Transfer Abroad Undergraduate Programme
MOCK EXAMINATION
Module Code: BUS-201
BUS-202
Module Name: Introduction to Organisational Behaviour
Organisational Behaviour Applied to Management
Examiner(s) / Moderator(s)
Ms Sandra Hopkins / Programme Centre
Date: Thursday 1st November 2012 / Time: 2.30 -4.30pm
Time Allowed: 2 hours
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. Examination consists of 100 Marks distributed over 3 Parts (Note, 1 Mark=1%)
2. Candidates must complete all of Parts A and B and one question from Part C:
a) Part A (30 Marks): Multiple Choice Questions.
b) Part B (30 Marks): Short Answers.
c) Part C (40 Marks): Essay Questions.
3. No marks will be given for illegible answers.
4. Please ensure that you write your name, your student ID number, the Module Code and the module name on the answer book. Failure to do so may result in non-marking of the script.
5. Ensure that your answer is well structured, and that it answers the question which was posed. State and defend any assumptions clearly. The examiner is looking for a logically sound answer based on what you learned in the module.
6. Do NOT Write In Pencil. Write in ink only.
7. This is a closed book examination. No outside books papers or electronic aids (including MP3 players, video players, cellphones, electronic dictionaries) are allowed. You are allowed to bring a English/Chinese dictionary book which does not contain any notes or handwriting.
HHU- BUS 201/202 – Organisational Behaviour – Resit examination paper
This exam lasts 2 hours.
Please fill in your answers in the question booklet.
Please write clearly.
This exam paper is in three sections.
· You must complete all questions from Part A.
· You must complete all questions from Part B.
· You must select only one question to answer from Part C.
Part A – Multiple Choice Questions. Please complete all questions in Part A. There is only one answer per question. Each question is worth 2 points.
Q1 / A trucking company makes all office staff work for a week in the warehouse area: loading trucks, cleaning trucks, and doing other work which they are capable of. This is an example of which of the following?a / job rotation
b / flex time
c / job enrichment
d / job enlargement
Q2 / Cultures within an organisation that are defined by departmental designations are often called…
a / divisional cultures
b / subcultures
c / microcosms
d / counter cultures
Q3 / ______are people who act as catalysts and assume the responsibility for managing change activities.
a / Economic shocks
b / Social trends
c / Accidental changes
d / Change agents
Q4 / Participative management is a method of management where ….
a / low-level workers are responsible for making corporate policy decisions
b / upper management participates in the organisation's strategic planning
c / subordinates share a degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors
d / subordinates make corporate decisions and management helps carry out those decisions
Q5 / What are the five stages of group development?
a / introduction, development, production, deterioration, adjournment
b / forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
c / initiation, evolution, maturation, degeneration, termination
d / acting, reacting, enacting, impacting, acting
Q6 / Who developed a three-step model for change that included unfreezing, movement, and refreezing?
a / Kurt Lewin
b / David McClelland
c / John Kotter
d / Lawrence Summers
Q7 / Which type of team meets to discuss ways to improve quality, efficiency, and the work environment?
a / virtual
b / committee
c / problem-solving
d / self-managed
Q8 / Conflict that relates to the content and goals of work is termed ______conflict.
a / relationship
b / task
c / process
d / communication
Q9 / Which type of conflict is almost always dysfunctional?
a / resource conflict
b / efficacy conflict
c / relationship conflict
d / task conflict
Q10 / Marci's boss told her that her work has been fantastic and what a great job she's doing. Marci's boss uses communication in which of the following functions?
a / motivation
b / information
c / reprimand
d / control
Q11 / The medium through which communication travels is called a…
a / message
b / vessel
c / media
d / channel
Q12 / Which of the following is an example of downward communication flow?
a / letters to your senator
b / envelope attitude surveys
c / suggestion boxes
d / feedback on job performance
Q13 / Memos, letters, e-mail, fax transmissions, and organisational periodicals represent examples of …
a / written communication
b / oral communication
c / informal communication channels
d / none of the above
Q14 / An informal communication network is typically called a…
a / chain
b / grapevine
c / free acting system
d / contextual system
Q15 / 21) Communication that takes place among members of work groups at the same level is known as ______communication.
a / cross-functional
b / downward
c / lateral
d / tangential
Part B – Short answer questions. Please answer all questions in Part B. Each question is worth 6 points.
Q17 / List 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses of group decision making.
Q18 / List 2 ways of preventing workplace sexual harassment.
Q19 / What is departmentalization?
Q20 / List one advantage and one disadvantage of using interviews in the selection process.
Part C – Short essay question. Please only do one question in Part C. Each question is worth 40 points.
Q21 / List and describe the stages in the five-stage model of group development.or
Q22 / Discuss the consequences of stress on individuals, groups and an organisation.
or
Q23 / According to Two-Factor Theory, how might a manager motivate employees?
Resit Exam Answer sheet
MCQ
1 / a2 / b
3 / d
4 / c
5 / b
6 / a
7 / c
8 / b
9 / c
10 / a
11 / d
12 / d
13 / a
14 / b
15 / c
Short answer
16 / An emotion or a mood17 / The strengths of group decision making include:
a) Groups generate more complete information and knowledge.
b) Groups bring more input into the decision process.
c) They offer increased diversity of views. This opens up the opportunity for more approaches and alternatives to be considered.
d) Groups will almost always outperform even the best individual.
e) Groups generate higher quality decisions.
f) Finally, groups lead to increased acceptance of a solution. Members who participated in making a decision are likely to enthusiastically support the decision and encourage others to accept it.
The weaknesses of group decision making include:.
a) They are time consuming. They take more time to reach a solution than would be the case if an individual were making the decision alone.
b) There are conformity pressures in groups.
c) The desire by group members to be accepted and considered an asset to the group can result in squashing any overt disagreement.
d) Group discussion can be dominated by one or a few members. If this dominant coalition is composed of low- and moderate-ability members, the group's overall effectiveness will suffer.
e) Finally, group decisions suffer from ambiguous responsibility. In an individual decision, it's clear who is accountable for the final outcome. In a group decision, the responsibility of any single member is watered down.
18 / A) Establish an active policy that defines what constitutes sexual harassment.
B) Clearly define procedures for filing sexual harassment complaints.
C) Include HR and legal departments in reports of sexual harassment.
D) Discipline offenders of sexual harassment in the workplace.
19 / The basis by which jobs are grouped together is called departmentalization. Tasks can be grouped by function performed, the type of product the organisation produces, on the basis of geography or territory, process used, or by the particular type of customer the organisation seeks to reach.
20 / Not only is the interview widely used, it also seems to carry a great deal of weight. That is, the results tend to have a disproportionate amount of influence on the selection decision. The candidate who performs poorly in the employment interview is likely to be cut from the applicant pool, regardless of his or her experience, test scores, or letters of recommendation. Conversely, all too often, the person most polished in job-seeking techniques, particularly those used in the interview process, is the one hired, even though he or she may not be the best candidate for the position.
Short essay answer
21 / Candidate should have discussed the following theories/models/thoughts:The five-stage group development model characterizes groups as proceeding through five distinct stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. (10 points)
a) Forming is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership. Members are testing the waters to determine what types of behaviour are acceptable. (5 points)
b) In the storming stage, members accept the existence of the group, but there is resistance to the constraints that the group imposes on individuality. There is conflict over who will control the group. (5 points)
c) The third stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. There is now a strong sense of group identify and camaraderie. This norming stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour. (5 points)
d) The fourth stage is performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand. (5 points)
e) In the adjourning stage, the group prepares for its disbandment. High task performance is no longer the group's top priority. Instead, attention is directed toward wrapping up activities. (5 points)
Good examples and diagrams on group formation (5 points)
22 / Candidate should have discussed the following theories/models/thoughts:
a) Physiological Symptoms. Most of the early concern with stress was directed at physiological symptoms. The research led to the conclusion that stress could create changes in metabolism, increase heart and breathing rates, increase blood pressure, bring on headaches, and induce heart attacks. The link between stress and particular physiological symptoms is not clear. Traditionally, researchers concluded that there were few, if any, consistent relationships. This is attributed to the complexity of the symptoms and the difficulty of objectively measuring them. More recently, some evidence suggests that stress may have harmful physiological effects. (8 points)
b) Psychological Symptoms. Stress can cause dissatisfaction. Job-related stress can cause job-related dissatisfaction. Job dissatisfaction, in fact, is "the simplest and most obvious psychological effect" of stress. But stress shows itself in other psychological states–for instance, tension, anxiety, irritability, boredom, and procrastination. (8 points)
c) Behavioural Symptoms. Behaviour-related stress symptoms include changes in productivity, absence, and turnover, as well as changes in eating habits, increased smoking or consumption of alcohol, rapid speech, fidgeting, and sleep disorders. (8 points)
The evidence indicates that when people are placed in jobs that make multiple and conflicting demands or in which there is a lack of clarity about the incumbent's duties, authority, and responsibilities, both stress and dissatisfaction are increased. Similarly, the less control people have over the pace of their work, the greater the stress and dissatisfaction. Although more research is needed to clarify the relationship, the evidence suggests that jobs that provide a low level of variety, significance, autonomy, feedback, and identity to incumbents create stress and reduce satisfaction and involvement in the job (8 points)
Good examples and diagrams on stress, including methods to reduce stress (6 points)
23 / Candidate should have discussed the following theories/models/thoughts:
According to Herzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction. (2 points)
Therefore, managers who seek to eliminate factors that can create job dissatisfaction may bring about peace but not necessarily result in motivation. (2 points)
Conditions surrounding the job such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relations with others, and job security were characterized by Herzberg as hygiene factors. (6 points)
When they are adequate, people will not be dissatisfied; neither will they be satisfied. (2 points)
If we want to motivate people on their jobs, Herzberg suggested emphasizing factors associated with the work itself or to outcomes directly derived from it, such as promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth, recognition, responsibility, and achievement. These are the characteristics that people find intrinsically rewarding. (6 points)
Discussion of other contrasting theories (6 points per detailed theory)
Good examples and diagrams on motivation (6 points)