Deck 1: The Nature and Importance of Leadership

Question 1

Being a leader often gives a person a chance to help people directly.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Gail T. Fairhurst and Mary Uhl-Bien explain that leadership is not a trait or behavior of an individual, but rather

A) a phenomenon generated in the interactions among people acting in a given setting.
B) the result of how well followers adhere to their assigned roles.
C) an emergent property of the different strata within an organization.
D) a learned skill that can be easily performed with a little practice.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The basic framework for determining leadership effectiveness places greatest importance on intrapersonal mechanisms, such as the leader's intelligence.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A synthesis of several studies on managerial succession indicated that changes in leadership are usually associated with conditions of stability within the organization.

Question 5

According to the substitutes for leadership viewpoint, certain factors in the work environment make the leader's role almost superfluous.

Question 6

Effective leaders have to be good managers or be supported by effective managers.

Question 7

The concept of leadership as a partnership concerns legal aspects of relationships.

Question 8

Alexis is engaged in the team builder role when she performs individual contributor tasks on a regular basis.

Question 9

Unless a manager gets people to move beyond mechanical compliance with directions and orders, leadership has not taken place.

Question 10

The follower characteristic of competence refers to building skills that will make a person more marketable to other firms.

Question 11

Leadership can be practiced

A) only in the executive suite.
B) at any level in the organization.
C) only by people whose job title includes "manager."
D) only when employees are performing below standard.

Question 12

A cited advantage of being a leader is that a person is better able to avoid being involved in organizational politics.

Question 13

​Leadership limits the number of people in whom you can confide.

Question 14

The leadership process is a function of the leader, the group members, and other situational variables.

Question 15

​Leader behavior and style refers to attributes of the group members that could have a bearing on how effective the leadership attempt will be.

Question 16

A major contributor to leader burnout is being responsible for an action that hurts so many people.

Question 17

The defining aspect of leadership is that it includes the ability to

A) communicate with people.
B) delegate responsibility to others.
C) maintain equilibrium in the organization.
D) inspire people's confidence and gain their support.

Question 18

Part of the coach and motivator role is to provide team members with feedback concerning ineffective performance.

Question 19

A component of the general learning model applied to leadership skills is to obtain feedback on skill utilization from others.

Question 20

A major part of the strategy developer role of leaders is to help the firm deal effectively with its internal environment.

Question 21

Marketing vice president Derek is engaged in the strategy developer role when he

A) takes a key customer to lunch.
B) coaches an account executive on how to close a major sale.
C) makes plan for enlarging the office.
D) looks for ideas in the outside world that could help the company.

Question 22

A potential disadvantage of being a leader is

A) losing contact with paperwork and email.
B) isolation from problems involving people.
C) having fewer people to confide in about work-related issues.
D) being out of the loop in terms of company policies.

Question 23

According to an analysis of a group of studies, in terms of having an impact on company performance the leader was about as important as the

A) building in which the company headquarters is located.
B) decision to list a company on the stock exchange.
C) industry in which the company operated.
D) price of the stock.

Question 24

An aspect of the coach and motivator role of the leader is to

A) deal with outside groups.
B) display loyalty to superiors.
C) informally recognize team member achievements.
D) bargain with superiors for funds, facilities, and equipment.

Question 25

A major frustration facing leaders in the pursuit of conflicting goals is:

A) controlling costs versus spending money.
B) granting people the authority to act independently yet also getting them aligned.
C) built-in conflicts between labor and management.
D) motivating versus satisfying employees.

Question 26

Which one of the following is the least essential characteristic of an effective follower?

A) Reliance on being managed or led by another person
B) Commitment to something beyond oneself
C) Building competence
D) Independent and critical thinking

Question 27

The terms isolates, activists, and diehards relate to the idea that followers differ in terms of level of

A) intelligence and emotional maturity.
B) engagement with the leader and the group.
C) relevant job experience.
D) job relevant skills.

Question 28

A Duke University survey about executive leadership found that CEOs can influence leadership, but only if

A) employees are paid what they feel they deserve.
B) employees feel that their work is intrinsically rewarding.
C) creativity is fostered at every level of the organization.
D) the leader is perceived to be responsible and inspirational.

Question 29

A recommended approach for understanding the impact of leadership on performance is to ask

A) "Under what conditions do leaders make a difference?"
B) "How well liked is the leader?"
C) "What is the history of the firm?"
D) "What company policies regulate leadership?"

Question 30

A component of the general learning model applied to skill development in leadership is

A) memorizing lists of great business leaders.
B) making cross-comparisons of leadership theories.
C) reading vision statements in annual reports.
D) conceptual information supported by examples of leaders in action.

Question 31

Which of the following is not an accepted substitute for leadership in the modern work environment?

A) Strong professional norms
B) Work that has heavy deadline pressure
C) Work that is intrinsically satisfying
D) Closely knit teams of highly trained individuals

Question 32

In the basic framework for understanding leadership, group member characteristics and behavior are understood to be:

A) defined by whether a group is intrinsically motivated by their work.
B) attributes that could have a bearing on how effective the leadership attempt will be.
C) the socioeconomic makeup of the employee pool.
D) how employees deal with the external environment.

Question 33

Leadership takes into account factors related to the leader, the persons being led, and

A) personality traits of leaders.
B) context, or the internal and external environment.
C) personal characteristics of group members.
D) forces beyond the control of the leader.

Question 34

An effective way for a leader to collaborate with group members is to

A) make sure the group members get their yearly salary increases.
B) make all the major decisions himself or herself.
C) solicit input from the right group members.
D) make the hierarchy as steep as possible.

Question 35

Middle manager Sara is engaged in the team builder role when she

A) negotiates for a larger budget for her team.
B) represents her group at a company meeting.
C) holds a meeting to talk about team accomplishments.
D) helps the group solve a technical problem.

Question 36

Substitutes for leadership refers to

A) financial incentives that encourage people to work independently.
B) group members who are in charge when the leader is absent.
C) factors in the work setting that may make leadership superfluous.
D) extra compensation given to employees who are asked to supervise their own work.

Question 37

Intrinsically satisfying work can be a leadership substitute because such work

A) is so self-motivating that the worker requires very little leadership.
B) usually involves computer technology.
C) is usually performed when the leader is away.
D) lies outside the jurisdiction of leaders.

Question 38

A major source of satisfaction from being a leader is

A) being able to avoid the long hours typically worked by team members.
B) loads of overtime pay.
C) the opportunity to sidestep organizational politics.
D) a chance to help others grow and develop.

Question 39

Leadership effectiveness, as defined in the framework for understanding leadership, refers to the leader:

A) being impressive enough to get promoted.
B) attaining desirable outcomes such as productivity and satisfaction.
C) creating an attractive vision.
D) turning over decision-making responsibility to group members.

Question 40

A company president attends a groundbreaking ceremony for a new children's hospital located near company headquarters. The president's role is best classified as that of

A) figurehead.
B) coach.
C) team leader.
D) spokesperson.

Question 41

​According to Nick Petrie, which of the following is a feature of the old paradigm of leadership?

A) ​Leadership is pro-active.
B) ​Leadership resides in a single person or role.
C) ​Leadership continually evolves.
D) ​Leadership is a collective process.

Question 42

As observed by Robert
E) Kelley, _____ is an essential quality of effective followers.

A) ​transparency
B) ​skill utilization
C) ​commitment
D) ​charisma

Question 43

Kiev, the manager of an accounting department, helps his CFO in framing the financial policies of his company. In this scenario, Kiev is carrying out the leadership role of a(n) _____.

A) strategy developer
B) executor
C) spokesperson
D) figurehead

Question 44

Brent was recently promoted as a team leader. Since his promotion, Brent feels overworked and stressed. He feels he is responsible for solving problems he has no control over. Brent speaks to his supervisor about his frustrations and seeks advice regarding the roles of a team leader and how to derive satisfaction from them. What is Brent experiencing? If you were Brent's supervisor, what advice would you give him?

Question 45

The modern organization is characterized by

A) a reversal of roles between leaders and followers.
B) an overthrow of authority by leaders.
C) competition between leaders and followers.
D) collaboration between leaders and followers.

Question 46

At a meeting, a(n) _____ is more likely to focus on the refreshments and taking peeks at his or her personal text messages than focusing on the agenda.

A) participant
B) bystander
C) activist
D) diehard

Question 47

When the workers in a workshop encounter operating difficulties or breakdowns while handling their machinery, they seek the help of Drew, their floor manager, to fix or repair the machinery. In this scenario, Drew is carrying out the leadership role of a(n) _____.​

A) ​executor
B) ​figurehead
C) ​team builder
D) ​technical problem solver

Question 48

​Followers who are completely detached and passively support the status quo by not taking action to bring about changes are called _____.

A) ​isolates
B) ​participants
C) ​activists
D) ​diehards

Question 49

As a category of followers, _____ have an even stronger tendency to be whistleblowers than do activists.​

A) ​participants
B) ​diehards
C) ​isolates
D) ​bystanders

Question 50

When Carlos, the manager of a coffee shop, speaks to customers in order to find out trends in their preferences and their changing requirements, he is performing the leadership role of a(n) _____.​

A) ​coach and motivator
B) ​team builder
C) ​entrepreneur
D) ​team player

Question 51

Adam, a manager, implements a process for tracking productivity and rewards productive team members with additional perks. Some team members respond enthusiastically to these measures, offering additional inputs on how productivity can be improved. Others just play along, with some of them expressing their support as long as they are rewarded for their work. If you were in Adam's position, how would you classify the team members based on their reception of the new initiatives? What approaches would you take with each category of followers?

Question 52

​The key to being a good follower is to think for oneself and to work well without close supervision. This is referred to as ______.

A) ​focus
B) ​self-management
C) ​competence
D) ​courage

Question 53

Jane is part of the sales team at JudyFashions Inc. Even though she has not been given a designation as the team leader, most of the team members rely on Jane for her opinions and suggestions on various sales related queries. Judy can be classified as a(n) ______ leader. ​

A) ​isolate
B) ​diehard
C) ​participant
D) ​emergent

Question 54

Which of the following is a justification for leader irrelevance argument?

A) Leaders have plenty of room to influence others despite several constraints.
B) Factors within a leader's control have a larger impact on business outcomes than do leadership actions.
C) Centralized leadership is the most efficient form of running an organization.
D) High-level leaders have unilateral control over only a few resources.

Question 55

An overview of research on managerial succession over a recent twenty-year period showed that:

A) a consistent relationship was found between who is in charge and how well an organization performed.
B) incompetent leadership can be counterbalanced by certain factors in the work situation.
C) workers who incorporate strong professional norms often require a minimum of supervision and leadership.
D) leadership roles are a subset of the managerial roles.

Question 56

Elaine, a project manager, often seeks feedback from her team members as well as her supervisors on how she is doing.​ Which of the following methods of skill development in leadership does Elaine use in this scenario?

A) ​Practice in natural settings
B) ​Feedback on skill utilization, or performance, from others
C) Conceptual information demonstrated by examples and brief descriptions of leaders in action
D) ​Experiential exercises

Question 57

During a team meeting, the team manager expresses disappointment in his team's productivity rate. Svetalana, a team member, speaks up and says that their current project is particularly taxing on the team members and they have not compromised on the quality of their work. Which of the following qualities of a good follower is Svetlana displaying in this scenario?

A) Courage
B) Competence
C) Commitment
D) Self-management

Question 58

Zach is a team member who rarely offers inputs to his team leader. He follows orders passively and does not take an interest in his company's growth. As a follower, Zach is most likely a(n) _____.​

A) ​diehard
B) ​activist
C) ​bystander
D) ​isolate

Question 59

An article argues that Edmonton Bank is unlikely to change its policies even though it recently appointed a new CEO. It notes that all the CEOs of Edmonton Bank are Caucasian males in their late forties who went to Ivy League schools. This article's argument about leadership irrelevance is based on the idea that:

A) the new CEO will act in a way similar to the previous CEOs.
B) the new CEO has unilateral control over only a few resources.
C) Edmonton Bank uses information technology for many of its supervisory functions.
D) the new CEO is limited by obligations to Edmonton Bank's shareholders.