Deck 6: Path-Goal Theory

Question 1

Which two path-goal leader behaviors are also leader behaviors in the situational approach?

A) participative and directive
B) supportive and authoritative
C) supportive and directive
D) achievement-oriented and directive

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Expectancy theory,when applied in path-goal leadership says ______.

A) leaders need to find the right reward to motivate followers
B) make the same rewards available to all followers
C) leaders should show motivation in multiple ways
D) followers are expected to motivate other followers

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Leaders adjust their behaviors based on ______.

A) follower characteristics and work-setting characteristics
B) follower characteristics and follower productivity
C) follower characteristics and leader characteristics
D) follower characteristics and team prototype

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The directive leadership behavior in path-goal theory is similar to ______.

A) delegating in the SLII model
B) initiating structure in the Ohio State studies
C) consideration in the University of Michigan studies
D) employee orientation in the University of Michigan studies

Question 5

The researcher who consistently studied path-goal theory from the 1970s to 1990s is ______.

A) Bass
B) Hersey
C) Vroom
D) House

Question 6

Using the path-goal approach,expectancy theory suggests that ______.

A) leaders' needs and followers' needs overlap
B) followers are motivated if they think completing a task will result in a valuable payoff
C) a leader should try to help followers reach their fullest potential
D) followers are motivated regardless of ability

Question 7

Path-goal theory could be best described as a ______.

A) great person theory
B) transformational theory
C) motivational theory
D) behavioral theory

Question 8

If an employee is uncertain that her efforts will pay off,then path-goal theory suggests ______.

A) the employee should move to the company's out-group
B) the leader should prove that the employee's effort will be rewarded
C) additional obstacles should be introduced to challenge the employee
D) the employee is on the wrong path

Question 9

Leadership generates motivation by ______.

A) adjusting style to commitment of followers
B) setting high expectations
C) using only directive behaviors
D) clarifying the path to goal accomplishment

Question 10

It is accurate to say that directive leadership ______.

A) attempts to make work challenging
B) provides performance standards
C) invites shared decision making
D) is feedback oriented

Question 11

Motivation in path-goal theory is conceptualized using ______.

A) psychodynamic theory
B) great man theory
C) expectancy theory
D) leader-member exchange theory

Question 12

In path-goal theory,the three main components are ______.

A) leader style, follower characteristics, and work setting
B) supportive leadership, directive leadership, and participative leadership
C) follower characteristics, task characteristics, and supportive leadership
D) leadership, followers, and task

Question 13

Which of the following leadership theories expects the leader to continually be concerned about subordinate motivation?

A) situational leadership theory
B) contingency theory
C) path-goal theory
D) leader-member exchange theory

Question 14

The path-goal leader adjusts to the characteristics of the follower and ______.

A) the characteristics of the work setting
B) the characteristics of the team members
C) the prototype of the in-group members
D) the skills of the followers

Question 15

Which researcher(s)conceptualized motivation from the perspective of the expectancy theory of motivation?

A) Kotter and Bennis
B) Vroom
C) Hersey and Blanchard
D) House

Question 16

Which researcher(s)focused on how leaders motivate followers to accomplish designated goals?

A) Kotter
B) Fisher
C) Hersey and Blanchard
D) House

Question 17

The underlying assumption of expectancy theory is that followers will be motivated if ______.

A) they believe their leaders are capable
B) they believe their leaders are motivated
C) they believe they are doing the right thing
D) they believe their efforts will result in a certain outcome

Question 18

Path-goal theory is about how leaders ______ subordinates to accomplish designated ______.

A) assign; tasks
B) allow; goals
C) motivate; goals
D) influence; tasks

Question 19

Expectancy theory is about ______.

A) clearing the path for followers
B) rewarding followers for meeting their goals
C) establishing work group norms
D) anticipating leaders' needs

Question 20

Path-goal theory is similar to the situational approach in that ______.

A) path-goal does not suggest leaders should be flexible
B) path-goal does not take followers into consideration
C) path-goal requires leaders to adapt to followers' needs
D) path-goal and situational both take the work setting into account

Question 21

Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should respond to followers who need affiliation from a(n)______.

A) achievement style
B) supportive style
C) directive style
D) participative style

Question 22

Path-goal theory does not clearly show how ______.

A) leader behaviors affect follower motivation levels
B) motivation is achieved by followers
C) whether or not leaders can adapt behaviors to different situations
D) the best context for supportive behaviors

Question 23

Path-goal theory suggests all of the following except ______.

A) that task and subordinate characteristics affect leadership effectiveness
B) that leaders should help subordinates around their difficulties by removing obstacles
C) that subordinates with an external locus of control should be directed
D) that leaders need confidence and articulateness

Question 24

Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should respond to followers who need to excel from a(n)______.

A) achievement style
B) supportive style
C) directive style
D) participative style

Question 25

Tasks that are unclear and ambiguous call for leadership input that ______.

A) provides structure
B) provides support
C) removes obstacles
D) is achievement oriented

Question 26

Followers who have strong needs for affiliation prefer which type of leadership behavior?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) participative
D) achievement oriented

Question 27

Followers with external locus of control believe ______.

A) that fate is in charge of life's events
B) that they are in charge of life's events
C) that interactions with others control life's events
D) that personal relationships control life's events

Question 28

According to path-goal theory,as the followers' perception of their own ability and competence increases,the need for ______.

A) supportive leadership goes down
B) supportive leadership goes up
C) directive leadership goes up
D) directive leadership goes down

Question 29

Each week your supervisor holds a meeting to which he invites you and all the other employees to give feedback regarding current projects.According to path-goal theory,which behavior best describes your supervisor?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) participative
D) achievement oriented

Question 30

In contexts where the group norms are weak or non-supportive,leadership assists in building ______ and ______.

A) rules; clarification
B) cohesiveness; role responsibility
C) roles; responsibility
D) psychological structure; task clarity

Question 31

Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should respond to dogmatic/authoritarian followers from a ______.

A) directive style
B) supportive style
C) participative style
D) achievement style

Question 32

Your supervisor gives you a new project.You are informed that you have exactly 1 week to complete it and are handed an outline of what the final project should resemble.According to path-goal theory,which behavior best describes your supervisor?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) participative
D) achievement oriented

Question 33

Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should respond to followers who need clarity and control from a(n)______.

A) achievement style
B) supportive style
C) directive style
D) participative style

Question 34

According to path-goal theory,leadership does all of the following except ______.

A) clarifies the path to reaching goals
B) defines the goals for the follower
C) provides support to the follower
D) introduces challenging obstacles

Question 35

Followers with an internal locus of control believe ______.

A) that leaders are in charge of events that occur in their lives
B) that fate and change are in charge of events that occur in their lives
C) that they are in charge of the events that occur in their lives
D) that the organization is in charge of the events that occur in their lives

Question 36

Challenging followers to perform work at the highest levels possible is an example of which leadership behavior?

A) supportive
B) directive
C) participative
D) achievement oriented

Question 37

House introduced new behaviors in his reformulated path-goal theory in 1996.These include all of the following except ______.

A) inherent trait approach
B) group-oriented decision process
C) work facilitation
D) work-group representation and networking

Question 38

With path-goal theory incorporating so many different aspects of leadership within its model,which of the following could be argued?

A) the practical use of the theory is not valid
B) it fails to determine the role of motivation
C) it allows the leader to have a wider range of options as leader
D) it is difficult to use the theory fully when trying to improve the leadership process

Question 39

According to path-goal theory,directive leadership should be used when employees ______.

A) believe that outside circumstances control their lives
B) believe they are in charge of their lives
C) feel competent to complete their work
D) want to help make decisions

Question 40

Path-goal theory suggests that leaders should respond to autonomous group members with unstructured tasks from a ______.

A) directive style
B) supportive style
C) participative style
D) achievement style

Question 41

Followers with the desire to exceed expectations benefit from ______.

A) directive leadership
B) participative leadership
C) supportive leadership
D) achievement-oriented leadership

Question 42

I am doing a task I do not really understand and wish my leader would clear up my confusion by telling me the first few steps.According to path-goal theory,which leadership style would help me the most?

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 43

Leaders who give followers instructions about task accomplishment are using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 44

Which of the following is most accurate about research to validate path-goal theory?

A) A great deal of research has examined about directive and supportive leadership.
B) Most studies have examined participative and achievement oriented leadership.
C) Path-goal theory has been repeatedly validated in the academic community.
D) No scientific studies have been conducted on path-goal theory.

Question 45

I am doing a task that is really difficult to understand,and I want to clarify the task and work out the details myself.Which leadership style would help me the most?

A) directive behaviors
B) participative behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) achievement behaviors

Question 46

Supportive leadership in path-goal theory is very similar to which concept from the Behavioral Approach?

A) structure
B) consideration
C) motivation
D) production

Question 47

Path-goal theory is ______.

A) descriptive
B) prescriptive
C) leader centered
D) follower centered

Question 48

Leaders who challenge their followers to perform their very best are using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 49

Susan feels that others in her organization and in her personal life have more influence over her and her career and life path.Susan has ______.

A) autonomous locus of control
B) need for affiliation
C) internal locus of control
D) external locus of control

Question 50

Your supervisor is happy with your work and expresses confidence that you will bring the project in ahead of time and under budget.She is using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 51

Followers who need a high level of human interaction need ______.

A) directive leadership
B) participative leadership
C) supportive leadership
D) achievement-oriented leadership

Question 52

Manuel has a good sense of who he is and is confident that what he does and how he responds to situations will help him achieve his goals.Manuel has ______.

A) external locus of control
B) need for affiliation
C) internal locus of control
D) authoritarian disposition

Question 53

Leaders who invite their followers to share in the decision-making process are using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 54

Despite the critiques,one of the key strengths of path-goal theory is its ______.

A) practical nature
B) basic focus on traits
C) deep explanatory power
D) emphasis on linkages

Question 55

This challenging new project is exciting and I cannot wait to see how great it is going to be when I am finished.Which leadership style would help me the most?

A) directive behaviors
B) participative behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) achievement behaviors

Question 56

Your supervisor expresses concern for your well-being when he learns of the passing of your father.He is using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 57

I am doing a task I find very boring and unchallenging.Which leadership style would help me the most?

A) directive behaviors
B) participative behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) achievement behaviors

Question 58

Leaders who are friendly and approachable are using ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) achievement behaviors
C) supportive behaviors
D) participative behaviors

Question 59

The new behaviors House identified in his reformulated path-goal review in 1996 have the same essential premise as the original work which is ______.

A) to match leader behavior to follower competence and commitment
B) to describe task and relationship behaviors
C) to identify competencies of leaders
D) to give followers what is missing in their workplace

Question 60

Followers who have internal locus of control benefit from ______.

A) directive leadership
B) participative leadership
C) supportive leadership
D) achievement-oriented leadership

Question 61

Followers who prefer authoritarian leadership benefit from ______.

A) directive leadership
B) participative leadership
C) supportive leadership
D) achievement-oriented leadership

Question 62

I am doing a job that has ambiguous rules for which I need clarity.I need my leader to ______.

A) challenge me
B) involve me
C) nurture me
D) direct me

Question 63

A special focus of path-goal theory is on helping followers overcome ______.

A) self-limiting behaviors
B) obstacles
C) complexity
D) expectancy

Question 64

Path-goal theory was developed to ______.

A) explain how leaders motivate followers to be satisfied and successful in their work
B) explain how to get all followers in the in-group
C) explain how motivation improves follower service orientation
D) explain how authoritarian leader behaviors are inappropriate in the work setting

Question 65

A strength of the path-goal theory is ______.

A) it is very complex and has many aspects to it
B) empirical research partially supports its validity
C) it attempts to integrate motivation from expectancy theory
D) it clearly explains the relationship between motivation and leader behaviors

Question 66

According to path-goal theory,when an employee's tasks are complex and challenging and the employee has a high need to excel,the boss should apply ______.

A) directive behaviors
B) supportive behaviors
C) participative behaviors
D) achievement oriented behaviors

Question 67

Karina sorts and files medical records all day long.She is bored.Path-goal theory suggests Karina would be best motivated by ______.

A) higher goals
B) stricter deadlines
C) involvement in decisions
D) regular lunch with her boss

Question 68

My job is data entry,which I do all day long every day of the week.This is a(n)______.

A) complex task characteristic
B) ambiguous task characteristic
C) challenging task characteristic
D) mundane task characteristic

Question 69

My job's policies and procedures change regularly.This is a(n)______.

A) complex task characteristic
B) unclear task characteristic
C) challenging task characteristic
D) mundane task characteristic

Question 70

Path-goal theory supports the idea that ______.

A) leaders should be fair by treating all followers the same way
B) followers should take the primary role in the leadership process
C) leaders should give followers what is missing in their environment
D) followers should expect leaders to inspire them with lofty goals

Question 71

An advantage of using path-goal theory is ______.

A) it connects both work tasks and leader-member exchanges for effective leadership
B) it connects both work setting and skill development of followers
C) it connects the work tasks and follower needs for effective leadership
D) it connects leaders with followers by focusing on followers first

Question 72

I am tired of doing the same old boring job.I need my leader to ______.

A) challenge me
B) involve me
C) support me
D) direct me

Question 73

My job has many pieces that stretch my ability every day.This is a(n)______.

A) challenging task characteristic
B) repetitive task characteristic
C) unclear task characteristic
D) mundane task characteristic

Question 74

In path-goal theory,leaders can chose from ______ types of behaviors.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 75

Principles of path-goal theory ______.

A) are applied in many leadership training programs
B) easy for leaders to apply to their followers
C) consistent with organizational leadership training topics
D) can be used for all types of tasks at all levels of leadership

Question 76

There are multiple leader behaviors,task characteristics,and follower characteristics in path-goal theory that must be assessed correctly and integrated for effective leadership.This is a ______.

A) strength of path-goal theory
B) criticism of path-goal theory
C) leader benefit of path-goal theory
D) organizational benefit of path-goal theory

Question 77

I am really frustrated and unsatisfied with my work right now.I need my leader to ______.

A) nurture me
B) involve me
C) challenge me
D) direct me

Question 78

Path-goal theory ______.

A) is not a practical model
B) is a practical model
C) is not prescriptive
D) has high validity

Question 79

My job as a leader using path-goal theory is to use a style that ______.

A) that best fits the followers' needs
B) that best fits the followers' needs and the type of job they are doing
C) that best fits the leader's style and the followers' work style
D) that best fits the followers' characteristics

Question 80

My job does not have set ways of doing each task.This is a(n)______.

A) complex task characteristic
B) ambiguous task characteristic
C) repetitive task characteristic
D) unchallenging task characteristic