WGU Organizational-Behavior Dumps Questions Answers

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is perhaps the best-known theory of motivation. Maslow hypothesized that within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs:Physiological(hunger, thirst, shelter),Safety(security and protection),Social(affection, belongingness),Esteem(self-respect, autonomy), andSelf-actualization(achieving one's potential).

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The core premise of this theory is the "progression principle," which states that as each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next need in the hierarchy becomes dominant as a motivator. The question highlights that once physiological desires (the lowest level) are met, the individual moves to the next level. In Maslow’s original model, the level immediately following physiological needs isSafety and Security. This level involves seeking a predictable environment free from physical and emotional harm. In an organizational context, this translates to job security, health benefits, and a safe working environment. According to Maslow, once an employee feels physically safe and secure, they will no longer be motivated by these factors and will instead seek to satisfy "social" or "belonging" needs. While contemporary research suggests that people don't always follow this rigid linear progression, Maslow's model remains a foundational tool for managers to understand that an employee’s needs change as their circumstances improve.

In group dynamics, the failure described—redundant efforts and a lack of task synchronization—points to a failure incoordination. TheCoordinatorrole is responsible for clarifying goals, delegating tasks, and ensuring that the efforts of individual team members are integrated rather than duplicated. Without effective coordination, even highly motivated and skilled teams can fail because their energy is dissipated through "working in different directions".

While a "Planner" (Option B) sets the initial schedule and a "Controller" (Option C) monitors outcomes, the Coordinator acts as the glue during the execution phase. The Coordinator ensures that every member knows their specific contribution and how it fits into the whole. In this case, because the members were "mistakenly working on the same tasks," a Coordinator would have intervened to clarify boundaries and manage the interdependencies of the work. Effective coordination is the primary antidote to the "process losses" that occur when team members overlap in their efforts.

Social loafingis a phenomenon in group dynamics defined as the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. This concept challenges the common assumption that the "spirit of the group" always increases individual motivation. It was famously illustrated by the Ringelmann effect, where research showed that individuals pulled less hard on a rope when they were part of a group than when they were alone.

Social loafing typically occurs because of a dispersion of responsibility; when individuals believe their contribution cannot be measured separately from the group's total output, they may feel less "accountable" and decrease their effort. It can also stem from a "sucker effect," where individuals reduce their effort because they perceive others in the group are not doing their fair share. To counter social loafing, managers are encouraged to use individual performance evaluations, provide group rewards based on individual contributions, and keep group sizes small enough that individual efforts are visible.

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