Deck 1: What Is Organizational Behaviour

Question 1

Describe how one of the sciences that contributes to organizational behaviour could be used in EBM. Define the science, some of the science's contributions to OB, and describe a workplace example of how it could be used in EBM.

Answer 1

Evidence-based management (EBM) complements systematic study by basing managerial decisions on the best available scientific evidence. Doctors need to make decisions about patient care based on the latest available evidence, and EBM argues that managers should do the same, becoming more scientific in how they think about management problems. For example, a manager that is struggling with high turnover in his company could look toward social psychology to help solve the problem. Social psychology, generally considered a branch of psychology, blends concepts from both psychology and sociology to focus on people's influence on one another. One major study area is change, how to implement it and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance. A manager could look at a social psychology study on job satisfaction to determine what changes he might make to be able to better retain employees.

Question 2

Betty believes that it is best to take the casual or common sense approach to reading others. She needs to remember that ________.

A) the casual approach is nonsensical, and should be avoided as much as possible
B) the systematic approach and the casual approach are one and the same
C) laboratory experiments on human behaviour often result in unreliable findings
D) the casual or common sense approach to reading others can often lead to erroneous predictions
E) behaviour is unpredictable, hence there is no accurate way to analyze it

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Analyzing relationships, determining causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence all constitute aspects of ________ study.

A) organizational
B) intuitive
C) theoretical
D) systematic
E) case-based

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Behaviour is generally unpredictable, and the systematic study of behaviour is a means to making reasonably accurate predictions.

Question 5

Which of the following terms means looking at relationships, attempting to attribute causes and effects, and basing conclusions on scientific evidence?

A) organizational behaviour
B) scientific study
C) evidence-based management
D) big data
E) social science

Question 6

Janet needs to assign a very important advertising account to one of her writers. First she reviewed each writer's work load, then she studied the sales data of the products for the last three campaigns of each writer, then she reviewed each writer's annual review to familiarize herself with their goals. Finally, she gave the account to Paula, a very creative, efficient writer who has had high sales results with her last three clients' products. Janet's management style is based on ________.

A) intuition or "gut feeling"
B) organizational behavioural studies
C) subjective assessments
D) preconceived notions
E) scientific study

Question 7

________ is the study of the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behaviour within organizations.

A) Leadership
B) Organizational strategy
C) Performance management
D) Employee relations
E) Organizational behaviour

Question 8

Which of the following explains the usefulness of the systematic approach to the study of organizational behaviour?

A) Human behaviour does not vary a great deal between individuals and situations.
B) Human behaviour is not random.
C) Human behaviour is not consistent.
D) Human behaviour is rarely predictable.
E) Human behaviour is often not sensible.

Question 9

Which of the following is not a core topic of organizational behaviour?

A) motivation
B) attitude development
C) conflict
D) resource allocation
E) work design

Question 10

Basing managerial decisions on the best available scientific support is called ________.

A) intuition
B) organizational process
C) organizational behaviour
D) evidence-based management
E) conceptual management

Question 11

In order to predict human behaviour, it is best to supplement your intuitive opinions with information derived in what fashion?

A) common sense
B) direct observation
C) systematic study
D) speculation
E) organizational theory

Question 12

Which of the following is not a topic or concern related to OB?

A) turnover
B) leader behaviour
C) productivity
D) management
E) family behaviour

Question 13

Until the late 1980s, business school curricula emphasized the ________ aspects of management.

A) ethical
B) people
C) technical
D) human
E) global

Question 14

Which of the following problems would an OB study be least likely to focus on?

A) an increase in absenteeism at a certain company
B) a fall in productivity in one shift of a manufacturing plant
C) a decrease in sales due to growing foreign competition
D) an increase in theft by employees at a retail store
E) excessive turnover among volunteer workers at a nonprofit organization

Question 15

Organizational behaviour is a field of study that helps in measuring, understanding, and changing attitudes; identifying communication patterns; and building trust. It has made important contributions to the study of group behaviour, power, and conflict.

Question 16

Over the last three decades, business school curricula has focused more on the technical aspects of management such as economics, accounting, finance, and quantitative techniques, and less on subjects related to human behaviour and people skills.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a reason why business schools have begun to include classes on organizational behaviour?

A) to increase manager effectiveness in organizations
B) to help organizations attract top quality employees
C) to expand organizations' consulting needs
D) to improve retention of quality workers
E) to help increase organizations' profits

Question 18

There is a connection between companies which have ________ and the incorporation of organizational behaviour principles.

A) high turnover rates
B) specialized technical processes
C) superior financial performance
D) long-lasting CEOs
E) all of the above

Question 19

Which of the following argues that managers should search for the best available knowledge and apply the relevant information when answering a managerial question?

A) scientific study
B) systems approach
C) conceptual management
D) evidence-based management
E) contingency theory

Question 20

What are the three primary determinants of behaviour in organizations?

A) profit structure, organizational complexity, and job satisfaction
B) individuals, profit structure, and job satisfaction
C) individuals, groups, and job satisfaction
D) groups, structure, and profit structure
E) individuals, groups, and structure

Question 21

________ is a science that seeks to measure, explain, and sometimes change the behaviour of humans and other animals.

A) Psychiatry
B) Psychology
C) Sociology
D) Political science
E) Organizational behaviour

Question 22

Myriam is analyzing the gender roles of men and women in management in Canada and comparing them to the gender roles in management in Japan. She is surveying fifty male and fifty female managers in each country to compare their daily behaviour. Myriam's study exemplifies how ________ contributes to OB.

A) anthropology
B) psychology
C) archaeology
D) political science
E) corporate strategy

Question 23

________ focuses on the study of people in relation to their social environment.

A) Psychology
B) Sociology
C) Corporate strategy
D) Political science
E) Operations management

Question 24

Austin is a graduate student helping to organize a study on individual job satisfaction. The study focuses on the top five causes of satisfaction or dissatisfaction on a job. His department is surveying 200 individuals in 100 different types of organizations. Austin is most likely a graduate student in the department of ________.

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

Question 25

Psychology's major contributions to the field of organizational behaviour have been primarily at what level of analysis?

A) the level of the group
B) the level of the individual
C) the level of the organization
D) the level of culture
E) the level of interacting groups

Question 26

Organizational behaviour is constructed from all of the following disciplines except ________.

A) physics
B) psychology
C) anthropology
D) sociology
E) social psychology

Question 27

Which field of study has contributed to OB through its research on organizational culture and formal organization theory and structure?

A) psychology
B) operations management
C) corporate strategy
D) political science
E) sociology

Question 28

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioural disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behaviour. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. Which professor out of this group would you expect to address issues on communication?

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

Question 29

Which behavioural science discipline is most focused on understanding individual behaviour?

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

Question 30

Jude is a social psychologist. He is working on a concept in social psychology, which is a major study area, and learning how to implement it and how to reduce barriers to its acceptance. Jude is studying the concept of ________.

A) culture
B) ethics
C) power
D) change
E) fatigue

Question 31

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioural disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behaviour. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. You should expect that the faculty member from ________ will probably contribute information about large-scale group behaviour.

A) sociology
B) psychology
C) social psychology
D) anthropology
E) industrial engineering

Question 32

Which of the following involves the extensive use of statistical compilation and analysis for making effective decisions and managing human resources?

A) "big data"
B) evidence-based management
C) social science
D) political science
E) neuroscience

Question 33

"Big data" has been recently applied to making effective decisions and ________.

A) managing human resources
B) creation of surveys
C) decreasing online sales
D) marketing campaigns
E) none of the above

Question 34

The science of ________ was developed by applying general concepts to a particular situation, person, or group.

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

Question 35

You are bringing together faculty from different behavioural disciplines to author a new textbook in organizational behaviour. Represented are professors from psychology, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, political science, and industrial engineering. Which faculty member should furnish information about personality, learning, and motivation?

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

Question 36

Which field of study has helped us understand differences in fundamental values, attitudes, and behaviour between people in different countries and within different organizations?

A) anthropology
B) corporate strategy
C) political science
D) operations research
E) psycholinguistics

Question 37

Group behaviour, power, and conflict are central areas of study for ________.

A) archaeologists
B) philanthropists
C) anthropologists
D) social psychologists
E) operations analysts

Question 38

________ blends concepts from psychology and sociology and focuses on the influence people have on one another.

A) Corporate strategy
B) Anthropology
C) Political science
D) Social psychology
E) Archaeology

Question 39

Why is it important to complement intuition with systematic study in our attempts to understand behaviour within organizations?

Question 40

Intuition comes from "gut feelings" about the state of some phenomenon of interest.

Question 41

Human beings are complex, and few, if any, simple and universal principles explain organizational behaviour. Nevertheless, it does not mean that OB cannot offer reasonably accurate explanations of human behaviour or make valid predictions. It does mean that OB concepts must ________.

A) focus on the reliability and validity of research data
B) attempt to establish cause-and-effect relationships
C) be consistently applicable across a wide range of situations
D) reflect situational, or contingency, conditions
E) avoid assumptions

Question 42

Which group of researchers study the government regulation of industry, strategic mergers and acquisitions, and public relations?

A) psychologists
B) sociologists
C) political scientists
D) anthropologists
E) behavioural scientists

Question 43

OB concepts must reflect contingency conditions for all of the following reasons except ________.

A) human beings are complex
B) our predictions and assumptions are almost accurate all the time
C) one person's behaviour changes in different situations
D) we are limited in our ability to make sweeping generalizations
E) two people often act very differently in the same situation

Question 44

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

A) anthropology
B) psychology
C) social psychology
D) political science
E) corporate strategy

Question 45

Which of the following statements best describes contingency variables?

A) They are scientific factors based on universal truths.
B) They are factors that moderate the relationship between two or more events or situations.
C) There is general consensus among OB researchers that they can be controlled.
D) They are the cause-and-effect principles that tend to apply to all situations that have been discovered.
E) They are simple and universal principles that explain organizational behaviour.

Question 46

Compare and contrast the fields of psychology, social psychology, and sociology.

Question 47

Which of the following has not contributed to blurring the lines between employees' work life and personal life?

A) communication technology allowing employees to work any time and from any place
B) organizations asking employees to put in longer hours
C) creation of flexible teams
D) the increase in employees with dependent parents
E) the increase in single-parent households

Question 48

Munwar and Jackson both work as logistics supervisors at a successful restaurant management company. Recently, the manager for District G retired and both Munwar and Jackson have been approached about filling the position. While Munwar was excited about the possible promotion, Jackson was not interested in the position because it would require relocation and travel as well as the supervision of over 200 employees. Jackson's behaviour can be explained by ________.

A) sociology
B) big data
C) organizational behaviour
D) contingency variables
E) interpersonal skills

Question 49

OB researchers cannot offer reasonably accurate explanations of human behaviour since people act very differently in similar situations.

Question 50

Explain "workforce diversity."

Question 51

Which field of study provides insight into the distribution of power and resources, and how those distribution decisions are influenced?

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

Question 52

Explain why there are few absolutes in organizational behaviour. Despite this, how are we able to make valid predictions?

Question 53

What is the major contribution of the Hawthorne studies that were conducted between 1924 and 1932 at Hawthorne Electrical Company?

A) helping develop the concept of bounded rationality
B) discovering the influence of the broader environment on management practice
C) making understanding of culture and change more immediately relevant to management research
D) offering new insights about optimizing the effectiveness of diversity management programs
E) helping launch an entire area of study devoted to motivation and teams

Question 54

Raymond is completing a study on discrimination in which he has noted that saleswomen who wear skirt suits make more sales than saleswomen who only wear pant suits. However, Raymond determined that his findings only pertained to those industries in which the purchasing decision maker is traditionally masculine. For example, the sales results were the same for all women selling to medical office managers, a female dominated field. Raymond used ________ variables to more accurately explain his results.

A) global
B) general
C) dependent
D) non-reactive
E) contingency

Question 55

Which field of study explores the structure and function of the human nervous system and brain?

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

Question 56

What psychology is to the group, sociology is to the individual.

Question 57

Which field of study has recently begun contributing to OB by studying such topics as the impact of hormone levels on risk-taking in business contexts and the influence of pheromones on team behaviours?

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

Question 58

Conflict and power have been major topics of concern for social psychologists.

Question 59

Anthropology has helped us understand differences in values and attitudes between people in different countries.

Question 60

How have the fields of psychology and sociology contributed to our understanding of organizational behaviour?

Question 61

The common characteristic of service jobs is that they require ________.

A) substantial interaction with an organization's customers
B) low pay
C) a focus on productivity
D) little job knowledge
E) little technical competence

Question 62

Which of the following does not bring opportunities for managers to use OB concepts?

A) The typical employee is getting older.
B) The workforce is becoming increasingly diverse.
C) Temporary workers are heavily used.
D) Global competition requires employees to become more flexible.
E) Employees are more educated.

Question 63

Which of the following is the major challenge to managers in a fully networked organization?

A) eliminating the need for paper communication by relying entirely on e-mail, file transfers, and the like
B) retaining team members who can easily move to another employer when demand for their services changes
C) managing contract and temporary workers
D) maintaining a "virtual office" through the use of computers, interoffice networks, and the Internet
E) managing people who work together but are geographically separated

Question 64

Whereas ________ focuses on differences among people from different countries, ________ addresses differences among people within given countries.

A) workforce diversity; globalization
B) globalization; workforce diversity
C) culture; diversity
D) culturalization; workforce diversity
E) psychology; social psychology

Question 65

________ is an effect of increasing globalization.

A) More expensive consumer goods
B) An increase in manufacturing jobs in developed nations
C) An ever increasingly homogeneous workforce
D) Shared economic values among all cultures
E) Jobs moving to nations with low-cost labour

Question 66

Which of the following represents a typical organizational response to economic pressures?

A) hire more people
B) lay off employees
C) extend employee work hours
D) increase employee compensation
E) enforce more strict work rules

Question 67

Which of the following factors makes it imperative that organizations be fast and flexible?

A) workforce diversity
B) corporate excess
C) truncated capacity
D) advances in corporate strategy
E) globalization

Question 68

Workforce diversity means that organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of all of the following except ________.

A) age
B) gender
C) race
D) socioeconomic status
E) sexual orientation

Question 69

The difference between good and bad management can be the difference between ________ and ________.

A) profit; loss
B) employment; success
C) development; deterioration
D) collaboration; noncooperation
E) productivity; unproductivity

Question 70

What are "networked organizations"? Describe the role of the manager in such organizations.

Question 71

Which of the following is not an issue that managers in global organizations are experiencing?

A) increased foreign assignments
B) working with people from different cultures
C) overseeing movement of jobs to countries with low-cost labour
D) adapting to differing cultural and regulatory norms
E) managing workforce diversity

Question 72

As managers oversee the movement of jobs to countries with low-cost labour, ________.

A) they tend to ignore the home country needs
B) they must deal with strong criticism from labour groups
C) they manage less diverse workforces
D) they avoid markets like China and other developing nations
E) they work themselves out of a job

Question 73

Which of the following is not an example of people who can work from home or other non-office locations?

A) assembly line workers
B) systems analysts
C) technical writers
D) medical transcribers
E) book and media editors

Question 74

Which of the following statements is not true about workforce diversity?

A) Disability is a category of workforce diversity.
B) Managing workforce diversity presents many challenges.
C) Workforce diversity focuses on differences within a country.
D) Sexual orientation is a part of workforce diversity.
E) Workforce diversity is a concern only in Canada.

Question 75

Which one of the following is not an example of globalization?

A) After years of lackluster performance, Boeing realized it needed to change its business model.
B) McDonald's sells hamburgers in more than 100 countries in six continents.
C) All major automobile makers now manufacture cars outside their borders.
D) At Finland-based phone maker Nokia's renowned research centre in Helsinki, non-Finns now outnumber Finns.
E) ExxonMobil, a so-called United States company, reported that less than 6 percent of their 2011 earnings were from gas and products sales in the United States.

Question 76

________ allow(s) people to communicate and work together even though they may be thousands of miles apart.

A) Flexible cubicles
B) Stratified work environments
C) Decentralized communication
D) Evidence-based management
E) Networked organizations

Question 77

Timothy works with people of various nationalities and faiths. How can he effectively manage people from different cultures?

A) by adapting his management style to their differences
B) by keeping a straightforward and open communication style
C) by using his own motivations to guide others
D) by treating everyone uniformly, regardless of their background
E) by guiding them to adapt to his management style

Question 78

Which of the following would not be considered a service employee?

A) fast food counter worker
B) sales clerk
C) police officer
D) automobile repair technician
E) financial planner

Question 79

________ is a measure of how organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity.

A) Globalization
B) Workforce diversity
C) Affirmative action
D) Organizational culture
E) Operational homogeneity

Question 80

Which of the following is not considered a key quality of an employee in a customer-friendly culture?

A) friendly and courteous
B) accessible
C) knowledgeable
D) good computer skills
E) willing to do what's necessary to please the customer