Deck 1: What Is Organizational Behaviour?

Question 1

Which of the following is the most accurate description of ethics?

A)Ethics are easy to implement at the organizational level as best illustrated at Enron Corporation.
B)Ethics look at past personal traumas.
C)Ethics is common sense that informs us as to whether our actions are right or wrong.
D)Ethics is the study of moral values that guide our behaviour.
E)Ethics help us do the "right" thing.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Workplace diversity challenges organizations as three main demographic groups make up the workforce; these three groups are

A)Ethicals, Millennial and Generation X.
B)Elders, Baby Boomers and Generation X.
C)Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials.
D)Elders, Generation X and Millennials.
E)Ethicals, Elders and Generation X.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Organizational behaviour is generally defined as a field of study that

A)investigates how organizations effectively face competition.
B)investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organizations.
C)attempts to understand and solve problems regarding individual behaviour on and off the job.
D)seeks ways and means to match human effort with technology.
E)examines how the structure of different organizations contributes to, or inhibits, effective communication.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Giselle is using a spreadsheet to measure each employee's efficiency and effectiveness. This is known as the employee's

A)performance.
B)productivity.
C)diversity.
D)culture.
E)ethics.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT considered an organization?

A)church
B)university
C)military unit
D)all 45 year old adults in a community
E)municipal, provincial and federal government agencies

Question 6

Which of the following situations would likely receive the least benefit from studying Organizational Behaviour(OB)techniques?

A)voluntary community groups
B)large family situations and interactions
C)post-secondary education student study groups
D)religious organizations
E)pre-teen paper routes

Question 7

Individuals face various challenges in organizational settings. Which of the following organizational challenges is OB best suited for

A)maintaining stock prices.
B)profit projection.
C)setting common goals.
D)time management.
E)protocol on the job.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about organizational behaviour (OB)is FALSE?

A)OB is relevant only in employment situations.
B)OB can shed light on the interactions among family members.
C)OB can be used in community settings like children's daycare centres.
D)OB can be applied to any organization in order to make it run more effectively.
E)OB focuses on 3 levels of behaviour that can occur in any organization.

Question 9

A field of study that investigates the impact of individuals, groups, and structure on behaviour within organizations is known as

A)psychology.
B)sociology.
C)social psychology.
D)anthropology.
E)organizational behaviour.

Question 10

When managers have positive social relationships with their employees they are

A)re-engineering the workplace.
B)establishing a new program of TQM.
C)developing new styles of leadership.
D)developing ways of more effectively controlling work.
E)lowering employee stress, which lowers intentions to quit.

Question 11

A characteristic of Johan's department is that there is a broad mix of people in terms of gender, race and ethnicity. This is known as

A)diversity.
B)empowerment.
C)groupthink.
D)ethics.
E)individual differences.

Question 12

Which of the following is TRUE about ethics?

A)is easy to implement at the organizational level
B)is the study of consciously coordinated social units
C)aims to understand motivations for individual behaviours
D)informs us as to whether a job is intrinsically rewarding
E)helps us do the "right" thing

Question 13

Which of the following topics is generally outside the field of OB?

A)therapy
B)absenteeism
C)employment turnover
D)productivity
E)job satisfaction

Question 14

What are the three inputs to processes that OB is concerned with?

A)experience, goals and configuration
B)individual, group, and organizational structure
C)structure, social units and teams
D)group, structure and political
E)interpersonal, personal and group

Question 15

Which of the following is TRUE about organizational citizenship behaviour, (OCB)?

A)Writing OCB requirements into job descriptions is important.
B)Managers granting control to employees will receive OCB.
C)OCB allows employees to delegate their work to peers.
D)OCB enhances company performance and is highly valued.
E)Employees with high OCB usually ask for more time off.

Question 16

A(n)________ is a consciously coordinated social unit composed of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals.

A)organization
B)unit
C)team
D)ethnic group
E)informal group

Question 17

A consciously coordinated social unit composed of a group of people that function on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common set of goals is known as a(n)

A)work group.
B)team.
C)organization.
D)society.
E)task force.

Question 18

Everyone loves to work for Peter because he is respectful and a good listener; he is firm with goals and expectations, but gives support with training and flexible timelines. Peter has strong

A)motivational abilities.
B)similarities and demographics.
C)interpersonal skills.
D)quantitative skills.
E)ethics.

Question 19

As employers attempt to retain high performance employees, what factors in employee-manager relationships become important?

A)supportive dialogue, proactive discussions and high wages
B)high stress workplace, supportive dialogue and proactive discussions
C)lower stress workplace, proactive discussions and supportive dialogue
D)high wages, lower stress workplace and supportive dialogue
E)high wages, high stress workplace and proactive discussions

Question 20

Toronto-based Dell Canada's technical service lines are handled by technicians located in India. This is an example of

A)repatriation.
B)immigration.
C)emigration.
D)nationalism.
E)outsourcing.

Question 21

A high rate of employee turnover increases

A)bottom up management.
B)recruiting costs.
C)positive organizational scholarship.
D)workplace diversity.
E)individual difference.

Question 22

If today's managers positively address and manage the complex virtual workplace, which of the following increases?

A)employee turnover
B)miscommunications
C)interpersonal conflicts
D)employee well-being
E)employee burnout

Question 23

Why should you increase your understanding of workforce diversity?

A)to be politically correct
B)the Canadian workplace is becoming more homogeneous
C)to eliminate differences amongst employees
D)the Canadian workplace is becoming more heterogeneous
E)to communicate more proficiently

Question 24

Workforce diversity is

A)counter-productive to job satisfaction.
B)the variance among workers' pay scales.
C)the distribution of workers by hair colour.
D)the differences among employees based on age.
E)the ratio of assistants to managers.

Question 25

Zeke is an employee who achieves his goals. This shows Zeke is

A)performing.
B)efficient.
C)effective.
D)motivated.
E)diverse.

Question 26

William Smith, Sheena's boss, suggested that Sheena examine employee turnover and the effects and costs of turnover to the company. Upon careful examination of the financial records in her department, Sheena noted that the following was a major cost

A)design and development of new evaluation forms.
B)orientation programs for new employees.
C)resistance to new employees by the HR department.
D)recruitment, selection and training of new employees.
E)resentment of new employees by existing employees.

Question 27

Contributions to Organizational Behaviour on perception come from

A)risk taking.
B)empowerment.
C)sociology.
D)psychology.
E)contingency.

Question 28

Sheena decided to improve company effectiveness by increasing employee job satisfaction. Sheena can accomplish this by encouraging her managers to

A)downsize and layoff staff.
B)add new rules and regulations to govern employee behaviour.
C)emphasize to employees that efficiency and profitability are the only goals.
D)increase the use of technology.
E)developing positive social relationships with each employee.

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of being an efficient organization or employee?

A)operating a hospital at the lowest possible cost while achieving higher output
B)being the most pleasant real estate broker in Toronto
C)being a telemarketer who makes the required number of calls each day
D)being a sales person who acquires the most clients of anyone in the company
E)being an instructor who teaches larger classes than other instructors

Question 30

Whereas ________ requires organizations to be flexible in working with organizations and people from different countries, ________ requires employees to be flexible when working with others within the organization.

A)workforce diversity; globalization
B)globalization; workforce diversity
C)culture; diversity
D)culturization; workforce diversity
E)globalization; culturization

Question 31

Gail appears to be the more productive student because

A)her efficiency seemed to be better than Allison's.
B)her effectiveness seemed to be better than Allison's.
C)her IQ is higher than Allison's.
D)Allison didn't seem to think that time is an important factor.
E)It is impossible to tell from the information given.

Question 32

In all of his undertakings at work, Norm is a leader who looks to do the right thing. This refers to his

A)efficiency.
B)effectiveness.
C)performance.
D)ethics.
E)motivation.

Question 33

Which of the students was effective?

A)only Gail
B)only Allison
C)neither Gail or Allison
D)both Gail and Allison
E)It is impossible to tell from the information given.

Question 34

Tina is known to produce large amounts of work without having to exert much effort. Tina is

A)diverse.
B)efficient.
C)effective.
D)motivated.
E)ethical.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)Gail is more efficient than Allison.
B)Allison is more efficient than Gail.
C)Gail is more effective than Allison.
D)Allison is more effective than Gail.
E)It is impossible to predict efficiency or effectiveness in this case.

Question 36

Sanjay is a very motivated employee who typically does work that is not part of his formal job responsibilities but which furthers the objectives of the organization. This is known as

A)groupthink.
B)organizational citizenship behaviour.
C)diversity.
D)individual differences.
E)efficiency.

Question 37

Tom noticed that there is a wide variety of personalities and values among his staff members, which he believes affects how they behave. These are known as

A)empowerment.
B)job satisfaction.
C)groupthink.
D)individual level inputs.
E)motivation.

Question 38

Managers improve productivity by developing effective employees and efficient work processes; this supports organizational

A)ethics.
B)diversity.
C)citizenship behaviour.
D)survival.
E)motivation.

Question 39

________ is achievement of goals.

A)Efficiency
B)Effectiveness
C)Productivity
D)Motivation
E)Job satisfaction

Question 40

How organizations develop human strengths, foster vitality and resilience, and unlock potential is called

A)orientation.
B)groupthink.
C)positive organizational scholarship.
D)human dynamics.
E)organizational politics.

Question 41

The most significant contributions to OB with respect to implementing change and reducing barriers to its acceptance has been made by

A)psychology.
B)sociology.
C)social psychology.
D)political science.
E)anthropology.

Question 42

When we say that OB concepts must reflect situational conditions, we mean

A)behaviour can never be predicted.
B)predicting certain behaviour depends on the context of a structured situation.
C)predicting certain behaviour depends on intuition.
D)regular and unchanging conditions.
E)only certain conditions can be predicted.

Question 43

The systematic approach to the study of OB is based on

A)fundamental consistencies.
B)common sense.
C)unstructured observation.
D)gut feelings.
E)predictability.

Question 44

From which of the following behavioural sciences has the study of "people's influence on one another"?

A)anthropology
B)social psychology
C)psychology
D)political science
E)sociology

Question 45

In the study of OB, common sense is generally replaced by

A)systematic study.
B)generalization.
C)listening.
D)prediction.
E)unstructured observation.

Question 46

The OB subject of "organizational culture" has been most influenced by which behavioural science discipline?

A)anthropology
B)psychology
C)social psychology
D)political science
E)sociology

Question 47

One of the major considerations which will need to be clearly portrayed is that

A)organizational behaviour is an applied behavioural science.
B)organizational behaviour is largely theoretical and difficult to apply to the real world.
C)leadership cannot be readily studied or understood through organizational behaviour.
D)relationships between leadership and decision making are not clear.
E)organizational behaviour is based largely upon an intuitive approach.

Question 48

Predictability of behaviour is increased if we know

A)that the person is rational.
B)how the person perceives the situation.
C)that behaviour is caused.
D)the person's age.
E)the person's level of education.

Question 49

If we understand the written and unwritten rules in a structured situation then human behaviour becomes

A)predictable.
B)predetermined.
C)manageable.
D)controllable.
E)unpredictable.

Question 50

A major theme underlying the process of organizational behaviour is the belief that human behaviour is

A)opaque.
B)instinctual.
C)unpredictable.
D)intuitive.
E)knowable.

Question 51

The OB subject of "power" has been most influenced by which behavioural science discipline?

A)psychology
B)social psychology
C)anthropology
D)political science
E)sociology

Question 52

The OB subject of "motivation" has been most influenced by which behavioural science discipline?

A)psychology
B)social psychology
C)sociology
D)political science
E)anthropology

Question 53

Which behavioural science discipline contributes to OB's understanding of group decision-making processes?

A)anthropology
B)psychology
C)social psychology
D)sociology
E)political science

Question 54

Amongst the research methods in OB, which would most likely employ the statistics of many different studies?

A)laboratory studies
B)meta-analysis
C)field studies
D)survey studies
E)case studies

Question 55

You should expect that the faculty member from which field will probably contribute information about inter-group behaviour?

A)sociology
B)psychology
C)social psychology
D)anthropology
E)political science

Question 56

Generally, the best method for obtaining knowledge regarding human behaviour is the

A)common sense approach.
B)observational approach.
C)systematic approach.
D)theoretical approach.
E)intuitive approach.

Question 57

Why do organizations that have OCB outperform those that do not?

A)OCB promotes the effective functioning of the organization.
B)OCB employees are easier to supervise.
C)OCB increases job satisfaction, increasing productivity.
D)OCB decreases recruitment, selection and training, because turnover is less.
E)OCB is rewarded by increased opportunities for promotions.

Question 58

Who would you expect to address issues of communication?

A)the psychologist
B)the anthropologist
C)the political scientist
D)the social psychologist
E)the sociologist

Question 59

Information on which of the following would be a contribution from the faculty member from psychology?

A)conflict
B)power
C)perception and learning
D)intra-organizational politics
E)political environment

Question 60

As Sheena worked to develop a practical approach to the identified priorities, her frustration began to increase. She discovered that different managers had different views about how technology should be added in to the company processes. Organizational Behaviour would explain these different opinions as challenges

A)of globalization.
B)of behaving ethically.
C)at the individual and group input level.
D)at the individual input level.
E)at the group input level.

Question 61

Basing managerial decisions on the best available scientific evidence is called

A)behavioural decision-making.
B)mechanistic decision-making.
C)organic decision-making.
D)evidence-based management.
E)field study management.

Question 62

Among the research methods in OB, which would most likely employ questionnaires and interviews?

A)case studies
B)meta-analysis
C)survey studies
D)field studies
E)laboratory studies

Question 63

Organization behaviour has few

A)theories.
B)contingencies.
C)models.
D)absolutes.
E)field studies.

Question 64

Negotiation, conflict, power and politics are ________ processes.

A)group level
B)organizational level
C)individual level
D)industry level
E)departmental level

Question 65

One of the individual level processes the operations manager will probably consider is

A)communication patterns.
B)perception.
C)levels of conflict.
D)human resource policies.
E)conflict resolution.

Question 66

The behavioural science that underlies organizational culture is known as

A)psychology.
B)sociology.
C)social psychology.
D)anthropology.
E)political science.

Question 67

The behavioural science that underlies communication and inter-group behaviour is known as

A)psychology.
B)sociology.
C)social psychology.
D)anthropology.
E)political science.

Question 68

By putting people first, it is thought that employees will become more effective and hence more productive. What are some of the challenges inherent in putting people first?

A)initial loss in production
B)cultural confusion
C)blurring of lines between management and labour
D)balancing cultural sensitivity with the bottom line
E)incompatibility between differing cultural backgrounds

Question 69

In OB, looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence is referred to as

A)a contingency approach.
B)an absolute approach.
C)a consistency approach.
D)systematic study.
E)intense scrutiny.

Question 70

You are working as an assistant to an OB specialist doing research to determine relationships between certain variables and fundamental consistencies. The specialist is attempting to determine when people are motivated by pay or salary, and when they are motivated by recognition, support and encouragement. By examining the connection between rewards and incentives and motivation under various conditions, the specialist appears to be using which of the following approaches in research?

A)open-systems
B)systematic study
C)human resources approach
D)observational
E)scientific management

Question 71

Considering behaviour within the context in which it occurs is known as the ________ approach.

A)absolute
B)rational
C)fundamental consistency
D)empowerment
E)behavioural

Question 72

Motivation is an important ________ process.

A)group level
B)organizational level
C)individual level
D)industry level
E)departmental level

Question 73

The behavioural science which underlies conflict and power is known as

A)psychology.
B)sociology.
C)social psychology.
D)anthropology.
E)political science.

Question 74

Organizational behaviour has implications for all personnel in the workplace. Some of OB's challenges and opportunities include all of the following EXCEPT

A)it acknowledges employees are forces of innovation and change.
B)it offers specific insights to improve interpersonal and people skills.
C)it helps us learn to balance the relationship between efficiency of resources with effectiveness of delivery.
D)it facilitates the improvement of quality and employee productivity.
E)it reinforces the importance of traditional methods of management.

Question 75

OB looks at three basic levels of inputs. The group level includes the following

A)group structure, groups roles and values.
B)organizational structure, roles and team responsibilities.
C)organizational culture, team responsibilities and values.
D)team responsibilities, group structure and groups roles.
E)organizational structure and group structure.

Question 76

The behavioural science that underlies work design and performance appraisal is known as

A)sociology.
B)psychology.
C)social psychology.
D)anthropology.
E)political science.

Question 77

Individual level processes that have been shown to affect group and organizational behaviour include

A)technology.
B)organizational culture.
C)perception.
D)human resource policy.
E)group behaviour.

Question 78

A major outcome of workforce diversity is

A)re-engineering the workplace.
B)establishing new programs of TQM.
C)developing new styles of leadership.
D)developing ways of more effectively controlling work.
E)accommodating different life and work styles while maintaining productivity.

Question 79

Looking in-depth at and individual over time in order to gain insight relates to the examination of

A)case studies.
B)laboratory studies.
C)survey studies.
D)meta-analysis.
E)field studies.

Question 80

Which of the following aspects is contingency approach concerned with?

A)common goals
B)similarities between people
C)context
D)co-ordinating differences
E)continuous learning