OBE-chapter 6
D
60) A certain corporation ties its compensation for front-line operations managers to developing their skills in leadership, workforce development, and functional excellence. What is this sort of compensation scheme called? A) job-based pay B) training-based pay C) individual merit-based pay D) skill-based pay E) development-based pay
A
79) Laura only makes minimum wage, but she loves her job Her supervisor regularly compliments her and she has been chosen employee of the month twice this year. Which of the following is Laura's attitude most likely a function of? A) recognition B) motivation C) goal setting D) involvement E) reactance
D
1) Which of the following is not one of the core job dimensions in the JCM model? A) task significance B) feedback C) autonomy D) status E) skill variety
B
10) What is a main strength of job rotation? A) It eliminates turnover. B) It increases motivation. C) It increases productivity. D) It decreases training costs E) It decreases supervisor workload.
A
11) A trucking company routinely makes all of its office staff work for a week in the warehouse area; loading trucks, cleaning trucks, and doing other warehouse work which they are capable of. This program is an example of which of the following? A) job rotation B) job enlargement C) job enrichment D) job sharing E) flextime
D
12) Which is not cited as a drawback to job rotation? A) Training costs are increased. B) Productivity is reduced. C) Disruption is created. D) Jobs are eliminated. E) Supervisors spend more time answering questions.
B
13) When the ticket agent at Singapore Airlines takes on the duties of a baggage handler, he is engaged in ________. A) job enlargement B) job rotation C) vertical loading D) participative management E) involvement
B
14) A company redesigns the jobs of the workers in accounts receivables, so that instead of simply billing customers, they will also be responsible for following up on non-payment, liaising between customers and the departments billing them, and other related tasks. What term would best be used to describe these changes? A) job rotation B) job enlargement C) job enrichment D) job sharing E) flextime
A
15) Which approach to putting the JCM into practice is usually met with less than enthusiastic results by employees? A) job enlargement B) job rotation C) vertical loading D) participative management E) involvement
C
16) How do most employees react to job enlargement efforts? A) unqualified approval B) somewhat enthusiastically C) with a lack of enthusiasm D) with mixed emotions E) with very little reaction.
A
17) Job enrichment increases the degree to which the worker controls the ________. A) planning, execution and evaluation of his or her work B) planning, execution and evaluation of company plans C) horizontal integration of his or her tasks D) feedback that a worker receives from his or her supervisor and peers E) evaluation of his or her peers
A
18) Which one of the following is not one of the guidelines for enriching jobs? A) ensure employees perform one small part of a task B) establish client relationships C) open feedback channels D) combine tasks E) expand jobs vertically
C
19) The vertical expansion of jobs is seen in ________. A) job rotation B) job enlargement C) job enrichment D) job sharing E) flextime
B
2) According to the JCM, the owner-operator of a garage show performs electrical repairs, rebuilds engines, does body work, and interacts with customers would score ________. A) high on task identity B) high on skill variety C) low on autonomy D) low on task significance E) low on skills variety
A
20) A firm introduces job enrichment in order to motivate its employees. Evidence would suggest that which of the following is the most likely result of this change? A) reduced absenteeism and turnover costs B) lower fixed costs C) a drop in quality D) a decrease in productivity E) an increase in productivity
A
21) Beyond redesigning the nature of the work itself, and involving employees in decisions, another approach to making the work environment more motivating is to alter work arrangements. Which of the following is designed to give an employee greater control of their work schedule? A) flextime B) job sharing C) job rotation D) telecommuting E) job enrichment
C
22) Which of the following has not been shown to be a benefit of flextime? A) reduced absenteeism B) improved productivity C) increased meaningfulness D) increased satisfaction E) improved promptness
C
23) Allied General Hospital employs many individuals and has decided to try to increase motivation through job redesign and flexible scheduling. You have been hired as a consultant to help them design and implement the programs You are looking at flextime and realize that it will probably work least well for which of the following jobs? A) insurance billing clerks B) custodial workers C) floor nurses D) equipment maintenance staff E) IT personnel
D
24) Allied General Hospital employs many individuals and has decided to try to increase motivation through job redesign and flexible scheduling. You have been hired as a consultant to help them design and implement the programs. Members of the nighttime janitorial staff are generally low skilled and would probably be motivated by ________. A) job enrichment B) flexible work schedules C) job enlargement D) all of the above E) none of the above
C
25) What is flextime's major drawback? A) Not all employees have computers. B) Not everyone wants to work part-time. C) It is not applicable to every job. D) Tardiness increases. E) It is hard to find compatible employees.
D
26) The work arrangement that allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hour-a week job is ________. A) flextime B) core hours C) telecommuting D) job sharing E) employee involvement
D
27) The work arrangement that doesn't seem to be widely adopted by employees is ________. A) flextime B) core hours C) telecommuting D) job sharing E) employee involvement
C
28) Which of the following is a job that does not lend itself to telecommuting? A) an attorney who spends most of her time researching on the computer B) a writer of copy for an advertising firm C) a car salesman who demonstrates the features of a new model of car D) a telemarketer who uses the phone to contact clients E) a product support specialist who fields calls from irate customers
B
29) The Japanese are increasingly considering job sharing to ________. A) increase flexibility B) avoid layoffs C) add more part-time positions D) accommodate working mothers E) stimulate the economy
E
3) In the JCM model, what three core job dimensions combine to create meaningful work? A) autonomy, task identity, and feedback B) skill variety, autonomy, and task significance C) skill variety, autonomy, and feedback D) feedback, task identity, and task significance E) skill variety, task identity, and task significance
B
30) About ________ percent of the U.S. workforce telecommutes. A) 2 B) 10 C) 25 D) 50 E) 75
E
31) Potential benefits of telecommuting include which of the following? A) a larger labor pool from which to select B) reduced office-space costs C) less turnover D) improved morale E) all of the above
B
32) The major drawback for management with telecommuting is ________. A) increased cost of office space B) less direct supervision C) higher turnover D) lower productivity E) more hours worked
A
33) The downside of telecommuting from the employee's perspective is ________. A) the "out of sight/out of mind" effect B) no overtime earned C) too many promotions D) high costs for computer equipment E) 24 hours on call
B
34) The underlying logic of employee involvement is that by involving workers and increasing their autonomy and control over their work lives, employees will become all of the following except more ________. A) motivated B) competent C) productive D) satisfied E) committed to the organization
B
35) What term is used for a participative process that uses the entire capacity of employees and is designed to encourage increased commitment to the organization's success? A) MBO B) employee involvement C) reengineering D) OB Mod E) job sharing
C
36) Participative management and representative participation are forms of ________. A) job rotation B) job enrichment C) employee involvement D) employee recognition E) employee incentives
A
37) What is the distinct characteristic common to all participative management programs? A) joint decision making B) autonomy C) empowerment D) productivity enhancement E) quality awareness
C
38) What is participative management? A) a method of management where subordinates make corporate decisions and management helps carry out those decisions B) a method of management where upper management participates in the organization's strategic planning C) a method of management where subordinates share a degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors D) a method of management where low-level workers meet occasionally with the CEO to discuss problems within their department E) a method of management where low-level workers are responsible for making corporate policy decisions
E
39) A manager introduces participative management in an effort to boost morale and productivity. If he wants to make sure that it has as great a chance of success as possible he should ensure all of the following except which of the following? A) The issues decided upon must be relevant to the employees. B) The employees must be informed and competent enough to make decisions. C) The employees must be trusted by the manager. D) The manager must be trusted by the employees. E) There must be representative participation through work councils and board representatives.
B
4) According to JCM theory, which of the following results in the maximum internal rewards for an individual? A) when they are given tangible rewards B) when they learn that they personally have performed well on a task that they care about C) when they initiate a program that enables them to work with a variety of like-minded colleagues D) when their training is realized and their expectations are met E) when they are singled out for praise for successfully completing an arduous task
D
6) According to the Job Characteristics Model, the presence of the three psychological states (knowledge of results, experienced responsibility, and experienced meaningfulness) will A) increase motivation B) increase performance C) decrease absenteeism D) all of the above
A
40) Your supervisor has heard that employee involvement is important and you have been instructed to research various methods of employee involvement. You are supposed to help assist in the analysis of the probable effects of each of the programs being considered. You have decided to let employees select a small group to represent them and work with management. This is termed ________. A) representative participation B) an ESOP C) quality circles D) participative management E) an AESOP
A
41) What is the name for employees who sit on a company's board of directors and represent the interests of the firm's employees? A) board representatives B) works councils C) quality circles D) union representatives E) board leaders
C
42) Research studies conducted on the participation-performance relationship show that the use of participation ________. A) enhances job satisfaction B) increases motivation C) has only a modest influence on employee productivity D) greatly influences employee attitudes E) lowers costs considerably
A
43) What does legislation require almost every company in Western Europe to do? A) Have a form of representative participation. B) Provide employee ownership. C) Provide flextime. D) Set up quality circles. E) Have flexible benefit options.
D
44) What is the goal of representative participation? A) for workers to own the firms where they work B) to help workers' self-esteem C) to provide greater motivation and productivity D) to redistribute power within the organization E) to empower high-level managers
B
45) Works councils and board representatives are the two most common forms of ________. A) employee recognition B) representative participation C) participative management D) job enrichment E) employee benefits
C
46) Research shows that works councils tend to be ineffective for which of the following reasons? A) Members of works council tend to side with management when making decisions for fear of being punished. B) Works councils represent the wishes of employees that are often at odds with the best direction of an organization. C) Works councils are dominated by management and their input has little impact on employees or the organization D) Works councils insert an extra element into decision making which slows the response of an organization to changing conditions. E) Members of works councils are in general not qualified to make large decisions concerning the direction of an organization.
C
47) Experience shows that the greatest value of representative participation is which of the following? A) increased motivation B) increased satisfaction C) symbolic D) decreased absenteeism E) increased commitment
C
48) Job evaluation establishes ________. A) the amount of compensation to be paid B) external equity C) the worth of the job to the organization D) how many tasks to be included in a job E) how to evaluate an employee
D
49) In a 2006 study, what percentage of top performers indicated pay was a key factor in losing top talent? A) 21 B) 41 C) 61 D) 71
D
5) According to the Job Characteristics Model, a telemarketing employee who is provided a list of calls to make and a standardized script to follow would score A) high on feedback B) low on task identity C) high on autonomy D) low on autonomy
C
50) Initially setting pay levels requires balancing ________. A) the company's budget B) supply and demand of labor C) internal and external equity D) job worth and demand E) job worth and internal equity
A
51) Which of the following are all forms of variable-pay programs? A) piece-rate, merit-based pay, gainsharing B) profit sharing, lump-sum bonuses, extended vacations C) wage incentive plans, flextime, piece-rate D) retirement benefits, extended vacations, wage incentive plans E) wage rate increases, bonuses, flextime
A
52) Which of the following is one advantage of variable pay plans to management? A) They turn fixed labor costs into variable labor costs. B) They turn low producers into high producers. C) They turn slow employees into fast employees. D) They turn high fixed costs into low fixed costs. E) They turn lower performance into fewer employees.
B
53) Which of the following is an example of a piece-rate plan? A) time and a half for overtime B) $2 for each unit produced C) productivity bonus D) commission E) $10 per hour worked
B
54) Merit-based pay plans are based on ________. A) union negotiations B) performance appraisal ratings C) company profits D) company productivity improvements E) company stock performance
A
55) Which of the following is cited as a limitation of merit pay plans? A) Being based on an annual performance appraisal, the merit pay is as valid (or invalid) as the performance ratings on which it is based. B) The pay raise pool seldom fluctuates. C) Unions encourage merit pay plans. D) Employees tend to like merit pay plans. E) There is little link between pay and performance.
C
56) Which of the following is not one of the most widely used variable-pay programs? A) piece-rate wages B) merit-based pay C) base pay D) employee stock ownership E) profit-sharing plans
C
57) Amalgamated Industries manufactures parts for furniture. Management has decided to change the method of payment to a skill-based plan. You are interested in increasing your current compensation and see this as an opportunity. You should expect to earn more if you ________. A) volunteer for overtime B) increase your production C) cross train in other jobs D) become a specialist E) master common skills
C
58) What is the term used for a pay plan where pay levels are based on how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can do? A) a variable pay plan B) flexible pay C) competency-based pay D) gainsharing E) ISOP
B
59) Amalgamated Industries manufactures parts for furniture. Management has decided to change the method of payment to a skill-based plan. You are interested in increasing your current compensation and see this as an opportunity. As a manager, you like the plan because it allows ________. A) protection of territory B) increased flexibility of the workforce C) elimination of workers D) decreased payroll costs E) increased control
D
61) Amalgamated Industries manufactures parts for furniture. Management has decided to change the method of payment to a skill-based plan. You are interested in increasing your current compensation and see this as an opportunity. Which of the following may be a disadvantage of introducing this type of pay plan? A) Employees will become less motivated. B) Employees will become more specialized. C) Employees will tend not to work as hard as before. D) Your employer may pay for skills that they aren't using. E) Your employer will have less control over what each employee does.
C
62) Which of the following is not a downside of skill-based pay? A) People can "top out." B) Skills can become obsolete. C) Ambitious people can confront minimal advancement opportunities. D) People are paid for acquiring skills for which there is no immediate need. E) It doesn't address the level of performance.
B
63) A rise in which of the following was reported by companies that pay employees for learning extra skills? A) operating costs B) communication across the organization C) turnover D) absenteeism E) perceptions of unfairness
A
64) Much of the compensation of traders at Synalco, a metals trading company, is in the form of stock options. The amount of options distributed is based on the company's net profits. What sort of compensation plan is this? A) profit sharing B) gainsharing C) merit based D) ESOP E) employee ownership
B
65) What is the name for an incentive plan where improvements in group productivity determine the total amount of money that is allocated? A) ESOP B) gainsharing C) profit sharing D) piece rates E) employee ownership
A
66) How is gainsharing different from profit sharing? A) Gainsharing focuses on productivity gains rather than profits. B) Gainsharing rewards specific behaviors. C) Gainsharing does not distribute profits, only gains in profits. D) Gainsharing rewards behaviors that are less influenced by external factors. E) With gainsharing, superior employees can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable.
A
67) In what sort of companies is gainsharing most popular? A) large manufacturing companies B) large service organizations C) small, non-unionized manufacturing companies D) small, privately held companies E) non-profit organizations
C
68) What sort of plan is a company-established benefit plan where employees acquire stock as part of their benefits? A) MBO program B) job redesign C) ESOP D) quality circle E) piece-rate
A
69) Research on employee stock ownership programs indicates that they are clearly successful in doing which of the following?. A) increasing employee satisfaction B) reducing salaries C) reducing stress D) increasing productivity E) increasing employee expectations
B
7) According to the JCM, the links between the job dimensions and the outcomes are moderated by ________. A) a high MPS B) the strength of the individual's growth need C) a low score on self-esteem D) experienced meaningfulness of the job E) autonomy
C
70) What is the term used for the situation where employees are allowed to pick and choose from among a menu of benefit options. A) flexible pay B) benefit menu options C) flexible benefits D) benefit participation E) flextime
B
71) Your workforce is diverse in terms of their needs for benefits. Jim is married with two children and his wife is at home full time. Janet is single and supports her widowed mother. Bob is married and his wife has a high-paying job You decide that you want to devise a benefits program that is tailored to their individual needs. What sort of benefit program would probably be the best choice? A) a traditional benefit program B) a flexible benefit program C) letting them purchase their own benefits D) an ESOP E) an AESOP
A
72) Your workforce is diverse in terms of their needs for benefits. Jim is married with two children and his wife is at home full time. Janet is single and supports her widowed mother. Bob is married and his wife has a high-paying job You decide that you want to devise a benefits program that is tailored to their individual needs. You should expect that a flexible benefits program will be all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) less expensive B) consistent with expectancy theory C) more responsive to individual needs D) motivational E) accommodate employee differences
C
73) Why are flexible benefit plans consistent with expectancy theory's thesis? A) They allow organizations to minimize costs associated with benefits. B) They provide a suite of tangible rewards that can be offered as motivation. C) Flexible benefits individualize rewards. D) They make employment at firms providing such programs more attractive. E) The motivation to gain extra benefits promotes productivity.
D
74) Your workforce is diverse in terms of their needs for benefits. Jim is married with two children and his wife is at home full time. Janet is single and supports her widowed mother. Bob is married and his wife has a high-paying job You decide that you want to devise a benefits program that is tailored to their individual needs. What sort of plan would provide pre-designed packages of benefits, put together to meet the needs of a specific group of employees? A) flexible spending B) core-plus C) cafeteria D) modular E) customized
B
75) What are modular benefit plans? A) essential benefits and a menu-like selection of other benefits B) pre-designed packages of benefits to meet the needs of a specific group of employees C) they require employees to set aside funds up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for services D) a scheme designed for single employees with no dependents E) a scheme designed for employees with families
B
76) In which benefit plan are employees given benefit credits to purchase additional benefits to add to the core? A) modular plans B) core plus plans C) flexible spending plans D) ESOPs E) employee recognition plans
C
77) Which benefit plan can increase employee take-home pay? A) modular plans B) core-plus plans C) flexible spending plans D) ESOPs E) employee recognition plans
C
78) Employee recognition programs are consistent with which of the following? A) goal setting theory B) cognitive evaluation theory C) reinforcement theory D) expectancy theory E) Marxist theory
E
8) According to the JCM, which of the following statements is NOT true? A) The evidence supports the general framework of the theory. B) Managers can bypass the complex MPS formula and better derive motivating potential by simply adding the characteristics. C) The employee's perception of his or her workload compared to others may moderate the link between the core job dimension and outcomes. D) If jobs score high on motivating potential, the likelihood of turnover will be reduced. E) Jobs that are high on motivating potential must be high on both autonomy and task variety.
A
80) Researchers report that which of the following was considered by employees to be the most powerful workplace motivator? A) recognition B) money C) opportunity for advancement D) autonomy E) vacation time
A
81) Which of the following is a form of recognition? A) personal congratulations B) job enlargement C) job sharing D) flexible benefit packages E) profit sharing
A
82) Why may job enrichment strategies be less effective in more collectivist cultures? A) The JCM is relatively individualistic. B) The core job characteristics are not equally applicable across cultures. C) Collectivist cultures do not focus on intrinsic job characteristics. D) The JCM has not been translated into other languages.
A
83) The global research on telecommuting found that A) telecommuting is more common in the US than in Europe. B) across the globe, employers are more interested in telecommuting than employees. C) of the EU countries, Portugal has the highest rate of telecommuting. D) telecommuting simply works better in the US than in other countries.
D
84) All of the following statements about employee involvement are true, EXCEPT A) Employee involvement programs must reflect national culture. B) Managers in India who empowered their employees through employee involvement programs were rated low. C) US employees accept employee involvement programs, but not all employees from other culture feel the same way. D) Employees across the globe warmly receive employee involvement programs.
C
85) To motivate employees in organizations, managers should do all of the following EXCEPT A) recognize individual differences B) use goals and feedback C) make decisions for employees including setting goals for them D) link rewards to performance E) check the reward system for equity
E
9) What is another term for cross-training? A) work enrichment B) job sharing C) work enlargement D) job enhancement E) job rotation
