Chapter 8: Empowering and delegating

If you create a picture of the desired future through word pictures and moving language, you have satisfied the emotional arousal prescription for empowerment.

False

Joe implemented the following policy effective immediately: All employees have discretion to resolve customer complaints on the spot. This is most closely linked with creating confidence to foster empowerment.

False

Julie is reluctant to embrace empowerment as her employees have not had the necessary training to accomplish the work assigned to her purchasing department. Her belief is likely based on her attitudes about her employees.

True

The principles of empowerment and engagement are applicable across most, if not all, cultures.

True

Kenneth derives a great deal of satisfaction from work and has decided to open his own motorcycle store. He would probably score high on the self-determination dimension of empowerment.

True

People that take the initiative and like to try out new ideas would probably score high on the self-determination dimension of empowerment.

True

People who score high on the trust dimension of empowerment are more direct, open, honest, self-assured, and willing to cooperate with others.

True

The rule of thumb in engaging others is to match the amount of responsibility given with the amount of authority provided. Though you retain ultimate accountability, you delegate prime accountability.

True

You have decided to provide information to enhance empowerment among your employees. The information should be relevant to the employees' tasks and department.

True

You write notes of praise to employees, as well as to their family members and co-workers, in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments. This most closely relates to providing support to encourage empowerment.

True

Which dimension of empowerment would most likely be experienced by people who join the Peace Corps in order to help poor people in the world live a better life? A) Meaningfulness B) Control C) Self-determination D) Competency E) Trust

A) meaningfulness

What can't the manager delegate? A) Prime accountability B) Ultimate accountability C) Central accountability D) Prime responsibility

B) Ultimate accountability

A manager remarks to you, "Empowerment means providing freedom for people to do successfully what you, the manager, want them to do." How should you respond? A) You should agree. B) You should disagree. C) You should wait before you respond.

B) You should disagree

The intrinsic value of the job is directly tied to which dimension of empowerment? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Personal consequence D) Meaning E) Trust

D) meaning

If your employees believe you are fair, dependable, caring, and honest, what empowerment dimension will increase? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Personal consequence D) Meaningfulness E) Trust

E) Trust

You are looking for a team player, a person who will try to get along with others on the team. Which dimension of empowerment would demonstrate this trait best? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Personal consequence D) Meaningfulness E) Trust

E) Trust

The guideline that fosters activities to encourage the formation of friendships and keeps the workplace environment fun and interesting is related to which dimension(s) of empowerment? A) All five dimensions are related. B) Self-efficacy and meaningfulness are related. C) Personal consequence is related. D) Trust is related. E) Meaningfulness is related.

E) meaningfulness is related

) In deciding how to engage employees, you should begin with the end in mind and focus accountability on the process.

False

Employee engagement works best when the manager uses it as a tool to relieve his or her stress and workload.

False

Many managers and employees are reluctant to accept empowerment, but they are even more reluctant to offer empowerment. If a rationale offered by management is "I'm willing to empower people, but when I do, they either mess things up or try to grab all the glory," the issue is a need for control.

False

The dimension of empowerment that would most help a person overcome a smoking addiction is meaningfulness.

False

A team has just outlined its approach to a problem. Part of its plan is to have the team members' manager closely monitor the daily tasks. The manager should discourage this approach and remind the team the project is its responsibility, but he is available for assistance

True

After you have arrived at work, your boss e-mails some tasks she would like for you to do by the end of the day. Your boss practices the wait to be told initiative.

True

Alane is very passionate about her work for the American Cancer Society, experiencing a strong sense of self-worth from her job. Alane would probably score highest on the meaningful dimension of empowerment.

True

Empowering others is neither easy nor natural for managers. However, it does not require a great amount of self-sacrifice, and managers can actually multiply their own effectiveness through empowerment.

True

Fostering personal mastery experiences is related to the self-efficacy dimension of empowerment.

True

You are excited. You have a course of action for the problem. You are just waiting for your boss to give the okay. Your boss practices the ask what to do initiative.

False

You have recently been promoted to a managerial position and have been assigned a mentor who will provide you with guidance. The assignment of a mentor is related to the providing of information guideline of empowerment.

False

You recently attended a Mary Kay Cosmetics regional meeting where you received a pink Cadillac for your achievements. This is most closely linked to modeling effective praise to foster empowerment.

False

Your department is average in its performance. You believe if you were in charge, the department would perform above average. You would probably score highest on the self-efficacy dimension of empowerment.

False

A peer has asked you about empowerment. Which is the best summary statement to share with your peer? A) "Essentially, workers accomplish tasks because they are intrinsically attracted to them." B) "Essentially, workers accomplish the tasks because of the extrinsic rewards offered to them." C) "Essentially, empowerment and Theory X are the same." D) "Essentially, empowerment is just a fancy word for delegate."

A) "Essentially, workers accomplish tasks because they are intrinsically attracted to them."

Your boss has droned on for hours about the importance of empowering employees. As you drift off, she asks you to offer your insights on the consistency of delegation. Which is an appropriate response? A) "It means you delegate tasks continuously, not just when overworked, and you delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks." B) "It means you delegate tasks on a need-to-know basis and you delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks." C) "It means you delegate tasks continuously not just when overworked, and you delegate pleasant tasks." D) "It means to be consistent by treating everyone on the team fairly."

A) "It means you delegate tasks continuously, not just when overworked, and you delegate both pleasant and unpleasant tasks."

Some of the outcomes of successful employee engagement are (1) high morale and motivation, (2) stronger interpersonal relationships, and (3) more discretionary time for managers. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Only statements 1 and 2 are correct. C) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct. D) Only statements 2 and 3 are correct. E) None of the statements are correct.

A) All three statements are correct

Many managers and employees are reluctant to accept empowerment, but they are even more reluctant to offer empowerment. If a rationale offered by management is "I'm willing to empower my people, but they just won't accept the responsibility," what is the inhibitor? A) Attitudes about subordinates B) Personal insecurities C) Need for control D) Incompetent empowerment

A) Attitudes about subordinates

You are the CEO of Sugar Land Light & Power. In reading the Wall Street Journal, you notice the editors have forecasted an unstable and unpredictable environment for the utility industry for the next 10 years. You also suspect a lot of change. What should you do? A) Empower your employees, arrange for more self-managing work teams, and broaden participation and accountability B) Maintain control and issue top-down mandates regarding strategy and direction C) Revisit company policies with both management and employees D) Do nothing; wait until problems surface

A) Empower your employees, arrange for more self-managing work teams, and broaden participation and accountability

Once tasks are delegated and authority provided, what should a manager do? A) Focus on the results achieved by subordinates B) Focus on the techniques used to achieve the results C) Focus on both the results and how the results were achieved.

A) Focus on the results achieved by subordinates

You have recently been promoted. In looking through the prior supervisor's records, you note that she had regular meetings with her employees both individually and as a team. The meetings seemed to focus on how important the individual's and the team's efforts were to the organization's objective. What was this supervisor good at? A) Providing support B) Providing information C) Providing resources D) Efficient with her time

A) Providing support

If you have a basic level of competence, a willingness to put forth effort to accomplish a task, and the absence of overwhelming inhibitors to success, then which would you probably score high in? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Personal consequence D) Meaningfulness E) Trust

A) Self-efficacy

In providing resources so that others may accomplish their work, if individuals believe they have the resources they need to be successful and they have the freedom to pursue what they want to accomplished, you have fostered a sense of which dimension of empowerment? A) Self-efficacy and self-determination B) Personal control and trust C) Personal control and meaningfulness D) Self-determination and meaningfulness

A) Self-efficacy and self-determination

Your boss states, "Engaging employees usually refers to the assignment of a task, it is work focused. Empowerment, on the other hand, focuses on individuals' feelings." How should you respond? A) You should agree. B) You should disagree. Your boss has the definitions reversed. C) You should disagree. Your boss is describing competence and motivation.

A) You should agree

Your boss states, "To foster empowerment, you should provide individuals with a large difficult task at the beginning. The theory is if they can master this difficult task first, this will encourage feelings of empowerment." He then asks for your comment. How should you respond? A) "I agree." B) "I disagree, the key is to start with easy tasks." C) "It depends." D) None of the answer choices are correct.

B) "I disagree, they key is to start with easy tasks"

In providing adequate support for engaging employees, you have decided to furnish employees with information on where they may acquire needed resources. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? A) Bad idea, employees learn more when they have to find their own resources B) Good idea C) It depends on whether you have time or not

B) Good idea

When employees have been empowered without clear directions or resources, what have some of the results been? A) Increased performance and job satisfaction B) Increased depression C) Increased alertness and increased mortality D) Reduced stress

B) Increased depression

Empowerment is a concept that is likely to be more acceptable in cultures with which strong orientations? A) Universalism, neutrality, diffuseness, and achievement B) Particularism, collectivity, diffuseness, and achievement C) Particularism, affectivity, specificity, and ascription D) Particularism, individualism, diffuseness, and achievement

B) Particularism, collectivity, diffuseness, and achievement

If you provide employees a budget that allows them the discretion to spend money on activities they consider important for completing the job successfully, you have utilized which guideline for developing empowerment? A) Providing information B) Providing resources C) Modeling D) Providing support

B) Providing resources

People that have a high internal locus of control are likely to score high on which dimension of empowerment? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Meaningfulness D) Trust

B) Self-determination

You are the leader of a work team. Having returned from a seminar on empowerment, you wonder if empowerment would work for your team. Which dimension listed is considered to be the most important in determining whether empowerment will work? A) Meaningfulness B) Self-efficacy C) Trust D) Self-determination E) Personal control

B) Self-efficacy

A co-worker recently returned from a management seminar. She notes that empowerment is nothing more than giving employees autonomy. How should you respond? A) "I agree." B) "I disagree; power isn't about autonomy, it is about an individual's capacity to accomplish a task." C) "I believe empowerment relates to both self-efficacy and task accomplishment." D) "I believe empowerment improves team building through centralized decision making."

C) "I believe empowerment relates to both self-efficacy and task accomplishment."

Suppose an employee comes to you after you have delegated an assignment and says, "We (the team) have a problem. Some people within the team are not trying, there is just no effort. What should I or the team do?" How should you reply? A) "Gee, I am not sure. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you." B) "Do you want me to talk to the group?" C) "What do you think the team should do?" D) "Well, I think I would penalize the team members somehow. What do you recommend?"

C) "What do you think the team should do."

Your boss prefers that you act on your own initiative and report to her when the final results have been accomplished. Which initiative does your boss practice? A) Wait to be told B) Recommend, then take action C) Act, then report D) Ask what to do

C) Act, then report

You notice in your company people are habitual in their behavior. They appear to be narrow minded, and there is little innovation in their ideas. What are you most likely experiencing? A) Experiencing the outcomes of empowerment B) Experiencing the outcomes of delegation C) Experiencing attributes that emerge in both managers and employees during times of change and uncertainty D) Experiencing uncommon behavior for changing times

C) Experiencing attributes that emerge in both managers and employees during times of change and uncertainty

Your project is going well. As you daydream about your potential bonus, your secretary buzzes you to remind you of your weekly meeting with your boss over the project's status. Which initiative does your boss most likely practice? A) Ask what to do B) Recommend then take action C) Initiate and report infrequently D) Wait to be told

C) Initiate and report infrequently

After attending a management seminar on empowerment, you have decided to issue a memo telling your employees they are now empowered. Will this work? A) Yes, you can give someone empowerment. B) No, most people want to avoid the responsibilities associated with empowerment. C) No, a manager cannot empower others, but he can help them empower themselves.

C) No, a manager cannot empower others, but he can help them empower themselves

If you believe that through your actions you can influence what happens, you would probably score high on which dimension of empowerment? A) Self-efficacy B) Self-determination C) Personal consequence D) Meaningfulness E) Trust

C) Personal consequence

You understand the importance of two-way communication during the process of engaging employees. What does this mean? A) That you, as the manager, should answer every detailed question and provide continual advice B) That you, as the manager, provide information on a need to know time frame C) That you, as the manager, remain available for consultation and idea exchange D) That you, as the manager, empathize totally with the process.

C) That you, as the manager, remain available for consultation and idea exchange

Which answer best completes the following sentence? If managers competently engage employees, the results can produce the following for employees: a sense of competence,... A) choice, and meaningfulness. B) choice, and personal consequence. C) choice, meaningfulness, personal consequence, and trust. D) meaningfulness, and trust. E) None of the answer choices is correct.

C) choice, meaningfulness, personal consequence, and trust.

The guideline to articulate a clear vision and goals is related to which dimension(s) of empowerment? A) All five dimensions are related. B) Self-efficacy, self-determination, and personal consequence are related. C) Self-determination, personal consequence, and meaningfulness are related. D) Trust is related. E) Trust and self-efficacy are related.

C) self-determination, personal consequence, and meaningfulness are related

The federal government has asked how your company plans to reduce pollution in your metropolitan area. You decide to organize a team (members from different departments) to handle the government's request. To increase a sense of empowerment, what should you do? A) Have them generate ideas for you to decide B) Treat them as a suggestion team and have them teach each other their job C) Allow them to make the decision but tell them that you will handle how the decision will be implemented D) Allow them to make the decision and implement the solution as well

D) Allow them to make the decision and implement the solution as well

You have decided to keep the work climate fun and use superlatives in providing feedback. Also, you plan to highlight the important impact that your employees' work will produce and you plan to try to foster activities that encourage friendships. You are doing what? A) Providing needed support B) Providing information C) Arousing personal mastery D) Arousing positive emotions

D) Arousing positive emotions

"Why is the boss never around to give his approval when I have some ideas on how to approach the problem?" you think. Which initiative level does your boss expect? A) Wait to be told B) Act then report C) Initiate action and report only routinely D) Ask what to do

D) Ask what to do

Which is an attribute of a measurable goal? A) Associated with observable behavior B) Associated with overall purposes of the organization C) Time-bound D) Associated with outcome criteria E) Associated with challenging tasks

D) Associated with outcome criteria

You coach high school sports. Your team has lost 37 games in a row prior to your arrival. Having returned from an empowerment seminar, you decide what is best for your players is to model the correct behaviors. Which is best? A) Invite players from the 1972 state championship team to talk to your players B) Demonstrate the desired behaviors yourself (you were an all-stater after all) C) Discuss with the team about going undefeated next year D) Invite players from the 1972 state championship team to talk to your team and demonstrate the desired behaviors yourself (you were an all-stater)

D) Invite players from the 1972 state championship team to talk to your team and demonstrate the desired behaviors yourself (you were an all-stater)

) When engaging employees, managers must be clear about (1) deadlines, (2) how the task should be completed, and (3) the level of initiative expected. Which statements are correct? A) All three statements are correct. B) Only statements 1 and 2 are correct. C) Only statements 2 and 3 are correct. D) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

D) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct

The guideline to model the behaviors you want others to achieve is related to which dimension(s) of empowerment? A) All five dimensions are related. B) Self-efficacy and self-determination are related. C) Self-efficacy and meaningfulness are related. D) Self-efficacy and trust are related. E) Only self-efficacy is related.

D) Self-efficacy and trust are related

You have noticed that Hillary has maintained a consistently high level of work performance for the past five years. What can you most likely deduce about Hillary? A) She has a strong sense of job security. B) She has a strong sense of personal control. C) She has a strong sense of trust. D) She has a strong sense of self-determination.

D) She has a strong sense of self-determination

You recently discovered that your brother-in-law paid $1,000 more in computer purchases than you budgeted. In your conversation with him, he explains the additional cost is because he ordered the screen saver with the flying toasters; he likes them better. You remark to your brother-in-law, "I don't hold you totally responsible because obviously you made the best decision you could given your limited intellect." As you slump into your chair, what should you decide concerning your relationship with your brother-in-law? A) You handled this little meeting quite well (he is still alive). B) You have been open and honest in your communications with him. C) He flaunted his expertise. D) You should exhibit a more caring and personal concern for him.

D) You should exhibit a more caring and personal concern for him.

Many managers and employees are reluctant to accept empowerment, but they are even more reluctant to offer empowerment. If a rationale offered by management is "I'm willing to empower people, but they require clear directions and a set of guidelines; otherwise, the lack of instruction leads to confusion," what is the inhibitor? A) Attitudes about subordinates B) Personal insecurities C) Lack of trust D) Willingness to embrace change E) Need for control

E) need for control

Empowerment involves trade-offs; if some people feel empowered, others will not experience it.

False

Empowerment is viewed as a "pull" strategy, which involves managers designing a work situation so that it energizes and provides intrinsic encouragement to employees.

True