Question 1

Employees at CyberTech perform repetitive jobs that have resulted in boredom as well as repetitive strain injury.Technology makes it difficult to combine existing jobs, but the company wants to make employees more multiskilled.Which of the following would best help CyberTech to improve this situation?
A)Encourage employees to engage in mental imagery.
B)Introduce job specialization.
C)Introduce a gainsharing plan for all production employees.
D)Introduce job rotation.
E)Introduce job enrichment by having each employee produces the entire product rather than a small part of it.

Accepted Answer

Introducing job rotation would help to overcome the boredom and repetitive strain injury experienced by the employees. It will allow them to perform different tasks and gain more skills, thereby making them more multiskilled. This will also help to prevent monotony and burnout. Mental imagery and gainsharing plans may not directly address the issue of job boredom and repetitive strain injury. Introducing job specialization and job enrichment may not be feasible due to the nature of the company's technology.

Question 2

Which of these job design actions is mainly a form of job enlargement?
A)Increasing the number of tasks within the job.
B)Establishing client relationships.
C)Empowering employees.
D)Forming natural work units.
E)Establishing client relationships and forming natural work units.

Accepted Answer

Job enlargement involves increasing the variety of tasks within a job. Option A is the only action listed that directly relates to job enlargement. B, C, and D are associated with other forms of job design such as job enrichment and job rotation. Option E includes two actions, but only one (forming natural work units) is related to job design, and it is not a form of job enlargement.

Question 3

A job in which employees are able to complete something from beginning to end or there is a visible outcome of the work is called:
A)skill variety.
B)task significance.
C)job feedback.
D)job rotation.
E)task identity.

Accepted Answer

Task identity refers to the degree to which a job requires completing a whole, identifiable piece of work from beginning to end. Jobs that have high task identity allow employees to see the results of their work, which can provide a sense of satisfaction and motivation.

Question 4

A large retail organization previously divided work among its four employee benefits staff into distinct specializations.One person answered all questions about superannuation (pension plans), another answered all questions about various forms of paid time off (e.g.vacations), and so on.These jobs were recently restructured so that each employee benefits person answers all questions for people in a particular geographic area.For example, one staff member is responsible for all employee benefits inquiries from anyone in a particular geographic region.This job restructuring is an example of:
A)self-leadership.
B)job enrichment.
C)job rotation.
D)scientific management.
E)job specialization.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A large retail organization previously divided work...

Question 5

A unique feature of Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory is that it:
A)states that improving motivators increases job satisfaction but does not decrease job dissatisfaction.
B)states that employees can be satisfied with their jobs but not motivated to perform their jobs.
C)identifies job specialization as the main source of higher need fulfillment.
D)views job satisfaction and dissatisfaction as opposites.
E)recognizes money as the primary motivator in organizational settings.

Accepted Answer

Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory states that improving motivators (such as opportunities for growth, recognition, and achievement) can increase job satisfaction, but it does not necessarily decrease job dissatisfaction. Conversely, improving hygiene factors (such as salary, working conditions, and job security) can decrease job dissatisfaction but does not necessarily lead to increased job satisfaction. This theory recognizes the two factors as separate and independent, rather than opposites. Additionally, Herzberg's theory does not view money as the primary motivator, but rather as a hygiene factor.

Question 6

Knowledge of results originates primarily from:
A)job feedback.
B)skill variety.
C)autonomy.
D)task significance.
E)task identity.

Accepted Answer

Knowledge of results refers to the feedback given to an individual about their performance on a task. This feedback can come from various sources, but in a work context, job feedback is the primary source of knowledge of results. Skill variety, autonomy, task significance, and task identity are all factors that contribute to an employee's motivation and job satisfaction, but they do not directly relate to knowledge of results.

Question 7

Employees are empowered when they:
A)practice job specialization.
B)experience self-reinforcement.
C)engage in positive self-talk.
D)experience freedom and discretion.
E)experience self-reinforcement and engage in positive self-talk.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment means giving employees the freedom and discretion to make decisions and take action on their own. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity. Job specialization, self-reinforcement, and positive self-talk may enhance performance, but they do not necessarily give employees the power and autonomy they need to feel empowered.

Question 8

Which of these contemporary organizational behavior practices was popularized by Fredrick Taylor in his work on scientific management?
A)Goal setting
B)Job enrichment
C)Membership and seniority-based rewards
D)All of the answers are correct.
E)None of the answers apply.

Accepted Answer

Fredrick Taylor is known for popularizing goal setting as a key practice in his work on scientific management.

Question 9

A cable TV company redesigned jobs so that one employee interacts directly with customers, connects and disconnects their cable service, installs their special services and collects overdue accounts in an assigned area.Previously, each task was performed by a different person and the customer interacted only with someone at head office.This change is an example of:
A)increasing job enrichment by establishing client relationships.
B)encouraging self-reinforcement.
C)introducing job rotation.
D)increasing job specialization.
E)None of the answers apply.

Accepted Answer

By redesigning the job so that one employee interacts directly with customers, the company is increasing job enrichment by establishing client relationships. This allows the employee to have a bigger impact on the customer's experience and can lead to greater job satisfaction.

Question 10

Which core job characteristic(s) affect(s) experienced responsibility for work outcomes?
A)Feedback from job and skill variety
B)Autonomy
C)Skill variety, task identity and task significance
D)Task identity
E)All of the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

Autonomy directly affects an individual's experienced responsibility for work outcomes, as it refers to the degree of discretion and independence an individual has in determining how to perform their job tasks.

Question 11

A video journalist's job consists of operating the camera, reporting the story, and often editing the work, whereas these three tasks are traditionally performed by three people.Video journalism is an example of:
A)self-leadership.
B)job enrichment.
C)job enlargement.
D)job specialization.
E)job enrichment and job enlargement.

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment involves adding more variety and responsibilities to a job, enhancing its depth. Job enlargement expands a job by increasing the number and variety of tasks performed, thus increasing its breadth. Video journalism, which combines operating the camera, reporting, and editing—tasks traditionally done by three separate individuals—encompasses both job enrichment and job enlargement by adding more variety and responsibility to the role.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a core job characteristic in the job characteristics model?
A)Skill variety
B)Task significance
C)Job feedback
D)Experienced meaningfulness
E)Task identity

Accepted Answer

The Job Characteristics Model identifies five core job characteristics: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. "Experienced meaningfulness" is not one of these core characteristics; instead, it is an outcome that results from the presence of the core job characteristics.

Question 13

Job enlargement primarily changes which of the following?
A)Autonomy
B)Working conditions
C)Job feedback
D)Growth need strength
E)Skill variety

Accepted Answer

Job enlargement primarily changes skill variety, which means giving employees more variety in the tasks they perform. This can increase their level of engagement and interest in their work, which can lead to improved job satisfaction and motivation. While job enlargement may also have some impact on autonomy and working conditions, these factors are not the primary focus of this strategy. Similarly, job feedback and growth need strength may be affected to some extent by job enlargement, but they are not the primary drivers of this approach.

Question 14

Job rotation has all of the following effects EXCEPT:
A)reducing boredom on the job.
B)reducing repetitive strain injuries.
C)helping employees to learn skills to work in multiple jobs.
D)testing each person's level of self-leadership.
E)None of the answers apply.

Accepted Answer

Job rotation is a technique used by organizations to expose employees to different roles and responsibilities within the organization. It has been found to be effective in reducing boredom on the job, reducing repetitive strain injuries, and helping employees to learn skills to work in multiple jobs. However, job rotation is not typically used to test each person's level of self-leadership, so option D is not a typical effect of job rotation. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 15

Empowerment does which of the following?
A)Empowerment increases autonomy.
B)Empowerment decreases skill variety.
C)Empowerment increases job rotation.
D)Empowerment increases job specialization.
E)Empowerment increases autonomy and job specialization.

Accepted Answer

Empowerment is about giving employees more control and decision-making power over their work, which in turn increases their autonomy. It does not necessarily have to involve increasing job rotation or decreasing skill variety, and in fact often involves the opposite - increasing employees' responsibilities and opportunities for skill development. Therefore, the best choice is A - empowerment increases autonomy.

Question 16

Job enrichment usually:
A)reduces product and service quality.
B)increases error rates and defects.
C)reduces job satisfaction among qualified employees with high growth need strength.
D)increases absenteeism and turnover.
E)None of the answers apply.

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment is designed to increase job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity by providing employees with greater responsibilities and opportunities for growth and development. It is unlikely to reduce product and service quality, increase error rates and defects, or increase absenteeism and turnover. While it is possible that some employees may not enjoy or benefit from job enrichment, research generally suggests that it has positive effects on employee attitudes and performance. Therefore, none of the answers apply.

Question 17

All of the following tend to increase the quality of work performed, EXCEPT:
A)job enrichment.
B)job specialization.
C)competency-based rewards.
D)natural grouping of tasks into one job.
E)empowerment.

Accepted Answer

Job specialization involves breaking down a job into smaller, more repetitive tasks, which can lead to boredom and decreased job satisfaction, ultimately lowering the quality of work performed. The other options all tend to increase the quality of work performed by providing employees with more autonomy, opportunities for growth and development, and recognition for their skills and contributions.

Question 18

Which of these factors, according to Herzberg, is a hygiene factor?
A)Autonomy
B)Job security
C)Responsibility
D)Personal growth
E)All of the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, job security is a hygiene factor, which means it is necessary for creating a satisfactory work environment but does not necessarily lead to motivation or job satisfaction. Autonomy, responsibility, and personal growth are all examples of motivators, which are factors that increase job satisfaction and motivation. Therefore, the correct answer is B) Job security.

Question 19

To increase an employee's feelings of experienced responsibility, we would:
A)increase the amount of job feedback in the person's job.
B)reduce the amount of task identity and task significance in the person's job.
C)increase the amount of autonomy in the person's job.
D)reduce the amount of skill variety in the person's job.
E)increase the amount of task identity and task significance in the person's job.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To increase an employee's feelings of experienced...

Question 20

Which of the following does NOT occur at very high levels of job specialization?
A)Product quality increases while the quantity of output decreases.
B)Worker alienation increases.
C)Employee turnover increases.
D)Employees are less motivated to perform their jobs well.
E)Employers are often forced to pay higher wages to attract job applicants to the tedious work.

Accepted Answer

At very high levels of job specialization, the quantity of output typically increases due to the efficiency gained from workers performing highly specialized tasks. This contradicts the statement in option A, which suggests that quantity decreases. The other options (B, C, D, E) are common consequences of high job specialization, including increased worker alienation, higher employee turnover, reduced motivation, and the need for employers to offer higher wages to attract applicants to monotonous jobs.

Quiz 6: Applied Performance Practices

Which of these job design actions is mainly a form of job enlargement?

A job in which employees are able to complete something from beginning to end or there is a visible outcome of the work is called:

A unique feature of Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory is that it:

Knowledge of results originates primarily from:

Employees are empowered when they:

Which of these contemporary organizational behavior practices was popularized by Fredrick Taylor in his work on scientific management?

Which core job characteristic(s) affect(s) experienced responsibility for work outcomes?

A video journalist's job consists of operating the camera, reporting the story, and often editing the work, whereas these three tasks are traditionally performed by three people.Video journalism is an example of:

Which of the following is NOT a core job characteristic in the job characteristics model?

Job enlargement primarily changes which of the following?

Job rotation has all of the following effects EXCEPT:

Empowerment does which of the following?

Job enrichment usually:

All of the following tend to increase the quality of work performed, EXCEPT:

Which of these factors, according to Herzberg, is a hygiene factor?

To increase an employee's feelings of experienced responsibility, we would:

Which of the following does NOT occur at very high levels of job specialization?