Deck 6: Motivation Concepts

Question 1

Motivation can be defined by three key elements. ________ is one of these three key elements and it is the element most of us focus on when we talk about motivation.

A) Intelligence
B) Experience
C) Expertise
D) Intensity
E) Knowledge

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to Douglas McGregor's Theory Y, a manager assumes that employees ________.

A) dislike work
B) need to be controlled
C) avoid responsibility
D) exercise self direction
E) attempt to avoid work

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements is true according to McClelland's theory of needs ?

A) People with a high achievement need prefer doing tasks that involve a very high level of risk.
B) People with a high achievement need prefer jobs that have a low degree of personal responsibility.
C) Best managers tend to have a high need for affiliation.
D) People with a high achievement need tend to be successful managers, especially in large organizations.
E) Best managers tend to have a high need for power.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

You are trying to improve this situation with the help of Herzberg's two factor theory. You decide that your first job should be to improve the hygiene factors. Which of the following would you consider as a hygiene factor?

A) working conditions
B) training related to new skills
C) recognition
D) employee empowerment
E) promotion

Question 5

Jasmine wants to become head of her department. Although she will be greatly compensated if she achieves this aim and will gain control over many subordinates, the main reason she is pursuing this position is that she thinks she can do the job better than anyone else and wants people to know this. According to the McClelland's theory of needs, which of the following needs primarily drives Jasmine in this case?

A) the need for stability
B) the need for achievement
C) the need for growth
D) the need for affiliation
E) the need for power

Question 6

The two-factor theory proposes that ________.

A) within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and as each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next one becomes dominant
B) employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it
C) employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility
D) the factors that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction
E) achievement, power, and affiliation are three important needs that help explain motivation

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true regarding Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory?

A) The "social" needs are needs related to autonomy and achievement.
B) According to this theory, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates.
C) The "esteem" needs are needs related to affection and friendship.
D) According to Maslow, social needs are lower order needs.
E) The lower order needs are satisfied internally.

Question 8

According to the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which of the following is a lower order need?

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

Question 9

According to Douglas McGregor's Theory X, which of the following is a behavior that is most likely to be exhibited by a manager?

A) She empowers her subordinates.
B) She trusts her employees to use discretion in most matters.
C) She strictly controls all the details of any project she is managing.
D) She delegates authority extensively to junior managers.
E) She lets her employees choose their own goals.

Question 10

According to the two-factor theory proposed by Herzberg, which of the following factors is considered a hygiene factor?

A) promotional opportunity
B) quality of supervision
C) achievement
D) recognition
E) responsibility

Question 11

According to the two-factor theory, ________ is a motivating factor.

A) company policies
B) quality of supervision
C) responsibility
D) job security
E) pay

Question 12

According to the two-factor theory, which of the following factors is most likely to create job satisfaction?

A) improving working conditions
B) fixing the heating system
C) receiving recognition for a job well done
D) improving the quality of supervision
E) changing company policies

Question 13

The ________ theory is also called motivation-hygiene theory.

A) hierarchy of needs
B) goal-setting
C) self-determination
D) cognitive evaluation
E) two-factor

Question 14

Which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs deals with satisfying one's hunger, thirst, and other bodily needs?

A) safety
B) physiological
C) social
D) esteem
E) psychological

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true according to the two-factor theory?

A) The hygiene factors tend to be intrinsic factors.
B) Factors that lead to job satisfaction are extrinsic factors.
C) Adequate hygiene factors ensure that people are not dissatisfied.
D) Recognition is a hygiene factor.
E) Hygiene factors lead to job satisfaction.

Question 16

Which of the following theories indicates the existence of a dual continuum?

A) hierarchy of needs theory
B) self-determination theory
C) two-factor theory
D) cognitive evaluation theory
E) theory of needs

Question 17

According to the two-factor theory, which of the following statements would likely be true?

A) When the working conditions are improved, employees will be satisfied.
B) Quality of supervision is a motivation factor.
C) Fixing the conditions that make the employees dissatisfied will not make them satisfied.
D) Employees are dissatisfied due to lack of recognition.
E) The major reason for dissatisfaction is probably the lack of promotion.

Question 18

________ is defined as the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.

A) Leadership
B) Management
C) Selective perception
D) Emotional labor
E) Motivation

Question 19

Motivation is one of the most frequently researched topics in OB. According to a study, by workers' own reports, they waste roughly 2 hours per day, not counting lunch and scheduled breaks and the biggest time-wasters were Internet surfing and ________.

A) reading newspapers
B) listening to music
C) talking with co-workers
D) playing online games
E) reading books

Question 20

McClelland's theory of needs concentrates on which three needs?

A) achievement, growth, and security
B) achievement, power, and affiliation
C) self-actualization, stability, and affiliation
D) affiliation, control, and security
E) control, status, and affiliation

Question 21

Which of the following ways of increasing self-efficacy is generally used by motivational speakers?

A) arousal
B) enactive mastery
C) focused training
D) vicarious modeling
E) verbal persuasion

Question 22

________ involves translating the organization's overall objectives into specific objectives for each succeeding level in the organization.

A) Strategic planning
B) Management by objectives
C) Representative participation
D) Management buy out
E) Management by exception

Question 23

What sort of goals does Management by Objectives (MBO) emphasize?

A) tangible, verifiable, and measurable
B) achievable, controllable, and profitable
C) inspirational, verifiable, and creative
D) challenging, rewarding, and measurable
E) profitable, attainable, and verifiable

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true regarding goals?

A) Goal commitment is most likely to occur when the individual has an external locus of control.
B) Generalized goals produce a higher level of output as compared to specific goals.
C) People do better when they get feedback on how well they are progressing toward their goals.
D) If factors such as acceptance of the goals are held constant, the more simple the goal, the higher the level of performance.
E) Assigned goals appear to generate greater goal commitment in lower rather than higher power-distance cultures.

Question 25

Many elements in management by objectives (MBO) programs match propositions of ________ theory.

A) motivation-hygiene
B) cognitive evaluation
C) goal-setting
D) self determination
E) hierarchy of needs

Question 26

The Pygmalion effect is also called the ________ effect.

A) Self-efficacy
B) Self-concordance
C) Galatea
D) Self-determination
E) Pseudocertainty

Question 27

________ refers to an individual's belief that he or she is capable of performing a task.

A) Emotional contagion
B) Affect intensity
C) Self-efficacy
D) Cognitive dissonance
E) Self-righteous

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true regarding the cognitive evaluation theory?

A) This theory proposes that employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it.
B) This theory hypothesizes that extrinsic rewards will reduce intrinsic interest in a task.
C) This theory is also called motivation-hygiene theory.
D) This theory is based on three needs, need for achievement, need for power, and need for affiliation.
E) According to this theory, the factors that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction.

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true regarding a management by objective (MBO) program?

A) Many elements in MBO programs match propositions of cognitive evaluation theory.
B) MBO strongly advocates that the goals should be assigned by the managers without the employees participating in the goal setting process.
C) MBO programs set generalized rather than specific goals.
D) MBO programs involve explicit time periods.
E) MBO programs strongly discourage providing performance feedback because it can have negative effects on employee motivation.

Question 30

The ________ theory is also known as the social cognitive theory or the social learning theory.

A) two factor
B) self-determination
C) goal-setting
D) self-efficacy
E) hierarchy of needs

Question 31

The researcher who developed self-efficacy theory, Albert Bandura, proposes four ways self-efficacy can be increased. Which of the following is one of these four ways that involves becoming more confident because you see someone else doing the task?

A) arousal
B) enactive mastery
C) focused training
D) vicarious modeling
E) verbal persuasion

Question 32

Goals seem to have a more substantial effect on performance when the ________.

A) goals are generalized (like "Do your best") rather than specific
B) tasks are complex rather than simple
C) tasks are novel rather than well learned
D) goals are easy rather than difficult
E) tasks are independent rather than interdependent

Question 33

According to Bandura, the most important source of increasing self-efficacy is ________.

A) arousal
B) vicarious modeling
C) verbal persuasion
D) enactive mastery
E) focused training

Question 34

Which of the following is not an ingredient common to all MBO programs?

A) an explicit time period
B) participative decision making
C) interdependence of tasks
D) performance feedback
E) specification of the goal

Question 35

________ is a form of self-fulfilling prophecy in which believing something can make it true.

A) The confirmation bias
B) The Pygmalion effect
C) The anchoring bias
D) The framing effect
E) The distinction bias

Question 36

Which of the following is one of the four ways of increasing self-efficacy that involves gaining relevant experience with the task or job?

A) verbal persuasion
B) enactive mastery
C) vicarious modeling
D) arousal
E) focused training

Question 37

Which of the following theories proposes that people prefer to feel they have control over their actions, so anything that makes a previously enjoyed task feel more like an obligation than a freely chosen activity will undermine motivation?

A) theory of needs
B) motivation-hygiene theory
C) two-factor theory
D) self-determination theory
E) goal setting theory

Question 38

With reference to the four ways of increasing self-efficacy as proposed by Albert Bandura, verbal persuasion involves becoming more confident ________.

A) by gaining relevant experience with the task or job
B) because you see someone else doing the task
C) because someone convinces you that you have the skills necessary to be successful
D) because you get rewarded for performing a similar task well
E) because you get energized or "psyched up" for performing the task

Question 39

The concept of self-concordance proposes that ________.

A) the factors that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction
B) employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it
C) individuals who pursue goals because of an intrinsic interest are more likely to attain their goals
D) people with high achievement need tend to be the best general managers
E) extrinsic rewards will reduce intrinsic interest in a task

Question 40

________ indicates how strongly peoples' reasons for pursuing goals are consistent with their interests and core values.

A) Selective perception
B) Positivity offset
C) Cognitive dissonance
D) Emotional contagion
E) Self-concordance

Question 41

The equity theory ________.

A) discusses three important needs achievement, power, and affiliation
B) suggests that employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it
C) proposes that extrinsic rewards will reduce intrinsic interest in a task
D) discusses four referent comparisons self-inside, self-outside, other-inside, other-outside
E) suggests that the factors that lead to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction

Question 42

Jamie is looking for a new job. She used to be the top sales representative for the region and was expecting to be promoted. However one of the regional manager's golfing buddies was promoted to district manager instead. Jamie's dissatisfaction with her current job stems from a breakdown in the ________ relationship.

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) reward-personal goal
D) effort-satisfaction
E) personal goal-self actualization

Question 43

Other-outside is a referent comparison that refers to ________.

A) an employee's experiences in a similar position outside the employee's current organization
B) another individual or group of individuals inside the employee's organization
C) an employee's experiences in a different position inside the employee's current organization
D) another individual or group of individuals outside the employee's organization
E) an employee's experiences in a different position outside the employee's current organization

Question 44

James is a salaried employee whose job is to proofread legal documents. He discovers that he is paid substantially more than his colleagues, even though their jobs and performances are very similar. What is likely to be his reaction to this discovery according to the equity theory?

A) The quantity of documents he proofreads will decrease.
B) The quality of documents he proofreads will decrease.
C) The quantity and/or the quality of documents he proofreads will increase.
D) He will seek a position within the company to commensurate with his pay.
E) He will begin to look for a position outside of the company.

Question 45

The expectancy theory proposes that ________.

A) employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play, and therefore the average person can learn to accept, and even seek, responsibility
B) achievement, power, and affiliation are three important needs that help explain motivation
C) the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of our expectation of a given outcome and its attractiveness
D) extrinsic rewards will reduce intrinsic interest in a task
E) within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and as each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied, the next one becomes dominant

Question 46

Historically, equity theory focused on ________ justice.

A) procedural
B) distributive
C) interpersonal
D) organizational
E) interactional

Question 47

According to the expectancy theory, the degree to which an individual believes that performing at a particular level will generate a desired outcome is indicated by the ________ relationship.

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) reward-personal goal
D) effort-satisfaction
E) personal goal-self actualization

Question 48

According to the equity theory, there are four referent comparisons. One of these four referent comparisons known as other-inside refers to ________.

A) an employee's experiences in a different position inside the employee's current organization
B) an employee's experiences in a different position outside the employee's current organization
C) another individual or group of individuals inside the employee's organization
D) another individual or group of individuals outside the employee's organization
E) an employee's experiences in a similar position outside the employee's current organization

Question 49

________ justice is most strongly related to outcomes such as pay.

A) Distributive
B) Procedural
C) Interactional
D) Associative
E) Integrative

Question 50

Self-inside is one of the four referent comparisons mentioned in the equity theory and it refers to ________.

A) an employee's experiences in a different position inside the employee's current organization
B) an employee's experiences in a different position outside the employee's current organization
C) another individual or group of individuals inside the employee's organization
D) another individual or group of individuals outside the employee's organization
E) an employee's experiences in a similar position outside the employee's current organization

Question 51

Gloria thinks that she is paid less than other workers in her division and feels extremely resentful. She starts taking long breaks and generally wasting time. Her actions resulted due to a perceived ________ injustice.

A) interactive
B) interpersonal
C) procedural
D) distributive
E) associative

Question 52

In equity theory, individuals assess the ________.

A) cost-benefit ratio
B) efficiency-effectiveness trade-off
C) quantity-quality trade-off
D) outcome-input ratio
E) quality of outcome

Question 53

Recent research on equity theory focuses on ________ justice.

A) interpersonal
B) distributive
C) organizational
D) procedural
E) interactional

Question 54

Which of the following types of justice is most strongly related to organizational commitment and satisfaction with outcomes such as pay?

A) associative justice
B) interactional justice
C) distributive justice
D) procedural justice
E) integrative justice

Question 55

Which of the following theories discusses three relationships: effort-performance relationship, performance-reward relationship, and rewards-personal goals relationship?

A) goal-setting theory
B) self-efficacy theory
C) equity theory
D) expectancy theory
E) self-determination theory

Question 56

What would be the predicted result of overpaying a piece-rate worker, according to the equity theory?

A) quality will improve
B) quantity will increase
C) quality will degrade
D) quantity will decrease
E) the employee will leave the job

Question 57

If your friend slims down, it increases your confidence that you can lose weight, too. Which of the following ways of increasing self-efficacy is represented by this example?

A) enactive mastery
B) vicarious modeling
C) arousal
D) verbal persuasion
E) focused training

Question 58

Jessica does not believe that the methods and processes for determining salary increases in her company are fair. As per this example, Jessica believes that there is a problem with the firm's ________ justice.

A) interpersonal
B) distributive
C) associative
D) procedural
E) outcome

Question 59

An employee, rightly or wrongly, perceives the boss doesn't like him. As a result, he expects to get a poor appraisal, regardless of the level of effort he puts in. Under such circumstances, according to the expectancy theory, the employee is likely to see the ________ relationship as weak and demotivating.

A) rewards-personal goals
B) effort-performance
C) performance-reward
D) personal goal-self actualization
E) performance-achievement

Question 60

Helen is an office worker who processes health insurance forms. She has worked at her present job for three years. Initially she was criticized by her supervisor for sloppy work, but thereafter improved considerably. Now she consistently processes her forms without errors and even does more forms than her required quota. However, she has found her supervisor has not responded to the extra effort she puts in, giving her no praise and no financial reward. Helen is most likely to perceive that there is a problem in the ________ relationship.

A) rewards-personal goals
B) performance- awareness
C) effort-performance
D) personal goal-self actualization
E) performance-achievement

Question 61

If we consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs in the context of Japan, Greece, and Mexico, where uncertainty-avoidance characteristics are strong then ________ needs would be on top of the hierarchy.

A) self actualization
B) security
C) social
D) esteem
E) growth

Question 62

According to the two-factor theory, adequate hygiene factors provide job satisfaction.

Question 63

With reference to the expectancy theory, when pay is based on factors other than performance such as seniority, the ________ relationship tends to be weak.

A) effort-satisfaction
B) performance-reward
C) effort-performance
D) personal goal-self actualization
E) performance-achievement

Question 64

Which of these five employees is most suitable for taking on your responsibilities when you are on a vacation?

A) Joe
B) Mary
C) Tim
D) Sarah
E) Doug

Question 65

Jill is an excellent technical writer. She has never missed a deadline and all her projects are of superior quality. She now wants to telecommute two days a week, so that she can spend more time with her family. She feels that she has proven her reliability. However, her boss is unable to comply with her request and gives her a substantial raise instead. Jill's disappointment demonstrates a breakdown in the ________ relationship.

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) rewards-personal goals
D) effort-satisfaction
E) performance-achievement

Question 66

With reference to the expectancy theory, which of the following examples indicates a weak rewards-personal goals relationship?

A) The employee lacks the skill required for the desired performance level.
B) The organization's appraisal system assess nonperformance factors such as creativity and initiative.
C) The organizational rewards are based on seniority.
D) The employee believes that his manager does not like him and so she expects a poor appraisal.
E) The employee wants to be relocated to the Paris office but instead is transferred to Singapore.

Question 67

According to Maslow, the lower order needs are satisfied internally and the higher order needs are satisfied externally.

Question 68

Jane is likely to focus on which of the following levels of needs?

A) esteem
B) growth
C) physiological
D) self-actualization
E) safety

Question 69

In such a situation, you will most likely ________.

A) work harder
B) produce better work
C) acknowledge that the new person hired is worth more
D) reduce the quality or quantity of work
E) continue the job to acquire benefits of seniority

Question 70

Which of the following theories best describes such a situation?

A) equity theory
B) two factor theory
C) goal-setting theory
D) theory of needs
E) self-determination theory

Question 71

According to Maslow, a need that is essentially satisfied no longer motivates.

Question 72

Under Theory Y, managers believe employees inherently dislike work and must therefore be directed or even coerced into performing it.

Question 73

Which of the following do you think would motivate Jonathan the most?

A) more vacation time
B) more responsibility
C) greater discretion over his job
D) more money
E) a greater sense of inner peace

Question 74

Which of these five employees would be best suited as a mentor to new employees with a chance to develop friendships?

A) Joe
B) Mary
C) Tim
D) Sarah
E) Doug

Question 75

According to Maslow's hierarchy, Mary is likely to focus on satisfying ________ needs.

A) social
B) esteem
C) physiological
D) self-actualization
E) growth

Question 76

Which of these five employees is most likely to be suitable for a new assignment that involves a high degree of personal responsibility and feedback?

A) Joe
B) Mary
C) Tim
D) Sarah
E) Doug

Question 77

According to the expectancy theory, which of the following relationships indicates the degree to which the individual believes that a particular level of output will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome?

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) rewards-personal goals
D) effort-satisfaction
E) performance-achievement

Question 78

If a manager incorrectly assumes that all employees want the same thing then according to the expectancy theory, it is most likely to result in a weak ________ relationship.

A) performance-achievement
B) effort-performance
C) performance-reward
D) rewards-personal goals
E) effort-satisfaction

Question 79

According to equity theory, the referent comparison used by you in this example is ________.

A) self-inside
B) self-outside
C) other-inside
D) other-outside
E) inside-outside

Question 80

Motivation is defined as the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.