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NEW QUESTION # 20
Management has noticed that the accounting work group is having difficulty because group members seem to be working in different directions. Which suggested action can the company take to increase group cohesiveness?
- A. Establish more rigid role definition for group members
- B. Give individual rewards rather than group rewards
- C. Have the group avoid competition with other groups
- D. Give group rewards rather than individual rewards
Answer: D
Explanation:
Group cohesiveness refers to the degree to which members are attracted to one another and are motivated to remain part of the group. When members are "working in different directions," it indicates a lack of alignment and shared purpose. One of the most effective structural methods to foster unity is togive group rewards rather than individual rewards. When rewards are tied to the collective output of the team, members are incentivized to collaborate, share information, and support one another to ensure the entire group succeeds.
Individual rewards often foster internal competition, which can further fragment a group that is already struggling with alignment.
In addition to group-based rewards, other strategies to increase cohesiveness include making the group smaller, increasing the time members spend together, and stimulating competition withothergroups (rather than avoiding it). By shifting the focus from individual achievement to collective success, the organization encourages members to coordinate their efforts, thereby increasing the "we-feeling" necessary for high- performing teams.
NEW QUESTION # 21
Which dimension of the Fiedler contingency model is associated with the degree of influence a leader has over variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases?
- A. Leader-member relations
- B. Leader-member exchange
- C. Position power
- D. Task structure
Answer: C
Explanation:
The Fiedler contingency model proposes that effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader. Fiedler identified three contingency dimensions that define the situational favorableness: Leader-member relations, Task structure, andPosition power.
Image of Fiedler's Contingency Model
Position power is specifically defined as the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. A leader with high position power has significant structural authority, which makes it easier to influence the behavior of subordinates through formal rewards and sanctions. In contrast, a leader with low position power must rely more heavily on personal influence or rapport to achieve goals. Understanding these dimensions is crucial because Fiedler argued that a leader's style is essentially fixed; therefore, to improve effectiveness, one must either change the leader to fit the situation or change the situation (such as increasing or decreasing the leader's position power) to fit the leader.
NEW QUESTION # 22
A team was assigned a project. Halfway through the project, however, it became obvious that the team was failing to meet expectations. Management had made sure that individuals assigned to the team had strong technical expertise as well as problem-solving and decision-making skills. However, other abilities for effective teamwork were overlooked. Which ability necessary for team members was overlooked?
- A. Interpersonal skills
- B. Propensity for social loafing
- C. Authoritarian personality
- D. Intellectual coherence
Answer: A
Explanation:
To perform effectively, a team requires three different types of skills. First, it needs people with technical expertise to perform the task at hand. Second, it needs people with problem-solving and decision-making skills to be able to identify problems, generate alternatives, and make competent choices. Finally, and perhaps most importantly for group cohesion, a team needs people with stronginterpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills include effective listening, feedback, and conflict resolution.
In the scenario provided, the team had the "hard" skills (technical and analytical) but lacked the "soft" skills required to navigate the social complexities of working as a unit. Without interpersonal skills, a team may have the smartest individuals but still fail because they cannot communicate effectively or resolve the inevitable friction that arises during a long-term project. While "propensity for social loafing" is a behavior to avoid, and "authoritarian personality" is often a hindrance, the foundational "ability" cited in organizational behavior literature as a prerequisite for team success alongside technical and problem-solving skills is interpersonal competence.
NEW QUESTION # 23
Although team performance has been fairly good, members feel that more could be done to improve their effectiveness. They feel that some team members could be more collaborative. Which type of reward system could be used effectively in this situation?
- A. A system that emphasizes individual rewards for aggressive competitiveness
- B. A system that emphasizes rewards for individual contributions as well as for selfless contributions
- C. A system that emphasizes group rewards for maximizing productivity
- D. A system that emphasizes group rewards based on aggressive competitiveness
Answer: B
Explanation:
Designing an effective reward system for teams requires a delicate balance between individual and collective incentives. If the reward system focuses solely on individual achievement, it can foster internal competition and discourage the very collaboration the team is lacking. Conversely, if it focuses only on the group, "social loafing" may occur where some members coast on the efforts of others.
To improve effectiveness and collaboration, the organization should implementa system that emphasizes rewards for individual contributions as well as for selfless contributions. This means that while members are recognized for their technical proficiency, they are also evaluated and rewarded for being "good team players"-sharing information, helping colleagues, and resolving conflicts. Rewarding "selfless contributions" directly addresses the concern that members need to be more collaborative. This dual-focus approach ensures that individuals are motivated to perform their specific tasks at a high level while simultaneously being incentivized to support the team's overall synergy.
NEW QUESTION # 24
A team is struggling to resolve procedural issues that govern their performance. What should the team leader do to resolve the problem?
- A. Appoint an assistant team leader to track the struggles and report back
- B. Rearrange roles within the team by adding members
- C. Research the problem and impose a solution
- D. Ask questions and help team members talk through the problem
Answer: D
Explanation:
When a team struggles with procedural issues-the "how" of their work-the most effective leadership approach is often facilitative rather than directive. Instead of imposing a solution (Option A), which can lead to resistance or a lack of "buy-in," the leader shouldask questions and help team members talk through the problem. This technique is rooted in the concept ofteam coachingand process consultation.
By facilitating a dialogue, the leader encourages the team to take ownership of their own processes. This collaborative problem-solving approach helps identify the root cause of the procedural friction, whether it be ambiguous roles, inefficient workflows, or conflicting expectations. Furthermore, helping the team talk through the issue strengthens their internal communication and conflict-resolution skills, making them more resilient in the future. A leader who acts as a facilitator helps the team move from the "storming" phase of development-where procedural conflicts are common-into the "norming" phase, where clear, agreed-upon standards of behavior and performance are established by the group itself.
Organizational Culture
NEW QUESTION # 25
After physiological desires such as hunger, thirst, and shelter are met, the next level of desires becomes the basis for motivation. This is an example of which theory?
- A. Two factor theory
- B. Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- C. X and Y hierarchy
- D. Bigelow's three factor theory
Answer: B
Explanation:
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is perhaps the best-known theory of motivation. Maslow hypothesized that within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs:Physiological(hunger, thirst, shelter),Safety(security and protection),Social(affection, belongingness),Esteem(self-respect, autonomy), andSelf-actualization(achieving one's potential).
Image of Maslow's hierarchy of needs
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The core premise of this theory is the "progression principle," which states that as each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next need in the hierarchy becomes dominant as a motivator. The question highlights that once physiological desires (the lowest level) are met, the individual moves to the next level. In Maslow's original model, the level immediately following physiological needs isSafety and Security. This level involves seeking a predictable environment free from physical and emotional harm. In an organizational context, this translates to job security, health benefits, and a safe working environment. According to Maslow, once an employee feels physically safe and secure, they will no longer be motivated by these factors and will instead seek to satisfy "social" or "belonging" needs. While contemporary research suggests that people don't always follow this rigid linear progression, Maslow's model remains a foundational tool for managers to understand that an employee's needs change as their circumstances improve.
NEW QUESTION # 26
What defines acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by group members?
- A. Group roles
- B. Group status
- C. Group norms
- D. Group conformity
Answer: C
Explanation:
All groups have establishedNorms, which are defined as acceptable standards of behavior shared by the group's members that tell them what they ought and ought not to do under certain circumstances. Norms are powerful because they act as a means of influencing the behavior of group members with a minimum of external controls. Common organizational norms include performance norms (how hard to work), appearance norms (dress codes), and social arrangement norms (whom to eat lunch with).
Norms are distinct fromGroup Roles, which are specific behaviors expected of a person in a specific position.
While roles might differ from member to member (e.g., a leader vs. a scribe), norms are generally shared by the entire collective.Group Statusrefers to a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others, andConformityis the act of adjusting one's behavior to align with the norms of the group.
Therefore, the "standards of behavior" themselves are the norms. When an individual violates these shared standards, they often face social pressure or sanctions from the group, which reinforces the importance of norms in maintaining group stability and predictability.
NEW QUESTION # 27
A manager treats an employee with a free lunch to encourage the employee to continue to do well. Which kind of reward is provided?
- A. Extrinsic reward
- B. Intrinsic reward
- C. Compensatory reward
- D. Personality reward
Answer: A
Explanation:
Motivation in the workplace is often driven by a system of rewards, which are generally categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic types.Intrinsic rewardsare internal to the individual and come from the work itself; examples include a sense of accomplishment, personal growth, or the satisfaction of completing a difficult task. These are self-granted rewards.
Extrinsic rewards, conversely, are tangible rewards given by another person (usually a manager or the organization) to an employee for performing a specific task or behavior. These include salary increases, bonuses, promotions, benefits, and even smaller tokens like a free lunch. In this scenario, the free lunch is a physical, external incentive provided by the manager to reinforce the employee's positive performance. While intrinsic rewards are essential for long-term engagement and "meaningful" work, extrinsic rewards like a free meal are effective for immediate reinforcement and recognizing specific achievements. According to reinforcement theory, providing such a reward immediately following a desired behavior (doing well at work) increases the probability that the behavior will be repeated. Because the lunch is an external, tangible benefit provided by the manager rather than an internal feeling of satisfaction derived from the task itself, it is classified as an extrinsic reward.
NEW QUESTION # 28
Which characteristic describes an advantage of a virtual team as compared with other types of teams?
- A. People can work together who might otherwise not be able to collaborate on a work task.
- B. Verbal and nonverbal communication cues are easier to understand within a virtual team.
- C. Virtual team members generally report greater satisfaction with the group interaction process.
- D. The greater opportunity for interaction helps increase rapport.
Answer: A
Explanation:
Virtual teams use computer technology to unite physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. The defining advantage of virtual teams is their ability to overcome the constraints of time and space, allowingpeople to work together who might otherwise not be able to collaborateon a work task. This is particularly beneficial for global organizations that need to pull together the best experts regardless of where they are located in the world.
Image of virtual team collaboration
However, virtual teams face unique challenges compared to face-to-face teams. Because they rely on electronic communication, they often suffer from a lack of nonverbal cues (like body language and tone of voice), which makes communication less rich and more prone to misunderstanding. Consequently, virtual teams often report lower levels of satisfaction with the interaction process and may take longer to build trust and rapport (refuting options B and D). To be effective, managers of virtual teams must ensure that the team has the right technology, that progress is closely monitored, and that efforts are made to create "social presence" through occasional video calls or face-to-face meetings to build the trust that forms more naturally in traditional office settings. Despite these hurdles, the strategic benefit of accessing diverse talent from across the globe makes the virtual team an essential tool in the modern organizational landscape.
NEW QUESTION # 29
What are two of the three forces that play a particularly important role in sustaining an organization's culture?
- A. Actions of top management and employee education level
- B. Personal background of key employees and socialization process
- C. Actions of top management and socialization process
- D. Personal background of key employees and selection process
Answer: C
Explanation:
Once a culture is in place, certain practices within the organization act to maintain it by exposing employees to a set of similar experiences. Three forces play a particularly important role in sustaining a culture: selection practices, theactions of top management, and thesocialization process.
Theactions of top managementare crucial because through what they say and how they behave, senior executives establish norms that filter down through the organization. For example, their reactions to crises or how they reward performance send clear signals about what is truly valued. Thesocialization processis the method by which the organization helps new employees adapt to its culture. Even if an organization hires the
"right" people during selection, they must still be taught the specific values and customs of the firm.
Socialization ensures that the culture is transmitted consistently from one generation of employees to the next, maintaining the organization's unique identity over time.
NEW QUESTION # 30
In organizing a team to develop a new product for entry into the electronics market, management wanted to assign team members having characteristics common to effective teams. Which list specifies common characteristics of effective teams?
- A. Members who are emotionally stable, members who fill role demands, and a manageable level of conflict
- B. Effective leadership, members who score low on the personality characteristic of extroversion, and members who fill role demands
- C. A climate of trust, members who fill role demands, and an absence of conflict
- D. A climate of trust, members who score low on the personality characteristic of extroversion, and effective leadership
Answer: A
Explanation:
The effectiveness of a team is generally categorized by its composition, context, and process. According to the Big Five Personality Model and team research, effective teams are typically composed of individuals who score high onemotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. These traits help maintain a positive working environment and reduce interpersonal friction. Furthermore, teams must ensure that they have people to fill variousrole demands-meaning that all necessary tasks and social-maintenance functions are being performed by someone within the group.
Crucially, effective teams do not necessarily have an "absence of conflict" (which refutes option C). Instead, they maintain amanageable level of conflict. Specifically, "task conflict"-disagreements over the content of the work-can actually stimulate discussion and lead to better decisions, provided that "relationship conflict" (interpersonal animosity) remains low. Therefore, a team that is emotionally stable, fulfills its role requirements, and handles conflict constructively is much more likely to succeed in a high-pressure environment like the electronics market than one that simply tries to avoid all disagreement.
NEW QUESTION # 31
Employee A noticed that Employee B was late for work, and A's perception of why B was late will determine what action A takes in this situation. Considering attribution theory, which factors will determine A's perception regarding whether B's behavior was internally or externally caused?
- A. Problem, criteria, and alternatives
- B. Situation, attributes, and alternatives
- C. Distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency
- D. Creativity, relationships, and expertise
Answer: C
Explanation:
Attribution theory is a cornerstone of social perception in the workplace, explaining how we judge people differently depending on what meaning we attribute to a given behavior. When we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally caused (under the person's control) or externally caused (forced by the situation). According to Harold Kelley's model, this determination depends on three specific factors: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.
Distinctivenessrefers to whether an individual displays different behaviors in different situations. If Employee B is late for work but is generally reliable in all other tasks, the behavior has high distinctiveness, suggesting an external cause (like a traffic jam).Consensusoccurs if everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way. If every employee who took the same route as Employee B was also late, consensus is high, pointing to an external cause.Consistencylooks at whether the person responds the same way over time. If Employee B is late every single day, consistency is high, which usually leads the observer to attribute the behavior to internal causes (like a lack of discipline). By analyzing these three dimensions, Employee A forms a perception that dictates their reaction-whether that be empathy for a one-time external delay or disciplinary action for a recurring internal habit.
NEW QUESTION # 32
An individual attributes personal achievement in business to being competitive, independent, and successful in spite of challenges. Which statement is true regarding environmental factors and how they influence this person's personality and behavior?
- A. Personality and behavior are based solely on environmental factors.
- B. Environment is the single element in determining an individual's behavior.
- C. The individual's full potential may be determined by how well the individual adjusts to the requirements of the environment.
- D. Studies demonstrate that environment influences behavior but has no influence on personality.
Answer: C
Explanation:
In the study of Organizational Behavior, the "nature vs. nurture" debate examines how much of an individual's personality is inherited (heredity) versus influenced by their surroundings (environment). While heredity sets the outer parameters or "potential" of an individual's personality, environmental factors-such as culture, family, and social groups-dictate how that potential is realized or constrained. This specific individual exhibits traits like competitiveness and independence, which are often reinforced by a business environment that rewards such behaviors.
However, personality is not a static result of environment alone (refuting option A and D), nor is the environment irrelevant to personality development (refuting option C). Instead, the interactionist perspective suggests that behavior is a function of the person and their environment. The "potential" of a person's personality traits is often activated or suppressed by environmental demands. For example, a person with a natural inclination for leadership may only see that trait flourish if the environment provides opportunities and requirements for leadership. Consequently, the individual's success is a result of how effectively they adjust their internal traits to meet external environmental requirements. This adjustment process is a key component of "person-environment fit," where high levels of fit lead to better performance and job satisfaction.
NEW QUESTION # 33
What is an advantage of a strong organizational culture?
- A. There is ambiguity in what employees perceive as expectations.
- B. The internal climate exhibits low behavioral control.
- C. There is a formation of strong employee commitment.
- D. Core values are not intensely held and widely shared.
Answer: C
Explanation:
Astrong organizational cultureis one in which the core values are both intensely held and widely shared by the members. One of the primary advantages of such a culture is theformation of strong employee commitment. When employees believe in and identify with the organization's values, they are more likely to be dedicated to its goals and more willing to put in extra effort to see the organization succeed.
A strong culture also serves to reduce turnover because it creates a high level of agreement among members about what the organization stands for. This unanimity of purpose builds cohesiveness and loyalty.
Furthermore, a strong culture acts as a substitute for formalization; it tells employees how they are expected to behave without the need for thick manuals or rigid rules. While it can have liabilities (as noted in Q32), the immediate organizational benefit is a motivated, committed workforce that shares a common sense of direction.
NEW QUESTION # 34
What is a positive effect of a cohesive group?
- A. Reducing group norm effect
- B. Promoting value flexibility
- C. Bringing heterogeneity to the process
- D. Improving group productivity
Answer: D
Explanation:
Cohesiveness is generally viewed as a desirable trait in organizational groups because of its potential to improve group productivity. In a highly cohesive group, members are more likely to communicate effectively, experience less internal friction, and display higher levels of commitment to group goals. This internal synergy typically leads to a more efficient work process and higher quality output.
However, the relationship between cohesiveness and productivity is moderated byperformance-related norms. If a cohesive group has high performance norms (standards for hard work and quality), productivity will be significantly higher than in a group with low cohesiveness. Conversely, if a highly cohesive group has low performance norms, their productivity may actually decrease because they are united in their desire to work less. Despite this nuance, the fundamental positive organizational outcome associated with fostering cohesion is the enhancement of the group's ability to produce results.
NEW QUESTION # 35
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