Pre-Assessment

Question 1

Employees A and B work together on the same project team. When the team faces a complex problem, the team leader usually asks B to generate alternative solutions for the team to consider. Experience has shown that B is more likely to take initiative, to set ambitious goals, and to feel that the team can effectively influence its environment. Employee A tends to do well on jobs that are routine, is plagued with self doubt, and feels that the team is largely powerless over its environment.

Which statement is correct?

Answer 1

Employee A exhibits negative core self evaluation, and employee B exhibits positive core self evaluation.

Question 2

Employee B was upset by Employee A’s behavior at the department’s planning meeting.

Which factors will influence Employee B’s perception in this situation?

Answer 2

Situation, target, and perceiver

Question 3

A person is broadminded, courageous, and forgiving.

Which type of values are these?

Answer 3

Instrumental values

Question 4

An employee enjoys having a large span of responsibility and is motivated to do well because of personal feelings.

Which kind of reward is this?

Answer 4

Intrinsic reward

Question 5

Which theory of motivation focuses on 5 levels of needs, and further separates those needs by lower-order needs and higher-order needs?

Answer 5

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Question 6

Manager A supervises 10 district units with 100 employees and receives $100,000 in compensation. Manager B supervises 5 district units with 50 employees and also receives $100,000 in compensation. Manager A is upset by this relationship and is looking for a new job.

Which theory explains A’s motivation to look for a new job?

Answer 6

Equity theory

Question 7

A manager challenged an employee to produce an average of 24 assemblies each day for a week. This production goal was higher than the employee had ever achieved during any week. The manager gave the employee a tally sheet to mark after each assembly was completed.

Considering the goal-setting theory of motivation, the manager was counting on which factors to influence the employee to achieve the production goal?

Answer 7

Specificity and feedback

Question 8

What defines a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to a person occupying a given position in a social unit?

Answer 8

Group role

Question 9

Which type of group is defined by the organization’s structure?

Answer 9

Formal group

Question 10

Management has noticed that the quality improvement work group is struggling because members seem to be working in different directions.

Which suggested action can the company take to increase group cohesiveness?

Answer 10

Physically isolate the group

Question 11

To resolve a conflict between the department staff and the janitorial staff, the department head informs the department staff of a new policy prohibiting the eating of food at the desk.

Which type of conflict resolution technique does this represent?

Answer 11

Authoritative command

Question 12

What is an advantage of a cohesive group?

Answer 12

When performance-related goals are high, a cohesive group is more productive.

Question 13

What is an advantage of a group that is not very cohesive?

Answer 13

When performance norms are low, productivity may be higher than in a cohesive group.

Question 14

Which term describes the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually?

Answer 14

Social loafing

Question 15

What is a strength of group decision making?

Answer 15

Increased diversity of views

Question 16

Which statement is true about work teams?

Answer 16

Members of the group generate positive synergy through coordinated effort.

Question 17

What type of team is formed when employees from about the same hierarchical level but from different work areas come together to accomplish a task?

Answer 17

Cross-functional team

Question 18

What are primary factors that differentiate virtual teams from face-to-face teams?

Answer 18

Overcome time and space constraints and create limited social context

Question 19

What is a characteristic of problem-solving teams that is different than cross-functional teams?

Answer 19

Problem-solving team members come from the same work unit.

Question 20

A team was assigned a project. Halfway through the project it was obvious that the team was failing to meet expectations. Management had made sure that individuals assigned to the team had good interpersonal skills as well as good problem-solving and decision-making skills. However, they overlooked other abilities of team members required for accomplishing the work.

Which ability necessary for team members was overlooked?

Answer 20

Technical expertise

Question 21

When organizing a team to develop a new quality control system, management wanted to assign team members having characteristics common to effective teams.

Which list specifies common characteristics of effective teams?

Answer 21

A manageable level of conflict, members who are conscientious, and effective leadership

Question 22

A company switched from assembly lines to self-managed work teams.

What can team members do to improve the synergy and success of their teams?

Answer 22

Take action on problems as individual members as well as in work teams

Question 23

A company is changing their work organization from employees working individually to the use of teams.

Which reward system could be used to foster long-term team effectiveness?

Answer 23

Reward system that rewards both individual and group activity

Question 24

Management is considering a reorganization of sales regions and plans to allow employees to live and work in their respective sales territories throughout the United States. However, the vice president of sales wants the regionally-dispersed agents to participate in weekly sales meetings.

Which type of teams should be organized?

Answer 24

Virtual teams

Question 25

What is the optimal method for maximizing team member participation in a global meeting?

Answer 25

Video conferencing technology

Question 26

A team is struggling to become productive but cannot decide who should do what.

How should the team leader attempt to resolve the problem?

Answer 26

Coach the team through the difficulty

Question 27

Which option defines organizational culture?

Answer 27

A shared system of meanings that is unique to the organization

Question 28

What is one of the six primary characteristics that define an organization’s culture?

Answer 28

People orientation

Question 29

What is one of the forces that plays a particularly important role in sustaining an organization’s culture?

Answer 29

Socialization process

Question 30

How can an organization transmit its culture to its employees?

Answer 30

By using material symbols and specific language

Question 31

When is organizational culture considered dysfunctional?

Answer 31

When cultural incompatibility deters making acquisitions or mergers

Question 32

What is an advantage of a strong organizational culture?

Answer 32

The company has low employee turnover.

Question 33

How might a charismatic leader work to increase performance in an organization?

Answer 33

Articulate an appealing vision.

Question 34

Which contingency theory of leadership proposes that early in the interaction between a leader and a given follower the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an “in” or an “out”?

Answer 34

Leader-member exchange theory

Question 35

What is a characteristic employed by transformational leaders?

Answer 35

Provides vision and sense of mission and gains trust

Question 36

Which approach might be used to mentor a less-experienced employee?

Answer 36

Counseling and sponsorship

Question 37

Which conflict-resolution techniques might a manager use to control the level of conflict that has become dysfunctional?

Answer 37

Superordinate goals and altering the structural variables

Question 38

Recognize how workplace politics influence behavior within an organization.

How do employees often respond when feeling threatened by organizational politics?

Answer 38

With defensive behaviors

Question 39

What is a purpose of employee performance evaluations?

Answer 39

To provide feedback and determine reward allocations

Question 40

What is true about the relationship between performance evaluation and motivation?

Answer 40

Employees must have confidence that the effort they exert will lead to a favorable performance evaluation.

Question 41

In which circumstances would the use of 360-degree performance evaluations apply?

Answer 41

When both internal and external customer feedback is helpful

Question 42

A company has restructured around teams but performance has not met expectations.

What should be the main evaluation criterion in an appropriate performance evaluation for supporting and improving the performance of teams?

Answer 42

Team results being tied to important goals