Leadership is best defined as ________. |
the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals Leadership can be defined as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals. Leaders can emerge from within a group as well as by formal appointment. |
Which of the following statements regarding leadership is true? |
Nonsanctioned leadership is as important as formal influence. The source of a leader’s influence may be formal, such as that provided by managerial rank in an organization. But not all leaders are managers, nor, for that matter, are all managers leaders. Just because an organization provides its managers with certain formal rights is no assurance they will lead effectively. Nonsanctioned leadership — the ability to influence that arises outside the formal structure of the organization — is often as important or more important than formal influence. |
Which of the following is a desirable feature of leadership? |
coexistence of leaders and managers Organizations need strong leadership and strong management for optimal effectiveness. We need leaders today to challenge the status quo, create visions of the future, and inspire organizational members to want to achieve the visions. We also need managers to formulate detailed plans, create efficient organizational structures, and oversee day-to-day operations. |
Trait theories of leadership focus on ________. |
the personal qualities and characteristics that differentiate leaders from nonleaders Trait theories of leadership focus on personal qualities and characteristics. The search for personality, social, physical, or intellectual attributes that differentiate leaders from nonleaders goes back to the earliest stages of leadership research. |
Which of the following Big Five personality traits has been identified as the most important trait in effective leaders? |
extraversion A comprehensive review of leadership literature, when organized around the Big Five, has found extraversion to be the most important trait of effective leaders but more strongly related to leader emergence than to leader effectiveness. Conscientiousness and openness to experience also showed strong relationships to leadership, though not quite as strong as extraversion. |
Emotional intelligence (EI) is critical to effective leadership because one of its core components is ________ which reflects the consideration that leaders must be able to express. |
empathy A core component of EI is empathy. Empathetic leaders can sense others’ needs, listen to what followers say (and don’t say), and read the reactions of others. The caring part of empathy, especially for the people with whom you work, is what inspires people to stay with a leader when the going gets rough. |
Trait theories most accurately predict ________. |
emergence of a leader Traits are more accurate in predicting the emergence of leaders and the appearance of leadership than actually distinguishing between effective and ineffective leaders. |
Tim Wrench was leading the client services division of AmWeb for seven years when he was asked to move to another region where the company was setting up its office. Before moving, Tim was asked to help in finding a successor for him from his team. Tim’s most obvious choice was Judy Judge and the management accepted his choice as Judy was a popular person across the company. Judy was known for her vivacious nature, she was often seen speaking to employees from various divisions, and was always excited to take up a new opportunity. Once she became a leader, she continued to give employees freedom and flexibility even if it resulted in deficiencies on the work front like missed deadlines or low quality. Judy’s initial weeks as a leader were full of confusion among her team members, but many felt that the situation would come under control. When things did not improve in the next two months and many complaints poured in from clients, the management realized that Judy was not the best candidate to lead the team. Which of the following, if true, would best explain this outcome? |
Research has shown that traits can predict the emergence of a leader, but not his/her efficiency as a leader. The fact that Judy was a high-performing employee and enjoyed good relationships with everyone on the team does not explain this outcome. The fact that everyone felt that Judy was given insufficient time to prove her worth as a leader does not explain this outcome. The fact that research has shown that traits can predict the emergence of a leader, but not his/her efficiency as a leader does explain this outcome. Traits are more accurate in predicting the emergence of leaders and the appearance of leadership than actually distinguishing between effective and ineffective leaders. The fact that client complaints were a common thing encountered by the company does not explain Judy’s failure as a leader. The fact that Judy demonstrated low levels of consideration and high levels of task-orientation as a leader does not explain her failure in leading the team. |
The Ohio State Studies narrowed the independent dimensions of leader behavior to two that substantially accounted for most of the leadership behavior described by employees: consideration and ________. |
initiating structure Seeking to identify independent dimensions of leader behavior, the Ohio State Studies determined that two dimensions accounted for most effective leadership behavior: initiating structure and consideration. Initiating structure is the extent to which leaders are likely to define and structure their roles and those of their employees in the search for goal attainment. Consideration is the extent to which a leader’s job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. |
In the context of behavioral dimensions of leadership identified in the Ohio State Studies, initiating structure refers to the extent to which ________. |
a leader is likely to define and organize his or her role and those of employees in the search for goal attainment As a behavioral dimension of leaders, initiating structure is the extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or her role and those of employees in the search for goal attainment. It includes behavior that attempts to organize work, work relationships, and goals. |
Adrian Atwood, a senior manager at MNC, spends a lot of his time assigning group members to particular tasks and scheduling their work such that deadlines are achievable. Adrian also sets high expectations for standards of performance, and holds regular meetings to ensure that productivity and quality are up to the mark. In the light of the Ohio State Studies, this indicates that Adrian, as a leader, is ________. |
high in initiating structure Initiating structure is the extent to which a leader is likely to define and structure his or her role and those of employees in the search for goal attainment. It includes behavior that attempts to organize work, work relationships, and goals. A leader high in initiating structure is someone who "assigns group members to particular tasks," "expects workers to maintain definite standards of performance," and "emphasizes the meeting of deadlines." |
In the context of behavioral dimensions of leadership identified in the Ohio State Studies, ________ is the extent to which a person’s job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. |
consideration In the context of behavioral dimensions of leadership identified in the Ohio State Studies, consideration is the extent to which a person’s job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. |
Nellie Fritz, the head of client support services at Olson Inc., is very popular among her subordinates. Many believe that Nellie has a knack for getting the work done without making the employees feel pushed into a corner. She is often seen speaking to her subordinates and support staff about their families, helping them with any personal problems they have, and praising employees for their good work. In light of the Ohio State Studies, this indicates that Nellie, as a leader, is ________. |
high in consideration Consideration is the extent to which a person’s job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees’ ideas, and regard for their feelings. A leader high in consideration helps employees with personal problems, is friendly and approachable, treats all employees as equals, and expresses appreciation and support. |
The two dimensions of leadership behavior identified in the University of Michigan studies are ________. |
employee-oriented leaders and production-oriented leaders Leadership studies at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center located behavioral characteristics of leaders that appeared related to performance effectiveness: the employee-oriented leader and the production-oriented leader. The employee-oriented leader emphasized interpersonal relationships by taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among them; the production-oriented leader emphasized the technical or task aspects of the job — concern focused on accomplishing the group’s tasks. |
The University of Michigan studies define a(n) ________ leader as one who takes a personal interest in the needs of his/her subordinates. |
employee-oriented According to the behavioral dimensions of leaders identified by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, the employee-oriented leader emphasized interpersonal relationships by taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among them. |
If a leader’s main concern is accomplishing his/her group’s tasks, the University of Michigan studies label this leader ________. |
production-oriented According to the behavioral dimensions identified by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, the production-oriented leader emphasized the technical or task aspects of the job, his main concern being accomplishing the group’s tasks. |
Norman has been working in the sales division for a large manufacturing company for four months. In this short period of time, Norman has learned that Mr. Hill, his manager, keeps increasing monthly targets significantly, and though each time the target appears unrealistic, Norman has been able to achieve them throughout the last four months. Mr. Lee’s approach of leading his employees to work more efficiently by setting successively higher targets is an example of his ________ leadership. |
production-oriented The production-oriented leader emphasizes the technical or task aspects of the job, focusing on accomplishing the group’s tasks. Mr. Hill is a production-oriented leader. |
Maurice Harper is a friendly and warm manager who starts her day at work by personally greeting her colleagues and subordinates. Maurice is often seen listening sincerely to employees’ concerns and problems. She takes the initiative to hold programs to renew and improve the skills of current employees. Most of her employees know that she is accessible for help and information at all times .Maurice is a(n) ________ leader. |
employee-oriented According to the behavioral dimensions of leaders identified by the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center, the employee-oriented leader emphasized interpersonal relationships by taking a personal interest in the needs of employees and accepting individual differences among them. |
Contingency theories focus on the ________ that impact leadership success. |
situational variables Numerous studies have shown that predicting leadership success is more complex than isolating a few traits or behaviors, since leadership styles that are effective in very bad times or in very good times do not necessarily translate into long-term success. This idea led researchers to change their focus from trait and behavior theories to situational influences on leadership styles, or contingency theories. |
Which of the following theories of leadership is based on situational variables? |
path-goal theory Numerous studies have shown that predicting leadership success is more complex than isolating a few traits or behaviors, since leadership styles that are effective in very bad times or in very good times do not necessarily translate into long-term success. This idea led researchers to change their focus from trait and behavior theories to situational influences on leadership styles, or contingency theories. The path-goal theory is one of the contingency theories. |
The least preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire is used to measure whether ________. |
a leader is task or relationship-oriented Fiedler believes a key factor in leadership success is the individual’s basic leadership style. He created the least preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire to identify that style by measuring whether a person is task or relationship oriented. |
Dora Lee has just completed and scored the LPC questionnaire given to her during an evaluation exercise. She is surprised when she finds out that she described her least preferred co-worker in relatively positive terms because she recalls being particularly annoyed by this difficult co-worker several times in the past. Based on your understanding of Fiedler’s model, you explain to Dora that her LPC score makes sense within the model because ________. |
Dora tends in general to focus on building good relationships with the other employees If you describe the person you are least able to work with in favorable terms (a high LPC score), Fiedler would label you relationship oriented. In contrast, if you see your least preferred co-worker in relatively unfavorable terms (a low LPC score), you are primarily interested in productivity and are task oriented. |
Fiedler’s contingency leadership model assumes that ________. |
an individual’s leadership style is essentially fixed Fiedler assumes an individual’s leadership style is fixed. This means if a situation requires a task-oriented leader, and the person in the leadership position is relationship oriented, either the situation has to be modified or the leader has to be replaced to achieve optimal effectiveness. |
Fiedler defines the degree of confidence, trust, and respect that subordinates have in their leader as ________. |
leader-member relations Fiedler identified three contingency or situational dimensions to leadership success, including leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Leader-member relations is the degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader. |
Trevor Guerney is a manager who believes that those who are to be affected by a change must be involved in the change. Consequently, he always ensures that his subordinates have the knowledge of what is happening around them and he often holds meetings to obtain employee opinion and suggestions before making any decision that would apply to them. Similarly, Trevor’s team proactively approaches him with problems and potential solutions as they know he will not respond by criticizing them. From the information provided in the scenario we can say that ________. |
Trevor’s team has positive leader-member relations Fiedler identified three contingency or situational dimensions to leadership success, including leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Leader-member relations is the degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader. |
Which of the following situational dimensions identified by Fiedler relates to the degree to which job assignments are procedurized, that is, structured or unstructured? |
task structure Fiedler identified three contingency or situational dimensions in which certain types of leaders might excel or fail, including leader-member relations, task structure, and position power. Task structure is the degree to which job assignments are procedurized (that is, structured or unstructured). Leaders who are task-oriented, Fiedler proposes, perform best when the situation is very favorable or very unfavorable. |
In the context of Fiedler’s model, the situational dimension termed ________ relates to the degree of influence a leader has over important variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. |
position power In the context of Fiedler’s model, the situational dimension termed position power relates to the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. |
According to the Fiedler contingency model, high managerial control is characterized by ________. |
high task structure, good leader-member relations, and strong position power The Fiedler contingency model proposes that effective group performance depends on the proper match between the leader’s style and the degree to which the situation gives the leader control.Fiedler states that the better the leader-member relations, the more highly structured the job, and the stronger the position power, the more control the leader has. |
Which of the following theoretical approaches in the study of leadership focuses on followers’ readiness as a determinant of effective leadership? |
situational leadership theory Situational leadership theory (SLT) focuses on the followers. It says successful leadership depends on selecting the right leadership style contingent on the followers’ readiness, or the extent to which they are willing and able to accomplish a specific task. |
According to the situational leadership theory, if followers are unable and unwilling to do a task, then a leader needs to ________. |
display high task and relationship orientation If followers are unable and unwilling, the leader needs to display high task orientation to compensate for followers’ lack of ability and high relationship orientation to get them to commit to the leader’s desires. |
According to the situational leadership theory, if employees are unwilling and unable, the appropriate leadership style in this situation would be ________. |
directive According to the situational leadership theory, if employees are unwilling and unable, the appropriate leadership style in this situation would be directive. |
According to the situational leadership theory, a follower with the desired ability and willingness is likely to be ________. |
comfortable in his ability to do the job well If followers are able and unwilling, the leader needs to use a supportive and participative style; if they are both able and willing, the leader does not need to do much. |
Maura Ruiz has been working in the e-learning industry for over eight years. She is aware of the fact that in this industry, once an employee has learned his job, the work becomes fairly automatic and competence can be achieved rapidly. She has been noticing how in her team, this competence has come along with a lot of complacency; the employees, though able, are unwilling to work hard. According to the situational leadership theory, to rectify this situation, Maura would benefit the most if she uses the ________ style of leadership. |
participative If followers are able and unwilling, the leader needs to use a supportive and participative style. |
Which of the following statements is true with regard to the path-goal theory of leadership? |
The theory considers removing obstacles to be a component of effective leadership. The theory proposes that the leader’s job is to provide followers with the information, support, or other resources necessary to achieve their goals. The term "path-goal" implies effective leaders clarify followers’ paths to their work goals and make the journey easier by reducing roadblocks. |
George is a project leader at NSys for five years. George’s job description involves scheduling work for his team, coordinating their work with that of the other departments, and providing feedback. George, who has successfully led this team, believes that it is his task-oriented and directive approach that has helped him in the last five years. Which of the following, if true, would weaken his argument supporting a directive leadership? |
NSys hires only highly qualified and experienced employees. The fact that the members of the team are resentful with George’s directives relating to work does not strengthen or weaken his approach to leadership. The fact that George has seen that employees in his team lack initiative and motivation to work strengthens his argument for using a directive approach to leadership. The fact that the team’s workload is expected to rise substantially as the company is growing at an unprecedented rate also strengthens his argument for using a directive approach to leadership. The fact that George’s team is organized as a wheel network and depends on his ability to coordinate amongst members of the team and between other departments does not weaken his current approach to leadership. The fact that NSys hires only highly qualified and experienced employees does weaken his approach as directive leadership is likely to be perceived as redundant among employees with high ability or considerable experience. |
Leslie is a middle-level production manager at the California branch of ALT Corp. ALT Corp. is an automobile manufacturing company that specializes in the manufacture of heavy motor vehicles. Leslie’s job is to supervise his assembly line employees. Leslie has worked in this position for over four years and he strongly believes that a supportive leadership style is most suitable in his context. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Leslie’s approach to leadership in this case? |
Most of the assembly line employees were highly experienced in their jobs and committed to Leslie. The fact that the company recently announced its move to diversify into manufacturing light motor vehicles does not strengthen Leslie’s approach to leadership. The fact that most of the assembly line employees were highly experienced in their jobs and committed to Leslie does strengthen Leslie’s approach to leadership as the employees were performing structured tasks. The fact that the company was enhancing the role of assembly line employees with new tasks does not strengthen Leslie’s approach to leadership. The fact that the company had initiated many changes in the tasks of assembly line workers in its attempts to refine the process of manufacturing weakens Leslie’s argument. The fact that a good proportion of the assembly line employees were new employees weakens Leslie’s argument. |
Leslie is a middle-level production manager at the California branch of ALT Corp. ALT Corp. is an automobile manufacturing company that specializes in the manufacture of heavy motor vehicles. Leslie’s job is to supervise his assembly line employees. Leslie has worked in this position for over four years and he strongly believes that a supportive leadership style is most suitable in his context. Which of the following, if true, would weaken Leslie’s approach to leadership in this case? |
The recent round of OSHA inspections revealed that many assembly line employees were not complying with stipulated safety measures. The fact that the company is planning to lay off some employees in the near future does not weaken Leslie’s supportive approach to leadership. The fact that the company has stopped the production of most of its older models as it wants to focus on the most profitable models does not weaken Leslie’s supportive approach to leadership; it may strengthen his approach as the employees, being familiar with the process for assembling these models would require less directions and supervision. The fact that assembly line jobs are routine and highly structured by nature strengthens Leslie’s supportive approach to leadership. The fact that the recent round of OSHA inspections revealed that many assembly line employees were not complying with stipulated safety measures weakens Leslie’s supportive approach. This is because the assembly line employees seem to require someone who would enure their compliance with safety regulations. The fact that the company’s workforce is comprised primarily of employees of the baby boomer generation strengthens Leslie’s approach as this generation of employees would be highly experienced in their jobs. |
Max Hiller was recently hired by Sync, a consumer goods company. During his first meeting with the sales team, Max impressed upon his team that work performance is the only criterion he would use to evaluate them. To help them perform well and meet their targets, he pushed his team to work extra hours. He also gave very clear instructions to each member regarding their job responsibilities and continually verified if they were meeting their targets. Which of the following, if true, would weaken Max’s approach? |
Max’s sales team is comprised of independent and experienced employees who are committed to their jobs. The fact that Max is leading many new employees who have joined his team directly after training strengthens his directive approach. The fact that Max’s team functions in a sluggish manner and picks up pace only a week or so before the monthly operations cycle meetings also strengthens his directive approach. The fact that Max’s sales team is comprised of independent and experienced employees who are committed to their jobs weakens his directive approach in leading them. This is because directive leadership is likely to be perceived as redundant among employees with high ability or considerable experience. The fact that Max’s team does not display high levels of cohesiveness and members fail to coordinate with each other shows that the team requires a directive leader. The fact that sales figures for the region that Max’s team is responsible for have improved in the last quarter does not strengthen or weaken Max’s approach as he has been hired only recently and the rise in revenue for this region could be attributed to many other factors. |
The leader-participation model focuses on ________. |
the way decisions are made by the leader The leader-participation model argues that the way the leader makes decisions is as important as what she or he decides. Victor Vroom and Phillip Yetton’s leader-participation model relates leadership behavior and participation in decision making. |
Which of the following leadership theories argues that because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their subordinates — the in-group, who are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges? |
leader-member exchange Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposes that, because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group. Members of the in-group are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group. |
According to the LMX theory, a leader implicitly categorizes followers as "in" or "out" ________. |
early in the interaction The LMX theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as an "in" or an "out," and that relationship is relatively stable over time. |
In her first few weeks at the marketing division of Rolland Retails, Judith Cox realized that Joshua, Doug, and Carl were closer to her manager, Eric Scott, than the other five team members. Eric, Joshua, Doug, and Carl came to work at the same time, were seen together at the cafeteria, and stayed late and worked when the need arose. In contrast to them, the other five team members did the routine jobs assigned to them and their interactions lacked the understanding and camaraderie that Eric shared with the others. Joshua, Doug, and Carl make up Eric’s ________. |
in-group Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory argues that, because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group; they are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group. |
In her first few weeks at the marketing division of Rolland Retails, Judith Cox realized that Joshua, Doug, and Carl were closer to her manager, Eric Scott, than the other five team members. Eric, Joshua, Doug, and Carl came to work at the same time, were seen together at the cafeteria, and stayed late and worked when the need arose. While Judith was in training, she received very good feedback from Eric and as she transitioned to the floor, she felt that Eric was giving her interesting projects, allowing her more freedom, and seeking her opinion frequently. The information provided in the scenario supports the prediction that ________. |
Judith will become a part of Eric’s in-group in the marketing division. Leader-member exchange (LMX) theory argues that, because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. These individuals make up the in-group and they are trusted, get a disproportionate amount of the leader’s attention, and are more likely to receive special privileges. Other followers fall into the out-group. |
Which theory of leadership proposes that followers attribute heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors? |
charismatic leadership theory According to House’s charismatic leadership theory, followers attribute heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors. A number of studies have attempted to identify the characteristics of charismatic leaders: they have a vision, they are willing to take personal risks to achieve that vision, they are sensitive to follower needs, and they exhibit extraordinary behaviors. |
According to evidence, what is the first step a charismatic leader takes to influence followers? |
articulating an appealing vision Evidence suggests that charismatic leaders follow a four-step process to influence followers. This process begins with articulating an appealing vision, a long-term strategy for attaining a goal by linking the present with a better future for the organization. Desirable visions fit the times and circumstances and reflect the uniqueness of the organization. |
A long-term strategy for attaining a goal by linking the present with a better future for the organization is defined as a(n) ________. |
vision A long-term strategy for attaining a goal by linking the present with a better future for the organization is defined as a vision. |
The third step in the process of charismatic leadership involves ________. |
the leader conveying a new set of values and setting an example for followers to imitate Once the vision and the vision statement are established, the leader, through his words and actions, conveys a new set of values and sets an example for followers to imitate. This is the function of the third step. |
Leaders who function primarily by clarifying role and task requirements to accomplish established goals exhibit a(n) ________ style of leadership. |
transactional Recent studies, including the Ohio State Studies, Fiedler’s model, and path-goal theory, have focused on the differences between transformational leaders and transactional leaders. In contrast to transformational leaders who inspire their followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the organization, transactional leaders encourage their followers to achieve goals by defining specific goals and task requirements. |
A transactional leader is likely to ________. |
reward employees for the work that they have done, thus recognizing accomplishments A transactional leader is likely to reward employees for the work that they have done, thus recognizing accomplishments. |
Which of the following scenarios reflects a transactional approach to leadership? |
Carol Turner began V Care, a non-profit organization, with the purpose of battling various forms of abuse. As the organization grew, she took care to hire employees who felt the same kind of sensitivity she felt for victims of abuse. Today, she openly proclaims that the organization that she started is successful because every single employee shares and understands what the organization is aiming for. Transactional leaders set goals for their employees and define roles and expectations. Unlike transformational leaders, however, transactional leaders are unlikely to motivate their employees to exceed expectations or go beyond the call of duty. |
________ leaders inspire followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the organization and can have an extraordinary effect on their followers. |
Transformational Transformational leaders can have an extraordinary effect on their followers, inspiring them toward selfless goals that benefit the larger organization. These types of leaders inspire their followers by paying attention to their concerns, helping them rethink old problems in new ways, and encouraging them to achieve goals as a group. |
Cooper Mills is a company that accomplished one of the greatest success stories of our time. The company which began in the garage of its current CEO, Kyle Cooper, went on to become one of the largest producers of textiles in the country. The company has now diversified successfully into other product lines. A group of researchers is now undertaking a study on Cooper Mills as an organization led by a transformational leader. Which of the following, if true, would most support the conclusion that Kyle Cooper is a transformational leader? |
Cooper Mills’ goals tend to be very ambitious and to hold personal value for employees. In companies with transformational leaders, followers are more likely to pursue ambitious goals, agree on the strategic goals of the organization, and believe the goals they are pursuing are personally important. There is greater decentralization of responsibility, managers have more propensity to take risks, and compensation plans are geared toward long-term results. All these factors result in superior organizational performance. |
Transformational leaders enhance performance of employees by ________. |
building consensus among employees Companies with transformational leaders also show greater agreement among top managers about the organization’s goals, which yields superior organizational performance that transformational leaders improve performance by building consensus among group members. |
In terms of the full range of leadership models, which leadership behavior is the least effective? |
laissez-faire According to the full range of leadership models, laissez-faire is the most passive and therefore least effective of leader behaviors. Management by exception — active or passive — is slightly better than laissez-faire. |
Which of the following leadership behaviors is likely to differentiate between transactional and transformational leaders? |
individualized consideration According to the full range of leadership models, leadership behaviors including laissez-faire, management by exception (active or passive), and contingent reward will not get employees to go above and beyond the call of duty. Only with the four styles of transformational leadership — individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence — are leaders able to motivate followers to perform above expectations and transcend their self-interest for the sake of the organization. |
In terms of the full range of leadership models, which leadership behavior represents the most active and effective approach for leaders? |
idealized influence According to the full range of leadership models, idealized influence, wherein a leader provides vision, establishes a sense of mission, and instills pride is the most active and effective leadership behavior. By doing so, the leader gains respect and trust. |
The primary quality produced by authentic leadership is ________. |
trust Authentic leaders know who they are, know what they believe in and value, and act on those values and beliefs openly and candidly. Their followers consider them ethical people. The primary quality produced by authentic leadership, therefore, is trust. |
Which of the following is a feature of servant leadership? |
focus on growth, development, and well-being of followers Servant leaders go beyond their own self-interest and focus on opportunities to help followers grow and develop. They do not use power to achieve ends; they emphasize persuasion. Characteristic behaviors include listening, empathizing, persuading, accepting stewardship, and actively developing followers’ potential. |
Servant leadership reflects the ________. |
use of empathy, listening and persuasion by leaders Servant leaders go beyond their own self-interest and focus on opportunities to help followers grow and develop. They do not use power to achieve ends; they emphasize persuasion. Characteristic behaviors include listening, empathizing, persuading, accepting stewardship, and actively developing followers’ potential. |
________ is defined as a psychological state that exists when you agree to make yourself vulnerable to another because you have positive expectations about how things are going to turn out. |
Trust Trust is a psychological state that exists when you agree to make yourself vulnerable to another because you have positive expectations about how things are going to turn out. Even though you aren’t completely in control of the situation, you are willing to take a chance that the other person will come through for you. |
________ is a dimension of trust defined as honesty, truthfulness, and the ability to display consistency between one’s words and action. |
Integrity Integrity refers to honesty and truthfulness. It is the most critical characteristic in assessing another’s trustworthiness. Integrity also means having consistency between what you do and say. |
Which of the following dimensions of trust is defined as an individual’s technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills? |
ability Ability encompasses an individual’s technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills. |
The CEO of Xenon Solutions recently cancelled numerous leave requests and asked several employees to put in extra days of work as the company was slated to meet several deadlines in the immediate future. In addition, he also assured that those who work this extra bit will be given their due leaves and additional incentives once the time crisis had passed. Following this announcement, Joan and Shane were overheard speaking in the cafeteria. Shane was resentful that his holiday plans were disrupted and he was sure that the management would ultimately not provide any of the leaves and incentives it promised. Joan, however, said that she was sure that their CEO had a valid reason behind making such a request and that if they put in the extra effort, they would be rewarded suitably. From the information provided in the scenario, which of the following statements can be inferred? |
Joan has a high degree of trust propensity. Trust propensity refers to how likely a particular employee is to trust a leader. Some people are simply more likely to believe others can be trusted. In this scenario, Joan reflects a high degree of trust propensity and feels that her CEO’s words and actions can be trusted. |
A(n) ________ is a senior employee who sponsors and supports a less-experienced employee, a protégé. |
mentor A mentor is a senior employee who sponsors and supports a less-experienced employee, a protégé. |
Which of the following is true with regard to mentorship? |
Informal mentoring programs inadvertently discriminated against minority groups. In the United States, upper managers in most organizations have traditionally been white males, and because mentors tend to select protégés similar to themselves in background, education, gender, race, ethnicity, and religion, minorities and women are less likely to be chosen. |
According to the attribution theory of leadership, leadership is characterized by ________. |
the act of people ascribing qualities like intelligence or charisma to leaders The attribution theory of leadership says leadership is merely an attribution people make about other individuals. Thus we attribute to leaders intelligence, outgoing personality, strong verbal skills, aggressiveness, understanding, and industriousness. At the organizational level, we tend to see leaders, rightly or wrongly, as responsible for extremely negative or extremely positive performance. |
According to the attribution theory of leadership, a person aiming to be a leader has to ________. |
shape the perception that he/she could be a leader Attribution theory suggests what’s important is projecting the appearance of being a leader rather than focusing on actual accomplishments. Leader-wannabes who can shape the perception that they’re smart, personable, verbally adept, aggressive, hardworking, and consistent in their style can increase the probability their bosses, colleagues, and employees will view them as effective leaders. |
The president of a small Asian country was hailed as a visionary and a genius when the nation’s economy burgeoned during his first term in office. However, when the currency and the stock markets crashed during his government’s second term, he was censured as arrogant, elitist, and shortsighted. Which of the following theoretical approaches is reflected here? |
attribution theory The attribution theory of leadership says leadership is merely an attribution people make about other individuals. Thus we attribute to leaders intelligence, outgoing personality, strong verbal skills, aggressiveness, understanding, and industriousness. At the organizational level, we tend to see leaders, rightly or wrongly, as responsible for extremely negative or extremely positive performance. |
Which of the following is a substitute for leadership? |
training A theory of leadership suggests that in many situations, leaders’ actions are irrelevant. Experience and training are among the substitutes that can replace the need for a leader’s support or ability to create structure. Organizational characteristics such as explicit formalized goals, rigid rules and procedures, and cohesive work groups can also replace formal leadership. |
Which of the following is true of substitutes? |
Substitutes are factors and conditions that replace formal leadership. A theory of leadership suggests that in many situations, leaders’ actions are irrelevant. Experience and training are among the substitutes that can replace the need for a leader’s support or ability to create structure. Organizational characteristics such as explicit formalized goals, rigid rules and procedures, and cohesive work groups can also replace formal leadership. |
The top management of Myers Corp are planning a reorganization of their company to cut costs and increase efficiency. The different department heads have been asked to present their departmental strengths, needs, and concerns at a meeting. The various division heads have come to an agreement that clarity of goals and tasks, detailed procedural guidelines like employee manuals, and a cooperative workforce are their main strengths. Additionally, they are of the opinion that cutting managerial positions to reduce costs and reorganizing Myers Corp as a relatively flat organization is a good approach. This scenario reflects the operation of ________ in replacing the support and ability offered by leaders. |
substitutes One theory of leadership suggests that in many situations leaders’ actions are irrelevant. Experience and training are among the substitutes that can replace the need for a leader’s support or ability to create structure. Organizational characteristics such as explicit formalized goals, rigid rules and procedures, and cohesive work groups can also replace formal leadership. |
________ make it impossible for leader behavior to make any difference to follower outcomes. |
Neutralizers Neutralizers make it impossible for leader behavior to make any difference to follower outcomes. Indifference to organizational rewards can neutralize the effects of leadership. |
Which of the following is a neutralizer? |
indifference to rewards Neutralizers make it impossible for leader behavior to make any difference to follower outcomes. Indifference to organizational rewards can neutralize the effects of leadership. |
Which of the following is true with regard to online leadership? |
For online leaders, writing skills are an extension of their interpersonal skills. Good leadership skills will soon include the abilities to communicate support, trust, and inspiration through keyboarded words and accurately read emotions in others’ messages. In electronic communication, writing skills are likely to become an extension of interpersonal skills. |
Lionel Tucker has been asked to lead a virtual team on a project with a tight time schedule. While allocating the project to him, his manager impressed upon him the need to complete this project successfully and in time so that this client gains enough confidence to use their services in the future. Lionel and his team communicate via e-mail as the team members are located at geographically dispersed locations. They have not had even one face-to-face meeting as yet. In this case, Lionel must have an ability to ________ in addition to all the other desirable abilities of a leader to lead the team successfully. |
convey support and trust through electronic means Online leaders confront unique challenges, particularly around developing and maintaining trust. Identification-based trust, based on a mutual understanding of each other’s intentions and appreciation of the others’ wants and desires, is particularly difficult to achieve without face-to-face interaction. Lionel’s team would be least likely to experience high levels of identification-based trust. Online negotiations might also be hindered because parties express lower levels of trust. |
The ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals can arise outside the formal structure of the organization. |
TRUE Nonsanctioned leadership is the ability to influence that arises outside the formal structure of the organization. It is often as important or more important than formal influence. |
Strong leadership is an adequate condition to enable an organization to function from an optimal level of effectiveness. |
TRUE Organizations need strong leadership and strong management for optimal effectiveness. |
According to the Big Five personality model, emotional stability is the most important trait of effective leaders. |
FALSE A comprehensive review of the leadership literature, when organized around the Big Five personality model, has found extraversion to be the most important trait of effective leaders. However, it is more strongly related to the way leaders emerge than to their effectiveness. |
Trait theories of leadership most accurately predict the emergence and appearance of leadership. |
TRUE Traits do a better job predicting the emergence of leaders and the appearance of leadership than actually distinguishing between effective and ineffective leaders. |
The behavioral theories view leadership as a set of actions that people can be trained in. |
TRUE The behavioral theories aimed to understand if there was something unique in the way effective leaders behave. These theories implied we could train people to be leaders. |
In the context of the Fiedler contingency model, leader-member relations measures the degree of influence a leader has over power variables such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases. |
FALSE In the context of the Fiedler contingency model, leader-member relations is the degree of confidence, trust, and respect members have in their leader. |
The situational leadership theory focuses on follower readiness to determine the appropriate leadership behavior. |
TRUE Situational leadership theory (SLT) focuses on the followers. It says successful leadership depends on selecting the right leadership style contingent on the followers’ readiness, or the extent to which they are willing and able to accomplish a specific task. |
According to the path-goal theory, directive leadership is likely to be welcomed and accepted by employees with high ability or considerable experience. |
FALSE One of the predictions of the path-goal theory is that directive leadership is likely to be perceived as redundant among employees with high ability or considerable experience. |
The leader-member exchange (LMX) theory proposes that the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as belonging to his in-group or out-group after a detailed analysis of his/her performance over a prolonged period of time. |
FALSE The theory proposes that early in the history of the interaction between a leader and a given follower, the leader implicitly categorizes the follower as belonging to the in-group or out-group and this relationship is relatively stable over time. |
Unconventional behavior is one of the key characteristics of a charismatic leader. |
TRUE Unconventional behavior is one of the key characteristics of a charismatic leader. |
Charismatic leadership is a manifestation of innate traits and it cannot be learned or enhanced. |
FALSE While it is true that individuals are born with traits that make them charismatic, most experts believe that individuals can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviors. |
Transactional leaders guide their followers toward established goals by clarifying role and task requirements. |
TRUE Transactional leaders guide their followers toward established goals by clarifying role and task requirements. |
Intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration are likely to be seen in the management by exception (active) style of leadership. |
FALSE Intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration are likely to be seen in the transformational style of leadership, while management by exception (active or passive) is a transactional style of leadership. |
Transformational leadership has a greater impact on the bottom line in smaller, privately held firms than in more complex organizations. |
TRUE Transformational leadership has a greater impact on the bottom line in smaller, privately held firms than in more complex organizations. The personal nature of transformational leadership may be most effective when leaders can directly interact with the workforce and make decisions than when they report to an external board of directors or deal with a complex bureaucratic structure. |
Attempts to integrate ethical and charismatic leadership have led to the advancement of the idea of socialized charismatic leadership. |
TRUE Scholars have tried to integrate ethical and charismatic leadership by advancing the idea of socialized charismatic leadership which conveys other-centered (not self-centered) values by leaders who model ethical conduct. |
The only key characteristic we use to determine the trustworthiness of a leader is his/her ability. |
FALSE There are three key characteristics that lead us to believe that a leader is trustworthy. These are integrity, benevolence, and ability. |
Mentoring provides unfiltered access to the attitudes of lower-ranking employees and can help anticipate potential organizational problems. |
TRUE Mentoring also provides unfiltered access to the attitudes of lower-ranking employees, and protégés can be an excellent source of early warning signals that identify potential organizational problems. |
The primary gains from mentoring are seen in greater compensation and higher job performance. |
FALSE Mentoring is less valuable for objective outcomes like compensation and job performance and research suggests the gains are primarily psychological. |
The attribution theory of leadership says leadership is merely an attribution people make about other individuals. |
TRUE The attribution theory of leadership says leadership is merely an attribution people make about other individuals. |
Neutralizers make it impossible for leader behavior to make any difference to follower outcomes. |
TRUE Neutralizers make it impossible for leader behavior to make any difference to follower outcomes. Indifference to organizational rewards is a neutralizer that can hamper leadership from manifesting its effects. |
BUAD 309 Chapter 12
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