Question 1

A Scanlon plan is a type of ______ compensation plan.

Accepted Answer

A Scanlon plan is a type of gainsharing compensation plan where employees are rewarded based on the amount of money saved through their suggestions for improving efficiency and productivity. This plan incentivizes employees to actively participate in contributing to the success of the company.

Question 2

Which of the following is not an advisable criterion for an effective incentive plan?

Accepted Answer

The criterion that rewards require record-setting performance is not an advisable one for an effective incentive plan as it can lead to unrealistic expectations, demotivation, and resentment among employees who may not be able to achieve such high standards. Effective incentive plans should have achievable targets that motivate employees to improve their performance and align their efforts with organizational goals.

Question 3

Victoria runs a flower shop.She recently made some changes so that one employee answers phones and completes the order and payment process,while another creates arrangements,and a third packages and delivers floral arrangements.Previously,each employee was responsible for the order from the phone call through the delivery.Victoria has made changes to

Accepted Answer

Victoria has changed the process from each employee handling an order from start to finish (high task identity) to a more segmented process where each employee handles only a part of the process (lower task identity).

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a contingency factor in the job characteristics model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is NOT a...

Question 5

______ is the process of strengthening a behavior by withdrawing something negative.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement is the process of strengthening a behavior by withdrawing something negative. This can be done by removing an aversive stimulus after the desired behavior is exhibited, which increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.

Question 6

A sales commission is an example of a ______ compensation plan.

Accepted Answer

A sales commission is directly tied to an employee's performance, as they earn a percentage of the sales they make. This aligns with a pay-for-performance compensation plan, where pay is based on how well an employee performs their job duties.

Question 7

Nancy's employer distributes checks at the end of each quarter,representing an equitable portion of 5 percent of the company's pretax profits for the previous period.These checks represent

Accepted Answer

The checks that Nancy's employer distributes represent a portion of the company's pretax profits for the previous period, which is known as profit sharing. Profit sharing is a type of variable pay arrangement in which a portion of an organization's profits is paid out to employees as a form of compensation. It is intended to provide employees with a sense of ownership in the organization's success and incentivize them to work harder and more efficiently.

Question 8

As a maintenance person for the air force,Alex services aircraft engines,which protects the lives and safety of military personnel and increases their ability to conduct missions.Alex's job has a high level of

Accepted Answer

Alex's job has a high level of task significance because it directly impacts the lives and safety of military personnel and their ability to conduct missions.

Question 9

_______ is the extent to which a job allows an employee to make decisions about scheduling different tasks and deciding how to perform them.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy refers to the extent to which an employee has control over their work, including the ability to make decisions about scheduling tasks and choosing how to complete them. Horizontal loading refers to the variety of tasks within a job, skill variety refers to the range of skills required to complete a job, task significance refers to the impact of the job on others or the organization, and task identity refers to how clearly defined and meaningful a job's outcomes are.

Question 10

Because the production division at Heavenly Gates Inc.is $10,000 below budget due to process improvements,this year 30 percent of the savings will be returned to the division to spend as desired,as a form of

Accepted Answer

Gainsharing is a program that allows employees to share in cost savings or productivity gains. In this case, the production division at Heavenly Gates Inc. has saved $10,000 due to process improvements, and 30% of those savings will be returned to the division to spend as desired. This is a form of gainsharing, as the division is being rewarded for their efforts to improve processes and reduce costs. The other options listed (pay for performance, pay for knowledge, profit sharing, and stock options) are not applicable in this scenario.

Question 11

____________ is the theory that attempts to explain behavior change by suggesting that behavior with positive consequences tends to be repeated while behavior with negative consequences tends not to be repeated.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement theory suggests that behavior change occurs when behavior is rewarded (positive consequence) and is repeated and behavior is punished (negative consequence) and is not repeated.

Question 12

A supervisor told a salesperson who had not made any calls to clients and therefore did not make quota,"Well,if this continues in the next 30 days,you'll probably be let go." The supervisor provides an example of _____ by presenting the likely negative outcome to the salesperson.

Accepted Answer

The supervisor is using punishment by threatening the salesperson with the negative outcome of being let go if they do not improve their performance.

Question 13

When using punishment,a manager should

Accepted Answer

It is important for a manager to use positive reinforcement along with punishment to maintain a balance and encourage desirable behavior. This helps employees understand what they are doing right and wrong, and promotes a positive and productive work environment.

Question 14

It has been two years since any employee has received a bonus at Tech Outlet,and the possibility of getting one no longer seems to motivate employees.In this case,management has inadvertently applied

Accepted Answer

The situation described in the scenario suggests that the lack of bonuses has led to the decrease in employees' motivation, indicating that the behavior of providing bonuses has been extinguished. Extinction occurs when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced, leading to a decrease or extinction of the behavior. In this case, the lack of bonuses has led to the extinction of the behavior of being motivated by the possibility of receiving a bonus.

Question 15

In using reinforcement,a manager should

Accepted Answer

Using reinforcement involves rewarding desired behavior to encourage its repetition. For this to work effectively, the desired behavior must be clearly communicated to employees so they know what actions will lead to rewards. Rewarding undesired behavior or distributing rewards unfairly will undermine the effectiveness of reinforcement. Similarly, punishment is not recommended as a reinforcement technique as it can create negative feelings and may not effectively address the root cause of the problem behavior. Saving rewards for weekly or monthly celebrations may also be less effective than immediate reinforcement, as employees may not connect the reward with the behavior that was being encouraged.

Question 16

José has a summer job hand-dyeing shirts that will be sold on the boardwalk.He is paid $5.00 per shirt.José is being paid on a ______ compensation plan.

Accepted Answer

José is being paid based on his performance, specifically the number of shirts he hand-dyes. This is known as a pay-for-performance compensation plan, as his pay is directly tied to the quantity of work he produces.

Question 17

Ted's manager required him to give up his company car because he had missed sales goals for four consecutive quarters.Ted's manager used

Accepted Answer

Ted's manager used punishment by taking away Ted's company car as a consequence of not meeting sales goals.

Question 18

The motivating potential score (MPS)is calculated as part of using

Accepted Answer

The motivating potential score (MPS) is a core concept of the job characteristics model. It is calculated using the formula: MPS = Skill variety + Task identity + Task significance + Autonomy + Feedback. The job characteristics model is a theory of work design developed by Hackman and Oldham that focuses on job enrichment and the key factors that make work more motivating, satisfying, and rewarding.

Question 19

_______ is the use of desirable consequences to strengthen a particular behavior.

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is the use of desirable consequences (such as rewards or praise) to strengthen a particular behavior. This means that the behavior is more likely to be repeated in the future because the individual associates it with positive outcomes.

Question 20

_____ is the weakening of behavior by ignoring it or making sure it is not reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Extinction is the weakening of behavior by ignoring it or making sure it is not reinforced. Positive reinforcement is about strengthening behavior by giving rewards or positive consequences. Intrinsic motivation is the drive to perform a behavior based on personal satisfaction or enjoyment. Punishment is a consequence that weakens behavior by applying an aversive stimulus. Negative reinforcement refers to strengthening behavior by removing an aversive stimulus.

Quiz 12: Motivating Employees: Achieving Superior Performance in the Workplace