OB Basics
Organizational Behavior (OB) is the study of how people behave in work settings. Which of the following best describes OB?
A) The study of how businesses maximize people over profits
B) The systematic study of individuals and groups in organizations
C) The examination of organizational financial and behavioral trends and market strategies
D) The science of human psychology connection to business and profits
B) The systematic study of individuals and groups in organizations
A company wants to improve employee engagement. Which strategy is most effective?
A) Increasing salaries for all employees
B) Providing meaningful feedback and growth opportunities
C) Eliminating performance reviews
D) Mandating daily check-in meetings
B) Providing meaningful feedback and growth opportunities
An employee believes that their career success is entirely based on their own effort rather than luck or external factors. This belief reflects which concept?
A) External Locus of Control
B) Internal Locus of Control
C) Self-Efficacy
D) Fundamental Attribution Error
B) Internal Locus of Control
What is the key difference between diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
A) Diversity is about representation, while inclusion is about ensuring all employees feel valued and integrated
B) Diversity means hiring one employee from each background, while inclusion means treating everyone exactly the same
C) Diversity ensures companies avoid discrimination lawsuits, while inclusion means all employees receive equal pay
D) Diversity and inclusion are the same concept and can be used interchangeably
A) Diversity is about representation, while inclusion is about ensuring all employees feel valued and integrated
Which of the following best describes personality in the workplace?
A) A temporary emotional state influenced by workplace stress
B) A relatively stable set of traits that influence how a person behaves
C) A random collection of behaviors that change daily
D) A set of preferences that employees can easily modify based on feedback
B) A relatively stable set of traits that influence how a person behaves
According to research on Organizational Behavior, which of the following is NOT one of the top five personal qualities/skills that employers look for in employees?
A) Communication skills
B) Technical expertise
C) Teamwork
D) Adaptability
B) Technical expertise
A new employee from a different cultural background is struggling to adapt to workplace expectations. They frequently misinterpret instructions and feel isolated from their colleagues. What is the best course of action for HR?
A) Encourage the employee to figure things out on their own to build independence
B) Assign a mentor and implement cultural sensitivity training for the team
C) Ask the employee to conform to the dominant workplace culture as quickly as possible
D) Hold a team meeting to publicly discuss the employee’s challenges and solutions
B) Assign a mentor and implement cultural sensitivity training for the team
Which Organizational Behavior research method combines multiple past studies to find trends and patterns?
A) Case Study
B) Field Study
C) Meta-Analysis
D) Experimental Design
C) Meta-Analysis
Which of the following is a common misconception about diversity in the workplace?
A) Diversity alone does not guarantee better decision-making or performance
B) Employees naturally embrace diversity without the need for training or policies
C) Diverse teams can lead to higher levels of creativity and innovation
D) Inclusion is necessary to maximize the benefits of diversity
B) Employees naturally embrace diversity without the need for training or policies
Which of the following best explains how perception can affect workplace decisions?
A) Perception is objective, meaning all employees see the same reality
B) Employees interpret situations differently based on their experiences, biases, and personality
C) Managers can accurately assess employee performance without bias
D) Perception has no impact on hiring, promotions, or teamwork
B) Employees interpret situations differently based on their experiences, biases, and personality
Which of the following best describes a field study?
A) A research study conducted in a controlled lab environment with uncontrolled scenarios
B) An in-depth examination of a single company or industry to gain insights
C) Research conducted in real-world organizations, often involving observation, interviews, or surveys
D) A large-scale analysis that combines data from multiple previous studies to identify trends
C) Research conducted in real-world organizations, often involving observation, interviews, or surveys
A manager notices frequent conflicts within a diverse team due to different work styles. Some employees prefer detailed instructions, while others like flexibility. What is the best approach to improve team collaboration?
A) Use personality assessments to help team members understand their differences and work more effectively together
B) Standardize a single work style and require all employees to follow it
C) Rotate team members frequently to break up existing conflicts
D) Allow employees to work in isolation to avoid future conflicts
A) Use personality assessments to help team members understand their differences and work more effectively together
Which of the following is the best example of the false consensus error in the workplace?
A) A manager assumes that all employees share their opinion on company policies, even though many disagree
B) An employee overestimates their abilities, leading to poor decision-making
C) A team member assumes a colleague is underperforming due to laziness, rather than considering external factors
D) A new hire believes that everyone in the office is paying attention to them, even though no one is
A) A manager assumes that all employees share their opinion on company policies, even though many disagree
A company successfully hires a racially diverse workforce but notices that employees form cliques with those similar to them, creating an exclusionary culture. What is this phenomenon called?
A) Glass Cracked Phenomenon
B) Unconscious Bias Phenomenon
C) Similarity-Attraction Phenomenon
D) Affirmative Action Backlash Phenomenon
C) Similarity-Attraction Phenomenon
The Big Five Personality Traits model includes which of the following?
A) Neuroticism, Openness, Competence, Structure, Neuroticism
B) Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
C) Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Disagreeableness, Neuroticism
D) Creativity, Decision-Making, Communication, Adaptability, Leadership
B) Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
Which of the following best explains the difference between reliability and validity?
A) Reliability means a measurement captures what it’s supposed to measure, while validity means the results are consistent over time.
B) Reliability means the results are consistent, while validity means the measurement actually measures what it intends to.
C) Reliability refers to how well employees respond to surveys, while validity refers to whether the survey questions are easy to understand.
D) Reliability ensures a study uses large data samples, while validity ensures the study is conducted ethically.
B) Reliability means the results are consistent, while validity means the measurement actually measures what it intends to.
A manager notices that an employee has been underperforming for the past month. Without gathering more information, the manager assumes the employee is simply lazy and unmotivated, rather than considering external factors such as workload, resources, or personal challenges. What is this an example of?
A) Halo Effect
B) Self-Serving Bias
C) Fundamental Attribution Error
D) Recency Effect
C) Fundamental Attribution Error
A hiring manager notices that a job applicant is well-dressed, confident, and articulate and assumes they will be a high-performing employee. This assumption is an example of:
A) Selective Perception
B) Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
C) Halo Effect
D) Fundamental Attribution Error
C) Halo Effect
Which of the following best describes why a company with high diversity could still struggle with retention?
A) Diverse employees are often less qualified, leading to higher turnover
B) Companies often focus on hiring diverse employees but fail to create an inclusive culture
C) Employees from different backgrounds tend to disagree more, causing workplace conflicts
D) Workplace diversity automatically leads to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover
B) Companies often focus on hiring diverse employees but fail to create an inclusive culture
Which of the following is the best example of a self-fulfilling prophecy in the workplace?
A) A manager believes an employee is high-performing, provides more opportunities, and the employee excels
B) An employee fails a task and assumes they will never improve, but later succeeds with training
C) A company hires employees based on personality tests to predict long-term success
D) A leader encourages open communication, leading to higher engagement
A) A manager believes an employee is high-performing, provides more opportunities, and the employee excels
A company notices that when employees are highly engaged, productivity increases. However, a manager warns, “Correlation does not imply causation.” What does this mean in this context?
A) Higher engagement definitely causes higher productivity.
B) Higher productivity definitely causes higher engagement.
C) While engagement and productivity are related, another factor could be influencing both.
D) There is no connection between engagement and productivity.
C) While engagement and productivity are related, another factor could be influencing both.
A company has successfully hired a diverse workforce, but many employees from underrepresented backgrounds leave within a year, citing a lack of belonging and career growth. What should the company prioritize to improve retention?
A) Expand diversity hiring quotas to bring in even more employees from underrepresented backgrounds
B) Build an inclusive culture that provides mentorship, leadership opportunities, and psychological safety
C) Offer financial incentives to diverse employees to encourage them to stay longer
D) Avoid discussing diversity and inclusion to prevent making employees uncomfortable
B) Build an inclusive culture that provides mentorship, leadership opportunities, and psychological safety
A multinational company is expanding into collectivist cultures, where teamwork and group harmony are highly valued. However, they notice that employees from individualistic cultures struggle to adapt because they are used to working independently and promoting personal achievements. What is the best strategy for the company to ensure smooth cultural integration?
A) Encourage individualistic employees to fully adapt to collectivist norms and prioritize group identity over personal success
B) Assign cross-cultural mentors to help employees navigate the differences and gradually adjust their work styles
C) Create two separate work environments to accommodate both individualistic and collectivist employees
D) Avoid hiring employees from different cultural backgrounds to prevent adaptation issues
B) Assign cross-cultural mentors to help employees navigate the differences and gradually adjust their work styles
A company with a strong diversity hiring program notices that minority employees report feeling excluded from informal networks that lead to mentorship and promotion opportunities. Many express frustration that they are not advancing at the same rate as their colleagues despite their qualifications. What is the best approach to address this issue?
A) Launch a mentorship and sponsorship program that connects minority employees with senior leaders to improve career progression
B) Encourage minority employees to form their own professional groups to network among themselves
C) Remove diversity initiatives since they are creating dissatisfaction in the workplace
D) Promote minority employees at a faster rate to compensate for past exclusion
A) Launch a mentorship and sponsorship program that connects minority employees with senior leaders to improve career progression
An employee receives negative feedback from their manager and immediately assumes their boss dislikes them personally, rather than considering the possibility of constructive criticism. This is an example of which cognitive bias?
A) Self-Serving Bias
B) Fundamental Attribution Error
C) Halo Effect
D) Contrast Effect
B) Fundamental Attribution Error