WGU C715 Organizational Behavior
Final Exam ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 |
WGU C715 Org Behavior | Verified Q&A
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Competency 1: Foundations of Organizational Behavior
Q1: Organizational behavior is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing
people at work. Which of the following best describes the "systems approach" to OB?
A. It focuses exclusively on the psychological traits of individual employees to predict behavior.
B. It views the organization as a complex system of interdependent parts (inputs, processes, outputs)
interacting with the external environment. [CORRECT]
C. It relies strictly on historical case studies to determine universal rules for management.
D. It assumes that there is one single best way to organize and manage all businesses.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the systems approach recognizes that organizations are open systems
comprising inputs (e.g., people, capital), transformation processes, and outputs, all influenced by
external environmental factors. A is wrong because it focuses only on the micro-level individual rather
than the holistic system. C is wrong because OB relies on scientific, empirical research, not just historical
cases. D is wrong because assuming "one best way" describes the universalist approach, which the
systems approach specifically rejects in favor of contingency thinking.
Q2: A manager at a manufacturing plant decides to increase the lighting in the factory to see if it
improves worker productivity. Productivity goes up, but when the manager returns the lighting to its
original state a week later, productivity remains high. This phenomenon is best explained by the:
A. Scientific Management Theory.
,B. Hawthorne Effect. [CORRECT]
C. Human Relations Movement.
D. Contingency Theory.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the Hawthorne Effect refers to the phenomenon where employees alter
their behavior (e.g., increasing productivity) simply because they know they are being observed or are
receiving special attention, rather than in response to the actual physical changes in the environment. A
is wrong because scientific management focuses on optimizing physical tasks and efficiency, not
psychological attention. C is wrong because while the Hawthorne studies birthed the Human Relations
Movement, the specific phenomenon described is the Hawthorne Effect itself. D is wrong because
contingency theory states there is no one best way to manage, which doesn't explain this specific
observation-based outcome.
Q3: Which of the following is considered an "input" in the Inputs-Processes-Outputs (IPO) model of
organizational behavior?
A. Employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
B. Individual characteristics such as personality, values, and abilities. [CORRECT]
C. Group cohesion and team conflict levels.
D. Organizational performance and turnover rates.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because inputs are the variables that precede and influence organizational processes,
primarily including individual characteristics (like personality), group structures, and organizational
culture. A is wrong because job satisfaction is an attitude that typically emerges as a process or
outcome. C is wrong because group cohesion is a process variable (how the group functions). D is wrong
because performance and turnover are outputs or outcomes of the system.
Q4: A manager assumes that the motivational techniques that worked perfectly for her team in the
United States will automatically work for her new team in Japan, without considering cultural
differences. This manager's approach violates which fundamental concept in organizational behavior?
A. The contingency approach. [CORRECT]
B. The systematic approach.
,C. The scientific management approach.
D. The human relations approach.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Correct because the contingency approach argues that there is no "one best way" to manage;
managerial actions must be contingent upon (adapted to) the specific situational variables, such as
national culture. B is wrong because the systematic approach simply means looking at the whole system,
not necessarily adapting to it. C is wrong because scientific management rigidly applies "one best way"
principles, which is what the manager is erroneously doing. D is wrong because human relations focuses
on social needs and doesn't inherently dictate cross-cultural adaptation.
Q5: [WGU-Style Situational Judgment] A department head notices a sharp decline in voluntary overtime
among employees over the last month. In the context of organizational behavior, this decline in
overtime is best classified as:
A. An independent variable that is causing low morale.
B. A dependent variable that requires further investigation into its root causes. [CORRECT]
C. An intervening variable that explains the relationship between pay and performance.
D. A moderating variable that decreases the impact of leadership style.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because dependent variables are the outcomes or behaviors that organizational
behavior scholars want to explain or predict; the decline in overtime is the outcome requiring an
explanation. A is wrong because the decline is the result of something else, not the cause. C is wrong
because an intervening variable mediates the relationship between two other variables, which isn't
established here. D is wrong because a moderating variable affects the strength of a relationship, which
isn't demonstrated in this brief scenario.
Q6: Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management theory is primarily criticized in modern OB for:
A. Overemphasizing the social and psychological needs of workers.
B. Viewing workers as cogs in a machine and ignoring human individuality. [CORRECT]
C. Relying too heavily on qualitative, subjective management judgments.
D. Encouraging too much employee participation in decision-making.
, Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because Taylor advocated for finding the "one best way" to do a job and heavily
focused on efficiency, often treating workers as interchangeable parts without considering their social or
psychological needs. A is wrong because Taylor explicitly ignored social/psychological needs (this was
the focus of the later Human Relations Movement). C is wrong because Taylor relied on strict time-and-
motion studies (quantitative), not subjective judgments. D is wrong because scientific management was
highly authoritarian, leaving no room for employee participation.
Q7: Which level of OB analysis is primarily concerned with understanding factors like leadership styles,
communication patterns, and team dynamics?
A. Individual level.
B. Group level. [CORRECT]
C. Organizational system level.
D. Macro-environmental level.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the group level of analysis focuses on how people interact in groups,
including topics like team dynamics, leadership, conflict, and communication. A is wrong because the
individual level focuses on personality, perception, and motivation. C is wrong because the
organizational level focuses on company-wide culture, structure, and change. D is wrong because the
macro-environmental level looks at external economic, legal, and technological forces, not internal team
dynamics.
Q8: Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is best defined as:
A. Voluntary behaviors that exceed formal job requirements and contribute to the organization's overall
functioning. [CORRECT]
B. Mandatory actions dictated by an employee's specific job description.
C. Behaviors that intentionally harm the organization or its members.
D. The physical and psychological withdrawal from the work environment.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Correct because OCBs (like helping a coworker or volunteering for extra tasks) are
discretionary, not formally rewarded, but help the broader organizational system. B is wrong because
Final Exam ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 |
WGU C715 Org Behavior | Verified Q&A
Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Competency 1: Foundations of Organizational Behavior
Q1: Organizational behavior is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and managing
people at work. Which of the following best describes the "systems approach" to OB?
A. It focuses exclusively on the psychological traits of individual employees to predict behavior.
B. It views the organization as a complex system of interdependent parts (inputs, processes, outputs)
interacting with the external environment. [CORRECT]
C. It relies strictly on historical case studies to determine universal rules for management.
D. It assumes that there is one single best way to organize and manage all businesses.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the systems approach recognizes that organizations are open systems
comprising inputs (e.g., people, capital), transformation processes, and outputs, all influenced by
external environmental factors. A is wrong because it focuses only on the micro-level individual rather
than the holistic system. C is wrong because OB relies on scientific, empirical research, not just historical
cases. D is wrong because assuming "one best way" describes the universalist approach, which the
systems approach specifically rejects in favor of contingency thinking.
Q2: A manager at a manufacturing plant decides to increase the lighting in the factory to see if it
improves worker productivity. Productivity goes up, but when the manager returns the lighting to its
original state a week later, productivity remains high. This phenomenon is best explained by the:
A. Scientific Management Theory.
,B. Hawthorne Effect. [CORRECT]
C. Human Relations Movement.
D. Contingency Theory.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the Hawthorne Effect refers to the phenomenon where employees alter
their behavior (e.g., increasing productivity) simply because they know they are being observed or are
receiving special attention, rather than in response to the actual physical changes in the environment. A
is wrong because scientific management focuses on optimizing physical tasks and efficiency, not
psychological attention. C is wrong because while the Hawthorne studies birthed the Human Relations
Movement, the specific phenomenon described is the Hawthorne Effect itself. D is wrong because
contingency theory states there is no one best way to manage, which doesn't explain this specific
observation-based outcome.
Q3: Which of the following is considered an "input" in the Inputs-Processes-Outputs (IPO) model of
organizational behavior?
A. Employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
B. Individual characteristics such as personality, values, and abilities. [CORRECT]
C. Group cohesion and team conflict levels.
D. Organizational performance and turnover rates.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because inputs are the variables that precede and influence organizational processes,
primarily including individual characteristics (like personality), group structures, and organizational
culture. A is wrong because job satisfaction is an attitude that typically emerges as a process or
outcome. C is wrong because group cohesion is a process variable (how the group functions). D is wrong
because performance and turnover are outputs or outcomes of the system.
Q4: A manager assumes that the motivational techniques that worked perfectly for her team in the
United States will automatically work for her new team in Japan, without considering cultural
differences. This manager's approach violates which fundamental concept in organizational behavior?
A. The contingency approach. [CORRECT]
B. The systematic approach.
,C. The scientific management approach.
D. The human relations approach.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Correct because the contingency approach argues that there is no "one best way" to manage;
managerial actions must be contingent upon (adapted to) the specific situational variables, such as
national culture. B is wrong because the systematic approach simply means looking at the whole system,
not necessarily adapting to it. C is wrong because scientific management rigidly applies "one best way"
principles, which is what the manager is erroneously doing. D is wrong because human relations focuses
on social needs and doesn't inherently dictate cross-cultural adaptation.
Q5: [WGU-Style Situational Judgment] A department head notices a sharp decline in voluntary overtime
among employees over the last month. In the context of organizational behavior, this decline in
overtime is best classified as:
A. An independent variable that is causing low morale.
B. A dependent variable that requires further investigation into its root causes. [CORRECT]
C. An intervening variable that explains the relationship between pay and performance.
D. A moderating variable that decreases the impact of leadership style.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because dependent variables are the outcomes or behaviors that organizational
behavior scholars want to explain or predict; the decline in overtime is the outcome requiring an
explanation. A is wrong because the decline is the result of something else, not the cause. C is wrong
because an intervening variable mediates the relationship between two other variables, which isn't
established here. D is wrong because a moderating variable affects the strength of a relationship, which
isn't demonstrated in this brief scenario.
Q6: Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management theory is primarily criticized in modern OB for:
A. Overemphasizing the social and psychological needs of workers.
B. Viewing workers as cogs in a machine and ignoring human individuality. [CORRECT]
C. Relying too heavily on qualitative, subjective management judgments.
D. Encouraging too much employee participation in decision-making.
, Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because Taylor advocated for finding the "one best way" to do a job and heavily
focused on efficiency, often treating workers as interchangeable parts without considering their social or
psychological needs. A is wrong because Taylor explicitly ignored social/psychological needs (this was
the focus of the later Human Relations Movement). C is wrong because Taylor relied on strict time-and-
motion studies (quantitative), not subjective judgments. D is wrong because scientific management was
highly authoritarian, leaving no room for employee participation.
Q7: Which level of OB analysis is primarily concerned with understanding factors like leadership styles,
communication patterns, and team dynamics?
A. Individual level.
B. Group level. [CORRECT]
C. Organizational system level.
D. Macro-environmental level.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct because the group level of analysis focuses on how people interact in groups,
including topics like team dynamics, leadership, conflict, and communication. A is wrong because the
individual level focuses on personality, perception, and motivation. C is wrong because the
organizational level focuses on company-wide culture, structure, and change. D is wrong because the
macro-environmental level looks at external economic, legal, and technological forces, not internal team
dynamics.
Q8: Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is best defined as:
A. Voluntary behaviors that exceed formal job requirements and contribute to the organization's overall
functioning. [CORRECT]
B. Mandatory actions dictated by an employee's specific job description.
C. Behaviors that intentionally harm the organization or its members.
D. The physical and psychological withdrawal from the work environment.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Correct because OCBs (like helping a coworker or volunteering for extra tasks) are
discretionary, not formally rewarded, but help the broader organizational system. B is wrong because
