Deck 10: Employee Motivation

Question 1

Frederick W.Taylor's scientific management approach focused on intrinsic motivational elements,such as opportunities for personal satisfaction.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Scientific management is a management approach designed to improve employees' efficiency by scientifically studying their work.

Question 2

The Hawthorne studies were simpler and less influential than suggested by the Hawthorne effect.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: The Hawthorne studies led to a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect.

Question 3

Theory X-oriented managers believe that most employees are motivated by intrinsic rewards.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Theory X refers to the managerial assumption that employees are irresponsible, are unambitious, and dislike work and that managers must use force, control, or threats to motivate them.

Question 4

When using reinforcement theory,managers try to encourage in a systematic way those actions considered beneficial to the company.

Question 5

Engagement predicts the likelihood that employees will stay or leave their jobs.

Question 6

Goals that are specific enough to give employees clarity and focus can function as effective motivators.

Question 7

Task identity refers to the employee's perception of how his or her job impacts the lives of other employees.

Question 8

According to Maslow,higher-level needs can serve as motivators even if lower level needs are not yet met.

Question 9

Theory Y-oriented managers believe that employees like to work.

Question 10

Management by objectives is a motivational approach where managers set specific goals for each employee.

Question 11

For goals to function as a motivator,the employee must believe in his or her ability to meet that goal.

Question 12

The fundamental motivational need called the "drive to defend" can be both positive and negative.

Question 13

The four indicators,engagement,satisfaction,commitment,and rootedness can identify who is motivated and who isn't,as well as explain why.

Question 14

Complaints about gender pay fairness,where men get more money than women for the same work,are instances of equity issues.

Question 15

The idea that your job satisfaction is based on how much you put into your job versus how much you get out of your job is the basis of the equity theory of motivation.

Question 16

Unlike with the other classical theories,there is a lot of research to validate Herzberg's two-factor theory.

Question 17

Expectancy theory refers to the idea that employees base their level of satisfaction on the ratio of their inputs to the job and the outputs or rewards they receive from it.

Question 18

Cross-training involves expanding the scope of an individual job.

Question 19

Job enrichment expands a job horizontally.

Question 20

At the top of Maslow's hierarchy is self-actualization need.

Question 21

At Creative Solutions,an event management firm,employees are given ample creative freedom,flexible work-timings,and they can choose their own working styles.The top management of the firm believes that all employees enjoy meaningful work,and are naturally committed to the firm's goals.Team leaders are advised not to use force,control,or threats to motivate team members.The top management of Creative Solutions is most likely to be using which of the following approaches?

A) Theory X
B) Hawthorne's effect
C) Scientific management
D) Expectancy theory
E) Theory Y

Question 22

Andy works as a junior accountant in a firm.He has a nice house,a good insurance plan,a secure job,an affectionate family,and a close circle of friends.However,he is always sidelined at work,and his contributions and initiatives go unrecognized.His suggestions to improve the work environment are also overlooked.He feels that his superiors at his firm do not respect him.He begins to feel unsatisfied and his productivity reduces.Andy's manager uses Maslow's hierarchy,and identifies that Andy is on ________ needs level.

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

Question 23

Cheryl R.Lucas works as a food technologist at Maxiserve Inc.,a leading food and nutrition company.She has a good salary,pension plan,high job security,and many friends at work.She has won "employee of the year" award twice,and her co-workers respect her.Cheryl has an inner drive to achieve her full potential,and feels that her work is worthwhile and satisfying in itself.Cheryl's manager uses Maslow's hierarchy to identify the need level she is at.He is most likely to classify her as being at the ________ need level.

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

Question 24

________ proposed a model that divides motivational forces into satisfiers ("motivators")and dissatisfiers ("hygiene factors").

A) Douglas McGregor
B) Abraham Maslow
C) David McClelland
D) Frederick W. Taylor
E) Frederick Herzberg

Question 25

According to Maslow,workplace factors such as health insurance,pension plans,and retirement benefits would satisfy ________.

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

Question 26

Negative reinforcement encourages a particular behavior to be repeated through the reduction,removal,or absence of an unpleasant outcome.

Question 27

According to McGregor,Theory X-oriented managers believe that ________.

A) employees dislike work and can be motivated only by the fear of losing their jobs or by extrinsic rewards
B) employees can be motivated by working for goals that promote creativity
C) physiological needs must be satisfied before an employee can consider higher-level needs
D) employees work not just because they want to make money or impress others, but because they feel their work is worthwhile and satisfying in itself
E) they need to remove dissatisfying elements and add satisfying elements-doing one or the other is not enough

Question 28

Micromanagement refers to overseeing every small detail of employees' work and refusing to give them freedom or autonomy.

Question 29

In the workplace,motivation can be assessed by measuring four indicators: satisfaction,engagement,rootedness,and ________.

A) intelligence
B) commitment
C) creativity
D) work performance
E) cognitive dissonance

Question 30

Motivation is a deeply personal phenomenon.

Question 31

Which of the following is TRUE about Frederick W.Taylor's scientific management approach?

A) It consists of a model in which a person's needs are arranged in a hierarchy, with the most basic needs at the bottom and the more advanced needs toward the top.
B) It refers to the managerial assumption that employees are irresponsible, unambitious, and dislike work; therefore, managers must use force, control, or threats to motivate them.
C) It is an approach that divides motivational forces into satisfiers and dissatisfiers.
D) It highlighted subjective motivational elements, such as opportunities for personal satisfaction.
E) It involved analyzing work and business processes in order to improve employees' efficiency.

Question 32

Elaine DeWitte,project head in a public relations firm,framed management policies which followed McGregor's Theory X style of thinking.Which of the following actions is she most likely to have implemented?

A) Elaine closely tracks the daily performance of her employees and asks them to work according to a pre-determined schedule to prevent them from slacking.
B) Elaine asks employees to volunteer for additional tasks assuming that all employees are motivated to accept responsibility.
C) Elaine allows her employees to work from home as she believes that they would exercise self-direction.
D) Elaine arranges skill-based training for her employees during the weekends, believing that all employees enjoy their work and are ambitious.
E) Elaine motivates employees through intrinsic rewards, such as the freedom to choose how to accomplish their work, and involves them in decision-making processes.

Question 33

________ refers to a supposed effect of organizational research,in which employees change their behavior because they are being studied and given special treatment.

A) Herzberg's two-factor theory
B) Maslow's hierarchy
C) Theory X
D) Hawthorne effect
E) Theory Y

Question 34

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory,which of the following are self-actualization needs?

A) A person's need to give and receive love and to feel a sense of belonging.
B) A person's need for a sense of self-worth, status, and attention.
C) A person's need to become what he or she is capable of becoming.
D) A person's needs for security and protection from physical and emotional harm.
E) A person's needs for food, clothing, and shelter.

Question 35

Negative reinforcement and punishment are the same thing.

Question 36

________ refers to the combination of forces that moves individuals to take certain actions and avoid other actions.

A) Engagement
B) Reinforcement
C) Aptitude
D) Motivation
E) Ethics

Question 37

According to Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory,which of the following factors acts as a motivator?

A) favorable working conditions
B) favorable company policies
C) increase in pay
D) job security
E) responsibility

Question 38

Which of the following refers to the degree to which an employee intends to stay with his or her employer?

A) drive
B) satisfaction
C) rootedness
D) engagement
E) commitment

Question 39

Reinforcement needs to involve explicit monetary incentives to distort behavior.

Question 40

An employee's rational and emotional commitment to his or her work is termed as ________.

A) engagement
B) motivation
C) work satisfaction
D) drive
E) competence

Question 41

Kelly,who had recently joined GoCo,Inc.,participates in all corporate events as she wants to be accepted as a friend by her co-workers.According to David McClelland's three-needs theory,this desire is known as ________.

A) need for power
B) need for achievement
C) need for self-esteem
D) need for affiliation
E) need for security

Question 42

According to the job characteristics model,the employee's perception of the impact the job has on the lives of other people is called ________.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) task significance
D) autonomy
E) emotional labor

Question 43

________ refers to the idea that carefully designed performance targets and aims can motivate employees to higher performance.

A) Goal-setting theory
B) Equity theory
C) Herzberg's two-factor theory
D) David McClelland's three needs theory
E) Expectancy theory

Question 44

Justin M.Brown,the operations manager at Vernon Manufacturing Company,formulated a strategy to motivate the firm's employees.Justin addressed employee's dissatisfaction by increasing their salary and incentives; he employed several industrial counsellors to help employees deal with work-related stress,and improved the health insurance plan provided to employees.He also motivated employees by providing greater opportunity for advancement; recognizing employees who perform well; and giving employees greater responsibility to foster a sense of achievement in them.Justin's measures are based on which of the following approaches?

A) McClelland's three needs theory
B) Theory X
C) Theory Y
D) Herzberg's two-factor theory
E) scientific management

Question 45

Research into equity theory has led to thinking about the broader concept of ________.

A) scientific management
B) self-actualization
C) organizational justice
D) intrinsic rewards
E) self-efficacy

Question 46

Goal-setting theory of motivation suggests that ________.

A) setting goals is unrelated to motivation in most employees
B) setting goals is an effective way to motivate employees
C) managers, not employees, need to set goals
D) collaborative goal setting can undermine managerial authority
E) employees should set their own goals without input from managers

Question 47

Which of the following statements is TRUE about management by objectives?

A) It suggests that employee satisfaction depends on the perceived ratio of inputs to outputs.
B) It has not been validated by experimental research.
C) It reduces employee involvement in goal setting and decision making.
D) It reduces employee stress by removing specific goals and targets.
E) It ensures that employee's activities are directly linked to achieving the organization's long-term goals.

Question 48

Nelly Kaszton is the manager of a team of financial analysts at M&A Analytics,a Chicago-based firm that offers software,advisory services and research facilities for financial risk management.The firm uses management by objectives technique to motivate employees to higher performance.As a part of the management by objectives (MBO)technique,Nelly Kaszton is most likely to implement which of the following actions?

A) Nelly discourages people she supervises from focusing on goals, as she believes that it will lead to unhealthy competition.
B) Nelly creates an action plan aimed at achieving department, and project-related goals, while ignoring the personal goals and objectives of the people she supervises.
C) Nelly focuses on the individual needs and goals of the people she supervises, while ignoring the departmental and project-related objectives.
D) Nelly collaborates with the people she supervises to set specific individual goals that mesh with the larger goals of M&A Analytics.
E) Nelly gives employees full freedom to set their own goal, without supervision, as MBO techniques state that employees are naturally committed to certain goals.

Question 49

________ suggests that employee satisfaction depends on the perceived ratio of inputs to outputs.

A) Maslow's hierarchy
B) Herzberg's two-factor theory
C) David McClelland's three needs theory
D) Expectancy theory
E) Equity theory

Question 50

Which of the following is a limitation of the goal-setting theory?

A) decreased extrinsic motivation
B) reduced internal competition
C) missed learning opportunities
D) less challenging goals
E) reduced emphasis on short-term performance

Question 51

Which of the following is a drawback of David McClelland's three-needs theory?

A) It explains motivation in limited contexts.
B) It has limited practicality in terms of identifying needs.
C) It is criticized because of the methodology used in the original research.
D) Subsequent research was unable to validate the model.
E) It is illogical.

Question 52

Which of the following theorists developed the three-needs theory of motivation that highlights needs for power,affiliation,and achievement?

A) Douglas McGregor
B) Abraham Maslow
C) David McClelland
D) Frederick W. Taylor
E) Frederick Herzberg

Question 53

________ refers to a model suggesting that five core job dimensions influence three critical psychological states that determine motivation,performance,and other outcomes.

A) Job characteristics model
B) Management by objectives
C) Goal-setting theory
D) Theory X
E) Theory Y

Question 54

In Herzberg's two-factor theory,hygiene factors are ________.

A) associated with dissatisfying experiences
B) mostly intrinsic and include achievement, recognition, responsibility, and other personally rewarding factors
C) the requirements for basic survival such as food, clothing, and shelter
D) related to the need to give and receive love and to feel a sense of belonging
E) related to the need for a sense of self-worth and integrity

Question 55

Which of the following statements is TRUE about expectancy theory?

A) Expectancy theory focuses more on the specific forces that motivate employees and less on the process they follow to seek satisfaction in their jobs.
B) Expectancy theory suggests that employee satisfaction depends on the perceived ratio of inputs to outputs.
C) Research into expectancy theory has led to thinking about the broader concept of organizational justice, or perceptions of fairness in the workplace.
D) Expectancy theory identifies four primary drives that underlie all motivation.
E) Expectancy theory states that the effort employees will put forth depends on their beliefs regarding the rewards that the organization will give in response to that performance.

Question 56

________ connects an employee's efforts to the outcome he or she thinks will result from those efforts.

A) Maslow's hierarchy
B) Herzberg's two-factor theory
C) David McClelland's three needs theory
D) Expectancy theory
E) Equity theory

Question 57

Belief in your ability to complete a task is known as ________.

A) drive
B) self-efficacy
C) self-actualization
D) rootedness
E) self-motivation

Question 58

According to the job characteristics model,the degree to which the employee has responsibility for completing an entire task is called ________.

A) task significance
B) skill variety
C) autonomy
D) task availability
E) task identity

Question 59

According to the job characteristics model,________ refers to the range of abilities and talents needed to accomplish the responsibilities associated with the job.

A) task significance
B) skill variety
C) autonomy
D) task availability
E) task identity

Question 60

________ refers to a motivational approach in which managers and employees work together to structure personal goals and objectives for every individual,department,and project to mesh with the organization's goals.

A) Scientific management
B) Theory X-oriented management
C) Management by objectives
D) Theory Y-oriented management
E) Micromanagement

Question 61

If an employee has perfect attendance for the month,then he or she is given a $25 bonus.This would be an example of ________.

A) an incentive
B) job enrichment
C) an intrinsic reward
D) punishment
E) negative reinforcement

Question 62

Which of the following statements is TRUE about job enlargement?

A) It is best described as vertically expanding jobs.
B) It involves training workers to perform multiple jobs.
C) It makes jobs more interesting by expanding the range of skills required.
D) It involves adding tasks that aren't necessarily more challenging.
E) It is a measure of how much employees care about the jobs they are doing.

Question 63

Alex has been working as technical service representative for Convergence Technologies,a software development firm for two years.His duties and responsibilities include providing technical assistance to end users and preparing reports on product problems encountered.During a performance review meeting with his manager,Alex mentions that he finds his job to be very monotonous.Alex's manager makes his job more challenging and interesting by asking him to conduct technical interviews of potential employees,as well as train and mentor new hires.In this example,Alex's manager uses which of the following strategies to motivate him?

A) benchmarking
B) centralization
C) decentralization
D) job enrichment
E) cross-training

Question 64

________ refers to training workers to perform multiple jobs and rotating them through these various jobs to combat boredom or burnout.

A) Job enrichment
B) Behavior modification
C) Cross-training
D) Job enlargement
E) Task significance

Question 65

Allan Donegan is the creative director of Barton Advertising,an advertising company based in Dallas.He notices that Barry,the team-lead of the graphic designers has been demotivated and distracted for the past couple of months.In an attempt to motivate Barry,Allen decides to uses job enrichment strategy.Which of the following actions is Allen most likely to implement?

A) Allen trains Barry to lead the team of copywriters and asks the team-lead of the copywriters to handle the graphic designers.
B) Allen asks Barry to begin handling some of the client meetings and presentations that were earlier done by Allen.
C) Allen asks Barry to handle some of the basic, uninteresting graphic designing tasks, to help his team meet tight deadlines.
D) Allen begins to closely supervise Barry's work and even sits in during Barry's monthly meetings with his team members.
E) Allen increases Barry's salary and improves his incentive scheme.

Question 66

Employees who receive positive reinforcement for one type of behavior are motivated to perform well in other areas as well.This process is known as ________.

A) cross-training
B) job enrichment
C) benchmarking
D) chaining
E) horizontal integration

Question 67

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the job characteristics model?

A) According to the job characteristics model, the narrower the range of skills required, the more meaningful the work is likely to be to the employee.
B) According to the job characteristics model, lower task identity contributes to the sense of meaning in work.
C) According to the job characteristics model, autonomy is one of the three critical psychological states that determine motivation, performance, and other outcomes.
D) According to the job characteristics model, employees with little growth needs respond most dramatically to improvements in job dimensions.
E) According to the job characteristics model, experienced meaningfulness of the work is a measure of how much employees care about the jobs they are doing.

Question 68

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding reinforcement theory?

A) Both positive and negative reinforcement encourage behaviors to be repeated.
B) Negative reinforcement is the opposite of positive reinforcement.
C) Positive reinforcement cannot encourage undesirable behaviors.
D) Reinforcement has to involve explicit monetary incentives to distort behavior.
E) Punishment encourages the repetition of a particular behavior by not offering unpleasant consequences for the behavior.

Question 69

Luke is the store manager at the departmental store of Nature's Basket,a multinational retailer corporation,located in Cincinnati.He decides to use cross training to improve motivation levels among people who work at the store.Luke is most likely to implement which of the following measures?

A) Luke asks people who stock the shelves to handle the cash registers, and the cashiers are taught to stock shelves.
B) Luke provides detailed feedback to all employees at the store and sets performance goals for them.
C) Luke starts a "Retail Apprenticeship Scheme" that allows employees to earn certifications and learn new skills.
D) Luke hires temporary workers to assist store employees during peak periods.
E) Luke implements an incentive scheme based on the individual performance of employees.

Question 70

John stayed late in order to finish a project.When his manager found the completed project on her desk,she immediately sent John an email praising his good work and thanking him for going the extra mile.In this example,John's manager uses ________.

A) chaining
B) transactional analysis
C) cognitive restructuring
D) negative reinforcement
E) positive reinforcement

Question 71

According to the job characteristics model,experienced meaningfulness of the work is ________.

A) a measure of how much employees care about the jobs they are doing
B) the sense each employee has that his or her efforts contribute to the outcome
C) an employees' intention to stay in the company
D) an employees' support of the company and its mission
E) employees' awareness of the real-life results of their efforts

Question 72

Jason is an assembly-line worker at Mellick Manufacturers.He feels dissatisfied and frustrated with his job,which consists of tightening three bolts on each washing machine as it passes by him on the assembly line.At Mellick Manufacturers,assembly-line workers are closely supervised,and their incentives are linked to quantitative measures of productivity.According to the job characteristics model,which of the following is TRUE about Jason's job?

A) It has high task significance.
B) It has low task identity.
C) It has high autonomy.
D) It has low skill variety.
E) It has low feedback.

Question 73

Nathan works as an adolescent and family counselor in a private school.He feels motivated to come to work every day because he is acutely aware of the impact he has on his clients.Being able to assist young people and their families through difficult situations gives him a profound sense of satisfaction.According to the job characteristics model,which of the following best describes Nathan's job?

A) It involves high extrinsic motivation.
B) It has high task significance.
C) It has low task identity.
D) It has low autonomy.
E) It requires low feedback.

Question 74

According to the job characteristics model,experienced responsibility for results refers to ________.

A) how much employees care about the jobs they are doing
B) the sense each employee has that his or her efforts contribute to the outcome
C) an employees' intention to stay in the company
D) an employees' support of the company and its mission
E) employees' awareness of the real-life results of their efforts

Question 75

Dick works as the first-line manager of a team of sales persons at Dowson's Store,a leading clothes retail store.To motivate the sales agents in his team,Dick says that he will not assign weekend work and overtime to the top three sales agents,as per quantitative performance measures.In this example,Dick uses ________.

A) positive reinforcement
B) cognitive heuristic
C) negative reinforcement
D) decentralization
E) onboarding

Question 76

Donald is the customer service manager at Artemis Technologies,a software development firm.During a lean period,employees who handle customer issues over the telephone are trained and asked to handle walk-in customers for 2 months; similarly,employees who handle walk-in customers are trained and asked to handle customer issues over the telephone for 2 months.Donald makes these changes to improve employee motivation.In this example,Donald is most likely to be using which of the following strategies?

A) centralization
B) cross-training
C) decentralization
D) horizontal integration
E) benchmarking

Question 77

Encouraging the repetition of a particular behavior by not offering unpleasant consequences for the behavior is called ________.

A) negative reinforcement
B) cognitive restructuring
C) transactional analysis
D) positive reinforcement
E) cross-training

Question 78

________ theory suggests that managers can motivate employees by shaping their actions through behavior modification.

A) Expectancy
B) Two-factor
C) Equity
D) Reinforcement
E) Maslow's

Question 79

Making jobs more challenging and interesting by expanding the range of skills required is called ________.

A) job enlargement
B) cross-training
C) job enrichment
D) flextime
E) task identity

Question 80

Carrey works as a bank teller who handles deposits and disbursement.In an attempt to improve her motivation,Carrie's manager asks her to distribute traveler's checks and sell certificates of deposit as well.Though the additional tasks are no more challenging than what Carrey has been doing,they give her more to do.This is an example of ________.

A) job rotation
B) cross-training
C) job enlargement
D) benchmarking
E) centralization