Chapter 1: The Nature of Leadership
1. What is the best explanation for so many different definitions of leadership?
a. scholarly nitpicking about trivial issues
b. disagreement about what should be included in the definition
c. little opportunity for rigorous scientific analysis
d. leadership is a very old topic with centuries of definitions
Answer: b.
2. What is the most common element in definitions of leadership?
a. leadership is an authority relationship
b. leadership is the ability to make good decisions
c. leadership is an attribution made by followers
d. leadership is an influence process
Answer: d.
3. Definitions of leadership:
a. are usually derived by systematic observation of leaders
b. are only minor variations of the same general description
c. are important for designing and interpreting research
d. are pointless because there is no basis for their verification
Answer: c.
4. What process is emphasized in the definition of leadership proposed by Yukl?
a. influencing followers to have complete trust in the leader
b. motivating followers to do more than they initially expected
c. empowering each follower to become self reliant
d. facilitating collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives
Answer: d.
, 1
5. Leadership effectiveness is best assessed:
a. by evaluations from the leader’s boss
b. by subordinate evaluations of the leader
c. by a variety of subjective and objective criteria
d. by objective indicators of group performance
Answer: c.
6. Most leadership theories emphasize:
a. leader characteristics
b. follower characteristics
c. both leader and follower characteristics
d. characteristics of the leadership situation
Answer: a.
7. What aspect of leadership has been emphasized most often in leadership theories and
research during the past half century?
a. leader traits and skills
b. leadership behavior
c. leader power and authority
d. the leadership situation
Answer: b.
8. What level of leadership processes is emphasized in most theories of effective leadership?
a. intra-individual
b. dyadic
c. group
d. organizational
Answer: b.
9. A theory that identifies the essential behaviors for any type of leader is best classified as:
a. descriptive and universal
b. prescriptive and universal
c. descriptive and situational
d. prescriptive and situational
Answer: b.
, 2
10. A theory that emphasizes leader traits and skills as determinants of leadership behavior is
best categorized at what level?
a. individual
b. dyadic
c. group
d. organizational
Answer: a.
11. A theory that explains the most effective pattern of leadership behavior in a specified
situation is best classified as:
a. descriptive
b. prescriptive
c. universal
d. comprehensive
Answer: b.
12. A theory that describes how changes by top management in the structure and culture of an
organization affect the behavior of employees is best described as a:
a. prescriptive theory
b. hierarchical theory
c. multi-level theory
d. complexity theory
Answer: c.
13. Most of the leadership theory and research has described:
a. direct leadership
b. ethical leadership
c. informal leadership
d. toxic leadership
Answer: a.
14. A leadership theory that describes relationships among leader traits, behavior, influence
processes, outcomes, and situational variables is best classified as:
a. descriptive
b. integrative
c. comprehensive
d. universal
Answer: b.
15. Which is the least accurate statement about the outcomes of leadership actions?
a. immediate and delayed outcomes are usually consistent with each other
b. immediate outcomes are easier to predict than end-result outcomes
, 3
c. immediate and delayed outcomes are usually interrelated in complex causal chains
d. end-result outcomes are less useful as criteria of leadership effectiveness
Answer: a.
16. Which statement about leaders and managers is most accurate according to Yukl?
a. managers and leaders are different types of people
b. managing and leading are mutually exclusive and unrelated
c. managing is not important for effective leadership
d. leadership is important for the success of most managers
Answer: d.
1. What is the best explanation for so many different definitions of leadership?
a. scholarly nitpicking about trivial issues
b. disagreement about what should be included in the definition
c. little opportunity for rigorous scientific analysis
d. leadership is a very old topic with centuries of definitions
Answer: b.
2. What is the most common element in definitions of leadership?
a. leadership is an authority relationship
b. leadership is the ability to make good decisions
c. leadership is an attribution made by followers
d. leadership is an influence process
Answer: d.
3. Definitions of leadership:
a. are usually derived by systematic observation of leaders
b. are only minor variations of the same general description
c. are important for designing and interpreting research
d. are pointless because there is no basis for their verification
Answer: c.
4. What process is emphasized in the definition of leadership proposed by Yukl?
a. influencing followers to have complete trust in the leader
b. motivating followers to do more than they initially expected
c. empowering each follower to become self reliant
d. facilitating collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives
Answer: d.
, 1
5. Leadership effectiveness is best assessed:
a. by evaluations from the leader’s boss
b. by subordinate evaluations of the leader
c. by a variety of subjective and objective criteria
d. by objective indicators of group performance
Answer: c.
6. Most leadership theories emphasize:
a. leader characteristics
b. follower characteristics
c. both leader and follower characteristics
d. characteristics of the leadership situation
Answer: a.
7. What aspect of leadership has been emphasized most often in leadership theories and
research during the past half century?
a. leader traits and skills
b. leadership behavior
c. leader power and authority
d. the leadership situation
Answer: b.
8. What level of leadership processes is emphasized in most theories of effective leadership?
a. intra-individual
b. dyadic
c. group
d. organizational
Answer: b.
9. A theory that identifies the essential behaviors for any type of leader is best classified as:
a. descriptive and universal
b. prescriptive and universal
c. descriptive and situational
d. prescriptive and situational
Answer: b.
, 2
10. A theory that emphasizes leader traits and skills as determinants of leadership behavior is
best categorized at what level?
a. individual
b. dyadic
c. group
d. organizational
Answer: a.
11. A theory that explains the most effective pattern of leadership behavior in a specified
situation is best classified as:
a. descriptive
b. prescriptive
c. universal
d. comprehensive
Answer: b.
12. A theory that describes how changes by top management in the structure and culture of an
organization affect the behavior of employees is best described as a:
a. prescriptive theory
b. hierarchical theory
c. multi-level theory
d. complexity theory
Answer: c.
13. Most of the leadership theory and research has described:
a. direct leadership
b. ethical leadership
c. informal leadership
d. toxic leadership
Answer: a.
14. A leadership theory that describes relationships among leader traits, behavior, influence
processes, outcomes, and situational variables is best classified as:
a. descriptive
b. integrative
c. comprehensive
d. universal
Answer: b.
15. Which is the least accurate statement about the outcomes of leadership actions?
a. immediate and delayed outcomes are usually consistent with each other
b. immediate outcomes are easier to predict than end-result outcomes
, 3
c. immediate and delayed outcomes are usually interrelated in complex causal chains
d. end-result outcomes are less useful as criteria of leadership effectiveness
Answer: a.
16. Which statement about leaders and managers is most accurate according to Yukl?
a. managers and leaders are different types of people
b. managing and leading are mutually exclusive and unrelated
c. managing is not important for effective leadership
d. leadership is important for the success of most managers
Answer: d.
