Free DSST Organizational Behavior Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the DSST Organizational Behavior practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1In an open-system view of organizations, which item is an environmental input?

   1. A.Labor supplied by the external environmentCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Finished goods sent to customers
   3. C.Salaries paid to employees
   4. D.Returns paid to shareholders

   Explanation: The model says organizations receive inputs "in the form of capital, raw materials, labor, community or government support". Labor is an input; the other choices are outputs or returns.

   Reference: A Model of Organizational Behavior and Management — Building Blocks of Organizations, organizational inputs and outcomes

2. 2A manager assumes a new employee has a particular trait solely because the employee belongs to a certain age group. Which perceptual barrier is illustrated?

   1. A.Perceptual defense
   2. B.Self-serving attribution
   3. C.StereotypingCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Selective perception

   Explanation: The text defines stereotyping as "A tendency to assign attributes to people solely on the basis of their class or category". The manager assigns the trait based only on group membership.

   Reference: Barriers to Accurate Social Perception — Section 3.2, Barriers to Accurate Perception of Others

3. 3What distinguishes an informal work group from a formal work group?

   1. A.Informal groups arise from members' interests; formal groups are established by the organizationCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Informal groups are assigned by managers; formal groups arise from members' interests
   3. C.Both kinds arise only from management's planned assignment of tasks
   4. D.Both kinds arise from personal interests rather than organizational design

   Explanation: The text says informal groups "evolve naturally out of individual and collective self-interest" and are not deliberately designed by the organization. They can nevertheless develop norms and affect performance.

   Reference: Work Groups: Basic Considerations — Section 9.1, Informal Groups

4. 4Which description best fits a programmed organizational decision?

   1. A.A novel decision made with unclear criteria
   2. B.A recurring decision guided by established rulesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.A recurring decision with no identifiable criteria
   4. D.A novel decision guided by a rule designed for recurring tasks

   Explanation: The source says programmed decisions are "repeated over time and for which an existing set of rules can be developed to guide the process". Recurrence and usable rules distinguish this type.

   Reference: Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions — Section 6.3, Programmed Decisions

5. 5What purpose does unfreezing serve in Lewin's model of organizational change?

   1. A.Disrupt existing routines and prepare for changeCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Reinforce the new routines after implementation
   3. C.Introduce new practices to move toward a new state
   4. D.Refine the established new routines after stabilization

   Explanation: The source states that during unfreezing "existing norms, routines, and practices need to be disrupted". This sets the stage for change.

   Reference: Managing Change — Lewin's Change Model, unfreezing

6. 6In the organizational model, why is the organization described as a dynamic system?

   1. A.It uses internal resources without exchanging them externally
   2. B.It receives and transforms inputs from its environmentCorrect answer: B
   3. C.It receives resources but returns them in their original form
   4. D.It changes its internal structure without exchanging resources

   Explanation: The model describes organizations as "receiving and transforming inputs from the environment". This continuing exchange makes the system dynamic.

   Reference: A Model of Organizational Behavior and Management — Building Blocks of Organizations, organizational inputs and outcomes

7. 7A manager focuses on information relevant to her own department while systematically screening out other information she does not wish to hear. What does this illustrate?

   1. A.Selective perceptionCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Stereotyping
   3. C.Self-serving attribution
   4. D.Fundamental attribution error

   Explanation: The text says selective perception is "the process by which we systematically screen out information we don’t wish to hear, focusing instead on more salient information". This matches the manager's filtering.

   Reference: Barriers to Accurate Social Perception — Section 3.2, Selective Perception

8. 8In Tuckman's group-development model, which stage centers on making acquaintances and testing acceptable behavior?

   1. A.Storming
   2. B.Performing
   3. C.Norming
   4. D.FormingCorrect answer: D

   Explanation: The model describes the first stage as "making acquaintances, sharing information, testing one another". It calls this forming.

   Reference: Work Groups: Basic Considerations — Section 9.1, Stages of Group Development

9. 9What is a typical tradeoff when a manager uses a heuristic for a programmed decision?

   1. A.It can save time while not necessarily producing the optimal answerCorrect answer: A
   2. B.It guarantees the best answer but requires more time to compute
   3. C.It removes the need for criteria by making a decision at random
   4. D.It ensures that each decision will require a new set of rules

   Explanation: The source states "Heuristics are efficient—they save time for the decision maker" and that they "don’t necessarily yield the optimal solution". They can be fast without guaranteeing an optimum.

   Reference: Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions — Section 6.3, Programmed Decisions

10. 10In Lewin's model, what occurs during the change phase after unfreezing?

    1. A.The organization reinforces the final new norms
    2. B.The organization introduces changes toward a new stateCorrect answer: B
    3. C.The organization disrupts existing routines to prepare for change
    4. D.The organization refines a stabilized set of new practices

    Explanation: The text states that "changes are introduced in the organization to shift the system to a new state or reality". This is the phase following unfreezing.

    Reference: Managing Change — Lewin's Change Model, change phase