MGMT 2115 Chapter 13 Concept Quiz

Which of the following theories addresses potential conflicts of interests among different groups of stakeholders in an organization? a. Agency theory b. ERG theory c. Expectancy theory d. VIE theory

a. Agency theory

From the perspective of an HR manager, which of the following statements is true of a partial reinforcement schedule? a. An employee takes longer to learn the desired behavior under a partial reinforcement schedule as compared to a continuous reinforcement schedule. b. An interval schedule results in higher levels of desirable behavior than a ratio schedule. c. A continuous reinforcement schedule is more resistant to extinction than any partial reinforcement schedule. d. A fixed ratio schedule produces more consistent levels of behavior than a variable ratio schedule.

a. An employee takes longer to learn the desired behavior under a partial reinforcement schedule as compared to a continuous reinforcement schedule.

Which of the following statements is a similarity between expectancy theory and reinforcement theory? a. Both recommend strengthening of the links between performance and gaining valued outcomes. b. Both undermine the importance of selecting the right employees for the job. c. Both suggest that the response a person makes to a stimulus is independent of what he or she expects will happen. d. Both propose that behavior is independent of its consequences.

a. Both recommend strengthening of the links between performance and gaining valued outcomes

Which of the following statements best defines motivation? a. It represents the forces operating on a person to exert effort, as well as the direction in which that effort will be exerted. b. It involves focusing one's consciousness on a particular stimulus. c. It is the determinant of the relative importance of various personal factors that predict a person's ability to perform a job effectively. d. It includes being aware of one's thoughts, feelings, actions, and memories.

a. It represents the forces operating on a person to exert effort, as well as the direction in which that effort will be exerted.

Which of the following statements is true of reinforcement theory? a. It suggests that the response a person makes to a stimulus is a function of what he or she expects will happen. b. It suggests that everyone calculates the ratio of inputs to outcomes, similar to the way one would consider a return on any investment. c. It proposes that behavior does not depend on its consequences. d. It is not effective in work settings.

a. It suggests that the response a person makes to a stimulus is a function of what he or she expects will happen

Which of the following refers to a situation in which a behavior is followed by negative consequences and so is not repeated? a. Punishment b. Valence c. Extinction d. Instrumentality

a. Punishment

In the context of agency theory, which of the following statements is true of agents? a. Their livelihood tends to depend on the business being successful. b. Their behaviors are always consistent with the goals of the owners. c. They are less likely than principals to focus on a short time horizon. d. They are more likely than principals to take risks when they make decisions.

a. Their livelihood tends to depend on the business being successful.

When a supervisor works to simultaneously eliminate undesired behavior and reward desired behavior, it is known as _____. a. behavior modification b. positive behavior c. behavioral response d. behavior extinction

a. behavior modification

In the context of reinforcement theory, extinction occurs when a behavior is: a. followed by no consequences. b. continuously reinforced. c. followed by negative consequences. d. partially reinforced.

a. followed by no consequences.

In the context of expectancy theory, employees are less likely to increase effort if: a. increased performance is canceled out by negative outcomes. b. outcomes are positively correlated with performance. c. performance is likely to improve because of effort. d. a desired outcome is obtained through increased effort.

a. increased performance is canceled out by negative outcomes.

Sonia, a sales executive at Westrek Inc., is specific about what she wants from her workplace. She wants to be part of an environment that is free from workplace harassment. In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this scenario illustrates Sonia's _____. a. security needs b. physiological needs c. esteem needs d. self-actualization needs

a. security needs

Which of the following best defines creative behavior? a. It refers to the need to reach one's personal potential. b. It involves doing things at work that are innovative and provide some value for an organization. c. It is the motivation to do work because it is interesting, engaging, or possibly challenging. d. It is concerned with a person's perceived inputs to a work setting and the outcomes received from that setting.

b. It involves doing things at work that are innovative and provide some value for an organization.

Which of the following statements best defines goal theory? a. It is a motivation model that addresses potential conflicts of interests among the different goals of stakeholders in an organization. b. It is a motivation model based on the premise that people with goals work harder than people without goals. c. It is a motivation model that suggests that all goals are created equal. d. It suggests that difficult goals are least likely to motivate employees.

b. It is a motivation model based on the premise that people with goals work harder than people without goals.

Identify a true statement about intrinsic motivation. a. It requires an external agent to administer a reward. b. It is associated with feelings that one's skills are being utilized. c. It involves monetary or materialistic rewards. d. It is associated with a sense of low self-determination at work.

b. It is associated with feelings that one's skills are being utilized.

Which of the following statements is true of ERG theory? a. It suggests that everyone is motivated by the same set of requirements at any one time. b. It substituted three levels of needs for Maslow's five levels of needs. c. It is concerned with how a person becomes motivated to perform in a certain way. d. It suggested that people always move up the hierarchy of needs.

b. It substituted three levels of needs for Maslow's five levels of needs.

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of fixed interval schedules? a. They involve the shortest amount of learning time. b. They result in the lowest productivity when compared to other partial reinforcement schedules. c. They produce more consistent levels of behavior than variable interval schedules. d. They are the most resistant to extinction when compared to other partial reinforcement schedules.

b. They result in the lowest productivity when compared to other partial reinforcement schedules.

Raymond, an employee at Wiztech Inc., calculates the ratio of his inputs to the outcomes he gets from the organization. Once he calculates this ratio, he tries to determine if this ratio is fair by comparing it to that of his peer. In the context of process theories of motivation, Raymond is most likely using _____. a. goal theory b. equity theory c. agency theory d. conflict theory

b. equity theory

Mike, a sales representative, wants to become a sales manager. To become a manager, he ensures that he works harder and performs better than his competitors. In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this scenario illustrates Mike's _____. a. security needs b. esteem needs c. social needs d. physiological needs

b. esteem needs

The links among the three components, namely effort, performance, and outcomes, are central to _____. a. ERG theory b. expectancy theory c. goal theory d. agency theory

b. expectancy theory

In the context of motivation and needs, Maslow's theory is useful because it: a. establishes that the level of performance on any task is the sole function of motivation. b. focuses on needs and suggests that not everyone would be motivated by the same set of needs at any one time. c. segregates needs into three fundamental levels and allows for multiple levels of needs to be prepotent. d. focuses on how motivation occurs rather than on what motivates a person.

b. focuses on needs and suggests that not everyone would be motivated by the same set of needs at any one time.

Donna trained to be a doctor because she wanted to serve the underprivileged people and not because she wanted to enjoy the monetary and social privileges associated with being a doctor. In this scenario, Donna most likely chose her profession because of _____. a. countertransference b. intrinsic motivation c. extrinsic motivation d. counterconditioning

b. intrinsic motivation

In the context of reinforcement theory, a stimulus is: a. the behavior that we exhibit in reaction to a change in the environment. b. something in the environment that cues us about a behavior. c. the consequence that follows a response. d. an action performed automatically as a response to an environmental cue.

b. something in the environment that cues us about a behavior.

The employees of Vinvac Inc. are promoted annually. However, the time between two consecutive promotions is not constant. In this scenario, Vinvac Inc. promotes its employees based on a _____. a. fixed ratio schedule b. variable ratio schedule c. fixed interval schedule d. variable interval schedule

b. variable interval schedule

Which of the following statements is true of the various theories of motivation? a. All of them suggest that performances and outcomes are not directly related. b. They always make different predictions about a situation that could not be easily resolved. c. A few of the theories conflict with each other. d. All of them deal with the same aspect of the motivational process.

c. A few of the theories conflict with each other.

In the context of partial reinforcement, which of the following statements is a difference between an interval schedule and a ratio schedule? a. An interval schedule reinforces both pleasant and aversive responses, whereas a ratio schedule reinforces only pleasant responses. b. An interval schedule uses continuous reinforcement, whereas a ratio schedule uses partial reinforcement. c. An interval schedule reinforces behavior as a function of the passage of time, whereas a ratio schedule reinforces behavior as a function of how many times it occurs. d. An interval schedule is used to extinguish behavior, whereas a ratio schedule is used to increase the frequency of a behavior.

c. An interval schedule reinforces behavior as a function of the passage of time, whereas a ratio schedule reinforces behavior as a function of how many times it occurs.

Which of the following theories is proposed by Frederick Herzberg that identifies motivators and hygiene factors as two sets of conditions at work that can satisfy needs? a. ERG theory b. Bifactor theory c. Dual factor theory d. Equity theory

c. Dual factor theory

Which of the following are the areas in which agency theory is most often applied? a. Goal setting and task allocation b. Performance appraisal and evaluation c. Executive compensation and executive incentive plans d. Employee recruitment and training

c. Executive compensation and executive incentive plans

In the context of VIE theory, which of the following terms refers to the link between effort and performance? a. Instrumentality term b. Dissonance term c. Expectancy term d. Valence term

c. Expectancy term

In the context of VIE theory, which of the following is a person's perception of the probability that improved performance will lead to certain outcomes? a. Valence term b. Dissonance term c. Instrumentality term d. Expectancy term

c. Instrumentality term

In the context of VIE theory, which of the following statements is true of valence? a. It is the first link between the components of expectancy theory. b. It is also called performance-to-outcomes expectancy. c. It refers to how attractive or unattractive an outcome looks to a person. d. It is a link between effort and performance.

c. It refers to how attractive or unattractive an outcome looks to a person.

Which of the following statements is true of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? a. It focuses on how motivation occurs rather than on what motivates a person. b. It establishes that the level of performance on any task is the sole function of motivation. c. It suggests that only one level of need is capable of motivating behavior at any given time. d. It suggests that everyone is motivated by the same set of needs at any given time.

c. It suggests that only one level of need is capable of motivating behavior at any given time.

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following needs include a person's need for food and water? a. Security needs b. Social needs c. Physiological needs d. Esteem needs

c. Physiological needs

Which of the following refers to the situation in which a behavior is followed by desired consequences and thus is likely to be repeated? a. Extinction b. Counterconditioning c. Positive reinforcement d. Intrinsic motivation

c. Positive reinforcement

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following needs include the need to have meaningful interactions and relationships with others? a. Security needs b. Esteem needs c. Social needs d. Safety needs

c. Social needs

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of continuous schedules? a. They result in low levels of employee productivity as compared to fixed interval schedules. b. They are the most resistant to extinction. c. They involve the shortest amount of learning time. d. They produce undesirable behaviors as soon as reinforcements stop.

c. They involve the shortest amount of learning time

Which of the following statements is true of motivation? a. Most theories of motivation are primarily concerned with intrinsic motivation. b. Intrinsic motivation increases when extrinsic rewards are introduced. c. Up to a point, high levels of motivation can compensate for lower levels of ability. d. Any level of performance on any task is solely a function of motivation.

c. Up to a point, high levels of motivation can compensate for lower levels of ability.

Joshua is an assembly line welder in an automobile manufacturing company. He receives a payment every week as long as he meets his weekly target. In this scenario, Joshua's payment is based on a _____. a. fixed ratio schedule b. variable ratio schedule c. fixed interval schedule d. variable interval schedule

c. fixed interval schedule

In the context of equity theory, overpayment inequity is the situation when an employee's input-outcome ratio: a. is equal to that of a comparison person. b. falls short of his or her expectation. c. is more favorable than that of a comparison person. d. meets his or her expectation.

c. is more favorable than that of a comparison person.

Jennifer, a content developer, gives her best at any task assigned to her and tries to surpass her own potential to complete the task. In the context of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this scenario illustrates Jennifer's _____. a. physiological needs b. esteem needs c. self-actualization needs d. social needs

c. self-actualization needs

Wong walks by a bulletin board that advertises a fast food brand. The advertisement reminds him that he is hungry, and he wants to buy a snack. In the context of reinforcement theory, the advertisement serves as a(n) _____. a. response b. cognitive map c. stimulus d. orienting reflex

c. stimulus

Which of the following statements is true of expectancy theory? a. Expectancy theory is a need-based theory of motivation. b. The components in expectancy theory are more central to the theory than the links between them. c. Expectancy theory deals with the actual relationships between components in the model rather than the perceived links between the components. d. All the terms in expectancy theory are based on a person's perceptions.

d. All the terms in expectancy theory are based on a person's perceptions.

Which of the following is an example of a fixed ratio schedule? a. Employees paid once every 2 weeks as long as they continue to do their jobs b. A bonus system based on performance, with the number of units that must be produced to obtain a bonus varying over time c. Employees promoted as a function of time within the firm, but the amount of time between promotions varying substantially d. An employee paid on a piece rate such as $1 for every 10 units produced

d. An employee paid on a piece rate such as $1 for every 10 units produced

Which of the following is an important lesson that expectancy theory teaches HR managers? a. Expectancy theory undermines the importance of selecting the right employees for a job. b. Expectancy theory suggests that organizations can best influence performance by establishing clear links between ability and efforts. c. Expectancy theory posits that employees must not play a role in decision making. d. Expectancy theory suggests that it is important for organizations to have many desirable outcomes associated with improved performance.

d. Expectancy theory suggests that it is important for organizations to have many desirable outcomes associated with improved performance.

Ralph, an intern in a manufacturing company, comes up with a new idea of revolutionizing the manufacturing process for a gear assembly, thus minimizing the costs and manufacturing time associated with the process. In this scenario, Ralph's idea is most likely a result of _____. a. centration b. convergent thinking c. regularization d. creative behavior

d. creative behavior

Need-Based Theories of Motivation a. determine the result from motivating individuals. b. focus on how motivation occurs in an individual. c. suggest that everyone is motivated by the same set of requirements at any given time. d. focus on what motivates a person.

d. focus on what motivates a person