Q&A Hero

Q: One condition that encourages and sustains rumors on the grapevine is ________. A) ambiguity B) certainty C) status quo D) clarity E) transparency

Q: The ________ that typically occur(s) in large organizations create conditions that encourage and sustain rumors on the grapevine. A) large number of employees B) vast departments C) chain of command D) secrecy and competition E) expectations

Q: Studies have found that ________ emerge in response to situations that are important to us, where there is ambiguity, or under conditions that arouse anxiety. A) formal communications B) personal messages C) policies D) rumors E) lies

Q: An employee who asks a colleague a question without any emphasis on words demonstrates a lack of ________. A) sincerity B) verbal intonation C) socialization D) social interaction E) social networking

Q: Some of the most meaningful communication is not spoken, written, or transmitted on a computer. This type of communication is called ________. A) verbal communication B) extrasensory perception C) nonverbal communication D) the grapevine E) oral communication

Q: One reason for a supervisor to use a written document to communicate would be ________. A) speed and ease B) little ambiguity for recipients C) uncertainty in the group D) decision paralysis E) to reduce aggressiveness

Q: Departmental reports that contain many detailed figures and facts are conveyed best ________. A) through the socialization process B) verbally, because the receiver gets the information quicker C) informally in a social situation D) in writing because of complexity E) through an informal channel

Q: Which form of communication is effective in building trust with employees and creating a climate of openness and support? A) instant messaging B) email C) nonverbal D) oral E) written

Q: Communication that addresses task-related issues and tends to follow the organization's authority chain is known as ________ communication. A) written B) informal C) formal D) oral E) complex

Q: Communication that moves in any direction and skips authority levels is ________. A) casual B) formal C) informal D) oral E) written

Q: A supervisor's formal communication addresses ________. A) communication barriers B) task-related issues C) informal groups D) communication breakdowns E) the grapevine

Q: A message is affected by the code or group of symbols used to transfer meaning, the content of the message, and the decisions made in selecting and arranging both codes and content.

Q: The communication process has the following components EXCEPT ________. A) recording B) message C) channel D) decoding E) encoding

Q: In the communication process the actual physical product of the sender's encoding is the ________. A) feedback loop B) message C) medium D) channel E) response

Q: Which part of the communication process requires skill, attitudes, knowledge, and the social-cultural system? A) encoding B) receiving C) feedback D) decoding E) message

Q: Communication involves the transfer of meaning. However, for communication to be successful the meaning must not only be imparted but also ________. A) integrated B) impartial C) encoded D) understood E) comprehensive

Q: Explain why leadership style of a supervisor is sometimes irrelevant.

Q: Characteristics of employees such as experience, training, professional orientation, or indifference toward organizational matters can substitute for, or neutralize, the effect of ________. A) education B) skills C) aptitudes D) leadership E) common sense

Q: Data from numerous studies demonstrate that, in many situations, any ________ are irrelevant. A) technical skills B) behaviors a leader exhibits C) organizational visions D) attempts to define leadership E) human relationship skills

Q: One component of the situational model focuses on leader behavior. Describe the four leadership styles Hersey and Blanchard identified that a supervisor would use based on the maturity of employees.

Q: Describe situational leadership and the four readiness levels of employees.

Q: Effective leaders change their leadership style or behavior to fit changing situations.

Q: In the situational leadership model the ________ leadership style emerges when an employee has fully developed, has the supervisor's trust and can carry out duties with little, if any, direction. A) selling B) telling C) directing D) delegating E) participating

Q: In the situational leadership model when an employee has become the expert on her job and no longer needs to be told what to do, a supervisor would use a ________ style of leadership. A) directive B) autocratic C) delegating D) participating E) selling

Q: In the situational leadership model, the ________ leadership style is appropriate with a new employee. A) participating B) selling C) free-rein D) delegating E) telling

Q: Supervisor behavior in the ________ leadership model reflects two-way leader-employee communications. A) task-centered B) free-rein C) situational D) people-centered E) democratic-participative

Q: An employee who is able but unwilling to do a job would be classified at what readiness level in the situational leadership model? A) R1 B) R2 C) R3 D) R4 E) R5

Q: Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard proposed a leadership model called ________, which focuses attention on the readiness of employees. A) situational B) task-centered C) democratic D) transformational E) transactional

Q: In today's organization, many employers appear to prefer to work for a supervisor with a ________ leadership style. A) task-centered B) participative C) problem-solving D) autocratic E) people-centered

Q: A type of leader who gives employees total autonomy to make the decisions that will affect them is a ________ leader. A) conceptual B) free-rein C) democratic-participative D) democratic E) participative

Q: A supervisor who exhibits behavior that favors decisions made by the group demonstrates ________ style of leadership. A) participative B) problem-solving C) free-rein D) democratic-participative E) consultative-participative

Q: A people-centered leader takes personal interest in the needs of his or her employees.

Q: Autocratic leadership is inappropriate in any organization today.

Q: If you fail as a leader, it is likely that your followers - as well as others - have lost respect for you because of your lack of technical skills.

Q: Leaders who exhibit ________ behaviors are concerned with the welfare of employees and are characterized as trusting, friendly and supportive. A) participative B) autocratic C) democratic D) people-centered E) compassionate

Q: Leaders who exhibit ________ behavior view employees as a means to an end. A) people-centered B) autocratic C) company-centered D) democratic E) task-centered

Q: Emphasizing the technical aspect of the employees' jobs, ensuring that employees know what is expected of them, and providing guidance necessary for accomplishment of goals is ________ behavior. A) task-centered B) autocratic C) financial-centered D) company-centered E) people-centered

Q: The ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive exemplar of the future that grows out of, and improves upon, the present is known as ________ leadership. A) expectant B) equitable C) visionary D) self-confident E) referent

Q: Describe the key characteristics associated with a charismatic leader.

Q: To be a charismatic leader you need a vision for the future, unconventional ways of achieving the vision, and the ability to communicate the vision to others.

Q: Individuals who can easily adjust their behaviors to different situations are known as ________. A) group facilitators B) team leaders C) charismatic leaders D) high self-monitors E) participatory leaders

Q: A(n) ________ leader is an enthusiastic, self-confident person whose personality and actions influence people to behave in certain ways. A) driving B) enthusiastic C) expectant D) charismatic E) articulate

Q: Identify and explain the traits necessary to become an effective leader.

Q: Effective e-leadership requires supervisors to be judicious in their choice of words while monitoring their messages for anything that may appear to have subliminal meaning to the reader.

Q: One driver of the increased use of employee empowerment is the need to compete successfully in a dynamic global village.

Q: Employees have to trust supervisors to treat them fairly and supervisors have to trust employees to fulfill their responsibilities conscientiously.

Q: For those studying leadership, it has become increasingly clear that predicting leadership success involves isolating a few traits or preferable behaviors.

Q: ________ leaders guide or motivate employees in the direction of established goals by clarifying role and task requirements. A) Situational B) Transformational C) Consultative D) Democratic E) Transactional

Q: Blanket acceptance of ________ or any universal approach to leadership is inconsistent with the best and most current evidence we have on leadership. A) situational B) participative C) consultative D) empowerment E) democratic-participative

Q: A supervisor should guard against the tendency to ________ employees. A) be open with B) demonstrate technical skills around C) create favorites among D) be flexible in scheduling E) be predictable

Q: Which of the following is one of the five dimensions that make up the concept of trust? A) participation B) readiness C) consistency D) integrity E) intelligence

Q: When employees trust their supervisor, they are willing to be vulnerable to their supervisor's action because they are confident that ________. A) they can share ideas B) there will be two-way communication C) their rights and interests will be honored D) their performance will be appraised E) they will be provided with ample directions

Q: The top-rating of honesty as an identifying characteristic of admired supervisors indicates that in order for supervisors to become effective leaders, they must realize the importance of ________. A) credibility and trust B) control and structure C) achievement and effort D) responsibility and authority E) power and permission

Q: Which leadership style is more compatible with cultures where power is unequal? A) participative B) autocratic C) consultative-participative D) people-centered E) democratic-participative

Q: What type of leader is a taskmaster? A) autocratic B) free-rein C) participative D) people-centered E) democratic

Q: The inability to explain leadership solely from traits and skills has led researchers to look at the behaviors and ________ that specific leaders exhibit. A) aptitudes B) abilities C) styles D) competence E) knowledge

Q: Leadership skills that focus on your ability to work with, understand, and motivate those people around you are ________ skills. A) human relations B) technical C) problem solving D) networking E) conceptual

Q: Leadership skills that refer to your ability to socialize and interact with outsiders - those not associated with your unit are ________ skills. A) networking B) technical C) conceptual D) human relation E) problem solving

Q: By having ________ skills, the tools, procedures and techniques that are unique to the work situation, a supervisor is able to assist employees. A) conceptual B) technical C) networking D) human relations E) performance

Q: One leadership characteristic where people are free of self-doubt and have a strong belief in order to convince others of the correctness of goals and decisions is the trait of ________. A) intelligence B) honesty C) enthusiasm D) drive E) self-confidence

Q: One trait that has not been identified as essential to effective leaders is ________. A) self-confidence B) humor C) honesty D) drive E) intelligence

Q: Personal ________ reflects one's desire to exert a high level of effort to complete a task. A) motivation B) expectation C) enthusiasm D) drive E) pursuit

Q: Becoming a leader requires the following skills EXCEPT ________. A) conceptual B) charismatic C) technical D) networking E) human relations

Q: Legitimate power does not allow supervisors to reward and punish their employee.

Q: The ability of ________ to influence employees is based on the formal authority inherent in their positions. A) leaders B) managers C) supervisors D) co-workers E) administrators

Q: The ability one demonstrates in influencing others to act in a particular way through direction, encouragement, sensitivity, consideration and support is ________. A) supervision B) organization C) training D) leadership E) motivation

Q: Today's progressive workplaces must accommodate the varied needs of a ________ workforce. A) demanding B) under-educated C) well-educated D) diverse E) unskilled

Q: Motivating a diverse workforce means that supervisors must be ________. A) familiar with employee benefits B) aware of cultural differences C) knowledgeable about group norms D) acquainted with corporate policies E) willing to mentor

Q: To maximize motivation among today's diversified workforce, supervisors need to think in terms of ________. A) flexibility B) group norms C) personality traits D) rigidity E) complexity

Q: Identify and explain the intent and logic behind pay-for-performance programs.

Q: Pay-for-performance programs are compensation plans that pay employees on the basis of ________. A) seniority B) salary C) commission D) some performance measure E) hourly rate

Q: Identify and explain the key characteristics that define a job.

Q: Professional employees place a high value on job factors such as autonomy, personal growth, recognition, and challenging work.

Q: Autonomy is the degree to which workers control the planning, execution, and evaluation of their work.

Q: The degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people is task identity.

Q: Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.

Q: One trap many supervisors of minimum wage employees fall into is thinking that employees are motivated only by ________. A) praise B) money C) good work conditions D) personal aspirations E) team recognition

Q: A competency based compensation program pays and rewards employees on the basis of ________. A) work behaviors B) skills, knowledge, and behaviors C) personal skills and aptitudes D) job knowledge E) education and training

Q: The core dimensions of any job include which of the following? A) skill level B) task knowledge C) autonomy D) reliance E) task dependence

Q: Maximize the impact of reward contingencies by increasing the ________ of rewards. A) frequency B) visibility C) amount D) complexity E) simplicity