Deck 5: Situational Approach

Question 1

The situational leadership approach ______.

A) is one of the more widely recognized leadership approaches
B) integrates leadership skills with follower skills
C) integrates leadership behaviors with follower traits
D) is not recognized as a legitimate modern day leadership approach

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A leader who gives recognition and social support to followers is using ______.

A) directing behaviors
B) supporting behaviors
C) delegating behaviors
D) coaching behaviors

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A leader who gives followers instructions about how and when goals should be achieved and supervises them carefully is using ______.

A) directing behaviors
B) supporting behaviors
C) delegating behaviors
D) coaching behaviors

Answer 3

A

Question 4

It is accurate to say that Situational Leadership II (SLII)is primarily ______.

A) descriptive
B) prescriptive
C) well supported by research
D) trait related

Question 5

As a recent graduate from the top chemistry program in the country,you quickly receive a position with a chemical company and are given a high-salary position.You are nervous and feel that you need more experience or assistance to meet organizational standards.According to the situational model,your level of development is ______.

A) S4
B) D2
C) S1
D) D3

Question 6

You recently were promoted to a new position and are very excited,but you have little to no experience with numerous aspects of the new position.According to the situational model,your level of development is ______.

A) S4
B) D1
C) S1
D) D4

Question 7

A leader who lets followers take responsibility for task accomplishment and has less involvement with followers is using ______.

A) directing behaviors
B) supporting behaviors
C) delegating behaviors
D) coaching behaviors

Question 8

The SLII model is divided into two parts: ______.

A) leadership attributes and follower skills
B) leadership skills and follower development level
C) leadership development levels and follower behaviors
D) leadership style and follower development level

Question 9

The situational approach ______.

A) is irrelevant in modern day leadership
B) focuses on describing not prescribing leadership
C) is used widely in leadership training and development
D) determined that high-directive and high-supportive behaviors work best in all situations

Question 10

Which of the following statements best describes situational leadership?

A) Specific leaders are needed in specific situations.
B) Leaders must adapt to the situation, but not to the followers.
C) Different situations demand different kinds of leadership.
D) Leadership is directive.

Question 11

Which leadership style includes a high level of support and also is one in which the leader makes the final decision about goal accomplishment?

A) directing
B) supporting
C) delegating
D) coaching

Question 12

In SLII,leaders use different degrees of ______ and ______ to meet the needs of followers.

A) motivation and determination
B) competence and commitment
C) supportive and directive behaviors
D) social judgment and cognitive ability

Question 13

The situational approach labels leaders' styles specifically as ______.

A) initiating structure and consideration
B) high task and low task
C) task and relationship
D) directive and supportive

Question 14

In the SLII model,leaders evaluate how ______ and ______ followers are to perform a task.

A) intentional and committed
B) motivated and determined
C) competent and committed
D) focused and intelligent

Question 15

You have been employed at your organization for some time and are starting to gain the necessary skills associated with your position but have trouble staying as motivated as you used to be.According to the situational model,your level of development is ______.

A) S4
B) D2
C) S1
D) S2

Question 16

Adjusting leadership styles is based on the assumption that ______.

A) followers' skills and motivation vary over time
B) leaders have to develop basic skills prior to assessing follower needs
C) followers' skill level stays the same, whereas motivation level varies
D) leaders adjust their styles to the behavioral styles of followers

Question 17

You were recently hired into an organization that you have always wanted to work at,and in addition,your education and experience complement your new position perfectly.According to the situational model,your level of development is ______.

A) S2
B) D2
C) S1
D) D4

Question 18

You are president of a large corporation.At a typical monthly meeting,each of your vice presidents gives standard area reports.In the past,these reports have been good,and the VPs seem satisfied about their work.Based on SLII,which leadership style should you exhibit at the next meeting?

A) style 1
B) style 2
C) style 3
D) style 4

Question 19

Who focused on leaders matching their styles to the competence and commitment of employees?

A) Stogdill
B) Hersey and Blanchard
C) Blake and McCanse
D) Katz

Question 20

Follower development level in SLII is determined by level of ______.

A) competence and commitment
B) social judgment and cognitive ability
C) sociability and determination
D) task and directive behaviors

Question 21

The highly competent,highly committed follower benefits from ______.

A) a leader who provides a high level of support
B) a leader who directs tasks carefully
C) a leader who stays out of the day-to-day tasks and provides low levels of support
D) a leader who is both a cheerleader and authoritarian

Question 22

You are the executive director of the local animal humane society.The staff you supervise have been working at the society for more than two years and you have given them consistently excellent performance appraisals at the last two annual reviews.You have noticed lately that they have brought new ideas to you for ways to improve customer service and animal care and that they are excited about helping new staff get accustomed to the workplace.Based on the Situational Leadership Approach,which leadership style should you exhibit?

A) delegating
B) supporting
C) coaching
D) directing

Question 23

You are the executive director of the local animal humane society.You hired a staff member four weeks ago.You notice this new employee cheerfully interacting with other staff and potential adopters and daily attempting to learn new tasks.It is clear this employee needs more time and help learning the correct policies and methods to complete the work,and when you share this information,the employee readily accepts these directions.Based on the Situational Leadership Approach,which leadership style should you exhibit?

A) delegating
B) supporting
C) coaching
D) directing

Question 24

Followers who have little skill for the task but are very motivated in getting the task done are ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 25

Followers who are highly motivated,committed,and motivated to accomplish tasks are ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 26

Which best describes the reason situational leadership is so practical for managers to use?

A) it assists in relating demographics to leadership
B) it is only applicable to lower-level managers
C) it is straightforward
D) it is specific

Question 27

You are the executive director of the local animal humane society.A staff member you supervise has been working at the society for less than one year.At the 6-month,you discuss with this employee that they seem to have mastered the basic tasks of the job but not the more difficult tasks.You have noticed lately that they seem a bit disillusioned about the job and the process of caring for these animals that seem so sad to be in the facility.Based on the Situational Leadership Approach,which leadership style should you exhibit?

A) delegating
B) supporting
C) coaching
D) directing

Question 28

Some competence but low commitment ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) S2
D) S1

Question 29

The development level in the SLII model is ______.

A) the degree to which leaders are capable of adjusting their styles
B) the skill with which the followers adjust their styles
C) the traits that make up who a follower is
D) the degree to which followers have the capability and motivation for task accomplishment

Question 30

Which of the following would not be considered a strength of the situational approach?

A) emphasizes leadership flexibility
B) is a very practical approach
C) is considered a credible model for training leaders within organizations
D) takes the influence of gender into account during leader-follower situations

Question 31

The D4 follower needs which type of leader?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) coaching
D) delegating

Question 32

Which of the following would a leader using the situational approach not ask when determining the nature of the situation?

A) What task are the followers being asked to perform?
B) How can I best alter the styles of the followers?
C) How complex is the task?
D) Are the followers sufficiently skilled to accomplish the task?

Question 33

As the executive director of the local animal humane society,you work with several employees who are at varying levels of experience in working with animal welfare issues and with varying degrees of motivation to continue this important work.Using situational leadership concepts,you should

A) adapt your style based on experience and skill level of the staff
B) adapt your leadership style based on the motivation level of the staff
C) demonstrate a high degree of flexibility in your style to each staff member
D) demonstrate little flexibility in your style as you interact only with high-level staff members

Question 34

You are the executive director of the local animal humane society.A staff member you supervise has been working at the society for about one year.At the annual performance evaluation review,you share that you are pleased to see the employee has mastered both the basic and more difficult tasks of the job.You notice,however,that this employee still lacks the confidence and motivation to take on new tasks.Based on the Situational Leadership Approach,which leadership style should you exhibit?

A) delegating
B) supporting
C) coaching
D) directing

Question 35

Which of the following would a leader ask when determining the commitment level of a follower?

A) What task are the followers being asked to perform?
B) How can I best alter the styles of the followers?
C) Do the followers have the desire to complete the task?
D) How complex is the task?

Question 36

Followers who are quite competent to complete tasks but lack the commitment to do so are ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 37

If followers are low in competence and high in commitment,a leader should adopt which style?

A) low-directive and high-supportive style
B) high-directive and high-supportive style
C) low-directive and low-supportive style
D) high-directive and low-supportive style

Question 38

Followers who have some ability to complete a task but lack motivation about the task are ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 39

Low in competence and high in commitment ______.

A) D1
B) D2
C) S2
D) S4

Question 40

Followers can move back and forth along the developmental continuum,therefore leaders should ______.

A) use the one leader behavior with which they are most comfortable
B) put structures in place to limit this movement
C) be flexible in their leadership behavior
D) challenge the movement and direct followers to stay where they are

Question 41

I prefer to use a low level of supportive leader behaviors and high directive behaviors with all of my followers.Which of my followers will benefit most from my use of these behaviors?

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 42

A highly committed follower who does his job consistently well needs which type of leader?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) coaching
D) delegating

Question 43

Because of the lack of research studies associated with situational leadership,there are questions concerning its theoretical basis.Which of the following is not one of these questions?

A) Is it certain that this approach does indeed improve performance?
B) Can we be sure it is a valid approach?
C) Why are there limited doctoral dissertations done on the situational approach?
D) Why has there been a lack of published research findings?

Question 44

Which of the following is a strength of the situational leadership approach?

A) it is descriptive not prescriptive
B) commitment of followers is clearly defined
C) demographics such as gender and age are accounted for in the empirical research
D) it is perceived as a useful model of leadership training and development

Question 45

When the leader tries to apply the right style of behavior to the situation he or she ______.

A) first diagnoses, then adjusts appropriately
B) first adjusts, then evaluates the situation
C) first diagnoses, then delegates tasks
D) first adjusts, then provides direction

Question 46

You are the leader of a group project for a class in which you previously have successfully used coaching style.Now the group members seem very insecure about whether they can complete the project,but it is apparent that they have learned a lot about how to do the project and are now quite competent to do a good job.You decide to switch to a supporting style.Why did you make this switch?

A) the followers moved up in competence
B) supportive behaviors always help followers
C) the followers' competence and commitment are about equal
D) the followers have moderate level of commitment

Question 47

Questionnaires on situational leadership often ask for respondents to look at specific applications of leadership styles within situations,which may result in _____.

A) results that are not in favor of situational leadership
B) a wide range of responses that are hard to validate
C) biased results in favor of situational leadership
D) negative perceptions toward organizations

Question 48

Leaders adjust their styles based on ______.

A) the collective needs of the group
B) their own skill sets
C) followers skill sets
D) the level of motivation and competency of their followers

Question 49

Jocelyn is struggling to grasp the process of a new job you have given her.She states she understands the outcome of the project,but not how to start the project.She looks miserable and uninterested in trying to start the project.Which alternative represents the most effective leadership style you should use with Jocelyn?

A) discuss the initial steps and ask her for input on alternative ways she could get started
B) specify what she must do to complete the tasks and let her get started
C) define the steps necessary to complete the assigned tasks and monitor her performance frequently
D) let her know she just needs to get started now

Question 50

A follower with low-level motivation and mid-to-high level ability to complete the job benefits from ______.

A) a leader who provides a high level of support
B) a leader who directs tasks carefully
C) a leader who stays out of the day-to-day tasks
D) a leader who is both a cheerleader and authoritarian

Question 51

You are the owner of a small catering company and have recently hired a skilled baker to complement your staff.When business is slow,however,you need the baker to help prepare other kinds of foods.Some of the processes (like deboning fish and preparing soup stock)are complicated and require detailed training.What style should you use under these circumstances?

A) Style 1
B) Style 2
C) Style 3
D) Style 4

Question 52

The highly committed follower who just has not figured out how to do his job benefits from ______.

A) a leader who provides a high level of support
B) a leader who directs tasks carefully
C) a leader who stays out of the day-to-day tasks and provides low levels of support
D) a leader who is both a cheerleader and authoritarian

Question 53

Allowing a group of employees to run the daily operations of the organization while the supervisor remains out of the picture unless he is needed to solve problems,listen to concerns,give praise,and provide feedback is best explained with ______.

A) directing style
B) delegating approach
C) supporting approach
D) coaching approach

Question 54

You are the leader of a small jazz band composed of four of your peers who have never been in a jazz group before.As the leader of the band,you have been very straightforward about how the band will function.You have clearly described each of the members' roles,and they are starting to catch on to how the group works.What style do you exhibit next?

A) Style 1
B) Style 2
C) Style 3
D) Style 4

Question 55

Leaders evaluate the competence and commitment of followers in which leadership theory?

A) path-goal
B) leader-member exchange
C) servant
D) situational

Question 56

You have recently been made a department head of the new regional office.In getting to know your departmental staff,you have noticed that one of your inexperienced employees is not following through on assigned tasks.She is enthused about her new job and wants to get ahead in the organization.Which alternative represents the most effective leadership style?

A) discuss the lack of follow-through with her and explore possible ways to solve this problem
B) specify what she must do to complete the tasks, but incorporate any suggestions she may have
C) define the steps necessary to complete the assigned tasks and monitor her performance frequently
D) let her know about the lack of follow-through and give her more time to improve her performance

Question 57

A leader who emphasizes communication with followers in both achieving goals as well as meeting social needs would best be described as possessing ______.

A) directing style
B) delegating style
C) supporting style
D) coaching style

Question 58

You are leader of a group project for a class.The other group members seem insecure about whether they can complete the project,but it is apparent that they are competent enough to do a good job.In prior meetings you have been coaching them on the project.Based on SLII,which leadership style should you exhibit at the next meeting?

A) Style 1
B) Style 2
C) Style 3
D) Style 4

Question 59

A leader applying the situational approach would ______.

A) focus on developing leader skills
B) focus on adapting behavior to the subordinate and task characteristics of followers
C) focus on supportive behaviors for all followers
D) focus on assessing and adapting to followers' needs in the workplace

Question 60

Once a group has established a plan of action toward achieving its goals,the supervisor allows the group to carry out the plan with little to no involvement.This is an example of ______.

A) directing style
B) delegating approach
C) supporting approach
D) coaching approach

Question 61

Which of the following is a criticism of situational approach?

A) It does not address how commitment and competence integrate into development levels.
B) It is used in training and development programs.
C) It has prescriptive value for leaders.
D) It is highly flexible in nature.

Question 62

The directive and supportive behaviors in situational approach ______.

A) are applied separately depending on followers' needs
B) are applied to the same degree in the supportive behavioral style
C) must be applied together depending on the followers' needs
D) must be applied to the same degree in the directive behavioral style

Question 63

Compared to the trait approach,the situational approach ______.

A) suggests leaders need to be fluid not fixed
B) is descriptive in nature, making them similar
C) defines the key characteristics leaders need to navigate all situations
D) views leader openness as more important than intelligence

Question 64

Research by Zigarmi and Roberts (2017)suggested that followers feel positive about their job when ______.

A) leaders treat all of their employees in the same way regardless of situation
B) followers perceive a match between their own needs and their leader's behavior
C) followers are situated in groups where everyone has complementary personality traits
D) leaders use mostly supportive behaviors with females and directive behaviors with males

Question 65

In a study by Arvidsson and colleagues on situational leadership using air traffic controllers as the subjects,researchers found the most often used leadership style was ______.

A) S1
B) S2
C) S3
D) S4

Question 66

Situational approach to leadership ______.

A) clearly describes how a follower's age impacts a leader's style decisions
B) emphasizes cultural competence for leaders across all situations
C) does not account for gender in leader-follower prescriptions
D) does not consider followers' skill levels

Question 67

Situational leadership comprises both directive and supportive dimensions ______.

A) that are behaviorally similar to task and relationship behaviors in the behavioral approach
B) that are applied in the same way to all followers
C) that are used separately depending on the followers' needs
D) that are applied to followers who are not sure what their task needs are

Question 68

You area a regional manager,and your CEO suggests you use a coaching style with your follower Julio,a junior employee.If you are using the situational leadership approach,you should ______.

A) show Julio you believe in him by letting him make all decisions
B) back away from Julio and give him more time to develop on his own
C) encourage Julio and listen to his needs but still direct decisions on the goals
D) invite the CEO into the situation to conduct a coaching session with you and Julio together

Question 69

You communicate well with your followers by encouraging their work and helping them plan out their daily tasks.Which leader behavioral style are you using?

A) delegating
B) directing
C) supporting
D) coaching

Question 70

Which of the following is considered a strength of the situational approach?

A) its extensive use in leadership training and development
B) its strong theoretical underpinnings
C) its detailed conceptualizations of developmental levels
D) its applicability to large groups of followers

Question 71

Early versions of the SLII model,developmental levels of followers were referred to as ______.

A) confidence or openness
B) readiness or maturity
C) social judgment or emotionality
D) skills or traits

Question 72

Competence in the situational leadership approach can be defined as ______.

A) having a positive attitude toward the work
B) being dedicated and a hard-worker
C) having the desire to complete the task
D) possessing the skills necessary to complete the task

Question 73

In situational leadership ______.

A) leaders find their personal best style and apply it to all followers
B) leaders adapt their behaviors to meet the organization's needs
C) leaders match their styles to the subordinate development levels
D) leaders adjust their styles based on their own skill level

Question 74

Commitment in the situational leadership approach can be defined as ______.

A) having motivation and confidence in doing the work
B) being dedicated and a hard worker
C) possessing the skills necessary to complete the task
D) mastering the skills necessary to complete the task

Question 75

I tend to tell my staff what to do and how to do it while I encourage them and ask them for input about the goals of our organization.Which of my followers will benefit most from my use of these behaviors?

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 76

I prefer to tell my staff what to do and rarely integrate them in the decision-making process.Which of my followers will benefit most from my use of these behaviors?

A) D1
B) D2
C) D3
D) D4

Question 77

The situational approach requires leaders to ______.

A) show high degree of control
B) demonstrate heavy authority
C) practice great flexibility
D) provide constant coaching

Question 78

In a study by Arvidsson and colleagues on situational leadership using air traffic controllers as the subjects,researchers found the least often used leadership style was ______.

A) S1
B) S2
C) S3
D) S4

Question 79

You communicate with your followers when necessary and provide direction if followers ask for it but day-to-day control of the decisions and work are left to your followers.You are using which leader behavioral style?

A) delegating
B) directing
C) supporting
D) coaching

Question 80

Supportive leader behaviors help group members by ______.

A) setting timelines
B) defining roles
C) describing methods of evaluation
D) asking for input