Organizational Behavior Chapters 5-8 Quizzes
Goal __________ is defined as the extent to which a person is interested in reaching a goal.
Commitment
Research by Edwin Locke assumes that behavior is a result of
Conscious goals and intentions
In its simplest form, reinforcement theory suggests that behavior is a function of
Consequences
According to the rational decision-making approach, evaluating the alternatives
Involves assessing all possible alternatives
One of the earliest alternatives to job specialization used by managers was
Job rotation
Alfredo was one of many employees who received a generous Christmas bonus, which carried _________ value to him
Surface
An organizational decision maker assesses conditions of certainty, uncertainty, and risk during the process of
Evaluating alternatives
Plans in which employees can earn additional compensation in return for certain types of performance are called
Incentive systems
An __________ is a person who engages in leadership activities but whose right to do so has not been formally recognized.
Informal leader
__________ groups are always categorized as informal.
Interest
Motivated behavior begins with one or more
Needs
Decisions that recur infrequently and have no decision rules are __________ decisions.
Nonprogrammed
Organizations typically conduct performance appraisals
Once a year
One basis for making programmed decisions is
a set of decision rules
To be considered a "group," it needs to be comprised of
at least 2 people
According to equity theory, people
want to be treated fairly
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of nonprogrammer decisions? a. the problem situation is non-routine b. the decisions are rarely a responsibility of top management c. the decisions are poorly structured d. goals are often vague
B. The decisions are rarely a responsibility of top management
An organization's compensation structure should
Be equitable and consistent
Which of the following is the primary problem associated with the specialization of jobs?
Boredom
__________ refers to the inability of human beings to process an unlimited amount of information, causing most decisions to be made in a partially irrational manner.
Bounded rationality
Nonprogrammed decisions are usually made by
Upper management
Which type of reinforcement schedule uses the element of surprise by reinforcing behavior after an unpredictable amount of time has elapsed?
Variable-interval
A new product development team would be considered which type of group?
Venture
The most important issue regarding how to conduct a performance appraisal is
Who does the appraisal
__________ is the set of forces that causes people to engage in a behavior, rather than an alternative behavior a. motivation b. equilibrium c. activity d. task identity e. autonomy
a. motivation
Teams differ from groups in that teams
place more emphasis on concerted action than groups do
In order for social learning to take place,
the employee must possess the physical ability to perform the job
A team that is comprised of members from different departments or functional areas is
A cross-functional team
Any time a customer voices a complaint about the way the food tastes, the restaurant manager always offers a complimentary meal. This represents
A decision rule
People with a strong need for affiliation most often work in jobs with
A lot of interpersonal contact
Which two types of reinforcement are generally accepted as means for increasing the frequency of desired behavior?
Positive and negative reinforcement
Sara tries to always be on time for work because she once saw her supervisor give someone an award for good attendance. Sara is exhibiting learning through
Positive reinforcement
Which of the following distributes a portion of the company's profits to all employees at a predetermined rate?
Profit-sharing program
The first widespread model that addressed how individual work should be designed focused on
Job specialization
Decision making is the process of
Choosing one alternative from among several
Goal specificity is defined as the
Clarity and precision of a goal
Which of the following represents the step of the rational decision-making approach in which the outcomes of the decision are compared to the desired goal?
Control: measure and adjust
__________ theory assumes that people are motivated to work toward a goal when they want to achieve the outcome and also think they have the ability and means to achieve it.
Expectancy
Which of the following best describes a reward system that involves employees in its design and administration?
Participative pay system
Goal specificity is consistently related to
Performance
Aria has been performing successfully at work for several months. Aria believes that she will get a pay raise if she maintains this high level of performance. This is an example of the __________ expectancy
Performance-to-outcome
Reducing the work hours of low performing employees is an example of
Punishment
According to Herzberg's two-factor, dual-structure theory, motivation factors are often cited as the primary causes of
Satisfaction and motivation
John has satisfied his basic physiological needs, and he is also very social and has many friends. He is now trying to learn new skills and advance his career. John's activities are explained by which component of Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory?
Satisfaction-progression
Which of the following is NOT an example of an organizational enhancement arising from team environments? a. improved flexibility b. taller organizational hierarchy c. higher creativity d. quicker reaction e. increased innovation
Taller organizational hierarchy
Why does working in teams result in enhanced performance?
Teams pool individual efforts in new ways and strive for continuous improvement
What is the primary use of performance appraisal information?
To provide job performance feedback
A successful MBO program starts with top managers establishing which of the following? a. specific employee goals b. overall organizational goals c. very difficult goals d. none of these e. very easy goals
b. overall organizational goals
The positive benefits of a team-based environment include all of the following EXCEPT a. organizational enhancements b. reduced costs c. enhanced performance d. all of these are benefits e. employee benefits
d. all of these are benefits
Which of the following is NOT an example of cost reductions arising from team environments? a. fewer errors b. lower absenteeism c. reduced absenteeism d. lower commitment e. reduced scrap
d. lower commitment
The rational decision-making approach assumes decision makers a. are objective b. are systematic in their approach to decisions c. have complete information d. work in an organization that encourages logical choices e. all of these are correct
e. all of these are correct
Which of the following methods can be used to enhance individual performance at work? a. employee participation b. job design c. performance management d. goal setting e. all of these are correct
e. all of these are correct
When choosing team members, which of the following abilities would you NOT specifically look for? a. self-management b. communication c. collaborative problem-solving d. conflict resolution e. coerciveness
e. coerciveness
Which dimension of self-efficacy refers to beliefs about the degree to which similar tasks can be accomplished?
Generality
Expansions on goal-setting theory argue that goal-directed effort is a function of four goal attributes: goal acceptance, goal commitment, goal specificity and
Goal difficulty
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, __________ needs are people's most basic requirements
Physiological
According to the rational decision-making approach, what is the second step of the decision-making process?
Identify the problem
An innate belief about something without conscious consideration is called
Intuition
Which dimension of self-efficacy refers to how difficult a task can be accomplished?
Magnitude
What information condition lies between certainty and uncertainty in making decisions?
Risk
_______ is the extent to which a decision maker is willing to gamble when making a decision.
Risk propensity
It can be difficult to develop a sense of community with a team that never actually meets together in the same room, which is called a
Virtual team
__________ happens when people are motivated to look good to others and want to maintain a positive self-image. a. social facilitation b. groupthink c. social loafing d. managerial intervention e. group cohesiveness
a. social facilitation
Which of the following is NOT a stage of group development? a. mutual acceptance b. motivation and productivity c. friendship and social interaction d. communication and decision making e. control and organization
c. friendship and social interaction
The behavioral approach to decision making is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT a. it uses rules of thumb b. it applies concepts of sub-optimizing c. it uses logic d. it applies concepts of satisficing e. it uses procedures
c. it uses logic
A team is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT a. it consists of two or more people b. members share accountability for their won individual outcomes c. members do not share accountability for the team outcomes d. it is an interdependent group e. members share a common goal
c. members do not share accountability for the team outcomes
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of programmed decisions? a. goals are clear and well-known b. they are highly structured c. specific methods for handling them exist d. judgement and creativity are the basis of solution e. information is readily available
d. judgement and creativity are the basis of solution
The primary job of __________ is to create new products, processes, or businesses. a. problem-solving teams b. interdisciplinary teams c. quality circles d. venture teams e. work teams
d. venture teams