Deck 8: Theories of Employee Motivation

Question 1

An internal state that induces a person to engage in specific behaviors is defined as

A)intensity.
B)stress.
C)motivation.
D)persistence.

Answer 1

motivation.

Question 2

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs,which is the most basic need?

A)love
B)safety
C)food
D)self-actualization

Answer 2

food

Question 3

Assume that Joyce's physiological and safety needs are met,but her other needs are not met.According to Maslow's need hierarchy theory,Joyce is most likely to be motivated by her ________ needs.

A)self-actualization
B)esteem
C)love
D)safety

Answer 3

love

Question 4

The need for water is an example of a need in Maslow's need hierarchy theory.

A)physiological
B)safety
C)self-actualization
D)love

Question 5

The need theory approach to motivation views motivation as resulting from which of the following?

A)reinforcements
B)people's values and perceptions of fairness
C)people's beliefs about themselves
D)people's desires for certain things

Question 6

Motivation has to do with the of behavior.

A)intensity
B)direction
C)persistence
D)All of the above

Question 7

When you decide to go to work on a particular day,instead of calling in sick and watching TV,this is an example of which attribute of motivation?

A)direction
B)intensity
C)persistence
D)self-efficacy

Question 8

According to psychologists the amount of effort a person expends at doing a task is

A)persistence.
B)direction.
C)motivation.
D)intensity.

Question 9

"The probability of a particular behavior increases if it is followed by a reward or reinforcement,and the probability of a behavior decreases if it is followed by a punishment." This is

A)the rule of equity.
B)the law of effect.
C)the principle of reinforcement.
D)the law of principle needs.

Question 10

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory,which factors are derived from the animal nature of human beings,and underlie job dissatisfaction?

A)motivator
B)satisfier
C)hygiene
D)dissatsifier

Question 11

_______________ theories of motivation deal with processes that are close to the behavior.

A)distal
B)need
C)organizational
D)proximal

Question 12

Which theory best explains the following scenario? A hungry person is not concerned with the danger or punishment and steals food anyway.

A)Self-efficacy theory
B)Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory
C)Herzberg's two factor theory
D)Expectancy theory

Question 13

The phrase "If at first you don't succeed,try,try again," expresses the need for

A)intensity of behavior.
B)direction of behavior.
C)persistence of behavior.
D)self-efficacy regarding behavior.

Question 14

You want to do well in your classes,and so you attend every single class meeting and keep up with the readings every single week until the end.Which aspect of motivation have you demonstrated?

A)direction
B)persistence
C)intensity
D)arousal

Question 15

Which need is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy?

A)love
B)physiological
C)self-actualization
D)esteem

Question 16

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory,achievement and recognition are called _______ factors and can lead to___________.

A)motivator; job satisfaction
B)hygiene; job dissatisfaction
C)motivator; both job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction
D)hygiene; both job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction

Question 17

John sweeps hard and fast whereas Bob sweeps light and slowly.Bob has ________ than John.

A)less direction
B)more persistence
C)less intensity
D)less persistence

Question 18

In motivation theories,"direction of behavior" refers to

A)how long the person engages in the behavior.
B)which behavior the person chooses.
C)the amount of effort a person expends at doing a task.
D)the amount of intention needed to engage in a behavior.

Question 19

Everyone at his work claims that John is the most persistent person they know; to an I/O psychologist what does persistence of behavior refer to?

A)how long the person engages in the behavior.
B)which behavior the person chooses.
C)the amount of effort a person expends at doing a task.
D)the amount of intention needed to engage in a behavior.

Question 20

In Herberg's theory,motivators are similar to Maslow's ___________ needs.

A)love
B)physiological
C)self-actualization
D)safety

Question 21

A monthly salary is an example of a(n)_________ reward.

A)tangible
B)intangible
C)implicit
D)incentive

Question 22

The theory of reinforcement has fallen out of favor by I/O psychologists because

A)It gives little insight as to the motivational processes underlying behavior.
B)It is not useful in influencing the behavior of employees.
C)It is too powerful a motivational tool.
D)It lacks research support

Question 23

Which of the following methods to improve performance is NOT based on self-efficacy theory?

A)Informing new employees that the job's failure rate is not as high as commonly thought.
B)Slowly increasing the difficulty of new tasks.
C)Providing bonuses for good performance.
D)Putting employees through a training simulation wherein they can demonstrate successful performance before doing the actual job.

Question 24

You have designed a new program to motivate your employees toward 100 % accuracy.In the program you use a system whereby every time an employee performs a task properly you present them with a token.Once they have collected 10 tokens they earn an hour break.If they collect 80 tokens they can have a whole day off.What theory of motivation have you based your program on?

A)Maslow's hierarchy of needs
B)Equity theory
C)Reinforcement theory
D)Expectancy theory

Question 25

Self-efficacy is most similar to the concept of ________ in expectancy theory.

A)self-confidence
B)valence
C)instrumentality
D)expectancy

Question 26

Erin believes that she is not a good math student.Her ________for mathematical tasks is low.

A)self-esteem
B)valence
C)self-efficacy
D)action control

Question 27

According to Expectancy theory,what are the three factors that determine motivation level?

A)expectancy,valence,and force
B)pay,valence,and experience
C)expectancy,valence,and instrumentality
D)expectancy,pay,and valence

Question 28

You attended a training session and learned a more efficient method of performing your job,yet every time you use the new method your coworkers laugh at your technique.According to reinforcement theory you will

A)Continue to use the new method and ignore the ridicule of your co-workers.
B)Quit your job because of your poor self image.
C)Decrease the use of the new method.
D)Modify your goals in response to the negative feedback.

Question 29

Which of the following theories is most concerned with the tangible outcomes received by a person when he or she succeeds at a task?

A)equity theory
B)reinforcement theory
C)expectancy theory
D)need theory

Question 30

If you get an "A" on this exam you will definitely get an "A" in the course,and if you get an "A" in the course your parents will give you a SUV.Unfortunately,no matter how hard you study you don't think you can get an "A." In this case your ________ is high,and your is low.

A)valence is; expectancy and instrumentality are
B)instrumentality and valence are; expectancy is
C)instrumentality is; expectancy and valence are
D)expectancy and valence are; instrumentality is

Question 31

Which theory of motivation claims that motivation and performance are determined,at least in part,by how effective people believe they can be?

A)Reinforcement theory
B)Needs theory
C)Instrumentality theory
D)Self-efficacy theory

Question 32

Research suggests that self-efficacy might operate through

A)the setting of goals.
B)increasing instrumentalities.
C)the provision of feedback.
D)increasing justice.

Question 33

The subjective probability that a person has about his or her ability to perform a particular behavior is

A)Self-efficacy.
B)Expectancy.
C)Valence.
D)Instrumentality.

Question 34

In Expectancy theory,instrumentality is the

A)subjective probability that a person has about his or her ability to perform a particular behavior.
B)subjective probability that a given behavior will result in a particular reward.
C)value of an outcome or reward to a person.
D)amount of the motivation a person has to engage in a particular behavior.

Question 35

Which of the following statements about Expectancy theory are true?

A)Research has shown that performance is unrelated to the individual components of Expectancy theory.
B)Force scores are more strongly related to job performance than to measure of effort.
C)Research has shown that performance is unrelated to the multivariate combination of the components of Expectancy theory..
D)Expectancy theory can predict a person's choice of behavior from two or more options.

Question 36

Which theory of motivation claims that the value of the expectancy times the valence times the instrumentality equals motivation?

A)Equity theory
B)Expectancy theory
C)Reinforcement theory
D)Self-efficacy theory

Question 37

George is trying to decide whether to study for his exam.Although he is confident that he knows how to study,he is completely certain that even if he studies he will not pass the exam.According to Expectancy theory,George's motivation to study is low because his _____________ is low.

A)valence
B)instrumentality
C)expectancy
D)self-efficacy

Question 38

The major tenet of reinforcement theory is that behavior results from

A)the fulfillment of internal needs.
B)rewards.
C)people's values and perceptions of fairness.
D)people's beliefs about themselves.

Question 39

I am confident that if I work hard I will perform well.I strongly desire a promotion,and know that good performance is essential.Unfortunately,I suspect that I won't get promoted even if I perform well.In this case my is high,and my is low.

A)valence is; expectancy and instrumentality are
B)instrumentality and valence are; expectancy is
C)instrumentality is; expectancy and valence are
D)expectancy and valence are; instrumentality is

Question 40

With systems,rewards are contingent on individual units of productivity.

A)implicit reward
B)expectancy reward
C)tangible pay
D)incentive

Question 41

According to Equity Theory,which is NOT an action an employee will take in response to feelings of inequity?

A)change inputs
B)change outputs
C)withdraw from the work situation
D)change valence

Question 42

Which theory of motivation has been the most useful for I/O psychologists?

A)Reinforcement theory
B)Needs hierarchy theory
C)Equity theory
D)Goal setting theory

Question 43

I think I should be well paid because I have a Ph.D.In this case,the Ph.D.is considered a(n)_____________.

A)outcome
B)input
C)valence
D)expectancy

Question 44

Which of the following theories focuses primarily on social comparison with others?

A)Equity theory
B)Procedural justice
C)Distributive justice
D)Expectancy theory

Question 45

When using equity theory to compare employees,what is most important?

A)Which employee has more inputs.
B)Which employee has more outputs.
C)Which employee has the greatest sum of outputs and inputs.
D)The ratio of inputs to outputs.

Question 46

In which of the following situations is Person A experiencing overpayment inequity?

A)Person A: inputs = 10,outcomes = 10 Person B: inputs = 20,outcomes = 20
B)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 40 Person B: inputs = 10,outcomes = 30
C)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 5 Person B: inputs = 40,outcomes = 10
D)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 20 Person B: inputs = 40,outcomes = 20

Question 47

__________ justice has been shown to be more important to women and ________ justice is more important to men.

A)procedural; distributive
B)distributive; procedural
C)equity; procedural
D)equity; distributive

Question 48

In which of the following situations is Person A most likely to be experiencing underpayment inequity?

A)Person A: inputs = 10,outcomes = 10 Person B: inputs = 20,outcomes = 20
B)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 40 Person B: inputs = 10,outcomes = 30
C)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 5 Person B: inputs = 40,outcomes = 10
D)Person A: inputs = 20,outcomes = 20 Person B: inputs = 40,outcomes = 20

Question 49

Recently,the research into equity theory has shifted from an emphasis on fairness in _________ to a concern with _________.

A)reward distribution process; allocation of rewards
B)allocation of rewards; reward distribution process
C)procedural justice; overpayment inequity
D)underpayment inequity; overpayment inequity

Question 50

Distributive justice has been shown to be more important for ________ than ________.

A)women; men
B)men; women
C)older employees; younger employees
D)younger employees; older employees

Question 51

If Bill Gates says to the Rolling Stones that he thinks it is unfair for the band to be paid a million dollars for just one song,which theory would best apply?

A)Goal-setting theory
B)Self-efficacy theory
C)Expectancy theory
D)Equity theory

Question 52

Which motivational theory states that people are motivated to achieve a condition of fairness in their dealings with other people?

A)Expectancy theory
B)Equity theory
C)Self-efficacy theory
D)Reinforcement theory

Question 53

Things that a person consciously wants to attain or achieve are called:

A)inputs
B)goals
C)outputs
D)equity

Question 54

According to self-efficacy theory,John will work hardest when he

A)is confident that he can succeed.
B)thinks he has a 50% chance of success.
C)expects to fail.
D)has no idea whether he can succeed.

Question 55

I love being a professor because I am responsible for setting my own tasks.In this case,the responsibility for setting tasks is considered a(n)___________.

A)outcome
B)input
C)valence
D)expectancy

Question 56

____________________ is concerned with the fairness of the reward distribution process as opposed to the results of that distribution.

A)Distributive justice
B)Equity theory
C)Procedural justice
D)Social justice

Question 57

Procedural justice has been shown to be more important for ________ than ________.

A)women; men
B)men; women
C)older employees; younger employees
D)younger employees; older employees

Question 58

Sally believes that she works harder than anyone else in her office; yet her salary is not the highest.Most likely Sally will experience which of the following?

A)Feelings of overpayment inequity
B)Feelings of underpayment inequity
C)Feelings of equity
D)Feelings of self-efficacy

Question 59

The Galatea effect,in which people's beliefs about their own capabilities lead them to perform better,as in a self-fulfilling prophecy,is most relevant to which theory?

A)Goal-setting theory
B)Self-efficacy theory
C)Expectancy theory
D)Equity theory

Question 60

You have noticed that most of all the associates in your same position are getting the same rewards for doing a good job.What motivational theory is your boss using?

A)Equity Theory
B)Goal setting Theory
C)Expectancy Theory
D)Reinforcement Theory

Question 61

A recent variation of goal setting theory is a theory that describes a process linking goals and intentions to behaviors.This theory is known as:

A)control theory.
B)goal oriented theory.
C)action theory.
D)self-efficacy theory.

Question 62

Which of the following best describes control theory?

A)concerns how goal setting translates into job performance
B)examines the cognitive processes that intervene between goals and performance
C)focuses on how feedback concerning goal progress affects behavior
D)compares state-oriented and action-oriented individuals

Question 63

Control theory suggests that in response to discrepancies between feedback on performance and goals,individuals will:

A)change inputs or outcomes
B)withdraw from the situation
C)change behavior or goals
D)change self-efficacy and expectancy

Question 64

Which of the following LEAST describes a state-oriented person?

A)sets goals
B)has difficulty committing to a course of action
C)is easily distracted
D)tends to give up when faced with setbacks

Question 65

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Reinforcement theory takes a global view and states that behavior is a function of a person's global context.
B)Equity theory states that people value fair and equitable treatment by their organizations.
C)Goal-setting theory posits that people's behaviors are directed by conscious goals and objectives.
D)A person with low self-efficacy concerning the achievement of a goal is not likely to reach the goal

Question 66

According to action theory,___________ are specific steps chosen to accomplish the goals.

A)action orientation
B)plans
C)action processes
D)strategies

Question 67

Which of the following theories is LEAST based on people's needs or desires?

A)Herzberg's two factor theory
B)Maslow's hierarchy
C)Equity theory
D)Reinforcement theory

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT a drawback of goal setting theory?

A)Difficult goals can lower performance when stress is high.
B)Complex jobs and multiple goals are associated with lower performance.
C)Working on one goal can prevent achieving another.
D)Lack of research support.

Question 69

Which of the following motivation theories does NOT explicitly emphasize the role of feedback?

A)Expectancy theory
B)Goal setting theory
C)Control theory
D)Action theory

Question 70

Which of the following motivation theories has the LEAST research support?

A)Herzberg's two factor theory
B)Expectancy theory
C)Goal setting theory
D)Self-efficacy theory

Question 71

A person who is primarily concerned with enhancing knowledge and skill has what type of goal orientation?

A)Education orientation
B)Learning orientation
C)Working orientation
D)Performance orientation

Question 72

Which best describes the action process?

A)desire something; develop goal; feedback; execute plan
B)desire something; feedback; develop goal; generate plan
C)desire something; develop goal; execute plan; feedback
D)desire something; develop goal; feedback; generate plan

Question 73

_______ people tend to procrastinate,whereas ______ people tend to perform better on the job.

A)action-oriented; state-oriented
B)state-oriented; action-oriented
C)high self-efficacy; low self-efficacy
D)low self-efficacy; high self-efficacy

Question 74

Goals affect behavior because they

A)direct attention and action.
B)mobilize effort.
C)increase persistence.
D)All of the above

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT necessary for goal setting to be effective at improving job performance?

A)Employees must be permitted to set their own goals.
B)Employees must have goal commitment.
C)Employees must receive feedback.
D)The goal must be difficult.

Question 76

Which of the following theories does NOT specifically incorporate goals?

A)goal setting theory
B)expectancy theory
C)action theory
D)control theory

Question 77

The basic principle behind goal setting theory is that people are motivated to engage in specific behaviors because of

A)reinforcements.
B)perceived equity between their inputs and outputs and those of others.
C)internal intentions or objectives.
D)incentives

Question 78

What is NOT an important factor for goal setting to improve job performance?

A)Specific goals
B)Reward for achieving goals
C)Feedback on level of success
D)Employee acceptance of the goal(s)

Question 79

Goal setting theory predicts that people will exert effort toward accomplishing their goals and that job performance is a function of:

A)the goals set
B)the rewards offered
C)learning orientation
D)action processes

Question 80

Goal setting theory claims that which of the following factors are necessary for improvement in job performance?

A)Goal commitment and feedback
B)Salary equity and feedback
C)Specific organizational goals and goal commitment
D)Proximal constructs and clear objectives