Question 1

Which of the following is not an examples of a behavioral choice that influences work performance:

Accepted Answer

All the options listed (A, B, and C) are indeed examples of behavioral choices that can influence work performance. These choices affect productivity, commitment, and overall contribution to the organization.

Question 2

You have recently contracted with a management consulting group to analyze how to increase productivity in your company. The consultants just suggested that one action you should take immediately is to try to determine the outcomes or rewards each one of your employees value. The consulting group is suggesting that you use the __________ theory (model) to motivate your employees to increase performance.

Accepted Answer

The consulting group is suggesting the use of the expectancy theory to motivate employees. This theory posits that individuals are motivated to act in a certain way if they expect that their actions will lead to a desired outcome. By determining the outcomes or rewards each employee values, you can align their expectations with performance goals to increase productivity.

Question 3

According to expectancy theory, when making behavioral choices, employees normally consider all of the following questions except:

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory focuses on the relationship between efforts, performance, and outcomes. It does not directly address the attainability of goals set by others, such as managers, but rather how an individual's effort will lead to a certain level of performance and the value of the outcomes associated with that performance.

Question 4

__________ refers to a person's estimate of how likely a certain level of effort will lead to the intended behavior or performance result.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy is the concept that refers to an individual's belief or estimation that a certain amount of effort will lead to a specific level of performance or desired behavior.

Question 5

To be willing to expend the effort needed to achieve the desired performance, employees must believe that the performance is instrumental to them. Which of the following questions posed by employees is not an example of instrumentality?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To be willing to expend the effort...

Question 6

__________ refers to a person's perception of how useful the intended behavior or performance is for obtaining desired outcomes (or avoiding undesired outcomes).

Accepted Answer

Instrumentality refers to the belief that a certain level of performance will lead to specific outcomes. It is about the perceived relationship between performance and outcomes, which aligns with the definition given.

Question 7

McDonald's has begun to allow managers to participate in setting their goals. To ensure that managers establish goals that improve financial performance,McDonald's pays incentives that are based partly on:

Accepted Answer

McDonald's incentive system is designed to motivate managers by linking their rewards to various levels of performance: the business unit's operating income, the success of the region, and each person's individual performance. This multi-faceted approach ensures that managers are motivated to contribute positively to the company's financial performance at different levels, from their own individual actions to the broader success of their business unit and region.

Question 8

McDonald's decided that managers were leaving the company in part because they saw too little relationship between how well they performed and how much they were paid. To correct the problem, McDonald's overhauled its compensation approach. The new system is called:

Accepted Answer

The new compensation approach adopted by McDonald's is called "Plan to Win." This strategy was aimed at aligning performance with pay to reduce manager turnover by creating a clearer connection between their efforts and their compensation.

Question 9

The __________of an outcome is the weight that an employee attaches to a consequence.

Accepted Answer

Valence refers to the importance that an employee places on the expected outcome of a certain behavior or effort, essentially the attractiveness or desirability of the reward to the individual.

Question 10

To find a solution to the theft problem facing a forest products company in the Northwest, consultants interviewed employees, asking them questions such as:

Accepted Answer

The consultants asked all of the questions listed (A, B, C) to understand the motivations and deterrents for theft from the employees' perspectives, covering both positive and negative outcomes of honest behavior and stealing.

Question 11

Tying monetary awards to performance can be dangerous when used incorrectly. Which of the following illustrates this point?

Accepted Answer

All options illustrate how tying monetary awards to performance can lead to negative outcomes, such as unethical or illegal behavior, or discourage important practices like reporting accidents.

Question 12

In the Ethical Challenge - Achieving Peak Performance - you were asked to read specific situations and rate how tempted you were. If you scored a 7 after reading the situation, you are:

Accepted Answer

A score of 7 indicates a high level of temptation, suggesting that the individual is very tempted and would probably cheat.

Question 13

__________ states that employees are more satisfied and motivated when their jobs are meaningful, when jobs create a feeling of responsibility, and when jobs are designed to ensure that some feedback is available.

Accepted Answer

Job characteristics theory suggests that job satisfaction increases when jobs are designed to be meaningful, provide a sense of responsibility, and offer feedback on performance.

Question 14

The degree to which employees perceive their work as valuable and worthwhile is known as __________.

Accepted Answer

Experienced meaningfulness refers to the degree to which employees feel their work is valuable and worthwhile, impacting their motivation and engagement.

Question 15

The job characteristics theory states that there are critical psychological states needed to create high levels of motivation in the workplace. Which of the following is not a critical psychological state according to this theory?

Accepted Answer

The job characteristics theory identifies three critical psychological states for high motivation: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. Opportunity for advancement is not listed as one of these psychological states; it is more of an outcome or condition that might result from job design rather than a psychological state itself.

Question 16

When the three critical psychological states are present in a job, the personal and work outcomes that are experienced by the employee include all of the following except __________.

Accepted Answer

The three critical psychological states, as identified in the Job Characteristics Model, lead to outcomes such as high satisfaction with the work, high-quality work performance, and low absenteeism and turnover. "High work ethic" is not directly cited as an outcome of these states in the model; instead, it's more of an individual trait or value that influences behavior rather than a direct result of job design.

Question 17

_______________ is a critical psychological state that refers to the extent to whichemployees receive feedback about how well they are doing.

Accepted Answer

Knowledge of results is the psychological state that specifically refers to how employees receive feedback about their performance, indicating how well they are doing in their roles.

Question 18

The job characteristics theory argues that the three critical psychological states are affected by five key job characteristics. Which of the following is not considered a key job characteristic according to this model?

Accepted Answer

Task stability is not considered a key job characteristic according to the job characteristics theory. The model identifies task identity, autonomy, skill variety, task significance, and feedback as the five core job characteristics that impact three critical psychological states, leading to increased motivation, performance, and satisfaction.

Question 19

__________ is the degree to which the job involves many different work activities or requires several skills and talents.

Accepted Answer

Skill variety refers to the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities in carrying out the work, involving the use of a number of skills and talents.

Question 20

Whole Foods Markets has grown significantly since it opened. Which of the following statements does not correctly characterize how the owners have used their strategic action competency to achieve this growth?

Accepted Answer

Whole Foods Markets emphasizes autonomy and self-management rather than top-down mandates for consistency. Their approach involves empowering teams and providing employees with significant financial information, contrasting with the idea of strict owner mandates.

Quiz 14: Motivating Emlpoyees