Organizational Behavior, 18e (Robbins)
Chapter 1 What Is Organizational Behavior?
1) A survey of over 2,100 CFOs across 20 industries indicated that a lack of interpersonal skills
is the top reason why some employees fail to advance.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Business schools have realized the significant role interpersonal skills play in
determining a manager's effectiveness. A survey of over 2,100 CFOs across 20 industries
indicated that a lack of interpersonal skills is the top reason why some employees fail to advance.
LO: 1.1: Demonstrate the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
AACSB: Diverse and multicultural work environments
Difficulty: Easy
Quest. Category: Concept
2) Discuss the growing importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
Answer: Until the late 1980s, business school curricula emphasized the technical aspects of
management, focusing on economics, accounting, finance, and quantitative techniques. Course
work in human behavior and people skills received relatively less attention. Over the past three
decades, however, business faculty have come to realize the role that understanding human
behavior plays in determining a manager's effectiveness and required courses on people skills
have been added to many curricula. Developing managers' interpersonal skills also helps
organizations attract and keep high-performing employees. Regardless of labor market
conditions, outstanding employees are always in short supply. Having managers with good
interpersonal skills is likely to make the workplace more pleasant, which in turn makes it easier
to hire and keep qualified people. Creating a pleasant workplace also appears to make good
economic sense.
LO: 1.1: Demonstrate the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace.
Difficulty: Moderate
Quest. Category: Concept
3) ________ get things done through other people. They make decisions, allocate resources, and
direct the activities of others to attain goals.
A) Assistants
B) Managers
C) Secretaries
D) Interns
E) Apprentices
Answer: B
Explanation: The defining characteristic of managers is that they get things done through other
people. They make decisions, allocate resources, and direct the activities of others to attain goals.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
Difficulty: Easy
Quest. Category: Concept
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,4) Sally Mitchell works as a manager at an environmental organization. She is currently working
on a global warming project and decides which tasks related to creating awareness about the
issue need to be done. In addition, she is also deciding which members of her team will work on
engaging with the public and which will work on lobbying with the government. She is also
assigning people as team members to ensure that tasks are undertaken on time. Which of the
following categories of functions is Mitchell undertaking?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) scrutinizing
D) controlling
E) envisioning
Answer: B
Explanation: Managers are responsible for designing an organization's structure. This function is
called organizing. It includes determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the
tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and where decisions are to be made.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
AACSB: Analytical thinking
Difficulty: Hard
Quest. Category: Application
5) Johanna Reid, a campaign manager at a child rights organization, recently started working on
an illiteracy project. During the project, she needs to motivate team members to attain their
project milestones and direct them through different phases of the project. Which of the
following kinds of functions will these tasks be covered under?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) scrutinizing
D) evaluating
E) leading
Answer: E
Explanation: The leading function of managers involves motivating employees, directing their
activities, selecting the most effective communication channels, and resolving conflicts among
members.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
AACSB: Analytical thinking
Difficulty: Hard
Quest. Category: Application
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,6) Lesley Torres is a project manager for the campaign "Action against Deforestation in
Indonesia." She recently faced a glitch when the campaign could not be launched publicly
according to schedule. Torres monitored the schedule to find the cause of the delay before
speeding up the implementation process by allocating more members for the implementation
phase. By doing this, which of the following functions is she performing?
A) controlling
B) planning
C) formulating
D) leading
E) organizing
Answer: A
Explanation: To ensure things are going as they should, management must monitor the
organization's performance and compare it with previously set goals. If there are any significant
deviations, it is management's job to get the organization back on track. Tasks which involve
monitoring, comparing, and potential correcting are part of the controlling function.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
AACSB: Analytical thinking
Difficulty: Hard
Quest. Category: Application
7) Which of the following functions do managers undertake as part of planning functions?
A) defining an organization's goals
B) implementing strategies for achieving goals
C) executing plans to integrate activities
D) accomplishing goals of a project
E) employing strategies to coordinate tasks
Answer: A
Explanation: The planning function encompasses defining an organization's goals, establishing
an overall strategy for achieving those goals, and developing a comprehensive set of plans to
integrate and coordinate activities.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
Difficulty: Easy
Quest. Category: Concept
8) According to Henry Mintzberg, a factory supervisor giving a group of high school students a
tour of the plant may be termed as a ________.
A) leader
B) figurehead
C) resource allocator
D) negotiator
E) disturbance handler
Answer: B
Explanation: According to Henry Mintzberg, a figurehead is a symbolic head who is required to
perform a number of routine duties of a legal or social nature.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
Difficulty: Easy
Quest. Category: Concept
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, 9) Ellen Ortiz works as a sales manager at a telecom firm. The company has recently launched a
new product in the market. Her work in the next few weeks involves sharing knowledge about
the product with her team members. She will also need to inspire them to reach their sales targets
and clarify any doubts about the new product. Which of the following roles is Ortiz playing?
A) leader
B) liaison
C) disseminator
D) spokesperson
E) negotiator
Answer: A
Explanation: A leadership role comprises hiring, training, motivating, and disciplining
employees.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
AACSB: Analytical thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Quest. Category: Application
10) Regina George works as a campaign manager in a not-for-profit organization in Hampshire.
For the upcoming campaign against genetic engineering, she is networking with managers who
are working on the issue of food safety. Through her network of contacts, she strives to gain
information about the stakeholders in the food industry and other lobby groups. Which of the
following roles is George most likely to be playing according to Mintzberg's classification of
managerial roles?
A) figurehead
B) leader
C) liaison
D) entrepreneur
E) resource allocator
Answer: C
Explanation: The liaison role involves maintaining a network of contacts who provide favors
and information.
LO: 1.2: Define organizational behavior (OB).
AACSB: Analytical thinking
Difficulty: Moderate
Quest. Category: Application
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