BUAD 309 Chapter 12 | Complete Solutions (Answered)

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BUAD 309 Chapter 12 | Complete Solutions (Answered) Leadership is best defined as ________. A) the ability to merely project one's abilities in the lack of actual accomplishments B) the ability to r ... educe the dependence of team members on each other C) the ability to induce the team members to focus on individual goals rather than collective goals D) the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals E) the ability to use factors like training and experience to reduce dependence on formal leadership 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? A) All managers are leaders. B) Formal rights ensure good leadership. C) Formal appointment is essential in creating leaders. D) All leaders are hierarchically superior to followers. E) 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? A) one-directional influence from the leader to the follower B) coercive power and authority C) lack of freedom D) passivity of followers E) 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 ________. A) the special relationship that leaders establish with a small group of their followers B) the personal qualities and characteristics that differentiate leaders from nonleaders C) the way the leader makes decisions D) the extent to which followers are willing and able to accomplish a specific task E) the match between the leader's style and the degree to which the situation gives the leader control 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? A) conscientiousness B) openness C) extraversion D) agreeableness E) emotional stability 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. A) conscientiousness B) empathy C) optimism D) introversion E) perfectionism 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 ________. A) distinguishing features of an effective leader B) differences between an effective and an ineffective leader C) success of a leader D) roles to be played by the leader E) 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? A) Judy was a high-performing employee and enjoyed good relationships with everyone on the team. B) Everyone felt Judy was given insufficient time to prove her worth as a leader. C) Research has shown that traits can predict the emergence of a leader, but not his/her efficiency as a leader. D) The client complaints were a common thing encountered by the company. E) Judy demonstrated low levels of consideration and high levels of task-orientation. 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 ________. A) employee-orientation B) empathy C) constructing vision D) initiating structure E) charisma 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) a person's job relationships are characterized by mutual trust, respect for employees' ideas, and regard for their feelings B) a leader engages in participative management C) a leader is accepting of and respects individual differences among various team members D) a leader is likely to define and organize his or her role and those of employees in the search for goal attainment E) a leader initiates efforts to communicate personally with employees 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 ________. A) low in task orientation B) high in consideration C) relationship oriented D) employee oriented E) 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. A) consideration B) transaction C) authentication D) task orientation E) identification 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 ________. A) task oriented B) high in consideration C) low in trust propensity D) low in relationship orientation E) production oriented 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 ________. A) absolute leadership and contingency leadership B) transformational leaders and authentic leaders C) employee-oriented leaders and production-oriented leaders D) initiating structure and consideration E) initiation and completion 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. A) contingency B) task-oriented C) employee-oriented D) production-oriented E) structure initiating 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 ________. A) employee-oriented B) high in consideration C) relationship-oriented D) low in initiating structure E) 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. A) employee-oriented B) consideration-based C) person-oriented D) production-oriented E) support-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. A) achievement-oriented B) transaction-oriented C) employee-oriented D) production-oriented E) task-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. A) personality variables B) leader's abilities to inspire and transform followers C) situational variables D) values and ethics E) features of the followers 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? A) attribution theory B) trait theories C) charismatic leadership theory D) path-goal theory E) behavioral theories 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) the followers are able and willing B) a leader is task or relationship-oriented C) the members are in the in-group or out-group D) employees prefer servant leadership over situational leadership E) the leader is high on the dimension of conscientiousness 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 ________. A) Dora tends to become very dominating when given ambiguous tasks B) Dora is usually much more focused on productivity than on developing relationships C) Dora tends in general to focus on building good relationships with the other employees D) Dora has a spotty work history and has tended to switch jobs every couple of years E) Dora is usually chosen for positions of high responsibility within your organization 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 ________. A) an individual's leadership style is essentially fixed B) an individual is constantly striving to develop a more productive style C) an individual's leadership is primarily determined by the features of the followers D) an individual's leadership style can be altered much like his/her personality traits E) an individual's leadership style must be task oriented to be effective 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 ________. A) leader-member relations B) task structure C) positional power D) follower variables E) path-goal frameworks 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 ________. A) Trevor's leadership is primarily task-oriented B) Trevor's team has a low degree of trust propensity C) Trevor's team requires more directive leadership D) Trevor's team has positive leader-member relations E) Trevor's team is unsatisfied with his power position 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? A) task reflexivity B) task significance C) task structure D) task complexity E) task orientation 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. A) task structure B) leader-member exchange C) position power D) initiating structure E) leader-member relations 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 ________. A) high task structure, good leader-member relations, and strong position power B) limited position power, good leader-member relations, and low task structure C) less structured jobs, strong position power, and moderate leader-member relations D) broad employee responsibilities, low position power, and moderate leader-member relations E) good leader-member relations, low position power, unstructured jobs 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? A) Big Five personality model B) behavioral theories C) Fiedler contingency model D) laissez-faire leadership E) situational leadership theory [Show More]

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