Question 1

If a survey respondent sees his or her least preferred co-worker in unfavorable terms, Fiedler would categorize the respondent as ________.

Accepted Answer

B) Fiedler's least preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire measures whether a person is task- or relationship-oriented by asking respondents to rate their least favorite co-worker. Respondents who describe their least-preferred co-worker in unfavorable terms (a low LPC score) are viewed as primarily interested in productivity and as being task-oriented.

Question 2

Which model represents the theory that effective group performance depends on the proper match between a leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the leader?

Accepted Answer

B) According to Fiedler's contingency model, the key factor predicting leadership success is the individual's basic leadership style. Since Fiedler assumes an individual's leadership style is fixed, effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives the leader control.

Question 3

According to the Fiedler contingency model of leadership, task-oriented leaders perform best in situations of ________, while relationship-oriented leaders perform best in ________ situations.

Accepted Answer

D) In the Fiedler contingency model, combining the three contingency dimensions yields eight possible situations in which leaders can find themselves. Fiedler recently condensed these eight situations down to three. According to him, task-oriented leaders perform best in situations of high and low control, while relationship-oriented leaders perform best in moderate control situations.

Question 4

Which of the following is true regarding whether charismatic leaders are born or made?

Accepted Answer

D) Individuals are born with traits that make them charismatic. Personality is also related to charismatic leadership; charismatic leaders are likely to be extraverted, self-confident, and achievement oriented. Although a small minority thinks charisma is inherited and cannot be learned, most experts believe individuals can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviors.

Question 5

Fiedler labels the degree of confidence, trust, and respect that subordinates have in their leader as ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Fiedler identified three contingency or situational dimensions to leadership success, including leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Leader-member relations is the degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader.

Question 6

Which theory of leadership proposes that followers attribute heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors?

Accepted Answer

E) According to House's charismatic leadership theory, followers attribute heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors. A number of studies have attempted to identify the characteristics of charismatic leaders: they have a vision, they are willing to take personal risks to achieve that vision, they are sensitive to follower needs, and they exhibit extraordinary behaviors.

Question 7

Who was the first researcher to consider charismatic leadership in terms of OB?

Accepted Answer

B) The first researcher to consider charismatic leadership in terms of OB was Robert House.

Question 8

Fran has just completed and scored the LPC questionnaire given to her during an evaluation exercise. She is surprised when she finds out that she described her least preferred co-worker in relatively positive terms because she recalls being particularly annoyed by this difficult co-worker several times in the past. Based on your understanding of Fiedler's model, you explain to Fran that her LPC score makes sense within the model because ________.

Accepted Answer

C) If you describe the person you are least able to work with in favorable terms (a high LPC score), Fiedler would label you relationship-oriented. In contrast, if you see your least preferred co-worker in relatively unfavorable terms (a low LPC score), you are primarily interested in productivity and are task-oriented.

Question 9

Which of the following situational dimensions identified by Fiedler relates to the degree to which job assignments are procedurized, that is, structured or unstructured?

Accepted Answer

C) Fiedler identified three contingency or situational dimensions in which certain types of leaders might excel or fail, including leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Task structure is the degree to which job assignments are procedurized (that is, structured or unstructured). Leaders who are task-oriented, Fielder proposes, perform best when the situation is very favorable or very unfavorable.

Question 10

Which of the following leadership theories argues that because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their subordinates-the in-group, who are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader's attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges?

Accepted Answer

B) Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposes that, because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group. Members of the in-group are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader's attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a key characteristic of a charismatic leader?

Accepted Answer

D) Charismatic leadership theory, developed by Robert House, is based on the idea that when followers observe certain behaviors displayed by a leader, they view that leader as having extraordinary or even heroic leadership abilities. Recent studies have sought to identify these specific behaviors. Charismatic leaders appear to possess key characteristics, including sensitivity to follower needs, unconventional behavior, vision and articulation, and willingness to take risks.

Question 12

As you have observed your department manager and her interactions with the department's employees, you have come to believe in LMX theory. Sarah and Joe get less of the manager's time. Sally gets fewer of the preferred rewards that the manager controls and John has a relationship with the manager based on formal authority interactions. Rebecca is trusted. Jennifer gets a disproportionate amount of the manager's attention and is more likely to receive special privileges.
-According to LMX theory, which of the following employees is likely to be included in the out-group?

Accepted Answer

E) The LMX theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an "in" or an "out," and that relationship is relatively stable over time. Leaders induce LMX by rewarding those employees with whom they want a closer linkage and punishing those with whom they do not.

Question 13

In the context of Fiedler's model, the situational dimension termed ________ relates to the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases.

Accepted Answer

C) In the context of Fiedler's model, the situational dimension termed position power relates to the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases.

Question 14

Believing that in-group members are the most competent, leaders invest their resources in them. This, in turn, leads the in-group members to show higher levels of performance at their jobs. This chain of events reflects the concept of ________.

Accepted Answer

C) Followers with in-group status will have higher performance ratings, engage in more helping or "citizenship" behaviors at work, and report greater satisfaction with their superior. These positive findings for in-group members reflect the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy; leaders invest their resources with those they expect to perform best-the in-group members-and thus unwittingly fulfill their prophecy.

Question 15

Which of the following is true according to research testing the LMX theory of leadership?

Accepted Answer

A) Research to test LMX theory has been generally supportive, with substantive evidence that leaders do differentiate among followers; these disparities are far from random; and followers with in-group status will have higher performance ratings, engage in more helping or "citizenship" behaviors at work, and report greater satisfaction with their superior.

Question 16

As you have observed your department manager and her interactions with the department's employees, you have come to believe in LMX theory. Sarah and Joe get less of the manager's time. Sally gets fewer of the preferred rewards that the manager controls and John has a relationship with the manager based on formal authority interactions. Rebecca is trusted. Jennifer gets a disproportionate amount of the manager's attention and is more likely to receive special privileges.
-According to research relating to the LMX theory of leadership, which of the following does not appear to characterize in-group members?

Accepted Answer

D) Just how the leader chooses who falls into each category is unclear, but there is evidence in-group members have demographic, attitude, and personality characteristics similar to those of their leader or a higher level of competence than out-group members. Leaders and followers of the same gender tend to have closer (higher LMX) relationships than those of different genders.

Question 17

If you were using the Fielder contingency model of leadership to establish a scenario in your company which gives managers maximum control, which of the following combinations of situational dimensions would you seek to achieve?

Accepted Answer

A) The Fiedler contingency model proposes that effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives the leader control. Fiedler states that the better the leader-member relations, the more highly structured the job, and the stronger the position power, the more control the leader has.

Question 18

As you have observed your department manager and her interactions with the department's employees, you have come to believe in LMX theory. Sarah and Joe get less of the manager's time. Sally gets fewer of the preferred rewards that the manager controls and John has a relationship with the manager based on formal authority interactions. Rebecca is trusted. Jennifer gets a disproportionate amount of the manager's attention and is more likely to receive special privileges.
-According to LMX theory, the in-group is likely to be composed of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) The LMX theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an "in" or an "out," and that relationship is relatively stable over time. Leaders induce LMX by rewarding those employees with whom they want a closer linkage and punishing those with whom they do not.

Question 19

As you have observed your department manager and her interactions with the department's employees, you have come to believe in LMX theory. Sarah and Joe get less of the manager's time. Sally gets fewer of the preferred rewards that the manager controls and John has a relationship with the manager based on formal authority interactions. Rebecca is trusted. Jennifer gets a disproportionate amount of the manager's attention and is more likely to receive special privileges.
-According to the LMX theory, a leader implicitly categorizes followers as "in" or "out" ________.

Accepted Answer

C) The LMX theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an "in" or an "out," and that relationship is relatively stable over time.

Question 20

Fiedler's contingency leadership model assumes that ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Fiedler assumes an individual's leadership style is fixed. This means if a situation requires a task-oriented leader and the person in the leadership position is relationship-oriented, either the situation has to be modified or the leader has to be replaced to achieve optimal effectiveness.

Quiz 12: Leadership