Deck 5: Motivation

Question 1

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory holds that a need at one level does not become activated until the next higher-level need is fully satisfied.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Equity theory suggests that motivation results from the individual's attempts to satisfy needs.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Content theories of motivation focus on the thought or cognitive processes within people's minds that influence their behavior.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Abraham Maslow, Clayton Alderfer, David McClelland, and Frederick Herzberg have developed four of the better-known content theories of motivation.

Question 5

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory identifies five levels of individual needs, ranging from physiological needs at the lowest level, through safety, social, and esteem needs, and finally to self-actualization needs at the highest level.

Question 6

A person who likes praise and recognition from his or her supervisor is seeking the satisfaction of the social needs in Maslow's hierarchy.

Question 7

Probably the best example of a process theory is Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.

Question 8

Content theories of motivation mainly focus on the physiological and psychological deficiencies that people feel a compulsion to reduce or eliminate.

Question 9

ERG theory collapses Alderfer's five need levels into three need categories.

Question 10

Research indicates that psychological, safety and social needs become more important than esteem and self-actualization needs as individuals move up the corporate ladder.

Question 11

In Maslow's needs hierarchy, the self-actualization need refers to the need to fulfill oneself as well as to grow and use abilities to the fullest and most creative extent.

Question 12

Research evidence suggests that the needs in Maslow's hierarchy are more likely to operate in a rigid rather than a flexible order.

Question 13

According to Maslow's needs hierarchy, the lower-order needs are esteem and self-actualization.

Question 14

According to Maslow's needs hierarchy, the lower-order needs are esteem and social.

Question 15

Valence refers to the individual forces that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person's efforts expended at work.

Question 16

Both equity theory and expectancy theory are classified as process theories.

Question 17

Maslow's model is easy to understand, quite popular, and the best research evidence supports the existence of a precise five-step hierarchy of needs.

Question 18

When discussing motivation, direction refers to an individual's choice when presented with a number of possible alternatives.

Question 19

Maslow's social needs tend to be more important in more collectivist societies like Mexico, thereby challenging the structured approach to the pyramid across cultures.

Question 20

The five need levels in Maslow's hierarchy may vary according to a person's career stage, the size of the organization, or geographical location.

Question 21

Alderfer's ERG theory focuses on the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power.

Question 22

According to McClelland, it is not possible to teach people to develop need profiles required for success in various types of jobs.

Question 23

According to acquired needs theory, people with a high need for achievement prefer group responsibilities, weak goals, and infrequent performance feedback.

Question 24

Herzberg's two-factor theory identifies job context as the source of job dissatisfaction and job content as the source of job satisfaction.

Question 25

Acquired needs theory suggests that people with a high need for power are drawn to interpersonal relationships and opportunities for communication.

Question 26

Felt positive equity exists when an individual feels that she or he has received relatively less than others in proportion to work inputs.

Question 27

In McClelland's motivation theory, the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power are developed over time, as a result of life experiences.

Question 28

ERG theory contends that more than one need may not be activated at a particular point in time, whereas Maslow's theory does not.

Question 29

Examples of Herzberg's hygiene factors include organizational policies, quality of supervision, working conditions, base wage or salary, relationship with peers and subordinates, status, and security.

Question 30

According to Alderfer's theory, growth needs refer to the desire for continued business growth and development.

Question 31

Equity theory predicts that people who perceive inequity, as compared to others, may change work inputs by putting less effort into their jobs, change the rewards received by asking for better treatment, change the comparison points by finding ways to make things appear better, change the situation by leaving the job, or take actions to change the inputs or outputs of the comparison person.

Question 32

Herzberg suggests that job enrichment is a way of building more motivator factors into job content.

Question 33

McClelland's acquired needs theory is also referred to as motivator-hygiene theory.

Question 34

According to Herzberg, hygiene factors are sources of job satisfaction and motivator factors are sources of job dissatisfaction.

Question 35

In the two-factor theory of motivation, a motivator factor is found in job context, such as working conditions, interpersonal relations, organizational policies, and salary.

Question 36

According to equity theory, when perceived inequity exists, people will be motivated to act in ways that remove the discomfort and restore a sense of felt equity.

Question 37

In MBO, frustration-regression refers to the idea that an already satisfied lower-level need can be activated when a higher-level need cannot be satisfied.

Question 38

The Thematic Apperception Test is a projective technique that asks people to view pictures and write stories about what they see.

Question 39

McClelland's research suggested that a moderate to high need for power that is stronger than a need for affiliation is linked with success as a senior executive.

Question 40

Critics charge that Herzberg's two-factor theory is method bound and therefore it can be scientifically verified with alternative methods.

Question 41

Vroom's expectancy theory argues that work motivation is determined by an individual's beliefs regarding the linkage between effort and performance, the linkage between performance and work outcomes, and the value placed on those work outcomes.

Question 42

According to expectancy theory, managers can influence workers' expectancies by identifying the needs that are important to each individual and then trying to adjust available rewards to match those needs.

Question 43

Unfortunately, expectancy theory has not received any research follow-up and hence, it is not practical.

Question 44

Goals are better motivators when employees accept them and show commitment to their goals.

Question 45

Interestingly, Locke and Latham's research confirmed that "easy" and "do your best" goals result in the highest performance levels.

Question 46

Commutative justice is the degree to which people affected by a decision are treated with dignity and respect.

Question 47

In expectancy theory, instrumentality is the probability assigned by the individual that a given level of performance will lead to various work outcomes.

Question 48

Task feedback, or knowledge of results, overwhelms employees with information and reduces employee motivation toward higher performance.

Question 49

Motivation refers to the value attached by the individual to various work outcomes.

Question 50

An example of procedural justice occurs when a sexual harassment complaint filed against a man by a woman receives the same consideration as one filed against a woman by a man.

Question 51

In expectancy theory, instrumentality is the probability that work effort will be followed by a given level of performance accomplishment.

Question 52

An example of commutative justice occurs when all parties in a sexual harassment complaint perceive themselves as having full access to all the available facts and information.

Question 53

Participation in goal-setting helps create goal acceptance and commitment by employees.

Question 54

Research indicates that general goals are much more motivational than specific goals.

Question 55

Even with a great deal of support for the research on expectancy theory, there are still questions remaining on the multiplier effect.

Question 56

Goal-setting is the process of developing, negotiating, and formalizing the targets or objectives that an individual is responsible for achieving.

Question 57

According to expectancy theory, managers can influence workers' instrumentalities by selecting capable workers, training them, supporting them, and setting clear goals.

Question 58

According to the expectancy theory, work motivation will be high when expectancy and instrumentality are high, and valence is highly positive.

Question 59

According to expectancy theory, expectancy is the probability that work effort will be followed by a given level of performance accomplishment.

Question 60

According to the expectancy theory, motivation is low when any one of the three components -- expectancy, instrumentality, or valence -- approaches zero.

Question 61

Which of the following is the correct order of Maslow's needs from the lowest lower-order need) to the highest higher-order need)?

A) Safety, social, physiological, esteem, and self-actualization
B) Esteem, safety, social, physiological, and self-actualization
C) Social, esteem, self-actualization, physiological, and safety
D) Physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization
E) Physiological, social, safety, self-actualization, and esteem

Question 62

With regards to motivation, which of the following best defines direction?

A) The length of time a person sticks with a given action
B) The amount of effort a person puts forth
C) An individual's choice when presented with a number of possible alternatives
D) The different needs that an individual is trying to satisfy
E) The consequences of an individual's behavior

Question 63

All of the following descriptions of Maslow's needs hierarchy are correct EXCEPT:

A) research evidence suggests that the needs in Maslow's hierarchy exist in a flexible rather than rigid order.
B) the five need levels may vary according to a person's career stage, the size of the organization, or geographical location.
C) the satisfaction of a need at one level will always decrease its importance and increase the importance of the next lower need.
D) the order of needs in the hierarchy may differ across cultures.
E) social needs tend to be dominant in more collectivist societies.

Question 64

______ needs tend to take on higher importance in collectivist societies.

A) Individualistic
B) Social
C) Esteem
D) Higher-order
E) Self-actualization

Question 65

In the context of motivation, persistence refers to __________.

A) the length of time a person sticks with a given action
B) the amount of effort a person puts forth
C) an individual's choice when presented with a number of possible alternatives
D) the different needs that an individual is trying to satisfy
E) the consequences of an individual's behavior

Question 66

Process theories of motivation focus on which of the following?

A) How a person will respond to types of leadership direction
B) How cognitive processes as thoughts and decisions within the minds of people influence their behavior
C) When a person will react to specific management styles
D) Who will be a more appropriate manager for an employee
E) What work environment will suit an employee's personality better

Question 67

According to Maslow, lower-order needs are:

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

Question 68

In Maslow's needs hierarchy, __________ needs must be satisfied before __________ needs are activated, and __________ needs must be satisfied before __________ needs are activated, and so on.

A) Physiological; esteem; social; safety
B) Physiological; social; esteem; safety
C) Physiological; safety; social, esteem
D) Esteem; safety; esteem; social
E) Self-actualization; esteem; safety; social

Question 69

In the context of motivation, level refers to __________.

A) the length of time a person sticks with a given action
B) the amount of effort a person puts forth
C) an individual's choice when presented with a number of possible alternatives
D) the different needs that an individual is trying to satisfy
E) the consequences of an individual's behavior

Question 70

Management by objectives is criticized for placing too much emphasis on goal-oriented rewards and punishments, top-down goals, goals that are easily stated in objective terms, and individual instead of group goals.

Question 71

__________ is classified as a process theory.

A) Acquired needs theory
B) Equity theory
C) Herzberg's two-factor theory
D) Hierarchy of needs theory
E) ERG theory

Question 72

______________ is classified as a content theory.

A) ERG theory
B) Expectancy theory
C) Goal-setting theory
D) Equity theory
E) Probability theory

Question 73

Content theories include all of the following theories EXCEPT:

A) Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.
B) Alderfer's ERG theory.
C) McClelland's acquired needs theory.
D) Herzberg's two-factor theory.
E) Locke and Latham's goal setting theory.

Question 74

Sharon, a member of a book club, a sewing club, and a tennis club strives to maintain strong interpersonal relationships. She enjoys feeling a sense of belonging. According to Maslow, Sharon is driven by which these needs?

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

Question 75

As a manager at Icon International, Nicole is driven by a personal sense of competence, respect from others, and recognition through various awards. According to Maslow, Nicole is driven by which of these needs?

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

Question 76

In a management by objectives approach, the supervisor and subordinate jointly establish performance goals, individually act, and jointly evaluate results and recycle the MBO process.

Question 77

Which of the following needs did Maslow describe as higher-order needs?

A) Esteem, social, and safety
B) Self-actualization and esteem
C) Safety, self-actualization, and social
D) Social and esteem
E) Self-actualization and physiological

Question 78

Since content theories suggest that motivation results from individual needs, managers should __________.

A) apply motivation techniques that apply to most employees
B) use the same motivation techniques for every situation
C) change their motivational techniques annually to stay abreast of employee needs
D) understand individual employee needs and create work environments that respond to them
E) test motivation techniques in a few work situations for general use

Question 79

Which of the following statements is true with regards to the research on Maslow's needs hierarchy?

A) Lower-order needs become more important as individuals move up the corporate ladder.
B) Higher-order needs become less important as individuals move up the corporate ladder.
C) Higher-order needs become more important as individuals move up the corporate ladder.
D) Higher and lower-order needs become equally important as individuals move up the corporate ladder.
E) Higher and lower-order needs become less important as individuals move up the corporate ladder.

Question 80

Which of the following is true of the use of Maslow's needs hierarchy?

A) It is not pertinent for cultures outside of the United States.
B) It should be consistent across different cultures.
C) It can vary across cultures.
D) It is more effective in non-United States cultures.
E) It is not commonly used outside of the United States.