Deck 16: Individuals, Job Design and Stress

Question 1

__________ is the degree to which an individual feels positively or negatively about various aspects of the job.

A) Job satisfaction
B) Organisational loyalty
C) Work commitment
D) Employee loyalty
E) Job commitment

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The ideal work situation is one in which the exchange of values in the psychological contract is considered:

A) favouring the individual.
B) fair.
C) negative.
D) positive.
E) favouring the organisation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A job is defined as:

A) accomplishments achieved in the workplace.
B) the duties and responsibilities performed by an individual.
C) a collection of tasks performed in support of organisational objectives.
D) a division of labour performed by people to accomplish a common purpose.
E) work to be accomplished by individuals or groups.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

All but one of the following statements about job satisfaction and its implications are true. Which statement is NOT true?

A) Job involvement and organisational commitment have few, if any, quality of work life implications.
B) Job satisfaction is closely related to job involvement and organisational commitment.
C) Dissatisfied workers are more likely to quit their jobs and satisfied workers are more likely to stay.
D) Absenteeism and turnover are costly in terms of additional recruitment and training.
E) Workers who are more satisfied with their jobs are absent less frequently.

Question 5

Contributions, provided by the individual in the psychological contract, include:

A) effort, time, creativity, cooperation and commitment.
B) things that make the individual a desirable resource.
C) valued work activities.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 6

Quality of work life has many different implications. Which of the following is NOT one of these implications?

A) For most people, the overall quality of life is unaffected by the quality of work life.
B) For most people, the overall quality of life is affected significantly by the quality of work life.
C) For some people, jobs are a source of pleasure.
D) For some people, work is sheer drudgery.
E) Work is an important component of the quality of life.

Question 7

__________ refers to the fit between one's job or work responsibilities and personal or family needs.

A) Stress-free job design
B) Personal contingency management
C) Quality of life
D) Work-life balance
E) Quality of work life

Question 8

When the __________ is/are designed well, people can achieve high-performance results and experience a high-quality work life.

A) work experience
B) psychological contract
C) employment contract
D) organisational policies
E) job description

Question 9

Inducements, offered by the organisation in the psychological contract:

A) are fringe benefits, training, pay, opportunity and respect.
B) are things that the organisation gives to the employee.
C) should be of value to the employee.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 10

Which of the following statements regarding work and the quality of life is NOT correct?

A) The way managers treat people at work may have consequences extending far beyond the work setting.
B) A manager's job carries a high level of responsibility for promoting a high quality of work life.
C) Good management can enhance an employee's quality of work life but has little to do with the employee's overall quality of life.
D) Poor management can diminish both a person's quality of work life and his/her overall quality of life.
E) The quality of work life is an important component of quality of life.

Question 11

The idea of a psychological contract between an individual and an organisation suggests that the individual makes __________ in exchange for __________.

A) makes sacrifices; money
B) offers inputs; outputs
C) makes contributions; inducements
D) provides performance; satisfaction
E) makes commitments; power

Question 12

Which of the following statements accurately describes the impact of managerial practices on quality of work life?

A) Poor management practices can diminish the overall quality of life for employees.
B) The goal of work-life balance is to achieve a productive and satisfying balance of career and family pursuits.
C) Poor management practices can diminish the quality of work life for employees.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 13

Research has demonstrated a strong and positive relationship between _______ and _______.

A) job satisfaction; monetary compensation
B) job design; effective hiring practices
C) job enrichment; job rotation
D) job involvement; usage of computers
E) job satisfaction; absenteeism and turnover

Question 14

The classic assembly-line job is an example of the design strategy of:

A) job simplification.
B) job focus.
C) job rotation.
D) task identity.
E) job compression.

Question 15

In the psychological contract, contributions are:

A) offered to the individual by the organisation.
B) offered to the organisation by the individual.
C) the organisation's requirement that employees support charitable causes.
D) the monetary or economic incentives provided by the organisation.
E) exchanged mutually by the organisation and the individual.

Question 16

Which of the following is an INCORRECT statement about the meaning of work in contemporary society?

A) People working under conditions that fail to provide them with respect and satisfaction is inevitable if companies are to control costs sufficiently to compete in the global marketplace.
B) Some people work under conditions that fail to provide them with respect and satisfaction.
C) An increasing number of employers are coming to the conclusion that people are the foundations of high performance in the workplace.
D) Work can be a 'turn-on' or a 'turn-off'.
E) Everyone gains when managers value people and create jobs and work environments that respect people's needs and potential.

Question 17

When the psychological contract is broken:

A) morale problems easily develop.
B) managers have failed to negotiate a solid agreement.
C) the employee is fired.
D) employees get what they deserve.
E) the organisation will be sued.

Question 18

_______ are the foundations of high performance in the workplace.

A) Adequate financial capital and a strong market share
B) Good products and services
C) Visionary leaders
D) People
E) Effective strategies

Question 19

Common aspects of job satisfaction include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) satisfaction with tasks.
B) satisfaction with co-workers.
C) satisfaction with supervision.
D) satisfaction with information technology.
E) satisfaction with the work setting.

Question 20

__________ describes the overall quality of human experiences in the workplace.

A) Job satisfaction
B) Quality of work life
C) Total quality management
D) Human contentment
E) Organisational commitment

Question 21

__________ refer(s) to the quantity and quality of tasks accomplished by an individual or group at work.

A) Job performance
B) Quantity and quality of work life
C) Job outputs
D) System outputs
E) Organisational outputs

Question 22

All of the following are recommendations for enriching jobs through vertical loading EXCEPT:

A) allow people to do complete units of work.
B) make periodic reports directly available to supervisors instead of workers.
C) remove controls that limit people's discretion in their work.
D) make people understand their accountability for results.
E) grant employees authority to make decisions regarding their work.

Question 23

Which statement provides the correct definition of job design?

A) Job design provides directions to individuals regarding specific work tasks.
B) Job design is the process of redesigning jobs to 'fit' a person's individual goals.
C) Job design identifies key individuals for specific tasks.
D) Job design creates a work structure for bureaucratic organisations.
E) Job design is the process of creating or defining jobs by assigning specific tasks to individuals and groups.

Question 24

________ is the extent to which planning and controlling responsibilities are present in a job.

A) Job scope
B) Functional job design
C) Employee-oriented job design
D) Job depth
E) Managerial delegation

Question 25

__________ refers to the number and variety of tasks contained in a job.

A) Job scope
B) Job design
C) Work variety
D) Job depth
E) Task specialisation

Question 26

Which job design alternative(s) is/are correctly matched with the stated combination of job scope and job depth?

A) Job rotation and job enlargement involve a narrow job scope and a low job depth.
B) Job enrichment involves a wide job scope and a low job depth.
C) Job simplification involves a wide job scope and a high job depth.
D) None of these job design alternatives is correctly matched with the job scope/job depth combinations.
E) All of these job design alternatives are correctly matched with the job scope/job depth combinations.

Question 27

The modified assembly-line job, which allows a worker to perform a greater number of tasks and periodically change with other workers, illustrates the alternative job design strategies of:

A) job enrichment and job enlargement.
B) job sharing and job rotation.
C) job rotation and job enlargement.
D) job sharing and job enlargement.
E) job enrichment and job rotation.

Question 28

A good job design is one that:

A) determines whether or not an employee should be reprimanded for poor task performance.
B) attaches a cost figure to employee contributions.
C) provides a good fit between the individual worker and the task requirements.
D) limits the use of technology.
E) creates challenging jobs regardless of individual needs.

Question 29

In promoting job enrichment, Frederick Herzberg says: 'If you want people to do a good job:

A) give them a good job to do.'
B) give them a beautiful environment.'
C) pay them a lot of money.'
D) give them a hygienic workplace.'
E) provide them with a good supervisor.'

Question 30

For high performance to occur, an individual must have the:

A) opportunity to perform.
B) capacity to perform.
C) willingness to perform.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 31

The job design strategy that increases task variety by periodically shifting workers among jobs involving different task assignments is called:

A) job enrichment.
B) job rotation.
C) job simplification.
D) job enlargement.
E) job sharing.

Question 32

__________ refers to the extent to which an individual is dedicated to a job.

A) Job satisfaction
B) Job involvement
C) Organisational commitment
D) The psychological contract
E) Job enrichment

Question 33

__________ is taking place when task variety is increased by combining into one job, two or more tasks that were previously assigned to separate workers

A) Automation
B) Job enrichment
C) Job rotation
D) Job simplification
E) Job enlargement

Question 34

When a supervisor adds planning and evaluating duties to a worker's responsibilities, the supervisor has enriched the job by increasing:

A) job scope.
B) abdication of managerial authority.
C) context factors.
D) job depth.
E) the satisfier quotient.

Question 35

Automation is described in the textbook as:

A) the most extreme form of job compression.
B) at the low end of specialisation on the job design continuum.
C) the total mechanisation of the job.
D) the opposite of job simplification.
E) the goal of telecommuting.

Question 36

Suppose that an individual possesses the right abilities to do the job, works in an atmosphere that creates an opportunity to perform, and is willing to work hard at the task. This individual would be predicted to be a high performer according to the:

A) job placement criteria.
B) thematic aptitude scale.
C) annual alpha concept.
D) individual performance equation.
E) human resource criteria.

Question 37

The job design approach that involves standardising work procedures so that people work in well-defined and highly specialised tasks is known as:

A) job compression.
B) job enrichment.
C) job simplification.
D) job rotation.
E) job enlargement.

Question 38

__________ refers to the loyalty of an individual to the organisation.

A) The psychological contract
B) Job enrichment
C) Job involvement
D) Organisational commitment
E) Job satisfaction

Question 39

Which statement concerning job performance is INCORRECT?

A) It is achieved through individual trade-offs with job satisfaction.
B) It is the 'bottom line' for people at work, and the cornerstone for overall organisational productivity.
C) It should contribute to the accomplishment of organisational objectives.
D) It should add value to the organisation's production of useful goods and/or services.
E) It is the quality and quantity of task contributions from the individual or group doing the job.

Question 40

All of the following are advantages of job simplification EXCEPT:

A) workers are easier to train.
B) workers may become bored and dissatisfied.
C) workers are easier to replace.
D) workers are easier to supervise.
E) workers do not require complex skills.

Question 41

Which of the following statements accurately describe the linkages between core job characteristics and critical psychological states?

A) Skill variety, task identity and task significance affect the critical psychological state of experienced meaningfulness of the work.
B) Autonomy affects the critical psychological state of experienced responsibility for the outcomes of the work.
C) Feedback affects the critical psychological state of knowledge of actual results of the work.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 42

The people most likely to respond favourably to job enrichment will:

A) have strong higher order needs.
B) be satisfied with the job context.
C) have sufficient levels of training, education and intelligence to do enriched jobs.
D) None of the options listed
E) All of the options listed

Question 43

All of the following are ways to improve the core job characteristics EXCEPT?

A) Expand job responsibilities by pulling together into one job a number of tasks from other jobs.
B) Make sure that the tasks people perform are logically related.
C) Protect people from interference from clients and other people outside the organisation.
D) Provide opportunities for people to receive performance feedback.
E) Give people more control over their work by increasing their authority to engage in planning and controlling activities.

Question 44

In the core job characteristics model, __________ refers to the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities to carry out the work, and involves the use of a number of different skills and talents of the individual.

A) task significance
B) growth potential
C) autonomy
D) skill variety
E) task identity

Question 45

__________ refers to the desire to achieve psychological growth in one's work.

A) Work development desires
B) Developmental needs
C) Growth-need strength
D) Psychological desire
E) Work needs

Question 46

Job enrichment differs from other alternative design strategies in that it:

A) expands the psychological contract.
B) is endorsed by the unions.
C) seeks to expand job depth, not just job scope.
D) works for groups as well as for individuals.
E) is concerned with job content as well as job context.

Question 47

Job satisfaction:

A) is too personal for a manager to take into account for all individuals.
B) is the degree to which an individual feels positively or negatively about various aspects of the job.
C) relates to job context, not job content.
D) is the sum total of the individual's positive work experiences.
E) is seldom researched because it cannot be objectively measured.

Question 48

__________ is the core job characteristic that reflects the degree to which the job gives the individual substantial freedom, independence and discretion in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out.

A) Context satisfaction
B) Work motivation
C) Autonomy
D) Task significance
E) Growth potential

Question 49

The degree to which carrying out the job's required activities results in the individual obtaining direct and clear information on the results of his or her performance describes the core characteristic of:

A) feedback.
B) task significance.
C) skill variety.
D) task identity.
E) autonomy.

Question 50

The __________ of job enrichment offers a way for managers to create enriched or unenriched jobs that best fit the needs of people and the organisation.

A) core characteristics model
B) flexible working hours model
C) alternative work arrangements model
D) the performance enhancement model
E) job enlargement model

Question 51

__________ is the practice of building more opportunities for satisfaction into a job by expanding its content to include work planning and evaluating duties that are normally performed by the supervisor.

A) Job enlargement
B) Job sharing
C) Job rotation
D) Job expansion
E) Job enrichment

Question 52

Changes in a job that are designed to increase job depth are sometimes called:

A) automation.
B) skill amplifiers.
C) vertical loading.
D) task sharing.
E) horizontal loading.

Question 53

Job designs that use technology to best advantage while still treating people with respect and allowing their human talents to be applied to the fullest potential are called:

A) job simplifications.
B) techno-human systems.
C) job rotations.
D) sociotechnical systems.
E) job specialisations.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT an expected job outcome in the core characteristics model of job enrichment?

A) High internal work motivation
B) High turnover from promotions and transfers
C) High growth satisfaction
D) High work effectiveness
E) High general job satisfaction

Question 55

In the core job characteristics model, critical psychological states include:

A) experienced meaningfulness of work.
B) experienced responsibility for work outcomes.
C) knowledge of actual results of work.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a concern that managers need to address in considering whether or not to enrich jobs?

A) Any manager who employs job enrichment should recognise that pay is likely to be an unimportant issue for the people involved.
B) If people are being paid truly competitive wages, the satisfaction of performing enriched tasks will be adequate compensation for the increased work involved.
C) The cost of job enrichment grows as the required changes in technology, workflow and other facilities become more complex.
D) At least some union officials consider wages and benefits to be more important issues than job enrichment.
E) Job enrichment is most appropriate for high growth-need strength workers who have the training, education and ability to perform the enriched job.

Question 57

All of the following are potential disadvantages of job simplification EXCEPT:

A) difficulty in training and supervising workers.
B) boredom with tasks.
C) tardiness and absenteeism.
D) high error rates.
E) dissatisfaction with work.

Question 58

__________ involves pulling pre-work and/or later work stages into the job in order to enlarge the job.

A) Horizontal loading
B) Post-work management
C) Pre-work management
D) Task stretching
E) Vertical loading

Question 59

In considering whether or not to enrich jobs, managers should consider which of the following questions?

A) Will people demand more pay for doing enriched jobs?
B) Should everyone's job be enriched?
C) What do the unions - if relevant to a company - say about job enrichment?
D) Is it expensive to implement job enrichment?
E) Managers should consider all of these questions.

Question 60

__________ refers to the use of computer-controlled machines to completely automate work tasks previously performed manually.

A) Electronic work systems
B) Robotics
C) Automation
D) Computerisation
E) Machine work

Question 61

The most common form of __________ is a '4-40' schedule -- that is, 40 hours of work accomplished in four 10-hour days.

A) telecommuting
B) job simplification
C) job sharing
D) flexible working hours
E) the compressed workweek

Question 62

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe the compressed workweek?

A) The '5-day, 8-hour day' work schedule is an example of the compressed workweek.
B) The benefits of the compressed workweek for the individual include more leisure time and lower commuting costs.
C) Potential disadvantages for individuals include increased fatigue and family adjustment problems.
D) Potential disadvantages for the organisation include scheduling problems, possible customer complaints and union objections.
E) The benefits of the compressed workweek for the organisation include lower absenteeism and possible higher productivity.

Question 63

Flexible working hours can result in all of the following EXCEPT:

A) greater autonomy for individuals in work schedules.
B) more absenteeism and tardiness.
C) a positive attitude toward the organisation.
D) greater opportunity to take care of personal affairs.
E) higher job performance.

Question 64

Potential disadvantages of telecommuting include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) loss of visibility for promotion.
B) feelings of isolation.
C) less personal time.
D) difficulty in separating work and personal life.
E) working too little.

Question 65

In the core characteristics model, __________ refers to the degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people elsewhere in the organisation or in the external environment.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) growth potential
D) autonomy
E) task significance

Question 66

An organisation that is able to employ two persons as one by having one person work mornings and the other person working afternoons on the same job is reaping the benefits of:

A) job sharing.
B) autonomous group scheduling.
C) job rotation.
D) job specialisation.
E) skill variety.

Question 67

A company that requires employees to be at work between 9.30 am and 3.30 pm but allows them to schedule their remaining work day to fit personal needs is using:

A) telecommuting.
B) contingency workers.
C) job sharing.
D) flexible working hours.
E) the compressed workweek.

Question 68

__________ is a work arrangement that allows at least a portion of scheduled work hours to be completed outside of the office.

A) Job sharing
B) Telecommuting
C) Flexible working hours
D) The compressed workweek
E) Contingency work

Question 69

When employees in an organisation agree to cut back on their work hours so everyone can keep their jobs during a pending layoff, they are using the alternative work schedule of:

A) retainer scheduling.
B) job compression.
C) job sharing.
D) job saving.
E) work sharing.

Question 70

Which of the following trends is/are creating pressure for the development of alternative work arrangements in the modern workplace?

A) The changing content of jobs
B) The changing context of jobs
C) The needs and interests of a diverse workforce
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 71

The _________ personality is high in achievement orientation, impatience and perfectionism.

A) achievement-motivation
B) driven
C) high-quality
D) Type A
E) Type B

Question 72

Any work schedule that allows a full-time job to be completed in less than the standard five days of eight-hour shifts is known as:

A) job simplification.
B) telecommuting.
C) the compressed workweek.
D) the 'noble dream'.
E) flexible working hours.

Question 73

Which of the following statements about part-time work is INACCURATE?

A) Casual workers now constitute approximately 50 per cent of the Australian workforce.
B) It is now possible to hire on a part-time basis everything from secretaries and unskilled labourers to engineers to computer programmers and even executives.
C) Many employers like the flexibility that casual workers offer in controlling labour costs and dealing with cyclical labour demand.
D) Casual workers are often paid less and they typically fail to receive important benefits.
E) Temporaries may lack the commitment of permanent workers and may lower productivity.

Question 74

Which statement does NOT relate to telecommuting, as described in the text?

A) The number of telecommuters is declining from the peak of 20 million in the late-1990s.
B) Telecommuters are found in such areas as marketing, financial analysis and administrative support.
C) The telecommuter is freed from the constraints of commuting, fixed hours and direct contact with supervisors.
D) Telecommuting illustrates how technology can impact job designs.
E) Telecommuting is facilitated by information technology.

Question 75

Employees who are employed on a part-time and temporary basis to supplement a permanent workforce are called:

A) foreign workers.
B) technical workers.
C) entrepreneurs.
D) casual workers.
E) unreliable workers.

Question 76

Potential advantages of telecommuting include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) having more personal time.
B) increased productivity.
C) more distractions.
D) freedom from the constraints of commuting and fixed hours.
E) being one's own boss.

Question 77

The potential effects of work sharing include which of the following?

A) Employers can retain trained and loyal workers when forced to economise temporarily by cutting labour costs.
B) Loss of earnings will occur for employees having seniority that would protect them from layoffs.
C) Continued work -- though with reduced earnings -- for employees who otherwise would be laid off.
D) None of the options listed
E) All of the options listed

Question 78

All but one of the following statements about the negative consequences of stress is true. Which statement is NOT true?

A) Destructive stress results from intense or long-term stress that overloads or breaks down a person's physical and mental systems.
B) Too much stress can reduce resistance to disease and increase the likelihood of physical and/or mental illness.
C) Managers must know how to maintain the positive edge of constructive stress while avoiding destructive stress.
D) Destructive stress can lead to job burnout.
E) Excessive stress is unlikely to lead to overtly aggressive behaviour toward co-workers and the work setting in general.

Question 79

__________ is a stress management strategy that includes taking individual responsibility for maintaining one's health through a disciplined approach to such things as smoking, alcohol or drug use, maintaining a nutritious diet and engaging in a regular exercise and physical-fitness program.

A) Humanitarianism
B) Personal wellness
C) Stress coping
D) Stress reduction
E) Stress prevention

Question 80

Workers can make telecommuting effective by doing all of the following EXCEPT:

A) limit non-work distractions.
B) keep freedoms and responsibilities in balance.
C) use the technology advantage.
D) establish positive routines and work habits.
E) avoid human contact.