Chapter 8 Practice Test

1) Relational job design relates to . A) periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level B) expansion of jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work C) distribution of a significant degree of power between subordinates and supervisors D) design of jobs and work so employees are motivated to promote the well-being of an organization's beneficiaries E) redistribution of power within the organization through work councils and board representations

1) D

What are the various dimensions of the job characteristics model?

1) J. Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham developed the job characteristics model (JCM), which proposes that we can describe any job in terms of five core job dimensions. These are explained below. a) Skill variety is the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent. b) Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work. c) Task significance is the degree to which a job affects the lives or work of other people. d) Autonomy is the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining the procedures in carrying it out. e) Feedback is the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about one's own performance.

Compare and contrast the benefits of intrinsic rewards, such as recognition, and extrinsic rewards, such as pay, as forms of motivation.

1) Organizations are increasingly recognizing that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are important. Rewards are intrinsic in the form of employee recognition programs and extrinsic in the form of compensation systems. Intrinsic rewards range from a spontaneous and private thank-you to widely publicized formal programs in which specific types of behavior are encouraged and the procedures for attaining recognition are clearly identified. Pay, an extrinsic reward, is not the primary factor driving job satisfaction; however, it does motivate people, and companies often underestimate its importance in keeping top talent. No matter how much recognition a top performer gets, he or she will be tempted to leave if the pay scale is much lower than the market and another offer arrives. Variable pay structures, such as bonuses, are often the best production motivators. When pay is tied to performance, the employee's earnings also recognize contribution rather than being a form of entitlement. Over time, low performers' pay stagnates, while high performers enjoy pay increases commensurate with their contributions. An obvious advantage of intrinsic rewards like recognition programs is that they are inexpensive since praise is free. However, they are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management. When applied to jobs for which performance factors are relatively objective, such as sales, recognition programs are likely to be perceived by employees as fair. However, in most jobs, the criteria for good performance aren't self-evident, which allows managers to manipulate the system and recognize their favorites. Abuse can undermine the value of recognition programs and demoralize employees.

Explain how participative management can enhance skill variety, task identity, and autonomy as described in the Job Characteristics Model (JCM).

1) Skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent, can be enhanced by participative management because it helps the employees view their tasks from a different perspective. It helps them understand why the management requires high productivity and efficiency from them. By learning to think differently, the employees learn different skills at the mental and relational levels. Task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, can be enhanced by participative management by allowing employees to make decisions on the spot without management approval. For example, the woman at the Wegman's bakery that convinced management to let her include a traditional family recipe in the product line will feel a much stronger sense of task identity. Autonomy, which is the freedom in determining work procedures and carrying them out, is enhanced by participative management because the employee is able to participate in the decision-making process. Having a voice in the process increases the sense of autonomy and control.

10) The pay plan has long been popular as a means of compensating production workers by paying a fixed sum for each unit of production completed. A) competency-based B) gainsharing C) profit-sharing D) piece -rate E) merit-based

10) D

2) Which of the following is not supported by studies in regard to profit-sharing plans? A) Profit-sharing plans are linked to higher levels of employee commitment. B) Profit-sharing plans appear to general a greater feeling of ownership. C) Profit-sharing plans create advanced levels of employee decision making. D) Profit-sharing plans appear to have positive impacts on employee attitudes. E) Organizations with profit-sharing plans have higher levels of profitability than those without them.

2) C

3) are groups of nominated or elected employees who must be consulted when management makes decisions about employees. A) Representative participants B) Telecommuters C) Board representatives D) Works councils E) Team representatives

3) D

4) Samantha Barnes is an emergency medical technician. Recently, during an emergency call, she was able to resuscitate a man who had a cardiac arrest. Subsequently, she spent some time calming the 12-year-old daughter of the patient and looked after her until the rest of the patient's family arrived at the hospital. Based on this description, it can be concluded that Samantha's job is high in . A) job rotation B) extrinsic rewards C) task identity D) task significance E) feedback

4) D

5) Which of the following statements is true regarding the job characteristics model? A) The operation of the model fulfills only extrinsic motivational needs. B) The operation of the model requires employees to have similar skill sets. C) The operation of the model cannot be quantitatively measured. D) The operation of the model is universal and unaffected by cultural factors. E) The operation of the model is relatively individualistic in nature.

5) E

6) Which of the following series of dimensions of the job characteristics model (JCM) combine to create meaningful work? A) skill variety, autonomy, and task significance B) autonomy, task identity, and feedback C) skill variety, task identity, and task significance D) skill variety, autonomy, and feedback E) feedback, task identity, and task significance

6) C

7) To be effective, an employee involvement program must . A) incorporate the unique demands of different cultures B) rightsize the company by eliminating obsolete positions C) mandatorily establish work councils in the company D) eliminate the influence of employees in managerial decision making E) implement autocratic ways of handling its employees

7) A

8) Representative participation is characterized by . A) joint decision making by employees and management B) only nonunion employees making the primary decisions in an organization C) one -way management decision making D) autocratic leadership behaviors E) redistribution of power within an organization

8) E

9) Which of the following represents a pay plan that rewards employees for recent performance rather than historical performance? A) cafeteria plans B) flexible benefits C) modular plans D) bonus E) base salary

9) D

1) John Dunker is one of the best firefighters in his squad, and he recently received an award for his outstanding performance. From this information, it may be concluded that John's job has low task significance.

FALSE

Almost all major corporations in the United States offer flexible benefit plans.

FALSE

Flexible benefits plans are available worldwide.

FALSE

Profit-sharing plans distribute compensation based subjectively on management's discretion

FALSE

The job characteristics model describes any job in terms of five core job dimensions, and these five dimensions are skill variety, task significance, recognition, reward, and feedback.

FALSE

The major advantage of flextime is that it can be used for all categories of jobs.

FALSE

The percentage of Canadian major corporations that offer flexible benefits plans is decreasing.

FALSE

Discuss the relationship between social and physical work context and employee satisfaction.

Research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run intrinsic incentives will retain good employees if the extrinsic incentives are competitive. The job characteristics model shows most employees are more motivated and satisfied when their intrinsic work tasks are engaging. However, having the most interesting workplace characteristics in the world may not always lead to satisfaction if you feel isolated from your co-workers. Having good social relationships can make even the most boring and onerous tasks more fulfilling. Research demonstrates that social aspects and work context are as important as other job design features The physical work context is also likely to affect employee satisfaction. Work that is hot, loud, and dangerous is less satisfying than work conducted in climate -controlled, relatively quiet, and safe environments. This is probably why most people would rather work in a coffee shop than a metalworking foundry. Physical demands make people physically uncomfortable, which is likely to show up in lower levels of job satisfaction.

1) Feedback is the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about one's own performance.

TRUE

Internal equity refers to the worth of the job to the organization.

TRUE

Jobs with high autonomy give workers a feeling of personal responsibility for the results.

TRUE

Describe telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement.

Telecommuting refers to working at home at least two days a week on a computer linked to the employer's office. This strategy suits three categories of jobs: routine information-handling tasks, mobile activities, and professional and other knowledge -related tasks. The advantages of telecommuting include a larger labor pool from which to select, higher productivity, less turnover, improved morale, and reduced office -space costs. A positive relationship exists between telecommuting and supervisor performance ratings. The major drawback for management is less direct supervision of employees. In today's team-focused workplace, telecommuting may make it more difficult to coordinate teamwork and can reduce knowledge transfer in organizations.