Deck 15: Overview and Integration

Question 1

Which conclusion about progress in leadership research is MOST accurate?

A) Most leadership studies have yielded useful knowledge.
B) Progress has been much faster than was initially expected.
C) Much has been learned about determinants of effective leadership.
D) Very little is known about the determinants of effective leadership.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which type of research is LEAST likely to be useful for increasing our understanding of leadership at this point in the development of the field?

A) comparative case studies
B) same-source survey studies
C) field experiments
D) longitudinal field studies

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Effective leaders are MOST likely to ________.

A) make important task decisions by themselves
B) help build consensus about objectives and strategies
C) make decisions that will benefit powerful stakeholders
D) emphasize individual rights over collective responsibility

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of most leadership research?

A) an emphasis on explanatory processes and mediating variables
B) an assumption of strong effects by heroic individual leaders
C) a focus on dyadic processes rather than collective processes
D) an assumption of unidirectional causality from leader to followers

Question 5

Which is LEAST likely to be a reason for the confused state of the leadership literature?

A) a proliferation of confusing terms and diverse definitions
B) the use of complex theories to explain leader influence
C) the reliance on weak methods for much of the research
D) the narrow focus of most empirical studies on leadership

Question 6

Convergence of findings from different research approaches in leadership ________.

A) has been a prime concern of most leadership theorists
B) has been extensively validated by empirical research
C) is entirely a matter of speculation by academic scholars
D) is facilitated by an integrating conceptual framework

Question 7

________ empirical studies were conducted to understand effective leadership, but the results from most of this research are weak, inconsistent, and difficult to interpret.

A) A couple dozen
B) A few hundred
C) Several thousand
D) Almost one-hundred thousand

Question 8

The people who interact with a leader communicate ________ about appropriate behavior, and ________ are created by competing demands from different people (insiders versus outsiders, subordinates versus bosses).

A) role expectations; role conflicts
B) qualitative methods; quantitative methods
C) role conflicts; role expectations
D) quantitative methods; qualitative methods

Question 9

Which conclusion about trends in leadership research over the last decade is NOT correct?

A) More varied research methods have been used to study leadership.
B) There is more research to test contingency theories of leadership.
C) More of the studies include variables from the different approaches.
D) There is more research on cross-cultural differences in leadership.

Question 10

What research method is used MOST often to study leadership effectiveness?

A) survey field studies
B) laboratory experiments
C) field experiments
D) intensive case studies

Question 11

Aspects of the leadership situation ________ a leader's activities and behavior.

A) minimally influence
B) strongly influence
C) do not at all influence
D) are incapable of influencing

Question 12

Employee talent is relevant for understanding effective leadership at the ________.

A) dyadic level only
B) group level only
C) organizational level only
D) dyadic, group, and organizational levels

Question 13

The field of leadership has been in a state of ________ for decades.

A) ferment
B) stasis
C) balance
D) inertia

Question 14

Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a weakness in most leadership theory and research?

A) use of multiple methods to verify findings
B) overemphasis on dyadic processes
C) insufficient attention to explanatory processes
D) insufficient attention to the leadership context

Question 15

Which of the following was NOT described as an essential theme for effective leadership?

A) strengthen the collective identity of followers
B) rely on followers to interpret events
C) promote social justice and morality
D) encourage and facilitate collective learning

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a common feature of leadership research?

A) studies that involve field experiments
B) surveys conducted in real organizations
C) studies conducted to test leadership theories
D) studies with subordinate ratings of leader behavior

Question 17

What is the BEST conclusion about the current state of leadership theory?

A) Most of the theories are strongly supported by empirical research.
B) Most of the theories provide a good explanation of leadership processes.
C) Most of the theories are very comprehensive.
D) Most of the theories have not been adequately tested.

Question 18

The implications of empowerment for effective leadership are MOST important for which level of leadership theory?

A) individual level
B) dyadic level
C) group level
D) organizational level

Question 19

Which is NOT true for the integrating conceptual model presented in this chapter?

A) The model includes the influence leader traits, power, and behavior.
B) The model allows for reciprocal influence processes between variables.
C) The model is supported by many studies that examine all the linkages.
D) The model applies to dyadic, group, and organizational levels of analysis.

Question 20

What is the BEST conclusion about the results from the research on trait, behavior, and power-influence processes?

A) Each approach is so unique that the findings cannot be compared.
B) The findings are seldom statistically significant for any approach.
C) The findings from different approaches show substantial convergence.
D) The findings from different approaches are mostly inconsistent.

Question 21

________-oriented behaviors are used to modify objectives, strategies, and work processes and facilitate adaptation to the external environment.

A) Change
B) External
C) Task
D) Relations

Question 22

Role expectations and activity patterns are affected by all of the following EXCEPT the ________.

A) nature of the position
B) type of organization
C) culture of the organization
D) international culture

Question 23

________ skills are necessary to analyze problems, develop creative solutions, identify patterns and trends, differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information, understand complex relationships, and develop effective mental models.

A) Tactical
B) Conceptual
C) Technical
D) Interpersonal

Question 24

Management systems, reward systems, improvement programs, structural forms, and facilities are examples of ________.

A) indirect ways of influencing people
B) political tactics
C) proactive influence tactics
D) unethical influences

Question 25

Relevant leader behaviors include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) recruiting talented members with relevant skills
B) cross-training members on multiple tasks
C) improving skills that are developed
D) conducting team training

Question 26

________ power is acquired by successfully handling internal problems and external threats.

A) Expert
B) Social
C) Position
D) Referent

Question 27

Empowerment of individuals or groups is more successful when there is ________.

A) confusion about objectives and priorities
B) a low degree of decisiveness
C) lack of responsibility
D) a high degree of mutual trust

Question 28

Effective leaders ________.

A) never try to solve more than one problem at a time
B) relate problems to each other and informal objectives to solve more than one problem at a time
C) never solve fewer than three problems at a time
D) untangle related problems and consult informal objectives to solve them one at a time, in order of priority

Question 29

Talented employees are especially important for ________.

A) routine tasks
B) highly complex tasks
C) tasks requiring routine skills
D) tasks requiring skills that are easy to learn

Question 30

Which statement is true?

A) Dyadic behaviors cannot improve the performance of a leader's group.
B) Dyadic behaviors cannot improve the performance of a leader's work unit.
C) Dyadic behaviors are sufficient in and of themselves.
D) Dyadic behaviors can improve the performance of a leader's group or work unit, but other behaviors are also necessary.

Question 31

________-oriented behaviors are used to build commitment to work objectives, mutual trust and cooperation, and identification with the team or organization.

A) Change
B) External
C) Task
D) Relations

Question 32

Effective leaders take advantage of ________ as an opportunity for discretionary action.

A) role conflict
B) role expectations
C) role modeling
D) role ambiguity

Question 33

________ power is derived from aspects of the situation such as the amount of formal authority, control over distribution of rewards and punishments, control over information, and access to important people.

A) Expert
B) Social
C) Position
D) Referent

Question 34

________ influence are important for the leader to provide satisfactory benefits, obtain adequate resources, facilitate the work of the team, buffer subordinates from unreasonable demands, and represent their interests effectively.

A) Upward and lateral
B) Downward and lateral
C) Downward and diagonal
D) Upward and external

Question 35

Which is an example of an external constraint affecting the decisions and actions of leaders?

A) standard procedures
B) budgetary requirements
C) labor laws
D) organizational culture

Question 36

________ behaviors are used to ensure that internal activities are coordinated with related activities in other parts of the organization, and to get necessary information, resources, assistance, and support from bosses and people outside the leader's work unit.

A) Change
B) External
C) Task
D) Relations

Question 37

________-oriented behaviors are used to improve or maintain internal efficiency and coordination in a team or organization.

A) Change
B) External
C) Task
D) Relations

Question 38

All of the following are common process problems EXCEPT ________.

A) hasty decisions
B) polarization
C) groupthink
D) extensive participation

Question 39

The descriptive research found that effective leaders develop a ________ objectives and strategies.

A) written agenda of short-term
B) mental agenda of short- and long-term
C) written agenda of short- and long-term
D) mental agenda of long-term

Question 40

________ power is developed by being supportive, caring, fair, and accepting.

A) Expert
B) Social
C) Position
D) Referent

Question 41

Most leadership theories and related research have a ________ focus, with ________ integration of findings from the different approaches.

A) narrow; limited
B) narrow; abundant
C) broad; limited
D) broad; abundant

Question 42

________ skills are needed to influence people, develop cooperative relationships, establish and maintain social networks, understand individuals, facilitate teamwork, and resolve conflicts constructively.

A) Tactical
B) Conceptual
C) Technical
D) Interpersonal

Question 43

Personal identification by a subordinate with the leader provides potential ________ power over the subordinate.

A) referent
B) position
C) expert
D) upward

Question 44

Leaders with a personalized power orientation are MOST likely to try to ________.

A) build commitment to idealized goals
B) use consultation and delegation
C) gain personal loyalty from subordinates
D) empower subordinates by sharing information

Question 45

Which organizational explanatory construct is MOST similar to the dyadic construct subordinate self-efficacy and self-confidence?

A) mission commitment by all members and subunits
B) shared optimism and hope among organization members
C) integration among subunits, trust of top management
D) collective identification with the organization

Question 46

A mediating process at one level ________ at other levels.

A) can have no effect
B) may have beneficial or adverse consequences
C) may have only beneficial consequences
D) may have only adverse consequences

Question 47

Strong identification with a team or subunit ________.

A) provides the leader with potential referent power over subordinates
B) can result in greater cohesiveness
C) often causes a spike in the turnover rate
D) has no potential risks

Question 48

How leaders can influence the task commitment of a team is a key feature of ________-level theories of leadership.

A) dyadic
B) group
C) organization
D) industry

Question 49

As role specialization and role interdependence increase, it becomes ________ for leaders to match member skills with job requirements and to coordinate their activities.

A) unnecessary
B) easier
C) more difficult
D) impossible

Question 50

Social and emotional intelligence help a leader ________.

A) determine who needs to be influenced to support change and how to do it
B) recognize threats and opportunities in the external environment and formulate an appropriate strategy based on the organization's core competencies.
C) articulate an appealing vision and persuade people that change is necessary
D) direct unit activities and analyze operational problems

Question 51

Strong optimism usually ________.

A) increases commitment to achieve task objectives
B) has negative consequences
C) triggers risky decision making
D) results in the failure to recognize serious threats that require immediate action by the team or organization in order to avoid a disaster

Question 52

How leaders can influence a subordinate's task commitment is the primary focus of most ________ theories of leadership, and in many cases these theories are merely extensions of motivation theories.

A) dyadic
B) group
C) organizational
D) industry

Question 53

Explanatory constructs at one level of conceptualization can serve as ________ for the effects of leadership at a different level, and higher-level constructs may serve as ________ for the effects of leadership on lower-level processes or outcomes.

A) mediating variables; moderators
B) moderators; mediating variables
C) explanatory constructs; multilevel explanatory processes
D) multilevel explanatory processes; explanatory constructs

Question 54

________ skills are needed to understand activities, operational processes, products and services, technology, and legal/contractual requirements.

A) Tactical
B) Conceptual
C) Technical
D) Interpersonal

Question 55

Which group explanatory construct is MOST similar to the organization construct human capital and employee talent?

A) level and diversity of team member skills
B) collective identification with the team or unit
C) team or unit autonomy and empowerment
D) trust and cooperation among members

Question 56

________ is an important determinant of efficiency for an organization, and it involves not only the design of individual jobs but also the design of subunits and managerial positions with responsibility for planning and coordinating subunit activities.

A) Social identification
B) Specialization
C) Corporate culture
D) Collective learning

Question 57

At the dyadic level, leaders can influence the self-efficacy of an individual subordinate by ________.

A) making inspiring speeches
B) acting confident and optimistic
C) taking highly visible actions to deal with problems
D) providing clear explanations when assigning tasks

Question 58

By articulating an inspiring vision and taking symbolic actions that are consistent with the vision, top executives ________.

A) can only effectively influence employees during personal interactions
B) are only able to influence low-level subordinates
C) can influence members at all levels in the organization
D) run the risk of alienating mid-level employees

Question 59

A socialized power orientation in leaders ________.

A) encourages them to involve subordinates in determining how to achieve task objectives
B) is essential for maintaining mutual trust and credibility
C) causes them to seek to accumulate more power
D) is needed to conduct effective problem-solving meetings

Question 60

The number of studies that straddle more than one approach is ________; the different lines of research are gradually ________.

A) decreasing; converging
B) decreasing; diverging
C) increasing; converging
D) increasing; diverging

Question 61

How much power and influence a leader needs depends on the objectives and the situation.

Question 62

Dyadic theories of effective leadership provide a clear and comprehensive description of executives' influence on an organization.

Question 63

Until recently, most leadership studies have been guided by theories of ________ influence processes involving the effects of ________.

A) dyadic; individual leaders on individual followers
B) group; individual leaders on individual followers
C) dyadic; teams of leaders on groups of subordinates
D) group; teams of leaders on groups of subordinates

Question 64

Most research and theory on effective leadership has emphasized the importance of a single, heroic leader.

Question 65

There is little convergence in the findings about effective leadership provided by research on traits, behavior, power and influence, and situational variables.

Question 66

Which statement is NOT true?

A) Learning is essential for improving adaptation to external change.
B) Learning is a source of incremental improvements in efficiency and human capital.
C) Learning occurs at individual and group levels, but not at organizational levels.
D) An important form of leadership influence involves improvements in collective learning about effective processes and strategies.

Question 67

More research has been conducted on leader activities and behavior than on any other aspect of leadership.

Question 68

Confidence and optimism about the possibility of achieving difficult task objectives are motivational concepts that help to explain the performance of an individual, team, or organization.

Question 69

The many diverse situational demands and constraints allow leaders few choices about what aspects of the job to emphasize, how to allocate their time, and with whom to interact.

Question 70

Progress in understanding leadership has been ________ than expected from the ________ amount of effort expended on leadership research.

A) faster; wealth of publications and the immense
B) slower; wealth of publications and the immense
C) faster; dearth of publications and the minor
D) slower; dearth of publications and the minor

Question 71

Which is an example of a quantitative method?

A) questionnaires
B) open-ended survey questions
C) diaries
D) critical incidents

Question 72

Which statement is true?

A) Experiments are much easier to conduct than survey studies.
B) Survey studies can be completed more quickly than experiments.
C) Survey studies allow strong inferences about causality.
D) The use of laboratory and field experiments is decreasing.

Question 73

Processes such as developing dyadic relationships, building effective teams, and leading change often require ________ of study.

A) hours or days
B) days or weeks
C) months or years
D) years or decades

Question 74

A longitudinal case study uses interviews and also includes quantitative questionnaires administered periodically to some of the participants. Which statement is true?

A) In this example, only quantitative methods are used.
B) In this example, only qualitative methods are used.
C) In this example, both quantitative and qualitative methods are used.
D) In this example, neither quantitative nor qualitative methods are used.

Question 75

In comparative studies, the use of ________ makes it difficult to identify the effects of unmeasured variables that are confounded with the independent or dependent variables.

A) convenience samples
B) ideal samples
C) samples that are hard to obtain
D) samples that are appropriate for the research objectives and design

Question 76

Many of the early leadership theories were conceptualized at multiple levels.

Question 77

Dyadic theories of effective leadership usually include some aspect of mutual trust and cooperation as a key determinant of reciprocal influence.

Question 78

Personal identification by a subordinate with the leader provides potential influence that should be avoided for ethical reasons.

Question 79

The methods used in most leadership studies are based on ________.

A) undisputed facts
B) valid assumptions
C) questionable assumptions
D) proven evidence

Question 80

Historically, experiments have constituted ________ of the thousands of studies conducted on leadership.

A) less than five percent
B) about 25 percent
C) more than 50 percent
D) almost all