Deck 7: Basic Motivation Concepts

Question 1

Two-factor theory suggests that dissatisfaction is caused by extrinsic factors. Which of the following is an example of such a factor?

A) advancement
B) working conditions
C) achievement
D) recognition
E) nature of the work itself

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Jim is a student who cannot work at writing a paper for more than 30 minutes, yet he can spend many hours writing comments on blogs. What accounts for the change in motivation in this case?

A) his ability
B) the situation
C) his personality
D) the congruence
E) the structure of the task

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the major problem with Maslow's hierarchy of needs in organizational behavior?

A) It is difficult to apply to the workplace.
B) It is vague as to how a workplace can satisfy higher-order needs.
C) Its terminology tends to alienate those to whom it is applied.
D) It is almost impossible to assess how well an individual has a particular need filled.
E) There is little evidence that needs are structured or operate in the way it describes.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Jasmine is trying to gain control 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 her predecessors and wants people to know that this is so. What need would McClelland say primarily drives Jasmine in this case?

A) the need for control
B) the need for achievement
C) the need for attainment
D) the need for influence
E) the need for power

Question 5

Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer all of the following except ________.

A) job situations with personal responsibility
B) a high degree of risk
C) overcoming obstacles
D) feedback
E) personal empowerment

Question 6

What are the three key elements of motivation?

A) reactance, congruence, and circumstance
B) interest, activity, and reward
C) awareness, effort, and outcome
D) stimulation, progress, and achievement
E) intensity, direction, and persistence

Question 7

Motivation is best defined as a process that ________.

A) results in a level of effort
B) intensifies an individual's efforts
C) accounts for an individual's efforts toward attaining a goal
D) meets an individual's needs
E) stabilizes over time

Question 8

According to Maslow, when does a need stop motivating?

A) when it is substantially satisfied
B) it never stops motivating
C) when one returns to a lower level need
D) when one chooses to move to a higher level need
E) only when it is completely satisfied

Question 9

Which of the following best defines self-determination theory?

A) Intrinsic factors when rewarded increase productivity.
B) Extrinsic factors, such as pay, can actually decrease motivation.
C) Intrinsic factors are related to the desire for interpersonal relationships.
D) Extrinsic factors determine a person's need to control a situation.
E) Extrinsic factors, such as pay, can actually increase motivation.

Question 10

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

A) achievement, realization, and acceptance
B) achievement, power, and affiliation
C) power, acceptance, and confirmation
D) affiliation, control, and realization
E) control, status, and relationships

Question 11

Which of the following is not true about the two-factor theory?

A) Working conditions are characterized as hygiene factors.
B) Intrinsic factors are motivators.
C) A job becomes satisfying when the dissatisfying characteristics are removed.
D) Responsibility is a satisfier.
E) Hygiene factors are demotivators.

Question 12

Which level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs deals with satisfying one's hunger, thirst, and need for sex?

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

Question 13

How would a Theory X manager view employees?

A) seeking responsibility
B) needing to be coerced to achieve goals
C) viewing work as a normal daily activity
D) exercising self control
E) not motivated by rewards

Question 14

Self-determination theory proposes that not only do people seek autonomy, but also ________.

A) high rewards
B) social recognition
C) power
D) dependence
E) connections to others

Question 15

Which of the following is a behavior that would most likely be exhibited by a Theory X manager?

A) She lets her employees choose their own goals.
B) She trusts her employees to use discretion in most matters.
C) She strictly controls the details of any project she is managing.
D) She delegates authority extensively to junior managers.
E) She honestly informs her employees of the likelihood that they will lose their jobs.

Question 16

What continuum in the two-factor theory is made up of the hygiene factors?

A) no dissatisfaction to dissatisfaction
B) no dissatisfaction to satisfaction
C) satisfaction to no satisfaction
D) satisfaction to dissatisfaction
E) dissatisfaction to exit behavior

Question 17

Brian was a star short-stop player in high school. He was drafted to a minor league and didn't go to college. Since playing professionally his performance has declined, and he is considering leaving baseball and applying to college. Brian's lack of motivation can be attributed to which theory?

A) hierarchy of needs theory
B) theory X
C) reinforcement theory
D) self-determination theory
E) two factor theory

Question 18

A Theory Y manager would assume that employees would ________.

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

Question 19

Ana's parents paid her an allowance every week to feed the cats and a few other chores around the house. When Ana's mom lost her job her parents were no longer able to pay her an allowance. Although Ana quit making her bed every morning, she still fed the cats as soon as she woke up. Which of the following best explains Ana's behavior?

A) Without the extrinsic reward the task itself is eliminated.
B) With the extrinsic reward the task relies on an internal motivation.
C) Without the intrinsic reward the task relies on an external motivation.
D) Without the extrinsic reward the task relies on an internal motivation.
E) With the intrinsic reward the task relies on an external motivation.

Question 20

According to self-determination theory, if rewards and deadlines are to motivate a person, the person must ________.

A) believe they control their behavior
B) determine the goals and deadlines
C) believe that the goals are achievable
D) believe that the goals are for the greater good
E) be unaware of the goals and deadlines

Question 21

How do proponents of reinforcement theory view behavior?

A) as the result of a cognitive process
B) as environmentally caused
C) as a reflection of the inner state of the individual
D) as a function of one's power need
E) as a product of heredity

Question 22

What is generally considered to be the single best thing that managers can do to improve performance?

A) allocate tasks depending on personality
B) restrict the use of punishment as a means of motivating workers
C) give abundant opportunities for employee growth
D) set specific, challenging goals
E) concentrate on intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic rewards

Question 23

To get the best results when using reinforcement theory, rewards should be ________.

A) given previous to the desired behavior response
B) given immediately follow the desired behavior
C) large and material in nature
D) small, and given only one time
E) presented publicly with many witnesses

Question 24

Phil loves sales. He has been a stellar sales person since he was 12. Recently he was awarded a full paid trip for two to Puerto Rico for breaking a company sales record. Phil is so motivated to work, he has set a new goal to break his old record in the coming year. Taking into account self-determination theory, why did the company recognition and award, an extrinsic reward, motivate Phil?

A) The reward was seen as a coercive method of increasing sales and motivated Phil to prove himself intrinsically.
B) The reward increased Phil's sense of competence by providing feedback that improved his intrinsic motivation.
C) The reward was imposed to work toward a standard that Phil could not believe in and his intrinsic motivation suffered.
D) The reward increased Phil's sense of competence by providing feedback that diminished his intrinsic motivation.
E) The reward decreased Phil's sense of competence by providing feedback that improved his intrinsic motivation.be unaware of the goals and deadlines

Question 25

What does MBO provide for the individual employee?

A) specific personal performance objectives
B) precise job descriptions
C) explicit task objectives.
D) clear direction and purpose
E) higher salaries

Question 26

Tony loves programming. He was on the ground level of the computer revolution. This year his boss has set personal goals for each of the programmers, one of which includes a presentation from each programmer about a project. Tony is very annoyed because he has a tremendous amount of work to do and he'll have to spend the weekend, his personal time, preparing the presentation. Taking into account self-determination theory, why did his boss' goals and the presentation reduce Tony's motivation?

A) The externally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to increase.
B) The internally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to suffer.
C) The self-imposed goal increases his sense of competence, causing the intrinsic motivation to suffer.
D) The externally imposed goal is an external reward, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to increase.
E) The externally imposed goal feels coercive, causing Tony's intrinsic motivation to suffer.

Question 27

Management by Objectives (MBO) emphasizes translating overall organizational objectives into ________.

A) capital gains
B) specific objectives for organizational units and individual members
C) operational units
D) terms that the individual worker can understand and accept
E) personal gain

Question 28

Who sets MBO objectives?

A) the boss
B) the boss and immediate subordinates
C) they are set jointly by superior and subordinate
D) the employees performing the task in question
E) each working division in cooperation with management

Question 29

According to Bandura, what is the most important source of increasing self-efficacy?

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

Question 30

According to the goal-setting theory of motivation, highest performance is reached when goals are set to which level?

A) impossible but inspirational
B) difficult but attainable
C) slightly beyond a person's actual potential
D) only marginally challenging
E) easily attained

Question 31

If operant behavior is influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by its consequences, positive reinforcement ________.

A) weakens a behavior and decreases the likelihood it will be repeated
B) weakens a behavior and increases the likelihood it will be repeated
C) strengthens a behavior and increases the likelihood it will be repeated
D) strengthens a behavior and decreases the likelihood it will be repeated
E) does not have a lasting effect on behavior

Question 32

Who proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation?

A) Abraham Maslow
B) Jake Herzberg
C) Stephen McClelland
D) Edwin Locke
E) Douglas Surber

Question 33

Which theory is, strictly speaking, not a theory of motivation since it does not concern itself with what initiates behavior?

A) equity theory
B) expectancy theory
C) ERG theory
D) reinforcement theory
E) Theory X and Theory Y

Question 34

Some MBO programs fail to live up to expectations. Which of the following is not a common reason that MBO programs fail?

A) They allow lower-unit managers to participate in setting their own goals.
B) There are cultural incompatibilities.
C) There are unrealistic expectations regarding results.
D) There is a lack of commitment by top management.
E) There is an unwillingness or inability by management to reward goal accomplishment.

Question 35

Glendon has a degree in business and worked for two years at an international firm in Spain. When the firm suffered cutbacks and Glendon returned home, he took a job at a non-profit agency mentoring at-risk Spanish-speaking children. Glendon earns a third of what he earned in the business world, but has decided that his new goal is to acquire a larger case load and continue to use his Spanish to help people. Which theory explains why Glendon is happy with a much smaller external reward for his work?

A) self-imposition of goals
B) nAch
C) self-determination
D) extrinsic motivation
E) self-concordance

Question 36

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

A) tangible, verifiable, and measurable
B) achievable, controllable, and profitable
C) inspirational, teachable, and creative
D) challenging, emotional, and constructive
E) hierarchical, attainable, and effective

Question 37

What is the term used for an individual's personal evaluation of their ability to perform?

A) expectancy
B) autonomy
C) self-efficacy
D) task identity
E) auto-discrimination

Question 38

________ is the degree to which a person's reasons for pursuing a goal is consistent with the person's interests and core values.

A) Self-imposition of goals
B) The nAch
C) Self-determination
D) Extrinsic motivation
E) Self-concordance

Question 39

Which of the following is not an important issue relating to goal-setting theory?

A) goal difficulty
B) goal specificity
C) equity among co-workers
D) feedback
E) defining the goal

Question 40

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

A) an explicit time period
B) participative decision making
C) consistent monetary rewards
D) performance feedback
E) specification of the goal

Question 41

Who developed expectancy theory?

A) McClelland
B) Maslow
C) House
D) Vroom
E) Sondak

Question 42

Contemporary research on equity theory focuses on ________ justice.

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

Question 43

When people perceive an imbalance in their outcome-input ratio relative to others, ________.

A) reinforcement theory is imbalanced
B) expectancy theory is violated
C) equity tension is created
D) distributive justice is questioned
E) they seek to move to another position of authority

Question 44

When individuals compare their outcomes and inputs against those of others, the framework is ________.

A) equity
B) expectancy
C) JCM
D) SIC
E) JAV

Question 45

The view that we can learn through both observation and direct experience is called ________.

A) reinforcement theory
B) social-learning theory
C) hierarchy of needs theory
D) two factor theory
E) theory X

Question 46

Which of the following is not a predictable choice when employees perceive an inequity?

A) change their inputs
B) change their outcomes
C) choose a different referent
D) acquire more tenure
E) leave the field

Question 47

What theory attempts to measure the strength of one's expectations and predict motivation?

A) expectancy theory
B) equity theory
C) goal setting theory
D) ERG theory
E) Surberist theory

Question 48

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) efficient outcome

Question 49

Craig is trying to teach his two-year old son to gently caress their cat. Craig softly strokes the animal and every time his son does the same he rewards him with kind words. "Good job!" The child is very attentive during the process and claps his hands when his father praises him. However, as soon as Craig stands up to leave, the boy lunges for the cat and grabs a chunk of hair. Which process of social-learning theory is failing?

A) attentional processes
B) justification processes
C) retention processes
D) motor reproduction processes
E) reinforcement processes

Question 50

Jessica believes that she received an appropriate salary increase this year but she does not believe that the company's methods for determining salary increases were fair. She believes that there is a problem with the firm's ________ justice.

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

Question 51

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

A) Quality will increase.
B) Quantity will increase.
C) Quality will decrease.
D) There will be no effect.
E) The employee will seek a higher wage.

Question 52

Equity theory historically focused on ________ justice.

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

Question 53

Diane wants her students to actively participate more in class. She has decided to use reinforcement theory to get the results she wants. Which of the following methods is she most likely to use?

A) She is going to call on students who never participate.
B) She is going to yell at students, telling them that they are not making good grades.
C) She is going to ask the students that always participate to let someone else have a chance.
D) She is going to model what active participation should look like at the beginning of class.
E) She is going to place a tally mark beside a student's name each time they contribute.

Question 54

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 were a result of her perceiving what kind of injustice?

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

Question 55

People who perceive that they are victims of interactional injustice tend to blame their immediate supervisor rather than the organization at large. Why is this?

A) Interactional justice or injustice is intimately tied to the conveyer of the information.
B) Interactional injustice usually occurs during face-to-face encounters.
C) When people are not treated with respect they tend to retaliate against those closest to hand.
D) Interactional injustice is in the eyes of those who perceive they are disrespected.
E) Interactional injustice is most often the result of impersonal policies of the organization.

Question 56

Which of the following is not a process involved when determining how a model, such as a parent, influences social-learning?

A) attentional processes
B) justification processes
C) retention processes
D) motor reproduction processes
E) reinforcement processes

Question 57

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 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 commensurate with his pay.
E) He will begin to look for a position outside of the company.

Question 58

Which of the following is not true about referent comparisons in equity theory?

A) Both men and women prefer same-sex comparisons.
B) Employees in sex-segregated jobs use more cross-sex comparisons.
C) Employees with long tenure rely more heavily on co-workers for comparisons.
D) Upper-level employees make more other-outside comparisons.
E) Those with higher amounts of education tend to have better information about people in other organizations.

Question 59

What is the major failure of reinforcement theory in explaining changes in behavior?

A) It cannot adequately describe the original behavior.
B) It originated in the studies of the responses of animals.
C) Most behavior is, in fact, environmentally caused.
D) It ignores the effect of rewards and punishments upon behavior.
E) It does not recognize the effect of feelings, attitudes, and other cognitive variables.

Question 60

Which of the following is not a comparison an employee can use in equity theory?

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

Question 61

If an employee believes that no matter how hard he works, his boss will give him the same performance evaluation as last year and the year before, it is the ________ relationship that explains his lack of motivation.

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

Question 62

The basic concepts underlying goal-setting theory and reinforcement theory are at odds.

Question 63

Theory X assumes that human beings are inherently good.

Question 64

Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer job situations with personal responsibility, feedback, and an intermediate degree of risk

Question 65

Which of the following desires would most likely be common to a worker in China, Australia, Kenya, Canada, and Kuwait?

A) interesting work
B) higher pay
C) more flexibility
D) telecommuting options
E) advancement

Question 66

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

Question 67

Which of the following motivation concepts clearly has an American bias?

A) need for power
B) need for affiliation
C) need for achievement
D) social needs
E) need for association

Question 68

The degree to which an individual believes that performing at a particular level will generate a desired outcome is defined by expectancy theory as what kind of relationship?

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) reward-personal goal
D) effort-satisfaction
E) agent-actor

Question 69

According to Herzberg, the opposite of "satisfaction" is "dissatisfaction."

Question 70

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 in the months after that improved considerably. Now she consistently processes her forms without errors and above 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 will most likely perceive that there is a problem in which of the following relationships?

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

Question 71

Jamie is looking for a new job. She was top sales representative for the region, but the promotion to district manager went to a different sales representative that is one of the regional manager's golfing buddies. Jamie's lack of motivation stems from a breakdown in the ________ relationship.

A) performance-reward
B) effort-performance
C) reward-personal goal
D) effort-satisfaction
E) agent-actor

Question 72

Stephani is leading a project in conjunction with a team from Finland. She has assigned each team member a different part of the assignment and is surprised that the motivation level in the teleconference seems very low. The Fins are most likely not motivated because ________.

A) Finland is a country that has high nurturing scores and the team would be happier working as a group
B) Finland is a country that has high security needs and the team would be happier working as a group
C) Finland is a country that has high uncertainty avoidance and the team is happy working individually
D) Finland is a country that avoids risk and the team would be happier working as a group to avoid taking individual blame
E) Finland is a country that is sensitive to reward allocation and the team want to be recognized as a group for their efforts

Question 73

Jill is an excellent technical writer. She has never missed a deadline and the projects that she leads are superior. She is extremely upset with her annual performance review, though. She had asked to telecommute two days a week, to be able to spend more time with her family. She feels like she has proven her reliability. However, her boss said that such a policy is simply not possible right now and gave 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 74

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

Question 75

Equity theory proposes that equity tension is the negative tension state which provides the motivation to do something to correct it.

Question 76

Which of the following is not a true statement about motivation theories.

A) All the theories of motivation are interrelated.
B) Goals help direct behavior.
C) Only expectancy theory is valid for determining contemporary motivation.
D) High achievers are internally driven.
E) An organization's rewards reinforce the individual's performance.

Question 77

The theory that asserts that motivation depends upon an employee's goals, and the belief that productive behavior will get these goals accomplished, is called ________.

A) Herzberg's dual-factor theory
B) McClelland's three needs theory
C) Vroom's expectancy theory
D) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
E) Alderfer's ERG theory

Question 78

Self-determination theory proposes that when a person is forced to do something, or perceives that they are being forced, they lose motivation.

Question 79

Most current motivation theories have a strong emphasis on individualism and quality of life. Why is this?

A) They were developed in the United States by Americans.
B) These are the traits needed to successfully motivate people.
C) Researchers tend to concentrate on those traits that are easiest to quantify.
D) Motivation theory relies on the study of personality traits to understand what drives people.
E) These are the two traits that are most distinct in most people worldwide.

Question 80

According to expectancy theory, the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual's personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual is known as what sort of relationship?

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