About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Public Management · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
A leader who decides alone and gives orders follows which style?
- A) Democratic
- B) Autocratic ✔
- C) Laissez-faire
- D) Transformational
Why: Autocratic leaders decide alone.
A leader who gives full freedom to staff follows which style?
- A) Laissez-faire ✔
- B) Autocratic
- C) Democratic
- D) Bureaucratic
Why: Laissez-faire means free rein.
The three classic leadership styles came from studies by:
- A) Kurt Lewin ✔
- B) Abraham Maslow
- C) Henri Fayol
- D) Peter Drucker
Why: Kurt Lewin led these studies in 1939.
The managerial grid was developed by:
- A) Blake and Mouton ✔
- B) Hersey and Blanchard
- C) Fiedler
- D) McGregor
Why: Robert Blake and Jane Mouton developed it.
In the managerial grid, the best style is:
- A) 1,1
- B) 9,1
- C) 5,5
- D) 9,9 ✔
Why: 9,9 is team management.
Situational leadership theory was given by:
- A) Hersey and Blanchard ✔
- B) Blake and Mouton
- C) Robert House
- D) Kurt Lewin
Why: Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard.
The contingency theory of leadership is linked with:
- A) Fred Fiedler ✔
- B) Maslow
- C) Herzberg
- D) Vroom
Why: Fred Fiedler gave the contingency model.
Transformational leadership was described by:
- A) James MacGregor Burns ✔
- B) F. W. Taylor
- C) Max Weber
- D) Elton Mayo
Why: Burns described it in 1978.
Which is the highest need in Maslow's hierarchy?
- A) Safety
- B) Esteem
- C) Self-actualisation ✔
- D) Social
Why: Self-actualisation is at the top.
Which is the lowest need in Maslow's hierarchy?
- A) Physiological ✔
- B) Safety
- C) Social
- D) Esteem
Why: Physiological needs are at the base.
The two-factor theory was given by:
- A) Herzberg ✔
- B) Maslow
- C) McGregor
- D) McClelland
Why: Frederick Herzberg gave it in 1959.
In Herzberg's theory, salary is a:
- A) Motivator
- B) Hygiene factor ✔
- C) Self-actualisation need
- D) Power need
Why: Salary is a hygiene factor.
Recognition and achievement are, according to Herzberg:
- A) Hygiene factors
- B) Motivators ✔
- C) Physiological needs
- D) Theory X
Why: They are motivators.
Theory X and Theory Y were given by:
- A) Douglas McGregor ✔
- B) William Ouchi
- C) Victor Vroom
- D) David McClelland
Why: McGregor gave them in 1960.
Theory X assumes that people:
- A) Like work
- B) Dislike work and avoid responsibility ✔
- C) Are creative
- D) Seek responsibility
Why: Theory X is a negative view of workers.
Theory Z is based on management practices of:
- A) USA
- B) Japan ✔
- C) Germany
- D) India
Why: Ouchi's Theory Z is based on Japanese management.
Needs for achievement, affiliation and power were identified by:
- A) McClelland ✔
- B) Maslow
- C) Herzberg
- D) Alderfer
Why: David McClelland.
The expectancy theory of motivation was given by:
- A) Victor Vroom ✔
- B) J. Stacy Adams
- C) Abraham Maslow
- D) Kurt Lewin
Why: Victor Vroom (1964).
ERG stands for:
- A) Existence, Relatedness, Growth ✔
- B) Esteem, Reward, Goal
- C) Effort, Result, Gain
- D) Energy, Respect, Group
Why: Alderfer's ERG theory.
Equity theory of motivation was given by:
- A) J. Stacy Adams ✔
- B) Victor Vroom
- C) McGregor
- D) Ouchi
Why: J. Stacy Adams gave equity theory.
In Nepali, leadership is:
- A) नेतृत्व ✔
- B) उत्प्रेरणा
- C) मनोबल
- D) समन्वय
Why: Leadership is नेतृत्व in Nepali: the ability to influence and guide people towards shared goals.
In Nepali, motivation is:
- A) उत्प्रेरणा ✔
- B) नेतृत्व
- C) नियन्त्रण
- D) योजना
Why: Motivation is उत्प्रेरणा: the inner drive that makes people work willingly and well.
In Nepali, morale is:
- A) मनोबल ✔
- B) नैतिकता
- C) मर्यादा
- D) मान्यता
Why: Morale is मनोबल: the confidence, enthusiasm and team spirit of staff.
Morale means:
- A) The level of confidence and enthusiasm of staff ✔
- B) A tax
- C) A budget head
- D) A legal rule
Why: Morale means the level of confidence and enthusiasm of staff towards their work and organisation. High morale shows people feel valued.
High morale usually leads to:
- A) Better performance and lower absence ✔
- B) More conflict
- C) More absence
- D) Lower output
Why: Staff with high morale usually perform better, cooperate more and are absent less, which improves service delivery.
A leader differs from a manager because a leader influences through:
- A) Vision, trust and example ✔
- B) Only position
- C) Only punishment
- D) Only salary
Why: A manager mainly plans, organises and controls through formal authority; a leader influences through vision, trust and personal example.
Democratic leadership usually leads to:
- A) Higher morale ✔
- B) Lower morale
- C) No participation
- D) Only punishment
Why: Democratic (participative) leadership involves staff in decisions, which usually raises morale and commitment, though decisions may take longer.
Laissez-faire works only with:
- A) Highly skilled teams ✔
- B) New untrained staff
- C) Any team always
- D) No team
Why: Laissez-faire (free-rein) leadership works only with highly skilled, self-motivated teams; with weak teams it causes confusion.
Autocratic style gives:
- A) Quick decisions with little participation ✔
- B) Slow decisions with full participation
- C) No decisions
- D) Free rein
Why: The autocratic style gives quick decisions because the leader decides alone, but staff participation and morale are often low.
The trait theory says leaders are:
- A) Born with special traits ✔
- B) Made only by training
- C) Elected always
- D) Chosen by lottery
Why: Trait theory (the 'great man' idea) says leaders are born with special qualities such as intelligence, confidence and courage.
In the managerial grid, 1,1 is called:
- A) Impoverished management ✔
- B) Team management
- C) Country club
- D) Authority-compliance
Why: In Blake and Mouton's grid, 1,1 is impoverished management: very low concern for both people and production.
The managerial grid measures concern for people and concern for:
- A) Production ✔
- B) Weather
- C) Budget only
- D) Politics
Why: The managerial grid has two axes: concern for people and concern for production, each scored from 1 to 9.
Path-goal theory was given by:
- A) Robert House ✔
- B) Fiedler
- C) Blake
- D) Maslow
Why: Robert House gave the path-goal theory: a leader helps followers reach goals by clearing the path and giving support and rewards.
Transactional leaders mainly use:
- A) Rewards and punishments ✔
- B) Inspiration only
- C) No tools
- D) Free rein
Why: Transactional leaders use exchange: rewards for good performance and punishment for poor performance, within existing rules.
Situational leadership matches style with followers':
- A) Readiness (maturity) ✔
- B) Age only
- C) Salary
- D) Height
Why: Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership says the best style depends on followers' readiness (maturity): telling, selling, participating or delegating.
Maslow's theory was published in:
- A) 1943 ✔
- B) 1959
- C) 1960
- D) 1981
Why: Abraham Maslow published his hierarchy of needs theory in 1943, in 'A Theory of Human Motivation'.
Which is the correct order of Maslow's needs?
- A) Physiological → safety → social → esteem → self-actualisation ✔
- B) Esteem → safety → social
- C) Social → physiological → esteem
- D) Self-actualisation → physiological → safety
Why: Maslow's order from bottom to top is physiological → safety → social → esteem → self-actualisation. Lower needs come first.
Friendship and belonging are which need in Maslow's hierarchy?
- A) Social ✔
- B) Safety
- C) Esteem
- D) Physiological
Why: Friendship, love and belonging are social needs, the third level in Maslow's hierarchy.
Job security is which need in Maslow's hierarchy?
- A) Safety ✔
- B) Esteem
- C) Social
- D) Self-actualisation
Why: Job security, like protection from danger, is a safety need, the second level in Maslow's hierarchy.
Herzberg's theory was published in:
- A) 1959 ✔
- B) 1943
- C) 1960
- D) 1964
Why: Frederick Herzberg published his two-factor (motivation-hygiene) theory in 1959.
Working conditions, according to Herzberg, are:
- A) Hygiene factors ✔
- B) Motivators
- C) Esteem needs
- D) Theory Y
Why: Working conditions, salary and policies are hygiene factors: they prevent dissatisfaction but do not by themselves motivate.
Responsibility and growth, according to Herzberg, are:
- A) Motivators ✔
- B) Hygiene factors
- C) Physiological needs
- D) Theory X
Why: Responsibility, achievement, recognition and growth are motivators: they create real job satisfaction.
Theory Y assumes people:
- A) Find work natural and seek responsibility ✔
- B) Dislike work
- C) Need punishment
- D) Avoid all responsibility
Why: Theory Y assumes people find work natural, can direct themselves and seek responsibility, so managers should trust and involve them.
Theory X suits which leadership style?
- A) Autocratic ✔
- B) Participative
- C) Laissez-faire
- D) Transformational
Why: Theory X assumes people avoid work, so it fits an autocratic style with close supervision and control.
McGregor's book is:
- A) The Human Side of Enterprise (1960) ✔
- B) The Practice of Management
- C) Motivation and Personality
- D) Leadership
Why: Douglas McGregor described Theory X and Theory Y in his book 'The Human Side of Enterprise' (1960).
Theory Z was given by:
- A) William Ouchi (1981) ✔
- B) McGregor
- C) Maslow
- D) Taylor
Why: William Ouchi gave Theory Z in 1981, based on Japanese management practices.
Theory Z includes lifetime employment and:
- A) Group decisions and trust ✔
- B) Close punishment
- C) No trust
- D) Daily firing
Why: Theory Z includes long-term (lifetime) employment, group decision-making, trust and concern for employees' welfare.
Vroom's expectancy theory was given in:
- A) 1964 ✔
- B) 1943
- C) 1959
- D) 1981
Why: Victor Vroom gave the expectancy theory in 1964: motivation depends on expectancy, instrumentality and valence.
In Vroom's theory, valence means:
- A) The value of the reward to the person ✔
- B) The salary amount only
- C) The number of staff
- D) The leader's power
Why: Valence is how much a person values the reward. If the reward is not attractive, motivation stays low.
Equity theory says people compare their:
- A) Input–reward ratio with others ✔
- B) Height with others
- C) Office size
- D) Age only
Why: J. Stacy Adams' equity theory says people compare their input–reward ratio with others; unfairness lowers motivation.