1. An OB study would be least likely to be used to focus on which of the following problems?
a. an increase in absenteeism at a certain company
b. a fall in productivity in one shift of a manufacturing plant
c. a decrease in sales due to growing foreign competition
d. an increase in theft by employees at a retail store
e. excessive turnover in volunteer workers at a non-profit organization
2. What do the fundamental consistencies underlying the behavior of all individuals enable researchers to do?
a. observe human behavior
b. systematize human behavior
c. research human behavior
d. predict human behavior
e. detect human behavior
3. Which of the following was NOT cited in the text as a change taking place in organizations?
a. workers are more diverse
b. the typical employee is younger
c. more women are in the workplace
d. corporate downsizing
e. global competition
4. A manager in a workshop that reconditions used air conditioners finds that employees are avoiding cleaning the air conditioners properly, since this is a dirty and difficult task. The manager decides to alter this behavior by docking the pay of employees who do not clean the air conditioners properly. Which of the following describes the method of shaping behavior in this situation?
a. positive reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. punishment
d. extinction
e. counseling
5. You are the first-line supervisor for a group of employees who make cheese slicers. Their job is not terribly interesting or challenging and you have noticed that they are frequently tardy returning from their breaks. You have studied the concept of shaping behavior and decide that you will try to apply it to this situation.
You praise Allen for returning on time from break. This is an example of _____.
a. negative reinforcement
b. positive reinforcement
c. extinction
d. social learning
e. modeling
6. Ms. Jonas believes strongly that it is important that worker's rights be respected, and that one of the more important ways of doing this is to ensure that all workers be properly documented.
She is supervising a contracting company that is building a new warehouse for her company. While doing this she discovers that many of the workers employed by the contractor are undocumented aliens working for well below minimum wage
It is safe to say that this situation wouldn't be a problem if Ms. Jonas was _____.
a. a worker rather than a supervisor
b. working for the construction company
c. more of an ethical character
d. an undocumented worker
e. indifferent to workers' rights
7. A high score in which dimension of the Big Five model predicts good job performance for all occupational groups?
a. extraversion
b. agreeableness
c. conscientiousness
d. emotional stability
e. openness to experience
8. Which of the following would be the statement most likely made by an individual high in Machiavellianism?
a. "It does not matter so much whether I am right or wrong, as long as I am the center of attention."
b. "I do what I think needs to be done. I don't need someone else to tell me what is right."
c. "If it works, use it."
d. "I'll put it all on the line if I have to; you've got to play big to win big."
e. "I move fast; if you get in my way I'll run you down."
9. During an annual review Mitchell made the following assertion:
"When I look at myself and my performance I see that what I have achieved is outstanding and has, not surprisingly, won me the admiration and envy of most of my colleagues. I notice that every-one keeps talking about me; they are all just waiting to find out what triumph I will pull off next! In short, I don't just deserve a raise, but need one, since without me, let's face it, the place would simply fall apart."
Which of the following is probably the best descriptor of Mitchell's personality?
a. Type A
b. external locus of control
c. high-self monitoring
d. narcissistic
e. high Mach
10. Which category of dominant work values is most likely to characterize a 55-year-old employee in the U.S.?
a. hard working, conservative, conforming; loyalty to the organization
b. team-orientated, honest, self-reliant, loyal to relationships.
c. success, achievement, ambition, dislike of authority; loyalty to career
d. work/life balance, team-oriented, dislike of rules; loyalty to relationships
e. confident, financial success, self-reliant but team-oriented; loyalty to both self and relationships
11. According to Holland's personality-job fit theory, what are consequences of a good fit between personality and occupation?
a. a low level of stress
b. a high level of accomplishment
c. high satisfaction and low turnover
d. maximum performance and efficiency
e. a high rate of turnover
12. Which of the following is an internally caused behavior?
a. working late in order to get a promotion
b. arriving at work late because of an accident that tied up traffic
c. working late because you don't have a ride home from work
d. driving with the flow of traffic under the speed limit so that you do not get a ticket
e. running from an angry dog
13. What sort of actions are most likely to be attributed to external causes?
a. Actions that have high distinctiveness, high consensus and high consistency.
b. Actions that have high distinctiveness, high consensus and low consistency.
c. Actions that have high distinctiveness, low consensus and low consistency.
d. Actions that have low distinctiveness, low consistency and high consensus
e. Actions that have low distinctiveness, low consensus and low consistency.
14. Jennifer has already presented two excellent reports. The report she has just presented is clearly not as good as the first two reports, yet she is given the same high grade as before. What shortcut has the teacher used in this case?
a. the contrast effect
b. the halo effect
c. stereotyping
d. projection
e. assertion
15. What do we call the tendency to attribute one's own characteristics to other people?
a. stereotyping
b. self-serving bias
c. selection
d. projection
e. prototyping
16. You are part of a group making a decision about whether it is appropriate to discontinue research on a new drug. This new drug would save lives, but it is uncertain whether you can develop it within a reasonable time frame and at a reasonable cost. Your firm has already overspent on the research of this drug. In addition, your group has gathered a considerable amount of information. The group decides to continue the project so that all the resources already spent on it will not have been wasted. In this case the group has done which of the following?
a. used the availability bias
b. used the anchoring bias
c. made an escalation of commitment
d. satisficed
e. made the ultimate attribution error
17. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory assumes that:
a. satisfied needs are motivators.
b. unsatisfied needs are not motivators.
c. a person advances to the next hierarchical level only when the lower need is at least minimally satisfied.
d. a person advances to the next hierarchical level only when the individual believes the higher level can be achieved.
18. You manage a department of five employees. You have identified that Joe scores high in the need for achievement, Mary scores high in the need for power, and Tim scores high in the need for affiliation. Sarah scored high in the need for power and low in the need for affiliation. Doug scores low in both need for power and need for affiliation. Which employee would be best suited as a mentor to new employees with a chance to develop friendships?
a. Joe
b. Mary
c. Tim
d. Sarah
e. Doug
19. According to the goal-setting theory of motivation, highest performance is reached when goals are set to which level?
a. impossible but inspirational
b. difficult but attainable
c. slightly beyond a person's actual
potential
d. "do your best"
e. easily attained
20. Who sets MBO objectives?
a. the boss
b. the boss and immediate subordinates
c. they are set jointly by superior and subordinate
d. the employees performing the task in question
e. each working division in cooperation with management
21. In equity theory, individuals assess the _____.
a. cost-benefit ratio
b. efficiency-effectiveness trade-off
c. quantity-quality trade-off
d. outcome-input ratio
e. pareto efficient outcome
22. The theory that asserts that motivation depends upon an employee's desire for rewards, and the belief that productive behavior will get achiever these goals rewards is called _____.
a. Herzberg's dual-factor theory
b. McClelland's three needs theory
c. Vroom's expectancy theory
d. Maslow's hierarchy of needs
e. Alderfer's ERG theory
23. Which of the following is not one of the core job dimensions in the JCM model?
a. task significance
b. feedback
c. autonomy
d. status
e. skill variety
24. A company redesigns the jobs of the workers in accounts receivables, so that instead of simply billing customers, they will also be responsible for following up on non-payment and other related tasks. What term would best be used to describe these changes?
a. job rotation
b. job enlargement
c. job enrichment
d. job sharing
e. flextime
25. To motivate employees in organizations, managers should do all of the following EXCEPT
a. recognize individual differences
b. use goals and feedback
c. make decisions for employees including setting goals for them
d. link rewards to performance
e. check the reward system for equity
26. What effect does stress typically have on mood?
a. short-term positive
b. long-term positive
c. short term positive but long term negative
d. negative
e. small and insignificant
27. The idea of "youthful exuberance" with young people experiencing more extreme, positive emotions than older people
a. is only true to a point.
b. is not true since negative emotions occur more frequently in young people.
c. is not true; research shows periods of highly positive moods lasted longer for older people and bad moods faded more quickly.
d. is definitely true
e. has not been researched.
28. Which of the following statements is not true about the difference between men and women when it comes to emotional reactions?
a. Women show greater emotional expression.
b. Men express emotions more intensely.
c. Women are better at reading nonverbal cues.
d. Women may have a greater need for social approval.
e. Women experience emotions more intensely.
29. Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning emotions?
a. Until recently, the field of OB has given the topic of emotions little or no attention.
b. The prevailing thought in business until recently was to put a damper on emotions.
c. Managers have tried to create emotion-free organizations.
d. Researchers have viewed emotions as constructive and able to enhance productivity.
e. The myth of rationality can explain why emotions have been given little or no attention in the field of OB.
30. Francine is the head of a group at an ad agency working with copywriters, artists and designers to come up with effective branding of new products. Why is it particularly important for her to keep her team happy?
a. people are more conscientious when they are in a good mood
b. people are more efficient when they are in a good mood
c. people are more productive when they are in a good mood
d. people are more cooperative when they are in a good mood
e. people are more creative when they are in a good mood
31. Remember, this is an essay question. The answer should be at least one page in length. Responses to the questions should fully answer the question and be written in complete sentences. Because I can't grade writing that is not clear, coherent, and correct (grammar, spelling, and punctuation), please proofread your answers before submitting your exam.
John Smith was a less-than-stellar employee for the first year of his employment. His evaluation ranked his job performance at barely average, he missed at least 2-3 days of work every month and was habitually late. In the last six months, his performance has improved and he has not missed any work. Assume that John received a performance review after the first year.
Using these theories of motivation (goal-setting, equity, and expectancy):
a. Present and discuss one possible reason (using each theory) for John's remarkable improvement.
b. Discuss which of these three theories you believe best addresses motivation in the workplace.
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32.
In one paragraph, discuss the one most important (or at least interesting) thing you have learned in the class so far. (FYI: "Nothing" would not be a good answer.)