Chapter 6
Which of the following best defines valence?
It is the believed worth of the results of one's efforts.
According to expectancy theory, which of the following statements concerning motivational force is true?
Motivation increases as successful performance is linked to more and more attractive outcomes.
Which three of the following are reasons an employee may be more motivated than his or her counterparts?
The employee has specific, challenging, and achievable goals. The employee has feelings of expectancy and instrumentality. The employee has feelings of psychological empowerment.
True or false: Motivational force equals zero if any of the three beliefs of expectancy, instrumentality, and valence is zero.
True
Which element of S.M.A.R.T. goals proposes that goals should be challenging yet attainable?
achievable
Workers who believe that their workplaces have a sense of equity are more likely to exhibit ______ behaviors and less likely to exhibit ______ behaviors.
citizenship counter productive
Katrina discovers that she is earning significantly more than a coworker with more experience. She justifies this by telling herself that she is paid more because she puts more effort into the job than her coworker. Katrina's views are an example of
cognitive distortion
Raul compares himself with other employees in his company who are doing different jobs. What type of comparison is Raul performing?
company equity
Kendra has been working for Harmon Electronics as a quality-control inspector for three years. She learns that a coworker with less experience and less time with the company is earning more than she is. What is Kendra's coworker, according to the equity theory?
comparison other
Tyler works in customer service for a large financial services firm but wants to ultimately work as a financial analyst, so he is taking advantage of training opportunities at work and seeking challenging assignments that can enhance his skills. Tyler is attempting to build which dimension of psychological empowerment?
competance
Which dimension of psychological empowerment refers to an employee's belief that he or she can perform his or her professional work at a high level?
competence
A(n) ______ goal is one that stretches employees to perform at their maximum level while still staying within the boundaries of their ability.
difficult
When the company announced a sales contest for the following month, Alicia decided to enter. Her choice represents Alicia's ______ of effort.
direction
Employee ______ is a combination of perceptions that motivate employees to devote themselves to their jobs.
engagement
Employees with high ______ are fully absorbed and enthusiastic about their work and devote a lot of energy to the job.
engagment
Janys has just learned that her coworker, who has fewer years of experience and less education, earns more than she does. According to equity theory, what will Janys experience?
equity distress
When a person becomes upset because he compares his equity with others and finds his own equity lacking, he might be experiencing what phenomenon?
equity distress
What theory asserts that a person's motivation is based on what he or she considers to be fair when compared to others?
equity theory
Which of the following motivation theories considers the ratio between outcomes and inputs and recognizes that outcomes depend in part on what occurs in the lives of others?
equity theory
An individual's perceived probability that his or her effort will result in positive outcomes is known as
expectancy
Owen believes that if he studies hard for the next organizational behavior test, he will perform well. This is an example of what kind of belief?
expectancy
Which theory of motivation proposes that work effort is directed toward positive experiences and away from negative ones?
expectancy theory
Danielle is eager to earn an A average in her college courses this semester because her parents have promised her a trip to Florida if she achieves this. The trip is an example of ______ forces in Danielle's motivation.
external
Since Jake is the only purchasing manager in his company, he compares his salary and benefit package with those of purchasing managers in other, similar-sized companies. Jake is using what kind of indicators to examine his position?
external comparisons
When other people recognize the success of others and reward them for their success, it typically fosters ______ motivation.
extrinistic
Gale is responsible for developing the organization's strategic plan. She and her manager meet weekly to discuss her progress. This is an example of which type of moderator on task performance?
feedback
"Money is a tool to be able to do things and travel where I want." This statement emphasizes the dimension of ______ in the symbolic value of money.
freedom
Three common symbolic meanings of money are achievement, respect, and
freedom
Which of following is the aim of an action and serves as the primary driver of the intensity and persistence of effort for the action?
goal
The determination with which employees establish a goal and the efforts they will take to achieve it is called
goal commitment
Which theory of motivation argues that goals determine the work actions of people?
goal setting theory
Tony is a member of a small research team for a pharmaceutical company. One of the aspects of his job that he loves best is that he can readily point to his contributions to the team's projects and genuinely feels like he makes a difference in the success of the team. This is an example of which dimension of psychological empowerment?
impact
When people feel that their work makes a difference and contributes to progress, they experience what form of psychological empowerment?
impact
Elena is the sales manager for a floor tiling company. She sees that the sales numbers for Roger have been slipping and wants him to do a better job. Under goal-setting theory, which of the following goals for Roger would most likely result in higher levels of task performance?
increase sales by 25 percent during the next quarter
Kelli believes that if she does well on the next test, she will earn an A in the course. These thoughts demonstrate what type of belief?
instrumentality
People who believe that a successful performance will result in a certain outcome are experiencing
instrumentality
An individual's self-confidence and need for achievement are considered ______ forces in motivation.
internal
In terms of equity theory, a(n) ______ refers to an employee examining others within the same organization.
internal comparison
Finding self-satisfaction in doing a job well leads to ______ motivation.
intristic
When an individual experiences psychological empowerment, performing the work tasks serves as its own reward. This is a form of what kind of motivation?
intristic
Which of the following are reasons some employees may lack motivation?
lack of confidence assignment of an ambiguous goal
In terms of equity theory, what is the term for the process in which people think about things in new ways--but do not change their behaviors--in order to regain intellectual balance?
meaningfullness
Peggy is passionate about her job as an adoption counselor at the local humane shelter. She feels that her job helps her fulfill the value she places on saving the lives of homeless animals. This is an example of which element of psychological empowerment?
meaningfullness
What is the term for groups of beliefs or results that people believe are physically and mentally important?
needs
Purchasing manager Jake compares his situation with that of purchasing managers in other similar-sized companies. What type of comparison is Jake performing?
occupational equity
Profit sharing depends on the performance of an entire company. What type of focus does this compensation plan have?
organization
After comparing your situation with that of a comparison other, you realize that your ratio of outcomes and inputs is greater than the other person's. According to equity theory, this is what type of a situation?
overrewarded inequity
Direction, intensity, and are the components of motivation that contribute to an employee's work.
persistance
In terms of equity theory, which of the following would be considered outcomes?
promotions and pay
What do people experience when they believe that their professional work contributes to some greater cause?
psychological empowerment
Which of the following would be considered "positively valenced" outcomes for most people?
salary increase and promotion
Employees who have a degree of autonomy in their work tasks are likely to experience which dimension of psychological empowerment?
self determination
One of the aspects that Ricardo loves best about running a branch office is that the people in headquarters leave him alone and give him considerable latitude in making decisions for the branch. Which component of psychological empowerment does this represent?
self determination
Employees who experience what motivator tend to produce the best professional results?
self efficacy
Even though Linda hasn't planned an event quite as large as her company's Christmas party before, she is confident that she'll be able to manage it successfully. It appears that Linda has a high level of what type of belief?
self efficacy
People with what type of belief think that they have the capabilities needed to carry out the behaviors needed for a task?
self efficacy
Rank the following motivating forces in order of their strength on job performance, with the strongest job performance motivator listed at top and the lowest job performance motivator listed at bottom. Instructions
self efficacy, specific goals, increased valence, perceptions of equity
Laura's dean has asked her to develop course lectures for an organizational behavior course by the end of the semester. In order to monitor her progress against this goal, Laura establishes mini-milestones to keep her on track and aims to develop lectures for at least two chapters per week. What is a term for these internalized milestones?
self set her goals
Which of the following needs would be categorized as existence needs?
shelter and safety
In terms of equity theory, which of the following would be considered inputs?
skills and experience
Alexis owns an executive search firm and has established a goal for each of her recruiters to make contact with 25 or more potential candidates each day. This illustrates which of the following concepts of S.M.A.R.T. goals?
specific measurable and time sensitive
Setting specific, challenging goals encourages workers to develop plans that teach them new things and answer their dilemmas. These plans are known by what term?
task strategies
What might happen if employees feel that they have less equity in their workplaces?
they might take action against their workplaces
True or false: Lump-sum bonuses have a high impact on motivation because the lump-sum bonuses link financial payments to the successful achievement of certain tasks.
true
True or false: One of the problems with determining needs is that people's conceptions of needs vary between different cultures or even between individuals.
true
When you compare your situation with that of a comparison other, you suddenly realize that your ratio of outcomes to inputs is significantly less than the other person's. According to equity theory, you would now perceive yourself to be in which state?
underreward inequality
According to expectancy theory, an individual's effort level depends on three factors: expectancy, instrumentality, and
valence
The belief known as relates to the question "Does the outcome have any value to me?"
valence
Laura is nervous about donating blood at the blood drive at work, but she sees coworkers donating blood and thinks, "If they can do it, I can do it!" This is an example of which source of self-efficacy?
vicarious experiences