wgu C715 Organizational Behavior
personality - (correct Answer) - characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits - (correct Answer) - characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large
number of situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - (correct Answer) - A personality test that taps four characteristics
and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model - (correct Answer) - A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions.
extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion - (correct Answer) - A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive
(confident and forceful )
agreeableness - (correct Answer) - A personality that describes someone who is good natured,
cooperative, and trusting.
conscientiousness - (correct Answer) - A personality that describes someone who is responsible,
dependable, persistent, and organized.
emotional stability - (correct Answer) - A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident,
and insecure.
openness to experience - (correct Answer) - A personality that characterizes someone in terms of
imagination, sensitivity, and curiosity.
core self-evaluation - (correct Answer) - Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities,
competence, and worth as a person.
Machiavellianism - (correct Answer) - The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains
emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism - (correct Answer) - The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive
admiration, and have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring - (correct Answer) - where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to
external, situational factors.
proactive personality - (correct Answer) - People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action,
and persevere until meaningful change occurs.
values - (correct Answer) - Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.
value system - (correct Answer) - A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of
,their intensity.
terminal values - (correct Answer) - Desirable end-states of existence; the goals a person would like to
achieve during his or her lifetime.
instrumental values - (correct Answer) - Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's
terminal values.
personality Job-fit theory - (correct Answer) - A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes
that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance - (correct Answer) - where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is
distributed unequally.
individualism - (correct Answer) - where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of
groups.
collectivism - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in
which people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
masculinity - (correct Answer) - where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement,
power, and control.
femininity - (correct Answer) - indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where
women are treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which
a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift,
and persistence.
short-term orientation - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and
present, respect for tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now; they
accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to change.
heredity - (correct Answer) - factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and
inherent psychological makeup.
Perception - (correct Answer) - A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory
impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory - (correct Answer) - An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is
internally or externally caused.
fundamental attribution error - (correct Answer) - The tendency to underestimate the influence of
external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the
behavior of others.
self-serving bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to
, internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors.
selective perception - (correct Answer) - The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis
of one's interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect - (correct Answer) - The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the
basis of a single characteristic.
contrast effect - (correct Answer) - Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by
comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same
characteristics.
stereotyping - (correct Answer) - Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to
which that person belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy - (correct Answer) - A situation in which a person inaccurately perceives a second
person, and the resulting expectations cause the second person to behave in ways consistent with the
original perception.
decisions - (correct Answer) - Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem - (correct Answer) - A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational - (correct Answer) - Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within
specified constraints.
rational decision-making model - (correct Answer) - A decision-making model that describes how
individuals should behave in order to maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model - (correct Answer) - 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the
decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the
alternatives. 6. Select the best alternative.
bounded rationality - (correct Answer) - A process of making decisions by constructing simplified models
that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.
intuitive decision making - (correct Answer) - An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias - (correct Answer) - A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails
to adequately adjust for subsequent information.
confirmation bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency to seek out information that reaffirms past choices
and to discount information that contradicts past judgments.
availability bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that
is readily available to them.
escalation of commitment - (correct Answer) - An increased commitment to a previous decision in spite
of negative information.
randomness error - (correct Answer) - The tendency of individuals to believe that they can predict the
personality - (correct Answer) - characteristics that describe an individual's behavior.
personality traits - (correct Answer) - characteristics that describe an individual's behavior in a large
number of situations
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - (correct Answer) - A personality test that taps four characteristics
and classifies Behavior
Big Five Model - (correct Answer) - A personality assessment model that taps five basic dimensions.
extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.
extraversion - (correct Answer) - A personality describing someone who is sociable and assertive
(confident and forceful )
agreeableness - (correct Answer) - A personality that describes someone who is good natured,
cooperative, and trusting.
conscientiousness - (correct Answer) - A personality that describes someone who is responsible,
dependable, persistent, and organized.
emotional stability - (correct Answer) - A personality that characterizes someone as calm, self-confident,
and insecure.
openness to experience - (correct Answer) - A personality that characterizes someone in terms of
imagination, sensitivity, and curiosity.
core self-evaluation - (correct Answer) - Bottom-line conclusions individuals have about their capabilities,
competence, and worth as a person.
Machiavellianism - (correct Answer) - The degree to which an individual is pragmatic, maintains
emotional distance, and believes that ends can justify means.
narcissism - (correct Answer) - The tendency to be arrogant, self-importance, require excessive
admiration, and have a sense of entitlement.
self-monitoring - (correct Answer) - where an individual's has ability to adjust his or her behavior to
external, situational factors.
proactive personality - (correct Answer) - People who identify opportunities, show initiative, take action,
and persevere until meaningful change occurs.
values - (correct Answer) - Basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is
personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.
value system - (correct Answer) - A hierarchy based on a ranking of an individual's values in terms of
,their intensity.
terminal values - (correct Answer) - Desirable end-states of existence; the goals a person would like to
achieve during his or her lifetime.
instrumental values - (correct Answer) - Preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's
terminal values.
personality Job-fit theory - (correct Answer) - A theory that identifies six personality types and proposes
that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and
turnover.
power distance - (correct Answer) - where society accepts that power in institutions and organizations is
distributed unequally.
individualism - (correct Answer) - where people prefer to act as individuals rather than as members of
groups.
collectivism - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that describes a tight social framework in
which people expect others in groups of which they are a part to look after them and protect them.
masculinity - (correct Answer) - where culture favors traditional masculine work roles of achievement,
power, and control.
femininity - (correct Answer) - indicates little differentiation between male and female roles; where
women are treated as the equals of men in all aspects of the society.
uncertainty avoidance - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that describes the extent to which
a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them.
long-term orientation - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that emphasizes the future, thrift,
and persistence.
short-term orientation - (correct Answer) - A national culture attribute that emphasizes the past and
present, respect for tradition, and fulfillment of social obligations. people value the here and now; they
accept change more readily and don't see commitments as impediments to change.
heredity - (correct Answer) - factors determined at conception; one's biological, physiological, and
inherent psychological makeup.
Perception - (correct Answer) - A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory
impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.
attribution theory - (correct Answer) - An attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is
internally or externally caused.
fundamental attribution error - (correct Answer) - The tendency to underestimate the influence of
external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the
behavior of others.
self-serving bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to
, internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors.
selective perception - (correct Answer) - The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis
of one's interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
halo effect - (correct Answer) - The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the
basis of a single characteristic.
contrast effect - (correct Answer) - Evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by
comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same
characteristics.
stereotyping - (correct Answer) - Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to
which that person belongs.
self-fulfilling prophecy - (correct Answer) - A situation in which a person inaccurately perceives a second
person, and the resulting expectations cause the second person to behave in ways consistent with the
original perception.
decisions - (correct Answer) - Choices made from among two or more alternatives.
problem - (correct Answer) - A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state.
rational - (correct Answer) - Characterized by making consistent, value-maximizing choices within
specified constraints.
rational decision-making model - (correct Answer) - A decision-making model that describes how
individuals should behave in order to maximize some outcome.
Steps in the rational decision-making model - (correct Answer) - 1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the
decision criteria. 3. Allocate weights to the criteria. 4. Develop the alternatives. 5. Evaluate the
alternatives. 6. Select the best alternative.
bounded rationality - (correct Answer) - A process of making decisions by constructing simplified models
that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.
intuitive decision making - (correct Answer) - An unconscious process created out of distilled experience.
anchoring bias - (correct Answer) - A tendency to fixate on initial information, from which one then fails
to adequately adjust for subsequent information.
confirmation bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency to seek out information that reaffirms past choices
and to discount information that contradicts past judgments.
availability bias - (correct Answer) - The tendency for people to base their judgments on information that
is readily available to them.
escalation of commitment - (correct Answer) - An increased commitment to a previous decision in spite
of negative information.
randomness error - (correct Answer) - The tendency of individuals to believe that they can predict the
