Principles of Organizational Behavior Practice Questions

Week 1  Organisational behaviour- It is a field of study that seeks to understand, explain, and ultimately improve the behaviours of individuals and groups in organizations.  OB knowledge improves organisational effectiveness  Organisational behaviour is a discipline ded...

Week 1  Organisational behaviour- It is a field of study that seeks to understand, explain, and ultimately improve the behaviours of individuals and groups in organizations.  OB knowledge improves organisational effectiveness  Organisational behaviour is a discipline dedicated to: a) Describing the complex work organisation from a behavioural perspective b) Providing explanations of why people behave they way they do at work c) Providing an understanding of individual, group, and organisational processes as a means of predicting behaviour d) All of the above e) None of the above  Qualitative methods are particularly good for _______; whereas quantitative methods are particularly good for _______. a) Theory development; Theory building b) Theory testing; Theory building c) Theory building; Theory testing d) Predicting behaviour; Explaining behaviour e) None of the above Week 2  Personality is typically defined as the relatively stable set of psychological characteristics  Personality development involves both nature (genetic predispositions) and  nurture (environmental factors), and their interaction is complex.  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)  Carl Jungs theory of personality types strongly believed in the notion of opposites. No middle ground.  Four dichotomies = 16 different personality types  Five Factor Model Openness to Experience o Conscientiousness o Extraversion o Agreeableness o Need for Emotional Stability (aka Neuroticism)   These dimensions are theoretically independent.   The Dark Triad Narcissism Psychopathy Machiavellianism  Internal locus of control; decisions, actions, and efforts  External locus of Control; luck Jean believes that she has control over her destiny. If she works hard, she can achieve her goals. Jean can be said to have a) High Locus of Control b) Low Locus of Control c) Neutral Locus of Control d) All of the above e) None of the above Cian believes that you got to do whatever it takes to get the results you need, even if that involves a little subterfuge. Lying is ok if needed to achieve your goal. Cian could be described as high on… a) Machiavellianism b) Narcissism c) Neuroticism d) Extroversion e) None of the above Why is it essential to study Organisational Behaviour? A. To ensure strict adherence to legal and regulatory compliance B. To develop advanced technological tools for organisational operations C. To understand and improve employee motivation, job satisfaction and performance D. To improve financial practices in organisations E. None of the above Which of the following factors significantly influence human behaviour within organisations? A. Market trends and economic indicators B. Global geopolitical events and policies C. Organisational culture, leadership style, group dynamics D. Technological advancements and software tools E. None of the above Week 3  Perception – process of receiving about and making sense of the world around us.  Compliance Techniques= spend more money  PROCESS MODEL 1. Bottom up Sensory input Selective attention 2. Top down Perceptual organisations Interpretation Behavioural response  Schemas fill in the missing details  Attribution Theory (Kelley, 1973) o Distinctiveness o Consistency o Consensus  Fundamental attribution error is to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors. The __________ phase deals with the mental mechanisms that allow us to organise and interpret the information we have attended to create meaning. a) Bottom-Up Processing b) Top-Down Processing c) Schema d) Mental Models e) None of the above The halo effect is a perceptual error which describes: a) A tendency to disregard the role of the environment when making attributions b) A tendency to see others in a negative light c) A tendency to allow a single positive characteristic observed in someone else to dominate one’s assumptions about all aspects of that person d) A tendency to see oneself in a positive light e) None of the above Personality is: (a) Inherited and defined by our genetic make-up (b) Learned by our interactions with our environment (c) Influenced both by inherited and learned factors (d) Not consistent and changes every day Traditional personality theory sees personality as: (a) Stable and consistent (b) Unpredictable and ever changing (c) Irrelevant to workplace settings (d) Based on social and biological pressures of the moment In personality theory, emotional stability is a factor that typically refers to: (a) An individual’s ability to conceal their emotions (b) An individual’s tendency to behave in emotionally open ways (c) An individual’s emotional state at any one point in time (d) An individual’s ability to respond in reasonable and consistent ways to the challenges that they may face in their live “Are others acting in a similar way to Mary in this situation” is a question that answers which of the following elements about attribution? a) Extinction b) Consensus c) Control d) Distinctiveness e) None of the above Week 4  Warr's studies clarifies why people are motivated to work   Extrinsic motivation – incentives  Intrinsic motivation – values and preferences Four Drive theory Drive to acquire Drive to bond Drive to comprehend Drive to defend  ERG Theory (Existence, Relatedness, Growth)  McClelland’s Needs Theory (Achievement, Power, Affiliation)  Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory – Hygiene and Motivation factors  Expectancy Theory by Victor Vroom Expectancy (Effort – performance) Instrumentality (Performance – Outcome) Valence – the value that a person attaches to the outcome According to Herzberg’s theory, which of the following is not a work motivator? a) Pay b) Working Conditions c) Hygiene Factors d) All of the above e) None of the above Motivation that is felt when task performance serves as its own reward is known as ______ motivation.  a) Extrinsic b) Instrumental c) Intrinsic d) Valence e) Expectancy Common perceptual distortions are: a) Stereotyping b) Projection c) Halo effect d) The fundamental attribution error e) All of the above In Attribution Theory, self-serving bias refers to: a) People's tendency to attribute positive events to their own character but attribute negative events to external factors b) The processing of screening out information that is contrary to our values and assumptions and to more readily accept confirming information c) How we explain other’s behaviour primarily through internal characteristics e.g., personality, motives d) How a single characteristic associated with an individual is used to generate an overall impression of a person. Week 5  The circumplex model of emotions Russell and Barrett provide two central propositions of core affect – Valence and Activation  Emotional Dissonance – conflict between the emotion displayed and the emotion felt  Display Rules specify which emotions can be expresses in certain situations  Reappraisal – re-evaluating the situation  Suppression leads to increased physiological functioning and a decline in cognitive functioning John works in a busy hospital. He is finding it hard to put on his ‘caring’ face as he feels frustrated. John is experiencing… a) Surface Acting b) Deep Acting c) Emotional Dissonance d) Emotional Amplification e) None of the above In the emotion literature, ________ are ‘rules’ that dictate which particular emotions employees are expected to express while at work. a) Inhibition Rules b) Display Rules c) Suppression Rules d) Feeling Rules e) None of the above Which of the following perspectives on motivation concerns ‘what’ motivates people as opposed to ‘how’ they are motivated: a) Process b) Drive/Content c) Equity d) Expectancy Which category of needs in Maslow's hierarchy would include the need for friendship and interaction with others? a) Esteem b) Physiological c) Safety d) Social Extrinsic motivators are: a) When employees assess that they are being fairly paid in comparison to their colleagues b) Tangible and visible, e.g. pay increase, company car c) The satisfaction of personal wants and desires, e.g. increased autonomy and responsibility d) All of the above Week 6  A challenge of teams - process losses (resources expended towards team development and maintenance rather than the task) -Social Loafing – when some people put less effort into the task when working with others than when working alone. -Risky shift phenomenon - Diffusion of responsibility  Stage of group formation Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning  Group norms a form of social control  Group cohesion is an emotional experience – members make the team part of their social identity  Conformity – occurs due to unspoken group pressure  Groupthink is a process of flawed decision making that occurs due to strong pressures among group members to reach an agreement. - Antecedents of groupthink – highly cohesive, valued and attractive - Symptoms – persuaded to conform, silence is taken as consent, shield the leader - Rationalisation - Invulnerability  - Overcoming groupthink – diversity creates different viewpoints, encourages debate, and prevents the homogeneity of thought.  Effective Team Member Behaviours – cooperating, coordinating, communicating, comforting, conflict handling A group norm is? a) A formal written rule to which all members must comply b) A prevailing group attitude c) A legal group requirement d) An unwritten rule of behaviour shared by all or most members of the group e) None of the above Claire was nominated to be a member of a process improvement team. After a couple of meetings, she began to feel her skills were not being adequately appreciated and that others resented her attempts to influence. According to Tuckman, her team is most likely in the _____ stage of group development. a) Forming b) Storming c) Norming d) Performing e) Adjourning Which of the following BEST describes the difference between emotions and moods? a) Moods are directed toward someone or something; emotions are not directed toward anything. b) Emotions tend to be longer-term states than moods. c) Moods are typically shorter-term states than emotions. d) Emotions are directed toward someone or something; moods are not directed toward anything. Surface acting refers to a) A situation where an employee attempts to experience the emotions that are going to be displayed rather than faking them. b) Displaying emotions that are not felt, where the focus is on the display of the emotion rather than the inner experience. c) The range, intensity, duration and object of the emotions that employees should experience d) All of the above Week 7  Contemporary perspectives differentiate types of conflict based on their effects.  Dysfunctional Conflict – conflict that hinders group performance – relationship focused  Functional Conflict - task focused  4 types of conflict Intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, intragroup  Approaches to conflict Arbitration, inquisition, mediation   Thomas- Kilmann Conflict Resolution  How assertive or non-assertive each party is  The extent to which a party focuses on their needs, interests or goals  How cooperative or uncooperative is each party in satisfying the concerns of others  Francis and Donald were disagreeing over who should take the holiday shift. Although Francis did not want to work that holiday, and because Donald was very adamant that he has that holiday off, Francis agreed to take the shift. Because the issue was less important to Francis compared to Donald’s feelings about the issue, the conflict was resolved by Francis: a) Forcing the issue b) Accommodating/yielding to Donald c) Avoiding the situation d) Using problem-solving skills e) Escalating the issue Joan tends to be very competitive and tends to put her own needs first. Joan’s approach to conflict could be described as: a) Avoidance b) Collaborative c) Accommodating d) Withdrawing e) None of the above A team role is: a) About the diversity within the team b) A set of behaviours people are expected to repeatedly perform because they hold formal or informal positions within a team or organisation c) The degree of attraction people feel toward the team and their motivation to remain members d) When members make the team part of their social identify and take ownership of the team's success Week 8  Leadership- the ability to influence, motivate and enable others  The great Man theory contrasts with a culture where everyone is expected to lead  Managerial leadership depends on transformational leadership  Servant leadership encourages others to fulfill their needs and potential for personal development and growth.  The reasons that the "romance of leadership" exists include that it enables us to explain successes and failures in terms of a leader's ability and the tendency of people to believe that events result from the rational acts of leaders  Ohio – consideration (employee) and initiating structure (task) Joe believes that leaders should be strong and directive as his father, who he greatly admires was a strong leader. This is an example of a(n) ◼ A Implicit leadership prototype ◼ B Romance of leadership ◼ C Great man theory ◼ D None of the above The Ohio leadership studies identified two clusters of leadership behaviours ◼ A transformational and transactional ◼ B Initiating and consideration ◼ C Authoritarian and supportive ◼ D Functional and dysfunctional ◼ E None of the above  Transformational leadership – charisma  Transactional Leadership – rewards and legitimate power Compromising involves: a) Smoothing over or evading conflict situations altogether e.g., steering clear of co-workers associated with the conflict b) 2 or more members of a single group/team disagreeing about something c) Looking for a position in which your losses are offset by equally gained values- looking for a middle ground between interests of both parties. d) Trying to win the conflict at the others expense If you have a preference for avoidance as a conflict management style: a) You have a tendency to embrace conflict at all costs b) You are high on cooperation and low on assertiveness c) You are low on cooperation and low on assertiveness d) You are high on cooperation and high on assertiveness e) You are low on cooperation and high on assertiveness Week 9 TUT 8  The 4 I’s of Transformational Leadership - Idealized Influence - Intellectual stimulation - Inspirational motivation - Individualized consideration Shared leadership is: a) The view that leaders serve followers rather than vice-versa. b) The emerging view that leadership is a role not a position assigned to one person in the Organisational hierarchy c) The view that follower's perceptions play a role in a leader’s effectiveness d) The view that effective leaders help employees improve their performance and well-being toward current objectives and practice Desirable leader attributes are: a) Emotional Intelligence b) Ability to motivate others c) Conscientious personality d) All of the above Power  Types of power - coercive, reward, expert, referent (perceived attractiveness), legitimate The ability to punish for noncompliance is referred to as: a) Formal power b) Reward power c) Coercive power d) Referent power Organisational politics is defined as: a) Power originating from the position one holds in the organisation b) The target’s perception that the power holder controls a valuable resource that can help the target achieve his/her goals c) The use of influence tactics for personal gain at the perceived expense of others in the organisation d) Unequal dependence of one party on another par Week 10  Schein’s culture Model Visible – artifacts Invisible – exposed values and basic assumptions  ASA theory = attraction – selection- attrition  Person organization fit is the degree to which a person’s personality and values match the culture of an organization n _____ are the manifestations of an organisational culture that everyone can see or talk about: nA. Basic underlying assumptions nB Observable/non observable artefacts nC. Espoused values nD. Culture strength nE. Hidden artefacts   Organisational culture consists of values, norms and assumptions that are shared among organisational members.  Espoused values – the values we hope to have will become part of or culture eventually  Enacted values- values that are actually put into practice- this is what defines the organisations culture Week 12  MARS model (Motivation, ability, role, clarity, and situational support) is often used to explain why employees are resistant to change. Sample Questions Which three psychological characteristics make up the dark triad? a. Extroversion, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism – the big five b. Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, Narcissism c. Introversion, Judging, Perceiving – Myers - Briggs Type Indicators d. Neuroticism, Extroversion, Psychopathy e. Narcissism, Neuroticism, Psychopath Louise found Simon as distant and detached. Consequently, she felt he would also be mean-spirited and cold. This could best be described as: a. Social Loafing- this refers to individuals exerting less effort in groups that alone b. Self-serving bias – Our tendency to see ourselves in overly favourable manner to protect or enhance SE c. Halo Effect d. Fundamental Attribution Error e. Horns Effect – occurs when we tend to focus on one negative aspect of an individual and use that characteristic to evaluate the peron as a whole Which facet of expectancy theory relates to an individual’s belief that performance will lead to specific rewards or outcomes? a. Expectancy- belief that effort will lead to successful performance b. Instrumentality – individuals belief that performance leads to specific rewards c. Valence- how much a person values the reward d. Efficacious- belief or confidence in one’s ability e. Intrinsic- personal fulfilment Louise is a teacher at a busy school. She often draws on her experiences with her own children and her feelings about them to help evoke the appropriate emotions needed in class. Louise is practising: a. Surface Acting b. Deep Acting c. Rational Persuasion d. Emotional Intelligence e. Emotional Suppression Louise and Simon are on a project team. As the deadline nears, they realise some colleagues contribute less, relying on others for work. Despite clear objectives, certain members seem disengaged from their responsibilities. What phenomenon does this illustrate? a. Machiavellianism b. Group Norms c. Social Loafing d. Conformity e. None of the above Which conflict resolution approach is characterised by individuals prioritising their own objectives while disregarding others’ concerns, with the primary focus on winning and asserting dominance? a. Accommodating b. Collaborating c. Avoidance/Withdrawing d. Competing/Forcing e. Compromising What does the concept of ‘romance of leadership’ primarily refer to? a. The idea that leaders should build strong personal relationships with their followers. b. The tendency to overemphasise the role of leaders in organisational success or failure. c. The belief that leadership is an innate quality rather than a learned skill. d. The focus on romanticising historical leaders in leadership studies e. None of the above This political tactic involves using logic and facts to persuade. a. Ingratiation b. Consultation c. Manipulation d. Inspirational Appeal e. Rational Persuasion At Whack Inc., Natalia and Laura kick off each week by gathering employees for a morning coffee and croissant to discuss upcoming tasks and goals. This routine describes which of the following? a. A symbol b. A ritual c. A language d. A ceremony e. None of the above Why might employees resist changes within an organisation? a. Negative valence of the change b. ‘Not invented here’ syndrome c. A fear of the unknown d. Incongruent team dynamics e. All of the above