Question 1

Rafael thinks he makes life easy on his employees. He tells them exactly what to do, how to do it, and when. He believes that most of his employees are lazy, and will go straight to their phones if he doesn't keep an eye on them. Therefore, he spends much of his time monitoring their work. When he finds an employee who is not performing up to his or her expectations, Rafael uses threats and punishment to increase the worker's motivation. Rafael is a Theory X manager.

Accepted Answer

A Theory X manager assumes that employees are lazy and will avoid work if possible. He or she also assumes that employees have very little ambition and prefer to be told what to do. A Theory X manager tries to motivate employees by using threats and punishment.

Question 2

According to Victor Vroom's expectancy theory, expectations of employees can affect their motivation.

Accepted Answer

Victor Vroom's expectancy theory states that an employee's motivation is directly linked to their expectations of the outcome of their efforts. The theory suggests that employees are more motivated when they believe that their efforts will lead to high performance, which in turn will lead to rewards that they value. Conversely, if employees do not believe that their efforts will lead to high performance or rewards, they will have little motivation to work hard.

Question 3

Vroom's expectancy theory contends that prior to committing maximum effort to a task, employees want to know if they can accomplish the task and if it will equally reward everyone at work, even if others were not involved in the accomplishment of the task.

Accepted Answer

Vroom's expectancy theory suggests that employees are motivated to exert effort when they believe they can achieve the task (expectancy), that successful performance will lead to certain outcomes (instrumentality), and that these outcomes will be personally valuable (valence). It does not suggest that rewards must be equally distributed to everyone, regardless of their involvement in the task.

Question 4

The goal of William Ouchi was to develop a modified business culture that blends the best of Type J with the best of Type A.

Accepted Answer

Knowing that American culture would not operate with the Type J philosophy, where the employees act like a family and make decisions by consensus, where you have employment for life, and where employees assume collective responsibility, Ouchi's attempt to improve Type A work environments was to integrate some of Type J and some of Type A into a new work environment he called Theory Z.

Question 5

According to expectancy theory, employees in a given organization tend to have very similar expectations.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory suggests that employees in a given organization may have different expectations based on their individual beliefs about effort-performance relationships, performance-reward relationships, and the perceived value of the rewards.

Question 6

Management by objectives (MBO) is a goal-setting theory model that sets goals by getting all employees active in the goal formulation process, committing employees to meeting the goals, and then monitoring performance.

Accepted Answer

This is an accurate description of management by objectives (MBO).

Question 7

According to Victor Vroom, the effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their expectations of the outcome.

Accepted Answer

This is the basic premise of Vroom's Expectancy Theory of motivation, which states that employees' effort is influenced by their perception of how much effort will lead to a certain level of performance, and how much performance will lead to desired outcomes or rewards.

Question 8

It may be difficult to utilize the management by objectives (MBO) model when employees have not agreed upon the goals set by top management.

Accepted Answer

The MBO model relies on a collaborative effort between managers and employees to establish mutually agreed-upon goals. Therefore, if employees have not agreed upon the goals set by top management, it may be difficult to implement MBO effectively.

Question 9

The basic principle of equity theory is that employees try to maintain fairness between their efforts and their compensation compared to others in similar positions.

Accepted Answer

Equity theory proposes that individuals are driven by a sense of fairness in their relationships and that they often seek to maintain a balance between their own inputs (e.g., work, effort, skills) and outcomes (e.g., pay, benefits, recognition) compared to others in similar positions. This theory suggests that people's motivation, job satisfaction, and work-related behaviors are influenced by their perceived fairness in the workplace.

Question 10

According to researchers David Nadler and Edward Lawler, managers should set performance standards that are attainable only by the most talented and dedicated employees.

Accepted Answer

According to Nadler and Lawler, performance standards should be challenging but still achievable for most employees, not just the most talented and dedicated.

Question 11

According to expectancy theory, one of the things employees want to know before they commit to making a maximum effort on a task is whether the reward for accomplishing the task is worth the effort.

Accepted Answer

According to expectancy theory, employees want to know whether the reward for accomplishing a task is worth the effort they will have to exert. This is because they believe that exerting more effort will lead to better performance, which will in turn lead to higher rewards. Therefore, the perceived value of the reward is an important consideration in motivating employees to commit to making a maximum effort on a task.

Question 12

Expectancy theory says that employees will be motivated if (1) they can actually accomplish the task; (2) they will be rewarded for their achievement; and (3) the reward will be worthy of their effort.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory proposes that employees will be motivated when they believe that their effort will lead to high performance (perceived self-efficacy), high performance will lead to rewards (perceived instrumentality), and the rewards will be valuable (perceived valence). Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 13

Peter Drucker made an important distinction when he stated that managers do not motivate employees, but employees motivate themselves.

Accepted Answer

Peter Drucker emphasized that while managers can provide a supportive work environment and opportunities for growth, ultimately it is up to employees to motivate themselves and choose to be engaged and productive in their work.

Question 14

Jackie is creative and intelligent. She prefers to work on her own and on challenging projects. Jackie would be most effective when working for a Theory X manager.

Accepted Answer

Theory X managers expect employees to follow orders and give them little freedom and flexibility to be creative. Jenny probably would become very frustrated under the direction of a Theory X manager.

Question 15

Sergio has a great deal of faith in the abilities of his subordinates. He thinks most employees want to be productive, and will work hard if given the right incentives. He also believes that most firms do not take full advantage of the intelligence and creativity of their employees. Because of this, Sergio favors a managerial style that allows employees to be flexible and creative in how they do their jobs, and empowers them to make and implement decisions. Sergio is a Theory X manager.

Accepted Answer

A Theory X manager assumes that employees are lazy and will avoid work if possible. He or she also assumes that employees have very little ambition and prefer to be told what to do. A Theory X manager tries to motivate employees by using threats and punishment.

Question 16

After a 3-year probationary period, career positions at Bayside Community College are fairly secure, even though the opportunity for promotion runs pretty slowly. These jobs would probably appeal to people who currently work for Type A companies, similar to the way many companies operate in Silicon Valley.

Accepted Answer

Type A personalities prefer individual responsibility and decision making, and the opportunity for rapid promotion. They also prefer specialized career paths and exist in a culture where the concern for employee welfare is segmented. The culture at the community college, where jobs are fairly secure but promotions do not happen very often, is more like a Theory Z approach.

Question 17

The management by objectives model devised by Peter Drucker works best in a dynamic, rapidly changing business environment, where management makes short-term plans.

Accepted Answer

The management by objectives model works best in stable and predictable environments, where long-term plans can be made and followed. It may not be as effective in dynamic and rapidly changing environments where plans may need to be adjusted frequently.

Question 18

Sean is very talented and ambitious. He likes to work independently and wants to move up in his company as quickly as possible. Sean might become frustrated if he worked in a firm that took a Theory Z approach to management.

Accepted Answer

Theory Z calls for collective decision making and a relatively slow evaluation and promotion of employees. This approach would frustrate employees who like to work independently and who expect (and think they deserve) quick promotions.

Question 19

The central idea behind management by objectives (MBO) is that employees motivate themselves through the process toward goal achievement.

Accepted Answer

MBO is a management approach where employees and managers work together to set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals. The idea is that when employees are involved in the goal-setting process, they are more committed to achieving those goals, which in turn helps them stay motivated and focused on their work.

Question 20

Kylie wants to work with others to solve problems and make decisions. But, she is also able to assume individual responsibility. She prefers working for a company that takes a holistic view of its employees. These preferences suggest that Kylie might enjoy working at a company that uses a Theory Z approach to management.

Accepted Answer

Collective decision making and a holistic view of employees are two of the characteristics of Theory Z.

Quiz 10: Motivating Employees