Deck 9: Motivating, Satisfying, and Leading Employees

Question 1

A good person?job fit is a situation in which

A) the employee's contributions and the company's inducements balance.
B) the employee's contributions slightly exceed the company's inducements.
C) the company's inducements slightly exceed the employee's contributions.
D) the person hired for the job is qualified for it.
E) the person has the right psychological makeup for the job.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Mary is having difficulty understanding the difference between self-esteem and self-efficacy. You tell her that

A) self-esteem is the most important of the two concepts for understanding how to motivate people.
B) self-efficacy is most relevant for managers, while self-esteem is most relevant for subordinates.
C) self-efficacy refers to how worthwhile an individual feels, while self-esteem refers to the extent to which people believe that their behaviour really affects what happens to them.
D) self-efficacy refers to peoples' beliefs about their ability to perform a task, while self-esteem refers to the extent to which people believe that they are worthwhile individuals.
E) self-efficacy influences productivity, while self-esteem influences job satisfaction.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements is correct with respect to the components of attitudes?

A) Cognition is the most important element because without thinking, there is no action.
B) Cognitive dissonance occurs when two employees have disagreement.
C) Intentions are always translated into actual behaviour.
D) Research has shown that the most important influence on attitudes is cognition.
E) The term "affect" refers to how a person feels about something.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Terry experiences a high degree of enjoyment from performing his job. The term that identifies this enjoyment is known as

A) conscientiousness.
B) human relations.
C) motivation.
D) job satisfaction.
E) extroversion.

Question 5

John believes that power and status differences are important issues in social systems such as organizations. John is most likely talking about

A) authoritarianism.
B) self-efficacy.
C) Machiavellianism.
D) locus of control.
E) self-esteem.

Question 6

A(n) ________ contract is the set of expectations held by employees concerning what they will contribute to an organization and what the organization will provide in return.

A) psychological
B) employee
C) inducements/contribution
D) leadership
E) attitudinal

Question 7

What is the meaning of the term "turnover" when dealing with people in the organization?

A) Turnover measures the departure of employees from the organization.
B) Turnover measures the rate at which the finished goods inventory is sold during the year.
C) Turnover refers to the mental attitude employees have about their job.
D) Turnover is based on the number of grievances submitted by employees.
E) Turnover measures the profitability of the firm per employee.

Question 8

Counterproductive behaviours include all of the following except

A) absenteeism.
B) turnover.
C) theft.
D) emotionality.
E) sexual harassment.

Question 9

Self-awareness, empathy, and social skills are all part of

A) attitudes.
B) emotional intelligence.
C) personality.
D) self-esteem.
E) organizational citizenship.

Question 10

Which statement is accurate regarding job satisfaction?

A) High levels of job satisfaction almost always lead to higher productivity.
B) High levels of job satisfaction do not necessarily lead to higher productivity.
C) Job satisfaction is sometimes called job commitment.
D) Job satisfaction is not an attitude.
E) It is not possible to say anything about the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity.

Question 11

What is the meaning of the term "job satisfaction"?

A) An action on the part of management which makes the employees believe they are receiving special attention
B) Satisfaction with the quality of leadership that employees are receiving
C) The overall attitude people have toward their workplace
D) The extent to which people have positive attitudes toward their jobs
E) None of these

Question 12

________ refers to the extent to which people have positive attitudes toward their jobs, while ________ refers to the overall attitude people have toward their workplace.

A) Organizational commitment; morale
B) Morale; organizational commitment
C) Motivation; human relations
D) Job satisfaction; morale
E) Morale; job satisfaction

Question 13

Organizational citizenship refers to

A) employee behaviour that contributes to the organization's bottom line.
B) behaviour of employees who make a positive overall contribution to the organization.
C) those behaviours that are always easily defined and measured.
D) those behaviours that detract from organizational performance.
E) an employee who refuses to work overtime.

Question 14

Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that they

A) can control others as a result of their own internal strength of character.
B) can control what happens to them.
C) cannot control what happens to them.
D) have a higher IQ than their co-workers.

Question 15

A survey conducted by CareerBuilder revealed that managers placed a high priority on emotional intelligence when hiring. The survey also found that

A) women were more highly motivated than men.
B) managers put a higher priority on emotional intelligence than on mental intelligence.
C) immigrants were more highly motivated than any other group.
D) pay was not the most important motivating factor for workers.
E) the possibility of advancement was more important for men than for women.

Question 16

Christine is a programmer for a software company. In terms of a psychological contract, her ________ include her education, skills, effort, time, and energy, while her ________ include a good place to work, nice benefits, and a large salary.

A) promises; commitments
B) commitments; satisfaction
C) contributions; inducements
D) inducements; contributions
E) satisfaction; commitments

Question 17

Agreeableness, emotionality, and extroversion are all part of

A) EQ.
B) emotional intelligence.
C) personality.
D) attitude.
E) organizational commitment.

Question 18

Machiavellianism refers to behaviour which is designed to

A) gain power and control.
B) make other people feel more appreciated.
C) improve the job satisfaction of subordinates.
D) Increase the job satisfaction of subordinates.
E) Increase employee recognition of the importance of power and status.

Question 19

What is a contributing factor to the higher costs experienced by firms with a low level of employee job satisfaction?

A) Higher salary levels
B) Greater willingness to work overtime
C) Lower absenteeism
D) Increased loyalty to the organization
E) Higher turnover rates

Question 20

The three components of attitudes are

A) job satisfaction, job performance, and organizational citizenship.
B) cognition, affect, and intention.
C) organizational citizenship, turnover, and job satisfaction.
D) self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-loathing.
E) self-esteem, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction.

Question 21

Which of the following is the best illustration of a Theory X manager?

A) Believes that people's social and esteem needs must be met by the organization
B) Believes that people are naturally energetic, responsible, and interested in being productive
C) Believes that people are naturally irresponsible, uncooperative, and must be threatened in order to be productive
D) Has a high concern for production and an equally high concern for people
E) Believes that people want to balance inputs and output

Question 22

The Theory Y approach works best for people who

A) are motivated by basic needs.
B) are naturally energetic and growth oriented.
C) are uncooperative and irresponsible.
D) have a high concern for salary.
E) want to earn a lot of money.

Question 23

Which of the following is correct regarding scientific management?

A) Job analysis permitted the breakdown of the jobs into easily repeated tasks, which increased the production rate.
B) Improved lighting increased the production rate.
C) Individual workers received lower wages even though their production increased.
D) Firms permitted their employees to determine how the job would be performed.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 24

Motivation is

A) a characteristic in employees over which management has no control.
B) the set of forces that causes people to behave in certain ways.
C) a characteristic only of middle and upper management.
D) an inner characteristic that employees either have or don't have.
E) something that allows management to step aside and let the workers take control.

Question 25

A manager makes several changes in his employees' working environment to see if morale increases. Assuming the Hawthorne Effect is operating, which of the following is most likely to result?

A) Employees will be annoyed with the changes.
B) Some of the changes will work better than others.
C) There will be no effect because the cause of the employees' morale problems has not been identified.
D) No environmental changes can be made in the employees' work environment due to the nature of their work.
E) Employee productivity will increase irrespective of which changes are made.

Question 26

David thinks his workers are naturally lazy and uncooperative and must therefore be either punished or rewarded to be made productive. David subscribes to the theory of motivation called

A) the hierarchy of needs.
B) Theory Y.
C) Theory X.
D) two-factor theory.
E) expectancy theory.

Question 27

What conclusions did business managers draw from scientific management?

A) Because salary is a hygiene factor, wages do not motivate workers to produce more.
B) The informal group was relatively unimportant.
C) Goal setting increased worker output.
D) Business firms had to provide for food, water, and shelter for their workers in order to increase output.
E) Paying workers a higher wage and redesigning the job into simple tasks would dramatically increase output.

Question 28

Time and motion studies

A) are the basis of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Model.
B) are designed to determine how best to perform a job most efficiently.
C) helped managers understand the odd results of the Hawthorne studies.
D) are crucial for improving the abilities of human resources.
E) are mainly used to assess higher-level jobs.

Question 29

The classical theory of motivation says that

A) workers are motivated when attention is paid to them by supervisors.
B) workers are motivated almost solely by money.
C) workers are motivated almost solely by status.
D) there are many different factors that contribute to motivation.
E) some factors prevent dissatisfaction and some factors contribute to satisfaction.

Question 30

Patricia and Gita were discussing the meaning of the term "psychological contract." Patricia would be correct if her meaning encompassed

A) the level of anxiety each employee displays when working.
B) the contract signed when taking a stress leave.
C) the set of expectations held by an employee concerning what he or she will contribute to an organization and what the organization will provide for the employee in return.
D) the satisfaction of each employee with regard to their paycheque.
E) the emotional role each employee plays in relation to other employees.

Question 31

Among the flaws of scientific management is that it

A) does not recognize the importance of money as a motivator.
B) does time-and-motion studies.
C) was a success with manual labour jobs.
D) doesn't see that there are factors other than money that contribute to job satisfaction.
E) relies too much on input from employees.

Question 32

Penn Enterprises has just downsized, eliminating the middle-management positions into which many entry-level managers had hoped to be promoted. How might this affect the company?

A) Employees will likely see fewer inducements.
B) The psychological contract will likely be easier to manage now.
C) The person-job fit is likely to be more on target now.
D) Penn will likely see more contributions from employees.
E) There will be little change.

Question 33

What is the "Hawthorne effect"?

A) The observed effect that pay is an important motivator for workers.
B) An increase in employee output caused by almost any management action which makes workers believe that they are receiving special attention.
C) Increased lighting levels caused increased productivity.
D) It refers to the human need for self-fulfillment.
E) The discovery that the informal group at work can counteract management objectives.

Question 34

What was the result of the Hawthorne studies that puzzled the researchers?

A) The redesigned jobs made the work easier and faster for the employees.
B) Worker productivity increased when pay was increased.
C) Productivity went up when the amount of lighting was increased.
D) The differential percent pay system was ineffective in increasing productivity.
E) Increased lighting levels improved productivity, but so did lowering lighting levels.

Question 35

Steve is trying to increase the productivity of his workers. He decides to offer an incentive of 25 cents for each unit over the average number produced in the last 3 weeks. Steve is following the ________ theory of motivation.

A) equity
B) two-factor
C) Theory X
D) classical
E) hierarchy of needs

Question 36

"Smith! Jones! You good-for-nothing, lazy, freeloaders!" This statement exemplifies a boss with a(n) ________ approach to motivation.

A) expectancy theory
B) equity theory
C) Theory Y
D) hierarchy of needs
E) Theory X

Question 37

Which of the following best describes scientific management?

A) A theory of motivation holding that job satisfaction depends on two factors, hygiene and motivation
B) A theory of motivation holding that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and that they have a reasonable chance of obtaining
C) A theory of motivation holding that people evaluate their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others
D) A theory of motivation holding that managers should analyze jobs to find the most efficient methods and use money as a primary motivator
E) A theory of motivation that people will work more productively as long as they receive some kind of attention from management

Question 38

The concept of finding the "one best way" to do a job was a key feature of

A) scientific management.
B) Herzberg's two-factor theory.
C) Maslow's study of human needs.
D) the Hawthorne studies.
E) expectancy theory.

Question 39

If managers were to implement lessons learned from the Hawthorne Studies, they would

A) eliminate informal groups as they are relatively unimportant.
B) pay workers a higher wage as it would cause them to increase their production.
C) have managers who used the Theory X principles.
D) pay more attention to employees.
E) change the specific pay scheme from hourly to piece-rate.

Question 40

Kathy believes that her workers are naturally energetic, growth-oriented, self-motivated, and interested in being productive. Her beliefs closely parallel the ________ theory of motivation.

A) Theory Y
B) Theory X
C) two-factor theory
D) expectancy theory
E) hierarchy of needs

Question 41

Harriet thinks that Maslow's hierarchy of needs model is very relevant for her workers. She also knows that their physiological needs are being met. What job-related things can she do to satisfy her workers' concerns about the next level of need?

A) Good friends at work
B) A respected job title
C) A sense of belonging to the company
D) Job security
E) Challenging job assignments

Question 42

Tina is the most productive employee in her department. When her manager retires, Tina doesn't apply for the job, in spite of her excellent record and the pay and prestige associated with the job. She believes that the job will go to someone who has more seniority. Based on expectancy theory, Tina doesn't apply for the job based on

A) the performance-rewards issue.
B) her personal goals.
C) the effort-performance issue.
D) the rewards-personal goals issue.
E) none of these.

Question 43

Which of the following statements is correct with respect to McClelland's acquired needs theory?

A) The most important place where needs are acquired is the workplace.
B) People who are high in need for achievement are most likely to be Machiavellian in their behaviour.
C) People who are high in need for affiliation are most likely to make Theory X assumptions.
D) The need for power is the least important acquired need.
E) People with a high need for power can be successful managers if they seek power in order to help the organization perform better.

Question 44

Which of the following helps explain why some people do not work as hard as they can when their salaries are based purely on seniority?

A) Two-factor theory
B) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
C) Scientific management
D) Goal-setting theory
E) Expectancy theory

Question 45

Regarding the two-factor theory, which one of the following statements is true?

A) The opposite of dissatisfaction is satisfaction.
B) Hygiene factors impact dissatisfaction.
C) The opposite of satisfaction is dissatisfaction.
D) Hygiene factors deal with the content of the job.
E) None of these statements is true.

Question 46

In Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following would be the most reliable indication that a morale problem in a work team is primarily due to a lack of motivators?

A) Team members like the building and location where they work.
B) A survey of team members shows that most of them have a good sense of how important their work is.
C) Some of the team members have difficulty relating to each other.
D) Deidra's team members report getting negative messages about customers from other parts of the company.
E) Team members have not expressed any dissatisfaction with their work conditions.

Question 47

Larry's subordinates are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Of the following, which is the best move to create satisfaction among his subordinates, assuming that Larry subscribes to Herzberg's ideas?

A) Improve the company policies on vacation time
B) Spend more time with them to get to know them better
C) Delegate more responsibility to them
D) Get everyone new desks and equipment
E) Increase everyone's pay

Question 48

Brenda believes that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and believe they have a reasonable chance of obtaining. What motivation theory does she subscribe to?

A) Scientific management
B) Equity theory
C) Expectancy theory
D) Two-factor theory
E) Goal-setting theory

Question 49

Maslow's hierarchy of needs shows which of the following five needs in order starting from the lowest needs?

A) Psychological, esteem, security, self-actualization, and social needs
B) Social, physiological, esteem, security, and self-actualization needs
C) Physiological, esteem, security, social, and self-actualization needs
D) Physiological, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs
E) Psychological, security, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs

Question 50

Tim tries to motivate his employees by making sure that pay and working conditions meet employee expectations and then providing employees with responsibility and recognition. Tim likely subscribes to the ________ theory of motivation.

A) scientific management
B) hierarchy of needs
C) two-factor
D) equity
E) expectancy

Question 51

Which of the following is true about the hierarchy of needs theory?

A) Once a need has been satisfied, it becomes a motivator.
B) People's individual needs do not vary much.
C) Lower-level needs must be met before higher-level needs emerge.
D) Higher-level needs must be met before lower-level needs emerge.
E) The more a need is satisfied, the more it becomes a motivator.

Question 52

After several years of work, Samantha is finally publishing her first computer manual. According to Maslow, which need is being met?

A) Physiological
B) Job security
C) Social
D) Self-actualization
E) Concern for production

Question 53

In the hierarchy of needs model, all of the following would have to be satisfied before the individual would seek status and a job title except

A) a decent pension plan.
B) friends at work.
C) a decent salary.
D) a challenging job.
E) a secure place to live.

Question 54

The two-factor theory states that

A) there are two aspects to motivation: the manager and the subordinate.
B) there are two aspects to motivation: hygienes, which prevent dissatisfaction, and motivators, which contribute to satisfaction.
C) there are two factors that increase job satisfaction: pay and job security.
D) there are two aspects to motivation: hygienes, which contribute to satisfaction, and motivators, which prevent dissatisfaction.
E) recognition that completion of a difficult task is one of the two dominant factors in motivation.

Question 55

Regarding Herzberg's two-factor theory, it is correct to say that

A) only the presence of money can increase employee job satisfaction.
B) Herzberg's hygiene factors are roughly equivalent to Maslow's lower level needs.
C) if good hygiene factors are present, an employee will be satisfied.
D) if motivation factors are present, an employee will not be dissatisfied.
E) the two factors are Theory X and Theory Y.

Question 56

The fundamental presumption in Maslow's hierarchy of needs is

A) security needs are more important than physiological needs.
B) self-actualization needs can never really be satisfied.
C) social needs are less important than esteem needs.
D) a satisfied need is not a motivator.
E) social needs are more important than all other needs.

Question 57

In McClelland's acquired needs theory, which need typically is the most important?

A) The need for achievement
B) The need for affiliation
C) The need for power
D) The need for achievement and the need for power are equally dominant
E) None of the needs generally dominates; rather, for each person, a different need dominates

Question 58

How can a business firm help an employee meet self-actualization needs?

A) Provide a challenging job
B) Provide a wage high enough to buy food and provide for shelter
C) Provide a respected job title and a large office
D) Offer a social network at the business
E) Offer a pension plan

Question 59

The people who work for Frank are very dissatisfied. Assuming that Maslow's hierarchy is correct, which of the following actions is the likely best first step to motivate his subordinates?

A) Improve their pay and job security
B) Restructure their jobs so they are more interesting
C) Create more opportunity for subordinates to learn new things
D) Institute an "employee of the month" program
E) Delegate more responsibility to employees

Question 60

Which of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is being addressed by the employer that offers a pension to workers?

A) Security
B) Social
C) Physiological
D) Retirement
E) Self actualization

Question 61

Joe wonders, "If I work hard will I get a pay raise?" Joe then concludes that "No, I won't receive a raise." This type of reasoning is important in

A) Theory X.
B) scientific theory.
C) expectancy theory.
D) negative attitudes.
E) equity theory.

Question 62

Usha thinks that the best way to stop undesirable behaviour is to apply negative consequences to employees who exhibit it. Usha is using

A) punishment.
B) omission.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative reinforcement.
E) none of these.

Question 63

At WestJet, front-line employees have the right to issue travel credits to customers they feel have not been treated properly. This is an example of

A) punishment.
B) management by objectives.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative reinforcement.
E) empowerment.

Question 64

Annie offered all her subordinates a free dinner at a well-known Mexican restaurant if they reduced their error rate to 2 percent. The error rate stayed the same and later she found out that no one liked Mexican food. This is an illustration of the ________ theory of motivation.

A) equity
B) expectancy
C) human relations
D) two-factor
E) hierarchy of needs

Question 65

Mark feels that he can change his subordinates' behaviour by withholding negative consequences if his employees exhibit desirable behaviour.

A) Punishment
B) Omission
C) Positive reinforcement
D) Negative reinforcement
E) None of these

Question 66

Which of the strategies for enhancing job satisfaction is also used as a tool for managing the planning process?

A) Management by objectives
B) Theory X and Y
C) Reinforcement and punishment
D) Participative management and empowerment
E) Job enrichment

Question 67

Joe was hired out of college for a starting salary of $55 000 a year. Two months after he started, he found out that Nancy was hired at the same time for $65 000. At first he was angry but then he found out that she had five years of previous experience and that she knew two more computer languages than he did. Then he wasn't angry anymore. This illustrates the ________ motivation theory.

A) two-factor
B) expectancy
C) hierarchy of needs
D) human relations
E) equity

Question 68

Don has started to arrive at work on time in order to avoid getting hollered at by his boss. Don is responding to what reinforcement strategy?

A) Punishment
B) Omission
C) Positive reinforcement
D) Negative reinforcement
E) None of these

Question 69

Alicia strongly believes in reinforcement as a strategy for motivating people to do good work. She therefore presents desired consequences to employees when they exhibit behaviour she desires. She is using

A) punishment.
B) omission.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative reinforcement.
E) none of these.

Question 70

Aaron, a sales manager, selects MBO because the biggest advantage is

A) creating specific performance evaluation criteria.
B) automatic setting of subordinate goals by managers.
C) reducing employee turnover.
D) increased employee motivation.
E) reducing time spent in meetings.

Question 71

Pay, praise, promotions, suspensions, and firings are examples of

A) reinforcement.
B) job enrichment.
C) empowerment.
D) participation.
E) management by objectives.

Question 72

In order to motivate his subordinates, Phil has offered them all a free dinner if they can complete a large project they are working on by the end of the month. But everyone thinks that the input they need won't be received in time for them to complete their report. Phil has ignored one requirement of the ________ theory.

A) human relations
B) two-factor
C) hierarchy of needs
D) equity
E) expectancy

Question 73

Marshall thinks that the best way to stop undesirable behaviour on the part of his subordinates is to simply ignore it. Marshall is using ________ as a strategy.

A) punishment
B) omission
C) positive reinforcement
D) negative reinforcement
E) none of these

Question 74

When Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment gives out "good job" cards to employees who do outstanding work, this is an example of what reinforcement strategy?

A) Punishment
B) Omission
C) Positive reinforcement
D) Negative reinforcement
E) None of these

Question 75

Which motivational theory assumes that employees assess their ratio of contributions to their returns and then compare that ratio to the perceived ratio of other employees?

A) Scientific management
B) The Grinnell theory
C) Expectancy
D) Goal setting
E) Equity

Question 76

The first step in establishing an effective MBO program is to

A) establish overall organizational goals.
B) communicate organizational goals to subordinates.
C) set goals for each subordinate.
D) find out what the subordinate's goals are.
E) meet with subordinates to establish goals.

Question 77

A football team signed a rookie defensive back at a higher rate of pay than any of its team veterans were paid. After that, the team almost immediately began to play more poorly. This decline can best be explained using

A) goal-setting theory.
B) equity theory.
C) Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
D) two-factor theory.
E) expectancy theory.

Question 78

Which of the following statements about teams is correct?

A) Problem-solving teams are based on the idea that the best solutions to problems come when lower-level employees work with top managers.
B) It has been shown that self-managed teams often exceed the authority that has been given to them by top management.
C) IBM's development of the personal computer is a good example of a project team.
D) Research has shown that transnational teams do not work as well as project teams.
E) Teams provide monetary benefits to workers, but not non-monetary benefits.

Question 79

Some companies try to give workers a large amount of discretion so they feel empowered. At Morning Star Company, the world's largest tomato processor, the empowerment program includes all of the following features except

A) workers write up a mission statement which describes how they will contribute to the overall goals of the company.
B) employees are expected to propose the hiring of new people if they are overloaded or if they see a need that should be met.
C) each employee develops a "Colleague Letter of Understanding" with other employees who are affected by the person's work.
D) workers have the right to set their own salary.
E) at the end of the year, employees receive feedback on their performance from colleagues with whom they have a Letter of Understanding.

Question 80

Which of the following is key to a successful MBO program?

A) Punishment
B) Job enrichment
C) Organizational enrichment
D) Collaborative action
E) Rewards