WGU C715 Organizational Behavior | Complete Exam Prep | Practice Questions & Answers
personality characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large number of situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions. extraversion,
agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive (confident and
forceful )
agreeableness A personality that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and
trusting.
conscientiousness A personality that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent,
and organized.
emotional stability A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, and insecure.
openness to experience A personality that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and
curiosity.
core self-evaluation Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence, and
worth as a person.
Machiavellianism The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and
believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to external, situational
factors.
proactive personality People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs.
values Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or
end-state of existence.
Stuvia 2026-2027
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior | Complete Exam Prep | Practice Questions & Answers
value system A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of their intensity.
terminal values Values that we work towards (happiness, self-respect, family security, recognition)
instrumental values Core values that are permanent in nature (honesty, sincerity, ambition,
independence)
personality Job-fit theory A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed
unequally.
individualism where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.
collectivism A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in which people
expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
masculinity where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power, and
control.
femininity indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where women are
treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a society feels
threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift, and persistence.
short-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and present, respect for
tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now; they
accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to change.
heredity factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and inherent
psychological makeup.
Perception A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in
order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or externally
caused.
Stuvia 2026-2027
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior | Complete Exam Prep | Practice Questions & Answers
fundamental attribution error The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate
the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of
others.
self-serving bias The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors and
put the blame for failures on external factors.
selective perception The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of one's interests,
background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a
single characteristic.
contrast effect Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with other
people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics.
stereotyping Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person
belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy Causing something to happen by believing it will come true.
decisions Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within specified
constraints.
rational decision-making model A decision-making model that describes how individuals should behave in order to
maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the
criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the alternatives. 6. Select the best
alternative.
bounded rationality A less-than-perfect form of rationality in which decision makers cannot be perfectly
rational because decisions are complex and complete information is unavailable or
cannot be fully processed
intuitive decision making An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails to adequately
adjust for subsequent information.
Stuvia 2026-2027
personality characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large number of situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) A personality test that taps four characteristics and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions. extraversion,
agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive (confident and
forceful )
agreeableness A personality that describes someone who is good natured, cooperative, and
trusting.
conscientiousness A personality that describes someone who is responsible, dependable, persistent,
and organized.
emotional stability A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident, and insecure.
openness to experience A personality that characterizes someone in terms of imagination, sensitivity, and
curiosity.
core self-evaluation Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities, competence, and
worth as a person.
Machiavellianism The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and
believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to external, situational
factors.
proactive personality People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action, and persevere until
meaningful change occurs.
values Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or
end-state of existence.
Stuvia 2026-2027
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior | Complete Exam Prep | Practice Questions & Answers
value system A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of their intensity.
terminal values Values that we work towards (happiness, self-respect, family security, recognition)
instrumental values Core values that are permanent in nature (honesty, sincerity, ambition,
independence)
personality Job-fit theory A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between
personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is distributed
unequally.
individualism where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of groups.
collectivism A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in which people
expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
masculinity where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement, power, and
control.
femininity indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where women are
treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which a society feels
threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift, and persistence.
short-term orientation A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and present, respect for
tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now; they
accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to change.
heredity factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and inherent
psychological makeup.
Perception A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in
order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or externally
caused.
Stuvia 2026-2027
, WGU C715 Organizational Behavior | Complete Exam Prep | Practice Questions & Answers
fundamental attribution error The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate
the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of
others.
self-serving bias The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors and
put the blame for failures on external factors.
selective perception The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of one's interests,
background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a
single characteristic.
contrast effect Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with other
people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics.
stereotyping Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person
belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy Causing something to happen by believing it will come true.
decisions Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within specified
constraints.
rational decision-making model A decision-making model that describes how individuals should behave in order to
maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the
criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the alternatives. 6. Select the best
alternative.
bounded rationality A less-than-perfect form of rationality in which decision makers cannot be perfectly
rational because decisions are complex and complete information is unavailable or
cannot be fully processed
intuitive decision making An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails to adequately
adjust for subsequent information.
Stuvia 2026-2027
