Download OB sample exam questions - MS2235 Organizational Behavior

SECTION A (30 MARKS)
Answer all questions. Please write the letters (a, b, c or d) representing
your chosen answers for respective questions in the answer booklet.
1. The major goals of organizational behavior are to
a. control, manipulate, and influence workers.
b. reduce job stress and enhance satisfaction.
c. find the appropriate rewards and punishments for workers.
d. explain, predict, and control behavior.
2. A manager who held Theory X assumptions about workers would believe that
a. most people like work.
b. most people dislike work.
c. workers are good at setting their own goals.
d. work is as natural as play.
3. The concept of the Five Factor Model of personality factors implies that the
human personality is
a. represented by five broad personality factors.
b. divided into five parts.
c. mostly formed by age five.
d. shaped by five areas of the brain.
4. A person with good emotional intelligence is most likely to
a. regulate emotions to enhance living.
b. avoid analytical problem solving.
c. avoid expressing sorrow or crying.
d. get depressed when faced with problems.
5. The equation B = f (P x E) means that behavior is
a. governed by personal and educational factors.
b. likely to be productive in the right environment.
c. a combination of personal heredity and the environment.
d. a function of the person interacting with his or her environment.
6. Kinesthetic learners learn best while
a. touching and moving.
b. reading and reflecting.
c. hearing and moving their lips.
d. keeping the television on in the background.
7. The learning style (or orientation) that emphasizes applying logic, ideas, and
concepts is an orientation toward
a. concrete experiences.
b. abstract conceptualization.
c. active experimentation.
d. reflective observation.
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8. People engage in stereotyping when they evaluate an individual based on
their perception of
a. the group to which the person belongs.
b. the person’s most dominant trait.
c. the person’s weakest trait.
d. how well they like the person.
9. Attribution theory deals with how people go about ________ perceived
behavior.
a. identifying consequences of
b. simplifying reasons for
c. ascribing causes to
d. searching attributes of
10. A person experiences cognitive dissonance when there is a
a. seemingly hopeless situation in the workplace.
b. clash between two generations.
c. clash between the information he or she receives and his or her
actions.
d. seemingly hopeless problem to solve.
11. Jenny has strong organizational citizenship behavior, as evidenced most
directly when she
a. receives an above-average salary increase.
b. receives an above-average performance evaluation.
c. votes for the same party endorsed by the company CEO.
d. helps people outside her department, although not part of her job.
12. The utilitarian perspective on ethics emphasizes the
a. consequences of an ethical decision.
b. virtue of the decision maker.
c. quality of the ethical decision.
d. fundamental rights of people.
13. The motivational principle of “What’s in it for me?” directly supports the
a. importance of role clarity.
b. fact that people are seeking self-actualization.
c. fact that people are difficult to motivate.
d. need theory of motivation.
14. According to the two-factor theory, you should be able to motivate an
employee by providing that employee with a(n)
a. opportunity for advancement.
b. merit salary increase.
c. cost-of-living increase.
d. physically comfortable work space.
15. According to equity theory, workers are likely to be motivated when they
a. receive higher rewards than people performing similar work.
b. have high job satisfaction.
c. believe they are being treated equitably.
d. compare their inputs with outputs.
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16. An example of an intrinsic reward would be
a. recognition for a job well done.
b. praise from a supervisor.
c. a sense of satisfaction from a job well done.
d. a bonus for high-quality work.
17. Employee empowerment is likely to enhance employee motivation because
a. empowerment is closely tied in with financial bonuses.
b. empowered employees set their own working hours.
c. having more power is extrinsically motivating.
d. having more power is intrinsically motivating.
18. In the job characteristics model, a task is significant when it
a. provides direct information about performance.
b. offers a job holder freedom.
c. has a heavy impact on other people.
d. enables a person to do a complete job.
19. Workers with a strong value of power distance tend to accept the idea that
a. people from distant cultures also have power.
b. they may not achieve power until the distant future.
c. people have unequal power throughout the firm.
d. power comes through hard work.
20. Rumors tend to thrive when
a. bad news is openly communicated.
b. poor organizational communications exist.
c. communication is overly precise.
d. erroneous communication is corrected regularly.
21. The trait of self-awareness contributes to leadership effectiveness primarily
because self- awareness facilitates
a. becoming more and more ambitious.
b. capitalizing on feedback about oneself to improve effectiveness.
c. finding out who in the group are allies versus enemies.
d. becoming part of the right support network.
22. A leader who scored high on initiating structure would
a. emphasize work scheduling and assigning tasks.
b. disregard the feelings of team members.
c. emphasize listening and personal warmth.
d. strive to keep the group informed.
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23. An implication of implicit leadership theory, is that a leader can accrue power
by
a. minimizing empowerment.
b. maximizing empowerment.
c. behaving and acting in ways group members do not expect.
d. behaving and acting the way group members expect.
24. A person with a heavy Machiavellianism tendency would be likely to
a. manipulate others for personal gain.
b. be a friendly helper in the workplace.
c. gain power quickly for the good of the firm.
d. be too naive to play organizational politics.
25. Gaining political support for change typically involves
a. pointing out the monetary benefits of the proposed changes.
b. going out of your way to compliment coworkers.
c. forming alliances with people who will support the proposed changes.
d. taking a vote about the proposed changes.
26. People with strong affiliation needs typically
a. try to control the actions of others.
b. befriend themselves to coworkers.
c. get involved with power plays.
d. prefer self-employment.
27. An example of a corporate whistle blower would be an employee who
a. spreads true rumors about unethical or illegal behavior in the firm.
b. told an government agency that his company was hiring illegal aliens at
$2.00 per hour.
c. acted as a coach to help management deal with ethical problems.
d. quit rather than work for an unethical firm.
28. According to the theory of multiple intelligences,
a. humans have eight separate intelligences.
b. workers must have five different forms of intelligence to succeed.
c. intelligence, motivation, and personality are closely related.
d. when workers are properly challenged, their intelligence multiplies.
29. Ethnocentrism is most likely to hamper cross-cultural relations because
ethnocentric people
a. are better at interpersonal than intergroup relations.
b. prefer people from other cultures similar to their own.
c. have a strong fear of foreigners.
d. prefer not to interact with people from different cultures.
30. Force-field theory contends that organizations simultaneously face forces for
a. change and maintaining the status quo.
b. good and evil.
c. freezing and unfreezing.
d. organizational culture and development.
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SECTION B ( 30 MARKS)
Answer three (3) of the following questions.
1. What are the five levels of human needs as suggested by Maslow in his theory of
motivation?
2. According to the equity theory, there are five actions likely to be engaged by
individuals when they perceive a situation of inequity. State the five actions.
3. What are the five stages of group development?
4. Name five unethical or negative political tactics.
5. Provide five key dimensions of differences in cultural values.
SECTION C (40 MARKS).
Answer two (2) of the following questions.
(20 marks for each question)
1. Identify and describe the key roles group members occupy. Explain which
one of these roles best fits your capabilities and interests.
2. Identify and describe the various
communication barriers in organizations.
approaches
to
overcoming
3. Explain how to use the job characteristics model to enhance worker
motivation.
4. Explain the nature of informal learning, and how a company might promote
such learning.
5. Explain the meaning of emotional intelligence, and identify several
characteristics of a worker who is emotionally intelligent.
6. Identify and describe the basic research methods used in organizational
behavior. Identify a key strength and weakness of each method.
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