MGT 312T Wk 1 - Apply: Summative Assessment: Elements of Organizational Behavior Exam

Week 1 - Apply: Summative Assessment: Elements of Organizational Behavior Exam [due Day 7]

1. After reading the “Trader Joe's Keeps Things Fresh” case study, which business actions by Trader Joe's demonstrate contingency thinking?

A. Adapting their approach and discontinuing the sale of red-listed seafood after recognizing it was not in their best interest.

B. Providing higher compensation to internal employees who advance into management due to their stronger understanding of Trader Joe's operations.

C. Shifting their strategy to offer higher quality products at lower prices to enhance competitiveness in the market.

D. Signing an agreement with the CIW to promote improved working conditions and wages for those working in the produce fields.

2. Sarah is a manager at a multinational accounting firm. She is responsible for leading a team of 10 accountants and ensuring that the firm’s clients receive high-quality services. Which of the following best describes Sarah as an effective manager in the field of organizational behavior?

A. Sarah ignores the challenges faced by her team and does not take any steps to address them.

B. Sarah sets clear expectations for her team and provides regular feedback to help them improve their performance.

C. Sarah focuses solely on meeting deadlines and delivering high-quality work, without considering the well-being of her team.

D. Sarah prioritizes her own needs over the needs of her team and does not provide any guidance or support

3. A manager at a large tech company has been successful in leading their team to meet project deadlines, resolving conflicts among team members, and creating a positive work environment. Which personal attribute best explains the manager's success in their role?

A. Cognitive intelligence

B. Technical skills

C. Emotional intelligence

D. Physical ability

4. Riya, a manager at Planet Save, is using spreadsheet software to prepare a departmental budget. Riya is using which managerial skill according to Katz?

A. Creative

B. Technical

C. Conceptual

D. Supervisory

5. Jonathan has started wearing a new brand of clothing because all of his friends have started wearing it too. What term best describes Jonathan's behavior?

A. Selective perception

B. Bandwagon effect

C. Conformity

D. Social influence

6. Adriana, a manager at Confections Bakery, observed a significant decline in bakery sales last quarter, after the holiday rush. She shared the performance data with the owner, but the owner dismissed the concern because she has seen this decline during the same period in past years, and was confident that sales would return to normal levels. Unsatisfied with this response, Adriana analyzed the sales data further and discovered a large discrepancy in the inventory, which was the reason for the sales decline. Which critical thinking approaches were present in this scenario? Select all that apply.

A. Confidence in reason, displayed by Adriana, by analyzing sales trends and discrepancies to uncover the cause of the decline

B. Intellectual independence, displayed by the owner, by asserting her authority and making a judgment on the decline

C. Intellectual curiosity, displayed by Adriana, when she continued to seek the accurate reason for the sales decline

D. Intellectual humility, displayed by the owner, when using her past professional experience and authority to make a judgment on the sales decline

7. In the context of organizational behavior, which of the following is an enduring change of behavior that results from experience?

A. Organizational tracking

B. Learning

C. Lifelong careers

D. Managerial sensemaking

8. After reading the “Trader Joe’s Keeps Things Fresh” case study, how does Trader Joe’s design jobs for increased job satisfaction and higher performance? Select all that apply.

• They include opportunities for employees to advance by developing a policy of promotion from within that helps reward and recognize employee performance.

• They expand job duties to include intrinsic rewards such as responsibility, achievement, recognition, and personal growth.

• The job descriptions include soft skills, which show their strong sense of values for both product knowledge and customer involvement.

• Employees are encouraged to share their product knowledge and experience with customers and are encouraged to develop a relationship with customers.

9. Suppose that a company’s president decides to develop a policy to increase the company’s commitment to its employees and then develops a set of procedures to implement this policy. The president is engaged in which management function?

A. Organizing

B. Planning

C. Leading

D. Directing

10. What are some ways in which critical thinking contributes to a better understanding of organizational behavior in the workplace? Select all that apply.

A. Uncovering important issues and utilizing evidence-based foundations for decision-making

B. Using intuition and authority to develop universally applicable solutions across the organization

C. Making objective, unbiased assessments of facts when forming judgments

D. Exploring complexity, pursuing clarity, and seeking evidence to answer complex questions

11. Jean serves as a vice president in charge of innovation within her organization. She leads five cross-functional innovation pods which are working diligently on finding the “next big idea” to lead the company to its next frontier of growth. She assesses the stage of each team’s progress, and allocates funding based on the compelling nature of each pod’s pitch. Which type of category of effective management does Jean’s role most closely align with?

A. Interpersonal

B. Informational

C. Autocratic

D. Decisional

12. As a manager, Jermaine defines goals, sets performance objectives, and identifies action steps for accomplishing them. Jermaine is engaged in which management function?

A. Leading

B. Planning

C. Organizing

D. Directing

13. Rather than assuming that there is one “best” or universal way to manage people in organizations, which of the following should organizational behavior researchers use to try to identify how different situations can best be understood and handled?

A. Contingency thinking

B. A traditional method

C. Emotional intelligence

D. Industrial engineering

14. Gallup is a professional services organization that studies employee engagement across industries all over the world. Gallup cites that its research attempts to “measure the enthusiasm of employees between their work and workplace.” As a result, this organization is dedicated to codifying which principle of organizational behavior?

A. Task performance

B. Job satisfaction

C. Motivation

D. Empathy

15. Susan, a manager at Toddler Toys, recently completed her undergraduate degree in business and aims to apply organizational behavior practices to enhance her managerial effectiveness and improve the business. Which practices would be most effective for her to integrate? Select all that apply.

A. Clearly define the goals and objectives for each new initiative to provide better direction for employee tasks.

B. Develop better training resources to help her team become more efficient at their jobs.

C. Offer more flexible working conditions that will enhance employee engagement.

D. Design strict guidelines for new initiatives to maintain better control of the execution and of employee actions.

MGT/312T: Organizational Behavior For Managers