MGMT 311 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. An executive hears an initial sales estimate of $20 million and later forecasts remain close to that figure despite
weak evidence. Which bias is most likely?
A. Anchoring bias.
B. Surface acting.
C. Task identity.
D. Equity bias.
Correct Answer: A. Anchoring bias.
Explanation: Anchoring occurs when an initial value exerts too much influence on later judgments, even when it should
receive little weight.
2. A salesperson believes strong performance is possible but thinks bonuses are unrelated to results. Which link is
weak?
A. Expectancy.
B. Valence only.
C. Instrumentality.
D. Task identity.
Correct Answer: C. Instrumentality.
Explanation: Instrumentality is the belief that successful performance will lead to particular outcomes such as pay,
recognition, or promotion.
3. After a successful presentation, an employee credits personal talent; after a poor one, the employee blames the
room and audience. Which tendency is illustrated?
A. Halo effect.
B. Group polarization.
C. Procedural justice.
D. Self-serving bias.
Correct Answer: D. Self-serving bias.
Explanation: Self-serving bias involves attributing favorable outcomes to oneself and unfavorable outcomes to external
circumstances.
4. A supervisor asks an employee to restate instructions in the employee's own words. What communication
mechanism is the supervisor creating?
A. Group polarization.
B. Feedback.
C. Filtering.
D. Formalization.
Correct Answer: B. Feedback.
Explanation: Feedback helps the sender determine whether the receiver understood the intended message and allows
correction of misunderstandings.
, 5. A newly hired analyst does not know which outcomes matter, who has authority, or how performance will be
judged. Which stressor is most evident?
A. Role overload only.
B. Social facilitation.
C. Role ambiguity.
D. Affective commitment.
Correct Answer: C. Role ambiguity.
Explanation: Role ambiguity reflects uncertainty about expectations, responsibilities, authority, or performance criteria.
6. An employee stays mainly because leaving would mean losing substantial pension benefits and local career
opportunities. Which commitment is most evident?
A. Continuance commitment.
B. Referent power.
C. Affective commitment.
D. Task identity.
Correct Answer: A. Continuance commitment.
Explanation: Continuance commitment is based on perceived costs of leaving and limited alternatives rather than
emotional attachment.
7. Employees accept an unfavorable scheduling decision more readily because the rules were consistent, unbiased,
and allowed input. Which fairness dimension is strongest?
A. Coercive power.
B. Emotional contagion.
C. Distributive justice only.
D. Procedural justice.
Correct Answer: D. Procedural justice.
Explanation: Procedural justice focuses on the fairness of the methods used to make decisions, including consistency,
neutrality, accuracy, and voice.
8. A manager can approve promotions and desirable assignments. Which power base does this create?
A. Referent power.
B. Reward power.
C. Expert power.
D. Informational overload.
Correct Answer: B. Reward power.
Explanation: Reward power comes from control over valued outcomes that others want.
9. A company publicly claims that quality comes first, but bonuses reward only production volume. What is the
most likely lesson employees learn?
A. Artifacts never influence culture.
B. Culture is unrelated to incentives.
C. Espoused values always override rewards.
D. The enacted culture values output volume more than the espoused slogan suggests.
Correct Answer: D. The enacted culture values output volume more than the espoused slogan suggests.
Explanation: Employees infer culture from what leaders repeatedly pay attention to, reward, and tolerate. Enacted
priorities can outweigh stated values.
AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. An executive hears an initial sales estimate of $20 million and later forecasts remain close to that figure despite
weak evidence. Which bias is most likely?
A. Anchoring bias.
B. Surface acting.
C. Task identity.
D. Equity bias.
Correct Answer: A. Anchoring bias.
Explanation: Anchoring occurs when an initial value exerts too much influence on later judgments, even when it should
receive little weight.
2. A salesperson believes strong performance is possible but thinks bonuses are unrelated to results. Which link is
weak?
A. Expectancy.
B. Valence only.
C. Instrumentality.
D. Task identity.
Correct Answer: C. Instrumentality.
Explanation: Instrumentality is the belief that successful performance will lead to particular outcomes such as pay,
recognition, or promotion.
3. After a successful presentation, an employee credits personal talent; after a poor one, the employee blames the
room and audience. Which tendency is illustrated?
A. Halo effect.
B. Group polarization.
C. Procedural justice.
D. Self-serving bias.
Correct Answer: D. Self-serving bias.
Explanation: Self-serving bias involves attributing favorable outcomes to oneself and unfavorable outcomes to external
circumstances.
4. A supervisor asks an employee to restate instructions in the employee's own words. What communication
mechanism is the supervisor creating?
A. Group polarization.
B. Feedback.
C. Filtering.
D. Formalization.
Correct Answer: B. Feedback.
Explanation: Feedback helps the sender determine whether the receiver understood the intended message and allows
correction of misunderstandings.
, 5. A newly hired analyst does not know which outcomes matter, who has authority, or how performance will be
judged. Which stressor is most evident?
A. Role overload only.
B. Social facilitation.
C. Role ambiguity.
D. Affective commitment.
Correct Answer: C. Role ambiguity.
Explanation: Role ambiguity reflects uncertainty about expectations, responsibilities, authority, or performance criteria.
6. An employee stays mainly because leaving would mean losing substantial pension benefits and local career
opportunities. Which commitment is most evident?
A. Continuance commitment.
B. Referent power.
C. Affective commitment.
D. Task identity.
Correct Answer: A. Continuance commitment.
Explanation: Continuance commitment is based on perceived costs of leaving and limited alternatives rather than
emotional attachment.
7. Employees accept an unfavorable scheduling decision more readily because the rules were consistent, unbiased,
and allowed input. Which fairness dimension is strongest?
A. Coercive power.
B. Emotional contagion.
C. Distributive justice only.
D. Procedural justice.
Correct Answer: D. Procedural justice.
Explanation: Procedural justice focuses on the fairness of the methods used to make decisions, including consistency,
neutrality, accuracy, and voice.
8. A manager can approve promotions and desirable assignments. Which power base does this create?
A. Referent power.
B. Reward power.
C. Expert power.
D. Informational overload.
Correct Answer: B. Reward power.
Explanation: Reward power comes from control over valued outcomes that others want.
9. A company publicly claims that quality comes first, but bonuses reward only production volume. What is the
most likely lesson employees learn?
A. Artifacts never influence culture.
B. Culture is unrelated to incentives.
C. Espoused values always override rewards.
D. The enacted culture values output volume more than the espoused slogan suggests.
Correct Answer: D. The enacted culture values output volume more than the espoused slogan suggests.
Explanation: Employees infer culture from what leaders repeatedly pay attention to, reward, and tolerate. Enacted
priorities can outweigh stated values.
