Description of the Test Bank

Description of the Test Bank

Test Bank

Description of the Test Bank

This test bank consists of 300 multiple-choice items grouped by chapter and topic. Most of the items were selected from the test bank used with the prior edition of the book, but some are new and some are revisions of earlier items. The test items measure specific knowledge about the concepts, theories, research findings, and action guidelines in this edition of the book. Most items deal with major concepts and issues rather than with trivial or obscure points. However, the items are not intended to measure the ability to evaluate, synthesize, or integrate the material. To assess this type of knowledge, it is necessary to supplement the objective exams with other measures such as essay exams and papers. The review questions at the end of each chapter provide one source of essay questions, and they also provide guidance to students in studying for multiple choice exams. Students who take the time to develop answers for the review questions should be able to answer most items correctly. Written analyses of cases provide another opportunity to evaluate how well students understand the concepts and theories.

When giving instructions for a test drawn from this set of items, remind students to read each item carefully and examine each response choice before selecting the best one. Careless reading is a common source of error in this type of exam. Remind students to notice when an item is worded negatively (e.g., "Which of the following is not correct?" or “which is least likely?”). Because many of the items are complex, it is important to allow students enough time to read them carefully. Allow at least one minute per item.

The test bank is designed to have content validity (representative sampling of key points in the chapters). I tried to avoid common weaknesses in multiple choice items, such as answers that are obvious without reading the book, items that point out the answer to subsequent items, biased distribution of the correct responses, and use of confusing formats such as “all of the above” or “none of the above.” Most of the items retained from the earlier test bank have strong item statistics (weak items were discarded or revised). However, it is always advisable to conduct your own item analysis to see if there are any weak items that should be dropped. The following practices greatly reduce the chance that exam security will be compromised.

•Keep the test bank and copies of exams it in a secure location, such as in a locked cabinet or a computer file that cannot be opened without a password.

•Pass out exams individually to each student, rather than giving batches of them to be passed across a row from student to student.

•Ask each student to sign the exam upon receiving it, and tell students they will be held accountable for returning it with their answer sheet.

•If you review the exam in class or allow students to review their results in your office, do not allow students to take the exam with them or to make notes on it.

•Vary the content of exams from one term to another so that there is no incentive for students to build a test file on your exams.

Copyright © 2008 By Gary Yukl

Chapter 1: The Nature of Leadership

1.What is the best explanation for so many different definitions of leadership?

a.scholarly nitpicking

b.disagreement about what should be considered leadership processes

c.leadership behavior cannot be studied in a scientific way

d.leadership is a very old topic

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

3. Definitions of leadership:

a.strongly influence the design and interpretation of research

b.are strongly influenced by research on unconscious processes

c.reflect general agreement about the nature of leadership

d.are pointless because there is no basis for verification

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.facilitating collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives

d.empowering each follower to become self reliant

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

6.Participative leadership is best viewed as a combination of which two approaches for studying leadership?

a.trait and behavior

b.power-influence and trait

c.behavior and power-influence

d.trait and situational

7.Charismatic leadership is an example of which approach for studying leadership?

a.leader traits

b.leader behavior

c.situational

d.integrative

8.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

c.immediate and delayed outcomes are usually interrelated in complex causal chains

d.end-result outcomes are less useful as criteria of leadership effectiveness

9.Recent leadership theories such as charismatic and transformational leadership:

a.emphasize rational processes more than rational processes

b.emphasize emotional processes more than rational processes

c.describe emotional and rational processes as equally important

d.de-emphasized both rational and emotional processes

10.What level of leadership processes is emphasized in most theories of effective leadership?

a.intra-individual

b.dyadic

c.group

d.organizational

11.Most leadership theories emphasize:

a.leader characteristics

b.follower characteristics

c.both leader and follower characteristics

d.characteristics of the leadership situation

12.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

13. 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

14. A theory that explains why the most common pattern of leadership behavior in a specified

situation is the most effective one would best be classified as:

a.descriptive

b.prescriptive

c.descriptive and prescriptive

d.useless

15.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

Chapter 2: The Nature of Managerial Work

1.Research on managerial activities found that managers typically spend the most time:

a.in their office

b.with subordinates

c.reading and writing reports, memos, and correspondence

d.in informal meetings

2.Which of the following was not found to be characteristic of managers in most descriptive studies?

a.they spend much of their time engaged in oral communication

b.they spend considerable time engaged in reflective activities such as planning

c.they spend considerable time engaged in lateral communication with peers

d.they are engaged in a large variety of brief activities during a typical workday

3.Which was not found in most descriptive research on managerial activities?

a.the content of managerial work is varied and fragmented

b.the pace of managerial work is hectic and unrelenting

c.interactions typically involve the exchange of written messages and memos

d.many interactions involve peers or outsiders

4.The descriptive research found that a network of contacts and cooperative relationships is especially important to:

a.motivate subordinates

b.implement change

c.improve time management

d.identify quality problems in the work

5.Which was not found by most descriptive research on decision processes in organizations?

a.major decisions are made in an orderly, rational manner

b.decision processes are prolonged for important decisions

c.decision processes are highly political

d.major decisions may result from a series of small, incremental choices

6.Planning in organizations is usually:

a.formal and detailed

b.formal and flexible

c.informal and detailed

d.informal and flexible

7.The descriptive research shows that effective managers are likely to:

a.carefully study each possible option before acting

b.experiment with innovative ideas and approaches

c.get authorization before taking action in order to protect themselves

d.get complete agreement from concerned parties before taking action

8.According to Mintzberg, which type of role is likely to get the highest priority?

a.entrepreneur

b.spokesperson

c.disturbance handler

d.negotiator

9.According to Stewart, which of the following statements is not correct?

a.demands and constraints are essentially the same for most managerial jobs

b.managerial behavior is strongly influenced by demands and constraints

c.role conflicts are caused by incompatible demands from different people

d.demands and constraints depend in part on a manager’s perceptions

10.Which of the following was not a recommendation for managers with regard to role expectations?

a.understand the role expectations others have for them

b.reconcile inconsistent role expectations others have for them

c.maintain stability in the role expectations others have for them

d.influence the role expectations others have for them

11.Managers in large units are most likely to:

a.use less delegation

b.use more group decision making

c.spend more time planning and coordinating

d.provide more coaching

12.In comparison to low-level managers, most top executives:

a.are more focused on solving immediate problems

b.are more autocratic in their decision making

c.have a stronger concern about efficiency

d.have a longer time perspective

13.In a crisis situation, effective leaders are likely to:

a.consult with subordinates

b.reduce their exposure

c.act more considerate

d.act more decisive

14.The primary management function in the initial stage of the organizational life cycle is:

a.coordinating work activities

b.obtaining resources

c.increasing member motivation

d.improving efficiency

15.Which was not mentioned as one of the four general processes in managerial work?

a.making decisions

b.satisfying customers

c.developing relationships

d.influencing people

16.Which of the following was not mentioned as a reason for changes in managerial work?

a.globalization

b.cultural diversity of employees

c.human nature

d.communication technology

17.Which of the following was not presented as a guideline for managers?

a.expand the range of choices

b.make time for reflective planning

c.concentrate on reacting to demands

d.understand reasons for demands and constraints

18.Which is not a recommended guideline for increasing managerial effectiveness?

a.limit the range of choices

b.take advantage of reactive activities

c.build large networks of contacts

d.look for ways to reduce constraints

19.Which of the following was not a recommendation for effective time management?

a.determine how much time is spent on different activities

b.eliminate activities that require a lot of time

c.plan daily and weekly activities

d.avoid procrastination

20.Effective managers are most likely to:

a.concentrate on solving the easy problems first

b.concentrate on solving the most difficult problems first

c.deal with each problem as soon as it is discovered

d.look for ways to solve related problems at the same time