OB Ch.6 Quiz

According to the goal-setting theory, actual performance is determined by the interaction of A. organizational support. B. goal-directed effort. C. individual abilities. D. appropriate goal difficulty level. E. All of these are correct.

All of these are correct

Which of the following is a purpose of an organizational reward system? A. Attract qualified employees B. Retain qualified employees C. Motivate qualified employees D. Satisfy employee needs E. All of these are correct.

All of these are correct

Which of the following methods can be used to enhance individual performance at work? A. Job design B. Employee participation C. Goal setting D. Performance management E. All of these are correct.

All of these are correct.

Which of the following statements describes variable work schedules? A. Employees can learn new skills as a result of variable work schedules. B. Employees recognize the value of motivation when they have variable work schedules. C. Employees have a say in critical decisions in the organization when they have variable work schedules. D. Employees grow resentful and powerless as a result of variable work schedules. E. Employees can organize their work behaviors when they have variable work schedules.

Employees grow resentful and powerless as a result of variable work schedules.

Why are flexible reward systems becoming an increasingly popular form of compensation systems? A. Employees value flexible reward systems and may develop strong loyalty and attachment to an employer who provides them. B. The flexible reward system allows the organization to trade off salary increases for benefit increases as ways of rewarding the employee. C. Flexible reward systems allow the organization to standardize the benefits package for all employees. D. Organizations get fewer benefits for their dollar than with standard approaches, but their employees are more satisfied. E. Flexible systems require less administrative time to develop and maintain than conventional approaches.

Employees value flexible reward systems and may develop strong loyalty and attachment to an employer who provides them.

Which of the following statements explains why 360-degree feedback is highly beneficial to managers? A. It gives managers a much wider range of feedback than traditional performance appraisals do. B. This type of feedback is performed more frequently than traditional methods of feedback. C. This form of feedback is the easiest to administer and is the most cost-efficient form of appraisal. D. It helps managers to be more aware of their employees' day-to-day performance. E. The feedback focuses on objective performance criteria.

It gives managers a much wider range of feedback than traditional performance appraisals do.

Which of the following is an example of a job design technique? A. Job enlargement B. Job realization C. Job creation D. Job equity E. Job expectancy

Job enlargement

Which of the following best describes the current view of job enrichment? A. Job enrichment continues to be a highly successful job design. B. Nearly all Fortune 500 companies use some form of job enrichment program. C. Job enrichment has been proven to increase performance but at the cost of lower satisfaction. D. Job enrichment has been proven to increase satisfaction but at the cost of lower performance. E. Job enrichment has recently fallen into disfavor among managers.

Job enrichment has recently fallen into disfavor among managers.

A company is open for business from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., five days a week, and it wants to hire two people to fill one forty-hour-per-week position at the company. Which of the following best describes an alternative work schedule that could suit this organization's circumstances? A. Job sharing B. Extended work schedule C. Alternative workplaces D. Job characteristics approach E. Compressed workweek

Job sharing

Allowing an employee to spend part of their time working off-site, usually at home, is called A. compressed workweek. B. flextime. C. job sharing. D. off-shoring. E. None of these are correct.

None of these are correct.

A successful MBO program starts with top managers establishing which of the following? A. Overall organizational goals B. Specific employee goals C. Very easy goals D. Very difficult goals E. None of these are correct.

Overall organizational goals

____ is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, according to the job characteristics theory. A. Task identity B. Task meaningfulness C. Task visibility D. Task recognition E. Task significance

Task identity

What is the primary use of performance appraisal information? A. To provide job performance feedback B. To develop training and development programs C. To provide support for human resource decision making D. To provide human resource planning information E. To allocate organizational rewards

To provide job performance feedback

Which theory serves as the basis for job enrichment? A. Equity theory B. Need theory C. Expectancy theory D. Maslow's hierarchy of needs E. Two-factor theory

Two-factor theory

Telecommuting is an example of an organization using A. seasonal employees. B. full-time employees C. part-time employees. D. alternative workplaces. E. alternative employees.

alternative workplaces.

An organization's compensation structure should A. be equitable and consistent. B. be transparent and available as public information. C. be developed in secrecy. D. be based on a low pay structure, compared to competitors. E. be based on interview data.

be equitable and consistent.

In exchange for employee contributions, an organization provides rewards such as pay and insurance benefits. These kinds of rewards are combined to create A. compensation packages. B. intangible compensation. C. symbolic rewards. D. system rewards. E. resource exchanges.

compensation packages.

When a construction worker decides to work additional hours on a typical workday so that he can have a three-day weekend, he is likely taking advantage of a __________ program. A. shortened workweek B. telecommuting C. flextime D. compressed workweek E. job sharing

compressed workweek

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently upheld a decision regarding pay secrecy that states that A. discussion of salaries is not a right protected under the National Labor Relations Act. B. employers cannot enforce a rule that forbids employees from discussing their salaries. C. state governments may not publicize the salaries of their employees. D. employers must keep all salary information secret. E. employers may openly discuss salary information but employees may not.

employers cannot enforce a rule that forbids employees from discussing their salaries.

Quality circles are an example of organizational attempts at A. applying reinforcement theory. B. OB modification. C. behavior modification. D. empowerment. E. motivational training.

empowerment.

Ending an employee's workday shortly after lunch on Friday because that individual reported to work early that day is an example of A. a shortened workweek. B. telecommuting. C. flextime. D. a compressed workweek. E. job sharing.

flextime.

Flextime is a work schedule arrangement that A. gives employees more personal control over the hours they work each day. B. allows workers to work a full forty-hour week in less than five days. C. allows workers to miss more than their normally allotted sick days. D. gives employees a say in deciding which hours a company is open for business. E. lets employees choose their days off in advance.

gives employees more personal control over the hours they work each day.

Expansions on goal-setting theory argue that goal-directed effort is a function of four goal attributes: goal acceptance, goal commitment, goal specificity and A. goal clarity. B. goal prevalence. C. goal importance. D. goal difficulty. E. goal attainability.

goal difficulty.

Participation occurs when employees A. work together in teams. B. have a voice in decisions about their own work. C. work closely with a mentor or supervisor. D. join a labor union or other employee association. E. become fully vested in a benefits program.

have a voice in decisions about their own work.

Goal setting can be motivating, especially if the individual employee A. will receive a monetary reward for accomplishing the goals. B. helps to set the goals. C. has already accomplished similar goals. D. feels the goal is very easy to achieve. E. None of these is correct.

helps to set the goals.

The following statements are key outcomes expected to result from the psychological states detailed in the job characteristics theory EXCEPT A. low absenteeism and turnover. B. high satisfaction with work. C. high-quality work performance. D. high profits for stockholders. E. high internal work motivation.

high profits for stockholders.

The problems encountered when implementing job rotation in the workplace include all of the following EXCEPT A. it is ineffective for training purposes. B. it doesn't increase workers' motivation. C. its increases in workers' interest are short-lived. D. it reduces efficiency. E. it maintains narrowly defined and routine work.

it is ineffective for training purposes.

The courts and Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines have mandated that performance measurements be based on A. age. B. sales quotas. C. industry standards. D. job-related criteria. E. competitive benchmarks.

job-related criteria

Job design can be used as a technique to increase employee A. motivation. B. appraisals. C. feedback. D. job integration. E. job difficulty.

motivation.

Organizations typically conduct performance appraisals A. when the employee asks for one. B. when the manager asks for one. C. quarterly. D. once a year. E. more frequently for older employees than for younger ones.

once a year.

Goal specificity is consistently related to A. competitors' profits. B. company image. C. performance. D. social responsibility. E. ethical behavior.

performance.

All of the following describe characteristics of employee benefits EXCEPT A. some organizations pay the entire cost of benefits. B. offering benefits became a standard component of compensation during World War II. C. some employees demand benefits through union bargaining. D. providing employee benefits is easier for firms in the United States than for firms in other countries. E. organizations are required by law to offer certain benefits.

providing employee benefits is easier for firms in the United States than for firms in other countries.

Empowerment will enhance organizational effectiveness under all the following conditions EXCEPT A. sincere efforts to spread power and autonomy to lower levels. B. commitment to maintain participation and empowerment. C. systematic efforts to empower workers. D. renewed concentration of authority in the hands of top managers. E. increased commitment to training.

renewed concentration of authority in the hands of top managers.

When a few employees are given a small reward to show that they are appreciated, the reward carries __________ value. A. symbolic B. tangible C. surface D. compensation E. intangible

symbolic

The most important issue regarding how to conduct a performance appraisal is A. whether pay is linked to performance. B. where the appraisal takes place. C. who does the appraisal. D. how long the meeting to discuss the appraisal lasts. E. whether rewards are offered after the appraisal is completed.

who does the appraisal.