MOB Chapter 5 - Multiple Choice

Maslow's theory of motivation suggests a. employee needs are ordered. b. employee needs are grouped in three categories. c. employee needs are divided into motivator and hygiene categories. d. employee needs are acquired as the result of life experiences.

a) Easy/Comprehension

Which of the following is true about motivation? a. Being motivated is the same as being a high performer. b. Motivation is the sole reason why people perform well. c. Motivation is a key influence over an employee's performance level. d. Motivation is usually the most critical factor in a person's performance.

c) Medium/Comprehension

Alderfer's growth needs correspond to Maslow's a. social needs. b. safety needs. c. esteem needs. d. physiological needs.

c) Medium/Synthesis

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory of motivation a. suggests once basic needs are satisfied, higher order needs become motivators. b. enjoys strong research support. c. is a systematic approach managers can utilize to explain the similar needs employees have at any given time and the similar reactions of employees to similar treatment. d. was developed based on Maslow's observations of individual employees in a variety of workplace settings.

a) Difficult/Comprehension

In comparing Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory to Alderfer's ERG theory a. ERG theory recognizes more than one need may operate at one time. b. Maslow's theory recognizes more than one need may operate at one time. c. ERG theory is based upon observations of individuals in clinical settings. d. Maslow's theory suggests that individuals who are frustrated in their attempts to satisfy one need may regress to another one.

a) Difficult/Evaluation

In simulations examining whether reinforcement theory explains ethical behavior, all of the following are findings EXCEPT a. subjects were less likely to cut kickback payments if there was a threat of punishment. b. subjects were more likely to continue kickback payments if they made a profit after providing the kickbacks. c. the perceived likelihood of punishment is a major influence of ethical behavior. d. the severity of expected punishment was the primary predictor of whether subjects were inclined to behave unethically.

a) Difficult/Evaluation

Maslow's theory of motivation is criticized because a. research does not support the argument that satisfied needs no longer motivate behavior. b. its "frustration-regression" hypothesis has no practical implications for the workplace. c. the research methodology employed does not fully account for the attribution of cause to the individual or the situation. d. substantial empirical research has indicated little practical application of the theory.

a) Difficult/Evaluation

Michele is being considered for a managerial position at Halliburton. She completes a TAT as part of an assessment center exercise for prospective managers. Facilitators will examine the results carefully for their manager choices knowing that a. individuals high in need for achievement may find it difficult to delegate authority to subordinates. b. individuals high in need for affiliation are especially effective at providing critical feedback to employees. c. individuals high in need for power have difficulties disciplining poor performers. d. individuals high in need for achievement are especially effective at coaching and meeting with subordinates.

a) Difficult/Evaluation

You work for your college's annual alumni fund. You have averaged 25 phone calls in a three-hour shift throughout your employment. Your supervisor now demands that you increase that number to 40 calls per three-hour shift. You feel that you do not have the skills or the time to make 40 calls; this is an unrealistic goal. According to expectancy theory, you are experiencing a. Low expectancy b. Low instrumentality c. Low valence d. Low equity

a) Difficult/Evaluation

One way to satisfy self-actualization needs is to a. pursue a master's degree through a company's tuition reimbursement program. b. go out to dinner once a month with coworkers from your department. c. get a $100 suggestion bonus from your firm for a labor cost saving tip you placed in your department's suggestion box. d. receive an employee of the week award.

a) Difficult/Synthesis

Which of the following statements is correct? a. Performance is a function of the interaction between motivation, ability and environment. b. Motivation is a function of the interaction between ability, environment and performance. c. Ability is a function of the interaction between motivation, performance and environment. d. Performance is a major influence on motivation, ability and environment.

a) Easy/Comprehension

1. Maslow's physiological needs may be satisfied by: a. food. b. feeling danger-free. c. feelings of importance. d. human bonds.

a) Easy/Knowledge

Praising the employee occasionally when the person shows up on time is an example of __________________ of reinforcement. a. variable ratio b. equity ratio c. continuous schedule d. fixed ratio schedule

a) Medium/Application

Research on motivation suggests the following: a. Ethical behavior is learned behavior. b. Satisfaction with social needs is a powerful motivator in industrialized countries. c. Subjects in different cultures do not vary in their distribution of rewards regardless of the subject's age. d. Valuing justice and fairness is a distinctive American-only value.

a) Medium/Comprehension

What job would be best suited for someone with a high need for affiliation? a. sales b. teacher c. engineer d. entrepreneur

a) Medium/Comprehension

All of the following are tips to make disciplining an employee more effective EXCEPT a. discipline when you have time. b. be consistent in your treatment of employees. c. determine if punishment is the effective way to modify behavior. d. document behavior.

a) Medium/Synthesis

Research on equity theory suggests a. those who perceive inequity increase their work performance. b. those who feel over-rewarded experience little distress over the situation. c. those who feel over-rewarded experience guilt over the situation. d. those who perceive inequity encourage their fellow coworkers to work less hard.

b) Difficult/Analysis

Abdul tends to emphasize harmonious interpersonal relationships, prefers to be with friends, and enjoys family events. Abdul would probably be categorized as being a. low in need for achievement. b. high in need for affiliation. c. high in need for power. d. low in need for affiliation.

b) Difficult/Synthesis

Michael has two finals, accounting and organizational behavior, on the same day of finals week. Based on expectancy theory, which of the following statements suggest how he should allocate his limited study time? a. For the previous three OB exams Michael studied for hours and received below average grades. He spent fewer hours studying for accounting and earned above average grades. He therefore decides to focus his efforts equally on OB and accounting. b. Accounting is Michael's major, OB is a general business requirement in his academic program. Michael aspires to be a CPA, so he decides to focus his study time on Accounting. c. Michael is switching to another college for a communication major after this semester. His business courses will not count toward his total credits at the new college. His grades on these exams will not matter, but he decides to focus on his accounting anyway. d. Michael loved the group work format that his OB instructor used to teach the course and disliked the lecture format utilized by his accounting professor. He decides to focus his attention on OB.

b) Difficult/Synthesis

Ability is a. having the resources, information and support one needs to perform well. b. having the skills and knowledge required to perform the job. c. the intention of achieving a goal, leading to goal-directed behavior. d. the function of performance, motivation, and environment.

b) Easy/Knowledge

The first step of an organizational behavior modification program is a. evaluate and maintain. b. identify behavior to be modified. c. analyze behavior antecedents and outcomes. d. measure the baseline level.

b) Easy/Knowledge

Which of the following is a need based theory of motivation? a. expectancy theory. b. ERG theory. c. reinforcement theory. d. equity theory.

b) Easy/Knowledge

Individuals who expect yearly wage increases without exhibiting increased performance may be labeled a. benevolents. b. entitleds. c. equitably insensitive. d. expectancy sensitive.

b) Medium/Application

50 an hour while she makes $11.00. What theory of motivation best explains why Chloe went to her boss to complain about the pay disparity? a. ERG theory b. Equity theory c. Expectancy theory d. Reinforcement theory

b) Medium/Comprehension

Alderfer's theory of motivation does all of the following EXCEPT a. relax the basic assumptions of Maslow's theory of needs b. assume needs are hierarchically-based c. propose a "frustration-regression" hypothesis d. assume needs are grouped into three categories

b) Medium/Comprehension

Which of the following summary statements is true regarding motivation theories? a. Need-based motivation theories use the mental processes of employees to understand employee motivation. b. Research indicates that what is perceived as fair and unfair is culturally defined. c. Research indicates that because of the unfairness perceived in their environments, individuals no longer repeat behavior that leads to positive results. d. Process-based theories suggest managers should identify what employees need and make the work environment a means of satisfying those needs.

b) Medium/Synthesis

According to ERG theory, if an individual is frustrated in the growth opportunities of his job, a. he may regress only to relatedness needs. b. he may regress only to existence needs. c. he may regress to either relatedness or existence needs. d. he will be motivated by the next higher need in his need hierarchy.

c) Difficult/Analysis

Research on procedural justice suggests a. it is best to exclude employees from commenting on potential changes in company procedures like performance appraisals because they do not understand the decision-making process anyway. b. it is best to unexpectedly announce department-wide layoffs because when employees suspect changes in their job status are upcoming, they tend to become much less productive. c. it is best to be consistent in the manner in which employees are disciplined for violating company policy for situations like cell phone usage. d. it is best to send an announcement of changes to the company benefit package for the next fiscal year without providing explanatory details because employees do not understand the financial implications anyway.

c) Difficult/Application

When organizational behavior modification is used to examine employee absenteeism, which step looks at why employees are absent? a. Step 5: Evaluate and maintain. b. Step 1: Identify behavior to modify. c. Step 3: Analyze behavior antecedents and outcomes. d. Step 2: Measure the baseline level.

c) Easy/Comprehension

Which of the following is a process based theory of motivation? a. Alderfer's ERG theory. b. Herzberg's two-factor theory. c. Skinner's reinforcement theory. d. McClelland's acquired needs theory.

c) Easy/Comprehension

Esteem needs are a. the need to bond with other human beings. b. the desire to form lasting attachments. c. the desire to feel important. d. the freedom from an uncertain future.

c) Easy/Knowledge

In expectancy theory, valence is a. the perception that high levels of effort will lead to outcomes of interest like performance. b. the perception that performance is related to subsequent outcomes such as rewards. c. the anticipated satisfaction that will result from an outcome. d. the degree to which people are treated with respect, kindness, and dignity.

c) Easy/Knowledge

Interactional justice is a. the degree to which outcomes received from the organization are perceived to be fair. b. the degree to which fair decision-making procedures are used to arrive at a decision. c. the degree to which people are treated with respect, kindness and dignity in interpersonal interactions. d. the belief that high levels of effort will lead to high performance.

c) Easy/Knowledge

Motivation is a. having the skills and knowledge required to perform the job. b. a function of performance, ability and environment. c. the intention of achieving a goal, leading to goal-directed behavior. d. the only key to high performance.

c) Easy/Knowledge

Negative reinforcement a. decreases the desired behavior. b. decreases the frequency of negative behavior. c. increases the desired behavior. d. reduces the frequency of undesired behavior.

c) Easy/Knowledge

Positive reinforcement a. decreases the desired behavior. b. decreases the frequency of negative behavior. c. increases the desired behavior. d. reduces the frequency of undesired behavior.

c) Easy/Knowledge

Which of the following is a hygiene factor in Herzberg's theory of motivation? a. promotion opportunities. b. interesting work. c. salary. d. achievement.

c) Easy/Knowledge

The collaborative work environment at Trader Joe's satisfies which of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? a. safety b. self-actualization c. social d. physiological

c) Medium/Analysis

Joaquin received the Chancellor's Award and an $8,000 scholarship for a research paper and formal presentation he created. He believes that he worked hard for the paper and the presentation. Joaquin would feel a sense of a. high interactional justice. b. high interpersonal justice. c. high distributive justice. d. high procedural justice.

c) Medium/Application

Maslow's social needs could be satisfied by a. receiving an employee of the month award. b. getting promoted to assistant manager from a supervisor position. c. attending a department picnic after work. d. taking a class on Microsoft Office.

c) Medium/Application

To influence instrumentality, managers can a. ensure that environment facilitates performance. b. give employees choice over rewards. c. consistently reward high performers. d. encourage people to believe their effort makes a difference.

c) Medium/Application 

When reinforcers follow all examples of positive behavior you are using a __________ ___________ of reinforcement. a. variable ratio b. equity ratio c. continuous schedule d. fixed ratio schedule

c) Medium/Comprehension

Which of the following statements is NOT an effective approach to disciplining employees? a. Carrots can be more effective than sticks. b. Unfair punishment may not change unwanted behavior. c. No two employees or incidents are the same, so no two employee should be disciplined the same way. d. Discipline is not the most effective way for changing behavior in the long term.

c) Medium/Synthesis

Which of the following statements is true? a. A need for achievement can be a destructive element in relationships with colleagues. b. A high need for affiliation serves as a real advantage in managerial positions especially with regard to conducting performance appraisals. c. A high need for power is a trait of those successful in the sales area. d. A need for power can have an altruistic form.

d) Difficult/Analysis

Steve Kerr's phenomenon, "the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B" is demonstrated by a. a manager failing to acknowledge an employee who stayed after hours for one week to complete a report for an ill coworker. b. a manager who fears his top sales person will leave if he criticizes him for being 15 minutes late every day. c. a manager who promotes a subordinate known for his propensity to argue with his coworkers so that subordinate can be transferred to another department where an individual just retired. d. rewarding a manager who orders the release of a shipment of manufactured parts full of defects to meet a deadline in spite of the company's highly advertised quality commitment.

d) Difficult/Application

If you wanted to be perceived as a fair person, take this piece of advice: a. "People are selfish, they care only about their own justice level." b. "Treat everyone equally when distributing rewards. Differentiation in rewards often lead to unfairness." c. "Make your own decisions, you are the boss. Since you are accountable for those decisions, you do not need to waste time listening to everyone's opinions." d. "Think before you speak. Be considerate of others."

d) Difficult/Comprehension

All of the following are criticisms of Herzberg's theory of motivation EXCEPT a. the primary research methodology of the study is flawed. b. the classification of factors as hygiene or motivator is not simple. c. pay may have symbolic value as communication that the employee is advancing within the company. d. the theory suggests that improving the environment only goes so far in motivating employees.

d) Difficult/Evaluation

All of the following are actions those who perceive inequity can undertake to "balance the scales" EXCEPT a. steal. b. begin to arrive at work late. c. quit. d. produce higher quality work.

d) Difficult/Synthesis

Analyzing Trader Joe's success using Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation would suggest that a. contextual factors, like being among the best paid employees in the retail industry, are the only reason for the firm's success. b. content factors, like the collaborative atmosphere in each supermarket, are the only reason for the firm's success. c. growth needs, like the autonomy of opening products for customer samples, are the only reason for the firm's success. d. Contextual, content, and growth needs factors all help to contribute to Trader Joe's success.

d) Difficult/Synthesis

Individuals with a high need for affiliation a. want to influence others. b. have a strong need to be successful. c. desire to make an impact on the organization. d. want to be accepted by others.

d) Easy/Comprehension

Which of the following need-based theories has received the greatest amount of support? a. Herzberg's two-factor theory b. Maslow's hierarchy of needs c. Alderfer's ERG theory d. McClelland's acquired needs theory

d) Easy/Comprehension

Which of the following is not a hygiene factor in Herzberg's theory of motivation? a. working conditions b. salary c. company policy d. recognition

d) Easy/Knowledge

Which of the following statements is true about the manner in which managers can influence the perceptions of expectancy theory? a. Individuals with an internal locus of control and high self-esteem believe there is little connection between their effort and performance so a great deal of feedback is needed to motivate them. b. Regardless of the performance rating given on a performance evaluation, make certain that everyone gets a small raise annually. c. Recognize good performance of individuals with cost effective items like coffee mugs and t-shirts. d. Conduct employee surveys periodically to ascertain what they consider to be rewards for performance and integrate that in some manner into the performance evaluation program.

d) Medium/Analysis

Your paycheck could likely satisfy which of the following needs identified by Maslow? a. physiological needs. b. esteem needs. c. safety needs. d. all of the above.

d) Medium/Analysis

How could a firm best satisfy an employee's safety needs? a. Enroll the employee in a Microsoft Office training course. b. Provide an employee appreciation luncheon. c. Develop a weekly employee bowling league. d. Create a job security clause in the employment contract.

d) Medium/Application

Ramone feels that he was unfairly passed over for a promotion at his firm. How might he deal with the perceived inequity? a. Have the referent decrease inputs. b. Maintain current perceptions of the referent's inputs. c. Increase his inputs. d. Increase his outcomes.

d) Medium/Application

An example of extinction is a. nagging an employee to call a customer. b. suspending an employee for being late three days in a row. c. praising an employee for a well written report. d. ignoring a coworker who is telling dirty jokes.

d) Medium/Comprehension

Nejah is reading a report on employee justice perception. The article notes all of the following points EXCEPT a. high levels of justice create higher levels of organizational citizenship. b. high levels of justice create higher levels of employee commitment to the organization. c. high levels of justice create higher levels of customer satisfaction. d. high levels of justice lead to support of unionization.

d) Medium/Comprehension

The simple premise of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is a. more than one human need operates at one time. b. work environment aspects that satisfy an individual are very different than those aspects which dissatisfy an individual. c. individuals acquire three types of needs as a result of their life experiences. d. human beings have needs that are hierarchically ranked.

d) Medium/Comprehension

Alderfer's existence needs correspond to Maslow's a. social needs. b. esteem needs. c. self-actualization needs. d. safety needs.

d) Medium/Synthesis

Research on motivation in different cultures indicates that a. high power distance cultures value having a voice in the justice process. b. Chinese study participants place the highest value on procedural justice. c. equity is not culture specific; all cultures utilize this method to achieve fairness. d. in industrialized nations, satisfaction with esteem needs was a more powerful motivator than satisfaction of physiological or security needs.

d) Medium/Synthesis