Organizational Behavior

Midterm 10 Questions

1. A model is a(n) _____.

        a.        abstraction of reality

        b.        someone held in high esteem

        c.        independent variable

        d.        real-world scenario

        e.        dependent variable

Answer:  a.

1. Each of the six personality types developed in Holland’s personality-job fit theory has

       a.        supplemental personality style

        b.        congruent personality style

        c.        congruent occupational environment

        d.        supplemental occupational environment

        e.        supplemental skill set

Answer: c.

1. Define organizational behavior and list the four emotional intelligence competencies that contribute to understanding ourselves and others within the organizational behavior environment.

Organizational behavior is a field of study that investigates the impact individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization’s effectiveness. It influences the way people act and feel in organizations.

Four Emotional Intelligence Competencies:

Self-Awareness: This is how aware you are and how accurately you can assess your emotions. Leaders who are self-aware can recognize when their emotions have a negative impact on their work, or on the people around them.

Self-Management: Self-management is your ability to control your emotions, an essential interpersonal skill that drives adaptability and resilience.

Social Awareness: Your organizational awareness, focus on service, and level of empathy compose your social awareness.

Relationship Management: Developing others, serving as an inspiring leader and catalyst for change, collaborating with a high-performing team, and managing conflict are part of relationship management.

1. Although conflict is usually considered a negative experience to be avoided, it actually has the potential to produce positive organizational outcomes. Please identify three ways in which conflict can be a positive influence.

Conflict that is good is called functional conflict that results in positive benefits for individuals, teams, and organizations. This type of conflict helps to bring problems to the surface so they can be dealt with and help to make decisions more thoughtfully and more carefully, so that some decisions that were made earlier could be re looked at. Also functional conflict helps to increase the amount of decision making information and offer opportunities for creativity and can support the goals of the group, improves its performance and is thus a constructive form of conflict.

1. Explain how Fred Luthans differentiates between successful and effective managers.

Luthans and his associates studied more than 450 managers. All engaged in four managerial activities:

a. Traditional management. Decision making, planning, and controlling.

b. Communication. Exchanging routine information and processing paperwork. 

c. Human resource management. Motivating, disciplining, managing  conflict, staffing, and training. 

d. Networking. Socializing, politicking, and interacting with outsiders.

Fred Luthans opines that there may be very little in common between success and effectiveness. He states that successful managers are not engaged in the same day-to-day activities as effective managers. Successful (in terms of promotion) managers give almost the opposite emphases to traditional management, communication, human resource management, and networking as do effective managers.