Question 1

Theory Y is most suitable in a work situation in which workers are

Accepted Answer

Theory Y is based on the assumption that employees are self-motivated, responsible, and capable of fulfilling their work duties. Therefore, it is most suitable for a work situation where workers are highly motivated.

Question 2

Stephanie receives high praise from her boss when she attracts a new client to her firm.This praise leads Stephanie to work hard to obtain more new clients.For Stephanie, the praise from her boss was

Accepted Answer

The praise from Stephanie's boss served as positive reinforcement, which encouraged Stephanie to work harder to obtain more new clients. Positive reinforcement means adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future. In this case, the desirable stimulus was the praise from her boss, which led to an increase in the behavior of attracting new clients.

Question 3

An action directly following a particular behavior is called a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

A reinforcement is any action or event that increases the likelihood of a particular behavior happening again in the future. It directly follows the behavior, whether positive or negative, and serves as a consequence that either encourages or discourages the behavior. Activators are stimuli or cues that trigger a behavior to start, motivators are factors that drive or inspire a person to behave in a certain way, extinction is the gradual weakening and disappearance of a behavior due to lack of reinforcement, and expectant (though not a common term in behavioral psychology) refers to the anticipation or expectation of a future event.

Question 4

All of the following except which are assumptions of Theory Y?

Accepted Answer

Theory Y assumes that people are not inherently lazy and will work toward goals they are committed to without coercion or control from managers. Option C contradicts this assumption by suggesting that managers must use coercion to achieve organizational goals.

Question 5

The concepts of Theory X and Theory Y were advanced by _____.

Accepted Answer

The concepts of Theory X and Theory Y were advanced by Douglas McGregor.

Question 6

Theory X by Douglas McGregor is generally consistent with which other theory?

Accepted Answer

Theory X, which assumes that employees are inherently lazy and need to be closely managed and controlled, is consistent with Taylor's scientific management theory, which also emphasizes the need for tight control over workers and their tasks.

Question 7

Mary Jo Lee received a special cash award for her perfect attendance record over the past two years.By giving this reward, this company is practicing

Accepted Answer

The company is using positive reinforcement by giving Mary Jo Lee a special cash award for her perfect attendance record, which increases the likelihood of her continuing to have perfect attendance in the future.

Question 8

IBM, Eastman Kodak, and Hewlett-Packard are organizations that emphasize long-term employment, collective decision making, individual responsibility for the outcomes of decisions, and moderately specialized career paths.These companies are examples of ____ firms.

Accepted Answer

These characteristics describe Type Z organizations, which are known for their long-term employment, collective decision making, individual responsibility, and moderately specialized career paths, reflecting a blend of American and Japanese management practices.

Question 9

Sally Smith, a supervisor at Kroger's, was recently evaluated by her subordinates.Their responses indicated that Sally uses Theory X assumptions when dealing with employees.For example, one of the comments indicated that she treats employees as if they

Accepted Answer

According to Theory X assumptions, employees have little ambition and require close supervision and control. The comment suggesting that Sally treats employees as if they have little ambition indicates that she uses Theory X assumptions.

Question 10

After graduating with a marketing degree, James Smith was hired by a well-known public relations (PR) firm offering the opportunity to do PR work for large and small companies.According to Theory Y, James's supervisor would expect him to

Accepted Answer

According to Theory Y, supervisors expect their employees to be self-motivated, enjoy their work, and seek to innovate and improve upon their work. Therefore, James's supervisor would likely expect him to take initiative and work towards generating clientele and contacts for present and future public relations assignments.

Question 11

The American Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that uses volunteer workers the same way a for-profit business uses paid employees.To encourage volunteers to continue to give their time, the Red Cross thanks volunteers with public recognition.This would be an example of

Accepted Answer

The action of thanking volunteers with public recognition is an example of positive reinforcement, where a behavior is encouraged by giving a reward or positive outcome. In this case, the Red Cross is rewarding volunteers for their time and effort through public recognition, which would encourage them to continue giving their time.

Question 12

Herzberg concluded from his studies that managers should focus on ____ factors to produce long-term effort from their employees.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Herzberg concluded from his studies that managers...

Question 13

According to Theory X by McGregor, managers assume that employees

Accepted Answer

Theory X assumes that employees have an inherent dislike for work and will only function in a highly controlled work environment. This view leads managers to believe that employees must be tightly controlled and directed in their work, and that rewards and punishments are necessary to motivate them to perform at their best.

Question 14

At Redbone Co., employees are slowly evaluated and promoted, but they stay around until retirement.Groups make decisions and take responsibility for their decisions.Company control is informal, and everyone is concerned with the general well-being of the other employees.Employees do whatever the company needs at the time rather than following a specific job track.The environment at Redbone Co.most closely aligns with _____.

Accepted Answer

Redbone Co. aligns with type J firms, which prioritize the well-being of employees and emphasize collaboration in decision-making. The other options do not align as closely with the described company culture. Theory A is focused on individual achievement and performance, while Theory X assumes employees are lazy and need to be closely controlled. Theory Y emphasizes employee motivation and empowerment, but does not specifically address the collaborative decision-making or lack of job tracks described at Redbone Co. Type A firms are known for high stress and aggressive behavior, which does not align with the described environment at Redbone Co.

Question 15

All of the following except which are characteristics of McGregor's Theory X?

Accepted Answer

McGregor's Theory X does not believe that people have the ability to help accomplish an organization's goals. This theory assumes that people are inherently lazy and need to be coerced, controlled, and threatened in order to work.

Question 16

Tim Long's first year as unit supervisor for a local manufacturer was quite a challenge.To encourage his subordinates to meet unit and company goals, he instituted quality circles.These circles were then enabled to directly affect unit operations.Tim's managerial attitude reflects the assumptions underlying _____.

Accepted Answer

Tim Long's managerial attitude reflects the assumptions underlying Theory Y, which assumes that employees are motivated by self-actualization and self-esteem needs, and that they can be trusted to take responsibility and exercise self-direction if given the opportunity to do so. By instituting quality circles and enabling them to directly affect unit operations, Tim is empowering his subordinates and demonstrating trust in their abilities.

Question 17

According to Ouchi, American industry is dominated by ____ firms.These firms emphasize short-term employment, individual decision making and responsibility, rapid evaluation and promotion, explicit control, and specialized career paths.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Ouchi, American industry is dominated...

Question 18

All of the following except which are examples of Herzberg's hygiene factors?

Accepted Answer

Responsibility is an example of Herzberg's motivator factors, not hygiene factors. The other choices - supervision, pay, working conditions, and job security - are all examples of hygiene factors.

Question 19

According to Theory Y by McGregor, managers think people

Accepted Answer

According to Theory Y by McGregor, managers believe that people have the ability and desire to help accomplish an organization's goals. They are self-motivated, enjoy their work and seek out responsibilities. They also have creativity and problem-solving skills that can be utilized by the organization.

Question 20

Keith Smith's first year as parts manager for a local dealership was pretty rocky.To ensure that his subordinates would follow through on established goals, he warned them about losing their jobs.Keith's managerial attitude reflects assumptions underlying _____.

Accepted Answer

Keith's warning about losing their jobs indicates that he assumes his subordinates are not internally motivated and need to be threatened with external consequences, which is consistent with the assumptions of Theory X management.

Quiz 10: Motivating and Satisfying Employees and Teams