Deck 12: Behavioral Performance Management

Question 1

There is little question that despite the tremendous amount of data being generated by today's advanced information systems,individuals still receive very little,if any,feedback about their performance.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A worker is positively reinforced for getting busy when the supervisor walks through the area.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Social cognitive theory extends learning and/or modifying behavior by giving more attention to the self-motivating mechanisms.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In the chimpanzee's experiment conducted by Wolfgang Kohler,the solution to the problem appeared as a series,not as a whole,gradual shaping of new responses as the operant approach would suggest to the chimps.

Question 5

Something is reinforcing only if it strengthens the behavior preceding it and induces repetitions.

Question 6

Operant conditioning is concerned primarily with learning that occurs as a consequence of stimuli,or S-R.

Question 7

The antecedent cues (technology,plans,and the like)have power to control or provide rules and establishing operation for behavior only if there are motivating consequences.

Question 8

The use of punishment as a strategy to control behavior is a lose-lose approach.

Question 9

The immediate supervisor,or the job holder,determining the critical behaviors process goes hand in hand with using the O.B.Mod as a problem-solving approach for the individual manager or a team.

Question 10

The challenge for performance management is to understand behavioral reality,eliminate the reinforcers for the undesirable behaviors,and more importantly and effectively,punish the undesirable behavior.

Question 11

The baseline measure may indicate that the problem is much smaller or much bigger than was thought to be the case.

Question 12

The informal social recognition based on a valued person's attention and appreciation may have only a bigger impact as a reinforcer in behavioral management than money.

Question 13

Managers can analyze the consequences of organizational behavior to help accomplish the goals of prediction and control.

Question 14

In the rat experiment that Tolman conducted,the result could be depicted as S-S (stimulus-stimulus),or learning the association between the cue and the expectancy.

Question 15

Money may be a powerful reinforcer when administered through either the traditional pay plans or through the identified performance behaviors as in behavioral performance management.

Question 16

Those with inaccurate or false self-esteem beliefs who experience performance failures time after time will not learn from their mistakes or respond to the manager's comments on how to correct the problem.

Question 17

Most modern approaches stress that punishment should be situationally applied and progressive.

Question 18

According to the law of effect,undesirable,or punishing,consequences will increase the strength of the preceding behavior and decrease its probability of being repeated in the future.

Question 19

Behavioral management meets the criteria focuses on theoretically based,research supported,and broadly sustainable application approaches to managing and leading high performance.

Question 20

Practically all organizational behavior is either directly or indirectly affected by learning.

Question 21

Some of the training programs designed starting after World War II,were designed to strengthen the relationship between cognitive cues and worker expectations.The worker expectations consisted of:

A) supervisory procedures.
B) job procedural procedures.
C) organizational procedures.
D) incentive payment mode.

Question 22

One behavioral management advocate has stated that behavioral performance management should be the bedrock,the starting place for all of the following except:

A) every decision we make.
B) every new technology we apply.
C) every product we deliver.
D) every initiative we employ to bring the best out in people.

Question 23

The organizational behavior modification model,although having shown positive results,has not really shown any positive impact on the performance behaviors and output in countries outside United States.

Question 24

The goal of the intervention is to strengthen and accelerate functional performance behaviors and/or weaken and decelerate dysfunctional behaviors.

Question 25

Skinner felt that most human behavior affects,or operates on,the environment to receive a desirable consequence.This type of behavior is learned through _____ conditioning.

A) operant
B) achieved
C) respondent
D) perceived

Question 26

The S-R deals with classical,or _____,conditioning,and the R-S deals with instrumental,or _____,conditioning.

A) respondent; divergent
B) creative; awakening
C) operant; learned
D) respondent; operant

Question 27

Some organizational behavior researchers are indeed using the operant framework to analyze specific areas such as escalation of _____,as well as more generally the effectiveness of _____ at work.

A) stress; rewards
B) performance; benefits
C) violence; security
D) commitment; managers

Question 28

The strength and frequency of operant conditioned behaviors are determined mainly by the:

A) achievements.
B) stimulus.
C) contrasts.
D) consequences.

Question 29

In the experiment conducted by Kohler,the actions of attempting to jump for the fruit,giving it up,seizing a box,dragging it under the object,mounting it and then taking down the fruit,are all fueled by:

A) insight.
B) chance.
C) impetus.
D) observation.

Question 30

In Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment,after Pavlov started presenting meat to the dog accompanied with the ringing of a bell several times,and then rang the bell without presenting the meat,the dog started salivating.This would be a(n):

A) accomplished response.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned response.
D) neutral response.

Question 31

In Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment,the dog salivated a lot when presented with powdered meat.This response would be a(n):

A) conditioned response.
B) accomplished response.
C) neutral response.
D) unconditioned response.

Question 32

Realistically it is recognized that in some cases the use of punishment to weaken and decelerate undesirable behaviors cannot be avoided.

Question 33

Under the cognitive theory,in the experiment conducted on the rat,it was found that if the rat actually received food,the association between the _____ and the expectancy was:

A) action; related.
B) cue; strengthened.
C) release; not related.
D) volume; indirect.

Question 34

A glaring weakness of most human resource management programs is the absence of any systematic,built-in evaluation.

Question 35

Which of the following observations about the perfected theory of learning is false?

A) Many perfected theories of learning have existed since several decades.
B) It would have to be able to explain all aspects of learning.
C) It would have universal application.
D) It would have to be able to predict and control learning situations.

Question 36

Skinner felt that classical conditioning explains only the _____ behavior.

A) acquired
B) perceived
C) reflexive
D) operant

Question 37

Which of the following is a capability identified under the social cognitive theory that people use to initiate,regulate,and sustain their behavior?

A) Exclusion
B) Hindsight
C) Theoretical learning
D) Self-regulation

Question 38

The most traditional and researched theory for learning emerges from this school of thought in psychology.

A) Behaviorist theory
B) Cognitive theory
C) Conceptual theory
D) Social cognitive theory

Question 39

Reaction evaluations are helpful because they can provide useful comparative data between units,and across cultures.

Question 40

The strength and frequency of classically conditioned behaviors are determined mainly by the frequency of the eliciting:

A) achievements.
B) stimulus.
C) response.
D) abilities.

Question 41

One comprehensive study analysis concludes that in order to succeed,punishment should be used in all of the following manners except:

A) orderly,rational manner.
B) handy outlet for the manager's frustration.
C) with skill.
D) with concern for human dignity.

Question 42

Which of the following is included under the "maniputables" aspect of nonfinancial rewards?

A) Company car
B) Food baskets
C) Job rotation
D) Performance charts and graphs

Question 43

Which one of the following can be identified as a shortcoming associated with merit pay?

A) Poor measurement of performance
B) Definite desirability of merit increases that are too small
C) Potential intended consequences such as focusing only on merit-related activities
D) Acceptance of supervisory feedback

Question 44

Which of the following statements about performance feedback is true?

A) People generally do not engage in feedback-seeking behavior.
B) The Stajkovic and Luthans study found that the performance feedback intervention yielded a very small,5 percent performance improvement.
C) Individuals still receive very little,if any,feedback about their performance.
D) A comprehensive review concluded that performance feedback had a negative effect.

Question 45

Which of the following is included in the "job design" category of nonfinancial rewards?

A) Self-managed teams
B) Redecoration of work environment
C) Use of company facilities for personal projects
D) Self-information from performance or problem solutions

Question 46

Which of the following observations about self-efficacy is true?

A) The input into efficacy is recognized to be subordination experiences,hypothetical learning,and self-persuasion.
B) A stream of research studies meta-analyzed has found a weak relationship between self-efficacy and work-related performance.
C) Those with high self-efficacy have the tendency to remain calm in a stressful situation.
D) Just like predisposed personality traits,efficacy is a state that cannot be trained or developed.

Question 47

The characteristics of a punished person usually include all of the following except:

A) permanently change for the better.
B) uptightness.
C) anxiousness.
D) resentful of the punisher.

Question 48

This,in behavioral management,is defined as anything that both increases the strength and tends to induce repetitions of the behavior that preceded the reinforcement.

A) Self-efficacy
B) Encouragement
C) Reinforcement
D) Reward

Question 49

Identify the "visual and auditory" aspect of nonfinancial rewards.

A) Private office
B) Education classes
C) Written reports
D) Verbal or nonverbal recognition or praise

Question 50

One law states that if the behavior is followed by no consequence (neither a positive nor a negative contingent consequence)the behavior will extinguish over time.Identify the law.

A) Extinction principle or law
B) Receding principle or law
C) Law of precedence
D) Law of withdrawal

Question 51

Lawler concluded that _____,not the underlying theory of reinforcement or the supporting basic research,limit the effectiveness of pay for performance.

A) finance problems
B) dispensing mechanisms problems
C) process/design problems
D) inequity problems

Question 52

A review of absenteeism found _____ to be one of the potential antecedent influences that could be used to improve attendance.

A) rewards
B) unit size
C) feedback
D) punishers

Question 53

A laboratory study of merit pay led to which of the following conclusions?

A) Unless a merit pay is at least 10 to 11 percent of base pay,it will not produce the desired effect on employee behavior.
B) Beyond a certain point,increases in merit-raise size are likely to improve performance.
C) Smaller percentage raises given to employees at the higher ends of base-pay ranges are demotivating.
D) Nonmerit components of a raise should not be separated from the merit component.

Question 54

In order for punishment to be effective,regardless of its application mode,there must be a(n)_____ of,and a decrease in,the behavior that preceded it.

A) cessation
B) benchmark
C) example
D) weakening

Question 55

While identifying the critical behaviors of a job,one of the guidelines is that only direct performance be included.Which among the following does not fit the criterion?

A) Absenteeism or attendance
B) Goofing off
C) Tardiness or promptness
D) Doing or not doing a job

Question 56

A staffing company reported that the number one reason employees give for leaving companies is the lack of _____ and:

A) motivation; rewards.
B) satisfactory appraisals; benefits.
C) pensions; responsibilities.
D) praise; recognition.

Question 57

Negative reinforcement _____ and _____ behavior by the threat of the use of an undesirable consequence or the termination or withdrawal of an undesirable consequence.

A) strengthens; increases
B) neutralizes; stops
C) weakens; decreases
D) subjugates; prevents

Question 58

_____ is anything that weakens behavior and tends to decrease its subsequent frequency.

A) Extinction
B) Reinforcement
C) Punishment
D) Habituation

Question 59

A conclusion from one extensive study on the impact of rewards found all of the following except:

A) the detrimental effects of rewards occur under highly restricted,easily avoidable conditions.
B) mechanisms of classical and operant conditioning are basic for understanding incremental and detrimental effects of reward on task motivation.
C) positive effects of rewards on performance are easily attainable using procedures derived from behavioral theory.
D) positive effects of rewards on performance are easily attainable using procedures derived from social cognitive theory.

Question 60

This has been defined as "of several responses made to the same situation,those which are accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction [reinforcement] ...will be more likely to recur; those which are accompanied or closely followed by discomfort [punishment] ...will be less likely to occur."

A) Law of chances
B) Law of performance
C) Law of effect
D) Law of sufficiency

Question 61

Why is performance feedback considered a major reinforcer? Explain.

Question 62

Which of the following does not represent an area wherein studies have assessed the application of the behavioral management approach to improving employee performance?

A) Safety and accident prevention
B) Absenteeism and tardiness
C) Employee productivity
D) Employee commitment

Question 63

What are some of the areas in which the application of the behavioral management approach to improving employee performance have been successfully applied?

Question 64

According to Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation,the reaction level refers to:

A) whether behaviors are actually being changed.
B) whether there is actual performance improvement.
C) whether the people using the approach and those having it used on them like it.
D) whether the people using the approach understand the theoretical background and underlying assumptions and the meaning of,and reasons for,the steps in the model.

Question 65

What are the specific differences between classical and operant conditioning?

Question 66

Explain Bandura's research on the modeling process and his conclusions.

Question 67

Which of the following is perhaps the biggest problem with the use of punishment?

A) It is the most ineffective intervention for O.B.Mod.
B) It often brings with it unwanted side effects.
C) It is very difficult for a supervisor to switch roles from punisher to positive reinforcer.
D) It produces long-term consequences that are far more costly than whatever the original misbehavior was.

Question 68

How can social recognition and attention be used to improve employee performance?

Question 69

What are the major dimensions of the cognitive theory of learning?

Question 70

Explain a baseline measure.What is its purpose?

Question 71

Explain the social learning theory.

Question 72

Briefly summarize the first step of applying the O.B.Mod.approach to behavioral performance management.

Question 73

What are some of the guidelines for discipline as explained in the text?

Question 74

What is a perfected theory of learning? Does such a theory exist?

Question 75

Define the terms "rewards" and "reinforcers."

Question 76

Explain the differences between positive and negative reinforcement.Provide examples.

Question 77

Under negative control:

A) people come to work in order not to be fired.
B) the person behaves in a certain way in order to receive the desired consequence.
C) people keep busy whether the supervisor is around or not in order to receive incentive pay.
D) people keep busy because they get social recognition/attention and feedback for their good work.

Question 78

A glaring weakness of most human resource management programs is the absence of any systematic,built-in:

A) configuration.
B) evaluation.
C) systematic application.
D) organized creation.

Question 79

List the capabilities that people use to initiate,regulate,and sustain their behavior according to the social cognitive theory.

Question 80

Explain the term "punishment" as used in behavioral management.How can punishment be made effective?