Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter 4: Understanding Philosophy and Styles
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. A person’s view of people, work, and human nature shape their ______.
a. personal leadership philosophy
b. outlook on life
c. potential
d. goals and aspirations
2. Douglas McGregor’s theory on leadership is ______.
a. laissez-faire
b. Theory X and Theory Y
c. democratic
d. authoritarian
3. Which of the following is not an assumption of Theory X?
a. People dislike work.
b. People need to be directed and controlled.
c. People dislike each other.
d. People want security not responsibility.
4. Which of the following is an assumption of Theory Y?
a. People like their coworkers.
b. People like and identify with their leader.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
c. People believe work conditions will improve.
d. People accept and seek responsibility.
5. A manager views their employees as unmotivated unless a reward is given. This
manager’s views align with which assumption of Theory X?
a. People dislike work because managers are generally irresponsible.
b. People need to be directed and controlled.
c. People want security not responsibility.
d. People will argue unless consequences are strict.
6. Your new manager is highly motivational, gives clear directions and timelines, and is
quick to point out inefficiencies. They likely ascribe to ______ leadership philosophy.
a. Theory X
b. Theory Y
c. laissez-faire
d. authoritarian
7. Former President Jimmy Carter and his work in retirement is given as an example of
which philosophy?
a. Theory X
b. Theory Y
c. laissez-faire
d. democratic
8. An organization that emphasizes common cultural values, beliefs, and objectives
while highly collaborative is known as a ______.
a. democratic organization
b. Theory Y organization
c. Theory X organization
d. Theory Z organization
9. ______ is defined as the behaviors of leaders, focusing on what leaders do and how
they act.
a. Leadership philosophy
b. Leadership style
c. Assumption #1 of Theory Y
d. Assumption # 2 of Theory Y
10. The authoritarian leadership style is most similar to ______.
a. Theory X
b. Theory Y
c. leader–member exchange theory
d. unrealized strengths
11. Which of the following is not used to describe authoritarian leadership?
a. pessimistic
b. negative
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
c. empowering
d. discouraging
12. Your new manager requires that all communication is directed towards them and not
circulated among the team, determines and sets goals for the team, and is quick to
praise and criticize. Their behaviors most closely align with which style?
a. Theory Y
b. laissez-faire
c. democratic
d. authoritarian
13. The outcomes of authoritarian leadership include all of the following except ______.
a. efficient
b. productive
c. submissiveness
d. individuality
14. You step in to a new position with management of a team. You notice the team
relies heavily on you to set goals, they never offer new ideas, and they depend on you
to make all decisions. It is likely that your predecessor used which style of leadership?
a. Theory Y
b. authoritarian
c. laissez-faire
d. democratic
15. Authoritarian leadership can become ______ leadership where leaders coerce
followers to engage in unethical or immoral activities.
a. abusive
b. difficult
c. empowering
d. beneficial
16. ______ leaders provide information, guidance, and suggestions and do so without
applying pressure.
a. Theory X
b. Authoritarian
c. Democratic
d. Laissez-faire
17. Which of the following is an outcome of democratic leadership?
a. efficiency
b. productive
c. established goals
d. cohesiveness
18. Upon interviewing for an internship you notice that the workplace is a positive
environment, people seem engaged in their work, and participative in meetings during
your time there. The leadership of the office likely enages in ______ leadership.
a. democratic
b. Theory X
c. laissez-faire
d. authoritarian
19. Democratic leadership results in greater group member ______.
a. satisfaction
b. commitment
c. cohesiveness
d. all of these
20. You are appointed to head a special project team with a two week deadline. You
need to be efficient and timely. Which leadership style should you enact?
a. democratic
b. laissez-faire
c. authoritarian
d. Theory Y
21. Democratic leadership style is described as having what downside?
a. It takes more time.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
b. It negatively impacts followers.
c. It hinders creativity.
d. It negatively impacts leaders.
22. Laissez-faire leadership has been labeled by some as ______.
a. bad leadership
b. nonleadership
c. aggressive leadership
d. negative leadership
23. Outcomes from laissez-faire leadership are ______.
a. directionless followers
b. chaos
c. frustration
d. all of these
24. Laissez-faire leaders ______.
a. encourage communication between group members and with the leader
b. engage in minimal influence over followers
c. give objective praise and criticism of workers
d. encourage communication between group members and with the leader and give
objective praise and criticism of workers
25. What theory asserts that workers want to be taken care of and protected by their
leaders?
a. Theory Y
b. Theory X
c. authoritarian
d. democratic
26. Theory Y managers believe ______.
a. the average person is inherently resourceful
b. people are more productive when they depend on their bosses
c. people have the capacity to engage in a wide range of goal-setting and problem
solving
d. the average person is inherently resourceful and people have the capacity to engage
in a wide range of goal-setting and problem solving
27. The primary work on styles of leadership (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire)
was done by ______.
a. McGregor
b. Lewin, Lippitt, and White
c. Graen and Uhl-Bien
d. Burns
28. Which of the following are commonly observed styles of leadership?
a. authoritarian
b. democratic
c. exploratory
d. authoritarian and democratic
29. Which of the following describes the laissez-faire leadership style?
a. group members participate in decision making
b. very little is accomplished
c. lets employees know rules and standards for what they are supposed to do
d. leaders are quick to point out inefficiencies
30. Democratic leaders ______.
a. treat subordinates as fully capable of doing work on their own
b. work with subordinates, treating them in an egalitarian manner
c. use hierarchy to separate levels of competence
d. treat subordinates as fully capable of doing work on their own and work with
subordinates, treating them in an egalitarian manner
31. When followers are left completely on their own with no direction, they become
______.
a. frustrated
b. happy
c. engaged
d. goal-driven
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
32. While interning with a company for the summer, you feel the climate is stagnant,
four employees out of twelve leave during your three months there, and few employees
seem to know whats going on or be engaged in their work. The office would appear to
operate under which leadership style?
a. authoritarian
b. eemocratic
c. laissez-faire
d. Theory Y
33. Jack’s immediate boss lets him set his own schedule, does not offer support or
direction, and is generally hands-off. Jack’s boss is following which of the following
leadership philosophies?
a. Theory X
b. Theory Y
c. laissez-faire
d. democratic
34. Helping each subordinate reach their own personal goals is important to ______
leadership.
a. democratic
b. authoritarian
c. laissez-faire
d. Theory X
35. Leaders who exhibit higher amounts of influence over their followers are ______.
a. democratic
b. authoritarian
c. egalitarian
d. laissez-faire
36. Laissez-faire leadership has what impact on follower productivity?
a. reduces productivity
b. increases productivity
c. maintains productivity
d. ignores productivity
37. According to authoritarian leadership, ______.
a. leaders should encourage communication among group members
b. leaders need to exert influence and control over group members
c. subordinates need direction
d. leaders need to exert influence and control over group members and subordinates
need direction
38. Authoritarian leadership assumes that workers wish to ______ responsibility and
prefer to be ______.
a. accept; left alone
b. avoid; directed
c. shirk; scolded
d. embrace; congratulated
39. A person who sees work as engaging and satisfying would identify with which
philosophy or style?
a. Theory X
b. Theory Y
c. authoritarian
d. laissez-faire
40. An organization that maintains formal authority structures while also recognizing
individual achievements is known as a ______ organization.
a. Theory Z
b. Theory X
c. Theory Y
d. laissez-faire
41. In their research on leadership styles, Lewin, Lippitt, and White studied the impact of
authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-fair styles on what subject group?
a. business executives
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
b. 10-year-old boys
c. college students
d. laborers
42. When a new employee is just learning a new job, what style might be the most
effective in orienting them to the work?
a. Theory Y
b. democratic
c. authoritarian
d. laissez-faire
43. You meet with your manager for a performance review. The manager previously
gave you an objective rubric that they would be using for this review. It is likely that your
manager ascribes to ______ leadership.
a. authoritarian
b. democratic
c. laissez-faire
d. Theory X
44. Douglas McGregor believed that understanding worker’s motivations was the key to
becoming an effective ______.
a. manager
b. follower
c. CEO
d. board member
45. A manager who views their subordinates as capable of self-direction and thus
provides minimal guidance and support could be a ______ leader.
a. democratic
b. authoritarian
c. Theory Y
d. democratic and Theory Y
46. As a manager you have trained and worked with your team for three years. A new
project is assigned to your group, one that is very similar to previous projects the team
has accomplished with great success. In this situation it might be appropriate to use
______ leadership.
a. Theory X
b. authoritarian
c. laissez-faire
d. Theory X and authoritarian
47. Victoria Ransom believes that ______ and ______ are important and need to be
universally embraced within a company or they will crumble.
a. values; culture
b. leaders; followers
c. profits; customer service
d. rules; regulations
48. Leadership styles are not distinct entities, which means a leader may exhibit ______
style in a given situation.
a. more than one
b. only one
c. a democratic
d. an authoritarian
49. In developing his ideas about Theory Z organizations, William Ouchi contrasted
individualistic work cultures from American companies with those of more collectivistic
______ companies.
a. Brazilian
b. English
c. Soviet
d. Japanese
50. Leadership styles can be thought of as a continuum from high leader influence to
low leader influence. High leader influence is associated with Authoritarian styles, while
little or no leader influence is ______ style.
a. Theory X
b. democratic
c. Theory Y
d. laissez-faire
1. Our philosophy of leadership is based on a unique set of beliefs and attitudes about
the nature of people and work.
2. A manager is constantly giving directives to employees and micromanaging them.
This manager engages in Theory Y leadership.
3. Authoritarian leadership can lead to increased efficiency and clarity in people’s work.
4. The worker who says “If I didn’t need to pay my bills, I would never work” is an
example of the Theory Y assumptions.
5. Leaders who exhibit higher amounts of influence are more democratic.
6. Democratic leadership results in stronger motivation and greater originality.
7. Authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire are all distinct styles that do not overlap.
8. A professor who persuades students to hand in homework assignments by
threatening them with bad grades is an example of Theory X leadership.
9. Democratic leaders give objective praise and criticism.
10. From the perspective of Theory X, leaders play a significant role in getting others to
accomplish their work.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Essay
1. Are you a Theory X Leader, or a Theory Y Leader? Support your answer with specific
examples.
2. Analyze authoritarian leadership style for the positive and negative aspects of its
outcomes. When would you utilize this style, when would you not?
3. Are there times when authoritarian leadership style becomes unethical? Provide
examples to support your arguments.
4. Discuss and analyze Victoria Ransom’s leadership from the Leadership Snapshot.
Which leadership style do you think she most closely practices?
5. Distinguish between a philosophy of leadership and a style of leadership. How do
they inform each other?
6. Why does the democratic style of leadership promote greater creativity among
employees than the other styles of leadership?
7. Under what circumstances can the laissez-fair style of leadership work? Have you
experience laissez-faire leadership? Were the outcomes positive or negative in your
experience?
8. Briefly discuss two assumptions of Theory Y
9. Briefly discuss two assumptions of Theory X
10. How does Laissez-Faire leadership compare to Theory X and Theory Y?