Question 1

Empowerment means allowing employees the ability and trust to make decisions.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment is the act of delegating decision-making power and responsibility to employees, trusting them to make the right decisions for the benefit of the organization.

Question 2

If a leader is practicing employee empowerment he or she should punish employees when they make mistakes to help them learn.

Accepted Answer

Leaders who practice employee empowerment understand that mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth. Rather than punishing employees for making mistakes, they provide support and guidance to help employees learn from their mistakes and improve their performance. Punishing employees can undermine empowerment efforts, reduce trust and morale, and create a culture of fear and blame.

Question 3

__________ is the process of offering guidance or direction.

Accepted Answer

The answer of __________ is the process of offering guidance...

Question 4

Equity theory deals with questions like,"If I do a good job,will it be worth it"?

Accepted Answer

Equity theory examines the balance between an individual's inputs (effort, skills, time) and outcomes (pay, recognition, opportunities). It seeks to understand if the rewards received by an individual are equitable in comparison to the effort and contribution they put in. Therefore, it is concerned with questions like "If I do a good job, will it be worth it?"

Question 5

Frederick Taylor is called the "father of scientific management".

Accepted Answer

Frederick Taylor is widely regarded as the "father of scientific management" due to his pioneering work on improving industrial efficiency through scientific analysis and systematic methods.

Question 6

An example of an intrinsic reward is personal satisfaction.

Accepted Answer

An intrinsic reward is a reward that comes from within oneself, such as personal satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 7

Decision making is very simply choosing among two or more alternatives.

Accepted Answer

Decision making involves selecting one option over others, which means choosing among alternatives.

Question 8

Management by objectives (MBO)is a system of goal setting and implementation that involves a cycle of discussion,review and evaluation of objectives among top and mid-level managers,supervisors and employees.

Accepted Answer

Management by objectives (MBO) is indeed a system of goal setting and implementation that involves a cycle of discussion, review, and evaluation of objectives among top and mid-level managers, supervisors, and employees.

Question 9

The principle of motion economy showed that every job could be broken down into therbligs.

Accepted Answer

The principle of motion economy developed by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth showed that every job could be broken down into a set of fundamental motions or movements called therbligs, which could be analyzed and improved upon to increase efficiency and minimize wasted time and effort.

Question 10

Google's employees enjoy their jobs because they can be themselves.

Accepted Answer

Google is known for promoting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and individuality. The company values each employee's unique perspective and encourages them to express themselves freely at work. This has led to a positive work environment where employees feel comfortable being themselves and can enjoy their jobs.

Question 11

One of the findings of the Mayo studies was that the workers in the test room thought they were in isolation.

Accepted Answer

The Mayo Studies, particularly the Hawthorne Experiments, found that workers were more productive not because of the physical conditions of their work environment (like lighting), but because they knew they were being observed. This led to the realization of the social and psychological factors at play in the workplace, rather than the workers thinking they were in isolation.

Question 12

Praise in public,punish in private.

Accepted Answer

Praising someone in public can boost their confidence and morale while punishing or criticizing them in front of others can be humiliating and counterproductive. It is always better to have disciplinary discussions in private settings.

Question 13

According to Maslow,satisfied needs are motivators.

Accepted Answer

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it is the unsatisfied needs that act as motivators, driving individuals to fulfill them. Once a need is satisfied, it no longer motivates.

Question 14

Scientific management views people largely as machines that need to be properly programmed.

Accepted Answer

Scientific management emphasizes the standardization and optimization of work processes, often treating workers as interchangeable parts in a production system. This approach places heavy emphasis on task efficiency and ignores individual differences and skills. Therefore, people are viewed as machines that need to be programmed to perform tasks efficiently.

Question 15

Goal setting theory is based on the idea that setting ambitious but attainable goals can motivate workers and improve performance.

Accepted Answer

Goal setting theory is a well-researched theory that has been demonstrated to be effective in numerous studies. The theory is based on the idea that people are motivated by goals, and that setting specific, challenging, yet attainable goals can increase motivation and improve performance.

Question 16

When workers perceive inequity,one of the ways they may deal with it is to work harder to show they are outstanding employees.

Accepted Answer

When workers perceive inequity, they are more likely to reduce their effort to restore equity rather than work harder.

Question 17

The first step in the MBO process is when the managers and the employees establish a set of mutually agreed upon goals for a specific period of time.

Accepted Answer

This is correct. The first step in the MBO (Management by Objectives) process is goal setting, where the managers and employees work together to establish goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Question 18

Goal setting theory is based on the idea that setting unattainable goals can motivate workers to try harder.

Accepted Answer

Goal setting theory actually emphasizes setting challenging yet achievable goals as the most effective way to motivate workers. Setting unattainable goals can actually demotivate workers and lead to decreased performance.

Question 19

Job rotation combines a series of tasks into one challenging assignment.

Accepted Answer

Job rotation involves moving employees through a variety of positions within or between departments to increase their understanding of different job roles and to enhance their skills and abilities, rather than combining tasks into one assignment.

Question 20

Motivators cause dissatisfaction if not present.

Accepted Answer

Motivators, according to Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, lead to satisfaction and increased motivation when present, but their absence does not cause dissatisfaction; instead, it may just result in a lack of satisfaction. Dissatisfaction is primarily caused by the absence of hygiene factors, not motivators.

Quiz 10: Achieving World-Class Operations Management