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BUAD 304 MIDTERM - USC CUMMINGS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Organizational Behavior - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to
understanding and managing people at work.
The effective application of people skills includes the
ability to influence, get along with, manage and get
things done through others.
Contingency Approach - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Calls for
using the OB concepts and tools that best suit the
situation, instead of trying to rely on "one best way"
i.e. what works with one employee might not work for
another. Situational and no single best style of
leadership.
Uncommon Sense - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Common sense
suffers 3 major weaknesses to be aware of/avoid:
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> Overreliance on hindsight --> Common sense is
especially weak in responding to unknown or
unexpected
> Lack of rigor
> Lack of objectivity
Hard Skills vs Soft Skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Hard
skills are the technical expertise and knowledge
required to do a particular task or job function, while
soft skills relate to human interactions and include both
interpersonal skills and personal attributes
i.e. financial analysis, accounting or operations vs. HR
Personal Attributes - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ 1) Attitudes
2) Personality
3) Teamwork
4) Leadership
Interpersonal Skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ 1) Active
Listening
2) Positive Attitudes
3) Effective Communication
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Portable skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Soft skills are not
job specific, they are instead ____. More or less
relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout
your career.
The Knowing-Doing Gap - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ The
difference between what people know and what they
actually do
4 skills most desired by employers - .....ANSWER...
✔✔ 1) Critical Thinking
2) Problem Solving
3) Judgment and Decision Making
4) Active listening
Critical Thinking - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Using logic and
reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of
alternate solutions, conclusions or approaches to
problems
Problem - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ a difference or gap
between an actual and a desired outcome. It is
important to carefully consider what your goal or
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desired outcome is in order to define the ______
appropriately.
Problem Solving - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ A systematic
process for closing gaps. Identifying complex problems
and reviewing related information to develop and
evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential
actions to choose the most appropriate ones
Active Listening - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Giving full
attention to what other people are saying, taking the
time to understand the points being made; asking
questions as appropriate and not interrupting
Ethics - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Guides behavior by
identifying right, wrong, and many shades of gray
inbetween
Ethical Dilemma - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ a situation with
two choices, neither of which resolves the situation in an
ethically acceptable manner
BUAD 304 MIDTERM - USC CUMMINGS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Organizational Behavior - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Describes an interdisciplinary field dedicated to
understanding and managing people at work.
The effective application of people skills includes the
ability to influence, get along with, manage and get
things done through others.
Contingency Approach - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Calls for
using the OB concepts and tools that best suit the
situation, instead of trying to rely on "one best way"
i.e. what works with one employee might not work for
another. Situational and no single best style of
leadership.
Uncommon Sense - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Common sense
suffers 3 major weaknesses to be aware of/avoid:
,2|Page
> Overreliance on hindsight --> Common sense is
especially weak in responding to unknown or
unexpected
> Lack of rigor
> Lack of objectivity
Hard Skills vs Soft Skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Hard
skills are the technical expertise and knowledge
required to do a particular task or job function, while
soft skills relate to human interactions and include both
interpersonal skills and personal attributes
i.e. financial analysis, accounting or operations vs. HR
Personal Attributes - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ 1) Attitudes
2) Personality
3) Teamwork
4) Leadership
Interpersonal Skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ 1) Active
Listening
2) Positive Attitudes
3) Effective Communication
,3|Page
Portable skills - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Soft skills are not
job specific, they are instead ____. More or less
relevant in every job, at every level, and throughout
your career.
The Knowing-Doing Gap - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ The
difference between what people know and what they
actually do
4 skills most desired by employers - .....ANSWER...
✔✔ 1) Critical Thinking
2) Problem Solving
3) Judgment and Decision Making
4) Active listening
Critical Thinking - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Using logic and
reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of
alternate solutions, conclusions or approaches to
problems
Problem - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ a difference or gap
between an actual and a desired outcome. It is
important to carefully consider what your goal or
, 4|Page
desired outcome is in order to define the ______
appropriately.
Problem Solving - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ A systematic
process for closing gaps. Identifying complex problems
and reviewing related information to develop and
evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential
actions to choose the most appropriate ones
Active Listening - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Giving full
attention to what other people are saying, taking the
time to understand the points being made; asking
questions as appropriate and not interrupting
Ethics - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Guides behavior by
identifying right, wrong, and many shades of gray
inbetween
Ethical Dilemma - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ a situation with
two choices, neither of which resolves the situation in an
ethically acceptable manner
