Deck 5: Foundations of Employee Motivation

Question 1

In most organizations, the majority of employees

A) have high employee engagement.
B) are not very engaged.
C) are completely aligned with the organization's purpose.
D) are disenfranchised.
E) are actively disengaged.

Answer 1

are not very engaged.

Question 2

Motivation identifies three forces which affect voluntary work behavior. What are these three forces?

A) direction, intensity, emotion
B) engagement, drives, needs
C) direction, intensity, drives
D) direction, intensity, persistence
E) intensity, engagement, drives

Answer 2

direction, intensity, persistence

Question 3

Self-concept, social norms, and past experiences

A) have a fixed level of drive-based emotions.
B) fully regulate our decisions and behaviors.
C) minimize cognitive dissonance.
D) make unemotional decisions based on reason and logic.
E) affect the strength of needs by amplifying or suppressing emotions.

Answer 3

affect the strength of needs by amplifying or suppressing emotions.

Question 4

Maslow's needs hierarchy theory explicitly includes which of the following?

A) domination
B) frustration-regression
C) self-efficacy
D) procedural justice
E) self-actualization

Question 5

People with a high need for affiliation tend to

A) want to control their environment.
B) be more effective at allocating scarce resources.
C) desire challenging tasks.
D) avoid conflict with others.
E) be nonconformists.

Question 6

According to four-drive theory, what guides our motivational energy toward goals that reduce the felt need?

A) a hierarchy of needs
B) our need for achievement
C) our drive to bond
D) our mental skill set
E) our goal-directed choice

Question 7

________ theory explains how people develop perceptions of fairness by comparing their input-output ratios with others.

A) Equity
B) Needs
C) Engagement
D) Social cognitive
E) Expectancy

Question 8

According to Maslow's needs hierarchy theory, the concept of ________ suggests that people are naturally motivated to reach their full potential.

A) safety
B) esteem
C) self-actualization
D) physiological
E) belonging

Question 9

A person's hierarchy of needs is influenced by his or her

A) experiences.
B) values.
C) intellect.
D) family.
E) education.

Question 10

People have a strong need for achievement when they

A) want to accomplish challenging goals with unambiguous feedback.
B) seek approval from others.
C) are primarily motivated by money.
D) want to exercise control over others.
E) want to accomplish easy goals with little or no feedback.

Question 11

The need for achievement in successful entrepreneurs tends to be

A) high.
B) low.
C) neither high or low.
D) both low and high.
E) nonexistent.

Question 12

People with a high need for affiliation tend to be ________ effective in jobs that would require them to allocate scarce resources among employees.

A) more
B) less
C) equally
D) somewhat
E) moderately

Question 13

People with a high need for ________ tend to be more effective in jobs responsible for cultivating long-term relationships.

A) power
B) affiliation
C) achievement
D) leading
E) recognition

Question 14

According to learned needs theory, people with a high ________ desire power as a means to help others.

A) personalized need for power
B) drive to defend
C) socialized need for power
D) E-toP expectancy
E) need for achievement

Question 15

According to ________ theory, leaders with a strong need for personalized power will be less effective.

A) the four-drive
B) the learned needs
C) the needs hierarchy
D) the individual differences
E) contingency anchor

Question 16

________ theory states that everyone has the drive to acquire, bond, comprehend, and defend.

A) Four-drive
B) Learned needs
C) Needs hierarchy
D) Individual differences
E) Contingency anchor

Question 17

According to ________ theory, the drives to acquire, bond, and comprehend are proactive.

A) the four-drive
B) the learned needs
C) the needs hierarchy
D) the individual differences
E) contingency anchor

Question 18

According to ________ theory, social norms, past experience, and personal values translate emotional signals into goal-directed effort.

A) the four-drive
B) the learned needs
C) the needs hierarchy
D) the individual differences
E) the contingency anchor

Question 19

According to four-drive theory, organizations maximize motivation by focusing employees on opportunities to fulfill ________ of the four drives.

A) only one
B) two
C) three
D) all four
E) none

Question 20

Intrinsic motivation theory is based on which of Maslow's needs?

A) safety
B) belonging
C) esteem
D) physiological
E) self-actualization

Question 21

________ occurs when people fulfill their needs for competence and autonomy.

A) Punishment
B) Intrinsic motivation
C) Interactional justice
D) Need for affiliation
E) Extrinsic motivation

Question 22

When employees direct their effort toward a reward controlled by others that indirectly fulfills a need, they are

A) intrinsically motivated.
B) extrinsically motivated.
C) at the top of Maslow's hierarchy.
D) fulfilling their drive to bond.
E) self-actualizing.

Question 23

Research on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation concludes that

A) employees experience only extrinsic motivation.
B) employees are motivated only when both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are present.
C) employees experience only intrinsic motivation.
D) extrinsic motivators may reduce existing intrinsic motivation to some extent and under some conditions.
E) employees no longer experience intrinsic motivation when extrinsic motivators are introduced.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about how extrinsic and intrinsic motivators work together is correct?

A) Applying extrinsic motivators always decreases intrinsic motivation.
B) When employees are engaged in intrinsically motivated behavior, managers should always introduce extrinsic motivators to increase overall motivation.
C) Extrinsic motivators undermine intrinsic motivation when they are expected.
D) Research has shown that only the additive view of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is correct.
E) Extrinsic motivators may reduce existing intrinsic motivation to some extent and under some conditions, but the effect is often minimal.

Question 25

In expectancy theory, the ________ expectancy is the perceived probability that a specific behavior or performance level will lead to a particular outcome.

A) P-to-E
B) E-to-P
C) P-to-O
D) E-to-O
E) O-to-P

Question 26

In expectancy theory, ________ expectancies are influenced by the individual's belief that he or she can successfully complete the task.

A) P-to E
B) E-to-P
C) P-to-O
D) E-to-O
E) O-to-P

Question 27

A way to increase an employee's ________ expectancy regarding a specific task is to increase the person's self-confidence through coaching.

A) P-to-E
B) E-to-P
C) P-to-O
D) E-to-O
E) O-to-P

Question 28

A way to increase a person's ________ expectancy is to measure his or her job performance more accurately and distribute more valued rewards to those with higher job performance.

A) P-to-E
B) E-to-P
C) P-to-O
D) E-to-O
E) O-to-P

Question 29

The core elements of organizational behavior modification are depicted by the A-B-C model, in which A, B, and C stand for

A) attitude, bearing, conviction.
B) antecedents, behavior, consequences.
C) action, beliefs, conformity.
D) alpha, beta, capital.
E) step one, step two, step three.

Question 30

________ are events preceding behavior that inform an employee that a particular action will produce specific consequences.

A) Antecedents
B) Consequences
C) Emotions
D) Modifications
E) Communications

Question 31

In OB Mod, which of the four consequences is applied to decrease the frequency of undesired behavior?

A) punishment
B) positive reinforcement
C) negative reinforcement
D) the behavioral antecedent
E) reinforcement

Question 32

Goal setting is most effective when

A) the goals are specific, measurable and achievable.
B) the goals are open ended and not time framed.
C) the goal statements are general rather than specific.
D) the goals are easily achieved.
E) feedback is given once a year.

Question 33

Goals need to be within an employee's control. In other words, they should be

A) timely.
B) reviewed.
C) relevant.
D) exciting.
E) specific.

Question 34

Employee commitment to goals is increased when

A) the goals are challenging because they are ambiguous.
B) employees only receive positive feedback.
C) employees are involved in goal setting.
D) goals do not contain the pressure of a due date.
E) the goal has a low probability of being accomplished.

Question 35

________ potentially improves employee performance by increasing motivation and clarifying role perceptions.

A) Positive reinforcement
B) Negative reinforcement
C) Goal setting
D) Extinction
E) Punishment

Question 36

Goal setting tends to be more effective when goals are

A) specific rather than general.
B) general rather than specific.
C) open-ended.
D) easy to accomplish.
E) hard to measure.

Question 37

When goals are tied to financial rewards, many employees will do which of the following?

A) set very challenging goals
B) want more frequent feedback
C) set easy goals
D) question their relevance
E) behave unethically

Question 38

________ feedback is information about an employee's performance, collected from a full circle of people, including subordinates, peers, supervisors, and customers.

A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Multisource
D) Third-party
E) Required

Question 39

________ feedback tends to provide more complete and accurate information than feedback from a supervisor alone.

A) Positive
B) Negative
C) Multisource
D) Third-party
E) Required

Question 40

Negative feedback from non-social sources is less damaging to an employee's

A) productivity.
B) timeliness.
C) self-esteem.
D) sense of accomplishment.
E) status.

Question 41

One factor that supports the strengths-based coaching approach to feedback is that

A) people are very receptive to information that focuses on their flaws.
B) personality stabilizes in the early stages of a person's career.
C) it is the best approach in all situations.
D) people tend to be defensive when receiving information on their strengths.
E) over time people tend to become more flexible in their interests and abilities.

Question 42

During strengths-based coaching sessions

A) the coach tells the employee where they excel and where they do not.
B) the coach emphasizes the employee's flaws in order to turn them into strengths.
C) employees do not give feedback in response to their managers assessment.
D) employees describe areas of work where they excel or have potential.
E) employees complete long, standardized assessments of their talents.

Question 43

When decision makers apply neutrality, ________ tends to be higher.

A) interactional justice
B) retributional justice
C) procedural justice
D) transactional justice
E) inequity.

Question 44

Which of the following are employees least likely to do when they feel under-rewarded?

A) increase their work effort
B) reduce their work effort
C) ask for a pay raise
D) ask the comparison other to do more of the work
E) change their beliefs about the situation

Question 45

An important condition for ________ is that employees have the opportunity to share evidence and their opinions with decision makers.

A) procedural justice
B) distributive justice
C) interactional justice
D) equality
E) inequity tension

Question 46

When people experience procedural injustice, a common response is that they

A) engage in more organizational citizenship behaviors.
B) retaliate to restore their self-esteem and reinstate their status and power in the relationship.
C) increase their future compliance with requests by managers and others in positions of higher authority.
D) change the factors they consider when choosing a comparison other.
E) increase their commitment to the organization.

Question 47

The ________ states that everyone in the work group should receive the same outcomes.

A) distributive justice principle
B) procedural justice principle
C) equality principle
D) need principle
E) equity principle

Question 48

Treating people with respect is one of the rules of ________ justice.

A) interactional
B) procedural
C) distributive
D) unequal
E) inequitable

Question 49

The ________ ratio is the value of the inputs you provide divided by the value of the outcomes you receive in the exchange relationship.

A) input
B) output
C) outcome/input
D) input/outcome
E) manager/employee

Question 50

Distributive, procedural, and interactional justice are all based on the perception that

A) managers will never treat employees fairly.
B) appropriate formal or informal rules have been applied to the situation.
C) justice is not a rules-based concept.
D) employees do not consider pay when assessing fairness.
E) fairness is morally incorrect.

Question 51

________ occurs when an individual's outcome/input ratio is lower than the outcome/input ratio of a comparison other.

A) Under-reward inequity
B) Equality
C) Procedural justice
D) Perceptions of equity
E) Distributive justice

Question 52

Equity theory research has found that employees who feel ________ tend to alter their perceptions of inputs and outcomes.

A) under-reward inequity
B) over-reward inequity
C) equality
D) equity
E) distributive justice

Question 53

________ is higher when the decision maker is perceived as unbiased.

A) Distributive justice
B) Procedural justice
C) Equality principle
D) Need principle
E) Equity principle

Question 54

The perception that benefits should be distributed based on a calculation of differences in effort is the basis of

A) distributive justice.
B) interactional justice.
C) procedural justice.
D) the absence of justice.
E) the equality principle.

Question 55

Several employees are upset. They know that another employee, who puts in much less effort than they do, received a larger raise. This represents the rule of ________ justice.

A) distributive
B) procedural
C) interactional
D) relational
E) equity

Question 56

"Vision Day" was an exercise attempting to increase

A) positive public relations.
B) feedback from management.
C) employee engagement.
D) behavior modification.
E) goal setting.

Question 57

In order to get the "best out of everybody," ABC Corp. must maintain high levels of

A) financial rewards.
B) motivation.
C) punishment.
D) international competitiveness.
E) employee support.

Question 58

According to learned needs theory, Jessie most likely has a high

A) need for achievement.
B) need for esteem.
C) need for affiliation.
D) need for comprehension.
E) drive to acquire.

Question 59

According to four-drive theory, Paul most likely has a high

A) drive to acquire.
B) drive to comprehend.
C) drive to defend.
D) drive to accept.
E) drive to control.

Question 60

If Jill wanted to increase E-to-P expectancies, what should she do?

A) Measure job performance accurately.
B) Distribute rewards that employees value.
C) Provide coaching to employees who lack self-confidence.
D) Describe how employee's rewards were based on past performance.
E) Minimize the presence of countervalent outcomes.

Question 61

Motivation is the forces within a person that affect the direction, intensity, and persistence of voluntary behavior.

Question 62

Engagement encompasses both emotional and cognitive motivation.

Question 63

Persistence refers to the goal of a person's motivational effort.

Question 64

Self-concept and past experience affect the strength of a person's needs', but social norms have little to no influence on those needs.

Question 65

Individual attitudes and social norms are the prime sources of human motivation.

Question 66

The four-drive theory states that the drives-to acquire, to bond, to comprehend, and to defend-determine which cognitives are tagged to incoming stimuli.

Question 67

Four-drive theory states that employees need to be given the opportunity to fulfill only two of the four drives.

Question 68

Maslow's hierarchical theory is widely accepted in practice.

Question 69

Extrinsic motivation occurs when people are motivated to engage in an activityfor instrumental reasons.

Question 70

According to expectancy theory, one method to strengthen the E-to-P expectancy is to provide employee training.

Question 71

Negative reinforcement is any reinforcement that employees find to be objectionable.

Question 72

The best reinforcement schedule to motivate employees is the variable ratio schedule.

Question 73

The purpose of goal setting is to motivate employees and improve their role perceptions.

Question 74

Strengths-based coaching is an approach to feedback that focuses on employee weaknesses to improve their strengths.

Question 75

One reason that strengths-based coaching can be effective is that people tend to be defensive when problem-focused feedback is presented to them.

Question 76

Interactional justice theory states that employees should be treated in a polite manner and with respect.

Question 77

Distributive, procedural, and interactional justice all refer to the perception that appropriate formal or informal rules have been applied to the situation.

Question 78

Equity theory posits that we compare our own outcome-input ratio with the ratio of someone else, developing our perceptions of equity or inequity in a situation.