BUAD304
Midterm Exam: BUAD304 (Latest Update )
Organizational Behavior and Leadership | Questions with
Answers | Grade A | 100% Correct – USC
1. knowing-doing gap: the difference between what people know and what
they actually do
2. organizational behavior: describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to
understanding and managing people at work
3. contingency approach: calls for using the OB concepts and tools that best
suit the situation, instead of trying to rely on "one best way"
4. Overreliance on Hindsight: Common sense works best in well-known or
stable situations with predictable outcomes—what worked before should
work again. But modern business situations are complex and uncertain
and require adapting to change. Common sense is especially weak in
responding to the unknown or unexpected. And because it focuses on the
past, common sense lacks vision for the future.
BUAD304
,BUAD304
2
5. Lack of Rigor: People comfortable with common-sense responses may not
apply the effort required to appropriately analyze and solve problems. If
you lack rigor, then you are unlikely to define the problem accurately,
identify the true causes, or recommend the right courses of action.
6. Lack of Objectivity: Common sense can be overly subjective and lack a bias
in science. In such cases we are not always able to explain or justify our
reasoning to others, which is a sign that common sense lacks objectivity.
7. hard skills: technical expertise and knowledge to do a particular task or job
function (ex: accounting)
8. soft skills: relate to human interactions and include both interpersonal
skills and personal attributes
9. critical thinking: using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of alternate solutions, conclusions, or approaches to
problems.
10. problem solving: identifying and taking action to resolve problems.
11. judgement and decision making: considering the relative costs and
benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate ones
BUAD304
,BUAD304
3
12. active listening: giving undivided attention to a speaker in a genuine
effort to understand the speaker's point of view; asking appropriate
questions and not interrupting.
13. portable skills: more or less relevant in every job, at every level, and
throughout your career
14. ethics: guides behavior by identifying right, wrong, and the many
shades of gray in between
15. ethical dilemma: situations with two choices, neither of which removes
the situation in an ethically acceptable manner.
16. Causes of unethical behavior: ill conceived goals, motivated blindness,
indirect blindness, the slippery slope, overvaluing outcomes
17. Ill-conceived goals: we set goals and incentives to promote a desired
behavior, but they encourage a negative one
18 motivated blindness: We overlook the unethical behavior of another when
it's in our interest to remain ignorant.
19. Indirect Blindness: We hold others less accountable for unethical
behavior when it's carried out through third parties
BUAD304
, BUAD304
4
20. the slippery slope: we are less able to see others' unethical behavior
when it develops gradually
21. Overvaluing Outcomes: we give a pass to unethical behavior if the
outcome is good
22. problem: a gap between a desired state and an existing state
23. problem solving (1.3): a systematic process for closing these gaps
24. 3 step approach: 1. Define the problem
2.Identify potential causes using OB concepts and theories
3.Make recommendations and (if appropriate) take action
25. person factors: infinite characteristics that give individuals their unique
identities
26. situation factors: elements outside ourselves that influence what we do,
the way we do it, and the ultimate results of our actions
27. interactional perspective: states that behavior is a function of
interdependent person and environmental factors
BUAD304