WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY D576 Actual exam questions and answers 2026

Which topic is a focus of the organizational component of industrial/organizational psychology?

Structuring for high performance

Which guideline should be followed when writing the competencies section of a job description?

Provide information on what is needed to be successful for the job.

What is the job analysis method that focuses on having employees describe the tasks they perform

interviewing experts

Which component is the focus when determining internal pay equity?

Identifying the importance of job duties

What is the Hawthorne effect?

A condition where employees become more productive due to being studied

What is a key responsibility of personnel psychologists in I/O psychology?

Selecting and promoting employees

Which husband-and-wife team were among the first scientists to improve productivity and reduce fatigue by studying the motions used by workers?

Frank and Mary Gilbreth

After suffering losses from a case related to sexual harassment, a company wants to make changes to reduce the risk of legal liability in the future.

Clearly indicate how to file a complaint or report.

Based on comments made by a business owner, it is clear to a manager that they will be evaluated more favorably if they agree to exclude a certain ethnic group from the hiring process.

Why is the company liable for damages in this case?

The decision was tied to an inappropriate favor

Which U.S. Supreme Court case confirmed that increasing diversity is a compelling government interest in affirmative action programs?

Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), because it stated that using race did not erase the rights of nonminorities.

How are the Civil Rights Acts different from the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments regarding discrimination?

The Civil Rights Acts require statistical analysis, while the Amendments require intent.

How do the legal implications differ for quid pro quo harassment and a hostile work environment?

Quid pro quo harassment can result in personal liability for the harasser, while a hostile work environment only holds the employer liable.

How do the reporting requirements differ for quid pro quo harassment and a hostile work environment?

Quid pro quo harassment must be reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), while a hostile work environment can be addressed internally.

What is a common affirmative action strategy that involves targeting underrepresented groups for more extensive recruitment?

Intentional selection of minority applicants

Why should companies carefully document critical behaviors?

It enables the evaluator to remember specific behaviors.

What is one of the limitations to the employment-at-will doctrine?

Employees cannot be terminated for refusing to violate the law.

What is one legal reason for terminating an employee, given that the employment-at-will doctrine does not apply?

An inability to perform the job

What is the purpose of task analysis in the process of needs analysis?

To determine what employees actually do in the performance of their jobs

What type of error is being made when the performance rating one person receives is influenced by the performance of a previously evaluated person?

Contrast error

What is the potential result of promoting employees based solely on performance or tenure?

Peter Principle

After a manager creates a sorted list of employees based on performance, 20% of the employees are placed in each of the following categories: excellent, good, average, below average, and terrible.

Which type of evaluation is being used by the manager?

Force distribution

Why should an employer be wary of relying too heavily on letters of recommendation for the employee selection process?

There is often only knowledge about the applicant in one setting

A firm is seeking to hire a new graphic designer. In addition to other methods of evaluation, the firm wants to use an instrument to ensure that applicants have adequate spatial reasoning skills.

What is the appropriate test for this purpose?

Perceptual ability

An employer is designing an applicant questionnaire as a performance predictor. The questionnaire will address information about an applicant's life, school, community, and work experience.

Which guideline should be followed in order to reduce some of the criticisms of this type of questionnaire?

Focus on events that a person controls.

What is one of the primary concerns related to the use of personality inventories for employee selection?

They are relatively easy to fake because they are self-reports.

A company has decided to use integrity testing as part of its employee selection process.

What is a drawback of this type of testing?

Filling this test can have a negative psychological impact

A company wants to be able to conduct employee drug tests but wants to ensure that the methods of testing are legally defensible.

Which form of testing should be used?

Test employees after an incident has occurred

How is a voice stress analyzer used when screening potential employees?

It measures changes in a person's voice to detect signs of deception during interviews.

What is one difference between theories related to job characteristics and theories related to job expectations?

Theories based on characteristics emphasize task significance. Theories based on expectations emphasize accurate job descriptions

A manufacturing manager proposes that the facility should have the goal of producing 5,000 units next month. The facility is currently producing 4,800 units per month. Another manager proposes that the goal should be to achieve a high level of efficiency.

Why is the first manager's goal more effective?

The first manager's goal is time-bound, but the second manager's goal is not.

How do the benefits of compressed workweeks compare to the benefits of flextime hours?

Flextime offers better work-life balance, but compressed workweeks offer more vacation time.

What is one difference between the benefits of peak-time pay and working from home?

Peak-time pay offers greater pay for higher-stress environments, but working from home offers more time with family.

A tech team consists of diverse individuals with varying preferences and motivations. To boost productivity and morale, you decide to implement a personalized incentive program based on the Premack Principle. Each team member is asked to create a list of preferred activities and rewards.

Which incentive strategies would be effective for a staff that is motivated by learning new skills?

Offering employees opportunities to lead new projects and commit to professional workshops throughout the year.

A new manager, Maria, is tasked with improving her team's productivity at a software development company. She decides to set specific goals for each team member to enhance their performance and customer satisfaction.

Which goal set by Maria would be appropriate for ensuring it is measurable?

Reducing the average time to resolve customer support tickers from five days to three days within the next quarter.

A Human Resource manager analyzed the current company culture and identified that employees feel their work is not sufficiently recognized, there are limited opportunities for professional development, team cohesion is weak, and there is a high level of job insecurity.

What comprehensive strategy would improve employee motivation in your organization, based on the four-drive theory?

Develop a company-wide program that publicly acknowledges employee achievements and ensures job stability.

How do wellness programs differ from recognition programs for reducing absenteeism?

Wellness programs focus on reducing illness, but recognition programs focus on praise.

Two of a company's managers have recognized that there is a problem of high employee turnover. One manager proposes that employees be given more meaningful tasks. The other proposes that a higher emphasis should be placed on coworker collaboration.

Whose plan should be implemented?

The first manager, because the strategy increases job commitment

Which comparison of affective commitment and normative commitment on the Allen and Meyer scale is accurate?

Affective commitment focuses on personal feelings, but normal commitment focuses on obligatory pressures.

Which comparison of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and the Organizational Commitment Scale (OCS) is accurate?

The OCQ measures a desire to remain with the organization, but the OCS measures identification.

At a software development company, Mia, a senior developer, has been given the opportunity to oversee the design phase of a new software module. This responsibility involves analyzing user requirements, collaborating with the design team, and making critical decisions about the architecture and functionalities of the module.

Which scenario illustrates knowledge enlargement, in the context of job enrichment strategies?

Mia is responsible for making strategic decisions about the design and architecture of a new software module.

Maya works at a manufacturing plant where she has been performing the same assembly line task for several years. Lately, she has been feeling unchallenged and dissatisfied with her job.

Which action would increase Maya's job satisfaction by addressing her self-actualization needs, according to Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics theory?

Give Maya more control and responsibility over her tasks, such as allowing her to oversee the entire assembly process from start to finish.

An HR manager at a mid-sized tech company is facing a high turnover rate among the experienced software engineers. Many of these employees are leaving for higher pay or better career advancement opportunities at larger firms. The company has limited promotion opportunities due to its flat organizational structure and financial constraints.

Which strategy can effectively reduce the turnover among the experienced software engineers?

Create a "Senior Engineer" designation with a significant pay increase, recognizing experience and skills without adding supervisory responsibilities

What is one difference between ideal upward communication with an open-door policy and serial communication?

Serial communication may fail to preserve the message content.

Which statement correctly compares telephone calls and email as forms of business communication?

Telephone calls are less efficient with respect to time.

Which statement correctly compares noise and non-verbal cues within interpersonal communication?

Noise prevents message reception, but non-verbal cues change message reception

How do upward communication and downward communication differ?

Upward communication makes use of attitude surveys, but downward communication makes use of bulletin boards.

What is the difference between an "open door" policy and the MUM effect in organizational communication?

An "open door" policy encourages direct communication between employees and management, while the MUM effect refers to the reluctance to relay bad news in serial communication

What is the difference between an ombudsman and a union steward in an organization?

An ombudsman is typically neutral and works for compromise, while a union steward may face challenges due to adversarial relationships.

What differentiates landscaped office design from boulevard office design

Landscaped office design uses large, open office areas without walls, while boulevard office design consists of wide hallways that run through several departments.

What is one general difference between larger groups and smaller groups?

Larger groups have lower levels of coordination

Which comparison about social-oriented roles and the individual role is correct?

Social-oriented roles encourage coordination, but the individual role calls attention to oneself.

Which comparison about groupthink and social loafing is correct?

Groupthink involves an illusion of infallibility, but social loafing involves a decision to make less effort.

How do the tactical style and coercive style of management differ in the workplace?

The tactical style involves setting clear goals and providing guidance to employees, while the coercive style involves using threats and intimidation to achieve results.

How do the instrumental-style and achievement-oriented style differ in path-goal theory

The instrumental-style focuses on providing rewards and punishments to motivate employees, while the achievement-oriented style focuses on setting challenging goals and providing support to achieve them.

How do narcissistic tendencies relate to leadership emergence?

Narcissistic tendencies are positively correlated with leadership emergence because individuals with high levels of narcissism often possess charisma and confidence that can attract followers.

What is the difference between the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Job Choice

Exercise (JCE)?

The TAT is a projective psychological test used to assess a person's unconscious thoughts and feelings, while the JCE is a structured assessment tool used to evaluate an individual's career interests and preferences.

What is a common source of work stress?

Low pay

Which strategy is effective for reducing work-related stress?

Walk around outside

What is distress?

A type of stress that has negative consequences on a person

Which sign is associated with burnout?

Negativity

What extreme physical response is associated with stress?

Hair loss

Which individual personality trait is generally associated with anxiety, pessimism, and a lack of hopefulness?

Neuroticism

What is a common source of workplace stress from relations with others?

Working with difficult people

A manager is kind to employees, always offering to help.

Which type of leadership style is described?

Humane

A company often pays for expedited shipping for printed reports. However, no one reads the reports until several days after the reports arrive, when leaders gather for a scheduled status update.

What is the sacred cow described in the scenario?

Speed cow

Which behavior is a characteristic of the discarding stage of employee change acceptance?

Employees realize that changes inevitable and start to accept it

Which characteristic is associated with the adaptation stage of the change process for employees?

Employees test the new system and learn how it functions

Which factor determines the extent to which employees accept and handle change?

The leader making the change

A new leader wants to have a company picnic with employees and their family members. He encourages everyone to wear the company shirt to show unity.

Which dimension of culture does this leader address?

In group collectivism

Which employee action will occur during the "Defense" stage of organizational change?

Justify the current way of doing things