BUS 326 STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE &
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 2026/2027
What is organizational behavior? - ANS✔✔ field of behavioral science that seeks to understand
how people in an organization ACT, THINK and FEEL by studying individual and group processes.
(Connected to
psych
sociology
economics
anthropology)
Organizations examples - ANS✔✔ Stonybrook
sport teams
clubs
jobs
Goals of OB - ANS✔✔ PREDICT
EXPLAIN
MANAGE
(all with behavior and events in organizations)
to ultimately move people's behavior to the intended behavior
,Classical View of OB - ANS✔✔ classical view- (industrial revolution) specialization of labor,
intensive coordination between ppl, and centralized decision making. (people who r doing work
are not the same as people making decisions).
Concerned with physical design of the work.
-Fredrick Taylor "Scientific Management" (assembly lines)
-standardization of job design
-increase specialization of labor
-train employees based on scientific study of tasks (workers not smart enough to control what
they're doing)
Human Relations View of OB - ANS✔✔ -Emerged as critique of Classical View
-concerned w social and psychological needs of employees
-Grew out of Elton Mayo and Hawthrone Studies
Hawthorne Study - ANS✔✔ -what effects productivity and fatigue
-length of workday n use of rest periods
-standard work conditions 48 hrs week Mon-Sat 9-5
-supervisor was someone familiar
-standard output vs standard conditions
-when breaks added standard output increases
-workers liked special attention received
-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS are important as well as design of work
, Personality - ANS✔✔ theory that there are IMPORTANT, STABLE DIFFERENCES between ppl
ACROSS ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS
Approaches to Personality - ANS✔✔ -"Overall" personality - Big 5, HEXACO, Myers Briggs
-Specific aspects of personality: risk taking, Machiavellian, type a/b
Big Five Personality Dimensions - ANS✔✔ 1) openness to experience (curious and original HIGH
or consistent and cautious LOW)
2)Conscientiousness (Dependable and responsible HIGH or easygoing and compulsive LOW)
3)Extraversion (Sociable and talkative HIGH or Solitary and reserved LOW)
4) Agreeableness (Supportive and Cooperative HIGH or challenging and exacting LOW)
5) Neuroticism (Sensitive and nervous HIGH or stable and easygoing LOW)
Personality is useful for - ANS✔✔ -different ways people like to work
-different ways people might think of a problem
-how a situation affects different people (like someone being excited and someone else being
uncomfortable)
Warnings about Personality - ANS✔✔ -personality explanations are often overused or
exaggerated
-we tend to put people behavior w personality while we put our own behavior to the situation
(FUNDAMETAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR)
METHODS 1
are things working? - ANS✔✔ -to create good decisions & minimize wasting time money &
energy
-do your own research or look at past research
-when analyzing research ask if one thing cause another or are they just associated
PRACTICE QUESTIONS 2026/2027
What is organizational behavior? - ANS✔✔ field of behavioral science that seeks to understand
how people in an organization ACT, THINK and FEEL by studying individual and group processes.
(Connected to
psych
sociology
economics
anthropology)
Organizations examples - ANS✔✔ Stonybrook
sport teams
clubs
jobs
Goals of OB - ANS✔✔ PREDICT
EXPLAIN
MANAGE
(all with behavior and events in organizations)
to ultimately move people's behavior to the intended behavior
,Classical View of OB - ANS✔✔ classical view- (industrial revolution) specialization of labor,
intensive coordination between ppl, and centralized decision making. (people who r doing work
are not the same as people making decisions).
Concerned with physical design of the work.
-Fredrick Taylor "Scientific Management" (assembly lines)
-standardization of job design
-increase specialization of labor
-train employees based on scientific study of tasks (workers not smart enough to control what
they're doing)
Human Relations View of OB - ANS✔✔ -Emerged as critique of Classical View
-concerned w social and psychological needs of employees
-Grew out of Elton Mayo and Hawthrone Studies
Hawthorne Study - ANS✔✔ -what effects productivity and fatigue
-length of workday n use of rest periods
-standard work conditions 48 hrs week Mon-Sat 9-5
-supervisor was someone familiar
-standard output vs standard conditions
-when breaks added standard output increases
-workers liked special attention received
-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS are important as well as design of work
, Personality - ANS✔✔ theory that there are IMPORTANT, STABLE DIFFERENCES between ppl
ACROSS ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS
Approaches to Personality - ANS✔✔ -"Overall" personality - Big 5, HEXACO, Myers Briggs
-Specific aspects of personality: risk taking, Machiavellian, type a/b
Big Five Personality Dimensions - ANS✔✔ 1) openness to experience (curious and original HIGH
or consistent and cautious LOW)
2)Conscientiousness (Dependable and responsible HIGH or easygoing and compulsive LOW)
3)Extraversion (Sociable and talkative HIGH or Solitary and reserved LOW)
4) Agreeableness (Supportive and Cooperative HIGH or challenging and exacting LOW)
5) Neuroticism (Sensitive and nervous HIGH or stable and easygoing LOW)
Personality is useful for - ANS✔✔ -different ways people like to work
-different ways people might think of a problem
-how a situation affects different people (like someone being excited and someone else being
uncomfortable)
Warnings about Personality - ANS✔✔ -personality explanations are often overused or
exaggerated
-we tend to put people behavior w personality while we put our own behavior to the situation
(FUNDAMETAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR)
METHODS 1
are things working? - ANS✔✔ -to create good decisions & minimize wasting time money &
energy
-do your own research or look at past research
-when analyzing research ask if one thing cause another or are they just associated
