IIA IIA Certifications IIA-CIA-PART4 Questions & Answers

• Question 251:

  In which of the following situations will organizational politics most likely have a significant impact?

  A. When space allocations are made according to objective criteria.

  B. When the budget allows for generous salary increases for all employees.

  C. When promotions are based on an employee's attitude.

  D. When performance outcomes are clearly stated and objective.

  Correct Answer: C

  Organizational politics, or impression management, is defined by Andrew Durbin as the pursuit of self- interest at work in the face of real or imagined opposition." Also, employees tend to believe that pursuit of self-interest at work in the form of career advancement is aided by playing politics. Hence, employees will try to, among other things, manage the impression of their attitudes held by superiors.

• Question 252:

  Which of the following tactics may employees use when feeling that employees' individual power is insignificant?

  A. Employees may engage in posturing by taking credit for the work of a coworker.

  B. Employees may engage in destructive competition by spreading false rumors.

  C. Employees may engage in creating power and loyalty cliques with other coworkers.

  D. Employees may attempt to conceal errors made by a supervisor in order to aid theemployees' own future advancement within the corporation.

  Correct Answer: C

  Employees will often form groups when they feel their collective bargaining power is greater than the power of an individual.

• Question 253:

  Which one of the following is least likely to contribute to group cohesiveness in an organization?

  A. Goal consensus.

  B. Subgroup formation.

  C. Leadership acceptance.

  D. Interpersonal trust.

  Correct Answer: B

  People naturally seek association and group acceptance. Members of groups react to pressures of the group. Groups are often complex, develop their own leaders, exist to fill the needs of the members, and result from the frequent interaction among individuals in the course of their work. In a sense, group members typically have an experience of togetherness. Members develop interpersonal trust for other group members. The formation of small subgroups, however, can splinter the harmony of the large group.

• Question 254:

  The key ingredient to group effectiveness is:

  A. Challenge.

  B. Trust.

  C. Norms.

  D. Roles.

  Correct Answer: B

  Groups in the acceptance stage of group development tend to be effective and efficient. This stage is characterized by personal and mutual understanding, tolerance of individual differences, constructive conflict about substantive matters, realistic expectations about group performance, and acceptance of the authority structure. The resulting trust engenders cohesiveness and a free exchange of information between group members.

• Question 255:

  During which stages do the primary issues among group members involve uncertainty about power and authority relationships?

  A. Yes Yes

  B. Yes No

  C. No Yes

  D. No No

  Correct Answer: B

  According to Jewell and Reill, the principal issue in the early stages in uncertainty about power and authority relationships. The principal issue in the later stages is uncertainty about interpersonal relationships.

• Question 256:

  A mature group lacks which of the following characteristics?

  A. Acceptance of individuals' differences.

  B. Members' awareness of individual roles in group processes.

  C. Attempts to compel unanimity.

  D. Acceptance of group authority and interpersonal relationships.

  Correct Answer: C

  A mature group has rational discussion of decisions with tolerance of dissent and no attempt to force unanimity. Groups that are in their early stages attempt to force unanimity.

• Question 257:

  Which of the following characteristics is common with a mature group?

  A. Harmony is emphasized at the expense of addressing the problems.

  B. No attempt to force unanimity.

  C. Members begin to identify with the group.

  D. Redistributions of power and authority may occur.

  Correct Answer: B

  A mature group is in the end stage of group development and tends to be more effective and productive compared to groups in earlier stages. A mature group engages in rational discussion of decisions with tolerance of dissent and no attempt to force unanimity.

• Question 258:

  Which of the following characteristics is a strength of group decision making?

  A. Group decision making is quicker than individual decision making.

  B. More information can be processed by the group than by an individual.

  C. It is less costly to have decisions made by groups than by an individual.

  D. Group decision making leads to the selection of the most appropriate alternative.

  Correct Answer: B

  The advantages of group decision making are that the group will have broader experience, greater expertise, a wider range of perspectives, and a greater capacity for absorbing facts than an individual. The exchange of viewpoints within the group may provide more illumination of the problem than could be achieved by one person.

• Question 259:

  An organization has recently introduced total quality management TOM). Its senior management wants to determine an innovative approach to foster total participation throughout the organization. Management should:

  A. Seek isolation from all distractions in order to think the problem through.

  B. Bring the employees together for a brainstorming session.

  C. Rely on themselves to develop a new approach.

  D. Use a disciplined problem-solving approach.

  Correct Answer: B

  Certain group decision-making processes may be more creative than individual decisions. One creative approach is brainstorming, which breaks down broadly based problems into their essentials. It is an unstructured approach that relies on the spontaneous contribution of ideas from all members of a group.

• Question 260:

  An organization that makes precision castings for the automotive and aerospace industries plans to build a manufacturing plant. The president has formed a small committee of senior managers to evaluate potential plant sites and make the final choice. Which of the following is correct about the president's approach to making this decision?

  A. A site that receives the committee's unanimous approval can be presumed to be the best choice available.

  B. The committee's decision will receive greater opposition than a decision made by one executive.

  C. Committee members will tend to encourage creative thinking and innovative viewpoints among themselves.

  D. The fact that the decision was made by a committee obscures the role of personal accountability.

  Correct Answer: D

  When a decision is made by a group rather than an individual, accountability is spread over the members of the group rather than concentrated on an individual. Opportunities for groupthink and buck-passing are abundant because no one person answers for the consequences.