WGU C715 Organizational Behavior Objective Assessment Comprehensive Review and Quizzes 2026/2027 Question 1

During a departmental planning meeting, Employee A repeatedly interrupts other participants. Employee B later describes Employee A as disrespectful, although other employees interpret the behavior as enthusiasm. Which combination of factors best explains why Employee B may perceive the behavior differently? A. Stimulation, task, and skills B. Heredity, environment, and intelligence C. Problem, criteria, and alternatives D. Situation, target, and perceiver Correct Answer: D. Situation, target, and perceiver Rationale: Perception is influenced by characteristics of the perceiver, the target being observed, and the situation in which the observation occurs. Employee B’s attitudes and experiences, Employee A’s behavior, and the meeting environment all shape the interpretation. The other options describe influences on learning, personality, or decision-making rather than the primary factors involved in perception. Question 2 Two employees respond differently when their project team encounters a difficult problem. Employee B confidently proposes alternatives, sets challenging goals, and believes the team can influence outcomes. Employee A prefers routine work, doubts personal abilities, and believes external forces determine results. Which conclusion is most accurate? A. Employee A has a positive core self-evaluation, while Employee B has a negative one. B. Employee A has a negative core self-evaluation, while Employee B has a positive one. C. Both employees have negative core self-evaluations. D. Both employees have positive core self-evaluations. Correct Answer: B. Employee A has a negative core self-evaluation, while Employee B has a positive one. Rationale: Positive core self-evaluation involves self-confidence, emotional stability, self-efficacy, and a belief in personal control. Employee B demonstrates these qualities through initiative and ambitious goal setting. Employee A’s self-doubt, preference for routine, and external locus of control indicate negative core self- evaluation. The remaining choices incorrectly classify one or both employees’ psychological orientations. Question 3 A department manager enjoys making difficult decisions and supervising a broad range of responsibilities. Although no additional salary or recognition is provided, the manager feels personally fulfilled when the department succeeds. Which type of reward is primarily motivating the manager? A. Extrinsic reward B. Intrinsic reward C. Affiliation reward D. Compensatory reward Correct Answer: B. Intrinsic reward Rationale: An intrinsic reward arises from the work itself, such as satisfaction, accomplishment, responsibility, or personal growth. The manager is motivated by internal fulfillment rather than money, recognition, or another externally provided benefit. Extrinsic rewards come from outside the individual. Affiliation involves relationships, while compensatory rewards usually refer to financial or material payment for work performed. Question 4 A supervisor considers broad-mindedness, courage, forgiveness, honesty, and selfdiscipline essential qualities for guiding everyday behavior. How should these values be classified? A. Determinate values B. Instrumental values C. Terminal values D. Transitory values Correct Answer: B. Instrumental values Rationale: Instrumental values describe preferred modes of conduct or ways a person believes one should behave, such as honesty, courage, responsibility, and forgiveness. Terminal values are desired end states, including freedom, prosperity, or world peace. Determinate and transitory values are not the standard categories used to distinguish behavioral means from desired life outcomes. Question 5 Manager A supervises twice as many employees and organizational units as Manager B, yet both receive identical compensation. After comparing responsibilities and rewards, Manager A begins searching for another job. Which motivational theory best explains this reaction? A. Perception theory B. Equity theory C. Goal-setting theory D. Reinforcement theory Correct Answer: B. Equity theory Rationale: Equity theory proposes that employees compare their outcome-to-input ratios with those of relevant others. Manager A perceives greater inputs, including responsibility and workload, without correspondingly greater outcomes. This perceived inequity creates tension and motivates corrective action, such as leaving the organization. The other theories address perception generally, goal characteristics, or behavioral consequences rather than fairness comparisons. Question 6 A production manager asks an employee to complete 24 assemblies per day, a level higher than the employee has previously achieved. The manager also provides a tally sheet so the employee can record each completed assembly. Which goal-setting principles are most clearly being applied? A. Specificity and feedback B. Reflection and participation C. Power and generalization D. Direction and job rotation Correct Answer: A. Specificity and feedback Rationale: The target of 24 assemblies is specific and measurable, while the tally sheet provides immediate progress feedback. Goal-setting theory indicates that specific, challenging goals supported by feedback generally improve performance. Reflection, power, and job rotation may influence employees in other ways, but they are not the principal goal-setting mechanisms illustrated by the manager’s actions. Question 7 A hospital expects the charge nurse to coordinate patient care, communicate with physicians, supervise junior nurses, and respond to emergencies. These expected patterns of behavior associated with the charge nurse’s position represent the nurse’s: A. Group status B. Group norm C. Group conformity D. Group role Correct Answer: D. Group role Rationale: A group role is a set of expected behavior patterns associated with a particular position in a social unit. The charge nurse’s responsibilities reflect expectations attached to that position. Status refers to rank or prestige, norms are shared standards governing group behavior, and conformity occurs when a member adjusts behavior to comply with group expectations. Question 8 An organization establishes a safety committee, appoints its members, defines reporting relationships, and assigns responsibility for reducing workplace injuries. What type of group has been created? A. Informal group B. Friendship group C. Interest group D. Formal group Correct Answer: D. Formal group Rationale: A formal group is deliberately created and defined by the organization’s structure. Its membership, authority, responsibilities, and objectives are officially established. Informal, friendship, and interest groups develop naturally through social relationships or shared concerns rather than through formal organizational design. The safety committee is therefore a formal group because management intentionally created it. Question 9 Members of a quality-improvement group are working independently and showing little commitment to one another. Management wants to strengthen cohesiveness without changing the group’s objective. Which action would most likely help? A. Physically isolate the group from other employees while it completes its assignment. B. Increase the number of group members. C. Make group membership easier to obtain. D. Establish inflexible individual roles that prevent collaboration. Correct Answer: A. Physically isolate the group from other employees while it completes its assignment. group size generally makes cohesion more difficult. Making membership easier reduces exclusivity, while rigid individual roles may limit collaboration. Cohesion is usually strengthened through proximity, shared experiences, common goals, and meaningful interaction. Question 10 A department head ends a conflict between office employees and custodial staff by announcing a new rule that prohibits eating at desks. The decision is imposed without discussion or joint problem-solving. Which conflict-resolution technique is being used? A. Altering the human variable B. Authoritative command C. Problem-solving D. Altering structural variables Correct Answer: B. Authoritative command Rationale: Authoritative command occurs when a manager uses formal authority to impose a solution to a conflict. The department head establishes a rule without involving the parties in developing the solution. Problem-solving would require open discussion, while altering human variables involves changing attitudes or behavior. Structural changes modify relationships, responsibilities, or organizational arrangements rather than simply issuing a directive.