OB test questions 3
All of the following statements accurately describe team task functions EXCEPT 9-5 a. An overly familiar team enjoys reduced team coordination errors (TCEs). b. They are directly related to the effective completion of a team's work. c. They vary in importance throughout the lifecycle of a group. d. Effective teams have members who fulfill various task functions as they are required.
A
Expert power and referent power have many things in common. Which of the following is NOT one of them? 11-2a a. They require managers to be physically present and watchful. b. They must be developed and strengthened through interpersonal relationships with employees. c. People who use expert or referent power are respected by the target. d. Both powers are linked to organizational effectiveness.
A
Which of the following demographic factors most influences the proportion of structural holes in a work team? 9-6c a. age b. race c. gender d. ethnicity
A
Which of the following is the best definition of authority? 11-1 a. the right to influence another person b. the access to and control over important information c. the ability to influence another person d. the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of another person
A
You realize that a decision must be made and have identified the objective of your decision. Which of the following would you do next? 10-1 a. gather information as to why the problem occurred b. evaluate alternatives c. list several courses of action d. select the best way to solve the problem
A
All of the following statements regarding the benefits of teams are true EXCEPT 9-2a a. Teams empower workers through collaboration rather than self-reliance. b. Research shows that the old work environment was just as empowering as the new team environment. c. Teams can improve psychological well-being. d. Teams are most useful when the work is fragmented, complicated, and/or voluminous.
B
How does authentic leadership differ from transformational and charismatic leadership? 12-5b a. It suggests that emotions be eliminated from business interactions. b. It requires highly evolved moral standards. c. It forbids internal whistleblowing. d. It focuses on the reality-distortion field.
B
Which of the following terms did Robert Greenleaf coin to refer to the act of finding the will of the group and leading based upon that? 12-6d a. informal leadership b. servant leadership c. inspirational leadership d. stewardship
B
Which of the following has the most calming effect on team members? 9-4d a. behavioral norms b. an egalitarian status structure c. high group cohesion d. an assigned purpose and mission
C
Which of the following is a part of the leadership process? 12-1 a. controlling and problem solving b. organizing and staffing c. motivation and alignment d. planning and budgeting
C
Which of the following represents the correct stepping used in the Z problem-solving model? 10-2c a. sensing, thinking, feeling, intuition b. intuition, feeling, sensing, thinking c. sensing, intuition, thinking, feeling d. feeling, thinking, intuition, sensing
C
All of the following statements accurately describe power EXCEPT 11-1 a. It is an exchange relationship. b. A power agent is the person using the power. c. A power target is the recipient of the attempted use of power. d. Power is a right, so individuals either have it or not
D
The seasons model asserts that organizational performance increases during a CEO's tenure to a peak, which occurs at about 9-8 a. three years. b. seven years. c. 10 years. d. 14 years.
B
What is the ideal leadership style according to the Blake-Mouton leadership grid? 12-3b a. organization man manager (5,5) b. team management (9,9) c. authority-compliance management (9,1) d. country club management (1,9)
B
Which of the following examples displays powerlessness? 11-4b a. An accountant leads organizational change. b. A supervisor does the more complicated tasks himself instead of training a subordinate. c. A first-line manager blames himself for a production shortage. d. A managing attorney closely supervises his subordinates.
B
Which of the following individuals is NOT ready for participative decision making?10-6b a. Michael understands that his participation can benefit him in the short- and long-term. b. Starla is motivated by praise from her supervisor and by monetary rewards. c. Jose has been offering suggestions to improve the production line for years because he wants the organization to succeed. d. Rita has many years of experience at her job and finds the work satisfying.
B
Which of the following is emphasized by work teams? 9-1 a. individual leadership b. mutual accountability c. individual rewards d. exclusive work products
B
Which of the following political skill dimensions refers to an individual's capacity to develop and retain diverse and extensive social systems? 11-5b a. sincerity b. networking ability c. interpersonal influence d. social astuteness
B
Which of the following statements accurately describes political behavior in organizations? 11-5 a. Employees are keenly aware of political behavior at their level of employment but have a tougher time recognizing it at the topmost organizational levels. b. Job satisfaction is affected by any kind of political behavior. c. Political behavior is inherently constructive. d. Political behavior that aligns with organizational goals but promotes self-interest is viewed negatively by employees.
B
A CEO's peak may be extended by 9-8a a. adding employees well-versed in creative management styles. b. reducing the executive's level of task interest. c. adding diversity to the executive's support team. d. applying upper echelon theory.
C
According to Korda, which of the following symbolizes a lack of power? 11-4c a. assistants who fetch your coffee b. a rectangular conference table c. a manager who wears no watch d. a full calendar
C
According to research, which individual would be most risk averse? 10-3a a. a young man b. a more experienced manager c. an older woman d. a successful manager
C
All of the following statements accurately describe diversity in decision making EXCEPT 10-5 a. When groups are made up of racially dissimilar individuals, they arrive at better decisions than do racially similar groups. b. Functionally diverse teams make decisions resulting in better financial performance for the firm. c. Managers tend to be more favorable to employees whose accents are unique to the organization. d. Functionally diverse groups engage in greater debate than teams from similar backgrounds.
C
All of the following statements accurately describe followership EXCEPT 12-7 a. Empowerment programs and self-managed work teams may further activate the follower role. b. A traditional view of followers asserts that they are passive. c. The topic has been extensively researched with varying results. d. Literature suggests the leader and follower roles are highly differentiated
C
Corporate leaders set the ethical tone for an organization. How often do they have to risk the firm's economic well-being to apply one of these ethical standards? 12-8 a. every calendar year b. every fiscal year c. rarely d. every day
C
Employees who are most comfortable with top-level managers making all organizational decisions are likely from cultures with 10-5 a. high uncertainty avoidance. b. a strong feminism dimension. c. high power distance. d. a collectivist dimension.
C
How a manager frames or "spins" a message is part of her 11-3 a. referent power. b. expert power. c. information power. d. coercive power.
C
If an organization cannot provide employees full participation in all stages of decision making, it is important that they are involved in one of the stages with the highest payoff. Which of the following is NOT one of those stages? 10-6c a. planning implementations b. evaluating results c. identifying problems d. generating alternatives
C
If one could create the ideal manager, which side of the brain would she use? 10-3b a. the logical left side b. the creative right side c. She would use both sides equally well. d. Research argues that it does not matter.
C
In regard to abilities, early trait theories found that leaders 12-2 a. have a lower level of scholarship. b. have incredible insight. c. are more intelligent. d. are less verbal.
C
In the George W. Bush administration, Secretary of State Collin Powell provided counterpoint arguments during debates. In upper echelon theory, Powell could be called a 9-8a a. proud lion. b. top cat. c. wild turkey. d. snake in the grass.
C
Kari attended a group meeting about new brand initiatives. She believed that the brand seemed old-fashioned and favored some new packaging and advertising. When others in the group agreed with her view, Kari decided that the product actually needed a complete brand overhaul. Kari's attitudes are an example of 10-4b a. nominal group technique. b. groupthink. c. group polarization. d. loopthink.
C
Three factors can give a group control over a strategic contingency—the ability to cope with uncertainty, a high degree of centrality, and nonsubstitutability. Which of the following do they have in common? 11-2b a. enforced compliance b. valued rewards c. a dependency relationship d. charismatic individuals
C
What do the Lewin, Ohio State, and Michigan studies on leadership have in common? 12-3a a. They identify normative leadership styles in organizations. b. They evaluate different leadership styles. c. They identify two focuses: tasks and people. d. They promote the best way to lead.
C
What is the glass cliff? 12-6c a. the male notion that women are better decision makers, so they should make the more difficult ones b. a transparent barrier that keeps women from rising above certain levels in an organization c. the trend wherein more women are placed in difficult leadership positions d. the trend wherein more and more women are refusing corporate leadership positions
C
What is unique about the Vroom-Yetton-Jago normative decision model? 12-4c a. It assumes leaders adapt their behavioral style to fit the characteristics of their followers and environment. b. It has intuitive appeal. c. It provides matrices for the manager's use in determining the proper leadership method. d. It focuses on follower maturity.
C
Which of the following defines principled dissent? 11-3a a. the willingness to do whatever it takes to get one's way b. putting company needs before one's own c. valid criticism that can benefit the organization d. power used for personal gain
C
Which of the following is a team maintenance function? 9-5 a. initiating activities b. giving information c. following others' leads d. testing ideas
C
Which of the following leaders uses a democratic style? 12-3a a. Benito meets with his employees every morning with detailed task lists for each and expected times for accomplishment. b. Moira posts a set of written rules outside her office and routinely meets with her employees to go over them and any infractions she has noticed. c. Kurt meets his employees every Monday morning for a 20-minute status meeting, so he can stay apprised of who is working on what and how things are tracking to schedule. d. Suzanna takes her employees out to lunch every Friday to discuss how everyone is feeling about life in the moment.
C
Which of the following statements accurately describes team maintenance functions? 9-5 a. They build tension within teams. b. Humor and joking are harmful to team relationships. c. They enhance togetherness and cooperation. d. They are more important than task functions.
C
Which of the following statements accurately describes the research findings into early trait theories? 12-2 a. The findings are strong and uniform. b. Early findings were found to be valid and used in organizational behavior for many years. c. There has been limited success in identifying universal, distinguishing attributes of leaders. d. All trait theories have been found to be invalid.
C
Which of the following terms includes the ability to play fair and be a good winner or loser? 9-6b a. creativity b. cooperative teamwork skills c. positive competitive teamwork skills d. dissimilarity
C
Which of the following types of followers is the most valuable to a leader? 12-7a a. sheep b. survivors c. effective followers d. yes people
C
Which statement accurately describes group decision making? 10-4 a. Evidence shows that any group makes better decisions than any individual. b. Groups tend to make decisions quicker than individuals. c. Group decision making tends to be synergistic. d. Social decision schemes can predict group decisions only about 25% of the time.
C
What cultural dimension causes organizations in the United States to struggle with group decisions? 10-5 a. masculinity b. power structure c. uncertainty avoidance d. individualism
D
What is a virtual team? 9-1 a. an unofficial group that acts like an official team b. a group of friends that shares responsibilities as needed c. an official team that does not work well together d. an official group that does not work face-to-face
D
What limitation do the rationality model, bounded rationality model, and Z model all share? 10-2c a. They rely overmuch on heuristics. b. Decision makers struggle to use their nonpreferred styles of behavior. c. They are unrealistic. d. Decision makers are unwilling to abandon bad decisions.
D
When artifacts are eliminated, studies of organizational performance show that leadership 12-8 a. is less influential than environmental factors. b. has no influence. c. is more influential than technological factors. d. has a moderately strong influence.
D
Which of the following accurately describes Kanter's symbols of power? 11-4a a. An organizational chart is the best way to determine who has the most power. b. Power is determined by prestige in an organization. c. There are tangible symbols of one's power. d. Power is active and other-directed.
D
Which of the following forms of interpersonal power is based on position and mutual agreement?11-2a a. coercive power b. reward power c. expert power d. legitimate power
D
According to John Kotter, leadership 12-1 a. produces useful change in organizations. b. controls organizational and environmental complexity. c. both agitates for change and advocates stability. d. cannot be distinguished from management.
A
All of the following statements accurately describe Fiedler's contingency theory EXCEPT 12-4a a. If there is a misfit between leader and situation, Fiedler suggests the leader be removed. b. Favorable leadership situation involves structured tasks, strong position power, and good leader-member relations. c. The most controversial element is the least preferred coworker score. d. It assumes that leaders are either task oriented or relationship oriented based on need gratification.
A
All of the following statements accurately describe intuition and creativity EXCEPT 10-3d a. Job rotation takes employees out of their comfort zones, which discourages creativity. b. Senior managers use intuition extensively, especially to evaluate decisions made rationally. c. The use of intuition may lead to more ethical decision making. d. Creative behavior at work may spill over and affect relationships at home.
A
For participative decision making to work, companies must have a supportive organizational culture and 10-6b a. a team-oriented work design. b. a tall organizational structure. c. frequent feedback sessions. d. strong investments in new technologies.
A
Nasli is a member of a cross-functional, self-managed team, but she prefers to work autonomously and does not feel obliged to contribute to team efforts. Which of the following terms best describes Nasli's orientation to cooperation? 9-7a a. individualistic b. apathetic c. competitive d. egalitarian
A
Research shows that self-managed teams have a positive impact on 9-7b a. employee attitudes. b. turnover. c. absenteeism. d. technology.
A
The employee-boss relationship is 11-6a a. one of mutual dependence. b. the responsibility of the boss. c. the most discussed aspects of power and politics. d. the responsibility of the employee.
A
Which of the following denotes a personality dimension of a manager, not a leader? 12-1 a. avoids solitary work activity, preferring to work with others b. believes goals arise from desire c. questions life d. seeks high-risk positions
A
Which of the following examples describes a group, not a work team? 9-1 a. The Bachelorette Bunch meets once each week to socialize and watch their favorite television program. b. The carnival committee meets once each month to prepare for next year's summer fundraiser. c. All members of the editorial staff meet every Tuesday morning for a project status update. d. All company sales representatives attend the annual sales conference in Hawaii.
A
Which of the following influence tactics includes the use of flattery, opinion conformity, or subservient behavior? 11-5a a. ingratiation b. rational persuasion c. exchange d. upward appeals
A
Which of the following is NOT a guideline for leadership from the past 60 years? 12-8 a. Good leaders make poor followers. b. Organizations have preferred leadership styles and should choose leaders accordingly. c. Organizations should appreciate the uniqueness and talents of their leaders. d. Good leaders are good diagnosticians.
A
Which of the following is the first set of skills required for work team empowerment? 9-7a a. competence b. process c. cooperative d. communication
A
Which of the following represents the essence of most empowerment programs in organizations today? 11-6b a. Employees have power over job content, but not job context. b. Employees have power over job context, but not job content. c. Employees have no power over either job content or job context. d. Employees have power over both job content and job context.
A
Which of the following terms is defined as joint action by a group of people in which individual interests are subordinated to group unity? 9-2a a. teamwork b. cohesion c. empowerment d. maintenance
A
Which of the following terms refers to the selection of the first alternative that is "good enough?" 10-2b a. satisficing b. rationalizing c. optimizing d. heuristicizing
A
Research shows that groups are more cohesive and exhibit higher levels of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) when 9-3a a. there is no "free riding" in the group. b. there is a fit between group values and organizational values. c. norms are formally developed. d. they are newly formed.
B
According to the situational leadership model, when should a leader use a participating style? 12-4a a. when task behaviors are high and relationship behaviors are high b. when task behaviors are high and relationship behaviors are low c. when task behaviors are low and relationship behaviors are low d. when task behaviors are low and relationship behaviors are high
D
All of the following are characteristics of managers who use social power successfully EXCEPT 11-3a a. They are altruistic. b. They believe that people should receive that to which they are entitled and that which they earn. c. They like their work and are very orderly. d. They believe their power comes from their expertise.
D
All of the following statements accurately describe group formation EXCEPT 9-4a a. Group authority issues include issues about how power and influence are managed. b. The accounting department's softball team is an example of an informal group. c. Successful interpersonal relationships are stronger when group members are emotionally intelligent. d. Women are more satisfied working in all-women groups.
D
All of the following statements accurately describe transformational leadership EXCEPT 12-5b a. Leaders tend to be charismatic. b. Evidence shows that it can be learned. c. It adds to the effects of transactional leadership. d. It is the most effective style for Millennials.
D
Augustus is a brand manager. His work team is discussing brand initiatives, and now there seems to be two opposing sides with different ideas. To get a fuller picture of the group's thoughts and feelings, Augustus asks each "side" to debate the benefits and limitations of the two ideas. Augustus is using which of the following techniques? 10-4c a. devil's advocacy b. brainstorming c. Delphi d. dialectical inquiry
D
Bernadette is a data warehouse specialist on a cross-functional work team. She analyzes and synthesizes data supplied by team members and provides the group with updated reports weekly. Bernadette is contributing to the collective effort by acting as a 9-6 a. challenger. b. communicator. c. collaborator. d. contributor.
D
Deja works as an administrative assistant in a traditional office setting. She is paid hourly and expected to work from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday, with an unpaid hour each day for lunch. Which of the following would be outside Deja's zone of indifference? 11-1 a. scheduling weekly status meetings for the department b. keyboarding letters and reports c. answering telephones and interoffice correspondence d. picking up the boss's children from dental appointments across town
D
During which of Tuckman's five-stage model of group development do groups require facilitative leadership? 9-4b a. storming b. performing c. forming d. norming
D
In regard to physical and personality characteristics, early trait theories found that leaders are 12-2 a. taller, older, and more energetic. b. dominant extroverts. c. thinner and healthier. d. more self-confident.
D
Which of the following is an example of nonprogrammed decision making? 10-1 a. Kai issues a written reprimand to an employee who routinely arrives late for work. b. Robert orders inventory as the stock has reached the reorder point. c. Jazmine schedules an employee's 12-week maternity leave as per company policies. d. After a fire in her office building, Maritza works to find nearby rental space to accommodate her employees.
D
Which of the following is the best way to counter social loafing? 9-3c a. ask the loafer to work in isolation b. ask the loafer to work in a highly visible location c. ignore it d. employ a self-evaluation system
D
Which of the following is the first step in the decision-making process? 10-1 a. identify the symptoms of the problem b. gather information relevant to the situation c. determine what is to be accomplished d. recognize the problem
D
Which of the following statements accurately describes leader-member exchange theory (LMX)? 12-5a a. In-group members are managed by formal rules and policies. b. Out-group members who communicate frequently with the boss tend to receive higher performance ratings than other out-group members. c. Research on LMX is not supportive. d. In-group members are more likely to find their leaders inspirational than out-group members.
D
Which of the following statements accurately describes norms of behavior? 9-3a a. Norms tend to be ineffective when groups members work in isolation on creative projects. b. Norms tend to be written, verbalized, and explicit. c. Norms are effective in influencing behavior, even when individual members do not understand them. d. From an organization's perspective, performance norms are of utmost importance.
D
Which of the following statements describes a difference between psychological intimacy and integrated involvement? 9-2b a. Psychological intimacy is based on behavior and activity while integrated involvement is based on affect. b. Failure to achieve psychological intimacy leads to social isolation while failure to achieve integrated involvement leads to emotional isolation. c. Psychological intimacy results in opportunities for power and influence; integrated involvement results in opportunities for expression. d. Failure to achieve psychological intimacy is particularly problematic for chief executives; failure to achieve integrated involvement is not.
D
Which of the following types of followers is the most dangerous to leaders? 12-7a a. sheep b. alienated followers c. survivors d. yes people
D
Which statement accurately describes emotional intelligence or trust? 12-6a a. People are born with great amounts of emotional intelligence but tend to lose pieces of it throughout their lives. b. Wise leaders trust only a close circle of advisers with opinions similar to their own. c. Trust in top business leaders is at an all-time high. d. Emotional intelligence can be learned.
D
Which statement describes the management of political behavior in organizations? 11-5 a. With great care, political behavior can be eliminated from organizations. b. Open communication systems actually increases political behavior. c. Political behavior decreases during times of organizational uncertainty. d. To manage political behavior, managers must first recognize it.
D