Question 1

Which of these statements about expectancy theory is FALSE?
A)Expectancy theory explains why coaching and pay-for-performance motivate employees.
B)Expectancy theory emphasizes rational thinking more than emotions.
C)Expectancy theory details a person's thinking process when translating demands from competing drives.
D)Expectancy theory doesn't explain motivation in different cultures.
E)Expectancy theory offers one of the best models available for predicting work effort and motivation.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Expectancy theory can be applied across different cultures, but cultural differences may influence the level or type of motivation.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of punishment?
A)Your boss doesn't say anything after you have the highest sales of the month.
B)Your boss stops complaining about your late arrival at work after you arrive early for several weeks.
C)The organization takes away some of your pay cheque to cover the cost of a machine that you carelessly broke.
D)The organization takes away some of your pay cheque to cover the cost of a machine that you carelessly broke and your boss stops complaining about your late arrival at work after you arrive early for several weeks.
E)After signing a contract with an important client, the company announces its appreciation of your work.

Accepted Answer

Punishment involves an unpleasant consequence following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future. In this case, taking away some of the person's pay is a consequence that is intended to discourage them from breaking machines in the future.

None of the other options involve a punishment. Option A is an example of positive reinforcement (reward) for good behavior, option B is an example of negative reinforcement (removal of something unpleasant) for good behavior, option D involves both punishment and negative reinforcement, and option E is an example of positive reinforcement for good work.

Question 3

Which of these occurs when a consequence that is introduced decreases the frequency or future probability of a behaviour?
A)Equity outcomes
B)Extinction
C)Positive reinforcement
D)Negative reinforcement
E)Punishment

Accepted Answer

Punishment refers to introducing a consequence that decreases the frequency or future probability of a behavior.

Question 4

Behaviour modification does NOT consider
A)employee attitudes towards the person reinforcing the behaviour.
B)employee behaviour before the behaviour modification strategy is applied.
C)the effect of feedback on behaviour.
D)the types of actions that reinforce behaviour.
E)changes in employee behaviour when the reinforcer is removed.

Accepted Answer

Behaviour modification does not consider employee attitudes towards the person reinforcing the behaviour. It focuses on using positive reinforcement to encourage and strengthen desired behaviour, regardless of the personal feelings of individuals involved.

Question 5

One way to increase employee motivation by improving the P-to-O expectancies is to
A)convince employees that they are able to accomplish the task.
B)give everyone the same reward.
C)select employees with the required skills and knowledge.
D)measure employee performance accurately.
E)provide sufficient time and resources to perform the task.

Accepted Answer

Improving P-to-O (Performance-to-Outcome) expectancies involves ensuring that employees believe their performance will lead to desired outcomes. Measuring performance accurately helps employees see the clear link between their efforts and the rewards they receive.

Question 6

Which of these occurs when the introduction of a consequence increases or maintains the frequency or future probability of a behaviour?
A)Positive reinforcement
B)Extinction
C)Punishment
D)Negative reinforcement
E)Job dissatisfaction

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement occurs when the introduction of a consequence increases or maintains the frequency or future probability of a behavior.

Question 7

Co-workers no longer praise you when you engage in dangerous pranks, so you stop engaging in these pranks. This is an example of:
A)positive reinforcement.
B)action learning.
C)punishment.
D)negative reinforcement.
E)extinction.

Accepted Answer

The behavior of engaging in dangerous pranks is being extinguished because the co-workers are no longer providing praise, which was reinforcing the behavior. Therefore, the best choice is E, extinction.

Question 8

Employee motivation tends to increase when people are assigned to jobs for which they are qualified and they receive coaching to improve their self-confidence. Both of these practices improve employee motivation by:
A)increasing P-to-O expectancies.
B)reducing feelings of inequity.
C)increasing E-to-P expectancies.
D)increasing outcome valences.
E)satisfying existence needs.

Accepted Answer

E-to-P expectancies refer to an employee's belief that their effort will lead to improved performance. By being assigned to jobs for which they are qualified and receiving coaching, employees are more likely to believe that their effort will lead to improved performance, increasing their E-to-P expectancies and thus their motivation.

Question 9

According to the A-B-C model of behaviour modification, antecedents
A)represent an older perspective of behaviour modification that is no longer relevant.
B)cause people to act more randomly.
C)inform employees that certain behaviours will have particular consequences.
D)cause people to act more randomly and inform employees that certain behaviours will have particular consequences.
E)have no effect on behaviour.

Accepted Answer

According to the A-B-C model of behaviour modification, antecedents are events or stimuli that occur before a behavior and signal that a particular consequence will follow that behavior. In the workplace, antecedents are often used to inform employees that certain behaviors will have particular consequences, such as a reward or punishment.

Question 10

The A-B-C model of behaviour modification helps us to
A)understand how experiential learning differs from social learning.
B)teach language skills to employees more effectively.
C)understand how environmental conditions influence learning and behaviour.
D)determine which schedule of reinforcement is best in a particular situation.
E)determine which contingency of reinforcement is best in a particular situation.

Accepted Answer

The A-B-C model of behaviour modification helps us understand how environmental conditions influence learning and behaviour. A stands for Antecedent, which refers to what happens before the behavior occurs, B stands for Behavior, which is the behavior itself, and C stands for Consequence, which is what happens after the behavior occurs. By analyzing these three components, we can identify and modify environmental factors that influence behavior.

Question 11

According to expectancy theory, a skill-development training program would
A)have no effect on employee motivation.
B)mainly increase the performance-to-outcome expectancy.
C)mainly alter the comparison other.
D)mainly increase the effort-to-performance expectancy.
E)mainly increase the valence of pay increases and other organizational outcomes.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory suggests that motivation is influenced by the belief that effort will lead to performance. A skill-development training program directly targets this belief by enhancing employees' abilities, thereby increasing their expectation that putting in effort will indeed improve their performance.

Question 12

In expectancy theory, valence refers to the
A)anticipated satisfaction or dissatisfaction that an individual feels towards an outcome.
B)individual's perceived probability that his or her performance will lead to specific outcomes.
C)amount of effort a person puts towards a known goal.
D)individual's perceived probability of performing the task at a particular level.
E)feelings that result from a comparison of the individual's outcome/input ratio with the outcome/input ratio of a comparison other.

Accepted Answer

Valence in expectancy theory refers to the anticipated satisfaction or dissatisfaction that an individual feels towards an outcome. It reflects the individual's degree of preference for a particular outcome, which influences their motivation to pursue a certain course of action. In other words, valence determines whether an individual perceives an outcome as desirable or undesirable, and thus influences their effort and performance towards achieving it.

Question 13

According to expectancy theory, linking valued rewards to higher job performance mainly increases motivation by:
A)weakening the E-to-P expectancy.
B)strengthening the P-to-O expectancy.
C)strengthening the E-to-P expectancy.
D)increasing the valence of a $1,000 bonus.
E)strengthening both the E-to-P and P-to-O expectancies.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory posits that motivation is influenced by the belief that effort will lead to performance (E-to-P expectancy) and that performance will lead to outcomes (P-to-O expectancy). Linking valued rewards to higher job performance directly strengthens the P-to-O expectancy, as it clarifies the connection between performing well and receiving desired rewards.

Question 14

Which of the following increases the future probability of behaviour by removing a negative stimulus after the desired behaviour occurs?
A)Intrinsic motivators
B)Extinction
C)Positive reinforcement
D)Negative reinforcement
E)Punishment

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves removing a negative stimulus after the desired behavior occurs, which increases the future probability of that behavior. In contrast, positive reinforcement involves presenting a positive stimulus to increase the probability of behavior. Extinction involves ignoring a behavior to decrease its future probability, while punishment involves presenting a negative stimulus to decrease the probability of behavior. Intrinsic motivators are internal factors that drive behavior.

Question 15

According to expectancy theory, providing counselling and coaching to an employee who lacks self-confidence is most likely to increase the employee's:
A)O-to-P expectancy.
B)V-to-O expectancy.
C)P-to-O expectancy.
D)E-to-P expectancy.
E)P-to-E expectancy.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory suggests that E-to-P expectancy (effort-to-performance) is increased when employees believe that their effort will lead to successful performance. Providing counseling and coaching can help boost an employee's self-confidence, thereby increasing their belief that they can perform the task successfully with effort.

Question 16

Which of these statements about behaviour modification is FALSE?
A)Behaviour modification considers the contingencies and schedules of reinforcement.
B)Behaviour modification theory argues that employee beliefs and attitudes cause behaviour.
C)A-B-C analysis considers what happens before and after the behaviour.
D)Behaviour modification programs are most effectively implemented where work behaviour is observable.
E)The reinforcer used in some behaviour modification programs tends to lose its effectiveness over time.

Accepted Answer

Behaviour modification theory does not argue that employee beliefs and attitudes cause behaviour. Rather, it focuses on modifying the environmental factors that influence behaviour.

Question 17

According to expectancy theory, which of the following actions would NOT alter outcome valences?
A)Minimize the presence of countervalent outcomes.
B)Show employees how their skills can accomplish the task.
C)Give employees a choice of rewards.
D)Adapt the type of rewards offered to each employee's dominant needs.
E)Distribute rewards that employees want.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory suggests that outcome valences can be altered by changing the perceived likelihood of achieving the outcome, the attractiveness of the outcome, or the perceived link between performance and outcome. Showing employees how their skills can accomplish the task may impact their perception of likelihood but would not necessarily impact the attractiveness or link between performance and outcome, making it less likely to alter outcome valences. The other options (A, C, D, E) all involve changes that could impact the attractiveness or perceived likelihood of achieving the outcome, and therefore could potentially alter outcome valences.

Question 18

ABC Corp. introduced a training program that ensured everyone had the required knowledge and skills to perform the work. The company also brought in a performance-based reward system that accurately identified employees who performed better than others. According to expectancy theory, these practices improve employee motivation by:
A)reducing feelings of inequity.
B)improving E-to-P expectancies.
C)improving E-to-P expectancies and improving P-to-O expectancies.
D)improving P-to-O expectancies.
E)increasing employee needs.

Accepted Answer

According to expectancy theory, motivation is improved by two factors: E-to-P expectancies (belief that effort will lead to desired performance) and P-to-O expectancies (belief that performance will lead to desired outcome or reward). The training program and performance-based reward system improve both of these expectancies, resulting in increased motivation. Reducing feelings of inequity (A) may also improve motivation, but it is not directly related to expectancy theory. Increasing employee needs (E) may affect motivation, but it is not a factor considered in expectancy theory.

Question 19

Individualizing rewards enhances which expectancy theory component?
A)E-to-P expectancy
B)E-to-O expectancy
C)V-to-E outcomes
D)performance expectancy
E)Valences of outcomes

Accepted Answer

Valences of outcomes refer to the perceived value an individual assigns to an outcome. Individualizing rewards can enhance the valence of outcomes by making them more attractive and desirable to the individual, thereby increasing their motivation to perform.

Question 20

Which of the following actions would increase employee motivation mainly by enhancing their effort-to-performance expectancy?
A)Convince employees that poor performance will not be rewarded.
B)Reward employees with things that they value.
C)Let employees know that their chances of performing successfully are good.
D)Measure performance more accurately.
E)All of the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

Enhancing effort-to-performance expectancy involves increasing an employee's belief that their efforts will lead to successful job performance. Letting employees know that their chances of performing successfully are good can boost their confidence and motivation to put in the required effort. The other options address different aspects of motivation. Convincing employees that poor performance will not be rewarded enhances performance-to-outcome expectancy. Rewarding employees with things they value relates to the outcome of motivation. Measuring performance more accurately can enhance the perceived fairness of the performance evaluation process, but it does not directly impact expectancy beliefs. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Quiz 5: Foundations of Employee Motivation

Which of these statements about expectancy theory is FALSE?

Which of the following is an example of punishment?

Which of these occurs when a consequence that is introduced decreases the frequency or future probability of a behaviour?

Behaviour modification does NOT consider

One way to increase employee motivation by improving the P-to-O expectancies is to

Which of these occurs when the introduction of a consequence increases or maintains the frequency or future probability of a behaviour?

Co-workers no longer praise you when you engage in dangerous pranks, so you stop engaging in these pranks. This is an example of:

Employee motivation tends to increase when people are assigned to jobs for which they are qualified and they receive coaching to improve their self-confidence. Both of these practices improve employee motivation by:

According to the A-B-C model of behaviour modification, antecedents

The A-B-C model of behaviour modification helps us to

According to expectancy theory, a skill-development training program would

In expectancy theory, valence refers to the

According to expectancy theory, linking valued rewards to higher job performance mainly increases motivation by:

Which of the following increases the future probability of behaviour by removing a negative stimulus after the desired behaviour occurs?

According to expectancy theory, providing counselling and coaching to an employee who lacks self-confidence is most likely to increase the employee's:

Which of these statements about behaviour modification is FALSE?

According to expectancy theory, which of the following actions would NOT alter outcome valences?

Individualizing rewards enhances which expectancy theory component?

Which of the following actions would increase employee motivation mainly by enhancing their effort-to-performance expectancy?