HRM ch 12,13, and 14

Who among the following has a relatively low-stress job? A firefighter A dietician A military general A commercial airline pilot

A dietician

Under which of the following plans does an organization pay an employee a certain amount of money for every unit he or she produces? A piece-rate incentive plan The merit-pay plan The Scanlon plan A gainsharing plan

A piece-rate incentive plan

Which of the following is a set of expected behaviors associated with a position in a group or organization? A role Ethnocentrism Job embeddedness A task

A role

Which of the following factors is associated with high levels of intrinsic motivation at work? A sense of self-determination Fear of punishment A promotion Monetary reinforcement

A sense of self-determination

Which of the following is a group-based incentive system? A knowledge-based pay plan A skill-based pay plan A stock-purchase plan A piece-rate incentive plan

A stock-purchase plan

In the context of agency theory, which of the following is a difference between agents and principals? Agents are the owners of a business, whereas principals are the managers of a business. Agents take risks when they make decisions, whereas principals do not take risks. Agents are less likely than principals to focus on a short time horizon. Agents often have more information about the day-to-day business than do principals.

Agents often have more information about the day-to-day business than do principals.

In the context of the consequences of stress at work, which of the following is a general feeling of exhaustion that develops when an individual simultaneously experiences too much pressure and too few sources of satisfaction? Burnout Turnover Absenteeism Hardiness

Burnout

Identify a true statement about motivation. Motivation at work is a critical determinant of what will occur on the job. Most theories of motivation are concerned primarily with intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation increases when extrinsic rewards are introduced. Any level of performance on any task is solely a function of motivation.

Motivation at work is a critical determinant of what will occur on the job.

In the context of the causes of stress at work, which of the following is a physical demand stressor? Leadership style Security Ambiguity Office design

Office design

Which of the following statements is true of performance-based rewards? The most general form of a merit-pay plan is to reward the individual performance of employees on a real-time basis. Performance appraisal has the most meaning to employees if it is subsequently connected with a reward such as a salary increase. Incentive compensation systems are among the most recent forms of performance-based rewards. Incentive compensation systems work best in situations that involve ambiguous performance indicators.

Performance appraisal has the most meaning to employees if it is subsequently connected with a reward such as a salary increase.

In the context of agency theory, identify a true statement about agents. They always behave in ways that are consistent with the goals of the owners. They have less information about the day-to-day business than do principals. They are less likely than principals to focus on a short time horizon. They are less likely than principals to take risks when they make decisions.

They are less likely than principals to take risks when they make decisions.

Which of the following is an alternative work site arrangement in which employees may do almost all of their work at home and may receive assignments electronically? A flexible work hour plan Flextime A compressed workweek Telecommuting

Telecommuting

In the context of the causes of stress at work, which of the following is a physical demand stressor? Group pressure Job security Temperature Overload

Temperature

In the context of personality types, which of the following statements is true of Type A personalities and Type B personalities? Type B personalities are more aggressive than Type A personalities. Type B personalities are more competitive than Type A personalities. Type B personalities are more patient than Type A personalities. Type B personalities are more focused on their work than Type A personalities.

Type B personalities are more patient than Type A personalities.

Which of the following acts was passed in 1970 and is the most comprehensive law regarding worker safety? The Health and Safety at Work Act The Occupational Safety and Health Act The Industrial Safety and Health Act The Workplace Safety and Health Act

The Occupational Safety and Health Act

In the context of the differences in how one experiences stress, which of the following is characterized as being less aggressive and more easygoing? The Type A personality The Type B personality Machiavellianism Dysfunctional behavior

The Type B personality

Which of the following is an alternative to job specialization that takes into account the work system and employee preferences? The job enlargement approach Job shadowing The job characteristics approach Employee outsourcing

The job characteristics approach

In the context of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following best describes an individual's self-actualization need? The need for food or water The need to have a safe and secure environment The need to reach one's personal potential The need to have a positive view of oneself

The need to reach one's personal potential

Goal theory suggests that: goals should be qualifiable rather than quantifiable. impossible goals are the most effective in motivating employees. employees are most motivated by vague and undefined goals. employees will exert the greatest effort when they have specific, difficult goals to work toward.

employees will exert the greatest effort when they have specific, difficult goals to work toward.

In the context of goal theory, which of the following is required for goals to be effective? Employees must not be involved in the goal-setting process. Employees must accept goals as their own. Goals should not be difficult and specific. Goals should be impossible in nature.

Employees must accept goals as their own.

Which of the following statements is true of turnover in an organization? It is likely to be caused by a poor person-job fit. It is an organizational stressor. It occurs when people relocate to a different branch of the same company. It is a result of increased job embeddedness.

It is likely to be caused by a poor person-job fit.

Identify a true statement about expectancy theory. It is a need-based theory of motivation. It is a simple theory from a cognitive perspective. It deals with the actual relationships between the components in the model. It is used to estimate the force operating on an employee to increase her or his effort.

It is used to estimate the force operating on an employee to increase her or his effort.

Which of the following is the most basic form of incentive compensation? Merit pay A sales commission Profit sharing A stock-option plan

Merit pay

Identify a true statement about motivation and needs. Money has the potential to satisfy all the needs proposed by Maslow and Alderfer. Motivation at work is a small determinant of what will occur on the job. Need-based theories adequately explain human motivation and its causes. Most people fulfill their self-actualization needs by earning vast amounts of money.

Money has the potential to satisfy all the needs proposed by Maslow and Alderfer.

Which of the following statements is true in the context of ERG theory? Clayton Alderfer suggested that people always march neatly up a hierarchy. ERG theory suggests that everyone is motivated by the same set of requirements at any one time. Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent. ERG theory is concerned with how a person becomes motivated to perform in a certain way.

Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent.

Who among the following managers is most likely to be effective at providing performance feedback? Meena, who focuses exclusively on the negative aspects of the performance of her subordinates Daniel, who focuses on providing developmental feedback targeted at his subordinates' behavior Emily, who focuses exclusively on the effective performance of her employees Farhan, who focuses on each employee's character rather than on the employee's work quality

Daniel, who focuses on providing developmental feedback targeted at his subordinates' behavior

Which of the following statements is true in the context of goal theory? Goal theory suggests that all goals are created equal. Difficult goals are preferable to easy goals. Goal theory suggests that employees are most motivated by vague and unspecific goals. Impossible goals are the most effective in motivating employees.

Difficult goals are preferable to easy goals.

In the context of need-based theories of motivation, which of the following theories identifies motivators and hygiene factors as two sets of conditions at work that can satisfy needs? Social learning theory Expectancy theory Dual factor theory Equity theory

Dual factor theory

In the context of need-based theories of motivation, which of the following theories involves two levels of needs and allows for a person to regress from a higher-level need to a lower-level need? VIE theory ERG theory Equity theory Reinforcement theory

ERG theory

Who among the following individuals is most likely to be susceptible to occupational health hazards? Rosario, who has to climb a set of metal steps to enter her office Sally, who works in a manufacturing company where equipment is arranged in a random manner Robert, who has a congested workstation Edwin, who works for a company that manufactures pesticides

Edwin, who works for a company that manufactures pesticides

Which of the following is an important ingredient in controlling accidents at work? Employee training Job embeddedness Disability insurance Ethnocentrism

Employee training

Which of the following statements is true of the influence of the physical work environment on individuals? The use of music in the workplace has no significant effect on employee attitudes and performance. Employees who work on rotating shifts are better able to establish a new biological rhythm than those who do not. Studies suggest that changes in the level of illumination have the strongest effect on the attitudes of employees. Employees who perceive their work environment as dark are generally less satisfied with their jobs.

Employees who perceive their work environment as dark are generally less satisfied with their jobs.

Which of the following options refers to a person's perception of the probability that an increase in effort will result in an increase in performance? Valence Instrumentality Expectancy Dissonance

Expectancy

In reinforcement theory, identify the schedule in which the number of times a behavior must occur before it is rewarded remains constant over time. Fixed interval schedules Variable interval schedules Fixed ratio schedules Variable ratio schedules

Fixed ratio schedules

In the context of alternative work schedules, which of the following are plans in which employees usually must work 40 hours per week and, typically, 5 days a week in the office but in which they have control over the starting and ending times for work on each day? Flexible work hour plans Compressed workweeks Home work programs Part-time work plans

Flexible work hour plans

Which of the following is a team- and group-based incentive system that is designed to split the cost savings from productivity improvements with employees? Gainsharing Profit sharing A fixed incentive system A sales commission

Gainsharing

Which of the following statements is true of expectancy theory? It is a need-based theory of motivation. It is a simple theory from a cognitive perspective. It deals with the actual relationships between the components in the model. It is concerned with three components and the links among them.

It is concerned with three components and the links among them.

Which of the following is a difference between gainsharing and profit-sharing incentive systems? Gainsharing is a group incentive system, whereas profit sharing is an individual incentive system. Gainsharing involves distributing savings among all the employees in a company, whereas profit sharing involves distributing savings among the members of a specific team. Gainsharing involves sharing cost savings from productivity improvements with employees, whereas profit sharing involves distributing a portion of a company's gains to all employees. Gainsharing is independent of a team's performance, whereas profit sharing is specific to the contributions of a work group.

Gainsharing involves sharing cost savings from productivity improvements with employees, whereas profit sharing involves distributing a portion of a company's gains to all employees.

In the context of evaluating performance-enhancement programs, which of the following is a human resource indicator? Stock price Return on investment General labor cost Market share

General labor cost

In the context of common workplace hazards, which of the following refers to a shield or other piece of equipment that keeps body parts from contacting moving machine parts such as gears and conveyor belts? Shearing Milling Tooling Guarding

Guarding

Which of the following refers to an individual difference that allows some individuals to experience less stress when dealing with stressful events and that makes them more effective in dealing with the stress they do experience? Disenchantment Sacralization Hardiness Apathy

Hardiness

In the context of workplace security, which of the following is designed to make sure that an employee can afford the medical services he or she may require? An employee-development plan An employee assistance program Unemployment insurance Health insurance

Health insurance

Which of the following statements is an important aspect of Clayton Alderfer's ERG theory? In ERG theory, Abraham Maslow's three categories of needs are expanded into five categories of needs. According to ERG theory, people always march neatly up the hierarchy of needs. According to ERG theory, only one level of need is capable of motivating behavior at any given time. In ERG theory, Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent.

In ERG theory, Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent.

Which of the following statements is true of turnover as an organizational consequence of stress? It occurs when an employee feigns a legitimate cause as an excuse to stay home for a day. It adds to the costs of an organization, especially when replacing productive workers. It occurs when people relocate to a different branch of the same company. It is a result of increased job embeddedness.

It adds to the costs of an organization, especially when replacing productive workers.

In the context of cybersecurity, which of the following statements is true of Planning Tool for Resource Integration, Synchronization and Management (PRISM)? It can intentionally access information about American citizens. It can access information about American citizens when information is collected incidentally as part of a sweep of information about a foreign operative. It helps the secretary of homeland security facilitate national efforts to protect sensitive information from cyberthreats. It is a tool used to ensure good cyberhygiene in terms of computer-usage policies.

It can access information about American citizens when information is collected incidentally as part of a sweep of information about a foreign operative.

Which of the following statements is true of firm-level performance? It determines a firm's stock price. There is strong evidence to support the idea that improved individual-level performance translates into improved firm-level performance. It is exclusively used to indicate the chances of a firm's short-term survival. The most basic level of performance in any firm is that of the firm itself, and this is the level that most people find easiest to conceptualize.

It determines a firm's stock price.

Which of the following statements is true of the stock-purchase plans offered by a company? It is offered only to the senior managers and the top executives of the company. It is used more as a performance incentive than as a retention tool. It is an individual incentive system. It is applicable to employees only if they remain with the company for a specified period of time.

It is applicable to employees only if they remain with the company for a specified period of time.

Which of the following statements is true of the productivity measurement and evaluation system (ProMES)? It is based on a model of motivation similar to expectancy theory. It is exclusively aimed at improving individual-level productivity. It relies on intrinsic rewards, such as job satisfaction, employee contentment, and a sense of meaningfulness, to motivate employees. It posits that the relationship between performance and attaining outcomes is irrelevant in productivity measurement and evaluation.

It is based on a model of motivation similar to expectancy theory.

Which of the following statements is true of information technology being a cause of stress at work? It results in information overload. It decreases organizational flexibility in sharing information. It adversely impacts coordination among employees. It reduces communication among people.

It results in information overload.

Identify a true statement about performance feedback. It should be provided annually rather than on a daily or weekly basis. It should follow a nondevelopmental approach. It should involve one-way communication, with the manager as the initiator. It should focus on both effective and ineffective performance.

It should focus on both effective and ineffective performance.

Which of the following was developed to increase the total number of tasks workers perform based on the assumption that doing the same basic task over and over is the primary cause of worker dissatisfaction? Job enlargement Job rotation Job shadowing Employee offshoring

Job enlargement

Which of the following poses a workplace hazard that may cause accidents? Bright lighting at the workplace Horizontal layout of office space Loose clothing of employees Elevators in the office building

Loose clothing of employees

Which of the following statements is true of enhancing organizational performance? Performance appraisal and performance management interventions have been proven to improve firm-level performance drastically. The most basic level of performance is at the team level. Performance in any organization exists at multiple levels. There is strong evidence to support the idea that improving individual-level performance will directly lead to improvements in firm-level performance.

Performance in any organization exists at multiple levels.

In Maslow's theory, identify the specific needs that are capable of motivating behavior at any given point in time. Comparative needs Prepotent needs Normative needs Anticipated needs

Prepotent needs

Which of the following options reinforces behavior as a function of how many times it occurs? Fixed interval schedule Variable interval schedule Continuous schedule Ratio schedule

Ratio schedule

Which of the following process theories, usually associated with B. F. Skinner, proposes that all behavior is a function of its consequences? Reinforcement theory ERG theory VIE theory Dual factor theory

Reinforcement theory

In the context of evaluating performance-enhancement programs, which of the following is an explicit financial indicator? Return on investment General labor cost Turnover rate Accident rate

Return on investment

In the context of the causes of stress at work, which of the following is a task demand that can cause stress? Leadership style Group pressure Ambiguity Security

Security

Which of the following is a person's adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on him or her? Exhaustion Conflict Stress Turnover

Stress

Which of the following arrangements allows organizations to use the services of individuals who may not be able to work at a given site? A compressed workweek Telecommuting Job shadowing A flexible work hour plan

Telecommuting

Which of the following statements is true of the safety standards created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)? They are published and disseminated to employers across the United States. They are enforced by the Department of Health. They focus solely on reducing accidents at the workplace. They are revised every 5 years by OSHA inspectors.

They are published and disseminated to employers across the United States.

Which of the following statements is true of people who work in rotational shifts? They are less likely to have ulcers than other workers. They can never establish a new biological rhythm for sleep. Their bodies easily find equilibrium. They manage their work environment more effectively than other workers.

They can never establish a new biological rhythm for sleep.

Which of the following statements is true of stock-based incentive programs? They are more typically used with hourly employees rather than with executive employees. They result in a line-of-sight problem among employees. They are individual incentive programs. They have special problems because employees' incentives are tied to the price of their organization's stock.

They have special problems because employees' incentives are tied to the price of their organization's stock.

Identify a true statement about compressed workweeks. They require employees to work at least 5 days a week. They exempt employees from working the required number of hours a week. They may affect some social aspects of a job. They are related to decreased accidents in all settings.

They may affect some social aspects of a job.

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of fixed ratio schedules? They result in the lowest productivity. They are the least resistant to extinction. They produce less consistent levels of behavior than do variable ratio schedules. They result in lower levels of behavior than do fixed interval schedules.

They produce less consistent levels of behavior than do variable ratio schedules.

Which of the following statements defines health hazards? They refer to the stressors associated with the specific job a person performs. They refer to the elements of the work environment that more slowly and systematically, and perhaps cumulatively, result in damage to an employee's health. They are a set of expected behaviors associated with a position in a group or organization. They are a set of general feelings of exhaustion that develop when a healthy individual experiences too much pressure and too few sources of satisfaction.

They refer to the elements of the work environment that more slowly and systematically, and perhaps cumulatively, result in damage to an employee's health.

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of ratio schedules? They are less resistant to extinction than continuous schedules. They result in higher levels of behavior than do interval schedules. They result in lesser productivity than do interval schedules. They involve a shorter amount of learning time than continuous schedules.

They result in higher levels of behavior than do interval schedules.

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of variable ratio schedules? They involve the shortest amount of learning time. They are the least resistant to extinction. They result in the highest productivity. They result in the lowest levels of behavior.

They result in the highest productivity.

Identify a true statement about faith-based businesses. They tend to be publicly owned. They offer benefit packages that extend coverage to same-sex partners of their employees. They provide meagre compensation to their employees. They tend to be closed on Sunday.

They tend to be closed on Sunday.

In the context of reinforcement theory, who among the following writers has his or her work behavior reinforced using a fixed interval schedule? Walda, who is paid $100 every week irrespective of the number of articles she writes Zaiba, who is paid $30 for every five articles she writes Ben, for whom the duration between each payment varies depending on the project Ravi, for whom the number of articles to be completed in order to receive a payment varies depending on the project

Walda, who is paid $100 every week irrespective of the number of articles she writes

Which of the following statements is true of the differences in how employees experience stress? Type B personalities experience more stress than Type A personalities. Men are more likely to be absent from work because of stress-related problems than women. Type A personalities are more easygoing than Type B personalities. Women are more likely to experience stress at work than men.

Women are more likely to experience stress at work than men.

In the context of agency theory, agents are more likely than principals to focus on: a long time horizon because they always work for a firm in the long run. a long time horizon because they have less information about the day-to-day business than do principals. a short time horizon because it is usually easier to affect firm performance in the short run. a short time horizon because it is easy for principals to monitor all the decisions made by the agents.

a short time horizon because it is usually easier to affect firm performance in the short run.

In the context of work teams, if work is designed to be done by teams, then _____. there is less likelihood of shirking it becomes easy to motivate employees who exert exceptional effort all rewards must be based on team performance it becomes easy to reward individuals in true teamwork settings

all rewards must be based on team performance

Unlike stock-option plans, stock-purchase plans: are typically offered to the executives of a firm. are typically offered to all the employees of a firm. lack effectiveness as they are useful only so long as the price of the stock is rising. do not require employees to remain with a company for a specified period of time to be entitled to the stock.

are typically offered to all the employees of a firm.

In the context of stress, the opposite of overload is undesirable because it results in _____. tension anxiety boredom distress

boredom

The process of generating new and useful ideas concerning new products, services, manufacturing methods, and administrative processes is characterized as _____. valence dissonance instrumentality creativity

creativity

In almost every organization offering flexible work hour plans, the time of the day during which every employee must be at work is called _____. down time core time flextime overtime

core time

Home work programs include arrangements that are often referred to as _____. housing industries chartered businesses cottage industries regulatory businesses

cottage industries

Process theories of motivation _____. focus on how people become motivated and what they are motivated to do focus on what motivates a person explain all aspects of motivation suggest that methods such as reinforcement and punishment cannot be used to motivate people

focus on how people become motivated and what they are motivated to do

In the context of the causes of stress at work, group pressures, leadership style, and conflicting personalities are categorized as _____. task demands physical demands role demands interpersonal demands

interpersonal demands

Many experts believe that the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) is not effective because: its standards are too comprehensive. its standards lack clarity. it releases highly specific standards that are seldom applicable to all industries. it brings in a completely new set of standards for all industries each year.

its standards are too comprehensive.

In the context of performance-based rewards, the most general form of a merit-pay plan is to: contribute some portion of the company's profits to a profit-sharing pool. share the cost savings from productivity improvements with employees. provide annual salary increases to employees based on the relative value of their contributions to their organization. reward the individual performance of employees on a real-time basis rather than by increasing their base salary at the end of a fiscal year.

provide annual salary increases to employees based on the relative value of their contributions to their organization.

When underpayment inequity is perceived, an employee will most likely: reduce his or her inputs. decrease his or her outcomes. feel that any effort will be fairly rewarded. exert effort at work.

reduce his or her inputs.

One important approach to controlling accidents at work is to design more security into the workplace through a process called _____. hardiness stress management safety engineering burnout

safety engineering

A minor explosion occurs at the chemical processing plant of Clement Inc. In order to study the situation and make recommendations for improvements in the plant design to avoid such accidents in future, the company sends a team of experts from its headquarters. These experts analyze the reasons for the accident, identify potential hazards, and suggest measures that the firm can take to protect its employees. In the given scenario, the experts sent to the chemical processing plant are known as _____. safety engineers inspection officers gatekeepers headhunters

safety engineers

If a person experiences psychological consequences of stress, he or she is most likely to: suffer from frequent headaches. take up smoking as a means to relieve stress. sleep too much or not sleep enough. have skin conditions such as acne.

sleep too much or not sleep enough.

The typical form of the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) involves a company: offering restricted stock plans to all its employees, with the aim of retaining these employees rather than rewarding their individual performance. taking out a loan, which is then used to buy a portion of the company's stock in the open market, with the purpose of gradually giving employees a major stake in the ownership of the company. offering shares of stock to its employees only if they remain with the company for a specified period of time. providing its employees with an option to buy its stock in the future at a predetermined fixed price.

taking out a loan, which is then used to buy a portion of the company's stock in the open market, with the purpose of gradually giving employees a major stake in the ownership of the company.

Punishment and positive reinforcement work best when: intrinsic motivation is used. extinction is used. there is a strong link between behavior and consequences. a behavior is followed by no consequences.

there is a strong link between behavior and consequences.

In the context of VIE theory, which of the following components refers to how attractive or unattractive an outcome is for a person? expectancy instrumentality valence dissonance

valence

In the context of reinforcement theory, schedules in which the amount of time that must pass before a reward is given can change from one reward period to another are termed: fixed interval schedules. variable interval schedules. fixed ratio schedules. variable ratio schedules.

variable interval schedules.