Question 1

The degree to which job holders have freedom, independence, and decision-making authority is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Autonomy refers to the degree of freedom, independence, and discretion provided to an individual in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to carry it out. It is a key factor in job design and employee motivation.

Question 2

When employees have a high degree of __________ in their jobs, their success is dependent upon their own capabilities and their desire to complete the task.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy in jobs means that employees have the freedom and independence to schedule their work and determine how it is done, making their success more reliant on their own abilities and motivation.

Question 3

Successful salespeople whose entire compensation is based on commission from sales they generate are most likely motivated by the __________ of their jobs. Their success is dependent upon their own capabilities and their desire to close the sale.

Accepted Answer

Successful salespeople motivated by commission are likely driven by the autonomy of their jobs, as their earnings and success directly depend on their own efforts and decisions. This autonomy allows them to control their approach to sales, making personal capability and motivation crucial for their success.

Question 4

__________ refers to information about the status and performance of a given effort or system.

Accepted Answer

Feedback refers to information about the status and performance of a given effort or system, allowing for adjustments and improvements.

Question 5

Tina Siebert is satisfied with her job largely because she is provided with lots of information about the effectiveness of her daily efforts. Tina's job has a high degree of

Accepted Answer

Tina's satisfaction comes from receiving a lot of information about the effectiveness of her daily efforts, which directly relates to feedback. Feedback in a job context refers to the degree to which an employee receives clear information about performance effectiveness. This is distinct from skill variety, task identity, task significance, and autonomy, which relate to different aspects of job design.

Question 6

When __________ is frequent and constructive, employees develop a better understanding of the relationship between their efforts and the outcomes of their work.

Accepted Answer

Feedback, when frequent and constructive, helps employees understand how their efforts directly impact their work outcomes, leading to improved performance and job satisfaction.

Question 7

__________ is a core job dimension which refers to the degree to which a job challenges a job holder to use many of his or her skills and abilities. This job dimension affects the degree to which employees __________.

Accepted Answer

Skill variety is the job dimension that refers to the extent to which a job requires a variety of different activities in carrying out the work, which in turn requires the employee to use a number of different skills and talents. When jobs are designed with high skill variety, employees tend to find their work more meaningful because they are able to engage in a range of activities and utilize a broader set of their abilities.

Question 8

__________ is a core job dimension that refers to the extent to which a job holder has information about the effectiveness of his or her efforts.

Accepted Answer

Feedback is the core job dimension that refers to the degree to which individuals receive clear information about the effectiveness of their performance. This allows them to adjust their efforts and improve their job performance.

Question 9

__________ is a core job dimension that refers to the degree to which job holders have freedom, independence, and decision making authority. This job dimensions affects the degree to which an employee has__________.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy is the job dimension that refers to the degree of freedom, independence, and decision-making authority an employee has in their job. This directly affects the degree to which an employee feels responsible for the outcomes of their work.

Question 10

Skill variety, task significance, and __________ are core job dimensions that contribute to meaningfulness of the work.

Accepted Answer

Task identity, along with skill variety and task significance, is one of the core job dimensions that contribute to the meaningfulness of work according to the Job Characteristics Model.

Question 11

Classical management theorists emphasized the benefits of division of work and specialization. Therefore, we can characterize the driving forces of job design during the scientific management era as

Accepted Answer

Classical management theorists, particularly during the scientific management era, focused on increasing productivity and efficiency through the division of work and specialization. They believed that by breaking down jobs into simpler tasks, workers could become highly skilled in their specific tasks, leading to greater efficiency and productivity overall.

Question 12

As work progressed on building the large booster rocket for the space shuttle program, employees were given tasks that were based upon each employee's particular characteristics that made them uniquely qualified to perform the tasks effectively and efficiently. These tasks are known as __________ tasks.

Accepted Answer

Specialized tasks are those that are assigned based on an individual's unique skills or characteristics, allowing them to perform the tasks effectively and efficiently. This approach is common in complex projects like building a space shuttle, where specific expertise is required for different components or phases of the project.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an advantage of job specialization?

Accepted Answer

Job specialization can lead to less skill variety and task identity, which is generally considered a disadvantage rather than an advantage. It can make work more monotonous and less satisfying for employees.

Question 14

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of job specialization?

Accepted Answer

Job specialization can lead to higher productivity because employees become very skilled at their specific tasks, which can reduce absenteeism due to increased efficiency and satisfaction in their roles. The other options (A, B, C, D) are considered disadvantages of job specialization.

Question 15

The __________ production scheme is founded on the concepts of highly routine and specialized tasks.

Accepted Answer

The assembly line production scheme is based on the concept of highly routine and specialized tasks, where each worker or machine performs a specific task repeatedly, contributing to the efficient mass production of goods.

Question 16

Programs designed to broaden job scope are referred to as

Accepted Answer

The answer of Programs designed to broaden job scope are...

Question 17

Xerox has a number of production facilities that produce copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and other office products. To reduce the monotony that assembly line employees often experience, and to provide workers greater challenges, Xerox has implemented a program designed to broaden the scope of specific jobs. Programs designed to broaden job scope are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Job enlargement involves increasing the scope of a job by extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities, which helps reduce monotony and provides greater challenges to employees.

Question 18

After evaluating the productivity of a number of its production workers, Cambridge Technologies decided to increase the number of different activities that a specific job requires and the frequency with which each activity is performed. The issues that Cambridge is addressing pertain directly to

Accepted Answer

Cambridge Technologies is addressing job scope by increasing the variety and frequency of activities required for a specific job, aiming to make the work more engaging and potentially more satisfying for employees.

Question 19

Jobs with a broad __________ typically rate more favorably in terms of skill variety, task identity, and task significance than do jobs with a narrower __________. Thus, these broad jobs are considered more meaningful than the narrower jobs.

Accepted Answer

Jobs with a broad job scope are seen as more meaningful because they encompass a wider variety of skills, a clearer sense of task identity, and greater task significance, compared to jobs with a narrower scope.

Question 20

Programs designed to increase job depth are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment programs are designed to increase job depth by adding layers of responsibility, complexity, and potentially autonomy to an employee's role, making the work more engaging and satisfying.

Quiz 7: Organizing for Effectiveness and Efficiency