Question 1

SCENARIO 4-9 Central Manufacturing Inc.fabricates medium-and large-scale watercraft, primarily for commercial use.They also manufacture accessories for a variety of boats and marine service vessels.Central Manufacturing struggles to keep costs down while maintaining profitability in a highly competitive market.Military and commercial contracts are its main source of business.
Employees at Central Manufacturing appear to be dedicated individuals who, through their combined efforts, were able to save the company $1.5 million in energy costs by means of simple efficiency.For this initiative, they did not receive much recognition other than some encouragement and T-shirts recognizing their contribution to the company.Robert West, operations supervisor, believed that individuals had to earn respect, and that if other savings could be realized they would certainly be welcomed by the company.Although supportive of employee efforts, Robert didn't seem to acknowledge the impact on the company's bottom line.
Dan White, vice president of operations, recognized that Central Manufacturing needed to change its operations in order to shake its bureaucratic and authoritarian image.Although Robert praised employees and talked about performance, there was little in the way of resources to move the reward process any further.Dan undertook the initiative to attempt to change things, which meant creating a new process for both managers like Robert West and his employees.
The employees had assumed that they were fairly secure in their jobs, since the company had a monopoly on specialized watercraft manufacturing.As with most manufacturing concerns in Canada, however, when a recession occurred 200 employees, representing about one third of the workforce, were suddenly laid off.Although this was a major blow to Central Manufacturing, Dan White and George North, director of human resources, launched a new program to track, monitor, measure, recognize and reward employees for their efforts.Accountability and performance were to be a major focus in these programs.
As the program commenced, some employees and their supervisors started to display progress charts.More ideas for operations improvement began to flow once it became evident what was actually going on.Positive feedback was forthcoming from customers and Dan realized that his initiative was starting to pay off.
White recognizes that equity theory will play a large role in how he organizes and develops his new program.Individual employees have a tendency to compare themselves with others and have a series of options available to them if they perceive that some sort of inequity exists.Which of the following is a typical employee response to a perceived inequity

Accepted Answer

According to equity theory, if an employee perceives an inequity, they may have a tendency to quit their job as a way of restoring equity.

Question 2

SCENARIO 4-9 Central Manufacturing Inc.fabricates medium-and large-scale watercraft, primarily for commercial use.They also manufacture accessories for a variety of boats and marine service vessels.Central Manufacturing struggles to keep costs down while maintaining profitability in a highly competitive market.Military and commercial contracts are its main source of business.
Employees at Central Manufacturing appear to be dedicated individuals who, through their combined efforts, were able to save the company $1.5 million in energy costs by means of simple efficiency.For this initiative, they did not receive much recognition other than some encouragement and T-shirts recognizing their contribution to the company.Robert West, operations supervisor, believed that individuals had to earn respect, and that if other savings could be realized they would certainly be welcomed by the company.Although supportive of employee efforts, Robert didn't seem to acknowledge the impact on the company's bottom line.
Dan White, vice president of operations, recognized that Central Manufacturing needed to change its operations in order to shake its bureaucratic and authoritarian image.Although Robert praised employees and talked about performance, there was little in the way of resources to move the reward process any further.Dan undertook the initiative to attempt to change things, which meant creating a new process for both managers like Robert West and his employees.
The employees had assumed that they were fairly secure in their jobs, since the company had a monopoly on specialized watercraft manufacturing.As with most manufacturing concerns in Canada, however, when a recession occurred 200 employees, representing about one third of the workforce, were suddenly laid off.Although this was a major blow to Central Manufacturing, Dan White and George North, director of human resources, launched a new program to track, monitor, measure, recognize and reward employees for their efforts.Accountability and performance were to be a major focus in these programs.
As the program commenced, some employees and their supervisors started to display progress charts.More ideas for operations improvement began to flow once it became evident what was actually going on.Positive feedback was forthcoming from customers and Dan realized that his initiative was starting to pay off.
In the long term, White decides that equity theory will provide the best guidance for him regarding motivating and providing recognition to the employees.He is also aware that the unions may be constantly battling his new initiatives.Equity theory demonstrates that, for most employees, motivation is influenced

Accepted Answer

Equity theory suggests that motivation is significantly influenced by not only the absolute rewards (such as pay, bonuses) but also by the relative rewards (such as comparison with colleagues or industry standards). This means that employees are not only concerned with their own rewards, but also how they compare with others. Therefore, in the long term, Dan White decides that equity theory will provide the best guidance for him regarding motivating and providing recognition to the employees. Choice A is incorrect because while goal setting can contribute to motivation, it is not the only factor. Choice B is incorrect because while unions may have an impact on employee welfare, they are not the only factor in motivating employees. Choice C is incorrect because monetary rewards are not the only factor in motivation according to equity theory. Choice E is incorrect because while goal setting and absolute rewards can contribute to motivation, relative rewards are also an important factor according to equity theory.

Question 3

Which of the following is a process theory of motivation

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory is a process theory of motivation that explains how people make decisions regarding various behavioral alternatives based on the degree to which they believe that their efforts will lead to a particular outcome. It suggests that employees are motivated when they believe that their efforts will lead to high performance and high performance will lead to desired outcomes or rewards. The other options (A, C, D, E) are content theories which explain what motivates people rather than how motivation occurs.

Question 4

When Brock was recently deciding between two job offers, his decision came down to which offer reflected the better health insurance, pension plan, and safe working conditions.According to Maslow, which need level is he focusing on in his decision

Accepted Answer

Brock is focusing on the safety need level as he is considering a job offer that offers safe working conditions.

Question 5

Based on her long experience as a manager, Stella was convinced that people exert higher levels of effort when the goals set out for them are challenging and specific.Stella appears to be an advocate of

Accepted Answer

Stella's belief that challenging and specific goals lead to higher levels of effort aligns with the principles of goal-setting theory, which emphasizes the importance of setting specific and challenging goals to increase motivation and performance. Expectancy theory focuses on the connection between effort and performance, equity theory explores the relationship between perceived fairness and motivation, Theory Y emphasizes the potential for intrinsic motivation and self-direction in employees, and motivation-hygiene theory considers the role of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors in motivation. While some of these theories may intersect with the concepts of goal-setting, best fit is choice C.

Question 6

Tina is a weak manager because when she trains people the reinforcement type she uses is

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tina is a weak manager because when...

Question 7

Kelly, a single mother, recently re-entered the workforce in order to be able to pay for her most basic needs, namely food shelter and clothing for her and her son.According to Maslow, which need level was she trying to fulfill

Accepted Answer

Physiological needs are the most basic and fundamental needs, including things like food, shelter, and clothing necessary for survival. Since Kelly is working to provide these necessities for herself and her son, she is fulfilling her physiological needs.

Question 8

Harry was concerned about one of his best employees, Karen.She was great at what she did, but she was chronically late for work.To correct this, every time Karen wasn't late for work, he made a point of acknowledging it.Harry was utilizing

Accepted Answer

Harry was using continuous reinforcement by acknowledging Karen every time she was not late, reinforcing her punctual behavior consistently.

Question 9

Jason faced an uproar recently after his employees received their annual pay increases.The employees complained that the company didn't follow a fair process in awarding the increases.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The employees' complaint is related to the process or procedure followed by the company in awarding pay increases. This falls under the category of procedural justice, which is concerned with the fairness of the decision-making process.

Question 10

Don was a real "people person" so he was glad when his employer recently began to emphasize working in teams.Don enjoyed working with others as opposed to by himself.According to Maslow, which need level is motivating Don

Accepted Answer

Don's enjoyment of working with others suggests that he is motivated by the social need level in Maslow's hierarchy. Social needs involve the desire for interpersonal relationships, love, and a sense of belonging.

Question 11

Roy really disliked his job.He forced himself to go to work each day out of fear of losing his only source of income.Roy was working mainly because of

Accepted Answer

Roy is being motivated to go to work out of fear of losing his only source of income, which is an example of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened by the removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus, in this case, the fear of losing income.

Question 12

SCENARIO 4-9 Central Manufacturing Inc.fabricates medium-and large-scale watercraft, primarily for commercial use.They also manufacture accessories for a variety of boats and marine service vessels.Central Manufacturing struggles to keep costs down while maintaining profitability in a highly competitive market.Military and commercial contracts are its main source of business.
Employees at Central Manufacturing appear to be dedicated individuals who, through their combined efforts, were able to save the company $1.5 million in energy costs by means of simple efficiency.For this initiative, they did not receive much recognition other than some encouragement and T-shirts recognizing their contribution to the company.Robert West, operations supervisor, believed that individuals had to earn respect, and that if other savings could be realized they would certainly be welcomed by the company.Although supportive of employee efforts, Robert didn't seem to acknowledge the impact on the company's bottom line.
Dan White, vice president of operations, recognized that Central Manufacturing needed to change its operations in order to shake its bureaucratic and authoritarian image.Although Robert praised employees and talked about performance, there was little in the way of resources to move the reward process any further.Dan undertook the initiative to attempt to change things, which meant creating a new process for both managers like Robert West and his employees.
The employees had assumed that they were fairly secure in their jobs, since the company had a monopoly on specialized watercraft manufacturing.As with most manufacturing concerns in Canada, however, when a recession occurred 200 employees, representing about one third of the workforce, were suddenly laid off.Although this was a major blow to Central Manufacturing, Dan White and George North, director of human resources, launched a new program to track, monitor, measure, recognize and reward employees for their efforts.Accountability and performance were to be a major focus in these programs.
As the program commenced, some employees and their supervisors started to display progress charts.More ideas for operations improvement began to flow once it became evident what was actually going on.Positive feedback was forthcoming from customers and Dan realized that his initiative was starting to pay off.
Robert West appeared to be a manager oriented towards traditional ways of doing things.He was convinced that individuals had to earn their positions and needed to be monitored carefully with respect to their jobs and the directions into which they were headed.It is likely that Robert

Accepted Answer

Robert West appears to be a manager oriented towards traditional ways of doing things, believing that individuals had to earn their positions and needed to be monitored carefully with respect to their jobs and the directions into which they were headed. This is in line with Theory X management, which assumes that workers are lazy and need to be pushed towards their work goals.

Question 13

Weekly paychecks are an example of what type of schedule of reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Weekly paychecks are an example of fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement, where the reinforcement (paycheck) is given after a fixed amount of time (one week).

Question 14

Tonya was confused.In order to motivate Sam, one of her employees, she began to pay him for work that she knew he liked to do and for which he was previously not paid.However, she noticed that his overall level of motivation appeared to decrease.The motivation theory that best explains this example is

Accepted Answer

Cognitive evaluation theory suggests that extrinsic rewards, such as financial incentives, can actually decrease intrinsic motivation when the rewards are seen as controlling or undermining a person's sense of autonomy and competence. In this scenario, Tonya's decision to pay Sam for work he previously enjoyed doing could be perceived as diminishing his sense of choice and control over that work, leading to a decrease in overall motivation.

Question 15

Reinforcement theory allows managers to vary rewards and punishments based on

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement theory involves varying rewards and punishments based on time intervals (e.g., fixed or variable) and behavior ratios (e.g., fixed or variable), which are key components of reinforcement schedules.

Question 16

If a manager uses positive or negative reinforcement when an employee completes a task, the manager is trying to

Accepted Answer

The use of positive or negative reinforcement is meant to strengthen the behavior of completing the task. Positive reinforcement rewards the desired behavior, while negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus when the desired behavior is exhibited. Both methods aim to increase the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future.

Question 17

The premise that people learn how to behave to get something that they want or to avoid something that they don't want is called

Accepted Answer

The premise described is the basis of operant conditioning, which involves learning from the consequences of behavior in order to increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. Positive reinforcement, extinction, continuous reinforcement, and intermittent reinforcement are all terms related to different aspects of operant conditioning, but none of them fully encompass the overall concept described in the premise.

Question 18

ABC Inc.is well known as a company that uses a human relations approach; the company emphasizes nurtures creativity and self-control in its employees.This company was following

Accepted Answer

The human relations approach emphasizes the importance of employee motivation, satisfaction, and participation. Theory Y, which is also known as the human relations theory, assumes that employees are intrinsically motivated, take responsibility for their work, and want to contribute to achieving the organization's goals. This theory aligns with the values and practices of ABC Inc.

Question 19

Zeke was a manager who believed that, in general, people disliked work; he believed people had to be forced or threatened with punishment to motivate them to work.Zeke believes in which of the following management theories

Accepted Answer

Zeke's belief aligns with Theory X which assumes that people inherently dislike work and must be coerced or threatened to work.

Question 20

When dealing with his employees, Ted follows the practice of explicitly setting aside time to find out what kind of rewards each of his employees prefers and striving to offer these in the work environment He is likely following

Accepted Answer

Ted is likely following expectancy theory, which suggests that people are motivated by their belief that their efforts will lead to high performance (expectancy), that high performance will lead to desired outcomes/rewards (instrumentality), and that these rewards are highly valued (valence). By explicitly finding out what kind of rewards each employee prefers, Ted is increasing the likelihood that the rewards offered by the work environment will be highly valued and motivating for each employee.

Quiz 4: Theories of Motivation