Deck 6: Motivating Performance

Question 1

To change a person's ability, the manager should make sure resources are available for the job.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When a supervisor analyzes the components of his or her subordinate's job and creates different combinations of tasks, the manager has used the refitting option.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

In dealing with an employee that is performing below expectations, a manager should first reprimand and then redirect the employee's behavior.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In her job as customer service representative, Angela is tenacious in her efforts, but her overall performance lacks creativity. Thus, Angela is committed to her job but exhibits low desire.

Question 5

The path-goal theory of leadership suggests that the level of managerial involvement in subordinates' tasks should depend on the manager's view of what employees expect in terms of his or her involvement.

Question 6

The level of involvement a manager utilizes should depend on the nature of the work and the ability and experience of the employee.

Question 7

Elise successfully led her team to reaching the weekly sales quota. Elise is likely to experience a feeling of accomplishment, which is an intrinsic outcome.

Question 8

Ability equals aptitude multiplied by training and commitment.

Question 9

The first diagnostic question that must be asked by a supervisor of a poor performer is whether the person's performance deficiencies stem from lack of commitment or lack of motivation.

Question 10

Effective goal programs are specific, consistent, and provide feedback.

Question 11

The principal tools available for overcoming poor performance problems due to lack of ability are resupply, retrain, refit, reassign, and release.

Question 12

You have recently been promoted to a managerial position. One of your new peers comments, "Sometimes you just have to ignore unacceptable behavior of your employees. That way, it just goes away all by itself." Based on the text, you should believe this is good advice.

Question 13

According to Murray's manifest needs model, the needs of individuals in the workplace include the needs for achievement, affiliation, and power.

Question 14

Ignoring inappropriate behavior as a means of changing behavior often doesn't work because the nonresponse may be seen as positive reinforcement.

Question 15

The more an employee can perform a complete job from beginning to end and the more the work has a direct effect on the work of other people, the more the employee will view the job as meaningful.

Question 16

Your boss believes in close supervision and that people really don't want to work hard. He has a Theory Z view.

Question 17

Greg typically returns late from his break periods. As Greg's manager, you should first point out how the behavior has impacted the work unit and then identify which behavior has caused the problem.

Question 18

An example of a well-stated goal is "to reduce the average shipment period from five days to two days by the end of the year."

Question 19

To encourage Elaine's initiative on the group project, her boss, Barry, should tell her that she alone is totally responsible for her success.

Question 20

According to one perspective, the best way to change an individual's behavior in the work environment is to change his or her manager's behavior.

Question 21

After interviewing a candidate for a job, the interviewing manager decides that he likes the candidate. He finds his personality exceptional. When the manager refers to the candidate's personality, to what is he referring?

A) Aptitude
B) Desire
C) Commitment
D) Motivation
E) Training

Question 22

Morgan has decided to set the following goals: To earn an A in her management course this semester, to make the dean's list, and to not only keep up with the readings but to contribute something to the class discussion each time. What criteria have Morgan's goals satisfied?

A) Measurable, unambiguous, and behavioral
B) Consistent
C) Appropriately challenging
D) All the answer choices are correct.

Question 23

The situation has high task structure, the employees have experience, and there are strong group norms. What would be the appropriate management involvement?

A) Involved in the details of employees' job performance
B) Less involved; high involvement is not necessary or expected.
C) More involved; high involvement is necessary and expected.
D) Be involved; high involvement is necessary and expected.

Question 24

When poor performance is due to an employee's lack of ability, what is the least threatening option?

A) Release
B) Retrain
C) Resupply
D) Refit
E) Reassign

Question 25

You paint the eyes on Barbie dolls, a job you have performed for three years. The task is fairly easy and very structured (only three colors and there is only one place to paint them). What do you need from management?

A) Very little advice and instruction
B) Direction and strong involvement, a hands-on approach
C) Strong leadership. Managers need to constantly monitor the situation so they will be available in case something comes up.

Question 26

According to the path-goal theory of leadership, the level of involvement by a manager is dependent on (1) the subordinate's desire for autonomy, (2) how structured the task is, and (3) how much help is already available from the organization. Which statements are correct?

A) All three statements are correct.
B) Only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
C) Only statements 2 and 3 are correct.
D) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct.
E) Only statement 2 is correct.

Question 27

Assume George is a poor performer. You have already provided the necessary resources and training he needs to do the job, yet his performance continues to decline. What is the next step?

A) Release George-How many chances does a person get?
B) Redesign the job
C) Reassign George to another position
D) Place George in a place where his performance will not hurt the company

Question 28

According to the path-goal theory of leadership, if the task structure is low, what should management involvement with employees be?

A) Low, because the task is clearly defined. The employees know their jobs.
B) High, because management should always be involved, directing the process. That is what managers do.
C) Low and therefore more challenging to the employees.
D) High, because management involvement will be seen as both constructive and satisfying.

Question 29

Aptitude is (1) the native skills and abilities a person brings to the job, (2) the physical and mental capabilities of a person, and (3) the personality characteristics a person has for people-oriented jobs. Which statements are correct?

A) All three statements are correct.
B) Only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
C) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct.
D) Only statements 2 and 3 are correct.
E) Only statement 3 is correct.

Question 30

An effective goal program has goals that are specific, consistent, and appropriately challenging. What is missing?

A) Motivation
B) Autonomy
C) Feedback
D) Fairness

Question 31

You received your Ph.D. from a prestigious state university that had competitive admissions, where students graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and where both students and teachers had high expectations for the student. You now teach at an open admissions school. Students here graduated anywhere from the bottom 10 percent to the top 10 percent. What expectations should you have for these students?

A) Lower, they graduated lower in their high school class (on average anyway)
B) Lower, they obviously are less intelligent
C) The same as, the past is the past; high expectations generate high performance
D) Lower, high expectations could be too challenging and prove to be frustrating

Question 32

According to the path-goal theory of leadership, the level of involvement a manager utilizes should (1) be the same for all employees in the department, (2) be either low or high management involvement regardless of the circumstances, and (3) not be influenced by subordinates' expectations. Which statements are correct?

A) All the statements are correct.
B) Statement 1 is correct.
C) Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
D) Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
E) None of the statements is correct.

Question 33

Your boss remarks, "The key to an effective motivational program is that it must increase both job satisfaction and work productivity." How should you respond?

A) "Yes, but another important variable is interpersonal relationships."
B) "No, the program should only focus on productivity. We do not want to encourage an indulging management style."
C) "Yes, but the program should only focus on satisfaction. We do not want to encourage an imposing management style."
D) "Yes, I agree."

Question 34

Mary has decided to set the following goal: To do the best she can in her management class this semester and to keep up with the readings. Mary's goal satisfies which criteria?

A) Being measurable and behavioral
B) Being consistent
C) Being appropriately challenging
D) Being specific

Question 35

Assume Carrie is a poor performer. You have already provided the necessary resources, redesigned her job, and provided her with training, yet her performance is lacking. What is the next step?

A) Release Carrie
B) Refit Carrie's job
C) Reassign Carrie to another position
D) Place Carrie in a position where her performance will not hurt the company

Question 36

You are a sales manager. One of your salespeople is named Reggie. He has 10 years of experience and appears to be very capable. He rarely calls you, and sales in his district are always good. You know sales lacks routine and one could say the tasks change from day to day. What type of management involvement does Reggie need and why?

A) High involvement; the task is definitely not structured.
B) Low involvement; Reggie's desire for autonomy is low.
C) Low involvement; Reggie's desire for autonomy, his experience, ability, and task mastery are all high.
D) High involvement; Reggie's desire for autonomy, his experience, ability, and task mastery are all high.
E) You can't tell from the information given.

Question 37

Having determined that June's poor work performance is related to a lack of ability, what is the first question you should ask?

A) Why does June have a poor attitude?
B) Does June lack commitment?
C) Does June have the resources to do the job?
D) Why doesn't June try harder?

Question 38

You have observed Sally's performance for a few months. There is no doubt about her effort; it is evident she tries very hard. However, there doesn't appear to be any improvement in her performance since you have been watching. What should you conclude?

A) This is a desire issue.
B) This is an ability issue.
C) This is a commitment issue.
D) She is a terrible employee and should be let go as soon as possible.

Question 39

Once a manager has determined that the reason for the poor performance is due to a lack of ability, in what order should the manager explore options?

A) (1) Redesign the job, (2) retrain the individual, and (3) move the individual to another position.
B) (1) Retrain the individual, (2) redesign the job, and (3) determine if the resources are adequate.
C) (1) Determine if the resources are adequate, (2) retrain the individual, and (3) redesign the job.
D) (1) Determine if the resources are adequate, (2) redesign the job, and (3) retrain the individual.

Question 40

Feelings of equity can be influenced by peers' perspectives.

Question 41

What guideline should a firm follow to attain the greatest motivational impact from a new awards programs?

A) Use awards infrequently
B) Only acknowledge current recipients
C) Give the awards privately
D) Make sure the award is meaningful to the families of employees

Question 42

When an employee feels that she was meant to do the work she is doing, and that she is serving an important cause, this is called a(n)

A) service orientation.
B) career orientation.
C) calling orientation.
D) other orientation.

Question 43

If you feel that you have an interesting and fulfilling job, you are experiencing what type of motivation?

A) External motivation
B) Intrinsic motivation
C) Redirected motivation
D) Exceptional motivation

Question 44

In the process of trying to improve your employee's behavior, you say to her, "What I'd like to see you do is contact each of your clients personally before you begin to enforce a policy change. That way, no one is surprised. Will you do that next time? " Which of the guidelines for improving behavior have you just followed?

A) Reprimand
B) Redirect
C) Reinforce
D) Recapitulate

Question 45

An employee's performance is at a level that is not desirable. After reprimanding, what should you do next?

A) Ask questions to determine the cause
B) Describe the behaviors you expect
C) Identify the rewards the employee has missed out on
D) Praise other aspects of the employee's work

Question 46

What is praise from a boss?

A) Extrinsic outcome
B) Internal motivator
C) Exceptional motivator
D) Intrinsic outcome

Question 47

All of the following are methods firms are using to establish closer connections between individual performance and pay except which of the following?

A) Pay increases linked to the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, and/or demonstrated competencies
B) Compensating managers based on their ability to mentor new group members and resolve difficult intergroup relationships
C) Linking pay increases for all employees to a specified percentage increase in productivity
D) Sales commissions that include follow-up customer satisfaction ratings
E) Linking the pay of key employees to the accomplishment of new strategic initiatives

Question 48

When an employee does not perform at the level you had hoped, what steps (in order) should you take to extinguish the unacceptable behavior and replace it with an acceptable one?

A) Ignore, reprimand, redirect
B) Redirect, reprimand, reward
C) Question, redirect, reward
D) Reprimand, redirect, reward

Question 49

LaTasha is a high performer. Recently, her organization has begun to provide recreational facilities, an on-site day care, and stock options for all employees. What is wrong with these new programs? Will they likely motivate LaTasha to a higher level of performance?

A) No, they won't motivate her. They are group rewards not tied to her performance.
B) Yes, they will motivate her. Everyone likes on-site day care.
C) No, they won't motivate her. They are too closely tied to her performance for her to be comfortable about the reward.
D) Yes, they will motivate her. The fact that she is a high performer shows that she will appreciate stock options.

Question 50

When an employee does not perform at the level you expect, what steps should you take (in order) to reshape the behavior?

A) Ignore, reprimand, redirect
B) Redirect, reprimand, reinforce
C) Discipline, redirect, reinforce
D) Reprimand, redirect, reinforce

Question 51

When a manager keeps expectations higher than his subordinates' best performance and continually informs them that with a little more effort they can do it, what will the subordinates likely do?

A) Increase their performance because the subordinates see these higher expectations as a challenge
B) Probably burn out because although they try, they never reach the shifting expectations
C) Help create a highly motivated staff
D) Compete against other subordinates

Question 52

What is a possible response of a manager to behaviors exhibited by employees?

A) Ignoring
B) Removing
C) Satisfying
D) Pleasing

Question 53

A manager remarks, "No matter how many external rewards we give our employees, if they find the work to be uninteresting and unfulfilling, performance will suffer." Should you agree or disagree with your boss?

A) Agree
B) Disagree
C) Not enough information to decide

Question 54

You paint the eyes on Barbie dolls. This is all you do. What you do has little impact on other jobs in your work unit. In this job, what will you likely experience?

A) A low level of meaningfulness of work and low internal motivation
B) A low level of meaningfulness of work and low external motivation
C) A high level of skill variety and low internal motivation
D) A high level of autonomy and high external motivation

Question 55

What does the rewarding approach to changing behavior involve?

A) Linking desired behaviors with manager-valued outcomes
B) Linking desired behaviors with employee-valued outcomes
C) Linking the right ways to do things with rewards
D) Linking desired behaviors with organizational values

Question 56

A manager who encourages initiative by reminding employees that their failure means organizational failure should do something different. What should he do?

A) React to employees on an emotional basis
B) Imply his joint stake in the work failure
C) Demand a change or improvement in a firm tone of voice
D) Present facts about organizational needs
E) Redo their plans for them

Question 57

What should effective motivational programs do in terms of offering rewards?

A) Make a distinction between workers based on seniority
B) Not make a distinction between workers
C) Make a distinction between workers based on effort
D) Make a distinction between workers based on performance regardless of effort

Question 58

An employee is late to work. This is her first time. What should you do first?

A) Ignore her tardiness. It was just her first time.
B) Ask her why she was late.
C) Talk to her about her commitment to the organization.
D) Talk to her about how tardiness is not a behavior you accept.

Question 59

The financial officer at Stocks R Us demands that his brokers take risk in their stock suggestions. Recently, he had to reduce the portfolio of a broker who missed the mark on a stock (the stock went down). "I must punish undesirable behaviors," he thought to himself. What will the financial officer's actions do?

A) Reinforce his brokers' belief that taking a risk pays off
B) Reinforce undesirable behaviors in his brokers
C) Indicate to his brokers that he supports new ideas
D) Reinforce to his brokers that he ignores stock suggestions

Question 60

When transforming acceptable into exceptional behavior, what should a manager do?

A) Reward only when the exceptional behavior has been reached
B) Reward each level of improvement
C) Use the reprimand and redirect guidelines
D) Reward only when the entire group has reached exceptional behavior

Question 61

According to the hierarchical needs theory, needs are organized into which hierarchy?

A) Physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization
B) Esteem, relatedness, and growth
C) Existence, reinforcement, and growth
D) Esteem, reinforcement, and self-actualizing

Question 62

The likelihood a reward will actually reinforce a specific performance-enhancing behavior depends on the extent to which the reward recipient (1) actually values the specific reward, (2) believes the reward allocation process was handled fairly, and (3) receives the reward in a timely manner. Which statements are correct?

A) All the statements are correct.
B) Statement 1 is correct.
C) Statements 2 and 3 are correct.
D) Statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Question 63

Five core job characteristics are most strongly related to job satisfaction. Which of the following is one of those characteristics?

A) Feedback
B) Task enlargement
C) Job rotation
D) Social interaction
E) Instrumentality

Question 64

According to the manifest needs model, needs are organized into which hierarchy?

A) Achievement, affiliation, and belonging
B) Achievement, affiliation, and power
C) Affiliation, acceptance, and success
D) Power, success, and wealth

Question 65

A college professor believes her teachings in her management course influence the lives of her students. Which core job dimension is demonstrated?

A) Skill variety
B) Competition
C) Task significance
D) Autonomy
E) Feedback

Question 66

Explain the logic underlying Maslow's hierarchy of needs. How does the theory apply to individuals?

Question 67

Which of the following job changes results in increased autonomy, task identity, and feedback?

A) Identifiable work units
B) Established client relationships
C) Loaded jobs horizontally
D) Open feedback channels

Question 68

Gambling uses which form of the reward reinforcement schedule?

A) Continuous reinforcement
B) Partial reinforcement
C) Equity
D) Fairness

Question 69

You have noticed that your employee is not performing at the level you had hoped. In fact, you have determined his poor performance is due to a lack of ability. Explain (in the order that they should be utilized) the five tools an effective manager would employ in this situation.

Question 70

Which of the following does not apply to individuals with high institutional power needs?

A) They are often willing to sacrifice their own self-interests for the good of the organization.
B) They feel personally responsible for advancing the purposes of the organization.
C) They have a strong sense of justice and equity.
D) They enjoy work and accomplishing tasks in a random manner.
E) They seek expert advice and are not defensive when their ideas are criticized.

Question 71

What is a calling orientation, and how does it impact employee motivation?

Question 72

What is an overall conclusion related to motivation?

A) Poor performance is often directly related to an employee's personality.
B) If people do not work hard, it is because that is their nature.
C) If people do not work hard, it is because they do not believe rewards are related to hard work.
D) Most people find the same things rewarding.

Question 73

You are conducting a planning session with Mary Ellen, who reports to you. You've asked her to come prepared with a personal goal for the next quarter. When you ask her to share her goal, she says, "I want to put much more effort into customer satisfaction." How do you evaluate the effectiveness of Mary Ellen's goal?

Question 74

What is an overall conclusion related to motivation?

A) Both the employee's satisfaction and performance should be of equal importance to the manager.
B) The employee's satisfaction is more important than performance to the manager.
C) The employee's performance is more important than satisfaction to the manager.
D) Theory X is the appropriate theory for motivation.

Question 75

Gale works for 2 hours and earns $30. Allison also earns $30, but for 3 hours of work. Equity theory predicts which of the following might happen when Gale and Allison become aware of each other's earnings: I. Gale will ask for a raise
II) Allison will reduce her effort
III) Gale will reduce her effort
IV) Allison will ask for a raise
V) Allison will perceive an inequity

A) I and IV
B) II only
C) II, IV, and V
D) All but IV
E) I, II, and III

Question 76

In equity theory, what is important?

A) Social comparison of rewards and efforts
B) Equality of rewards
C) Equality of efforts
D) Absolute value of rewards

Question 77

If you were designing a reward program for your employees, what assumptions could you make?

A) That all employees in similar positions value similar rewards
B) That what I (as a manager) value, my employees will value as well
C) That a cafeteria-style incentive program would probably be successful
D) That preferences for rewards can be categorized by demographic information

Question 78

The manager of a shoe store says, "My employees are worthless. None of them has a lick of motivation. That's why this store isn't making any money." How could you use the formula for performance at the beginning of the chapter to challenge this manager's perspective?

Question 79

Are concerns about employee morale and company productivity compatible or are they mutually exclusive?
Compare and contrast the types of outcomes that can result from placing a different emphasis on both job performance and job satisfaction.

Question 80

A manager at a local fast-food restaurant decides to motivate all his employees by allowing them to eat the food free of charge. Will this reward motivate employees?

A) This should work, because all employees value free food.
B) This might work for some employees, but it might not work for others.
C) This might work as long as the manager is equitable in distributing the food.
D) This will not work. This action satisfies only the employees' subsistence needs.