Combo with UTPA OB Test2 ch8 and 2 others

An employee in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even if the organization isn't profitable.

TRUE ---- Gainsharing is different from profit sharing in that it ties rewards to productivity gains rather than profits. Employees in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable

The basic concepts underlying goal-setting theory and reinforcement theory are at odds

TRUE ---- Goalsetting is a cognitive approach, proposing that an individual's purposes direct his action. Reinforcement theory takes a behavioristic approach, arguing that reinforcement conditions behavior. The two theories are clearly at odds philosophically

In job rotation, the nature of the work performed is changed.

TRUE ---- Job rotation is the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another, reducing overroutinization of work

Traditional benefit packages were designed for the typical employee of the 1950s; a stereotype that now fits fewer than 10% of employees

TRUE ---- Modern day flexible benefits plans replace the "one-benefit-plan-fits-all" programs designed for a male with a wife and two children at home that dominated organizations for more than 50 years. Fewer than 10% of employees now fit this image: About 25 percent are single, and one-third are part of two-income families with no children. Flexible benefits can accommodate differences in employee needs based on age, marital status, spouses' benefit status and number and age of dependents

Self-determination theory proposes that when a person is forced to do something, or perceives that they are being forced, they lose motivation

TRUE ---- Self-determination theory proposes that people prefer to feel they have control over their actions, so anything that makes a previously enjoyed task feel more like an obligation than a freely chosen activity will undermine motivation

Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task

TRUE ---- Self-efficacy (also known as social cognitive theory or social learning theory) refers to an individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task. The higher your self-efficacy, the more confidence you have in your ability to succeed.

The overall evidence on job enrichment generally shows that it increases satisfaction, reduces absenteeism, and reduces turnover costs

TRUE ---- The evidence on job enrichment shows it reduces absenteeism and turnover costs and increases satisfaction, but not all job enrichment programs are equally effective

The dimensions of the JCM that create meaningfulness include task identity, skill variety, and task significance

TRUE ---- The first three dimensions, skill variety, task identity, and task significance, combine to create meaningful work the incumbent will view as important, valuable, and worthwhile.

Which is not a reason why it is difficult to base decision making on ethics when working abroad?

Because the United States is the only nation without corruption. --- Explanation: There are no global ethical standards. The U.S. has various cases of corruption, making it equally difficult for decision makers to make ethical decisions.

Why is decision making a perceptual issue?

Before a decision is made, a problem must be perceived to exist. --- Explanation: Decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem, or a discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state. Decision making becomes perceptual, because one person's problem is another person's satisfactory state of affairs. First a problem must be perceived to exist.

What does consensus refer to in attribution theory?

Different people respond the same way in the same situation. +++ Explanation: A behavior that shows consensus is one when everyone responds the same way to the situation. For example, if everyone who took the same route to work is late, there is high consensus in behavior.

What sort of plan is a company-established benefit plan where employees acquire stock as part of their benefits?

ESOP ---- Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a company-established benefits plan in which employees acquire stock, often at below-market prices, as part of their benefits

Who proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation?

Edwin Locke ---- In the late 1960s, Edwin Locke proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation. That is, goals tell an employee what needs to be done and how much effort will need to be expended.

Which of the following is not true?

Employee involvement is incompatible with two-factor theory. ---- In terms of two-factor theory, employee involvement programs could provide intrinsic motivation by increasing opportunities for growth, responsibility, and involvement in the work itself.

What is an advantage of bonuses over merit pay?

Employees are rewarded for recent performance ---- The incentive effects of performance bonuses are generally higher than those of merit pay because, rather than paying for performance years ago (that was rolled into base pay), bonuses reward recent performance

Which of the following is not true about referent comparisons in equity theory

Employees in sex-segregated jobs use more cross-sex comparisons ---- Employees compare themselves to friends, neighbors, co-workers, or colleagues in other organizations. Employees in jobs that are not sex segregated will make more cross-sex comparisons than those in jobs that are either male or female dominated

Jobs that have the intrinsic elements of variety, identity, significance, autonomy, and feedback are more satisfying and generate higher performance from people than jobs that lack these characteristics

TRUE ---- The more these intrinsic elements are present, the greater will be employees' motivation, performance, and satisfaction, and the lower their absenteeism and likelihood of leaving.

People who sell peanuts at ballparks and keep $.75 for every bag of peanuts they sell are being paid piece-rate wages.

TRUE ---- The piece-rate pay plan has long been popular as a means of compensating production workers by paying a fixed sum for each unit of production completed

Piece-rate wages are a traditional form of variable pay compensation

TRUE ---- The piece-rate pay plan has long been popular as a means of compensating production workers by paying a fixed sum for each unit of production completed

Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer job situations with personal responsibility, feedback, and an intermediate degree of risk

TRUE ---- When jobs have a high degree of personal responsibility and feedback and an intermediate degree of risk, high achievers are strongly motivated.

Which of the following is not true about our perceptions of a target?

Targets are usually looked at in isolation. ---Explanation: Characteristics of the target we observe can affect what we perceive. Targets are not perceived in isolation/ The relationship of a target to its background influences perception, as does our tendency to group close things and similar things together.

Who developed expectancy theory?

Vroom ---- Currently, one of the most widely accepted explanations of motivation is Victor Vroom's expectancy theory. Although it has its critics, most of the evidence supports the theory

The theory that asserts that motivation depends upon an employee's goals, and the belief that productive behavior will get these goals accomplished, is called

Vroom's expectancy theory ---- Expectancy theory proposes that employees will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when they believe it will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a good appraisal will lead to organizational rewards such as bonuses, salary increases, or promotions; and that the rewards will satisfy the employees' personal goals

Ana's parents paid her an allowance every week to feed the cats and a few other chores around the house. When Ana's mom lost her job her parents were no longer able to pay her an allowance. Although Ana quit making her bed every morning, she still fed the cats as soon as she woke up. Which of the following best explains Ana's behavior?

Without the extrinsic reward the task relies on an internal motivation ---- By eliminating the extrinsic rewards (Ana's allowance) the explanation for Ana's behavior (continuing to feed the cats) shifts from an external to an internal explanation why she does the task. Ana must enjoy or feel some other internal desire to continue working, since she is receiving nothing external to explain her behavior

Which of the following is something you would not expect your supervisor to believe?

Workers place security above most other factors ---- Your boss demonstrates a belief in Theory Y in which managers assume employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility. In this example the boss believes that the employee views the actual work as something extremely positive, not just a means to a secure life

Participative management implies joint decision making and equal decision-making roles

FALSE ---- The distinct characteristic common to all participative management programs is joint decision making, in which subordinates share a significant degree (but not an equal degree) of decision-making power with their immediate superiors

If one is interested in changing employee attitudes or in improving organizational performance, representative participation would be a good choice

FALSE ---- The influence of representative participation on working employees seems to be minimal.

The JCM model consists of task significance, feedback, meaningfulness, and autonomy

FALSE ---- The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance.

According to Herzberg, the opposite of "satisfaction" is "dissatisfaction."

FALSE ---- The opposite of "satisfaction" is "no satisfaction" and the opposite of "dissatisfaction" is "no dissatisfaction

Theory X assumes that human beings are inherently good

FALSE ---- Under Theory X, managers believe employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it. Under Theory Y, in contrast, managers assume employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility

Variable-pay compensation pays people for the time they spend on the job and seniority.

FALSE ---- Variable-pay compensation is a pay plan that bases a portion of an employee's pay on some individual and/or organizational measure of performance. Seniority is not a factor

Which of the following is not an ingredient common to all MBO programs?

consistent monetary rewards ---- Four ingredients are common to MBO programs: goal specificity, participation in decision making (including participation in the setting of goals or objectives), an explicit time period, and performance feedback

The time at which an object or event is seen is an example of what type of factor influencing the perceptual process?

context --- Explanation: Context is important to perception. Context includes the time at which a perceiver sees an object or event, as well as location, light, heat, or any number of situational factors.

One of the shortcuts used to judge others involves evaluating a person based on how he/she compares to other individuals on the same characteristic. What is this shortcut called?

contrast effects -- Explanation: Contrast effect is the evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics. The high score in the interview may be attributed to this effect.

Your rating in a job interview is high in contrast to the candidate who was interviewed directly before you, who was rated extremely low. Your own high rating might be partially attributed to which of the following?

contrast effects --- Explanation: Contrast effect is the evaluation of a person's characteristics that is affected by comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics. The high score in the interview may be attributed to this effect.

What segment of the three-component model of creativity encompasses personality characteristics that are associated with imagination?

creative thinking skills --- Explanation: The second component is creative-thinking skills. This encompasses personality characteristics associated with creativity, the ability to use analogies, and the talent to see the familiar in a different light.

What trait does a decision maker need to have if they are to fully appraise a problem and even see problems that others are not aware of?

creativity --- Explanation: A rational decision maker also needs creativity, the ability to produce novel and useful ideas, to appraise problems and find original solutions.

You should expect to earn more if you

cross-train in other jobs ---- Skill-based pay is an alternative to job-based pay that bases pay levels on how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do. If you cross-train in other jobs you will acquire more skills and by doing so raise your pay

Which of the following is a not a management benefit of telecommuting?

decreased benefits expenses ---- The pluses of telecommuting for management include a larger labor pool from which to select, higher productivity, less turnover, improved morale, and reduced office-space costs.

What is the first step in the rational decision-making model?

defining the problem --- Explanation: The rational decision-making model follows a six-step process. The steps are: 1) Define the problem; 2) Identify the decision criteria; 3) Allocate weights to the criteria; 4) Develop the alternatives; 5) Evaluate the alternatives; 6) Select the best alternative.

Mel has exceeded her budget by at least $200 every month for the last three months. After recognizing that this is a problem, she decides to use the rational decision-making model to decide what to do. What might be the next step she takes if she follows this model?

determine what she needs to take into account when making her decision --- Explanation: The rational decision-making model follows a six-step process. The steps are: 1) Define the problem; 2) Identify the decision criteria; 3) Allocate weights to the criteria; 4) Develop the alternatives; 5) Evaluate the alternatives; 6) Select the best alternative. Mel needs to apply step two by determining the decision criteria, or what she needs to take into account.

According to the goal-setting theory of motivation, highest performance is reached when goals are set to which level?

difficult but attainable ---- If factors such as acceptance of the goals are held constant, the more difficult the goal, the higher the level of performance. Once a hard task is accepted the employee will exert a high level of effort to try to achieve it.

Which of the following is the principal drawback from job sharing?

difficulty in finding compatible partners ---- The major drawback from management's perspective is finding compatible pairs of employees who can successfully coordinate the intricacies of one job.

What term is used for the extent to which an individual displays different behaviors in different situations?

distinctiveness --- Explanation: Distinctiveness is one of three determining factors that contribute to attribution theory perceptions. Determining whether the behavior is different from normally expected behavior of the target, refers to distinctiveness.

Gloria thinks that she is paid less than other workers in her division and feels extremely resentful. She starts taking long breaks and generally wasting time. Her actions were a result of her perceiving what kind of injustice?

distributive --- Gloria is focusing on and reacting to a perceived inequity of her income. Equity theory that focuses on the employee's perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals is called distributive justice

Equity theory historically focused on ________ justice

distributive ---- Recent research has expanded the meaning of equity. Historically, equity theory focused on distributive justice, the employee's perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals. Equity can also be considered from the standpoint of organizational justice, a larger perception of what is fair in the workplace

If an employee believes that no matter how hard he works, his boss will give him the same performance evaluation as last year and the year before, it is the ________ relationship that explains his lack of motivation.

effort-performance -- The effort-performance relationship is the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to performance. If an employee expects to get a poor appraisal, regardless of his level of effort, his source of low motivation is the belief that, no matter how hard he works, the likelihood of getting a good performance appraisal is low

Helen is an office worker who processes health insurance forms. She has worked at her present job for three years. Initially she was criticized by her supervisor for sloppy work, but in the months after that improved considerably. Now she consistently processes her forms without errors and above quota. However, she has found her supervisor has not responded to the extra effort she puts in, giving her no praise and no financial reward. Helen will most likely perceive that there is a problem in which of the following relationships?

effort-performance ---- The effort-performance relationship is the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to performance. Helen expects to get a poor appraisal, regardless of her level of effort. Her new source of low motivation is the belief that, no matter how hard she works, the likelihood of getting a good performance appraisal is low

Where is overconfidence most likely to surface?

outside your area of expertise --- Explanation: Overconfidence is most likely to surface when organizational members are working outside their area of expertise. However, so-called experts are not immune to overconfidence bias either.

What is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment?

perception -Explanation: Perception is defined as a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. People's behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. What we perceive can be substantially different from objective reality.

The degree to which an individual believes that performing at a particular level will generate a desired outcome is defined by expectancy theory as what kind of relationship?

performance-reward ---- Performance-reward relationship explains the degree to which the individual believes performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome

You have decided to let employees select a small group to represent them and work with management. This is termed

representative participation ---- Representative participation is a system in which workers participate in organizational decision making through a small group of representative employees

Craig is trying to teach his two-year old son to gently caress their cat. Craig softly strokes the animal and every time his son does the same he rewards him with kind words. "Good job!" The child is very attentive during the process and claps his hands when his father praises him. However, as soon as Craig stands up to leave, the boy lunges for the cat and grabs a chunk of hair. Which process of social-learning theory is failing?

retention processes ---- Four processes determine a model's influence on an individual: 1. Attentional processes; 2. Retention processes; 3. Motor reproduction processes; and 4. Reinforcement processes. The child is paying attention, reproducing the behavior, and receiving reinforcement. The learning process is breaking down at the retention process in which the individual is supposed to remember the model's action after the model is no longer readily available. The child seems to immediately forget when his father leaves

According to expectancy theory, the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual's personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual is known as what sort of relationship?

rewards-personal goals ---- The employee works hard in the hope of getting a promotion but gets a pay raise instead. This is an example of rewards-personal goals relationship, or the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual's personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual.

Jill is an excellent technical writer. She has never missed a deadline and the projects that she leads are superior. She is extremely upset with her annual performance review, though. She had asked to telecommute two days a week, to be able to spend more time with her family. She feels like she has proven her reliability. However, her boss said that such a policy is simply not possible right now and gave her a substantial raise instead. Jill's disappointment demonstrates a breakdown in the ________ relationship.

rewards-personal goals ---- The employee works hard in the hope of getting a promotion but gets a pay raise instead. This is an example of rewards-personal goals relationship, or the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual's personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual. Jill didn't care about the money, she wanted the flexibility. So her reward was not in line with her goals

The tendency to prefer a sure thing describes which decision making bias?

risk aversion --- Explanation: Risk aversion is the tendency to prefer a sure gain of a moderate amount over a riskier outcome, even if the riskier outcome might have a higher expected payoff.

Management by Objectives (MBO) emphasizes translating overall organizational objectives into

specific objectives for organizational units and individual members ---- Management by objectives (MBO) emphasizes participatively set goals that are tangible, verifiable, and measurable. The organization's overall objectives are translated into specific objectives for each succeeding level in the organization. MBO works from the bottom up as well as from the top down. The result is a hierarchy that links objectives at one level to those at the next.

What does MBO provide for the individual employee?

specific personal performance objectives ---- MBO provides specific personal performance objectives for the individual employee. Objectives at one level are linked to those at the next.

Who sets MBO objectives?

they are set jointly by superior and subordinate ---- Lower-unit managers jointly participate in setting their own goals. Because of this aspect, MBO works from the bottom up as well as from the top down. The result is a hierarchy that links objectives at one level to those at the next

What is the goal of representative participation?

to redistribute power within the organization ---- The goal of representative participation is to redistribute power within an organization, putting labor on a more equal footing with the interests of management and stockholders by letting workers be represented by a small group of employees who actually participate.

Which of the following terms involves making decisions so as to provide the greatest good for the greatest number?

utilitarianism -- Explanation: Utilitarianism is a system in which decisions are made to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. Decisions are made solely on the basis of their outcomes.

The three criteria for making ethical decisions are ________.

utilitarianism, rights, and justice --- Explanation: There are three ways to frame decisions ethically. The first ethical yardstick is utilitarianism, in which decisions are made solely on the basis of their outcomes, ideally to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. Another ethical criterion is to make decisions consistent with fundamental rights. A third criterion is to impose and enforce rules fairly and impartially to ensure justice or an equitable distribution of benefits and costs.

Aberdone Company has redesigned the jobs of the workers in accounts receivables. Instead of simply billing customers, they are now responsible for what used to be management tasks, such as for following up on non-payment, determining when bills will be sent to a collection agency, and what accounts receivables can be written off as non-collectable. What term would best be used to describe how the company is enriching the job dimensions?

vertical job expansion --- Explanation: Expanding jobs vertically gives employees responsibilities and control formerly reserved for management.

According to the job characteristics model, which of the following results in the maximum internal rewards for an individual?

when they learn that they personally have performed well on a task that they care about --- Explanation: JCM proposes that individuals obtain internal rewards when they learn (knowledge of results) that they personally (experienced responsibility) have performed well on a task they care about (experienced meaningfulness), making feedback extremely important to internal rewards.

When Martha submitted a formal complaint to OSHA about unsafe work conditions in her company's warehouse, she acted as a ________.

whistle-blower --- Explanation: Whistle-blowers are individuals who report unethical practices by their employer to outsiders. Martha acted as a whistle-blower.

As a manager, you like the plan because it allows

workforce flexibility ---- For employers, the lure of skill-based pay plans is that they increase the flexibility of the workforce; filling staffing needs is easier when employee skills are interchangeable

Two-factor theory suggests that dissatisfaction is caused by extrinsic factors. Which of the following is an example of such a factor?

working conditions ----Two-factor theory relates intrinsic factors to job satisfaction and associates extrinsic factors with dissatisfaction. Also called motivation hygiene theory. Conditions such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relationships with others, and job security are considered hygiene factors or extrinsic factors

You decide that your first job should be to remedy the hygiene factors. Which are they?

working conditions ---Conditions such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relationships with others, and job security are considered hygiene factors or extrinsic factors.

In the job characteristics model (JCM), what three core job dimensions combine to create meaningful work?

skill variety, task identity, and task significance --- Explanation: The first three dimensions in JCM, skill variety, task identity, and task significance, combine to create meaningful work that the incumbent will view as important, valuable, and worthwhile.

What is the term used for a pay plan where pay levels are based on how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do?

skill-based pay ---- Skill-based pay is a pay plan that sets pay levels on the basis of how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do.

A certain corporation ties its compensation for front-line operations managers to developing their skills in leadership, workforce development, and functional excellence. What is this sort of compensation scheme called?

skill-based pay ---- Skill-based pay is a pay plan that sets pay levels on the basis of how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do. The more skills the managers acquire, the more income they will receive.

What is the need that you would expect that Mary is trying to satisfy?

social ---- Because Jane is single and has little social interaction, according to Maslow, she would be striving to satisfy her social needs, which include affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.

You would expect that Jane is trying to satisfy her ________ needs

social ---- Because Jane is single and has little social interaction, according to Maslow, she would be striving to satisfy her social needs, which include affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship.

The view that we can learn through both observation and direct experience is called

social-learning theory ---- Much of what people learn comes from watching models, such as parents, teachers, peers, film and television performers, bosses, and so forth. The view that we can learn through both observation and direct experience is called social-learning theory

The contrast effect suggests a candidate will be more highly evaluated if the previous interviews were also highly evaluated.

" FALSE -- Explanation: Contrast effect suggests that evaluation of a person's characteristics is affected by comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics. In this case, if the previous interviews were highly evaluated, unless the current candidate is outstanding, he will be more likely to be negatively evaluated.

A focus on utilitarianism as an ethical decision criterion promotes efficiency and productivity as well as a focus on the rights of individuals.

"FALSE Explanation: A focus on utilitarianism promotes efficiency and productivity, but it can sideline the rights of some individuals, particularly those with minority representation.

Ethical standards are less ambiguous in Asia than in the United States.

"FALSE Explanation: Although ethical standards may seem ambiguous in the West, criteria defining right and wrong are actually much clearer there than in Asia, where few issues are black and white and most are gray.

Jackson continues to put money into car repair even though he knows the car is a "lemon." This is an example of the availability bias.

"FALSE Explanation: Jackson is demonstrating escalation of commitment. Escalation of commitment refers to staying with a decision even when there is clear evidence it's wrong.

Interviewers make perceptual judgments that are generally accurate during an employment interview.

"FALSE -- Explanation: But interviewers make perceptual judgments that are often inaccurate and draw early impressions that quickly become entrenched. Research shows we form impressions of others within a tenth of a second, based on our first glance.

Giving an attribution an external causation means you assume that the individual is responsible for his or her own behavior.

"FALSE -- Explanation: Externally caused behavior is what we imagine the situation forced the individual to do.

The concept of bounded rationality assumes that the decision maker will complicate the problem.

"FALSE --Explanation: Bounded rationality assumes that the decision maker will simplify the problem. Because the human mind cannot formulate and solve complex problems with full rationality, people operate within the confines of bounded rationality, constructing simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity.

An individual's place in the interview schedule may affect the interviewer's evaluation of the applicant. This is an example of the halo effect.

"FALSE --Explanation: Contrast effect suggests that evaluation of a person's characteristics is affected by comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics. Because of contrast effect your place in the interview schedule could affect the interview evaluation.

The halo effect occurs because it is impossible for us to assimilate everything we see.

"FALSE --Explanation: The halo effect refers to the tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic.

A satisficing solution is satisfactory but not sufficient.

"FALSE- - Explanation: Many problems don't have an optimal solution because they are too complicated to be broken down into the parameters of the rational decision-making model. People must satisfice; that is, seek solutions that are satisfactory and sufficient.

It has been well documented that individuals escalate commitment to a failing course of action when they view themselves as responsible for the failure.

"TRUE Explanation: Individuals escalate commitment to a failing course of action when they view themselves as responsible for the failure. They ""throw good money after bad"" to demonstrate their initial decision wasn't wrong and to avoid admitting they made a mistake.

The three-component model of creativity proposes that individual creativity requires expertise, creative-thinking skills, and intrinsic task motivation.

"TRUE Explanation: The three-component model of creativity proposes that individual creativity essentially requires expertise, creative thinking skills, and intrinsic task motivation. Studies confirm that the higher the level of each, the higher the creativity.

The justice criterion for decision making requires that individuals impose and enforce rules fairly and impartially so there is an equitable distribution of benefits and costs.

"TRUE Explanation: To impose and enforce rules fairly and impartially to ensure justice or an equitable distribution of benefits and costs describes the justice criterion for ethical decision making. For example, it justifies paying people the same wage for a given job regardless of performance differences and using seniority as the primary determination in layoff decisions.

Utilitarianism dominates business decision making.

"TRUE Explanation: Utilitarianism is the ethical criterion in which decisions are made solely on the basis of their outcomes, ideally to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. This view dominates business decision making today.

In attribution theory, "distinctiveness" refers to whether an individual displays different behaviors in different situations.

"TRUE -- Explanation: Distinctiveness refers to whether an individual displays different behaviors in different situations, helping to determine whether the behavior is unusual or normal.

Nicole's department sales have gone done recently. She told her husband that all of the sales representatives were lazy and that she was the only one holding the numbers up. In reality, all of the sales numbers have gone done, including Nicole's. Nicole's statement can be attributed to the tendency to use the self-serving bias to explain successes and failures.

"TRUE -- Explanation: Individuals and organizations also tend to attribute their own successes to internal factors such as ability or effort, while putting the blame for failure on external factors such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers. This is the self-serving bias.

One person's problem may be considered by another person to be a satisfactory state of affairs.

"TRUE --- Explanation: Decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem. That is, a discrepancy exists between the current state of affairs and some desired state, requiring consideration of alternative courses of action. Because of perspective, one person's problem is another person's satisfactory state of affairs.

Brenda has been told that her students have been selected for her class because they are the most intelligent in their grade. She finds that they consistently perform above average work. This may be an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"TRUE --- Explanation: The term self-fulfilling prophecy describes how an individual's behavior is determined by others' expectations. If Brenda expects big things from her students, they're not likely to let her down.

What is the major problem with Maslow's hierarchy of needs in organizational behavior?

"There is little evidence that needs are structured or operate in the way it describes ----Research does not validate Maslow's theory. Maslow provided no empirical substantiation, and several studies that sought to validate the theory found no support for it. There is little evidence that need structures are organized along the dimensions proposed by Maslow, that unsatisfied needs motivate, or that a satisfied need activates movement to a new need level.

Who is most likely to engage in rumination?

"a 40-year old woman --- Explanation: Twenty years of study find women spend much more time than men analyzing the past, present, and future. By age 11, girls are ruminating more than boys. But this gender difference seems to lessen with age. Differences are largest during young adulthood and smallest after age 65, when both men and women ruminate the least.

Which of the following will you probably use to evaluate this situation?

"equity ---- Equity theory refers to a theory that says that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. In this situation, because you are comparing income, it is likely that you will use equity theory

According to Maslow, when does a need stop motivating?

"when it is substantially satisfied ----According to Maslow, although no need is ever fully gratified, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates. Thus, as each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied the next one becomes dominant.

Which of the following is an example of a piece-rate plan?

$2 for each unit produced ---- The piece-rate pay plan is a means of compensating production workers by paying a fixed sum for each unit of production completed. Paying $2 for each unit produced represents a piece-rate pay plan.

What percentage of today's workforce is single with no dependents, and thus requiring fewer benefits.

25 ---- About 25 percent of today's employees are single. The traditional plan that dominated organizations for more than 50 years was designed for a male with a wife and two children at home, which is rarely the case today

Which of the following is not true about the two-factor theory?

A job becomes satisfying when the dissatisfying characteristics are removed ----Herzberg proposed that his findings indicated the existence of a dual continuum: The opposite of "satisfaction" is "no satisfaction," and the opposite of "dissatisfaction" is "no dissatisfaction."

Which of the following is an example of externally caused behavior?

An employee is late because of a flat tire. --- Explanation: Externally caused behavior is what we imagine the situation forced the individual to do. If an employee is late for work, and you attribute his arriving late to an automobile accident or a flat tire, then you are making an external attribution.

Which of the following best defines self-determination theory?

Extrinsic factors, such as pay, can actually decrease motivation ----Self-determination theory is a theory that states that allocating extrinsic rewards for behavior that had been previously intrinsically rewarding tends to decrease the overall level of motivation if the rewards are seen as controlling

An individual's expectations have little effect on perception.

FALSE Explanation: Characteristics that affect perception include your attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations.

Intuitive decision analysis must operate independently of rational analysis.

FALSE Explanation: Intuition does not operate in opposition to rational analysis; rather, the two can complement each other.

Rashid and a group of friends from Pakistan are going out to eat. At the restaurant the hostess tells them a bit distractedly, that there is no seating for the next two hours. Monica, a young Hispanic woman, and her boyfriend, arrive at the same restaurant a few minutes later, and are told the same thing by the same hostess in the same tone. They will probably perceive the situation similarly.

FALSE -- Explanation: Characteristics that affect perception include your attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations. Rashid and Monica have different backgrounds and contexts and will probably perceive the hostess' tone differently.

One of the most expensive motivation programs is that which recognizes an employee's superior performance

FALSE ---- An obvious advantage of recognition programs is that they are inexpensive since praise is free.

From management's perspective, the greatest appeal of skill-based pay plans is decreased payroll costs.

FALSE ---- For employers, the lure of skill-based pay plans is that they increase the flexibility of the workforce: filling staffing needs is easier when employee skills are interchangeable

Job enrichment increases the degree to which the worker controls the execution of company plans.

FALSE ---- Job enrichment expands jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work

Job rotation, flex time, and job sharing are all designed to increase employee flexibility

FALSE ---- Only flex time and job sharing increase flexibility. Job rotation is used to increase motivation by stimulation

Distributive justice refers to the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of rewards

FALSE ---- Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of rewards. With distributive justice, the employee's perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals

Research shows that in equity theory men prefer same-sex comparisons but women do not

FALSE ---- Research shows both men and women prefer same-sex comparisons

Studies show that financial incentives are more motivating in the long-run

FALSE ---- Research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives

Skill-based pay encourages employees to concentrate on one or two highly desirable skills

FALSE ---- Skill-based pay is an alternative to job-based pay that bases pay levels on how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do

Stephani is leading a project in conjunction with a team from Finland. She has assigned each team member a different part of the assignment and is surprised that the motivation level in the teleconference seems very low. The Fins are most likely not motivated because

Finland is a country that has high nurturing scores and the team would be happier working as a group ---- Countries that score high on nurturing characteristics such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Finland, rate social needs on top. Group work will motivate employees more when the country's culture scores high on the nurturing criterion

Which of the following statements would likely be true?

Fixing the conditions that make the employees dissatisfied will not make them satisfied ---- Managers who seek to eliminate factors that can create job dissatisfaction may bring about peace but not necessarily motivation. They will be placating rather than motivating their workers.

People who perceive that they are victims of interactional injustice tend to blame their immediate supervisor rather than the organization at large. Why is this?

Interactional injustice usually occurs during face-to-face encounters. ---- Interactional justice refers to an individual's perception of the degree to which she is treated with dignity, concern, and respect. Because people intimately connect interactional justice or injustice to the conveyer of the information, perceptions of injustice tend to be more closely related to the supervisor

What is the major failure of reinforcement theory in explaining changes in behavior?

It does not recognize the effect of feelings, attitudes, and other cognitive variables ---- In its pure form, reinforcement theory ignores feelings, attitudes, expectations, and other cognitive variables known to affect behavior. In fact, some researchers look at the same experiments reinforcement theorists use to support their position and interpret the findings in a cognitive framework.

How is gainsharing an improvement on profit sharing?

It focuses on productivity gains rather than profits. ---- It is different from profit sharing in that it ties rewards to productivity gains rather than profits. Employees in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable.

What is the main strength of job rotation?

It increases motivation. --- Explanation: The strengths of job rotation are that it reduces boredom, increases motivation, and helps employees better understand how their work contributes to the organization. The weaknesses are that training costs increase, and productivity is reduced, and it's more demanding on supervisors.

Janice is late for work each day by about ten minutes. How would attribution theory describe this behavior?

It shows consistency. --- Explanation: Consistency in a person's actions means that the person responds the same way over time to the same situation. An employee who hasn't been late for several months is perceived differently than an employee who is late two or three times a week. Janice demonstrates high consistency in tardiness.

Your supervisor proposes that participative management will solve your productivity, motivation, and job performance problems. Which of the following is not a warning you should give him about this approach?

It will provide intrinsic rewards for employees. ---- A careful review of the research at the individual level shows participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as employee productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. For it to work, the issues in which employees are engaged must be relevant to their interests. Employees must have the competence and knowledge to make a useful contribution

Which employee would be best suited to a challenging new assignment where they would receive rapid feedback?

Joe ---- Joe's need for achievement (nAch) stimulates a drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards, to strive to succeed. Joe would enjoy a challenging assignment with a high degree of personal responsibility and feedback

Which of the following countries has the highest rate of telecommuting in the world?

Netherlands ---- One study suggests that telecommuting is more common in the United States than in all the European Union (EU) nations except the Netherlands. In the study, 24.6 percent of U.S. employees engaged in telecommuting, compared to only 13.0 percent of EU employees. Of the EU countries, the Netherlands had the highest rate of telecommuting (26.4 percent).

Which of the following is not a true statement about motivation theories

Only expectancy theory is valid for determining contemporary motivation ---- The theories are not all in competition with one another and do not invalidate each other. Many of the theories are complementary. The basic foundation of the integration of the theories is the expectancy model. All statements are true except (C).

Why are flexible benefit plans consistent with expectancy theory's thesis?

Organizational rewards should be linked to each individual employee's goals. ---- Consistent with expectancy theory's thesis that organizational rewards should be linked to each individual employee's goals. Flexible benefits individualize rewards by allowing each employee to choose the compensation package that best satisfies his or her current needs and situation.

Nikolas needs to come up with a creative design logo for his new client. What should Nikolas do to increase his creativity.

Put on some up-beat happy music and run ideas by coworkers. --- Explanation: Moods, such as happiness, that encourage interaction with the world are more conducive to creativity than passive moods, such as calm. Nikolas should do what he can to interact and be happy.

What is another name for a self-fulfilling prophecy? ---

Pygmalion effect - Explanation: The terms self-fulfilling prophecy and Pygmalion effect describe how an individual's behavior is determined by others' expectations.

What would be the predicted result of overpaying a piece-rate worker, according to equity theory?

Quality will increase ---- When a person sees himself as overrewarded, it creates guilt. In order to reinstate a sense of equity, according to equity theory, the worker will change his inputs (exert more if overpaid). He will increase the quantity or the quality of the work

Which employee would probably be best to leave in charge while you are on vacation?

Sarah ---- The best managers are high in their need for power and low in their need for affiliation. Sarah scored high in both categories.

is the degree to which a person's reasons for pursuing a goal is consistent with the person's interests and core values.

Self-concordance ---- An outgrowth of self-determination theory is self-concordance, which considers how strongly peoples' reasons for pursuing goals are consistent with their interests and core values. If individuals pursue goals because of an intrinsic interest, they are more likely to attain their goals and are happy even if they do not

Diane wants her students to actively participate more in class. She has decided to use reinforcement theory to get the results she wants. Which of the following methods is she most likely to use?

She is going to place a tally mark beside a student's name each time they contribute ---- Diane is most likely going to use operant conditioning in which she places a tally mark beside the participating students' names. With this practice she is motivating the students because she is conditioning them to expect a reward (earning class credit) each time they demonstrate a specific behavior (speaking up in class).

Which of the following is a behavior that would most likely be exhibited by a Theory X manager?

She strictly controls the details of any project she is managing ----Maslow believed that under Theory X, managers believe employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it. A manager would not trust her employees and would feel inclined to control all aspects of their work

Which of the following statements is not an example of stereotyping?

She was good at her last job, so she will be good at this one. -- Explanation: Stereotyping is judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person belongs. Judging a person by her last job is judging her experience. In each of the other examples the speaker judges based on a collective group.

The relationship of a target to its background influences our perception of that target.

TRUE Explanation: Because we don't look at targets in isolation, the relationship of a target to its background also influences perception, as does our tendency to group close things and similar things together.

Perception refers to the way we organize and interpret the world around us.

TRUE -- Explanation: Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

Participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as motivation and job satisfaction

TRUE ---- A careful review of the research at the individual level shows participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as employee productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Profit-sharing programs may be direct cash outlays or allocations of stock options

TRUE ---- A profit-sharing plan is an organization-wide program that distributes compensation based on some established formula designed around a company's profitability. Compensation can be direct cash outlays or, particularly for top managers, allocations of stock options.

According to Maslow, a need that is essentially satisfied no longer motivates

TRUE ---- According to Maslow, although no need is ever fully gratified, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates

The scheduling options of flex time, job sharing, and telecommuting are all approaches to make the workplace environment more motivating

TRUE ---- Beyond redesigning work itself and including employees in decisions, another approach to motivation is to alter work arrangements with flex time, job sharing, or telecommuting.

Employee involvement programs could provide employees with intrinsic motivation by increasing opportunities for growth and responsibility

TRUE ---- Employee involvement programs clearly have the potential to increase employee intrinsic motivation in work tasks.

Equity theory proposes that equity tension is the negative tension state which provides the motivation to do something to correct it

TRUE ---- Equity theory is a theory that says that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. When we see the ratio as unequal, we experience equity tension

In expectancy theory, the strength of a person's motivation to perform depends, in part, on how strongly he believes he can achieve what he attempts

TRUE ---- Expectancy theory is a theory that says that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual

Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular services

TRUE ---- Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums.

Jobs that are high on motivating potential must be high on at least one of the three factors that lead to experienced meaningfulness, and they must be high on both autonomy and feedback

TRUE ---- From a motivational standpoint, the JCM proposes that individuals obtain internal rewards when they learn (knowledge of results) that they personally (experienced responsibility) have performed well on a task they care about (experienced meaningfulness).

Which employee would be best suited as a mentor to new employees with a chance to develop friendships?

Tim ---- Tim's high score in affiliation demonstrates the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships. He would be a good relationship builder

Investors bragged about their investing expertise during the stock market rally between 1996 and early 2000. Knowing individuals rely on the self-serving bias to explain failure, which of the following explanations would an investor be most likely to state after the market imploded in 2000?

The analysts did not look at the numbers properly. -- Explanation: The self-serving bias places the blame for failure on external factors such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers, rather than taking personal responsibility for the failure. Therefore, the investor is likely to blame the analysts for not looking at the numbers properly. In each of the other choices the investor either assumes responsibility for his losses, or does not blame others.

Tony loves programming. He was on the ground level of the computer revolution. This year his boss has set personal goals for each of the programmers, one of which includes a presentation from each programmer about a project. Tony is very annoyed because he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he'll have to spend the weekend, his personal time, preparing the presentation. Taking into account self-determination theory, why did his boss' goals and the presentation reduce Tony's motivation?

The externally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to suffer ---- Working to an externally imposed goal feels coercive, and Tony's intrinsic motivation suffers. He is less interested in the task and might reduce his effort.

Because attribution is perceived differently in Eastern cultures, which response is not likely to be made by a manager from Japan whose department is failing.

The organization has not been supportive --- Explanation: Asians (Japanese) tend to be less susceptible to the fundamental attribution error. They are less likely to use the self-serving bias, but rather they tend to accept responsibility for group failure.

James is a salaried employee whose job is to proofread legal documents. He discovers that he is paid substantially more than his colleagues, even though their jobs and performances are very similar. What is likely to be his reaction to this discovery according to equity theory?

The quantity and/or the quality of documents he proofreads will increase. ---- When a person sees himself as overrewarded, it creates guilt. In order to reinstate a sense of equity, according to equity theory, James will change his inputs (exert more if overpaid). He will increase the quantity or the quality of documents he proofreads

Phil loves sales. He has been a stellar sales person since he was 12. Recently he was awarded a full paid trip for two to Puerto Rico for breaking a company sales record. Phil is so motivated to work, he has set a new goal to break his old record in the coming year. Taking into account self-determination theory, why did the company recognition and award, an extrinsic reward, motivate Phil?

The reward increased Phil's sense of competence by providing feedback that improved his intrinsic motivation. ---- Extrinsic rewards such as verbal praise and feedback about competence can improve even intrinsic motivation. Phil viewed the reward as an indication that he's been doing a good job at this valued task. The reward increased his sense of competence by providing feedback that could improve intrinsic motivation

Which of the following is not a problem with recognition programs?

The rewards are intrinsic ---- Important work rewards can be both intrinsic and extrinsic. Rewards are intrinsic in the form of employee recognition programs and extrinsic in the form of compensation systems. All of the other answers supply reasons why recognition programs can fail to motivate and actually demoralize staff.

Your supervisor seems to possess ________ assumptions

Theory Y ---- Under Theory Y, managers assume employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility. In this example, the boss believes that the employee views work quite positively

Some MBO programs fail to live up to expectations. Which of the following is not a common reason that MBO programs fail?

They allow lower-unit managers to participate in setting their own goals. ---- In a number of documented cases MBO has been implemented but failed to meet management's expectations. The culprits tend to be unrealistic expectations, lack of commitment by top management, and an inability or unwillingness of management to allocate rewards based on goal accomplishment. Failures can also arise out of cultural incompatibilities.

Why do people satisfice?

They lack the capability to assimilate and understand all the information necessary to optimize. --- Explanation: Because many problems don't have an optimal solution and are too complicated to be broken down into the parameters of the rational decision-making model, people tend to satisfice; that is, they seek solutions that are satisfactory and sufficient. People generally choose the first acceptable solution to a problem.

Why were managers in India rated low by employees?

They tried to empower their employees through employee involvement programs ---- In one study on employee involvement, U.S. employees readily accepted these programs. However, managers in India who tried to empower their employees through employee involvement programs were rated low by those employees.

Most current motivation theories have a strong emphasis on individualism and quality of life. Why is this

They were developed in the United States by Americans ---- Most current motivation theories were developed in the United States by and about U.S. adults. Goal-setting and expectancy theories emphasize goal accomplishment as well as rational and individual thought, characteristics consistent with U.S. culture

Research shows that works councils tend to be ineffective for which of the following reasons?

Works councils are dominated by management and their input has little impact on employees or the organization ---- The influence of representative participation on working employees seems to be minimal. Works councils are dominated by management and have little impact on employees or the organization.

Which of the following may be a disadvantage of introducing this type of pay plan?

Your employer may pay for skills that they aren't using ---- Research found that some companies were paying people more even though there was little immediate use for their new skills.

McClelland's theory of needs concentrates on which three needs?

achievement, power, and affiliation ----McClelland's theory of needs states that achievement (need for achievement, nAch), power (need for power, nPow), and affiliation (need for affiliation, nAff) are three important needs that help explain motivation.

Which of the following is a job that does not lend itself to telecommuting?

a car salesman who demonstrates the features of a new model of car ---- Three categories of jobs are candidates for telecommuting: routine information-handling tasks, mobile activities, and professional and other knowledge-related tasks. Writers, attorneys, analysts, and employees who spend the majority of their time on computers or the telephone,(such as telemarketers, customer-service representatives, reservation agents, and product support specialists), are natural candidates. A car salesman is not a candidate

What sort of benefit program would probably be the best choice?

a flexible benefit program ---- Jim needs a flexible benefits program which is a benefits plan that allows each employee to put together a benefits package individually tailored to his or her own needs and situation.

Which of the following do you think would motivate Jonathan the most?

a greater sense of inner peace ---- Because Jonathan is wealthy and loves his job, he would be seeking self-actualization according to Maslow. A greater sense of inner peace might achieve this goal

Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer all of the following except

a high degree of risk ----High achievers perform best when they perceive their probability of success. They dislike gambling with high odds because they get no achievement satisfaction from success that comes by pure chance. They would not like a high degree of risk.

Leone thinks that because her employee, Josef, went to an Ivy League college he is very knowledgeable, and always asks his opinion on the firm's investments. In reality, Josef knows very little about investing, but makes sure he reads up on it so that he can give an informed opinion to Leone. What has occurred in this situation?

a self-fulfilling prophecy -- Explanation: Josef's behavior is determined by Leone's expectations. When expectations become reality it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Motivation is best defined as a process that

accounts for an individual's efforts toward attaining a goal ----Motivation is defined as the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal

Which of the following is not a predictable choice when employees perceive an inequity?

acquire more tenure ---- Based on the theory, employees who perceive inequity will make one of six choices: 1. Change their inputs (exert less effort if underpaid, or more if overpaid); 2. Change their outcomes (individuals paid on a piece-rate basis can increase their pay by producing a higher quantity of units of lower quality); 3. Distort perceptions of self ("I used to think I worked at a moderate pace, but now I realize I work a lot harder than everyone else."); 4. Distort perceptions of others ("Mike's job isn't as desirable as I thought."); 5. Choose a different referent ("I may not make as much as my brother-in-law, but I'm doing a lot better than my Dad did when he was my age."); 6. Leave the field (quit the job). Staying with the job to acquire more tenure is not a predictable choice of perceived inequity.

Members of the nighttime janitorial staff are generally low skilled and would probably be motivated by

all of the above ---- The repetitive tasks of a janitorial staff provide little variety, autonomy, or motivation. By offering various forms of job enrichment, a flexible work schedule, and job rotation, a manager can raise employee satisfaction and production

Manuwer's firm won a bid on a small programming project for $26,000. The client recently changed the project specifications, and when Manuwer explained that the new work could not be included in the price of the original bid because it involves completely changing the already written code, the client got angry and said, "I'm only asking you to add one thing! You're charging me $30,000 and you can't do this one thing?" Manuwer's client is engaging in ________.

anchoring bias -- Explanation: Manuwer's client is fixating on the rounded up number of the bid. The anchoring bias is a tendency to fixate on initial information and fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information. The client is not paying attention to the details of the work, but rather has anchored on the price. Research suggests that people think of adjustment after an anchor is set, as rounding off a number. So Manuwer's contract of $26,000, has been rounded up to $30,000 in the client's perception.

How do proponents of reinforcement theory view behavior?

as environmentally caused ---- Reinforcement theory takes a behavioristic approach, arguing that reinforcement conditions behavior. Reinforcement theorists see behavior as environmentally caused

The more consistent a behavior, the more the observer is inclined to ________.

attribute it to internal causes ---Explanation: If a person behaves in the same way all the time, they are demonstrating high consistency, which is considered to be propelled by internal causes. The person is making the internal effort to be consistent, rather than be influenced by external causes.

What is the name of the theory that deals with how we explain behavior differently depending on the meaning we assign to the behavior of the actor?

attribution theory --- Explanation: Attribution theory is an attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or externally caused. We judge people differently, depending on the meaning we attribute to a given behavior. Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused.

When individuals observe another person's behavior, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. This phenomenon is most directly relevant to which of the following?

attribution theory --- Explanation: Attribution theory is an attempt to determine whether an individual's behavior is internally or externally caused. We judge people differently, depending on the meaning we attribute to a given behavior. Attribution theory suggests that when we observe an individual's behavior, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused.

Nikhil is a design manager for a production company. He independently assigns teams, chooses projects, researches trends, and is able to work from home two to three days a week. He provides a status report to the design director once a month. Based on this description, it's safe to say that Nikhil's job is high in which job characteristic?

autonomy --- Explanation: Although Nikhil's job has many job characteristics, the description provided best describes autonomy and Nikhil's freedom and control over his job procedures and assignments.

What do we call the tendency for people to base their judgments on information that they can easily obtain?

availability bias --- Explanation: The availability bias explains a person's tendency to base judgments on information readily available. Events that evoke emotions, are particularly vivid, or are more recent tend to be more available in our memory, leading us to overestimate the chances of unlikely events such as an airplane crash.

Which of the following is not a way to increase creativity?

avoid risks and trying new things -- Explanation: Creativity is increased in an upbeat and fun environment. It allows opportunities to have fun and experiment. Spending extensive periods of time in other cultures generate more innovative solutions to problems. Avoiding risks and being afraid to experiment will curb creativity.

According to self-determination theory, if rewards and deadlines are to motivate a person, the person must

believe they control their behavior ----Extrinsic rewards such as verbal praise and feedback about competence can improve even intrinsic motivation, and deadlines and specific work standards can too, if people believe they are in control of their behavior. This is consistent with the central theme of self-determination theory: rewards and deadlines diminish motivation if people see them as coercive. The rewards cannot be viewed as bribes, and the deadlines cannot be perceived as coercive

What is the name for employees who sit on a company's board of directors and represent the interests of the firm's employees?

board representatives ---- Board representatives are employees who sit on a company's board of directors and represent the interests of the firm's employees. The influence of representative participation on working employees seems to be minimal

Decision makers construct simplified models that extract the essential features from problems without capturing all their complexity. That is, they operate within the confines of ________.

bounded rationality -- Explanation: The limited information-processing capability of human beings makes it impossible to assimilate and understand all the information necessary to optimize. So most people respond to a complex problem by reducing it to a level at which they can readily understand it. This simplified level is called bounded rationality.

Which is not one of the steps in the rational decision-making model?

computing the decision perceptions --- Explanation: The rational decision-making model follows a six-step process. The steps are: 1) Define the problem; 2) Identify the decision criteria; 3) Allocate weights to the criteria; 4) Develop the alternatives; 5) Evaluate the alternatives; 6) Select the best alternative. Computing the decision perceptions is not a step in the model.

Mariana has purchased her paper from Acme Paper Company for years. When she started her business they offered the best paper for the lowest price, and they delivered it to her office with friendly service. Recently Mariana's office manager submitted a report on various prices for paper supply companies in the city. Mariana quickly skimmed the report and saw that Acme was in the same ball park price per ream, although a little more expensive than two of the companies, but they continued to deliver free of charge. Mariana decided to stay with Acme. Her decision was based on ________.

confirmation bias --- Explanation: Mariana noticed information in the report that reaffirmed her past choice of using Acme, and she discounted the information that contradicts them, or rather that they were a little more expensive and that over time she may save a considerable amount of money by switching. Mariana's decision was based on the confirmation of old information, or the confirmation bias.

Self-determination theory proposes that not only do people seek autonomy, but also

connections to others ---- Self-determination theory also proposes that in addition to being driven by a need for autonomy, people seek ways to achieve competence and positive connections to others. People want to feel that they have a positive input in the work environment

If a person responds the same way over time, attribution theory states that the behavior shows ________.

consistency --- Explanation: Consistency in a person's actions means that the person responds the same way over time to the same situation. An employee who hasn't been late for several months is perceived differently than an employee who is late two or three times a week. The regularly late employee demonstrates high consistency in tardiness.

What term is used for a participative process that uses the entire capacity of employees and is designed to encourage increased commitment to the organization's success?

employee involvement ---- Employee involvement is a participative process that uses employees' input to increase their commitment to the organization's success. The logic is that if workers are engaged in decisions that affect them and have increased autonomy, they will become more motivated, committed, productive, and satisfied with their jobs

According to Bandura, what is the most important source of increasing self-efficacy?

enactive mastery ---- According to Bandura, the most important source of increasing self-efficacy is enactive mastery, that is, gaining relevant experience with the task or job. If you've been able to do the job successfully in the past, then you're more confident you'll be able to do it in the future.

Liz is single with no children. She is a night person, and can not function until after her morning coffee, a slow waking up and getting ready, and watching or listening to the morning news. She detests the morning traffic rush, and is in a horrible mood if she has to deal with it. When looking for a 40 hour a week job, which of the following schedules would be most appealing for Liz?

enter and leave any time between 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday ---- Liz would prefer the job that allows her to enter at leisure any time between 6:00 a.m. and to leave before 7:00 p.m. Liz would probably enter at 10:00 and leave at 7:00. She would be awake, relaxed, ready to work, and will have missed the majority of traffic during both commutes. She has no family obligations to which to hurry home

Sue wants to go back to work after having taken a few years off while the kids were young. Her husband earns a good living, and they both want Sue to be available for the children's events and at home after school. School gets out at 2:20. When looking for a job, which of the following schedules would be most appealing for Sue?

enter at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday ---- Because Sue's income is secondary to her family responsibilities, the part-time job that allows her to get the kids ready for school in the morning and be home when they arrive in the afternoon would be most appealing for her. She would be most interested in the job that allows her to enter at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

When individuals compare their outcomes and inputs against those of others, the framework is

equity ---- Equity theory is a theory that says that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. Employees perceive what they get from a job situation (salary levels, raises, recognition) in relationship to what they put into it (effort, experience, education, competence) and then compare their outcome-input ratio with that of relevant others

Which of the following is not an important issue relating to goal-setting theory?

equity among co-workers ---- The research on goal-setting theory concludes that goal specificity and definition, challenge, and feedback all have an impact on performance

When people perceive an imbalance in their outcome-input ratio relative to others

equity tension is created ---- : If a person sees the outcome-input ratio as unequal, they experience equity tension. If they see themselves as underrewarded, the tension creates anger; if they see themselves as overrewarded, it creates guilt

What is the term used for an increased commitment to a previous decision in spite of negative information?

escalation of commitment -- Explanation: Escalation of commitment refers to staying with a decision even when there is clear evidence it's wrong. Individuals most often escalate commitment to a failing course of action when they view themselves as responsible for the failure.

A Theory Y manager would assume that employees would

exercise self direction -----According to Maslow's theory, under Theory Y managers assume employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility

What theory attempts to measure the strength of one's expectations and predict motivation?

expectancy theory ---- Expectancy theory says that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual

Last year Elaine had her purse snatched on the street bytwo teens who wore their jeans very low. All she can remember is seeing, as the teens ran away, was their plaid boxer shorts sticking out above their pants. Whenever Elaine sees boys with low-riding jeans her face tightens and she mumbles something about "delinquents". She is extremely bothered that her own grandson, an honor student, has begun to wear his jeans low. Elaine's perception of her grandson is influenced by ________.

experience --- Explanation: Elaine's negative experience has influenced her perception, even when she knows that the reality is different. Elaine's grandson is far from a delinquent, and yet she groups him with the purse snatchers because of her memories of the negative experience.

What is the segment of the three-component model of creativity that is the foundation for all creative work?

expertise +++ Explanation: Expertise is the foundation for all creative work. The potential for creativity is enhanced when individuals have abilities, knowledge, proficiencies, and similar expertise in their field of endeavor.

Gene is regarded by his peers as an extremely creative designer of watercraft. He attributes much of his success to his family: he was raised by a traditional boat builder and from a very early age was surrounded by boats and the people who made them. To what element of the three-component model of creativity does Gene attribute his success?

expertise --- Explanation: Expertise is the foundation for all creative work. The potential for creativity is enhanced when individuals have abilities, knowledge, proficiencies, and similar expertise in their field of endeavor.

Your referent comparison for equity theory is termed

other-inside ---- The referent that an employee selects to which to make the comparison adds to the complexity. The comparison in this example is another person inside the organization and would be termed "other-inside".

What are the three classes of factors that influence perception?

factors in the perceiver, factors in the target, and factors in the situation -- Explanation: Three factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception. These factors can reside in the perceiver; in the object, or target, being perceived; or in the context of the situation in which the perception is made.

In the real world, what do people typically do when making a decision about a problem?

find an acceptable solution --- Explanation: As you might imagine, most decisions in the real world don't follow the rational model. People are usually content to find an acceptable or reasonable solution to a problem rather than an optimal one.

Which of the following is not one of the most widely used variable-pay programs?

flat pay ---- Piece-rate pay, merit-based pay, employee stock ownership, and profit sharing are all widely used variable-pay programs

Beyond redesigning the nature of the work itself and involving employees in decisions, another approach to making the work environment more motivating is to alter work arrangements. Which of the following is designed to give an employee greater control of their schedule?

flex time ---- With flex time, employees can schedule their work hours to align with personal demands, reducing tardiness and absences, and they can work when they are most productive

Today, what are offered by almost all U.S. corporations and are becoming the norm in other countries?

flexible benefits --- Today, almost all major corporations in the United States offer flexible benefits. And they're becoming the norm in other countries, too. In Canada 93 percent of 136 firms have adopted or will adopt flexible benefits. And similar survey results are found in the United Kingdom.

What is the term used for the situation where employees are allowed to pick and choose from among a menu of benefit options?

flexible benefits ---- Flexible benefits refers to a benefits plan that allows each employee to put together a benefits package individually tailored to his or her own needs and situation

Which one of the following is not one of the guidelines for enriching jobs based on the job characteristics model?

form telecommuting units ---- The guidelines based on the job characteristics model are: combining tasks, forming natural work units, establishing client relationships, expanding jobs vertically, and opening feedback channels. Forming telecommuniting units is not a part of the job enrichment guidelines.

What term is used for the tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others?

fundamental attribution error --- Explanation: Errors and biases distort attributions. When a person makes judgments about the behavior of other people, he tends to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal or personal factors. This is called fundamental attribution error.

Your boss never gives you the benefit of the doubt. When you arrived late from lunch, he assumed that you had simply taken too much time. He never considered that the elevators were out and you had to walk up 10 flights of stairs. Your boss is guilty of ________.

fundamental attribution error --- Explanation: Your boss has underestimated the influence of external factors and overestimated the influence of internal or personal factors. He is sure that your late arrival is caused by your own efforts, or lack thereof. This is called fundamental attribution error.

What is the name for an incentive plan where improvements in group productivity determine the total amount of money that is allocated?

gainsharing ---- Gainsharing is a formula-based group incentive plan. It uses improvements in group productivity from one period to another to determine the total amount of money allocated. It is different from profit sharing in that it ties rewards to productivity gains rather than profits. Employees in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable.

To get the best results when using reinforcement theory, rewards should be

given immediately follow the desired behavior ---- People will engage in desired behaviors if they are positively reinforced for doing so. Rewards are most effective if they immediately follow the desired response, and behavior that is not rewarded, or is punished, is less likely to be repeated.

Research studies conducted on the participation-performance relationship show that the use of participation

has only a modest influence on employee productivity ---- A careful review of the research at the individual level shows participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as employee productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction.

What does legislation require almost every company in Western Europe to do?

have a form of representative participation ---- Almost every country in western Europe requires companies to practice representative participation, called "the most widely legislated form of employee involvement around the world."

David has the opinion that people who drive SUVs are dangerous drivers. He often perceives that people driving SUVs are doing so in a dangerous manner, even when other observers can see nothing wrong with the behavior of the SUV drivers. What factor in David is affecting his perception in this case?

his expectations --- Explanation: David expects all SUV drivers to be dangerous. His expectations are what color his perception. The example doesn't explain why he expects this, although it could be from a previous bad experience.

How do most employees react to job enrichment?

increased job satisfaction --- Explanation: The evidence on job enrichment shows it reduces absenteeism and turnover costs and increases satisfaction.

Which of the following has not been shown to be a benefit of flex time?

increased meaningfulness ---- Flex time benefits include reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, reduced overtime expenses, reduced hostility toward management, reduced traffic congestion around work sites, elimination of tardiness, and increased autonomy and responsibility for employees, any of which may increase employee job satisfaction

Research on employee stock ownership programs indicates that they are clearly successful in doing which of the following?

increasing employee satisfaction ---- Research on ESOPs indicates they increase employee satisfaction. ESOPs increase employee job satisfaction and work motivation when employees experience ownership

What are the three key elements of motivation?

intensity, direction, and persistence ---The three key elements of motivation are intensity, direction, and persistence. Intensity describes how hard a person tries. Effort directed toward, and consistent with, the organization's goals is the direction of the motivation. The persistence element measures how long a person can maintain effort.

Which of the following desires would most likely be common to a worker in China, Australia, Kenya, Canada, and Kuwait?

interesting work ---- The desire for interesting work is important to almost all workers, regardless of their national culture

What is the segment in the three-component model of creativity that turns creative potential into actual creative ideas?

intrinsic task motivation --- Explanation: Intrinsic task motivation is the desire to work on something because it's interesting, involving, exciting, satisfying, or personally challenging. It's what turns creativity potential into actual creative ideas.

Researchers today believe that intuition can be helpful in decision making because it ________.

is a developed form of reasoning that is based on years of experience and learning --- Explanation: For most of the twentieth century, experts believed decision makers' use of intuition was irrational or ineffective. That's no longer the case. Intuition can improve decision making because it is a highly complex and highly developed form of reasoning that is based on years of experience and learning.

What is another term for cross-training?

job rotation --- Explanation: Job rotation, or the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level, is also called cross-training.

A trucking company routinely makes all of its office staff work for a week in the warehouse area: loading trucks, cleaning trucks, and doing other work which they are capable of. This program is an example of which of the following?

job rotation --- Explanation: This is an example of job rotation, or the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level .

Janice and Shunil are both senior software analysts. They have worked together on projects for six years and get along great. Janice is pregnant and anticipating the arrival of her first child. Shunil would like to experiment with opening his own business as a home media installation consultant. They both need some income. Which of the following alternative job structures would be best for Janice and Shunil?

job sharing ---- Because Janice and Shunil are looking for fewer required work hours, the best option for them would be to participate in job sharing, which allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hour-a-week job. The other structure options are still 40 hour a week commitments.

An arrangement that allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hour-a-week job is called

job sharing ---- Job sharing allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hour-a-week job. One might perform the job from 8:00 A.M. to noon and the other from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M., or the two could work full, but alternate, days

What is the distinct characteristic common to all participative management programs?

joint decision making ---- The distinct characteristic common to all participative management programs is joint decision making, in which subordinates share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors

In equity theory, individuals assess the

outcome-input ratio ---- Equity theory is a theory that says that individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes with those of others and then respond to eliminate any inequities. Employees perceive what they get from a job situation (salary levels, raises, recognition) in relationship to what they put into it (effort, experience, education, competence) and then compare their outcome-input ratio with that of relevant others.

Which of the following is not a process involved when determining how a model, such as a parent, influences social-learning?

justification processes ---- Four processes determine a model's influence on an individual: 1. Attentional processes in which people learn from a model only when they recognize and pay attention to its critical features; 2. Retention processes in which a model's influence depends on how well the individual remembers the model's action after the model is no longer readily available; 3. Motor reproduction processes in which, after a person has seen a new behavior by observing the model, he must reproduce the behavior alone; 4. Reinforcement processes in which individuals are motivated to exhibit the modeled behavior if positive incentives or rewards are provided

In what sort of companies is gainsharing most popular?

large manufacturing companies ---- Gainsharing's popularity seems narrowly focused among large manufacturing companies such as Champion Spark Plug and Mead Paper.

Which of the following is not a factor in the individual perceiver?

location --- Explanation: Characteristics that can affect perception include perceiver attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations. Location is a factor in the situation, or as background for the factor of the target.

Randy always turns in reports with punctuation errors. The reports of the three other employees on the QA report writing team always produce grammatically clean reports. Randy is about to turn in another report, and his manager has already noticed errors. Randy demonstrates ________. His sloppy reports can be attributed to an ________ cause.

low distinctiveness, low consensus, and high consistency; internal--- Explanation: Randy's behavior is not different from previous behavior, demonstrating low distinctiveness. His reports are different from the other reports of the team, showing low consensus. His next report is the same as his previous work, showing high consistency of poor work quality. Therefore, Randy's poor work could be perceived as coming from an internal cause, probably his own carelessness and lack of conscientious work ethic.

Shortcuts in judging people are applied in organizations. Which of the following is not an application of a judgement shortcut?

market evaluations --- Explanation: Employment interviews, performance expectations (high and low), and performance evaluations, are all applications of shortcuts in judging people in an organization.

What sort of plan would provide pre-designed packages of benefits, put together to meet the needs of a specific group of employees?

modular ---- Modular plans are predesigned packages or modules of benefits, each of which meets the needs of a specific group of employees. A module design for Jim would include optional benefits that would include options that he could purchase for his family

Deanna just got a job after four years of working part time to raise her children. The whole family has been covered under her husband's excellent and affordable benefits package up until now. The family plan is more expensive with her new company, but 100% of her benefits are part of her new salary. Which of the following benefits plans is Deanna most likely to choose?

modular core plan ---- : A modular core plan designed for single employees with no dependents that includes only essential benefits that are entirely paid for by the company, would be the best solution for Deanna. Her husband and children could continue under his package

Corina works full time for a pharmaceutical company, but her husband is a freelance writer who works from home and helps care for their baby daughter. Which of the following benefits plans is Corina most likely to choose?

modular core-plus plan ---- Core-plus plans consist of a core of essential benefits and a menulike selection of others from which employees can select. In this case Corina would select additional insurance for her husband and daughter

Which of the following is something you would not expect your supervisor to do?

monitor your work closely for an opportunity to praise you for work well done ---- Your boss demonstrates a belief in Theory Y in which managers assume employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility. In this example the boss believes that the employee views the actual work as something extremely positive, not just a means to a secure life. He would allow them to take responsibility, and he would not micro-manage their work.

Which of the following is not a typical option in a flexible benefit program?

mortgage relief ---- Standard plans usually include life insurance, disability insurance, expanded health coverage, and flexible spending accounts, which allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums.

Which of the following motivation concepts clearly has an American bias?

need for achievement ---- The view that a high achievement need acts as an internal motivator presupposes two U.S. cultural characteristics, willingness to accept a moderate degree of risk, and concern with performance. This combination is found in Anglo-American countries such as the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.

How would a Theory X manager view employees

needing to be coerced to achieve goals ----Maslow believed that under Theory X, managers believe employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it

What continuum in the two-factor theory is made up of the hygiene factors?

no dissatisfaction to dissatisfaction ----Herzberg proposed that his findings indicated the existence of a dual continuum: The opposite of "satisfaction" is "no satisfaction," and the opposite of "dissatisfaction" is "no dissatisfaction."

Contemporary research on equity theory focuses on ________ justice.

organizational ---- Recent research has expanded the meaning of equity. Historically, equity theory focused on distributive justice, the employee's perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals. Equity can also be considered from the standpoint of organizational justice, a larger perception of what is fair in the workplace.

Jamie is looking for a new job. She was top sales representative for the region, but the promotion to district manager went to a different sales representative that is one of the regional manager's golfing buddies. Jamie's lack of motivation stems from a breakdown in the ________ relationship.

performance-reward ---- Performance-reward relationship explains the degree to which the individual believes performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome. Many organizations reward a lot of things besides performance. When pay is based on factors such as having seniority, being cooperative, or "kissing up" to the boss, employees are likely to see the performance-reward relationship as weak and demotivating

Which of the following is a form of recognition?

personal congratulations ---- Employee recognition programs range from a spontaneous and private thank-you to widely publicized formal programs in which specific types of behavior are encouraged and congratulated, and the procedures for attaining recognition are clearly identified

Which of the following is not an organizational constraint to decision making?

personality --- Explanation: Performance evaluations, reward systems, formal regulations, and system-imposed time constraints are all influences on decision making that generates from the organization. Personality is an individual constraint in decision making.

Which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs deals with satisfying one's hunger, thirst, and need for sex?

physiological ----Maslow hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of five needs. The lowest, most basic needs are physiological. They include hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs.

Which of the following are all forms of variable-pay programs?

piece-rate, merit-based pay, gainsharing ---- Piece-rate pay plan, a pay plan in which workers are paid a fixed sum for each unit of production completed, merit-based pay plan, a pay plan based on performance appraisal ratings, and gainsharing, formula-based group incentive plan are all forms of variable-pay. Extended vacations and flex time are not variable-pay programs

Job enrichment increases the degree to which the worker controls the ________.

planning, execution, and evaluation of his or her work --- Explanation: Job enrichment is the vertical expansion of jobs, which increases the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work.

What are modular benefit plans?

pre-designed packages of benefits ---- Modular plans are pre-designed packages or modules of benefits, each of which meets the needs of a specific group of employees

A discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state is a ________.

problem --- Explanation: A problem, or a discrepancy between the current state of affairs and some desired state is the catalyst for decision making. Decision making occurs as a reaction to a problem.

Jessica believes that she received an appropriate salary increase this year but she does not believe that the company's methods for determining salary increases were fair. She believes that there is a problem with the firm's ________ justice.

procedural ---- Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of rewards. Jessica believes that there were inequities in the process in determining salary increases

Much of the compensation of traders at Synalco, a metals trading company, is in the form of stock options. The amount of options distributed is based on the company's net profits. What sort of compensation plan is this?

profit sharing ---- Profit sharing is an organization wide program that distributes compensation based on some established formula designed around a company's profitability. In this case the stock options are part of the formula

Avoiding making decisions on Friday the 13th can be an example of which bias?

randomness -- Explanation: Randomness error is the attributing of meaning to random events, turning imaginary patterns into superstitions. With randomness error a person believes that he can predict the outcome of random events.

What action would probably most motivate the employees?

receiving recognition for a job well done ---- Emphasizing factors associated with the work itself or with outcomes directly derived from it, such as promotional opportunities, personal growth opportunities, recognition, responsibility, and achievement will increase motivation

Laura only makes minimum wage, but she loves her job. Her supervisor regularly compliments her and she has been chosen employee of the month twice this year. Which of the following is Laura's attitude most likely a function of?

recognition ---- Intrinsic rewards in the form of employee recognition programs are increasingly being recognized as important in job satisfaction and motivation. Laura's attitude stems from recognition.

Researchers report that which of the following was considered by employees to be the most powerful workplace motivator?

recognition ---- Of 1,500 employees surveyed in a variety of work settings to find out what they considered the most powerful workplace motivator, the majority responded recognition

Financial incentives are the greatest motivator in the short term perspective, but over time ________ is more motivation

recognition ---- Research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run nonfinancial incentives.are more powerful, with recognition ranking number one among employees.

A firm introduces job enrichment in order to motivate its employees. Evidence would suggest that which of the following is the most likely result of this change?

reduced absenteeism and turnover costs ---- The evidence on job enrichment shows it reduces absenteeism and turnover costs and increases satisfaction.

Which theory is, strictly speaking, not a theory of motivation since it does not concern itself with what initiates behavior?

reinforcement theory ---- Because it does not concern itself with what initiates behavior, it is not, strictly speaking, a theory of motivation. But it does provide a powerful means of analyzing what controls behavior, and this is why we typically consider it in discussions of motivation

Tom knows that the title insurance company made a mistake on his property title. Because of their mistake, his neighbor now has access to an easement road through his back 25 acres. He can't use the acreage for pasture, because his neighbor insists that the gates remain open. The title company has offered a $40,000 settlement. Tom has decided to take the settlement rather than possibly lose in court if he were to sue the title company for more money. Tom's decision is based on ________.

risk aversion --- Explanation: Risk aversion is the tendency to prefer a sure gain of a moderate amount over a riskier outcome, even if the riskier outcome might have a higher expected payoff.

You are looking at flex time and realize that it will probably work least well for which of the following jobs?

school nurses ---- Flex time is not applicable to every job. It is not a viable option for receptionists, sales personnel in retail stores, or similar jobs for which comprehensive service demands that people be at their workstations at predetermined times. A school nurse must be at her workstation during school hours.

44) A satisficing decision maker ________.

seeks solutions that are satisfactory and sufficient -- Explanation: Because many problems don't have an optimal solution and are too complicated to be broken down into the parameters of the rational decision-making model, people tend to satisfice; that is, they seek solutions that are satisfactory and sufficient. People generally choose the first acceptable solution to a problem.

A committee is made up of 12 managers: three each from the sales, production, accounting, and human resources departments. They read a comprehensive study of the company they work for, and are asked which of its recommendations are most important. In discussion they find that the managers perceive that the most important recommendations are those concerning their own departments. This finding is most likely the result of what type of bias?

selective perception ---- Explanation: The managers' behavior is an example of how vested interests can significantly influence the problems a person sees, which is a form of selective perception. The managers perceived as important the aspects of a situation specifically related to their own unit's activities and goals.

Because it is impossible for us to assimilate everything we perceive, we engage in ________.

selective perception ---- Explanation: The tendency to take in bits and pieces, and to take more notice of an object or event because it stands out due to a person's interests, background, experience, and attitudes., is called selective perception. Selective perception occurs because it is impossible for a person to assimilate everything he sees; he can take in only certain stimuli.

Glendon has a degree in business and worked for two years at an international firm in Spain. When the firm suffered cutbacks and Glendon returned home, he took a job at a non-profit agency mentoring at-risk Spanish-speaking children. Glendon earns a third of what he earned in the business world, but has decided that his new goal is to acquire a larger case load and continue to use his Spanish to help people. Which theory explains why Glendon is happy with a much smaller external reward for his work?

self-concordance ---- An outgrowth of self-determination theory is self-concordance, which considers how strongly peoples' reasons for pursuing goals are consistent with their interests and core values. If individuals pursue goals because of an intrinsic interest, they are more likely to attain their goals and are happy even if they do not. Glendon is happy because his goals are in line with his core values.

Brian was a star short-stop player in high school. He was drafted to a minor league and didn't go to college. Since playing professionally his performance has declined, and he is considering leaving baseball and applying to college. Brian's lack of motivation can be attributed to which theory?

self-determination theory ---- Self-determination theory also proposes that in addition to being driven by a need for autonomy, people seek ways to achieve competence and positive connections to others. People want to feel that they have a positive input in the work environment

What is the term used for an individual's personal evaluation of their ability to perform?

self-efficacy ---- Self-efficacy is an individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task. The higher your self-efficacy, the more confidence you have in your ability to succeed.

Which of the following is not a comparison an employee can use in equity theory

self-goal ---- The referent an employee selects adds to the complexity of equity theory. There are four referent comparisons: 1. Self-inside is an employee's experiences in a different position inside the employee's current organization; 2. Self-outside is an employee's experiences in a situation or position outside the employee's current organization; 3. Other-inside refers to another individual or group of individuals inside the employee's organization; 4. Other-outside refers to another individual or group of individuals outside the employee's organization

What term is used for the tendency of an individual to attribute his own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors?

self-serving bias --- Explanation: Individuals and organizations tend to attribute their own successes to internal factors such as ability or effort, and place the blame for failure on external factors such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers. This is called a self-serving bias.

Whenever Jane is successful she takes full credit for what has happened, but whenever she is unsuccessful she attributes her failure to bad luck or blames one of her fellow employees. She is guilty of ________.

self-serving bias --- Explanation: Individuals and organizations tend to attribute their own successes to internal factors such as ability or effort, and place the blame for failure on external factors such as bad luck or unproductive co-workers. This is called a self-serving bias.

Shortcuts in judging others include all of the following except ________.

self-serving bias --- Explanation: Self-serving bias, the tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors and put the blame for failures on external factors, is not included in the shortcuts for judging people.

What is generally considered to be the single best thing that managers can do to improve performance?

set specific, challenging goals ---- Setting specific, challenging goals for employees is the best thing managers can do to improve performance.

Which of the following is not one of the core job dimensions in the job characteristics model (JCM)?

status -- Explanation: The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "The very rich are different from you and me," and Hemingway replied, "Yes, they have more money," Hemingway refused to engage in what shortcut to judge others?

stereotyping --- Explanation: Stereotyping is defined as judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person belongs. Relying on this type of generalizations helps a person make decisions quickly. They are a means of simpli

What do we call it when we judge someone on the basis of our perception of the group to which he/she belongs?

stereotyping --- Explanation: Stereotyping is defined as judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person belongs. Relying on this type of generalizations helps a person make decisions quickly. They are a means of simplifying a complex world.

If operant behavior is influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by its consequences, positive reinforcement

strengthens a behavior and increases the likelihood it will be repeated ---- Reinforcement strengthens a behavior and increases the likelihood it will be repeated. B. F. Skinner, one of the most prominent advocates of operant conditioning, argued that creating pleasing consequences to follow specific forms of behavior would increase the frequency of that behavior.

Participative management is a method of management where

subordinates share a degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors ---- Participative management is joint decision making, in which subordinates share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors

After completing cooking school with outstanding grades and recommendations, Joe and Gary both looked forward to working in restaurants. Joe found work as a short-order cook in a cramped diner. On many shifts he worked alone, and had to cook a large number of meals on outdated equipment. Gary found work in a modern hotel kitchen. He had a small staff helping him prepare a small number of elaborate meals to order. Gary became a highly regarded chef, while Joe left the restaurant industry. This example illustrates that an individual needs what in order to perform well?

supportive work context ---- Work context affects employee satisfaction. The employee must have adequate tools, equipment, materials, and supplies. The employee should have favorable working conditions, helpful co-workers, supportive work rules and procedures, sufficient information to make job-related decisions, and adequate time to do a good job. If not, performance will suffer

Experience shows that the greatest value of representative participation is which of the following?

symbolic ---- : Research shows that "the greatest value of representative participation is symbolic. If one is interested in changing employee attitudes or in improving organizational performance, representative participation would be a poor choice."

David's boss has just moved his software testing deadline up by two days. David was working overtime to complete the assignment with the previous deadline, but now he doesn't see how it will be physically possible to test every aspect of the software by the new deadline. As a result, David will have to cut corners and only test certain aspects of the product. He is sure there will be bugs that go unnoticed. David is a victim of which organizational constraint?

system-imposed time constraints --- Explanation: David's organization has placed a time constraint on his decision making, in which it is difficult, if not impossible, for him to gather all the information necessary to produce optimal work. He is the victim of a system-imposed time constraint.

What sort of goals does Management by Objectives (MBO) emphasize?

tangible, verifiable, and measurable ---- Management by objectives (MBO) emphasizes participatively set goals that are tangible, verifiable, and measurable. The organization's overall objectives are translated into specific objectives for each succeeding level in the organization. MBO works from the bottom up as well as from the top down. The result is a hierarchy that links objectives at one level to those at the next.

Dashay is an emergency medical technician. Yesterday she was called to an emergency in a home where a man suffered a heart attack. She was able to resuscitate the man, and while her partners were transporting him to the ambulance she spent 10 minutes calming the 12 year old daughter, who was at home alone with the father. Although exhausted at the end of the day, Dashay felt very good about the father's prognosis and celebrated with a dinner out. Based on this description, it's safe to say that Dashay's job is high in which job characteristic?

task significance -- Explanation: Although Dashay's job has many job characteristics, the description provided best describes Dashay's sense of task significance. Task significance refers to the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives of other people.

Which of the following is Theory X consistent with

the autocratic style of managing people ---- Theory Y is consistent with participative management and Theory X with the more traditional autocratic style of managing people

Which of the following defines autonomy?

the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling and procedure --- Explanation: The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance.

Which of the following defines skill variety?

the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities --- Explanation: The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance.

Which of the following defines task identity?

the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work -- Explanation: The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance.

It's Marisol's first day on a new job. At first she was very nervous, but when she was introduced to her cubicle neighbor, Hanna, she was taken aback by Hanna's soothing smile. Marisol knew that a person with such a beautiful smile could not be bad, and that she would enjoy having her in such close proximity.

the halo effect -- Explanation: The halo effect is the tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic. Marisol is judging Hanna based only on her smile, without getting to know any other details.

What is the term used for a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristic such as intelligence, sociability, or appearance?

the halo effect --- Explanation: When we draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic, such as intelligence, sociability, or appearance, a halo effect is operating. A single trait is allowed to influence the overall impression of the person being judged.

Jasmine is trying to gain control of her department. Although she will be greatly compensated if she achieves this aim and will gain control over many subordinates, the main reason she is pursuing this position is that she thinks she can do the job better than her predecessors and wants people to know that this is so. What need would McClelland say primarily drives Jasmine in this case

the need for achievement ----Need for achievement (nAch) is the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards, to strive to succeed. Jasmine is demonstrating the need to achieve.

Two people see the same thing at the same time yet interpret it differently. Where do the factors that operate to shape their dissimilar perceptions reside?

the perceivers -- Explanation: Because the target and the situation are the same, the difference in perception must be in the perceivers themselves. Characteristics that can affect perception include perceiver attitudes, personality, motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations.

What is the most relevant application of perception concepts to OB?

the perceptions people form about each other --- Explanation: In the application of perception concepts to OB, person perception, or the perceptions people form about each other, is the most relevant. Nonliving objects such as desks, machines, and buildings have no beliefs, motives, or intentions, but people do. Therefore, we attempt to explain why people behave in certain ways.

Jim is a student who cannot work at writing a paper for more than 30 minutes, yet he can spend many hours writing comments on blogs. What accounts for the change in motivation in this case?

the situation ---Explanation: But the same student who finds it difficult to read a textbook for more than 20 minutes may devour a Harry Potter book in a day. For this student, the difference in motivation is the situation.

Why would an employee choose a flexible spending plan over a standard modular plan?

their take-home pay is higher ---- Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums. Flexible spending accounts can increase take-home pay because employees don't pay taxes on the dollars they spend out of these accounts.