mgt chap 12
simplified, repetitive jobs lead to job dissatisfaction, poor mental health, and a low sense of accomplishment and personal growth. ________ is the set of psychological processes that arouse and direct goal-directed behavior.
A) Self-actualization B) Productivity C) Self-determination D) Reinforcement E) Motivation Answer: E
Name the content perspectives/theories
Answer: Hierarchy of Needs Theory: To the extent the organization permits, managers should first try to meet employees' level 1 and level 2 needs, of course, so that employees won't be preoccupied with them. Then, however, they need to give employees a chance to fulfill their higher-level needs in ways that also advance the goals of the organization. Acquired Needs Theory: You can apply acquired needs theory by appealing to the preferences associated with each need when you (1) set goals, (2) provide feedback, (3) assign tasks, and (4) design the job. Self-Determination Theory: Managers can apply this theory by engaging in leader behavior that fosters the experience of competence, autonomy, and relatedness.
What is motivation, and why is it important for managers to understand how motivation works?
Answer: Motivation is the set of psychological processes that direct goal-directed behavior. Managers can use this information to help them guide employees to accomplish the organization's objectives.
Clay met with his supervisor, Suri, to discuss that he was being given the same bonus as everyone else on his team at the end of each year, even though he had a Master's degree, took on extra and more difficult projects, and finished well ahead of given deadlines. Because Suri is not able to change the bonus, she can expect Clay to respond in all of the following ways EXCEPT A) ignoring his feeling of resentment. B) transferring. C) quitting. D) reducing his production. E) reducing his hours.
Answer: A
Which type of goal is better for jobs that require creativity and taking a problem-solving approach? A) learning goal B) performance goal C) SMART goal D) general goal E) stretch goal
Answer: A
Della, the sales manager, just informed her sales team that all sales in March will earn an extra 5 percent commission. The team gets right to work, being motivated by a(n) A) extrinsic reward. B) physiological need. C) high need for power. D) intrinsic reward. E) hygiene factor.
Answer: A An extrinsic reward is the payoff, such as money, a person receives from others for performing a particular task.
Which of the following is NOT a contingency factor in the job characteristics model? A) autonomy B) knowledge C) skills D) desire for personal growth E) context satisfactions
Answer: A Explanation: Contingency factors refer to the degree to which a person wants personal and psychological development. Job design must have three attributes: (1) necessary knowledge and skill, (2) desire for personal growth, and (3) context satisfactions, or the right physical working conditions, pay, and supervision
In equity theory, employees are motivated to A) resolve feelings of injustice and see fairness in the rewards they expect for task performance. B) work harder when they have more freedom. C) correct themselves when they aren't working hard enough. D) blame others when they miss work or fail at tasks. E) work just hard enough to get what they want.
Answer: A Explanation: Pioneered by psychologist J. Stacey Adams, equity theory is based on the idea that employees are motivated to see fairness in the rewards they expect for task performance and are motivated to resolve feelings of injustice.
A technician who is responsible for keeping an airport's control tower's electronic equipment in working order has higher ________ than a person welcoming you at a hotel. A) task significance B) autonomy C) skill variety D) feedback E) task identity
Answer: A Explanation: Task significance describes the extent to which a job affects the lives of other people, whether inside or outside the organization.
As a maintenance person for the air force, Clint services aircraft engines, which protects the lives and safety of military personnel and increases their ability to conduct missions. Clint's job has a high level of A) task significance. B) task identity. C) skill variety. D) autonomy. E) feedback.
Answer: A Explanation: Task significance describes the extent to which a job affects the lives of other people, whether inside or outside the organization.
________ is the process of building into a job such motivating factors as recognition and achievement. A) Vertical loading B) Job enrichment C) Job satisfaction D) Job enlargement E) Horizontal loading
Answer: B
________ theory is a model of motivation that explains how people strive for fairness and justice in social exchanges or give-and-take relationships. A) Esteem B) Equity C) Hygiene D) Expectancy E) Goal-setting
Answer: B
When workers perceive they are being treated fairly on the job, they are most likely to A) pass up promotional opportunities. B) support organizational change. C) be a whistle-blower. D) show improved safety practices. E) seek additional education.
Answer: B Explanation: Employees who think they are treated fairly are more likely to support organizational change, more apt to cooperate in group settings, and less apt to turn to arbitration and the courts to remedy real or imagined wrongs.
Joyce would like to start working on a flexible schedule. Which is an option would Joyce NOT discuss with her employer? A) job sharing B) sabbatical C) telecommuting D) part-time work E) compressed workweeks
Answer: B Sabbatical is taking off time completely. That's not an option.
Amazon recently announced that they were raising the minimum wage for all employees to $15 to address the low-wages of its employees. Amazon A) is giving employees an opportunity to appeal decisions that affect their welfare. B) understands that employees have a voice in decisions that affect them. C) knows that employees' perception of equity is what counts. D) is exhibiting strong leadership behavior. E) is paying attention to the climate for justice.
Answer: B Voice is defined as "employees' upward expression of constructive opinions, concerns, or ideas on work-related issues to their managers."
________ is the extent to which a job allows an employee to make decisions about scheduling different tasks and deciding how to perform them. A) Horizontal loading B) Skill variety C) Autonomy D) Task significance E) Task identity
Answer: C Explanation: Autonomy = individual has more control over their choices
After struggling with the accounting training, Aaron is unsure whether he can complete the end-of-year financial reporting with no errors in the time allotted. In this case, Aaron is low on the ________ element of expectancy theory. A) valence B) outcomes C) expectancy D) instrumentality E) performance
Answer: C Explanation: Expectancy is the belief that a particular level of effort will lead to a particular level of performance. You are asking yourself, "Will I be able to perform at the desired level on a task?"
Which of the following criterion is NOT a characteristic of the best incentive plans? A) believable and achievable rewards B) measurable rewards linked to performance C) monetary compensation to every employee D) rewards satisfying individual needs E) rewards agreed on by the manager and employees
Answer: C Explanation: For incentive plans to work, certain criteria are advisable, as follows: (1) The rewards must be linked to performance and be measurable. (2) The rewards must satisfy individual needs. (3) The rewards must be agreed on by the manager and employees. (4) The rewards must be believable and achievable by employees.
Meili's employer distributes checks at the end of each quarter, representing an equitable portion of 5 percent of the company's pretax profits for the previous quarter. These are ________checks. A) pay for performance B) pay for knowledge C) profit sharing D) bonus E) gainsharing
Answer: C Explanation: Profit sharing is the distribution to employees of a percentage of the company's profits.
The HR manager told Stella that the company pays the total health insurance costs for a family of four. As a single woman, this benefit did not seem especially important to her right now. Here, Stella is low on the ________ element of expectancy theory. A) expectancy B) instrumentality C) valence D) outcomes E) significance
Answer: C Explanation: Valence is the value and importance a worker assigns to the possible outcome or reward. Here, Stella does not particularly value this family insurance coverage reward for taking the job.
Because the production division at Ricklin's Fences is $10,000 below budget due to process improvements, this year 25 percent of the savings will be returned to the division to spend as desired as a form of A) pay for performance. B) pay for knowledge. C) gainsharing. D) profit sharing. E) stock options.
Answer: C Gainsharing is the distribution of savings or "gains" to groups of employees who reduced costs and increased measurable productivity.
Armando has a summer job hand-dyeing shirts that will be sold on the boardwalk. He is paid $5.00 per shirt. Armando is being paid on a ________ compensation plan. A) profit-sharing B) pay-for-knowledge C) bonus D) pay-for-performance E) gainsharing
Answer: D
Levi teaches fourth grade at a local elementary school. He significantly increased his salary by earning a master's degree in education. Levi's increased salary is an example of A) pay for performance. B) profit sharing. C) a bonus. D) pay for knowledge. E) gainsharing.
Answer: D Also known as skill-based pay, pay for knowledge ties employee pay to the number of job-relevant skills or academic degrees they earn. The teaching profession is an example; elementary and secondary teachers are encouraged to increase their salaries by earning further college credit.
The theory under which people make the choice that promises them the greatest reward if they think they can get it is ________ theory. A) goal-setting B) equity C) reinforcement D) expectancy E) two-factor
Answer: D Explanation: Expectancy theory suggests people are motivated by two things: how much they want something and how likely they think they are to get it. In other words, assuming they have choices, people will make the choice that promises them the greatest reward if they think they can get it.
How do employees find out how well they are doing? A) through task identity B) through task significance C) through choices D) through feedback E) through skill variety
Answer: D Explanation: Feedback describes the extent to which workers receive clear, direct information about how well they are performing the job.
Due to changes in production, Hanson Steel gave each employee 75 percent of the cost savings. Hanson Steel uses a ________ compensation plan. A) pay-for-knowledge B) pay-for-performance C) benchmarking D) gainsharing E) profit-sharing
Answer: D Explanation: Gainsharing is the distribution of savings or "gains" to groups of employees who reduced costs and increased measurable productivity. In one version (the so-called Scanlon plan), a portion of any cost savings, usually 75 percent, is distributed to employees.
Goal-setting theory suggests that employees can be motivated by goals that have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT A) specific. B) achievable. C) linked to an action plan. D) little or no feedback. E) challenging.
Answer: D Explanation: Goal-setting theory suggests that employees can be motivated by goals that are specific and challenging but achievable and linked to action plan.
Which of the following is the best statement of a goal? A) Give your very best effort. B) Get through most of those reports by 9/1. C) Increase customer satisfaction. D) Reduce production errors by 10 percent by the end of the quarter. E) Be late to work less often.
Answer: D Explanation: Goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and have target dates. The only choice that has all of these characteristics would be "Reduce production errors by 10 percent by the end of the quarter."
Ethan's job as an accounting assistant was recently modified to include reconciling bank accounts and making deposits, two tasks previously done by the accounting manager. This increase in responsibility would best be described as job A) development. B) enlargement. C) satisficing. D) enrichment. E) design.
Answer: D Explanation: Instead of the job-enlargement technique of simply giving employees additional tasks of similar difficulty (known as horizontal loading), with job enrichment employees are given more responsibility (known as vertical loading). Here, Ethan is taking on tasks formerly performed by his supervisor.
At his review last year, Lucas was promised a 20 percent raise if he met his production goals. Raises were included in today's paychecks, and although Lucas has met all of his goals, he received only a cost-of-living raise. In the future, Lucas's ________ will probably be ________. A) instrumentality; high B) valence; low C) expectancy; low D) instrumentality; low E) expectancy; high
Answer: D Explanation: Instrumentality is the expectation that successful performance of the task will lead to the outcome desired. Based on recent experience, Lucas will likely have a low level of instrumentality.
Job ________ involves division of an organization's work among its employees and applies motivational theories to jobs to increase satisfaction and performance. A) enlargement B) development C) simplification D) design E) enrichment
Answer: D Explanation: Job design is (1) the division of an organization's work among its employees and (2) the application of motivational theories to increase satisfaction and performance.
Job ________ is the process of increasing the number of tasks in a job to increase variety and motivation. A) rotation B) design C) development D) enlargement E) enrichment
Answer: D Explanation: Job enlargement consists of increasing the number of tasks in a job to increase variety and motivation.
A sales commission is an example of a ________ compensation plan. A) pay-for-knowledge B) profit-sharing C) gainsharing D) pay-for-performance E) Scanlon
Answer: D Explanation: Pay-for-performance compensation bases pay on one's results. An example is the sales commission, in which sales representatives are paid a percentage of the earnings the company made from their sales, so that the more they sell, the more they are paid.
________ perspectives are theories that try to understand the thought processes by which people decide how to act. A) Needs-based B) Reinforcement C) Job design D) Process E) Cognitive
Answer: D Explanation: Process perspectives are concerned with the thought processes by which people decide how to act, or how employees choose behavior to meet their needs.
Of the following, which is NOT a core job characteristic? A) autonomy B) skill variety C) task significance D) teamwork E) task identity
Answer: D Explanation: The five core job characteristics are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Difficulty: 1 Easy
Which of the following is a process perspective on motivation? A) self-determination theory B) job characteristics model C) two-factor theory D) goal-setting theory E) acquired needs theory
Answer: D Explanation: Three process perspectives on motivation include equity theory, expectancy theory, and goal-setting theory.
Well-being is the combined impact of all of the following EXCEPT A) engagement. B) positive emotions. C) meaning. D) attitude. E) relationships.
Answer: D Explanation: Well-being is the combined impact of five elements—positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement (PERMA), according to renowned psychologist Martin Seligman.
Going Green has begun to offer its employees the option of buying stock in the company as a benefit because they do not offer a retirement package. What employee behavior will Going Green most likely see? A) The employees will draw in more clients to receive an increase. B) The employees will seek further education to make smarter investment decisions. C) The employees will perform to get a larger share of the profit. D) The employees will work hard to make the stock rise, so they can buy more at a cheaper price. E) The employees will produce more to get paid more.
Answer: D Explanation: With stock options, certain employees are given the right to buy stock at a future date for a discounted price. The motivator here is that employees holding stock options will supposedly work hard to make the company's stock rise, so that they can obtain it at a cheaper price.
When would you use a motivating potential score? A) when using the reinforcement theory B) when using McClelland's acquired needs theory C) when using the equity theory D) when using goal-setting theory E) when using the job characteristics model
Answer: E
According to goal-setting theory, goal setting helps motivate you by doing all the following EXCEPT A) directing your attention. B) increasing your persistence. C) fostering the use of strategies and action plans. D) regulating the effort expended. E) taking attention away from real work.
Answer: E Explanation: According to goal-setting theory, goal setting helps direct your attention toward goal-relevant tasks and away from irrelevant ones; regulates the effort you expend; makes obstacles become challenges to be overcome, not reasons to fail; and makes it more likely you will realize success.
Peyton's management professor just told her class that the final exam is optional for students like Peyton who currently have an A. Peyton decides to take the exam anyway because she likes the subject and wants to master the material. Peyton is motivated to take the exam by a(n) A) hygiene factor. B) physiological need. C) high need for power. D) extrinsic reward. E) intrinsic reward.
Answer: E Explanation: An intrinsic reward is the satisfaction, such as a feeling of accomplishment that a person receives from performing the particular task itself. An intrinsic reward is an internal reward; the payoff comes from pleasing yourself.
________ is the expectation that successful performance of the task will lead to the desired outcome. A) Expectancy B) Reinforcement C) Valence D) Effort E) Instrumentality
Answer: E Explanation: Instrumentality is the expectation that successful performance of the task will lead to the outcome desired.
When using goal-setting theory to motivate employees, managers should A) set targets that are beyond employees' reach. B) set goals that are easily achievable. C) set general goals that are emotionally appealing. D) hold employees responsible for getting feedback. E) help workers understand and accept the goals.
Answer: E Explanation: It is natural for people to set and strive for goals; however, the goal-setting process is useful only if people understand and accept the goals.
Research shows that simplified jobs lead to all the following EXCEPT A) job dissatisfaction. B) poor mental health. C) low sense of accomplishment. D) low personal growth. E) increased productivity.
Answer: E Explanation: Research shows that simplified, repetitive jobs lead to job dissatisfaction, poor mental health, and a low sense of accomplishment and personal growth.
Job ________ is the opposite of ________. A) rotation; job focus B) rotation; job enlargement C) loading; job enrichment D) enlargement; job enrichment E) enlargement; scientific management
Answer: E Explanation: Scientific management is the process of reducing the number of tasks a worker performs, while job enlargement consists of increasing the number of tasks in a job
When employees at Wells Fargo opened accounts in their members' names, not always with their consent, the employees blamed it on management, stating that the bank executives had set ________ goals, or goals that seemed unattainable. A) learning B) performance C) SMART D) general E) stretch
Answer: E Explanation: Stretch goals can demotivate employees because they set aims that seem unattainable, they can encourage unethical behavior as employees try to reach the goals in whatever way they can, and they can lead companies to take unnecessary risks.
Zoe runs a flower shop. She recently made some changes so that one employee answers phones and completes the order and payment process, while another creates arrangements, and a third packages and delivers floral arrangements. Previously, each employee was responsible for the order from the phone call through the delivery. Zoe has made changes to A) feedback. B) autonomy. C) task significance. D) skill variety. E) task identity.
Answer: E Explanation: Task identity describes the extent to which a job requires a worker to perform all the tasks needed to complete the job from beginning to end.
Distributive, procedural, and interactional are components of A) expectancy theory. B) goal-setting theory. C) scientific management. D) job design. E) organizational justice.
Answer: E Explanation: Three different components of organizational justice have been identified: distributive, procedural, and interactional.
What is the Equity theory?
Answer: Equity theory =how fairly do you think you are being treated in relation to others equity theory is based on the idea that employees are motivated to want fairness in the rewards they expect for task performance and are motivated to resolve feelings of injustice when they dont feel something is fair.
What is the expectancy theory?
Answer: Expectancy theory = people are motivated by two things: (1) how much they want something, and (2) how likely they think they are to get it. According to the theory, motivation involves the relationship between effort, performance, and the desirability of the outcomes of performance (such as pay or recognition). This relationship is affected by three elements: expectancy (belief that a particular level of effort will lead to a particular level of performance), instrumentality (expectation that successful performance of the task will lead to the desired outcome), and valence (value or importance attached to a possible outcome or reward).
General Electric paid employees who were smokers up to $750 to quit and stay off cigarettes. This program was three times as successful as a different GE "quit smoking" program in which employees received no paid incentives. The $750 in the first program is an example of an intrinsic reward.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Its extrinsic. An extrinsic reward is the payoff, such as money, a person receives from others for performing a particular task. An extrinsic reward is an external reward; the payoff comes from pleasing others.
Grant's manager just told his team about this year's contest, the winner of which will receive an all-expense paid trip to Taiwan. Grant does not like to travel to places where he can't speak the language, so he is not very enthusiastic. This reward has a high valence for Grant.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Valence is the value and importance a worker assigns to the possible outcome or reward. Here, this reward does not have a high valence for Grant.
McClelland's acquired needs theory has three parts—what are they?
Answer: McClelland focused on three needs: power, affiliation, and achievement, which are the major motives determining people's behavior in the workplace:
Simplified, repetitive jobs lead to job dissatisfaction, poor mental health, and a low sense of accomplishment and personal growth.
Answer: TRUE
Explain the six types of compensation plans, giving an example of each.
Answer: The six types are as follows: 1. Pay for performance: pay is based on results 2. Bonuses: cash awards given for achieving specific performance objectives 3. Profit sharing: giving employees a percentage of the business's profits 4. Gainsharing: distribution of parts of savings or gains to groups of employees who reduced costs and increased measurable productivity 5. Stock options: giving employees the right to buy stock at a future date for a discounted price 6. Pay for knowledge: ties employee pay to job-relevant skills or academic degrees
What are the three steps to the job characteristics model?
Explanation: There are three steps to apply the job characteristics model. The first is to diagnose the work environment to see if a problem exists with a diagnostic survey. The second step is determining whether job redesign is appropriate, and the third step is considering how to redesign the job.
Goal Setting Theory
Objectives should be specific and challenging but also achievable (if seen as impossible than employees wont be motivated)
