Organizational Theory Test Bank
Course Introduction
Organizational Theory explores the structures, designs, and dynamics of organizations by examining how they adapt to changing environments, manage internal processes, and achieve goals. The course covers classic and contemporary theories, including bureaucracy, contingency theory, and institutionalism, to understand how organizations function and evolve. Students analyze the roles of culture, power, leadership, and communication in shaping organizational behavior, learning to critically assess practices and apply theoretical frameworks to real-world organizational challenges. Through case studies and group discussions, the course encourages students to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of different organizational forms in various contexts.
Recommended Textbook
Contemporary Organizational Behavior 1st Edition by Kimberly
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14 Chapters
357 Verified Questions
357 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/468
Page 2
D. Elsbach
Chapter 1: Introduction to Organizational Behavior
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8380
Sample Questions
Q1) If we were interested in studying an organization from a financial perspective, which of the following would we analyze?
A) Supply and demand
B) Company stock
C) Cash flow
D) External market influences
Answer: C
Q2) The ________ approach to learning prepares you to understand how to handle situations you encounter in the workplace.
A) Performance-based
B) Practice-based
C) Interpretive-based
D) Experience-based
Answer: B
Q3) You can apply your knowledge of organizational behavior when you are ________.
A) A CEO
B) A manager
C) A front line employee
D) All of the above
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: Individual Characteristics
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8381
Sample Questions
Q1) A student received a poor grade on an exam. Which thought will the student have if they have a high internal locus of control?
A) "I don't care about that class so it really doesn't bother me."
B) "I am not good in that subject. It's not in my major and I'm only taking it because I have to."
C) "I am going to change my study habits so that I can improve on the next exam."
D) "The teacher never taught us that material, so it's no surprise my grade was bad."
Answer: C
Q2) The traditional practice at work has been for employees to "leave your baggage at the door" which means when at work, don't bring any personal emotions or problems. By asking employees to divorce themselves from the emotions from events in their personal lives while at work, what are employers trying to minimize?
A) Emotional labor
B) Emotional contagion
C) Emotional spillover
D) Felt emotions
Answer: C
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Learning
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27 Verified Questions
27 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8382
Sample Questions
Q1) Contemporary organizations rely on learning for all but which of the following processes?
A) Solving problems
B) Innovation
C) Acting on knowledge
D) Guiding management
Answer: D
Q2) Adam is an entrepreneur and is always trying out new inventions and exploring new ideas. He isn't always successful, and when a project fails, he learns from the experience and uses what he learns to continue developing and creating. Which orientation does Adam have?
A) Learning goal orientation
B) Performance goal orientation
C) Flexible goal orientation
D) Consistent goal orientation
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Perception
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8383
Sample Questions
Q1) Which is not one of the three categories of attribution?
A) Consensus
B) Congruency
C) Distinctiveness
D) Consistency
Q2) What would result from a manager expecting high performance from his subordinates using the self-fulfilling prophecy?
A) Performance is objectively higher
B) Decision making is improved
C) The impact of perceptual biases is reduced
D) Eliminate the self-serving bias
Q3) What is the similarity between perceptions and heuristics?
A) Their underlying purpose
B) They rely on incomplete information
C) They can be improved through training
D) They can be used interchangeably
Q4) As a manager, could you use the self-fulfilling prophecy to improve your subordinate's performance? Why or why not?
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Chapter 5: Leadership
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8384
Sample Questions
Q1) As a manager, you lead by example through demonstrating high performance. You set high performance expectations for your subordinates and support their progress toward reaching these goals with frequent feedback. What is your management style?
A) Team leader
B) Country club
C) Middle of the road
D) Authoritarian
Q2) Which of the following is true of the research on trait theory?
A) If you are not born with leadership traits, you can develop them
B) No one is born with leadership traits but everyone can develop them
C) Traits consist of task behaviors and interpersonal behaviors but you can only develop interpersonal traits
D) Possessing certain traits does not translate into leadership effectiveness
Q3) Authentic leadership emphasizes ________ and de-emphasizes the importance of ________.
A) Leadership; management
B) Justice; demagogues
C) Integrity; power
D) Ethics; trust
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Motivation
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8385
Sample Questions
Q1) A manager who adheres to ________ chooses to micromanage to ensure his employees stay motivated and on task. A manager believing in ________ would increase motivation through adding responsibilities to challenge her employees. While both managers may initially see an increase in motivation and performance, the strategy taken by the ________ manager is likely to result in employees who are more motivated for a longer period of time and consistently deliver higher performance.
A) Theory X; Theory Y; Theory X
B) Theory X; Theory Y; Theory Y
C) Theory Y; Theory X; Theory Y
D) Theory Y; Theory X; Theory X
Q2) Which researcher's theory included the concept of concurrent motivational drivers?
A) Alderfer
B) McClelland
C) Maslow
D) All of these researchers included this component in their respective theories
Q3) While an organization expects performance to increase after a new rewards program begins, they may see performance decrements compared to pre-incentive levels. Why?
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Chapter 7: Persuasion, Influence, and Impression Management
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28 Verified Questions
28 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8386
Sample Questions
Q1) When shopping in a retail store, a very loud alarm goes off. You look around and see that no one is panicking, not even the employees, so you decide that it must be a false alarm and continue shopping. What helps explain your conclusion?
A) Authority
B) Reciprocity
C) Social proof
D) Scarcity
Q2) Why would a company choose not to grow or expand despite great demand for their product?
A) Create greater perceived value for their product
B) Increase the cost of their product
C) Create greater demand for their product
D) All of the above
Q3) How can you use reciprocity to influence others in a way that benefits you most?
A) Engage in organizational citizenship behavior
B) Offer unsolicited help to others
C) Give priority to doing favors for those you like
D) Repay those who do favors for you
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Chapter 8: Decision Making
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8387
Sample Questions
Q1) Sensemaking differs from rational decision making because ________.
A) Sensemaking examines past experiences to make decisions
B) Sensemaking justifies your reason for action before you do it
C) Sensemaking provides meaning to your action after you have taken it
D) Sensemaking doesn't have identifiable steps
Q2) Which improvement has been suggested when addressing complex problems in naturalistic decision making?
A) Base your decision on factors you feel are most important
B) Focus on the context of the problem
C) Utilize others as a sounding board for your ideas
D) Don't eliminate variables to simplify the problem
Q3) The last recommendation for improving naturalistic decision making is "decision makers should put less emphasis on organizational decision making structures and more emphasis on training decision makers who have expertise to look at a situation in its entirety." What should organizations do to implement this suggestion?
Q4) Problem solving is meant to improve a situation, but errors can thwart success and possibly make it worse. Identify five errors, describe their impact and what you can do to avoid them.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Groups and Teams
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8388
Sample Questions
Q1) You strongly disagree with the course of action your group has decided on but when you speak up in the first meeting, you are hushed. Your group never explores alternate plans or attempts to identify flaws in the plan they have chosen. After being hushed, you don't feel that you can express your dissent, and even if you do, it won't matter because you're sure you won't be heard. The group seems to be suffering from ________.
A) The fallacy of principle belief
B) Poor communication
C) Groupthink
D) Primary choice favoritism
Q2) Which effect predicts that you will make riskier or more conservative decisions in a group than you will on your own?
A) Polarization
B) Peer pressure
C) Groupthink
D) Majority rules
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Chapter 10: Conflict and Negotiation
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8389
Sample Questions
Q1) Employees are advised to use the subordinate negotiation strategy because it focuses on building the relationship between themselves and their supervisor.
A) True, employees should defer to the experience and decisions of the supervisor, so entering negotiations with the goal of preserving that relationship is a great idea for advancing in the company
B) False, they should use the competitive strategy that focuses only on the issues at hand and doesn't consider the relationship between the employer and employee
C) False, they should use the avoidance strategy so they can focus on their own work and leave the negotiations and decision making to their supervisor
D) False, a collaborative strategy would be the better choice because the issue and relationship are both considered during the negotiation process
Q2) Which of the following is not a predetermined factor in negotiations?
A) Issues involved
B) People involved
C) Surrounding environment
D) Strategy choice
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Chapter 11: Diversity and Communication
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8390
Sample Questions
Q1) When might understanding generational differences in the workplace be useful?
A) Understanding others' perspectives
B) Deciding how and when to provide motivation and feedback
C) Forming teams or workgroups
D) All of the above
Q2) Learning style, personality, and cognitive processes are examples of which type of diversity?
A) Demographics
B) Organization-based
C) Traits and characteristics
D) Beliefs and values
Q3) Which of the following outcomes should organizations not expect after implementing a plan to value their employees' backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences?
A) Organizations will be better able to respond to dynamic change because the organization increases its ability to adapt
B) Organizations can consider a wider range of perspectives when making decisions
C) The shareholders' value will improve
D) Organizations can promote a culture of fairness
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Page 13
Chapter 12: Culture
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8391
Sample Questions
Q1) When has an employee adapted to the organization's culture?
A) After orientation
B) Before socialization
C) After 90 days
D) After accepting culture
Q2) What is the most effective type of organizational culture for an "as seen on TV" product manufacturer to adopt?
A) Clan
B) Adhocracy
C) Hierarchy
D) Market driven
Q3) Is it possible for two people working on the same team to have different perceptions of the organization's culture? Why or why not?
Q4) What do the members of Alpha Inc.'s professional subculture have in common?
A) They work in desk based rather than field based jobs
B) They are all engineers
C) They have the financial success of Alpha as a primary focus
D) They are Alpha's dominant subculture
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Change, Innovation, and Stress
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27 Verified Questions
27 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8392
Sample Questions
Q1) You have probably used a process similar to the force field model in your personal life. How might you have done this?
A) To change your beliefs or culture to fit in with a group
B) When you make a list of pros and cons to help you decide
C) Every time you decide on a certain course of action
D) When you are making complex decisions
Q2) What kind of change must organizations engage in if the federal government were to raise the minimum wage?
A) Unplanned change
B) Internal changes in outcomes
C) Incremental change
D) Externally driven change
Q3) What is the difference between Lewin's models and Kotter's model?
A) Kotter looked at strategic change and Lewin looked at change in general
B) Lewin focused on psychological and cultural aspects of change and Kotter focused on applying managed change in organizations
C) Lewin proposed models that are easy for untrained managers to follow unlike Kotter's more complex model
D) Kotter's model results in strategy but Lewin's models don't
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Sustainability
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/8393
Sample Questions
Q1) When your manager explains the company motivation for beginning CSR initiatives, she includes aspects from the business case approach and from the ethical mandate approach in her rationale. Is this possible?
A) No; the organization can't do both at the same time
B) No; one has to be the deciding factor
C) Yes; ultimately companies develop their rationale based on their values and their future in mind so they can incorporate aspects from both strategies into their reason for adopting these initiatives
D) Yes; the aspect of the two approaches are similar and neither approach may have driven their decision to engage in CSR. It just worked out that way
Q2) How are values different from ethics?
A) Ethics are based rule adherence; values are beliefs that guide decision making
B) Ethics are what people do-the result of their decision; values are their deeply held beliefs
C) Values help determine right and wrong; ethics are mainly applied when judging other people
D) Your ethical beliefs contain your values
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Page 16