread corporate corruption has led to which two of the following?

(1) destruction of lives (2) bankrupting of companies

Which of the following are the three levels that OB distinguishes among?

(1) individual (2) group (3) organizational

Select the two items that apply to a contingency approach to management.

(1) you cannot rely on one best way (2) the most effective solution is based on the situation

Which of the following are common criteria used when hiring new college graduates for their first job?

- GPA - college major - internship or other work experience

Which of the following are examples of situation factors?

- Stefan and his team are laid off due to company-wide downsizing - Jin's manager gives him a new project

Which of the following are potential constraints during problem solving?

- lack of information - insufficient funds - lack of time

Select reasons students might cheat.

- perceived unfairness of grading - low certainty of being reported - peer behavior

When making recommendations for solving a problem, it is important to link the recommendations to

Causes.

The three main weaknesses of ___ ___ are relying on hindsight, lack of rigor, and lack of objectivity.

Common sense

Using the OB concepts and tools that are situationally appropriate is called a(n) ___ ___ to management.

Contingency approach

Corporate ___ is prevalent even though most leaders are dedicated to operating ethical organizations.

Corruption

Eradicating or getting rid of the situation that is causing the problem is known as ___ problems.

Dissolving

Which of the following statements about OB is true?

It goes beyond common sense

An interdisciplinary field focused on understanding and managing people at work is ___.

Organizational behavior

The various characteristics that make individuals unique are known as

Person factors.

It is important to understand the interaction of person factors and ___ factors.

Situation

The best way to increase self-awareness is through:

Taking self-assessments

Which of the following statements about cheating are true?

- over half of high schoolers report cheating on exams - cheating may take many forms, including plagiarism and sharing answers via text messaging

According to anonymous surveys, what percentage of high school students admitted to cheating on tests?

51%

When defining a problem, what should you do immediately after you determine your desired outcome or state?

Compare the desired state or outcome to your current situation.

Which of the following is an example of unethical behavior at work?

David doesn't think he will get in trouble for cutting corners.

What should you do after identifying unethical conduct in your workplace but before confronting the problem?

Determine possible causes.

Sigrid is trying to determine why so many people in her department are transferring to a different department. Which of the following questions would Sigrid ask if she were focusing on person factors to determine the source of the problem?

Do the departing coworkers have a preference for working collaboratively versus independently?

It is ___ responsibility to confront ethical issues in the workplace.

Everyone's

True or false: Most illegal unethical acts are prosecuted.

False

True or false: OB and problem solving are at odds and do not go together when studying OB.

False

True or false: There are only a few situation factors that can impact an outcome when you are trying to accomplish something.

False

Which of the following is a form of cheating that occurs among school administrators?

Falsifying transcripts and application materials

True or false: Technical expertise is the only factor that matters in getting a new job or advancing one's career.

Flase

Which statement best describes the ideal approach to making recommendations for solving problems?

Good recommendations address causes.

Studying the dynamics of conflicts among coworkers is a study of what level of OB?

Group/team

Skills that are related to technical know-how, such as bookkeeping or financial analysis, are known as ___ skills.

Hard

Since person factors are different for everyone, a change in environment will:

Have different reactions from people

Asking "why or how does this cause a problem" is an important method for achieving which step of the 3-step approach to problem solving?

Identifying potential causes

What level of OB would be represented by studies of people quitting their jobs because of unfulfilled personal values?

Individual

Which of the following groups were caught cheating in the 2019 college admissions scandal?

Parents, college admissions consultants, and counselors

Which statement about soft skills is true?

People often fail at their jobs due to lack of soft skills.

Which of the following is an example of a person factor?

Preference to work independently

The definition of a(n) ___ is when our desired outcomes do not match the actual situation.

Problem

The systematic process of closing gaps between a desired outcome and actual situation is called ___ ___.

Problem solcing

When we attempt to meet our goals through a systemic process of closing gaps between goals and outcomes, we are

Problem solving.

When there is a difference between a goal and the actual outcome, this is know as a(n)

Problem.

To solve problems effectively, it is important to consider necessary ___, such as people who will provide support.

Resources

The myriad external elements that influence what we do, how we do it, and the outcomes of our actions are called

Situation factors.

OB concepts can be applied to the problem-___ process to overcome challenges and improve your performance.

Solving

Problem-___ efforts can be adversely affected if the problem is incorrectly identified.

Solving

For most jobs, candidates are selected for their ___ skills.

Technical

Which of the following best describes situation and person factors?

They are dynamic

Which of the following statements about situation factors is true?

They are very important to your job performance

Which of the following statements about unethical behavior in the workplace is true?

Unethical behavior makes everyone in the workplace look bad.

Which of the following statements about unethical behavior is true?

Very few unethical acts are illegal

Which question is most important to ask during step 2 of the 3-step approach to problem solving?

Why or how does this cause a problem?

Which of the following statements about constraints in selecting problem-solving solutions is true?

You should consider various constraints before making a selection.

Select the types of solution response.

- dissolving - solving - resolvinf

Which disciplines does OB draw from?

Anthropology, management, psychology, and ethics

Which statement about the skills needed later in one's career is true?

As you progress in your career, soft skills become more important

Which statement about these skills needed later in one's career is true?

As you progress in your career, soft skills become more important

Reward systems, decision making, and organizational culture are all affected by ___ conduct.

Ethical

Reward systems, decision making, leader behavior, and organizational culture are all affected by ___ conduct.

Ethical

The field of ___ ___ encompasses research and practice from various disciplines like anthropology, psychology, statistics, political science, vocational counseling, and management.

Organizational behavior

In the systems model of the organizing framework, what are the initial drivers of all outcomes?

Person and situation factors

Masahiro prefers to work as a team member. He enjoys working collaboratively with others. This preference is a(n)

Person factor.

Knowing your own abilities, values, strengths, and weaknesses as well as how others view you in terms of these factors, is referred to as ___-___.

Self-awareness

True or false: Careers can be tarnished by the unethical behavior of others.

True

The distinction between person and environment is critical to:

Understanding OB concepts

When defining a problem, you can refine and focus your definition by asking which of the following questions multiple times throughout the process?

Why is this a problem?

Select ways employees can address unethical behaviors.

- accept the need to address ethics at work - treat ethics like business strategy - challenge the rationale behind decisions

Select interpersonal skills that foster respectful interactions.

- effective communication - positive attitudes - active listening

Which of the following are among the most sought-after skills for graduates according to the World Economic Forum?

- creativity - problem solving - critical thinking

The term ___ ___ describes an interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding and managing people at work

Organizational behavior

OB uses both a systematic and ___ approach to understanding people.

Science-based

According to proponents of a contingency approach to management, in order to be effective as a manager, you need to

Consider the situation before making a decision

A concern for right versus wrong is referred to as:

Ethics

Which theory of organizational behavior suggests that people are not inherently better than others but may perform better in a given job or situation due to the combination of person and situation factors involved?

The interactional perspective

Select all that are influenced by person factors.

- job - career - aspirations

Select the areas of OB that have been shown to have a powerful influence on ethical conduct at work.

- decision making - organizational culture - leader behavior

Instead of trying to rely on "one best way" to manage, a manager may want to use a(n) ___ approach, which calls for using situationally appropriate tools.

Contingency

A situation with two choices, neither of which resolve the situation in an ethically acceptable manner is called a(n) ___ ___.

Ethical dilemma

Knowing which OB tools to use and under what circumstances is referred to as a(n) ___ approach to managing people.

Contingency

Skills dealing with human relationships and interactions are referred to as ___ skills.

Soft

In organizational behavior, knowing when to apply OB knowledge and tools to a particular circumstance is an important part of:

The contingency approach

When someone asks if you know right from wrong, that person is most likely questioning your

Wthics

The ability to motivate employees in different ways, provide useful feedback, and manage productive teams are all aspects of a manager's performance, and doing these things well gives a manager

Credibility.

A concern with identifying right and wrong behavior is referred to as ___.

Ethics

In the systems approach to OB, person and situation factors are considered ___, while the three levels of analysis are categorized as processes or ___.

Inputs; outcomes

Effective managers favor the contingency approach because:

It encourages the consideration of many factors that influence behavior and performance

Select examples of why people and environment are not static.

- opportunities and rewards change people - each new person and the characteristics change a situation - the job market is ever changing as are employees

Which of the following statements about the relationship between person factors and situation factors are true?

- person factors can change situation factors - situation factors can change person factors

Select aspects of OB to be considered in an organization of many employees begin quitting their jobs.

- group/team dynamics - organizational policies - individual level characteristics

To determine credibility through performance, a manager should be able to:

- develop and lead productive teams - apply different motivational tools - provide constructive feedback

Select reasons people are unethical at work.

- personal motivation to perform - reward systems that offer incentives for bad behavior - pressure from supervisor

Select personal attributes related to goodwill and trust.

- personality - attitudes - leadership

Select the three common elements in choosing among alternatives to arrive at effective solutions

- selection criteria - choice process - consequences

Which of the following are things managers should do to deal with unethical behavior in the workplace?

- set clear expectations for when employees are confronted with unethical behavior - determine likely causes of unethical behavior in managers and employees

Which of the following are common criteria for deciding whether to promote an employee?

- the ability to get things done through others - the ability to manage people - current job performance

Select the reasons ethics are important to a business.

- unethical behavior hurts relationships and destroys trust - unethical behavior impacts cooperation and loyalty in a negative manner - employees face ethical challenges throughout their careers

Which of the following is a situation factor at the group/team level that may contribute to a situation in which many employees quit their jobs during a short period of time?

A new manager taking over the department

What is the primary argument of the interactional perspective of organizational behavior?

Behavior is a function of interdependent person and situation factors.

Which of the following are important to consider when selecting alternative solutions?

- who will be supporters - who will be resisters - necessary resources