Public Administration Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Public Administration is a foundational course that explores the principles, structures, and processes involved in the management of public sector organizations. The course examines the roles and responsibilities of government officials, the functions of various administrative agencies, and the relationship between public administration and policy-making. Students will gain insights into organizational theory, public personnel management, budgeting, ethics, and the challenges faced by administrators in delivering public services. Emphasis is placed on the evolving nature of public administration in response to political, social, and economic changes, preparing students to understand and engage with governmental and nonprofit institutions effectively.
Recommended Textbook
Managing Human Behavior in Public and Nonprofit Organizations Fourth Edition by
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Page 2
Robert B. Denhardt
Chapter 1: Organizational Behavior As a Way of Thinking
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a "what" of management function?
A) Strategic view
B) Broad perspective
C) Leadership
D) Monitoring
Answer: D
Q2) Identify the skills that are critical to managerial success in government.Pick five skills to discuss in detail.Why did you choose these skills? What makes them important?
Answer: Varies
Q3) Which of the following researchers explored the importance of organizational culture?
A) Edgar Schein
B) Peter Drucker
C) Margaret Wheatley
D) Frederick Taylor
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Knowing and Managing Yourself
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the different types of value orientations.How do these fit in with personal values? How might people's behavior change based on their value orientation? Discuss using relevant examples.
Answer: Varies
Q2) Which psychologist described several aspects of the human psyche based on the way in which we take in and process information?
A) Ivan Pavlov
B) Abraham Maslow
C) Carl Jung
D) Sigmund Freud
Answer: C
Q3) According to Kohlberg's model of moral development,in which of the following stages of development would cheating on an exam be considered acceptable?
A) Unconventional
B) Preconventional
C) Conventional
D) Postconventional
Answer: B
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Chapter 3: Fostering Creativity and Innovation
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Sample Questions
Q1) In matrix analysis,a three-dimensional "idea box" is used to explore new ideas of alternatives.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Which of the following sets forms a part of the key elements of a creative organizational climate?
A) Communication, competition, and change
B) Change, reward, and orientation
C) Trust, diversity, and rewards
D) Competition, diversity, and rewards
Answer: C
Q3) Illustrate with examples how an individual with advanced cognitive skills and abilities can be as creative as an individual with creative traits.
Answer: Varies
Q4) Anyone can be creative.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Managing Stress
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Sample Questions
Q1) Taking time to carefully analyze what the job requirements are and assessing candidates in light of those demands:
A) Increases the stress levels on Human Resources personnel
B) Reduces the stress levels on Human Resources personnel by giving them a sense of preparation
C) Helps to decrease the likelihood of mismatches between people and organizational environments
D) Should only be exercised in the case of top level employees
Q2) Which of the following is not a coping mechanism to handle stress?
A) Social regulation
B) Attitude adjustment
C) Lifestyle adjustment
D) Emotional regulation
Q3) Which of the following may be considered primarily emotional coping strategies?
A) Smoking more
B) Getting angry
C) Confronting those responsible
D) Eating healthy
Q4) What is stress and why does it need to be managed?
Q5) Describe the various stages in the General Adaptation Syndrome.
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Chapter 5: Decision Making
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compare and contrast programmed decisions and non-programmed decisions.
Q2) Time is always available for decision making to undergo a calculated process.
A)True
B)False
Q3) "Groupthink," a mode of thinking,occurs when:
A) People are deeply involved in an otherwise non-cohesive group
B) People get a chance to express their ideas
C) People form a group and think through the steps involved in the decision making process
D) The desire for unanimity offsets people's motivation to appraise alternative courses of action
Q4) Which of the following is a phase in the rational model of decision making?
A) Data collection phase
B) Data analysis phase
C) Design phase D Pre-implementation phase
Q5) Describe the implication of ethics in decision making in a public service setting.
Q6) Non-programmed decisions involve difficult problem solving.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Motivation and Engagement
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain TMT and how it relates to the concepts in Maslow's needs-hierarchy.
Q2) The two-factor motivation-hygiene theory was proposed by:
A) Maslow
B) Herzberg
C) Aldefer
D) Juran
Q3) According to Vroom,there are three concepts important to understanding human motivation:
A) Balance, expectations, and drive
B) Valence, expectancy, and force
C) Tolerance, opportunity, and growth
D) Temptation, control, and pressure
Q4) Theory Y assumptions require __________ to accept responsibility for arranging organizational conditions and methods of operation so that people can achieve their own goals best by directing their own efforts toward organizational objectives.
A) Management
B) Manager
C) Staff
D) Worker
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Chapter 7: Leadership in Public Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) For ________ cultures,successful leaders should be supportive and paternalistic.
A) Individualistic
B) Collectivist
C) Socialist
D) All of the above
Q2) Contingency leadership stipulates that:
A) Group effectiveness is dictated by employee commitment
B) Group effectiveness is not affected by the relationship between the styles of leadership
C) The contingent group dynamics affect the results achieved by the leader
D) The effectiveness of a group is dependent on the relationship between the style of leadership and the degree to which the situation enables the leader to exert influence
Q3) People that possess ________ achieving styles are motivated to master their own tasks.
A) Relational
B) Instrumental
C) Transformational
D) Direct
Q4) What is street-level leadership? How does it affect public policy?
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Chapter 8: Power and Organizational Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Machiavelli is commonly known for the philosophy of "the end justifies the means." What has been his legacy? Name a recent leader who was considered "Machiavellian."
Q2) When the stakes are ________ and resources are ________ power politics can be quite likely.
A) High; limited
B) Low; limited
C) High; unlimited
D) Low; unlimited
Q3) In public organizations,legitimate power is often derived from people's positions or job titles.
A)True
B)False
Q4) According to Wilson,fostering your employees' participation,listening carefully to their values and interests,and building and supporting their confidence and skills is known as:
A) Thrilling
B) Respectful
C) Uplifting
D) Powerful
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Chapter 9: Communicating Effectively With Others
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is NOT one of the "six C's" developed for effective managerial writing?
A) Courtesy
B) Clearness
C) Confidence
D) Correctness
Q2) Detail the best practices for oral communication.When should it be used? When should it be avoided? Discuss,providing relevant examples where appropriate.
Q3) Women are more cooperative and team oriented than men in the workplace.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Sandeep acknowledges cultural differences but trivializes them,believing that human similarities far outweigh any differences.Which of the following types of thinking does he have?
A) Ethnocentric
B) Geocentric
C) Ethnorelative
D) Polycentric
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Chapter 10: Working in Groups and Teams
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Sample Questions
Q1) Tensions among team members can be productive and help the performance of the team.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following researchers outlined procedures for using groups successfully to introduce changes at both the individual and organizational levels?
A) McGrath and Altman
B) Schein and Bennis
C) Elton and Mayo
D) Hawthorne and Elkins
Q3) An example of a country with an individualistic society is:
A) United States
B) Latin America
C) Saudi Arabia
D) All of the above
Q4) Training of team members should include:
A) Action skills
B) Mathematic skills
C) Public speaking skills
D) Reading skills
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Chapter 11: Managing Conflict
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Sample Questions
Q1) Conflict can be extremely beneficial to the workplace.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What are approaches a manager can use in engaging in constructive conflict?
A) Reflect, get feedback, gradually correct the problem
B) Reflect, get feedback, immediately correct the problem
C) Conflict is normal but can only be addressed by punishing the initiators
D) None of the above
Q3) High levels of conflict on city councils were associated with:
A) Stress
B) Diminished performance
C) Failure
D) All of the above
Q4) Many managers feel too secure to stir up conflict among their subordinates.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Generational differences are a potential source of conflict in the work place.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Organizational Change
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Sample Questions
Q1) Organic structures are highly formalized,specialized,standardized,and centralized.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Artifacts and creations of a culture include:
A) Values of an organization
B) Patterns of behavior that are taken for granted
C) An emphasis on problem solving
D) Day-to-day operating routines
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a possible limitation to implementing cultural change of an organization?
A) Cultural norms are deep-seated and may be quite resistant to change
B) Successful changes in an organization's culture typically occur over a long period of time
C) Different generations have different feelings towards change
D) Important ethical questions may arise as managers attempt to "manipulate" the norms and values of those in the organization
Q4) Explore the different efforts to conceptualize change and to suggest strategies for change.Discuss,providing relevant examples where appropriate.
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Chapter 13: Representing the Organization on the Outside
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Q1) Which of the following types of media should be used when you need to go into greater detail about the work you are doing?
A) Television
B) Print media
C) Radio
D) Press conferences
Q2) You are better off guessing about an answer in a formal presentation than giving an apology and a promise to find out the answer.
A)True
B)False
Q3) RSS provides another way of getting information out to the public in a quick and efficient manner.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Traditional mechanisms of governmental control are still workable and very appropriate.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are networks? Why are they important in the delivery of services?
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Chapter 14: Managing Behavior in the Public Interest
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Sample Questions
Q1) The public interest is the result of a dialogue about shared values rather than the ________ of individual self-interests.
A) Assertion
B) Expansion
C) Reduction
D) Aggregation
Q2) The problems facing society and our communities today can be solved by public servants and public organizations if they are allowed to act alone without public interference.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Citizens,unlike business customers,are committed to matters that go beyond their short-term interests and are willing to assume ________ for what happens in their neighborhoods and communities.
A) Drawbacks
B) Costs
C) Personal responsibility
D) Jurisdictional challenges
Q4) Describe the "new public service,and how it has evolved.
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