Deck 18: Appendix C: Industrialorganizational Psychology

Question 1

Which of the following represents the common themes in leadership research?

A)Effective leaders are good at influencing others, establishing cooperative relationships, and they develop a reputation for high-quality decision making.
B)Effective leaders are not concerned with changing attitudes so long as they change behaviours, and effective leaders tend to maintain strong mentoring relationships with subordinates.
C)Leaders often emerge from the ranks when there is a crisis; they allow others to work to their strengths, and they tend to make decisions based on previous successes.
D)Leaders are most likely to be older, male, and with at least 20 years of experience.

Answer 1

Effective leaders are good at influencing others, establishing cooperative relationships, and they develop a reputation for high-quality decision making.

Question 2

Why is "motivation" such a complex concept for I/O psychologists to study?

A)Although the idea of "motivation" seems critical to organizations, it is difficult to determine what will motivate a single individual because it differs across people and across time for the same individual.
B)Motivation has never been properly defined by psychologists, so it is a brand-new field specific to I/O psychology.
C)It is impossible to get accurate answers about the motivation of employees because they are unlikely to be truthful on surveys regarding work-related issues.
D)It's not that the concept is complex, but because I/O psychologists cannot do any controlled studies, it is nearly impossible for them to isolate the relevant variables.

Answer 2

Although the idea of "motivation" seems critical to organizations, it is difficult to determine what will motivate a single individual because it differs across people and across time for the same individual.

Question 3

How does the speed of technological change affect companies' personnel selection?

A)Morale drops as a result of low interpersonal contact, as face-to-face communication is replaced by email.
B)Selection is often done using online and through other technological methods.
C)Individuals who are willing and able to adapt on a continuous basis are preferred.
D)Older workers are systematically "weeded out" due to inability to adapt to new technology.

Answer 3

Individuals who are willing and able to adapt on a continuous basis are preferred.

Question 4

What is a key difference between 'informal' and 'formal' performance appraisal?

A)Formal appraisals should involve external review.
B)Formal appraisals are systematic rather than haphazard.
C)Informal appraisals are only beneficial to the employee.
D)Informal appraisals are less stressful for the employee and the employer.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT one of the five major changes in modern society that have affected personnel selection?

A)rapid technological change, including changes in communication technology
B)globalization of most large corporations
C)increase in the use of teams to accomplish work
D)shifting from a service orientation to a manufacturing orientation

Question 6

In a rapidly changing work environment, which match is MOST desired?

A)match between the person and the technological skills
B)match between the person and the job
C)match between the person and the organization
D)match between the training and the person

Question 7

What is the focus of industrial psychology?

A)It is concerned with how people adapt emotionally and socially to working in complex human organizations.
B)It is concerned with choosing the right people for the right jobs and cultivating a productive workforce.
C)It is concerned with the application of psychological principles in the workplace.
D)It examines the way in which work environments can be designed or modified to match the capabilities and limitations of human beings.

Question 8

What must industrial/organizational psychologists do as a result of anti-discrimination legislation?

A)ensure that their recruitment and selection practices are legally sound
B)hire people from minority groups based on "quotas"
C)pass a government security clearance screening
D)warn all potential hires that their resumés are subject to legal review

Question 9

Bindi and Keller work for XYZ Corporation. They both believe that the employer plans to continue to employ them for the rest of their careers. Bindi just started working for the corporation, while Keller has been working there for more than two years. According to Rousseau's notion of the psychological contract, what is likely to be true?

A)The company is more likely to abandon its perceived commitment to Bindi, because she is female.
B)Bindi will feel that she owes more to the company than does Keller.
C)The two employees will feel equally committed, so long as the company lives up to its promise.
D)Keller will feel that he owes a great deal to the company, while Bindi will be less committed.

Question 10

How are formal performance appraisals related to employee retention?

A)Formal appraisals stretch out the probationary period, providing extra time for training and allowing employees to believe they belong.
B)Only those employees who pass the appraisal are retained.
C)Employees who believe that appraisal is fair and effective are more committed to the organization.
D)Grading systems are used that allow low-quality employees to recognize their weaknesses.

Question 11

Which educational model reflects the training of industrial/organizational psychologists?

A)experimental utility
B)industrial researcher
C)clinical
D)scientist-practitioner

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a key feature of organizational culture?

A)Culture develops through the need to maintain effective working relationships with employees.
B)An organization's culture can be traced to its founders.
C)Culture often develops out of an organization's experience with the external environment.
D)Organizations rely on teams rather than individuals to conduct daily affairs.

Question 13

What area of psychology is concerned with how the social context of work affects behaviour and attitudes?

A)human factors
B)industrial
C)organizational
D)personnel

Question 14

Which type of discrimination is legal, according to Canadian law?

A)education
B)sex
C)religion
D)race

Question 15

Which branch of psychology is concerned with the application of psychological principles in the workplace?

A)applied
B)business
C)industrial/organizational
D)consulting

Question 16

According to your text, what are "essential skills"?

A)those that make it possible to learn all other needed skills
B)those that are synonymous with common sense
C)those developed as part of a university degree
D)basic programming and customer service abilities

Question 17

According to Pinder (1998), what is work motivation?

A)the cognitive focus on work that is a result of the perceived benefits achieved from work
B)the quality that is found in those individuals referred to as "self-starters"
C)factors that initiate work and determine the direction, intensity, and duration of work
D)the effort expended to meet job requirements (which may include additional training)

Question 18

Regarding the use of work teams in many companies, which statement is most accurate?

A)Teams that have worked together for a long period of time are more efficient than individuals, but newer teams are problematic.
B)Individuals outperform teams.
C)Teams are one way of performing work, but are not inherently superior to individuals.
D)Teams outperform individuals.

Question 19

Tobias is a recruitment officer for a large corporation. In which situation will he find it most difficult to attract qualified candidates?

A)Rising demand for natural resources has led to booming economies across the country.
B)There is about to be a federal election, and politicians are promising to cut taxes.
C)The town has just closed its largest plant and many people are out of work.
D)The country is experiencing a general economic downturn, and there are few new jobs being created.

Question 20

You've been hired by a medium-sized company. You were told that you were recruited and hired because you seemed to be a great "fit" for the department. According to Schneider's ASA cycle, what could this pattern be labeled?

A)attrition and selection
B)attraction and selection
C)selection only
D)selection and adaptation