Exam 11: Motivating Employees

Millie recently accepted a new job with better pay and a high degree of job security.She is now able to live in a nicer apartment and maintain a fairly comfortable life style.However,she still feels like an "outsider" at work,and does not yet believe that her fellow workers have really accepted her into their group.According to Maslow's views,Millie now would be motivated by a desire to satisfy her social needs.

Sid works as a sales representative for the XYZ Company.He is about to meet with his manager to review his progress toward meeting the sales objectives they agreed to at the beginning of the year.Sid likes the fact that managers at XYZ listen to their subordinates' ideas and get everyone involved in setting goals and objectives.Sid's experience suggests that XYZ is using:

The need __________ would be classified as a social need.

According to job enrichment theory,one of the characteristics of a job that contributes to improved motivation and worker performance is higher than average pay.

According to Victor Vroom's expectancy theory,expectations of employees can affect their motivation.

Milo lives in a third-world country with a volatile political and social environment.He currently has a job and can afford a decent apartment and plenty of food.He is worried,however,that the job may not last and that riots and political unrest will throw the country into turmoil.Milo's concerns reflect the desire to satisfy:

According to Victor Vroom,the effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their expectations of the outcome.

Maslow placed _________ needs at the highest level of his hierarchy.

Randy is a supervisor at an assembly plant for a major manufacturer.Randy has observed that most workers he supervises are more productive if he lets them have some freedom and flexibility in how they go about their work.Randy's experience is consistent with the teachings of scientific management.

Helen is conducting an experiment to determine how temperatures affect the productivity of workers.She has just completed the first phase of her experiment,in which she had a group of workers perform job related tasks in a special room where the temperature was 10 degrees cooler than on the factory floor.The workers in the experimental group consistently outperformed workers in the factory.The Hawthorne effect suggests that the most likely reason for this improvement in performance is that the cooler working conditions allowed the workers in the experiment to work harder without getting tired.

Herzberg's research examined how conditions related to the job itself affected the motivation of workers.

Maalem is a refugee from Ethiopia who has none of the basic necessities Americans take for granted.He lives in an overcrowded tent in a refugee camp.He is often hungry because food is scarce in the camp,and is often thirsty because the main water supply is polluted.Maalem is concerned about his ___________ needs.

As a group,Gen Yers tend to be impatient,skeptical,and image driven.

Joshua is habitually late with many reports.His manager withholds praise or recognition.This type of reinforcement is known as:

Compare the assumptions Theory X makes about workers with those of Theory Y.How do these different assumptions influence management styles?

Every month Sam is assigned a different job at Russo & Daughters Financial Consulting.Sam enjoys the variety and finds that switching jobs on a regular basis keeps the work from becoming boring.Russo & Daughters is using a technique known as job:

Motivation is the drive to act.

Harrison is a manager for a small metal fabrication company.He wants to find ways to improve worker motivation,and has read about the Hawthorne studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues.He believes these studies offer important insights into what motivates workers.Harrison is not likely to support the methods and ideas associated with scientific management.

Theory X assumes that workers dislike work,and will avoid it if possible.

Most Gen X managers are likely to be flexible and good at collaboration.