Q&A Hero

Q: Madge, who reports to Yvonne, questions the overtime schedule for the weekend. At the end of the discussion, Madge says, "Sorry I bothered you. Of course I'll do it. I was just asking about the schedule. Please don't write me up for insubordination." Which part of Yvonne's power base did Madge acknowledge? A. Expert B. Reward C. Coercive D. Legitimate E. Referent

Q: Frieda, who reports to Shauna, questions the overtime schedule for the weekend. At the end of the discussion, Frieda says, "OK. I'll do it. Thanks for the opportunity to meet the head office representative that recommended you for promotion. You know, I want to be just like you! If I can follow in your career steps here, I'll be happy to work every weekend." Which part of Shauna's power base did Frieda acknowledge? A. Expert B. Influence C. Coercive D. Legitimate E. Referent

Q: Anna, who reports to Cynthia, questions the overtime schedule for the weekend. At the end of the discussion, Anna says, "OK. I'll do it. You are the boss." Which part of Cynthias power base did Anna acknowledge? A. Expert B. Reward C. Coercive D. Legitimate E. Referent

Q: What is the best way to build reward power? A. Actually reward people B. Maintain budget control C. Obtain advanced information D. Reveal specialized information E. Get promoted.

Q: Which of the following statements is a myth of power and influence? A. Power can be used for good or evil. B. Title alone is only one form of power. C. Sharing power usually increases your ability to influence. D. First impressions are important in your ability to influence others. E. Rationality is the best form of influence.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes the difference between strong ties and weak ties? A. Strong ties are based on shared values. Weak ties are based on business opportunity. B. Strong ties are evident between spouses. Weak ties are evident between golf partners. C. Strong ties are between people who are friends of a friend. Weak ties are between strangers. D. Strong ties are found in direct relationships. Weak ties are found in indirect relationships. E. Strong ties grow in business opportunity. Weak ties grow in school board membership.

Q: Social networks are built through involvement in clubs and professional organizations.

Q: Having a positive outlook on needing help and about soliciting support is important for building a good social network.

Q: When making introductions in the business world, defer to office seniority and social standing, not gender.

Q: When introducing others, try to state each name several times to give each person the best chance of picking up on the name.

Q: Good business etiquette almost always includes a good, firm handshake with people who enter your office.

Q: In introductions, when positive information is given first, people are more likely to ignore later information.

Q: Great managers know that respect comes from idealistic and noble intentions regardless of whether they were able to deliver on those or not.

Q: Building good relationships at work includes regularly talking a little about your personal life.

Q: Managers damage relationships with their employees when they refuse to ask for help.

Q: Managers damage relationships with their employees when they take credit for the work of others.

Q: One of the most common complaints of frontline workers is that their managers do not fully understand what they (the workers) really do.

Q: Over-promising and over-delivering is a good strategy for creating positive relationships.

Q: To more effectively manage your boss, come prepared with a recommendation whenever you present a problem.

Q: To effectively manage your boss, try to communicate in his/her preferred style.

Q: The "foot-in-the-door" technique is an example of the social influence principle of social proof.

Q: Cialdini's social influence weapons include reciprocity and social proof.

Q: Commitment is the most likely consequence of the use of an inspirational appeal.

Q: Compliance is the most likely outcome of the influence tactic of consultation.

Q: The influence tactic of legitimizing is most likely to produce commitment.

Q: Compliance is characterized by doing only what is required by a request-and nothing more.

Q: Personal appeal and exchange are the most frequently used influence tactics.

Q: Conformity is an important influence on the actions of people, especially in the presence of formal authority or power.

Q: Behavioral norms influence individual behavior through the imposition, or threat of imposition, of sanctions.

Q: Being threatened with firing is considered the most extreme form of referent power.

Q: The most common ways for people to build their expert power is through disciplinary actions.

Q: Referent power is often sufficient to gain compliance behavior.

Q: Legitimate power is often called authority.

Q: Rationality is the best form of influence.

Q: Strong ties grow exponentially when your immediate network grows.

Q: Influence is power in action.

Q: Jack Silver, head of software development and maintenance for a large financial institution, has had a very bad week. He sighs as he looks at his calendar. Tomorrow is Wednesday. He had a great weekend, golfing with his buddies. That ended at 11 a.m. on Monday morning when he found his star employee, Tracy, waiting outside his office when he arrived at work. Jack smiled and ushered her into his office. "How's everything? Great weather this weekend, wasn't it?" Tracy sputtered incoherently as he gestured for her to sit in a side chair. Jack looked concerned, "Is anything wrong? Are your children OK? You don't look so good. Have you been sleeping OK?" Tracy handed him a sealed envelope, took a deep breath and said, "I have been here for 67 hours straight, trying to work out the network meltdown that happened Friday afternoon. I have asked you for months for an assistant, for enough additional gear to make the system redundant, for training for the rookies you gave me last year. I give up." Jack handed her a cup of coffee and fiddled with the sealed envelope. He looked alarmed as he said, "You have always been my go-to girl. I can count on you to fix anything around here. Other people, like Jeff, need more money, more time, and more people to get the job done. You do a fantastic job with almost nothing! What do you need this time? To get the system back up?" Tracy said, "The system is up. For now." Jack smiled, "See. You are the best! That's what that banner at the recognition banquet said, TRACY IS THE BEST!!!' So, we are good to go?" The smile faded as he opened the envelope. Jack looked confused. "You quit? Today? After all I have done for you?" Tracy placed her keys gently on Jack's desk, "I am out of here. I already talked to human resources and got clearance to remove all my stuff. I officially gave you four week's notice. I am taking four of the weeks of carryover vacation I have not been able to take while working for you." After Tracy left, Jack sat quietly, polishing his favorite golf club for a long time. Then he walked over to Millie's office in human resources. Please refer to this scenario for the following question. If you were assigned to help Jack Silver be a better manager, a better coach, how would you evaluate the feedback he gave Tracy? Apply good coaching practices yourself as you address this issue.

Q: Jack Silver, head of software development and maintenance for a large financial institution, has had a very bad week. He sighs as he looks at his calendar. Tomorrow is Wednesday. He had a great weekend, golfing with his buddies. That ended at 11 a.m. on Monday morning when he found his star employee, Tracy, waiting outside his office when he arrived at work. Jack smiled and ushered her into his office. "How's everything? Great weather this weekend, wasn't it?" Tracy sputtered incoherently as he gestured for her to sit in a side chair. Jack looked concerned, "Is anything wrong? Are your children OK? You don't look so good. Have you been sleeping OK?" Tracy handed him a sealed envelope, took a deep breath and said, "I have been here for 67 hours straight, trying to work out the network meltdown that happened Friday afternoon. I have asked you for months for an assistant, for enough additional gear to make the system redundant, for training for the rookies you gave me last year. I give up." Jack handed her a cup of coffee and fiddled with the sealed envelope. He looked alarmed as he said, "You have always been my go-to girl. I can count on you to fix anything around here. Other people, like Jeff, need more money, more time, and more people to get the job done. You do a fantastic job with almost nothing! What do you need this time? To get the system back up?" Tracy said, "The system is up. For now." Jack smiled, "See. You are the best! That's what that banner at the recognition banquet said, TRACY IS THE BEST!!!' So, we are good to go?" The smile faded as he opened the envelope. Jack looked confused. "You quit? Today? After all I have done for you?" Tracy placed her keys gently on Jack's desk, "I am out of here. I already talked to human resources and got clearance to remove all my stuff. I officially gave you four week's notice. I am taking four of the weeks of carryover vacation I have not been able to take while working for you." After Tracy left, Jack sat quietly, polishing his favorite golf club for a long time. Then he walked over to Millie's office in human resources. Please refer to this scenario for the following question. Which one of Bruce Tulgan's management basics pinpoints Jack's mismanagement of Tracy? A. Make clear performance statements. B. Hire the right person for the job. C. Accurately monitor and evaluate work performance. D. Provide clear feedback about performance and improvement. E. Distribute rewards and punishments fairly.

Q: Jack Silver, head of software development and maintenance for a large financial institution, has had a very bad week. He sighs as he looks at his calendar. Tomorrow is Wednesday. He had a great weekend, golfing with his buddies. That ended at 11 a.m. on Monday morning when he found his star employee, Tracy, waiting outside his office when he arrived at work. Jack smiled and ushered her into his office. "How's everything? Great weather this weekend, wasn't it?" Tracy sputtered incoherently as he gestured for her to sit in a side chair. Jack looked concerned, "Is anything wrong? Are your children OK? You don't look so good. Have you been sleeping OK?" Tracy handed him a sealed envelope, took a deep breath and said, "I have been here for 67 hours straight, trying to work out the network meltdown that happened Friday afternoon. I have asked you for months for an assistant, for enough additional gear to make the system redundant, for training for the rookies you gave me last year. I give up." Jack handed her a cup of coffee and fiddled with the sealed envelope. He looked alarmed as he said, "You have always been my go-to girl. I can count on you to fix anything around here. Other people, like Jeff, need more money, more time, and more people to get the job done. You do a fantastic job with almost nothing! What do you need this time? To get the system back up?" Tracy said, "The system is up. For now." Jack smiled, "See. You are the best! That's what that banner at the recognition banquet said, TRACY IS THE BEST!!!' So, we are good to go?" The smile faded as he opened the envelope. Jack looked confused. "You quit? Today? After all I have done for you?" Tracy placed her keys gently on Jack's desk, "I am out of here. I already talked to human resources and got clearance to remove all my stuff. I officially gave you four week's notice. I am taking four of the weeks of carryover vacation I have not been able to take while working for you." After Tracy left, Jack sat quietly, polishing his favorite golf club for a long time. Then he walked over to Millie's office in human resources. Please refer to this scenario for the following question. Did Jack coach Tracy? A. No. The relationship was more mentor-protg than coach. B. Yes. He mentioned the rest of the team in the discussion. C. No. Tracy was a high performer. Coaches only work with low performers. D. No. He did not ensure the availability or ready attainability of proper resources. E. Yes. He overmanaged and micromanaged Tracy's work.

Q: Jack Silver, head of software development and maintenance for a large financial institution, has had a very bad week. He sighs as he looks at his calendar. Tomorrow is Wednesday. He had a great weekend, golfing with his buddies. That ended at 11 a.m. on Monday morning when he found his star employee, Tracy, waiting outside his office when he arrived at work. Jack smiled and ushered her into his office. "How's everything? Great weather this weekend, wasn't it?" Tracy sputtered incoherently as he gestured for her to sit in a side chair. Jack looked concerned, "Is anything wrong? Are your children OK? You don't look so good. Have you been sleeping OK?" Tracy handed him a sealed envelope, took a deep breath and said, "I have been here for 67 hours straight, trying to work out the network meltdown that happened Friday afternoon. I have asked you for months for an assistant, for enough additional gear to make the system redundant, for training for the rookies you gave me last year. I give up." Jack handed her a cup of coffee and fiddled with the sealed envelope. He looked alarmed as he said, "You have always been my go-to girl. I can count on you to fix anything around here. Other people, like Jeff, need more money, more time, and more people to get the job done. You do a fantastic job with almost nothing! What do you need this time? To get the system back up?" Tracy said, "The system is up. For now." Jack smiled, "See. You are the best! That's what that banner at the recognition banquet said, TRACY IS THE BEST!!!' So, we are good to go?" The smile faded as he opened the envelope. Jack looked confused. "You quit? Today? After all I have done for you?" Tracy placed her keys gently on Jack's desk, "I am out of here. I already talked to human resources and got clearance to remove all my stuff. I officially gave you four week's notice. I am taking four of the weeks of carryover vacation I have not been able to take while working for you." After Tracy left, Jack sat quietly, polishing his favorite golf club for a long time. Then he walked over to Millie's office in human resources. Please refer to this scenario for the following question. Why did Tracy quit? A. The work was too challenging. B. The environment was too stable. C. Tracy was overmanaged. D. Jack never expressed his appreciation of her efforts. E. Jack did not treat his employees fairly.

Q: Use consultative coaching when: A. federal regulations dictate the solution to the problem. B. there are "right" answers to the problem. C. time pressure is critical. D. the problem continues to reappear. E. the employee is a novice and needs to be given a lot of structure.

Q: Use expert coaching when: A. the employee is a novice and needs structure provided. B. work output can wait. C. past attempts to solve the problem have failed. D. many factors are involved. E. one solution will not fix everything.

Q: Which of the following statements about mentoring and coaching is true? A. Coaching is focused on long-term development. B. Both coaching and mentoring are focused exclusively on day-to-day performance. C. Mentors are typically not the employee's direct supervisor. D. The relationship between mentor and protge is the same as the relationship between employee and supervisor. E. Mentoring is focused directly on job performance.

Q: Which of the following statements best defines the goal of managing employees for growth and development? A. Help people solve their own problems more effectively. B. Build capacity for failure in subordinates. C. Reduce pressure on employees. D. Eliminate dilemmas from work life. E. Remove stress from the work equation.

Q: Which of the following actions induces the best performance and commitment from star performers? A. Use a hands-off approach B. Hire selectively C. Provide a comfortable, stable work environment D. Give sporadic performance feedback E. Assign team projects with less competent workers

Q: Which of the following statements should be part of a problem employee termination meeting? A. "I know this is probably hard for you. It is hard for me too." B. "Are the kids doing well in school?" C. "Did you receive that shipment from the overseas supplier yesterday? Not having that part holds up the whole production process. We will have a really hard time making our number this quarter if it has not arrived." D. "After we finish our meeting here, you may use the outplacement center in Building B for the next three months to make phone calls, prepare rsums, whatever you need." E. "Hey, how about that basketball game?"

Q: Once hired, an employee should be retained for a long period of time even if performance remains below standard. Is this statement correct? A. Yes. Co-workers appreciate the job security evident for all employees in the retention of a poor performer. B. No. The problem employee may lose out on an authentic opportunity to succeed somewhere else. C. Yes. Managers have more resources to devote to other projects. D. No. Poor performers should be terminated quickly, especially if the person was transferred from a different job inside the organization. E. Yes. Work culture is reinforced with this type of acknowledgement of reality.

Q: Which of the following is the final step in a performance improvement discussion? A. Agree on the problem B. Reinforce improvement C. Mutually discuss problem solutions D. Identify resources needed for improvement E. Create a timeline

Q: In their book, First, Break All the Rules, based on research by the Gallup Corporation, authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman argue about the reasons for the inefficiency in organizations. Based on their assumptions, what is the message to managers? A. People can learn competence in any area they choose. B. People's greatest area for growth lies in their personal weakness. C. Problem employees should be retrained. D. Problem employees should be reassigned to new managers in the same division. E. Problem employees should be divested.

Q: Artie gave each of his employees a holiday bonus. The amounts ranged from $100 to $100,000, based on the percentage of contribution of that employee to corporate base revenue. This action is an example of the ________ rule of reward allocation. A. equity B. equality C. need D. respect E. divisive

Q: Equity, equality, and need are potential frames for: A. allocating rewards. B. defining processes. C. sharing responsibilities. D. demonstrating respect. E. disparate treatment.

Q: Dr. Ruben gave feedback to MBA presentation teams in his course. Which of the following statements provided feedback most effectively? A. "You guys are great! That was an awesome presentation." B. "That was so confusing. Where did you get your undergraduate degrees?" C. "You need to handle questions more professionally." D. "Your presentation looked disorganized. Use the same slide format throughout." E. "I especially liked your esprit de corps."

Q: One of the principles of good performance management feedback is: A. be general. B. focus on the person rather than the problem. C. maximize comparison to others. D. focus on the past. E. avoid absolutes.

Q: Ronald, a mid-level manager, resents the time it takes to manage subordinates' performance. He comes up with a great technique. He notes how often an employee arrives late for work in the morning or returns late from lunch or breaks. He judges all aspects of employee behavior based on promptness (good) or tardiness (bad). What technique should be employed to correct the kind of performance observation error Ronald has made? A. Use a ranking technique. B. Use a forced distribution technique. C. Get other raters involved in the process. D. Require Ronald to maintain the time logs over the entire rating period. E. Train Ronald to time more effectively.

Q: Ross, a mid-level manager, resents the time it takes to manage subordinates' performance. He comes up with a great technique. He notes how often an employee arrives late for work in the morning or returns late from lunch or breaks. He judges all aspects of employee behavior based on promptness (good) or tardiness (bad). What kind of performance observation error has Ross made? A. Halo effect B. Leniency C. Central tendency D. Recency E. Primacy

Q: Should peers evaluate each other as part of a performance management system? A. No. They do not really know what the other is thinking. B. No. They may "play" the system, depending on how much they like or dislike co-workers. C. Yes. They have the best strategic sense of the organization's goals and plans. D. Yes. It creates a morale boost if a competent but unpopular co-worker faces disciplinary action. E. No. That is never part of a realistic job function.

Q: Why do managers use multiple sources of data for performance evaluation? A. To save time. B. To satisfy legal requirements. C. To save money. D. To cross-train employees. E. To confirm or disconfirm their observations.

Q: Topgrading is most likely effective in: A. group-oriented cultures. B. team-based performance groups. C. oil producing and management companies. D. organizations that attract average workers, not superstars. E. highly competitive cultures.

Q: Which of the following statements is the best comparison between absolute and relative assessment standards? A. Absolute is subjective. Relative is objective. B. Relative is subjective. Absolute is objective. C. Absolute compares an employee's performance to a "model." Relative compares an employee's performance with another employee's. D. Relative must be used in conjunction with other measures. Absolute should be used alone. E. Absolute standards are simpler than relative.

Q: A common mistake in performance management occurs when managers pay attention to ___________ exclusively. A. attitudes B. behaviors C. results D. skills E. abilities

Q: Keenan, a day shift supervisor for a paper products manufacturer, checks the weekly production sheets, noting quality and quantity figures for each employee. This action demonstrates Bruce Tulgan's management basic: A. make clear performance statements. B. set measurable goals and hold people accountable for those goals. C. distribute rewards and punishments fairly. D. provide clear feedback about performance and improvement. E. accurately monitor and evaluate work performance.

Q: The first step of the performance management cycle is to: A. choose the right person for the right job. B. assess performance. C. recognize and reward achievement. D. make reassignment decisions. E. provide feedback on performance.

Q: ____________ commitment is a desire to stay with the organization because the costs of leaving outweigh the benefits. A. Contextual B. Normative C. Behavioral D. Affective E. Continuance

Q: ____________ commitment represents an emotional attachment to the organization. A. Contextual B. Normative C. Behavioral D. Affective E. Continuance

Q: ________________ of employees is generally considered to be "the bottom line" for most managers. A. Task performance B. Citizenship behavior C. Behavioral performance D. Organizational behavior E. Contextual performance

Q: _____________ refers to the amount of resources that an employee dedicates to attain the results he/she achieves. A. Topgrading B. Conscientiousness C. Effectiveness D. Expertise E. Efficiency

Q: Which of the following is a myth of performance management? A. Most people are miserable at accurately judging others' behavior. B. Performance management is mostly common sense. C. Poorly administered feedback can lead to decreased performance. D. Performance management is beneficial to all. E. The primary responsibility for managing others' performance lies with managers.

Q: A consultative coach dispenses advice, instructs, and prescribes.

Q: With regard to the star performers, fairness in distributing performance rewards is achieved by providing equal rewards.

Q: Star performers tend to prefer working in environments that reward team rather than individual performance.

Q: When the manager is putting in more effort than the problem employee to correct the problem, reassignment or termination is likely appropriate.

Q: Skill deficiency is the only performance problem category for which training is a solution.

Q: The term "problem employee" is used to denote an employee who, after repeated feedback interventions, has not improved performance.

Q: Maintaining a persistent focus on fairness in the performance management process is a hallmark of a good manager.

Q: Good feedback includes a description of the behavior and its impact on self or others.

Q: Effective feedback includes a statement regarding ways to improve the behavior toward performance.

Q: Good performance evaluation feedback focuses on the problem rather than the person.

Q: The central tendency error in observing performance refers to consistently rating groups of employees as all high performers, or as all low performers.

Q: A forced ranking technique is used to correct the halo effect.

Q: Topgrading is a forced distribution relative assessment technique.