Question 1

Tomi best describes his job as a "content designer;" he works on a freelance basis for companies around the world who need to outsource writing to someone who can write persuasive advertising content for their websites. As such, Tomi works from home and his work-life is constantly shifting. Tomi loves what he does but struggles with the precarity of his work. In the last three months, he has joined a church, a community organization, and has become involved in local politics. He is considering moving closer to his family. What might we say that Tomi is searching for?

Accepted Answer

Tomi is looking for a sense of stability and security in his life, which is reflected in his involvement in the church, community organization, and local politics. This aligns with the concept of ontological security, which refers to an individual's sense of continuity and stability in their life.

Question 2

When workers think of themselves as "family members," "teammates," or "associates" rather than "employees," we can say that the corporation has successfully persuaded workers to ______.

Accepted Answer

Referring to workers as "family members," "teammates," or "associates" is an example of managerial discourse, which is a way for the corporation to exert its power over workers. By using these terms, workers may feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie with their colleagues, but it ultimately serves to reinforce the power dynamic between them and the corporation. Therefore, choice A is the best answer.

Question 3

Elsa is an elementary school teacher in a rural school district where resources and budgets are always tight. On nights and weekends, she works at the local bar in order to supplement her income. Her school has a warm and cohesive culture where teachers, administrators, students, and families all pitch in and help out in the project of education. She has been able, recently, to use her significant skill as an artist to develop a new arts curricula for the 3rd-5th grade math classes. The community holds teachers and her, in particular, in very high regard because she is excellent at what she does. Still, she feels somewhat unsatisfied by this work arrangement. Which of the following elements of meaningful work is likely missing from her job?

Accepted Answer

While Elsa enjoys a warm and cohesive culture at the school and has been able to use her talents in developing a new arts curriculum, the fact that she has to work at a bar on nights and weekends to supplement her income suggests that her job may not be providing her with an income that is adequate for a decent living. This missing element of meaningful work can lead to dissatisfaction with one's job.

Question 4

The short-term thinking and constant change that characterizes modern capitalism means that corporations are constantly expanding and contracting, making employees much more expendable (rather than highly valuable resources with whom deep relationships of loyalty and trust are built). Which of the following terms best describes this new work arrangement's impact on workers and organizations?

Accepted Answer

The term "corrosion of character" best describes the impact of the new work arrangement on workers and organizations where employees are seen as expendable resources and deep relationships of loyalty and trust are no longer built. This term suggests that the constant change and short-term thinking of modern capitalism is eroding traditional values and virtues that contribute to a strong sense of self and identity.

Question 5

Sue is an inspector on an assembly line at a cupcake plant, tasked to reject defective packaging. She embraces the opportunity to ensure that the company's product meets its high standards, rejecting packaging for any imperfection she notices. She soon punished by the management for rejecting too many. Realizing that she is not going to be single-handedly able to increase the standards of her company's product, she randomly starts two cupcakes a minute instead of carefully analyzing the ones that pass. Which principle of meaningful work did management violate when they punished her for, essentially, doing a good job?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sue is an inspector on an assembly...

Question 6

In the book Raising the Bar, Clif Bar CEO Gary Erickson spends a great deal of time writing about his company's mission to make the best energy bars, as well as the extensive human relations orientation of his company: as a company, they go on bike rides, sponsor athletic teams, have breakfasts every Thursday morning, and play a lot. What element of "meaningful work" best describes these non?-work elements of "working" at Clif Bar?

Accepted Answer

The non-work elements at Clif Bar, such as bike rides, athletic team sponsorships, and breakfasts, all enhance belonging or relationships among employees. This contributes to a sense of community and camaraderie, which is a key aspect of meaningful work.

Question 7

Which of the following scenarios best illustration what we mean when we say that "the self is the last frontier of control"?

Accepted Answer

This scenario best illustrates the idea that "the self is the last frontier of control" because James actively made changes to his behavior and accent in order to fit into a different social and professional environment. It shows that even though external factors, such as education or job opportunities, can be controlled to a certain extent, the way one perceives and presents oneself to the world is ultimately up to the individual.

Question 8

Drake is a blue-collar worker who has his weekends off and is only required to do overtime during the holiday season. Drake most likely experiences ______.

Accepted Answer

Drake has more leisure time than a highly paid CEO because he only works weekdays and has weekends off, while a CEO is expected to work long hours and even work on weekends.

Question 9

Brian wanted a career in medicine and scored off-the-charts on his boards. Despite having the option to specialize in a high-profile area like plastic surgery, cardio-thoracic surgery, or neurosurgery, he opted for emergency medicine. Emergency medicine is scheduled shift-work, which allows him time to volunteer at his kids' schools and play baseball with them, and to continue training vigorously for the triathlons and wilderness races he so enjoys. Given the characteristics of meaningful work, how could we best explain Brian's choice?

Accepted Answer

Brian's choice is best explained by his preference for a career that allows him a balanced lifestyle, providing him with both the time and income to enjoy his personal interests and family life, rather than the prestige of the specialty itself.

Question 10

Since Scientific Management's heyday, corporations have found value in acknowledging the hopes, fears, and aspirations of employees. This shift represents a focus on workers' ______.

Accepted Answer

The shift towards acknowledging employee hopes, fears, and aspirations suggests a focus on their "souls" or inner selves, indicating a shift away from the purely physical focus of Scientific Management.

Question 11

Which of the following terms is used to describe the condition in which traditional stability-maintaining structures of class, family, and industrial forms have waned, and, as a result, people experience greater pressure to create their own sense of stability?

Accepted Answer

The term used to describe this condition is reflexive modernity, which refers to the era where traditional structures of class, family, and industrial forms have weakened, leaving individuals with a greater need to create their own sense of stability. Ontological security refers to the sense of order and continuity in an individual's life, and while it is related to the concept of reflexive modernity, it is not the specific term used to describe this condition. Vigorous capitalism and reengineering are not relevant to the question.

Question 12

Which of the following orientations to time are surgeons, cabinet makers, artists, and graphic designers most likely to share, given the nature of their work?

Accepted Answer

Surgeons, cabinet makers, artists, and graphic designers are most likely to share a task time orientation to time as their work often requires intense focus and attention to detail. They may prioritize completing a specific task or project rather than adhering to a strict schedule or clock time.

Question 13

There is often a correlation between the management of time and sense of agency. Based on what you know about a worker's sense of agency and the management of time, which of the following rings truest?

Accepted Answer

When a worker's work is dictated by clock time, they are often restricted to specific schedules and deadlines, which can limit their sense of control and choice over their work tasks. This can lead to a decreased sense of agency. On the other hand, when work is dictated by task time, it allows for more flexibility and autonomy, which can increase a worker's sense of agency.

Question 14

When Richard Florida discussed the concept of the "creative class," he concludes that factors such as technology, talent, and tolerance are significant as people considered ______.

Accepted Answer

Richard Florida's concept of the "creative class" emphasizes the importance of factors such as technology, talent, and tolerance in attracting and retaining highly skilled and creative workers. He argues that these workers prioritize high quality living and working environments, which can include factors such as access to technology, transportation, and diverse communities. Therefore, option D is the best choice since it reflects Florida's emphasis on the importance of high quality living and working for the "creative class."

Question 15

Jane Doe works for Amazon as a warehouse fulfillment associate. She logs long hours and has told friends that the only reason she stays there is the fact that she gets paid weekly. Mary Poe works for Amazon as the director of marketing. She works from home several days a week and has a team of six employees that come up with creative campaigns, manage the social media for the company, and try new products. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

Mary Poe's work as a director of marketing gives her a high degree of agency, as she has control over the creative campaigns, social media management, and product testing. On the other hand, Jane Doe's job as a warehouse fulfillment associate may not be as meaningful, as she has little control over her work environment and the tasks she performs. While Jane Doe may find her weekly paycheck to be a factor in her job satisfaction, it does not necessarily make her work more fulfilling overall.

Question 16

A very successful CEO gave a commencement speech at a prestigious university, telling the young graduates that in order to be successful in the business world (to follow in his footsteps), they needed to view their professional identities that needed to be constantly maintained and improved, working constantly on their individual "brand" and professional image. Using the language of identity-work, the kind of "self" that most aligns with his advice is ______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A very successful CEO gave a commencement...

Question 17

Louisa is a high school English teacher in a high-income, well-paying school district in the wealthy commuter suburbs of Chicago. Most of her students are kids of CEOS and VPs of corporations, and both the parents and children themselves hope that the kids will someday following in their powerful parents' footsteps. Students like Louisa, and she is able to have free reign over her curricula to put her master's of English Literature to good and interesting use as an excellent teacher, yet none of her students would ever consider becoming a teacher - they see teachers as a sub-par way to impact the business world, even though teachers teach all future business leaders. Louisa feels somewhat unsatisfied with her work, despite the seemingly-great circumstances. Which of the following elements of meaningful work is likely missing from her job?

Accepted Answer

Louisa's job may provide a sense of agency, permit use and development of talents, and provide adequate income, but it is missing a sense of contribution to a greater good. Her students may go on to become business leaders, but they do not see teaching as a valuable or important profession, which may make Louisa feel that her work is not making a significant impact on society as a whole.

Question 18

Stone enjoys working for Anderson and Associates, a tech firm in the Midwest, however, his new manager has imposed a number of rules that Stone (and other employees) don't agree with, including a new dress code and a decrease in hours that employees can work from home. Stone often sits in his office and works on freelance graph design projects, sending the appearance that he is doing work for Anderson and Associates clients. Which of the following is 'selves' does Stone exhibits at work?

Accepted Answer

Stone's actions of not following the new dress code and trying to make it appear as though he is working on Anderson and Associates' clients while actually working on freelance projects indicate resistance to the new rules imposed by his manager.

Question 19

Which of the following terms best describes the phenomenon when workers frequently make lateral job-changes?

Accepted Answer

Horizontal hypermobility refers to when workers frequently make lateral job-changes. The term "creative class" refers to a group of workers in knowledge-based industries, and "ontological security" refers to a sense of stability and continuity in one's identity. "The precariat" refers to a social class of people who are in precarious employment with little job security or benefits.

Question 20

Contrasting the social, political, and economic conditions that characterize life today with the social, political, and economic conditions that characterized life during the Fordist period, we could say ______.

Accepted Answer

The term "light modernity" refers to the current era characterized by flexibility, fluidity, and constant change, in contrast to the "heavy modernity" of the Fordist period, which was marked by stability, predictability, and solid structures.

Quiz 14: Communication, Meaningful Work, and Personal Identity