Organizational Behavior Improving Performance And Commitment in the Workplace 5th Edition By Jason Colquitt – Test Bank

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The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Elis is facing which type of stressor?

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Elis, unable to meet both types of expectations associated with her role, is facing _____.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Jason is encountering stress resulting from _____.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Phoebe’s stress is related to a _____.

Which of these coping strategies is Eliza utilizing?

Which of these coping strategies is Samantha utilizing?

Veronica’s manager is offering her _____.

FALSE

Stress is defined as a psychological response to demands that possess certain stakes for the person and that tax or exceed the person’s capacity or resources. The demands that cause people to experience stress are called stressors.

TRUE

When people first encounter stressors, the process of primary appraisal is triggered. Primary appraisal occurs as people evaluate the significance and the meaning of the stressor they’re confronting.

TRUE

High stress on the job is more prevalent today than it’s ever been and is even more prevalent in the types of jobs that most of you are likely to have after you graduate.

FALSE

Job demands that tend not to be appraised as stressful are called benign job demands.

FALSE

Hindrance stressors are stressful demands that people tend to perceive as hindering their progress toward personal accomplishments or goal attainment. Hindrance stressors most often trigger negative emotions such as anxiety and anger. 

FALSE

Challenge stressors often trigger positive emotions such as pride and enthusiasm.

TRUE

Role ambiguity is often experienced among new employees who haven’t been around long enough to receive instructions from supervisors or observe and model the role behaviors of more senior colleagues.

FALSE

Role overload occurs when the number of demanding roles a person holds is so high that the person simply cannot perform some or all of the roles effectively.

FALSE

Although most people appraise situations with high time pressure as rather stressful, they also tend to appraise these situations as more challenging than hindering.

TRUE

Work complexity refers to the degree to which the requirements of the work—in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities—tax or exceed the capabilities of the person who is responsible for performing the work.

TRUE

Work-related challenge stressors include time pressure, work complexity, and work responsibility.

TRUE

The level of responsibility in a job is higher when the number, scope, and importance of the obligations in the level of responsibility at the job are higher.

FALSE

Nonwork hindrance stressors include work-family conflict, a special form of role conflict in which the demands of a work role hinder the fulfillment of the demands of a family role (or vice versa).

FALSE

Both work to family conflict and family to work conflict tend to be higher for employees who are strongly embedded in their work organizations and their communities.

FALSE

Family time demands refer to the time that a person commits to participate in an array of family activities and responsibilities. Specific examples of family time demands include time spent involved in family pursuits such as traveling, attending social events and organized activities, hosting parties, and planning and making home improvements.

FALSE

Behavioral coping involves the set of physical activities that are used to deal with a stressful situation.

TRUE

Problem-focused coping refers to behaviors and cognitions intended to manage the stressful situation itself.

FALSE

Seeking assistance is a problem-focused cognitive coping strategy. See Table 5-3.

TRUE

A critical factor that determines coping strategy choice is the degree to which people believe that a particular strategy gives them some degree of control over the stressor or how they feel about it.

FALSE

People are likely to feel less control over a stressor when they appraise it as a hindrance rather than a challenge.

TRUE

Headaches, tight shoulders, and back pain have all been linked to a variety of physiological stressors.

TRUE

Stressors cause gastrointestinal system problems. Symptoms of this type of strain include stomachaches, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation.

FALSE

Psychological strains that result from stressors include depression, anxiety, anger, hostility, reduced self-confidence, irritability, inability to think clearly, forgetfulness, and lack of creativity.

TRUE

Behavioral strains are unhealthy behaviors such as grinding one’s teeth at night, being overly critical and bossy, excessive smoking, compulsive gum chewing, overuse of alcohol, and compulsive eating.

TRUE

Type A people have a strong sense of time urgency.

TRUE

Behaviors that reflect Type A tendencies are valued by the organization. Type A individuals receive “rewards” in the form of increases in the amount and level of work required.

TRUE

Social support refers to the help that people receive when they are confronted with stressful demands.

TRUE

Instrumental support refers to the help people receive that can be used to address the stressful demand directly.

FALSE

Hindrance stressors have a weak negative relationship with job performance. A general explanation for this negative relationship is that hindrance stressors result in strains and negative emotions that reduce the overall level of physical, cognitive, and emotional energy that people could otherwise bring to their job duties.

TRUE

Challenge stressors have a weak positive relationship with job performance. People who experience higher levels of challenge stressors tend to have higher levels of task performance.

FALSE

Challenge stressors have a moderate positive relationship with organizational commitment. People who experience higher levels of challenge stressors tend to have higher levels of affective commitment and normative commitment. Relationships with continuance commitment are weaker.

FALSE

The first step in managing stress is to assess the level and sources of stress in the workplace.

FALSE

Job sharing doesn’t mean splitting one job into two but rather indicates that two people share the responsibilities of a single job, as if the two people were a single performing unit.

FALSE

Reducing stressors may reduce the overall level of stress that a person experiences; however, this approach is likely to be most beneficial when the focus of the effort is on hindrance stressors rather than challenge stressors.

TRUE

Hindrance stressors such as role ambiguity, conflict, and overload not only cause strain but also decrease commitment and job performance.

TRUE

One way that organizations provide resources to employees is through training interventions aimed at increasing job-related competencies and skills.

TRUE

One of the ways that organizations provide resources to employees so that they can cope more effectively is through supportive practices that help employees manage and balance the demands that exist in the different roles they have.

FALSE

Although relaxation techniques differ, their basic idea is the same—they teach people how to counteract the effects of stressors by engaging in activities that slow the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

FALSE

Exercise programs reduce the strain felt by employees not the number or type of stressors.

TRUE

One type of strain-reducing practice involves training in relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and miscellaneous calming activities like taking walks, writing in a journal, and deep breathing.

FALSE

Cognitive-behavioral techniques attempt to help people appraise and cope with stressors in a more rational manner.

Stress is defined as a psychological response to demands for which there is something at stake and coping with those demands taxes or exceeds a person’s capacity or resources.

Stress is defined as a psychological response to demands for which there is something at stake and coping with those demands taxes or exceeds a person’s capacity or resources. The particular demands that cause people to experience stress are called stressors.

Broken copy machines, irritatingly loud coworkers, and lack of supplies are all examples of stressors resulting from daily hassles. Headaches and gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal problems are examples of strains resulting from stress caused by stressors. 

The negative consequences that occur when demands tax or exceed one’s capacity or resources are called strains. 

The transactional theory of stress explains how stressors are perceived and appraised (primary appraisal), as well as how people respond to the perceptions (secondary appraisal)

Primary appraisal occurs as people evaluate the significance and meaning of the stressors they are confronting. Here, people first consider whether a demand causes them to feel stressed, and if it does, they consider the implications of the stressor in terms of their personal goals and overall well-being.

Primary appraisal occurs as people evaluate the significance and the meaning of the stressors they are confronting. Here, people first consider whether a demand causes them to feel stressed, and if it does, they consider the implications of the stressor in terms of their personal goals and overall well-being.

Job demands that tend not to be appraised as stressful are called benign job demands.

Hindrance stressors tend to trigger negative emotions such as anger and anxiety. In contrast, managing additional responsibilities or higher workloads has a long-term benefit, in that it helps build the employee’s skills.

Having to deal with additional responsibilities is likely to be perceived by most employees as having long-term benefits. These kinds of stressors are called challenge stressors, or stressful demands that people tend to perceive as opportunities for learning, growth, and achievement.

Role overload occurs when the number of demanding roles a person holds is so high that the person simply cannot perform some or all of the roles very effectively. Role overload as a source of stress is becoming very prevalent for employees in many different industries.

Role conflict refers to conflicting expectations that other people may have of us.

Role overload occurs when the number of demanding roles a person holds is so high that the person simply cannot perform some or all of the roles very effectively.

One type of work-related hindrance stressor is role conflict, which refers to conflicting expectations that other people may have of us. Tim is experiencing role conflict because he is expected to travel and meet clients, as well as mentor and track the performance of the market representatives assigned to him.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Elis is facing which type of stressor?

Elis is facing role conflict as a stressor, which is a work hindrance stressor. Role conflict refers to conflicting expectations that other people may have of us. It occurs from incompatible demands within a single role that a person may hold.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Elis, unable to meet both types of expectations associated with her role, is facing _____.

Role conflict refers to conflicting expectations that other people may have of us. Elis is facing a conflict between the focus on customer satisfaction and the need for effectiveness, measured by the number of customers attended to.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Jason is encountering stress resulting from _____.

Role ambiguity refers to a lack of information about what needs to be done in a role, as well as unpredictability regarding the consequences of performance in that role. Jason has been asked to take over the territory and learn on the job. Because Jason is new to the job, it would be hard for him to take over all the responsibility.

The bank hired Jason as a trainee for the supervisor position. Two days into his new job, he was asked to take up all the responsibilities of a regional supervisor. Jason was given very few instructions or guidelines about how things are supposed to be done. He was expected to learn on the job.

Phoebe’s stress is related to a _____.

One type of work-related challenge stressor is time pressure—a strong sense that the amount of time you have to do a task is just not quite enough. Because two supervisors quit the job, the pressure on Phoebe increases due to shortage of manpower. Hence, she is facing a work challenge stressor.

Daily hassles, role overload, role ambiguity, and role conflict are some of the types of work hindrance stressor. Time pressure is a work challenge stressor.

Role ambiguity refers to a lack of information about what needs to be done in a role, as well as unpredictability regarding the consequences of performance in that role.

Daily hassles refer to the relatively minor day-to-day demands that get in the way of accomplishing the things that we really want to accomplish. Examples of hassles include having to deal with unnecessary paperwork, office equipment malfunctions, annoying interactions with abrasive coworkers, and useless communications.

One type of work-related challenge stressor is work complexity, which is the degree to which the requirements of the work—in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities—tax or exceed the capabilities of the person who is responsible for performing the work.

Work complexity refers to the degree to which the requirements of the work—in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities—tax or exceed the capabilities of the person who is responsible for performing the work.

Work responsibility refers to the nature of the obligations that a person has toward others. Generally speaking, the level of responsibility in a job is higher when the number, scope, and importance of the obligations in that job are higher.

Role overload occurs when the number of demanding roles a person holds is so high that the person simply cannot perform some or all of the roles effectively. Role overload as a source of stress is becoming very prevalent for employees in many different industries, and in fact, studies have shown that this source of stress is more prevalent than both role conflict and role ambiguity.

One example of nonwork hindrance stressors is work-family conflict, a special form of role conflict in which the demands of a work role hinder the fulfillment of the demands of a family role (or vice versa).

According to Table 5-2, the death of a spouse is the most stressful life event.

Financial uncertainty is a nonwork hindrance stressor. This type of stressor refers to conditions that create uncertainties with regard to the loss of livelihood, savings, or the ability to pay expenses. This type of stressor is highly relevant during recessions or economic downturns.

Positive life events like marriage, pregnancy, the addition of a new family member, and ending school are all stressful in their own way. However, each is associated with some positive, rather than negative, emotions.

Family time demands is a nonwork challenge stressor that reflects the time that a person commits to participate in an array of family activities and responsibilities.

Personal development activities include participation in formal education programs, music lessons, sports-related training, hobby related self-education, participation in local government, or volunteer work.

Coping refers to the behaviors and thoughts that people use to manage both the stressful demands that they face and the emotions associated with those stressful demands. The first part of our coping definition highlights the idea that methods of coping can be categorized on the basis of whether they involve behaviors or cognitions.

Behavioral coping involves the set of physical activities that are used to deal with a stressful situation. Problem-focused coping refers to behaviors and cognitions intended to manage the stressful situation itself. Because Ariel is managing the stressful situation itself by working harder and faster, the coping strategy can be classified as problem-focused behavior coping.

Coping strategies can be viewed as either problem or emotion focused.

Seeking assistance from coworkers, self-motivation, acquiring additional resources, and strategizing are examples of problem focused coping. Seeking emotional support is a type of social support.

Problem-focused coping refers to behaviors and cognitions intended to manage the stressful situation itself. Behavioral coping involves the set of physical activities that are used to deal with a stressful situation.

Problem-focused coping refers to behaviors and cognitions intended to manage the stressful situation itself. Cognitive coping refers to the thoughts that are involved in trying to deal with a stressful situation.

Venting anger, engaging in alternative activities, seeking support, and reappraising are examples of emotion-focused coping. Self-motivation is an example of problem-focused cognitive coping strategy.

Emotion-focused coping refers to the various ways in which people manage their own emotional reactions to stressful demands. Behavioral coping involves the set of physical activities that are used to deal with a stressful situation.

Which of these coping strategies is Eliza utilizing?

Problem-focused coping refers to behaviors and cognitions intended to manage the stressful situation itself. Behavioral coping involves the set of physical activities that are used to deal with a stressful situation.

Which of these coping strategies is Samantha utilizing?

Emotion-focused coping refers to the various ways in which people manage their own emotional reactions to stressful demands. Cognitive coping refers to the thoughts that are involved in trying to deal with a stressful situation.

Emotion-focused coping refers to the various ways in which people manage their own emotional reactions to stressful demands. Cognitive coping refers to the thoughts that are involved in trying to deal with a stressful situation.

In contrast to problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping refers to the various ways in which people manage their own emotional reactions to stressful demands.

Burnout is defined as the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that results from having to cope with stressful demands on an ongoing basis.

Physiological strains that result from stressors occur in at least four systems of the human body. Psychological strains that result from stressors include depression, anxiety, anger, hostility, reduced self-confidence, irritability, inability to think clearly, forgetfulness, lack of creativity, memory loss, and a loss of sense of humor.

Psychological strains that result from stressors include depression, anxiety, anger, hostility, reduced self-confidence, irritability, inability to think clearly, forgetfulness, lack of creativity, memory loss, and a loss of sense of humor.

Behavioral strains are unhealthy behaviors such as grinding one’s teeth at night, being overly critical and bossy, excessive smoking, compulsive gum chewing, overuse of alcohol, and compulsive eating.

Type A Behavior Pattern may have a direct influence on the level of stressors that a person confronts; may influence the stress process; may be directly linked to coronary heart disease; and may also promote physiological, psychological, and behavioral strains.

Social support refers to the help that people receive when they are confronted with stressful demands, and there are at least two major types. One type of social support is called instrumental support, which refers to the help people receive that can be used to address the stressful demand directly. A second type of social support is called emotional support. This type of support refers to the help people receive in addressing the emotional distress that accompanies stressful demands.

One type of social support is called instrumental support, which refers to the help people receive that can be used to address the stressful demand directly. For example, if a person is overloaded with work, a coworker could provide instrumental support by taking over some of the work or offering suggestions about how to do the work more efficiently.

Emotional support refers to the help people receive in addressing the emotional distress that accompanies stressful demands. As an example, the supervisor of the individual who is overloaded with work might provide emotional support by showing interest in the employee’s situation and appearing to be understanding and empathetic.

One type of social support is called instrumental support, which refers to the help people receive that can be used to address the stressful demand directly. For example, if a person is overloaded with work, a coworker could provide instrumental support by taking over some of the work or offering suggestions about how to do the work more efficiently.

Social support has the potential to influence the stress process in several different ways. However, most research on social support focuses on the ways that social support buffers the relationship between stressors and strains.

Hindrance stressors have a weak negative relationship with job performance. A general explanation for this negative relationship is that hindrance stressors result in strains and negative emotions that reduce the overall level of physical, cognitive, and emotional energy that people could otherwise bring to their job duties.

Hindrance stressors have a strong negative effect on organizational commitment. People who experience higher levels of hindrance stressors tend to feel lower levels of affective commitment and lower levels of normative commitment. Effects on continuance commitment are weaker.

Challenge stressors have a weak relationship with job performance and a moderate relationship with organizational commitment. However, in contrast to the results for hindrance stressors, the relationships are positive rather than negative.

Presenteeism refers to the situation in which employees come to work even though they are suffering physiological, psychological, or behavioral strain. This can result in prolonged illness, the spread of illness, and a downward spiral of impaired performance, which can have even worse effects on productivity than absenteeism. 

Employees who experience higher levels of challenge stressors also tend to have higher levels of job performance and organizational commitment. 

Job sharing doesn’t mean splitting one job into two but rather indicates that two people share the responsibilities of a single job, as if the two people were a single performing unit. It can be used to reduce role overload and foster work-life balance.

Organizations provide resources to employees through training interventions aimed at increasing job-related competencies and skills. Training that increases employee competencies and skills is also beneficial to the extent that it promotes a sense that the demands are more controllable.

Supportive practices such as compressed workweek, full-time telecommuting, on-site child care and flextime help employees manage and balance the demands that exist in the different roles they have. 

Relaxation techniques teach people how to counteract the effects of stressors by engaging in activities that slow the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. See Table 5-4. 

Cognitive-behavioral techniques attempt to help people appraise and cope with stressors in a more rational manner.

Veronica’s manager is offering her _____.

Some organizations help their employees cope with stress by offering them the opportunity to take a sabbatical—paid or unpaid time off to engage in alternative activities.