Question 1

________ focus primarily on how to motivate employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs and organizations.
A) Job design and goal setting
B) Job enlargement and job enrichment
C) Time and motion studies
D) Social interaction theories

Accepted Answer

Job design and goal setting are two approaches that focus on motivating employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs and organizations. Job design focuses on creating jobs that are engaging and challenging, while goal setting involves setting specific and challenging goals for employees to work towards. Both of these approaches aim to increase motivation by providing employees with meaningful work and clear objectives. Job enlargement and job enrichment can also be used to motivate employees, but they primarily focus on expanding the scope and responsibilities of a job rather than increasing motivation. Time and motion studies and social interaction theories are not related to motivating employees.

Question 2

What are time and motion studies?

Accepted Answer

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Question 3

What are the advantages and disadvantages of job enrichment? What are the research findings for job enrichment?

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

Setting difficult and specific goals leads to consistently higher performance. The establishment and fulfillment of difficult goals does not encourage individual employees to ________.
A) direct more attention toward achieving the goals
B) exert more effort to meet the goals
C) plan for achieving the goals
D) accept the necessity of the goals

Accepted Answer

The establishment and fulfillment of difficult goals may increase an employee's motivation and effort towards achieving them, but it does not necessarily encourage acceptance of the necessity of the goals. Acceptance may depend on factors such as whether the employee believes the goals are achievable or aligned with their values and priorities.

Question 5

Contrast job enlargement and job enrichment.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

The necessary elements of a successful MBO program include all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) specific goals
B) difficult goals
C) penalties
D) rapport and trust between the manager and the subordinate

Accepted Answer

Penalties are not necessary for a successful MBO program. While consequences for not achieving goals may be implemented, penalties are not a requirement and may even have negative effects on employee motivation and morale.

Question 7

The use of goal setting will NOT increase motivation or performance ________.
A) without extrinsic rewards for goal accomplishment
B) if organizational citizenship behaviors is important to the company
C) unless the workers are involved in setting the goals
D) when workers lack the skills and abilities needed to perform at a higher level

Accepted Answer

Goal setting can increase motivation and performance only if the workers have the necessary skills and abilities to achieve the goal. If workers lack the required skills and abilities, goal setting may actually reduce their motivation and performance. The other options are incorrect as extrinsic rewards, organizational citizenship behaviors, and involvement of workers in goal setting all have been found to positively impact motivation and performance.

Question 8

Self-efficacy is a person's belief that he can ________.
A) recite most organizational knowledge by heart
B) not succeed if the job is too difficult
C) successfully perform a behavior
D) help others succeed at work

Accepted Answer

Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to successfully perform a specific behavior or task. It does not relate to reciting organizational knowledge, the likelihood of failure, or helping others succeed.

Question 9

Even though scientific management has been instrumental in helping organizations improve employee effectiveness and productivity, some disadvantages of this approach have become apparent. Discuss these disadvantages.

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Question 10

Name and define the five core dimensions of the job characteristics model and explain how these core dimensions are combined to produce a motivating potential score.

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

The information systems department at Wilson and Davis Co. was given the specific and difficult goal of learning how to program a new computer system within 20 days of the equipment's arrival. Although the department has experienced and qualified programmers, two months after equipment installation, the department has still not learned how to program the complex system. This incident illustrates that ________.
A) employee participation in goal setting is critical to its success
B) goal setting may not work for complicated tasks that require a considerable amount of learning
C) organizational citizenship behavior is important in order to achieve goals
D) goal setting cannot work when the workers lack the skills to perform at a high level

Accepted Answer

This incident illustrates that goal setting may not work for complicated tasks that require a considerable amount of learning. Despite the presence of experienced and qualified programmers, the goal of learning how to program a new computer system within 20 days was not achieved, indicating that the task was too complex for a time-bound goal to be effective.

Question 12

How can managers enrich jobs?

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Question 13

During the ________ step of MBO, the manager is given the autonomy to decide how to meet the goals in the specified time period.
A) planning
B) goal setting
C) evaluation
D) implementation

Accepted Answer

During the implementation step of MBO, the manager is given the autonomy to decide how to meet the goals in the specified time period. In this step, the manager takes actions to achieve the targeted goals and objectives, utilizing available resources appropriately, and aligning the performance of the employees to the established goals.

Question 14

What is scientific management? What principles were stressed by Taylor?

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

The use of specific and difficult goals, if not properly monitored, could reduce ________.
A) performance
B) intrinsic motivation
C) extrinsic motivation
D) organizational citizenship behavior

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

Specific goals are MOST OFTEN ________.
A) quantitative
B) general
C) open-ended
D) universally applicable

Accepted Answer

Specific goals are typically measurable and defined with specific numbers or metrics, making them quantitative in nature.

Question 17

When following the management by objectives process, if conditions change which of the following is FALSE?
A) It can be important to have a willingness to change objectives in midstream.
B) It may no longer be appropriate to use the original objectives.
C) There is no point in continuing work toward inappropriate objectives.
D) There is no need to change objectives.

Accepted Answer

The statement that there is no need to change objectives is false because the management by objectives process is flexible and adaptable, allowing for changes in objectives if the original goals become irrelevant or inappropriate due to changing conditions.

Question 18

What is job design?

Accepted Answer

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Question 19

Briefly define job simplification and job specialization.

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Question 20

________ is a goal-setting process in which a manager meets periodically with his or her supervisor to set goals and evaluate how well previously set goals have been met.
A) Management by consultation
B) Management by observation
C) Management by intervention
D) Management by objectives

Accepted Answer

The goal-setting process described in the question is known as Management by Objectives (MBO). MBO involves setting specific and measurable objectives or goals, establishing a plan to achieve those goals, and periodically reviewing progress. In MBO, the manager and supervisor work together to set goals and evaluate progress, rather than the supervisor simply dictating goals or evaluating performance after the fact.

Quiz 7: Creating a Motivating Work Setting

________ focus primarily on how to motivate employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs and organizations.

What are time and motion studies?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of job enrichment? What are the research findings for job enrichment?

Setting difficult and specific goals leads to consistently higher performance. The establishment and fulfillment of difficult goals does not encourage individual employees to ________.

Contrast job enlargement and job enrichment.

The necessary elements of a successful MBO program include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

The use of goal setting will NOT increase motivation or performance ________.

Self-efficacy is a person's belief that he can ________.

Even though scientific management has been instrumental in helping organizations improve employee effectiveness and productivity, some disadvantages of this approach have become apparent. Discuss these disadvantages.

Name and define the five core dimensions of the job characteristics model and explain how these core dimensions are combined to produce a motivating potential score.

How can managers enrich jobs?

During the ________ step of MBO, the manager is given the autonomy to decide how to meet the goals in the specified time period.

What is scientific management? What principles were stressed by Taylor?

The use of specific and difficult goals, if not properly monitored, could reduce ________.

Specific goals are MOST OFTEN ________.

When following the management by objectives process, if conditions change which of the following is FALSE?

What is job design?

Briefly define job simplification and job specialization.

________ is a goal-setting process in which a manager meets periodically with his or her supervisor to set goals and evaluate how well previously set goals have been met.