Deck 10: Working Conditions

Question 1

It is difficult to interpret the effects of a change in the physical work environment that has led to an increase in productivity.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

There is no certain validity to any purported relationship between color and productivity.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The ADA does not require removal of barriers to wheelchairs.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Music, color, and noise are all contributors to physical working conditions.

Question 5

Environmental psychology is concerned with environmental conservation.

Question 6

Lighting would be considered a motivator need under Herzberg's Two Factor theory.

Question 7

The use of colors may influence our perception of office temperature.

Question 8

The U.S.government requires worker exposure to no more than 80 db for an eight-hour day.(F, pp.238-239)

Question 9

The 1973 Rehabilitation Act requires that all parts of a building be accessible to all handicapped people.

Question 10

Landscaped offices lead to complaints related to lack of privacy.

Question 11

Inadequate lighting is a source of distress.

Question 12

Landscaped offices facilitate communication and work flow.

Question 13

Exposure to noise levels as low as 50 decibels can lead to deafness.

Question 14

The smaller the building, the more formal and impersonal the relationships tend to be.

Question 15

Requirements for intensity of illumination vary with the nature of the task but not with the age of the worker.

Question 16

Physical working conditions affect job satisfaction.

Question 17

Environmental psychology is the study of the effect of the workplace on behavior and attitudes.

Question 18

Landscaped offices have huge open spaces without walls.

Question 19

Landscaped offices reduce noise and socializing.

Question 20

The number one complaint of people working in offices is lack of privacy.

Question 21

Flextime is the prescribed number of hours employees are supposed to spend on the job.

Question 22

Sexual harassment refers to behavior that reflects an insulting, hostile, and degrading attitude toward all women.

Question 23

One disadvantage of telecommuting is the loss of social interaction.

Question 24

Some telecommuters report feeling more pressure working at home rather than in a normal office.

Question 25

Women perceive a wider range of behaviors as potentially harassing than men.

Question 26

Job simplification is the application of Theory Y to enrich jobs thereby increasing productivity and satisfaction.

Question 27

Employees will take breaks whether sanctioned or not.

Question 28

With shift work, productivity is less on the all-night shift.

Question 29

Nominal working hours are the actual number of hours employees spend on the job.(F, pp.241-242)

Question 30

More than a quarter of the U.S.workforce holds part-time jobs.

Question 31

Job simplification may result in lowered morale.

Question 32

When workplace conditions are made more comfortable, .

A)productivity increases, at least initially
B)there is no effect on productivity
C)turnover increases
D)job dissatisfaction is the result

Question 33

Gender harassment does not necessarily involve sexual harassment.

Question 34

Not all of the nominal work hours are actually spent performing job tasks.

Question 35

Flexible working hours increase the employees' sense of control.

Question 36

Sexual harassment is reported to be highest in male-dominated work environments.

Question 37

With the passage of EEOC laws, most incidents of sexual harassment are now being reported.(F, pp.251-252)

Question 38

Fewer problems occur with the rotating shift work than with the fixed shift work.

Question 39

Uncongenial work settings .

A)have no impact on productivity
B)lead to greater errors and accidents
C)have an effect on productivity that can be overcome through superior recruiting
D)are negatively related to productivity

Question 40

About 20 percent of telecommuting programs fail.
LISTING/SHORT ANSWER

Question 41

Which of the following is the major complaint made by office workers about their work environment?

A)poor janitorial service
B)too cold
C)too hot
D)not enough conference space

Question 42

U.S.government regulations require worker exposure to no more than sound levels for an eight-hour day.

A)40 db
B)70 db
C)80 db
D)90 db

Question 43

Which is a disadvantage of landscaped offices?

A)Workers complain of noise
B)Workers complain of pollen
C)Workers complain of a lack of privacy
D)a and c
E)all the above

Question 44

Regarding office and workplace design, .

A)temperatures in glass walled buildings can be maintained at a comfortable level
B)physical separation reduces the amount of contact between workers
C)office design has little effect on job satisfaction
D)the size of a building has no impact on relationships

Question 45

Young, single employees generally prefer _.

A)working in rural areas
B)working in cities
C)the same places to work as married employees
D)working in suburbs

Question 46

Which of the following is true regarding intensity of illumination needed by employees?

A)Varies with the age of the worker
B)Is set by U.S.government regulations at 150 foot-candles
C)Should be unevenly distributed
D)Should be similar to that of natural light

Question 47

The study of the effect of workplace design on behavior and attitudes is known as .

A)environmental psychology
B)engineering psychology
C)experimental psychology
D)developmental psychology

Question 48

Which of the following is true regarding how the size and design of an office building can affect productivity and the nature of the working relationships among co-workers?

A)Physical separation increases the amount of contact between co-workers.
B)In large buildings, the relationships tend to be more formal.
C)The evidence is not conclusive that inconvenient layout can foster negative attitudes.
D)None of the above.

Question 49

Which of the following is not an element of physical conditions of work?

A)Lighting
B)Noise
C)Work schedules
D)Workplace design

Question 50

Married employees generally prefer .

A)working in the suburbs
B)working in rural areas
C)working in cities
D)working in the same places as single employees

Question 51

Which of the following statements is true regarding the size of an office building?

A)The larger the building, the more frequent the interactions
B)The smaller the building, the more frequent the interactions
C)Size does not impair productive efficiency
D)There is a positive correlation between size and relationships - the larger the size, the closer the relationships

Question 52

Research on office design and layout has focused on .

A)the effects of lighting
B)the effects of scheduling
C)communication between and within departments
D)job satisfaction

Question 53

Within glare contributes to eyestrain and leads to errors in work.

A)one hour
B)10 minutes
C)20 minutes
D)30 minutes

Question 54

Why is it difficult to interpret the effects of a change in the physical work environment that has led to an increase in productivity?

A)The increase in productivity may be temporary.
B)It's hard to say if the change was the result of a physical or a psychological change.
C)The effects may be modified by how employees perceive the change.
D)All the above

Question 55

Which of the following statements regarding the use of colors in the workplace is true?

A)There is a positive correlation between color and productivity
B)There is a negative correlation between color and productivity
C)There is a relationship between color and fatigue
D)There is no validity to any purported relationship between color and productivity

Question 56

Environmental design includes _.

A)flextime
B)work organization
C)shift work
D)lighting

Question 57

Which statement is true regarding the use of colors in the workplace?

A)Color can aid in safety practices.
B)Reds and oranges are cool colors.
C)They do not influence the perception of temperature in an office.
D)None of the above.

Question 58

Research on the effect of landscaped offices on employee attitudes .

A)has shown no effect
B)has shown mostly advantages
C)has shown more disadvantages than advantages
D)has revealed advantages and disadvantages

Question 59

, Which statement is correct regarding lighting?

A)Intensity should vary with the nature of the task and the age of the worker
B)Bank teller stations require 150 foot-candles of illumination
C)Lighting should be uniformly distributed
D)All of the above

Question 60

Brief exposure to sound levels in excess of can lead to permanent hearing loss.

A)50 db
B)100 db
C)130 db
D)150 db

Question 61

Regarding choice of room color, _.

A)light color walls give the feeling of warmth
B)light color walls make the room appear smaller
C)light colors give the feeling of open space
D)colors have a positive impact on productivity

Question 62

The relationship between nominal work hours and actual work hours is generally _.

A)positive
B)that actual hours exceed nominal hours
C)that nominal hours exceed actual hours
D)that they coincide

Question 63

Research on rest breaks shows _.

A)workers will take unsanctioned breaks
B)management is reluctant to grant them
C)they have little impact on repetitive motion injuries
D)should be planned when workers are already fatigued

Question 64

The key to maintaining production under temperature extremes is .

A)motivation
B)proper diet
C)rest breaks
D)sensible shoes

Question 65

Actual working hours of part-time workers that of full time workers.

A)is the same as
B)is greater than
C)is less than
D)is regarded as nominal working hours compared to

Question 66

Employees may spend no more than percent of the workweek actually performing job related tasks.

A)25
B)35
C)50
D)75

Question 67

One way to reduce boredom and monotony on the job is to .

A)break the job into its component parts
B)increase job complexity
C)maintain work schedules
D)none of the above

Question 68

When prescribed working hours are _, the actual time employees spend working _.

A)decreased; decreases
B)increased; decreases
C)converted to flextime; shows no change
D)converted to core mandatory hours; is flexible

Question 69

The prescribed number of hours employees are supposed to spend on the job are called _.

A)elective hours
B)actual hours
C)nominal hours
D)flexible hours

Question 70

Unusually high temperatures have significant effect on mental work, and lead to performance on strenuous tasks.

A)positive; higher
B)positive; lower
C)little; lower
D)no difference in either

Question 71

Research on shift work shows _.

A)fewer problems occur with the rotating shift than with the fixed shift
B)fewer problems occur with the fixed shift than with the rotating shift
C)there is no difference in problems between the rotating and fixed shifts
D)workers tend to be less productive on the day shift than on the night shift

Question 72

About percent of the U.S.workforce holds part-time jobs.

A)15
B)25
C)33
D)40

Question 73

Flextime combines with .

A)core mandatory work periods; elective work periods
B)core elective work periods; elective mandatory work periods
C)elective work periods; four-day workweek
D)rest breaks; elective work periods

Question 74

The longer the workday or workweek, the the productivity.

A)higher
B)lower
C)There is no valid relationship between the two variables.
D)There is a positive correlation between the two variables.

Question 75

The reduction of manufacturing jobs to the simplest components is known as .

A)job enlargement
B)job simplification
C)job enrichment
D)reengineering

Question 76

The four-day workweek has impact on satisfaction and impact on productivity.

A)positive; positive
B)no; positive
C)positive; no
D)slight; slight

Question 77

Which of the following is not an advantage of job simplification?

A)more challenge
B)cost savings
C)less training time required
D)efficiency

Question 78

The initiative for the four-day workweek usually comes from .

A)labor unions
B)workers
C)management
D)family members

Question 79

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of job simplification?

A)boredom
B)less challenge
C)more training time required
D)lower quality

Question 80

Music productivity for work.

A)slightly increases; demanding
B)slightly increases; dull
C)has no effect on; dull
D)slightly increases; all categories