Organizational Behaviour Midterm
Exam Questions with Accurate
Answers
OB - ANSWERSThe *attitudes* (T - attitude is a thought about something)and
*behaviours* (R - behaviour same as response) of *individuals* (micro) and groups
(meso) in *organizations* (macro)
Thermostat Analogy - ANSWERS- use whenever you are looking at change or change
management
- iterative process for organizations
4 step analogy:
- step 1 - what is your current state
- step 2 - what is your desired state
- step 3 - discover magnitude of the gap and close the gap
- step 4 - measure the change and start again
Classical/Traditional Views - ANSWERS- Early 1900s
- High specialization of labour (each department tends to its own business, and decision
making is centralized)
- Bureaucracy
- Scientific Management
Bureaucracy - ANSWERS- Early to mid 1900s
- *Max Weber*
- believed the best way to organize involves a strict chain of command, detailed rules,
high specialization, centralized power, and selection and promotion based on technical
competence
1) believed this was the most highly efficient way of managing/organizing
2) believed everything should be controlled, carefully planned and coordinated
3) "avoid mistakes by not allowing humans to think on their own"
... non humanistic (doesn't care about peoples thoughts or needs)
Scientific Management - ANSWERS- Also early 1900s
- *Fredrick Taylor*
- time and motion man
- known for finding ways to improve employee behaviour in factories
,1) wanting to improve behaviour to decrease deficiency
2) scientific because it was based on calculated measurement
leader cares about single bottom line
cares about production (quantity)
3) create of compensation scheme that is still used today
Piece rate pay system * (will go over in week 8)
... still not humanistic (all you gotta do is throw money at people and they will do what
you want)
Human Relations Movement - ANSWERS- beginning of taking peoples thoughts and
feelings into account
- the first to look at psychological and social processes
- Hawthorn Studies
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- McGregor's Theory Y
Hawthorne Studies - ANSWERS- research conducted at the Hawthorne plant of
WesternElectric in the 1920s that *examined how psychological and social processes
affect productivity*
- Advocates management styles that are more participate and oriented towards
employee needs
McMGregor's Theory Y - ANSWERS- in response to theory X - old school
- management is responsible for organizing and controlling people
- workers want to contribute if you just give them a chance - theory Y
Human Resources Perspective - ANSWERS- "Beyond Human Relations"
- Participative management
- manage participatively, about joint problem solving, collective responsibility
- Workplace democracy
- my people should have say
- Fostering autonomy
-Employees contributing to productivity
- Japanese Management Principle
-TQM
, school 2 (content/ happy worker) vs. school 3 (productivity)
The Contingency/Systems Approach - ANSWERS- No one best way to manage
- Management style depends on the demands of the situation
(what is the name of the skill you must have in order to be a systems/contingent view
holder) ->* "situational sensing" *
- Know the difference between perspective and non-perceptive thinking
- Prescriptive (1)
classical thinking - this is the way things have to be
- Non-perspective (2) - should be excited by this
- wake up with 3 realities
1) conflict - ready for chaos and destructive
2) uncertainty - ambiguity (no perfect answer)
3) complexity - (see Teal's iceberg)
Managerial Roles according to Mintzberg - ANSWERS*Informational Roles*
- *Monitor*
-means that I will need the skill of receiving and transmitting information
- *Disseminator*
-delivering facts and other information (in-house)
- *Spokesperson*
sending information externally
--------------------------------------
*Interpersonal Roles*
- ways managers maintain and establish interpersonal relations
- *Figurehead*
- symbol of a company
- *Leader* (what is the difference between a manager - (does things right) and a leader
- (does the right things))
- *Liaison*
- do you have the skill to liaises internally or externally
Exam Questions with Accurate
Answers
OB - ANSWERSThe *attitudes* (T - attitude is a thought about something)and
*behaviours* (R - behaviour same as response) of *individuals* (micro) and groups
(meso) in *organizations* (macro)
Thermostat Analogy - ANSWERS- use whenever you are looking at change or change
management
- iterative process for organizations
4 step analogy:
- step 1 - what is your current state
- step 2 - what is your desired state
- step 3 - discover magnitude of the gap and close the gap
- step 4 - measure the change and start again
Classical/Traditional Views - ANSWERS- Early 1900s
- High specialization of labour (each department tends to its own business, and decision
making is centralized)
- Bureaucracy
- Scientific Management
Bureaucracy - ANSWERS- Early to mid 1900s
- *Max Weber*
- believed the best way to organize involves a strict chain of command, detailed rules,
high specialization, centralized power, and selection and promotion based on technical
competence
1) believed this was the most highly efficient way of managing/organizing
2) believed everything should be controlled, carefully planned and coordinated
3) "avoid mistakes by not allowing humans to think on their own"
... non humanistic (doesn't care about peoples thoughts or needs)
Scientific Management - ANSWERS- Also early 1900s
- *Fredrick Taylor*
- time and motion man
- known for finding ways to improve employee behaviour in factories
,1) wanting to improve behaviour to decrease deficiency
2) scientific because it was based on calculated measurement
leader cares about single bottom line
cares about production (quantity)
3) create of compensation scheme that is still used today
Piece rate pay system * (will go over in week 8)
... still not humanistic (all you gotta do is throw money at people and they will do what
you want)
Human Relations Movement - ANSWERS- beginning of taking peoples thoughts and
feelings into account
- the first to look at psychological and social processes
- Hawthorn Studies
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- McGregor's Theory Y
Hawthorne Studies - ANSWERS- research conducted at the Hawthorne plant of
WesternElectric in the 1920s that *examined how psychological and social processes
affect productivity*
- Advocates management styles that are more participate and oriented towards
employee needs
McMGregor's Theory Y - ANSWERS- in response to theory X - old school
- management is responsible for organizing and controlling people
- workers want to contribute if you just give them a chance - theory Y
Human Resources Perspective - ANSWERS- "Beyond Human Relations"
- Participative management
- manage participatively, about joint problem solving, collective responsibility
- Workplace democracy
- my people should have say
- Fostering autonomy
-Employees contributing to productivity
- Japanese Management Principle
-TQM
, school 2 (content/ happy worker) vs. school 3 (productivity)
The Contingency/Systems Approach - ANSWERS- No one best way to manage
- Management style depends on the demands of the situation
(what is the name of the skill you must have in order to be a systems/contingent view
holder) ->* "situational sensing" *
- Know the difference between perspective and non-perceptive thinking
- Prescriptive (1)
classical thinking - this is the way things have to be
- Non-perspective (2) - should be excited by this
- wake up with 3 realities
1) conflict - ready for chaos and destructive
2) uncertainty - ambiguity (no perfect answer)
3) complexity - (see Teal's iceberg)
Managerial Roles according to Mintzberg - ANSWERS*Informational Roles*
- *Monitor*
-means that I will need the skill of receiving and transmitting information
- *Disseminator*
-delivering facts and other information (in-house)
- *Spokesperson*
sending information externally
--------------------------------------
*Interpersonal Roles*
- ways managers maintain and establish interpersonal relations
- *Figurehead*
- symbol of a company
- *Leader* (what is the difference between a manager - (does things right) and a leader
- (does the right things))
- *Liaison*
- do you have the skill to liaises internally or externally
