Question 1

Which of the following alternative work arrangements enables the organization to draw on the talents of more than one individual in a given job?

Accepted Answer

A)  flextime 
B)  telecommuting 
C)  profit-sharing 
D)  gainsharing 
E)  job sharing

Question 2

A prerequisite condition for job rotation is the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  presence of high level of autonomy among workers 
B)  presence of employee involvement programs 
C)  presence of alternative work arrangements for employees to avail 
D)  presence of employees with similar skill sets and requirements 
E)  presence of high need for affiliation among workers

Question 3

An advantage of the ________ plan is that benefits accrue to groups of workers, high-performing workers pressure weaker performers to work harder, improving performance for the group as a whole.

Accepted Answer

A)  gainsharing 
B)  skill-based pay 
C)  flexible benefits 
D)  profit-sharing 
E)  modular

Question 4

When it comes to motivating employees, financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

After the training and development manager at Add Worth, Nicole Hayes, resigned, the CEO has made it a priority that the position be filled soon by someone of equal expertise and experience as Nicole. To locate the right candidate, Jennifer Ray, the HR manager, has been contacting recruitment firms, checking job sites, and pushing for referrals from the employees. However, she has only found candidates with little or no experience in the field who were willing to work full time for the position. At the next meeting with the CEO, Jennifer proposes an alternative strategy; she suggests hiring two experienced candidates who are open to the idea of handling the training needs on a part-time basis as a team. The CEO listens to her proposal but is not too convinced by it. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Jennifer's proposal to use work sharing for the vacant position?

Accepted Answer

A)  The employees of the company on the work council have planned to demand the flextime option. 
B)  A rival firm recently adopted telecommuting to reduce administrative costs cutting into its bottom line. 
C)  A good proportion of the company's prized workforce comprises employees from the baby boomer generation who are set to retire in the impending future. 
D)  Trainers are exempted from the requirement of being at the office throughout the common core period of the workday. 
E)  The headhunting firms that Jennifer contacted are usually helpful in generating a good pool of potential candidates.

Question 6

What are the various dimensions of the job characteristics model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the various dimensions of the...

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true regarding an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)?

Accepted Answer

A)  ESOPs are also called competency-based pay plans. 
B)  ESOPs are effective because, like bonuses, they reward recent performance. 
C)  There exists a strong correlation between ESOPs and employee performance. 
D)  The financial stake in the company is adequate to use ESOPs as an effective means to motivate employees. 
E)  Under this plan, employees acquire company shares often at below-market prices.

Question 8

Samantha Barnes is an emergency medical technician. Recently, during an emergency call, she was able to resuscitate a man who had a cardiac arrest. Subsequently, she spent some time calming the 12-year-old daughter of the patient and looked after her till the rest of the patient's family arrived at the hospital. Based on this description, it can be concluded that Samantha's job is high in ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  task significance 
B)  feedback 
C)  extrinsic rewards 
D)  task identity 
E)  job rotation

Question 9

Job enrichment improves employees' skills by periodically shifting an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The two major forms of employee involvement are participative management and ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  job rotation 
B)  job sharing 
C)  representative participation 
D)  organizational restructuring 
E)  job enlargement

Question 11

Beyond redesigning the nature of the work itself and involving employees in decisions, another approach to making the work environment more motivating is to alter work arrangements to meet employee needs. Which of the following is designed to give an employee greater control of their schedule?

Accepted Answer

A)  gainsharing 
B)  job enrichment 
C)  flextime 
D)  job enlargement 
E)  job rotation

Question 12

Adam Sears is an assembly line employee with Swenson Motors. Though Adam is popular among his supervisors and colleagues, Adam experiences low morale and lack of motivation. He feels frustrated that his job is restricted to fixing nuts and bolts on the car parts. He fears that he has no chances of advancing in his career as he cannot completely assemble a car. Which of the following is true with regard to Adam?

Accepted Answer

A)  Adam's job has low task identity. 
B)  Adam's job has high task complexity. 
C)  Adam's job has low role definition. 
D)  Adam's job has high task significance. 
E)  Adam's job has a high span of control.

Question 13

What is employee involvement and why is it important. What are the two major forms of employee involvement?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is employee involvement and why is...

Question 14

The major advantage of flextime is that it can be used for all categories of jobs.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What is job enrichment? Describe various methods of job enrichment based on the job characteristics model .

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is job enrichment? Describe various methods...

Question 16

Which of the following is the major drawback of job sharing from management's perspective?

Accepted Answer

A)  increased costs for providing supporting infrastructure (such as desk and computer) to two employees instead of one 
B)  difficulty in finding compatible partners 
C)  increase in supervisory workload 
D)  difficulty in designing the reward structure 
E)  difficulty in coordinating schedules

Question 17

The job characteristics model describes five dimensions of a job. A job can be enriched by modifying one or more of these five dimensions. Which of the following methods of job enrichment involves modifying skill variety and task identity dimensions of a job?

Accepted Answer

A)  combining tasks 
B)  expanding jobs vertically 
C)  establishing client relationships 
D)  forming natural work units 
E)  opening feedback channels

Question 18

To be effective, an employee involvement program must ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mandatorily establish work councils in the company 
B)  rightsize the company by eliminating obsolete positions 
C)  incorporate the unique demands of different cultures 
D)  eliminate the influence of employees in managerial decision making 
E)  implement autocratic ways of handling its employees

Question 19

What is an advantage of bonuses over merit-based pay plan?

Accepted Answer

A)  Bonuses improve flexibility of the workforce. 
B)  Bonuses are paid based on a formula. 
C)  Bonuses improve performance of the group as a whole. 
D)  Employees don't view bonuses as a part of their salary. 
E)  Employees are rewarded for recent performance.

Question 20

Job enrichment is the process of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level 
B)  expansion of jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work 
C)  evaluation of an employee wherein subordinates, peers, and managers provide comprehensive feedback 
D)  distribution of a significant degree of power between subordinates and supervisors 
E)  redistribution of power within the organization through work councils and board representations

Exam 8: Motivation: From Concepts to Applications

Which of the following alternative work arrangements enables the organization to draw on the talents of more than one individual in a given job?

A prerequisite condition for job rotation is the ________.

An advantage of the ________ plan is that benefits accrue to groups of workers, high-performing workers pressure weaker performers to work harder, improving performance for the group as a whole.

When it comes to motivating employees, financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives.

What are the various dimensions of the job characteristics model?

Which of the following statements is true regarding an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) ?

Job enrichment improves employees' skills by periodically shifting an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level.

The two major forms of employee involvement are participative management and ________.

Beyond redesigning the nature of the work itself and involving employees in decisions, another approach to making the work environment more motivating is to alter work arrangements to meet employee needs. Which of the following is designed to give an employee greater control of their schedule?

What is employee involvement and why is it important. What are the two major forms of employee involvement?

The major advantage of flextime is that it can be used for all categories of jobs.

What is job enrichment? Describe various methods of job enrichment based on the job characteristics model .

Which of the following is the major drawback of job sharing from management's perspective?

The job characteristics model describes five dimensions of a job. A job can be enriched by modifying one or more of these five dimensions. Which of the following methods of job enrichment involves modifying skill variety and task identity dimensions of a job?

To be effective, an employee involvement program must ________.

What is an advantage of bonuses over merit-based pay plan?

Job enrichment is the process of ________.