Deck 7: Leadermember Exchange Theory

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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
E) Consideration

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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.
E) Leadership generates motivation.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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
E) Transformational leadership theory

Question 5

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

A) Encourage; tasks
B) Develop; goals
C) Motivate; goals
D) Influence; tasks
E) Influence; goals

Question 6

Path-goal theory integrates into which of the following theories of leadership?

A) Leader emergence theory.
B) Contingency approach.
C) Expectancy theory.
D) Transformational leadership.
E) Great man theory.

Question 7

What best resembles the consideration behavior construct?

A) Supportive
B) Directive
C) Participative
D) Achievement oriented
E) Consideration

Question 8

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.
E) Considers well-being.

Question 9

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 10

In contexts where the group norms are weak or nonsupportive, leadership assists in building __________ and ____________.

A) Rules; clarification
B) Cohesiveness; role responsibility
C) Roles; responsibility
D) Behavior; situations
E) Psychological structure; task clarity

Question 11

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 given 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.
E) Leader-follower relations have little to do with motivation.

Question 12

The need for directive leadership increases 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.
E) Are involved in the leadership aspects.

Question 13

Each week your supervisor holds a meeting in 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
E) Consideration

Question 14

Path-goal theory could be best described as a

A) Great person theory
B) Transformational theory
C) Motivational theory
D) Trait theory
E) Style theory

Question 15

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

A) Supportive
B) Directive
C) Participative
D) Achievement oriented
E) Consideration

Question 16

In path-goal theory, the main components are ________, _________, and ________.

A) Leader style, subordinate characteristics, work setting
B) Supportive leadership, directive leadership, participative leadership
C) Subordinate characteristics, task characteristics
D) Leadership, followers, task
E) Leader style, follower styles, organizational context

Question 17

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 18

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

A) Group-oriented decision process.
B) Work facilitation.
C) Work-group representation and networking.
D) Value-based leadership behavior.
E) Inherent trait approach.

Question 19

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
E) Consideration

Question 20

As the followers' perception of their own ability and competence increases

A) Need for supportive leadership goes down.
B) Need for supportive leadership goes up.
C) Need for directive leadership goes up.
D) Need for directive leadership goes down.
E) Need for participative leadership goes down.

Question 21

According to path-goal theory, when jobs are very complex, supportive leadership should be provided.

Question 22

According to path-goal theory, directive communication is least effective when followers are inexperienced and when the task is unstructured.

Question 23

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.
E) The best context for directive behaviors.

Question 24

Path-goal theory is criticized for its over-emphasis on the leader and not so much on the follower. This may lead to follower dependence on the leader. What would you recommend to an organization wanting to avoid such outcomes? Use specific behaviors of the leader and give examples.

Question 25

Path-goal theory predicts that subordinates who have strong needs for affiliation prefer directive leadership.

Question 26

Which researcher(s) focused on how leaders motivate subordinates to accomplish designated goals:

A) Kotter
B) Fisher
C) Hersey and Blanchard
D) House
E) French and Raven

Question 27

Path-goal leadership is an approach to leadership for which many management-training programs have been developed.

Question 28

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) They are in charge of the events that occur in their lives.
D) The organization is in charge of the events that occur in their lives.
E) There is no defined person in charge of the events that occur in their lives.

Question 29

In path-goal theory, when tasks are ambiguous three different styles of leadership are prescribed. How would a leader know which one to choose?

Question 30

Path-goal theory is based on motivation principles drawn from expectancy theory.

Question 31

A disadvantage of path-goal theory is that its approach could foster subordinate dependency.

Question 32

According to path-goal theory, achievement-oriented leadership is most effective in settings where followers are required to perform unambiguous tasks.

Question 33

How can a leader's style affect a follower's motivation?

Question 34

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.
E) It simplifies the theory as to allow greater implementation of the theory.

Question 35

Participative leadership is effective with subordinates who have a strong need to control (internal locus of control).

Question 36

In work settings where the formal authority system is weak, leadership becomes a tool that helps subordinates by making the rules and work requirements clear.

Question 37

Path-goal theory is a lot like coaching and giving guidance.

Question 38

Path-goal leadership is not a trait approach that locks leaders into only one kind of leadership.