Deck 9: Motivation

Question 1

The task significance theory predicts the methods that dissatisfied employees will use to remedy their feelings that others are "doing better" than they are.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The job characteristics model developed by two organizational scientists,J.Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham,emphasizes core job characteristics,such as skill,variety,and task significance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Task significance is the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities in carrying out the work.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The category of motivational forces that relates to both internal and external forces focuses on the characteristics of a person's job or task.

Question 5

Need hierarchy and acquired needs content theories focus on the identification of external factors of motivation,while the two-factor content theory focuses on identifying internal factors of motivation.

Question 6

It is unlikely that a manager can positively influence the self-efficacy of subordinates.

Question 7

Vroom's expectancy theory states that the three key variables,effort,performance,and outcome,interact in an additive manner to determine the amount of effort people will choose to expend on a particular task.

Question 8

Unlike Maslow's need hierarchy theory,Alderfer's ERG theory asserts that different levels of needs may be active at the same time.

Question 9

Positive reinforcements used to motivate people in organizational settings are said to be equitable if they have some capacity to affect future performance.

Question 10

Both positive reinforcements and extinctions maintain or increase particular types of behavior and performance.

Question 11

Managers can use the principle of extinction to their advantage by deliberately not reinforcing employee behavior that they consider undesirable.

Question 12

Within the context of Maslow's need hierarchy,a program that allows employees to "make a difference" in their communities may satisfy their physiological needs.

Question 13

Vroom's expectancy theory focuses on the thought processes people use when they consider alternatives,particularly alternative courses of action.

Question 14

David McClelland's theory of acquired needs focuses on the inborn needs for power,achievement,and affiliation and how those needs become activated over time.

Question 15

The essence of Maslow's need hierarchy is that individuals take a "top down" approach to satisfying their needs.

Question 16

Goal-setting is a simple panacea for motivating increased performance suitable for all occasions and in all types of situations.

Question 17

Vicarious learning involves gaining knowledge by observing how others successfully perform a task and then modeling one's own behavior in a similar manner.

Question 18

Self-efficacy is the tendency for one to take more credit for success than failure.

Question 19

The motivational forces that come from a person are called "pull" or external forces.

Question 20

Frederick Herzberg asserts that hygiene factors and motivators are equivalent.

Question 21

Characteristics of a person's job is considered an ________.

A) internal and external force that focuses on what the person does outside the work setting
B) internal or push force that focuses on what happens to the individual
C) internal and external force that focuses on what the person does in the work setting
D) external force that focuses on what the employee brings to the work setting

Question 22

Characteristics of the individual is considered an ________.

A) external or pull force that focuses on what happens outside the work setting
B) internal or push force that focuses on what the employee brings to the work setting
C) external or pull force that focuses on what happens to the individual
D) internal or push force that focuses on what the person does in the work setting

Question 23

Which of the following is an external motivational force?

A) goals
B) needs
C) attitudes
D) rewards

Question 24

To begin motivating an apathetic associate,a manager informally questions her about her satisfaction with her job's ability to provide safety,social interaction,self-respect,and opportunities for growth.What theory of motivation is this manager most likely trying to apply in working with the associate?

A) Maslow's need hierarchy
B) Vroom's expectancy theory
C) Herzberg's two-factor theory
D) McClelland's acquired needs theory

Question 25

Characteristics of a work situation is considered an ________.

A) external or pull force that focuses on what happens outside the work setting
B) external or pull force that focuses on what happens to the individual
C) internal or push force that focuses on what the employee brings to the work setting
D) internal or push force that focuses on what the person does in the work setting

Question 26

Subordinates can influence the motivation of their superiors through their ability to punish behavior by subtly withholding rewards.

Question 27

Which of the following is a "push" force of motivation?

A) availability of training and job status
B) preset goals for completing a task
C) rewards and compensation
D) pressure for high levels of output

Question 28

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs,which of the following needs includes the need for the basic essentials of life,such as water,food,and shelter?

A) physiological needs
B) social needs
C) psychological needs
D) safety needs

Question 29

Which of the following is a process theory of motivation?

A) Vroom's expectancy theory
B) Maslow's need hierarchy
C) McClelland's acquired needs theory
D) Herzberg's two-factor theory

Question 30

Which of the following is a content theory of motivation?

A) social cognitive theory
B) Vroom's expectancy theory
C) Herzberg's two-factor theory
D) equity theory of motivation

Question 31

________ is the set of forces that energize,direct,and sustain behavior.

A) Motivation
B) Acculturation
C) Empowerment
D) Socialization

Question 32

A potential hazard of the unintended use of extinction is that it can leave the interpretation of important situations in the hands of employees rather than under the control of the manager.

Question 33

________ focus on the needs a person is trying to satisfy and the features of the work environment that seem to satisfy those needs.

A) Process theories
B) Content theories
C) Situational theories
D) Contingency theories

Question 34

In Maslow's need hierarchy,the ________ need relates to an individual's need to be personally fulfilled and to develop one's unique talents to their highest possible levels.

A) esteem
B) social
C) safety
D) self-actualization

Question 35

A key issue related to work centrality is the subordination of personal goals to the goals of a group.

Question 36

Which of the following categories is included in the Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

A) existence
B) relatedness
C) physiological needs
D) growth

Question 37

According to Maslow's need hierarchy,which of the following needs relate to the need for self-respect and respect from other people?

A) safety needs
B) esteem needs
C) social needs
D) self-actualization needs

Question 38

A well-known bank providing health insurance and retirement benefits to all its employees is concerned about the ________ needs of its employees.

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

Question 39

In countries and cultures with strong collectivist tendencies,the individual is likely to be influenced by the "in-group"; that is,the group to which he or she belongs.

Question 40

Which of the following motivational forces relates to both internal and external forces?

A) amount of direct feedback
B) attitudes toward a job
C) availability of training
D) needs for security

Question 41

According to Frederick Herzberg,________ are elements associated with conditions surrounding the job and are not directly related to the doing of a job.

A) hygiene factors
B) motivators
C) economic factors
D) environmental factors

Question 42

A plant manager in a small factory wants to raise workforce morale.Upon inquiry,she finds out that the working conditions at the plant are safe,clean,and pleasant and that recent expansion of the workforce has assured employees of job security.Which of the following actions should the manager take to ensure that the "belongingness" needs in Maslow's hierarchy are satisfied?

A) pay bonuses to workers who achieve specified goals
B) publicly praise those workers who have been most productive
C) set up after-work activities, such as a softball team, to allow more social interaction
D) arrange training sessions to boost the skills of workers who show talent in a particular area

Question 43

The three basic categories of needs identified by Alderfer in his ERG theory are ________.

A) existence, relatedness, and goal
B) existence, recognition, and growth
C) existence, relatedness, and growth
D) esteem, relatedness, and goal

Question 44

________ focuses on core job attributes,critical psychological states,and expected outcomes.

A) The equity model
B) The expectancy model
C) The two-factor model
D) The job characteristics model

Question 45

A manager wishes to improve the job performance of a group of clerical workers.Based on Herzberg's theory,________ would be an appropriate motivator.

A) providing them with a better health care plan
B) setting up a break room where coworkers could socialize
C) offering them opportunities for achievement and recognition
D) redecorating their offices so that they are pleasant and comfortable

Question 46

McClelland,in his acquired needs theory,considered ________ needs to be extremely important.

A) esteem, achievement, and recognition
B) affiliation, power, and achievement
C) existence, power, and growth
D) existence, relatedness, and growth

Question 47

According to the job characteristics model,________ is defined as the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives of other people.

A) autonomy
B) task identify
C) task significance
D) skill variety

Question 48

According to the job characteristics model,________ is defined as the degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job provides the individual with direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance.

A) task significance
B) feedback from the job
C) autonomy
D) task identify

Question 49

Whereas ________ focus on which variables affect motivation,________ focus on how the variables affect motivation.

A) content theories; process theories
B) process theories; content theories
C) equity theories; expectancy theories
D) goal-setting theories; reinforcement theories

Question 50

While they agree that satisfaction is a factor in motivation,scholars note that there is little evidence that increasing employee satisfaction actually increases motivation.This has led them to criticize the ________ as being overly simplistic.

A) equity theory
B) expectancy theory
C) two-factor theory
D) hierarchy of needs theory

Question 51

________ is a motivation theory proposing that individuals will compare their circumstances to those of others and that such comparisons may motivate certain kinds of behavior.

A) Expectancy theory
B) Social cognitive theory
C) Equity theory
D) Herzberg's two-factor theory

Question 52

According to the job characteristics model,________ is the degree to which a job provides substantial freedom,independence,and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out.

A) task significance
B) autonomy
C) feedback from the job
D) task identity

Question 53

________ is a motivation theory that focuses on the presumed different effects of intrinsic job factors and extrinsic situational factors.

A) Herzberg's two-factor theory
B) Vroom's expectancy theory
C) McClelland's acquired needs theory
D) Maslow's need hierarchy

Question 54

Within the context of the job characteristics model,the event manager,handling all the plans for the annual executive retreat and attending the retreat and receiving information on its success from the participants,is an example of ________.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) autonomy
D) task significance

Question 55

Within the context of the job characteristics model,a company's intranet linking all the R&D scientists,allowing them to post their ideas and propose solutions at any hour of the day,whether at the office,at home,or on the road,is an example of ________.

A) autonomy
B) task significance
C) skill variety
D) task identity

Question 56

McClelland's acquired needs theory asserts that managers who work with high-need achievers typically should ________.

A) expect them to take extreme risks
B) assign extremely difficult tasks to them
C) not provide any feedback on their performance
D) assume they will take personal responsibility for their actions

Question 57

________ involves increasing the complexity of a job to provide a greater sense of responsibility,accomplishment,and achievement.

A) Job rotation
B) Job enrichment
C) Job evaluation
D) Positive reinforcement

Question 58

Harry,a finance manager of an IT company,devises a new child education benefit plan to partly sponsor the primary education of their employees' children.Within the context of the job characteristics model,this is an example of ________.

A) autonomy
B) task identity
C) skill variety
D) task significance

Question 59

Angela is an HR manager at Hard Rock Cafe.She is responsible for recruiting employees and training them,organizing work space for new employees,overseeing employee relations counseling and exit interviews,developing and implementing HR policies and procedures,and reviewing annual performance.This is an example of ________ according to the job characteristics model.

A) task significance
B) skill matrix
C) task identity
D) skill variety

Question 60

Hackman and Oldham proposed that ________ is the degree to which a job requires the completion of a "whole" and identifiable piece of work.

A) autonomy
B) skill variety
C) task identity
D) task significance

Question 61

Goal-setting research suggests that people will exert higher levels of effort when goals are ________.

A) easy and general
B) challenging and specific
C) very difficult to attain and specific
D) moderately easy to attain and general

Question 62

Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory defines ________ as succeeding on a similar prior task and attributing that success to one's own capabilities rather than to luck or circumstances.

A) enactive mastery experience
B) psychological arousal
C) vicarious learning
D) verbal persuasion

Question 63

A software engineer believes that if she can complete her current project on time she will get her much awaited promotion to the ranks of a team leader.However,she doubts her capability of completing the project on time.Within the context of expectancy theory,what level of motivation would the engineer have and why?

A) very high, since the level of expectancy and the level of valence are both high
B) moderately high, as high levels of valence and instrumentality offset low expectancy levels
C) moderate, since high levels of expectancy and high levels of valence will be balanced by the low level of instrumentality
D) low, since the expectancy, instrumentality, and valence of the outcome must all be high for motivation

Question 64

Expectancy theory asserts that ________ or performance-to-outcome is the probability that a particular level of performance will lead to particular outcomes or consequences.

A) expectancy belief
B) profitability belief
C) associability belief
D) instrumentality belief

Question 65

________ is a process theory that,in part,describes how to increase an individual's sense of self-efficacy,thus increasing motivation.

A) Equity theory
B) Vroom's expectancy theory
C) Social cognitive theory
D) Herzberg's two-factor theory

Question 66

Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory defines verbal persuasion as ________.

A) potential energizing forces that can increase self-efficacy beliefs if the focus is directed to the task
B) gaining knowledge by observing how others perform a task and then modeling one's own behavior in a similar manner
C) statements from others that convince a person that he or she can successfully perform the task
D) succeeding on a similar prior task and attributing that success to one's own capabilities rather than to luck or circumstances

Question 67

Self-efficacy is roughly the equivalent of ________ expectancy in the expectancy theory.

A) effort-to-performance
B) performance-to-valence
C) performance-to-outcome
D) effort-to-outcome

Question 68

According to expectancy theory,valence,outcome,and performance interact in a multiplicative way to determine ________.

A) the cost of a particular course of action
B) the projected results of a particular task
C) the anticipated value of a particular outcome
D) the amount of effort a person will expend on a particular task

Question 69

Shortly after Christmas,a catalog company is besieged by complaints of poor service,so a task force designs an incentive plan to motivate associates to fill orders more quickly and more accurately.For the proposed incentive plan to be successful,which of the following positive reinforcement strategies should be used?

A) The rewards should be visible only to the associates who receive it.
B) The size of rewards should be roughly related to the quality of past job-related performance.
C) The catalog company should talk about or offer rewards that are not readily available.
D) The possibility of obtaining rewards should be limited to only a small percentage of associates.

Question 70

Within the context of the job characteristics model,________ is involved when a machine designer knows that her schematics are correct as very few are rejected by the machine shop.

A) skill variety
B) task identify
C) task significance
D) feedback from the job

Question 71

From an expectancy theory perspective,a manager who wanted to boost motivation levels would be least likely to ________.

A) identify rewards that are valued
B) limit praise to encourage hard work
C) dispense rewards directly following particular levels of performance
D) strengthen employees' beliefs that their efforts will lead to valued rewards

Question 72

The basic components of ________ are effort,performance,and outcomes.

A) equity theory
B) goal-setting theory
C) expectancy theory
D) social cognitive theory

Question 73

________ asserts that individuals are likely to compare the ratios of inputs to outcomes they receive against the ratios of other people,such as colleagues or acquaintances.

A) Acquired needs theory
B) Equity theory
C) Expectancy theory
D) Two-factor theory

Question 74

________ is the extent to which a person believes he or she can accomplish a given task in a specific situation.

A) Self-indulgence
B) Self-esteem
C) Self-image
D) Self-efficacy

Question 75

________ is a desirable consequence that,by occurring or being supplied following a behavior,increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.

A) Positive reinforcement
B) Omission training
C) Negative reinforcement
D) Extinction

Question 76

________ is a theory that emphasizes the role of conscious aim and intentions in directing human actions.

A) Goal-setting theory
B) Expectancy theory
C) Equity theory
D) Social cognitive theory

Question 77

According to equity theory,if the ratio of an employee's outcomes to his/her inputs is equal to the ratio of another employee's outcomes to inputs then the employee is motivated to ________.

A) do nothing
B) increase his own outcomes
C) change the referent
D) reevaluate the other employee's inputs

Question 78

A call center manager hopes to improve the performance of her staff by decreasing the average time spent on a call.First,she sets up a performance board where the average length of a call for the previous week is posted and compared to the average call length for the preceding four weeks.Then,she encourages the staff to reduce the average.According to goal-setting theory,how could she improve this scheme?

A) She should make the goal easier.
B) She should make the goal more specific.
C) She should make the goal more general.
D) She should make the goal incomprehensible.

Question 79

Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory defines physiological and psychological arousal as ________.

A) gaining knowledge by observing how others perform a task and then modeling one's own behavior in a similar manner
B) statements from others that convince a person that he or she can successfully perform the task
C) succeeding on a similar prior task and attributing that success to one's own capabilities rather than to luck or circumstances
D) potential energizing forces that can increase self-efficacy beliefs if the focus is directed to the task

Question 80

Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory defines ________ as gaining knowledge by observing how others perform a task and then modeling one's own behavior in a similar manner.

A) enactive mastery experience
B) vicarious learning
C) verbal persuasion
D) psychological arousal