Free ORGANIZATIONAL-BEHAVIOR Practice Test Questions and Answers (2026) Practice Questions

This question distinguishes between terminal and instrumental values as defined by Milton Rokeach. Terminal values are desirable end-states of existence (e.g., a prosperous life, world peace). Instrumental values are preferable modes of behavior or means of achieving one's terminal values (e.g., being ambitious, self-reliant). In the scenario, "autonomy and self-reliance" describes a mode of conduct, making it an instrumental value. Economic success (prosperity) and world peace are end-states, or terminal values.

A. Prosperity: This is a terminal value, as it describes a desired end-state of existence (a prosperous life), not a mode of behavior.

B. Economic: This refers to economic success, which is a terminal value representing a desired outcome or goal in life.

D. World peace: This is a classic example of a terminal value, as it represents a desirable end-state for the world.

1. Rokeach, M. (1973). The Nature of Human Values. Free Press. (Chapter 2, "The Nature of Human Values and Value Systems," provides the definitions and distinctions between terminal and instrumental values).

2. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. (Chapter 5, "Personality and Values," section on "Values," discusses the Rokeach Value Survey and the distinction between terminal and instrumental values).

3. Johnston, C. S. (1995). The Rokeach Value Survey: A comparison of faculty and administrators in higher education. NASPA Journal, 32(2), 125-133. (This article applies and defines the Rokeach value types, reinforcing the distinction).

In Milton Rokeach's framework, values are categorized as either terminal or instrumental. Terminal values represent desirable end-states of existence, or the goals a person wants to achieve in their lifetime (e.g., a sense of accomplishment, world peace). Instrumental values represent preferable modes of behavior or the means of achieving one's terminal values. "Ambitious" and "cheerful" are modes of conduct and personal characteristics, thus they are classified as instrumental values.

A. "Intermediate values" is not a standard classification within the widely accepted Rokeach Value Survey framework.

B. "Determinate values" is not a recognized term in major theories of personal or organizational values.

C. Terminal values are the desired end-states or life goals, not the behavioral traits used to achieve them.

1. Rokeach, M. (1973). The Nature of Human Values. Free Press. This book is the primary source that defines and differentiates between instrumental and terminal values.

2. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 5, "Personality and Values," explicitly defines and provides examples of terminal and instrumental values according to the Rokeach Value Survey (p. 153-154).

This scenario directly illustrates Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory. The theory posits that human motivation is based on fulfilling a series of needs in a specific order. Once a lower-level need, such as the physiological need for food, water, and shelter, is substantially satisfied, the next level of need, which is safety and security, becomes the primary motivator. The question describes this exact progression from physiological desires to the next level of desires as the basis for motivation.

A. X and Y hierarchy: This theory concerns managers' assumptions about employee motivation (i.e., employees dislike work vs. are self-motivated), not a sequential hierarchy of individual needs.

B. Bigelow's three factor theory: This is not a widely recognized motivation theory in the field of organizational behavior and appears to be a distractor.

C. Two factor theory: Herzberg's theory separates job factors into hygiene factors (which prevent dissatisfaction) and motivators (which create satisfaction), not a sequential hierarchy of universal needs.

1. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346 (See pages 372-375 for the description of the hierarchy, starting with physiological needs).

2. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. (Chapter 7, "Motivation Concepts," section on "Hierarchy of Needs Theory").

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2004). 15.301 Managerial Psychology, Recitation 3: Motivation. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/15-301-managerial-psychology-fall-2004/resources/recitation3mot/ (This resource discusses Maslow's hierarchy as a foundational motivation theory).

Group cohesiveness is the degree to which members are attracted to each other and motivated to stay in the group. To increase cohesiveness when members are working in different directions, management should foster interdependence and a focus on common goals. Giving group rewards rather than individual rewards achieves this by creating a shared outcome. When the group's success depends on collective effort, members are incentivized to cooperate, communicate, and align their work, which strengthens bonds and increases cohesiveness.

A. Establish more rigid role definition for group members: This focuses on task structure, not the interpersonal bonds or shared goals that are central to cohesiveness.

C. Give individual rewards rather than group rewards: This promotes internal competition and self-interest, which actively undermines and decreases group cohesiveness.

D. Have the group avoid competition with other groups: External competition with other groups is a known factor that increases a group's internal cohesiveness by creating a shared objective.

1. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 9, "Foundations of Group Behavior," a key recommendation to encourage group cohesiveness is to "give rewards to the group rather than to individual members" (p. 297).

2. Stanford University. (n.d.). Building Effective Teams. Graduate School of Business, Organizational Behavior curriculum. Course materials emphasize that shared goals and reward structures are critical for developing team cohesion and performance.

3. DeMatteo, J. S., Eby, L. T., & Sundstrom, E. (1998). Team-based rewards: Current empirical evidence and future directions. Research in Organizational Behavior, 20, 141-183. This review highlights how team-based rewards foster cooperation and a collective orientation, which are components of cohesiveness.

The primary purposes of employee performance evaluations are multifaceted, but a central function is to provide a rational basis for human resource decisions. Management uses the data from evaluations to make informed choices regarding promotions, transfers, compensation adjustments, and terminations. The evaluation serves as a formal record of an employee's performance, which is critical for justifying these personnel actions and ensuring they are based on merit and documented performance rather than on arbitrary factors.

B. To measure the psychological symptoms of organizational dysfunctionality: This is not the purpose of an employee evaluation; it is a task for organizational climate surveys or specialized consultants.

C. To serve as a screening device for hiring new employees: Evaluations are conducted for current employees. Screening for new hires involves resumes, interviews, and background checks.

D. To educate employees on the personalities of supervisors...: The focus of an evaluation is on the employee's performance and development, not on analyzing the supervisor's personality.

1. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 17, "Human Resource Policies and Practices," under the section "Purposes of Performance Evaluation," the text states, "it helps management make general human resource decisions about promotions, transfers, and terminations" (p. 588).

2. DeNisi, A. S., & Pritchard, R. D. (2006). Performance appraisal, performance management and improving individual performance: A motivational framework. Management and Organization Review, 2(2), 253-277. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2006.00042.x. The article discusses how performance appraisal systems are used for administrative decisions (e.g., salary, promotion) and employee development.

Harold Kelley's attribution theory posits that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused by examining three factors. Distinctiveness refers to whether the individual displays different behaviors in different situations. Consensus is when everyone who faces a similar situation responds in the same way. Consistency refers to whether the person responds the same way over time to the same situation. These three factors help the observer attribute a cause to the behavior.

A. These are key steps in the rational decision-making model, not factors in attribution theory.

B. These are individual characteristics or skills, not the specific criteria used in Kelley's attribution model.

C. These terms are too general and do not represent the specific, defined factors of Kelley's covariation model.

1. Kelley, H. H. (1973). The processes of causal attribution. American Psychologist, 28(2), 107–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034225. This is the foundational paper detailing the model of attribution based on distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.

2. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 6, "Perception and Individual Decision Making," provides a detailed explanation of Attribution Theory and its three determining factors (p. 177-178).

Cross-functional teams are composed of individuals from different functional areas or departments. Their primary strength—diversity of experience and perspective—is also their main management challenge. Members come with different backgrounds, expertise, priorities, and even departmental jargon. Building a cohesive unit requires overcoming these differences, which takes significant time and effort to establish trust, facilitate effective communication, and foster a shared team identity.

A. This describes a poor leadership style (micromanagement), not an inherent difficulty of the cross-functional team structure itself.

C. Team member location is a logistical challenge relevant to any dispersed team, including virtual teams, not a specific difficulty of cross-functional teams.

D. "Fluctuating cross-functionality" is not a standard term. While team composition can change, the core difficulty lies in managing the existing diversity, not its fluctuation.

1. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 10 notes that for cross-functional teams, "the early stages of development are often long, as members learn to work with the diversity and complexity of the team" (p. 322).

2. Parker, G. M. (2008). Cross-Functional Teams: Working with Allies, Enemies, and Other Strangers. John Wiley & Sons. The author emphasizes that building trust and managing conflict arising from different functional perspectives are central challenges (Chapter 4).

3. MIT Sloan School of Management. (2004). 15.311 Organizational Processes, Communication and Politics Within and Between Groups. MIT OpenCourseWare. Lecture notes discuss the challenges of cross-functional teams, including "different languages/cultures" and the time it takes to build a "shared understanding."

Rewards in organizational behavior are broadly classified as intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards are psychological rewards that are self-generated from the work itself, such as feelings of accomplishment, autonomy, and personal growth. Extrinsic rewards are tangible rewards that are controlled and distributed by an external agent, such as a manager or the organization. A free lunch is a tangible, physical reward given by a manager to an employee, making it a classic example of an extrinsic reward.

A. While a form of compensation, "extrinsic reward" is the broader and more precise classification for a non-monetary perk.

B. "Personality reward" is not a recognized term or concept in motivation or compensation theories.

C. An intrinsic reward is an internal, psychological feeling derived from the task, not a tangible item from a manager.

1. Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627. This paper extensively discusses the distinction and interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.

2. MIT OpenCourseWare. (2004). 15.311 Organizational Processes, Lecture Notes, Lecture 6: Motivation and Rewards. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu. The course materials distinguish between intrinsic rewards (from the task) and extrinsic rewards (from the organization).

Edwin Locke's goal-setting theory states that specific and difficult goals, with feedback, lead to higher performance. In this scenario, the goal is highly specific ("run two miles in ten minutes"), which gives the person a clear target to aim for. The stopwatch provides clear, immediate feedback, allowing the person to monitor their progress against the goal. These two factors, specificity and feedback, are core components of the theory that explain why the goal was effectively motivating and ultimately achieved.

A. Direction and challenge: While a specific goal provides direction and is challenging, the key elements described are the goal's specificity and the feedback mechanism (stopwatch).

B. Challenge and encouragement: The coach's action is a form of setting a goal, not just encouragement. The stopwatch is a feedback tool, not encouragement.

D. Specificity and encouragement: The stopwatch is a tool for feedback, which is a distinct and critical component of goal-setting theory, not simply encouragement.

1. Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705 (See page 706, which explicitly states, "specific, difficult goals consistently led to better performance than urging people to do their best," and page 708 on the importance of feedback).

2. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. (Chapter 7, "Motivation Concepts," section on "Goal-Setting Theory," identifies specificity and feedback as key influences on the goals-performance relationship).

3. Latham, G. P. (2004). The motivational benefits of goal-setting. Academy of Management Perspectives, 18(4), 126-129. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2004.15268646 (This article reinforces the core tenets, including goal specificity and the necessity of feedback).

Self-managed work teams (SMWTs) are defined by their high degree of autonomy and collective responsibility for their work outcomes. To improve synergy, members must embrace these principles. Exercising collective control over the pace of work is a core function of an SMWT. This shared control empowers the team, increases members' sense of ownership and responsibility, and fosters the collaboration needed to manage their own processes effectively, thereby enhancing synergy and performance.

A. Assigning individual roles rather than mutual roles undermines the collective responsibility and shared purpose that are central to team synergy.

B. Changing work group roles at random would create instability and confusion, hindering the team's ability to perform effectively.

C. Sharing information without collective goals is ineffective; shared goals are essential for creating synergy and a unified team effort.

1. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 10, "Understanding Work Teams," describes self-managed work teams as groups that take on responsibilities of their former supervisors, including planning, scheduling work, and assigning tasks.

2. Morgeson, F. P., DeRue, D. S., & Karam, E. P. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309347376. This article discusses the autonomy of SMWTs, including their control over work processes and pace.

3. Kirkman, B. L., & Rosen, B. (1999). Beyond self-management: Antecedents and consequences of team empowerment. Academy of Management Journal, 42(1), 58-74. https://doi.org/10.5465/256874. The study links team empowerment, which includes control over the work pace, to higher productivity and team member satisfaction.