Introductory Concepts
1. Which of the following is not a defining feature of an organisation?
a. It has nominal boundaries.
b. It has managers.
c. It is goal directed.
d. It makes a profit.
2. Which of the following is a reason for studying the behaviour of Organisational Behaviour
and Management?
a. So that managers can control the behaviour of their subordinates.
b. Because organisations are the dominant institution in modern society.
c. In order to make organisations more profitable.
d. In order to avoid breaking the law.
3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of scientific management?
a. Identification of the one best way to perform a task.
b. Separation of the planning and organising of work from the performance of tasks.
c. The use of schemes of incentive payment.
d. A concern for the social aspects of work.
4. Which of the following was a major conclusion of the Hawthorne studies?
a. Money is the most important motivator to hard work.
b. Satisfying social needs at work is as important as satisfying financial needs.
c. People usually enjoy their work.
d. People are usually glad to leave work at the end of the day.
5. Which of the following is not someone who is associated with the ideas of Classical Management
Theory?
a. Plato.
b. Brech.
c. Mary Parker-Follet.
d. Henri Fayol.
6. The strongest criticism of Classical Organisation Theory concerns its:
a. assumption that there is a valid set of universally applicable design principles that
are suitable for all organisations.
b. use of contingency perspectives.
c. strong focus on the human aspects of organisations.
d. complexity, which makes it too difficult for managers to understand.
7. Which of the following is a characteristic common to both contemporary OB and OA?
a. The use of concepts and theories from the social sciences.
b. A multidisciplinary focus.
c. The use of an open systems perspective.
d. All of the above.
8. Which of the following typifies the multi-disciplinary nature of OB and OA?
a. Problems are always studied by teams from different social science disciplines.
b. A strong psychological focus.
c. Large numbers of people are punished if they draw the wrong conclusions.
d. Different disciplines often produce competing explanations for the same phenomenon.
9. Which of the following most accurately reflects a contingency perspective?
a. Identifying the one best way to do something that applies in all circumstances.
b. Identifying the circumstances in which human behaviour is unpredictable.
c. A search for solutions to problems that can be applied in a wide range of circumstances.
d. None of the above.
1. Performance is a function of:
a. environmental conditions.
b. ability.
c. motivation.
d. all of the above.
2. All of the following can be directly influenced by managers except:
a. environmental conditions.
b. ability.
c. motivation.
d. all of the above.
3. ________ are subconscious processes that provide the energy to engage in goal directed
behaviour.
a. Needs
b. Motives
c. Self-monitoring
d. Expectations
4. Theories that focus on the needs of people as the prime impetus for motivated
behaviour are called ________.
a. content theories
b. process theories
c. conditioning theories
d. none of the above
5. An important element in the physical environment surrounding a job, which can affect
motivation, is ________.
a. work scheduling
b. work space
c. temperature
d. empowerment and involvement
6. In academic circles the most influential process theory of motivation is:
a. Goal setting theory.
b. Equity theory.
c. Expectancy theory.
d. OB Mod.
7. The Porter and Lawler expectancy model acknowledges that satisfaction from receiving
rewards is primarily influenced by:
a. whether high extrinsic rewards are available.
b. whether high intrinsic rewards are available.
c. whether the rewards are perceived as equitable for the effort expended.
d. none of the above.
8. In equity theory individuals evaluate:
a. their own cost?benefit ratios.
b. an efficiency?effectiveness trade-off.
c. a quantity?quality trade off.
d. their own outcome?input ratio compared to the outcome?input ratio of others.
9. In goal setting theory, the motive force that gives rise to persistence and intensity of
behaviour is taken to be:
a. important needs.
b. large rewards.
c. goals and the prospects of achieving them.
d. none of the above
