MEM Leadership And Organizational Behavior 5

Question 1

Which leadership theory focuses on the exchange relationship between leader and follower, where compliance is motivated by rewards and punishments?

Accepted Answer

Transactional Leadership Theory

Answer

Transactional leadership is based on a quid pro quo — followers receive rewards for performance and consequences for failure to meet expectations.

Question 2

A team experiencing 'groupthink' is MOST at risk of:

Accepted Answer

Making poor decisions because dissenting views are suppressed

Answer

Groupthink occurs when the desire for harmony and conformity overrides critical evaluation, leading to flawed or irrational decisions.

Question 3

According to Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, what is the FIRST step when leading organizational change?

Accepted Answer

Establishing a sense of urgency

Answer

Kotter identifies creating urgency as the foundation — without it, employees lack motivation to abandon the status quo.

Question 4

An MEM student is analyzing why a technically sound engineering initiative failed after implementation. The MOST likely organizational behavior factor is:

Accepted Answer

Lack of stakeholder buy-in and change management planning

Answer

Technical soundness alone rarely determines project success; organizational resistance and poor change management are leading causes of initiative failure.

Question 5

In equity theory, an employee who perceives they are underrewarded relative to peers will MOST likely:

Accepted Answer

Reduce their effort or seek to restore equity through other means

Answer

Adams' Equity Theory predicts that perceived inequity creates tension, motivating individuals to reduce inputs or change their comparison referent to restore balance.

MEM - Master of Engineering Management Practice Test

MEM - Master of Engineering Management Practice Test

MEM Leadership And Organizational Behavior 5