MGMT 311 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. A nurse values patient service and collaboration, while the employer rewards only individual sales-style metrics.
Which concept best captures the mismatch?
A. Role clarity.
B. Person-organization value misfit.
C. Positive reinforcement.
D. High task identity.
Correct Answer: B. Person-organization value misfit.
Explanation: Person-organization fit concerns compatibility between an individual's values and the organization's
values or culture. A persistent mismatch can affect attitudes and retention.
2. Which goal is most consistent with goal-setting theory for a routine measurable task?
A. An impossible target with no resources.
B. No goal because goals reduce all motivation.
C. A vague instruction to do your best with no feedback.
D. A specific, challenging but attainable performance target with feedback.
Correct Answer: D. A specific, challenging but attainable performance target with feedback.
Explanation: Specific and challenging goals tend to support performance when people accept them, have needed
capability, and receive useful feedback.
3. A technician performs an entire repair from diagnosis through final testing rather than one small step. Which job
characteristic increases most?
A. Task identity.
B. Surface acting.
C. Centralization.
D. Role ambiguity.
Correct Answer: A. Task identity.
Explanation: Task identity is the degree to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work from
beginning to end.
4. Employees follow a senior engineer's advice because they value the engineer's specialized knowledge. Which
power base is strongest?
A. Reward power.
B. Coercive power.
C. Expert power.
D. Legitimate power.
Correct Answer: C. Expert power.
Explanation: Expert power comes from valued knowledge, skill, or competence rather than formal authority.
, 5. A supervisor sees one employee arrive late once and concludes the employee is irresponsible, ignoring a major
transit shutdown. Which bias is most evident?
A. Self-serving bias.
B. Fundamental attribution error.
C. Escalation of commitment.
D. Social loafing.
Correct Answer: B. Fundamental attribution error.
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize internal causes for others' behavior
while underweighting situational explanations.
6. An employee genuinely identifies with the organization and wants to remain because of emotional attachment.
Which form of commitment is strongest?
A. Affective commitment.
B. Normative commitment only.
C. Continuance commitment.
D. Role ambiguity.
Correct Answer: A. Affective commitment.
Explanation: Affective commitment reflects emotional attachment, identification, and a desire to remain with the
organization.
7. A manager accurately recognizes personal frustration before a meeting and adjusts behavior so it does not spill
over onto the team. Which emotional-intelligence ability is most evident?
A. Distributive justice.
B. Low self-monitoring.
C. External locus of control.
D. Self-awareness followed by self-management.
Correct Answer: D. Self-awareness followed by self-management.
Explanation: Recognizing one's own emotional state reflects self-awareness; regulating the response reflects
self-management.
8. A team includes members who differ visibly in age, gender expression, and race. These are examples of what
category of diversity?
A. Normative commitment.
B. Task identity.
C. Surface-level diversity.
D. Deep-level diversity only.
Correct Answer: C. Surface-level diversity.
Explanation: Surface-level diversity refers to readily observable demographic or physical characteristics, while
deep-level diversity involves values, knowledge, personality, or perspectives.
AND EXPLANATIONS
| American Public University
1. A nurse values patient service and collaboration, while the employer rewards only individual sales-style metrics.
Which concept best captures the mismatch?
A. Role clarity.
B. Person-organization value misfit.
C. Positive reinforcement.
D. High task identity.
Correct Answer: B. Person-organization value misfit.
Explanation: Person-organization fit concerns compatibility between an individual's values and the organization's
values or culture. A persistent mismatch can affect attitudes and retention.
2. Which goal is most consistent with goal-setting theory for a routine measurable task?
A. An impossible target with no resources.
B. No goal because goals reduce all motivation.
C. A vague instruction to do your best with no feedback.
D. A specific, challenging but attainable performance target with feedback.
Correct Answer: D. A specific, challenging but attainable performance target with feedback.
Explanation: Specific and challenging goals tend to support performance when people accept them, have needed
capability, and receive useful feedback.
3. A technician performs an entire repair from diagnosis through final testing rather than one small step. Which job
characteristic increases most?
A. Task identity.
B. Surface acting.
C. Centralization.
D. Role ambiguity.
Correct Answer: A. Task identity.
Explanation: Task identity is the degree to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work from
beginning to end.
4. Employees follow a senior engineer's advice because they value the engineer's specialized knowledge. Which
power base is strongest?
A. Reward power.
B. Coercive power.
C. Expert power.
D. Legitimate power.
Correct Answer: C. Expert power.
Explanation: Expert power comes from valued knowledge, skill, or competence rather than formal authority.
, 5. A supervisor sees one employee arrive late once and concludes the employee is irresponsible, ignoring a major
transit shutdown. Which bias is most evident?
A. Self-serving bias.
B. Fundamental attribution error.
C. Escalation of commitment.
D. Social loafing.
Correct Answer: B. Fundamental attribution error.
Explanation: The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize internal causes for others' behavior
while underweighting situational explanations.
6. An employee genuinely identifies with the organization and wants to remain because of emotional attachment.
Which form of commitment is strongest?
A. Affective commitment.
B. Normative commitment only.
C. Continuance commitment.
D. Role ambiguity.
Correct Answer: A. Affective commitment.
Explanation: Affective commitment reflects emotional attachment, identification, and a desire to remain with the
organization.
7. A manager accurately recognizes personal frustration before a meeting and adjusts behavior so it does not spill
over onto the team. Which emotional-intelligence ability is most evident?
A. Distributive justice.
B. Low self-monitoring.
C. External locus of control.
D. Self-awareness followed by self-management.
Correct Answer: D. Self-awareness followed by self-management.
Explanation: Recognizing one's own emotional state reflects self-awareness; regulating the response reflects
self-management.
8. A team includes members who differ visibly in age, gender expression, and race. These are examples of what
category of diversity?
A. Normative commitment.
B. Task identity.
C. Surface-level diversity.
D. Deep-level diversity only.
Correct Answer: C. Surface-level diversity.
Explanation: Surface-level diversity refers to readily observable demographic or physical characteristics, while
deep-level diversity involves values, knowledge, personality, or perspectives.
