Deck 5: Motivation

Question 1

Bonuses compensate people for the mix and depth of skills they possess.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Comparative methods of performance appraisal identify one employee's standing relative to others.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Profit sharing links pay and performance by giving workers the opportunity to share in productivity gains through enhanced earnings.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Strictness error is the tendency to give relatively high ratings to virtually everyone.

Question 5

The forced distribution method of performance appraisal can be problematic if most of the employees are truly superior performers or if most of them perform at about the same level.

Question 6

Intrinsic rewards are positively valued work outcomes that are given to an individual or group by some other person or source in a work setting.

Question 7

Potential motivational advantages of skill-based pay include employee willingness to engage in cross-training and to take on more self-management responsibilities.

Question 8

An advantage of the behaviorally anchored rating scale approach is that it is straightforward and simpler than the ranking method.

Question 9

Probably the best example of a process theory is Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.

Question 10

Forced distribution is a performance appraisal method whereby each person is directly compared with every other person being rated.

Question 11

Needs theories of motivation mainly focus on the physiological and psychological needs that people feel a compulsion to reduce or eliminate.

Question 12

A graphic rating scale lists a variety of performance dimensions that an individual is expected to exhibit.

Question 13

The behaviorally anchored rating scale is a method of performance appraisal that records incidents of each subordinate's behavior that led to either unusual success or failure in a given performance dimension.

Question 14

Valence refers to the individual forces that account for the direction, level, and persistence of a person's efforts expended at work.

Question 15

The incentive value of employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) stock awards or purchases is based on the idea that employee owners will be motivated to work hard so that the organization will perform well and its stock price will rise.

Question 16

Extrinsic rewards are positively valued work outcomes that an individual receives from within as a result of task performance.

Question 17

Ranking is a method of performance appraisal that uses a small number of performance categories, such as "very good," "good," "adequate," and "very poor," and slots a certain proportion of people into each category.

Question 18

Central tendency occurs when managers lump everyone together around the average or the middle category.

Question 19

To work well, a merit pay plan should create a belief among employees that the way to achieve high pay is to perform at high levels.

Question 20

In order to work well, a merit pay plan should clearly differentiate between high and low performers in the amount of pay increases received.

Question 21

Maslow's social needs tend to be more important in more collectivist societies like Mexico, thereby challenging the structured approach to the pyramid across cultures.

Question 22

ERG theory contends that more than one need may be activated at a particular point in time, whereas Maslow's theory does not.

Question 23

The Thematic Apperception Test is a projective technique that asks people to view pictures and write stories about what they see.

Question 24

Research evidence suggests that the needs in Maslow's hierarchy are more likely to operate in a rigid rather than a flexible order.

Question 25

In ERG theory, frustration-regression refers to the idea that an already satisfied lower level need can be activated when a higher level need cannot be satisfied.

Question 26

McClelland's research suggested that a moderate-to-high need for power that is stronger than a need for affiliation is linked with success as a senior executive.

Question 27

According to Maslow's needs hierarchy, the lower order needs are esteem and social needs.

Question 28

According to equity theory, when perceived inequity exists, people will be motivated to act in ways that remove the cognitive discomfort and restore a sense of perceived equity.

Question 29

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory holds that a need at one level does not become activated until the next higher level need is fully satisfied.

Question 30

Equity theory suggests that motivation results from an individual's attempts to satisfy needs.

Question 31

According to Maslow's needs hierarchy, the lower order needs are esteem and self-actualization.

Question 32

Acquired needs theory suggests that people with a high need for power are drawn to interpersonal relationships and opportunities for communication.

Question 33

Felt positive equity exists when an individual feels that she or he has received relatively less than others in proportion to work inputs.

Question 34

Alderfer's ERG theory focuses on the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power.

Question 35

A person who likes praise and recognition from his or her supervisor is seeking the satisfaction of the social needs in Maslow's hierarchy.

Question 36

In Maslow's needs hierarchy, the self-actualization need refers to the need to fulfill oneself as well as to grow and use abilities to the fullest and most creative extent.

Question 37

According to McClelland, it is not possible to teach people to develop need profiles required for success in various types of jobs.

Question 38

The five need levels in Maslow's hierarchy may vary according to a person's career stage, the size of the organization, or geographic location.

Question 39

In McClelland's motivation theory, the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power are developed over time as a result of life experiences.

Question 40

According to Alderfer's theory, growth needs refer to the desire for continued business growth and development.

Question 41

Equity theory predicts that people who perceive inequity, as compared to others, may change work inputs by putting less effort into their jobs, change the rewards received by asking for better treatment, change the comparison points by finding ways to make things appear better, change the situation by leaving the job, or take actions to change the inputs or outputs of the comparison person.

Question 42

Research indicates that general goals are much more motivational than specific goals.

Question 43

Unfortunately, expectancy theory has not received any research follow-up, and hence, it is not practical.

Question 44

The typical reward systems of organizations emphasize __________.

A) a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards
B) only intrinsic rewards
C) only extrinsic rewards
D) only intrinsic rewards for high-level positions
E) only extrinsic rewards for high-level positions

Question 45

According to expectancy theory, expectancy is the probability that work effort will be followed by a given level of performance accomplishment.

Question 46

Goal setting is the process of developing, negotiating, and formalizing the targets or objectives that an individual is responsible for achieving.

Question 47

Motivation refers to the value attached by the individual to various work outcomes.

Question 48

According to expectancy theory, motivation is low when any one of the three components-expectancy, instrumentality, or valence-approaches zero.

Question 49

Even with a great deal of support for the research on expectancy theory, there are still questions remaining on the multiplier effect.

Question 50

Participation in goal-setting process helps create goal acceptance and commitment by employees.

Question 51

Interestingly, Locke and Latham's research confirmed that "easy" and "do your best" goals result in the highest performance levels.

Question 52

Vroom's expectancy theory argues that work motivation is determined by an individual's beliefs regarding the linkage between effort and performance, the linkage between performance and work outcomes, and the value placed on those work outcomes.

Question 53

Goals are better motivators when employees accept them and show commitment to their goals.

Question 54

In expectancy theory, instrumentality is the probability assigned by the individual that a given level of performance will lead to various work outcomes.

Question 55

According to expectancy theory, work motivation will be high when expectancy and instrumentality are high and valence is highly positive.

Question 56

According to expectancy theory, managers can influence workers' expectancies by identifying the needs that are important to each individual and then trying to adjust available rewards to match those needs.

Question 57

In expectancy theory, instrumentality is the probability that work effort will be followed by a given level of performance accomplishment.

Question 58

Task feedback, or knowledge of results, overwhelms employees with information and reduces employee motivation toward higher performance.

Question 59

An example of procedural justice occurs when a sexual harassment complaint filed against a man by a woman receives the same consideration as one filed against a woman by a man.

Question 60

According to expectancy theory, managers can influence workers' instrumentalities by selecting capable workers, training them, supporting them, and setting clear goals.

Question 61

The awarding of cash bonuses is especially common in the __________ of organizations.

A) lower ranks
B) nonexempt levels
C) union members
D) senior executive ranks
E) contingency workforce

Question 62

Bill is an employee at Burgers-Are-Us. He works hard each and every day so that his picture may be displayed in the restaurant lobby and that he might earn the title "Employee-of-the-Month." Bill is motivated by __________ rewards.

A) expected
B) implied
C) valence
D) extrinsic
E) intrinsic

Question 63

Which of the following statements is NOT correct with regard to skill-based pay?

A) Although it has popular appeal, it is a fairly slow-growing pay innovation.
B) Skill-based pay compensates people for the mix and depth of skills they possess.
C) A potential advantage of skill-based pay is flexibility.
D) A potential disadvantage of skill-based pay is higher training costs.
E) A potential advantage of skill-based pay is employee cross-training.

Question 64

__________ is a pay system that links pay and performance by giving workers the opportunity to share in productivity gains through increased earnings.

A) Skill-based pay
B) Sanctioned pay
C) Performance pay
D) Gain sharing
E) Statutory pay

Question 65

In a(n) __________, employees are rewarded by being given company stock or by being allowed to purchase it at a price below market value.

A) single payoff
B) employee stock ownership plan
C) gain-sharing plan
D) individualized payoff
E) lump sum increase

Question 66

Jason works as a social worker at a local hospital. He loves his job and derives great satisfaction from feeling as though he has helped others and made a difference in the community. Jason is driven by __________.

A) unexpected rewards
B) performance-contingent pay
C) gain sharing rewards
D) extrinsic motivation
E) intrinsic motivation

Question 67

All of the following statements about profit sharing are true EXCEPT that:

A) profit sharing is somewhat similar to gain sharing.
B) profit sharing rewards individuals according to some measure of organizational performance.
C) profit-sharing plans do not reward employees for specific productivity gains.
D) profit-sharing plans reward employees based on overall organizational profits.
E) profit-sharing plans adversely impact cooperation and teamwork.

Question 68

Which of the following are considered advantages of skill-based pay?

A) Flexibility
B) Employee cross-training
C) Fewer supervisors
D) Willingness to take on self-management responsibilities
E) A reduction in compensation costs

Question 69

All of the following statements about gain sharing are true EXCEPT that:

A) gain-sharing plans decrease personal responsibility.
B) gain-sharing plans offer workers a share of any increase in total organizational productivity.
C) gain sharing increases work motivation because of pay-for-performance incentives.
D) with gain sharing, employees have a greater sense of personal responsibility for making performance contributions to the organization.
E) gain sharing encourages workplace cooperation and teamwork.

Question 70

Although research supports the logic and theoretical benefits of merit pay, it also indicates that __________.

A) human resource specialists are necessary to administer merit pay plans
B) employees are overpaid for the jobs they perform
C) merit system cannot discriminate between high and low performers
D) the implementation of merit pay plans is not easy
E) managers believe that merit pay plans properly reflect employee productivity

Question 71

Since stock prices can fall as well as rise, there is a risk associated with respect to __________ and that risk must be considered when evaluating the motivational value of such pay systems.

A) merit pay systems
B) employee stock ownership plans
C) lump sum increases
D) lump sum payments
E) fringe benefit systems

Question 72

__________ rewards employees in some proportion to changes in organizational profits.

A) A merit pay plan
B) A skill-based pay
C) A gain-sharing plan
D) A profit-sharing plan
E) A profit plan

Question 73

__________ is a system that rewards people for acquiring and developing expertise in job-relevant abilities.

A) Entitlement pay
B) Gain-sharing pay
C) Merit pay
D) Skill-based pay
E) Expert pay

Question 74

All of the following are steps in a typical sequence of performance management EXCEPT:

A) identifying and setting clear and measurable performance goals.
B) assigning people into the roles required to perform job responsibilities.
C) taking performance measurements to assess progress.
D) providing feedback and coaching on performance results.
E) using performance assessment for human resource management decisions.

Question 75

Merit pay is an attempt to make pay contingent upon __________.

A) tenure in the organization
B) specific competencies
C) a willingness to acquire and develop job-related skills
D) performance
E) years of experience in the industry

Question 76

The research of Lawler generally concludes that __________.

A) Americans believe that they are paid more fairly than workers in other countries
B) pay must be combined with fringe benefits to create a significant total compensation package for employees
C) pay serves as a motivator when high levels of job performance are viewed as the path through which high pay can be achieved
D) managers do not believe that they pay their workers enough money
E) workers do not feel that they are paid fairly

Question 77

Intrinsic motivation __________.

A) is the basis of performance-contingent pay
B) is exemplified by symbolic tokens of accomplishment such as posted award certificates
C) refers to positively valued work outcomes that are given to an individual or group
D) do not require the participation of another person or source in the work setting
E) refers to tangible inducements that are provided by some other person or source in the work setting

Question 78

__________ refers to the tangible and external inducements that drive someone to do a task.

A) Expectancy
B) Implied reward
C) Valence
D) Extrinsic motivation
E) Intrinsic reward

Question 79

Skill-based pay plans reward people __________.

A) based on their knowledge and education
B) based on their experience
C) for the mix and depth of skills they possess
D) for the particular job assignment they hold
E) for maximizing the utilization of their skills

Question 80

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe what is needed to make a merit pay plan work well?

A) Merit pay should be based on realistic and accurate measures of individual work performance.
B) Merit pay should create a belief among employees that they must perform at high levels to achieve high pay.
C) Merit pay should be higher for those employees whom the manager personally favors.
D) Merit pay should clearly differentiate between high and low performers in the amount of pay received.
E) The "merit" aspects of a pay increase must be clearly and contingently linked with the desired performance.