UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO

TURFLOOP CAMPUS

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND LAW

SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

DEPARMENT OF BUSINESS MANAGMENT

DEGREE AND DIPLOMA STANDARD EXAMINATION MAY/JUNE: 2017

MODULE: CHRA021 PAPER: P1

(ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR)

TIME: 2 HOURS MARKS: 100

INTERNAL EXAMINER: MR C A MAYEZA

SECOND EXAMINER: PROF C PIETERSEN

THIS PAPER CONSISTS OF …12…PAGES INCLUDING COVER PAGE

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Answer all the questions

2. Write neatly and legibly
3. Answer Section A, multiple choice questions in the Multi Choice Answer sheet provided to you
 CHRA021 STANDARD EXAMINATION 2017

SECTION A

Multiple choice questions

You are the vice-president of a division of a large, multi-national company that makes electronic
equipment for consumers and the military. You have several managers that have created some
teams. Also, there are several projects underway and you need to decide what types of teams
to use for each situation.

1. Joan, your director of accounting, has created a team of seven employees from the accounts
payable department who meet for three hours a week to discuss ways of improving quality,
efficiency and the work environment. This is an example of a ____ team.
a. problem-solving

b. self-managed

c. cross-functional

d. virtual

e. task-resolution

2. Jack, your director of manufacturing, has decided to create a team of eleven employees from
quality control. Jack gives the team members the responsibility of scheduling their own work
and evaluating each other’s performance. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving

b. self-managed

c. cross-functional

d. virtual

e. task-resolution

3. Your company has recently landed a contract to design and manufacture a new state-of-the-art
electronic device for the military. This will be a very complex project, requiring many different types of
skills. Which of the following types of teams is most suited for the project?
a. problem-solving

b. self-managed

c. cross-functional

d. virtual

e. task-resolution

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4. Janice is your director of sales. Since her employees are located in Europe, Asia, and North
America, she has decided to use instant messaging to tie her employees together in order to
develop a marketing strategy for a new product line. This is an example of a _____ team.
a. problem-solving

b. self-managed

c. cross-functional

d. virtual

e. task-resolution

You have been assigned to a problem-solving team. You have never met any of the team
members before, but you have been given their resumes. It is your job to match the team
members to the various roles that are needed for successful completion of your project.

Your team consists of the following members. Iris is a recent college graduate with a degree in
mathematics. She likes to keep an eye on the big picture and enjoys coordinating the work of
others. James has been with the company for 15 years and has had experience in several areas
within the company. He has a reputation for strong leadership and effective follow-through.
Betty is highly motivated and intelligent. She has several advanced degrees and is able to view
situations from differing viewpoints. You have decided that you are willing to take on any group
role that is handed to you, but you are more comfortable with implementing ideas than with
initiating them.

5.. The role that might best suit Iris is that of ________.
a. creator
b. assessor
c. linker
d. maintainer
e. adviser

6. James is best suited to which role?

a. organizer
b. maintainer
c. linker
d. adviser
e. producer

7.. The person best suited for the role of adviser is probably ________.
a. Betty
b. James
c. Iris
d. you
e. none of the above

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You are the manager of a software design firm that develops software projects using teams of
specialists. One of your most successful teams has been together for nearly 5 years. In the
past, this team has performed effectively, and you have been very satisfied with the team’s
output. Recently, however, you have noticed a marked decrease in the team’s performance. You
investigate to determine the problem.

8. After interviewing all 7 team members, you determine that one of the team members performs
routine administrative tasks that are rarely visible to any of the other team members. You
suspect that this team member may be loafing off and lagging in his duties. You could most
likely improve that team member’s output by ________.
a. encouraging him to work more independently
b. making his work clearly visible to the other team members
c. hiring other team members who perform similar tasks
d. providing him with administrative training
e. giving him additional assignments to complete

9. During an interview with one team member, you learn that several members of the team have
had conflicts regarding the content of a task to which the team was recently assigned. Are these
conflicts likely to be reducing the group’s productivity?
a. Yes, because interpersonal conflicts always hurt a team’s performance.
b. No, because conflicts based on personal animosity rarely affect team operations.
c. Yes, because task-related conflicts lead to poor team decisions.
d. No, because task-related conflicts usually benefit the performance of a team.
e. Yes, because disagreements about tasks usually lessen groupthink.

You work for an international company that has offices around the world. You have been
asked to pull together a global virtual team to handle a specific project. The project is
expected to take 3 to 5 years to complete. You are free to include individuals from any of the
company’s offices, which are located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Britain,
Australia, and Japan.

10. Provided that all of the team members are equally qualified, which of the following teams is likely
to be the least challenging to manage?
a. A team comprised of members drawn equally from all of the company’s offices, because
culturally diverse teams tend to operate with minimal conflict.
b. A team comprised primarily of members from the United States, because employees from
countries with individualistic values tend to function well in teams.
c. A team comprised primarily of members from Canada, Britain, and Australia, because
employees from these countries usually grow up learning how to function in teams.
d. A team comprised of members from both Japan and Mexico, because employees from these
countries tend to focus on individual accomplishments.
e. A team comprised primarily of members from either Japan or Mexico, because employees
from countries with collectivist values tend to adjust easily to team structures.

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CHRA021 STANDARD EXAMINATION 2017

11. The power that the College Dean has been granted by the University over the faculty is termed
_____ power.

a. academic
b. positional
c. legitimate
d. organizational
e. balanced

12. Dependency is inversely proportional to _____.

a. the level of an individual’s personal power
b. the number of alternative sources of a particular resource
c. the type of informational analysis conducted in a situation
d. the financial resources required to solve a problem
e. a leader’s influence over policy decisions

13. Most organizations develop multiple suppliers rather than give their business to only one in order
to _____.
a. increase knowledge and information

b. reduce dependency

c. maximize power

d. develop interdependence

e. avoid uncertainty

14. Dependency is decreased when the resource you control is _____.

a. important
b. scarce
c. easily replaced
d. insufficient
e. static

15. Which of the following does not describe high self-monitors?

a. The show greater sensitivity to social cues.
b. They possess an external locus of control.
c. They exhibit higher levels of social conformity.
d. They are more likely to be skilled in political behavior.
e. They believe that they can control their environment

16. The conflict-handling intention of collaborating is _____.

a. assertive and uncooperative
b. assertive and cooperative
c. unassertive and uncooperative
d. unassertive and cooperative
e. affective and reflective

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17. The conflict-handling intention of avoiding is _____.

a. assertive and uncooperative
b. assertive and cooperative
c. unassertive and uncooperative
d. unassertive and cooperative
e. assertive and reflective

18. The conflict-handling intention of accommodating is _____.

a. assertive and uncooperative
b. assertive and cooperative
c. unassertive and uncooperative
d. unassertive and cooperative
e. reflective and emotional

19. Which stage of the conflict process is best conceptualized as a dynamic process of interaction?
a. I
b. II
c. III
d. IV
e. V

20. The labor group decides to make use of the “good cop, bad cop” strategy to improve their leverage
in the negotiations. One labor representative is chosen to play the “bad cop” negotiator, and
another is chosen as the “good cop” negotiator. Based on your understanding of bargaining tactics,
is this approach likely to be successful?
a. No, because the trucking company’s management team is likely to reject any threats.
b. Yes, but only if the good cop becomes involved in the proceedings after the bad cop has
participated.
c. Yes, but only if the good cop and the bad cop speak individually to their opponents.
d. Yes, but only if the bad cop is introduced into the negotiations after the good cop has spoken.
e. No, because the trucking company’s management team is likely to use the same negotiating
tactic.

Marie’s supervisor embarrasses her by constantly telling sexual jokes and by making sexual
comments. Marie was shocked when she observed that he had sexually explicit material on his
computer screen during working hours. Although the supervisor has never directly asked Marie
to sleep with him, she feels threatened and is so uncomfortable that it is difficult for her to do
her job.

21. Marie’s supervisor is guilty of ________.

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a. sexual harassment
b. abusing his power
c. creating a hostile work environment
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

22. Studies show that this situation is probably more about _____ than about sex.
a. power
b. coercion
c. politics
d. impressions
e. attitudes

23. What is one basic problem in this situation?

a. Marie’s clothes are probably too suggestive.
b. There is an unequal power relationship between Marie and her supervisor.
c. Marie’s perception is probably very different from her supervisor’s.
d. It’s not clearly sexual harassment since he has not requested sexual favors.
e. It is very ambiguous as to who is at fault.

24. The CEO of Marie’s company overhears an inappropriate remark made by Marie’s supervisor.
He decides to implement measures to protect the company and its employees from sexual
harassment. He should implement all of the following except ________.

a. ensure employees that they will not be retaliated against if they issue a complaint
b. inform employees that they can be fired for harassing other employees
c. investigate only those sexual harassment complaints that appear to be most legitimate
d. establish company procedures for how sexual harassment complaints can be made
e. establish a clear company policy that defines what constitutes sexual harassment

25. Now that the CEO of Marie’s company is aware of the supervisor’s propensity for inappropriate
behaviors, which of the following is most likely to be true in the case of a sexual harassment
lawsuit against the supervisor?
a. Both the supervisor and the company can be held liable.
b. The supervisor can be held liable, but not the company.
c. The supervisor can escape liability by claiming he was also being harassed.
d. The company can be held liable, but not the supervisor.
e. The supervisor can escape liability by claiming he was unaware of the harassment.

Catherine and Bernice are faculty members at a local college who feel very differently about
their academic dean. Catherine believes that he is always engaging in political activity that is
not in the best interests of the college. She describes him as a man who passes the buck and
who is scheming and arrogant. Bernice believes that the dean is an effective manager.

26. Bernice’s label for what Catherine describes as “passing the buck” might be ________.
a. delegating authority
b. showing responsibility
c. encouraging dependency
d. demonstrating conscientiousness
e. facilitating cooperation

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27. Bernice’s effective management label for Catherine’s phrase “scheming” is probably ________.
a. distributing rewards
b. establishing expertise
c. planning ahead
d. displaying charisma
e. fixing responsibility

28. Behaviors that Catherine views as “arrogant” are probably viewed by Bernice as________.
a. competent
b. responsible
c. confident
d. practical-minded
e. astute

29.. Bernice sees the dean as always paying careful attention to detail. Catherine would most likely
describe the dean instead as ________.
a. overachieving
b. ambitious
c. opportunistic
d. cunning
e. a perfectionist

Thomas recognizes that his firm is plagued by organizational politics. He is not good at playing
games and instead frequently engages in defensive behaviors in order to protect himself and
his interests. Thomas is frustrated because he believes that he has little control over his
environment, and his environment is uncomfortable to him. He has had some success at
establishing a sense of control for himself by appearing to be more or less supportive publicly
while doing little or nothing privately.

30. Which of the following behaviors is Thomas engaged in?

a. overconforming
b. stalling
c. playing dumb
d. stretching
e. buck passing
.

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SECTION B

Case Study

Read the following case study very carefully and answer the questions below

Team work in South Africa

This case study concentrates on strengths and weaknesses within Southern African teams. The
findings are firstly based on information from the results of questionnaires, personal observations and
analyses made by team members. Secondly, we have gathered together the perceptions of
experienced team facilitators, managers and team leaders with regards to the strengths and
weaknesses of South African teams.
Using Woodcock’s83 building blocks for effective team works as the basis, from research it could be
concluded that the following are possible areas of concern within South African teams:
• Lacking clear objectives

• Limited cooperation

• Lacking regular review, and

• Control and feedback not up to standard

The following strengths have been identified

• Individual development of team members

• Strong leadership

• Effective procedures

The following are specific behavioural problems within most Southern African teams:
• Lack of communication

• Poor planning for the future

• Little or no cooperation

• Poor conflict management

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• Unclear priorities, and

• A lack of learning from successes and mistakes

Southern African teams do not spend enough time clarifying objectives. Often when doing exercises
or team building with teams you will find that they try to solve a problem without knowing exactly what
the problem is. Teams are so result-driven that, in the process, they do not work as a team but as
individuals, and this creates conflict. Team members are often are unwilling to put conflict on the
table and solve it in a constructive way.
A small sample (N=24) of team building facilitators, team leaders and managers completed a short
questionnaire on the strengths and weaknesses of Southern African teams and the challenges for
teams and team work in South Africa. The following is a summary of the most significant problems
that Southern African teams experience according to the facilitators:
• Uncertainty in terms of the role of the leader and team members

• Lack of support system

• Poor interpersonal relationships or lack of understanding behaviour

• Poor listening

• Team members do not understand the process or the dynamics of team work

• Inability to manage team diversity

• Lack of business understanding

• Lack of flexibility

• Diversity primarily recognised as affirmative action

• Diversity should be seen as the enabler of better team performance and not as a racial or
gender issue, and

• More diverse teams equals better performance (integrate various viewpoints)

The following is a summary of the most important strengths of Southern African teams according to
the facilitators:
• Loyal

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• Hard working

• Focusing energy on one or two tasks at hand

• Commitment

• Technical skills

• A winning spirit

• Tams compete in global platform but is still local (can associate)

• Multi lingual, and

• Sometimes Southern African teams are unrated by global teams in which can be a strength for
local teams (the element of surprise)

According to the respondents, the most important challenges for teams are:
• Creating self-directed working teams in Southern Africa

• Managing diversity (primarily racial and gender) or bridging cultural gaps

• Obtaining a higher level of knowledge about team behaviour and the processes and dynamic
of team work

• Achieving an understanding of and implementing empowerment, and

• Developing business understanding.

Question 1

a. How will you optimise the strengths of Southern African teams in the business
environment? (10)

b. Develop a strategy to develop Southern African team leaders (5)

c. Develop a team building intervention for Southern African organisations.
Concentrate on:
I. Measurable end-results for the organisation (5)

II. Measurable end-results for the team (5)

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III. Measurable end-results for the individual team member (5)

IV. Strategy to maintain effective teamwork in the workplace (5)

Section C

Question 2

“Organizational behavior is an applied behavioral science built upon contributions from a

number of different disciplines”.

Discuss these disciplines and the contributions of each discipline. (10)

Question 3

Teams can be classified based on their objectives. Identify and discuss the four most common forms
of work teams. (10)

Question 4

Contrast leadership and power. (5)

Question 5

List and discuss the bases of personal power (5)

Question 6

What is sexual harassment? Define the role of power in cases of sexual harassment. (5)

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