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52. Tamika uses her ability to sense and perceive her staff’s emotions every day to help
them feel comfortable in the workplace. She is very knowledgeable about day–to-day
operations and also is quite successful at anticipating problems and sharing ideas for
improvements up the chain of command. Applying Katz’s skills model, at what level of
management is Tamika?
A. top management
B. middle management
C. supervisory management
D. impoverished management
53. Jonathan has equally high skills in managing relationships with the employees he
supervises and in helping the firm shape the vision for growth. He is not as adept in the
technical aspects of the company. Applying Katz’s skills model, at what level of
management is Jonathan?
A. top management
B. middle management
C. supervisory management
D. dictatorial management
54. Ashlyn focuses her energy at her car manufacturing company on assessing market
fluctuations and shaping the goals of the organization for the future. She communicates
well with her staff and enjoys the social aspect of work with the people around her. She
leaves the details and daily operations primarily to other capable staff in the
organization. Applying Katz’s skills model, at what level of management is Ashlyn?
A. top management
B. middle management
C. supervisory management
D. low-level management
55. A supervisory-level manager of a company who applies the level of administrative
skills to the degrees delineated in Katz’s model ______.
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A. incorporates the entire staff in the process of shaping the company’s goals
B. is more “hands–on” with producing the company’s product than interacting with staff
C. has higher involvement with ideas than with people
D. avoids getting to know the staff
56. The research by Mumford et al. was done on a sample of ______.
A. higher education administrators
B. high-level managers in industry
C. managers at multiple levels of industry
D. military leaders at multiple levels
57. The problem-solving competency in the skills model is most similar to ______.
A. dominance in trait approach
B. Katz’s conceptual skill
C. Katz’s technical skill
D. knowledge in Mumford’s model
58. The knowledge competency in the skills model is most similar to ______.
A. self-confidence in trait approach
B. Katz’s conceptual skill
C. Katz’s technical skill
D. determination in the trait approach
59. Additional research completed by Mumford, Campion, and Morgeson used a four
skill model to assess cognitive, interpersonal, business, and strategic skills in managers
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at junior and senior levels of an organization. the research findings in this study were
most similar to ______.
A. Katz’s hierarchical three skills model
B. Mumford’s skills model
C. Blake and Mouton’s leadership grid
D. the Ohio State studies
60. Mumford’s skills model contends that leadership outcomes are the direct result of
______.
A. a leader’s sociability
B. a leader’s career experiences
C. a leader’s willingness to lead
D. a leader’s competencies
61. The skills approach is primarily ______.
A. descriptive
B. prescriptive
C. unscripted
D. technical
62. Individual leader attributes can affect the leader’s skills, but it is the ______
themselves that are most important in addressing organizational problems.
A. traits
B. behaviors
C. skills
D. followers
63. Which is not a strength of the skills approach?
A. It is intuitively appealing.
B. Skills can be learned.
C. It has high predictive value.
D. It is an expansive view of leadership.
64. The structure of the skills approach is ______.
A. consistent with followership education programs
B. consistent with leadership education programs
C. not compatible with leadership education programs
D. precise enough to assure good leadership outcomes
65. The breadth of the skills approach, which includes motivation, critical thinking, and
personality, ______.
A. is considered a strength of this approach
B. is considered a weakness of this approach
C. adds to the precise nature of the approach
D. adds to the approach‘s prescriptive value
66. The skills approach is ______.
A. high in predictive value
B. narrow in its focus
C. suitable for application across leadership contexts
D. not suitable for application across leadership contexts
67. The skills approach framework ______.
A. can be applied at all levels of leadership
B. has been applied to many formal training programs
C. has been widely used in formal training programs
D. can be applied to followership training programs
68. Research data on Mumford et al.’s model was tested on military personnel. which of
the following is true?
A. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in small organizations
B. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in large organizations
C. the model cannot be effectively applied to leadership skills in startup businesses
D. the model can be effectively applied to leadership skills in startup businesses
69. General cognitive ability is similar to which of the five leadership traits in this text?
A. sociability
B. dominance
C. extraversion
D. intelligence
70. The basic premise of the skills approach is to ______.
A. identify the behaviors necessary for leadership
B. identify the behaviors of leaders
C. identify the skills of leaders
D. identify the individual attributes of leaders
71. Katz started the research focus on skills during a time when ______.
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A. there finally was a definitive list of leader traits described in the literature
B. there was still disagreement about leader traits in the literature
C. there was no research yet on the individual attributes of leaders
D. there was emphasis in the literature on putting followers first
72. According to the skills model, performance outcomes are affected by ______.
A. followers’ career paths
B. the leader’s experiences
C. subordinate expectations
D. research methods
73. Katz describes human skills as ______.
A. competency with the process or product within a company
B. being aware of the perspective of others on issues
C. ability to shape the strategic ideas of an organization
D. the trait of high extraversion
74. Mumford’s skills model includes which of these main components?
A. technical skill
B. conceptual skill
C. individual attributes
D. analytical ability
75. Social judgment competencies described in Mumford et. al.’s skills model are similar
to skills in this framework.
A. trait approach
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B. management theory
C. emotional intelligence
D. informational power
76. In the previous company Leo worked for, he led the downsizing of a major division
and had to terminate hundreds of employees. This event had an impact on Leo that
influences how he approaches his leadership role in his current company. According to
Mumford’s skills model, this is an example of ______.
A. environmental influences
B. general cognitive ability
C. career experiences
D. human skills
77. Career experiences directly contribute to which of the other main components of
Mumford et. al’s skills model?
A. competencies
B. leadership outcomes
C. environmental influences
D. follower strengths
78. Which of the following problem-solving skills can best be described as the ability to
define noteworthy issues or significant problems affecting the organization?
A. problem definition
B. forecasting
C. planning
D. idea evaluation
79. Which of the following problem-solving skills can best be described as the ability to
anticipate the implications of executing a plan?
A. planning
B. forecasting
C. idea evaluation
D. constraint analysis
80. Abby is a gifted communicator in her club and has a talent for verbally articulating
what the future can hold for the members. According to Mumford’s nine key problem
solving skills, which is Abby demonstrating?
A. creative thinking
B. visioning/sensemaking
C. social judgment
D. wisdom
True/False
1. Mumford’s skills model of leadership was designed to determine the competencies
needed for effective leader performance.
2. Technical skills grow in importance as one moves up the managerial hierarchy.
3. According to Katz’s three skill model, human skills are important at all levels of
management.
4. Mumford‘s research studied military personnel rather than business leaders.
5. The skills approach suggests that many individuals have the potential for leadership.
6. Social judgment is considered an individual attribute in the skills model.
7. Crystallized cognitive ability refers to one’s innate intellectual ability or intelligence.
8. Career experience is a strong influence on a leader’s competencies.
9. Environmental influences are factors in situations that lie outside the leader‘s
competencies, characteristics, and experiences.
10. Skills approach provides a structure consistent with leadership education programs.
Short Answer
1. Name three of the problem-solving skills leaders employ to address problems.
2. In the skills model, what is the difference between general cognitive ability and
crystallized cognitive ability?
3. Using to Katz’s three skill model, to what degree are each of the three skills needed
at the top management level?
4. Name one strength and one criticism of the skills approach to leadership.
5. What are the three competencies outlined in the skills model of leadership?
1. Using Mumford et al.’s skills model, name and briefly describe two types of problem-
solving skills and two types of social judgment skills used by leaders to solve complex
organizational problems.
Ans: Students may answer with any two of the following for problem-solving skills:
Problem definition is the ability to define noteworthy issues or significant problems
2. How do career experiences affect the characteristics and competencies of leaders?
3. Defend or refute: although personal attributes are important, it is the leader’s skills
that are most important in addressing organizational problems.
4. There are two main models in the skills approach, Katz’s three skill approach and
Mumford et al.’s skills model. Compare these two models by describing two similarities
and two differences between these models.
5. Environmental influences are considered those things that are outside the control of
the leader’s capabilities. Describe why you think the authors of the skills model of
leadership included environmental influences in the model.