Free Organizational Behaviour MCQs with Answers

99 Organizational Behaviour MCQs from Management Sciences, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Organizational behaviour examines how individuals and groups act within workplaces and how organisational structures influence that behaviour. It covers personality, perception, motivation, learning, leadership, communication, teamwork, conflict, power, organisational culture and change. It differs from human resource management, which focuses more directly on managing employment processes and policies.

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99 questions · page 3 of 5

  • A. An internal locus of control
  • B. A high need for affiliation
  • C. An external locus of control
  • D. A low tolerance for ambiguity

Explanation: An internal locus of control means a person sees outcomes as substantially influenced by personal actions.

Correct answer: An internal locus of control
  • A. Forming
  • B. Storming
  • C. Norming
  • D. Adjourning

Explanation: The norming stage involves agreement about roles, procedures and acceptable behaviour.

Correct answer: Norming
  • A. Filtering
  • B. Semantic barrier
  • C. Physical barrier
  • D. Information overload

Explanation: A semantic barrier occurs when words, symbols or technical terms are interpreted differently by the sender and receiver.

Correct answer: Semantic barrier
  • A. Emotional labour
  • B. Role enlargement
  • C. Cognitive appraisal
  • D. Job withdrawal

Explanation: Emotional labour involves managing or displaying emotions to meet occupational expectations.

Correct answer: Emotional labour
  • A. Distributive justice
  • B. Procedural justice
  • C. Interactional justice
  • D. Informational justice

Explanation: Distributive justice concerns the fairness of outcomes such as pay, promotions or assignments.

Correct answer: Distributive justice
  • A. Job rotation
  • B. Job enlargement
  • C. Job enrichment
  • D. Work simplification

Explanation: Job enlargement expands the number of tasks performed at the same level of responsibility, creating horizontal job loading.

Correct answer: Job enlargement
  • A. Cognitive dissonance
  • B. Perceptual defence
  • C. Social facilitation
  • D. Self-efficacy

Explanation: Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable tension caused by inconsistency among beliefs, attitudes or behaviour.

Correct answer: Cognitive dissonance
  • A. Differences in work values
  • B. Differences in problem-solving styles
  • C. Differences in age
  • D. Differences in career motives

Explanation: Surface-level diversity involves readily observable characteristics such as age, sex and physical attributes.

Correct answer: Differences in age
  • A. Turnover intention
  • B. Organisational identification
  • C. Role commitment
  • D. Job involvement

Explanation: Turnover intention is a conscious plan or inclination to leave an organisation.

Correct answer: Turnover intention
  • A. Informal group
  • B. Reference group
  • C. Formal group
  • D. Primary group

Explanation: A formal group is deliberately established by the organisation to perform a defined task or achieve a stated objective.

Correct answer: Formal group
  • A. Employees naturally seek responsibility at work
  • B. Employees usually avoid work when possible
  • C. Employees are motivated mainly by social identity
  • D. Employees prefer autonomy over close supervision

Explanation: Theory X assumes that employees tend to dislike work, avoid responsibility and require direction or control.

Correct answer: Employees usually avoid work when possible
  • A. Only formal communication with the supervisor
  • B. Mutual trust, support and additional responsibility
  • C. Equal rewards regardless of employee contribution
  • D. Strict reliance on written rules and procedures

Explanation: Leader-member exchange theory focuses on the quality of the relationship between a leader and each subordinate.

Correct answer: Mutual trust, support and additional responsibility
  • A. Employees learn workplace values, roles and expected behaviours
  • B. Managers calculate the financial cost of employee turnover
  • C. Teams divide a large project into smaller tasks
  • D. Organisations compare salaries with those of competitors

Explanation: Organisational socialisation helps newcomers understand the organisation's culture, rules, work expectations and social relationships.

Correct answer: Employees learn workplace values, roles and expected behaviours
  • A. Psychological safety
  • B. Role conflict
  • C. Social facilitation
  • D. Emotional labour

Explanation: Psychological safety is the shared belief that people can speak up, take interpersonal risks and admit errors without being punished or…

Correct answer: Psychological safety
  • A. Self-efficacy
  • B. Self-monitoring
  • C. Self-actualisation
  • D. Self-handicapping

Explanation: Self-efficacy is a person's belief in the ability to perform a specific task successfully.

Correct answer: Self-efficacy
  • A. Departmentalisation
  • B. Formalisation
  • C. Specialisation
  • D. Integration

Explanation: Formalisation describes how much employee behaviour is guided by documented rules and standard procedures.

Correct answer: Formalisation
  • A. Person-organisation fit
  • B. Person-role conflict
  • C. Role overload
  • D. Organisational silence

Explanation: Person-organisation fit exists when an individual's values, beliefs or characteristics are compatible with those of the organisation.

Correct answer: Person-organisation fit
  • A. Escalation of commitment
  • B. Availability heuristic
  • C. Risk compensation
  • D. Production blocking

Explanation: Escalation of commitment occurs when decision makers continue supporting a failing course of action because of previous investments.

Correct answer: Escalation of commitment
  • A. A standardised form
  • B. A face-to-face discussion
  • C. A routine spreadsheet
  • D. A brief automated message

Explanation: Face-to-face communication provides immediate feedback, verbal detail and nonverbal cues, making it suitable for ambiguous or sensitive…

Correct answer: A face-to-face discussion
  • A. Restraining forces are strengthened
  • B. Driving forces are removed completely
  • C. Driving forces outweigh restraining forces
  • D. All employees receive identical job titles

Explanation: Force-field analysis views change as the result of driving forces supporting it and restraining forces opposing it.

Correct answer: Driving forces outweigh restraining forces