Motivating Employees
Irene, CEO of a small company, strongly believes in Douglas McGregor's assumptions about human nature. Which of the following management practices is Irene most likely to favor to maximize employee motivation? A) a top-down decision-making structure B) a stringent system of monitoring and controlling employees C) making jobs narrower in scope and shallow in depth D) participatory management
36. D
The two-factor theory—also known as the motivation-hygiene theory—was proposed by ________. A) David McClelland B) Abraham Maslow C) Douglas McGregor D) Frederick Herzberg
37. D
Joseph, a line manager at a plant, believes that his workers have little drive and will not work unless pushed by him. Therefore, he closely monitors and controls their work and pulls up those who do not meet his standards. Joseph is a Theory Y manager.
4. False
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following is a motivator? A) working conditions B) salary C) responsibility D) security
40. C
Herzberg called the factors that create job dissatisfaction ________ factors; when these factors are adequate, people won't be dissatisfied, but they won't be satisfied either. A) intrinsic B) hygiene C) motivating D) neutral
41. B
________ and his associates proposed the three-needs theory. A) Frederick Herzberg B) Abraham Maslow C) David McClelland D) Douglas McGregor
43. C
The three-needs theory of motivation states that there are three ________ needs that are major motives in work. A) physical B) acquired C) safety D) innate
44. B
According to the three-needs theory, the need for ________ is the need to make others behave in a way that they would not have behaved otherwise. A) safety B) affiliation C) power D) achievement
47. C
According to the three-needs theory, the need for ________ is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships. A) control B) affiliation C) power D) achievement
48. B
You are acting as manager and mentor to Melanie, an employee who has been identified as a high achiever. Going by McClelland's three-needs theory, which of the following measures would best help you motivate Marsha to do her best? A) promising her a promotion and a raise if she reaches her targets B) giving her a job that holds her personally responsible for finding solutions to problems C) setting goals that are just out of her reach D) giving her a managerial position that requires her to help others accomplish their goals
51. B
________ refers to the vertical expansion of a job by adding planning and evaluating responsibilities. A) Job enrichment B) Job enlargement C) Job sharing D) Job rotation
68. A
________ refers to the degree of control employees have over their work. A) Task identity B) Task significance C) Job scope D) Job depth
69. D
People with a high need for achievement strive for the trappings and rewards of success rather than for personal achievement
7. false
Which of the following is true about job enlargement and job enrichment? A) Job enlargement efforts that focus solely on increasing the number of tasks are largely effective in increasing employee motivation. B) Research shows that job enrichment improves employee motivation and satisfaction. C) Expanding the scope of knowledge used in a job leads to more job satisfaction, enhanced customer service, and fewer errors. D) Research shows that job enrichment is very useful in improving the quality of work of
70. C
Which of the following is a framework for analyzing and designing jobs that identifies five primary core job dimensions, their interrelationships, and their impact on outcomes. A) relational perspective of work design B) job skill matrix C) job characteristics model D) job descriptive index
71. C
In the job characteristics model, ________ refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work. A) task significance B) skill variety C) autonomy D) task identity
72. D
In the job characteristics model, task significance refers to the degree to which a job ________. A) provides freedom, independence, and discretion to the individual in carrying out the work B) requires a variety of activities and uses a number of different employee skills and talents C) requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work D) has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people
73. D
In the job characteristics model, the dimension of ________ refers to the degree to which a job provides substantial freedom, independence, and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work and determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out. A) task significance B) autonomy C) task identity D) skill variety
74. B
According to the JCM, which three job characteristics are crucial to an employee experiencing meaningfulness of his or her work? A) autonomy, task identity, and task significance B) skill variety, task identity, and task significance C) autonomy, feedback, and task significance D) skill variety, autonomy, and feedback
76. B
According to the JCM, which job characteristic leads to an employee experiencing responsibility for outcomes of his or her work? A) task significance B) autonomy C) feedback D) skill variety
77. B
Research clearly indicates that the Theory Y manager is more effective in motivating employees than the Theory X manager.
5. false
Sarah is using the JCM to redesign jobs for her small team of writers. After carefully analyzing their jobs, she determines that while their jobs are high in skill variety, task identity, task significance, and autonomy, they receive little feedback about their work. Which of the following steps will enable Sarah to improve this aspect of their jobs? A) adding editing and proof-reading duties to their existing work B) allowing the writers to directly conduct business with their clients C) allowing writers to choose their topics and assignments D) making employees responsible for executing a piece of work from start to finish
79. B
According to the goal-setting theory, a generalized goal of "do your best" will produce a higher output than specific, challenging goals.
8. false
Which of the following needs is a lower order need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory? A) physiological B) esteem C) social D) self-actualization
31. A
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, ________ needs are predominantly satisfied externally while ________ needs are satisfied internally. A) social; physiological B) safety; self-actualization C) self-actualization; physiological D) social; safety
32. B
Theory X and Theory Y—two assumptions about human nature—were proposed by ________. A) Frederick Herzberg B) Douglas McGregor C) Abraham Maslow D) David McClelland
33. B
McGregor's Theory X assumes that employees ________. A) need to be closely controlled to work effectively B) enjoy work C) seek out and accept responsibility D) exercise self-direction
34. A
McGregor's Theory Y assumes that employees ________. A) have little ambition B) want to avoid responsibility C) enjoy work D) need to be closely controlled to work effectively
35. C
Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory proposes that ________. A) intrinsic factors cause job dissatisfaction B) extrinsic factors have the maximum effect on job satisfaction C) extrinsic factors are associated with job dissatisfaction D) intrinsic factors have little effect on job satisfaction
38. C
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following is a hygiene factor? A) recognition B) advancement C) working conditions D) responsibility
39. C
Which of the following is true about Herzberg's two-factor theory? A) Herzberg believed that the factors that led to job satisfaction were the same as those that led to job dissatisfaction. B) To motivate people, Herzberg suggested emphasizing the hygiene factors of a job. C) Herzberg's theory has influenced how we currently design jobs. D) According to Herzberg, removing dissatisfying characteristics from a job will invariably make that job more satisfying and motivating.
42. C
Which of the following are the three needs identified in the three-needs theory of motivation? A) need for affiliation, need for security, need for power B) need for achievement, need for power, need for affiliation C) need for power, need for achievement, need for safety D) need for power, need for safety, need for affiliation
45. B
According to the three-needs theory, the need for ________ is the drive to succeed and excel in relation to a set of standards. A) control B) affiliation C) power D) achievement
46. D
Which of the following needs identified in the three-needs theory has been researched the most? A) security B) affiliation C) power D) achievement
49. D
People with a high need for achievement ________. A) emphasize helping others accomplish their goals B) make good managers, especially in large organizations C) prefer moderately challenging goals D) emphasize the rewards of success
50. C
In jobs today, employees rely more and more on those around them for information, advice, and assistance." Which of the following approaches to job design best reflects this statement? A) the relational perspective of work design B) the job characteristics model C) the proactive perspective of work design D) high involvement work practices
80. A
The ________ of work design says that employees are taking the initiative to change how their work is performed. A) social model B) proactive perspective C) job characteristics model D) relational perspective
81. B
In the context of the reinforcement theory, reinforcers are ________. A) those consequences that immediately follow a behavior and increase the probability that the behavior will be repeated B) punishments or rewards that are given out for negative or positive employee behavior, respectively C) the specific, unambiguous goals that have been set for employees as a standard for measuring their performance D) the supervisors or managers who have the responsibility of monitoring and reinforcing desired employee behavior
63. A
Which of the following actions accurately reflects the reinforcement theory of motivation? A) A company's policy of cutting a day's pay if an employee reports to work later than 10.30 A.M. B) A company's policy of giving its sales staff cash coupons for exceeding their daily targets. C) A company initiating a process of job redesign to engage its employees better. D) A company setting specific and difficult goals and ensuring that employees accept them.
64. B
The way tasks are combined to form complete jobs is referred to as ________. A) job evaluation B) job rotation C) job design D) job specification
65. C
________ refers to the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated. A) Job scope B) Job depth C) Task significance D) Task identity
66. A
________ refers to the horizontal expansion of a job by increasing job scope, or the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated. A) Job enrichment B) Empowerment C) Job enlargement D) Job sharing
67. C
In the job characteristics model, the dimension of ________ refers to the degree to which doing work activities required by a job results in an individual obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance. A) task significance B) feedback C) task identity D) autonomy
75. B
According to the JCM, which job characteristic results in the employee knowing about the actual results of his or her work activities? A) task significance B) autonomy C) feedback D) skill variety
78. C
The equity theory proposes that ________. A) offering employees part of the company's shares, or equity, motivates them to do their best because their performance directly ties in with the company's B) employees expect that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to a certain level of performance and will be demotivated if that does not happen C) an employee compares his or her job's input-outcomes ratio with that of relevant others and then corrects any inequity D) employees are more likely to show initiative at work if they are more involved in decisions that affect their work
82. C
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, once a need is substantially satisfied, an individual is no longer motivated to satisfy that need.
3. true
Which of the following needs is a lower order need in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory? A) social B) esteem C) safety D) self-actualization
30. C
How can managers use the job characteristics model (JCM) to design jobs? Answer: The JCM provides specific guidance to managers for job design. These suggestions specify the types of changes that are most likely to lead to improvement in the five core job dimensions.
1. Combine tasks: Put fragmented tasks back together to form a new, larger work module (job enlargement) to increase skill variety and task identity. 2. Create natural work units: Design tasks that form an identifiable and meaningful whole to increase employee "ownership" of the work. Encourage employees to view their work as meaningful and important rather than as irrelevant and boring. 3. Establish client (external or internal) relationships: Whenever possible, establish direct relationships between workers and their clients to increase skill variety, autonomy, and feedback. 4. Expand jobs vertically: Vertical expansion gives employees responsibilities and controls that were formerly reserved for managers, which can increase employee autonomy. 5. Open feedback channels: Direct feedback lets employees know how well they're performing their jobs and whether their performance is improving or not.
The definition of motivation has three key elements: energy, direction, and persistence
1. true
Managers using reinforcement theory to motivate employees should ignore, not punish, undesirable behavior.
10. true
The term job design refers to the way tasks are combined to form complete jobs.
11. True
Making jobs smaller and more specialized is the most effective way of motivating employees.
12. false
Job enlargement refers to the horizontal expansion of a job by increasing job scope.
13. true
An enriched job allows workers to do an entire activity with increased freedom, independence, and responsibility.
14. true
In the job characteristics model, task significance refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.
15. false
According to the job characteristics model, combining fragmented tasks will help increase skill variety and task identity.
16. true
Recent research shows that distributive justice has a greater influence on employee satisfaction than procedural justice.
17. true
Research indicates that the desire for interesting work is important to almost all workers, regardless of national culture.
18. true
When considering how to motivate employees, it must be kept in mind that professionals tend to be focused on their work as their central life interest, whereas nonprofessionals typically have other interests outside of work that can compensate for needs not met on the job.
19. true
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, lower-order needs are predominantly satisfied internally while higher-order needs are satisfied externally.
2. false
Research indicates that, for the most part, pay-for-performance programs show positive results.
20. true
The ________ element in the definition of motivation is a measure of intensity, drive, and vigor. A) persistence B) conformance C) energy D) direction
21. C
The hierarchy of needs theory of motivation was proposed by ________, a psychologist who proposed that within every person is a hierarchy of five needs. A) Douglas McGregor B) Frederick Herzberg C) Abraham Maslow D) David McClelland
22. C
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, ________ needs form the lowest or foundational step in the hierarchy. A) social B) physiological C) esteem D) safety
23. B
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, when an employer provides his employees health insurance, he is taking care of their ________ needs. A) safety B) social C) self-actualization D) esteem
24. A
In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, when a company has a space where employees can meet during breaks and catch up with each other, the company is taking care of the employees' ________ needs. A) safety B) self-actualization C) social D) physiological
25. C
In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, when a company names an "Employee of the Month" and "Employee of the Quarter", the company is addressing employees' ________ needs. A) safety B) self-actualization C) esteem D) physiological
26. C
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, a person's needs for self-respect, autonomy, achievement, status, recognition, and attention constitute his ________ needs. A) safety B) physical C) social D) esteem
27. D
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, a person's needs for growth, achieving one's potential, and self-fulfillment, and the drive to become what one is capable of becoming constitute his or her ________ needs. A) physiological B) safety C) social D) self-actualization
28. D
Which of the following needs is the highest in Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory? A) safety needs B) self-actualization needs C) esteem needs D) social needs
29. B
Lorenzo, a sales executive at Opheus International, was identified early on as a high-achiever. His manager took a personal interest in his career and provided him good assignments and targeted training and development programs. However, after a couple of years, it was evident that Lorenzo was not living up to his potential. He was demotivated and dissatisfied with his job. Which of the following facts, if true, would explain Lorenzo's lack of motivation? A) His sales targets-set personally by him-were challenging but achievable for a person of his calibre in current market conditions. B) His manager used to have frequent meetings with him to let him know exactly how he was doing on his tasks and whether he was improving. C) Over the past year, he had been given the charge for developing a marketing plan for making inroads into a new market. D) Over the past year, he was moved into a supervisory position where his main responsibility was to provide leads and support to others in his team and to help achieve their targets.
52. D
According to the three-needs theory, the best managers tend to be ________. A) low in the need for affiliation B) low in the need for power C) high in the need for security D) high in the need for achievement
53. A
The three needs identified in the three-needs theory can be measured by using a projective test known as the ________ in which respondents react to a set of pictures. Each picture is briefly shown to a person who writes a story based on the picture. Trained interpreters then determine the individual's levels of nAch, nPow, and nAff from the stories written. A) House-Tree-Person Test B) Thematic Apperception Test C) Robert's Apperception Test D) Rorschach test
54. B
Goal-setting theory says that ________. A) goals should be loosely defined and moderately challenging to maximize motivation B) a generalized goal of "do your best" is likely to be most effective in ensuring high performance C) difficult goals, when accepted, result in higher performance than do easy goals D) to be effective, goals set should be easily achievable for the top performers
55. C
Jacob is Project Manager at a large software services company. In a bid to maximize his team's productivity, Jacob decides to follow the goal-setting theory. In line with the principles of the theory, he sets specific, difficult goals for all of his team members and ensures that they understand and accept the new standards. Which of the following facts, if true would undermine Jacob's strategy? A) Jacob's team is a virtual team that is spread across cities in the United States and they rely on various communication technology to collaborate on projects. B) Before he adopted the goal-setting approach, Jacob was following a system of providing his team indicative goals rather than specific ones. C) Jacob's team handles development projects that are critical to the company and is comprised largely of carefully selected high-achievers who excel at their work. D) Jacob's company has a horizontal organizational structure and an open and participatory management style.
56. C
Jacob is Project Manager at a large software services company. In a bid to maximize his team's productivity, Jacob decides to follow the goal-setting theory. In line with the principles of the theory, he sets specific, difficult goals for all of his team members and ensures that they understand and accept the new standards. Which of the following facts, if true would support Jacob's strategy? A) Jacob's company operates exclusively in the United States and has a policy of hiring from the local communities to ensure sensitivity to customer needs. B) Jacob is a Theory X manager who assumes that his team members must be monitored and controlled carefully. C) Jacob personally hand-picked high-achievers from other departments in the organization when forming his team. D) Jacob's company has a vertical organizational structure and a top-down decision-making approach.
57. A
The goal-setting theory states that ________. A) employee participation in goal-setting is not always necessary for ensuring performance B) self-generated feedback is largely ineffective as a motivator C) in order to maximize performance, goals must not be made public D) motivation is maximized by setting moderately challenging goals
58. A
Goal-setting theory assumes that an individual is committed to the goal. Commitment is most likely when ________. A) goals are assigned and not self-set B) goals are not made public C) the individual has an internal locus of control D) the individual has low self-efficacy
59. C
Frederick Herzberg found that when employees were dissatisfied, they tended to cite extrinsic factors arising from the job context such as company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relationships, and working conditions.
6. true
The goal-setting theory has the most value when ________. A) the individual is a high achiever B) the goals are assigned to the individual C) the individual has low self-efficacy D) the goals are made public
60. D
The goal-setting theory has most value in countries where ________. A) there is low uncertainity avoidance B) there is high power distance C) individuals are low in assertiveness D) subordinates are reasonably independent
61. D
________ theory says that behavior is a function of its consequences. A) Reinforcement B) Goal-setting C) Equity D) Two-factor
62. A
Polly was a dedicated employee and a team player who did whatever it took to meet her tough deadlines, including taking work home and putting in long hours at work. In order to express his appreciation and to keep her motivated, her manager gave her a 25 percent raise and commended her work at the quarterly team meeting. However, Polly soon began showing signs that she was not satisfied at work and eventually moved to a different company. Which of the following statements would explain this scenario? A) The manager had given each team member specific and challenging goals to help them maximize their performance. B) The raises and commendations were given out to the entire team, regardless of individual performance. C) Polly's manager had already indicated to her privately that she will be receiving a raise for her good work. D) Polly is a high achiever who values her personal achievements more than the trappings and rewards of success.
83. B
________ justice is the perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals. A) Distributive B) Restorative C) Retributive D) Procedural
84. A
In the expectancy theory, ________ is the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to a certain level of performance. A) expectancy B) valence C) instrumentality D) saliency
85. A
In the expectancy theory, ________ is the degree to which the individual believes that performing at a particular level is instrumental in attaining the desired outcome. A) expectancy B) valence C) performance-reward linkage D) effort-performance linkage
86. C
In the expectancy theory, ________ is the importance that the individual places on the potential outcome or reward that can be achieved on the job. A) expectancy B) valence C) instrumentality D) saliency
87. B
Which of the following is true about managing cross-cultural motivational challenges? A) Maslow's needs hierarchy largely remains unchanged across cultures. B) In masculine cultures such as Japan and Slovakia, the focus is on quality-of-life benefits. C) Recent evidence suggests that in collectivist cultures, especially in the former socialist countries, of Central and Eastern Europe, employees link pay solely to performance. D) Most current motivation theories were developed in the United States by Americans and about Americans.
88. D
Which of the following motivating factors or concepts is important to all workers, regardless of their national culture? A) extrinsic factors like pay B) need for achievement C) physiological needs as the foundational need in the needs hierarchy D) interesting work
89. D
Due to its emphasis on objectivity and specificity, the goal-setting theory holds across cultures
9. false
Which of the following is true about motivating unique groups of workers? A) Higher pay is the only reward that is important to low-skilled, minimum-wage employees. B) Flexible work arrangements have shown a strong link with high motivation levels. C) Money and promotions are typically low on the priority list of professionals. D) For most temp workers, the freedom they get from their temporary status is the main motivator.
90. C
________ is a motivational approach in which an organization's financial statements are shared with all employees. A) Pay-for-performance B) Self-determination approach C) Open-book management D) I-Change model
91. C
What does goal-setting theory tell us?
Answer: The goal-setting theory says that specific goals increase performance and that difficult goals, when accepted, result in higher performance than do easy goals. It says that working toward a goal is a major source of job motivation. Studies on goal setting have demonstrated that specific and challenging goals are superior motivating forces. Such goals produce a higher output than does the generalized goal of "do your best." The specificity of the goal itself acts as an internal stimulus. However, the conclusions of goal-setting theory apply to those who accept and are committed to the goals. Also, while participation is preferable to assigning goals when employees may resist difficult challenges, it is not always necessary for performance. Self-generated feedback has been shown to be a more powerful motivator than feedback coming from someone else. Three other contingencies besides feedback influence the goal-performance relationship: goal commitment, adequate self-efficacy, and national culture. First, commitment is most likely when goals are made public, when the individual has an internal locus of control, and when the goals are self-set rather than assigned. Next, self-efficacy 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 in a task. Finally, the value of goal-setting theory depends on the national culture. It's well adapted to North American countries because its main ideas align reasonably well with those cultures. Goal setting cannot be expected to lead to higher employee performance in countries where the cultural characteristics aren't like this.
What is open-book management? How is it effective in motivating appropriate employee behavior?
Many organizations of various sizes involve their employees in workplace decisions by opening up the financial statements (the "books"). They share that information so that employees will be motivated to make better decisions about their work and better able to understand the implications of what they do, how they do it, and the ultimate impact on the bottom line. The goal of open-book management is to get employees to think like an owner by seeing the impact their decisions have on financial results. Since many employees don't have the knowledge or background to understand the financials, they have to be taught how to read and understand the organization's financial statements. Once employees have this knowledge, however, managers need to regularly share the numbers with them. By sharing this information, employees begin to see the link between their efforts, level of performance, and operational results.
Felix is the COO of Eco Solutions, a large consulting firm which prides itself on its diverse workforce. The past year saw a significant increase in the amount of business that came Eco's way and most employees have had to put in extra effort to get all the work done. Sensing that a lot of employees were getting demotivated by the intense pressure, Felix announced an organization-wide salary hike of 20 percent and also increased the pay-for-performance component of salaries across the board. However, even after the move, many employees showed signs of dissatisfaction and several quit the company. What was the flaw in Felix's motivational approach?
Felix made the mistake of assuming that pay was the most important motivating factor for all employees in the diverse workforce at Eco Solutions. To maximize motivation among today's workforce, managers need to think in terms of flexibility. Managers need to recognize that what motivates a single mother with two dependent children who's working full time to support her family may be very different from the needs of a single part-time employee or an older employee who is working only to supplement his or her retirement income A diverse array of rewards is needed to motivate employees with such diverse needs. Many of the work-life balance programs that organizations have implemented are a response to the varied needs of a diverse workforce. In addition, many organizations have developed flexible work arrangements—such as telecommuting, compressed workweeks, flextime, and job sharing—that recognize different needs.
You work for a large retailer which hires large numbers of temp workers to help out in various departments during holidays and other high-volume periods. Getting these workers to perform well is a huge challenge for you. How can you motivate these workers and minimize their conflict with permanent employees?
For that small set of individuals who prefer the freedom of their temporary status, the lack of stability may not be an issue. However, for the most part, temporary employees are not temporary by choice, so we will need to look at what will motivate involuntarily temporary employees. An obvious answer is the opportunity to become a permanent employee. In cases in which permanent employees are selected from a pool of temps, the temps will often work hard in hopes of becoming permanent. A less obvious answer is the opportunity for training. The ability of a temporary employee to find a new job is largely dependent on his or her skills. If an employee sees that the job he or she is doing can help develop marketable skills, then motivation is increased. From an equity standpoint, when temps work alongside permanent employees who earn more and get benefits too for doing the same job, the performance of temps is likely to suffer. Separating such employees or perhaps minimizing interdependence between them might help managers counteract potential problems.
As manager of a large team of engineers, you notice that your team is falling short of its goals primarily because several team members are either not motivated to put in their best or are downright dissatisfied with their jobs. You have decided to follow Herzberg's two-factor theory to motivate your employees. What steps can you take to maximize motivation?
Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory (also called motivation-hygiene theory) proposes that intrinsic factors are related to job satisfaction, while extrinsic factors are associated with job dissatisfaction. Further, he argues that data suggested that the opposite of satisfaction was not dissatisfaction, as traditionally had been believed. Removing dissatisfying characteristics from a job would not necessarily make that job more satisfying (or motivating). Herzberg proposed that a dual continuum existed: The opposite of "satisfaction" is "no satisfaction," and the opposite of "dissatisfaction" is "no dissatisfaction." Following this theory, you can motivate employees who show no dissatisfaction by emphasizing motivators, the intrinsic factors having to do with the job itself. These factors include achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth. However, to motivate dissatisfied employees, the extrinsic factors associated with job dissatisfaction must first be addressed. These factors can include supervision, company policy, relationship with supervisor, working conditions, salary, relationship with peers, personal life, relationship with subordinates, status, and security. Once the dissatisfaction has been removed, you can maximize motivation by emphasizing the instrinsic factors.
The economic recession of the last few years saw employees at the receiving end of job insecurity, layoffs, tight budgets, minimal or no pay raises, benefit cuts, no bonuses, and long hours doing the work of those who had been laid off. Assuming that you were a manager during these difficult times, how would you motivate your employees?
In tough economic circumstances like the last recession, managers must be creative in keeping their employees' efforts energized, directed, and sustained toward achieving goals. They should look at ways to motivate employees that didn't involve money or that were relatively inexpensive. They can rely on actions such as holding meetings with employees to keep the lines of communication open and to get their input on issues; establishing a common goal, such as maintaining excellent customer service, to keep everyone focused; creating a community feel so employees could see that managers cared about them and their work; and giving employees opportunities to continue to learn and grow. And, of course, an encouraging word always goes a long way.
Explain the concepts of job enlargement and job enrichment with suitable examples and analyze their effectiveness in motivating employees.
Job enlargement refers to the horizontal expansion of a job by increasing job scope, or the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which these tasks are repeated. For instance, the job of an office assistant could be expanded so that apart from filing and documentation, he could also handle phone calls and visitors. In contrast, job enrichment is the vertical expansion of a job by adding planning and evaluating responsibilities. Job enrichment increases job depth, which is the degree of control employees have over their work. In other words, employees are empowered to assume some of the tasks typically done by their managers. Thus, an enriched job allows workers to do an entire activity with increased freedom, independence, and responsibility. In addition, workers get feedback so they can assess and correct their own performance. For instance, if office assistant had an enriched job, he could, in addition to filing and documentation, schedule appointments (planning) and follow up with clients and coworkers (evaluating). Most job enlargement efforts that focused solely on increasing the number of tasks don't seem to work. However, research has shown that knowledge enlargement activities (expanding the scope of knowledge used in a job) lead to more job satisfaction, enhanced customer service, and fewer errors. Also, although job enrichment may improve the quality of work, employee motivation, and satisfaction, research evidence has been inconclusive as to its usefulness.
Write a short essay on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, describing the various needs and describing how managers can use this theory to motivate employees.
Maslow was a psychologist who proposed that within every person is a hierarchy of five needs: 1. Physiological needs: A person's needs for food, drink, shelter, sex, and other physical requirements. 2. Safety needs: A person's needs for security and protection from physical and emotional harm, as well as assurance that physical needs will continue to be met. 3. Social needs: A person's needs for affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship. 4. Esteem needs: A person's needs for internal esteem factors such as self-respect, autonomy, and achievement and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and attention. 5. Self-actualization needs: A person's needs for growth, achieving one's potential, and self-fulfillment; the drive to become what one is capable of becoming. Maslow argued that each level in the needs hierarchy must be substantially satisfied before the next need becomes dominant. An individual moves up the needs hierarchy from one level to the next. In addition, Maslow separated the five needs into higher and lower levels. Physiological and safety needs were considered lower-order needs; social, esteem, and self-actualization needs were considered higher-order needs. Lower-order needs are predominantly satisfied externally while higher-order needs are satisfied internally. Managers using Maslow's hierarchy to motivate employees do things to satisfy employees' needs. But the theory also says that once a need is substantially satisfied, an individual is no longer motivated to satisfy that need. Therefore, to motivate someone, you need to understand what need level that person is on in the hierarchy and focus on satisfying needs at or above that level.
Define motivation and discuss the three elements of motivation.
Motivation refers to the process by which a person's efforts are energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal. This definition has three key elements: energy direction and persistence The energy element is a measure of intensity, drive, and vigor. A motivated person puts forth effort and works hard. However, the quality of the effort must be considered as well as its intensity. High levels of effort don't necessarily lead to favorable job performance unless the effort is channeled in a direction that benefits the organization. Effort that's directed toward, and consistent with, organizational goals is the kind of effort we want from employees. Finally, motivation includes a persistence dimension. We want employees to persist in putting forth effort to achieve those goals.
