Deck 9: Managers As Ethical Leaders and Performance Asessments

Question 1

What lesson is the text trying to impart with the example of Jon Huntsman and the hypothetical scenario about an agreement to sell part of a company that rises rapidly in value prior to the actual sale?

A) Personal integrity should be flexible in cases where maximizing business growth is at stake.
B) Personal integrity should come before personal or professional gain.
C) Personal integrity should guide an individual's actions but should not be confused with business leadership.
D) Employees tend to follow the example of managers and company leadership.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What does leadership scholar Jeffrey Pfeffer warn individuals about with respect to power use in organizations?

A) Managers who follow moral prescriptions in organizations are likely to be unsuccessful.
B) Many individuals underestimate the extreme influence and domination of hierarchical power.
C) Coercive power should be pursued above all other bases of power.
D) Many individuals place too high a value on referent power, which is highly malleable.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is most closely associated with authoritarian leadership?

A) two-way communication
B) abusive supervision
C) loose hierarchy
D) a culture of independent thinkers

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Using the classification system of John French and Bertram Raven, which of the following people is most likely to have very high legitimate power?

A) an executive at a powerful company
B) an extremely knowledgeable and experienced volunteer carpenter
C) a low-level HR person who oversees assigning bonuses
D) a popular high school senior who is good at sports

Question 5

Daran is a five-year employee at his company and exhibits some unethical practices, such as extensive time on the Internet for nonwork purposes, lying on time sheets, and overbilling customers. Knowing only this, who among the following likely had the most influence on Daran's development of these behaviors?

A) his current direct supervisor
B) the first direct supervisor he had when he joined the company
C) his closest coworkers
D) the company's executive leadership

Question 6

What lesson can be drawn from the experience of Roger Ailes?

A) Unethical behavior sometimes goes unpunished.
B) Unethical behavior eventually undermines one's power base.
C) A company can succeed through lower-level ethical leadership even if high-level leadership is unethical.
D) If a leader alters their behavior to make it more ethical, his or her company can thrive.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about the power base classification system of John French and Bertram Raven is accurate?

A) Some managers can possess power from all five bases.
B) The higher a person's legitimate power is, the less responsibility she must take on.
C) Referent power is typically the weakest power base among managers.
D) Most managers lean far too heavily on coercive power.

Question 8

How does the text define the concept of "power"?

A) the increasing capacity for action that comes with higher positions in the hierarchy
B) the possession of strong influence over the actions of others
C) the ability to act, create an effect, or wield force
D) the ability to change the course of human events

Question 9

Rensis Likert conducted research that led him to credit what management style with producing the highest profits?

A) passive
B) situational
C) authoritarian
D) participatory

Question 10

The text mentions that Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos all display highly coercive, unethical behavior yet have been very successful. Which of the following bits of evidence offered by the text is a successful counter to this unfortunate truth?

A) This unethical leadership is likely to lead the companies of these CEOs into eventual decline.
B) These men are/were not admired by very many employees in their companies.
C) Most lower-level managers express the desire to put ethics above company success or profits.
D) Ethical organizations outperform unethical ones in the market over the long term.

Question 11

According to the Situational Leadership II Model, which of the following employees would be best managed with the directing leadership style?

A) Samil, who is committed to his work but very cautious and slow in performance
B) David, who demonstrates little understanding of tasks or desire to learn
C) Bindy, who is new on the job and very inexperienced but is highly enthusiastic
D) Maria, who is highly skilled and extremely motivated

Question 12

The primary reason managers are given power is to ______.

A) provide problem-solving for employees
B) promote organizational culture
C) achieve organizational objectives
D) maximize profits

Question 13

What would a Social Darwinist likely argue that a good manager should seek to acquire the most?

A) authoritarian power
B) referent power
C) the respect of employees
D) good allies

Question 14

In which of the following ways does a participatory leadership style primarily differ from an authoritarian one?

A) It is more likely to allow unethical behavior among employees.
B) It is more likely to value one-way communication.
C) It is more strongly devoted to the hierarchical system.
D) It demonstrates greater respect for employees.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about the ethical or unethical behavior of management is accurate?

A) Highly ethical employees placed under unethical managers will typically soon display flagrant unethical behavior.
B) Unethical behavior by managers does not often influence the behavior of subordinates.
C) Employees want to see confidence in their managers even above ethical behavior.
D) Employees want to see honesty in their managers above all other attributes.

Question 16

Sana is a highly ethical employee who takes her ethical conduct very seriously. She is moved to a new department under a very unethical manager who regularly gives her instruction. If Sana cannot change departments and is committed to remaining at the company, what is the most likely result of this new situation, given typical responses to such an arrangement?

A) She will reduce the quality of her work or output and hope the situation changes soon.
B) She will begin to display unethical behavior at a similar level as her supervisor.
C) She will try to undermine the manager by coordinating with other employees.
D) Her work habits and performance will remain unchanged.

Question 17

Alina is a newly promoted manager at an office supply company. According to Douglas McGregor's classification, she takes a Theory Y view of employees. Which of the following is likely to be TRUE of Alina?

A) She allows her employees to be more self-directed.
B) She relies most on monetary incentives to get good work from her employees.
C) She will enforce strict productivity goals.
D) She doubts the creative potential of her individual employees.

Question 18

When surveyed about the behavior of managers, employees reported which of the following as the most common unethical behaviors witnessed?

A) sexual harassment
B) blaming mistakes on others
C) theft or falsifying expense reports
D) not keeping promises

Question 19

Mali is a lower-level employee of extreme popularity among her coworkers. Her demeanor and behavior and accomplishments are such that others often try to emulate her. Using the classification system of John French and Bertram Raven, which kind of power does she have?

A) referent
B) coercive
C) expert
D) legitimate

Question 20

In what way did Frederick Winslow Taylor's management style suggest extreme authoritarian leadership?

A) He delegated almost all authority over business operations to loyal subordinates.
B) He valued obedience over business success or profits.
C) He treated employees like machines designed to perform a single function.
D) He struck down managers who seemed to be gaining too much power.

Question 21

Which of the following demonstrates "moral ownership"?

A) All of Karen's coworkers want to take one morally neutral course of action, but she convinces them to adopt a different one.
B) Karen leaves the company when its public image suffers from a fraud scandal.
C) Karen's boss asks her repeatedly to go on a date, and she reports it to the company's ECO.
D) All of Karen's coworkers want to charge a client for extra hours, but Karen believes it is wrong and stands against it.

Question 22

What is the best way to remedy a problem in which employees do not recognize that their manager is ethical or there is a manger who does not realize he or she is acting unethically?

A) Create an employee feedback system for ethical perceptions or issues.
B) Change the ethics culture of the organization.
C) Explain to employees that it is up to them to lead by example.
D) Highlight the work of executive leadership when it is of high moral character.

Question 23

Which of the Situational Leadership II Model leadership styles is closest to an authoritarian style?

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

Question 24

According to Michiel Coetzer, Mark Bussin, and Madelyn Geldenhuys, which of the following is one of the eight primary characteristics of a servant leader?

A) flexibility
B) authenticity
C) independence
D) high emotional intelligence

Question 25

How does the Great Place to Work® Institute define a "great place to work"?

A) a place where people consistently report a level of happiness commensurate with what they expect from their career goals
B) a place where managers lead by ethical example and provide employees with feedback systems to encourage improvement
C) a place where the work-life balance of employees is considered a priority in determining workflow
D) a place where people trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy the people they work with

Question 26

What lesson is the text trying to impart with its description of Severn Trent Water and its 2008 fraud case?

A) Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence can still engage in ethical misconduct.
B) Even the presence of ethical leadership cannot guarantee a company's overall ethical operation.
C) Ethical leadership can make radical improvements in a company's performance.
D) Unethical behavior by employees can sink a company just as easily as unethical behavior by management.

Question 27

How complicated should an employee feedback system be?

A) It can be informal, such as having an HR person hold random conversations with employees.
B) It should occur on a weekly basis and cover specific situations experienced by employees.
C) It can be very simple, such as a quick monthly Internet survey.
D) It should always be based on the employee leadership survey or virtuous leadership questionnaire when possible.

Question 28

What is implied by the argument that a manager must be a moral person as well as a moral professional to be an ethical leader?

A) Managers are typically not capable of acting differently in their private and professional lives.
B) A manager who is not a moral person will likely adopt an authoritarian leadership style.
C) A manager will not be able to fully hide an unethical private life from employees.
D) A manager who is not a moral person will be unable to appreciate the individuality and creativity of employees.

Question 29

Which of the following have researchers found to be strongly correlated with ethical leadership?

A) organizational citizenship behaviors
B) higher rates of employee turnover
C) slower financial growth
D) higher levels of power delegation

Question 30

A new CEO scores very high on the Emotional Competency Inventory yet still ends up having to resign for blatant ethical misconduct. How can this be the case?

A) CEOs are obligated to adopt an authoritarian leadership style.
B) The Emotional Competency Inventory does not measure ethics.
C) Organizational pressures likely pushed the CEO to act unethically.
D) The industry as a whole compelled ethical misconduct.

Question 31

If a manager has, overall, a competent and motivated workforce, what style of leadership would Hersey and Blanchard prefer to be used if said manager could only choose one?

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

Question 32

Other than being an ethical manager, what do Brown, Trevino, and colleagues consider to be the other key component that results in a reputation as an ethical leader?

A) respecting employee privacy
B) encouraging employee creativity
C) being a moral person
D) being a situational leader

Question 33

The "Moral Potency Questionnaire" measures moral potency, which means a person must demonstrate ______.

A) both moral awareness and moral action
B) low moral ownership
C) ethical leadership
D) both moral awareness and a personal code of ethics

Question 34

What type of situation requires an ethical leadership style?

A) when the organization's culture is ethically compromised
B) when a manager is authoritarian, as this style is associated with the most ethical problems
C) situations in which authority is primarily delegated
D) all situations, regardless of a manager's leadership style

Question 35

Russel's ten-year-old company, now at 1,000 employees, has just been certified as a "great place to work" by the Great Place to Work® Institute. What can he expect for his company that those unable to get this designation cannot?

A) a lower manager-to-employee ratio
B) stable profits
C) higher levels of productivity
D) a solid hierarchical structure

Question 36

Which of the following is an important stated component of Michael Brown, Linda Trevino, and David Harrison's definition of ethical leadership?

A) a strict separation of private and professional behavior
B) the use of an established code of ethics
C) a demonstrated disinterest in pursuit of profits as a highly valued goal
D) use of two-way communication with employees

Question 37

What typically happens when a supervisor resists upper-management efforts to disseminate ethical behaviors down through the organization?

A) Lower-level employees are less likely to behave ethically.
B) The manager will be replaced.
C) Organizational culture will change, circumventing the manager's influence.
D) The manager will likely resign.

Question 38

How does servant leadership differ from participatory leadership?

A) It places a priority on delegating authority to subordinates to help grow their careers.
B) It places a priority on caring for all coworkers to achieve organizational results.
C) It becomes more important the higher one moves in the organizational hierarchy.
D) It places less value on employees and more on management.

Question 39

How do the organizational outcomes of servant leadership differ from the individual and team outcomes?

A) They are based on group identification.
B) They rely more on work engagement and self-efficacy.
C) They are more culture based.
D) They are more external and results oriented.

Question 40

Shudra feels like she has a lot of control over the ethical performance of her employees by setting particular work goals and standards and measuring if they are met. What other primary tool can she utilize to give her even more influence in this area?

A) promotions
B) the threat of termination
C) bonuses and financial incentives
D) performance appraisals

Question 41

In the MBO process, when is a mid-level department head in a medium-sized company likely to give input into company goals?

A) at the very beginning of the process
B) after employees have been surveyed about their personal objectives
C) after executives have established strategic goals
D) after employees have articulated specific goals

Question 42

If trying to use the balanced scorecard, what should a manager do for the category "internal business process"?

A) Set and pursue target values for five or six meaningful measures of internal business process.
B) Seek to increase productivity in the "employee promotions" and "employee productivity" fields.
C) Evaluate the relationships between managers and subordinates over a specific period.
D) Have employees take a survey about workflow and score the responses for an overall measure.

Question 43

What is the primary danger of implementing "stretch goals"?

A) Employees may behave unethically to reach them.
B) Employees may become demoralized while trying to reach them.
C) They can encourage complacency because they are too easy to reach.
D) They take the place of incremental goals.

Question 44

Inserting a clawback provision into an executive's employment contract is intended to accomplish which of the following?

A) Motivate them for higher profits.
B) Ensure ethical behavior.
C) Encourage ecological contributions.
D) Encourage the development of SMART goals.

Question 45

According to theorists James O'Toole and Warren Bennis, what long-held metric for manager success needs to be updated?

A) providing quality goods or services for the market
B) ensuring strict discipline
C) creating wealth for shareholders
D) preventing company collapse

Question 46

What is the main danger involved when a manager assigns too many goals to employees?

A) Employees focus too much on the specifics.
B) Employees get discouraged.
C) High-priority goals get lost in the shuffle.
D) Pressure to meet goals increases.

Question 47

Compared to the traditional managerial business standard, the triple bottom line has managers give greater focus to ______.

A) employees
B) shareholders
C) stakeholders
D) customers

Question 48

Deep into the process of her meditation, Min-hae suddenly remembers that she needs to file an important report by the end of the day. What should she do?

A) Engage with the thought and repeat it gently.
B) Let the thought gently fade away; it will return when needed.
C) Force the thought away with a strong breath.
D) Quickly write it down and return to meditation.

Question 49

In which of the following situations is a clawback most likely to occur?

A) A departmental manager skimmed off company receipts to earn petty cash.
B) A CEO made millions on a fraudulent investment that cost investors billions.
C) A low-level employee was found to be taking small gifts or bribes from customers.
D) An employee was promoted to a management position but later was revealed to have falsified customer receipts prior to the promotion.

Question 50

In the MBO process, employees make the most input into ______ goals.

A) individual
B) department-level
C) strategic
D) financial

Question 51

Where can stretch goals cause the most problems?

A) ethics training
B) customer satisfaction
C) recycling volume
D) sales performance

Question 52

A SMART goal, among other things, meets the criteria of being ______.

A) time-bound
B) profitable
C) generalized
D) ambitious

Question 53

In which of the following ways does the triple bottom line approach differ from the balanced scorecard approach?

A) It lacks any overt consideration of financial performance.
B) It takes stakeholders, not just shareholders, into account.
C) It has an explicit ecological dimension.
D) It measures employee learning and growth.

Question 54

What specific quality does the management-by-objectives goal-setting process offer that simply trying to develop a SMART goal lacks?

A) The resulting goals are measurable.
B) Subordinates help determine the goals.
C) Group objectives, not individual objectives, are set.
D) The goals are highly specific.

Question 55

Which of the following is TRUE of stress and stress symptoms?

A) The effect of stress on company profits cannot be estimated.
B) Stress can be discomforting but rarely leads to bigger physical problems.
C) Work goals are by far the biggest contributor to most people's stress.
D) A clear majority of people regularly experience physical and psychological stress symptoms.

Question 56

What form of mental self-regulation exercise is an important stress reducer and offered as an employee benefit by companies like Google and Apple?

A) self-talk
B) therapy
C) personal goal setting
D) meditation

Question 57

Which of the following statements about employee performance appraisals is accurate?

A) Appraisals should be conducted solely for the sake of employee development.
B) The specifics of the appraisal should change to fit employees with different tasks.
C) Gather information about the employee's strengths and weaknesses after the appraisal to judge honesty.
D) Goal or goal-achievement should generally not be a part of an appraisal process/evaluation.

Question 58

Min-hae is about to try her first meditation session. She is at work, and her company allows its employees to take a half-hour each day for personal meditation. What should her first step be?

A) Find a quiet place.
B) Use a timer.
C) Regulate her breath.
D) Relax her muscles.

Question 59

What is an example of an "ill-conceived goal" of the kind that can generate unethical behavior in employees?

A) unrealistic profit expectation
B) yearly promotion
C) reducing the company's carbon footprint
D) being competitive in the marketplace

Question 60

As it is Min-hae's first time meditating, what should she do with respect to the breaths she takes during meditation?

A) Nothing; she should simply take breaths.
B) Count them up to a specific number, then repeat.
C) Chant a calming Buddhist phrase with each breath.
D) Hum while exhaling.

Question 61

Which of the following is an example of an action that would occur in the first leg of the tripartite reconciliation process?

A) The offending employee voluntarily removes him or herself from contact with the victim.
B) The offending employee apologizes to anyone that was hurt by his or her actions.
C) The offending employee must develop a personal code of ethics.
D) Third parties to the offense must provide individualized feedback to the offender.

Question 62

Linking employee performance appraisal results to merit raises and promotions will only result in greater ethical behavior if what component is present?

A) Bonuses are only awarded for ethical behavior.
B) Ethical misconduct is regularly punished.
C) The company's culture is ethical in nature.
D) The appraisal itself has an ethics component.

Question 63

What do (good) employee performance appraisals have in common with the manager-evaluation balanced scorecard approach?

A) They give ethical behavior priority over other behaviors.
B) They focus mostly on leadership skills.
C) They take a holistic approach.
D) They are designed to measure promotion potential.

Question 64

Which of the following is involved in a 360-degree performance evaluation?

A) feedback from employees throughout the hierarchy
B) feedback only from managers of the employee
C) no feedback from the employee himself or herself
D) exclusively a self-assessment ranging across many different metrics

Question 65

What is of utmost importance that a manager first do when a 360-degree-performance appraisal process uncovers unethical behavior on the part of the employee?

A) Send the employee to ethics training.
B) Give the employee a chance to transfer to another department.
C) Investigate the incident to be sure of its nature.
D) Discipline the employee to show that such behavior will not be tolerated.

Question 66

Which of the following is recommended with respect to an individual employee's evaluation?

A) Relate scores to the employee's working and private life.
B) Give average scores to extremely high achievers to avoid jealousy.
C) Use feedback from many different people who interact with the employee.
D) Give poor performers average ratings in their early term of employment.

Question 67

Which of the following is legal when it comes to polygraph testing?

A) random polygraph testing
B) polygraph testing in response to a specific incident
C) firing an employee for refusing a polygraph test
D) disciplining an employee for refusing a polygraph test

Question 68

What effect is achieved by increasing the frequency of appraisals, up to a quarterly rate?

A) minimizing ethical damages
B) causing high levels of stress among employees
C) increasing profits
D) encouraging a high turnover rate

Question 69

How does a 360-degree performance evaluation differ from a balanced scorecard-type measurement?

A) It is used for individuals, not organizations.
B) It is well-rounded.
C) It has an ethical dimension.
D) It does not have an ethical dimension.

Question 70

Which of the following is most desirable in an employee performance appraisal feedback session?

A) praise for what the employee is doing right
B) feedback that is not overly specific
C) avoiding mentions of specific behaviors
D) a very loose and informal style

Question 71

How often should managers assess their employee's performance with respect to the company's code of ethics?

A) monthly
B) annually
C) when employees are up for promotions
D) when ethical incidents occur

Question 72

Iseal has just recently completed performance appraisals for all her direct report employees. Which of the following is the best course of action for feedback?

A) Email results to the employee and let them know her door is open for any questions.
B) Allow an ECO or human resources representative to go over the results with each employee.
C) Hold a feedback session individually with each employee in the conference room.
D) Hold a feedback session individually with each employee in her office.

Question 73

When it comes to employee performance evaluations, how does a rating system differ from a ranking system?

A) It is better related to an employee's actual job tasks.
B) It is less ethical because it eliminates competition.
C) It is not based on an absolute standard of performance.
D) It does not sufficiently describe an employee's value to their work unit.

Question 74

What is a danger of a ranking system like the General Electric three-tier 20-70-10 ranking system?

A) The best employee in a unit is likely to be rated as a "middle" performer.
B) Most employees are rated as good regardless of their performance.
C) Employees might conclude that trying to perform the best is pointless.
D) A very good employee could be rated "lowest" or "worst" performer.

Question 75

According to Robert Enright's four-phase forgiveness model, when a violated person begins to focus on the inherent worth of the person who caused the violation, the ______ phase has been initiated.

A) work
B) uncovering
C) decision
D) outcome

Question 76

What is an example of an ethics-based initiative that could be evaluated through employee performance?

A) employee participation in personal philanthropy
B) affirmative action hiring goals
C) mood of employees in a department
D) how many promotions have been made in a year

Question 77

Which of the following is an ideal prompt for assessing ethical behavior as part of an employee performance review?

A) Is the employee well-liked by coworkers?
B) Does the employee have a positive attitude?
C) Does the employee support ethics-based initiatives?
D) Is the employee supportive of the company's strategic goals?

Question 78

Iseal had to give a very negative performance appraisal to one of her newest employees. If ethical, what should her next move be regarding this employee?

A) If the employee is hurting the work unit, she must dismiss the employee to protect others.
B) She must give the employee a chance to improve under a specific timeline and goals.
C) She should not try to discipline the employee yet and take a wait-and-see approach.
D) She must praise the good work the employee is doing and hope this elevates overall performance.

Question 79

Iseal feels that her employees were very tense and uncomfortable during the appraisal feedback sessions, and she wants to reduce tension for the next year's appraisals. What should she do to achieve this?

A) Remind employees that pay raises are linked to good performance appraisals.
B) Regularly remind employees about missed goals.
C) Increase the rate of formal appraisals to twice a year.
D) Give more frequent informal feedback.

Question 80

There is no best leadership style; leadership style needs to fit the type of employee being managed.