Deck 7: Work Relationships

Question 1

What is the most common reason for relationships developing at the workplace?

A) Satisfaction of needs
B) Gender role congruency
C) Pervasiveness of organizational romance
D) Shared interest of common tasks

Answer 1

A

Question 2

________ helps in building friendship and alliances among office mates.

A) Proximity
B) Grapevine
C) Idiosyncrasy
D) Socializing

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When Mathew applied for a job in a different state, he was worried about how he would get to the interview. However, to his surprise, the company conducted the interview via Skype and sent his offer letter by e-mail. What relationship does this scenario describe?

A) Technology and work relationship
B) Manager-employee relationship
C) Mentor-mentee relationship
D) Relationship with difficult coworkers

Answer 3

A

Question 4

For the fifth time in 10 years, Advent Corp. was selected as the best company of the year. When asked about the secret of their success, the CEO credited it to a small team that spent quality time getting to know their customers and taking responsibility for consumer satisfaction. Their organizational policy also forbade employees to interact with their colleagues socially. Furthermore, their organizational setup was rigidly hierarchical in nature, with lateral communication being a rarity, and employees were expected to fend for themselves after the completion of their training program. How did the company manage to maintain their success?

A) By consistently giving high priority to customer relations
B) By prohibiting romantic relationships in the workplace for an extended stretch of time
C) By including mentoring relationships at every organization level since its inception
D) By managing to satisfy the basic needs of their employees from the date they join

Question 5

________ are experienced, mature, and successful employees who guide new employees in various fields including knowledge, skills, and appropriate behavior.

A) Mentors
B) Managers
C) Coworkers
D) Customers

Question 6

As team manager, Adam is known for always listening to his team. He communicates goals and objectives clearly and encourages his team to show initiative and responsibility. Adam never fails to give credit and praise where it is due. Which type of relationship is Adam trying to develop?

A) Manager-employee relationship
B) Coworker relationship
C) Mentoring relationship
D) Employee-customer relationship

Question 7

Sebastian is a senior manager. Whenever a team member makes a mistake, he threatens the employee's job. This demotivates everyone. What do Sebastian's team members need in order to accomplish organizational goals?

A) Power
B) Support
C) Expertise
D) Social exchange

Question 8

Two teams were given a common goal. Jane led the first team, whereas the second team had no leader. Jane was confident as she was experienced in the field: she analyzed the project, applied her knowledge, and implemented her own strategies. Jane tried to work on a number of group assignments on her own and also tried to hog the limelight. The second team worked together to build knowledge and develop strategies. When it was time to analyze the outcome of the project, the second team was clearly more effective and efficient than the first. What was the reason behind this, and how could Jane's team be more efficient?

A) By maintaining a shared-interest relationship; by keeping common tasks among coworkers
B) By performing correctly at work; by keeping common tasks among fellow workers
C) By possessing required skills and abilities; by maintaining a shared-interest relationship
D) By receiving guidance and support from the mentor; by possessing the required skill set

Question 9

In which case of power distribution do workers enjoy satisfaction and commitment without losing direction?

A) Managers and workers share power.
B) Managers and workers negotiate the power.
C) Either managers or workers have the power.
D) Managers possess little power and employees have much power.

Question 10

_____________ is a key element in developing a communication climate that facilitates a good manager-employee relationship.

A) Situational knowledge
B) Communication competence
C) Goal setting
D) Proximity

Question 11

________ refers to the extent to which a person conforms to gender stereotypes.

A) Gender role congruency
B) Satisfaction of needs
C) Gender/cultural issues
D) Pervasiveness of organizational romance

Question 12

Samuel is a medical representative. He visits several clinics and hospitals each week; however, he is unable to sell his products. Samuel's manager noticed this, and decided to go with him on client visits for a few weeks. After spending more time together, Samuel's manager suggested that Samuel be friendlier, more responsive, and more attentive to his clients. Samuel implemented his manager's suggestions, which resulted in a marked improvement in his performance. Which statement best describes this situation?

A) Importance of developing positive relationships in the profession
B) Effective communication in the profession
C) Importance of setting goals for a work relationship
D) Effective determination of the workplace climate

Question 13

The ________ is an individual who is primarily concerned with his or her own self-interest and advancement.

A) self-protector
B) independent other
C) soap opera star
D) rebellious playboy/ playgirl

Question 14

Amber Inc. has a unique organizational culture. They give their employees power to make decisions and control over the activities they perform. This makes the employees accountable and motivates them to do their work. The managers, however, have enough power to manage any unit. Which type of power distribution is this?

A) Managers and workers share power.
B) Managers hold all the power and the workers hold none.
C) Neither supervisors nor workers have much power.
D) Workers hold most of the power and supervisors hold little.

Question 15

The ________ is a harmless employee who displays a tendency to reject legitimate authority.

A) independent other
B) soap opera star
C) self-protector
D) adolescent

Question 16

Ian is a team leader. When deciding on a slogan for his company's upcoming campaign, he invited all his team members to give their opinions. Everyone then provided feedback and suggested improvements or changes. Ian considered the feedback and explained why the suggestions were incorporated or ignored. What was Ian trying to provide?

A) An effective communication climate
B) Satisfaction of needs
C) Power
D) Proximity

Question 17

Roland Saberling, a professional tennis player, always made a conscious effort to remain aloof from other players in locker rooms, parties, and sponsorship events. As a result, other players avoided interacting with him. What quality did Roland fail to exhibit?

A) Proximity
B) Pervasiveness
C) Idiosyncrasy
D) Mutual influence

Question 18

What requires analysis of the organization, communication flow, and political atmosphere for a work relationship?

A) Goal setting
B) Proximity
C) Shared meaning
D) Situational knowledge

Question 19

Elaine was recently hired at BlueFair, Inc., because of her confidence and talent. She was energetic and communicative and always excited to learn new things about the company. Which role is Elaine exhibiting?

A) Protégé
B) Employee
C) Employer
D) Coworker

Question 20

The absence of which types of relationships can potentially reduce the job effectiveness of female employees?

A) Cross-gender mentoring
B) Cross-race mentoring
C) Cross-pervasive mentoring
D) Cross-region mentoring

Question 21

List the skills you should possess to develop relationships with others in an organization. How can these skills be developed?

Question 22

Mary works as a customer service representative. She often has to deal with customers who are frustrated or angry. What could you suggest that would assist her in dealing with such customers?

A) Remain calm and try to empathize with the customer's situation.
B) Be enthusiastic and energetic.
C) Plan for the customer's future needs and desires.
D) Keep the customer notified about work-in-progress.

Question 23

Discuss the pros and cons of romantic relationships in the workplace.

Question 24

Discuss why sexual harassment occurs in the workplace.

Question 25

What is proximity? Examine its relevance in an organizational setting.

Question 26

List the four ways in which power can be distributed. Evaluate the relevance of each method.

Question 27

Discuss how mentors can influence new employees.

Question 28

How do manager-employee relationships influence an organization? Explain by citing relevant examples.

Question 29

Analyze how coworker relationships influence the productivity of an organization.

Question 30

Alice was going through a tough time and could not pay her credit card bills. She called the credit card company, explained her situation, and asked them to waive the late fees. The company would not waive the charges, stating that it was against their policy. Alice decided to close her account. What caused the company to lose a customer?

A) Robotism
B) Coldness
C) Apathy
D) Proximity

Question 31

What is the impact of employee-customer relationships in an organization?

Question 32

Janet was recently hired as a production manager. Although she always addresses any issues that line employees have, Janet still maintains a distance. She never volunteers any additional information or gets involved in her employees' personal lives. In the annual review, her boss informed Janice that she would have to work on how she handles her line workers. What should Janet improve upon to get a better rating in the future?

A) Effective communication
B) Shared meaning
C) Effective goal setting
D) Leadership ability

Question 33

Adrianne calls Bryan whenever she faces an issue while analyzing data. Bryan is a statistical expert and solves Adrianne's queries in no time. Adrianne calls Bryan for his

A) expertise.
B) power.
C) support.
D) social exchange.

Question 34

Jacob always finds it difficult to handle Tabby. Whenever he assigns a task to the team, she forces her ideas on everyone and makes the group uncomfortable. Because of this, most of the team is not happy with Tabby in the group. Which type of troublesome coworker is Tabby?

A) The bully
B) The adolescent
C) The mild annoyance
D) The independent other

Question 35

What guidelines should be followed for any relationship in the workplace? Assess the relevance of each guideline in a modern organizational context.