The document discusses the promotion of a programmer, Sam, to a leadership role in an agile development team, which led to performance issues due to the halo effect, also known as the Peter Principle. This principle suggests that employees are promoted until they reach a level of incompetence, potentially explaining Sam's struggles in his new position. The document emphasizes the importance of organizational behavior theories in project management, something PMP aspirants should be familiar with, and promotes a free PMP exam simulator.

1. PMP EXAM
SAMPLE Q & A

2. Recently, you promoted your star programmer, Sam, to lead the agile development team. Sam
was a fantastic software coder, and you thought the promotion would mean that he could now
share his expertise with the other development team members. However, you are surprised to
learn that the performance of Sam in his new role is not meeting your expectations
Which empirical rule did you forget while considering the promotion of Sam?
A. Expectancy theory
B. Halo effect
C. Pareto concept
D. Murphy's law
HINT: This management theory is also known as the 'Peter principle.
Question

3. The correct answer is B
The halo effect (also known as the Peter principle) states "In a hierarchy, every employee tends to
rise to his/her level of incompetence." Most project team members are motivated by an
opportunity to grow, accomplish, and apply their professional skills to meet new challenges. Their
achievements continuously promote them within an organization to a certain level until they are
unable to perform. Sam might have risen to his incompetency level, which is what you have likely
forgotten to consider while promoting him to lead the development team.
While the topic of this question is not included in the PMBOK® Guide, the Project Management
Professional (PMP)® Examination Content Outline, June 2015, covers cross-cutting knowledge
and skills with which PMP aspirants are expected to be familiar. Various organizational behavior
theories are among these topics. Note, the PMBOK® Guide is provided as a reference to indicate
that the scenario refers the Develop Team process.
Answer

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A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
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