Deck 17: Enhancing Personal Productivity and Managing Stress

Question 1

Surfer's voice is a term to describe

A) the habit of conversing with someone on the telephone while surfing the Web.
B) talking and reading e-mails.
C) talking and texting.
D) all of the choices.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Hindrance stressors are

A) happy events.
B) stressful events.
C) thoughts that have a negative effect on motivation and performance.
D) both b & c

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A personal mission statement boosts work habits and time management because

A) the mission statement has a built-in to-do list.
B) achieving your mission statement counts toward your performance evaluation.
C) mission statements are usually well organized.
D) without a personal mission statement, you have nothing to plan and act for.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Luke, an industrial sales representative, works smarter not harder when he

A) carefully plans his customer visits to reduce travel time.
B) offers kickbacks to major customers.
C) adds five hours to his weekly work schedule.
D) asks his boss for a raise so he can work fewer hours.

Question 5

Martha, one of your coworkers, walks into your cubicle unannounced to discuss the Winter Olympics. Her interruption is technically classified as a(n)

A) break.
B) distraction.
C) intrusion.
D) discrepancy.

Question 6

The major end product of streamlining work is a

A) reduction in low-value work.
B) revised "to do" list.
C) faster approach to work.
D) longer cycle time.

Question 7

Which of the following is a recommended technique for reducing and controlling procrastination?

A) Avoid doing something uncomfortable or frightening.
B) Avoid investing energy into charting your progress.
C) Post messages reminding you that you are a terrible procrastinator.
D) Break the task down into smaller units.

Question 8

Job burnout results from

A) exposure to chronic job stressors.
B) individual sources of stress.
C) sudden exposure to job stressors.
D) too much excitement on the job.

Question 9

A major time waster is

A) interruptions from others.
B) telecommuting.
C) the Pareto principle.
D) sending emails.

Question 10

A big part of the productivity advantage offered by meditation is that it helps you

A) fantasize about reaching your career goals.
B) concentrate and focus.
C) obtain an objective viewpoint on your problems.
D) prioritize the tasks facing you.

Question 11

Information technology specialist Marcy engages in true work streamlining when she

A) stops working one weekends.
B) works faster than her coworkers.
C) eliminates sending a few unnecessary reports.
D) has the memory on her notebook computer upgraded.

Question 12

A major problem with interruptions when performing intellectually demanding work is that

A) creativity is killed for the rest of the workday.
B) people often lose momentum, and must launch themselves again.
C) the typical worker will take about an hour to get back on track.
D) the typical worker then loses interest in the task at hand.

Question 13

During a period of peak performance, the worker

A) ignores small details about the job.
B) does whatever is necessary to please the boss.
C) acts temporarily like a Type A personality.
D) is totally absorbed in the task.

Question 14

Peak performance is

A) a mental state in which maximum results are achieved with minimum effort.
B) perfectionism.
C) the use of multi-tasking.
D) a part of a personal mission statement.

Question 15

Another notable personality characteristic related to job stress is

A) agreeableness
B) locus of control
C) Type A
D) both b & c

Question 16

A key feature of a productivity-boosting nap is that the person naps

A) right next to the computer.
B) for about one and one-half hours.
C) during meetings, yet keeping the eyes open.
D) for a brief time period during the workday.

Question 17

Concentrating on high-output tasks is an application of

A) perfectionism.
B) the law of diminishing returns.
C) the Pareto Principle.
D) Gantt chart.

Question 18

A recommended starting point in improving personal productivity is to

A) clean up your work area and sort out what tasks need doing.
B) streamline your work.
C) work at a steady pace.
D) achieve peak performance.

Question 19

The job demand-job control model explains that workers will experience the most stress under the condition of

A) high control, low job demands.
B) high control, high job demands.
C) low control, low job demands.
D) low control, high job demands.

Question 20

To reduce procrastination,

A) calculate the cost of procrastination.
B) reward yourself for achieving milestones.
C) engage in multi-tasking
D) both a & b

Question 21

A recommended technique for decreasing the waste of time is to sort out your mail over a wastebasket or recycling bin.

Question 22

Retail sales associate Jody is likely to experience emotional labor when she has to

A) work weekends and holidays
B) choose between working and taking care of personal responsibilities.
C) smile at and be polite toward rude customers.
D) express to her supervisor how she really feels about her job.

Question 23

Workers are the most likely to suffer from attention deficit trait when they

A) are bombarded with simultaneous and competing messages.
B) are tempted to visit recreational Web sites during working hours.
C) participate in a program of behavior modification.
D) work through lunch hour.

Question 24

Work-family conflict generally arises because the individual has to

A) work longer hours than expected.
B) pay more bills than expected.
C) accept a cut in health benefits.
D) perform multiple roles.

Question 25

One way in which meditation works is to get your mind into such an excited state that you are bubbling with mental energy.

Question 26

Max works smarter rather than harder when he takes on a few additional tasks to please his boss.

Question 27

An example of a discrepancy interruption is an unexpected visit by a former coworker from a different department.

Question 28

Another way to improve productivity is to organize your work so you are not constantly shifting between creative and routine tasks.

Question 29

The primary task of work streamlining is to sort out work into two categories--urgent and not so urgent.

Question 30

A recommended approach to reducing procrastination is to break a challenging task down into smaller units.

Question 31

A strong work ethic is a firm belief in the dignity and value of work.

Question 32

A general-purpose method of learning to relax by yourself is called

A) job stressors.
B) challenge stressors.
C) relaxation response.
D) meditation.

Question 33

In the counterattack technique for overcoming procrastination, the person gets even with the person who assigned an uncomfortable task to him or her.

Question 34

Productivity suffers when you must spend time learning the technology, consulting with the tech center, or transporting equipment to the repair shop.

Question 35

Concentrating on high-output tasks is similar to looking for an outstanding return on your investment of time.

Question 36

Methods to control stress include:

A) getting social support
B) improving work habits
C) developing positive self-talk
D) all of the choices

Question 37

To prepare yourself for peak performance, it is recommended that you visualize how it would feel to perform at your best.

Question 38

The office technology you choose to accomplish a task is more important than your imagination and focus in terms of achieving high productivity.

Question 39

An analysis of work interruptions indicates that interruptions have both positive and negative consequences.

Question 40

To become highly productive, it is helpful to develop goals to support your mission statement.

Question 41

A strategic method of escaping stress is to first identify your work skills and then find work to match those skills.

Question 42

Emotional labor will often take place when an employee is required to continuously express true feelings to customers and coworkers.

Question 43

Describe some of the major stressors in the workplace.

Question 44

A recent survey estimated that worker stress costs employers about $300 billion annually in terms of lost productivity and other factors.

Question 45

Work-family conflict typically stems from not earning enough money to pay for family luxuries in addition to necessities.

Question 46

Primary Freight Services Inc. introduced a three-month stress management program for its 70 employees during the Great Recession, six weeks before shortening the workweek to four days and cutting everyone's pay 29 percent. The program is aimed at teaching employees how to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a result of the program, the mood remains upbeat.
1. What does this anecdote illustrate about stress in the workplace?
2. Why did the company institute a stress management program?

Question 47

Tax accountant Lauren is likely to face a challenge stressor when she has to work on an income tax report covering some brand new regulations.

Question 48

Inventory specialist Ben is likely to face a hindrance stressor when his boss asks him for an update on obsolete inventory.

Question 49

A person with an external locus of control is less prone to negative stress than a person with an internal locus of control.

Question 50

According to the job demand-job control model, workers experience the most stress when the demands of the job are low and they have high control.

Question 51

What steps or actions should a person take to reduce his or her procrastination?

Question 52

Improving one's work habits is an effective strategy for getting job stress under control.

Question 53

Identify and describe five time-management techniques you intend to use to maintain a high level of personal productivity.

Question 54

Customer service agent Mary is distracted, a little frantic, and impatient because of the overwhelming amount of information she has to process. It appears that she is experiencing the attention deficit trait.