Answer: C. Guiding others toward goals Leadership guides and motivates people toward organizational objectives.
When a manager’s formal position enables influence, which power base is involved?
A Legitimate power
B Reward power
C Expert power
D Referent power
Answer: A. Legitimate power Legitimate power comes from a person’s formal position in the organization.
Specialized expertise creates which kind of power?
A Coercive power
B Reward power
C Legitimate power
D Expert power
Answer: D. Expert power Expert power is based on knowledge or skill that others value.
Control over bonuses gives a supervisor which influence source?
A Legitimate power
B Reward power
C Referent power
D Coercive power
Answer: B. Reward power Reward power comes from the ability to provide valued rewards.
Threats of penalties rely on which power base?
A Expert power
B Reward power
C Coercive power
D Referent power
Answer: C. Coercive power Coercive power relies on the ability to impose or threaten negative consequences.
Respect and admiration often create which power?
A Referent power
B Formal authority
C Coercive power
D Reward control
Answer: A. Referent power Referent power grows from respect, admiration, or identification with a leader.
Under which style do leaders keep most decision authority?
A Participative
B Free-rein
C Consultative
D Autocratic
Answer: D. Autocratic Autocratic leaders retain most decision authority and allow little subordinate input.
After consulting employees, a supervisor keeps final authority. Which style is this?
A Free-rein
B Consultative
C Autocratic
D Coercive
Answer: B. Consultative Consultative leaders seek input but retain the final decision.
Experienced researchers receive objectives but choose methods freely. Which style is shown?
A Free-rein
B Autocratic
C Directive
D Transactional
Answer: A. Free-rein Free-rein leadership gives capable employees broad freedom to decide how to complete assigned work.
Why can hands-off leadership frustrate employees?
A Too many approval steps
B Shared decision-making
C Unclear expectations and little feedback
D Frequent coaching
Answer: C. Unclear expectations and little feedback A hands-off approach can frustrate employees when expectations are unclear or needed guidance and feedback are absent.
How do leadership and management relate?
A They are identical functions
B They are unrelated ideas
C All managers always lead
D They are distinct but overlapping
Answer: D. They are distinct but overlapping Leadership and management are different concepts, though effective managers often use leadership and leaders may perform management activities.
What does a shared vision clarify?
A Past accounting results
B Desired future direction
C Individual vacation plans
D Daily inventory counts
Answer: B. Desired future direction A vision communicates the future direction a group is working toward.
Trait approaches examine which part of leadership?
A Organizational budgets
B Market structure
C Personal characteristics
D Work schedules
Answer: C. Personal characteristics Trait approaches study personal characteristics associated with leader emergence or effectiveness.
Which personal quality helps followers trust a leader?
A Honesty and integrity
B Rapid decision-making
C High job title
D Large team size
Answer: A. Honesty and integrity Honesty and integrity help make a leader’s words and actions credible.
Answer: B. Situation and behavior matter Traits can contribute to leadership potential, but behavior and situational demands also affect effectiveness.
Listening, respect, and support show which behavior?
A Initiating structure
B Task control
C Coercive influence
D Consideration
Answer: D. Consideration Consideration is relationship-oriented behavior that includes support, respect, and attention to employees.
Planning schedules and clarifying responsibilities illustrate what?
A Referent power
B Free-rein leadership
C Initiating structure
D Employee-centered behavior
Answer: C. Initiating structure Initiating structure is task-oriented behavior such as planning, scheduling, and clarifying work.
Ohio State leadership studies identified which two dimensions?
A Power and influence
B Consideration and initiating structure
C Autocratic and democratic
D Task and reward
Answer: B. Consideration and initiating structure The Ohio State studies highlighted consideration and initiating structure as two major behavior dimensions.
Michigan studies contrasted which pair of leader orientations?
A Visionary and charismatic
B Task and reward
C Autocratic and consultative
D Job-centered and employee-centered
Answer: D. Job-centered and employee-centered Michigan studies distinguished job-centered behavior from employee-centered behavior.
Can leaders combine consideration with task structure?
A Yes, both simultaneously
B Only during emergencies
C No, they conflict
D Only in small teams
Answer: A. Yes, both simultaneously Leaders can show relationship-oriented consideration and task-oriented structure at the same time.
Situational leadership adjusts behavior to what?
A Company size alone
B Leader tenure only
C Follower, task, and context
D Industry growth rates
Answer: C. Follower, task, and context Situational approaches consider followers and the demands of the situation when selecting leader behavior.
When role expectations are unclear, which path-goal style may help?
A Supportive leadership
B Free-rein leadership
C Participative leadership
D Directive leadership
Answer: D. Directive leadership Directive leadership clarifies expectations, procedures, and tasks when role ambiguity is high.
Which path-goal behavior may help when work is frustrating?
A Achievement-oriented
B Supportive leadership
C Directive leadership
D Autocratic control
Answer: B. Supportive leadership Supportive leadership can help when work is boring, stressful, or frustrating.
With an unstructured task and knowledgeable staff, which style invites input?
A Participative leadership
B Coercive leadership
C Free-rein only
D Autocratic leadership
Answer: A. Participative leadership Participative leadership consults employees and uses their expertise, especially when work procedures are not structured.
Stretch goals and confidence in employees reflect which path-goal style?
A Directive leadership
B Supportive leadership
C Achievement-oriented
D Free-rein leadership
Answer: C. Achievement-oriented Achievement-oriented leaders set challenging goals and express confidence in employees’ ability to meet them.
Fiedler’s contingency theory emphasizes which relationship?
A Rewards and performance
B Leader and situation fit
C Culture and technology
D Training and tenure
Answer: B. Leader and situation fit Fiedler’s model emphasizes matching leader orientation with the favorableness of the situation.
In Fiedler’s model, what does LPC stand for?
A Leader performance chart
B Leadership practice code
C Least-priority challenge
D Least-preferred coworker
Answer: D. Least-preferred coworker LPC means least-preferred coworker, a measure used in Fiedler’s contingency model.
Why does path-goal theory emphasize clearing obstacles?
A Help followers reach goals
B Increase formal authority
C Reduce employee participation
D Replace performance standards
Answer: A. Help followers reach goals Path-goal leadership helps employees see a path toward goals and addresses obstacles that impede progress.
Performance-linked exchanges are central to which approach?
A Transformational leadership
B Servant leadership
C Transactional leadership
D Free-rein leadership
Answer: C. Transactional leadership Transactional leadership uses exchanges, such as rewards tied to performance expectations.
Inspiring followers around a compelling change vision reflects which approach?
A Autocratic leadership
B Transformational leadership
C Coercive leadership
D Laissez-faire leadership
Answer: B. Transformational leadership Transformational leadership inspires followers around a vision and encourages meaningful change.
What can strengthen a charismatic leader’s influence?
A Formal rules alone
B Control of schedules
C Punishment threats
D Personal appeal and vision
Answer: D. Personal appeal and vision Charismatic influence often draws on personal appeal and an ability to communicate an energizing vision.
Empowerment increases which employee capacity?
A Responsibility without authority
B Autonomy and decision discretion
C Reporting requirements only
D Approval delays
Answer: B. Autonomy and decision discretion Empowerment gives employees greater autonomy and discretion to make decisions within their work.
Why should leaders invite respectful dissent in planning?
A Eliminate all disagreement
B Speed every approval
C Surface assumptions and alternatives
D Avoid explaining decisions
Answer: C. Surface assumptions and alternatives Respectful dissent can reveal assumptions, risks, and alternatives that a group might otherwise overlook.
Before choosing a leadership style, what should a manager assess?
A Personal popularity
B Office size and layout
C Employee birthdays
D Follower needs and situation
Answer: D. Follower needs and situation Effective leadership depends on the needs of followers and the circumstances surrounding the work.
During urgent risk, why may directive guidance help?
A Immediate clarity and coordination
B More informal discussion
C Less role definition
D No performance feedback
Answer: A. Immediate clarity and coordination In urgent situations, clear direction can help people coordinate and understand immediate responsibilities.
What can excessive control weaken among experienced employees?
A Role clarity
B Autonomy and initiative
C Task standards
D Decision accountability
Answer: B. Autonomy and initiative Over-controlling experienced employees can limit their autonomy and initiative.
Trust grows when leaders consistently do what?
A Change goals without explanation
B Withhold relevant information
C Align actions with words
D Avoid difficult decisions
Answer: C. Align actions with words Consistency between a leader’s stated values and actions supports credibility and trust.
Delegating responsibility without decision authority creates what?
A Clear accountability
B Greater employee autonomy
C Faster coordination
D Responsibility-authority mismatch
Answer: D. Responsibility-authority mismatch Delegation works poorly when employees are accountable for work but lack authority to make necessary decisions.
Colleagues follow a specialist who has no formal title. Which power base is operating?
A Legitimate power
B Reward power
C Expert power
D Coercive power
Answer: C. Expert power Colleagues may follow an informal specialist because they value that person’s knowledge or skill.
What power bases can a manager combine through position and expertise?
A Reward and coercive power
B Referent and coercive power
C Expert and reward power
D Legitimate and expert power
Answer: D. Legitimate and expert power A manager may have legitimate power from a role and expert power from relevant knowledge.
What should leadership align employees toward?
A Shared organizational goals
B Personal rivalries
C Short-term popularity
D Unrelated procedures
Answer: A. Shared organizational goals Leadership guides people toward shared organizational objectives.
What risk can threat-based compliance create?
A Greater employee autonomy
B Low trust and initiative
C More employee ownership
D Improved open communication
Answer: B. Low trust and initiative Coercion may produce compliance but can weaken trust and initiative if relied upon heavily.
Shared decision-making most clearly characterizes which leadership style?
A Autocratic
B Free-rein
C Coercive
D Participative
Answer: D. Participative Participative leaders involve employees in discussion and decision-making.
How do free-rein leaders avoid autonomy turning into confusion?
A Add approval at every step
B Withhold task information
C Set goals, boundaries, and feedback
D Remove all accountability
Answer: C. Set goals, boundaries, and feedback Autonomy works best when employees still understand goals, decision boundaries, and how performance will be reviewed.
Modeling honesty and accountability demonstrates which trait?
A Integrity
B Referent power
C Initiating structure
D Free-rein style
Answer: A. Integrity Integrity means acting honestly and consistently with stated values.
What two concerns appear in Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid?
A Authority and reward
B Task and tenure
C People and production
D Culture and structure
Answer: C. People and production The Leadership Grid compares concern for people with concern for production or results.
How should organizations assess leadership over time?
A By title and tenure
B Through goals and team outcomes
C By popularity alone
D By meeting count
Answer: B. Through goals and team outcomes Leadership effectiveness should be judged by relevant outcomes, including progress toward goals and team functioning.
What principle summarizes contingency approaches?
A One style works for everyone
B Leadership depends only on traits
C Power must stay centralized
D No single style works everywhere
Answer: D. No single style works everywhere Contingency approaches hold that effective leadership depends on the situation rather than one universal style.
After announcing a change, how can leaders check whether employees understand the direction?
A Keep plans confidential
B Avoid follow-up questions
C Allow only one-way messages
D Invite feedback and clarify concerns
Answer: D. Invite feedback and clarify concerns Two-way communication lets leaders surface confusion and reinforce a shared understanding of the change.
Which practice helps leaders explain difficult decisions transparently?
A Explain criteria and rationale
B Rely on title alone
C Withhold relevant information
D Change standards privately
Answer: A. Explain criteria and rationale Explaining the criteria and rationale helps employees understand how a decision was reached.