Deck 13: Overcoming Obstacles

Question 1

Path-goal leadership suggests that ______.

A)there is one correct path and one correct goal for every situation and follower
B)leaders need to choose a leadership style that best fits the needs of their followers and the type of work they are doing
C)leaders should allow followers to struggle with their problems and not interfere, unless imminent organizational failure will happen
D)all of these

Answer 1

B

Question 2

It is the leader's job to adapt ______ to the ______ of each follower.

A)punishments; motivations
B)instructions; abilities
C)goals; motivations
D)directions; needs

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Confronting obstacles can mean ______.

A)helping followers navigate around obstacles
B)recognizing that the obstacles exist, but not changing the situation
C)removing the obstacles for the follower
D)helping followers navigate around obstacles and removing the obstacles for the follower

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Low involvement requires what kind of leadership?

A)coaching
B)quthoritarian
C)participative
D)directive

Question 5

Obstacles are important for leaders to recognize because ______.

A)they provide clear cues for ways leaders can help followers
B)they provide ways to weed out underperforming followers
C)they provide clear ways to assess the leader's effectiveness
D)none of these

Question 6

How can a leader encourage people to be excited about work? The preceding question is related to ______.

A)unclear directions
B)simple tasks
C)unclear goals
D)low motivation

Question 7

According to path-goal theory,obstacles will always be present,so leaders need to ______.

A)help followers ignore obstacles to focus on the task at hand
B)encourage followers to criticize and voice their opinion about obstacles to get their frustrations out and let their voices be heard
C)help followers overcome the obstacles they face
D)all of these

Question 8

People disengage from the group when they sense they are not heard because of ______.

A)low self-esteem
B)simple tasks
C)low involvement
D)unclear directions

Question 9

Achievement-oriented leaders ______.

A)challenge individuals to perform at their highest level possible
B)are not happy with the status quo
C)show a high degree of confidence that their followers can reach challenging goals
D)all of these

Question 10

"Every day when you walk into class,you need to pick up your journal and answer the question written at the front of the class." This is an example of ______.

A)clear goals
B)giving social support
C)complex tasks
D)none of these

Question 11

Which of the following is not an obstacle directly identified by path-goal theory?

A)high motivation
B)unclear goals
C)lack of a challenge
D)simple tasks

Question 12

When individuals' goals are unclear,they are ______.

A)less likely to be successful
B)less excited about their work
C)less gratified about their accomplishments
D)all of these

Question 13

When a task is complex,the leader needs to be ______.

A)empathetic
B)directive
C)democratic
D)supportive

Question 14

When individuals know their goals,they are ______.

A)more satisfied with the work and more punctual
B)more effective and take more risks
C)more collaborative and more effective in their work
D)more effective and more satisfied

Question 15

In expectancy theory,finding the value in work can include ______.

A)monetary rewards
B)special achievement recognition
C)positive personal feedback
D)all of these

Question 16

Participative leaders ______.

A)invite others to share in the ways and means of getting things done
B)work to establish a climate that is open to new and diverse opinions
C)lessen their own participation to encourage followers to participate more
D)invite others to share in the ways and means of getting things done and work to establish a climate that is open to new and diverse opinions

Question 17

When the goal is vague or ill-defined,the leader should ______ it.

A)change
B)remove
C)clarify
D)all of these

Question 18

The two challenges leaders face when helping followers with obstacles are ______.

A)figuring out what the problems are and letting the followers solve them on their own
B)figuring out what senior management wants done and finding the source of the problem
C)figuring out what the problems are and what to do to solve them
D)none of these

Question 19

If the assignment is a group term paper,the effective teacher describes in detail the required components and then reminds the class that these are the minimum requirements.Grades above a C will be given for those groups going above and beyond these minimum requirements.This is an example of ______.

A)clear goals
B)clear directions
C)lack of challenge
D)unclear directions

Question 20

Leaders define the path by ______.

A)providing a glossary of terms needed to understand the project
B)providing clear directions
C)providing vague and rambling directions, so the follower has to figure it out on their own
D)providing simple tasks

Question 21

It is important for leaders to confirm that their followers' outcomes are ______.

A)smart
B)timely
C)measurable
D)realistic

Question 22

Providing detailed instructions,clear expectations,and a specific timeline are all aspects of ______.

A)participative leadership
B)micro-managing
C)authoritative leadership
D)directive leadership

Question 23

Not having a voice in what happens within a group or an organization is a sign that the individual ______.

A)has low self-esteem
B)has low motivation and does not care about the project
C)does not value the work done by the group or organization
D)has low involvement in the group or organization

Question 24

According to the text,leaders are much like a GPS in an automobile,in that followers want ______.

A)their leaders to redirect them when they make mistakes
B)to be able to program their own way of doing tasks
C)their leaders to provide suggestions, not absolutes
D)their leaders to evaluate and critique them every step of the way

Question 25

According to the text,the two main benefits of participative leadership are ______.

A)increased revenue and group cohesiveness
B)increased commitment to the group and increased revenue
C)increased complaining about management and increased revenue
D)increased commitment to the group and group cohesiveness

Question 26

Which theory is defined as "people will be more highly motivated when the effort they put into a task leads to an expected outcome they value"?

A)values-based leadership
B)expectancy theory
C)path-goal theory
D)participative leadership

Question 27

In high school,Bobby decided to learn to play guitar.At first,he was all excited about practicing and improving his technique,which he did.But by the time he graduated and went to college,his motivation subsided and he stopped playing all together.In this example,Bobby most likely ______.

A)no longer saw the value in playing the guitar
B)no longer felt competent playing the guitar
C)was too busy to play the guitar
D)realized he had no talent

Question 28

Bonnie is the President of her sorority.Lately,many sororities on campus have been under judicial review for behavior contrary to the university's core values,so most of the students think all sororities are in trouble with the university.Bonnie wants her sorority to be known for high standards of excellence.She expects a lot from the women in her sorority and shows confidence that they can reach these goals.Bonnie is displaying which of the following leadership styles?

A)participative
B)achievement-oriented
C)directive
D)laissez-faire

Question 29

When followers are not challenged,the leader should adopt which leadership style?

A)participative
B)achievement-oriented
C)directive
D)laissez-faire

Question 30

The three components of expectancy theory are to help others ______.

A)feel competent, get what they deserve, and increase motivation
B)feel competent, get what they expect, and value what they do
C)feel compassion, get what they expect, and value what they do
D)feel contentment,get what they deserve,and increase motivation

Question 31

Inviting others to share in the ways and means of getting things done,is one way to define ______.

A)coaching
B)authoritarian
C)participative
D)directive

Question 32

Abby had been promised a raise once she maintained her new sales quota for three quarters in a row.Abby has maintained her sales numbers for five quarters now,but still has not received her raise.Now,Abby's boss has nominated her for a sales award,but Abby does not plan to attend the awards reception.Since she has not gotten her raise,she distrusts the whole system.Abby's boss has failed to ______.

A)help others feel like part of the team
B)help others set realistic goals
C)help others get what they expect
D)help others get their rewards

Question 33

Leaders simplify tasks because they want to be able to ______.

A)help followers feel more competent about their work
B)help followers feel smarter
C)save the complex tasks for themselves
D)show their bosses how smart they are

Question 34

Which leadership style includes setting clear standards of performance and making rules and regulations clear for others?

A)supportive leadership
B)participative leadership
C)directive leadership
D)authority-compliant leadership

Question 35

It is important for leaders to show care for the well-being and personal needs of their followers.This is also known as showing ______.

A)participative leadership
B)social support
C)emotional intelligence
D)none of these

Question 36

The first step in helping others become more highly motivated is ______.

A)helping others feel understood
B)helping others develop a life goal/purpose
C)helping others develop positive self-esteem
D)helping others feel competent

Question 37

Establishing high standards of excellence,seeking continuous improvement,and showing a high degree of confidence in people are characteristics of which leadership style?

A)participative
B)achievement-oriented
C)directive
D)laissez-faire

Question 38

Using a spotter when you are in a weightroom is an example of which leadership style?

A)supportive leadership
B)participative leadership
C)directive leadership
D)authority-compliant leadership

Question 39

Encouraging others when they are engaged in tasks that are boring is an example of ______.

A)supportive leadership
B)participative leadership
C)directive leadership
D)authority-compliant leadership

Question 40

Jordan is the newest hire at a local advertising agency.There is a strict dress code at this firm,which Jordan does not like and feels stifles creativity.But as the newest hire,Jordan desire to feel like part of the team is more important than her personal style,so she says nothing.Jordan is experiencing which of the obstacles mentioned in the text?

A)low involvement
B)unclear goals
C)lack of a challenge
D)simple tasks

Question 41

Anything that gets in the way of a follower and makes it difficult for followers to reach their goals is a(an)______.

A)challenge
B)opportunity
C)obstacle
D)problem

Question 42

Carlos was just promoted,so he moved from a regional office to Corporate Headquarters.He is excited by his new job duties and has lots of new ideas to help move the organization forward.At his first staff meeting,he discovers that the last person to hold his job did not utilize the knowledge and skills of the staff.Rather,their former supervisor gave them only simple and mundane tasks to complete,while keeping the difficult and complex tasks for themselves.Carlos wants to change the situation,but before he can assign more complex tasks,he first needs to utilize which of the following leadership styles?

A)supportive
B)achievement-oriented
C)directive
D)participative
E) none of these

Question 43

In expectancy theory,individuals distrust the way the system works when they achieve the result they expect.

Question 44

Achievement-oriented leadership generally works well for everyone in the organization.

Question 45

The goal of path-goal theory is to have ______.

A)more productive members of the organization
B)members of the organization depend on their leaders
C)leaders who are skilled problem solvers and do nothing else
D)leaders who push all their work onto their followers

Question 46

A leader's job is to remove all obstacles out of the way for their followers so they feel valued and part of the team.

Question 47

According to the text,leaders need to define the path to the goal for the subordinate to be successful.

Question 48

According to the text,good leaders are those who ______.

A)get their followers to maximize their productivity
B)let their followers define their own goals and job duties
C)help their followers overcome obstacles to achieve their goals
D)help their followers become good leaders

Question 49

In path-goal theory,the goals and paths needed to achieve them are defined by the ______.

A)leader
B)follower
C)management of the organization
D)media

Question 50

Using a directive leadership style makes subordinates feel that what they are accomplishing has a high value.

Question 51

Achievement-oriented leadership works best with followers who are ______.

A)externally motivated
B)internally motivated
C)bored by the assignment
D)have a lot of natural talent

Question 52

Subordinates must adapt their needs to the needs of their leader.

Question 53

Obstacles come in many forms.Which of the following are typical obstacles in a work environment?

A)complex design process
B)resistance to change
C)loud, shared work space
D)all of these

Question 54

Clearly defining goals for one's followers is closely aligned with what other leadership principle?

A)managing conflict
B)power
C)articulating a vision
D)building a team
E) none of these

Question 55

A participative leadership style is the best style when dealing with the issue of complexity in tasks.

Question 56

A coach or teacher who uses stickers or other forms of public rewards for outstanding performance is displaying which of the following leadership styles?

A)participative
B)achievement-oriented
C)directive
D)laissez-faire

Question 57

Path-goal leadership theory is ascribed to which of the following leadership researchers?

A)Peter Northouse
B)James MacGregor Burns
C)Robert House
D)Suan Komives

Question 58

Individuals get excited about their work and are more gratified by their accomplishments when faced with goals that are not clearly specified.

Question 59

When individuals feel like they are not being heard,they tend to engage more completely in the task at hand.

Question 60

Learning about and dealing with obstacles is a very effective way to improve your leadership.

Question 61

Compare and contrast the leadership styles needed to deal with complex and simple tasks as obstacles to followers achieving their goals.Of these two obstacles,which do you believe is the most damaging to organizational effectiveness and group cohesion? Why?

Question 62

In general,do you believe helping followers address obstacles could be enabling or counterproductive? Why or why not?

Question 63

How could a leader use expectancy theory to motivate high school students to stay in band or orchestra when their peers are dropping out?

Question 64

Of the three aspects of expectancy theory,which do you believe to be the most important when combating low motivation? Why? Provide an example from your own life when this aspect was used to increase your own motivation.

Question 65

How can unclear goals be an obstacle for followers? Provide at least three examples of clear goals.

Question 66

Which of the seven major obstacles types do you find to be most problematic for followers? Why? Provide a specific example.

Question 67

Briefly explain why achievement-oriented leadership seeks continuous improvement.Provide an example from your own life when you have seen the benefits of seeking for continuous improvement in an organization.What was the outcome of these efforts?

Question 68

What are the seven obstacles types listed in the text? Provide at least one example for each obstacle type.What impact could these obstacles have on the organization?

Question 69

Briefly discuss three general ways leaders can help followers based on the Path-goal leadership theory.

Question 70

How would a leader's task-orientation or relationship-orientation affect how well he or she is able to help followers overcome obstacles in an organization?