Deck 6: People-Oriented Leadership Behaviors

Question 1

Organizations today need people-oriented behaviors to the exclusion of task-oriented behaviors.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

According to the book Good to Great, leaders who turn the spotlight on themselves are misrepresenting the meaning of people-oriented behaviors.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Studies show that the "democratic leadership style" has a mixed outcome when performance objectives involve solution of a problem or are short-term.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The consulting competency involves soliciting suggestions or advice and inviting all organizational members to be involved in decision-making.

Question 5

If we were to array consulting, authoritarian, and delegation approaches on a continuum, the authoritarian approach would be at one extreme with authority over subordinates, delegation in the middle, and the consultation approach at the other extreme with authority being given to all organizational members.

Question 6

Vroom and Yetton distinguish two types of autocratic decision models; in both types, the leader makes the decision herself, but in one case she collects data from others in order to inform her decision process.

Question 7

The main problem with planning and organizing personnel when using a people-oriented approach is that everything requires a "yes" answer in order to achieve employee satisfaction and therefore organizational results.

Question 8

When planning and organizing personnel, the more that individual preferences, personalities, and experiences of employees can be accommodated, the better.

Question 9

Developing staff means that leaders constantly stretch their employees' capabilities and appraise their work so they have feedback on their shortcomings in order to improve.

Question 10

Companies in the top 20 percent in spending on staff development earned an average of 80 percent more per year than their competitors.

Question 11

A leader should not listen to personal problems of employees even though they affect work performance because there is no place for personal lives and professional lives to cross.

Question 12

Elements of motivating include positive incentives and inspiring, but also disincentives such as disciplining or other sanctions.

Question 13

In expectancy theory, workers have to see the relationship between good performance and the delivery of work-related rewards; this is called expectancy.

Question 14

Interpersonal conflicts in organizations normally are one of two classes-substantive or personality-based.

Question 15

In managing personnel change, it is important to recognize and move through each phase as if it is very important-denial, anger, mourning, and adaptation.

Question 16

According to many writers, this category of competencies is essentially synonymous with management:

A) task-oriented competencies
B) goal-oriented competencies
C) people-oriented competencies
D) result-oriented competencies

Question 17

Checking with people on work-related matters and involving people in decision-making processes is called:

A) motivating
B) developing staff
C) planning
D) consulting

Question 18

As a decision-making model, consulting falls between:

A) authority and involvement
B) decisiveness and delegation
C) responsibility and authority
D) decisiveness and creativity

Question 19

A type of consultative decision-making in which the leader manages the decision-making process but does not make the actual decision is called:

A) collaborative decision-making
B) participative decision-making
C) inclusive decision-making
D) joint decision-making

Question 20

In the people-oriented domain, personal time management skills fall under this category:

A) building and managing teams
B) developing staff
C) managing personnel change
D) planning and organizing personnel

Question 21

Developing staff focuses on:

A) assisting employees to be comfortable in their positions
B) reaching a medium level of productivity over time
C) scouting new talents
D) appreciating former employees

Question 22

When developing staff, training during the clarifying phase and coaching during the developing phase:

A) should be reversed so that training occurs during the developing phase and coaching occurs during the clarifying phase
B) are both critical
C) are not both necessary; training is the more critical
D) are not both necessary; coaching is the more critical

Question 23

Employees who feel that they have friends at work will be more productive and more likely to remain, according to the following author(s):

A) Buckingham and Coffman
B) Bassie
C) Vroom and Yetton
D) Yukl

Question 24

The following is inconsistent with the ideal characteristics of rewards:

A) They are based on company's financial condition
B) They are based on performance goals that are important to the organization
C) They represent different types of contribution
D) They are always in the form of pay increases and promotion

Question 25

One of the guidelines for motivating is to:

A) provide career advice and encouragement
B) promote a person's self-esteem and reputation
C) find out what rewards are attractive
D) recognize only good performers

Question 26

The following attribute does not fit with the three parameters that capture the differentiation of work groups in organizations:

A) aspiration
B) membership
C) work function and scope
D) level of authority extended for independent decision-making

Question 27

Traditional groups composed of all members of the unit who take care of ongoing operations and have a formal leader who makes most of the important decisions are also called:

A) proactive groups
B) work groups
C) operational groups
D) task groups

Question 28

Some members of the group have higher rank or status based on credentials or expertise and insist on a disproportionate role in a team's decision processes. Peter Scholtes (1993) lists this type of problem as:

A) floundering
B) wanderlust
C) overbearing participants
D) dominating participants

Question 29

Managing conflict is most closely connected with and often a prerequisite of:

A) strategic visioning
B) team building
C) managing personnel change
D) goal setting

Question 30

The following is contrary to the tips of managing personnel change:

A) Identify the need for perseverance and flexibility at later stages of change
B) Ensure that people are well informed about the progress of change
C) Be honest about the challenge
D) Generate a sense of urgency about the need for change

Question 31

What is the difference between work groups and "true" teams? What are some of their comparative strengths and weaknesses?

Question 32

What are the differences between personal- and problem-based conflicts? How do the methods for handling these different types of conflict vary?

Question 33

Draw Vroom's expectancy model and explain the theory as illustrated in the model.

Question 34

Guidelines are enumerated for achieving the people-oriented behavior of motivation. List and explain at least three guidelines.

Question 35

It is said that conflict management involves reactive, proactive, and creative aspects. Describe each of these three elements and how to deal with each one.