COOP Organizational Dynamics & Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ombuds notices that a department consistently produces more complaints than others. Which organizational behavior concept best explains this pattern?
- Individual personality disorders
- Systemic cultural or structural dysfunction (Correct answer)
- Random statistical variation
- Seasonal workload fluctuations
Correct answer: Systemic cultural or structural dysfunction
Persistent complaint patterns from a single unit typically signal systemic cultural or structural issues rather than individual factors.
Question 2: Which leadership theory focuses on the exchange relationship between leaders and followers, where each party receives something of value?
- Servant leadership
- Transformational leadership
- Transactional leadership (Correct answer)
- Authentic leadership
Correct answer: Transactional leadership
Transactional leadership is based on exchanges—leaders provide rewards or punishments in return for follower compliance or performance.
Question 3: A visitor to an ombuds describes feeling excluded from informal networks despite strong performance. This is most related to which organizational concept?
- Role ambiguity
- Informal organization and in-group dynamics (Correct answer)
- Span of control
- Bureaucratic red tape
Correct answer: Informal organization and in-group dynamics
Informal organizations and in-group dynamics can exclude high performers who lack social connections to influential networks.
Question 4: When an organization's espoused values conflict with its enacted values, this gap is known as:
- Cognitive dissonance at scale
- Organizational hypocrisy (Correct answer)
- Mission drift
- Value neutrality
Correct answer: Organizational hypocrisy
Organizational hypocrisy occurs when stated values diverge from actual behavior, eroding trust and credibility.
Question 5: An ombuds observes that employees avoid raising concerns because they fear being seen as 'not a team player.' This reflects which organizational dynamic?
- Distributive injustice
- Conformity pressure suppressing voice (Correct answer)
- Insufficient training
- Excessive bureaucracy
Correct answer: Conformity pressure suppressing voice
Conformity pressure can silence legitimate concerns when employees fear social sanctions for deviating from group norms.
Question 6: Which type of organizational conflict is most likely to be productive when managed well?
- Relationship conflict
- Process conflict at high intensity
- Task or cognitive conflict at moderate levels (Correct answer)
- Status conflict
Correct answer: Task or cognitive conflict at moderate levels
Moderate task conflict can improve decision quality by surfacing diverse perspectives, unlike relationship or status conflicts.
Question 7: The concept of 'psychological safety' in teams, as studied by Amy Edmondson, refers to:
- Physical workplace safety protocols
- A shared belief that interpersonal risk-taking is safe (Correct answer)
- Legal protections for whistleblowers
- Mental health support programs
Correct answer: A shared belief that interpersonal risk-taking is safe
Psychological safety is the shared team belief that members can speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment.
COOP Organizational Dynamics & Behavior 2
An ombuds notices that a department consistently produces more complaints than others.
Which organizational behavior concept best explains this pattern?