WGU C715 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR OBJECTIVE
ASSESSMENT ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 | Complete
Questions With Verified Correct Answers Study Guide
Section 1: Questions 1–100
1. A manager is investigating why two departments with identical processes produce
different outcomes. The manager focuses on formal reporting relationships, team
composition, and reward systems. Which field of study is the manager applying?
A. Operations management
B. Human resource management
C. Organizational behavior
D. Industrial engineering
Rationale: Organizational behavior is the systematic study of how individuals, groups,
and structures act within organizations to improve effectiveness. The manager is
examining behavioral and structural causes, which is the core of OB .
2. During a budget negotiation, one group forms a coalition to influence resource
allocation. Which contributing discipline to OB specializes in the study of power,
conflict, and coalition behavior?
A. Psychology
B. Anthropology
C. Sociology
D. Political science
Rationale: Political science contributes to OB the study of power, conflict, coalition
behavior, and intra-organizational politics .
3. An organization provides employees with pay, benefits, and security, and employees
respond with passive compliance and dependence. Which of Schein's organizational
models does this describe?
A. Autocratic
B. Custodial
C. Supportive
D. Collegial
Rationale: The custodial model depends on economic resources; the employer provides
pay and security, and employees respond with passive compliance and dependence .
4. A standardized performance review is perceived as unfair by employees from
different cultural backgrounds. Which contemporary OB challenge does this primarily
reflect?
A. Technology
B. Ethics
C. Workforce diversity
D. Globalization
, Rationale: Workforce diversity encompasses cultural, generational, and individual
differences. A standardized review that feels unfair across cultures reflects a failure to
account for diversity .
5. A CEO requests peer-reviewed studies before implementing a new management
practice. Which OB competency is the CEO demonstrating?
A. Intuitive decision making
B. Bounded rationality
C. Evidence-based management
D. Critical thinking
Rationale: Evidence-based management is the systematic use of the best available
scientific evidence to inform decisions, rather than relying on fads or anecdotes .
6. A consultant examines formal reporting relationships, team composition, and reward
systems before addressing individual personalities. Which level of OB analysis is the
consultant prioritizing?
A. Individual
B. Group
C. Organizational
D. Societal
Rationale: Behavior is best understood at three levels: individual, group, and
organizational. The consultant is examining organizational structure and systems .
7. Which of the following is a core dependent variable in OB research?
A. Gross domestic product
B. Interest rates
C. Organizational citizenship behavior
D. Market share
Rationale: Key dependent variables in OB include productivity, absenteeism, turnover,
organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), counterproductive work behavior, and job
satisfaction .
8. An employee voluntarily helps a coworker who is behind on a project without
expecting formal recognition. This behavior is an example of:
A. Counterproductive work behavior
B. Organizational citizenship behavior
C. Absenteeism
D. Turnover
Rationale: OCB includes discretionary behaviors that contribute to the organization but
are not formally rewarded, such as helping coworkers and volunteering .
9. Which of the following best defines organizational behavior?
A. The study of financial management in organizations
B. The study of how individuals and groups act within organizations and how
organizations manage their environment
C. The process of hiring and firing employees
D. The study of computer systems in the workplace
Rationale: OB is the study of how individuals and groups act within organizations and
, how organizations manage their environment, with the purpose of improving
effectiveness .
10. A researcher studies how personality traits affect individual productivity. Which level
of OB analysis is this?
A. Group
B. Organizational
C. Individual
D. Structural
Rationale: The individual level of analysis examines personality, perception, motivation,
and individual behavior .
11. Which discipline contributes theories of learning, personality, and motivation to OB?
A. Sociology
B. Anthropology
C. Psychology
D. Political science
Rationale: Psychology contributes to OB primarily through theories of learning,
personality, and motivation .
12. A team is formed to review processes and make recommendations, but it does not
have authority to implement changes. Which type of team is this?
A. Self-managed team
B. Virtual team
C. Problem-solving team
D. Cross-functional team
Rationale: Problem-solving teams typically only make recommendations; they do not
have authority to implement suggestions or take full responsibility for results .
13. Management wants teams to review processes, apply critical thinking, and take full
responsibility for outcomes. Which type of team should be organized?
A. Self-managed teams
B. Production teams
C. Virtual teams
D. Problem-solving teams
Rationale: Self-managed teams operate without direct supervision, handling planning,
execution, and monitoring of work, and are held accountable for final performance .
14. A team with strong technical expertise fails because members cannot communicate
effectively or resolve disagreements. Which ability necessary for team members was
overlooked?
A. Technical skills
B. Decision-making skills
C. Interpersonal skills
D. Problem-solving skills
Rationale: Effective teams require technical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
The scenario describes a failure of interpersonal skills .
, 15. What is the primary goal of a work team, as distinguished from a work group?
A. To share information
B. To reduce costs
C. To create collective performance
D. To maximize individual inputs
Rationale: A work group's goal is to share information; a work team's goal is collective
performance that exceeds the sum of individual inputs .
16. Which of the following is an advantage of a strong organizational culture?
A. Low behavioral control
B. Ambiguity in expectations
C. Strong employee commitment
D. Core values are not widely shared
Rationale: A strong culture has intensely held and widely shared core values, which
fosters strong employee commitment and reduces turnover .
17. A group's collective decision becomes more extreme than the initial positions of its
members. This phenomenon is called:
A. Groupthink
B. Groupshift
C. Social loafing
D. Cognitive dissonance
Rationale: Groupshift occurs when group discussion shifts members toward a more
extreme version of their pre-discussion position, either more risky or more cautious .
18. An accounting work group is fragmented because members work in different
directions. Which action would increase group cohesiveness?
A. Give group rewards rather than individual rewards
B. Have the group avoid competition with other groups
C. Give individual rewards rather than group rewards
D. Establish more rigid role definitions
Rationale: Group rewards incentivize collaboration and support among members,
increasing cohesiveness. Individual rewards can foster internal competition .
19. Three employees meet face-to-face to identify a problem and resolve it through
open discussion, seeking a win-win solution. Which conflict resolution technique is
this?
A. Compromising
B. Smoothing
C. Problem solving
D. Devil's advocate
Rationale: Problem solving (collaborating or confronting) involves face-to-face
discussion to identify the underlying problem and resolve it, seeking a win-win solution
.
20. A coach sets a specific goal of running two miles in ten minutes and provides a
stopwatch for feedback. According to goal-setting theory, which two factors explain
why the person achieved the goal?
ASSESSMENT ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 | Complete
Questions With Verified Correct Answers Study Guide
Section 1: Questions 1–100
1. A manager is investigating why two departments with identical processes produce
different outcomes. The manager focuses on formal reporting relationships, team
composition, and reward systems. Which field of study is the manager applying?
A. Operations management
B. Human resource management
C. Organizational behavior
D. Industrial engineering
Rationale: Organizational behavior is the systematic study of how individuals, groups,
and structures act within organizations to improve effectiveness. The manager is
examining behavioral and structural causes, which is the core of OB .
2. During a budget negotiation, one group forms a coalition to influence resource
allocation. Which contributing discipline to OB specializes in the study of power,
conflict, and coalition behavior?
A. Psychology
B. Anthropology
C. Sociology
D. Political science
Rationale: Political science contributes to OB the study of power, conflict, coalition
behavior, and intra-organizational politics .
3. An organization provides employees with pay, benefits, and security, and employees
respond with passive compliance and dependence. Which of Schein's organizational
models does this describe?
A. Autocratic
B. Custodial
C. Supportive
D. Collegial
Rationale: The custodial model depends on economic resources; the employer provides
pay and security, and employees respond with passive compliance and dependence .
4. A standardized performance review is perceived as unfair by employees from
different cultural backgrounds. Which contemporary OB challenge does this primarily
reflect?
A. Technology
B. Ethics
C. Workforce diversity
D. Globalization
, Rationale: Workforce diversity encompasses cultural, generational, and individual
differences. A standardized review that feels unfair across cultures reflects a failure to
account for diversity .
5. A CEO requests peer-reviewed studies before implementing a new management
practice. Which OB competency is the CEO demonstrating?
A. Intuitive decision making
B. Bounded rationality
C. Evidence-based management
D. Critical thinking
Rationale: Evidence-based management is the systematic use of the best available
scientific evidence to inform decisions, rather than relying on fads or anecdotes .
6. A consultant examines formal reporting relationships, team composition, and reward
systems before addressing individual personalities. Which level of OB analysis is the
consultant prioritizing?
A. Individual
B. Group
C. Organizational
D. Societal
Rationale: Behavior is best understood at three levels: individual, group, and
organizational. The consultant is examining organizational structure and systems .
7. Which of the following is a core dependent variable in OB research?
A. Gross domestic product
B. Interest rates
C. Organizational citizenship behavior
D. Market share
Rationale: Key dependent variables in OB include productivity, absenteeism, turnover,
organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), counterproductive work behavior, and job
satisfaction .
8. An employee voluntarily helps a coworker who is behind on a project without
expecting formal recognition. This behavior is an example of:
A. Counterproductive work behavior
B. Organizational citizenship behavior
C. Absenteeism
D. Turnover
Rationale: OCB includes discretionary behaviors that contribute to the organization but
are not formally rewarded, such as helping coworkers and volunteering .
9. Which of the following best defines organizational behavior?
A. The study of financial management in organizations
B. The study of how individuals and groups act within organizations and how
organizations manage their environment
C. The process of hiring and firing employees
D. The study of computer systems in the workplace
Rationale: OB is the study of how individuals and groups act within organizations and
, how organizations manage their environment, with the purpose of improving
effectiveness .
10. A researcher studies how personality traits affect individual productivity. Which level
of OB analysis is this?
A. Group
B. Organizational
C. Individual
D. Structural
Rationale: The individual level of analysis examines personality, perception, motivation,
and individual behavior .
11. Which discipline contributes theories of learning, personality, and motivation to OB?
A. Sociology
B. Anthropology
C. Psychology
D. Political science
Rationale: Psychology contributes to OB primarily through theories of learning,
personality, and motivation .
12. A team is formed to review processes and make recommendations, but it does not
have authority to implement changes. Which type of team is this?
A. Self-managed team
B. Virtual team
C. Problem-solving team
D. Cross-functional team
Rationale: Problem-solving teams typically only make recommendations; they do not
have authority to implement suggestions or take full responsibility for results .
13. Management wants teams to review processes, apply critical thinking, and take full
responsibility for outcomes. Which type of team should be organized?
A. Self-managed teams
B. Production teams
C. Virtual teams
D. Problem-solving teams
Rationale: Self-managed teams operate without direct supervision, handling planning,
execution, and monitoring of work, and are held accountable for final performance .
14. A team with strong technical expertise fails because members cannot communicate
effectively or resolve disagreements. Which ability necessary for team members was
overlooked?
A. Technical skills
B. Decision-making skills
C. Interpersonal skills
D. Problem-solving skills
Rationale: Effective teams require technical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
The scenario describes a failure of interpersonal skills .
, 15. What is the primary goal of a work team, as distinguished from a work group?
A. To share information
B. To reduce costs
C. To create collective performance
D. To maximize individual inputs
Rationale: A work group's goal is to share information; a work team's goal is collective
performance that exceeds the sum of individual inputs .
16. Which of the following is an advantage of a strong organizational culture?
A. Low behavioral control
B. Ambiguity in expectations
C. Strong employee commitment
D. Core values are not widely shared
Rationale: A strong culture has intensely held and widely shared core values, which
fosters strong employee commitment and reduces turnover .
17. A group's collective decision becomes more extreme than the initial positions of its
members. This phenomenon is called:
A. Groupthink
B. Groupshift
C. Social loafing
D. Cognitive dissonance
Rationale: Groupshift occurs when group discussion shifts members toward a more
extreme version of their pre-discussion position, either more risky or more cautious .
18. An accounting work group is fragmented because members work in different
directions. Which action would increase group cohesiveness?
A. Give group rewards rather than individual rewards
B. Have the group avoid competition with other groups
C. Give individual rewards rather than group rewards
D. Establish more rigid role definitions
Rationale: Group rewards incentivize collaboration and support among members,
increasing cohesiveness. Individual rewards can foster internal competition .
19. Three employees meet face-to-face to identify a problem and resolve it through
open discussion, seeking a win-win solution. Which conflict resolution technique is
this?
A. Compromising
B. Smoothing
C. Problem solving
D. Devil's advocate
Rationale: Problem solving (collaborating or confronting) involves face-to-face
discussion to identify the underlying problem and resolve it, seeking a win-win solution
.
20. A coach sets a specific goal of running two miles in ten minutes and provides a
stopwatch for feedback. According to goal-setting theory, which two factors explain
why the person achieved the goal?
