DSST Organizational Behavior study plan

Distinguish the classical, behavioral, and contingency eras of organizational theory by writing a one-line claim each era makes about employee motivation

Define the four core research design choices (experimental vs. observational, cross-sectional vs. longitudinal, field vs. lab, quantitative vs. qualitative) and give one organizational example of each

Explain internal, external, construct, and statistical validity and identify which threat each design choice amplifies

Build a comparison table of at least six organizational behavior theories naming theorist, core variable, and one workplace prediction

Match five research questions to the design that can actually answer them, justifying each pairing in two sentences

Differentiate reliability from validity and construct validity from criterion validity using organizational measurement examples

Compare surveys, interviews, observation, archival records, and experiments on cost, bias, and generalizability

Identify sampling problems (self-selection, survivorship, common-method bias) in three short vignettes

Interpret correlation coefficients and effect sizes, and explain why correlation cannot establish causation in an OB study

Describe the Big Five dimensions and predict job-performance and teamwork implications of high and low scores on each

Explain locus of control, self-efficacy, self-monitoring, and core self-evaluation and how each shapes workplace behavior

Distinguish values, attitudes, and emotions, and apply the job-satisfaction and organizational-commitment constructs to a retention scenario

Apply expectancy, equity, and goal-setting theories to diagnose a motivation problem and propose two interventions

Explain perception, attribution, stereotyping, and the halo effect and identify each in written workplace scenarios

Contrast functional and dysfunctional conflict and name the five conflict-handling styles with a use case for each

Describe group development stages, group norms, roles, and social loafing, and state one countermeasure for each dysfunction

Compare transactional and transformational leadership and situational and path-goal leadership, and select the best fit for three described teams

Explain power bases, influence tactics, and organizational politics, and evaluate the ethical line in two scenarios

Distinguish teams from work groups and describe cohesion, trust, and psychological safety as performance levers

Explain communication channels, direction, and barriers, and prescribe a channel choice for a sensitive change announcement

Describe organizational structure types (functional, divisional, matrix, flat) and their coordination and control trade-offs

Explain organizational culture, its artifacts, and how culture is transmitted through socialization and reward systems

Summarize decision-making models and biases, and identify escalation of commitment in a described case

Explain the change process using a stage model and the sources of resistance to change, with one mitigation per source

Compare planned change, organizational development interventions, and continuous-improvement approaches on speed, risk, and employee impact

Explain stress, burnout, work-life balance, and employee well-being interventions and connect them to performance outcomes

Revisit the scientific-approach domain and trace how evidence-based management improves change decisions

Evaluate a described failed change effort and name the diagnostic errors that preceded it

Re-teach your three weakest domains from memory using a blank-page recall exercise, then verify against your notes

Answer 60 mixed-domain questions under timed conditions and analyze every error by root cause (unknown fact, misread, or faulty reasoning)

Practice applying constructs to novel scenarios rather than recalling definitions, since the exam tests application

Rehearse exam logistics: pacing, guessing strategy, and flagging-and-returning on uncertain items