MBA Leadership 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which leadership theory suggests that effective leadership depends on matching the leader's style to the situation's favorability?
- Path-Goal Theory
- Fiedler's Contingency Model (Correct answer)
- Situational Leadership Theory
- Leader-Member Exchange Theory
Correct answer: Fiedler's Contingency Model
Fiedler's Contingency Model holds that a leader's effectiveness depends on the match between their fixed leadership style and situational favorability.
Question 2: A CEO practices 'servant leadership.' Which behavior BEST exemplifies this approach?
- Setting aggressive performance targets for all departments
- Prioritizing the growth and well-being of team members over personal authority (Correct answer)
- Delegating all decisions to middle managers to avoid micromanagement
- Focusing on shareholder returns above all other stakeholder interests
Correct answer: Prioritizing the growth and well-being of team members over personal authority
Servant leadership centers on serving others first — prioritizing employees' development and needs over the leader's own power or status.
Question 3: In the context of emotional intelligence (EI), which component refers to the ability to understand and share the feelings of others?
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy (Correct answer)
- Social skills
Correct answer: Empathy
Empathy, one of Goleman's five EI components, is the capacity to understand others' emotional states and respond appropriately.
Question 4: Which leadership style is MOST effective when followers are highly skilled, experienced, and motivated?
- Telling (S1)
- Selling (S2)
- Participating (S3)
- Delegating (S4) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Delegating (S4)
In Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership model, Delegating (S4) is best for followers with high competence and high commitment.
Question 5: A manager consistently takes credit for team successes but blames the team for failures. This behavior MOST damages which aspect of leadership effectiveness?
- Task orientation
- Initiating structure
- Psychological safety and trust (Correct answer)
- Span of control
Correct answer: Psychological safety and trust
Taking credit and deflecting blame erodes trust and psychological safety, making team members less willing to take initiative or be candid.
Question 6: What does the concept of 'authentic leadership' primarily emphasize?
- Adapting communication style to every audience
- Leading with self-awareness, transparency, and consistency between values and actions (Correct answer)
- Maximizing follower satisfaction through rewards
- Using data-driven decision-making over intuition
Correct answer: Leading with self-awareness, transparency, and consistency between values and actions
Authentic leadership stresses that effective leaders are self-aware, transparent, and act consistently with their internalized values.
Question 7: Which phenomenon occurs when a highly cohesive group prioritizes consensus and harmony over critical evaluation of alternatives?
- Groupshift
- Social loafing
- Groupthink (Correct answer)
- Escalation of commitment
Correct answer: Groupthink
Groupthink, identified by Janis, occurs when the desire for group cohesion suppresses dissent and leads to poor, uncritical decision-making.
MBA Leadership 2
Which leadership theory suggests that effective leadership depends on matching the leader's style to the situation's favorability?