Power can be a double-edged sword.
To provide leadership in moving a group in a new direction, a leader does not have to
exercise power or control.
Organizational behavior can tell a manager what type of computer system will be most
effective.
Management approaches that disrespect or ignore employees can be effective for
short-term results.
Messages transmitted orally might be misinterpreted as words pass by quickly and soon
are forgotten as people move on to other things.
All social interactions involve a measure of mutual influence and control.
Conjunctive statements are not connected and often create a roadblock interfering with
effective communication.
The organizational process model of decision making sees government as composed of
a few seamlessly allied organizations, each controlled by individual leaders.
Changing an organization’s culture does not change the behavior of the organization’s
employees.
Charismatic leadership in whatever its form constitutes a moral “slippery slope.”
Appreciative inquiry focuses on emphasizing the strengths in an organization rather
than its weaknesses or “deficits.”
Non-programmed decisions involve difficult problem solving.
Positive organizational scholarship focuses on what is wrong with people and their
deficiencies.
The greater the discrepancy in clout between the influencer and the target, the greater
the likelihood that hard tactics will be used.
Interpersonal orientation identifies the underlying tendencies that the individual has to
behave in certain ways regardless of circumstances or presence of others.
There are three stages in the General Adaptation Syndrome?
One assumption that guides the exploration of organizational behavior in the public
sector is that public service is about serving others.
The stress response can contribute to our sense of well-being, motivation, and
performance.
Creativity is based on the ability to think of more than one place or on more than one
level at a time.
Supportive communication involves listening carefully and receiving feedback from the
other person.
The human relations movement during the 1960s and 1970s challenged the idea that the
job of management was to manipulate workers for the benefit of organizations.
During periods of relative calm public agencies are constantly changing.
In public organizations, legitimate power is often derived from people’s positions or job
titles.
Public service motivation may be understood as an individual’s predisposition to
respond to motives grounded primarily or uniquely in public institutions and
organizations.
Successful changes in an organization’s culture typically occur over a short period of
time.
During the conforming stage, the team must learn to cope with conflict, differences, and
disruptions.
Economic efficiencies may be created by privatizing and contracting out functions.
Decision making is not a random process.
Bertrand Russell suggested that power can be formalized by granting someone the
authority for its exercise.
As a life event, “Trouble with boss” is considered less stressful than “marital
reconciliation.”
People tend to give reasons such as unstable causes, judgments, and environmental
conditions rather than recognize that their own behavior is contributing to the conflicts.
Which of the following is NOT a condition under which people are likely to use
strategic ambiguity?
A) People are faced with multiple goals
B) Relationships are tenuous
C) Front-line positions are threatened
D) Conditions are likely to change
Brenda exhibits self-control, is trustworthy, adaptable, open to change, and has a strong
desire to achieve. Which component of emotional intelligence is she exhibiting?
A) Self-management
B) Self-awareness
C) Social awareness
D) Social management
Variation in our tone of voice or in its pitch, expression, or rate of speed is known as:
A) Paralinguistics
B) Occulesics
C) Linguistics
D) Kinesics
People with less power can act to equalize or balance power in a relationship by
________ their needs or demands or ________ other people’s alternative sources.
A) Increasing; increasing
B) Increasing; decreasing
C) Decreasing; decreasing
D) Decreasing; increasing
Taking time to carefully analyze what the job requirements are and assessing candidates
in light of those demands:
A) Increases the stress levels on Human Resources personnel
B) Reduces the stress levels on Human Resources personnel by giving them a sense of
preparation
C) Helps to decrease the likelihood of mismatches between people and organizational
environments
D) Should only be exercised in the case of top level employees
Which of the following is not in sequence?
A) Regeneration of alternatives; selection of solution; implementation of a solution
B) Implementation of solution; regeneration of alternatives; selection of a solution
C) Direction setting; regeneration of alternatives; selection of a solution
D) Intelligence gathering; direction setting; selection of a solution
Which of the following is NOT a self-imposed barrier to rising to leadership positions?
A) Overemphasis of personal goals
B) Turning competitors into enemies
C) Gaps in training
D) Needing to lead alone
Which of the following is an effective time management technique?
A) Establishing and reaffirming priorities
B) Taking stock of how you spend your time
C) Reflect on your goals, plans, and commitments
D) All of the above
Guardians tend to be ________ while Artisans tend to be _________.
A) Adaptable, sociable
B) Sociable, adaptable
C) Responsible, analytical
D) Analytical, responsible
More active forms of citizen involvement include:
A) Community workshops
B) Leadership development
C) Referenda
D) All of the above
The avoidance approach to conflict is ________ on assertiveness and ________ on
cooperation.
A) Low; low
B) High; low
C) Low; high
D) High; high
The key to effective persuasion is the ________ of the source.
A) Position
B) Credibility
C) Authority
D) Sincerity
Which of the following roles of leaders includes providing training and encouragement
to participants?
A) Initiators
B) Models
C) Coaches
D) Managers
Which of the following is not a step to generate an idea box?
A) Specify the purpose
B) List variations
C) Try combinations
D) Implement solutions
People that possess ________ achieving styles are motivated to master their own tasks.
A) Relational
B) Instrumental
C) Transformational
D) Direct
Among the following life events in the stress inventory, pick the one which is the most
stressful:
A) Jail term
B) Retirement
C) Divorce
D) Vacation
What are the five dimensions of collaboration?
A) Governance, administration, autonomy, mutuality, and trust-building
B) Governance, administration, autonomy, mutuality, and respect
C) Equality, administration, autonomy, mutuality, and trust-building
D) Governance, administration, equality, autonomy, and mutuality
Aldefer suggested that Maslow’s hierarchy may be collapsed from five levels to three
types of needs:
A) Existence, relatedness, and dynamism
B) Existence, relatedness, and growth
C) Dynamism, relatedness, and growth
D) Existence, creation, and dynamism
An example of a country with an individualistic society is:
A) United States
B) Latin America
C) Saudi Arabia
D) All of the above
For an employee with the ________ career anchor, flexibility is of primary importance.
A) Lifestyle
B) Autonomy
C) Entrepreneurial creativity
D) Pure challenge
Important issues to consider about team effectiveness include:
A) The structure of the team
B) The size of the team
C) The life expectancy of the team
D) All of the above
Which of the following conditions does NOT need to be met in order for a team to be
productive?
A) Commitment to goals on the part of the team and senior management
B) Opportunity for teamwork as created by senior management or other individuals
C) Clarity of goals as provided or developed by the team
D) Lack of challenges from customers and competitors
When a person is stressed, the hypothalamus sets off a type of alarm to the nervous and
endocrine (hormonal) systems. This often is called the:
A) The strictus
B) The “stress trigger” response
C) The “flight-or-fight” response
D) The “countershock” phase
In terms of ensuring quality in a decision:
A) We should engage only a few select individuals
B) We should engage a wide variety of individuals
C) We should only engage the primary decision maker
D) None of the above
According to Max Weber, the ________ type of power is where laws and constitutional
processes create legitimate authority.
A) Charismatic
B) Non-traditional
C) Legal-rational
D) Traditional
Brainstorming is a method to:
A) Collect cohesive information from a large number of people
B) Collect focused ideas from a non-cohesive group
C) Collect a large number of ideas in a short period of time
D) Collect feedback on a previously implemented solution
Which of the following is a way to develop trust and build confidence with legislators?
A) Keep legislators informed of your activities
B) Offer advice promptly, accurately, and in a thoughtful manner
C) Help with legislative casework
D) All of the above
The public interest is the result of a dialogue about shared values rather than the
________ of individual self-interests.
A) Assertion
B) Expansion
C) Reduction
D) Aggregation
Pick the best set of adjectives that may be negatively associated with creativity.
A) Eccentric, commonplace, resourceful
B) Overconfident, judgmental, humorous
C) Conventional, submissive, affected
D) Reflective, commonplace, persistent
Pick the best set of adjectives that may be positively associated with creativity.
A) Self-confident, commonplace, resourceful
B) Overconfident, suspicious, humorous
C) Original, clever, reflective
D) Affected, commonplace, capable
According to your textbook, people in the United States think at a rate of about
________ words per minute and speak at a rate of about ________ words per minute.
A) 500; 150
B) 150; 500
C) 450; 200
D) 200; 450
Which of the following is NOT a dimension of political skill?
A) Social astuteness
B) Networking ability
C) Insincerity
D) Interpersonal influence
The ________ conducted a study addressing what public organizations need to know in
order to act effectively and responsibly.
A) U.S. Office of Personnel Management
B) U.S. Office of Management & Budget
C) U.S. Office of Special Counsel
D) U.S. Department of Education
Describe the various stages in the General Adaptation Syndrome.
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Discuss the various sources of conflict. Which are easiest to resolve and which are the
most difficult?
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Pick an organization you are familiar with. What are some of the ways in which the
organization promotes or inhibits innovation? What might be done to promote
innovation?
What is the Imposter Phenomenon? What has been the effect of this phenomenon on
female managers?
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In the context of the “new public service” what is the significance of serving citizens
and not treating them as customers?
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What is managerial discretion?
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What is the importance of valuing citizenship and public service above
entrepreneurship?
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Discuss the role of public managers in the past, present, and future. How has their role
changed over time?
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How do you assess team performance? What are some questions you should use to
evaluate team performance? Discuss, providing relevant examples where appropriate.
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Compare and contrast groups and teams. How are they similar? How do they differ?
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Compare and contrast the attributes needed by managers to effectively introduce change
with what is needed to build great public organizations.
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Is power a positive or destructive force? Does it vary based on the situation? Discuss,
bringing in relevant examples where appropriate.
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Identify the skills that are critical to managerial success in government. Pick five skills
to discuss in detail. Why did you choose these skills? What makes them important?
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Describe how you deal with conflict? What does that say about your personality? Are
you more likely to accommodate or avoid confrontations?
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Discuss the common mistakes in negotiation. Why are good listening skills important in
negotiations?
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What is the work-life balance? Does it affect the ability of woman to have a strong
presence in an organization? Why or why not?
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Compare and contrast the organizational process model and the governmental politics
model of decision making.
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Describe the managerial grid. What types of leaders are represented in each square of
the grid?
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“Stress can be beneficial.” Do you agree or disagree? Please justify your position,
providing relevant examples where appropriate.
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Discuss how organizational behavior is defined in the public sector. Does this differ
from organizational behavior outside of the public sector? Why or why not?
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