Question 1

Which of the following is not an employee characteristic of relevance in path-goal theory?

Accepted Answer

All of the other options (B, C, D, and E) are employee characteristics that are relevant in path-goal theory. Position power, on the other hand, is a leadership characteristic that is relevant to path-goal theory.

Question 2

"Do my subordinates accept me as a leader?" This question reflects which of the following dimensions of situational control?

Accepted Answer

This question reflects the leader-member relations dimension of situational control because it pertains to the quality of the relationship between the leader and the subordinates. The leader-member relations dimension focuses on how well the leader is accepted and trusted by their subordinates, and their willingness to follow the leader's direction.

Question 3

The leadership styles of ________ originally included supportive and achievement-oriented and two others, but was more recently revised to include a total of eight styles.

Accepted Answer

House's path-goal model originally included supportive and achievement-oriented leadership styles, but was later revised to include directive, participative, achievement-oriented, supportive, directive-participative, achievement-oriented-participative, directive-supportive, and achievement-oriented-supportive styles.

Question 4

Kim supervises a group of customer service representatives. Kim is respected and well liked by her staff, and she has worked hard to make sure each of them knows how to do their job well. She is responsible for all staffing and reward decisions in her department. In the contingency model, Kim has _____.

Accepted Answer

Kim is responsible for all staffing and reward decisions in her department, which suggests that she has a high degree of situational control. She also seems to have strong leader-member relations based on the fact that she is respected and well-liked by her staff, and she has worked hard to ensure they know how to do their job well. The question does not provide enough information to determine whether Kim has high or low task structure, and while she likely has some expert power, this is not the main focus of the scenario.

Question 5

House's revision of his theory puts more emphasis on the need for leaders to foster _____.

Accepted Answer

House's revision of his theory puts more emphasis on the need for leaders to foster intrinsic motivation through empowerment, which is choice B.

Question 6

Revised path-goal theory indicates to managers that they must consider _____.

Accepted Answer

Revised path-goal theory emphasizes that managers must modify their leadership style to fit the characteristics of their employees and their tasks. It encourages leaders to be flexible and adaptable, and to tailor their approach to the needs of their followers. Hiring and firing employees based solely on leadership style, stirring up competition, and focusing solely on relationship-oriented behaviors are not the primary focus of the revised theory. While servant leadership is a valid approach, it is not explicitly mentioned as a choice in the question.

Question 7

According to the concept of full-range leadership, leadership behaviors vary along a range from ______ leadership at one extreme to transformational leadership at the other.

Accepted Answer

The concept of full-range leadership proposes that leadership behaviors can be classified along a continuum that ranges from laissez-faire leadership (low) to transformational leadership (high), passing through transactional leadership. Shared, servant, and charismatic leadership are not part of this specific classification.

Question 8

Erin, a department manager, is struggling trying to lead a cross-functional team. Most members are other department managers at her level, and they see no reason to do what she asks. Here, Erin has _____.

Accepted Answer

Erin's struggle with leading the cross-functional team may suggest weak position power, as her fellow department managers do not see her as having the authority to give orders to them.

Question 9

Pat is something of a cheerleader around his team. He shares his vision and expresses his confidence in their ability to achieve it. He is quick to compliment and acknowledge their accomplishments, and is enthusiastic about their successes. According to revised path-goal theory, Pat is using a(n) ______ leadership style.

Accepted Answer

According to House's revised path-goal theory,those with a value-based leadership style establish a vision,display passion for it,and support its accomplishment.They communicate high performance expectations and confidence in others' abilities to meet their goals.They give frequent positive feedback and demonstrate self-confidence.

Question 10

In the contingency model, if your leadership orientation does not match the situation in your workplace, Fiedler recommends that you _____.

Accepted Answer

Fiedler suggests that the best course of action is to move to a more suitable situation that matches your leadership orientation. This is because, according to the contingency model, a mismatch between leadership orientation and situational demands can result in poor performance and job dissatisfaction. Altering your leadership style, altering employees' personalities, or gradually changing the makeup of your employees may not be feasible or effective solutions, and getting an assistant with the preferred orientation may not always be possible. Therefore, the best choice is to find a situation that matches your leadership orientation.

Question 11

Judith supervises a call center department that receives stress-producing calls from unhappy customers. Turnover has increased by 33% over the last four months. Judith is understanding and patient with her staff, and tells them she knows what they're going through since it wasn't so long ago that she took those calls. According to revised path-goal theory, Judith is using a(n) ______ leadership style.

Accepted Answer

According to revised path-goal theory, a supportive leadership style is characterized by showing concern for employees' well-being, treating them as equals, being friendly and approachable, and creating a pleasant work environment. Judith's behavior of being understanding and patient with her staff and telling them that she knows what they are going through reflects a supportive leadership style. This leadership style is appropriate in a stressful work environment like a call center where employees deal with unhappy customers.

Question 12

James leads a training and development team. He expects excellence, sets challenging goals, and expresses confidence that each of them is capable of doing their part to meet and exceed the goals. According to revised path-goal theory, James is using a(n) ______ leadership style.

Accepted Answer

James is using an achievement-oriented leadership style as he sets challenging goals and expects excellence from his team, expressing confidence in their capabilities. This leadership style focuses on pushing individuals to accomplish difficult but attainable goals, which aligns with James' behavior.

Question 13

Sammie leads a task force charged with restructuring the order-processing system in the organization. The task force is composed of her peers over whom she has little control, and some of whom do not seem to respect her. According to the contingency model, Sammie should adopt a(n) ___________ leadership style.

Accepted Answer

The situation described requires a task-oriented leadership style as the primary focus is on restructuring the order-processing system in the organization. This style would provide clear instructions, establish goals, and closely supervise the team's work to ensure they are meeting the objectives effectively. As Sammie has little control over her peers, a task-oriented approach would be best suited to manage the group's task rather than the interpersonal relationships between the team members.

Question 14

____________ is the model in which an effective leader makes desirable rewards available, clarifies how employees can achieve objectives, and provides them support in doing so.

Accepted Answer

House's path-goal model of leadership is based on the principle that effective leaders clarify the path to goal attainment, provide the necessary support and rewards for employees, and remove obstacles that might hinder their performance. This model highlights the importance of aligning leadership behavior with the needs and capabilities of employees to enhance their motivation and performance.

Question 15

According to the contingency model, a relationship-oriented leadership style works best in ______ situations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the contingency model, a relationship-oriented...

Question 16

According to Fiedler's contingency model, ______ situation control favors a leader who is ______-oriented.

Accepted Answer

According to Fiedler's model, the relationship-oriented style works best in situations of moderate control.

Question 17

One of three dimensions of situational control in the contingency leadership model, ______ is the extent to which tasks are routine, unambiguous, and easily understood.

Accepted Answer

Task structure refers to the extent to which tasks are routine, unambiguous, and easily understood. This is one of the three dimensions of situational control in the contingency leadership model, along with position power and leader-member relations. Job mastery, task identity, and job design are not directly related to this dimension.

Question 18

According to House's revised path-goal theory, a leader's style should vary depending on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

According to House's revised path-goal theory, a leader's style should vary depending on employee characteristics and environmental factors. This means that the leader needs to adapt their leadership style to suit the needs of their employees based on their personalities, skills, and experience levels, as well as the demands of the environment in which they work. The leader needs to provide the guidance and support necessary for employees to achieve their goals and to ensure that the work environment is conducive to success.

Question 19

Marcel supervises a group of paralegals serving the firm's lawyers. He gets along well with his employees, and has created detailed procedures for all types of legal document they encounter. Marcel hires and fires, and gives work assignments, performance appraisals, and promotions. According to the contingency model, the optimal leadership style here is _____.

Accepted Answer

The contingency model suggests that the optimal leadership style is contingent upon the situation. In this case, Marcel supervises a group of paralegals serving the firm's lawyers. He has created detailed procedures for all types of legal document they encounter. This suggests that the task is clearly defined and structured, and employees' roles are well-established. Therefore, a task-oriented leadership style would be the most effective in this situation as it focuses on achieving specific goals, clarifying expectations, and providing rewards for achieving objectives.

Question 20

Jane leads a task force developing specifications for a new customer database to be used by several departments. Jane is an IT supervisor, but most of the others are directors of other departments. At the first meeting, a few of them asked questions that she couldn't answer. According to the contingency model, Jane's situational control is likely _____.

Accepted Answer

According to the contingency model, situational control is determined by the degree of control an individual has over the situation, based on three factors: task structure, position power, and leader-member relations. In this scenario, Jane is an IT supervisor leading a task force composed of directors from other departments who may have more knowledge and authority in their respective areas. As a result, Jane's situational control is likely to be low, as she may not have much control over the leadership dynamics and may lack the knowledge to answer all of the group's questions.

Quiz 14: Power, Influence, and Leadership: From Becoming a Manager to Becoming a Leader