Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

The employee believes that there is no relationship between his effort and his performance evaluation, which is a failure of the effort-performance relationship. The rewards and personal goals relationship is not relevant to the information given. The performance-reward and rewards-effort relationships are not directly mentioned. The performance-achievement relationship is similar to the performance-reward relationship, also not directly mentioned in the information given.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Goal-setting theory emphasizes the importance of setting specific and challenging goals, whereas reinforcement theory focuses on rewarding specific behaviors. Goal-setting theory assumes that goals are intrinsically motivating, while reinforcement theory focuses on external rewards. These differing assumptions and approaches make the basic concepts of the two theories incompatible.

Question 3

Theory X assumes that human beings are inherently good.

Accepted Answer

Theory X assumes that human beings are inherently lazy and need external motivation and control in order to work towards achieving goals.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

This is true. Individuals with a high need to achieve tend to have a strong desire to succeed and prefer job situations that provide them with personal responsibility, feedback, and a moderate level of risk. This allows them to feel challenged and motivated to perform well.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Workers across different countries and cultures often share the desire for interesting work, as it contributes to job satisfaction and personal fulfillment, regardless of location.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Self-efficacy is defined as an individual's belief in their own capability to perform a specific task or behavior.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

The need for achievement is often associated with American culture, which emphasizes individual success and personal accomplishment.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory suggests that an individual's motivation to perform a task is determined by how much they believe that their performance will lead to a specific outcome (i.e. the performance-reward relationship). This belief is influenced by three factors: expectancy (the degree to which an individual believes their effort will result in a certain level of performance), instrumentality (the degree to which an individual believes their performance will lead to a certain outcome), and valence (the value an individual places on the outcome).

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

According to Herzberg, the opposite of "satisfaction" is "no satisfaction," and the opposite of "dissatisfaction" is "no dissatisfaction."

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Helen is an office worker who processes...

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Jamie's lack of motivation stems from the breakdown in the performance-reward relationship, as she did not receive the promotion she believed she deserved based on her performance as top sales representative for the region.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Finland is known for having a high nurturing culture, which values collaboration and group work, so the team would likely be more motivated working together rather than individually.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Jill's disappointment stems from the fact that the reward (a raise) does not align with her personal goals (telecommuting to spend more time with family).

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, once a need is satisfied, it no longer motivates behavior. The individual is then motivated to fulfill the next higher need in the hierarchy.

Question 15

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

Accepted Answer

According to the equity theory, individuals compare their inputs and outcomes in a situation with those of others and if they perceive an inequality or imbalance, it creates a feeling of tension or discomfort which motivates them to take action to restore the equity. Therefore, equity tension is the negative tension state which provides the motivation to do something to correct it.

Question 16

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.

Accepted Answer

This statement is not true as there are various other motivation theories, such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Herzberg's two-factor theory, and reinforcement theory, which are also valid for determining motivation.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

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 Vroom's expectancy theory. This theory emphasizes the relationship between an individual's effort and performance, performance and rewards, and the attractiveness of those rewards.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Self-determination theory posits that people are more motivated when they have a sense of autonomy and choice in their actions, and being forced to do something can undermine this sense of autonomy and decrease motivation.

Question 19

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.

Accepted Answer

Most of the current motivation theories were developed in the United States by Americans where individualism and quality of life are highly valued. Therefore, these values are reflected in the theories.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory posits that the rewards-personal goals relationship refers to how well the rewards satisfy personal goals or needs and their attractiveness to the individual.

Quiz 7: Basic Motivation Concepts

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.

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

Theory X assumes that human beings are inherently good.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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.

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 ________.

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

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

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

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 ________.

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

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

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?