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I/O EPPP Test Questions

Terms in this set (104)

When several individuals are to be compared by a supervisor in a work setting, paired comparisons, as compared to order of merit comparisons, are

A. more precise but more difficult.
B. less precise but easier.
C. more precise and easier.
D. less precise and more difficult
Correct Answer is: A

When using the paired comparison technique, a rater compares each person with every other person. It's specific but time-consuming, as you can see. The order of merit comparisons has the rater rank order the people in terms of some criterion, such as overall job performance. You can see that it wouldn't take as long as paired comparisons, but wouldn't be as precise either.
A recent trend in organizational compensation is to use team and organization-wide incentives. Research evaluating the effects of these incentives suggests that:

A. they are associated with lower levels of productivity than individual incentives.
B. they are associated with lower levels of productivity than individual incentives as well as with lower morale, increased sabotage, and other undesirable consequences.
C. they have little or no effect on productivity but do improve satisfaction and commitment.
D. they have positive effects on productivity, especially when incentives are linked to performance.
Correct Answer is: D

Gainsharing and profit-sharing are the most common group and organization-wide incentive plans used in organizations. The studies have found that they are associated with increased productivity, especially gainsharing which more closely links bonuses to individual and group performance.
At the beginning of the work day, an employer tells Salesperson A to "do the best he can" but Salesperson B to make at least 20 sales in order to break his previous record. At the end of the eight-hour shift, Salesperson A has made 15 sales and Salesperson B has made 22 sales. This outcome is predicted by

A. goal-setting theory
B. need for achievement theory
C. two-factor theory
D. path-goal theory
Correct Answer is: A

In this situation, Salesperson A has been given an ambiguous goal, while Salesperson B has been given a specific and, presumably, difficult goal. Goal-setting theory predicts that the latter results in the greatest effort and performance.
According to Anne Cleary's model of test fairness, a job selection test would be considered unfair if

A. Based on the use of the test, a higher proportion of Caucasians than African-Americans are chosen for the job.
B. the test has a higher validity coefficient for Caucasians than for African-Americans.
C. the slope of the test's regression line is different for African-Americans than for Caucasians.
D. the content of the test is culturally biased.
Correct Answer is: C

Under the Cleary model, a test is considered unfair if the slope and/or the y-intercept of the regression line is different for one subgroup than for another. The effect of these statistical phenomena is that differences between subgroups on predictor scores would not be reflective of differences between the groups on the criterion. For instance, low scorers in one subgroup might do just as well on the criterion as high scorers in the other subgroup.
The two aspects of interactional justice are:

A. environmental and social justice
B. interpersonal and environmental justice
C. informational and comparative justice
D. interpersonal and informational justice
Correct Answer is: D

Justice Perceptions are employee judgments about whether their work situation is fair and have been found to be related to: job satisfaction, performance, withdrawal and counterproductive behaviors and organizational commitment. Interactional justice focuses on the interpersonal treatment of individuals when procedures are implemented and consists of two components: interpersonal justice, which refers to the degree to which individuals affected by decisions are treated with dignity, respect and politeness by third parties or authorities involved in executing procedures or determining outcomes, and informational justice, which refers to the explanations provided to individuals conveying information about why procedures were used in a certain way or why outcomes were distributed in a particular manner.
According to Holland, a highly differentiated person:

A. is most flexible, possessing traits found in all six personality types.
B. scores high on only one of the six personality types.
C. scores high on two personality types that are on opposite sides of the personality hexagon.
D. has the emotional maturity to effectively deal with many different personality types
Correct Answer is: B

Holland proposed that all behaviors, including career choice, are a function of personality and the social environment. He distinguished between six personality types - realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional (RIASEC). A highly differentiated person would be someone who scored high on only one of the personality types. Holland believed that high differentiation would best predict the outcome of a personality and occupational match.
Which of the following is not true about work samples as a selection technique?

A. less likely to discriminate against members of minority groups
B. good predictor of job performance
C. work samples of motor skills have more validity than work samples of verbal skills
D. work samples of verbal skills have more validity than work samples of motor skills
Correct Answer is: D

Work samples provide standardized, job-like conditions to measure work behavior. They are used as a selection technique, as an indicator of individuals likely to benefit from training, and as a means of reducing turnover through a job preview. Research indicates that work samples are generally good predictors of job performance; however, work samples of motor skills have more validity than work samples of verbal skills. Additionally, work samples are less likely to discriminate against individuals from different groups and are acceptable to applicants.
Latane called this a social disease. It occurred when high-level employees were assessed on a combined effort. It turned out they produced less than when they were working individually. It's called:

A. Social loafing
B. Group think
C. Social polarization
D. Social facilitation
Correct Answer is: A

Social loafing or Latane's "social disease" is the discovery that in regard to work, individual output declines when people are working together as a group. However, social loafing does not occur under all conditions. It is reduced or eliminated when participants believe that their individual contributions are identifiable or uniquely necessary for the group to succeed. "Groupthink" is the tendency for a group to make an irrational or impulsive decision in order to reach consensus. "Group polarization" refers to the tendency of individuals who start with a similar view to end with a more extreme position after group discussion.
___________________ may result in a job performance measure having low validity, even though it is reliable.

A. differential validity
B. criterion contamination
C. criterion deficiency
D. researcher deficiency
Correct Answer is: C

Criterion deficiency refers to what is missed or deficient in the criterion used. For example, if typing speed is used as the sole criterion for determining successful job performance by a secretary, it would be a deficient criterion, since typing speed is only one of several skills needed to be a successful secretary. Differential validity refers to a test which has significantly different validity coefficients for different subgroups. Criterion contamination occurs when a rater's knowledge of an employee's performance on a predictor biases how the employee is rated on a criterion.
Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) emphasizes:

A. the relationships a leader has with members can be divided into two groups referred to as the "in-group" and the "out-group."
B. adhering to formal organizational expectations yields increased access and opportunity
C. principles of fairness in members achieving a quality relationship with a leader
D. leaders and members use exchanges to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes
Correct Answer is: A

Leader member exchange theory (LMX) emphasizes that the nature of the relationship between a leader and member is the determining factor as to whether a member belongs to the "in-group" or the "out-group" and that not all members of the organization achieve the same quality relationship. Improved organizational effectiveness and achieving leader/employee needs satisfaction is the general objective. LMX theory suggests a developing leader-member relationship that moves through three phases: stranger, acquaintance, and partner.
Low LPC leaders would be most likely to say:

A. More beautiful paint colors in this office make us all feel better
B. Flexitime was a brillant invention
C. It's time for a change around here
D. The first one to hand in this budget report wins the office lottery pool
Correct Answer is: D

According to Fiedler's 1971 contingency theory, a leader's effectiveness is determined by a combination of the leader's style and the characteristics of the situation. Low LPC leaders are task and achievement oriented. A and B could describe High LPC leaders who are primarily relationship oriented. C could described as a transformational leader which Bass (1990) described as change focused.
Which of the following procedures summarizes and identifies key variables that describe the consequences of HR programs to improve decision making?

A. utilization review
B. utility analysis
C. concurrent review
D. quality management
Correct Answer is: B

Based on the logic that decision making will be improved by using a decision-support framework that explicitly considers the costs and benefits of human resources (HR) decisions, a utility analysis summarizes and identifies key variables that describe the consequences of HR programs. Utility analysis has most frequently been studied as applied to selection procedures although other cost/benefit analyses have been applied to HR interventions. Utilization Review is a cost containment procedure involving an evaluation of patients' use of services to identify any unnecessary or inappropriate use of health care resources. Concurrent review describes the utilization review conducted during the course of treatment. Quality management is another name for quality assurance.
In an attempt to increase motivation among employees, a company begins to pay employees based on their output. This will most likely result in:

A. increased job satisfaction and increased quality of work
B. decreased job dissatisfaction and increased quality of work
C. decreased job dissatisfaction and increased quantity of work
D. increased job satisfaction and no change in quantity of work
Correct Answer is: C

If a person's pay is based on output, his or her output is likely to increase, but the quality of work will not necessarily increase. This makes sense -- if you are working so fast in order to produce more so that you can get paid more, the quality of your work is likely to suffer. In addition, increased pay is likely to decrease job dissatisfaction, as predicted by Herzberg's two-factor theory.
Of the following, the best predictor of job success would likely be a

A. general cognitive ability test.
B. personality test.
C. structured interview.
D. vocational interest inventory.
Correct Answer is: A

Research on the validity of selection measures generally finds the cognitive ability tests and biodata are 1-2 in terms of predictive validity. Although validity coefficients will vary from study to study, the most widely accepted conclusion is that general ability tests are the best overall predictors.
The intervention known as organizational transformation typically focuses on

A. identifying and implementing specific target areas for change.
B. increasing cohesiveness of the organization's members.
C. group processes and dynamics within the organization.
D. the entire organization's vision.
Correct Answer is: D

Organizational transformation is a term for an intervention that is one of the strategies in organizational development. Organizational development (OD) refers to a planned, organization-wide effort designed to improve the organization's effectiveness and targets the organization as a whole rather than an individual unit such as an employee or job. Organizational transformation is a relatively newer method of OD that was developed in response to challenges such as layoffs, mergers, and rapidly changing markets in the corporate world. In organizational transformation, the target of change is the entire organization's vision of its beliefs, purpose, or mission. It attempts to alter the viewpoints of the organization's members. For example, it may involve mission statement changes, consciousness raising, and training exercises designed to help employees shift to an entirely new way of doing business, such as a change to a pay-for-performance pay scale or a new emphasis on vertical rather than horizontal markets.
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