University of North Texas - MGMT 3260

Chapter 15 Leadership and Management Behavior in Multinational Companies

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1)All the following statements are true about leadership EXCEPT

1. 1. Leadership is influencing group members to achieve organizational goals.
   2. Excellent leaders motivate their employees to achieve more than minimal organizational requirements.
   3. Companies can achieve success with or without good leaders.
   4. Leading in a multinational company is an even greater challenge than in a domestic one.

2. Some of the characteristics of the new breed of global leaders include
   1. The skills and abilities to interact with and manage people from the diverse cultural backgrounds that populate their multinational companies.
   2. Sufficiently flexible to operate comfortably in pluralistic cultural environments.
   3. Knows at least one foreign language and understands the complexities of interaction with people from other cultures.
   4. All of the above

3. Trait models of leadership
   1. Evolved from the debate regarding whether leaders are born or made.
   2. Focuses on the behaviors leaders use to manage their employees.
   3. Assumes that different styles and different leaders are more appropriate for different situations.
   4. Includes Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory.

4. The idea that leaders are born with unique characteristics that make them different form ordinary people is the
   1. Task centered leadership theory.
   2. A contingency theory of leadership.
   3. The great-person theory.
   4. The leadership behaviors theory.

5. All of the following are true about trait leadership theories EXCEPT
   1. Using trait theory, one can conclude that successful business, political, religious, and military leaders were born with unique characteristics that made them quite different from ordinary people.
   2. Leadership theorists identified an exact list of leadership traits.
   3. The great person theory of leadership assumes that leaders are born.
   4. All of the above are true.

6. The type of leadership that includes behaviors that focus on completing tasks by initiating structure is known as
   1. Task-centered leadership.
   2. Person-centered leadership.
   3. Autocratic leadership.
   4. Democratic leadership.

7. Person-centered leaders
   1. Focus on completing tasks by initiating structure.
   2. Give specific directions to subordinates so that the subordinates can feel comfortable completing tasks.
   3. Show a concern for subordinates’ feelings and taking subordinates’ ideas into account.
   4. Make all major decisions themselves.

8. Leaders who do not allow employees to share in the decision- making are
   1. Democratic leaders.
   2. Autocratic leaders.
   3. Participative leaders.
   4. Consultative leaders.

9. The leadership style that falls midway between autocratic and democratic styles is the
   1. Person-centered leader.
   2. Subordinate-oriented leader.
   3. Consultative leader.
   4. Task-oriented leader.

10. All of the following are true about the Japanese Performance-Maintenance (PM) theory of leadership EXCEPT
    1. The Performance-Maintenance (PM) theory of leadership represents a Japanese perspective on leadership.
    2. PM theory has two dimensions, the performance function (P) and the maintenance function (M), which are the basic aspects of the theory.
    3. The maintenance function (M) is similar to task-centered leadership.
    4. PM theory suggests that groups perform best when both P and M are present.

11. Contingency theories
    1. Look for leadership behaviors that work in all countries.

1. 2. Focus on which leadership traits or behaviors define excellent in Japan.
   3. Assume that different styles and different leaders are more appropriate for different situations.
   4. None of the above

12. All of the following are true about Fiedler's Leadership Effectiveness theory EXCEPT
    1. Fiedler proposed that managers tend to be either task or person-centered leaders.
    2. The success of leadership styles depends on three characteristics of the work situation.
    3. Effective leadership occurs when the leadership style matches the situation.
    4. Task-centered leadership works best in mixed conditions.

13. Path-Goal Theory
    1. Is a popular US contingency theory.
    2. Identifies four types of leadership styles that a manager might choose depending on the situation.
    3. Key contingency or situational factors that determine the choice of the best leadership styles are: the nature of the subordinates and the characteristics of the subordinates’ tasks.
    4. All of the above

14. Which of the following is NOT one of the leadership styles of the path-goal theory of leadership?
    1. Directive style
    2. Supportive style
    3. Task-oriented style
    4. Participative style

15. Consulting with subordinates, asking for suggestions, encouraging participation in decision making, represent which leadership style in path-goal theory?
    1. Directive style
    2. Supportive style
    3. Participative style
    4. Achievement-oriented style

16. Key leadership suggestions based on path-goal theory include all of the following EXCEPT
    1. When subordinates have high achievement needs, successful leaders adopt the achievement-oriented style.
    2. When subordinates with have high social needs, they respond best to the supportive leadership style.
    3. When the subordinate's job is unstructured, the theory suggests using a supportive style.
    4. When the subordinate's job is highly structured, the theory suggests using instrumentality.

17. The National Context Contingency Model of Leadership
    1. Assumes that successful leaders need not modify their behaviors or develop particular leadership traits to succeed in different nations.
    2. Includes two contingencies: the characteristics of subordinates and the nature of the work setting.
    3. Includes factors related to the national culture and social institutions.
    4. Only B and C are correct

18. All of the following are true about leadership traits in various national settings EXCEPT
    1. People from different cultural backgrounds prefer certain traits.
    2. In Germany, a desired leadership trait is modesty.
    3. In France, leaders are considered different based on social class distinctions between cadres and non-cadres.
    4. In the US, assertiveness is valued as a leadership trait.

19. U.S. managers' favored influence tactics include the following EXCEPT
    1. Assertiveness.
    2. Reasoning.
    3. Aggressiveness.
    4. Bargaining.

20. Building support for ideas and networking and using friendships involve the use of which influence tactics?
    1. Assertiveness
    2. Friendliness
    3. Sanctioning
    4. Coalitions

21. All of the following statements regarding subordinates expectations in different countries are true EXCEPT
    1. In counties with high power distance values, including many of the Latin and Asian countries, subordinates expect autocratic leadership.
    2. In low power distance countries, such as Sweden and Norway, subordinates expect the leader to be more like them.
    3. Weak masculinity norms often lead to the acceptance of more authoritarian leadership.
    4. Strong uncertainty avoidance norms may cause subordinates to expect the leader to provide more detail in directions.

22. When managers use rewards or punishment to influence their subordinates, they are engaging in
    1. Rewards oriented leadership.
    2. Transformational leadership.
    3. Transactional leadership.
    4. Charismatic leadership.

23. Transformational leadership
    1. Means that managers use rewards or punishments to influence their subordinates.
    2. Is similar to transactional leadership.
    3. Succeeds because subordinates respond to the leader with high levels of performance, personal devotion, and excitement.
    4. Is one leadership style of Fieldler's leadership theory.

24. Behaviors and characteristics of transformation leaders include the all of the following EXCEPT
    1. Articulates a vision.
    2. Breaks from the status quo.
    3. Uses rewards or punishments to influence subordinates.
    4. Provides goals and a plan.

25. The attribution approach to leadership
    1. Emphasizes the leader's attributions regarding the causes of subordinates’ behaviors.
    2. Focuses on using rewards or punishments to influence the attributes of subordinates.
    3. Is similar to the trait approach, except that it focuses on a person's attributes.
    4. Represents one key aspect of transformational leadership.

26. Explaining a person's behavior based on factors outside the person and beyond the person's control (e.g., natural disasters, illness, faulty equipment, etc.) is a/an
    1. Internal attribution.
    2. External attribution.
    3. Fundamental attribution error.
    4. Attribution effect.

27. According to the text, if a leader perceives the cause of a subordinate's behavior based on an internal attribution, then most leaders will
    1. Tend to correct or reward the worker.
    2. Modify the work environment.

1. 3. Do nothing.
   4. Use transformational leadership.

28. The fundamental attribution error
    1. Is a tendency for managers to believe that most people act because of internal motivations.
    2. Is a tendency for managers to believe more often that people behave in certain ways because of outside factors, such as poor working conditions.
    3. Occurs most often in Asian cultures.
    4. Concerns primarily external attributions.

29. According to the text, all of the following statements about leadership styles in different cultures are true EXCEPT
    1. In high power distance countries, leaders generally behave more autocratically.
    2. In high uncertainty avoidance national cultures both leaders and subordinates often feel more comfortable when the leader initiates structure.
    3. In low uncertainty avoidance countries leaders tell subordinates exactly what to do.
    4. In high power distance countries, person-centered leadership works best in large groups.

30. The recommended leadership style for a country low on power distance and low on uncertainty avoidance is
    1. The democrat - supportive, participative, and achievement.
    2. The master - directive and supportive.
    3. The professional- directive, supportive, and participative.
    4. The boss- directive.

31. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE regarding leadership in various cultures?
    1. In countries with high power distance, subordinates expect leaders to be more like them.
    2. Strong masculinity norms often lead to the acceptance of more authoritarian leaders.
    3. In countries with high uncertainty avoidance, subordinates expect detail and directions to perform their tasks.
    4. All of the above are true.

32. A multinational manager discovers that his leadership style is more effective when he displays visible sign of status (e.g chauffeur driven cars) and he behaves as an authoritarian leader. The manager is most likely leading in which of the following cultures?
    1. A feminine culture
    2. A high uncertainty avoidance culture
    3. A low power distance culture
    4. A high power distance culture

AACSB Analytic, Leadership principles

33. Which of the following is NOT one of the behaviors/characteristics of transformational leader as discussed in the text?
    1. Takes risk
    2. Demonstrates high ethical and moral standards
    3. Articulates a vision
    4. All of the above applies to transformational leaders

34. An expatriate finds that if she gives specific directions to her subordinates, productivity is much higher. Which leader behavior is she displaying?
    1. Consultative leader behavior
    2. Democratic leader behavior
    3. Task-centered leader behavior
    4. Person-centered leader behavior

35. According to the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) study, which of the following leadership styles represents the leader who is modest and has a compassionate orientation?
    1. Team-oriented leader
    2. Self-protective leader
    3. Participative leader
    4. None of the above

36. Which statement regarding fundamental attribution errors is true?
    1. In Western nations, people tend to make external attributions.
    2. In Eastern nations, people tend to make internal attributions.
    3. In Western nations, people tend to make internal attributions.
    4. In Eastern nations, people tend to make external attributions.

37. According to the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior (GLOBE) studies, which of the following leadership style characterizes a leader who is self-centered, status conscious and procedural?
    1. The autonomous leader
    2. The participative leader
    3. The humane style leader
    4. The self-protective leader

AACSB Reflective thinking, Leadership principles

38. Which of the following statements regarding the autonomous leader is FALSE according to the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior (GLOBE) studies?
    1. Autonomous leaders are independent, individualistic and unique.
    2. Autonomous leaders act in self-interested manner.
    3. Germanic and Eastern European countries have the highest scores on autonomous leadership.
    4. Autonomous leadership is seen as very effective in most cultures.

39. Which of the following examples characterize the use of assertiveness as an influence tactics?
    1. Example behaviors include being friendly and humble.
    2. Example behaviors include using logical arguments.
    3. Example behaviors include using threats and punishments.
    4. Example behaviors include being forceful and directive.

40. The recommended leadership style for a country high on power distance and low on uncertainty avoidance is
    1. The boss - directive.
    2. The professional - directive, supportive and participative.
    3. The master - directive and supportive.
    4. The democrat - supportive and participative.

ESSAY

1. Define leadership. How might people from different national cultures define leadership? What are the implications of these definitions for multinational leaders working in these countries?
2. Pick a national culture with which you are familiar. For this culture, identify leadership traits and behaviors that would be detrimental to organizational effectiveness.

3. From the perspective of the subordinates, discuss why culturally inappropriate leadership behaviors might be de-motivating.

4. Why do multinational managers need to understand subordinate expectations in order to lead effectively? Which leadership style works the best in countries with high power distance? Why?

5. Discuss five preferred influence tactics that U.S. managers favor. Discuss how these tactics might work in other countries.

6. Discuss whether transformational leadership qualities are culture free. That is, are transformational leaders similar regardless of cultural background or are there different types of transformational leaders for each cultural group?

7. What is attribution theory? How can leaders use attribution theory to help them be good leaders?