Organizational Behavior Exam (C715)

Correct Answer:

C) Ensure that individual contributions to the group's outcome are identified

Why C is Correct:

Social loafing occurs when individuals put in less effort in a group setting compared to working alone, often due to a lack of accountability. Identifying individual contributions ensures that each member is held accountable for their part, reducing the likelihood of loafing.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A) Increase the rewards the group is given if it succeeds

While group rewards can boost motivation, they may not address the issue of unequal effort among group members, which is the core of social loafing.

B) Increase the amount by which the group's progress is monitored

Monitoring group progress helps track overall performance but does not ensure individual accountability, which is critical for reducing social loafing.

D) Increase the size of the group

Larger groups are more prone to social loafing, as individual efforts are less visible and accountability decreases.

E) Increase the group's workload

Increasing workload can exacerbate social loafing, as some members may withdraw effort when faced with more tasks.

Correct Answer:

A. Competence and positive connections

Why the Answer is Correct:

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a psychological framework that focuses on human motivation. It suggests that people are driven by three basic psychological needs: autonomy (the need to feel in control of one's actions), competence (the need to feel effective and capable), and relatedness (the need to form meaningful connections with others). The theory posits that fulfilling these needs leads to intrinsic motivation and overall well-being. Thus, in addition to autonomy, people strive for competence and positive connections.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

B. High rewards:

While rewards can provide extrinsic motivation, SDT emphasizes intrinsic motivation, which comes from fulfilling psychological needs like competence, autonomy, and relatedness. High rewards alone do not align with the intrinsic focus of SDT.

C. Recognition and status:

Recognition and status are extrinsic motivators related to external validation. SDT focuses on intrinsic motivation derived from internal satisfaction rather than external rewards or acknowledgment.

D. Career growth:

Career growth may be a byproduct of fulfilling intrinsic needs, but it is not directly proposed by SDT as a fundamental human need.

E. Power and control:

While autonomy involves a sense of self-governance, the desire for power and control extends beyond the concept of autonomy and is not a primary focus of SDT.

Correct Answer:

D) Dissimilar mental models

Explanation:

Dissimilar mental models refer to a lack of shared understanding among team members regarding how tasks should be executed, roles should be performed, and challenges should be addressed. In Sharon’s team, members were unclear about responsibilities, team roles, and the project’s demands, leading to confusion and inefficiency. Teams with dissimilar mental models struggle to coordinate effectively and are more prone to delays and errors. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) Excessively large team size

A team of seven members is not excessively large and is generally considered an optimal size for collaboration. The problem described is not related to team size but to role clarity and shared understanding.

B) High degree of role clarity

Role clarity means team members have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and who to approach for assistance. The team in this scenario suffers from a lack of role clarity, making this option incorrect.

C) A clear role allocation for all team members

The complaints about work not being in accordance with roles indicate that the team does not have clear role allocation, making this option incorrect.

E) A strong climate of trust

While trust is essential for teamwork, the issues in this scenario are primarily related to poor coordination, unclear roles, and dissimilar mental models, not a lack of trust.

Correct Answer:

C) An employee was fired from work because he violated a company policy.

Explanation:

Internally caused behavior is attributed to an individual’s own actions, decisions, or choices. Violating a company policy is a direct result of the employee’s actions, making it an example of internally caused behavior. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) An employee was late for a team meeting because of a heavy downpour.

This is an example of externally caused behavior because the heavy downpour (an external factor) caused the employee to be late.

B) An employee was laid off because the company was attempting to cut costs by laying off employees.

This is externally caused behavior because the layoff was due to the company’s external decision related to budget cuts, not the employee's personal actions.

D) An employee could not attend an interview because of a delayed flight.

This is externally caused behavior as the delayed flight (an external factor) was beyond the employee’s control.

E) An employee could not come to work because he met with an accident.

This is externally caused behavior since the accident (an external event) prevented the employee from coming to work.

Correct Answer

D. Physically isolate the group

Explanation

Physically isolating the group can enhance group cohesion by reducing external distractions and encouraging members to work closely together. When team members spend more time together, they develop stronger interpersonal bonds, improving communication and alignment toward common goals

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. Establish more rigid roles for group members While defining roles can provide structure, making roles too rigid may limit flexibility and creativity within the group. Overly strict roles can discourage collaboration rather than improve cohesion.

B. Decrease the difficulty of becoming a group member Making it easier to join the group may reduce the sense of exclusivity and commitment among members. Groups with a selective membership process often experience higher levels of cohesion because members feel a stronger sense of belonging.

C. Make the group larger Larger groups can be more challenging to manage and may lead to increased conflict and communication difficulties. Smaller, more focused groups tend to have higher cohesion and a clearer sense of purpose.

Correct Answer

C. A system that emphasizes rewards for individual contributions as well as for selfless contributions

Explanation

A reward system that balances both individual contributions and selfless collaboration is most effective in promoting teamwork. Recognizing individual achievements encourages personal accountability, while rewarding selfless contributions fosters a cooperative environment where members support one another. This dual focus improves overall team effectiveness and collaboration.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. A system that emphasizes group rewards for maximizing productivity. While group rewards can drive collective success, they may not directly encourage individual accountability or collaboration. Some members may contribute less, relying on the efforts of others to earn rewards.

B. A system that emphasizes group rewards based on aggressive competitiveness. Aggressive competitiveness within a team can lead to conflicts and a lack of trust, which can harm collaboration. This approach may encourage individual members to focus on outperforming others rather than working together effectively.

D. A system that emphasizes individual rewards for aggressive competitiveness. This approach focuses solely on individual performance rather than team effectiveness. It can create a cutthroat culture, discouraging teamwork and reducing overall collaboration among team members.

Correct Answer:

A) Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional

Explanation:

John Holland's personality-job fit theory identifies six personality types:

Realistic: Prefers physical, hands-on activities requiring skill and strength (e.g., mechanic, engineer).

Investigative: Enjoys analytical and problem-solving tasks (e.g., scientist, analyst).

Artistic: Values creativity and self-expression (e.g., artist, writer).

Social: Thrives on helping and interacting with others (e.g., teacher, counselor).

Enterprising: Seeks leadership and influencing roles (e.g., manager, entrepreneur).

Conventional: Prefers structured, rule-regulated activities (e.g., accountant, clerk).

The theory emphasizes that aligning personality with the work environment enhances job satisfaction and performance. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

B) Introverted, Extroverted, Sensing, Intuitive, Thinking, Feeling

These are components of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), not John Holland’s personality-job fit theory.

C) Authoritarian, Democratic, Laissez-faire, Autocratic, Transformational, Transactional

These are leadership styles, not personality types within Holland’s framework.

D) Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism

These are the dimensions of the Big Five personality traits, which focus on general personality characteristics rather than career alignment.

Correct Answer:

E) It assumes that an individual is able to identify all relevant options in an unbiased manner.

Explanation:

The rational decision-making model assumes that individuals are fully rational, capable of processing all relevant information, evaluating all alternatives objectively, and selecting the optimal solution. It is an idealized model that often contrasts with real-world decision-making, where limitations in information and cognition play a significant role.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) It takes into consideration the limited information-processing capability of individuals.

This describes the bounded rationality model, which recognizes that individuals have cognitive and informational constraints. The rational decision-making model assumes individuals can process all relevant information.

B) It involves constructing simplified models without capturing all their complexity.

This also aligns with the bounded rationality model, where simplified models are used to address cognitive limitations.

C) It is an unconscious decision-making process created from distilled experience.

This describes intuition, which relies on unconscious processing and prior experience, not the deliberate and analytical nature of the rational decision-making model.

D) It deals with satisfying decisions by seeking solutions that are satisfactory and sufficient.

This is another characteristic of the bounded rationality model, which focuses on satisficing rather than optimizing, unlike the rational model.

Correct Answer:

D) Bargaining and problem-solving

Why D is Correct:

The bargaining and problem-solving phase is the core of the negotiation process where the parties engage in discussions to reach an agreement. This phase involves exchanging proposals, addressing conflicts, and finding mutually acceptable solutions. It is where the actual negotiation takes place to "hash out" terms.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A) Preparation and planning

This phase involves gathering information, identifying objectives, and developing strategies. No discussions or agreements occur during this stage.

B) Definition of ground rules

This phase sets the framework for the negotiation, such as determining where and how discussions will take place, but it does not involve substantive discussions of the issues.

C) Closure and implementation

This phase occurs after the agreement is reached. It involves formalizing the agreement and determining how it will be executed.

E) Integration of preferences

This is not a recognized phase in the negotiation process. It may describe elements of integrative bargaining but is not specific to the negotiation phases.