Organizational Behavior Exam (C715)

Correct Answer:

D) Distributive

Why D is Correct:

Distributive justice refers to the perceived fairness of outcomes, such as pay, promotions, or rewards. Jackie’s resentment stems from her belief that her compensation (an outcome) is unfair compared to others, leading to her retaliatory behavior.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A) Interactional:

Interactional justice refers to the quality of interpersonal treatment individuals receive, such as respect and courtesy, not the fairness of outcomes like pay.

B) Interpersonal:

Interpersonal justice is closely related to interactional justice and deals with the degree to which people are treated with dignity and respect, which is not the issue in Jackie’s situation.

C) Procedural:

Procedural justice concerns the fairness of the processes used to determine outcomes. Jackie’s issue is with the outcome (pay), not the procedure behind it.

E) Associative:

Associative justice is not a recognized category of organizational justice.

Summary:

Jackie’s resentment arises from her belief that her pay is unfair compared to others, reflecting a perceived lack of distributive justice, which focuses on the fairness of outcomes. The correct answer is D) Distributive.

Correct Answer:

B) The organization's environment is dynamic.

Explanation:

Culture becomes a liability in dynamic environments because strong cultures often emphasize stability, consistency, and adherence to established norms. This can make organizations resistant to change and less adaptable when rapid shifts in the market, technology, or competition occur. Dynamic environments require flexibility and innovation, which may conflict with the entrenched values and practices of a strong culture. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) The employees of the organization are highly skilled.

A strong culture typically benefits highly skilled employees by providing clarity on organizational values and direction, enabling them to focus on applying their skills effectively.

C) The organization's management is highly efficient.

Efficient management can leverage a strong culture to drive alignment and performance. Culture becomes a liability when the environment demands rapid adaptability, not when management is efficient.

D) The organization is highly centralized.

While centralization might pose challenges, it does not inherently turn culture into a liability. Strong cultures can still operate effectively in centralized structures by providing a cohesive framework for decision-making.

E) The organization scores low on the degree of formalization.

Low formalization often leads to greater reliance on culture for guidance, which can be an asset rather than a liability unless the environment demands significant change.

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) Contrast Effect

Explanation:

The Contrast Effect occurs when individuals are evaluated in relation to others rather than independently, leading to rankings influenced by comparisons. For instance, a person may appear more competent or less capable depending on the qualities or performance of others evaluated alongside them.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

B) Halo Effect

The halo effect occurs when one positive trait of a person influences the overall perception of them. It does not involve comparisons or rankings relative to others.

C) Recency Effect

The recency effect refers to the tendency to give more weight to recent information rather than earlier data. It does not involve comparisons between individuals.

D) Stereotyping

Stereotyping involves assigning generalized traits to individuals based on their group membership, not ranking individuals by comparing them with others.

E) Attribution Bias

Attribution bias refers to errors in attributing causes to behavior, such as overemphasizing internal factors, and is unrelated to comparative evaluations.

Correct Answer:

e. Seek input from employees before the group leader presents his or her opinions.

Why E is Correct:

Seeking input before the group leader shares opinions helps minimize groupthink by ensuring that group members feel free to voice their perspectives without being influenced by the leader’s views. This approach promotes independent thinking and prevents premature conformity.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

Increase the group size.

Larger groups can increase the risk of groupthink because individual accountability may decrease, and there is a greater chance of dominant members influencing others.

b. Encourage group leaders to develop a stronger sense of group identity.

While a strong group identity can foster cohesion, it can also increase the risk of groupthink by discouraging dissenting opinions and reinforcing conformity.

c. Prevent all team members from engaging in a critical evaluation of ideas at the beginning.

Discouraging critical evaluation stifles diverse viewpoints and increases the likelihood of groupthink. Critical evaluation is essential to identifying potential flaws in decisions.

d. Ask the group members to first focus on the positives of an alternative rather than the negatives.

Emphasizing only the positives can create a biased discussion and suppress critical analysis, which is counterproductive in minimizing groupthink.

Correct Answer

C. Distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency

Explanation

Attribution theory explains how individuals interpret the causes of behavior by analyzing three key factors: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency. Distinctiveness refers to whether the behavior is unusual for the individual in different situations. Consensus considers whether others in the same situation behave similarly. Consistency examines whether the person exhibits the behavior repeatedly over time. These elements help determine whether the behavior is attributed to internal factors (personal traits) or external factors (situational influences).

Why Other Options Are Wrong

A. Creativity, relationships, and expertise. This option is incorrect because these factors are not part of attribution theory. While creativity and relationships may influence workplace dynamics, they do not help in assessing the cause of someone’s behavior based on attribution theory.

B. Problem, criteria, and alternatives. This option is incorrect because these elements are more relevant to decision-making models rather than attribution theory. They focus on evaluating solutions rather than explaining behavioral attributions.

D. Situation, attributes, and alternatives. This option is incorrect because while "situation" is somewhat relevant, "attributes" and "alternatives" do not align with the key components of attribution theory. The theory specifically focuses on distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency rather than general situational factors or personal attributes.

Correct Answer:

A) Equity theory

Why A is Correct:

Equity theory explains how individuals compare their job inputs (e.g., effort, skills) and outcomes (e.g., salary, recognition) with those of others. If they perceive inequity (being under- or over-rewarded), they take action to restore balance, such as adjusting their effort or seeking better rewards.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

B) Goal-setting theory:

Goal-setting theory focuses on how setting specific and challenging goals enhances performance. It does not involve comparisons of inputs and outcomes with others.

C) Contingency theory:

Contingency theory explains that the effectiveness of leadership or actions depends on the situational context, not on comparisons of fairness in inputs and outcomes.

D) Self-efficacy theory:

Self-efficacy theory refers to an individual’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific tasks, unrelated to perceptions of equity or fairness.

E) Expectancy theory:

Expectancy theory focuses on how individuals decide on behaviors based on expected outcomes, emphasizing the relationship between effort, performance, and rewards, but it does not involve direct comparisons with others.

Summary:

Equity theory addresses how individuals evaluate fairness by comparing their inputs and outcomes to those of others. Perceived inequity motivates them to restore balance. The correct answer is A) Equity theory.

Correct Answer:

B) An employee is late to work because of a punctured tire.

Explanation:

Externally caused behavior arises due to factors outside an individual’s control. Being late to work because of a punctured tire is caused by an uncontrollable external event, making it an example of externally caused behavior. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) An employee was promoted when he achieved more than the assigned objectives.

This is internally caused behavior as the promotion resulted from the employee's personal effort and achievements.

C) An employee postpones a meeting because he overslept.

Oversleeping is an internal cause, as it stems from the employee's personal habits or negligence.

D) An employee was fired because he violated a company policy.

This is internally caused behavior because the violation of policy was a result of the employee's deliberate actions.

E) An employee closed a sale with an important corporate client because of his excellent negotiation skills.

This is an example of internally caused behavior, as the success stems from the employee’s skills and efforts.

Correct Answer:

D) The aspects that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction.

Explanation:

The two-factor theory, developed by Frederick Herzberg, states that:

Hygiene factors (e.g., salary, company policies, supervision, working conditions) can reduce dissatisfaction but do not lead to job satisfaction.

Motivators (e.g., achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, growth) drive job satisfaction but do not directly address dissatisfaction.

This theory suggests that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are influenced by different factors, making them separate and distinct. 

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

A) There exists a hierarchy of needs within every human being, and as each need is satisfied, the next one becomes dominant.

This describes Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, not the two-factor theory, which focuses on job satisfaction and dissatisfaction arising from different factors.

B) Most employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it.

This statement aligns with Theory X, not the two-factor theory. Herzberg’s model does not assume employees inherently dislike work.

C) Employees view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility.

This aligns with Theory Y, which emphasizes that people are motivated to take responsibility and work towards goals, not with Herzberg’s two-factor theory.

E) Achievement, power, and affiliation are three important needs that help explain motivation.

This is based on McClelland’s theory of needs, not Herzberg’s two-factor theory.