MGMT 310 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. Orchid Brands faces this situation: quality errors are rising, but leaders have not determined whether
employees lack skill, tools, time, or clear procedures. A manager chooses to diagnose organizational, task,
and person-level causes before designing training. Which management principle best explains that
choice?
A. Retention management
B. Employee development
C. Inclusion
D. Training needs assessment
Correct Answer: D. Training needs assessment
Explanation: This is training needs assessment because it involves determining whether a performance gap
is best addressed by training and what knowledge or skills are required. The chosen response - to diagnose
organizational, task, and person-level causes before designing training - directly applies that principle to the
situation.
2. Identify the concept defined by the following description: motivation arising from interest, enjoyment,
challenge, or meaning inherent in the activity itself.
A. Intrinsic motivation
B. Job characteristics model
C. Equity theory
D. Job enrichment
Correct Answer: A. Intrinsic motivation
Explanation: Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation arising from interest, enjoyment, challenge, or
meaning inherent in the activity itself. That meaning matches the description in the stem more closely than
the other management concepts listed.
3. Which response would best address the following situation at Union Care: the firm needs uniform
decisions across locations because regulatory risk is high and variation would be costly?
A. Retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval rules
B. Use clear hierarchy, standardized roles, centralized decisions, and formal procedures where
predictability is essential
C. Create roles and routines that connect the unit with key external and cross-functional information
sources
D. Use dual reporting with clear role expectations, conflict-resolution processes, and shared priorities
Correct Answer: A. Retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval rules
Explanation: The best action is to retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval
rules. That response applies centralization, which refers to concentrating important decision authority at
higher levels of the organization, and therefore addresses the underlying problem more directly than the
alternatives.
, 4. Xenon Products responds to the fact that a leader wants to build trust in a unit after years of top-down
decisions and weak employee development by choosing to listen carefully, remove barriers, develop
employees, share appropriate power, and put legitimate follower growth needs alongside performance
goals. Which concept provides the clearest rationale for that response?
A. Expert power
B. Referent power
C. Coaching leadership behavior
D. Servant leadership
Correct Answer: D. Servant leadership
Explanation: This is servant leadership because it involves leadership that emphasizes serving, developing,
listening to, and empowering followers while pursuing organizational purpose. The chosen response - to
listen carefully, remove barriers, develop employees, share appropriate power, and put legitimate follower
growth needs alongside performance goals - directly applies that principle to the situation.
5. Which statement keeps the meanings of norming stage and distributive negotiation correctly separated?
A. Norming stage focuses on negotiation over how to divide a largely fixed amount of value, whereas
distributive negotiation focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and
working norms become more established.
B. Norming stage focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and working
norms become more established, whereas distributive negotiation focuses on negotiation over how to
divide a largely fixed amount of value.
C. Both concepts primarily focus on a team-development stage in which a mature team focuses effectively
on task accomplishment with well-developed coordination.
D. Norming stage and distributive negotiation are interchangeable terms for deliberately attending,
clarifying, paraphrasing, and checking understanding before responding.
Correct Answer: B. Norming stage focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations,
trust, and working norms become more established, whereas distributive negotiation focuses on negotiation
over how to divide a largely fixed amount of value.
Explanation: Norming stage concerns a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and
working norms become more established; distributive negotiation concerns negotiation over how to divide a
largely fixed amount of value. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of reversing or conflating
the two concepts.
6. A manager at Beacon Foods is specifically trying to create more effective cooperation and
interpersonal problem solving. What should the manager do?
A. Increase scanning, shorten planning cycles, and keep plans flexible as new information arrives
B. Evaluate how a change in one subsystem affects other functions, inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback
C. Strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
D. Diagnose the circumstances and adapt the management practice to fit the situation
Correct Answer: C. Strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
Explanation: The action to strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
most directly applies human skill. The concept refers to the ability to work effectively with, communicate
with, and understand other people, making this option the one most closely linked to more effective
cooperation and interpersonal problem solving.
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. Orchid Brands faces this situation: quality errors are rising, but leaders have not determined whether
employees lack skill, tools, time, or clear procedures. A manager chooses to diagnose organizational, task,
and person-level causes before designing training. Which management principle best explains that
choice?
A. Retention management
B. Employee development
C. Inclusion
D. Training needs assessment
Correct Answer: D. Training needs assessment
Explanation: This is training needs assessment because it involves determining whether a performance gap
is best addressed by training and what knowledge or skills are required. The chosen response - to diagnose
organizational, task, and person-level causes before designing training - directly applies that principle to the
situation.
2. Identify the concept defined by the following description: motivation arising from interest, enjoyment,
challenge, or meaning inherent in the activity itself.
A. Intrinsic motivation
B. Job characteristics model
C. Equity theory
D. Job enrichment
Correct Answer: A. Intrinsic motivation
Explanation: Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation arising from interest, enjoyment, challenge, or
meaning inherent in the activity itself. That meaning matches the description in the stem more closely than
the other management concepts listed.
3. Which response would best address the following situation at Union Care: the firm needs uniform
decisions across locations because regulatory risk is high and variation would be costly?
A. Retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval rules
B. Use clear hierarchy, standardized roles, centralized decisions, and formal procedures where
predictability is essential
C. Create roles and routines that connect the unit with key external and cross-functional information
sources
D. Use dual reporting with clear role expectations, conflict-resolution processes, and shared priorities
Correct Answer: A. Retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval rules
Explanation: The best action is to retain critical decision authority at higher levels and standardize approval
rules. That response applies centralization, which refers to concentrating important decision authority at
higher levels of the organization, and therefore addresses the underlying problem more directly than the
alternatives.
, 4. Xenon Products responds to the fact that a leader wants to build trust in a unit after years of top-down
decisions and weak employee development by choosing to listen carefully, remove barriers, develop
employees, share appropriate power, and put legitimate follower growth needs alongside performance
goals. Which concept provides the clearest rationale for that response?
A. Expert power
B. Referent power
C. Coaching leadership behavior
D. Servant leadership
Correct Answer: D. Servant leadership
Explanation: This is servant leadership because it involves leadership that emphasizes serving, developing,
listening to, and empowering followers while pursuing organizational purpose. The chosen response - to
listen carefully, remove barriers, develop employees, share appropriate power, and put legitimate follower
growth needs alongside performance goals - directly applies that principle to the situation.
5. Which statement keeps the meanings of norming stage and distributive negotiation correctly separated?
A. Norming stage focuses on negotiation over how to divide a largely fixed amount of value, whereas
distributive negotiation focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and
working norms become more established.
B. Norming stage focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and working
norms become more established, whereas distributive negotiation focuses on negotiation over how to
divide a largely fixed amount of value.
C. Both concepts primarily focus on a team-development stage in which a mature team focuses effectively
on task accomplishment with well-developed coordination.
D. Norming stage and distributive negotiation are interchangeable terms for deliberately attending,
clarifying, paraphrasing, and checking understanding before responding.
Correct Answer: B. Norming stage focuses on a team-development stage in which shared expectations,
trust, and working norms become more established, whereas distributive negotiation focuses on negotiation
over how to divide a largely fixed amount of value.
Explanation: Norming stage concerns a team-development stage in which shared expectations, trust, and
working norms become more established; distributive negotiation concerns negotiation over how to divide a
largely fixed amount of value. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of reversing or conflating
the two concepts.
6. A manager at Beacon Foods is specifically trying to create more effective cooperation and
interpersonal problem solving. What should the manager do?
A. Increase scanning, shorten planning cycles, and keep plans flexible as new information arrives
B. Evaluate how a change in one subsystem affects other functions, inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback
C. Strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
D. Diagnose the circumstances and adapt the management practice to fit the situation
Correct Answer: C. Strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
Explanation: The action to strengthen listening, empathy, feedback, and relationship-building behaviors
most directly applies human skill. The concept refers to the ability to work effectively with, communicate
with, and understand other people, making this option the one most closely linked to more effective
cooperation and interpersonal problem solving.
