Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1 Bauer & Erdogan FWK Test Item File All Chapters

Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1 Bauer & Erdogan FWK Test Item File All Chapters Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1 Bauer & Erdogan FWK Test Item File Chapter 1 TRUE/FALSE 1. Flat World Knowledge was started by two textbook publishing industry veterans. 2. Flat World Knowledge is improving on the traditional publishing model but is not innovating much. 3. So far, Flat World Knowledge is a start up without any external funding. 4. Most successful CEOs believe, “A company is only as good as the innovation it creates.” 5. Current research suggests that the average employee today will change jobs 10 times in 20 years. 6. Organizational behavior is the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work. 7. Emile is seated in a lecture where the instructor is discussing personality. He is most likely in a sociology class. 8. The study of organizational behavior analyzes the three levels of individual, organization, and society. 9. If I am examining how my manager’s behavior influences my work group, I am looking at the organizational level of analysis in the organizational behavior discipline. 10. Organizational behavior matters at three critical levels because it analyzes what you care about, what employers care about, and what organizations care about. 11. Successful organizations tend to limit the amount of information shared by maintaining a centralized structure. 12. Research shows that those organizations that are more effective limit the amount of feedback they provide employees, limit the amount of information shared, and allow roles to be ambiguous. 13. Those firms that are categorized as successful tend to provide employment security, train employees, and reduce status differences. 14. Financially there is little incentive to attain a higher level degree. 15. The unemployment rate decreases as the level of education attained increases. 16. In general, the more training you have, the more financial success you will achieve. 17. Journaling is a technique that helps you chart your progress as you learn new skills. 18. The discipline of organizational behavior is simply common sense. 19. Michael is an auditory learner. He learns best by actually doing things and learning from trial and error. 20. A kinesthetic learner is very likely to avoid taking once a week classes as they require too much sitting and listening time. 21. Close-ended survey questions can be very time consuming to summarize and very hard to interpret. 22. Glen is interested in finding out how effective a new incentive program might be in an organization. He chooses two departments to focus upon in a company. One department works under the incentive program, one does not. This is an experimental design study. 23. Case studies suffer from questions as to whether the results of one organization are generalizable to other situations and organizations. 24. Meta-analysis shows that the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance is moderately strong. 25. Reliability refers to consistency of measurement, while validity assesses whether the measurement does, indeed, measure what it is supposed to measure. 26. Most of management research addresses causation. 27. The federal government passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as a long-term solution to dealing with unethical behavior. 28. Employee engagement has a significant impact on the corporate bottom line. 29. Research by Gallup indicates that only 20% of employees are disengaged from their organization. 30. Moore’s Law suggests that computing power doubles every two years. 31. Because of information overload, some organizations, like Intel, have introduced “No e-mail Fridays” as a way to address the issue. 32. Access to information has led to an increase in innovation and a “flattening of the world.” 33. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating organizations against the three performance criteria of social viability, economic viability, and demographic viability. 34. One of the major challenges facing organizations today is how to reconcile the accountability publicly owned firms have in generating wealth for shareholders while attending to the triple bottom line. 35. In general terms, the American workforce is growing younger. 36. Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly common practice in many organizations. 37. A “shamrock organization” is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees, and one-third consultants and contractors. 38. Offshoring and the development of a shamrock organization structure challenges organizational behavior to manage teams made up of employees of different nationalities separated by culture, language, time and space. 39. The Millennial Generation has technology embedded in their lives so organizational behavior has the challenge of managing people of different generations who have different values with regard to teamwork, rewards, and work-life balance. 40. Organizational behavior provides organizations the tools to address the technological, societal, and cultural issues arising today to create an environment that is mutually beneficial to the firm and its employees. MULTIPLE CHOICE Opening Section: College Textbook Revolution: The case of Flat World Knowledge 41. The CEO of Flat World Knowledge believes: a. the textbook industry is fine as it is. b. textbook costs are not a major concern. c. the traditional textbook industry model no longer makes sense. d. that charging a high price for textbooks will lead to company growth. (c) Medium/Analysis 42. The success of Flat World Knowledge is surprising because the textbook industry is characterized by a. Low profit margins. b. Expensive textbooks. c. Harmonious customer interactions. d. Interesting and challenging textbooks. (b) Easy/Comprehension Section I: Understanding Organizational Behavior 43. According to the authors of Organizational Behavior, a company’s greatest asset is a. its product. b. its financial resources. c. its people. d. its location. (c) Easy/Knowledge 44. Maurice is enrolled in a career development class at his university. Which of the following statements best reflects important themes in the course? a. All students have common experiences and capabilities so an organization’s career development activities can be standardized. b. Learn as much as you can in as many areas as you can in college because you will not learn much more throughout your worklife. c. Once individuals choose their first job and the organization in which they work, they make very few changes in either throughout the rest of their worklives; so choose carefully. d. Uniqueness in a career path is the norm, so the best prepared students are able to diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate answers and act in effective and ethical manners. (d) Difficult/Synthesis 45. Which of the following is a key level of analysis investigated in Organizational Behavior a. industry. b. individual. c. meta. d. society. (b) Easy/Knowledge 46. The systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work is a. clinical psychology. b. organizational behavior. c. sociology. d. economics. (b) Easy/Knowledge 47. Sociology is a. the systematic study of group and team processes. b. the systematic study of the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. c. the systematic study of the processes by which groups of people make decisions. d. the systematic study of the processes in the organization and workplace that improve the performance and well being of people. (a) Difficult/Synthesis 48. Manuel is studying both psychology and sociology this term. He is having a difficult time dealing with the overlap of some of the topics in the course. To help him focused on the relevant aspects of each course, he should keep in mind that a. sociology is primarily focused on the individual; psychology on society. b. psychology primarily looks at how individuals are influenced in groups; sociology looks at aspects of the individual. c. sociology focuses on mental processes and behavior of the individual in society; psychology focuses on how individuals are influenced by groups. d. psychology primarily focuses on mental process and behavior in the individual; sociology on how individuals are influenced in groups. (d) Difficult/Evaluation 49. Psychology is a. the scientific study of mental processes and behaviors of the individual. b. the systematic study of individual behavior in society. c. the systematic study of the processes by which groups of people make decisions. d. the systematic study of how to improve the performance and well being of individuals in the workplace. (a) Difficult/Synthesis 50. Organizational behavior draws heavily on personality and motivation studies from what other discipline? a. psychology b. physiology c. economics d. political science (a) Easy/Comprehension 51. Studies on decision making have been carried out in all of these disciplines EXCEPT a. anthropology b. political science c. economics d. psychology (a) Easy/Comprehension 52. Work on team processes has been carried out in what area? a. sociology b. finance c. economics d. physics (a) Easy/Comprehension 53. During the first day of an organizational behavior class at your university, the instructor tells the students that during the term they will learn all of the following EXCEPT a. how to work effectively on team projects. b. how to make more effective decisions about their academic and social lives. c. how different organizations interact with each other. d. how to cope with the stress of finals week. (c) Easy/Comprehension 54. A recent National Association of Colleges and Employers survey indicated all of the following are important skills for evaluating job candidates EXCEPT a. communication skills. b. demographics. c. honesty/integrity. d. strong work ethic. (b) Easy/Knowledge 55. Which of the following is accurate according to organizational behavior research? a. successful companies are more centralized. b. successful companies emphasize the status differences between their employees. c. successful companies have very simple and informal hiring systems. d. successful companies treat their employees well. (d) Easy/Knowledge 56. Which of the following is likely to produce an effective organization? a. A firm that controls its labor costs by limiting training opportunities to only a few employees. b. A firm that maintains two separate cafeterias for employees; one for executives and managers and one for everyone else. c. A firm where information is shared on a “need-only” basis. d. A firm that employs selective hiring practices. (d) Difficult/Evaluation 57. Research indicates that all of the following characteristics produce healthy organizations EXCEPT a. role clarity. b. participative decision making. c. information sharing. d. limited feedback. (d) Medium/Analysis 58. Rosario is examining a summary chart on four firms’ organizational characteristics. She feels which of the organizations below is most likely to have the greatest chance to be successful in the next year? a. Organization A uses self-managed teams, pays its workers a little above the average for the industry and has regular “state of the business meetings.” b. Organization B has a pay policy that matches the industry average for each job category, maintains special parking, cafeteria, and restroom facilities for its managers, and conducts performance appraisals every two years. c. Organization C has gone through regular quarterly lay-offs the last few quarters, established a policy last month where all decisions involving the expenditure of fifty dollars or more must be approved by two managers and has temporarily suspended all performance evaluations for the year. d. Organization D maintains a training program that is very selective with regard to employee involvement. They recently instituted a large-scale job flexibility program that “blurs” the lines between job duties and passed a strict pay secrecy policy last month. (a) Difficult/Synthesis 59. Research indicates that effective organizations tend to a. centralize their entire decision making. b. have a very large differential in pay between the lowest paid employee and the CEO. c. hire the first person available for any job opening. d. provide as much employment security as possible to their employees. (d) Medium/Application Unemployment and Earnings for Workers 25 and older by Educational Attainment, 2006 Unemployment Rate (Percent) Educational Degree Median Weekly Earnings (U.S. Dollars) 1.4 Doctoral Degree 1,441 1.7 Master’s Degree 1,140 2.3 Bachelor’s Degree 962 3.0 Associate Degree 721 3.9 Some College 674 4.3 High School Graduate 595 6.8 Some High School 419 60. The information on the preceding table indicates a. the higher the educational level, the higher the pay. b. there is a negative return to investment in education. c. the level of educational degree does not matter, it is whether you have a degree or not. d. unemployment rates increases as you increase educational attainment level. (a) Difficult/Evaluation Unemployment and Earnings for Workers 25 and older by Educational Attainment, 2006 Unemployment Rate (Percent) Educational Degree Median Weekly Earnings (U.S. Dollars) 1.4 Doctoral Degree 1,441 1.7 Master’s Degree 1,140 2.3 Bachelor’s Degree 962 3.0 Associate Degree 721 3.9 Some College 674 4.3 High School Graduate 595 6.8 Some High School 419 61. Which is likely, given the data in the preceding table? a. The more training an individual has, the more financial success he enjoys. b. There is a negative financial return to higher-level degree attainment. c. Unemployment levels increase as educational level increases. d. Financially, there is little incentive to achieve a higher-level degree. (a) Difficult/Synthesis 62. Tom Peters, management expert, suggests individuals manage themselves as if they were “the brand that is you.” Such brand management might include all of the following suggestions EXCEPT a. appreciate new technology. b. avoid uncertainty. c. master something. d. network. (b) Medium/Comprehension 63. To be effective in keeping up your skill set in the future, make sure to a. purchase and use every new technological gadget that comes out on the market. b. make as many connections as you can on Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn. c. avoid change as much as you can. d. excel at something so it sets you apart. (d) Difficult/Synthesis 64. Journaling is an effective developmental technique. Which of the following is true about the process of journaling? a. Writing your thoughts down increases your stress level as you re-live the events you write about. b. Thinking about your day is as effective as writing it down. c. You must write down your thoughts a minimum of 30 minutes a day to derive any benefits from the process. d. Tracking changes in yourself can be motivating. (d) Medium/Analysis 65. Which of the following is accurate according to OB research? a. We all have excellent perception and readily attend to those things we should and ignore those we should not. b. We all understand and use the logical approach to decision making. c. People perform better if goals are difficult rather than easy. d. Brainstorming in a group is more effective than brainstorming alone. (c) Difficult/Synthesis Section II: Understanding Your Learning Style 66. A kinesthetic learner a. has a preference for doing things and learning by trial and error. b. retains information by reading and seeing diagrams and flow charts. c. learns primarily by listening to others. d. learns best by attending videotaped lectures. (a) Easy/Knowledge 67. A visual learner a. learns by retaining information from reading and seeing diagrams. b. has a preference for doing things and learning by trial and error. c. learns best based upon the circumstances of the situation. d. learns primarily by listening to others. (a) Easy/Knowledge 68. An auditory learner a. learns primarily by taking tests. b. learns primarily by listening to others. c. learns by reading and seeing diagrams and graphs. d. learns best by trial and error. (b) Easy/Knowledge 69. To facilitate his learning in a college course, a visual learner would likely a. join a study group. b. tape his professor’s lectures. c. take notes during class. d. avoid scheduling classes that meet for long time periods. (c) Medium/Comprehension 70. A student who needs to take breaks during his study sessions and who needs to move around after reading a chapter in his textbook is likely a(n) ___________ learner. a. visual b. auditory c. kinesthetic d. emotional (c) Medium/Comprehension 71. Auditory learners a. draw pictures to help them understand material. b. take notes during lectures to force them to pay attention. c. use charts to summarize the main points of class material. d. record lectures to refer back to them later. (d) Medium/Comprehension Section III: Understanding How OB Research is Done 72. Hypotheses are a. entities that take on different values. b. research tools that elicit respondents’ reactions to specific questions. c. the process of writing out thoughts and emotions on a regular basis. d. tentative guesses for expected observations that can be tested. (d) Easy/Knowledge 73. An entity that takes on different values is a. a hypothesis. b. a variable. c. a survey. d. a field study. (b) Easy/Knowledge 74. Research conducted in an actual organization is a. a field study. b. a survey. c. a lab study. d. a meta-analytic study. (a) Easy/Knowledge 75. Which of the following statements about surveys is INCORRECT? a. Either open-ended or close-ended questions can be used in surveys. b. Close-ended question responses are difficult to summarize. c. Surveys involve asking individuals to respond to questions. d. Many effective online survey tools are available free of charge. (b) Medium/Comprehension 76. Research that is performed under very controlled conditions and can include observation, interviews, or experiments is called a. a case study. b. a survey. c. a field study. d. a lab study. (d) Easy/Comprehension 77. A control group a. receives experimental manipulation. b. is an entity that can take on different values. c. receives no experimental manipulation. d. is a tentative guess on an observation that can be tested. (c) Easy/Comprehension 78. Which of the following statements about case studies is true? a. They involve a study conducted under controlled conditions. b. They offer the researcher a very simple and effective way to generalize what worked in a single situation to many other situations. c. They are a technique employed by researchers to summarize what other researchers found on a topic. d. They are a way to gather data and explain an event or situation in detail. (d) Medium/Analysis 79. Marcus wants to thoroughly understand the issues that created the severe economic straits General Motors currently finds itself experiencing. He should consider what kind of a research study? a. A case study. b. A survey. c. A field study. d. A laboratory study. (a) Medium/Application Before instituting a new health benefit program for its employees, one Big Ten University offered all its employees in the Liberal Arts and Engineering Schools an opportunity to participate in a Wellness Program that focused on walking to enhance employee health and cut down on those employees using health benefits. Those liberal arts employees agreeing to participate would receive a $25 gift card to Best Buy. Those in the engineering department were not offered the gift card for signing up. 80. The scenario described above represents which type of research study? a. A case study. b. A survey. c. An experimental field study. d. A laboratory study. (c) Medium/Application 81. In the scenario described above, the liberal arts school employees are a. the treatment group. b. the control group. c. the survey group. d. the case group. (a) Medium/Application 82. The engineering school employees, described in the scenario above, could be labeled the a. control group. b. treatment group. c. case group. d. survey group. (a) Medium/Application 83. Meta-analysis is a. a study with a group that receives a treatment and a comparison group that receives no treatment. b. a study conducted in an actual organization. c. the process of summarizing research findings from studies on related topics. d. an in-depth analysis of a single industry or company. (c) Easy/Knowledge 84. Validity is a. an entity that can take on different values. b. the consistency in measurement. c. the strength of the relationship between two variables. d. the truth of a measurement. (d) Easy/Knowledge 85. Natalia administered the test to the job candidate three different times. She is looking at the scores and sees that they are 85, 87 and 85 out of 100. She notes that the scores are fairly consistent or a. valid. b. reliable. c. strong. d. relevant. (b) Medium/Application 86. In analyzing the data, the researcher notes that as employee absences increase, scores on performance evaluations decrease. This suggests a. there is a correlation between employee absenteeism and employee performance. b. employee absence causes poor performance. c. employee absence is a reliable measure. d. employee performance is a valid measure. (a) Difficult/Application 87. Datum is a. multiple observations. b. the consistency of a measure. c. the truth of a measure. d. a single observation. (d) Easy/Knowledge 88. The likelihood that findings in a given study would be found in another setting or study is a. reliability. b. validity. c. meta-analysis. d. generalizability. (d) Easy/Knowledge Section IV: Trends and Challenges 89. Research indicates that the most important determinant of ethical behavior in an organization is a. the establishment of policies prohibiting unethical behavior. b. the passage of laws requiring ethical behavior. c. manager commitment to ethical behavior. d. the establishment of rules requiring greater accountability. (c) Medium/Analysis 90. An ethics audit would ask all the following questions of a firm EXCEPT: a. Do you make sure to hide any examples of unethical behavior so others do not repeat the behavior? b. Do you ensure that pay is equitable for all employees? c. Do you question whether employees are seeing any examples of unethical behavior occurring in the workplace? d. Do you ensure that daily decisions are assessed for ethical compliance? (a) Medium/Application 91. Trends in all of the following areas represent challenges for organizational behavior EXCEPT a. increasing technological innovation. b. increasing employee engagement. c. increasing access to information. d. increasing attention to sustainable business practices. (b) Medium/Application 92. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating an organization on all of the following performance criteria but a. demographic. b. economic. c. social. d. environmental. (a) Easy/Knowledge 93. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with regard to trends that organizational behavior is addressing? a. The workforce is getting younger and thus their integration into most organizations will be seamless. b. Organizations will likely become “shamrock-shaped” in the future. c. The world is “flattening” so information access is increasing. d. Outsourcing is becoming a way of life in many organizations. (a) Medium/Application 94. A shamrock organization a. prevents flexible staffing in an organization. b. is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees, and one-third offshore employees. c. is the current structure of most organizations in the United States. d. increases full-time employment rates in the overall economy. (b) Difficult/Analysis 95. Offshoring is a. asking an outside organization to perform functions that could have been performed within the organization. b. the movement of a business practice from one country to another country. c. purchasing a firm from a foreign country. d. most prevalent in the auto industry. (b) Easy/Comprehension 96. In analyzing trends that present challenges for organizational behavior, which of the following is INCORRECT? a. Outsourcing offshore presents a challenge managing teams of different nationalities separated by culture. b. A flattening world creates an uneven playing field with regard to information access. c. Sustainable business practices are those that meet present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. d. “Moore’s Law” suggests that computing power doubles every two years. (b) Difficult/Synthesis 97. Which of the following statements regarding trends that represent challenges for organizational behavior is correct? a. The number of workers aged 25 to 39 will represent over 51% of the overall workforce by 2010. b. Gallup measured employee engagement and found that it is highly unlikely that when today’s employees have choices, they will act to further their organization’s efforts. c. The rate of technological innovation is projected to slow dramatically by 2010. d. Sustainable business practices present a challenge to reconciling accountability to shareholder wealth generation with attention to social responsibility. (d) Difficult/Application Closing Section: Maintaining core values: The case of Nau 98. The apparel industry uses ______________: a. very little water. b. only recycled water. c. more water than any industry except agriculture. d. the same amount of water as the agriculture industry. (c) Medium/Comprehension 99. Nau was founded on the idea of ___________. a. maintaining the status quo. b. generating record profits in the apparel industry. c. using business as a vehicle for change. d. using plastics to make clothing. (c) Medium/Comprehension FILL IN THE BLANK 100. Flat World Knowledge is a company that creates ___________. (textbooks) 101. Flat World Knowledge proves that firms can be successful by offering high quality content for _______ online. (free) 102. Because it is likely that U.S. employees will change jobs 10 times in 20 years, those employees should be ___________ learners and continually upgrade their skill set. (life-long) 103. The systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work is called ________ _____________. (organizational behavior) 104. The three key levels of analysis in organizational behavior are ________, _______________ and _________________. (individuals, groups, organizations) 105. Maurice is trying to understand why Mary agrees with him about the cost of the manufacturing program when he talks with her on the phone, but is vehemently opposed when they are in a department meeting. Maurice needs to analyze this issue at the ____________ level. (group) 106. Nancy is the new employee and Maureen has decided to talk to her about the dress policy in the firm, the manner in which expense reports are filled out, the employees that tend to sit together at lunch, and various other related issues. Maureen is offering a look at the company’s culture that is at the ______________ level of analysis. (organization) 107. Effective organizations feature role __________, information sharing and performance feedback. (clarity) 108. In general, as level of degree attainment increases, the unemployment rate __________. (decreases) 109. In general, the higher the ________, the more money you will make. (degree you attain ) 110. _____________ is the process of writing out thoughts and emotions on a regular basis. (Journaling) 111. If you learn best by lectures, conversations and videos, you are a(n) __________ learner. (auditory) 112. A(n) ________ learner draws pictures and diagrams and summarizes main points by using charts to help him understand material. (visual) 113. ________ are tentative guesses on an expected observation that can be tested. (Hypotheses) 114. In an experimental design, the group that receives no experimental manipulation is called the __________ group. (control) 115. The technique used by researchers to summarize what other researchers have found on a given topic is called __________. (meta-analysis) 116. __________ is to truth in measurement, as ___________ is to consistency in measurement. (Validity, reliability) 117. ______________ is the strength of a relationship between two variables. (Correlation) 118. A single observation is ________, multiple observations are ________. (datum, data) 119. Maria wonders what the emotional impact of all the downsizing in the auto industry is on the employees. She has made arrangements to interview a dozen employees who have just been downsized from Ford Motor Company. Maria is conducting a ______ _______. (field study) 120. The downside of a ______ __________ is that it may not be generalizable from the single situation to other situations and organizations. (case study) 121. As job satisfaction increases, so does job performance. This is an example of the ________ between two variables. (correlation) 122. Applying ethical principles to situations that arise at work is _________ ___________. (business ethics) 123. Alexander is enthused about his firm and consistently uses his talents to further the organization’s success. Alexander is an example of a(n) _____________ employee. (engaged) 124. ___________________ says computing power doubles every two years. (Moore’s law) 125. The triple bottom line refers to evaluating organizations against the three performance criteria of __________, ___________, and ___________ viability. (economic, social and environmental) 126. Because Wal-Mart is concerned about _________ ________ practices, it is pressuring suppliers to produce compact fluorescent light bulbs and has required all suppliers to make packages smaller. (sustainable business) 127. The American workforce is _______, which will create opportunities for industries like health care but, at the same time, will create challenges for industries dedicated to basic infrastructure. (aging) 128. Dell Computer has a number of customer service representatives located in India who take calls from U.S. computer owners experiencing computer problems. This arrangement is an example of ______________. (offshoring) 129. The ______ ________ is an organization comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees and one-third consultants or contractors. (shamrock organization) SHORT ANSWERS 130. Briefly indicate the manner in which organizational behavior can help you deal with the fact that, on average, you are likely to change jobs 10 times in 20 years. The number of job changes the average student will go through makes it necessary for all employees to be life-long learners. Organizational behavior will help develop critical thinking skills that will help you diagnose situations, ask tough questions, evaluate the resulting answers and act in an effective and ethical manner regardless of situational characteristics. 131. Identify each of the levels of analysis in organizational behavior and give an example of each. The first level is that of the individual. When I am examining my personality to assess how I handle ambiguity and how flexible I am, I am using individual analysis. The second level is the group level. When I look at how my decision on a topic changes because of who I am working with on a project, I am performing group analysis. Finally, the third level is the organization level. When I look at the dress policy of my company and how it impacts what I wear to work on a daily basis, I am performing organization analysis. 132. Kunal will be serving as a student teacher in a local school district next term. You are meeting with him this afternoon and want to make certain he recognizes that there are three general learning styles that students exhibit. Name and describe those three types of learners. A visual learner is one who retains more information by reading and seeing diagrams and flow charts. An auditory learner is one who learns by listening to others such as in lectures, conversations and videos. A kinesthetic learner is one who has a preference for doing things and learning from trial and error. 133. Discuss the kinds of questions researchers utilize on surveys. Researchers use both open- and close-ended questions. Close-ended questions are those that have a series of responses supplied by the researcher. The study participant chooses the response that most closely matches his position. Open-ended questions have no responses offered, leaving it up to the survey participant to supply responses. 134. Differentiate between a control group and a treatment group. In a study employing an experimental design, the control group is the group that does not receive any experimental manipulation, while a treatment group is the group that does receive the experimental manipulation. A comparison between the two groups indicates the impact the treatment had in the study. 135. What is a meta-analysis? A meta-analysis is a technique used by researchers to summarize what other researchers have found on a given topic. The analysis is based on taking observed correlations from multiple studies, weighing them by the number of observations in each study, and finding out if the overall effect holds or not. 136. Differentiate between reliability and validity. Reliability is the consistency in a measurement. Validity is the truth of the measurement or whether you are measuring what you intended to measure. 137. Differentiate between a causal and a correlational relationship. A causal relationship is one in which one variable, event or situation causes a second variable, event or situation to occur. For example, individuals in asbestos-insulated buildings often contract cancer, and asbestos has been shown to be a carcinogen. Thus, asbestos causes cancer. A correlational relationship is one in which the strength of the relationship between two variables is measured. For example, research indicates that as job satisfaction increases, so does job performance. Job satisfaction does not cause job performance, it simply increases it. 138. Define the concept of triple bottom line. A triple bottom line is evaluating organizations against three performance criteria including economic, social and environmental viability. Wal-Mart, for example, looked at the impact packaging for its products had on its costs, on the environment and on its customers. Its findings led to the chain’s requirements for all suppliers to make smaller packages. 139. What is a “shamrock organization”? A shamrock organization is a term coined by Charles Handy in his book, The Age of Paradox. The organization is comprised of one-third regular employees, one-third temporary employees and one-third consultants and contractors. Handy feels that this structure is the direction in which organizations are heading in the future. ESSAY 140. Define organizational behavior and discuss some of the other disciplines from which it draws to create its theories and models. Organizational behavior is the systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within the organizations where they work. OB is rooted in such disciplines as political science (power and influence), medical science (stress and its impact), sociology (team processes), and psychology (personality and motivation). 141. Renaldo is choosing his classes for next term at State University. His advisor suggests he take Organizational Behavior. Renaldo says, “Why would I take that class? It’s all common sense anyway.” Take the role of his advisor and sell Renaldo on the value of the course. Organizational behavior matters because of all the things individuals, employers and organizations care about. You care about getting a good job, making better decisions and keeping your stress level as low as possible. Each of these topics is discussed in the course. Employers care about OB because it prepares employees to be better communicators, enhances their interpersonal skills and enhances a strong work ethic. Organizations care about OB because time and time again it has been found that people make the organization. To learn how to help yourself, your group and your organization, take OB. Now you may say that OB is all common sense, but research continually indicates to us that individuals have faulty memories and that their perceptions do not always match reality. The study of OB addresses all these concerns and assists us in being better employees who are more satisfied and productive. If a course assists you in all these ways, doesn’t it seem like it’s worth taking? 142. Counsel a newly hired, 22-year-old man on keeping up with his skill set. The world is a much more dynamic place today than it has ever been before. In fact, the one constant in life is change. With change come new demands, so the best way to meet that challenge is to become a life-long learner. Life-long learners keep their skill set fresh. It is suggested that every 6 years your portfolio of skills should be revolutionized. With so many accomplished individuals with whom you are competing, it is imperative that you master some skill that will set you apart from the others. Recognize that with change comes uncertainty and ambiguity. Don’t run from either. Approach the novel situation as an opportunity. Network, network, network. But, recognize that effective networkers are not those who simply have the most “friends” on Facebook or MySpace. Quality trumps quantity any day. Finally, appreciate the new technology. You don’t have to buy every new gadget that comes out, but do keep up with what is new and how it might impact you. 143. You are an instructor in an organizational behavior course. Discuss how you would prepare a lesson on motivation that would be equally effective for all students in the class whether they are auditory, kinesthetic or visual learners. A motivation lesson might begin with a PowerPoint presentation where the concept of motivation is defined and the types of motivation theories are presented. The PowerPoint presentation might be handed out to the students prior to the presentation so that students can take notes on those handouts. The use of PowerPoint slides, which feature diagrams and notes on motivation concepts and theories, satisfies the visual learner and to some extent, the kinesthetic learners. Since the instructor is talking about each slide and the information on it, and perhaps giving examples of events from actual firms that underscore that information, an auditory learner will also be satisfied. Following the presentation of basic background information on the subject through the use of the PowerPoint slides, an experiential exercise could be completed wherein participants would role-play scenarios between a boss and his subordinates whom he is working to motivate. Again, the kinesthetic learner will be learning because of the opportunity to participate in the exercise and actually carry out the motivational approaches. 144. Describe a field study that Meredith could carry out in a 20-person customer service department of a firm to assess the impact a monetary bonus has on the speed with which a task is completed. The researcher could conduct a field study using an experimental design to address this scenario. First divide the department into two groups. One group will be the control group and will not be subjected to any experimental manipulation and will continue to perform its job exactly as it has in the past. The second group will be the treatment group. This group will receive the monetary bonus. Next decide on the monetary bonus. For purposes of this experiment, we will use a $5 gift certificate as the bonus. Next, determine the standards in place that will measure performance. In this scenario, the job is to handle incoming customer phone calls, some positive, some negative. The former standard of performance was to complete each phone call in 12 minutes. The new standard is to complete each call in 10 minutes. All customer service representatives are required to meet the new standard. For the treatment group however, every time a representative does complete a phone call in ten minutes or less, he will receive a gift card. Those in the control group have the new standard but they have no card provided them for calls less than or equal to the 10-minute mark. When comparing the results of the experiment, see how many more calls make the standard established in the treatment group compared to the control group. If there are a higher number of calls in the treatment group than the control group, you have established that the bonus card system is an effective incentive. 145. What are some of the key trends that produce challenges and opportunities for organizational behavior? In light of the scandals of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, a judgment has to be made on the ethical behavior exhibited in the American workplace. The seemingly endless announcements of unethical behavior represent a challenge to firms as to how to encourage and sustain ethical behavior. Technology has transformed the way that work is completed and represents a challenge because of the speed with which that technology advances. The opportunity from this trend, however, is the fact that access to information is very open now and the playing field has been leveled. Companies are beginning to examine their practices not just for greater profitability, but also for greater sustainability. It is of great interest to many firms that the environment is turned over to our future generations in a condition that will not only sustain our children but allow them to grow and prosper. The workforce in America is an aging one. While that represents many work opportunities for young people who will replace retirees, it also threatens many firms as the retirees take with them knowledge which is so vital to the continued growth and development of the firm. The increasing globalization of business, with the regular practice of outsourcing and offshoring to address labor costs, represents challenges of culture integration and acceptance. Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1 Bauer & Erdogan FWK Test Item File Chapter 2 TRUE/FALSE 1. While the American workforce is becoming more diverse, the world’s workforce is not. 2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment with regard to race, color, sex, religion and national origin. 3. With the passage of a number of laws in the United States prohibiting discrimination against race, color, gender, religion, national origin and age, complaints filed charging discrimination have largely been eliminated. 4. A more diverse work team produces higher quality decisions because more alternatives are considered. 5. Employees who are discriminated against experience more stress at work but are no more likely to leave their jobs than those who have not faced discrimination. 6. When discrimination complaints are filed, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) acts as a mediator between the company and the complainant. 7. In firms pursuing a growth strategy, there is a negative relationship between racial diversity in the firm and company performance. 8. The similarity/attraction phenomenon suggests that individuals are attracted to those who are similar to them. 9. Race, age, and attitudes are examples of surface level diversity. 10. Deep-level diversity traits are most important for early interactions in the workplace, but as time goes on, surface traits become more important. 11. A group with three older males and three younger women will have a strong faultline. 12. Research indicates that groups with strong faultlines can perform well if certain norms are established. 13. It is a commonly held stereotype that men are more relationship-oriented than women. 14. One of the explanations for the wage gap between men and women is that women pursue occupations that are lower-paying than those pursued by men. 15. Though the glass ceiling was a legitimate issue a few years ago, today the number of women in executive positions of organizations is roughly the same as the number of men at that level. 16. One rationale provided for the existence of the glass ceiling for women is that women are viewed as having personality characteristics that are not associated with successful leaders. 17. Ethnic minorities experience a wage gap and a glass ceiling even more severe than that faced by women. 18. Denny’s Restaurants were able to successfully institute diversity training efforts that increased the numbers of minority members of its board and management team as well as the number of minority franchise owners. 19. Research indicates that older employees exhibit higher absenteeism than their younger counterparts. 20. The Age Discrimination Act makes it illegal to discriminate against employees age 40 or older. 21. Research suggests that age diversity in a work team can lead to higher performance. 22. Reasonable accommodation for religious reasons does not require schedule modifications although it may require modifications to a firm’s dress code. 23. Reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities may require the firm’s purchase of some equipment for the disabled employees’ use but does not require any schedule or job duty modifications. 24. Disclosing sexual orientation is the key to explaining work attitudes of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender employees. 25. To break the ice in an interview situation, an interviewer could legally ask, “What are some of the traditions your family practices for Christmas”? 26. One suggestion for building a culture that respects diversity is that managers should be accountable for diversity-related goals. 27. Affirmative action programs are among the most controversial diversity management methods available. 28. Preferential treatment programs for minorities can be illegal in some cases. 29. Research suggests that some employees have a stigma attached to them because they were hired under an affirmative action program. 30. In the United States, the workforce is becoming increasingly multicultural. 31. An expatriate is an employee who is temporarily assigned to work in a foreign country. 32. Low power distance societies view an unequal distribution of power as relatively acceptable. 33. Companies high in uncertainty avoidance prefer predictable situations and have low tolerance for ambiguity. 34. In collectivist cultures, the importance of family is critical to understanding the nature of the society. 35. In high power distance companies, participative decision making is a regular process. 36. Feminine cultures are more likely to be characterized by a separation of gender roles than masculine cultures. 37. Developing an openness to different experiences is a very viable method to prepare oneself for a global career. 38. To enhance their cultural intelligence, employees should become experts in one culture. 39. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to other cultures. 40. Ethical standards held in different societies may emphasize different behaviors as ethical or unethical. 41. Managing diversity effectively may have different meanings in different cultures. 42. IBM is a pioneer in programming for a diverse workforce. 43. IBM’s diversity management task forces acted on issues that were either based in reality or perception. 44. IBM, like other firms today, has little difficulty finding minority representation in the computer science and engineering fields. 45. IBM’s culture of respecting diversity seems to be creating a competitive advantage for the firm. MULTIPLE CHOICE Opening Section: Doing Good as a Core Business Strategy: The Case of Goodwill Industries 46. Goodwill Industries is an advocate for ________. a. survival of the fittest b. sales tax c. using interviews to weed out diverse applicants d. diversity (d) Easy/Comprehension 47. A total of $3.23 _______ was invested into employment programs in 2008 by Goodwill Industries. a. billion b. million c. thousand d. dollars (a) Easy/Comprehension Section I: Demographic Diversity 48. The ways in which people are similar or different from one another is a. culture. b. diversity. c. stereotypes. d. faultlines. (b) Easy/Knowledge 49. Which of the following laws prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex or national origin? a. Age Discrimination Act b. Americans with Disabilities Act c. Family and Medical Leave Act d. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (d) Easy/Comprehension 50. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of effective management of diversity? a. greater creativity in decision making b. better service to customers c. higher productivity of operations d. more satisfied workers (c) Medium/Comprehension 51. Which of the following statements on the benefits of effective management of diversity is INCORRECT? a. Diverse workforces lead to higher-quality decisions. b. Diverse workforces create cheaper products. c. Diverse workforces lead to lower litigation costs. d. Diverse workforces have led to higher stock prices for firms. (b) Difficult/Synthesis 52. Research on diversity in the workplace has not substantiated which of the following benefit to firms? a. Diversity, and the presence of faultlines, increases cohesiveness at work. b. Award-winning diversity management programs lead to higher stock prices for their companies. c. In companies with a growth strategy, there is a positive correlation between racial diversity in the firm and company performance. d. Diverse teams make higher quality decisions. (a) Difficult/Comprehension 53. The similarity/attraction phenomenon may explain which of the following? a. Minorities are hired as often as their Caucasian counterparts. b. Disabled individuals are hired as often as those who are not disabled. c. Women do not earn salaries as high as that of their male counterparts. d. Women and men have equal access to mentoring opportunities. (c) Medium/Evaluation 54. Demographic traits make up a. deep-level diversity. b. cultural diversity. c. collective diversity. d. surface diversity. (d) Easy/Knowledge 55. Surface diversity traits include a. values. b. gender. c. attitudes. d. beliefs. (b) Easy/Knowledge 56. Deep-level diversity traits include a. gender. b. age. c. attitudes. d. race. (c) Easy/Knowledge 57. Which of the following is a surface-level diversity trait? a. aggressiveness b. Type A personality c. being smart d. being Asian (d) Easy/Application 58. Which of the following is a deep-level diversity trait? a. middle-aged b. Caucasian c. aggressiveness d. amputee (c) Medium/Application 59. Our first interaction with individuals makes us aware of a. surface diversity. b. collective diversity. c. deep-level diversity. d. value-based diversity. (a) Medium/Comprehension 60. Which of the following statements regarding the similarity/attraction phenomenon is INCORRECT? a. Surface-level traits affect interpersonal interactions only after people have known each other for a long time. b. Age, race and gender dissimilarity are strong predictors of employee turnover in that employee’s early tenure with a firm. c. Those employees who feel different from other employees in a firm may feel isolated in their early tenure with a firm. d. Surface traits are attended to because they are assumed to be related to deep-level diversity traits. (a) Medium/Evaluation 61. Which of the following approaches is NOT a viable option to manage the similarity/attraction phenomenon? a. Develop a formal mentoring program that assigns new employees a mentor in the firm. b. Provide management training programs that make managers aware of the similarity/attraction phenomenon. c. Develop a recruiting program based upon peer referrals. d. Attend to new employees as they enter the organization and during their early stays in the firm. (c) Difficult/Evaluation 62. A faultline is a. an attribute along which a group is split into subgroups. b. a generalization about a particular group of people. c. the way in which people are similar or different from each other. d. the values, beliefs and customs that exist in a society. (a) Easy/knowledge 63. A workgroup has three Caucasian males and three African American females. How would you categorize the faultline in this group? a. There is no faultline in the group. b. There will be a strong faultline in the group. c. There will be a weak faultline in the group. d. There will be a faultline of medium strength in the group. (b) Medium/Application 64. If a workgroup contained three males, one over 55, one 20 and another 30 years of age, and three females, one 50 years of age, one 30 and one 20 years of age, how would you categorize the faultlines in the group? a. There will be a strong faultline in this group that aids performance. b. There will be a strong faultline in the group that weakens performance. c. There will be a weak faultline within the group. d. There will be a faultline of medium strength in the group. (c) Difficult/Application 65. Research indicates that groups with faultlines exhibit which of the following characteristics? a. teams with faultlines make more effective decisions. b. teams with faultlines are more creative. c. teams with strong faultlines have the potential to perform well if they can establish certain norms. d. all diverse teams exhibit faultlines. (c) Medium/Analysis 66. A stereotype is a. an attribute along which a group is split into subgroups. b. a generalization about a particular group of people. c. a way in which people are similar or different from each other. d. a difference in values, attitudes or beliefs. (b) Easy/Knowledge 67. “Women are bad drivers,” is an example of a a. surface diversity trait. b. faultline. c. stereotype. d. deep-level diversity trait. (c) Medium/Application 68. Stereotypes a. often lead to unfair decisions being made. b. are never accurate descriptions of particular groups. c. are assumptions held by only one individual. d. are often verified prior to making decisions based upon them. (a) Medium/Analysis 69. The faculty of a Midwestern business school is comprised of 33 males and 4 females. The past five candidates hired have all been male. There seems to be a (an)__________ diversity issue in this workplace. a. age b. race c. religion d. gender (d) Easy/Application 70. Gender discrimination is prohibited by which of the following laws? a. Age Discrimination Act b. Americans with Disabilities Act c. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act d. Occupational Safety and Health Act (c) Easy/Knowledge 71. Which of the following is not an explanation that has been offered to account for the earnings gap of 21% between the pay of females and males? a. Women lack the high-level skill sets that men possess. b. Women have résumé gaps due to time off for childcare. c. Women pursue lower-paying occupations than men pursue. d. Women tend to negotiate less than men and when they do negotiate, women attain lower levels of pay than men do. (a) Medium/Analysis 72. The glass ceiling a. is based on a faultline in the employee workgroup. b. is the underrepresentation of women in executive and upper level management positions of companies. c. is an issue that was a problem until a decade ago. d. is the result of the less effective leadership styles practiced by women. (b) Medium/Comprehension 73. Which of the following statements regarding the explanations for the glass ceiling is INCORRECT? a. The glass ceiling may exist for women because they lack the education levels necessary to assume high-level managerial positions. b. The glass ceiling may be based on the stereotype that the male characteristic of assertiveness is necessary to manage, but women tend to be passive. c. The glass ceiling may exist for women because their accomplishments are often not valued as highly as are those of their male counterparts. d. The glass ceiling may exist for women because they are viewed as displaying submissive characteristics in contrast to their male counterparts who are viewed as possessing more confidence. (a) Medium/Evaluation 74. Acme Corporation sales associates are generally attractive Caucasian college age men and women. Individuals who work in the stock room unpacking and readying clothing for displays are young, Asian and African American employees. This scenario suggests that Acme may need to examine their recruiting efforts to address __________ diversity in their stores. a. gender b. age c. race d. age and race (d) Medium/Application 75. Which of the following statements regarding race diversity in the American workplace is correct? a. Highly-paid minority managers indicate that they have experienced very few situations in the workplace where race was an issue. b. A majority of American employees surveyed indicate that their firms are quite effective at hiring and promoting minorities. c. Ethnic minorities experience a slight wage gap but no glass ceiling. d. Overt discrimination against ethnic minorities still occurs in many workplaces. (d) Medium/Analysis 76. Which of the following is a research finding about race diversity? According to prior research findings, a. African Americans are more likely to turnover than their Caucasian counterparts. b. the sales performance of Hispanics is equal to their Caucasian counterparts. c. Caucasian Americans are more likely to be absent from work than their African American counterparts. d. ethnic minorities are more likely to experience a satisfying work environment than their Caucasian counterparts. (a) Medium/Evaluation 77. Based on employment statistics, age diversity at work will continue into the future. Thus, the findings from research examining age diversity will become increasingly useful in managing the workforce. Which of the following statements about those research findings is accurate? a. Older workers are generally stereotyped as more qualified and having higher potential. b. Older employees are more likely to be absent from their jobs. c. Older workers are less likely to quit their jobs when dissatisfied at work. d. Older workers are stereotyped as being more able to handle stress. (c) Difficult/Evaluation 78. Age is positively correlated with all of the following behaviors EXCEPT a. citizenship behaviors. b. compliance with safety rules. c. performance. d. work injuries. (d) Medium/Analysis 79. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act a. prohibits discrimination against employees older than 65. b. prohibits discrimination against employees age 40 or older. c. prohibits discrimination against employees only with regard to pay. d. is seldom cited in lawsuits as age discrimination is largely absent from the American workplace. (b) Easy/Knowledge 80. All of the following are challenges of managing age diversity in the workplace EXCEPT a. an age-diverse team has differing opinions on fairness than one not agediverse. b. an age-diverse team has different learning styles that vary by generation. c. an age-diverse team has higher team performance than one not agediverse. d. an-age diverse team offers fewer alternatives to a problem than a team where there is limited age diversity. (d) Medium/Analysis 81. Accommodating religious diversity in the workplace does not include a. work schedule modifications. b. dress code modifications. c. work duty modifications. d. pay level modifications. (d) Easy/Comprehension 82. The Americans with Disabilities Act a. requires a firm to hire individuals with disabilities. b. requires a firm to interview individuals with disabilities. c. prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals with physical disabilities. d. prohibits discrimination in employment against individuals with physical or mental disabilities if these employees are otherwise qualified to do their jobs with or without reasonable accommodation. (d) Medium/Comprehension 83. Discrimination charges filed against employers based on disabilities cover which of the following impairments? a. cancer b. hearing impairments c. manic-depressive disorder d. all of the above (d) Medium/Knowledge 84. Research suggests all of the following reasons why individuals with long-term illnesses or those requiring ongoing care seem to be discriminated against EXCEPT a. stereotyping as incapable of performing a job. b. more likely to be locked into a dead end job. c. more likely to be employed in jobs with high skill and qualification requirements they do not possess. d. more likely quit their jobs. (c) Medium/Knowledge 85. Reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities may include all of the following EXCEPT a. modifications in employee schedules. b. providing auxiliary equipment like telephone amplifiers. c. physical changes to the company facilities (e.g. wheelchair ramp). d. assignment of their essential job functions to other employees. (d) Medium/Application 86. Which of the following federal laws prohibits discrimination in employment against lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals? a. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act b. Family and Medical Leave Act c. Americans with Disabilities Act d. There is currently no federal law protecting lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals. (d) Easy/Knowledge 87. Research findings indicate which of the following statements about issues related to sexual orientation in the workplace is INCORRECT? a. Whether they disclose their sexual orientation or not is the key to the work attitudes of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals. b. Fear of disclosing sexual orientation and its possible negative consequences leads to lower job satisfaction among lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender individuals. c. Respect for diversity in sexual orientation can be shown by written company policies prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation. d. In firms with benefits programs extended to lesbians, bisexuals, gays and transgender individuals, discrimination based on sexual orientation is less frequent and job satisfaction is higher. (a) Medium/Analysis 88. Which of the following is an illegal interview question? a. What was your grade point average at XYZ University? b. Tell me about a time when you experienced conflict in a past job. c. What are your childcare arrangements? d. What was your salary at your last place of employment? (c) Difficult/Application 89. Which of the following statements regarding diversity in the workplace is correct? a. The wage gap between Hispanic and Caucasian workers is smaller than the wage gap between male and female workers. b. While female workers face a glass ceiling, other minorities face no such issue to attainment of upper level managerial jobs. c. Company policies requiring disclosure of sexual orientation lead to higher job satisfaction and organization commitment among lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender employees. d. Federal law requires reasonable accommodation be considered when an employee brings up a disability. (d) Difficult/Synthesis 90. Which of the following statements regarding diversity in the workplace is accurate? a. Older employees are more prone workplace injury than their younger counterparts. b. Women who negotiate achieve higher salaries than men who negotiate. c. More than half of the Fortune 500 companies offer same sex health benefits to their employees. d. While employees with physical disabilities are protected by federal law, employees with mental disabilities remain unprotected, and face routine discrimination. (c) Difficult/Synthesis 91. Which of the following is not a suggestion for managing demographic diversity? a. Review recruitment practices. b. Make man