Deck 3: Individual Differences at Work

Question 1

Managerial attempts to make everyone satisfied will always yield high levels of productivity.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A "skill" is a learned talent that a person has acquired in order to perform a task.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Individuals are born with certain innate attitudes.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

By midcentury, 20 percent of the United States population will be aged 65 or older.

Question 5

Sexual/affectional orientation is not considered a primary dimension of diversity.

Question 6

Research has found that a commitment to diversity may lead to financial benefits for business.

Question 7

Personality is, to some degree, observable and measurable.

Question 8

Work behavior refers only to activities directly involved in the creation of the work product.

Question 9

Diversity is not a synonym for equal employment opportunity (EEO).

Question 10

While impacting overall satisfaction, the extent to which co-workers are friendly, competent, and supportive is generally not thought to be an element of job satisfaction.

Question 11

Attitudes define one's predispositions toward given aspects of the world.

Question 12

Daydreaming about being on vacation while on the job is considered a work behavior.

Question 13

A decline in job satisfaction has been occurring over the past 20 years.

Question 14

Genetics has no influence on a person's personality.

Question 15

Affect, the emotional component of an attitude, is often learned from parents, teachers, and peer group members.

Question 16

A person's ability is generally stable over time.

Question 17

People high in openness to experience tend to thrive in occupations where change is continuous and where innovation is critical.

Question 18

Minorities, which now comprise about forty percent of the U.S. population, will become the majority by 2020.

Question 19

Research indicates that extroverted people tend to have higher levels of overall job satisfaction.

Question 20

Most studies dealing with the performance-satisfaction relationship have found high association between performance and satisfaction.

Question 21

Which of the following are important factors in helping to differentiate between higher- and lower-performing employees?

A) Mental ability
B) Tacit knowledge
C) Emotional knowledge
D) Both A and B

Question 22

A manager is in a better position to make optimal decisions if he or she knows the _______________ of an employee.

A) attitudes
B) perceptions
C) abilities
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 23

To understand individual differences, a manager must do all of the following except:

A) Observe the differences
B) Recognize the differences
C) Isolate individuals who respond differently to stimuli
D) Study the relationships between variables that influence individual behavior

Question 24

Which of the following statements about Millennials (age 20 and younger) is false?

A) Millennials require less praise than do Gen Xers and Boomers
B) Millennials put their careers first; they want positions that build their resumes
C) The online social networking skills of Millennials can be leveraged for collaborations and virtual team projects
D) Millennials should be assigned a mentor to help them understand the company culture, dress policies, office politics, and so on

Question 25

The ADA requires that organizations make ____________ for disabled individuals.

A) reasonable accommodations
B) performance allowances
C) accommodations of up to $50,000
D) All of the above.

Question 26

Secondary dimensions of diversity _______.

A) are changeable
B) are relatively stable
C) are stable
D) have limited impact.

Question 27

Robert J. Sternberg believes that practically intelligent leaders and managers tend to do all of the following except:

A) Capitalize on the weaknesses of others.
B) Realize they are not good at everything.
C) Learn from their positive and negative experiences.
D) Overcome negative expectations set by others.

Question 28

Agreeableness is the tendency to experience positive emotional states, such as feeling psychologically secure, calm, and relaxed.

Question 29

Deloitte Touche has undertaken all of the following initiatives to help its female employees break the "glass ceiling" except:

A) Decreasing the level of travel for employees
B) Enhancing career opportunities
C) Making diversity a key priority
D) Assigning senior female employees as mentors

Question 30

All of the following are primary dimensions of diversity except:

A) Physical attributes
B) Age
C) Marital status
D) Both A and B

Question 31

Employees who are low in emotional stability tend to be sloppy, inefficient, careless, and even lazy.

Question 32

Companies today seldom use personality tests to help make selection or training decisions.

Question 33

All of the following are secondary dimensions of diversity except:

A) Physical attributes
B) Educational background
C) Marital status
D) Religious beliefs

Question 34

Tacit Knowledge is work-related, practical know-how that employees acquire through ________________.

A) formal training programs
B) observation and direct experience on the job
C) Demonstrative Training Interaction (DTI)
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 35

In relation to locus of control, people who believe they are performing well because of their effort or skill are called internals.

Question 36

A person's __________is generally stable over time.

A) ability
B) skills
C) EQ
D) Both A and B

Question 37

When selecting candidates for a particular position, one of the better predictors of job success is _______________.

A) mental ability
B) gender
C) emotional ability
D) reading comprehension

Question 38

Which of the following cultural characteristics most aptly applies to Mexico?

A) Good impressions are made when foreign nationals are familiar with the nation's customs.
B) Being passive is considered a virtue.
C) Individual rights and needs are subordinate to collective rights and needs.
D) Literacy is almost 100 percent.

Question 39

Relationships among the Big Five dimensions and job performance were developed by studying U.S. employees only. They do not apply across country borders.

Question 40

__________ refers to work-related practical know-how that employees acquire through observation and direct experience.

A) Tacit ability
B) Job ability
C) Tacit knowledge
D) Job knowledge

Question 41

The _______________ component of an attitude refers to the tendency of a person to act in a certain way toward someone or something.

A) behavioral
B) cognitive
C) emotional
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 42

A study of 5,000 U.S. households found that more than 50 percent of Americans are unhappy with their jobs. However, 56 percent said they were happy with:

A) Their commute and coworkers
B) Their pay and benefits
C) The number of paid holidays
D) The dress code

Question 43

The cognitive component of an attitude consists of a person's perceptions, opinions, and _______________.

A) education
B) predispositions
C) beliefs
D) personality

Question 44

The SAS Institute offers all of the following stress-reducing benefits to its employees except:

A) A mini shopping mall
B) A company-run day care facility
C) On-site health care
D) recreation and fitness center

Question 45

People high in _______________ tend to enjoy talking and interacting with coworkers.

A) emotional stability
B) extroversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness to experience

Question 46

Those who work hard at the "fit" between themselves and their job are likely to experience:

A) Higher levels of job satisfaction
B) More positive attitudes
C) Better relationships among peers
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 47

According to a study conducted by The Conference Board, workers aged __________ are the most satisfied with their jobs.

A) 25 and under
B) 55 and over
C) 18-25
D) Age has no impact on job satisfaction levels.

Question 48

____________ is a mental state of anxiety that occurs when there is a conflict among an individual's various cognitions.

A) Imperceptible conflict
B) Conceptual apprehension
C) Cognitive apprehension
D) Cognitive dissonance

Question 49

A study conducted by The Conference Board found that more than _____ percent of Americans are not happy with their jobs.

A) 80
B) 70
C) 50
D) 25

Question 50

Personality appears to be organized into patterns that are ______ observable and measurable.

A) not
B) to some degree
C) to a large extent
D) typically

Question 51

Research indicates that extroverted people tend to do all of the following except:

A) Have lower levels of overall job satisfaction
B) Perform well in sales jobs
C) Do better in training programs
D) Perform well in managerial jobs

Question 52

"I've requested a transfer to another department." This statement reflects:

A) Beliefs and values
B) Feelings and emotions
C) Intended behavior
D) Emotional behavior

Question 53

Which of the following is not a factor within the Big-Five model?

A) Masculinity
B) Extroversion
C) Emotional Stability
D) Conscientiousness

Question 54

The cognitive component of an attitude consists of the person's _______________.

A) perceptions
B) opinions
C) beliefs
D) All of the above.

Question 55

_________is the emotional component of an attitude and is often learned from parents, teachers, and peer group members.

A) Perception
B) Affect
C) Effect
D) EQ

Question 56

_______________ refers to the tendency to be sociable, gregarious, assertive, talkative, and active.

A) Emotional stability
B) Extroversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Openness to experience

Question 57

No amount of _______________ can make up for deficiencies in abilities or skills.

A) leadership
B) motivation
C) organizational resources
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 58

Most studies dealing with the performance-satisfaction relationship have found ______association between performance and satisfaction.

A) a low
B) a moderate
C) a high
D) no

Question 59

The statement "My boss is unfair" is an example of a (n) ___________.

A) affect
B) cognition
C) dissonance
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 60

The most discussed and publicized _______________ model is called the Big Five.

A) personality
B) genetics
C) diversity
D) leadership

Question 61

Specific traits of _______________ include curiosity, broad-mindedness, creativity, imagination, and intelligence.

A) emotional stability
B) extraversion
C) conscientiousness
D) openness to experience

Question 62

Which of the following statements best reflects the greatest strength of magnitude?

A) Jim is moderately certain he can put a basketball through the hoop six times in a row.
B) Sara is betting she can put three more basketballs through the hoop than Jim can.
C) Jim knows he can put six basketballs through the hoop in a row.
D) Sara is positive she can put ten basketballs through the hoop in a row.

Question 63

Self-efficacy tends to be __________ specific.

A) personality
B) time
C) gender
D) task

Question 64

The most important factor in the development of positive self-efficacy is:

A) Past experience
B) Managerial feedback
C) Job task repetition
D) Training

Question 65

In organizational settings, ___________usually do not require as much supervision as do ________ because they are more likely to believe their own work behavior will influence outcomes such as performance, promotions, and pay.

A) internals, externals
B) externals, internals
C) internals, fatalist
D) high I's, low I's

Question 66

What are the six core dimensions of diversity?

Question 67

_____________refers to a person's ability to be self-aware of feelings, to manage emotions, to motivate oneself, to express empathy, and to handle relationships with others.

A) EI
B) EQ
C) IE
D) EOQ

Question 68

What should managers know about generational diversity?

Question 69

Which of the following outcomes is associated with openness to experience?

A) Overall job satisfaction
B) Fewer counter-productive behaviors
C) Training proficiency
D) Interpersonal skill

Question 70

Which of the following statements reflects the greatest magnitude?

A) Jim says he can put a basketball through the hoop six times out of ten throws.
B) Sara thinks she is just as good at basketball as she is at baseball.
C) Sara is positive she can put ten basketballs through the hoop in a row.
D) Jim thinks he can put three more basketballs through the hoop than Sara can.

Question 71

What is work behavior?

Question 72

Diversity has six primary dimensions. Age is one dimension. Name the other five.

Question 73

What are secondary dimensions of diversity?

Question 74

Individuals low on _______________ are often described as rude, cold, uncaring, unsympathetic, and antagonistic.

A) emotional stability
B) extroversion
C) conscientiousness
D) agreeableness

Question 75

Which of the following outcomes is associated with high extroversion?

A) Job performance across most occupations
B) Fewer counter-productive behaviors
C) Overall job satisfaction and motivation
D) Training proficiency

Question 76

In relation to locus of control, people who believe they are pawns of fate are referred to as ______________.

A) fatalist
B) externals
C) determinist
D) pawnist

Question 77

The concept of self-efficacy includes all of the following dimensions except:

A) Magnitude
B) Persistence
C) Strength
D) Generality

Question 78

_______________ is a personality trait that can be encouraged and developed by giving people the opportunity and freedom to think in unconventional ways.

A) Creativity
B) Persistence
C) Self-efficacy
D) Locus of control

Question 79

_______________ is exhibited by those who are described as dependable, organized, thorough, and responsible.

A) Emotional stability
B) Extroversion
C) Conscientiousness
D) Openness to experience

Question 80

According to an analysis by Gist and Mitchell, self-efficacy is associated with:

A) Work-related performance
B) Career choice
C) Learning and achievement
D) All of the choices are correct.