Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1
Bauer & Erdogan
FWK Test Item File
Chapter 12
TRUE/FALSE
1. Leaders do not need to rely on the use of force to influence people.
(True)
2. A formal leader is one who holds a position of authority and may utilize the power that comes from that position as well as personal power to influence others.
(True)
3. When intelligence is measured with a paper and pencil test, its relationship to leadership is a bit weaker than when intelligence is viewed as the perceived intelligence of the leader.
(True)
4. Emotional intelligence helps an individual attain the management ranks, but once there, mental intelligence becomes important.
(False)
5. All effective leaders are extraverts.
(False)
6. The only trait of the Big 5 personality traits that is related to leadership emergence or leader effectiveness is conscientiousness.
(False)
7. There is no relationship between height and being viewed as a leader.
(False)
8. Three key traits associated with leadership are: integrity, conscientiousness and introversion.
(False)
9. Agreeable people who are modest, good-natured and avoid conflict are less likely to be perceived as leaders.
(True)
10. A key finding from research completed on traits is that all traits are not equally effective in predicting leadership potential.
(True)
11. Research supports the argument that demonstrating both initiating structure and consideration makes leaders more effective.
(False)
12. Initiating structure involves structuring the roles of subordinates, providing them instructions, and behaving in ways to increase the group’s performance.
(True)
13. Authoritarian decision makers make decisions alone without necessarily involving employees in the decision making process.
(True)
14. Research suggests that the democratic decision-making style helps satisfy employees and improves decision quality.
(False)
15. Laissez-faire leaders create high levels of ambiguity about job expectations for their employees and thus lower employee satisfaction.
(True)
16. If you have a low least preferred coworker rating, it means that you have a people-oriented personality and are able to separate your liking of a person from your ability to work with that person.
(False)
17. Fiedler’s contingency theory suggests different people can be effective in different situations.
(True)
18. Research supports Fiedler’s predictions about when low LPC leadership should be used.
(True)
19. House’s path-goal theory is based on equity theory.
(False)
20. Path-goal theory predicts that the type of leader behavior effective under different circumstances will depend on the characteristics of the employee and the work environment.
(True)
21. A supportive leadership style works best when there is high role ambiguity for employees, they have low abilities, and they have an external locus of control.
(False)
22. When employees have high abilities and high achievement motivation, the directive leadership style is best.
(False)
23. In House’s path-goal theory, the leader’s style is viewed as fixed and the environment changes; Fiedler’s theory assumes just the opposite.
(False)
24. Research suggests that on average, the leadership style recommended by Vroom and Yetton’s decision tree model tends to make more effective decisions compared to leaders using a style not recommended.
(True)
25. Transformational leaders use charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration to influence individuals and create commitment to company goals.
(True)
26. Passive management by exception involves leaving employees alone and waiting until something goes wrong before entering the picture.
(True)
27. Transactional leadership is a more effective form than transformational leadership.
(False)
28. The key factor in making transformational leadership more effective is extraversion.
(False)
29. Charisma is an inherent characteristic, so those firms attempting to teach charisma, are not making good use of their time or money.
(False)
30. Individuals with high LMX receive higher levels of resources than those with a low LMX relationship.
(True)
31. All employees want a high-quality relationship with their manager.
(False)
32. Servant leaders put their employees first.
(True)
33. Authentic leaders are self-aware, introspective, and have thorough understanding of their own values.
(True)
34. People in positions of authority are influential in driving people to ethical behaviors but not unethical behaviors.
(False)
35. The global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness project found, thus far, that there are no universal traits that are desirable or undesirable in a leader.
(False)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Opening Section: Taking the Pepsi Challenge: The Case of Indra Nooyi
|
36. Indra Nooyi has proven to be an effective leader for PepsiCo since she took over the firm in 2006. She exhibits all of the following leadership qualities EXCEPT
a. vision.
b. charisma.
c. proven track record in the industry.
d. laid-back performance standards and style.
(d) Medium/Analysis
37. The act of influencing others toward a goal is
a. leadership.
b. charisma.
c. power.
d. motivation.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
38. Leaders who hold a position of authority and utilize the power that comes from their position as well as personal power to influence others are called
a. informal leaders.
b. transformational leaders.
c. formal leaders.
d. charismatic leaders.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
| Section I: Who is a Leader? Trait Approaches to Leadership |
39. The earliest approach to the study of leadership was
a. the trait approach.
b. the behavioral approach.
c. the transactional approach.
d. the transformational approach.
(a) Easy/Comprehension
40. The trait approach to leadership examines all of the following factors EXCEPT
a. psychological attributes.
b. behaviors.
c. personality characteristics.
d. physical characteristics.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
41. All of the following are examples of the Big 5 Personality traits EXCEPT
a. openness.
b. extraversion.
c. intelligence.
d. agreeableness.
(c) Easy/Comprehension
42. Which of the following statements regarding intelligence is INCORRECT?
a. One’s intelligence is the strongest predictor of leadership performance.
b. People with high mental abilities are more likely to be viewed as leaders in their environment.
c. Effective leaders tend to have high emotional intelligence as well as high mental intelligence.
d. IQ matters for entry into the high level managerial ranks, but once there, IQ is less effective since all others at that level also possess high IQ.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
43. Jien has the ability to control his emotions in multiple situations and has empathy for others; he is internally motivated and has many admirable social skills. Jien has
a. high mental intelligence.
b. high emotional intelligence.
c. low mental intelligence.
d. low emotional intelligence.
(b) Medium/Application
44. Being organized, systematic, punctual, achievement-oriented and dependable are characteristics of the personality trait
a. openness.
b. agreeableness.
c. extraversion.
d. conscientiousness.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
45. Openness is
a. being outgoing, talkative, sociable, and enjoying social situations.
b. being affable, tolerant, sensitive, trusting, kind and warm.
c. being curious, original, intellectual, creative and receptive to new ideas.
d. being organized, systematic, punctual, achievement-oriented and dependable.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
46. Being anxious, irritable, temperamental and moody is
a. anxiety.
b. neuroticism.
c. anger.
d. aggressiveness.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
47. Being affable, tolerant, sensitive, trusting, kind and warm is
a. agreeableness.
b. extraversion.
c. conscientiousness.
d. openness.
(a)
48. Extraversion is
a. being curious, original, intellectual, creative and open to new ideas.
b. being organized, systematic, punctual, achievement oriented and dependable.
c. being affable, tolerant, sensitive, trusting, kind and warm.
d. being outgoing, talkative, sociable, and enjoying social situations.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
49. Maria is part of an organizational behavior project group. Her group members chose her as the leader of the group because she is always on task, on time for meetings, sets achievable goals and is willing to assist anyone who needs help. Maria is
a. agreeable.
b. extraverted.
c. conscientious.
d. open.
(c) Medium/Application
50. Nick’s roommate is attending a networking event for his business fraternity this weekend. He says, “Nick, you are so good at going up to someone and starting a conversation. You always seem to know what to do and what to say. You never seem awkward and you can talk to anyone about anything. I want to handle this networking event well—give me some tips.” Nick seems to be very
a. agreeable.
b. conscientious.
c. narcissistic.
d. extraverted.
(d) Medium/Application
51. The Big 5 personality trait ___________ has the strongest relationship to both leader emergence and leader effectiveness.
a. conscientiousness
b. agreeableness
c. extraversion
d. openness
(c) Medium/Comprehension
52. Research has found all of the Big 5 personality traits to be related to leader emergence and leader effectiveness EXCEPT
a. conscientiousness.
b. agreeableness.
c. extraversion.
d. openness.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
53. The degree to which a person is at peace with himself and has an overall positive assessment of one’s self worth and capabilities is
a. agreeableness.
b. self-efficacy.
c. self-esteem.
d. integrity.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
54. Martin sent an anonymous memo to various members of his company charging his manager with cheating the employees out of pay bonuses. Martin’s manager seems to lack
a. integrity.
b. agreeableness.
c. extraversion.
d. neuroticism.
(a) Medium/Application
55. Which of the following statements regarding self-esteem and leadership is INCORRECT?
a. Leaders with high self esteem support their subordinates more than leaders with lower self esteem.
b. Research shows a strong relationship between height and being viewed as a leader which may be accounted for by self-esteem.
c. Those with high self esteem have high self confidence which may affect the image perceived by followers.
d. Leaders with high self esteem punish their subordinates less effectively, when such punishment is due, than do leaders with lower self esteem.
(d) Medium/Analysis
56. Which of the following is not a key trait associated with leadership?
a. High conscientiousness
b. High introversion
c. High intelligence
d. High integrity
(b) Medium/Synthesis
57. Which of the following is not a key trait associated with leadership?
a. High integrity
b. High conscientiousness
c. High agreeableness
d. High openness to experience
(c) Medium/Synthesis
58. Which of the following statements regarding traits and leadership is INCORRECT?
a. All traits are equally effective in predicting leadership potential across organizations.
b. In large, bureaucratic organizations, leader traits have less impact on behavior than in a small, entrepreneurial organization.
c. Some traits have a stronger impact on leader emergence than on leader effectiveness.
d. Recognition of leader traits can help select appropriate managers for organizations.
(a) Difficult/Synthesis
| Section II: What Do Leaders Do?: Behavioral Approaches to Leadership |
59. The two broad categories of leader behaviors are
a. task-oriented and authority-oriented structures.
b. task-oriented and initiating structures.
c. people-oriented and authority-oriented structures.
d. task-oriented and people-oriented structures.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
60. People-oriented behaviors are also called
a. initiating structure.
b. consideration.
c. laissez-faire.
d. authoritarian.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
61. Task-oriented behaviors are also called
a. authoritarianism.
b. consideration.
c. initiating structure
d. laissez-faire.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
62. People-oriented behaviors include
a. providing employees instructions.
b. treating employees with respect.
c. structuring employee roles.
d. planning for increased employee performance.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
63. Research findings of leader behaviors suggest
a. when leaders are task oriented, employees are more satisfied.
b. task oriented behaviors tend to be more effective in large companies.
c. extremely high levels of leader task-oriented behaviors may lead to burnout in employees.
d. employees who work under people oriented leaders are more productive.
(c) Difficult/Evaluation
64. When leaders make decisions alone without involving employees in the decision making process, they are using
a. laissez-faire decision making.
b. participative decision making
c. authoritarian decision making.
d. democratic decision making.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
65. In democratic decision making
a. leaders leave employees alone to make decisions.
b. the leader provides minimum guidance and involvement in the decision.
c. leaders make the decision alone without necessarily involving employees in the decision making process.
d. employees participate in the making of the decision.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
66. Nelson is the manager of a marketing department in a medium sized company. Nelson has six employees reporting to him. In deciding the goals for the department for next quarter, Nelson is holding a meeting for employee input and direction. Nelson uses a(n) _________ style of decision making in the marketing department.
a. authoritarian
b. democratic
c. laissez-faire
d. supportive
(b) Medium/Application
67. Research on decision-making styles finds
a. Laissez-faire decision making is positively related to employee satisfaction.
b. Democratic decision making leads to stronger employee productivity.
c. Employees care more about the overall participativeness of the organizational climate than involvement in every single decision.
d. Scientists favor authoritarian decision making over democratic decision making.
(c) Difficult/Synthesis
| Section III: What is the Role of the Context? Contingency Approaches to Leadership |
68. Nancy argues with Janet over every work project and generally does not want to be assigned to work with her. Yet, Nancy thinks Janet is a very nice person and enjoys her company at social outings.
a. Nancy would have a low least preferred coworker score.
b. Nancy would have a high least preferred coworker score.
c. Nancy would have a midrange least preferred coworker score.
d. Nancy would not have a least preferred coworker score.
(b) Difficult/Application
69. If you dislike working with a person and do not care for them on a personal level either,
a. you would have a low least preferred coworker score.
b. you would have a high least preferred coworker score.
c. you would have a midrange least preferred coworker score.
d. you would not have a least preferred coworker score.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
70. In situations of medium favorableness,
a. low LPC leaders are effective.
b. high LPC leaders are effective.
c. medium LPC leaders are effective.
d. either low or high LPC leaders will be effective.
(b) Difficult/Evaluation
71. Situational favorableness includes all of the following conditions EXCEPT
a. leader-subordinate relations.
b. position power.
c. motivation level.
d. task structure.
(c) Easy/Comprehension
72. Paolo is a manager of a department in a small, family-run retail department store. He and his subordinates clash over scheduling and other procedural aspects of the job almost daily. While having the title of manager, Paolo makes few decisions for the department, instead implementing those relayed by his manager. The sales associate position as well as his managerial position do not have specific duties tied to them; instead everyone is supposed to do “whatever it takes.” The situation would best be described as
a. favorable.
b. medium favorable
c. unfavorable.
d. controlled.
(c) Medium/Application
73. If leader-subordinate relations are good, position power is low and task structure is high, the situation would be categorized as
a. favorable.
b. medium favorable.
c. unfavorable.
d. controlled.
(a) Medium/Analysis
74. If leader-subordinate relations are poor, position power is high and task structure is high, the situation would be categorized as
a. favorable.
b. medium favorable.
c. unfavorable.
d. controlled.
(b) Medium/Analysis
75. Karli is the designated leader of a class project group. She gets along well with the group members but often is not sure exactly what she should do to assist her group in producing a high-quality project. Which LPC style is best for this scenario?
a. Low LPC leaders are effective.
b. High LPC leaders are effective.
c. Medium LPC leaders are effective.
d. Either low or high LPC leaders will be effective.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
76. Michael is the United Way pledge leader for his department. He gets along quite well with his coworkers. His pledge leader duties, with regard to specific steps to follow in asking coworkers for pledges and how to collect and report them, are clearly laid out for him in a United Way brochure. Which LPC style is best for this scenario?
a. Low LPC leaders are effective.
b. High LPC leaders are effective.
c. Medium LPC leaders are effective.
d. Either low or high LPC leaders will be effective.
(a) Difficult/Synthesis
77. Research on Fiedler’s Contingency Theory indicates which of the following?
a. Predictions about where high LPC leadership will be effective are supported more than those where low LPC leadership is effective.
b. There is full support for Fiedler’s Contingency Theory.
c. Fiedler’s theory is important because it recognizes the importance of the leadership context.
d. Fiedler’s theory is a useful framework for thinking about which personality traits are useful in predicting leadership.
(c) Medium/Analysis
78. Expectancy theory suggests individuals are motivated when all of the following conditions are met EXCEPT
a. effort leads to high performance.
b. rewards lead to high performance.
c. rewards are valuable to the performer.
d. high performance will be rewarded.
(b) Medium/Analysis
79. Which of the following statements regarding House’s path-goal theory of leadership is INCORRECT?
a. The role of the leader in the path-goal theory is to remove roadblocks and create a motivational environment for workers.
b. Each leadership style identified in the path-goal theory is effective depending on the employee characteristics and those of the work environment.
c. House’s path-goal theory of motivation is based upon the equity theory of motivation.
d. Leaders can create high performing employees by making sure employee effort leads to performance and that performance is rewarded with desired rewards.
(c) Medium/Synthesis
80. Maurice is a manager in the production area of a large manufacturing firm. He sets a tight production schedule every day and makes certain each employee knows what job he is performing that day and how to perform it. Maurice has a ____________ leadership style.
a. directive
b. supportive
c. participative
d. achievement-oriented
(a) Difficult/Application
81. Nina makes it a point to talk to her subordinates every day about what is going on in their personal lives. She always congratulates them when they share successes and has a kind word and “a shoulder to cry on” if necessary when things are not going well. Nina has a _____________ leadership style.
a. directive
b. supportive
c. participative
d. achievement-oriented
(b) Difficult/Application
82. Leaders who ensure their employees take part in decision making have a(n) _________________ leadership style.
a. achievement-oriented
b. supportive
c. directive
d. participative
(d) Medium/Comprehension
83. An achievement-oriented leader
a. makes sure employees are involved in decision making.
b. provides directions for his employees.
c. provides emotional support to employees.
d. sets goals for employees and encourages them to reach their goals.
(d) Medium/Knowledge
84. In which scenario would directive leadership be most effective?
a. when employees have low role ambiguity
b. when employees have high abilities
c. when employees have an internal locus of control
d. when employees have an external locus of control
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
85. If jobs are boring and repetitive or tasks are stressful, the ________ style of leadership is most effective.
a. supportive
b. achievement oriented
c. directive
d. participative
(a) Medium/Knowledge
86. The information system department’s employees are highly skilled individuals who possess a very internal locus of control. The firm is looking to hire a manager for the department to replace the retiring manager. What type of leadership style would likely be most effective with this group?
a. supportive
b. achievement-oriented
c. directive
d. participative
(d) Medium/Analysis
87. Which of the statements regarding research on House’s path-goal theory is correct?
a. House’s theory suggests that the leader’s style is fixed and the environment changes.
b. The theory has been fully tested and verified.
c. The theory’s greatest contribution is the importance of the leader’s ability to change styles depending on the circumstances.
d. House’s theory is based upon goal-setting theory.
(c) Difficult/Evaluation
88. The leadership decision tree
a. focuses on a static leadership style.
b. focuses on leader emergence.
c. focuses on an adaptive leadership style.
d. leads to the determination of how much involvement leaders should seek in making decisions.
(d) Medium/Comprehension
89. According to the leadership decision tree, a leader who makes a decision alone using available information has a(n)
a. autocratic decision-making style.
b. consultative decision-making style.
c. group decision-making style.
d. laissez-faire decision-making style.
(a) Medium/Analysis
90. Bob meets with his subordinates on a regular basis to share concerns and information with the group. He takes their feedback but makes decisions on his own. According to the leadership decision tree, Bob has a(n) _____________ decision-making style.
a. laissez-faire
b. consultative
c. group
d. autocratic
(b) Medium/Analysis
| Section IV: What’s New? Contemporary Approaches to Leadership |
91. ___________ leaders lead employees by aligning employee goals with the leader’s goals.
a. Directive
b. Transactional
c. Transformational
d. Achievement-oriented
(c) Easy/Knowledge
92. Which one of the following traits is NOT a tool that transformational leaders use to influence employees and create commitment to the company goals?
a. charisma
b. management by exception
c. intellectual stimulation
d. inspirational motivation
(b) Medium/Comprehension
93. Most research on leadership has been conducted on which of the following contingency theories of leadership?
a. Fieldler’s contingency theory
b. House’s path-goal theory
c. transformational leadership theory
d. authentic leadership theory
(c) Difficult/Synthesis
94. Malcolm is the manager of his department. After performance evaluations, he gives those who have met their goals for the year a pay raise. He gives his employees their assignments and leaves them to do their work but does monitor them so that if he notices a potential problem, it gets resolved before causing difficulties. What kind of contemporary leadership style is Malcolm demonstrating?
a. directive leadership
b. transformational leadership
c. transactional leadership
d. laissez-faire leadership
(c) Difficult/Application
95. Research on transformational and transactional leadership shows all of the following EXCEPT
a. transformational leaders increase the performance of their followers.
b. transactional leaders have positive influences over employee attitudes.
c. transformational leaders create higher levels of commitment to organizational change efforts.
d. transactional leaders increase the intrinsic motivation of their followers.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
96. The key factor in the effectiveness of transformational leadership is
a. trust.
b. creativeness.
c. extraversion.
d. charisma.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
97. Which of the following is an INCORRECT statement about leader-member exchange (LMX) theory?
a. High LMX relationships involve an active dislike between the leader and member.
b. In high LMX relationships, the leader has a trust-based relationship with the member.
c. In high LMX relationships, both leader and member go above and beyond their job descriptions to assist the other party in succeeding.
d. In low LMX relationships, the leader does his job and the member does his.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
98. All of the following are factors contributing to building high-quality leader-member exchange EXCEPT
a. leader fairness.
b. leader delegation.
c. employee job satisfaction.
d. personality similarity.
(c) Medium/Analysis
99. All of the following are consequences of a high leader-member exchange relationship EXCEPT
a. job satisfaction.
b. lower turnover.
c. organizational commitment.
d. effort in building good relationships.
(d) Medium/Analysis
100. Which of the following statements regarding leader-member exchange relationships is INCORRECT?
a. A problem with a low-quality exchange relationship is that employees may not have access to a positive work environment.
b. All employees would like to have a positive relationship with their leader.
c. If a leader is unethical, employees may not want to have a relationship so as not to suffer from guilt by association.
d. When high LMX employees succeed, leaders credit the efforts they put forward and their high level abilities.
(b) Difficult/Evaluation
101. Servant leadership
a. is a leadership approach that defines the leader’s role as serving the needs of others.
b. refers to effective leaders who stay true to themselves.
c. is leading employees by aligning employee goals with the leader’s goals.
d. involves structuring the roles of subordinates, providing them with instructions, and behaving in ways that will increase the performance of the group.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
102. Servant leadership has an explicit focus on all of the following factors EXCEPT
a. ethics.
b. community development.
c. paternalism.
d. self-sacrifice.
(c) Medium/Analysis
103. Servant leaders
a. put themselves first.
b. make their overriding goal getting their employees to contribute to the community.
c. make their primary mission high-level personal achievement.
d. feel an obligation to their employees, customers and the larger community.
(d) Medium/Analysis
104. Authentic leadership
a. is a leadership approach that defines the leader’s role as serving the needs of others.
b. refers to effective leaders who stay true to themselves.
c. makes sure employees are involved in decision making.
d. sets goals for employees and encourages them to reach those goals.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
105. Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of authentic leaders?
a. They are not afraid to act they way they are.
b. They understand where they are coming from.
c. They have no set priorities.
d. They have high levels of personal integrity.
(c) Medium/Comprehension
| Section V: The Role of Ethics and National Culture |
106. Which of the following statements regarding leadership and ethics is INCORRECT?
a. People in positions of authority are influential in driving others to ethical or unethical behaviors.
b. Leaders with high levels of moral development create more ethical organizational climates.
c. The contingency theories of leadership are explicit in noting the important role that ethics play in effective leadership.
d. The level of ethical leadership shown is related to a willingness to report job related problems to the leader.
(c) Medium/Evaluation
107. Which of the following statement regarding leadership and other cultures is INCORRECT?
a. Ninety-eight percent of all leadership studies have been completed in the United States.
b. The applicability of leadership theories to other cultures is uncertain.
c. Only decisiveness is a universal leadership trait.
d. Given the differences between cultures, a sensitivity to those differences and the ability to adapt style to circumstances are needed in global leaders.
(c) Medium/Analysis
108. Which statement regarding global leader characteristics is correct?
a. In Western and Latin cultures, leaders who speak in a monotonous voice convey the ability to control emotions.
b. Universally, people feel that honesty, trustworthiness and fairness are related to leadership effectiveness.
c. Transactional leaders are found to be the most influential leaders around the world.
d. There is no universal agreement on characteristics viewed as undesirable in leaders.
(b) Difficult/Evaluation
FILL IN THE BLANK
109. ___________ is the act of influencing others to work to a goal.
(Leadership)
110. Leaders who demonstrate leadership by influencing others, but are without a formal position are ____________ leaders.
(informal)
111. “IQ” refers to _____________ ___________ while “EQ” refers to _____________ _______________.
(mental intelligence, emotional intelligence)
112. A person who is talkative, outgoing, sociable and enjoys social situations is ___________.
(extraverted)
113. ___________ is being organized, systematic, punctual, achievement-oriented and dependable.
(Conscientiousness)
114. The two personality traits of the Big 5 that are not related to leader emergence or leader effectiveness are ____________ and ___________.
(agreeableness, neuroticism)
115. ____________ may explain the relationship between being tall and being viewed as a leader.
(Self-esteem)
116. Researchers at the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan found that there are two broad categories of behaviors related to leadership; they are __________ and ____________.
(task-oriented, people-oriented)
117. A __________ leader decision-making style leaves employees alone to make a decision.
(laissez-faire)
118. A ______ ______ score from Fiedler’s contingency theory means that an individual has a people-oriented personality and can separate his liking of a person from his ability to work with that person.
(high LPC)
119. The three conditions creating Fiedler’s situational favorableness are ______ ________, ___________ ___________and _______ _______________.
(leader-subordinate relations, position power, task structure)
120. The __________ leadership style is appropriate for situations when tasks are boring and repetitive and they are stressful.
(supportive)
121. Leaders who provide specific directions for employees, treat them well, care about them on a personal level and are encouraging have the ____________ leadership style.
(directive)
122. A ____________ __________ is a decision-making tool to help leaders determine how much involvement they should seek in making decisions.
(decision tree)
123. Those leaders who lead employees by aligning employee goals with the leader’s goals are _______________ leaders.
(transformational)
124. ______________ leaders ensure that employees demonstrate the right behaviors because they provide resources in exchange.
(Transactional)
125. A magnetic personality is _____________.
(charisma)
126. ____________ _______________ _ _____________ involves leaving employees to do their jobs without interference but at the same time proactively predicting problems.
(Active management by exception)
127. Leaving employees alone, and, as a manager, waiting until something happens before interacting is _____________ ____________ ____ _____________.
(passive management by exception)
128. _______________is the key factor in making transformational leadership more effective.
(Trust)
129. In a high _______________, the leader forms a trust-based relationship with the members.
(leader-member exchange or LMX)
130. When a leader puts his employees first, he is exhibiting ___________ _____
(servant leadership)
131. Key characteristics of _________leadership are self-awareness, a thorough understanding of values and priorities, and personal integrity.
(authentic)
132. The ________________ experiments, where those participating provided electric shocks to others answering questions incorrectly, are an example of unethical behaviors by people in positions of authority.
(Milgram)
133. __________leaders are found to be one of the most influential leaders around the world.
(Charismatic)
SHORT ANSWERS
134. List and describe two traits that are associated with leadership. Indicate what impact they have on leadership.
Traits that can be presented include: general mental intelligence and emotional intelligence, the Big 5 traits, self-esteem and integrity.
General intelligence is often viewed as getting individuals to the leader level, but once there emotional intelligence may take over, as everyone at the leader level has mental intelligence.
The Big 5 traits of openness, conscientiousness and extraversion are related both to leader emergence and leader effectiveness. Extraversion has the strongest relationship to both leader emergence and effectiveness.
Individual leaders with high self-esteem tend to have greater levels of self-confidence, and studies show that they support their subordinates more and when they punish, punish more effectively. Also, self-esteem may be the underlying reason why height and leadership are connected, because people who are taller have greater self-esteem and therefore project more charisma and get more followers.
Those individuals who have greater integrity are viewed as more trustworthy and thus gain more followers.
135. Differentiate between mental intelligence and emotional intelligence. What impact does either have on leadership in an organization?
Mental intelligence is represented by IQ and obviously reflects abilities such as mathematical and verbal comprehension. Emotional intelligence is a concept popularized by Daniel Goleman and refers to individuals’ ability to control their own emotions, understand other people’s emotions, internal motivations and their social skills.
Goleman suggests that mental ability gets the individual to the leader level but once there, emotional intelligence takes over, as everyone at the leader level has general intelligence.
136. Describe the ties between each of the Big 5 personality traits and leadership.
Extraversion is the Big 5 trait with the strongest relationship between both leader emergence and leader effectiveness.
Conscientious individuals are organized, take initiative and demonstrate persistence, so this factor also is tied to leader emergence, and then effectiveness in that position.
Openness is the trait representing originality and creativity and tends to lead to leader emergence, then effectiveness.
Agreeable people are modest, good-natured and avoid conflict but are less likely to be perceived as leaders.
Clearly, neuroticism, which is being anxious, irritable, temperamental and moody, is not a characteristic tied to leader emergence or effectiveness.
137. What is the difference between task-oriented and people-oriented behaviors?
Task-oriented or initiating structure, delineate the roles of subordinates, provide them instructions and behave in ways that generally increase the performance of the group. Task-oriented people get things done and meet organizational goals.
People-oriented behaviors, or consideration, include showing concern for employee feelings and treating employees with respect. People-oriented managers care about their employees and demonstrate that concern through action and decision.
Both types of behaviors are beneficial to an organization but for different purposes. For example, when people-oriented behaviors are demonstrated, employees are more satisfied. When task-oriented behaviors are demonstrated, productivity tends to be higher.
138. Describe each of the types of leader decision making.
There are three types of leader decision-making styles. Authoritarian decision making is when leaders make the decisions alone without involving employees in the decision-making process. Laissez-faire decision making is when leaders leave employees alone to make the decision providing minimal guidance in the decision. Democratic decision-making leaders have employees participate in the decision making process.
139. How does Fiedler’s contingency theory compare to that of House’s path-goal theory of leadership?
Fiedler’s contingency theory looks at individual scores on a least preferred coworker scale. This score indicates whether you can dislike an individual personally and still work effectively with him. This theory assumes the leader’s style is fixed and the environment changes. Thus you assess the leader style in relationship to situational favorableness (leader-subordinate relations, position power, task structure) to determine the most effective style.
House’s path-goal theory is based upon expectancy theory and looks at how a leader’s style can change depending on the circumstances. Underlying path-goal theory is the expectation that effort leads to high performance, high performance will be rewarded. and the rewards will be valuable. The leader’s job is to remove roadblocks from this process and create environments that subordinates see as motivational.
140. Describe each of the four leadership styles and under what circumstances the style is most effective.
Directive leaders are those who provide specific directions to employees. They lead by clarifying role expectations, setting schedules, and making sure employees how what to do. This style works best when there is high role ambiguity for employees, where employees have low abilities and external loci of control.
Supportive leaders provide emotional support to employees. They treat employees well, treat people on a personal level and are encouraging. This style is most effective when the tasks are boring and repetitive and stressful.
The participative leadership style makes certain employees are involved in making important decisions. The style is most effective when employees have high-level abilities, when the decision is relevant to them and when they have a high locus of control.
The achievement-oriented leader sets goals for employees and encourages them to reach those goals. The circumstances under which this style works most effectively are when employees have high abilities and a high achievement motivation.
141. Define transformational leadership.
Transformational leadership is when leaders align employee goals with their own. To do so, the leader uses his charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration to influence subordinates.
142. Describe transactional leadership.
Transactional leadership ensures that employees demonstrate the right behaviors because the leader provides resources in exchange. The leaders provide contingent rewards and management by exception.
143. Why would some employees not want to have a high quality relationship with their leader?
All employees may not want to have a high quality relationship with their manager. Some employees do not like their managers, at times because they see them as unethical or unkind and do not want to be labeled as such simply because they associate with him. Some employees do not have any interest in advancing their career in a particular company or industry so they are simply in the firm to get their paycheck and there is no need for additional time spent in a relationship. Finally, some leaders simply cannot influence some people.
144. What is servant leadership?
Servant leadership is where the leader serves the needs of others including employees, customers, and the external community. Servant leaders feel a need to understand their employees’ personal needs, to empower them and to help them develop their careers.
145. What is authentic leadership?
The key to authentic leadership is to be true to yourself. Authentic leaders are self-aware, they are introspective and understand where they are coming from and have a thorough understanding of their own values and priorities. They are not afraid to act the way they are and they have high personal integrity.
146. What implications do the Milgram experiments have for the concept of leadership?
The Milgram experiments, where subjects were directed by an individual in a lab coat to administer electric shocks to other people when those individuals gave a wrong answer to questions, demonstrates that people in positions of authority are influential in driving others to ethical or unethical behaviors. In the Milgram situation, the individuals giving the INCORRECT answers were actually actors, and the electric shocks subjects thought they were delivering were not real. Yet, the actors pretended the shocks were occurring. About two-thirds of the subjects continued to administer the shocks to INCORRECT answers even when those shocks reached “dangerous” levels.
ESSAY
147. Choose any two of the leadership theories presented in this chapter, define them and then compare and contrast the theories.
There are four sets of theories in this chapter: Trait theories, behavioral theories, contingency and contemporary theories. Students can choose in the trait theory category to discuss specific traits like the Big 5 personality traits, mental and emotional intelligence, self-esteem and integrity. Their discussions should center on the relationship between the individual trait and either leadership emergence or leadership effectiveness. The intent behind the trait theories was to define a limited number of attributes that could define a leader or the success of a leader. The major limitation of the trait theories is that they do not take into account the situation in which the leadership takes place.
A second group of theories that can serve as a comparison point are the behavioral theories. These theories look at what leaders actually do. The Ohio State and University of Michigan studies pointed out that leaders tend to demonstrate task- or people-oriented behaviors, and students can discuss the relationship between those behaviors and leadership effectiveness. Further, students can discuss the style of leader decision making and its relationship to leader effectiveness. The value of the behavioral theories is that they indicate the need to understand the context of leadership, and so the third category, contingency theory, might be a point of comparison for the writer.
Contingency theories presented include Fiedler’s and House’s theories. Fiedler’s work assumed the leader style to be fixed and only the environment can be changed. House took a different track underscoring the importance of varying one’s style depending on the situation.
The final group of theories are contemporary theories including those of transformational, transactional, leader-member exchange, servant and authentic leadership. Each of these new theories focuses on a different aspect of leadership, but all suggest that effective leaders need to change their style based upon the demands of the situation as well as using their own values and needs.
148. What contribution to building effective leaders does the trait theory offer?
The trait theories attempt to create a limited set of attributes that can define a leader or the success of the leader. While the number of traits is large and the theory does not account for the situation a leader faces, the notion of understanding leader attributes is a good way to begin building such strengths in your organization or your personal repertoire of skills. The more likely individuals are to demonstrate these attributes, the more likely they are to be successful and to make their organizations successful. So while the topics that could be discussed in a leadership development seminar from a trait perspective are large, the value of those traits to individual development is unquestionable.
149. Under what conditions would a task-oriented manager be most successful?
Task-oriented managers work best in scenarios where structured roles for subordinates, clear instructions and behaviors to enhance performance are warranted. Research suggests small businesses are appropriate places for such attributes.
150. Compare and contrast transformational and transactional leadership.
Transformational leadership is where managers lead by aligning employee goals with the leader’s own. To do so, the leader uses charisma, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation. In contrast, transactional leaders ensure that employees demonstrate the right behaviors because the leader provides resources in exchange. These resources include contingent rewards. Transactional managers often use active management by exception as a tool to success. Both of these leadership approaches are part of the contemporary body of work on leadership. Both have shown to lead to effectiveness, but the circumstances where that occurs obviously differs. Transformational leadership is viewed as more effective because of the trust established in the relationship.
151. How would you train an individual so as to increase his charisma?
There is some argument as to whether charisma is an inherent characteristic and untrainable. If you do believe you can train charisma, you might want to consider:
Teaching individuals how to create a vision that you understand and are immersed in and then demonstrate how to share that with others so they too pursue it with you.
This vision must be tied to history in the department or organization, so the notion of teaching the history or culture of the firm needs to be addressed in training.
Body language recognition is very important, so a session of training could be devoted to the study of body language and its implications.
Charisma involves confidence. Do self-esteem assessments during a training session and develop techniques to enhance self-esteem.
Charisma also involves having novel approaches to problems, so training could focus on developing out-of-the-box thinking by using different brainstorming techniques including wildstorming.
152. Critique the leader-member exchange theory (LMX) with regard to the implications it has for effective leadership in the organization.
There are many different relationships in a work organization between the leader and subordinates. Clearly there will be in-group and out-group situations. There are advantages to high LMX relationships particularly from the perspective of the subordinate and the manager often gets a committed, productive worker because of the resources available from that relationship. That said, not everyone can have a high LMX relationship, so, some of the best advice for a leader is that he be fair in all his dealings with employees and that he treat all his employees with respect. The key issue to remember as a leader is relationships have an important influence over employee attitudes and behaviors, so be aware how you build relationships and how you could build relationships—put conscious effort into it.
153. Denise wants to improve her relationship with her manager. Right now, she feels like she really does not know him well. She recognizes that part of the issue is that she works in her office with the door closed and opens it to meet with people only on an “as needed” basis. What are some recommendations for Denise?
Create interaction opportunities with your manager. Denise should not stay in her office. Get out, ask questions.
Recognize that people are more attracted to others like them. Denise needs to establish and convey the similarities she and her manager share so they have a common starting point.
Tactfully utilize impression management techniques. For example, compliment your manager on work-related issues.
Be a reliable employee. Trust is key to building and sustaining relationships.
Be aware that relationships develop early. Denise created some issues for herself by staying in her office. She is working from behind but using the right techniques, can catch up.
154. In what context might a servant leader be successful?
Servant leadership can actually work in any firm. In today’s business climate where daily news bulletins present yet another leader who has created a Ponzi scheme or otherwise defrauded firms and individuals, the move to putting employees, customers and the larger external community first is radical but needed. Those who practice servant leadership will get attention and will be successful just for the simple reason of trust. People will begin to pull out of the economic environment when that trust is gone, but will enter full scale when they see integrity demonstrated.
155. What leadership theory or characteristics are most applicable to other countries?
The answer for all situations is, it depends. Students can cite specific examples provided in this chapter with regard to the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness project, but it comes down to understanding that there is variation and similarity across cultures. Being aware, being open and constantly monitoring other cultures are the best pieces of advice for understanding what the key characteristics are.
In this situation, the characteristics of vision, team orientation and participative leadership seem to be preferred styles around the world. Traits like how confident leaders should be and whether they should sacrifice themselves for the good of their employees differ. Universally charismatic and support leadership is common but how those traits are achieved varied.
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