Q&A Hero

Q: Helen receives a wristwatch from the company as a compliment for her value-adding service to the organization for the past 10 years. This can be considered an act that: a. excites Helen and makes her work on weekends, too. b. ingratiates Helen so that she continues to be paid less. c. appeals to her pride and thereby motivates her further. d. lobbies Helen toward committing an illegal act for the management.

Q: Which of the following is an example of using recognition to motivate others? a. Tina is selected from her team to be coached and mentored by a panel of industry experts. b. Richard, who has taken the maximum number of vacation days, becomes the best performer in his team, much to the teammates' awe. c. Alan receives a congratulatory email from his team manager for settling a deal with a vendor. d. George, who is the team manager of the sales department, takes his team out for an offsite training program.

Q: Who among the following is likely to give the best performance in the context of the goal theory? a. An employee who is given instructions so that the net sales revenue becomes $30 million and his individual contribution is worth $1 million b. A member of the sales team who is asked to give his best, so that the overall performance of the team increases c. A member of the sales team who performs below the standards set being subjected to a performance improvement program d. An employee who is encouraged and shown a clear path towards achieving his everyday target, with just a vague idea on the overall target to be achieved.

Q: Which of the following statements by the members of a team depicts self-efficacy at its peak? Answer the question in the context of the expectancy theory. a. "I may or may not achieve the target; its impossible to predict the results now." b. "I wont be able to achieve the target without a little bit of support from my superior." c. "I am 100 percent sure that I will be able to achieve the target before the due date." d. "I suppose the target is quite attainable, but I can't give an assurance."

Q: Ryan's team has performed beyond the performance standard set for the team in the previous financial year. This makes the team eligible for additional incentives, and the improved performance will also make them eligible for a promotion in a few months. In the context of the expectancy theory, which of the following statements is true in this case? a. The team being considered eligible for promotion is a second-level outcome. b. The team receiving an outstanding performance review is a second-level outcome. c. The performance of each team member denotes the instrumentality. d. The performance of each team member is known as the expectancy.

Q: The employees of a team are offered a direct incentive hike of 5 percent if they improve their performance two-fold. In the context of the expectancy theory, the additional amount the team members will receive as incentive is known as _____. a. performance b. valence c. effort d. instrumentality

Q: Craig decides to increase the performance bonus of his team from $5,000 to $10,000. In the context of the expectancy theory, this will result in: a. increased productivity, as the team members would put in greater efforts in view of the reward they expect. b. decreased productivity, as the team members would be too distracted to work toward the set goal. c. the same productivity, as studies have found that rewards do not affect employee efforts in any manner. d. an initial decrease in productivity, followed by an increase in productivity of the employees.

Q: Ronnie plans to work on Sunday so that the project she is involved in does not get delayed. She also plans to cancel her weekend plans so she can invest even more time in the project. This behavior reflects Ronnies _____. a. engagement b. resistance c. debasement d. congruence

Q: A refinement of the individual approach to executive coaching is for a coach to: a. work with a group of leaders with the same developmental needs. b. conduct videoconferences with several leaders from different locations at the same time. c. collaborate with the leader's group members. d. get the group members to report on the leader's mistakes.

Q: A major role of an executive coach is to: a. help the person being coached find new employment. b. help uncover strengths of the person being coached. c. give top management a report about the capabilities of the person being coached. d. help the person being coached become a better coach themselves.

Q: Donna wants to lead as an effective coach. So, with respect to the people she coaches, Donna should minimize: a. active listening. b. bringing forth restrictions to the workers. c. giving emotional support. d. giving too much gentle advice and guidance.

Q: An effective way of using modeling in coaching is for a manager to: a. set high standards of performance. b. challenge a group member's ethical models. c. sketch a mathematical model of business strategy. d. demonstrate how a task should be done correctly.

Q: A recommended way of giving advice to an employee is to: a. wait until the employee has a good day. b. put your advice in the form of a question. c. first make the employee feel guilty. d. offer only general suggestions for improvement.

Q: Which one of the following is considered an important coaching technique? a. Restrict oneself from asking questions to the coach. b. Resist change in all possible ways. c. Model desired performance and behavior. d. Create more obstacles for the person being coached.

Q: A barrier buster is a manager who: a. sets unrealistically high goals for group members. b. uses rewards and punishments frequently. c. removes obstacles that hinder work accomplishment. d. lobbies for business contracts from external agencies.

Q: An active listener attempts to: a. speak continuously in a coaching session. b. react to each statement made by the other person. c. grasp both facts and feelings. d. tries to remember, word by word, every word that is being coached.

Q: Feedback in coaching should be: a. on specific areas which need improvement. b. overrated and exaggerated. c. confined to the first coaching session. d. avoided unless requested.

Q: An effective coaching technique to achieve enthusiasm and high performance is for a leader/manager to: a. suspend team members who do not display enthusiasm or high performance. b. give gentle advice and guidance to team members. c. use a detached, permissive style. d. keep elevating goals as workers perform well.

Q: An essential part of coaching is to: a. use an autocratic leadership style. b. build formal relationships with the person being coached. c. manipulate the person being coached. d. help remove obstacles for the person being coached.

Q: Effective coaches focus on the growth and development of those being coached by: a. telling them what to do in every situation. b. giving them the resources they need to make their own decisions. c. only providing feedback once they have become discouraged. d. always assuming an authoritative pose.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of coaching skills and techniques? a. Give positive feedback alone, and stick to appreciatory comments. b. Give overrated comments and scores to members of a team. c. Build personal relationships with team members. d. Make the communication strategy more generic and less specific.

Q: Recognition is a strong motivator because: a. it brings in an element of uniformity among employees. b. it conceals bad performances. c. it is an unattainable need. d. it is a normal human need.

Q: The feeling of being proud is essentially a(n): a. external motivator. b. internal motivator. c. weak motivator for professional staff. d. weak motivator for leaders.

Q: A study showed that workers who perceive themselves to have a technical orientation tend to prefer being praised in a manner that: a. focuses on how their work made a contribution. b. makes a general statement such as "Awesome." c. could be interpreted negatively. d. focuses on their personal characteristics.

Q: Recognition is an effective motivator is because: a. it is closely linked to company strategy. b. most employees feel they do not receive enough recognition. c. most workers have become bored with financial incentives. d. it is extremely expensive to implement.

Q: A major concern about using goals to boost performance is that some workers, including leaders, will: a. use dysfunctional methods to attain goals. b. quit rather than pursue goals. c. set too many difficult goals. d. pursue goals rather than do their own work.

Q: Mindi has a learning goal orientation. While she is competing in a national sales contest, she is strongly motivated to: a. develop new skills during the process of competing. b. make the other competitors look good. c. examine if her efforts would result in the desired outcome. d. impress other people with her skills.

Q: An advantage of a goal related to a noble cause is that it: a. gives workers step-by-step guidance. b. is likely to inspire workers. c. is geared toward a short range. d. has a relatively low valence.

Q: The sets of goal characteristics that will probably lead to higher levels of performance are: a. easy and specific. b. easy and general. c. difficult and specific. d. difficult and general.

Q: An example of a second-level outcome in expectancy theory would be a: a. promotion stemming from a good performance appraisal. b. praise from two levels of management. c. punishment for having violated company policy. d. salary increase twice the average size.

Q: An important implication of expectancy theory for leaders is that: a. the link between rewards and performance should be made explicit. b. workers should encourage and train themselves. c. people in the same work unit will usually have the same valences. d. an average worker should not be able to attain the majority of work goals.

Q: An important implication of expectancy theory for leadership is that: a. a manager must assign valences to group members. b. workers must develop their own links between rewards and performance. c. out-groups and in-groups should be avoided. d. leaders must clearly understand individual differences in valences.

Q: Jodie has high self-efficacy, meaning that she: a. gets discouraged when faced with obstacles. b. is highly confident that she can perform a particular task. c. has a generalized sense of self-confidence. d. perceives herself to be more effective than most people.

Q: The question, "If I get the job done, will I really get my reward?" illustrates the _____ aspect of expectancy theory. a. valence b. effort-to-performance expectancy c. instrumentality d. open-book management

Q: The question, "If I work hard, what will I get in return?" illustrates the _____ aspect of expectancy theory. a. instrumentality b. valence c. goal d. expectancy

Q: The term engagement refers to : a. employees limiting themselves to those tasks that are specific to their roles. b. high levels of personal investment in the tasks performed on a job. c. serving a one-month notice period in the organization. d. avoiding offering a reward for a good performance.

Q: A potential ethical problem noted with executive coaching is that an executive might become too dependent upon the coach for making decisions. a. True b. False

Q: Listening is an essential ingredient in any coaching session. a. True b. False

Q: Feedback of a general nature is most effective in bringing about improvements in performance. a. True b. False

Q: Coaches should ask closed-ended, yes-or-no questions to keep subordinates focused on one concept at a time during a conversation. a. True b. False

Q: To avoid getting too emotionally involved with group members, the effective coach minimizes building personal relationships with them. a. True b. False

Q: Companies with less money to compensate employees should invest in coaching and development as a way to boost employee retention. a. True b. False

Q: To appeal to the recognition need of others, it is important to identify a meritorious behavior, and then recognize that behavior with an oral, written, or material reward. a. True b. False

Q: Giving recognition for a job well done is useful in satisfying a worker's desire to feel proud. a. True b. False

Q: The motivational value of a recognition award is likely to be higher if it helps a worker attain personal goals. a. True b. False

Q: A major advantage of using goals to motivate executive leaders is the guarantee that unethical means will not be used to achieve goals. a. True b. False

Q: To act as a strong motivator, big comprehensive goals should be broken down into smaller steps. a. True b. False

Q: The most effective goals, according to goal theory, are those that encourage a worker to "do your best." a. True b. False

Q: Rewarding people for reaching goals is a widely accepted principle of management. a. True b. False

Q: In the context of the implications of the expectancy theory, a task must generally be perceived as attainable to be motivational. a. True b. False

Q: Motivation increases when a person has high self-efficacy with respect to the task being performed. a. True b. False

Q: An implication of expectancy theory is that leaders should reassure their group members that performances will lead to specific rewards. a. True b. False

Q: Expectancy theory is particularly useful to leaders because it emphasizes the emotional and passionate side of people. a. True b. False

Q: After being given a brief about a leader's role in a team-based organization, Nirvan is advised by his senior manager to implement the leadermember exchange model in his team to improve productivity. In this context, what information does Nirvan need to implement the leadermember exchange model in his team?

Q: John, the sales manager of a company, has to move out of the city. He decides to use the tactics of e-leadership to build a virtual team. What are the measures he needs to take to see that his virtual team functions well?

Q: John is the newly appointed managing director of a firm. During the first week, he is given a clear idea of his key roles in a team-based organization. During the second week, he is asked to develop an action plan on the steps he would take as a leader using the resources available to him. Give at least five options that John has in this regard.

Q: Xuan, the finance executive of a large textbook publisher, is asked to sit through the copy testing of the company's new advertising program. He is also asked to give his feedback on the content and appeal of the advertisements. In the context of the leadermember exchange theory, this is an example of _____. a. ingratiating behavior b. extra-role behavior c. debasement d. resistance

Q: Nixon, a team manager, decides to split his group into two different groups. While the members of one group are invited to participate in processes like sales target determination and crisis management, the members of the other group are managed as per formal rules. Nixon's leadership practice is in accordance with the _____. a. leadermember exchange model b. middle-of-the-road management technique c. libertarian leadership theory d. charismatic leadership theory

Q: Which of the following scenarios is an example of an offsite training program?​ a. ​The members of the grievance committee are taken out for a lecture on politics in the company. b. ​The employees of the creative team are shown the test advertisements of a number of products to measure their effectiveness. c. ​The members of the safety committee are enquired about a mock fire warning, to test their reaction in case of a fire outburst. d. ​The employees of the human resource department are taken out as a team for a wild life expedition to develop their team building skills.

Q: Sadie, the managing director of a film production studio, addresses two sales teams, A and B, which are in charge of different products and who have different team leaders. While communicating a critical strategic decision of the company, members of team A have a pre-existing idea of what she is saying, while members of team B appear clueless. In this context, which of the following statements is most likely to be true? a. A represents the out-group and B represents the in-group of the company. b. The team leader of A practices debasement, while the team leader of B does not. c. The team leader of A practices open-book management, while the team leader of B does not. d. A consists of a batch of new trainees, while B consists of a batch of experienced employees.

Q: Which of the following is an example of e-leadership? a. The sales manager of a company, while on a business trip to Mumbai, chats with his team members through web conferencing. b. The sales manager of a company, currently working in the company headquarters, assigns the deputy sales manager to take charge in his absence. c. The trainer of an organization is assigned to personally monitor and coach a new batch of trainees. d. The human resource executive of an organization is assigned to conduct exit interviews in person.

Q: Who among the following can be considered an example of a leader who implements power sharing? a. A production manager who feels his team members should concentrate on just one task at a time b. The trainer of an organization who closely scrutinizes all the activities of the employees undergoing training c. The chief editor of a magazine who feels all the reporters and junior editors should be equipped enough to challenge her d. A doctor who feels the medical assistants in her team should react immediately to all her orders

Q: Who among the following would be considered a transparent leader? a. A sales manager who continuously persuades his team members without giving them any idea of the target to be achieved b. A marketing manager who gives his team members a clear idea of the economic status of the external market c. A production manager who closely monitors all the minute details of his team members' work d. A human resource manager who thoroughly explains to his team the personnel crisis the company is going through

Q: Antoine, a group manager, decides to conduct personal meetings with his team members to understand how they feel about their positions on the team. Antoine wants to know if the group members are satisfied with the appreciation they get. In the given example, Antoine is engaged in _____. a. emphasizing pride in being outstanding b. developing group emotional intelligence c. serving as a model of power sharing d. drafting the team's mission

Q: Who among the following is an example of an external leader? a. Dena, who manages the activities of a team without being a member of it b. Angela, who represents a team after being elected by the teammates c. Roshanda, who is not supported by the team members by majority votes d. Ling, who fails to deliver, irrespective of being chosen by majority votes

Q: A challenge for the manager of multiple teams is that these teams might have cultures of their own, known as a _____. a. renegade cultures b. subcultures c. weak links d. strong links

Q: A study found that positive leadermember exchanges are likely to increase a leader's: a. resistance in building teamwork. b. confrontations with a group. c. transactional effect on a group. d. transformational effect on a group.

Q: With respect to safety, positive leadermember exchanges: a. encourage group members to take more risks. b. lead to greater commitment and fewer accidents. c. enhance morale, thereby leading to a carefree attitude toward accidents. d. virtually eliminate accidents.

Q: The leadermember exchange model provides a partial explanation of teamwork development because: a. members of an out-group work well together as a group of renegades. b. members of an in-group work smoothly together with the leader. c. members who perform well are given key positions outside the team. d. all members are treated with the same degree of respect.

Q: In outdoor training, an important purpose of debriefing is to: a. explain how the training can be applied to the workplace. b. form a bond among team members. c. measure the cost effectiveness of the training. d. repair emotional damage done during the training.

Q: A major reservation about outdoor training is that: a. participants do not take it seriously. b. in the corporate world, teams change frequently. c. some participants find it repellent. d. it encourages physical combativeness.

Q: Team members should use collaborative technologies like groupware, which: a. virtually eliminate the need for a team leader. b. measure the productivity of group members. c. allow group members to achieve consensus on which software to use. d. help groups collaborate better.

Q: A recommended method of selecting team members is to: a. choose people who perform poorly as individuals. b. search for people who aspire to the executive suite. c. emphasize self-selection when possible. d. choose people with minimal experience in teamwork.

Q: An important part of open-book management is to: a. help all employees understand the company's business goals. b. empower employees to audit the company books. c. empower employees to complain directly to top management. d. give employees bonuses based on company profits.

Q: An example of a physical structure to facilitate communication among team members is a: a. telecommuting or work-at-home program. b. private office or cubicle for each team member. c. shared physical facility such as a beverage lounge. d. high-rise building.

Q: Ashley is the leader of a virtual team. To increase the effectiveness of her team, Ashley should: a. monitor progress through the use of information technology. b. minimize diversity within the team. c. check frequent communication, such as virtual meetings. d. limit the external visibility of the team and its members.

Q: Which of the following is a key practice that leaders in virtual teams should practice? a. Soliciting a minimum number of volunteers for the team b. Maintaining frequent communication with the team c. Ensuring that the team members are uniform d. Minimizing the use of communication technology in the team

Q: For e-leadership to take place, work must be: a. related to the discipline of science and technology. b. micromanaged. c. macromanaged. d. mediated by information technology.

Q: A leader is practicing e-leadership when he or she: a. works from home. b. talks on a cell phone and sends email messages at the same time. c. congratulates team members at remote locations by email. d. recommends new software for a group.

Q: A leader would be engaging in micromanagement if he or she: a. closely monitors a group member's activities. b. inspires others to use desktop computers. c. engages in strategic planning. d. gives as little direction as possible.