Deck 1: What Is Organizational Behavior

Question 1

Navar is a manager at a mid-sized consulting first. Within his role, he is responsible for motivating those under him to go out and meet new clients. Which of the four managerial activities is Navar exhibiting?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Answer 1

C

Question 2

According to Luthans, if you want to be a successful manager, your time would be best spent on which managerial activity?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is not a topic or concern related to OB?

A) turnover
B) leader behavior
C) productivity
D) management
E) family behavior

Answer 3

E

Question 4

On average, managers spend the least amount of time doing which managerial activity?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Question 5

There is a connection between companies which have ________ and the incorporation of organizational behavior principles.

A) high turnover rates
B) specialized technical processes
C) superior financial performance
D) long-lasting CEOs
E) all of the above

Question 6

The number of direct reports under a manager has increased from ________ to ________.

A) 5; 7
B) 4; 10
C) 2; 7
D) 1; 5
E) 3; 4

Question 7

Organizational behavior is a field of study that helps in measuring, understanding, and changing attitudes; identifying communication patterns; and building trust. It has made important contributions to the study of group behavior, power, and conflict.

Question 8

The purpose of organizational behavior is to ________.

A) better understand management
B) improve an organization's effectiveness
C) balance diversity
D) create boilerplates
E) replace human resources

Question 9

________ is the study of the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations.

A) Leadership
B) Organizational strategy
C) Performance management
D) Employee relations
E) Organizational behavior

Question 10

Behavior is generally unpredictable, and the systematic study of behavior is a means to making reasonably accurate predictions.

Question 11

According to a recent large-scale survey, 58 percent of managers did not receive ________.

A) pay incentives
B) training
C) administrative support
D) insurance
E) office space

Question 12

According to Luthans, if you want to be an effective manager, your time would be best spent on which managerial activity?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Question 13

Over the last three decades, business school curricula has focused more on the technical aspects of management such as economics, accounting, finance, and quantitative techniques, and less on subjects related to human behavior and people skills.

Question 14

Until the late 1980s, business school curricula emphasized the ________ aspects of management.

A) ethical
B) people
C) technical
D) human
E) global

Question 15

On average, managers spend most of their time doing which managerial activity?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Question 16

Which of the following is not a reason why business schools have begun to include classes on organizational behavior?

A) to increase manager effectiveness in organizations
B) to help organizations attract top quality employees
C) to expand organizations' consulting needs
D) to improve retention of quality workers
E) to help increase organizations' profits

Question 17

What are the three primary determinants of behavior in organizations?

A) profit structure, organizational complexity, and job satisfaction
B) individuals, profit structure, and job satisfaction
C) individuals, groups, and job satisfaction
D) groups, structure, and profit structure
E) individuals, groups, and structure

Question 18

Which of the following is not a core topic of organizational behavior?

A) motivation
B) attitude development
C) conflict
D) resource allocation
E) work design

Question 19

According to Luthans, if you want to be a successful manager, your time would be best spent not focusing on which managerial activity?

A) Traditional management
B) Communication
C) Human resource management
D) Networking
E) Systems

Question 20

According to Luthans, in addition to Traditional management roles, effective managers engage in all of the following activities except ________.

A) Human resource management
B) Networking
C) Communications
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 21

Organizational behavior is essentially the study of "people skills."

Question 22

Without computers, management as we know it would not exist.

Question 23

Managers who explain their decisions and seek information from colleagues and employees tend to be less successful because they emphasize negativity.

Question 24

Organizational behavior is constructed from all of the following disciplines except ________.

A) physics
B) psychology
C) anthropology
D) sociology
E) social psychology

Question 25

The use of surveillance analytics within organizational behavior is a product of the computer age.

Question 26

Betty believes that it is best to take the casual or common sense approach to reading others. She needs to remember that ________.

A) the casual approach is nonsensical, and should be avoided as much as possible
B) the systematic approach and the casual approach are one and the same
C) laboratory experiments on human behavior often result in unreliable findings
D) the casual or common sense approach to reading others can often lead to erroneous predictions
E) behavior is unpredictable, hence there is no accurate way to analyze it

Question 27

If a manager uses data to define objectives, develop theories of causality, and then test those theories, then she can ultimately determine ________.

A) which products to produce
B) which employee activities are relevant to objectives
C) what objectives the company needs to follow
D) who should be fired
E) all of the above

Question 28

Organizations typically chose the wrong candidate for management positions 82 percent of the time.

Question 29

Which of the following problems would an OB study be least likely to focus on?

A) an increase in absenteeism at a certain company
B) a fall in productivity in one shift of a manufacturing plant
C) a decrease in sales due to growing foreign competition
D) an increase in theft by employees at a retail store
E) excessive turnover among volunteer workers at a non-profit organization

Question 30

Which of the following beliefs explains the usefulness of the systematic approach to the study of organizational behavior?

A) Human behavior does not vary a great deal between individuals and situations.
B) Human behavior is not random.
C) Human behavior is not consistent.
D) Human behavior is rarely predictable.
E) Human behavior is often not sensible.

Question 31

Analyzing relationships, determining causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence all constitute aspects of ________ study.

A) organizational
B) intuitive
C) theoretical
D) systematic
E) case-based

Question 32

Intuition comes from "gut feelings" about the state of some phenomenon of interest.

Question 33

Basing managerial decisions on the best available scientific support is called ________.

A) intuition
B) organizational process
C) organizational behavior
D) evidence-based management
E) conceptual management

Question 34

Psychology's major contributions to the field of organizational behavior have been primarily at what level of analysis?

A) the level of the group
B) the level of the individual
C) the level of the organization
D) the level of culture
E) the level of interacting groups

Question 35

Which behavioral science discipline is most focused on understanding individual behavior?

A) sociology
B) social psychology
C) psychology
D) anthropology
E) organizational behavior

Question 36

Why is it important to complement intuition with systematic study in our attempts to understand behavior within organizations?

Question 37

Holly needs to assign a very important advertising account to one of her writers. First she reviewed each writer's work load, then she studied the sales data of the products for the last three campaigns of each writer, then she reviewed each writer's annual review to familiarize herself with their goals. Finally, she gave the account to Paula, a very creative, efficient, writer who has had high sales results with her last three clients' products. Janet's management style is based on ________.

A) intuition or "gut feeling"
B) organizational behavioral studies
C) subjective assessments
D) preconceived notions
E) systematic study

Question 38

In order to predict human behavior, it is best to supplement your intuitive opinions with information derived in what fashion?

A) common sense
B) direct observation
C) systematic study
D) speculation
E) organizational theory

Question 39

________ is a science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behavior of humans and other animals.

A) Psychiatry
B) Psychology
C) Sociology
D) Political science
E) Organizational behavior

Question 40

As the manager of a large soft drink company, you have access to millions of pieces of data on consumer consumption of your drink. As the seasons change, how can you use this data to make human resources decisions?

Question 41

How have the fields of psychology and sociology contributed to our understanding of organizational behavior?

Question 42

Social psychology is an area within psychology, blending concepts from both psychology and socialism.

Question 43

The subject of organizational culture has been most influenced by which behavioral science discipline?

A) anthropology
B) psychology
C) social psychology
D) political science
E) corporate strategy

Question 44

________ focuses on the study of people in relation to their social environment.

A) Psychology
B) Sociology
C) Corporate strategy
D) Political science
E) Operations management

Question 45

The science of ________ was developed by applying general concepts to a particular situation, person, or group.

A) organizational behavior
B) anthropology
C) psychology
D) sociology
E) social psychology

Question 46

Anthropology has helped us understand differences in values and attitudes between people in different countries.

Question 47

Human beings are complex, and few, if any, simple and universal principles explain organizational behavior. Nevertheless, it does not mean that OB cannot offer reasonably accurate explanations of human behavior or make valid predictions. It does mean that OB concepts must ________.

A) focus on the reliability and validity of research data
B) attempt to establish cause-and-effect relationships
C) be consistently applicable across a wide range of situations
D) reflect situational, or contingency, conditions
E) avoid assumptions

Question 48

Which field of study has contributed to OB through its research on organizational culture and formal organization theory and structure?

A) psychology
B) operations management
C) corporate strategy
D) political science
E) sociology

Question 49

Describe how one of the sciences that contributes to organizational behavior could be used in EBM. Define the science, some of the science's contributions to OB, and describe a workplace example of how it could be used in EBM.

Question 50

Conflict and power have been major topics of concern for social psychologists.

Question 51

________ blends concepts from psychology and sociology and focuses on the influence people have on one another.

A) Corporate strategy
B) Anthropology
C) Political science
D) Social psychology
E) Archaeology

Question 52

This field of study has helped us understand differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behavior between people in different countries and within different organizations.

A) anthropology
B) corporate strategy
C) political science
D) operations research
E) psycholinguistics

Question 53

What psychology is to the group, sociology is to the individual.

Question 54

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioral disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behavior. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. You should expect that the faculty member from ________ will probably contribute information about large-scale group behavior.

A) sociology
B) psychology
C) social psychology
D) anthropology
E) industrial engineering

Question 55

Austin is a graduate student helping to organize a study on individual job satisfaction. The study focuses on the top five causes of satisfaction or dissatisfaction on a job. His department is surveying 200 individuals in 100 different types of organizations. Austin is most likely a graduate student in the department of ________.

A) psychology
B) anthropology
C) political science
D) social psychology
E) archaeology

Question 56

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioral disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behavior. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. Which faculty member should furnish information about personality, learning, and motivation?

A) sociology
B) psychology
C) anthropology
D) political science
E) industrial engineering

Question 57

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioral disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behavior. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. Which professor out of this group would you expect to address issues on communication?

A) the psychologist
B) the anthropologist
C) the political scientist
D) the social psychologist
E) the industrial engineer

Question 58

Compare and contrast the fields of psychology, social psychology, and sociology.

Question 59

Jude is a social psychologist. He is working on a concept in social psychology, which is a major study area, and learning how to implement it and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance. Jude is studying the concept of ________.

A) culture
B) ethics
C) power
D) change
E) fatigue

Question 60

Group behavior, power, and conflict are central areas of study for ________.

A) archaeologists
B) philanthropists
C) anthropologists
D) social psychologists
E) operations analysts

Question 61

OB draws from several research-based theories about how people behave in organizations and contains several straightforward cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 62

Whereas ________ focuses on differences among people from different countries, ________ addresses differences among people within given countries.

A) workforce diversity; globalization
B) globalization; workforce diversity
C) culture; diversity
D) culturalization; workforce diversity
E) psychology; social psychology

Question 63

Given the climate of "temporariness" in modern organizations, employees must ________.

A) continually update their knowledge and skills
B) be prepared to stay in the same position for longer periods of time
C) have closer connections with their peers
D) foster friendship within the work environment
E) limit their mobility if they hope to compete

Question 64

OB concepts must reflect contingency conditions for all of the following reasons except ________.

A) human beings are complex
B) our predictions and assumptions are almost accurate all the time
C) one person's behavior changes in different situations
D) we are limited in our ability to make sweeping generalizations
E) two people often act very differently in the same situation

Question 65

Over the past 15 years, longevity rates have ________ while birth rates have ________.

A) decreased; decreased
B) increased; decreased
C) increased; remained consistent
D) increased; increased
E) decreased; increased

Question 66

Raul is a financial analyst who oversees the daily financial expenditures for a major big box retailer. On a typical day, Raul does not interact with other employees and only meets with his team on Monday afternoons; however, he typically has to run a report at 7:30 am and then a final report at 7:30 pm. Raul and his wife Emily have a six-month-old son and Emily will soon be returning to work thus requiring the couple to engage childcare. To enhance Raul's well-being at work, his manager could ________.

A) reassign Raul to a position which requires less time
B) allow Raul to completely work from home
C) allow Raul to work from home four days a week
D) fire Raul
E) None of these ideas would enhance Raul's well-being.

Question 67

Workforce diversity means that organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of all of the following except ________.

A) age
B) gender
C) domestic partners
D) socioeconomic status
E) religion

Question 68

Which of the following is not an action characteristic of an organization in flux?

A) replacing temporary workers with permanent ones
B) reorganizing divisions
C) downsizing operations
D) subcontracting noncritical services and operations to other organizations
E) selling off poorly performing divisions

Question 69

Raymond is completing a study on discrimination in which he has noted that saleswomen who wear skirt suits make more sales than saleswomen who only wear pant suits. However, Raymond determined that his findings only pertained to those industries in which the purchasing decision maker is traditionally masculine. For example, the sales results were the same for all women selling to medical office managers, a female dominated field. Raymond used ________ variables to more accurately explain his results.

A) global
B) general
C) dependent
D) non-reactive
E) contingency

Question 70

Munwar and Jackson both work as logistics supervisors at a successful restaurant management company. Recently, the manager for District G retired and both Munwar and Jackson have been approached about filling the position. While Munwar was excited about the possible promotion, Jackson was not interested in the position because it would require relocation and travel as well as the supervision of over 200 employees. Jackson's behavior can be explained through ________.

A) sociology
B) big data
C) organizational behavior
D) contingency variables
E) interpersonal skills

Question 71

Most managers and employees today work in a climate best characterized as "temporary." Explain.

Question 72

Which of the following statements is not true about work force diversity?

A) Disability is a category of workforce diversity.
B) Managing workforce diversity presents many challenges.
C) Workforce diversity focuses on differences within a country.
D) Sexual orientation is a part of workforce diversity.
E) Workforce diversity is a concern only in the United States.

Question 73

OB researchers cannot offer reasonably accurate explanations of human behavior since people act very differently in similar situations.

Question 74

________ is a measure of how organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity.

A) Globalization
B) Workforce diversity
C) Affirmative action
D) Organizational culture
E) Operational homogeneity

Question 75

________ is an effect of increasing globalization.

A) More expensive consumer goods
B) An increase in manufacturing jobs in developed nations
C) An ever increasingly homogeneous workforce
D) Shared economic values among all cultures
E) Jobs moving to nations with low-cost labor

Question 76

Myriam is analyzing the gender roles of men and women in management in the United States and comparing them to the gender roles in management in Japan. She is surveying fifty male and fifty female managers in each country to compare their daily behavior. Myriam's study exemplifies how ________ contributes to OB.

A) anthropology
B) psychology
C) archaeology
D) political science
E) corporate strategy

Question 77

________ influences employees' behavior so strongly that organizations have started employing specific employees to preserve the status quo of the company.

A) Organizational culture
B) Socioeconomic environment
C) Politics
D) Human resources
E) Social media

Question 78

Which of the following statements best describes contingency variables?

A) They are scientific factors based on universal truths.
B) They are factors that moderate the relationship between two or more events or situations.
C) There is general consensus among OB researchers that they can be controlled.
D) They are the cause-and-effect principles that tend to apply to all situations that have been discovered.
E) They are simple and universal principles that explain organizational behavior.

Question 79

Explain why there are few absolutes in organizational behavior. Despite this, how are we able to make valid predictions?

Question 80

Variations in the economy, longevity, and birth rates are all forces which affect ________.

A) organizations
B) socioeconomic conditions
C) OB studies
D) the workforce
E) networking conditions