Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1
Bauer & Erdogan
FWK Test Item File
Chapter 7
TRUE/FALSE
1. There are a variety of ways to lessen stress in the workplace.
(True)
2. Stress, or the body’s response to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional response, is always bad for the individual.
(False)
3. Eighty percent of all American workers report they feel workplace stress at least some of the time.
(True)
4. The amygdala section of the brain is responsible for stimulating fear responses.
(True)
5. The human brain responds to outside threats to individual safety with a “fight or flight” message.
(True)
6. The General Adaptation Syndrome looks at how events on the job cause different kinds of people to feel different kinds of emotions.
(False)
7. In the resistance phase of stress, an outside stressor jolts an individual insisting that something must be done.
(False)
8. John’s company downsized, and John is now performing his own job plus most of his former coworker Sidney’s job. John is now experiencing role ambiguity.
(False)
9. Role conflict is a result of contradictory demands at work.
(True)
10. Role conflict is the strongest predictor of poor performance on the job.
(False)
11. Information overload negatively impacts employee efficiency and creativity.
(True)
12. A Health magazine survey indicates that the most stressful job in 2008 was that of police officer.
(False)
13. Overall, work-family conflict is more problematic for men than women.
(False)
14. On the Holmes-Rahe scale, the most stressful life event is the death of a spouse.
(True)
15. Eustress is “good” stress.
(True)
16. Downsizing or the expectation of downsizing is related to greater absence in the workforce.
(True)
17. The outcomes of stress are only psychological in their orientation.
(False)
18. Blemishes and other skin problems can be outward manifestations of stress.
(True)
19. The link between stress and heart disease has been proven by the American Heart Association to be strong.
(False)
20. Persistent stress has the potential to place vulnerable individuals at an increased risk for depression.
(True)
21. Research shows that excessive stress is related to higher turnover and lower job performance.
(True)
22. Marissa is generally a few minutes late for class. She feels that “class will be there, why rush?” Marissa always thinks through how to address problems that arise for her rather than responding first and thinking later. Marissa has a Type A personality.
(False)
23. Men rely upon stronger social networks to address stressful situations, so men are more likely to be depressed than women.
(False)
24. The old adage “Have a good cry” is great advice to deal with stress that has built up in an individual.
(False)
25. The “Corporate Athlete” approach to dealing with stress is a reactive approach.
(False)
26. Flow is the state of consciousness where individuals are totally absorbed in an activity.
(True)
27. Fish contains dopamine, which can increase a person’s brain functions and thus produce feelings of alertness.
(True)
28. Physically active work breaks lead to reduced mental concentration levels and increased mental fatigue.
(False)
29. Most American adults get the appropriate amount of sleep each night.
(False)
30. Individuals with a strong social network are more stressed than individuals who do not have such networks because of the increased interpersonal demands of large social networks.
(False)
31. Stress-related issues cost companies billions of dollars annually due to absenteeism, lost productivity, and accidents.
(True)
32. Organizations can help employees reduce stress by offering them greater autonomy in their jobs, making their job duties clear, and providing employee assistance programs.
(True)
33. Firms like Apple are interested in how products are perceived emotionally because strong positive emotions make individuals more likely to use a product and recommend it to others.
(True)
34. Both positive and negative emotions can be contagious, but the spillover from positive emotions lasts longer than negative ones.
(False)
35. According to Affective Events Theory, the six emotions of anger, fear, joy, love, sadness and surprise inspire actions that can benefit or harm others.
(True)
36. The customer service representative at the department store who keeps smiling as she listens to the customer bitterly complain about her newly purchased product is engaging in deep acting.
(False)
37. Americans enjoy much greater leisure time than their European counterparts.
(False)
38. Recognizing that customers’ negative emotions were eroding sales representatives’ morale, American Express used emotional resonance to identify employees’ feelings about their work.
(True)
39. American Express’ emotional awareness training program probably raised overall life insurance sales because sales representatives began to view their jobs from the customer’s viewpoint.
(True)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Opening Section: Facing Foreclosure: The Case of Camden Property Trust
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40. What is Camden Property Trust’s motto:
a. Have fun!
b. Work hard!
c. Money is the most important thing!
d. You can never work too hard!
(a) Medium/Comprehension
Section I: What is Stress?
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41. Stress is
a. a fact of nature.
b. decreasing in the American workplace.
c. a mental barrier, but not a physical one.
d. always negative.
(a) Easy/Comprehension
42. Which of the following is not a type of response to stress?
a. physical
b. mental
c. emotional
d. societal
(d) Easy/Knowledge
43. General Adaptive Syndrome is
a. how events on the job cause different kinds of people to feel different emotions.
b. the hypothesis that stress plays a general role in disease.
c. the body’s response to good news.
d. the mismatch among emotions, attitudes, beliefs and behavior.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
44. Which region of the brain is responsible for stimulating the fear response?
a. hippocampus
b. basal ganglia
c. temporal lobe
d. amygdala
(d) Easy/Knowledge
45. Hans Selye’s work on stress suggests all the following physical diseases could result from stress EXCEPT:
a. high blood pressure.
b. infertility.
c. depression.
d. ulcers.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
46. In what stress phase does the body release cortisol and begin to adjust to the demands of the stress?
a. alarm phase
b. exhaustion phase
c. adaptation phase
d. resistance phase
(d) Medium/Knowledge
47. Fight or flight responses include all of the following physical aspects but
a. wide-eye focus.
b. digestion interruption.
c. decreased heart rate.
d. shallow breathing.
(c) Medium/Knowledge
It is finals week at State University and Agnes has five finals in three days. What phase of the stress process is she experiencing in each of the scenarios below?
48. Agnes just went through the kitchen cupboards and found a chocolate bar loaded with caramel. She is experiencing the
a. exhaustion phase.
b. alarm phase.
c. resistance phase.
d. adaptation phase.
(a) Medium/Application
49. Agnes glances at the clock and notes it is three hours until her first final of the week. She still has two chapters to study. She feels a slight pain in the pit of her stomach. Agnes is experiencing symptoms of what stress phase?
a. exhaustion phase
b. alarm phase
c. resistance phase
d. stressor phase
(b) Medium/Application
50. Which of the following statements about the stress process is correct?
a. The amygdala area of the brain is key to managing stress as it helps distinguish the different reactions to deadlines and emergencies.
b. Reactions to stress are mental but not physical in their orientation.
c. Jans Kelly’s General Adaptation Syndrome is a well-substantiated approach to dealing with stress in the workplace.
d. Eustress is stress that is healing.
(d) Medium/Comprehension
51. Stressors are
a. demands to perform interactions and internal calculations that exceed the supply or capacity of time available for processing.
b. states of consciousness in which a person is totally absorbed in an activity.
c. events on the job which cause different people to feel different emotions.
d. events or contexts that cause a stress reaction by elevating levels of adrenaline and forcing a physical or mental response.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
52. Which of the following statements about stressors is INCORRECT?
a. An American Psychological Association survey suggests that money, work, and housing are at the top of stressful issues.
b. No matter how they are categorized, stressors are always bad for individuals.
c. Stressors cause stress by elevating adrenaline levels and forcing a response.
d. Stress is a cumulative process.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
53. Role ambiguity is
a. vagueness in relation to job responsibilities.
b. insufficient time and resources to complete a job.
c. contradictory demands at work.
d. processing demands that exceed the supply of time for such processing.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
54. Facing contradictory demands at work is a form of
a. role ambiguity.
b. role conflict.
c. role overload.
d. information overload.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
55. Role overload is
a. inability to reconcile the demands of one’s work and home life.
b. facing contradictory demands at work.
c. having insufficient time and resources to complete a job.
d. vagueness in relation to what job responsibilities are.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
56. Information processing demands that exceed the supply or capacity of time available for such processing is
a. role conflict.
b. role ambiguity.
c. role overload.
d. information overload.
(d) Medium/Application
57. Mary is a new employee in the handbag department of a major department store. She is not entirely sure whether she is to simply stay on the sales floor and sell purses to customers, or if she is to sell the items and then go back into the stockroom to replenish them. Mary is experiencing
a. information overload.
b. role ambiguity.
c. role overload.
d. role conflict.
(b) Medium/Application
58. Rodney is experiencing a real dilemma. His boss just called him and told him that he had to attend a dinner meeting Wednesday night with some important out-of-town clients. Rodney’s daughter just called and told him she will be dancing a solo at her dance recital on Wednesday evening. Rodney is experiencing
a. role conflict.
b. role overload.
c. information overload.
d. role ambiguity.
(a) Medium/Application
59. Joe was diagnosed with cancer six months ago. He is back at work between chemotherapy treatments but is unable to work more than four hours per day. Diego has been covering all Joe’s assignments that extend beyond Joe’s four-hour day as well as covering the regular tasks of his own eight-hour shift. Diego is likely experiencing
a. role ambiguity.
b. role overload.
c. role conflict.
d. information overload.
(b) Medium/Application
60. Omar is sitting at his computer writing his organizational behavior term paper using Internet research while he e-mails his friends and watches the NFL Thursday night football game. His phone just rang and now he is also talking to his girlfriend. Omar is likely experiencing
a. role conflict.
b. information overload.
c. role ambiguity.
d. role overload.
(b) Medium/Application
61. Research on workplace stressors indicates
a. role conflict is the strongest predictor of poor performance.
b. when role ambiguity is low, new employees have a difficult time fitting into their new organizations.
c. role conflict hurts job performance, but role overload has little impact on job performance.
d. the fragmented fashion in which we work due to information overload impacts mental acuity and creativity.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
62. All of the following are key stressors for Health magazine’s “Ten Most Stressful Jobs” EXCEPT
a. knowledge demands.
b. time demands.
c. emotional demands.
d. physical demands.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
63. Which is the most stressful job in America as noted in a 2008 Health magazine?
a. miner
b. inner city high school teacher
c. police officer
d. judge
(b) Medium/Knowledge
64. Which of the following statements regarding work-family conflict is INCORRECT?
a. Work demands and family demands may be incompatible.
b. Escalating stressors are found where stress in one area of life spills over into other parts of life.
c. Work-family conflict is greater for men than for women.
d. Dual career families have created situations where there is no parent who has sole responsibility for childcare or household duties.
(c) Medium/Analysis
65. Which of the following statements regarding work-family conflict is correct?
a. Work-family conflict increases job and life satisfaction.
b. Organizations that have programs to assist employees in achieving work-family balance accept that these programs will reduce productivity while increasing retention.
c. Recent surveys show that Americans rarely work overtime.
d. Work-family conflict occurs when the demands of work and family negatively impact each other.
(d) Difficult/Comprehension
66. Which of the following statements regarding life changes is INCORRECT?
a. Stress results from negative life changes but not from positive ones.
b. The Holmes-Rahe scale ascribes stress values to life events based upon incidences of illness and death in the 12 months after such events.
c. Stressors are cumulative so the greater number of stressors you experience, the more prone you are to negative consequences of those stressors.
d. Life events can have varying impacts on our health and well-being.
(a) Medium/Evaluation
67. Research on downsizing indicates all of the following to be true about downsizing EXCEPT
a. since 1980, the service industry has accounted for the largest average percentage of firms which downsized five or more percent of their workforces.
b. downsizing and job insecurity are related to greater alcohol use.
c. downsizing leads to other stressful events such as financial insecurity.
d. creativity in the work environment declines significantly during downsizing.
(a) Medium/Evaluation
68. Which of the following statements regarding life stressors is correct?
a. Work-family conflict is slightly greater for men than women.
b. Expectations of future downsizing leads to greater absenteeism in the workplace.
c. Stress results only from negative life events; positive life events increase feelings of satisfaction.
d. Organizations cannot aid employees in dealing with work-family conflicts as any interference from the firm would be seen as an invasion of privacy.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
69. Which of the following is not a physiological outcome of stress?
a. heart disease
b. immune system suppression
c. skin problems
d. headaches
(a) Easy/Knowledge
70. Which of the following is not an established psychological outcome of stress?
a. emotional problems
b. anxiety
c. phobias
d. depression
(c) Easy/Knowledge
71. Research on stress in the workplace indicates all of the following EXCEPT
a. stress is related to higher turnover.
b. stress is related to decreased job performance.
c. stress is related to lower job commitment.
d. stress is related to higher organizational citizenship behaviors.
(d) Medium/Analysis
72. Marcus is a student at State University. He seems to run to each of his classes and is very upset with the professor if class does not begin exactly on time. He studies until the late hours of the night and will argue with his professor for every possible point on a multiple choice exam. Marcus would be classified as having
a. Type A personality.
b. Type B personality.
c. pessimistic personality.
d. neurotic personality.
(a) Medium/Application
73. Anita seems to take life as it comes. When the refrigerator and washing machine broke down in the same day flooding the kitchen, she laughed it off saying, “It could always be worse.” She then went and called the appliance repair service. Anita has a _________________ personality.
a. Type A
b. Type B
c. pessimistic.
d. neurotic
(b) Medium/Application
74. A Type B personality displays which of the following characteristics?
a. impatience.
b. deep levels of job involvement.
c. high level competitiveness
d. logical decision making.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
75. Research on individual differences in the type of stress experienced by employees indicates all of the following EXCEPT
a. babies may be predisposed to a more stressful life from birth if mothers experience a great deal of stress during pregnancy.
b. due to their stronger social networks, women process stress more effectively than men.
c. men become depressed more often than women.
d. individuals with Type A personalities are more likely to experience negative organizational outcomes.
(c) Medium/Evaluation
76. Research on crying as a stress reliever suggests
a. the old adage is true: “Let it all out with a good cry.”
b. criers are less depressed, less anxious and less tired than those who wept less.
c. crying is much more successful than humor at combating stress.
d. crying may intensify negative feelings because it is a social signal that the individual weeping is very upset.
(d) Medium/Evaluation
Section II: Avoiding and Managing Stress
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77. The “corporate athlete approach” to stress is
a. a reactive approach to the problem
b. to avoid challenges so as not to be overwhelmed by them.
c. to train mind and body to perform at peak levels by using better nutrition, and positive action.
d. a technique to change eustress into distress.
(c) Medium/Comprehension
78. Flow is
a. applying the principles of athletic performance to workplace performance.
b. a state of consciousness where a person is totally absorbed in an activity.
c. the regulation of feelings and expressions for organizational purposes.
d. ongoing negative emotional states resulting from dissatisfaction.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
79. Gordon is not focused on his work but has a great deal of energy. He is most likely to
a. be disengaged at work.
b. be distracted at work.
c. be a procrastinator.
d. be totally absorbed in work.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
80. A manager with low focus and low energy would
a. procrastinate at work.
b. be distracted at work.
c. be disengaged at work.
d. be totally absorbed in work.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
81. Work that flows
a. offers opportunities for a large number of breaks.
b. offers the employee little opportunity to comment on the task at hand.
c. offers high pay.
d. offers opportunities to use skills possessed by the employee.
(d) Medium/Comprehension
82. Work that flows includes all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
a. competence.
b. challenge.
c. conformity.
d. choice.
(c) Medium/Comprehension
83. Diet acts as an individual lifestyle choice to impact stress levels. Which of the following statements about diet is INCORRECT?
a. Eating light meals in the middle of the day may slow down the body because there is insufficient food energy available to stimulate the brain to react to stress.
b. Greasy foods make a person feel tired because digestion of the fats in such foods diverts blood from the brain.
c. The dopamine in fish produces a feeling of alertness.
d. Eating fish for lunch tends to improves reaction times.
(a) Medium/Evaluation
84. Research indicates that exercise is an effective strategy for managing stress. Which of the following statements best describes some of the findings from studies on exercise and stress?
a. Physically active breaks, like walking, actually increase mental fatigue.
b. Exercise, like light calisthenics, actually absorbs energy.
c. Light exercise tends to erode hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor control.
d. Regular exercise increases the body’s ability to draw oxygen out of the air, thus combating stress.
(d) Medium/Evaluation
85. Sleep research on stress indicates all of the following EXCEPT
a. workers who miss work because of exhaustion become rejuvenated and face less stress upon their return to work.
b. about one third of adults have trouble sleeping.
c. work-life conflict makes good sleep difficult to achieve.
d. insomnia is a stress-related epidemic.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
86. Which of the following statements about individual approaches to managing stress is INCORRECT?
a. Time management practices like prioritizing and keeping a schedule help reduce stress.
b. Social support can buffer the effects of stress.
c. When workdays are broken into smaller parts, stress can be shifted to a state of flow.
d. Physical activity increases mental fatigue, which increases stress levels.
(d) Difficult/Synthesis
87. Stress in the form of job challenge leads to:
a. Higher turnover
b. Higher performance.
c. Higher absenteeism.
d. Higher commitment.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
88. All of the following are steps that firms are taking to assist employees in dealing with stress in the workplace EXCEPT
a. creating jobs with autonomy and control.
b. replacing employees who are stressed with more resilient employees.
c. ensuring fairness in the workplace.
d. clarifying expectations of employees.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
89. Which of the following is a technique used by firms to reduce the stress experienced by their employees?
a. Create job descriptions for employees that are less specific and focused.
b. Shift control over critical decisions to higher levels in the organization.
c. Base pay decisions on tenure as opposed to performance.
d. Train managers to be more interpersonally sensitive.
(d) Difficult/Synthesis
90. Research on telecommuting indicates which of the following?
a. Telecommuting decreases stress but increases work family conflict.
b. Telecommuting increases job satisfaction but decreases job performance.
c. Telecommuting increases job performance and decreases turnover.
d. Telecommuting decreases stress but also decreases job performance.
(c) Difficult/Evaluation
91. All of the following statements regarding telecommuting are correct EXCEPT
a. telecommuting is a universally effective process; regardless of job or employee, it is effective.
b. increasing numbers of workers, including many government employees are engaged in telecommuting.
c. research on telecommuting indicates that stress is lower and job satisfaction and job performance higher when the program is instituted.
d. telecommuting success is dependent on matching the right employee to the right job in the right environment.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
92. Which of the following statements regarding organizational steps to managing employee stress is correct?
a. Sabbaticals are stress-reduction programs found only in the university setting.
b. Employee assistance programs are found only in large Fortune 500 companies.
c. Telecommuting decreases stress, but increases work-family conflict because the employee is working from home.
d. Employees experience less stress when their assignments are clear.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
93. Which of the following statements regarding organizational steps to managing employee stress is correct?
a. Employee assistance programs often address legal or financial problems of the employee.
b. Employee autonomy increases stress and decreases job satisfaction.
c. Company sabbaticals are paid vacations for extended periods of time.
d. Organizations’ that have a fair environment are less profitable but have higher employee retention rates.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
Section III: Emotions
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94. Which of the following is not a negative emotion?
a. anger
b. fear
c. surprise
d. sadness
(c) Easy/Knowledge
95. Which of the following statements regarding positive emotions is INCORRECT?
a. Positive feelings dispose an individual to optimism but make him less open to new ideas.
b. Individuals feeling positive emotions like contentment experience a sensation of having something they did not have before.
c. Firms are interested in the emotional reaction their products create because those who experience strong positive emotions for a product tend to recommend it to others.
d. Having positive emotions can lead to upward positive spirals of good emotions.
(a) Difficult/Synthesis
96. Which of the following statements about negative emotions is INCORRECT?
a. Negative emotions like anger can result from an event such as not having your opinions heard by your supervisor.
b. Employees who manage their negative emotions are involved in fewer conflicts than employees who do not.
c. Negative emotions that are not managed can become the norm in a workplace.
d. Negative emotions are always destructive in the workplace.
(d) Medium/Evaluation
97. Which of the following statements regarding research on emotional contagion is INCORRECT?
a. Both positive and negative emotions can be contagious.
b. Some people are more susceptible to emotional contagion than others.
c. The spillover from positive emotions lasts longer than that from negative emotions.
d. Emotions are especially salient in teams and thus teams can exhibit emotional contagion just as individuals can.
(c) Medium/Evaluation
Section IV: Emotions at Work
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98. Which of the following is NOT an emotion that is part of the Affective Events Theory?
a. jealousy
b. surprise
c. anger
d. fear
(a) Easy/Knowledge
99. Jennifer strongly dislikes her next-door neighbors, yet every time she sees them she stops to pleasantly chat with them for a few moments. Jennifer is engaging in
a. genuine acting.
b. surface acting.
c. deep acting.
d. cognitive acting.
(b) Medium/Application
100. When an individual is displaying emotions he does not feel, he is engaging in
a. deep acting.
b. surface acting.
c. genuine acting.
d. cognitive dissonance.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
101. Genuine acting is
a. pretending to experience emotions not really felt.
b. exhibiting physical signs that reflect emotions not felt.
c. displaying emotions in alignment with your emotions.
d. a mismatch of emotions.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
102. You are a salesperson in a major department store. Though you might not actually believe it, you follow the policy of “the customer is always right” in your daily work at the store. However, since you do not agree with that view, you often experience
a. surface acting.
b. genuine acting.
c. deep acting
d. cognitive dissonance.
(d) Medium/Application
103. Which of the following is not a way to alleviate cognitive dissonance?
a. Change your behavior.
b. Change the facts of the situation.
c. Change your belief.
d. Smile more.
(d) Easy/Comprehension
104. Which of the following is NOT a building block of emotional intelligence?
a. self-awareness
b. business management
c. relationship management
d. self-management
(b) Easy/Knowledge
105. When you understand how OTHERS feel you are exhibiting which of the building blocks of emotional intelligence?
a. self-awareness
b. self-management
c. social awareness
d. relationship management
(c) Easy/Comprehension
106. Marcus knows that he is flexible, enjoys challenging goals, and is very concerned about the security of his job. Marcus understands which of the following building blocks of the emotional intelligence concept?
a. self-management
b. relationship management
c. social awareness
d. self- awareness
(d) Medium/Application
107. Research on emotional intelligence suggests that the emotion most helpful to creating a successful team is
a. joy.
b. empathy.
c. flexibility.
d. self-control.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
108. Research suggests high levels of emotional intelligence lead to which of the following?
a. higher life satisfaction.
b. cognitive dissonance
c. higher stress levels.
d. greater propensity to perceive situations as threats.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
Section IV: The Role of Emotions and Stress for Ethics and Culture
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109. Joshua Greene’s study of how our minds and bodies react to difficult situations found all of the following EXCEPT
a. Study subjects were able to agree on what was the best of possible evils in a scenario.
b. Human decisions are mostly rational, not impacted by emotion.
c. Magnetic imaging suggests emotional scenarios require greater use of our brains than unemotional scenarios.
d. Identification of our emotions can assist us in more appropriately responding to emotional situations.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
110. Research on stress and leisure time around the world suggests which of the following?
a. Compared to Europeans, Americans work longer hours.
b. Japanese work 500 hours less than their counterparts in the USA.
c. Americans are better in time management compared to their European counterparts.
d. Americans are less likely to be employed than Europeans.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
Closing Section: Getting Emotional: The Case of American Express
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111. What impact did emotional awareness training have on employees at American Express?
a. The training increased sales.
b. The training decreased coping skills.
c. The training taught aggressive sales tactics to overcome the negative responses of customers.
d. The training created greater barriers between the customers and the sales representatives.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
112. Analysis of emotional training suggests
a. such training can increase a firm’s bottom line.
b. such training decreases coping skills in a firm.
c. that companies cannot profit if employees recognize clients’ feelings.
d. employees rate caring bosses just below salary increases.
(a) Medium/Analysis
113. Emotional resonance
a. is a technique that ignores the negative emotions of clients.
b. is the gap between individuals’ words and their true feelings.
c. is a technique that identifies employees’ feelings about their work.
d. Is an emotional barrier between individuals.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
FILL IN THE BLANK
114. American Express used a technique called _________ _______ to identify its employees’ feelings about their work.
(emotional resonance)
115. ________ is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response.
(Stress)
116. The _______________ is the region of the brain responsible for stimulating fear responses.
(amygdala)
117. The _____________ _____________ _____________ is a hypothesis by Hans Selye that suggests that stress plays a general role in disease by exhausting the body’s immune system.
(General Adaptation Syndrome)
118. “Fight or flight” is the reaction to an outside stressor in the first phase, or ____________ phase of stress.
(alarm)
119. During the resistance phase of stress, the body begins to release _________ and draws on fat and sugar reserves to adjust to the demands of stress.
(cortisol)
120. The stressor has significantly weakened the individual during the ___________ phase of stress.
(exhaustion)
121. ________ _______ refers to a vagueness as to what your responsibilities are.
(Role ambiguity)
122. Maggie’s boss wants her to complete the department project by next week. Her team leader for the corporate project wants her to travel to New York in the next few days to work on that item. Maggie is experiencing _____ ____________.
(role conflict)
123. Having insufficient time and resources to complete a job is called ______ _________.
(role overload)
124. You are at the computer working on the Internet gathering information for your term paper, your cell phone is ringing, you are receiving emails and the television is on. You are likely experiencing __________ _____________.
(information overload)
125. Flexible scheduling is one approach to addressing _________-______ conflict.
(work-family)
126. _________ is “good” stress experienced for such events as an outstanding personal achievement or getting married.
(Eustress)
127. Nancy is always impatient. She seems to run around the office completing this task and that. She is always the first one to work and the last to leave. Nancy has a ________ ___ personality.
(Type A)
128. The state of consciousness when an individual is totally absorbed by an activity is ____________.
(flow)
129. Two individual lifestyle choices that one can make to try to decrease feelings of stress include: ____________ and ______________.
(diet, exercise, sleep, time management, social support network)
130. _____________ is working remotely from home or some other locale during a portion of the workweek.
(Telecommuting)
131. A practice that has been widely used by universities that provides paid time off from the normal routine of work is called a ______________.
(sabbatical)
132. Individuals who are experiencing substance abuse problems may seek help provided by their firms but offered through an outside source in an _____________ _____________ program.
(Employee assistance)
133. Positive emotions include __________, _______ and ___________.
(joy, love, surprise)
134. _____, ______, and ______ are examples of negative emotions.
(anger, fear, and sadness)
135. The _______ _______ Theory explores how events on the job cause different kinds of people to feel different emotions.
(Affective Events)
136. When a hair cutter smiles even though the young child whose hair she is cutting is crying and squirming, the hair cutting is exhibiting __________.
(surface acting)
137. ________ __________ is the regulation of feelings and expressions for organizational purposes.
(Emotional labor)
138. When a person pretends to experience emotions he does not feel, he is engaging in _________.
(deep acting)
139. The mismatch between emotions, attitudes, beliefs and behavior is ______ ____________.
(cognitive dissonance)
140. The subject of __________ ____________, examined by Daniel Goleman, looks at how people can understand each other more completely by becoming more aware of their own and others’ emotions.
(emotional intelligence)
SHORT ANSWERS
141. Define stress and briefly discuss its prevalence in the workplace.
Stress is the body’s reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental, or emotional adjustment or response. Today, stress is inevitable and everywhere. While we can’t change stress, we can change the manner in which we respond to it.
Polls indicate that 80% of American workers report experiencing stress in the workplace at least some of the time. Stress in the workplace is manifested through such physical effects as neck pain, aching muscles and insomnia.
142. Describe each phase of Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome.
Phase one is the alarm phase where an outside stressor jolts the individual insisting that something be done. This is the well- known “fight or flight” response.
Resistance is the phase where the body begins to release cortisol and draws on fats and sugars for energy to adjust to the demands of stress. While the body can draw on its reserves to hold off stress for a while, it cannot continue in this state forever.
Phase three is the exhaustion phase where the body’s stores of fats and sugars are depleted and the prolonged release of cortisol has weakened the body considerably. To cope, many individuals reach for something sweet to restore the sugars.
143. Name two workplace stressors and give an example of each.
Workplace stressors include: role demands (role ambiguity, role overload, role conflict), and information overload.
Role ambiguity is the vagueness one feels about what responsibilities he holds. For example, when you begin a new job, you are often unclear what you are supposed to do.
Role conflict is when you have contradictory demands made on you at work. For example, your boss wants you to complete your project for next week while your team supervisor wants his project completed first.
Role overload is when you have insufficient time and resources to complete your job. For example, if you are doing your job and covering for an individual who is out on medical leave, you may feel pulled in many directions.
Information overload is simply the processing demands made on individuals where the time required to complete the tasks far exceeds the amount of time actually available. The number of emails many individuals receive in one day often far exceeds the amount of time available for responding.
144. Name two life stressors and give examples of each.
Life stressors include: work-family conflict, life changes, and downsizing.
Work-family conflict is experienced when the demands from work and family negatively impact one another. An example is when you need to attend a work function and you have sick child at home to care for.
Life changes are events that stress an individual. Life changes can be negative (the death of a spouse) or positive (getting married). Though each produces stress, the negative event produces distress and the positive events, eustress. The Holmes-Rahe Scale provides various life events with values that express the stress experienced.
Downsizing is when firms decide to become smaller often through physical, product and employee means. Currently, many firms are downsizing to stay competitive in the worsening economy.
145. Describe two physiological outcomes of stress.
Stress can be manifested internally as nervousness, tension, anger or irritability. It can also be manifested externally through skin conditions and sweating.
Because stress causes a suppression of the immune system, there are links between stress and high blood pressure, ulcers and illness susceptibility.
146. Name two psychological outcomes of stress.
Anxiety and depression are two psychological outcomes of stress.
147. Research links stress to what work outcomes?
Stress is linked to higher turnover and lower levels of performance. Stressed individuals also tend to be less prone to engaging in organizational citizenship behaviors and to exhibit lower organization commitment.
148. Differentiate between a Type A personality and a Type B personality.
A Type A personality is a person who displays high levels of speed/impatience, job involvement and hard-driving competitiveness.
Type B personalities are calmer than Type A personalities who are more prone to thinking through situations than their Type A counterparts who tend to respond emotionally.
149. What are two individual approaches to managing stress?
The individual approaches to managing stress include: The corporate athlete concept, flow, diet, exercise, sleep, social support networks and time management.
The corporate athlete is training so that the employee is healthy in mind and body and embraces challenges versus avoiding them.
Flow is the concept of totally immersing yourself in the job.
Social support networks include coworkers, friends and family.
150. Describe the concept of a “corporate athlete.”
The corporate athlete is an approach to managing stress developed by Jack Groppel at the University of Illinois. The concept relies on applying principles of athletic performance to workplace performance. The corporate athlete is thus an individual who trains his mind and body to perform at peak levels (and under less stress) due to better eating habits, more focused training and positive action. The resulting strong mind and body embraces challenges, not avoids them.
151. Name two organizational approaches to managing stress.
Organizational approaches to managing stress include: making expectations (job duties, for example) clear, employee autonomy, fair work environment, telecommuting, sabbaticals and employee assistance program.
152. Describe positive emotions.
Positive emotions include joy, love and surprise. These emotions result from events.
153. Name two negative emotions.
Negative emotions include: anger, fear and sadness.
154. Describe Affective Events Theory.
Affective Events Theory looks at how events on the job cause different kinds of people to feel different kinds of emotions.
155. Differentiate between surface, deep and genuine acting.
Surface acting is exhibiting physical signs like smiles to reflect emotions you do not really feel.
Deep acting is an individual pretending to experience emotions he does not feel.
Genuine acting is when individuals are asked to display emotions aligned with their own.
156. What is cognitive dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is a mismatch between emotions, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.
Many firms operating in multiple countries find their employees face cognitive dissonance because of the different business practices within those countries. For example, in China, to secure permission to talk about land purchases, a major U.S. company’s executives has to make payments directly to village leaders. Such scenarios created quite a bit of dissonance for those individuals.
157. Name the four building blocks of Emotional Intelligence, and define each.
The four building blocks are: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Self-awareness is being able to accurately perceive, evaluate and display your emotions.
Self-management is being able to direct your emotions in a positive way when needed.
Social awareness is when you are able to understand how others feel.
Relationship management is when you are able to help others manage their own emotions and establish supportive relationships with others.
ESSAY
158. You are the new Human Resource manager at Lands Corporation. You have just completed examining a great deal of company data. Turnover is much higher in Lands Corporation than at its competitors or the industry average. The data that you analyzed includes a series of transcripts of exit interviews conducted over the past eight months. Repeatedly you note that past employees describe being “burned out” and then leaving the firm. What are some areas you can examine to develop organizational approaches to address and manage stress?
There are obviously a host of approaches you can take to help employees handle stress in Lands Corporation. One starting point might be to look at the jobs past “burned out” employees were performing. Are the jobs clearly defined? If the employee does not always know what he is supposed to be doing, he is more likely to feel stressed.
A second step is to examine those same job descriptions for the amount of autonomy given to each employee. Stress results when employees feel a lack of control.
Is the work environment fair, or is your work environment toxic? If the company
does not value its employees and continually creates unfair scenarios for its
employees, stress will result.
Can you find any jobs for which employees are able to telecommute? Working from home at your own pace obviously reduces stress.
Though universities were the first organizations to widely use employee sabbaticals, more and more companies have taken to using these programs to reduce stress and rejuvenate employees.
Employee assistance programs are not just for those experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol but for those experiencing stress that negatively impacts our lives.
Once you have analyzed Lands Corporation for these issues, you can begin to create action plans to address the burnout issue and ultimately the turnover.
159. Your roommate has major stress issues every finals week. She becomes so upset about her exams and papers that she is almost impossible to live with. You do not want to see her go through these problems this finals week, so you have decided to discuss with her various approaches she can adopt that may help calm her during this time. What are some suggestions you could offer her?
You have just read Jack Groppel’s work on Corporate Athletes. You suggest she concentrate on her mind and body throughout finals week as well as the weeks leading up to her exams. Let her know that lower stress levels tend to result when an individual is concerned about good nutrition, focused training and being positive in his or her actions.
Help her find an activity in which she can immerse herself. Absorption in an activity makes the individual feel in control, plus makes her more alert and strong. Greasy foods make you tired. So, watch the fast foods that students are prone to eating during finals week (and other times).
Talk to her about exercising. Physical activity enhances mental concentration so even a walk would reduce her stress.
Encourage her to sleep. You can’t learn a semester’s worth of material in one night, so absolutely do not pull an all-nighter. But even more important, don’t work until the wee hours of the night either. Get rest, and lots of it.
Rely on her social network. Obviously she has you for support, but let her know that there are others who share her concerns. Use those others for support.
Encourage her to practice some time management according to the following guidelines: Write down what she needs to do. Encourage her to cross off those items she has completed. Have her understand what activities eat up her time. Does she sit down to read emails and notice it is an hour later before she finishes? If so, then set up a specific time during the day when she does nothing but read and respond to emails. But, only complete what she can in a time frame that is established. For example, set aside 20 minutes and only 20 minutes for those emails. When the time expires, she should go on to something else.
These steps should help her have a calmer finals week this time around.
160. Meredith just brought her elderly mother to live at her house because of her mother’s current health problems. What are some options her firm might offer her to help alleviate the work-family conflict she will inevitably experience?
The most obvious and, perhaps, easiest option a firm could offer, would be a flexible schedule. Flextime usually requires the employee to work some core hours and then permits that employee to work the remainder either before the core time or after.
Telecommuting is a second option that the firm could consider. Again most firms require a set number of days or hours per week when the employee is physically working from the office. The remainder of days or hours are worked from home or other remote location.
Other options include work sharing, family leave among others.
161. What research findings support an organization’s attention to stress management programming?
Some of the research findings include:
Work-family conflict leads to lower job and life satisfaction.
Stressors are cumulative and can occur in trends.
Stress can be negative (distress) or positive (eustress).
Downsizing and job insecurity lead to greater stress, alcohol use and lower performance and creativity.
Stressed individuals have lower organizational commitment.
Stress can lead to internal manifestations like anger and irritability or external manifestations like high blood pressure and ulcers.
162. Should we all have a “good cry” sometime to relieve stress?
Though Mom may have told you to “let it all out, have a good cry”, that may not be the right answer. Research indicates that crying may not be as helpful as the old adage suggests. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that crying improves your mood or health. In fact, one study suggested that venting only increases negative effects of negative emotions.
Some research suggests that laughter may actually be the best choice. Crying may intensify negative feelings and suggest to others that the issue really does bother you. Criers tended to be more depressed, anxious and hostile than those who did not cry.
163. Describe the Affective Events Theory and illustrate how it operates.
Affective Events Theory looks at how events cause different kinds of people to feel different kinds of emotions.
As an example, imagine that a co-worker unexpectedly brings you some of your favorite baked goods. You feel happy and surprised. The positive feelings you are experiencing cause you to want to do something that you had not planned before. So, you help someone else. The small moments of emotion can influence your job satisfaction. The more the employee experiences positive emotions, the more satisfied at work.
164. List the worst job you ever performed. Now describe how you used emotional labor in that position.
Emotional labor is the regulation of feelings and expressions for organizational purposes.
Imagine the worst job listed was customer service representative at a firm like Target. Complaining customers would make life in that job rather difficult.
Imagine one of those customers brought in a damaged good. He is complaining bitterly. You simply smile and tell him that you have a full return policy up to thirty days after the purchase. Though the customer is ranting and raving, you are smiling and practicing surface acting.
Deep acting may be an alternative. In deep acting, you empathize with the customer. Again, the customer is ranting and raving and you put yourself into his shoes and actually note that you experienced the same difficulty when you purchased the same item.
Genuine acting is when individuals are asked to display emotions that are aligned with their own.
165. An organizational behavior researcher suggests that not only should mental intelligence be assessed in each individual, but emotional intelligence should also be determined. Do you agree?
Answers will vary but most individuals will probably disagree.
Either from a support or opposition viewpoint, the student can discuss the various building blocks. Self-awareness, step one is something that all individuals should complete. What are you well versed in, what are your shortcomings? How can you improve on the negatives and cultivate the positives?
Self-management is the phase where you can direct your emotions in a particular manner when needed. Again, it is not a problem knowing how to direct and control your emotions and the relevant aspects of the audience supporting them.
Social awareness is when you are able to understand how others feel. Empathy is a difficult concept, and may not be something many students will feel is a necessity.
Relationship management is when you help others manage their emotions. Since many individuals have difficulty managing their own, this may not be a very
well-supported aspect of the emotional intelligence question.
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