COOP Organizational Dynamics & Behavior 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee describes a manager who claims credit for team successes but blames others for failures. This behavior pattern is associated with:
- Servant leadership
- Self-serving attribution bias (Correct answer)
- Transformational leadership
- Procedural fairness
Correct answer: Self-serving attribution bias
Self-serving attribution bias leads individuals to attribute successes internally and failures externally to protect their self-image.
Question 2: Which organizational model describes layers of management with clear lines of authority and standardized rules?
- Adhocracy
- Flat organization
- Bureaucratic hierarchy (Correct answer)
- Networked organization
Correct answer: Bureaucratic hierarchy
Bureaucratic hierarchies feature vertical authority chains, formalized rules, and specialized roles as described by Max Weber.
Question 3: An ombuds is approached by someone who feels they were passed over for promotion due to their gender. Understanding this requires knowledge of:
- Systems theory only
- Equity theory and structural bias (Correct answer)
- Operant conditioning
- Resource dependency theory
Correct answer: Equity theory and structural bias
Equity theory addresses perceived fairness in outcomes, and structural bias explains how systemic factors can disadvantage protected groups.
Question 4: Which phenomenon occurs when a highly cohesive group prioritizes consensus over critical evaluation of alternatives?
- Social loafing
- Groupthink (Correct answer)
- Risky shift
- Deindividuation
Correct answer: Groupthink
Groupthink, identified by Irving Janis, occurs when cohesive groups suppress dissent to maintain harmony, leading to poor decisions.
Question 5: A visitor complains that their performance goals change frequently without explanation. This relates to which organizational issue?
- Role overload
- Goal displacement
- Role ambiguity due to shifting priorities (Correct answer)
- Span of control problems
Correct answer: Role ambiguity due to shifting priorities
Frequently changing goals without clear rationale create role ambiguity, making it impossible for employees to prioritize effectively.
Question 6: The 'iceberg model' of organizational culture suggests that:
- Most cultural elements are visible and easily changed
- Artifacts are more important than assumptions
- Most cultural elements are hidden below the surface (Correct answer)
- Culture is primarily determined by leadership style
Correct answer: Most cultural elements are hidden below the surface
Like an iceberg, organizational culture's deepest elements—basic assumptions and values—lie below the surface and are hardest to change.
Question 7: When employees perform better because they know they are being observed, this is called:
- The Pygmalion effect
- Social facilitation or the Hawthorne effect (Correct answer)
- Placebo effect
- Confirmation bias
Correct answer: Social facilitation or the Hawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect describes the tendency of people to change their behavior when they know they're being watched or studied.
COOP Organizational Dynamics & Behavior 3
An employee describes a manager who claims credit for team successes but blames others for failures.
This behavior pattern is associated with: