Questions
Practice questions and exam suggestions for Organizational Behavior.
Priority: Most Likely Exam Questions
- Explain the seven-step decision-making process with an organizational example.
- Compare programmed and non-programmed decisions with a comparative table.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of group decision-making compared to individual decision-making.
- Explain groupthink and social loafing: identify symptoms, causes, and prevention strategies.
- Discuss major ethical issues in software development (privacy, algorithmic bias, accessibility, social/environmental impact).
- Explain the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and its core principles for computing professionals.
- Compare Utilitarianism, Deontological Ethics, and Virtue Ethics in professional software decisions.
- Explain the six functions of non-verbal communication in relation to verbal messages.
- Discuss the factors influencing non-verbal communication using the C-I-P-P-G-S-E-T framework.
- Compare leadership and management in terms of focus, time orientation, power source, and outcomes.
- Explain Trait Theory, Behavioral Theory, and Contingency Theory of leadership.
- Discuss Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid and explain why (9,9) Team Management is considered ideal.
- Explain Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory (S1 Telling, S2 Selling, S3 Participating, S4 Delegating).
- Compare transactional and transformational leadership with organizational examples.
- Discuss autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership styles: evaluate when each style is most effective.
- Explain leadership practices and challenges in Bangladeshi organizations (paternalism, nepotism, delegation resistance).
- Discuss major Organizational Behavior challenges (D-C-G-C-R) and opportunities (Y-G-G-T-E) in Bangladesh.
- Solve a workplace case study using the five-step OB case analysis framework.
PDF 1: Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Definition: Define decision-making and explain why it is a critical managerial activity.
- Importance: Discuss how effective decision-making contributes to organizational success and risk reduction.
- Seven-Step Process: Explain the seven steps of the decision-making process with practical examples.
- Programmed vs. Non-Programmed: Compare programmed and non-programmed decisions in terms of structure, certainty, rules, and organizational level.
- Decision-Making Styles: Explain the four decision-making styles (Directive, Analytical, Conceptual, Behavioral), highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Individual Decision-Making: Discuss the benefits and limitations of individual decision-making in organizations.
- Group Decision-Making: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of group decision-making.
- Groupthink: Define groupthink, list its primary symptoms, explain its organizational risks, and suggest prevention methods.
- Social Loafing: Define social loafing, explain its primary causes, and describe managerial techniques to prevent it.
- Group Decision-Making Techniques: Explain six group decision-making techniques: Brainstorming, Nominal Group Technique (NGT), Delphi Technique, Consensus Building, Devil's Advocate, and Majority Voting.
PDF 2: Ethical Decision Making in Software Development
- Significance of Ethics: Why is ethical decision-making essential in modern software engineering and technology deployment?
- Negative Consequences: What negative societal and organizational consequences can result from unethical or negligent software design?
- Privacy and Data Security: Discuss the ethical responsibilities of software engineers regarding user consent, data minimization, and encryption.
- Algorithmic Bias and Fairness: What causes bias in automated and machine learning systems, and how can engineers ensure algorithmic fairness?
- Accessibility and Inclusion: Explain the concept of inclusive design and discuss why compliance with accessibility standards (such as WCAG) is an ethical imperative.
- Social and Environmental Impact: Discuss the broader societal effects (mental health, dark patterns, misinformation) and environmental footprint (energy consumption, data center emissions, e-waste) of software systems.
- ACM Code of Ethics: Explain the fundamental principles of the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
- Ethical Decision-Making Models: Compare Utilitarianism, Deontological Ethics, and Virtue Ethics. What are the key strengths and limitations of each approach?
- Stakeholder Analysis: What is stakeholder analysis, and how can development teams systematically evaluate impacts on diverse stakeholders?
- Organizational Strategies: Describe practical organizational strategies to foster an ethical engineering culture (ethics training, safe whistleblowing channels, cross-functional reviews, diverse teams).
PDF 3: Factors Influencing Non-Verbal Communication
- Definition: Define non-verbal communication (NVC) and explain its role in human interaction and emotional expression.
- Importance: Explain why non-verbal communication often carries more credibility and impact than verbal messages.
- Six Functions: Explain the six functions of non-verbal communication alongside verbal communication: Repetition, Contradiction, Substitution, Complementing, Accenting, and Regulation.
- Types and Channels: Define and provide examples for the key channels of non-verbal communication:
- Kinesics (body movement, facial expressions, gestures, posture)
- Proxemics (personal space and spatial territory)
- Paralanguage (vocal pitch, pace, tone, volume)
- Haptics (touch communication)
- Chronemics (use and perception of time)
- Oculesics (eye contact and gaze behavior)
- Influencing Factors (C-I-P-P-G-S-E-T):
- Cultural Factors: How do cultural norms shape eye contact, physical touch, and spatial distance? Contrast high-context and low-context cultures.
- Individual and Personality Factors: How do introversion, extroversion, and confidence affect non-verbal expression?
- Psychological and Emotional Factors: How do emotions like fear, anger, happiness, and anxiety produce involuntary non-verbal cues?
- Physiological Factors: What effect do age, fatigue, illness, and physical limitations have on body language?
- Gender Factors: How do socialization and gender roles influence non-verbal behavior?
- Social and Relationship Factors: How do hierarchy, status, and interpersonal familiarity dictate non-verbal conduct?
- Environmental and Situational Factors: How do noise, lighting, room layout, and situational formality influence cues?
- Technological Factors: In what ways do video conferences, webcam positioning, and text-based digital messaging distort non-verbal cues?
PDF 4: Leadership and Management
- Leadership: Define leadership and identify its core characteristics.
- Management: Define management and explain its four primary functions (Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling).
- Leadership vs. Management: Compare leadership and management across focus, time orientation, approach to goals, sources of power, and primary outcomes.
- Trait Theory: What is the central premise of Trait Theory? What are its primary advantages and major limitations?
- Behavioral Theory: Contrast Initiating Structure (Task-Oriented) and Consideration (Employee-Oriented) leadership behaviors.
- Contingency Theory: Explain the core principle of Contingency Theory and identify key situational factors that dictate leadership success.
- Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid: Explain the two dimensions and describe the five key styles: Impoverished (1,1), Country Club (1,9), Authority-Compliance (9,1), Middle-of-the-Road (5,5), and Team Management (9,9).
- Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership (SLT): Explain how follower readiness (competence and commitment) determines the appropriate leadership style: Telling (S1), Selling (S2), Participating (S3), and Delegating (S4).
- Contemporary Leadership Models:
- Transactional Leadership (contingent rewards, management-by-exception)
- Transformational Leadership (4 Is: Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, Individualized Consideration)
- Servant Leadership (follower-first philosophy)
- Charismatic Leadership (visionary persuasion)
- Authentic Leadership (self-awareness, transparency, ethics)
- Leadership Styles: Compare Autocratic, Democratic, and Laissez-Faire styles in terms of decision speed, employee morale, and ideal operational conditions.
- Bases of Power: Differentiate between power and influence. Define the five bases of power (Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Expert, Referent).
- Leadership in Bangladesh:
- Cultural traits influencing leadership (High Power Distance, Collectivism, Hierarchy, Relationship orientation).
- Prevailing practices (Family-centric ownership, Paternalistic leadership, Centralized control).
- Major challenges (Nepotism, Reluctance to delegate, Gender gap, Political influence, Traditional vs. modern friction).
- Case studies: Analyze the leadership of Dr. Muhammad Yunus (Grameen Bank) and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed (BRAC).
PDF 5: OB Challenges and Opportunities in Bangladesh
- Definition and Scope: Define Organizational Behavior and explain its importance for modern managers.
- Bangladeshi Organizational Culture: Describe the cultural characteristics defining Bangladeshi workplaces (power distance, collectivism, hierarchy, centralized decision-making).
- Major OB Challenges (D-C-G-C-R):
- Workplace Diversity: Frictions arising from diverse regional, educational, and cultural backgrounds.
- Cultural Differences: Traditional hierarchical norms clashing with modern open communication.
- Gender Inequality: Pay disparity, glass ceilings, harassment, and underrepresentation.
- Communication Barriers: Dialects, regional accents, English language gaps, and vertical communication silos.
- Resistance to Change: Employee apprehension toward new software, automation, and organizational restructuring.
- Other Organizational Challenges: Discuss the impact of nepotism, technical skill gaps, employee turnover, and lack of training programs.
- Key OB Opportunities (Y-G-G-T-E):
- Young Workforce: Leveraging the demographic dividend of tech-savvy youth.
- Government and Policy Support: Statutory labor protections, workplace safety, and maternity benefits.
- Global Exposure: International buyer compliance standards elevating operational and labor standards.
- Technological Growth: Enterprise digitization, cloud collaboration, and process automation.
- Employee Development: Systematic upskilling, leadership training, and career progression programs.
- Strategic Improvement Areas: How can Bangladeshi organizations enhance leadership, communication, inclusivity, and change management?
- Case Study Analysis:
- Explain the 5-step framework for answering OB case studies (Identify Problem -> Identify OB Concept -> Explain Cause -> Suggest Solutions -> State Expected Outcome).
- Solve the Textile Mill Diversity Dispute case.
- Solve the Workload Allocation Conflict case.
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