Deck 13: Motivation at Work

Question 1

Agency theory provides HR managers with a useful framework for trying to deal with conflicts of interest so that everyone works toward the common organizational goals.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which of the following factors is associated with high levels of intrinsic motivation at work?

A) A sense of self-determination
B) Fear of punishment
C) A promotion
D) Monetary reinforcement

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In expectancy theory, instrumentality is a person's perception of the probability that an increase in effort will result in an increase in performance.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In the context of reinforcement theory, identify the type of schedules in which the amount of time that must pass before a reward is given is constant over time.

A) fixed interval schedules
B) variable interval schedules
C) fixed ratio schedules
D) variable ratio schedules

Question 5

In the context of reinforcement theory, schedules in which the amount of time that must pass before a reward is given can change from one reward period to another are termed:

A) fixed interval schedules.
B) variable interval schedules.
C) fixed ratio schedules.
D) variable ratio schedules.

Question 6

Intrinsic motivation requires an external agent to administer a reward that is separate from the actual task or job being performed.

Question 7

In Maslow's theory, identify the specific needs that are capable of motivating behavior at any given point in time.

A) Comparative needs
B) Prepotent needs
C) Normative needs
D) Anticipated needs

Question 8

It is critical that an organization maintain a climate of openness and make an employee feel comfortable to suggest even a "useless" idea.

Question 9

Which of the following options reinforces behavior as a function of how many times it occurs?

A) Fixed interval schedule
B) Variable interval schedule
C) Continuous schedule
D) Ratio schedule

Question 10

In Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, identify the needs that include a safe environment and that are satisfied by things such as insurance or a pension.

A) Physiological needs
B) Security needs
C) Esteem needs
D) Social needs

Question 11

Equity theory is useful to human resource managers because it:

A) relies on intrinsic motivation rather than on extrinsic motivation.
B) ensures that everyone shares equally in any outcomes regardless of their contributions.
C) makes it clear that any rewards associated with effort or performance will be evaluated.
D) focuses on what motivates a person, rather than on how that motivation occurs.

Question 12

Identify a true statement about expectancy theory.

A) It is a need-based theory of motivation.
B) It is a simple theory from a cognitive perspective.
C) It deals with the actual relationships between the components in the model.
D) It is used to estimate the force operating on an employee to increase her or his effort.

Question 13

Extrinsic motivation is the motivation to do work because it is interesting, engaging, or possibly challenging rather than because someone is rewarding us to do the work.

Question 14

While watching television, Jason comes across an advertisement on a new soft drink brand. This advertisement reminds him that he is thirsty and wants to buy a beverage. In the context of reinforcement theory, the advertisement serves as a(n) _____.

A) orienting reflex
B) stimulus
C) heuristic
D) cognitive map

Question 15

Intrinsic motivation is a factor that has been linked to creativity at work.

Question 16

The direction in which a person will exert efforts is unrelated to motivation.

Question 17

Partial reinforcement cannot be applied to punishment.

Question 18

Agents are more likely than principals to take risks when they make decisions.

Question 19

In the context of VIE theory, which of the following components refers to how attractive or unattractive an outcome is for a person?

A) expectancy
B) instrumentality
C) valence
D) dissonance

Question 20

In the context of reinforcement theory, the term "outcome" refers to the behavior that we exhibit in reaction to a stimulus.

Question 21

Which of the following statements is true in the context of goal theory?

A) Goal theory suggests that all goals are created equal.
B) Difficult goals are preferable to easy goals.
C) Goal theory suggests that employees are most motivated by vague and unspecific goals.
D) Impossible goals are the most effective in motivating employees.

Question 22

Which of the following process theories, usually associated with B. F. Skinner, proposes that all behavior is a function of its consequences?

A) Reinforcement theory
B) ERG theory
C) VIE theory
D) Dual factor theory

Question 23

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of ratio schedules?

A) They are less resistant to extinction than continuous schedules.
B) They result in higher levels of behavior than do interval schedules.
C) They result in lesser productivity than do interval schedules.
D) They involve a shorter amount of learning time than continuous schedules.

Question 24

When underpayment inequity is perceived, an employee will most likely:

A) reduce his or her inputs.
B) decrease his or her outcomes.
C) feel that any effort will be fairly rewarded.
D) exert effort at work.

Question 25

In the context of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, who among the following individuals exhibits security needs?

A) Denver, who cherishes having meaningful interactions and healthy relationships with his co-workers
B) Ali, who expects his organization to provide him a pension plan to help him after his retirement
C) Tara, who expects her organization to provide her with basic amenities such as potable drinking water
D) Samantha, who wants to maintain a positive view of herself by improving her performance

Question 26

In the context of agency theory, which of the following is a difference between agents and principals?

A) Agents are the owners of a business, whereas principals are the managers of a business.
B) Agents take risks when they make decisions, whereas principals do not take risks.
C) Agents are less likely than principals to focus on a short time horizon.
D) Agents often have more information about the day-to-day business than do principals.

Question 27

In Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following options include the need to have a positive view of oneself?

A) Physiological needs
B) Security needs
C) Social needs
D) Esteem needs

Question 28

Which of the following statements is an important aspect of Clayton Alderfer's ERG theory?

A) In ERG theory, Abraham Maslow's three categories of needs are expanded into five categories of needs.
B) According to ERG theory, people always march neatly up the hierarchy of needs.
C) According to ERG theory, only one level of need is capable of motivating behavior at any given time.
D) In ERG theory, Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent.

Question 29

In the context of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following best describes an individual's self-actualization need?

A) The need for food or water
B) The need to have a safe and secure environment
C) The need to reach one's personal potential
D) The need to have a positive view of oneself

Question 30

Which of the following statements is true of motivation?

A) It excludes the direction in which a person's effort will be exerted.
B) A single proven model of motivation is guaranteed to work in all situations for all people.
C) It represents the forces operating on a person to exert effort in a specific direction.
D) High levels of motivation can fully compensate for lower levels of ability in people.

Question 31

In the context of reinforcement theory, identify the type of schedules in which the number of times a behavior must occur before it is rewarded changes over time.

A) Fixed interval schedules
B) Variable interval schedules
C) Fixed ratio schedules
D) Variable ratio schedules

Question 32

Identify a true statement about motivation and needs.

A) Money has the potential to satisfy all the needs proposed by Maslow and Alderfer.
B) Motivation at work is a small determinant of what will occur on the job.
C) Need-based theories adequately explain human motivation and its causes.
D) Most people fulfill their self-actualization needs by earning vast amounts of money.

Question 33

Process theories of motivation _____.

A) focus on how people become motivated and what they are motivated to do
B) focus on what motivates a person
C) explain all aspects of motivation
D) suggest that methods such as reinforcement and punishment cannot be used to motivate people

Question 34

In the context of reinforcement theory, who among the following writers has his or her work behavior reinforced using a fixed interval schedule?

A) Walda, who is paid $100 every week irrespective of the number of articles she writes
B) Zaiba, who is paid $30 for every five articles she writes
C) Ben, for whom the duration between each payment varies depending on the project
D) Ravi, for whom the number of articles to be completed in order to receive a payment varies depending on the project

Question 35

In the context of agency theory, agents are more likely than principals to focus on:

A) a long time horizon because they always work for a firm in the long run.
B) a long time horizon because they have less information about the day-to-day business than do principals.
C) a short time horizon because it is usually easier to affect firm performance in the short run.
D) a short time horizon because it is easy for principals to monitor all the decisions made by the agents.

Question 36

The process of generating new and useful ideas concerning new products, services, manufacturing methods, and administrative processes is characterized as _____.

A) valence
B) dissonance
C) instrumentality
D) creativity

Question 37

Which of the following theories is derived from the fact that, in most modern organizations, the individuals who own a firm do not actually run it on a daily basis?

A) VIE theory
B) Expectancy theory
C) ERG theory
D) Agency theory

Question 38

In the context of goal theory, who among the following managers is likely to motivate his or her employees the best?

A) Pedro, who sets difficult and specific goals
B) Samuel, who sets easy goals
C) Ali, who sets vague and unspecific goals
D) Shiv, who sets impossible goals

Question 39

Which of the following statements is true of dual factor theory?

A) It focuses on how a person becomes motivated to perform in a certain way.
B) It is a process theory of motivation that has been empirically supported by many research studies across time.
C) The research on dual factor theory provides concrete empirical support for the model.
D) The motivator side of dual factor theory provides the basis for much of the work that has been done in the area of job enrichment.

Question 40

The assembly-line workers of Autowon Inc. petitioned the top management to provide basic amenities such as access to potable water and a clean working environment. In the context of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this scenario illustrates the workers' _____.

A) physiological needs
B) security needs
C) social needs
D) esteem needs

Question 41

In the context of goal theory, which of the following is required for goals to be effective?

A) Employees must not be involved in the goal-setting process.
B) Employees must accept goals as their own.
C) Goals should not be difficult and specific.
D) Goals should be impossible in nature.

Question 42

In the context of need-based theories of motivation, which of the following theories identifies motivators and hygiene factors as two sets of conditions at work that can satisfy needs?

A) Social learning theory
B) Expectancy theory
C) Dual factor theory
D) Equity theory

Question 43

Identify a true statement about motivation.

A) Motivation at work is a critical determinant of what will occur on the job.
B) Most theories of motivation are concerned primarily with intrinsic motivation.
C) Intrinsic motivation increases when extrinsic rewards are introduced.
D) Any level of performance on any task is solely a function of motivation.

Question 44

Ania is a management executive in a large technology corporation. Her ambition is to accept more challenges in her work and prove herself valuable to the organization. She wants to achieve the top management position within a span of 5 years. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, which need does Ania display?

A) Belongingness need
B) Self-actualization need
C) Physiological need
D) Security need

Question 45

Which of the following options refers to a person's perception of the probability that an increase in effort will result in an increase in performance?

A) Valence
B) Instrumentality
C) Expectancy
D) Dissonance

Question 46

Imagine a scenario where a man is stranded on a desert island. He first finds a source of potable water and some fruits to eat. Only after his thirst and hunger are satisfied does he set about building a shelter for the night. Once the man has met his physiological and security needs, he will set about searching for other people on the island. Which of the following needs of the man stranded on a desert island does this scenario illustrate?

A) Self-actualization needs
B) Intrinsic motivation
C) Creative behavior
D) Prepotent needs

Question 47

Thomas, a kindergarten teacher, ignores his students' bad conduct and rewards them when they are obedient. As a result, they always listen to him and do as he says. In this scenario, Thomas is using a(n) _____.

A) intrinsic motivation technique
B) systematic desensitization technique
C) free association technique
D) behavior modification technique

Question 48

Punishment and positive reinforcement work best when:

A) intrinsic motivation is used.
B) extinction is used.
C) there is a strong link between behavior and consequences.
D) a behavior is followed by no consequences.

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true of expectancy theory?

A) It is a need-based theory of motivation.
B) It is a simple theory from a cognitive perspective.
C) It deals with the actual relationships between the components in the model.
D) It is concerned with three components and the links among them.

Question 50

Identify a true statement about goal theory.

A) It posits that employees are most motivated by vague and unspecific goals.
B) It posits that impossible goals are the most effective in motivating employees.
C) It suggests that easy goals are preferable to difficult goals.
D) It suggests that not all goals are created equal.

Question 51

Don, a sales clerk, believes that if he satisfies his customers' needs based on the policies covered in his company's sales training seminar, his incentives would increase. In the context of VIE theory, Don's belief illustrates _____.

A) dissonance
B) valence
C) autonomy
D) instrumentality

Question 52

Which of the following statements is true in the context of ERG theory?

A) Clayton Alderfer suggested that people always march neatly up a hierarchy.
B) ERG theory suggests that everyone is motivated by the same set of requirements at any one time.
C) Clayton Alderfer allowed for multiple levels of needs being prepotent.
D) ERG theory is concerned with how a person becomes motivated to perform in a certain way.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true of equity theory?

A) It is a need-based theory of motivation.
B) It suggests that everyone calculates the ratio of inputs to outcomes.
C) It focuses on what motivates a person, rather than on how that motivation occurs.
D) It suggests that everyone shares equally in any outcomes regardless of their contributions.

Question 54

In reinforcement theory, identify the schedule in which the number of times a behavior must occur before it is rewarded remains constant over time.

A) Fixed interval schedules
B) Variable interval schedules
C) Fixed ratio schedules
D) Variable ratio schedules

Question 55

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of variable ratio schedules?

A) They involve the shortest amount of learning time.
B) They are the least resistant to extinction.
C) They result in the highest productivity.
D) They result in the lowest levels of behavior.

Question 56

In the context of need-based theories of motivation, which of the following theories involves two levels of needs and allows for a person to regress from a higher-level need to a lower-level need?

A) VIE theory
B) ERG theory
C) Equity theory
D) Reinforcement theory

Question 57

In the context of agency theory, identify a true statement about agents.

A) They always behave in ways that are consistent with the goals of the owners.
B) They have less information about the day-to-day business than do principals.
C) They are less likely than principals to focus on a short time horizon.
D) They are less likely than principals to take risks when they make decisions.

Question 58

In the context of equity theory, an employee would be said to perceive underpayment inequity if his or her input-outcome ratio:

A) is less favorable than that of a comparison person.
B) exceeds his or her expectation.
C) is equal to that of a comparison person.
D) meets his or her expectation.

Question 59

Berta, the manager of an automobile showroom, announces a new scheme wherein the company offers an all-expenses paid trip to the salesperson who sells the most number of cars in the next quarter. This inspires Berta's subordinates to work harder and improve their performance. In this scenario, Berta uses a(n) _____.

A) intrinsic motivation technique
B) counterconditioning technique
C) countertransference technique
D) positive reinforcement technique

Question 60

In the context of reinforcement theory, which of the following statements is true of fixed ratio schedules?

A) They result in the lowest productivity.
B) They are the least resistant to extinction.
C) They produce less consistent levels of behavior than do variable ratio schedules.
D) They result in lower levels of behavior than do fixed interval schedules.

Question 61

Explain Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Question 62

Explain creative behavior.

Question 63

Explain expectancy theory.

Question 64

In the context of reinforcement theory, differentiate between interval schedules and ratio schedules.

Question 65

What is reinforcement theory?