All India Management Association (AIMA) 2009 M.B.A Marketing Management Organizational Behaviour 09 - Question Paper

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Question Paper Organizational Behavior - II (MB1B2): January 2009

   Answer all 100 questions.

   Each question carries one mark.

¹    The unbroken line of authority that ultimately links each individual with the top organizational position through a managerial position at each successive layer in between is known as

(a)    Departmentalization

(b)    Chain of command

(c)    Formalization

(d)    Decentralization

(e)    Bureaucratic structure.

²    Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike and management knows that if a strike occurs, it will be very costly. Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible. Each side feels that if one side wins, the other loses. Conflict handling intention of labor and management at DJ Trucking is

(a)    Accommodating

(b)    Problem solving

(c)    Compromising

(d)    Dominating

(e)    Avoiding.

³    When the First National Bank of Winslow incorporated changes to their operational methods, such as increasing the number of employees directly reporting to one manager, they were modifying their

(a)    Work specialization

(b)    Chain of command

(c)    Span of control

(d)    Departmentalization

(e)    Formalization.

⁴    One of the Organization Development (OD) interventions used by change agents is sensitivity training. Which of the following is not true regarding sensitivity training?

(a)    The purpose of sensitivity training is to sensitize people to perceptions and the behavior related aspects of themselves and others

(b)    It is used in the organizations to reduce interpersonal conflicts

(c)    It is used to enhance group cohesiveness and improve organizational productivity and efficiency

(d)    It can improve the interpersonal and leadership skills of employees

(e)    The sessions in sensitivity training are generally structured, with an agenda.

⁵    Centralization and decentralization are the most widely used terms in organization theory and design. In this regard, which of the following statements is/are true?

I.    In functional centralization, there is a separate department for each function and it carries out that function for all the business units of the organization.

II.    In organizations following functional decentralization, there are no departments that exclusively perform a particular function.

III.    The analytical use of the concept of decentralization depends on the formal policy of the organization rather than the nature of managers.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁶    When different groups are required to work together, the success or failure of their efforts is dependant on the coordination achieved between them. In the case of pooled interdependence, the degree of interaction and coordination between groups is

(a)    Higher than sequential or reciprocal interdependence

(b)    Lower than sequential, but higher than reciprocal interdependence

(c)    Higher than sequential, but lower than reciprocal interdependence

(d)    Lower than sequential or reciprocal interdependence

(e)    Almost equal to the sequential or reciprocal interdependence.

⁷    The work group is usually the primary source of social identity for employees, and the nature of the group can affect their performance at work as well as their relationships outside the organization. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding propinquity theory?

I.    According to propinquity theory, people associate with one another due to geographical proximity.

II.    Propinquity theory provides a basic explanation of group formation.

III.    Propinquity theory states that affiliation or association takes place when the reward-cost equation has a positive outcome.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁸    Action research is one of the major approaches developed, which contributed greatly to the development of Organization Development (OD) concepts. All of the following are versions of action research except

(a)	Implemental
(b)	Diagnostic
(c)	Participant
(d)	Experimental
(e)	Empirical.

⁹ Walton classified the issues that give rise to conflicts into various categories. In this regard, which of the following issues refer to competition between individuals for scarce resources and differences in opinion regarding policies and procedures, roles and relationships and the like?

(a)	Substitute issues
(b)	Inter groups issues
(c)	Substantive issues
(d)	Formal group issues
(e)	Emotional issues.

¹⁰    Quality Circle (QC) is a commonly used problem-solving team. Which of the following is not an objective of quality circle?

(a)    It involves people at different levels in finding a solution to a problem

(b)    The use of QC is limited to manufacturing firms only

(c)    It improves the motivation level of employees

(d)    It tries to bring about a change in the attitude of employees by improving the quality of work life

(e)    Teaching additional skills to employees and bringing out their latent potential.

¹¹    A sales representative for a womens sportswear manufacturer has just closed a Rs.15,000 order from a small clothing retailer. The sales representative informs regarding the order to her firms credit department. She is told that the firm cant approve credit to this customer because of the past slow-payment record. The sales representative does not want to lose the business. Neither does the credit manager, but he also does not want to get stuck with an uncollectible debt. After considerable discussion, they agree on a solution that meets both their needs. The credit manager will approve the sale, but the clothing stores owner will provide a bank guarantee that will ensure payment. This sales-credit negotiation is an example of

(a)    Problem-solving

(b)    Distributive bargaining

(c)    Compromising

(d)    Integrative bargaining

(e)    Collective bargaining.

¹² The degree to which tasks in an organization are divided into sub-tasks, each of which is performed by an individual employee, is referred to as work specialization. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding work specialization?

I.    As a result of specialization, an employee acquires the skills needed to complete entire task instead of those required to complete the sub-task.

II.    Work specialization allows organizations to allocate tasks to employees depending on their abilities.

III.    The economies of work specialization are negated by the diseconomies that result due to human fatigue.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

¹³. Which of the following models is believed to work under conditions where the organizational objectives are dynamic rather than static and where perfect information about the nature of the problem or the alternative courses of action is not available?

(a)    Simons bounded rationality model

(b)    The economic rationality model

(c)    Judgmental Heuristics and Biases model

(d)    The social model

(e)    The personality perception model.

¹⁴    A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility is

(a)    Work team

(b)    Project team

(c)    Task force

(d)    Work group

(e)    Interest group.

¹⁵    The nominal group technique attempts to avoid potential pitfalls of group decision making while taking advantage of the positive features of employee participation. Which of the following is not a step in the nominal group technique?

(a)    Team members are introduced to the problem initially and are asked to independently write down their ideas to solve the problem on hand

(b)    The ideas of each team member are presented in a round-robin fashion to the group and each of these ideas are written down on a chart paper

(c)    A discussion is then held with the objective of evaluating and assessing the merits of each alternative

(d)    The summarized results of the discussion is then sent back to the experts seeking their response to the results

(e)    A list of most commonly accepted alternatives is presented to the team and the team members then attempt to arrive at a consensus.

¹⁶    Martin was recently hired at the Applegate Industrial Firm. He is very unsure exactly what the new job requires of him and has no information as to what capabilities he needs to accomplish his assignments. Martin is feeling a significant amount of dissatisfaction due to the uncertainty in his new job. It is indicated that Martin is most probably experiencing

(a)    Intergroup conflict

(b)    Intragroup conflict

(c)    Interpersonal conflict

(d)    Intrapersonal conflict

(e)    Structural conflict.

¹⁷ In which of the following types of organizational culture, all organizational members participate in decision-making and decisions are based on consensus?

(a)	Market culture
(b)	Adhocracy
(c)	Clan culture
(d)	Hierarchical culture
(e)	Network culture.

¹⁸    There various sources or bases of power which explain the dynamics of power in an organization and how an individual or a group influences others. In this context, which of the following statements is/are not true regarding legitimate power?

I.    The person who has legitimate power has the right to punish as well as reward other people.

II.    Both coercive and reward power are broader in scope than legitimate power.

III.    Legitimate power closely resembles authority and primarily includes acceptance by organizational members of the authority of the position.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

¹⁹    Which component of the Organization Development (OD) process focuses on managing the conflicts which tend to arise during implementation of the OD process?

(a)    Diagnostic component

(b)    Problem-solving component

(c)    Intervention component

(d)    Process-maintenance component

(e)    Implement component.

²⁰* Jay and Kay both work at the furniture mart. Jay is a salesperson on the floor. Kay is the company credit manager and Jays job is to sell furniture. But most of Jays sales are made on credit. Because Kays job is to make sure the company minimizes credit losses, she regularly has to turn down the credit applications of customers with whom Jay closes a sale. Thus leading them into a conflict. Which of the following is the cause of the conflict?

(a)	Dominating
(b)	Structure
(c)	Personal variables
(d)	Authoritative command
(e)	High self-esteem.

²¹ A highly formalized job is one that has to be done in a predetermined manner, leaving little discretion to the

employees involved, over even small elements of the job. Which of the following statements is/are not true

regarding culture and formalization?

I.    Jobs which are more formalized provide workers in the organization with greater autonomy in the way it is performed.

II.    A strong organizational culture results in greater consistency of employee behavior and can replace the process of formalization.

III.    The development of a strong organizational culture additionally eliminates the need for documenting rules and procedures, which is required for formalization.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (I) and (III) above.

²² Organizations lay down strict guidelines for new employees to make them aware of how to get along in the organization and how to become accepted as members of the organization. These guidelines are included in the organizations

(a)	Attention to Detail
(b)	Norms
(c)	Rules
(d)	Dominant values
(e)	Organizational philosophies.

23. a group of like-minded people have formed an investment club where each member contributes a certain amount of money every month. At the monthly meetings, the group decides how to invest the clubs funds. Hari and Chandra both feel the investment club is more aggressive in its investments than they would be as individuals. This phenomenon is best described as

(a)	Group polarization
(b)	Social loafing
(c)	Groupthink
(d)	Virtual team
(e)	Group problem solving.

²⁴    The negotiation process may progress smoothly in some cases whereas progress may be very difficult in others. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding mediator?

I.    A mediator uses logical reasoning and persuasion techniques to convince the parties to arrive at an agreement.

II.    A mediator has the authority to enforce his/her decision on the conflicting parties.

III.    A mediator serves as an informal communication link between parties.

IV.    A mediator is trusted by both the parties.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Both (I) and (II) above

(c)    Both (II) and (III) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(e)    (II), (III) and (IV) above.

²⁵    A supplemental organization coexisting with the usual, formal organization is known as

(a)    Bilateral organization

(b)    Unstructured organization

(c)    Matrix organization

(d)    Collateral organization

(e)    Cohesive organization.

²⁶    There are two types of decisions depending upon the frequency at which decisions have to be made. They can be classified into programmed and non-programmed decisions. Programmed decisions involve the decisions that are generally taken by personnel at the

(a)    Top management level

(b)    Lower management level

(c)    Middle management level

(d)    Assembly line level

(e)    Consultant level.

²⁷    Increasing complexity of tasks, delays in decision making and extended lines of communication create their own complexities which often make the coordination methods ineffective. Which of the following is/are true regarding teams as a coordination method used for managing intergroup relations?

I.    It is permanently set up to deal with intergroup problems.

II.    It is cross-functional in nature and consists of members from various departments.

III.    The members involved in this method have dual responsibilities, towards their own departments and towards the team.

IV.    It is not effective when the problem gets bigger or cannot be solved within a short time.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (III) and (IV) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(e)    (II), (III) and (IV) above.

²⁸    Madhu wanted to redesign the reward system at his fathers manufacturing plant from pay by position and seniority to pay based upon what employees can do. What is this called?

(a)    Skill-based pay systems

(b)    Gain-sharing systems

(c)    Team bonus plans

(d)    Time wage plan

(e)    Incentive systems.

²⁹    One of the issues in the client-consultant relationship is that of trust. In this regard, which of the following statements is/are false with respect to the mutual trust between client and consultant?

I.    The consultant begins to view the manager or the executive and his subordinates as the client.

II.    The consultant tends to apply interventions which he favors or which have been successfully implemented in the past.

III.    The key client may be worried that employees would complain about trivial matters or unnecessarily criticize their superiors.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

³⁰    Just as there are relationships and interactions between people in groups, there are interactions and relationships between groups in organizations. Intergroup relations can be managed using various coordination methods. In this context, arrange them in order of increasing cost.

(a)    Rules and proceduresPlanningHierarchyTeamsLiaison rolesTask forces Integrating departments

(b)    Rules and proceduresHierarchyPlanningLiaison rolesTask forcesTeamsIntegrating departments

(c)    HierarchyRules and proceduresPlanningTeamsTask forcesLiaison roles Integrating departments

(d)    Hierarchy Integrating departmentsTeamsTask forcesLiaison rolesRules and proceduresPlanning

(e)    HierarchyRules and proceduresPlanningIntegrating departmentsTask forcesTeamsLiaison roles.

³¹    Madhu, who is a union leader, never fails to seek the opinion and ideas of individuals at the organization that she really has no need of obtaining an opinion from. Her method of responding to resistance to change is known as

(a)	Facilitation
(b)	Manipulation
(c)	Coercion
(d)	Negotiation
(e)	Cooptation.

³²    There are various sources or bases of power which explain the dynamics of power in an organization and how an individual or a group influences others. In this context, which of the following statements is/are not true regarding expert power?

I.    Expert power refers to the power a person receives because of his or her position in the formal organizational hierarchy.

II.    The increasingly specialized nature of jobs has increased the dependence on experts to accomplish goals.

III.    For a person to assume expert power, the people over whom power is to be wielded must perceive the expert to

be credible, trustworthy and relevant.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

³³    If an organization has a diverse workforce, its teams will include people from different groups. All of the following are disadvantages of diversity in teams except

(a)	Ambiguity
(b)	Multiple interpretations
(c)	Complexity
(d)	Confusion
(e)	Miscommunication.

³⁴ Tanuj is unhappy with the way his supervisor is handling his work assignments. Tanuj feels that since he is more capable than his co-workers, his supervisor gives him the difficult tasks. Thus he is working harder and longer than his peers, but getting the same pay. Because his tasks are harder, it is difficult for Tanuj to perform better than his co-workers. Tanuj has not raised this issue with his boss, but he is actively looking for a job in another company. Tanuj is using which conflict management style?

(a)    Accommodating

(b)    Avoiding

(c)    Compromising

(d)    Dominating

(e)    Problem solving.

35.    Change is concerned with changing status quo or making things different. The basic goals of planned change are

I.    To manage the transition state.

II.    To generate motivation for change.

III.    To change the behavior of employees.

IV.    To enhance the ability of organizations to adapt themselves to the changes in the external environment.

(a)    Both (I) and (II) above

(b)    Both (I) and (III) above

(c)    Both (II) and (III) above

(d)    Both (II) and (IV) above

(e)    Both (III) and (IV) above.

36.    Which of the following statements is/are true in the context of formal vs. informal organizations?

I.    In a formal organization, the focus is on people and their relationships with each other.

II.    In an informal organization, power is derived from the position held by an individual.

III.    In an informal organization, group norms decide the appropriate behavior of its members.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

37.    When decisions are made by a cohesive group of individuals, their motivation to appraise and appreciate alternative courses of action are overpowered by their desire for unanimity of decision. This phenomenon which is commonly observed in group decision making processes is referred to as

(a)    Groupthink

(b)    Bounded rationality

(c)    Heuristics

(d)    Group polarization

(e)    Group problem solving.

38.    In the client-consultant relationship, the consultant should avoid playing which of the following roles, because it reduces his effectiveness as an OD consultant?

(a)    Facilitator

(b)    Content expert

(c)    Educator

(d)    Model

(e)    Supporter.

39.    Organizational politics is a reality in most organizations of reasonable size. Which of the following statements is not true regarding organizational politics?

(a)    The political behavior is outside the practitioners sphere of work and it involves some effort on the part of the practitioner to use the power at his disposal to influence decision making

(b)    Illegitimate political behavior is part of every organization and most of the members indulge in it at sometime or the other

(c)    Political behavior is subjective

(d)    Legitimate political behavior is that which forms a part of the day-to-day work in an organization

(e)    Politicking can have beneficial effects on an organization according to some experts.

40.    Mehta uses a team comprised of 10-15 members of his organization to get jobs performed in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Mr. Mehta usually permits this team to have a moderate amount of authority over their work and allows the group itself to determine the mission it will pursue. As the organizations manager, he has little involvement in directing the team. Which type of team is most probably formed at this organization?

(a)    Problem-solving team

(b)    Self-managed work team

(c)    Cross-functional team

(d)    Production-oriented team

(e)    Goal-oriented team.

41.    The decision making process can be viewed as a process consisting of three phases. Which of the following statements is/are not true regarding these phases?

I.    In intelligence activity phase, the managers attempt to identify, develop, analyze and compare the various courses of action available to them.

II.    The design activity phase of the decision making process examines conditions in the environment that necessitate the management to take a decision.

III.    The choice activity is the final phase of the decision making process, wherein managers actually choose to go

ahead with a particular course of action.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (I) and (III) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

^42.    Which of the following statements is/are not true regarding incompatibility stage of conflict process?

I.    Barriers to communication are one of the major sources of conflicts.

II.    Structural variables such as the size of the work groups have potential to cause conflicts.

III.    People who have high self-esteem are more likely to be involved in conflict.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

43.    Tom and Harry are the managers for Brinkman Processing. They are aware of the fact but continue to support the decisions which have proven to be erroneous. This decision making is best known as

(a)    Logical decisions

(b)    Escalation of commitment

(c)    Brainstorming

(d)    Delphi technique

(e)    Nominal group technique.

44.    Which of the following types of rumors have their bases in the employees desire to bring about a change in the way the organization functions?

(a)    Wish fulfillment

(b)    Home stretchers

(c)    Anxiety rumors

(d)    Premeditated rumors

(e)    Wedge drivers.

⁴⁵.    Which of the following statements is/are true with regard to individuals vs. team players?

I.    All individuals may not be team players.

II.    A major barrier to the creation of work teams is resistance from individual workers.

III.    It is very difficult and sometimes impossible to shape an individual into a team player when the countrys culture is individualistic in nature.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (I) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁴⁶    When an industrial organization installs specialized equipment to monitor potentially hazardous emissions due to environmentalist pressure, they are in essence experiencing change that is

(a)    Unplanned

(b)    Strategic

(c)    Temporary

(d)    Planned

(e)    Tactical.

⁴⁷    In which of the following stages of conflict process, individuals decide on the action that is to be taken to deal with the conflict?

(a)    Incompatibility

(b)    Cognition

(c)    Intentions

(d)    Behavior

(e)    Outcomes.

⁴⁸    When an organization fails to change a processing method that has been proven to be less effective than newer methods now available, it can be stated that the source of resistance is

(a)	Structural inertia
(b)	Security
(c)	Economic factors
(d)	Social factors
(e)	Fear of the unknown.

⁴⁹ Jennie Smith, the manager of the marketing department for Fresco Enterprises, is finding herself engaged in a conflict situation with the manager of the accounting department relating to the expenditure on the project. Jennie is under time constraint for concluding the project and needs to give a decision to the CEO within two days. She approaches the accounting manager with a plan to cut her project expenses while asking that department to expedite the funding for advertisements. Jennies style of conflict resolution in this situation is

(a)	Accommodating
(b)	Problem solving
(c)	Compromising
(d)	Dominating
(e)	Avoiding.

50.    Quinn and McGrath classified organization culture into four basic types, depending on the nature of transactions that take place between individuals or groups of individuals in organizations. In this context, which of the following statements is/are not true regarding market culture?

I.    In this type of organizational culture, the achievement of organizational stability is given importance.

II.    A directive style of leadership is followed in organizations that have a market culture.

III.    The behavior of employees is not governed by contractual agreements.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

51.    The rumor that is generated by a rival restaurant that a famous Chinese restaurant does not follow hygiene standards in the kitchen, is known as

(a)    Wish fulfillment

(b)    Home stretchers

(c)    Anxiety rumors

(d)    Premeditated rumors

(e)    Wedge drivers.

52.    Which of the following statements is/are true regarding adjourning stage of group development?

I.    Adjourning is the last stage of group development for temporary groups.

II.    In adjourning stage members develop a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie.

III.    Adjourning stage is considered to be complete when the members begin to consider themselves as part of a group.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

53.    Sudha and Radha are the managers for the marketing and product development departments. The former depends on the latter to develop marketable products and the latter depends on the former for information regarding needs and preferences of customers. This is known as

(a)    Distributive interdependence

(b)    Pooled interdependence

(c)    Integrative interdependence

(d)    Reciprocal interdependence

(e)    Sequential interdependence.

54.    Which of the following characteristics of organizational culture, include the common language, terminology, rituals, symbols, etc. that employees in an organization observe while interacting with one another?

(a)	Norms
(b)	Observed behavioral regularities
(c)	Organizational climate
(d)	Dominant values
(e)	Rules.

55.    Amanda, the HR manager for Clean Lawn Tools, argues for hiring a graduate from a university, because the past three hires from this university turned out to be good performers. This is an example of

(a)    The availability heuristic

(b)    The nominal group technique

(c)    The representative heuristic

(d)    The delphi technique

(e)    The anchoring and adjustment heuristic.

56.    Which of the following is not included in the definition of organizational culture?

(a)    Job descriptions

(b)    Assumptions

(c)    Adaptations

(d)    Perceptions

(e)    Learning.

57.    In a    negotiation process, the negotiator identifies his primary goals and objectives as well as satisfies his/her opponents objectives, possible demand and argument. This is referred to as

(a)	BATNA
(b)	Integrative bargaining
(c)	Group decision making
(d)	Client-consultant relationship
(e)	Group problem solving.

58.    Which of the following statements is/are true regarding role perception?

I.    Role perception involves understanding how one is supposed to behave in a particular role by observing the behavior of another individual in the same role.

II.    External stimuli in the form of books, movies, television etc., influences role perception.

III.    The role is both perceived and interpreted through external learning before being enacted.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

59.    In which of the following types of communication network, the message gradually dies out because those who receive it do not pass it on to others?

(a)    Single strand chain

(b)    Gossip chain

(c)    Probability chain

(d)    Cluster chain

(e)    Rumor chain.

60.    At Disney World, employees commonly use such terms as cast member and good Mickey. These terms are an example of

(a)    Stories

(b)    Rituals and ceremonies

(c)    Material symbols

(d)    Language

(e)    Philosophy.

⁶¹.    It was believed that groups followed a specific sequence in their formation. According to the five stage model of group development, which of the following stages involves hostility and confrontation?

(a)    Forming

(b)    Performing

(c)    Norming

(d)    Storming

(e)    Adjourning.

⁶²    The depth of the intervention is a very significant aspect in the selection of appropriate interventions. Which of the following is/are true regarding the depth of the intervention?

I.    The depth of the intervention should be less than the required to develop effective and lasting solutions to organizational problems.

II.    The depth of the intervention should be more than the extent to which the client is willing to commit its resources towards solving the problem.

III.    The depth of an intervention depends upon the knowledge possessed by the consultant on various conceptual models and intervention techniques.

IV.    The depth of the intervention should be only to the extent to which the client is willing to commit its resources towards solving the problem.

(a)    Only (II) above

(b)    Only (III) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (I) and (IV) above

(e)    Both (III) and (IV) above.

⁶³    When a leader asks his members to identify the strengths of the team, the problems that need immediate attention, their perceptions on where the team is heading, interpersonal relations within the team and the ways to improve performance of the team, he is engaging in

(a)    The formal group diagnostic methods

(b)    Gestalt approach to team building

(c)    Intergroup team building interventions

(d)    The formal group team building meeting

(e)    Quality circles.

⁶⁴    A person who is working as a team member, for some reason, is asked to be the team leader for a particular project. To suit this situation, the person has to change his/her attitude as well as his/her behavior to effectively play the role of a team leader. This situation represents

(a)	Role identity
(b)	Role expectations
(c)	Role modeling
(d)	Role perception
(e)	Role analysis.

⁶⁵    Participation can range from formal to informal. In this context, which of the following statements is/are not true?

I.    Participation may take the form of physical, emotional or intellectual involvement of employees during a decision making process.

II.    The degree of participation by employees remains the same in every organization.

III.    The decision making system could be one of absolutely nil participation, where the manager decides on every issue without consulting the other employees.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁶⁶    When organizations are viewed from a systems perspective, there can be several consequences of applying the knowledge from behavioral science to Organization Development (OD). In this regard, which of the following statements is false?

(a)    The issues, events, and phenomenon that take place in an organization are not isolated

(b)    The field of forces existing at the time of the event are the forces which are relevant for the analysis of the happening

(c)    It is not possible to change one part of the system without changing the other

(d)    The systems approach to OD tries to analyze events by identifying only a single cause rather than finding multiple causes for the event

(e)    Change has to be brought into the entire system if an enduring improvement is to be made in the organizational functioning.

⁶⁷    Data Net is anticipating changes in its production procedures. Mr. Santosh is asked to identify potential barriers to change and suggest solutions to these barriers. What OD intervention will Mr. Santosh use?

(a)    Sensitivity training

(b)    Survey feedback

(c)    Process consultation

(d)    Force field analysis

(e)    Team interventions.

⁶⁸    Wilson heads up the Friday Burrito Group (FBG) at his office. Any employee can meet with FBG on Fridays for lunch. The group goes to a different Mexican food restaurant every week to try out the burritos and have fun gossiping and trading ideas. Which of the following groups best describe the Friday Burrito Group?

(a)    Task groups

(b)    Informal groups

(c)    Command groups

(d)    Affiliated groups

(e)    Common groups.

69.    The degree of politicking engaged in depends on individual as well as organizational factors. Organizational factors have a greater influence on politicking in organizations than individual factors. In this regard, which of the following statements is/are true?

I.    When an organization does not have clear goals, it provides more opportunity to employees to engage in politics.

II.    When organizations place a lot of importance on performance and when responsibilities are fixed, people are more likely to engage in politicking.

III.    When an organization faces a scarcity of resources, the employees are less likely to engage in politicking.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

70.    In which of the following types of communication networks, an individual may come in contact with several persons but will randomly pass information to a few of them?

(a)	Single strand chain
(b)	Gossip chain
(c)	Probability chain
(d)	Cluster chain
(e)	Survey feedback.

71. Groups are characterized by certain structural variables such as formal leadership, roles, norms, group status, etc. Which of the following statements are true with regard to status?

I.    Status plays a significant role as a motivator and is an important factor in understanding human behavior.

II.    Offering organizational titles or providing special amenities may formally establish status.

III.    Status may be acquired informally by virtue of characteristics such as age, gender, skill and experience.

IV.    When equity is perceived in the status hierarchy of a group, it creates disequilibrium.

(a)    Both (I) and (IV) above

(b)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(c)    (I), (III) and (IV) above

(d)    (II), (III) and (IV) above

(e)    All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.

72. Socialization plays an important role in molding employees so as to enable them to fit perfectly into the role they are offered and to behave in a predictable manner. The process of socialization is divided into certain stages. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding encounter stage?

I.    In this stage, the employee becomes aware of the reality of the workplace as compared to his/her expectations of the job and the organization.

II.    In this stage, each employee is treated as an individual with a distinct set of values and principles.

III.    In this stage, a gradual attempt is made to introduce the values, norms and expectations of the organization to the new employee.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁷³    In terms of Vrooms expectancy-valence theory, which of the following power refers to a persons ability to administer positive valences to another person and the recognition of this power by the other person?

(a)    Coercive power

(b)    Reward power

(c)    Legitimate power

(d)    Expert power

(e)    Referent power.

⁷⁴    There are various models of decision making, one of them is behavioral decision making? In this context, which of the following statements is/are true regarding behavioral decision making?

I.    The behavioral approach towards decision making emphasizes the role and importance of human behavior in the process of decision making.

II.    Behavioral approach emphasizes that decision makers are prone to varying degrees of rationality while making decisions.

III.    According to the behavioral approach, there is no scope for element of subjectivity to creep in during the process of decision making.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (I) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

⁷5.    Which strategy assumes that change can be brought about by making people who have less power comply with the instructions given by people who have more power?

(a)    Autocratic strategy

(b)    Empirical-rational

(c)    Power-coercive

(d)    Authoritative strategy

(e)    Normative-re-educative strategy.

⁷⁶.    Prasad is undergoing a great deal of stress in his job. He is unsure exactly how to prioritize his tasks in order to successfully complete his assignments. Prasad performs several duties during the course of a day and finds that the accomplishment of one task directly competes or interferes with the successful accomplishment of another task. It can be said that Prasad is experiencing

(a)	Role ambiguity
(b)	Role conflict
(c)	Self efficacy
(d)	Psychological hardiness
(e)	Learned helplessness.

^77.    Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the norming stage in the five stage model of group development?

I.    Members develop a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie.

II.    The stage is completed when a common set of expectations defining appropriate behavior has been developed.

III.    In this stage there is development of close relationships and cohesiveness within the group.

IV.    Disagreements about the leadership position in the group also give rise to conflicts among group members.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(e)    (II), (III) and (IV) above.

^78.    In the training process, T-groups may be constituted in various ways, depending upon the objectives and the results that are desired. Which of the following groups consists of people working in the same organization who may not know each other because they may be from different departments, plants or locations?

(a)    Cousin T-groups

(b)    Cluster T-groups

(c)    Cadre T-groups

(d)    Family T-groups

(e)    Stranger T-groups.

⁷⁹.    Rumors have a tendency to quickly spread inaccurate information within an organization causing it considerable damage. The various methods to control rumors are

I.    Paying heed to the rumors.

II.    Withholding information in times of uncertainty.

III.    Identifying the causes of rumors and tackling them.

IV.    Seeking support of the informal and union leaders.

(a)    Both (I) and (II) above

(b)    Both (II) and (III) above

(c)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(d)    (I), (III) and (IV) above

(e)    All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.

^80.    An individual member may be willing to accept changes in his/her job suggested by the management, but if union norms dictate resisting any unilateral change made by the management, he is likely to resist. This comes under

(a)	Individual resistance to change
(b)	Threat to established power relationships
(c)	Team orientation
(d)	Dominant values
(e)	Group inertia.

81. A type of formal group that is represented in the organization chart and is relatively permanent in nature wherein employees/members report to a common superior is known as

(a)	Interest group
(b)	Command group
(c)	Task group
(d)	Primary group
(e)	Secondary group.

82.    Organization Development (OD) is a program of planned change which aims at improving organizational effectiveness. Taking into consideration the normative-re-educative strategy of change, the OD program has some implications. In this case, which of the following statements is true?

(a)    Only the OD practitioner defines problems, develop solutions and identify obstacles that may impede the generation of effective solutions

(b)    Only the client defines problems, develop solutions and identify obstacles that may impede the generation of effective solutions

(c)    The solutions are developed by applying the principles and practices of behavioral science only by the client

(d)    The client suggest the improvements and changes desired in the organization

(e)    Solutions can be developed only by understanding the values, attitudes, relationships, and the usual way of doing things in the organization, but not by applying technical knowledge or information.

83.    In which of the following types of culture, the performance of individual members is judged on the basis of their commitment to organizational values and norms?

(a)    Market culture

(b)    Adhocracy

(c)    Clan culture

(d)    Hierarchical culture

(e)    Network culture.

84.    Which of the following statements is/are true for the punctuated equilibrium model?

I.    The members of this group suddenly experience a heightened sense of awareness of the lapse of time and lack of progress in the project.

II.    The last meeting of the group just before the completion of the project is marked by a period of intense activity.

III.    The sudden awareness of the limited time left to complete the project act as an alarm and leads to flurry of activity.

IV.    The model is very predictable and precise.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(e)    (II), (III) and (IV) above.

85.    Grapevine refers to oral communication between employees which also includes informal written communication and electronic messages. Which of the following is the pattern or chain which describes a grapevine, where one person randomly spreads information to everybody he comes in contact with?

(a)    Single strand chain

(b)    Gossip chain

(c)    Probability chain

(d)    Cluster chain

(e)    Double strand chain.

^86.    Which of the following consists of discretionary activities of the role, obligatory duties towards other roles and the expectations of focal role from other roles in the organization?

(a)    Role description

(b)    Role awareness

(c)    Role authenticity

(d)    Role profile

(e)    Role integration.

^87.    Power relationships are a natural part of any group or organization. In this context, which of the following statements are true regarding power?

I.    Power is an important element in motivation.

II.    The most important element in the study of power is dependency.

III.    Power has a broader scope than influence.

IV.    A person can have power over another only if he has control over something that the other person desires.

(a)    Both (I) and (II) above

(b)    Both (II) and (III) above

(c)    Both (III) and (IV) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (IV) above

(e)    All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.

^88.    Which of the following becomes a major barrier to change when an organization is planning to restructure?

(a)	Simple structure
(b)	Bureaucracy
(c)	Matrix
(d)	Flexible
(e)	Network.

^89.    While groups are established by the organization, informal groups are formed by the employees themselves. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding coalitions group?

I.    They are independent of the formal organization structure.

II.    They try to address the issues which are important to the members.

III.    They are represented in the organization chart and is relevantly permanent in nature.

IV.    They are generally dissolved once the task is over.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    (I), (II) and (III) above

(e)    (II), (III) and (IV) above.

^90.    Role Negotiation Technique (RNT) is based on the assumption that people prefer to resolve a conflict rather than leaving the conflict unresolved. In which of the following stages of the RNT, each party is given an issue diagnostic form in which each party writes what type of change in work behavior he expects from others and in what way will the change affect his own performance?

(a)    Issue diagnosis

(b)    Incumbent stage

(c)    Negotiation period

(d)    Contract setting

(e)    Ethical diagnosis.

91.    MGT Sporting Goods began business by making shoes for athletes. They soon expanded into making shoes for nonathletics. They now manufacture and distribute clothing, sporting equipment and protective sports gear worldwide. They are departmentalized by products sold to serious athletes, products sold to weekend athletes and products sold to sports teams. MGT has utilized which of the following forms of departmentalization?

(a)    Geographic

(b)    Functional

(c)    Matrix

(d)    Customer

(e)    Product.

92.    Individuals become more aware of their feelings and how one persons behavior affects the feelings, attitudes and behavior of others in a no holds barred, tell it like it is discussion takes place. This is one of the techniques used for training and development. What is it called?

(a)    Behavior modeling

(b)    Wilderness training

(c)    Role playing

(d)    In-basket exercise

(e)    Sensitivity training.

93.    The changing trends in global economy, workforce, technology and organizations will have a major impact on processes and practices of Organization Development (OD). In this context, which of the following statements is false?

(a)    OD will become a part of organizations operations

(b)    Duration of OD process will be shortened

(c)    The need for clarity regarding OD values will decrease

(d)    The diversity of organizations implementing OD will increase

(e)    OD will increase the scope for learning and innovation.

⁹⁴.    Groups unlike mobs, tend to have a definite structure. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding group structure?

I.    It helps shape the behavior of its members.

II.    It helps to predict the behavior of its members.

III.    It guides the performance of the group as a whole.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Both (I) and (II) above

(d)    Both (II) and (III) above

(e)    All (I), (II) and (III) above.

^95.    Which type of departmentalization achieves economies of scale by placing people with common skills and orientations into common units?

(a)	Functional
(b)	Product
(c)	Geographical
(d)	Process
(e)	Customer.

96.    Among different problem solving techniques, which technique is not only an effective decision making tool in business applications, but is also widely used for decision making in technological, political, cultural and governmental situations?

(a)    Brainstorming

(b)    The nominal group technique

(c)    The delphi technique

(d)    Quality circles

(e)    Quality of work life.

97.    The objective of OD programs could either be to generate data or formulate action plans based on this data. Certain kinds of data are likely to be more useful than others in an OD program. Which of the following data is more useful in an OD program?

(a)    Technical data

(b)    Human and social processes data

(c)    Contradictory data

(d)    Financial information data

(e)    Market information data.

98.    Every employee in an organization is required to play diverse roles within and outside an organization. Role is referred to as

(a)    A set of behavior patterns where an individual occupies a certain position in a society and is expected to display

(b)    A set of standards where all members in a group follow and agree upon

(c)    A social position or rank given to groups or members by others

(d)    A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment

(e)    A personality dimension describing someone who is sociable, talkative, and assertive.

99.    Judgmental heuristics and biases model is one of the models of decision making. In this regard, which of the following statements is/are not true?

I.    The judgmental heuristics and biases model assumes that the decision maker is perfectly rational while making a decision.

II.    According to this model, as managers gain experience they tend to develop heuristics or rules of thumb to assess the present situation.

III.    While the usage of heuristics simplifies the decision making process, it can also prove to be counter productive

under certain conditions.

(a)    Only (I) above

(b)    Only (II) above

(c)    Only (III) above

(d)    Both (I) and (II) above

(e)    Both (II) and (III) above.

100.    Managers tend to be prejudiced against their colleagues and subordinates due to racial, regional, age and gender differences. This is called

(a)	Halo effect
(b)	Stereotyping
(c)	Glass ceiling effect
(d)	Figure ground
(e)	Perceptual proximity

Suggested Answers Organizational Behavior - II (MB1B2): January 2009

ANSWER    REASON

B The unbroken line of authority that ultimately links each individual with the top organizational position through a managerial position at each successive layer in between is chain of command.

Departmentalization is the subdividing of activities and responsibilities areas in to units with in organization.

A method of vertical coordination that addresses the degree to which written policies rules, procedures, and other documents specify what actions are to be taken under a given set of circumstances.

A vertical coordination method that addresses the extent to which power and authority are delegated to lower levels.

The power to conduct investigations and advice line managers, but not to implement these recommendations.

D Dominating occurs when each party tries to satisfy its own interest at the expense of the other party.

Span of control refers to the ratio of managers to subordinates.

E In sensitivity training the sessions are generally unstructured, without any agenda.

C In functional centralization, there is a separate department for each function and < it carries out that function for all the business units of the organization.

In organizations following functional decentralization, there are no departments that exclusively perform a particular function.

The analytical use of the concept of decentralization depends on the nature of managers rather than the formal policy of the organization.

D In the case of pooled interdependence, the degree of interaction and < coordination between groups is lower than in sequential or reciprocal interdependence.

7.    C Statements (I) and (II) are true.

According to propinquity theory, people associate with one another due to geographical proximity.

Propinquity theory provides a basic explanation of group formation.

Exchange theory states that affiliation or association takes place when the reward-cost equation has a positive outcome.

In the field of OD, there are four versions of action research. These are diagnostic, participant, empirical and experimental.

Walton classified the issues that give rise to conflicts into two broad types -substantive and emotional. Substantive issues refer to competition between individuals for scarce resources and differences in opinion regarding policies and procedures, roles and relationships and the like.

The use of Quality Circles is not limited to manufacturing firms only. They can be used in factories, firms, schools, hospitals, universities, banks, government offices etc.

Integrative bargaining: Negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that can create a win-win solution.

a)    Problem-solving takes place when all parties to the conflict fully cooperate with each other but do not let go of their own interests in doing so.

b)    Distributive bargaining: Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources. Its a win-lose situation.

c)    Compromising occurs when the parties to the conflict give up some of their demands in order to resolve the problem.

e) Collective bargaining is a managerial tool that facilitates an amicable and mutually acceptable agreement between the management and the employees, to solve all employment related problems.

Statements (II) and (III) are true.

As a result of specialization, an employee acquires the skills needed to complete a sub-task instead of those required to complete the entire task.

Work specialization allows organizations to allocate tasks to employees depending on their abilities.

The economies of work specialization are negated by the diseconomies that result due to human fatigue.

Simons bounded rationality model is believed to work under conditions where the organizational objectives are dynamic rather than static and where perfect information about the nature of the problem or the alternative courses of action is not available.

A work group is a group that interacts primarily to share information and to < make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility.

The summarized results of the discussion is then sent back to the experts seeking their response to the results. This stage comes under the Delphi technique process.

16. D Here, Martin is experiencing role ambiguity. If an employees roles and responsibilities are not defined clearly, he may find it difficult to prioritize his tasks. This may lead to intrapersonal conflict.

17.    C In clan culture, all organizational members participate in decision-making and

decisions are based on consensus.

18.    B Statement (II) is not true.

I.    The person who has legitimate power has the right to punish as well as reward other people.

II.    Legitimate power is broader in scope than both coercive and reward power.

III.    Legitimate power closely resembles authority and primarily includes acceptance by organizational members of the authority of the position.

19.    D The process-maintenance component of the OD process focuses on managing

the conflicts which tend to arise during implementation of the OD process.

20.    B The conflict between Jay and Kay is structural in nature. The size of the work

groups, degree of specialization of employees, role clarity of individuals and departments, leadership style, and diversity of goals and reward systems constitute structural variables.

In the given scenario, the differences in the goals of the sales person and the credit manager led to the conflict between them.

21.    A Statement (I) is not true.

I.    Jobs which are less formalized provide workers in the organization with greater autonomy in the way it is performed.

II.    A strong organizational culture results in greater consistency of employee behavior and can replace the process of formalization.

III.    The development of a strong organizational culture additionally eliminates the need for documenting rules and procedures, which is required for formalization.

22.    C Organizations lay down strict guidelines for new employees to make them

aware of how to get along in the organization and how to become accepted as members of the organization. These comes under the organizations rules.

23.    A Group polarization: It refers to the shift in attitudes of members of a group

towards a more extreme state after having a discussion among them than was the attitude before the discussion. Members of a group tend to opt for riskier decisions while in a group than they would have if they were to decide individually regarding the same decision situation.

24.    A A mediator uses logical reasoning and persuasion techniques to convince the

parties to arrive at an agreement.

Statement (II) is incorrect: Arbitrator has the authority to enforce his decision on the conflicting parties.

Statements (III) & (IV) are incorrect: Conciliator serves as an informal communication link between parties. He is trusted by both the parties.

25. D The concept of parallel learning structures was introduced by Dale Zand. He called it collateral organization and defined it as a supplemental organization coexisting with the usual, formal organization.

26.    B Programmed decisions involve the decisions that are generally taken by

personnel at the lower management level.

27.    D Increasing complexity of tasks, delays in decision making and extended lines of

communication create their own complexities which often make the coordination methods ineffective. The following statements describes about teams as a coordination method:-

   It is permanently set up to deal with inter group problems

   It is cross-functional in nature and consists of members from various departments

   The members in this method have dual responsibilities, towards their own departments

and towards the team.

Statement (IV) - It is mostly in the task forces method where task force becomes ineffective when the problem gets bigger or cannot be solved within a short time.

28.    A Skill-based pay systems: These systems make it compulsory for employees to

master a set of important skills, which are necessary for good team performance.

29.    D The consultant begins to view the manager or the executive and his

subordinates as the client is a part of Defining the client system.

The consultant tends to apply interventions which he favors or which have been successfully implemented in the past, is a part of proper diagnosis and use of appropriate intervention.

30.    B Rules and proceduresHierarchyPlanningLiaison rolesTask

forces Teams Integrating departments.

31.    E In cooptation, leaders among the employees resisting change are offered a key

role to play in the change decision and change implementation program. This is only to obtain the endorsement of the trouble makers among the employees and not because their opinion is valued.

A Statement (I) is not true since legitimate power refers to the power a person receives because of his or her position in the formal organizational hierarchy. Statement (II) is true- The increasingly specialized nature of jobs has increased the dependence on experts to accomplish goals.

Statement (III) is true - For a person to assume expert power, the people over whom power is to be wielded must perceive the expert to be credible, trustworthy and relevant.

Multiple interpretations is an advantage of diversity in teams.

34.    B Avoiding takes place when one of the parties to a conflict recognizes the

existence of a conflicting situation, and tries to avoid the other party.

35.    E There are two basic goals of planned change:

   To change the behavior of employees.

   To enhance the ability of organizations to adapt themselves to the changes in the external environment.

36.    C In a formal organization, the focus is on the position held by a person within the

organization and his authority and responsibilities. In an informal organization, the focus is on people and their relationships with each other.

In a formal organization, power is derived from the position held by an individual. In an informal organization, power is purely personal in origin. So, only option (c) is correct.

37.    A When decisions are made by a cohesive group of individuals, their motivation

to appraise and appreciate alternative courses of action are overpowered by their desire for unanimity of decision. This phenomenon which is commonly observed in group decision making processes is referred to as groupthink.

38.    B The consultant should avoid playing the role of a content expert by giving

substantive advice, since this will reduce his effectiveness as an OD consultant.

39.    B Legitimate political behavior is part of every organization and most of the

members indulge in it at sometime or the other.

40.    B To involve teams in organizational matters, fully autonomous teams, called self

managed work teams, were developed. These teams could give solutions to problems, implement them and be held responsible for the results.

Statements (I) and (II) are not true.

Intelligence activity - This phase of the decision making process examines conditions in the environment that necessitate the management to take a decision.

Design activity- In this phase, the managers attempt to identify, develop, analyze and compare the various courses of action available to them.

Choice activity- This is the final phase of the decision making process, wherein managers actually choose to go ahead with a particular course of action.

Statement (III) is not true.

People who have low self-esteem are more likely to be involved in conflict.

Escalation of commitment is the inherent propensity of decision makers to commit resources to a course of action that is certain to fail.

Pipe dreams/wish fulfillment: These types of rumors express the hopes and desires of the people who are responsible for circulating these rumors in the organization.

The following statements are true regarding individual vs team players:

   All individuals may not be team players.

   A major barrier to the creation of work teams is resistance from individual workers.

   It is very difficult and sometimes impossible to shape an individual into a team player when the countrys culture is individualistic in nature.

The changes that occur in organizations suddenly without any significant error or involvement on the part of the employees or management are called unplanned changes.

In Intention stage of the conflict process, individuals decide on the action that is to be taken to deal with the conflict

Organizations always attempt to maintain a steady and balanced state that is conducive to employees. But, when a change program is initiated in the organization, the structural inertia created by these inbuilt mechanisms offer strong resistance.

All other options are the individual sources of resistance.

Compromising occurs when the parties to the conflict give up some of their demands in order to resolve the problem.

Problem-solving takes place when all parties to the conflict fully cooperate with each other but do not let go of their own interests in doing so.

Dominating occurs when each party tries to satisfy its own interests at the expense of the other party. Avoiding takes place when one of the parties to a conflict recognizes the existence of a conflicting situation, and tries to avoid the party. Accommodating takes place when one party tries to satisfy the interests of the other party by sacrificing its own interests.

Statement (III) is not true since the behavior of the employees is governed by contractual agreements in market culture. Statements (I) and (II) are true regarding market culture.

51.    E Wedge drivers are types of rumors that are negative and divisive in nature. They

are fueled by feelings of aggression, hatred, or hostility towards others.

52.    A Only statement (I) is true regarding adjourning stage of group development.

Statement (II) is true in case of norming stage. Statement (III) is true in case of forming stage of group development.

53.    D Reciprocal interdependence exists when there is an exchange of inputs and

outputs among groups.

Pooled interdependence: when two or more groups function independently but their output needs to be combined to achieve overall objectives of the organization, the groups are said to be pooled interdependence.

Sequential interdependence: This exits when one of the groups is dependent on the other for some input, but the reverse is not true.

54.    B The observed behavioral regularities include the common language,

terminology, rituals, symbols, etc. that employees in an organization observe while interacting with one another.

55.    C The representative heuristic is generally observed when decision makers tend to

predict the probability of an outcome based on their previous experiences in similar decision making situations.

56.    A Job descriptions cannot be included in the definition of organizational culture.

57.    A BATNA - Best Alternative to a negotiated agreement

   Each party to the conflict will have certain high priority objectives. The agreement that satisfies these objectives is referred as BATNA. If the negotiator wants his BATNA to be accepted by the other party, he should be able to offer a negotiation proposal that is equivalent to or more attractive than the BATNA of the other party.

   Integrative Bargaining is based on assumption that there exist one/more solution to a problem that would result in a win-win situations.

58.    E All the statements are true regarding role perception

   Role perception involves understanding how one is supposed to behave in a particular role by observing the behavior of another individual in the same role.

   External stimuli in the form of books, movies, television etc influences role perception.

   The role is both perceived and interpreted through external learning before being enacted.

59. D Cluster chain: In this type, people transmit information to others selectively. So, the message gradually dies out because those who receive it do not pass it on to others.

60.    D Members of an organization use a common language in dealing with one

another. The language used may include simple technical jargons or acronyms that are identified by a majority of members in the organization or a particular department of the organization.

61. D Storming: This stage is characterized by conflict and confrontation within the group.

62.    E Statements (III) and (IV) are true regarding depth of an intervention.

   The depth of an intervention depends upon the knowledge possessed by the consultant on various conceptual models and intervention techniques.

   The depth of the intervention should be only to the extent to which the client is willing to commit its resources towards solving the problem.

63.    A The main purpose of the formal group diagnostic method is to analyze the

reasons for the existence of the team. In this, the leader asks his members to identify the strengths of the team, the problems that need immediate attention, their perceptions on where the team is heading, interpersonal relations within the team and the ways to improve performance of the team.

64.    A Role identity: The attitude and behavior of an individual gives rise to role

identity. When a certain situation requires the individual to make major changes in his behavior and attitude, the individual does so in order to fit the role.

65.    B Participation may take the form of physical, emotional or intellectual

involvement of employees during a decision making process.

The degree of participation by employees varies from one organization to the other.

The decision making system could be one of absolutely nil participation, where the manager decides on every issue without consulting the other employees.

66.    D The systems approach to OD tries to analyze events by finding multiple causes

for the event rather than identifying only a single cause.

D Force Field analysis technique is based on the assumption that there are two forces, namely driving forces and restraining forces that play a role in attaining a desired state of equilibrium in an organization.

The purpose of sensitivity training is to sensitize people to perceptions and the behavior related aspects of themselves and others.

In survey feedback technique, data is collected systematically from a large sample of employees at all levels of the organization or an organizational unit.

Process consultation: This technique seeks to resolve interpersonal problems and increase the participation of employees in problem solving process. In this, greater emphasis is laid on understanding organizational processes.

Team interventions are the techniques used by OD practitioners to improve the performance of work teams.

B Informal groups are formed by the employees themselves.

Tasks groups are formed to carry out specific tasks. Such groups are temporary in nature.

A command group is represented in the organization chart and is relatively permanent in nature.

C Statements (I) and (II) are true.

I.    When an organization does not have clear goals, it provides more opportunity to employees to engage in politics.

II.    When organizations place a lot of importance on performance and when responsibilities are fixed; people are more likely to engage in politicking.

III.    When an organization faces a scarcity of resources, the employees are more likely to engage in politicking.

C In probability chain, an individual may come in contact with several persons but will randomly pass information to a few of them.

71.    B Statements (I),(II) and (III) are true.

Status plays a significant role as a motivator and is an important factor in human behavior.

Offering organizational titles or providing special amenities may formally establish status.

Status may be acquired informally by virtue of characteristics such as age, gender, skill and experience.

Statement (IV) is not true since, when inequity is perceived in the status hierarchy of a group, it creates disequilibrium.

72.    A Statement (I) is true.

In encounter stage, the employee becomes aware of the reality of the workplace as compared to his/her expectations of the job and the organization.

In prearrival stage, each employee is treated as an individual with a distinct set of values and principles.

In prearrival stage, a gradual attempt is made to introduce the values, norms and expectations of the organization to the new employee.

73.    B In terms of Vrooms expectancy-valence theory, reward power refers to a

persons ability to administer positive valences to another person and the recognition of this power by the other person.

74.    C The behavioral approach towards decision making emphasizes the role and

importance of human behavior in the process of decision making.

Behavioral approach emphasizes that decision makers are prone to varying degrees of rationality while making decisions.

According to the behavioral approach, there is a scope for an element of subjectivity to creep in during the process of decision making.

75.    C The power-coercive strategy assume that change can be brought about by

making people who have less power comply with the instructions given by people who have more power.

76.    B An individual plays a variety of roles in different groups as well as balances the

various roles he plays. Sometimes, these roles place conflicting demands on the individual. This is known as role conflict.

77.    D Norming: The stage is characterized by the development of close relationships

and cohesiveness within the group. Members develop a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie. The stage is completed when a common set of expectations defining appropriate behavior has been developed. In this stage, there is development of close relationships and cohesiveness within the group. Statement (IV) is true in case of storming stage.

78.    A Cousin T-groups include people working in the same organization who may not

know each other. They may be from different departments, plants or locations.

79.    D The various methods to control rumors are:

Paying heed to the rumors

Providing adequate information to employees in times of uncertainty.

Identifying the causes of rumors and tackling them.

Seeking support of the informal and union leaders.

80.    E Even if individuals want to change their behavior, group norms may act as a

constraint. This is known as group inertia and it comes under the organizational resistance to change.

81.    B A type of formal group that is represented in the organization chart; is relatively

permanent in nature and wherein employees/ members report to a common superior is known as Command group.

Interest groups: kind of informal group

Task group: are temporary groups formed to carry out specific tasks. Once the task is or the problem is solved, they are dissolved.

Primary group: members tend to have similar values and loyalties and feelings of comradeship towards each other.

Secondary group: these are large in size and members share the same values and beliefs, but because of the size of the group they do not interact often with each other.

Taking into consideration the normative-re-educative strategy of change, the OD < program has the following implications:

   The clients suggest the improvements and changes desired in the organization.

   The change agent, i.e. the OD practitioner and the client make collaborative efforts to design interventions for the client organization. Together they define problems, develop solutions and identify obstacles that may impede the generation of effective solutions.

   Solutions can be developed not only by applying technical knowledge or information, but can also be generated by understanding the values, attitudes, relationships, and the usual way of doing things in the organization.

83.    B Adhocracy: In this type of culture, the performance of individual members is

judged on the basis of their commitment to organizational values and norms.

84.    D It has been revealed that groups do not follow standard pattern of development

The following statements are true for the punctuated equilibrium model

(I)    the members of this group suddenly experience a heightened sense of awareness of the lapse of time and lack of progress in the project

(II)    the last meeting of the group just before the completion of the project is marked by a period of intense activity

(III)    the sudden awareness of the limited time left to complete the project act as an alarm and leads to flurry of activity

Statement (IV) is incorrect because punctuated equilibrium model is not very predictable or precise.

85.    B Grapevine refers to oral communication between employees; it also includes

informal written communication & electronic messages. Gossip chain is the pattern of grapevine, where one person randomly spreads information to everybody he comes in contact with.

86.    D The role profile consists of discretionary activities of the role, obligatory duties

towards other roles and the expectations of focal role from other roles in the organization.

87.    D Statements (I), (II) and (IV) are true regarding power. Statement (III) is not true

since influence has a broader scope than influence.

88.    B Bureaucracy is an ideal structure for organizations. Unfortunately, when

organizations attempt to restructure, bureaucracy becomes a major barrier to change.

89.    C Coalitions group:They are independent of the formal organization structure ;

they try to address the issues which are important to the members

Statement (III) is true in case of formal group

Statement (IV) is true in case of task group.

90.    A Issue diagnosis: In this step, the parties are given issue diagnosis forms. In the

forms, each part writes what type of change in work behavior he expects from others and in what way will the change affect his own performance.

91.    D Departmentalization by customer: This method involves dividing the

organization into different departments based on the types of customers they serve.

92.    E Sensitivity training is a method of changing individual behavior through

unstructured group interaction. The main objective of sensitivity training is to develop awareness and sensitivity patterns of oneself and others. Participants are brought together in a free and open environment when they interact with each other, loosely facilitated by a professional behavioral scientist.

93.    C The changing trends in global economy, workforce, technology and

organizations will have a major impact on processes and practices of OD. In this context, the need for clarity regarding OD values will increase in the future.

94.    E Groups unlike mobs, tend to have a definite structure. The following statements

are true for group structure.

It helps in shaping the behavior of its members.

It helps in predicting the behavior of its members.

It guides the performance of the group as a whole.

95.    A Departmentalization by function: The method involves grouping people with

similar skills into one unit which helps organizations utilize employee skills efficiently and achieve economies of scale.

96.    C Delphi technique is not only an effective decision making tool in business

applications, but is also widely used for decision making in technological, political, cultural and governmental situations.

97.    B Data pertaining to human and social processes finds more use in an OD program

than technical data, financial information and market information.

98.    A As every employee in an organization is required to play diverse roles within

and outside an organization, role is referred to as a set of behavior patterns where an individual occupies a certain position in a society and is expected to display.

A set of standards where all members in a group follow and agree upon are norms.

Status is a social position or rank given to groups or members by others.

A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment is perception.

A personality dimension describing someone who is sociable, talkative, and assertive. Is extraversion.

_{99.    A} The economic rationality model assumes that the decision maker is perfectly

rational while making a decision.

According to this model, as managers gain experience they tend to develop heuristics or rules of thumb to assess the present situation.

While the usage of heuristics simplifies the decision making process, it can also prove to be counter productive under certain conditions.

100.    B Managers tend to be prejudiced against their colleagues and subordinates due to

racial, regional, age and gender differences. This is called stereotyping..

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