Deck 7: Retention and Motivation

Question 1

Job enlargement involves adding new challenges or responsibilities to a current job, creating job satisfaction.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Recruitment process has no role to play in retention of employees.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A systems approach focused on policies and procedures is adequate to help employees maintain satisfactory work-life balance.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Theory Y is also called the authoritarian management style.

Question 5

The Progression of Job Withdrawal Theory focuses on behaviors of employees to accept their work situation.

Question 6

The Hawthorne studies were conducted by Elton Mayo between 1927 and 1932.

Question 7

The carrot approach does not de-motivate employees because of its emphasis on rewards and incentives.

Question 8

The Job Descriptive Index enables comparisons of job satisfaction across time and industries.

Question 9

Direct turnover costs are the only costs associated with high turnover rates.

Question 10

The turnover rates of different departments of an organization are identical to the overall turnover rate of the organization.

Question 11

According to Maslow, if an individual has received a salary for the current month, then
his/her physiological needs may not continue to serve as a motivating factor for him/her.

Question 12

Task significance measures the degree to which the job has impact on others, internally or externally.

Question 13

The carrot and stick approach can be traced back to the British Seven Years' War.

Question 14

Voluntary turnover is the type of turnover in which the employee initiates for different reasons.

Question 15

The first step in handling a conflict should be arbitration.

Question 16

Loss of an employee is termed as retention.

Question 17

Outcome fairness is the process used to determine the outcomes received.

Question 18

When the employee feels that the concerns of all stakeholders involved have been taken into account, the outcome fairness of a conflict can be termed as representative.

Question 19

In a merit-based pay system, all the employees are rewarded irrespective of their performance against the projected targets.

Question 20

Health plans and paid time off are beyond the scope of a comprehensive compensation package.

Question 21

John Dakota works in the sales division of a large consumer goods company. Many of his coworkers have noticed a drop in his performance over the last few months. He has been taking frequent leaves, or calling in sick as well. He recently asked his manager, Mr. Carr, to transfer him to another division of the company and has been asked to substantiate his request with reasons. Which of the following statements is true with regard to John?

A) John's physiological and safety needs are unmet.
B) John's work environment provides a lot of motivators for him.
C) John is in the physical withdrawal stage.
D) John's behavior change in the recent past has gone unnoticed.
E) John is disengaged and completely uninvolved in his work demands.

Question 22

Emily Jones, a junior design artist with a studio called Eye for Design, was known to be very good at her job. She had a lot of experience from working on numerous projects and she often mentored new employees successfully. She was paid well and her colleagues and peers, some of whom Emily knew for four years, appreciated her helpful and lively nature. It came as a surprise to everyone when Emily resigned after the recent round of annual appraisals. During her exit interview, Emily said that the only reason that she was taking this move was because she had a strong feeling that she was stagnant in her career. Her reason for leaving is the _____ in her job in this company.

A) lack of growth
B) internal pay inequity
C) problems with management
D) heavy workload
E) mismatch between jobs and skills

Question 23

The Progression of Job Withdrawal Theory focuses on:

A) the physical and environmental factors of the workplace affecting performance.
B) a set of behaviors employees develop in succession to avoid their work situation.
C) the five distinct levels of needs through which human motivation may be understood.
D) the various aspects of the work environment that cause satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
E) the impact of management styles on employee motivation and retention.

Question 24

Which of the following statements represents the Theory X view?

A) Most people want to make an effort at work.
B) People will apply self-control and self-direction in pursuit of company objectives.
C) People usually accept and actually welcome responsibility.
D) Most workers will use imagination and ingenuity in solving company problems.
E) The average person needs to be directed.

Question 25

The primary focus of retention plans is to outline strategies that:

A) enable a company to produce a diverse and cost-effective product line.
B) help a company reduce turnover and address employee motivation.
C) provide a company with powerful marketing strategies at low costs.
D) enforce the organizational hierarchy and bring in a high degree of control.
E) align organizational activities to its values and mission.

Question 26

When employees have no choice in their termination, it is called _____ turnover.

A) voluntary
B) autonomous
C) optional
D) involuntary
E) elective

Question 27

_____ outline the strategies that the organization will use to reduce turnover and address employee motivation.

A) Pension plans
B) Health-care plans
C) Retention plans
D) Staffing plans
E) Rightsizing plans

Question 28

The conclusion drawn from the Hawthorne studies was that worker output increased dramatically because:

A) employees were allowed to decide their break times autonomously.
B) there was a high degree of micromanagement.
C) employees were allowed to choose the type of jobs they did.
D) employees received attention and felt valued.
E) managers satisfied all their demands regarding work conditions.

Question 29

Five out of the twelve employees who left their jobs at Xenon Inc. in the last quarter were from their R&D division. The R&D division, which was thirty people strong at the beginning of this quarter, is now short five valuable employees. Which of the following is the right turnover rate for this division in this quarter?

A) 41%
B) 16%
C) 5%
D) 12%
E) 30%

Question 30

Losing an employee is called _____.

A) replacement
B) turnover
C) succession
D) retention
E) arbitration

Question 31

Which of the following levels of needs from Maslow's Theory of Motivation represents the basic needs of an individual?

A) Self-actualization needs
B) Physiological needs
C) Esteem needs
D) Social needs
E) Safety needs

Question 32

The belief that employees enjoy work, accept responsibility, and exercise self-direction is endorsed by _____.

A) Theory Y
B) Two-factor theory
C) Hierarchy of Needs theory
D) Theory X
E) Progression of Job Withdrawal theory

Question 33

Which of the following levels of needs from Maslow's Theory of Motivation is aimed at helping an individual better him- or herself by realizing his or her complete potential?

A) Self-actualization needs
B) Esteem needs
C) Social needs
D) Safety needs
E) Physiological needs

Question 34

The implication of Maslow's theory is that to motivate an employee, the provided opportunities for need satisfaction must target:

A) only the basic and instinctual needs that everyone seeks to meet.
B) higher order needs alone because they relate to growth.
C) all five types of needs that operate within any individual.
D) those needs that have already been satisfied by the employee.
E) all needs except for social needs, as they are unrelated to work performance.

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of indirect turnover costs?

A) Costs of leaving
B) Administrative hiring costs
C) Replacement costs
D) Loss of production
E) Transition costs

Question 36

A set of systematic HR practices that create an environment where the employee has greater involvement and responsibility for the organization's success is referred to as the _____.

A) high performance work systems
B) employee referral programs
C) global expansion plans
D) market development plans
E) career development programs

Question 37

A poor work-life balance seen in employees who have no time for recreation and family life shows the direct impact of _____ as a reason for turnovers.

A) internal pay inequity
B) lack of growth
C) mismatch between jobs and skills
D) heavy workload
E) favoritism

Question 38

What was the term used by Herzberg for factors that satisfied the employees?

A) Satisfiers
B) Need factors
C) Hygiene factors
D) Withdrawal factors
E) Motivators

Question 39

Theory X is also called the _____ management style.

A) authoritative
B) permissive
C) authoritarian
D) democratic
E) liberal

Question 40

Company policy and salary are examples of _____ factors.

A) need
B) hygiene
C) satisfaction
D) withdrawal
E) motivational

Question 41

Employee empowerment is characterized by:

A) restricting innovation to focus on the most efficient use of resources.
B) reducing autonomy to bring order and accountability among employees.
C) managing employees through close task supervision to ensure high quality.
D) providing employees with information to reduce dependence on managers.
E) creating a structure where employees are not burdened with decision-making.

Question 42

_____ interviews are used to gain information as to what the employee liked at the organization, and what he/she believe should be improved.

A) Screening
B) Exit
C) Selection
D) Stress
E) Intake

Question 43

The stick approach utilizes _____ to maximize employee performance.

A) rewards
B) monetary incentives
C) punitive actions
D) appraisals
E) promotions

Question 44

means to enhance a job by adding more meaningful tasks to make the employee's work more rewarding.

A) Job rotation
B) Job analysis
C) Job enrichment
D) Job specification
E) Job differentiation

Question 45

Which of the following is true with regard to the carrot and stick approach?

A) Incentives represent a negative approach to motivating employees.
B) The carrot approach takes a punitive look at retention.
C) The stick approach involves offering of some rewards and incentives.
D) The carrot approach fails when extremely challenging goals are set.
E) The carrot and stick approach arose from modern management theory.

Question 46

The first step in handling conflict should involve:

A) arbitration with the help of an outside person.
B) discussion between people in conflict with each other.
C) mediation with the help of a neutral third party.
D) discussion with a panel of representatives from the company.
E) communication with lawyers to initiate legal action.

Question 47

_____ refers to the judgment that people make with respect to the outcomes they receive versus the outcomes received by others with whom they associate with.

A) Personal judgment
B) Outcome fairness
C) Procedural justice
D) Biased judgment
E) Moral fairness

Question 48

An assembly line job has:

A) low task identity.
B) high skill variety.
C) low predictability.
D) high requirement for analytic skills.
E) high self-direction.

Question 49

_____ is defined as a process for identifying and developing internal people who have the potential for filling positions.

A) Succession planning
B) Management training
C) Performance appraisal
D) Conflict management
E) Job specification

Question 50

The process of adding new challenges or responsibilities to a current job is called _____.

A) job rotation
B) job analysis
C) job specification
D) job differentiation
E) job enlargement

Question 51

When the employee perceives that the person making the decision does not have bias or vested interest in the outcome, it is called _____.

A) confirmation bias
B) judgment bias
C) omission bias
D) congruence bias
E) bias suppression

Question 52

The first step in retention planning involves:

A) collating JDI and other survey findings.
B) evaluating current retention plans.
C) setting clear goals for reduced turnover.
D) creating individual strategies for the goals.
E) budgeting to track money spent on the retention plan.

Question 53

Which of the following will a Theory Y manager do?

A) Threaten employees with punishment
B) Blame employees of avoiding responsibility
C) Provide employees with detailed directions
D) Use his/her authority to make employees work
E) Allow employees to use self-direction

Question 54

_____ is when a neutral third party from outside the organization hears both sides of a dispute and tries to get the parties to come to a resolution.

A) Arbitration
B) Dissolution
C) Mediation
D) Bias suppression
E) Disciplinary action

Question 55

_____ is the formalized process to assess how well an employee does his or her job.

A) Succession planning
B) Management training
C) Performance appraisal
D) Conflict management
E) Job enrichment

Question 56

Which of the following is desirable when developing an employee satisfaction survey?

A) Exclusion of management from the process
B) Dissemination of results of survey to employees
C) Lack of anonymity in employee responses
D) Nondisclosure of the purpose and goal of the survey
E) Wide-ranging questions about peripheral issues

Question 57

An employee determines the outcome fairness of a conflict to be consistent when it is consistently:

A) based on correct information.
B) aligned with moral societal standards.
C) applied across other persons and periods of time.
D) perceived to be free of bias and vested interests.
E) believed that any mistakes in the decision or process will be remedied.

Question 58

If a manager gives his employees an ultimatum that they need to increase sales in the coming quarter by 20% or leave the company, he is following the _____ approach.

A) carrot
B) Theory Y
C) incentive
D) stick
E) authoritative

Question 59

Which of the following is a standardized and widely used measure of the five facets of job satisfaction?

A) Job Descriptive Index
B) Job Design Index
C) Job Safety Analysis
D) Job Characteristics Index
E) Job Enlargement Index

Question 60

The degree to which the job has an impact on others, internally or externally, is referred to as its _____.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) functional autonomy
D) role definition
E) task significance

Question 61

What is an exit interview? How can it improve retention plans?

Question 62

The Hawthorne studies were designed to study the impact of _____ factors of the workplace on employee motivation.

Question 63

_____ is the process of adding more meaningful tasks to make the employee's work more rewarding.

Question 64

When an outside person hears both sides of a conflict and makes a specific decision about how things should proceed, the process is called _____.

Question 65

Explain the various costs associated with turnovers with examples.

Question 66

_____ is the process of identifying and developing internal people who have the potential for filling positions.

Question 67

If in the physical withdrawal stage, an employee is unable to leave the job situation, he/she resorts to _____ withdrawal.

Question 68

"Work-Life balance comes down to not an organizational strategy, but an individual one." Explain.

Question 69

Describe the structure and value of the Job Descriptive Index.

Question 70

_____ plans are implemented to reduce turnover costs.

Question 71

Describe the meaning and purpose of succession planning.

Question 72

What is the role of performance appraisals in increasing retention?

Question 73

Describe Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs with one example of how it can be used to enhance employee motivation.

Question 74

_____ is the type of turnover in which the employee has no choice in the termination.

Question 75

In Herzberg's theory, recognition is a _____.

Question 76

The Job Descriptive Index evaluates the five aspects of _____.

Question 77

_____ are our most basic needs, including food, water, and shelter.

Question 78

What are the causes of employee turnover?

Question 79

What is meant by turnover? What are the two types of turnover?

Question 80

How can high turnover be explained in terms of Herzberg's Two-Factor theory?