BUAD 304 USC Midterm Mastery Bank | Organizational Behavior
& Leadership (Tolan Edition) | Graded A+ 2026/2027
1. According to the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), which core job dimension
leads to the psychological state of "Experienced Meaningfulness"?
a) Autonomy
b) Feedback
c) Skill Variety, Task Identity, and Task Significance
d) High Salary and Benefits
Answer: c
Rationale: When a job requires diverse skills (Variety), involves completing a whole
piece of work (Identity), and impacts others (Significance), employees perceive their
work as meaningful.
2. In Professor Tolan’s lectures on Perception, "Fundamental Attribution Error"
refers to our tendency to:
a) Blame the situation for our own failures.
b) Overestimate internal factors (personality) and underestimate external factors
(environment) when judging others.
c) Assume everyone is like us.
d) Overestimate our own contribution to a team.
Answer: b
Rationale: If a teammate is late, we assume they are "lazy" (internal) rather than
considering they might have been in a car accident (external).
3. Which theory of motivation suggests that "Effort" only leads to "Motivation" if
the employee believes that effort will result in successful performance?
a) Equity Theory
b) Expectancy Theory (Vroom)
c) Maslow’s Hierarchy
d) Goal-Setting Theory
Answer: b
Rationale: This is the "Expectancy" link (E→P). If an employee feels the task is
impossible, their motivation will be zero regardless of the reward.
,4. In the "Thomas-Kilmann" Conflict model, which style is "High in
Assertiveness" and "Low in Cooperation"?
a) Avoiding
b) Accommodating
c) Competing
d) Collaborating
Answer: c
Rationale: Competing is a "win-lose" approach where the individual pursues their own
concerns at the other person’s expense.
5. "Social Loafing" is most likely to occur in teams when:
a) The task is highly challenging.
b) Individual contributions are not clearly identifiable or evaluated.
c) The team size is small (3-4 people).
d) The team has high psychological safety.
Answer: b
Rationale: When individuals can "hide in the crowd," they tend to exert less effort than
when working alone.
6. Which of the following is a "Hygiene Factor" according to Herzberg’s Two-
Factor Theory?
a) Promotional opportunities
b) Recognition from a manager
c) Working conditions and salary
d) Sense of achievement
Answer: c
Rationale: Hygiene factors do not motivate; their presence simply prevents
dissatisfaction. True motivation comes from "Motivators" like the work itself.
7. "Cognitive Dissonance" is the discomfort a person feels when:
a) They have too much work.
b) Their attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent.
c) They disagree with their boss.
d) They are passed over for a promotion.
Answer: b
Rationale: For example, if you value honesty but are forced to lie to a client, you
experience dissonance and must change either your behavior or your attitude.
8. In the "Big Five" personality model, which trait is the strongest predictor of job
performance?
,a) Extraversion
b) Openness to Experience
c) Conscientiousness
d) Agreeableness
Answer: c
Rationale: Conscientious individuals are dependable, organized, and persistent, which
highly correlates with success in most professional roles.
9. "Groupthink" is a phenomenon where:
a) Teams brainstorm better than individuals.
b) The desire for harmony in a cohesive group overrides realistic appraisal of
alternatives.
c) New members are ignored.
d) Everyone in the group thinks exactly the same by nature.
Answer: b
Rationale: Groupthink leads to poor decision-making because dissent is suppressed to
maintain the "illusion of unanimity."
10. According to Equity Theory, if an employee perceives they are "under-
rewarded" compared to a coworker, they will likely:
a) Increase their effort to get a raise.
b) Reduce their inputs (effort) or distort their perceptions.
c) Ignore the situation.
d) Congratulate the coworker.
Answer: b
Rationale: People strive for "distributive justice." If they feel cheated, they will balance
the scale by working less or mentally devaluing their own work.
11. The "Halo Effect" occurs when:
a) We think everyone at USC is an angel.
b) We draw a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristic
(e.g., appearance).
c) We only hire people we like.
d) A manager gives everyone "A" ratings on a review.
Answer: b
Rationale: If an employee is very "charismatic," a manager might incorrectly assume
they are also "technically proficient."
12. "Bounded Rationality" suggests that humans make decisions by:
a) Considering every possible alternative.
, b) Using mathematical models for every choice.
c) Satisficing—choosing the first "good enough" option because of time and cognitive
limits.
d) Flip a coin.
Answer: c
Rationale: We rarely "optimize"; instead, we construct simplified models that extract the
essential features of a problem.
13. In the "Five Stages of Group Development," which stage is characterized by
conflict over roles and leadership?
a) Forming
b) Storming
c) Norming
d) Performing
Answer: b
Rationale: Storming is the phase where members resist group constraints and conflict
arises regarding who will control the group.
14. "Psychological Safety" is the belief that:
a) The office is physically safe from intruders.
b) One will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, or
mistakes.
c) Everyone gets the same pay.
d) The company will never go bankrupt.
Answer: b
Rationale: High psychological safety is the #1 predictor of team success (Project
Aristotle/Google).
15. Which type of reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant consequence
when a desired behavior occurs?
a) Positive Reinforcement
b) Negative Reinforcement
c) Punishment
d) Extinction
Answer: b
Rationale: Negative reinforcement is NOT punishment. It is the removal of a "nag" or
"threat" once the employee does the right thing.
16. A "Self-Serving Bias" is the tendency for individuals to:
a) Attribute their successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.
& Leadership (Tolan Edition) | Graded A+ 2026/2027
1. According to the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), which core job dimension
leads to the psychological state of "Experienced Meaningfulness"?
a) Autonomy
b) Feedback
c) Skill Variety, Task Identity, and Task Significance
d) High Salary and Benefits
Answer: c
Rationale: When a job requires diverse skills (Variety), involves completing a whole
piece of work (Identity), and impacts others (Significance), employees perceive their
work as meaningful.
2. In Professor Tolan’s lectures on Perception, "Fundamental Attribution Error"
refers to our tendency to:
a) Blame the situation for our own failures.
b) Overestimate internal factors (personality) and underestimate external factors
(environment) when judging others.
c) Assume everyone is like us.
d) Overestimate our own contribution to a team.
Answer: b
Rationale: If a teammate is late, we assume they are "lazy" (internal) rather than
considering they might have been in a car accident (external).
3. Which theory of motivation suggests that "Effort" only leads to "Motivation" if
the employee believes that effort will result in successful performance?
a) Equity Theory
b) Expectancy Theory (Vroom)
c) Maslow’s Hierarchy
d) Goal-Setting Theory
Answer: b
Rationale: This is the "Expectancy" link (E→P). If an employee feels the task is
impossible, their motivation will be zero regardless of the reward.
,4. In the "Thomas-Kilmann" Conflict model, which style is "High in
Assertiveness" and "Low in Cooperation"?
a) Avoiding
b) Accommodating
c) Competing
d) Collaborating
Answer: c
Rationale: Competing is a "win-lose" approach where the individual pursues their own
concerns at the other person’s expense.
5. "Social Loafing" is most likely to occur in teams when:
a) The task is highly challenging.
b) Individual contributions are not clearly identifiable or evaluated.
c) The team size is small (3-4 people).
d) The team has high psychological safety.
Answer: b
Rationale: When individuals can "hide in the crowd," they tend to exert less effort than
when working alone.
6. Which of the following is a "Hygiene Factor" according to Herzberg’s Two-
Factor Theory?
a) Promotional opportunities
b) Recognition from a manager
c) Working conditions and salary
d) Sense of achievement
Answer: c
Rationale: Hygiene factors do not motivate; their presence simply prevents
dissatisfaction. True motivation comes from "Motivators" like the work itself.
7. "Cognitive Dissonance" is the discomfort a person feels when:
a) They have too much work.
b) Their attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent.
c) They disagree with their boss.
d) They are passed over for a promotion.
Answer: b
Rationale: For example, if you value honesty but are forced to lie to a client, you
experience dissonance and must change either your behavior or your attitude.
8. In the "Big Five" personality model, which trait is the strongest predictor of job
performance?
,a) Extraversion
b) Openness to Experience
c) Conscientiousness
d) Agreeableness
Answer: c
Rationale: Conscientious individuals are dependable, organized, and persistent, which
highly correlates with success in most professional roles.
9. "Groupthink" is a phenomenon where:
a) Teams brainstorm better than individuals.
b) The desire for harmony in a cohesive group overrides realistic appraisal of
alternatives.
c) New members are ignored.
d) Everyone in the group thinks exactly the same by nature.
Answer: b
Rationale: Groupthink leads to poor decision-making because dissent is suppressed to
maintain the "illusion of unanimity."
10. According to Equity Theory, if an employee perceives they are "under-
rewarded" compared to a coworker, they will likely:
a) Increase their effort to get a raise.
b) Reduce their inputs (effort) or distort their perceptions.
c) Ignore the situation.
d) Congratulate the coworker.
Answer: b
Rationale: People strive for "distributive justice." If they feel cheated, they will balance
the scale by working less or mentally devaluing their own work.
11. The "Halo Effect" occurs when:
a) We think everyone at USC is an angel.
b) We draw a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristic
(e.g., appearance).
c) We only hire people we like.
d) A manager gives everyone "A" ratings on a review.
Answer: b
Rationale: If an employee is very "charismatic," a manager might incorrectly assume
they are also "technically proficient."
12. "Bounded Rationality" suggests that humans make decisions by:
a) Considering every possible alternative.
, b) Using mathematical models for every choice.
c) Satisficing—choosing the first "good enough" option because of time and cognitive
limits.
d) Flip a coin.
Answer: c
Rationale: We rarely "optimize"; instead, we construct simplified models that extract the
essential features of a problem.
13. In the "Five Stages of Group Development," which stage is characterized by
conflict over roles and leadership?
a) Forming
b) Storming
c) Norming
d) Performing
Answer: b
Rationale: Storming is the phase where members resist group constraints and conflict
arises regarding who will control the group.
14. "Psychological Safety" is the belief that:
a) The office is physically safe from intruders.
b) One will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, or
mistakes.
c) Everyone gets the same pay.
d) The company will never go bankrupt.
Answer: b
Rationale: High psychological safety is the #1 predictor of team success (Project
Aristotle/Google).
15. Which type of reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant consequence
when a desired behavior occurs?
a) Positive Reinforcement
b) Negative Reinforcement
c) Punishment
d) Extinction
Answer: b
Rationale: Negative reinforcement is NOT punishment. It is the removal of a "nag" or
"threat" once the employee does the right thing.
16. A "Self-Serving Bias" is the tendency for individuals to:
a) Attribute their successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.
