Free Practice Questions for WGU Organizational-Behavior Exam

Answer : D

A self-managed work team is characterized by its high level of autonomy and collective responsibility. To improve synergy and success, these teams must move beyond simply sharing information (which is characteristic of a work group) and engage in collective actions. One of the primary hallmarks of a successful self-managed team is the ability to exercise collective control over the pace of work.

In a traditional assembly line, the pace is dictated by the machinery or a supervisor. In a self-managed team, members decide how to schedule work, assign tasks, and monitor their own progress. This collective control fosters a sense of ownership and accountability. Options A and C describe traditional 'work group' behaviors rather than team behaviors; teams require mutual accountability rather than just individual roles. By controlling their own pace and methods, team members can synchronize their efforts more effectively, leading to the positive synergy where the team's output is greater than the sum of individual inputs.

Answer : A

In Organizational Behavior, a critical distinction is made between a 'work group' and a 'work team'. A work group is a collection of individuals who interact primarily to share information and make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility. In a work group, there is no particular need or opportunity for collective work that requires joint effort; therefore, their performance is merely the summation of each group member's individual contribution.

A work team, however, is a group whose individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs. The fundamental goal of a work team is collective performance. While work groups focus on individual accountability and sharing information to assist individual tasks, work teams focus on mutual accountability and synergy. This synergy allows the team to achieve a level of output that exceeds what the members could accomplish alone. For a team to be effective, it requires a mix of complementary skills---technical, problem-solving, and interpersonal---directed toward a common purpose and specific performance goals. Managers transition from groups to teams when the task at hand is complex enough that it requires the coordinated, collective effort of multiple people rather than just a series of independent tasks. Therefore, the shift from 'sharing information' (group) to 'collective performance' (team) represents a significant increase in the interdependence of the members.

Answer : C

In Organizational Behavior, values are often classified using the Rokeach Value Survey, which distinguishes between Terminal Values and Instrumental Values. Terminal values represent the ultimate goals or 'end-states' an individual hopes to achieve, such as prosperity (economic success), well-being, and world peace. These are the destinations toward which a person works. In contrast, instrumental values are the 'modes of conduct' or the means by which one achieves those terminal goals.

In this specific scenario, 'autonomy and self-reliance' are categorized as instrumental values because they describe the behavioral methods an employee uses to navigate the workplace and eventually reach their terminal goals, such as economic success or personal well-being. For example, an employee might use autonomy (an instrumental value) as a tool to gain the efficiency required to achieve prosperity (a terminal value). Understanding this distinction is vital for managers because while terminal values tell us what the employee wants to achieve, instrumental values tell us how they prefer to behave in order to get there. Autonomy and self-reliance are practical approaches to work life rather than the final life-goals themselves, thus fitting the definition of instrumental values perfectly.

Answer : B

Charismatic Leadership Theory suggests that followers make attributions of heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors. The most fundamental way a charismatic leader increases performance is by articulating an appealing vision. This vision serves as a long-term strategy for attaining a goal by making the future better than the status quo.

A charismatic leader does not just set goals; they provide a 'vision statement'---a formal proclamation of an organization's mission---that they use to imprint on followers an overarching goal and purpose. They then communicate high-performance expectations and express confidence that followers can attain them, which enhances follower self-esteem. Unlike transactional leaders who rely on rewards or directive approaches, charismatic leaders use emotional appeal and personal risk-taking to inspire followers to go beyond their self-interest for the sake of the organization. This articulation of a 'better future' is the primary engine of motivation in charismatic leadership.

Answer : A

Virtual teams use computer technology to unite physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. The defining advantage of virtual teams is their ability to overcome the constraints of time and space, allowing people to work together who might otherwise not be able to collaborate on a work task. This is particularly beneficial for global organizations that need to pull together the best experts regardless of where they are located in the world.

However, virtual teams face unique challenges compared to face-to-face teams. Because they rely on electronic communication, they often suffer from a lack of nonverbal cues (like body language and tone of voice), which makes communication less rich and more prone to misunderstanding. Consequently, virtual teams often report lower levels of satisfaction with the interaction process and may take longer to build trust and rapport (refuting options B and D). To be effective, managers of virtual teams must ensure that the team has the right technology, that progress is closely monitored, and that efforts are made to create 'social presence' through occasional video calls or face-to-face meetings to build the trust that forms more naturally in traditional office settings. Despite these hurdles, the strategic benefit of accessing diverse talent from across the globe makes the virtual team an essential tool in the modern organizational landscape.