MGT/311 – Final Exam Study Guide

1.  Vera’s job in publishing requires her to seek out new writers. She has chosen a bunch of talented writers, but none of them seem to get chosen for publishing. She thinks this has something to do with conflicts in management. How would you describe Vera’s job attitude?

 

Low job satisfaction. High job involvement

 

Explanation: Vera obviously works very hard at her job, but she gets very little satisfaction because her writers never get published.

 

 

2.  Julia is a receptionist at a stockbroker’s office. Her boss just came in and chewed her out for no apparent reason. Julia freaks out and slams her iPad in the garbage. What is the cause of Julia’s reaction?

 

Emotion

 

Explanation: Julia was upset by her boss’s actions and let her emotions cause her to do something out of the ordinary. 

 

3.  Erin is a customer service rep a social media software company. A customer calls and chews her out because the software is down. She needs to leave her desk to cool down. Why is her anger an emotion and NOT a mood?

 

It has contextual stimulus.

 

Explanation: Anger caused from single source (the context) is an emotion, while anger caused from ambiguous sources would be considered a mood.

 

4) Incompatibility two or more attitudes or between behavior and attitudes is referred to as?

 

Cognitive dissonance

 

Explanation: Just image trying to work with a very upbeat person while you’re very angry. This is going to create some cognitive dissonance.  

 

5) What is the term that describes a person’s connection to their job and their view of self-worth from their work at the job?

 

Job involvement

 

Explanation: Some jobs can be very involved with a person’s life and will be their defining activity. Other people are stuck in dead end jobs with low involvement.  

 

 

6) Some companies require their employees to display a certain type of emotion when performing their job. What term refers to these emotions?

 

Displayed emotions

 

Explanation: Just think Wal-Mart… Employees are always supposed to be working with a smile, despite their actual internal emotions. 

 

7) Janet must find a writer who can be assigned to an big advertising account. She pours over data from the past performance of her writers. Eventually she chooses a writer that has shown great results on similar accounts. What is the basis for Janet’s choice?

 

Systematic study

 

Explanation: Janet uses an approach that relies on hard data to make a decision, as opposed to using her personal instincts.  

 

8) What is it called when managerial methods are based on the scientific evidence?

 

Evidence-based management

 

Explanation: Many management methods undergo rigid scientific testing. Managers that use these tactics are engaging in evidence-based management.

 

9) A construction manager is spending a great deal of time conducting interviews, due to high turnover rates of skilled workers. Many people quit because the workplace is not safe. Some foreman employees were encouraged to break rules in order to get the job done faster. How can the manager control these bad foremen?

 

Find out the reason foremen are putting a greater importance on finishing the job, rather than safety

 

Explanation: Problems like this are often the result of higher management putting incentives on fast work instead of workplace safety.

 

10) Phil is a great salesman who has had a passion for sales since a young age. He recently won a trip to Hawaii for setting a new company sales record. Based on self-determination theory, why did the company recognition and award motivate Phil?

 

The award boosted Phil’s sense of competence and provided feedback that improved his intrinsic motivation.

 

Explanation: The award is intrinsic and plays to Phil’s passion for sales.

 

 

11) Tony is a computer program who is being forced to make a presentation about a project. He loves programming, but this project is going to take up much of his personal time. Based on self-determination theory, why is this presentation reducing Tony’s motivation?

 

The external goals feel deceptive, thus lowering Tony’s intrinsic motivation

 

Explanation: Tony is a self-motivated individual and he does not like his boss setting arbitrary goals for him.

 

12) Glendon is a business graduate who worked at a firm in Spain making a lot of money. The firm was hit by a financial crisis and sent Glendon back home where he makes less money at a non-profit, but is much happier. Which theory explains why Glendon is more happy?

 

Self-concordance

 

Explanation: Glendon has recognized that personal happiness is more important that financial gain in a career. 

 

 

13) Marci was sitting at her desk, when her boss walked in a gave her a bunch of really nice compliments. This made her very happy and satisfied with her career. Marci’s boss uses what type of communication?

 

Motivation

 

Explanation: Providing compliments about job performance can help employees feel more motivated. 

 

 

14) How can manages make sure that employees do not withhold important info by being silent?

 

Listen to employees and support diverse opinions.

Explanation: Encouraging diverse opinions will make employees feel confident about sharing information. 

 

15) A CEO sent a super mean email to over 500 managers at his company. What did he do wrong?

 

Selected the wrong channel for this message

 

Explanation: This channel punishes both good managers and bad managers. 

 

16) Araceli works for a large corporation. She never speaks at meetings because employees like to gossip after work. What contextual issue is damaging the performance of Araceli’s team?

 

Climate of trust

 

Explanation: Many employees will be afraid to speak if there is a culture of gossip in the workplace.

 

17) Ayesha is creating a team to build a new prototype. The other two team members have show great success working together in the past. She brings a high level of expertise for this project. Which best describes Ayesha’s group?

 

High norms. High cohesiveness. High productivity

 

Explanation: Being able to work together provides cohesiveness, having a history provides norms, and knowledge provides productivity.

 

18) Irma is assigned to a project, but does not like some of the rules that have been set. However, other team members are perfectly fine with rules, so Irma decided to go along. What is this called?

 

Accommodating

 

Explanation: Even though she disagreed, Irma accommodated the viewpoints of her fellow coworkers. 

 
19) Angelina has a cubicle neighbor that talks in a really annoying voice. She decides it’s not even worth talking to this individual. What is this called?

 

Avoiding

 

Explanation: Angelina prefers to ignore the root of the problem rather than approach a manager to get her a new cubicle spot. 

 

20) What is needed to keep process conflict productive?

 

Must be kept low

 

Explanation: Process conflict will be difficult to control if it becomes to high. 

 

21) What is the inherent right of a manager to have orders followed and obeyed?

 

Authority

 

Explanation: You must respect the authority of your manager. The company has provided them with the freedom to control their subordinates.

 

22)  Consider the following actions: reduce costs, cut overhead, speed up decision making, increase flexibility, get closer to customers, and empower employees. What type of strategy is this?

 

Wider spans of control

 

Explanation: This strategy gives more employees to each manager, thus cutting costs, empowering employees, etc.

 

23) What is the term for employees adapting to organizational culture?

 

Socialization

 

Explanation: Large companies have a unique corporate culture that takes time to become accustomed to.

 

 

24) Imagine if an employee’s expectations do not reconcile with reality… At which stage of socialization is this person going to quit?

 

Encounter

 

Explanation: Once this person encounters the true nature of the company, they will not want to waste any additional time with the firm. 

 

25) Your boss offers you a raise for doing additional work. What type of power is this called?

 

Reward

 

Explanation: Also called “dangling the carrot”, this tactic is an easy way for managers to get additional work performed.

 

26) How do Political behaviors factor into the workplace?

 

Are outside of a person’s specified performance

 

Explanation: In most cases, political behaviors will have no impact on job performance reviews.

 

27) How can a manager leverage the diversity of group, regardless of its actual composition?

 

Make sure all group members know the importance of diversity in groups.

 

Explanation: Educating employees on the importance of diversity will provide employees will help with performance, studies show.

 

28) Workforce programs that focus on diversity can be broken down into 3 steps. What is the third step in the process?

 

Foster personal development practices that highlight the unique skills of all employees

 

Explanation: A good job will generally provide a high degree of personal development, which can be achieved through diversity.
29) Sometime people will resist change. A manager gain their support by letting them contributes to the change process. What is this tactic called?

 

Cooptation

 

Explanation: People who have a say in the decision process are far less likely to have a resistant attitude. 

 

30) What strategy can quickly gain the support of enemies, but could backfire?

 

Manipulation

 

Explanation: If people find out they are being manipulated, they will not be very happy about it and likely lose trust in management.