Deck 13: Motivating for Performance

Question 1

Managers should reward employees for multitasking.

Answer 1

False
Explanation:
Multitasking actually slows the brain's efficiency and can contribute to mistakes. Scans of brain activity show that the brain is not able to concentrate on two tasks at once; it needs time to switch among the multitasker's activities. As a result, managers who praise the hard work of multitaskers may be unintentionally reinforcing inefficiency and failure to think deeply about problems.

Question 2

Individualized performance goals reduce competition and improve the functioning of teams in which cooperation among members is essential for group performance.

Answer 2

False
Explanation:
Individual performance goals can be dysfunctional if people work in a group and cooperation among team members is essential to team performance. Individualized goals can create competition and reduce cooperation. If cooperation is important, performance goals should be established for the team.

Question 3

Understanding why people do the things they do on the job is an easy task for managers.

Answer 3

False
Explanation:
Understanding why people do the things they do on the job is not an easy task for a manager. Predicting their response to management's latest productivity program is harder yet.

Question 4

Motivation will be high if any one of the following is high: expectancy, instrumentalities, or total valence of all outcomes.

Question 5

Michele works to achieve the goals she sets for herself. Pat works to earn money. Jay works to earn his employer's praise. These three different reasons for working all come under the general category of _____.

A)rewards
B)consequences
C)performance
D)motivation
E)personality

Question 6

Growth needs in Alderfer's ERG theory are similar to self-actualization needs in Maslow's needs hierarchy.

Question 7

Bob has a conviction for marijuana use in his past. For the first three years of his employment, he had to submit to monthly drug testing. After three years of being clean, his employer changed the requirement to a random test twice a year. This change is an example of ____.

A)negative reinforcement
B)positive reinforcement
C)extinction
D)punishment
E)arbitration

Question 8

When they think it is warranted or when they believe others expect them to, managers use punishment.

Question 9

The "M" in SMART, an acronym used by Microsoft for goal setting, stands for _____.

A)motivated
B)managed
C)measurable
D)multitasked
E)moderate

Question 10

According to the Hackman and Oldham model of job enrichment, people will perform better when they feel responsible, their job has meaning, and they know how well they are performing.

Question 11

A moderate to high need for affiliation and power are associated with managerial success.

Question 12

Which of the following types of behavior is not motivated behavior?

A)Involuntary reflexes
B)Job performance
C)Relationship choices
D)Hobbies and sports
E)Diet choices

Question 13

As Taylor deals with her employees, she works with them to set goals that will energize them and direct their thoughts and work behaviors toward a particular end. Taylor is using _____.

A)positive reinforcement
B)equity theory
C)goal-setting theory
D)stretch goals
E)expectancy theory

Question 14

A satisfied worker is not necessarily more productive than a dissatisfied one.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

A)Giving a letter of warning
B)Giving a pay raise
C)Taking someone off probation
D)Removing a reprimand from the record
E)Demoting someone

Question 16

Alberto made a good-faith effort to develop a new product, but the attempt failed. What should Alberto's employer do?

A)Talk to Alberto about what he learned and discus what he might do next.
B)Demote Alberto for failing to succeed at the project.
C)Fire Alberto for failing to succeed at the project.
D)Ignore the entire situation to keep from discouraging Alberto's initiative.
E)Transfer Alberto to a job with requirements that better fit his skill set.

Question 17

At Diego's annual review, he and his boss set a performance goal that will be difficult for him to achieve in one year. However, Diego is very enthusiastic about giving it a try. What type of goal is this?

A)An equity goal
B)A negative goal
C)An outcome goal
D)A reverse goal
E)A stretch goal

Question 18

According to equity theory, employees compare their outcomes to other employees' inputs.

Question 19

Which of the following techniques is useful for generating goals that employees accept willingly?

A)Assigning targets that are exceptionally demanding
B)Allowing employees to participate in setting their goals
C)Encouraging employees to choose targets that are easy to reach
D)Using the acronym SMART to define the goals
E)Setting the same goals for all employees at the same level

Question 20

Organizational behavior modification focuses on

A)administering an adverse consequence.
B)failing to provide a reinforcing consequence.
C)expecting particular outcomes for behavior.
D)influencing people's behavior.
E)achieving self-actualization.

Question 21

Ultimate Travel, a manufacturer of backpacks and related accessories, has designed its job positions to ensure that people are attracted to the organization, show up every day, and work hard while they are there. Yet most employees stay no longer than five years. In this case, the company should focus more on motivating their employees to

A)work as a team.
B)remain in the organization.
C)compete with others.
D)perform their work adequately.
E)exhibit good citizenship.

Question 22

Positive consequences that motivate behavior are referred to as

A)benefactors.
B)regulators.
C)reinforcers.
D)effectors.
E)sanctions.

Question 23

_____ is the process of sharing power with employees.

A)Disempowerment
B)Motivation
C)Empowerment
D)Reinforcement
E)Instrumentality

Question 24

Applying a desirable consequence to increase the likelihood that a behavior is repeated is known as

A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)intrinsic support.
D)extrinsic support.
E)extinction.

Question 25

A bonus is an example of a(n) _____.

A)intrinsic reward
B)negative reinforcement
C)hygiene factor
D)extrinsic reward
E)psychological contract

Question 26

People's perceived likelihood that their efforts will enable them to attain their performance goals is called _____.

A)motivation
B)instrumentality
C)expectancy
D)prediction
E)anticipation

Question 27

Which of the following statements about achievement is true?

A)The need for achievement is not as important as researchers first thought.
B)Japan has a higher need for achievement than for affiliation.
C)The need for achievement is universally important.
D)The need for achievement is particularly high in the United States.
E)Great Britain has a particularly low need for achievement.

Question 28

The need for _____ is characterized by a strong orientation toward success and goal attainment.

A)affiliation
B)achievement
C)praise
D)performance
E)reinforcement

Question 29

Following the completion of a difficult assignment, Pamela's supervisor told her that he was very pleased with her performance and her help in completing the project. The praise Pamela received is an example of

A)positive reinforcement.
B)informal reinforcement.
C)intrinsic reinforcement.
D)cognitive reinforcement.
E)primary reinforcement.

Question 30

Which of the following is true of negative reinforcement?

A)It involves administering an aversive consequence.
B)It refers to withdrawing or failing to provide a reinforcing consequence.
C)It refers to the tendency to conclude that despite the effort the outcome would be bad.
D)It involves removing or withholding an undesirable consequence.
E)It refers to the lack of interest in the outcome of performance.

Question 31

Removing or withholding an undesirable consequence is called

A)negative reinforcement.
B)primary reinforcement.
C)extinction.
D)punishment.
E)arbitration.

Question 32

Which of the following laws states that behavior that is followed by positive consequences will likely be repeated?

A)The law of consequences
B)The law of repetition
C)The law of demand
D)The law of effect
E)The law of definite proportion

Question 33

_____ refers to the forces that energize, direct, and sustain a person's efforts.

A)Benefaction
B)Arbitration
C)Motivation
D)Validation
E)Integration

Question 34

Granite Consolidated Industries has a clear method for managers to follow before terminating an employee, which includes warnings, record keeping, probation, and possible appeals to the human resources department. This is an example of _____.

A)restoring equity
B)assessing equity
C)hygiene factors
D)procedural justice
E)job satisfaction

Question 35

What is the psychological contract that exists in the workplace?

A)The employer's legal obligation to provide a fair wage or salary for the work an employee performs.
B)The use of a fair process in decision making and helping others know that the process was as fair as possible.
C)The comparison of the ratio of an employee's outcomes to inputs against the outcome-to-input ratio of some comparison person.
D)The degree to which employees want personal and psychological development.
E)The set of perceptions of what employees owe their employers and what their employers owe them.

Question 36

A motivation theory stating that people have conscious goals that energize them and direct their thoughts and behaviors toward a particular end is

A)the equity theory.
B)the path-goal theory.
C)the goal-setting theory.
D)the expectancy theory.
E)Maxwell's goal theory.

Question 37

Targets that are particularly demanding and can generate a major shift away from mediocrity and toward tremendous achievement are known as

A)challenge goals.
B)mountaintop goals.
C)reach goals.
D)summit goals.
E)stretch goals.

Question 38

Increasing expectancies, identifying _____ outcomes, and making performance instrumental toward positive outcomes are all managerial implications of the expectancy theory.

A)positively valent
B)positively instrumental
C)valent-neutral
D)negatively valent
E)negatively instrumental

Question 39

What does the E stand for in Alderfer's ERG theory?

A)Ego
B)Existentialism
C)Expertise
D)Esteem
E)Existence

Question 40

The feeling of self-satisfaction about doing a good job is a(n) _____.

A)intrinsic reward
B)negative reinforcement
C)hygiene factor
D)extrinsic reward
E)psychological contract

Question 41

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, which of the following forms the lowest level of needs?

A)Social
B)Physiological
C)Ego
D)Safety
E)Self-actualization

Question 42

According to organizational behavior modification, which of the following is a key consequence of behavior?

A)Arbitration
B)Empowerment
C)Centralization
D)Vigilance
E)Punishment

Question 43

According to the expectancy theory, which of the following is the correct order of events?

A)Outcome, performance, and effort
B)Performance, effort, and outcome
C)Effort, outcome, and performance
D)Performance, outcome, and effort
E)Effort, performance, and outcome

Question 44

A theory proposing that people will behave based on their perceived likelihood that their effort will lead to a certain outcome and on how highly they value that outcome is known as the

A)expectancy theory.
B)ERG theory.
C)path-goal theory.
D)equity theory.
E)hierarchy of needs theory.

Question 45

Failure to provide positive feedback for a job well done, resulting in lower motivation thereafter is an example of a(n)

A)punishment.
B)extinction.
C)positive reinforcement.
D)negative reinforcement.
E)disempowerment.

Question 46

Instrumentality is the

A)perceived likelihood that performance will be followed by a particular outcome.
B)value that the expected outcome holds for the person contemplating it.
C)belief that performance will surely result in the perceived outcomes.
D)perceived likelihood that employees' efforts will enable them to attain their performance goals.
E)perceived likelihood that a person will repeat the behavior that led to positive reinforcement.

Question 47

Which of the following forms the highest level of needs in Maslow's need hierarchy?

A)Social
B)Physiological
C)Ego
D)Self-actualization
E)Safety

Question 48

The performance-to-outcome link in the expectancy theory is called

A)valence.
B)instrumentality.
C)expectancy.
D)equity.
E)reinforcement.

Question 49

Withdrawing or failing to provide a reinforcing consequence is referred to as

A)negative reinforcement.
B)positive reinforcement.
C)arbitration.
D)extinction.
E)affiliation.

Question 50

Which of the following implies a favorable consequence?

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Punishment
C)Extinction
D)Personalized power
E)Termination

Question 51

According to Maslow, which of the following needs includes the need for achievement, freedom, and recognition?

A)Physiological
B)Self-actualization
C)Safety
D)Ego
E)Social

Question 52

According to a theory regarding performance-related beliefs, the effort-to-performance link is called

A)instrumentality.
B)valence.
C)outcome.
D)viability.
E)expectancy.

Question 53

Administering an aversive consequence is referred to as

A)positive reinforcement.
B)punishment.
C)extinction.
D)negative reinforcement.
E)arbitration.

Question 54

_____ is the perceived likelihood people have that their efforts will enable them to attain their performance goals.

A)Instrumentality
B)Valence
C)Validation
D)Expectancy
E)Instinct

Question 55

Samuel, a production team manager, often sets impossible performance goals for his team members. Eventually, the performance of the team members started to deteriorate because they never succeed in reaching the goals Samuel sets and they were becoming demoralized. Which of the following key consequences of behavior does this scenario exemplify?

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Termination
D)Extinction
E)Empowerment

Question 56

Randall's boss recently took him off probation because Randall had met performance standards that he and his boss had agreed upon. This is an example of a(n) _____ reinforcement.

A)tertiary
B)negative
C)neutral
D)primary
E)positive

Question 57

According to Maslow's need hierarchy, _____ needs concern becoming everything a person is capable of being.

A)self-actualization
B)ego
C)safety or security
D)physiological
E)social

Question 58

Which of the following is a conception of human needs in which needs are organized into a pyramid that ranks the five major types?

A)Maslow's need hierarchy
B)Alderfer's needs theory
C)Herzberg's two-factor theory
D)equity theory
E)McClelland's needs theory

Question 59

Gordon is a hardworking employee at Havre Community Bank who has never been complimented or rewarded by his boss for doing his work well. As a result, Gordon never expects his good work to be recognized. According to the expectancy theory, Gordon's lack of expectation of being rewarded reveals

A)low valence for the outcome.
B)low instrumentality.
C)high instrumentality.
D)high valence for the outcome.
E)high expectancy.

Question 60

Which of the following best describes valence?

A)It is the perceived likelihood that performance will be followed by a particular outcome.
B)It is the value the expected outcome holds for the person contemplating it.
C)It is the consequence resulting from performance.
D)It is the perceived likelihood that employees' efforts will enable them to attain valuable goals.
E)It is the degree to which employees base their goals on their personal values.

Question 61

The rewards given to a person by the boss, the company, or some other person are known as _____ rewards.

A)extrinsic
B)high-level
C)intrinsic
D)low-level
E)internal

Question 62

According to Maslow's need hierarchy, ____.

A)several different needs can be operating at once
B)higher-level needs are more important than lower-level needs
C)people are motivated to satisfy the lower needs before the higher needs
D)once a need is satisfied, it becomes a powerful motivator
E)social needs include status, recognition, and self-esteem

Question 63

According to McClelland, when the need for power is used as a negative force it is called

A)customized power.
B)negative power.
C)antisocial power.
D)affective power.
E)personalized power.

Question 64

Giving people additional tasks at the same time to alleviate boredom is referred to as

A)job enrichment.
B)task significance.
C)job enlargement.
D)task orientation.
E)job development.

Question 65

Which of the following are the three sets of needs postulated by Alderfer's ERG theory?

A)Existence, relatedness, and growth
B)Engagement, realism, and governance
C)Employment, recognition, and gain sharing
D)Empowerment, resourcefulness, and guidance
E)Economic, realistic, and generic

Question 66

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, characteristics of the workplace, such as company policies, working conditions, pay, and supervision that can make people dissatisfied are referred to as

A)hygiene factors.
B)motivators.
C)intrinsic factors.
D)positive reinforcers.
E)negative reinforcers.

Question 67

Which of the following statements is true regarding Maslow's need hierarchy?

A)It states that several different needs tend to be operating at once.
B)It states that higher needs need to be satisfied before lower needs.
C)It is a complex and an accurate theory of human motivation.
D)It holds that people satisfy their needs in a specific order.
E)It holds that once a need is satisfied, it becomes a powerful motivator.

Question 68

The reward a worker derives directly from performing the job itself is referred to as a(n) _____ reward.

A)extrinsic
B)high-level
C)intrinsic
D)low-level
E)external

Question 69

Changing a task to make it inherently more rewarding, motivating, and satisfying is referred to as

A)job development.
B)job enrichment.
C)job rotation.
D)task enlargement.
E)job enlargement.

Question 70

According to Herzberg's theory, hygiene factors are the

A)rewards that employees directly derive from performing the job itself.
B)attributes of a job that makes it more rewarding and motivating.
C)rewards a person derives from the company or boss.
D)workplace characteristics, such as working conditions, pay, and supervision.
E)components that link an employee's performance and work outcome.

Question 71

Changing from one routine task to another to alleviate boredom is called job

A)rotation.
B)enlargement.
C)enrichment.
D)development.
E)integration.

Question 72

According to Herzberg, the key to true job satisfaction lies in the

A)hygiene factors.
B)extrinsic rewards.
C)motivators.
D)satisfiers.
E)regulators.

Question 73

According to the Hackman and Oldham model of job design, which of the following is not a core dimension of enriched jobs?

A)Feedback
B)Skill variety
C)Negative reinforcement
D)Task identify
E)Task significance

Question 74

A difference between Maslow's need hierarchy and Alderfer's ERG theory is that

A)Maslow's theory states several needs can be satisfied at the same time, whereas Alderfer's ERG theory follows a specific structure.
B)Maslow's hierarchy has more scientific validity, whereas Alderfer's ERG theory does not.
C)Maslow's needs theory has general applicability, whereas Alderfer's ERG theory aims at understanding people's needs at work.
D)Alderfer's ERG theory focuses on five levels of needs, whereas Maslow's theory focuses only on three needs.
E)Alderfer's ERG theory is more popular among American managers, whereas Maslow's theory is not.

Question 75

Achievement, affiliation, personalized power, and socialized power are all components of

A)the ERG theory.
B)the path-goal theory.
C)Maslow's need hierarchy.
D)McClelland's needs theory.
E)Alderfer's needs theory.

Question 76

According to McClelland's research, the need for achievement is

A)the result of wanting to be liked by others.
B)a desire to influence others.
C)often perceived negatively.
D)important to most American managers.
E)viewed unfavorably by most entrepreneurs.

Question 77

Which of the following is true of job enrichment?

A)It involves assigning new tasks involving the same level of responsibility.
B)It involves restructuring a job to make it more rewarding and motivating.
C)It involves shifting a person from one job to another to alleviate boredom.
D)It involves a raise in the amount of compensation to motivate people.
E)It involves doing one task at a time in order to improve efficiency.

Question 78

According to McClelland, the most important needs for managers are the needs for

A)achievement, affiliation, and power.
B)existence, relatedness, and growth.
C)motivation and hygiene.
D)equity and fair treatment.
E)self-actualization and ego.

Question 79

Giving an assembly worker an additional task to perform at the same time as her original one is known as job

A)rotation.
B)enlargement.
C)integration.
D)development.
E)enrichment.

Question 80

According to Herzberg's theory, the two factors that affect people working on their jobs are categorized into

A)environmental and personal factors.
B)social and psychological factors.
C)intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
D)hygiene factors and motivators.
E)cognitive and behavioral factors.