EXAM II
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR—MBA
Semester I, 2010-2011

True and False (1 point each)

_____1. Every employee in the organization is individually responsible for the success of change.

_____2. During a conflict, persons should be expected to explain their unintended remarks.

_____3. Political players often rely on outside consultants to further their agenda.

_____4. Visibility is an important power technique.

_____5. Reducing uncertainty assists change, but can create greater individual power.

Multiple Choice.
Three points each.

_____6. When interpersonal problems emerge, your boss brings everyone together to work out problems. He will go along with any solution selected, so long as it is at all reasonable. This style of handling interpersonal conflict can be described as:

a. avoidance. b. compromise. c. accommodation. d. none of the above.

_____7. The sale of your company’s super-computer to one of your major customers has not been progressing well. You are well-aware that the super-computer is a very expensive product. Your customer has given you one last chance to explain the merits of your product. What method of communication would you use to do this explanation? You would:

a. send the customer a well-written letter, and then you would call her up and check if she needs any clarification. b. Make a video-tape in which you explain the merits of your product as clearly as possible. c. Meet with the customer and explain the merits of your product as clearly as possible. d. Send your top sales person for a face-to-face meeting with the customer, and advise your sales person to “get her to listen to you.” e. Take a tough stand, and inform the customer that you have already specified your position, and there is nothing new to add.

_____8. Sam and Sandra are co-employees in a trucking company. In a conversation, Sam tells Sandra: "Joe, is a good man, is likable, knows his job very well, and always appreciates us for the things we do for him. He would punish those who are not considerate of others." Sandra reacted: "Yeah, he's great; I wish he were our manager." Apparently, Joe possesses all sources of a leader's power except __________ power. a. legitimate b. reward c. coercive d. referent e. expert

_____9. Krishna supervises the work of a team of design engineers who are required to develop production specifications from rough plans drawn up by the product development group. This is complicated and challenging work that requires considerable creativity and expertise in order to maximize both product quality and efficiency in the production process. Krishna is the team leader because she has the most experience and is the most knowledgeable member of the team. The team has just been assigned a new project. Team members are enthusiastic about the challenge involved, but not completely certain that they have the necessary expertise required. Krishna knows that every member of the team is capable of producing excellent designs on this project, and that they just lack confidence in their abilities. Under these circumstances, Hersey and Blanchard would probably recommend a _________ leadership style. a. Telling. b. Selling c. Delegating. d. Participating. ______10. In a conversation with Adam, the new production manager, he tells you: "I knew that soon there would be a conflict between us and the marketing people. But, let me tell you, I don't mind it; actually I think conflict is necessary, for it makes us and them to think of new ways to make our operation both more effective and efficient. Of course, I'm sure that any conflict will be resolved to the satisfaction of all of us, and that way we all agree with the solution. They and us are going to be equal partners in resolving any conflicts, and I would like to see that every member of production and marketing agrees with whatever agreement we come up with. Anyway, I should tell you, I trust them." From Adam's statements, you should conclude that Adam would use the __________ style in resolving any conflict that arises. a. accommodating b. collaborative c. forcing d. assertive e. none of the above

_____11. As a manager, your job relationships with your employees are characterized by mutual trust, communication of information, emphasizing deadlines, and respect for subordinates. Apparently your leadership style lacks _________. a. relationship. b. task. c. both relationship and task structure. d. neither relationship, nor task structure.

_____12. In a conversation between two employees about their boss, Mel, the following is said. Employee l: "Mel is a great guy, his technical knowledge is superb, and he holds the position of chief engineering officer, perhaps the most influential position in our department." Employee 2: "He's certainly a nice person, but I am not sure if he understands that everything that is dealt with here is not about engineering stuff; we have human problems that should be dealt with too, but each time that we go to him with one of them, all he cares about is if the system is working well." Mel's use of power is possibly ineffective due to his: a. organizational position. b. low temper. c. under reliance on referent power. d. over reliance on expert power. e. illegitimate behavior in all aspects of his work relationships.

_____13. Which of the following is not illustrative of the leadership process:

a. The manager's subordinates like him and so say they will do what he wants, but they do not see any advantage from doing so;
b. The manager has the authority to require subordinates to do certain things, although he does not believe that either he or his subordinates will derive any benefits in doing so;
c. An individual agrees to accept a managerial role if and only if the additional compensation is substantial and continuing, as he does not anticipate any non- economic rewards from performing the duties; d. None of the above are illustrative of the leadership process. _____14. In a communication with your shoe factory managers you transmit a set of accurate information to him. The manager misunderstands and misinterprets the received information and makes a wrong decision. As you reflect on the situation, you should conclude: a. I had an accurate interpersonal communication. b. My information was accurate, but I did not achieve accurate interpersonal communication. c. My information and my interpersonal communication were both accurate, but the manager’s interpersonal communication was inaccurate. d. My communication medium was not rich. This, I should have sent the manager a memo with the information in it. e. I should have made the decision myself. _____15. Which of the following people might be most dangerous to have as a political “enemy” in an organization? a. a person with a Machiavellian personal style
b. a person with a high need for power
c. a person with a high risk-seeking propensity d. a person with a high internal locus of control e. a person with all of the above.

______16. Norman is an accountant at XYZ Inc. The company's strength is the marketing of its products. He has been in the company for a long time, and he is extremely knowledgeable about the company's products and its operations. Though he is not in any decision making position, he is often consulted by the company's junior and senior managers. He seems to be powerful, primarily due to his _________.

a. position's relevance. b. flexibility. c. positions' centrality. d. knowledge. e. position's criticality.

_____17. When in an organizational situation group atmosphere is poor, task structure is low, and leader position power is strong, then the situation ________ favorable for the leader and a ______ oriented leader should be assigned to the situation. a. is highly, task. b. is highly unfavorable, task. c. is not favorable, relationship. d. is favorable, relationship. e. is highly unfavorable, relationship.

_____18. Sadaf has filed a discrimination charge against her employer. She is adamant that only an admission of guilt by the employer would be the fair solution. The company is just as adamant that an admission of guilt would be inappropriate, since they firmly and honestly believe that no discrimination has occurred. Neither side has the resources for a long legal battle. Under these circumstances, the best solution would probably be for both parties to use the ______ conflict-handling style. a. compromising
b. accommodating
c. collaborating
d. forcing

_____19. Shaquille is pondering his next career move. He knows that he has a proven record of leadership in jobs that entail a high level of position power. He is convinced that his chances of ultimately moving into a top management position will be strengthened if he can also develop a record of managerial success in a job with low position power. He has identified the following career opportunities. Which one should he accept?

a. Chair of a task force identifying sources of morale problems in his present company; b. Human Resource Director at a 150-person software development firm; c. Programming Manager for a statewide public television station; d. Chair of the Fundraising Committee for a local branch of the United Way.

_____20. As an experienced manager who has just been transferred to a new department you analyze the situation and determine that the major issues facing you are: the need to reprimand an employee who is violating safety standards; the need to have someone to fill a position that has been vacant for a long time; the need to delegate more authority to the supervisors who report to you; and the need to more fully communicate and enforce the sick leave policy. Which is most likely to generate political behavior within the department: a. Reprimanding the safety violator
b. Filling the vacant position
c. Delegating authority
d. Dealing with the sick leave policy

_____21. When a manager returns to the office with a harried expression that says, “I’ve had a horrible meeting with my boss, “without a word being spoken, he/she is in effect:

a. reinforcing a verbal act by his/her nonverbal gesture. b. contradicting nonverbal for verbal communication c. complementing the verbal message through nonverbal communication. d. Substituting nonverbal for verbal messages.

____22. In which of the following would initiating structure leader behavior be most likely to have a positive impact on productivity and job satisfaction:

a. Where the employees are under an incentive plan with exceptionally high output levels required to break in to the incentive pay range;
b. A group of 5 janitors, with one acting as lead janitor;
c. The manager is not trained in the technical aspects of the work being done in his department;
d. The subordinates basically dislike their work.

_____23. Barbara is trying to be promoted to a management position at Woodland Power Company. She has been following the career of Mary who has held a management position for about five years. Barbara believes if she observes Mary and tries to develop a close relationship with Mary, it will help her in being promoted to management. In this situation, Barbara views Mary as having _____ power.

a. Legitimate; b. Expert; c. Referent; d. Reward.

_____24. An employee gives up trying to favorably influence his supervisor because he feels that no matter what he does, things will be stacked against him. This may be a result of which of the following personal traits:

a. High internal locus of control b. High external locus of control c. Low need for power d. Machiavellianism

_____25. Fidel, the second shift supervisor in a telemarketing organization, has just been called into his boss’s office. His boss says: “Fidel, another one of your employees quit this morning. This is the third time that I’m talking to you about employee complaints regarding your supervisory style. It’s getting to the point where your staff is not only calling in sick regularly, but now they’re starting to quit. Something has to be done about this.” Under these circumstances, Fidel’s boss should investigate to see whether Fidel is placing:

a. too much emphasis on initiating structure.
b. too much emphasis on both consideration and initiating structure.
c. too much emphasis on consideration and not enough on initiating structure.
d. too much emphasis on initiating structure and not enough on consideration.

_____26. George is the appointed leader of a cross-functional team investigating methods of improving quality in a specific line of company products. The team has identified a problem that George has never seen before, and is having difficulty understanding. Under these circumstances, George should probably: a. place greater emphasis on task-oriented behavior
b. place greater emphasis on relations-oriented behavior
c. solicit suggestions from other members of the team
d. resign as leader of the team

_____27. Bob is a doctor in charge of the emergency room at the local hospital. As he directs nurses and other employees, Bob is using _______ power. a. reward b. referent c. legitimate d. coercive _____28. Moment to new learning includes all of the following except: a. Training b. Repetition c. Demonstration d. Empowerment _____29. When the most important objective is to learn, which approach to managing diverse interests should be utilized? a. compromising b. competing c. accommodating d. collaborating _____30. The approach to managing conflict described as unassertive and uncooperative is: a. avoidance b. compromise c. accommodation d. competition _____31. XYZ Research, Inc. considers itself to be a learning organization. Attributes of a learning organization would include: a. Open discussions and accessibility to information and data. b. Clear vision expressed at all levels. c. Holding of celebrations until the completion of the change. d. Clear goals and concept of performance expectations. e. A,B,C only f. A,B,D only g. A & B only

_____32. Many companies often use famous athletes and actors to help sell their products by influencing consumers’ purchases. The companies view these individuals as having which of the following sources of power? a. referent b. reward c. legitimate d. expert

_____33. According to the path-goal theory, the directive leadership style is characterized by all of the following except: a. subordinates are very clear on what is expected of them b. subordinates participate in decision making c. the leader gives specific directions d. the leader is authoritarian

_____34. Many companies are now incorporating some form of introspection training into their management change programs. Goals of such a program should include the following: a. developing objectivity. b. learning c. greater control over employee behavior d. all of the above e. A & B _____35. When there is an issue vital to your organization’s welfare and your group is certain that its position is correct, which approach to managing diverse interests should be utilized? a. avoiding b. collaborating c. competing d. compromising

HANDY’S TV, INC.

Mary Starr, manager of Handy’s TV, Inc. was talking to her two salespersons Jeb Lake and Betty York. The conversation went as follows: (Read the whole case before attempting to answer any questions.)

I. Mary Starr: Sales are really down this month. We have to do something to move our stock.

II. Jeb Lake: Let’s cut prices. The stock would move if we had the lowest prices in town.

III. Mary Starr: It would also cut profits. We’ve got to do something else.

IV. Betty York: How about advertising on TV? After all we have never tried that before. V. Mary Starr: That’s too expensive. We need some type of gimmick.

VI. Betty York: Like what?

VII. Mary Starr: Something that will get people into the store.

VIII. Jeb Lake: Frankly, Mary, I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.

IX. Betty York: Neither have I.

X. Mary Starr: Well I’m not sure. I guess I was thinking of decorating the store front in an exotic motif. Let me see. Aha! I’ve got it, a gate to heaven in our enterance way and a great wall as a background to our window displays. Would you make some sketches of that for me Betty? (MARY STARR THEN LEAVES.)

XI. Betty York: I guess I can display the gate to heaven in a humorous light with St. Peter watching our new RCA color sets. On the wall around heaven I can put some sales grafitti.

XII. Jeb Lake: As a good Christian I would be turned off by such a display. To me it borders on the sacriligious. You and Mary could never sell me on making fun of God. (LATER BETTY SHOWS HER SKETCHES TO MARY STARR)

XIII. Mary Starr: These sketches are really cute Betty, but you misunderstood what I wanted. I told you we need a Chinese motif with a heaven gate and the great wall of China in the show windows. Didn’t you understand that Jeb?

XIV. Jeb Lake: Frankly, Mary I think a religious motif will turn potential customers off. XV. Betty York: Ignore the resident moralist Mary and describe what you mean by a Chinese heaven gate. I think I know what you want in the great wall now.

XVI. Mary Starr: The heaven gate is shaped like a key hole with a large circular top, narrow straight sides, and a squared-off bottom.

XVII. Betty York: A key hole! The circular part of a lock is solid and the place you put the key is jagged and narrow. I don’t see how we can make a doorway out of a key hole.

XVIII. Mary Starr: I don’t mean a regular key hole Betty, I mean a key hole like we have in the door to our store room.

XIX. Betty York: Now I understand. So that’s what a heaven gate is: They have one of those going into the bar at Fong Kee’s Mandarin Restaurant. Now I can make the sketches like you want.

XX. Jeb Lake: Hoo ray for Chairman Mao!

One point each.

ANSWERS TO THE NEXT FIVE QUESTIONS ARE CONTAINED IN THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: (Note: No two questions have the same answer.)

a. Receiver’s background acted as a barrier to communication. b. Receiver was not listening. c. Sender did not have a well defined thought to communicate. d. Sender accurately translated his or her thoughts, but the receiver misinterpreted the translation. e. Sender did not accurately translate his or her thoughts.

36. The communications breakdown apparent in statements I through IX resulted primarily because the: ________.

37. The reason Betty York misunderstood Mary Starr’s comments in statement X was a communications breakdown probably resulting because the: ________.

38. In statement XI and XII Betty York did not sell her idea to Jeb Lake because the: ________.

39. The communication breakdown indicated by Jeb Lake’s comment in statement XIV probably resulted because the: ________.

40. The communications breakdown indicated by Betty York’s comment in statement XVII probably resulted because the: ________.
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