Template (A) Rev.

1: March 2008

IFIDENTIAL / SULIT

UNIVERSITI
U

Tun Abdul Razak

FINAL EXAMINATION
JANUARY 2009

COURSE TITLE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

COURSE CODE 5MD1123

DATE/DAY 3 MAY 2009/SUNDAY

TIME/DURATION 9.00AM - 12.00 PM/3 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

1. This Question Booklet consists of THREE (3) Sections, Section A, B and C

2. Answer ALL Questions in Section A, B and C.
3. Answer ALL questions in Section A in the OMR Sheet and Section B and Section C in
the Answer Booklet.
4. Candidates are not allowed to bring into the examination hall/room any form of written
materials or electronic gadget except for stationery that is permitted by the Invigilator.
5. Students who are caught breaching the Examination Rules and Regulation will be
charged with an academic dishonesty, and if found guilty of the offence, the maximum
penalty is expulsion from the University.

(This Question Paper consists of 11 Printed Pages including front page)

*** DO NOT OPEN THE QUESTION PAPER UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO 50
Organizational Behavior SMDII23 CONFIDENTIAL
Final Examination January 2009
SECTION A: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (25 MARKS)

There are FIFTY (50) questions in this part. Answer ALL questions.

Which of the following types of teams would most likely be assembled to improve the
efficiency of a company's production process?

A. Cross-functional
B. Problem-solving
C. Self-managed
D. Virtual

2. Which of the following statements best serves to WEAKEN the argument that trust
contributes to team effectiveness?

A. The most cooperative teams are those that share the greatest amount of trust.
B. Team members who trust each other tend to spend less time monitoring each other's
behavior.
C. Regardless of trust level, most individuals resist exposing vulnerabilities to their co-
workers.
D. Research shows that trust among team members is directly linked to members' willingness
to take risks.

3. Which of the following helps explain the current popularity of teams? Teams:

A. are easier to manage

B. are a way to better utilize employee talents
C. are less expensive
D. promote socialization

4. Which of the following statements best defines a work group?

A. The performance of a work group is generally greater than the sum of its inputs from
individual members.
B. A work group interacts primarily to share information, rather than to engage in work that
requires joint effort.
C. A work group consists of 3 or more people who take on self-supervising responsibilities.
D. A work group consists of 3 or more people from across departmental or functional lines.

5. Which is NOT one of the most common types of teams?

A. Problem-solving
B. Interdepartmental
C. Self-managed
D. Virtual

6. In addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions,

management should consider using which of the following to reinforce team effort and
commitment?

A. Personalized incentives
B. Consistent wages for all team members
C. Individual performance evaluations
D. Profit sharing

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 CONFIDENTIAL
Organizational Behavior SMDI 123
Final Examination January 2009

7. Which of the following statements regarding leadership is true?

A. All leaders are managers.

B. Formal rights enable managers to lead effectively.
C. All managers are leaders.
D. Non-sanctioned leadership is as important as or more important than formal influence.

8. There is fairly strong evidence that traits can predict more accurately than leadership
effectiveness.

A. leadership emergence
B. extraversion in leaders
C. leadership awareness
D. leadership competence

9. Which model represents the theory that effective group performance depends on the proper
match between a leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives control to the
leader?

A. Leader-Member Exchange Model

B. Fiedler's Contingency Model
C. Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Model
D. Vroom and Yetton's Leader-Participation Model

10. According to University of Michigan researchers, which type of leaders is associated with
higher group productivity and higher job satisfaction?

A. situational
B. employee-oriented
C. production-oriented
D. initiating structure-oriented

11. John Kotter's view argues that management focuses on coping with complexity, whereas
leadership focuses on coping with

A. conflict
B. success
C. defeat
D. morale

12. Hersey and Blanchard developed which of the following?

A. Situational leadership theory

B. Cognitive resource theory
C. Managerial grid model
D. Path-goal theory

13. Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning power?

A. Trust and mistrust affect the expression of power.

B. A person can have power over you only if he or she controls something you desire.
C. Power requires some congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led.
D. To be effective, power must be actualized.

CONFIDENTIAL
Organizational Behavior SMD1I23
,Final Examination January 2009

14. Leaders achieve goals, and power is:

A. defined by leaders' hopes and aspirations

B. usually used by poor leaders
C. a means of achieving goals
D. a goal in and of itself

15. Celebrities are paid millions of dollars to endorse products in commercials because the
advertisers believe the celebrities have power.

A. personal
B. referent
C. expert
D. legitimate

16. occurs when people within organizations use whatever influence they can to taint the
facts to support their goals and interests.

A. Legitimate political behavior

B. Politicking
C. Illegitimate political behavior
D. Sabotage

17. Formal power can arise out of which of the following?

A. The ability to coerce or reward

B. Formal authority
C. Control of information
D. All of the above

18. One reacts to power out of fear of the negative ramifications that might result if one
fails to comply.

A. legitimate
B. coercive
C. punitive
D. referent

19. The traditional view of conflict is the belief that conflict is:

A. harmful
B. natural
C. necessary
D situational ly-dependent

20. According to the interactionist's perspective, a group that functions without conflict is:

A. living up to behavioral ideals

B. prone to becoming static and apathetic
C. likely to be responsive to the need for change and innovation
D. the most productive

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 CONFIDENTIAL
Organizational Behavior SMD1123
Final Examination January 2009

21. The most important criterion in determining whether conflict is functional or dysfunctional is:

A. overall morale
B. turnover rates
C. absenteeism levels
D. performance

22. Negotiation can be defined as a process in which two or more parties exchange goods or
services and attempt to agree upon

A. the exchange rate for those goods and services

B. acceptable bargaining strategies for obtaining the goods and services
C. a model of the negotiation process for resolving differences
D. effective arbitrators for disputes

23. The terms negotiation and are used interchangeably.

A. win-lose
B. bargaining
C. collaboration
D. accommodating

24. Which of the following is NOT a step in the negotiation process?

A. definition of ground rules

B. clarification and justification
C. bargaining and problem solving
D. process evaluation

25. Organizational structure has six key elements. Which of the following is NOT one of these
elements?

A. centralization
B. departmentalization
C. work specialization
D. location of authority

26. A bureaucracy is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT:

A. highly routine operating tasks

B. formalized rules and regulations
C. tasks that are grouped into functional departments
D. decentralized decision making

27. The major advantage of the virtual organization is its:

A. control
B. predictability
C. flexibility
D. empowerment

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Organizational Behavior SMDII23
Final Examination January 2009

28. Which of the following is a drawback of a narrow span of control? It:

A. reduces effectiveness
B. is more efficient
C. encourages overly tight supervision and discourages employee autonomy
D. empowers employees

29. The more that lower-level personnel provide input or are actually given the discretion to make
decisions, the more there is within an organization.

A. centralization
B. disempowerment
C. work specialization
D. decentralization

30. The basis by which jobs are grouped together is termed:

A. social clustering
B. bureaucracy
C. specialization
D. departmentalization

31. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of organizational culture?

A. attention to detail
B. innovation
C. formality orientation
D. team orientation

32. The macro view of culture that gives an organization its distinct personality is its
culture.

A. dominant
B. sub-
C. strong
D. national

33. Which characteristic is NOT reflective of subcultures?

A. Includes core values of the organization

B. Typically defined by department designations
C. Includes values shared only within the organization
D. Usually defined by geographical separation

34. Which of the following is most likely to result from a strong organizational culture?

A. Low employee turnover

B. Low employee satisfaction
C. High employee turnover
D. High absenteeism

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 CONFIDENTIAL
Organizational Behavior SMDI123
Final Examination January 2009

35. High formalization in an organization creates all of the following EXCEPT:

A. predictability
B. cohesiveness
C. orderliness
D. consistency

36. As organizations have widened spans of control, flattened structures, introduced teams,
reduced formalization, and empowered employees, the ______ provided by a strong culture
ensures that everyone is pointed in the same direction.

A. rules and regulations

B. shared meaning
C. rituals
D. socialization

37. Which of the following has proven to be a particularly good predictor for jobs that require
cognitive complexity?

A. Intelligence tests
B. Integrity evaluations
C. Work sampling
D. Aptitude tests

38. Elaborate sets of performance simulation tests, specifically designed to evaluate a

candidate's managerial potential, are:

A. more effective than work sampling

B. administered in assessment centers
C. similar to personality tests
D. considered drawbacks of some management development programs

39. The results of which of the following tend to have a disproportionate amount of influence on
employee selection decisions?

A. Interviews
B. Written tests
C. Performance simulation tests
D. Work sampling methods

40. Training employees on how to be better listeners falls under which of the following training
categories?

A. Ethical skills
B. Technical skills
C. Problem-solving skills
D. Interpersonal skills

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Organizational Behavior SMDI123 CONFIDENTIAL
Final Examination January 2009

41. All of the following are ways to overcome problems encountered with performance
evaluations EXCEPT:

A. Evaluate selectively
B. Focus on identifiable traits
C. Use multiple evaluators
D. Provide employees with due process

42. Performance evaluations are used to:

A. improve group cohesiveness

B. define departmental structure
C. help management make HR decisions
D. identify how jobs are completed

43. An example of change in the nature of the work force is an increase in:

A. college attendance
B. mergers and consolidations
C. capital equipment
D. more cultural diversity

44. Change activities that are and goal oriented are termed planned change.

A. intentional
B. discretionary
C. random
D. reflexive

45. Resistance to change can be positive because:

A. it provides a degree of stability to behavior and productivity

B. without some resistance, OB would take on characteristics of chaotic randomness
C. resistance can be a source of functional conflict
D. all ofthe above

46. Which of the following is NOT an organizational factor related to stress?

A. economic conditions
B. task demands
C. role demands
D. interpersonal demands

47. Excessive smoking, substance abuse, accident proneness, and appetite disorders are all
examples of _____ symptoms of stress.

A. personal
B. psychological
C. behavioral
D. physiological

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 CONFIDENTIAL
Organizational Behavior SMDI 123
inal Examination January 2009

48. Organizationally supported programs that focus on the employee's total physical and mental
condition are called ______ programs.

A. job redesign
B. relaxation
C. employee involvement
D. wellness

49. is an example of an individual approach to stress reduction.

A. Selection and placement

B. Redesigning jobs
C. Goal setting
D. Relaxation techniques

50. Consequences of stress can surface as symptoms.

A. physiological
B. psychological
C. behavioral
D. all of the above

SECTION B: TRUE/FALSE (10 MARKS)

There are TWENTY (20) questions in this part. Answer ALL questions.

1 One advantage of cross-functional teams is that they are easy to manage. TRUE/FALSE

2 A large proportion of people raised on the importance of individual

accomplishment can be trained to become team players. TRUE/FALSE

The University of Michigan studies found that production-oriented leaders

were associated with higher group productivity than employee-oriented
leaders. TRUE/FALSE

4 Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence a group towards the

achievement of cohesiveness. TRUE/FALSE

5 As the world has become more technologically oriented, expertise has

declined as a source of influence due to the increased availability of
information. TRUE/FALSE

6 Formal power is a measure of an individual's ability to control organizational

resources. TRUE/FALSE

7 Negotiation is a process that begins when one party perceives that another
party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that
the first party cares about. TRUE/FALSE

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Organizational Behavior SMD1123 CONFIDENTIAL
Final Examination January 2009

8. The traditional view toward conflict seeks to retain the functional conflict in a
group. TRUE/FALSE

9. You have decided to hire a small shop to do all of your duplicating and
printing. This is an example of outsourcing. TRUE/FALSE

10. The strength of the bureaucracy lies in its ability to perform standardized
activities. TRUE/FALSE

11. Specialization defines how job tasks are formally defined, grouped, and
coordinated. TRUE/FALSE

12. Organizational culture is a set of key characteristics that an organization

values. TRUE/FALSE

13. One specific result of a weak culture should be lower employee turnover. TRUE/FALSE

14. "Dominant culture" refers to cultures that value aggressive personalities. TRUE/FALSE

15. Most formal training revolves around employees simply helping each other
out. TRUE/FALSE

16. One explanation for why many employees may not be motivated is that
the performance evaluation process is often more political than objective TRUE/FALSE

17. The objective of effective selection is to match individual preference with

the requirements of a job. TRUE/FALSE

18. "Change or die" is the rallying cry among today's managers worldwide TRUE/FALSE

19. The organizational factors that cause stress include: task demands,
role demands, and interpersonal demands. TRUE/FALSE

20. Research demonstrates that any effort to resist change is

dysfunctional in terms of organizational effectiveness. TRUE/FALSE

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Organizational Behavior SMDI 123 CONFIDENTIAL
Final Examination Januaty 2009

SECTION C: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (15 MARKS)

There are FIVE (5) questions in this part. Answer ALL questions.

1 Explain the three types of conflict: task conflict, relationship conflict, and
process conflict. (3 marks)

2. Explain the concept of the "boundaryless" organization. (3 marks)

3. Distinguish dominant culture from a subculture within organizations (3 marks)

4 Who should perform employee evaluations? (3 marks)

5 Discuss some of the psychological consequences of stress. (3 marks)

[TOTAL MARKS: 50]

END OF QUESTION

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