Deck 6: Learning and Performance Management

Question 1

In the animal learning research by Pavlov, the sound of the bell was the:

A) conditioned response.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned stimulus.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is a form of operant conditioning?

A) Expectancy theory
B) The expectation-performance-reward-satisfaction chain
C) The attempt by a supervisor to satisfy higher order needs of employees through participation
D) Organizational behavior modification

Answer 2

D

Question 3

As an outcome for exceptional performance, Jeffery was provided the opportunity to make an important presentation to the board of directors. However, Jeffery was extremely nervous and upset about the presentation. This consequence was viewed by Jeffery as .

A) a negative consequence
B) a positive consequence
C) extinction
D) punishment

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A person working at a computer terminal may get lower back tension as a result of poor posture. If the person becomes aware of that tension only when the manager enters the work area, then the person may develop lower back tension as a response to the appearance of the manager. This scenario would be an example of:

A) operant conditioning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) paired reinforcement.
D) behavior modification.

Question 5

One of your employees periodically fails to clean up his work area at the end of the work shift. Instead of issuing punishment or discipline, you decide to try an extinction approach to the situation. Accordingly, you might:

A) reassign the worker to a less desirable job.
B) fire the worker.
C) clean up the employee's work area yourself.
D) ignore the worker's undesirable actions for a while.

Question 6

The process of modifying behavior through the use of positive or negative consequences following specific behaviors is known as .

A) classical conditioning
B) Pavlovian conditioning
C) Skinner's Integrated Model of conditioning
D) operant conditioning

Question 7

In the context of schedules of reinforcement, if a random number of responses must be emitted before reinforcement occurs, it is a schedule.

A) fixed interval
B) fixed ratio
C) variable interval
D) variable ratio

Question 8

Central to Bandura's social learning theory is the concept of .

A) self-monitoring
B) classical conditioning
C) task-specific self-efficacy
D) continuous reinforcement

Question 9

The appropriate consequence for an employee who steals company property is:

A) no discipline.
B) termination.
C) intermittent discipline.
D) fixed ratio reinforcement.

Question 10

Reinforcement and punishment represent:

A) the extinction method used to encourage a behavior.
B) the positive and negative consequences of behavior.
C) task-specific self-efficacy.
D) the strategy of withholding a positive consequence.

Question 11

A form of operant conditioning that has been used successfully to shape organizational behavior is known as:

A) job enrichment.
B) organizational behavior development.
C) employee empowerment.
D) organizational behavior modification.

Question 12

The schedule of reinforcement that produces an uneven response pattern varying from a very slow, unenergetic response immediately following reinforcement to a very fast, vigorous response immediately preceding reinforcement is known as .

A) fixed ratio
B) variable ratio
C) fixed interval
D) variable interval

Question 13

The behaviorist approach to learning assumes that observable behavior is a function of:

A) both the person and the environment.
B) external cues.
C) its consequences.
D) the interaction between the affect and cognitive components of an individual.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of classical conditioning?

A) Humans are more complex and less amenable to simple cause-and-effect conditioning.
B) Behavioral environments in organizations are complex and not very amenable to single stimulus-response manipulations.
C) Unconditioned responses and unconditioned stimulus have not been connected in humans.
D) Complex human decision making makes it possible to override simple conditioning.

Question 15

An employee does not respond to the sarcastic comments of a coworker but compliments him for constructive comments. Which of the following statements is true of this scenario?

A) The colleague is using extinction and negative reinforcement.
B) The colleague is using positive and negative consequences.
C) The colleague is using only positive consequences.
D) The colleague is using extinction and positive reinforcement.

Question 16

A manager who reduces an employee's pay if the employee comes to work late and refrains from doing so when the employee is on time has:

A) positively reinforced the employee's on-time behavior.
B) negatively reinforced the employee's on-time behavior.
C) utilized extinction to reduce the undesirable behavior.
D) None of these

Question 17

A non-response approach that weakens a behavior is known as .

A) punishment
B) negative reinforcement
C) intermittent reinforcement
D) extinction

Question 18

In context of the work environment, learning:

A) takes place through formal training programs.
B) is primarily the cognitive activity of acquiring knowledge.
C) is ad hoc and accidental.
D) is primarily a change in behavior acquired through experience.

Question 19

As a supervisor you decide to use positive reinforcement to increase the probability that desired job performance will be repeated. All of the following are appropriate as positive reinforcement except:

A) salary increase after evaluation.
B) promotion after several outstanding performance reviews.
C) releasing employee to go home early but providing full pay.
D) no response or feedback when employee fails to complete task on time.

Question 20

The process of modifying behavior so that a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus and elicits an unconditioned response is known as:

A) operant conditioning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) reinforcement.
D) learning.

Question 21

Intuitors, in terms of learning, prefer:

A) to search for practical applications.
B) interpersonal involvement.
C) specific, empirical data.
D) theoretical frameworks.

Question 22

The process of defining, measuring, appraising, providing feedback on, and improving performance is known as _____.

A) Management by Objectives
B) a control system
C) performance management
D) performance appraisal

Question 23

The evaluation of a medical doctor's performance on interpersonal skills to complement necessary technical diagnostic and treatment skills reflects which characteristic of performance?

A) The qualitative and quantitative dimensions of performance
B) The multidimensional nature of performance in most work settings
C) The importance of setting difficult but achievable goals
D) The need to be specific in setting goals

Question 24

Management by objectives is a goal-setting and performance-planning program developed by .

A) Albert Bandura
B) B.F. Skinner
C) J. Willard Marriott
D) Peter Drucker

Question 25

An important intermediate step between goal acceptance and goal accomplishment is:

A) behavior/reward contingencies.
B) goal clarity.
C) goal commitment.
D) goal specificity.

Question 26

As a supervisor, you can enhance the performance of your employees by:

A) setting their goals for them.
B) closely controlling their work behavior.
C) allowing them to participate in goal setting.
D) giving them easy goals.

Question 27

Which of the following has NOT been shown to moderate the relationship between goal difficulty and task performance?

A) Goal commitment
B) Effective performance feedback
C) Low self-monitor
D) Required skills and abilities

Question 28

The major function(s) of performance appraisal include:

A) to provide feedback on performance.
B) to identify developmental needs.
C) to make promotion and reward decisions.
D) all of these.

Question 29

An individual's internal expectancy to perform a particular assignment successfully is known as .

A) self-esteem
B) external locus of control
C) self-monitoring behavior
D) task-specific self-efficacy

Question 30

An important function of goal setting is:

A) reducing role stress by clarifying the task-role expectations.
B) reducing cultural differences among employees coming from different backgrounds.
C) minimizing performance evaluations.
D) decreasing motivation.

Question 31

Performance appraisal is used for all of the following except:

A) evaluating employee work behavior.
B) making promotion and other reward decisions.
C) identifying employee developmental needs.
D) selecting persons from a pool of job applicants.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT considered to be one of the four sources of task-specific self-efficacy critical to the social learning theory of Albert Bandura?

A) Prior experiences
B) Witnessing the success of others
C) Current financial status
D) Assessment of current physical and emotional capabilities

Question 33

The strongest way for an employee to develop self-efficacy is to:

A) develop an internal locus of control.
B) develop a high degree of self-monitoring.
C) use the extinction method.
D) succeed at a challenging task.

Question 34

If two supervisors evaluated an employee's performance using the same set of rating scales but arrived at different conclusions or results, the evaluation instrument is:

A) invalid.
B) biased.
C) unreliable.
D) sufficient.

Question 35

Social learning theory is based on the belief that:

A) learning occurs because of behavioral consequences.
B) learning occurs based on group norms.
C) learning is strongly connected to need based drives and the fulfillment of personal needs.
D) learning occurs through the observation of other people and the modeling of their behavior.

Question 36

The process of establishing desired results that guide and direct behavior is known as .

A) classical conditioning
B) goal setting
C) outcome instrumentality
D) extinction

Question 37

All of the following are generally considered to be good characteristics of work goals except:

A) specific.
B) time-bound.
C) measurable.
D) moderately difficult.

Question 38

Starbucks' bold goal of recycling 100% of their cups by 2012 meets all of the following of the SMART criteria except:

A) time-bound.
B) realistic.
C) measurable.
D) specific.

Question 39

Outcome (or performance) feedback is greatly facilitated by:

A) closed-end goals.
B) open-ended goals.
C) quantitative goals.
D) peer competitive goals.

Question 40

The first step in the performance measurement process is:

A) rewarding positive performance behaviors.
B) measuring performance.
C) defining performance in behavioral terms.
D) assessing the impact of performance behaviors.

Question 41

Learning is a change in behavior acquired through experience.

Question 42

The attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences to it is considered to be extinction.

Question 43

Kelley proposed that individuals make attributions based on information gathered in the form of:

A) consensus, distinctiveness, and attractiveness.
B) consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency.
C) attractiveness, distinctiveness, and consistency.
D) attractiveness, consensus, and consistency.

Question 44

Traditional organizational reward systems in the United States place value on:

A) entitlement.
B) group performance.
C) non-specific performance standards.
D) individual performance.

Question 45

A key criticism of self-evaluations is:

A) the decrease in commitment to organizational goals.
B) they have not been shown to lead to more satisfying and constructive evaluation interviews.
C) they often conflict with supervisory evaluations.
D) they have been shown to have no relationship to improving job performance.

Question 46

Classical conditioning is the process of modifying behavior through rewards and punishments.

Question 47

An important aspect of a mentoring relationship is:

A) disciplining the subordinate.
B) coaching and counseling.
C) peer feedback.
D) formal training.

Question 48

As part of a performance appraisal, companies develop employees and enhance careers through:

A) electronic performance monitoring.
B) self-evaluation.
C) coaching and counseling.
D) empathetic listening.

Question 49

Performance feedback is more likely to lead to increased job performance when it is:

A) constructive and specific.
B) provided in written form only.
C) not recorded.
D) one-way communication.

Question 50

The notion of entitlement at work is considered:

A) to engender active, responsible, adult behavior.
B) to engender passive, irresponsible behavior.
C) to be necessary for developing expectations for high performance and appropriate rewards.
D) to define the consequence of rewarding high performance and developing achievement oriented behavior.

Question 51

Reward allocation decisions involve:

A) sequential decisions about which outcomes will be rewarded.
B) simultaneous decisions about which people to reward, how to reward them, and when to reward them.
C) a process of considering individual perceptions regarding instrumentalities and whether reward levels will be perceived equitable.
D) sequential decisions about which people to reward, how to reward them, and when to reward them.

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT true of the characteristics of 360-degree feedback?

A) It is a tactic to improve the accuracy of performance appraisals.
B) When combined with self-evaluations, there is a high level of agreement with supervisory evaluations.
C) It provides a well-rounded view of performance from superiors, peers, followers, and customers.
D) High levels of agreement may not necessarily be desirable if the intent of the 360-degree evaluation is to provide a full picture of an individual's performance.

Question 53

Operant conditioning is the process of modifying behavior by following specific behaviors with positive or negative consequences.

Question 54

Minimal effort, lack of commitment, lack of motivation, and personal problems:

A) are external attributions for poor performance.
B) are unresolveable and usually result in employee termination.
C) are internal attributions for poor performance.
D) can usually be solved with negative reinforcement.

Question 55

A strong way for an employee to develop self-efficacy is to succeed at a challenging task.

Question 56

A fixed ratio of reinforcement is very similar to continuous reinforcement.

Question 57

The reliability of an effective performance appraisal system comes from ensuring:

A) the appropriate dimensions of performance are appraised.
B) that the dimensions of performance that are measured are constructed in a valid way.
C) that evaluations from multiple sources and at different times are captured over the course of the evaluation period.
D) that when evaluations are conducted employees clearly understand what dimensions are being evaluated.

Question 58

A three-day unpaid suspension for excessive tardiness is a negative reinforcement for an employee.

Question 59

All of the following are problems that contribute to the inaccuracy of performance appraisals except:

A) deficiency.
B) unreliability.
C) invalidity.
D) recording.

Question 60

An informational cue that indicates the degree to which a person behaves the same way in other situations is known as _____.

A) consistency
B) consensus
C) distinctiveness
D) inconsistency

Question 61

Briefly describe a management by objectives program.

Question 62

The most effective incentives celebrate the single individual rather than the team's collective accomplishments.

Question 63

Organizations get the performance they reward, not the performance they want.

Question 64

Briefly distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement and provide a job-related example of each.

Question 65

Match the following:
a. An attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences
b. A salary increase
c. Behavior change induced by either positive or negative consequences
d. A one-week disciplinary layoff
e. A change in behavior acquired through knowledge acquisition
Learning

Question 66

The heart of goal setting theory is the strong positive relationship between goal level and task performance.

Question 67

What are characteristics of effective goals?

Question 68

Specific feedback is beneficial for initial performance but discourages exploration and undermines the learning needed for later, more independent performance.

Question 69

An equipment breakdown is an external attribution for poor performance.

Question 70

Match the following:
a. An attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences
b. A salary increase
c. Behavior change induced by either positive or negative consequences
d. A one-week disciplinary layoff
e. A change in behavior acquired through knowledge acquisition
Operant conditioning

Question 71

An advantage of the 360-degree feedback appraisal is that it provides a well-rounded view of performance from superiors, peers, followers, and customers.

Question 72

Employee performance usually improves with increasingly challenging goals.

Question 73

Match the following:
a. An attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences
b. A salary increase
c. Behavior change induced by either positive or negative consequences
d. A one-week disciplinary layoff
e. A change in behavior acquired through knowledge acquisition
Positive consequence

Question 74

Individual (or employee) goal setting should precede organizational goal setting.

Question 75

How can schedules of reinforcement be used in the work situation?

Question 76

Briefly define performance, indicate how performance can be evaluated, and mention attributes of a good performance appraisal system.

Question 77

Match the following:
a. An attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences
b. A salary increase
c. Behavior change induced by either positive or negative consequences
d. A one-week disciplinary layoff
e. A change in behavior acquired through knowledge acquisition
Punishment

Question 78

Match the following:
a. An attempt to weaken a behavior by attaching no consequences
b. A salary increase
c. Behavior change induced by either positive or negative consequences
d. A one-week disciplinary layoff
e. A change in behavior acquired through knowledge acquisition
Extinction

Question 79

Feedback by a manager to an employee is an important aspect of any appraisal system and is frequently done as coaching and counseling in a management by objectives program.

Question 80

Reward systems based upon entitlement encourage performance improvement.