Chapter 3

Question 1

Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn define organizational behavior as the study of:

a. human behavior in organizations.
b. the organization’s output or end product.
c. systems theory within an organization.
d. strategic planning for long-term survival.

Answer 1

A: Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn define organizational behavior as the study of human behavior in organizations.

Question 2

According to Lynn and Redman, organizational behavior emphasizes:

a. products, sales, and revenue generation.
b. job satisfaction, loyalty, and productivity.
c. economic constraints, customer base, and sales.
d. machine-like or assembly line work process.

Answer 2

B: Organizational behavior emphasizes actions and attitudes of people within organizations such as job satisfaction, commitment (loyalty), and performance (productivity).

Question 3

A nursing instructor wants to determine whether the nursing students understand the principles that scientific management emphasizes. Which response by the students would indicate that they understand scientific management?

a. Products, sales, and revenue generation
b. Job satisfaction, loyalty, and productivity
c. Economic constraints, customer base, and sales
d. Machine-like or assembly line work processes

Answer 3

D: Scientific management emphasizes the machine-like or assembly line focus of work processes and the precise sets of instructions and time-motion studies assumed to enhance productivity.

Question 4

The nursing staff of the medical unit recognize that according to Schermerhorn et al., an organization can be considered effective if it:

a. maintains a growth rate of no less than 10 percent per year.
b. can continue to grow and have a healthy bottom line.
c. has a quality workforce and commitment to success.
d. can increase productivity without increasing employees.

Answer 4

C: Schermerhorn et al. state important contributions to the effectiveness of any organization are the quality of its workforce and their commitment to the goals and success of the organization.

Question 5

Intellectual capital can be defined as:

a. work created by an individual but owned solely by the organization.
b. an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that have value and portability.
c. ideas and creations formulated at work and sold for profit by the organization.
d. an organization’s collective information, which is in written, electronic, or cryptic format.

Answer 5

B: Intellectual capital includes an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that have value and portability in a knowledge economy.

Question 6

In order to increase productivity, the nurse manager of the surgical unit removes obstacles for motivated and empowered individuals. This behavior is common in which type of organizational model?

a. Autocratic c. Collegial
b. Custodial d. Technological

Answer 6

C: In Table 3-1, Clark summarizes and compares models of organizational behavior. The collegial model is based on partnership, teamwork, and employee support that removes obstacles for motivated and empowered individuals. Both autocratic and custodial models are managed by power, authority, economics, and money, which have employees dependent on the boss or the organization. Technology is not a model or organizational behavior discussed.

Question 7

Organizational behavior has impacted the autocratic model of behavior by moving from:

a. dependence on the organization to responsibility for self.
b. dependence on the boss to empowering the individual.
c. passive cooperation by the employee to active participation.
d. motivation by money, security and benefits to motivation by job performance.

Answer 7

B: The autocratic model focuses on dependency on the boss, while the study of organizational behavior has shown today’s health care employees prefer a more supportive and collegial work environment empowering the individual. Passive cooperation is seen in the custodial model. Dependency on the organization is seen in the custodial model. Motivation by money, security, and benefits is seen in the custodial model.

Question 8

A high-performance organization can be characterized by which of the following characteristics?

a. Brings out the best in people
b. Values knowledge and pays top salaries
c. Continues to change with consumer demands
d. Is job centered to guarantee efficiency of work

Answer 8

A: High-performance organizations operate in a way that brings out the best in people and produces sustainable high performance over time. They have the ability to attract, motivate, and retain talented people

Question 9

Maintaining high quality-of-work-life environments requires the commitment of:

a. owners and stockholders of a company.
b. human and financial resource departments.
c. leaders and employees of the organization.
d. maintenance, housekeeping, and other service departments.

Answer 9

C: Maintaining high quality-of-work-life environments requires the commitment of both leaders and employees in organizations. Leaders in high-performance organizations recognize that the single best predictor of an organization’s capacity to attract, motivate, and sustain talented people is to maintain a high quality work-life environment.

Question 10

Saint Cecil’s hospital recently achieved “magnet” status. This means that the hospital has met the:

a. AHA distinguished service award for excellence in community service.
b. JC patient care performance measures with no deficiencies.
c. OSHA compliance with all guidelines and no deficiencies.
d. ANCC nursing excellence requirements.

Answer 10

D: Magnet status is awarded to health care organizations that have met the rigorous nursing excellence requirements of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), a division of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Achievement of magnet status designation represents the highest level of recognition the ANCC accords to health care organizations that provide the services of registered professional nurses.

Question 11

The initial proposal for the Magnet Hospital Recognition Program was approved by the ANA Board of Directors in:

a. 1983. c. 1990.
b. 1987. d. 1994.

Answer 11

C: The initial proposal for Magnet Hospital Recognition Program was approved by the ANA Board of Directors in December 1990. This proposal indicated that the program would be built upon the 1983 ANA magnet hospital study.

Question 12

The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle became the first magnet facility in which year?

a. 1985 c. 1994
b. 1989 d. 2000

Answer 12

C: RAT: The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle became ANCC’s first magnet facility in 1994. By 1998, 13 hospitals achieved magnet designation, and, by mid-2006, more than 200 facilities had achieved magnet designation.

Question 13

The Magnet Hospital Recognition Program was created to achieve three major goals. Which of the following is considered a goal?

a. Decrease and attempt to abolish the nursing shortage
b. “Pay for performance” or higher wages for higher quality work
c. Identify excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients
d. Drive down the soaring cost of health care in the United States

Answer 13

C: The goals are to identify excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients, promote quality in a milieu that supports professional nursing practice, and provide a mechanism for the dissemination of best practices in nursing services.

Question 14

Nine characteristics define magnet nursing services. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the program’s appraisal process?

a. High quality patient care c. Community involvement
b. Clinical autonomy and responsibility d. High compensation and benefits

Answer 14

D: Nine characteristics define magnet nursing services: high quality patient care, clinical autonomy and responsibility, participatory decision making, strong nurse leaders, two-way communication with staff, community involvement, opportunity and encouragement of professional development, effective use of staff resources, and high levels of job satisfaction.

Question 15

One of the top benefits of magnet designation for a hospital is:

a. being self-insured for all employees.
b. improved nurse recruitment and retention.
c. lower on-job back injuries reported by staff.
d. larger number of culturally diverse employees.

Answer 15

B: Hospitals attaining magnet designation may achieve multiple benefits. The major benefits are improved patient quality outcomes, enhanced organizational culture, improved nurse recruitment and retention, enhanced safety outcomes, enhanced competitive advantage, and higher nurse job satisfaction.

Question 16

Improvement in quality patient outcomes has been reported in magnet organizations. According to several studies, which of the following is thought to contribute significantly to quality patient outcomes?

a. Nurse’s work environment c. Performance improvement practices
b. Quality assessment practices d. Shorter lengths of stay in the hospital

Answer 16

A: Research by Lake and Friese; Aiken, Smith, and Lake; and Aiken, Sloane, Lake, Sochalski, and Weber support the importance of the nurse’s work environment to enhanced continuity of patient care, increased levels of patient satisfaction, and lower mortality rate.

Question 17

A staff nurse asks the supervisor, “What is an essential element to giving quality care in magnet hospitals?” Which response by the supervisor would be the most appropriate?

a. Higher salary, benefits, and paid time off than in non-magnet hospitals
b. Adequate nurse staffing and support for continuing professional development
c. Cross-training for flexibility in practice and higher compensation when flexed
d. Moving from one magnet hospital to another without loss of seniority or benefits

Answer 17

B: There are eight essentials of magnetism: opportunities to work with other nurses who are clinically competent, good nurse-physician relationships, nurse autonomy and accountability, supportive nurse managers, control over nursing practice, support for education, adequate nurse staffing, and concern for the patient.

Question 18

Magnet hospitals are known for enhanced safety outcomes. According to Aiken, Sloane, and Klocinski, magnet hospitals are known to have:

a. less than 1 percent nosocomial infections per year.
b. zero to five reported OSHA violations per year.
c. fewer needle sticks.
d. fewer back injuries.

Answer 18

C: Aiken, Sloane, and Klocinski state that magnet hospitals have been found to have fewer needle stick injury rates among nurses.

Question 19

A nurse manager is assisting with the magnet application process when a staff nurse asks, “What is a gap analysis?” The most appropriate response by the nurse manager would be which of the following?

a. The space between where the organization is and where it wants to be
b. A research study of community needs that are not being met by the organization
c. An audit of the organization’s financial ability to undertake the magnet process
d. A study of the community’s need for a magnet-recognized organization

Answer 19

A: The gap analysis examines the space between where the organization is and where it wants to be, an assessment of the differences between the expected magnet requirements and the organization’s current performance on these requirements.

Question 20

After achieving magnet status, a nurse manager asks the Director of Nursing, “How often are the site visits for the re-designation of magnet status for organizations?” The most appropriate response from the Director would be which of the following?

a. 2 years c. 4 years
b. 3 years d. 5 years

Answer 20

C: Interim reports are submitted every year. Site visits are scheduled every 4 years for the re-designation process.

Question 21

A nurse recognizes that the most important essential of magnetism is which of the following?

a. Concern for the patient c. Control over nursing practice
b. Good nurse-physician relationships d. Authoritative nursing managers

Answer 21

A: The most important essential of magnetism is concern for the patient. Other essentials include opportunities to work with other nurses who are clinically competent, good nurse-physician relationships, nurse autonomy and accountability, supportive nurse managers, control over nursing practice, support for education, and adequate nurse staffing; however, concern for the patient is always paramount.

Question 22

During preparation of the application for magnet status, a nurse asks the supervisor, “What is meant by nursing sensitive indicators?” The supervisor would be correct in responding:

a. Indicators that a nurse is vulnerable to depression
b. Indications as to whether a nurse is sensitive to stress
c. Nurses working with sensitive and confidential information
d. Measures that reflect the outcomes of nursing actions and care

Answer 22

D: The supervisor would be correct in responding that nursing sensitive indicators measure the outcome of nursing care. These indicators represent the patient’s response to the various strategies implemented by the nursing staff.

Question 23

A new graduate has accepted a position at a hospital that is considered a high-performance organization. The hospital most likely has which of the following characteristics?

a. Discourages the use of technology
b. Refuses release time to all nurses for continuing education
c. Focuses only on the hospital’s internal environment
d. Empowers nurses to use self-directive and personal initiative

Answer 23

D: High-performance organizations empower their employees to use self-directive and personal initiative. This type of organization brings out the best in people and produces sustainable high performance. High-performance organizations encourage the use of technology, focus on both the internal and external environment, and are supportive of their staff’s involvement in continuing education.

Question 24

Which of the following provides a competitive advantage for hospitals with magnet designation?

a. High turnover and low job satisfaction c. High turnover and high job satisfaction
b. Low turnover and high job satisfaction d. Low turnover and low job satisfaction

Answer 24

B: Low turnover and high job satisfaction gives a competitive advantage to hospitals with magnet designation. High turnover and low job satisfaction would indicate that there are problems in the hospital’s internal environment. Problems such as unsafe working conditions, low salaries, and poor leadership or management are just a few of the situations that can create dissatisfaction and high turnover.

Question 25

Nurses employed in organizations that follow a Custodial Model of organizational behavior would most likely observe which of the following related to performance outcomes?

a. Passive cooperation c. Enthusiasm
b. Engagement d. Drive and cooperation

Answer 25

A: A Custodial Model of organizational behavior would most likely be characterized by passive cooperation. Enthusiasm and engagement are more characteristic of a Collegial Model, and drive and cooperation are characteristic of a Supportive Model.