WGU OBCI Strategy Change and Organizational Behavioral Concepts – Exam Bank

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WGU OBCI Strategy Change and Organizational Behavioral Concepts – Exam Bank

Chapter 01Test Bank

1. There is only one best way to manage people, teams, or organizations. A particular management practice that worked today will work tomorrow. This is called the contingency approach.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Contingency TheoryFeedback: There is no single best way to manage people, teams, or organizations. An important part of your success is your ability to know which tools to use and under what circumstances. This is described as a contingency approach to managing people and is the foundation of contemporary OB.2. Common sense focuses on the past, and because of this, it is strong in responding to the unexpected.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Contingency TheoryFeedback: Common sense is especially weak in responding to the unknown or unexpected. And because it focuses on the past, common sense lacks vision for the future.3. When major league baseball officials failed to notice they had created conditions that encouraged players to use steroids, this was an example of “motivated blindness.”TRUEAACSB: Knowledge ApplicationAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: ApplyDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-03 Describe the ways in which you can apply OB knowledge to effectively solve problems.Topic: Ethical BehaviorFeedback: In Table 1.2 the example of “motivated blindness” is: Baseball officials failed to notice they’d created conditions that encouraged steroid use.4. OB includes topics such as managing your peers and your bosses, as well as managing your subordinates.TRUEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: Organizational behavior includes knowing about managing yourself, as well as others, up, down, and sideways.5. Soft skills are job specific; they are useful only in certain jobs.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: Soft skills are not job specific. They are portable skills, more or less relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout your career.6. Problem solving is a systematic process for closing the gap between an actual and a desired outcome.FALSEAACSB: Knowledge ApplicationAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-02 Explain the drivers of unethical behavior and ethical lapses, and the lessons that can be learned as a result.Topic: OutcomesFeedback: A problem is a difference or gap between an actual and a desired state or outcome. Problems arise when our goals (desired outcomes) are not being met (actual situation). In turn, problem solving is a systematic process for closing these gaps.7. John is spending 12 hours a day at work and is exhausted. He decides that he will work no more than 8 hours—no matter what. This is a good example of the Three-step Problem-Solving Approach.TRUEAACSB: Knowledge ApplicationAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: AnalyzeDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-03 Describe the ways in which you can apply OB knowledge to effectively solve problems.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: The Three-Step Problem-Solving Approach notes that you should (1) define the problem in terms of desired outcomes, (2) identify potential causes using OB concepts and theories, and (3) make recommendations or take action. In this case, John has noted a problem (but not necessarily the outcomes he wants) and has completely skipped step 2. 8. Unethical behavior erodes trust, but has no effect on cooperation in organizations.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAACSB: TeamworkAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-02 Explain the drivers of unethical behavior and ethical lapses, and the lessons that can be learned as a result.Topic: Ethical BehaviorFeedback: Unethical behavior reduces cooperation, loyalty, and contributions, which of course hurts the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations.9. American Airlines pilots created widespread slowdowns in flights to pressure their company in negotiations with their union. This was illegal.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAACSB: EthicsAACSB: Knowledge ApplicationAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: ApplyDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-02 Explain the drivers of unethical behavior and ethical lapses, and the lessons that can be learned as a result.Topic: Ethical BehaviorFeedback: In 2012, American Airlines pilots created widespread slowdowns in flights to pressure the company in negotiations with their union, a notable instance of how widespread unethical behavior has resulted in virtually no legal consequences.10. Research shows that sustainable businesses are led by CEOs who take a people-centered, inclusive approach.TRUEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAACSB: EthicsAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-02 Explain the drivers of unethical behavior and ethical lapses, and the lessons that can be learned as a result.Topic: EthicsFeedback: Research shows that sustainable businesses are led by CEOs who take a people-centered, inclusive approach rather than a controlling, target-driven one. They are people who listen and who foster cultures in which employees are not scared to point out problems, and in which staff feel they have a personal responsibility to enact corporate values, be they health and safety concerns or putting the client’s interests first.11. According to research, the most common predictor of cheating in school is peer behavior.TRUEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAACSB: EthicsAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-02 Explain the drivers of unethical behavior and ethical lapses, and the lessons that can be learned as a result.Topic: Ethical BehaviorFeedback: A study of graduate students, including MBAs, in the United States and Canada found that peer behavior was by far the strongest predictor of why students cheated, followed by severity of potential penalties, and certainty of being reported.12. A decision is a gap between an actual and a desired situation.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-03 Describe the ways in which you can apply OB knowledge to effectively solve problems.Topic: Decision MakingFeedback: A problem is a difference or gap between an actual and a desired situation.13. OB concepts and theories can be classified into three broad categories: person factors, group characteristics, and environmental characteristics.FALSEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-04 Explain how OB can help you organize a problem in order to achieve a solution effectively.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: OB concepts and theories can be classified into two broad categories: person factors and environmental characteristics.14. The inter
actional perspective states that behavior is a function of interdependent person and environmental factors.TRUEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-04 Explain how OB can help you organize a problem in order to achieve a solution effectively.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: Notably, the interactional perspective states that behavior is a function of interdependent person and environmental factors.15. The “organizing framework” for understanding and applying OB is based on the systems approach.TRUEAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-05 Classify OB knowledge and tools for problem solving with the support of the Organizing Framework.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: To assemble our framework, we use the systems approach as our foundation.16. Maria is having an argument with her father. He believes that focusing on her computer skills is the most important of Maria’s college experience. Maria disagrees, arguing that ______ is/are the more critical.A. overall technical expertiseB. self-awarenessC. problem-solving skillsD. an ethical perspectiveE. business knowledgeAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: Regardless of your area of study, the greatest benefit of your education is developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.17. ______ is the interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing people at work.A. Management theoryB. Management dynamicsC. Organizational behaviorD. Organizational dynamicsE. Organizational theoryAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: The term organizational behavior (OB) describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing people at work.18. Which of the following fields is not a field from which OB draws?A. Political ScienceB. AccountingC. StatisticsD. EconomicsE. Vocational CounselingAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: OB draws on research and practice from many disciplines to deal with how people behave at work, including: anthropology, economics, ethics, management, organizational theory, political science, psychology, sociology, statistics, and vocational counseling.19. OB is important in all facets of school and work becauseA. hard skills are a critical factor to your success.B. this indicates that you have common sense.C. this technical knowledge is in great demand.D. a career in OB will ensure a high salary.E. it helps us to understand and manage people.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Organizational Behavior (OB)Feedback: Organizational behavior includes knowing about managing yourself, as well as others, up, down, and sideways.20. Javier is dealing with several employees who are chronically late. He unilaterally decides to dock everyone’s daily pay 5 percent if they are more than 10 minutes late. Javier will have better results usingA. the contingency approach.B. the “one-best-way” approach.C. the environmental theory.D. ethical decision making.E. the human capital theory.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: ApplyDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Contingency TheoryFeedback: A contingency approach calls for using OB concepts and tools as situationally appropriate, instead of trying to rely on “one best way.”21. The contingency approach suggests thatA. there is one best way to manage.B. OB theories apply to all situations.C. a manager needs to learn a set of hard-and-fast rules.D. the best answer depends on the situation.E. management practices from the past can be applied to today’s situations.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Contingency TheoryFeedback: A contingency approach calls for using OB concepts and tools as situationally appropriate, instead of trying to rely on “one best way.” This means there is no single best way to manage people, teams, and organizations.

22. Which of the following statements is false?A. The contingency approach is just common sense.B. Common sense excels in well-known scenarios with predictable outcomes.C. Common sense requires less effort than finding the real problem.D. Common sense can be overly subjective.E. Common sense is weak in unexpected situations.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Contingency TheoryFeedback: At first glance the contingency approach may look like simple common sense. But it’s different. It attempts to overcome the limits of common sense with how it does not settle for traditional options if another solution may be more practical and effective. Similarly, understanding the systems approach to issues provides more insight than common sense alone. The goal of OB is to give you more than common sense and instead enhance your understanding of situations at work and guide your behaviors.

23. Problem solving and critical thinking are ______ because they use logic and reasoning to develop and evaluate options.A. technical skillsB. soft skillsC. common senseD. hard skillsE. personal attributesAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: Soft skills relate to human interactions and include both interpersonal skills and personal attributes. They include problem solving, critical thinking, active listening and judgment and decision making.

24. Which of the following is not one of the top four skills desired by employers?A. TeamworkB. Critical thinkingC. Problem solvingD. Judgment and decision makingE. Active listeningAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: According to Table 1.1, the top four skills most desired by employers are critical thinking, problem solving, judgment and decision making, and active listening.

25. Justin and Edwardo were hired by the same network support firm. One year later, Edwardo receives a promotion to team leader. Justin believes he has stronger technical skills and asks his supervisor why he did not get the promotion. The supervisor says that Edwardo has better people skills. Having ____ can enable a person’s promotion.A. soft skills.B. hard skills.C. technical skills.D. team skills.E. the right degree.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: For most jobs you are selected for your technical skills, your ability to do the given job (i.e., hard skills). What it takes to get promoted is your perceived ability to get things done through others and manage people. Figure 1.1 illustrates how technical or job-specific skills decline in importance as you move to levels of higher responsibility, while the need for personal skills increases.

26. Soft skills are ______; they are more or less relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout your career.A. portableB. inflexibleC. rigidD. narrowly appliedE. hard-and-fastAACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: RememberDifficulty: 1 EasyLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Conceptual SkillsFeedback: According to Table 1.1, the four skills most desired by employers are critical thinking; problem solving; judgment and decision making; and active listening. All are soft skills, the skills you need to interact with, influence, and perform with others.

27. “When you know yourself, you are comfortable with your strengths and not crippled by your shortcomings….” This isA. a soft skill.B. self-awareness.C. common sense.D. hindsight.E. objectivity.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard NavigationBlooms: UnderstandDifficulty: 2 MediumLearning Objective: 01-01 Exemplify different ways in which OB knowledge can enhance your job performance and career.Topic: Self-AwarenessFeedback: Soft skills are the skills you need to interact with, influence, and perform with others. Soft skills relate to our human interactions and include both interpersonal skills and personal attributes.

28. Regarding the relative importance of personal and technical skills,A. they remain equal and this does not change throughout careers.B. technical skills are more important regardless of job level.C. personal skills are more important regardless of job level.D. technical skills become more important as job level increases.E. personal skills become more important as job level increases.AACSB: Analytical ThinkingAccessibility: Keyboard