Deck 7: Efficiency, Motivation and Quality in Work Design

Question 1

Human factors engineering is the same thing as ergonomics.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The most basic unit of movement is called a quant.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

All industrial engineering methods attempt to enhance productivity by simplifying jobs.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

More than half of all workplace illnesses are attributable to the adverse effects of repetitive stress.

Question 5

Workers' compensation costs for repetitive motion injuries have been estimated at costing more than $50 billion per year.

Question 6

The simplification intended to enhance the efficiency of work processes may actually reduce that efficiency, if carried to an extreme.

Question 7

Job extension creates horizontal enlargement without redesigning jobs.

Question 8

Job rotation can help reduce repetitive stress injuries, but is unlikely to improve worker motivation.

Question 9

Herzberg was the first person to suggest that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are independent constructs.

Question 10

According to Herzberg, a worker's relationship with his/her supervisor is unlikely to cause him/her to be more satisfied.

Question 11

Work design programs based on Herzberg's model almost always fail to stimulate satisfaction of lasting importance.

Question 12

The discretion that a worker has to decide work schedules and procedures is part of the "task identity" job characteristic.

Question 13

According to the Hackman - Oldham Model, a person's psychological state affects the way he/she perceives the job.

Question 14

Job enrichment that has both horizontal and vertical dimensions is better at producing job satisfaction, than either dimension alone.

Question 15

According to the Hackman - Oldham Model, a low level of satisfaction with pay can impede job enrichment.

Question 16

One of the founders of the quality perspective is W. Edward Deming.

Question 17

Ordinarily, quality circle membership is voluntary.

Question 18

Typically, quality circles change members frequently.

Question 19

Quality circles reach consensus decisions and then have the freedom to implement what they decide.

Question 20

Self-managing teams are very different from semi-autonomous work groups.

Question 21

Quality circles allow employees to enjoy satisfaction without organizations having to sacrifice efficiency.

Question 22

Research on quality circles suggests that QC's have little effect on productivity.

Question 23

Research suggests that employees in flexible manufacturing cells show signs of increased motivation.

Question 24

Workers in a flexible manufacturing cell never need to touch the product.

Question 25

The creation of jobs that conserve time, human energy, raw materials, or other productive resources is called____________.

A) reengineering
B) work design
C) job enrichment
D) efficiency perspective

Question 26

The efficiency perspective is the foundation of the field of ______________.

A) management
B) industrial psychology
C) industrial engineering
D) logistics management

Question 27

The area of industrial engineering that originated in Taylor's work on scientific management is____________.

A) methods engineering
B) logistics management
C) job enrichment
D) job rotation

Question 28

Sequencing tasks required to produce a particular product or service is called____________.

A) industrial engineering
B) methods engineering
C) process engineering
D) human factors engineering

Question 29

A person who examines tasks to see which should be performed by people and which should be carried out by machines is doing____________.

A) process engineering
B) human factors engineering
C) ergonomics
D) scientific management

Question 30

Part of process engineering is____________.

A) determining procedures to be followed
B) determining physical layout of offices
C) determining the flow of work
D) determining equipment to be used
E) all of the above

Question 31

Designing machines and work environments to better match human capacities and limitations is called____________.

A) industrial engineering
B) methods engineering
C) process engineering
D) human factors engineering

Question 32

Ergonomics is____________.

A) process engineering
B) methods engineering
C) human factors engineering
D) none of the above

Question 33

A person who investigates whether machines can be redesigned to minimize human error is doing____________.

A) methods engineering
B) ergonomics
C) scientific management
D) process engineering

Question 34

A person who investigates the effects of noise and vibration on a worker is doing____________.

A) methods engineering
B) human factors engineering
C) scientific management
D) process engineering

Question 35

A basic movement of a job is called a____________.

A) micromotion
B) therblig
C) burst
D) blip

Question 36

The area of industrial engineering concerned with developing standards for performing work of acceptable quality and quantity is____________.

A) work measurement
B) process engineering
C) human factors engineering
D) ergonomics

Question 37

Time-motion studies and work micromotion analysis are both areas of____________.

A) work measurement
B) process engineering
C) human factors engineering
D) ergonomics

Question 38

Within the field of work measurement are the areas of____________.

A) ergonomics and process engineering
B) scientific management and logistics management
C) time-motion studies and micromotion analysis
D) ergonomics and micromotion analysis

Question 39

Micromotion analysis is the study of____________.

A) machine-person interaction
B) hand and body movements
C) work involving robots
D) computer-assisted work

Question 40

Measuring how much time it takes a worker to perform a particular job, and comparing that to the time it should take to perform that job, is called____________.

A) time-motion study
B) stopwatch time analysis
C) standard time analysis
D) micromotion analysis

Question 41

All industrial engineering methods attempt to enhance productivity by _____________ jobs.

A) enriching
B) simplifying
C) classifying
D) measuring

Question 42

Increasing the complexity of a job by increasing job range is called____________.

A) job rotation
B) job enrichment
C) job enlargement
D) job loading

Question 43

Combining several simplified jobs into a single new job is called____________.

A) job enlargement
B) job extension
C) job enrichment
D) job rotation

Question 44

If I am "extending" a job, I am____________.

A) combining two or more jobs together
B) increasing the autonomy within a job
C) increasing job depth
D) decreasing job depth

Question 45

A worker's likely reaction to having his/her job enlarged is____________.

A) increased satisfaction
B) increased work performance
C) view their work the same way as before the change
D) decreased satisfaction

Question 46

Most workers respond to job rotation with____________.

A) increased satisfaction
B) increased work performance
C) view their work the same way as before the change
D) decreased satisfaction

Question 47

Increasing the discretion a worker has in performing his/her job is called____________.

A) job enrichment
B) job rotation
C) job enlargement
D) job extension

Question 48

The psychologist who conceived of the idea that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are independent concepts was____________.

A) Maslow
B) Herzberg
C) Taylor
D) Gilbreth

Question 49

Morgeson and Campion (2002) have noted that jobs redesigned along both ____________ and ____________ lines increase employee satisfaction.

A) motivation, enrichment
B) depth, enrichment
C) efficiency, enlargement
D) motivation, efficiency

Question 50

Factors that influence employee dissatisfaction are called____________.

A) motivators
B) hygiene factors
C) task factors
D) critical incidents

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of a motivator?

A) company policies
B) relationship with supervisor
C) recognition
D) status

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of a hygiene factor?

A) recognition
B) achievement
C) responsibility
D) status

Question 53

According to Herzberg's results, the strongest motivator is:

A) advancement
B) growth
C) responsibility
D) achievement

Question 54

According to Herzberg's results, the strongest dissatisfier is____________.

A) work conditions
B) relationship with supervisor
C) status
D) company policy and administration

Question 55

Later research has ______________________ Herzberg's results.

A) confirmed
B) failed to replicate
C) sometimes confirmed
D) not been done to confirm

Question 56

Herzberg's model is important for managers to know about because____________.

A) it is a useful guide for managerial action
B) it has significant research support
C) it is widely known and has influenced management thought
D) programs based on it almost always succeed

Question 57

In the Hackman-Oldham Model, all of the following are core job characteristics EXCEPT ____________.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) autonomy
D) social contact

Question 58

The task characteristics directly influence the extent to which employees experience____________.

A) internal work motivation
B) growth-need strength
C) meaningfulness of work
D) critical psychological states

Question 59

"Experienced responsibility for work" is a____________.

A) core job characteristic
B) critical psychological state
C) outcome
D) moderator

Question 60

The degree to which a worker sees his/her job as having a useful and valuable outcome is____________.

A) experienced meaningfulness of work
B) knowledge of the actual results
C) experienced responsibility for work
D) high satisfaction with work

Question 61

According to the Hackman-Oldham Model, the autonomy of a job influences the ____________________ of the worker.

A) experienced meaningfulness of work
B) knowledge of the actual results
C) experienced responsibility for work
D) growth-need strength

Question 62

According to the Hackman-Oldham Model, workers will experience high internal motivation and satisfaction when____________.

A) they experience a high level of all three critical psychological states, but not fewer
B) they experience a high level of any two of the critical psychological states
C) they experience a high level of any one of the critical psychological states
D) they experience a high level of all three critical psychological states, and have high growth needs

Question 63

All of the following are outcomes predicted in the Hackman-Oldham Model EXCEPT ____________.

A) internal work motivation
B) growth needs
C) absenteeism
D) quality work

Question 64

The Hackman-Oldham model focuses on which of the following individual differences____________.

A) growth-need strength
B) knowledge and skills
C) context satisfaction
D) all of the above

Question 65

An approach to counteracting the negative effects of oversimplified group work is____________.

A) job enrichment
B) sociotechnical enrichment
C) enlargement
D) reengineering

Question 66

The focus of the sociotechnical approach is____________.

A) using technology to improve job satisfaction
B) social factors in work
C) redesigning individual jobs
D) job enlargement

Question 67

The type of intervention that is most likely to be successful in stimulating workforce motivation and satisfaction is____________.

A) horizontal job enlargement
B) vertical job enrichment
C) horizontal job rotation
D) methods that incorporate both a and b

Question 68

The Hackman-Oldham Model is important for managers to know about because____________.

A) research on the model has been very strong
B) it has served as the basis for successful programs that have raised employee satisfaction and motivation
C) it applies to all workers
D) it is consistent with industrial engineering approaches

Question 69

The most certain outcome of sociotechnical work designs is that they will____________.

A) reduce absenteeism
B) reduce turnover
C) improve productivity
D) strengthen satisfaction

Question 70

A small group of employees that meets on company time to identify and resolve job-related problems is a____________.

A) semi-autonomous work group
B) self-managing work team
C) quality circle
D) virtual team

Question 71

TQM emphasizes the idea of____________.

A) radical redesign of work processes
B) continuous improvement
C) job enrichment
D) scientific management

Question 72

The use of quality circles generally involves____________.

A) job enrichment techniques
B) the sociotechnical approach
C) modifying existing work technologies
D) giving employees the opportunity to participate

Question 73

It is likely that greater information technology in a job, may improve the job's motivational profile, by ____________.

A) increasing the training
B) increasing the variety
C) increasing the autonomy
D) increasing the flexibility

Question 74

____________ can be programmed to repeat movements with extreme precision.

A) industrial robots
B) line employees
C) flexible automation
D) industrial technology

Question 75

All of the following approaches are intended to improve quality, EXCEPT ____________.

A) use of robotics
B) self-managing teams
C) quality circles=
D) all of the above are intended to improve quality

Question 76

Workers in a flexible manufacturing cell____________.

A) rotate jobs with each other frequently
B) never touch the product
C) perform simple, repetitive tasks
D) work independently

Question 77

What is process engineering? What is its objective? What are its consequences?

Question 78

What is human factors engineering? What is its objective? What are its consequences?

Question 79

What is meant by the "efficiency perspective" on job design? How useful is it for managers in improving productivity? What are the negative side-effects of efficiency approaches?

Question 80

Describe the motivational perspective on job design. What can be done to counteract oversimplication of jobs?