BA 350 RAPP EXAM 1 SDSU QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2025-2026
What is an Organization? - Answers A group of people working together towards a common
goal.
What do good managers do? - Answers They discover what is unique about each person and
then capitalize on it.
How do you find find employee individual differences? - Answers Get to know your people.
What are the Big 5 Traits? (hint: OCEAN) - Answers Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness,
Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
What is Openness to Experience? - Answers The degree to which an individual is original, open
to a wide variety of stimuli, has broad interests, and is willing to take risks.
What is Consciousness? - Answers The degree to which an in individual is careful, scrupulous,
and perservering.
What is Extraversion? - Answers The degree to which individuals are talkative, assertive,
energetic, and sociable versus reserved, timid, and quiet.
What is Agreeableness? - Answers The degree to which individuals get along well with other
people.
What is Neuroticism? - Answers The degree to which individuals are sensitive to threat and
punishment, and tend to experience greater negative emotion.
What big 5 trait best predicts Job Performance? - Answers Conscientiousness
What big 5 trait best predicts Management and Sales Success? - Answers Extraversion
What big 5 trait best predicts Interpersonal Aspects at Work? - Answers Agreeableness
What big 5 trait best predicts Creativity? - Answers Openness
What is the Locus of Control? - Answers The degree to which you believe that the outcomes you
experience in life are in/outside of your control.
Internal Locus of Control - Answers I make things happen. I determine my future.
External Locus of Control - Answers Why do things happen to me? I can't control my future.
What is a tight situation? - Answers Strong social norms; narrow range of acceptable behavior.
(ex:library)
What is a weak situation? - Answers Loose social norms; wide range of acceptable behavior.
(ex:public park)
, What is Interactionism? - Answers The principle that aspects of personality and of situations
work together to determine behavior; neither has an effect by itself, nor is one more important
than the other.
What are the sources of individual differences? - Answers A combination of genetic factors,
such as heredity and neurological variations, and environmental influences, including upbringing,
culture, education, and life experiences.
What are the outcomes of individual differences? - Answers Variations in behavior, cognitive
abilities, personality, and performance, leading to diverse approaches to problem-solving,
communication, and adaptability in personal and professional settings.
What is Extrinsic Motivation? - Answers The desire to perform a behavior to acquire material
rewards or to avoid punishment external to the self.
What is Intrinsic Motivation? - Answers The desire to perform a behavior for its own sake,
because the behavior itself is inherently rewarding, fulfilling needs for purpose, independence,
mastery, and/or relatedness.
What is the Expectancy Theory of Motivation? - Answers Effort -> Performance -> Outcome
Strategies for ensuring E->P->O - Answers 1. Clearly define the performance standards (P)
2. Be sure performance standards are achievable (E → P)
3. Offer the right (valued) reward (O)
4. Guarantee that meeting performance standards will result inpromised reward (P → O)
Rewarding A but Hoping for B - Answers When trying to encourage a desired behavior, be sure
to reward the actual behavior rather than a separate, but related behavior.
Equity Theory - Answers Employees compare their ratio of rewards-to-inputs to the ratio of
similar coworkers.
Equity Theory: Outcome/input ratio - Answers "People evaluate the ratio of what they are getting
from a particular situation(outcomes) with what they are contributing to a situation (inputs), and
compare this ratio to the outcome/input ratio for a comparative referent."
How employees strive to reduce inequity - Answers • Change inputs (slack off)
• Change outcomes (increase output)
• Distort/change perceptions of self
• Distort/change perceptions of others
• Choose a different referent person
What is an Organization? - Answers A group of people working together towards a common
goal.
What do good managers do? - Answers They discover what is unique about each person and
then capitalize on it.
How do you find find employee individual differences? - Answers Get to know your people.
What are the Big 5 Traits? (hint: OCEAN) - Answers Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness,
Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
What is Openness to Experience? - Answers The degree to which an individual is original, open
to a wide variety of stimuli, has broad interests, and is willing to take risks.
What is Consciousness? - Answers The degree to which an in individual is careful, scrupulous,
and perservering.
What is Extraversion? - Answers The degree to which individuals are talkative, assertive,
energetic, and sociable versus reserved, timid, and quiet.
What is Agreeableness? - Answers The degree to which individuals get along well with other
people.
What is Neuroticism? - Answers The degree to which individuals are sensitive to threat and
punishment, and tend to experience greater negative emotion.
What big 5 trait best predicts Job Performance? - Answers Conscientiousness
What big 5 trait best predicts Management and Sales Success? - Answers Extraversion
What big 5 trait best predicts Interpersonal Aspects at Work? - Answers Agreeableness
What big 5 trait best predicts Creativity? - Answers Openness
What is the Locus of Control? - Answers The degree to which you believe that the outcomes you
experience in life are in/outside of your control.
Internal Locus of Control - Answers I make things happen. I determine my future.
External Locus of Control - Answers Why do things happen to me? I can't control my future.
What is a tight situation? - Answers Strong social norms; narrow range of acceptable behavior.
(ex:library)
What is a weak situation? - Answers Loose social norms; wide range of acceptable behavior.
(ex:public park)
, What is Interactionism? - Answers The principle that aspects of personality and of situations
work together to determine behavior; neither has an effect by itself, nor is one more important
than the other.
What are the sources of individual differences? - Answers A combination of genetic factors,
such as heredity and neurological variations, and environmental influences, including upbringing,
culture, education, and life experiences.
What are the outcomes of individual differences? - Answers Variations in behavior, cognitive
abilities, personality, and performance, leading to diverse approaches to problem-solving,
communication, and adaptability in personal and professional settings.
What is Extrinsic Motivation? - Answers The desire to perform a behavior to acquire material
rewards or to avoid punishment external to the self.
What is Intrinsic Motivation? - Answers The desire to perform a behavior for its own sake,
because the behavior itself is inherently rewarding, fulfilling needs for purpose, independence,
mastery, and/or relatedness.
What is the Expectancy Theory of Motivation? - Answers Effort -> Performance -> Outcome
Strategies for ensuring E->P->O - Answers 1. Clearly define the performance standards (P)
2. Be sure performance standards are achievable (E → P)
3. Offer the right (valued) reward (O)
4. Guarantee that meeting performance standards will result inpromised reward (P → O)
Rewarding A but Hoping for B - Answers When trying to encourage a desired behavior, be sure
to reward the actual behavior rather than a separate, but related behavior.
Equity Theory - Answers Employees compare their ratio of rewards-to-inputs to the ratio of
similar coworkers.
Equity Theory: Outcome/input ratio - Answers "People evaluate the ratio of what they are getting
from a particular situation(outcomes) with what they are contributing to a situation (inputs), and
compare this ratio to the outcome/input ratio for a comparative referent."
How employees strive to reduce inequity - Answers • Change inputs (slack off)
• Change outcomes (increase output)
• Distort/change perceptions of self
• Distort/change perceptions of others
• Choose a different referent person
