Thursday, October 17, 2013

Toyota employees feel a sense of ownership in their company, which is supported by the firm’s matrix structure.


TRUE/FALSE

1. Toyota employees feel a sense of ownership in their company, which is supported by the firm’s matrix structure.
(True)

2. Toyota employees are expected to be experts in what they do.
(True)

3. Toyota uses a system of continuous improvement and learning.
(True)

4. Just-in-time production leads to antagonistic relations between Toyota and its suppliers.
(False)

5. Decentralization is the concentration of decision making at higher levels in the organization.
(False)

6. Employees feel that decentralized organizations provide greater levels of procedural fairness.
(True)

7. If a firm is operating in a stable environment, the centralized organizational structure may lead to the most efficient operations.
(True)

8. A unionized firm has very formalized structures.
(True)

9. A formalized structure leads to faster decision making.
(False)

10. Tall structures have wider span of control than flat structures.
(False)

11. Flat structures are better at satisfying employee self-actualization needs while tall structures are better at satisfying employee security needs.
(True)

12. In divisional structures, employees tend to be more specialists than generalists.
(False)

13. Functional structures are most effective for companies with large product lines.
(False)

14. Employees working in dynamic environments depend on their general mental abilities for good performance.
(True)

15. Organic structures are highly formalized and centralized.
(False)

16. The biggest advantage of a mechanistic structure, especially in a stable environment, is its efficiency.
(True)

17. Organic structures are related to higher levels of job satisfaction.
(True)

18. Matrix organizations violate the unity of command principle.
(True)

19. Conflict at various levels is a potential issue for matrix organizations.
(True)

20. A strategic alliance is a type of boundaryless organization where all nonessential functions are outsourced.
(False)

21. A learning organization is one where acquiring knowledge and changing behavior as a result of the newly acquired knowledge is part of the organization’s design.
(True)

22. Organizational change can be either radical or incremental.
(True)

23. Moore’s law says the overall complexity of computer circuits will double every 18 months with no increase in costs, so firms will rapidly change their technology.
(True)

24. While manufacturing jobs have been outsourced, knowledge-based jobs are safe from outsourcing.
(False)

25. Change is more likely to occur in firms that are performing poorly because successful firms keep doing what they have done to make them successful.
(True)

26. Surveys indicate that resistance to change is one of the top two reasons why change efforts within organizations fail.
(True)

27. Passive resistance refers to sabotaging the change effort and being outspoken about the negative effects of change.
(False)

28. When people react to organizational change negatively, they are absent more often and are more likely to voluntarily leave the company.
(True)

29. Employees with a positive self-concept are better at coping with change.
(True)

30. Those employees who feel they can perform well under a new system will be more committed to change.
(True)

31. People do not welcome change whether it is favorable or not to them.
(False)

32. Resistance to change is never a positive force for an organization.
(False)

33. The first stage in Lewin’s Model of planned change is unfreezing.
(True)

34. Employees with more complete information are no more committed to the change effort than those who have less than complete information.
(False)

35. Convincing the opinion leaders in your organization of the need for organizational change is a more successful technique to ensure change than trying to get everyone on board at the same time.
(True)

36. During the change efforts, the organization should focus on big wins to demonstrate the success of the effort.
(False)

37. Cultures low in uncertainty avoidance are comfortable with change.
(True)



Researchers found a relationship between organizational success, measured by indicators like revenues, sales and market share, and organizational culture.

TRUE/FALSE
1. Nordstrom’s has a lengthy employee handbook full of rules and regulations designed to emphasize quality in customer service.
(False)

2. Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs that show employees what are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
(True)

3. Individuals are more aware of their firm’s culture when they have an opportunity to compare it with that of another firm.
(True)

4. Research suggests that corporate strategy is the most important factor for business success, but organization culture is a close second.
(False)

5. Researchers found a relationship between organizational success, measured by indicators like revenues, sales and market share, and organizational culture.
(True)

6. The three levels of organizational culture are beliefs, assumptions and artifacts.
(False)

7. The deepest or innermost level of organizational culture is values.
(False)

8. Firms with an aggressive culture can face a number of lawsuits because of the focus on outperforming the competitor at all costs.
(True)

9. Outcome-oriented cultures hold managers accountable for performance but not employees.
(False)

10. If performance pressures increase too much, individuals begin to see their peers as competitors and short-term results become important, which can create unethical behaviors.
(True)

11. Creating a safety culture can reduce accidents, improve employee retention and increase profitability due to reduced workers’ compensation claims.
(True)

12. A strong culture always outperforms a weak culture because of the consistency of expectations.
(False)

13. Subcultures can arise from the personal characteristics of employees and managers or the conditions of the workplace.
(True)

14. Employee perceptions of subcultures have little impact on employee performance or commitment to the organization.
(False)

15. Countercultures are never tolerated in an organization once they are identified.
(False)

16. Organizational structure is the most important factor in the creation of an organization’s culture.
(False)

17. A founder’s values could be one explanation for the difficulty encountered when trying to change a culture.
(True)

18. Founder values are a part of the company culture regardless of the success of the firm.
(False)

19. Companies within the same industry generally have similar organizational cultures, but on occasion, they can be wildly different.
(True)

20. The industry influence over culture suggests that it may not be possible to duplicate the culture of a firm in another industry.
(True)

21. Organizational cultures help determine who is hired by a firm.
(True)

22. Organization choice of individuals for employment is impacted by culture, but that culture also impacts the self-selection out of that process by some individuals.
(True)

23. Individuals high in agreeableness would likely seek out firms with aggressive cultures.
(False)

24. Person-organization misfit is one of the important reasons for employee turnover.
(True)

25. The attraction-selection-attrition process is an example of a method that maintains a certain level of homogeneity in personalities and values within an organization.
(True)

26. Onboarding activities in a firm produce higher levels of job satisfaction in new employees but have little impact on their organizational commitment long term.
(False)

27. The inability to network is a major reason why new employees either leave their jobs voluntarily or are terminated within the first two years of employment.
(True)

28. Computer-oriented orientation programs are more cost effective and more effective in conveying the firm’s culture than classroom-oriented programs.
(False)

29. While managers and supervisors are very important in helping new employees adjust to a firm’s culture, coworkers actually hamper the process.
(False)

30. Mentors and protégés who had input into the matching process were no more satisfied with the outcome of the program then were those who were placed into a mentor-protégé pair.
(False)

31. It is less important to find an individual to serve as a mentor who personifies company values than to find an individual who is enthusiastic about participating in the program.
(False)

32. Leader role modeling is an important influence in the creation or change in an organization’s culture.
(True)

33. A firm that rewards the achievement of goals only, and not the process to achieve those goals, is likely to have an outcome-based culture.
(True)

34. A firm that uses a ranking system where employees are pitted against each other for the top rewards is more likely to have an aggressive culture.
(True)

35. The behaviors that are punished, ignored or rewarded are likely to help determine how a culture evolves in a firm.
(True)

36. All mission statements are effective because they describe who the companies are and what they do.
(False)

37. Extending benefits to full- and part-time employees as well as spouses and domestic partners can convey to those employees the people orientation of the firm.
(True)

38. While a firm’s physical layout impacts motivation and job satisfaction, it does little to convey company culture.
(False)

39. Culture is generally resistant to change efforts.
(True)

40. Two conditions that help effect a cultural change include experiencing failure in a firm and changes in the external environment impacting the firm.
(True)

41. The first step in the cultural change process is changing leaders and the leadership team.
(False)

42. Renovating the firm’s facilities and updating a firm’s logo can help enable a cultural change.
(True)

43. Making ethics assessment a regular part of performance evaluation can ensure ethical behavior becomes part of a firm’s core values.
(True)

44. The culture of a company is heavily impacted by the culture of its nation of origin.
(True)

45. The Japanese culture emphasizes harmony, so it is highly unlikely a Japanese company would have an aggressive culture.
(True)


When intelligence is measured with a paper and pencil test, its relationship to leadership is a bit weaker than when intelligence


TRUE/FALSE

1. Leaders do not need to rely on the use of force to influence people.
(True)

2. A formal leader is one who holds a position of authority and may utilize the power that comes from that position as well as personal power to influence others.
(True)

3. When intelligence is measured with a paper and pencil test, its relationship to leadership is a bit weaker than when intelligence is viewed as the perceived intelligence of the leader.
(True)

4. Emotional intelligence helps an individual attain the management ranks, but once there, mental intelligence becomes important.
(False)

5. All effective leaders are extraverts.
(False)

6. The only trait of the Big 5 personality traits that is related to leadership emergence or leader effectiveness is conscientiousness.
(False)

7. There is no relationship between height and being viewed as a leader.
(False)

8. Three key traits associated with leadership are: integrity, conscientiousness and introversion.
(False)

9. Agreeable people who are modest, good-natured and avoid conflict are less likely to be perceived as leaders.
(True)

10. A key finding from research completed on traits is that all traits are not equally effective in predicting leadership potential.
(True)

11. Research supports the argument that demonstrating both initiating structure and consideration makes leaders more effective.
(False)

12. Initiating structure involves structuring the roles of subordinates, providing them instructions, and behaving in ways to increase the group’s performance.
(True)

13. Authoritarian decision makers make decisions alone without necessarily involving employees in the decision making process.
(True)

14. Research suggests that the democratic decision-making style helps satisfy employees and improves decision quality.
(False)

15. Laissez-faire leaders create high levels of ambiguity about job expectations for their employees and thus lower employee satisfaction.
(True)

16. If you have a low least preferred coworker rating, it means that you have a people-oriented personality and are able to separate your liking of a person from your ability to work with that person.
(False)

17. Fiedler’s contingency theory suggests different people can be effective in different situations.
(True)

18. Research supports Fiedler’s predictions about when low LPC leadership should be used.
(True)

19. House’s path-goal theory is based on equity theory.
(False)

20. Path-goal theory predicts that the type of leader behavior effective under different circumstances will depend on the characteristics of the employee and the work environment.
(True)

21. A supportive leadership style works best when there is high role ambiguity for employees, they have low abilities, and they have an external locus of control.
(False)

22. When employees have high abilities and high achievement motivation, the directive leadership style is best.
(False)

23. In House’s path-goal theory, the leader’s style is viewed as fixed and the environment changes; Fiedler’s theory assumes just the opposite.
(False)

24. Research suggests that on average, the leadership style recommended by Vroom and Yetton’s decision tree model tends to make more effective decisions compared to leaders using a style not recommended.
(True)

25. Transformational leaders use charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration to influence individuals and create commitment to company goals.
(True)

26. Passive management by exception involves leaving employees alone and waiting until something goes wrong before entering the picture.
(True)

27. Transactional leadership is a more effective form than transformational leadership.
(False)

28. The key factor in making transformational leadership more effective is extraversion.
(False)

29. Charisma is an inherent characteristic, so those firms attempting to teach charisma, are not making good use of their time or money.
(False)

30. Individuals with high LMX receive higher levels of resources than those with a low LMX relationship.
(True)

31. All employees want a high-quality relationship with their manager.
(False)

32. Servant leaders put their employees first.
(True)

33. Authentic leaders are self-aware, introspective, and have thorough understanding of their own values.
(True)

34. People in positions of authority are influential in driving people to ethical behaviors but not unethical behaviors.
(False)

35. The global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness project found, thus far, that there are no universal traits that are desirable or undesirable in a leader.
(False)


In the Milgram studies, participants were willing to administer harmful levels of voltage to learners when those learners provided incorrect answers.

TRUE/FALSE
1. Power is the ability to get things done the way you want them to be done.
(True)

2. Power distribution is usually not visible in organizations.
(False)

3. Power has negative consequences but never has positive consequences.
(False)

4. One reason why power can be so easily abused is because individuals are quick to conform.
(True)

5. Conformity is people’s tendencies to behave consistently with social norms.
(True)

6. The Milgram, Asch, and Hawthorne studies illustrate how important it is to create checks and balances to help individuals resist the tendency to conform or abuse authority.
(False)

7. In the Milgram studies, participants were willing to administer harmful levels of voltage to learners when those learners provided incorrect answers.
(True)

8. The Asch experiments showed that a dissenting minority does not have much power.
(False)

9. Meta-analysis suggests that the level of conformity in the United States has been increasing since the 1950s.
(False)

10. The Zimbardo experiment was stopped early because all parties involved became too entrenched in their experimental roles.
(True)

11. The more that a party is dependent upon you, the less power you have.
(False)

12. The scarcer a resource is that you control, the more power you possess.
(True)

13. The more vital the resource you control, the greater the level of power you possess.
(True)

14. The more substitutes available for a resource, the higher the power level of the person possessing that resource.
(False)

15. The CEO of an organization has legitimate power because of his or her role.
(True)

16. Coercive power tends to accompany legitimate power in an organization.
(False)

17. Coercive power works through fear and forces people to do things they otherwise would not consider.
(True)

18. Michael is the individual in the firm who knows everything about computer issues. When anyone has a problem, they go to Michael. Michael has referent power.
(False)

19. Charisma is a type of referent power.
(True)

20. Influence is getting others to do what we want them to do.
(True)

21. The most commonly used influence technique is personal appeal.
(False)

22. Compliance is when the target of influence not only agrees to your request, but actively supports it.
(False)

23. Rational persuasion uses facts, data and logical arguments to influence a target person.
(True)

24. When college students are told by a speaker seeking their support, “You can make a difference. Do this for future generations,” that speaker is using inspirational appeals to convince students to join the cause.
(True)

25. Using any form of flattery in an appeal is an example of the exchange influence tactic.
(False)

26. Research shows that individuals who lived near stairwells in dorms were the most well liked people in those dorms because they were seen most often by everyone who was coming and going. This is an example of the personal appeal influence tactic.
(True)

27. Research shows that managers with high referent power tend to use pressure tactics much more frequently than those with low referent power.
(False)

28. Legitimating tactics are those whose appeal is based upon position power.
(True)

29. Referent power is more effective than formal power bases and is positively related to employees’ satisfaction with supervision.
(True)

30. The most effective approach to impression management on the job is to build credibility and maintain authenticity.
(True)

31. Impression management has been shown to be related to higher performance ratings by increasing liking and perceived similarity.
(True)

32. The tone of your voice, rate of speech, and how you deliver your message are relatively unimportant in the impression management area.
(False)

33. Impression management is particularly salient in job interviews and promotional contexts.
(True)

34. Upward influence includes appealing to a higher authority or citing a firm’s goals as a reason for others to follow your suggestion.
(True)

35. Managers report using personal appeals most frequently with other managers and rational persuasion most frequently with subordinates.
(False)

36. Effective politics is about winning at all costs.
(False)

37. Almost all managers surveyed suggest workplace politics exist in their organizations and that to be successful individuals must engage in politics.
(True)

38. If employees feel their organizations are too driven by politics, they are less committed to the organization and perform worse on the job.
(True)

39. Individuals high in internal locus of control engage in more political behavior.
(True)
40. When resources such as raises or promotions are limited, employees see the organization as more political.
(True)

41. When individuals feel role ambiguity in their jobs, they feel the organization is more political.
(True)

42. The more democratic the decision making is in a firm, the more the firm will be perceived as political.
(True)

43. Social network analysis can reveal who can be trusted in an organization, who is important to decision making and even who is innovative.
(True)

44. Boundary spanners are people who are linked to the greatest number of people in the organization.
(False)

45. Social network analysis indicating strong ties is demonstrating informational, not emotional support.
(False)

46. Peripheral specialists in a social network are those with special expertise who can be called upon for advice even though they work independently from the group.
(True)

47. Strong ties in a social network are especially useful for innovation.
(False)

48. Company presidents usually possess at least legitimate, coercive, and referent power.
(False)

49. High power distance countries are those where power is centralized in the hands of a few.
(True)

50. In low power distance countries, decisions are often made based upon loyalty rather than some formal review process.
(False)