Hank Murphy was selected to develop an advanced personal communication device
with his own self-managed work team. Hank was assured that resource allocation and
timelines were flexible for this project provided the work was a cut above that provided
by the rest of the employees. As a part of the project guidelines, Hank included the
demand that the device being developed by the team should also be marketed
exclusively by them without resorting to franchising or cobranding. This was to ensure
that customers recognized the product as reflecting the values of their company. Work
on this project began with a lot of vigor and once the device was developed, Hank’s
team implemented their marketing strategy. However, even three months after the
product’s release, visibility remained low in the market and many reviewers did not
consider the device to be much of an innovation. Which of the following statements, if
true, would indicate a lack of reflexivity in Hank’s self-managed work team?
A) Hank’s team members developed multiple blueprints of the device, which were
thoroughly discussed, improvised, and synthesized into the final plan for the product.
B) In the first few weeks of the project, Hank had witnessed a moderate level of conflict
between the team members as each one had his own idea about how best to go about
this high-priority project.
C) The device was later marketed as a part of a national level tie-up with E-store outlets
and did remarkably well in its second stint in the market.
D) In Hank’s team, the members took accountability for the group’s performance as a
whole and reported their individual progress to him as well.
E) Hank’s team used e-mail and instant messaging to communicate unique information
when some of the team members were not available for face-to-face interactions.
Which of the following statements is true regarding self-managed work teams?
A) Self-managed work teams typically consist of forty to fifty employees.
B) Self-managed work teams typically manage conflicts well.
C) Members of self-managed work teams typically report lower job satisfaction.
D) Self-managed work teams are typically composed of employees from different
departments who work independent of each other.
E) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased
importance.
Jim is a salaried employee whose job is to develop content for online web sites. He
discovers that he is paid substantially more than his colleagues even though their jobs
and levels of performance are very similar. According to the equity theory, what impact
is this discovery most likely to have on his behavior and performance?
A) He will reduce the amount of work that he does on a daily basis.
B) He will compare his earnings to those of another group of employees.
C) He will increase his productivity and/or the overall quality of his work.
D) He will seek a position within the company commensurate with his pay.
E) He will begin to look for a position outside of the company.
Laura Simpson, a campaign manager at a child rights organization in Jakarta, planned a
marathon for celebrities to raise money for underprivileged children. Though all
arrangements for the event had been made, a few days before the event she realized that
on the same day there was a political rally happening in the city which would block
access to the route on which the marathon was supposed to be undertaken. In such a
situation, what is Simpson, who suffers from a self-serving bias, most likely to say?
A) I did not do sufficient research on public events in the city.
B) My colleagues did not inform me about the rally.
C) The director had warned me of this. I should have known better.
D) I should have weighed feasibility options for the event.
E) I should have established better contacts to know about this update.
The important groups to which an individual belongs or hopes to belong are known as
________ groups.
A) interacting
B) reference
C) organizational
D) control
E) nominal
During a selection process, the ________ selection stage immediately follows the initial
selection stage.
A) cognitive
B) associative
C) analytic
D) behavioral
E) substantive
The controller role in a team is responsible for ________.
A) initiating creative ideas
B) examining details and enforcing rules
C) offering insightful analysis of options
D) coordinating and integrating group tasks
E) providing directions and following up with implementation
________ are indicators of a strong organizational culture.
A) High levels of dissension
B) High rates of employee turnover
C) Completely horizontal organizational charts
D) Narrowly defined roles
E) Widely shared values
Susan Daniels works for an event management company and is discontent with her job
because she was passed over for a promotion. She has now composed a list of concerns
and plans to discuss the issue with her supervisor. Daniels’ response to the problem is
referred to as ________.
A) exit
B) voice
C) loyalty
D) neglect
E) acceptance
________ refers to the ability to exert force against external objects.
A) Body coordination
B) Dynamic flexibility
C) Static strength
D) Extent flexibility
E) Cognitive ability
Which of the following statements is true regarding the rational decision-making
model?
A) It takes into consideration the limited information-processing capability of
individuals.
B) It involves constructing simplified models without capturing all their complexity.
C) It deals with satisficing decisions by seeking solutions that are satisfactory and
sufficient.
D) It assumes that an individual is able to identify all relevant options in an unbiased
manner.
E) It is an unconscious decision-making process created from distilled experience.
Emotions such as relaxation, serenity, and calmness comprise the ________ mood
dimension.
A) low positive affect
B) neutral affect
C) low negative affect
D) high positive affect
E) high negative affect
Dependence would be low when ________.
A) the goods have very few suppliers
B) the goods have low accessibility
C) the goods in question are scarce
D) the products are important
E) the goods have substitutes
Which of the following is a generic term that covers a broad range of feelings that
people experience?
A) affect
B) knowledge
C) insight
D) attention
E) cognition
Which of the following scenarios reflects a transactional approach to leadership?
A) Samuel Perez has been running a small automobile service agency with a set of
employees that he hired and trained over a decade ago. Though the business is mediocre
and profit margins are not substantial, the employees work well as a team because each
of them treats the other as equal, just like Samuel himself does.
B) Carol Turner began V Care, a non-profit organization, with the purpose of battling
various forms of abuse. As the organization grew, she took care to hire employees who
felt the same kind of sensitivity she felt for victims of abuse. Today, she openly
proclaims that the organization that she started is successful because every single
employee shares and understands what the organization is aiming for.
C) When new projects come, it is a time of excitement for the content production team
of Impact, an advertising agency. Lori Wood, the department head, begins a project
meeting by having her whole team envision what the final product of this campaign
must aim at. She then sets progressively higher standards for the team and clarifies what
each member of the team stands to gain if the project is a success. In allocating roles
and tasks, she often incorporates the needs and preferences of her team members.
D) Wayne Torres believes that setting targets, monitoring employee performance, and
correcting defaulting employees are his tried and tested ways to accomplish tasks. He
rewards employees who do well and match his predetermined expectations and
recognizes accomplishments that he values. His team, however, has not grown
substantially and seems to be at a functional status quo.
E) Glenn Cruzz works at Leverage as a senior consultant. She ensures that her team of
consultants has a framework of flexible tools and skills to help clients who come their
way with diversity and inclusion issues. Through audits, research, and workshops, her
team is encouraged to come up with unconventional solutions that help clients establish
and leverage its employee diversity.
Which of following needs, as detailed by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, best corresponds
to McClelland’s need for affiliation?
A) safety
B) social
C) esteem
D) self-actualization
E) physiological
Shirley Shands is a hard worker, but Debra, her manager, is irritated with her. While
Debra concedes that Shirley’s work gives her no cause for complaint, Debra is tired of
the interruptions in her work because of Shirley asking for repeated clarifications over
what exactly she has to say in e-mails or phone calls. She often requests Debra to
proofread her e-mails before sending them, and Debra feels she sends too many e-mails
instead of just speaking to the person concerned. From the scenario, we can conclude
that ________.
A) Shirley processes her e-mails in an automatic and superficial manner
B) Shirley and Debra come from a high-context culture
C) Debra is engaging in social loafing
D) Shirley suffers from communication apprehension
E) Shirley uses filtering when communicating with Debra
Jonathan Cowan is upset because he was passed over for a promotion he had really
worked hard for. In response to his anger toward the manager and the company, he has
started gossiping about the manager with his colleagues and assigning blame on him
unnecessarily. Jonathan’s behavior is an example of ________.
A) deviant workplace behavior
B) distinction bias
C) cognitive dissonance
D) positivity offset
E) emotional dissonance