MGMT 310 PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. Union Care faces two linked management requirements. First, a supervisor tells an employee to "be
more professional" without explaining what behavior must change. Second, leaders want to achieve
clearer understanding of what to continue or change. The division director must choose one response that
addresses the immediate problem while also supporting the longer-term outcome. Which action is the best
choice?
A. Describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete future expectation
B. Diagnose organizational, task, and person-level causes before designing training
C. Collect information about the job and use it to define duties and worker requirements before recruiting
D. Analyze turnover patterns and address controllable drivers such as manager quality, growth, workload,
and rewards
Correct Answer: A. Describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete future
expectation
Explanation: The best choice is to describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete
future expectation. The immediate condition points to behaviorally specific feedback, which refers to
feedback that describes observable behavior, its impact, and a clear expectation rather than making vague
personal judgments; applying it also directly supports clearer understanding of what to continue or change.
The other responses address different management problems and do not satisfy both requirements as well.
2. Which option correctly differentiates task conflict and integrative negotiation?
A. Task conflict focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring underlying interests
and possible trade-offs, whereas integrative negotiation focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence,
priorities, or how the work should be done.
B. Task conflict focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the work should be done,
whereas integrative negotiation focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring
underlying interests and possible trade-offs.
C. Both concepts primarily focus on a team-development stage in which disagreement over roles, priorities,
methods, or influence becomes more visible.
D. Task conflict and integrative negotiation are interchangeable terms for interpersonal tension, dislike, and
personality-based friction that distract from the task.
Correct Answer: B. Task conflict focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the
work should be done, whereas integrative negotiation focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value
by exploring underlying interests and possible trade-offs.
Explanation: Task conflict concerns disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the work should
be done; integrative negotiation concerns negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring
underlying interests and possible trade-offs. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of reversing
or conflating the two concepts.
, 3. At Quartz Systems, some employees receive trust, information, and developmental opportunities while
others with similar performance remain outside the leader's inner circle. The division director responds by
deciding to build high-quality, professional exchanges broadly and base differentiated opportunities on
legitimate work-related factors. Which concept is most directly illustrated by this response?
A. Transformational leadership
B. Transactional leadership
C. Expert power
D. Leader-member exchange
Correct Answer: D. Leader-member exchange
Explanation: This is leader-member exchange because it involves the quality of the working relationship
between a leader and each individual follower. The chosen response - to build high-quality, professional
exchanges broadly and base differentiated opportunities on legitimate work-related factors - directly applies
that principle to the situation.
4. A manager is reviewing unity of command and delegation. Which distinction is accurate?
A. Unity of command focuses on the principle that an employee should have a clear primary boss for formal
authority and accountability, whereas delegation focuses on assigning responsibility and authority for a
task while the manager remains accountable for the result.
B. Unity of command and delegation are interchangeable terms for dividing work into narrower tasks so
people can build expertise in particular activities.
C. Unity of command focuses on assigning responsibility and authority for a task while the manager
remains accountable for the result, whereas delegation focuses on the principle that an employee should
have a clear primary boss for formal authority and accountability.
D. Both concepts primarily focus on the number of direct reports for whom a manager is responsible.
Correct Answer: A. Unity of command focuses on the principle that an employee should have a clear
primary boss for formal authority and accountability, whereas delegation focuses on assigning
responsibility and authority for a task while the manager remains accountable for the result.
Explanation: Unity of command concerns the principle that an employee should have a clear primary boss
for formal authority and accountability; delegation concerns assigning responsibility and authority for a task
while the manager remains accountable for the result. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of
reversing or conflating the two concepts.
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. Union Care faces two linked management requirements. First, a supervisor tells an employee to "be
more professional" without explaining what behavior must change. Second, leaders want to achieve
clearer understanding of what to continue or change. The division director must choose one response that
addresses the immediate problem while also supporting the longer-term outcome. Which action is the best
choice?
A. Describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete future expectation
B. Diagnose organizational, task, and person-level causes before designing training
C. Collect information about the job and use it to define duties and worker requirements before recruiting
D. Analyze turnover patterns and address controllable drivers such as manager quality, growth, workload,
and rewards
Correct Answer: A. Describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete future
expectation
Explanation: The best choice is to describe the specific behavior, explain its effect, and agree on a concrete
future expectation. The immediate condition points to behaviorally specific feedback, which refers to
feedback that describes observable behavior, its impact, and a clear expectation rather than making vague
personal judgments; applying it also directly supports clearer understanding of what to continue or change.
The other responses address different management problems and do not satisfy both requirements as well.
2. Which option correctly differentiates task conflict and integrative negotiation?
A. Task conflict focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring underlying interests
and possible trade-offs, whereas integrative negotiation focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence,
priorities, or how the work should be done.
B. Task conflict focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the work should be done,
whereas integrative negotiation focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring
underlying interests and possible trade-offs.
C. Both concepts primarily focus on a team-development stage in which disagreement over roles, priorities,
methods, or influence becomes more visible.
D. Task conflict and integrative negotiation are interchangeable terms for interpersonal tension, dislike, and
personality-based friction that distract from the task.
Correct Answer: B. Task conflict focuses on disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the
work should be done, whereas integrative negotiation focuses on negotiation aimed at expanding joint value
by exploring underlying interests and possible trade-offs.
Explanation: Task conflict concerns disagreement about ideas, evidence, priorities, or how the work should
be done; integrative negotiation concerns negotiation aimed at expanding joint value by exploring
underlying interests and possible trade-offs. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of reversing
or conflating the two concepts.
, 3. At Quartz Systems, some employees receive trust, information, and developmental opportunities while
others with similar performance remain outside the leader's inner circle. The division director responds by
deciding to build high-quality, professional exchanges broadly and base differentiated opportunities on
legitimate work-related factors. Which concept is most directly illustrated by this response?
A. Transformational leadership
B. Transactional leadership
C. Expert power
D. Leader-member exchange
Correct Answer: D. Leader-member exchange
Explanation: This is leader-member exchange because it involves the quality of the working relationship
between a leader and each individual follower. The chosen response - to build high-quality, professional
exchanges broadly and base differentiated opportunities on legitimate work-related factors - directly applies
that principle to the situation.
4. A manager is reviewing unity of command and delegation. Which distinction is accurate?
A. Unity of command focuses on the principle that an employee should have a clear primary boss for formal
authority and accountability, whereas delegation focuses on assigning responsibility and authority for a
task while the manager remains accountable for the result.
B. Unity of command and delegation are interchangeable terms for dividing work into narrower tasks so
people can build expertise in particular activities.
C. Unity of command focuses on assigning responsibility and authority for a task while the manager
remains accountable for the result, whereas delegation focuses on the principle that an employee should
have a clear primary boss for formal authority and accountability.
D. Both concepts primarily focus on the number of direct reports for whom a manager is responsible.
Correct Answer: A. Unity of command focuses on the principle that an employee should have a clear
primary boss for formal authority and accountability, whereas delegation focuses on assigning
responsibility and authority for a task while the manager remains accountable for the result.
Explanation: Unity of command concerns the principle that an employee should have a clear primary boss
for formal authority and accountability; delegation concerns assigning responsibility and authority for a task
while the manager remains accountable for the result. The correct option preserves that distinction instead of
reversing or conflating the two concepts.
