Deck 5: Motivating Employee Performance Through Work

Question 1

One of the earliest alternatives to job specialization used by managers was

A)automation.
B)autonomous work groups.
C)job expectancy.
D)job loading.
E)job rotation.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The degree to which the job activities give the individual direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance is called

A)task autonomy.
B)task significance.
C)feedback
D)job integration.
E)job description.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which theory serves as the basis for job enrichment?

A)Equity theory
B)Dual-structure theory
C)Expectancy theory
D)Maslow's hierarchy of needs
E)Need theory

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Individuals can be happier in their personal and professional lives if they separate the notions of

A)efficiency and effectiveness.
B)success and money.
C)work and play.
D)manager and employee.
E)winning and beating the competition.

Question 5

The critical psychological states of the job characteristics theory include all of the following except

A)knowledge of results.
B)individual perceptions that the job is valuable and worthwhile.
C)experienced meaningfulness of the work.
D)individual perceptions of accountability and responsibility.
E)recognition for work outcomes.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a guideline that managers can use to implement the job characteristics theory?

A)Combining existing tasks into more complex ones
B)Opening feedback channels
C)Establishing direct relationships with clients
D)Raising pay levels to match the competition
E)Forming natural work units

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the current view of job enrichment?

A)Job enrichment continues to be a highly successful job design.
B)Nearly all Fortune 500 companies use some form of job enrichment program.
C)Job enrichment has been proven to increase performance, but at the cost of lower satisfaction.
D)Job enrichment has been proven to increase satisfaction, but at the cost of lower performance.
E)Job enrichment has recently fallen into disfavor among managers.

Question 8

The role of participation and empowerment in motivation can be expressed in terms of all of the following theoretical perspectives except

A)need for achievement.
B)expectancy theory.
C)need-based perspectives of motivation.
D)diversity theory.
E)self-esteem.

Question 9

The human relations view of participation was that participation

A)would increase satisfaction, but would not be a source of potentially valuable input.
B)would increase satisfaction, but would likely reduce performance.
C)was necessary but inefficient.
D)was useful to secure creative ideas from employees.
E)could potentially increase the value of the organization's key product or service.

Question 10

All of the following are examples of job design techniques except

A)job enlargement.
B)job enrichment.
C)job rotation.
D)job specialization.
E)job expectancy.

Question 11

The first widespread model of how individual work should be designed was

A)job enrichment.
B)job rotation.
C)job enlargement.
D)motivational design.
E)job specialization.

Question 12

Which one of the following statements has been cited as a weakness of the job characteristics theory?

A)Guidelines for implementation are too specific.
B)All changes to a job must occur simultaneously.
C)The role of individual differences frequently has not been supported by scientific research.
D)The theory assumes that job characteristics are unpredictable and inconsistent.
E)One application of the theory found that absenteeism and turnover actually increased.

Question 13

The degree to which the job allows the individual substantial freedom, independence, and discretion to schedule work and determine the procedures for carrying it out is

A)skill variety.
B)autonomy.
C)task identity.
D)skill identity.
E)task variety.

Question 14

In the job characteristics theory, which of the following is not a factor presumed to cause the emergence of psychological states?

A)Task identity
B)Experienced responsibility
C)Task significance
D)Feedback
E)Autonomy

Question 15

Which of the following is the primary problem associated with the specialization of jobs?

A)Involvement in too much of the production cycle
B)Slow pace of work
C)Boredom
D)Lower efficiency
E)Frequent social interaction with others

Question 16

The problems encountered when implementing job rotation in the workplace include all of the following except

A)it is ineffective for training purposes.
B)it increases flexibility in transferring workers to new jobs.
C)it creates short-lived increases in workers' interest.
D)it reduces efficiency.
E)it maintains narrowly defined and routine work.

Question 17

All of the following statements about the key outcomes expected to result from the psychological states detailed in the job characteristics theory are true except

A)low absenteeism and turnover.
B)high satisfaction with work.
C)high-quality work performance.
D)high profits for stockholders.
E)high internal work motivation.

Question 18

Participation occurs when employees

A)work together in teams.
B)have a voice in decisions about their own work.
C)work closely with a mentor or supervisor.
D)join a labor union or other employee association.
E)become fully vested in a benefits program.

Question 19

Vertical job loading differs from job enlargement in that

A)the employee has more control over the job.
B)the employee's job satisfaction receives more attention.
C)more tasks are added to a job.
D)workers feel as though they are doing something worthwhile.
E)managers strive to motivate employees by maximizing intrinsic factors.

Question 20

Job enlargement involves the process of horizontal job loading, meaning that

A)the employee is assigned more tasks to perform.
B)the jobs are broken into small, component parts.
C)each employee is given a specialized task to perform.
D)the employee is assigned less monotonous and routine tasks.
E)the employee is assigned tasks with more responsibility.

Question 21

The problems with telecommuting include all of the following except

A)a feeling of isolation.
B)lack of self-control.
C)workplace safety.
D)have to be at work during core time.
E)coordination difficulties in scheduling meetings.

Question 22

Which of the following statements about variable work schedules is true?

A)Employees can learn new skills.
B)Employees recognize the value of motivation.
C)Employees have a say in critical decisions in the organization.
D)They grow resentful and powerless.
E)Employees can organize their work behaviors.

Question 23

Telecommuting involves all of the following except

A)using e-mail and other technologies to stay in touch with the workplace.
B)employees spending one or two days a week at home.
C)reductions in absenteeism and turnover.
D)organization savings on facilities such as parking.
E)higher pay for working under special conditions.

Question 24

All of the following are benefits of telecommuting except

A)provides added flexibility.
B)can manage personal activities.
C)can get more work done.
D)employees miss the interaction of the workplace.
E)it reduces absenteeism and turnover.

Question 25

In order to be happy, individuals must separate the notions of success and money.

Question 26

Empowerment will enhance organizational effectiveness under all the following conditions except

A)sincere efforts to spread power and autonomy to lower levels.
B)commitment to maintain participation and empowerment.
C)systematic efforts to empower workers.
D)renewed concentration of authority in the hands of top managers.
E)increased commitment to training.

Question 27

Alternative work arrangements are intended to

A)enhance employee motivation and performance.
B)limit the flexibility employees have in scheduling work.
C)accommodate a narrower range of the potential workforce.
D)increase company profits.
E)reduce dependence on key customers.

Question 28

Which of the following is an alternative work arrangement where an employee can work a full forty-hour week in less than five days?

A)Flexible work schedules
B)Variable work schedules
C)Compressed work week
D)Job sharing
E)Telecommuting

Question 29

Quality circles are an example of organizational attempts at

A)applying reinforcement theory.
B)OB modification.
C)behavior modification.
D)empowerment.
E)motivational training.

Question 30

Flextime is a work schedule arrangement that

A)gives employees more personal control over the hours they work each day.
B)allows workers to work a full forty-hour week in less than five days.
C)allows workers to miss more than their normally allotted sick days.
D)gives employees a say in deciding what hours to remain open for business.
E)lets employees choose their days off in advance.

Question 31

All of the following statements about the use of quality circles are true except

A)employees meet regularly to identify problems.
B)employees are empowered to control their work.
C)the use of a question/answer period is important.
D)employees can propose solutions to problems.
E)All of these are true of quality circles.

Question 32

All of the following statements regarding flextime are true except

A)it gives employees less say about what days they work.
B)it gives employees more personal control over times they work.
C)it is desirable for people who want to work part-time.
D)all employees must be at work during core time.
E)the workday is broken down into two categories.

Question 33

Managers must determine how to motivate people and how to optimize their performance.

Question 34

Organizations may benefit from allowing employee participation in all of the following areas except

A)what material to use.
B)what tools to use.
C)work schedules.
D)product quality.
E)corporate investment decisions.

Question 35

The benefits of job sharing include all of the following except

A)a way to entice more workers to the organization.
B)there are cost benefits to the organization.
C)the organization does not have to offer benefits.
D)organizations are concerned about worker safety.
E)the organization can tap into a wider array of skills.

Question 36

Organizations are faced with the pressures to be productive and efficient, while simultaneously facing the pressures to motivate and satisfy employees.

Question 37

Allowing an employee to spend part of their time working off-site, usually at home is called .

A)compressed work week
B)flextime
C)job sharing
D)telecommuting
E)Any of these alternatives would be appropriate.

Question 38

Ending the workweek at lunchtime on Friday is most likely an example of

A)a shortened workweek.
B)telecommuting.
C)flextime.
D)a compressed workweek.
E)job sharing.

Question 39

Organizations are beginning to use a work schedule called "nine- eighty." The characteristics associated with this schedule include all of the following except

A)schedules are alternated across half the workforce.
B)organization is fully staffed at all times.
C)employees share jobs on a part-time basis.
D)employees work eighty hours in nine days.
E)employees get every other Friday off.

Question 40

All of the following statements are true about the traditional work schedule, except

A)long days that start at 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning.
B)managers work many additional hours.
C)it is hard for employees to take care of personal business.
D)people can take off work when they need to.
E)people feel powerless because of their work schedules.

Question 41

The job characteristics theory was developed by
Hackman and Oldham.

Question 42

Job enlargement is expanding a worker's job to include tasks previously performed by other workers.

Question 43

Employees who are given the opportunity to participate in making decisions may feel more committed to properly executing those decisions.

Question 44

A "nine-eighty" schedule involves working eighty hours in nine days.

Question 45

Employee empowerment promotes participation is a wide variety of areas, including but not limited to work itself, work context, and work environment.

Question 46

Job enrichment recently fallen into disfavor among managers.

Question 47

A quality circle is a group of employees who voluntarily meet regularly to identify and propose solutions to problems related to quality.

Question 48

Flextime gives employees some control over their working hours and, thus, in a task-design sense, contributes to employee autonomy.

Question 49

Frederick Taylor was the chief proponent of job specialization.

Question 50

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2006, 5.9 million U.S.managers earned an average salary of
$42,850 per year.

Question 51

Empowerment only enhances organizational effectiveness if certain conditions exist.One of the conditions is that the organization must be sincere in if efforts to spread power and autonomy to lower levels of the organization.

Question 52

Research has generally provided consistent support for the job characteristics theory, although performance has seldom been correlated with job characteristics.

Question 53

The job characteristics of skill variety, task identity, and task significance are expected to affect an employee's knowledge of the actual results of work activities.

Question 54

A compressed workweek occurs when an employee works a full forty hours in fewer than the traditional five days.

Question 55

Job enlargement serves to reduce the monotony and boredom found in many manufacturing jobs.

Question 56

The foremost advantage of job specialization is the extreme monotony of highly specialized tasks.

Question 57

On the whole job specialization fulfilled most, if not all, of the advantages that its advocates claimed.

Question 58

Frederick Taylor's view of job specialization grew from the historical writing about division of labor advocated by Scottish economist Adam Smith.

Question 59

Individuals with lower needs for personal growth are less likely to be motivated by the core job characteristics.

Question 60

Companies use job rotation as a training technique and rely on it to enhance employee motivation.

Question 61

The workweek allows employees to work their full forty hours in fewer than the traditional five days.

Question 62

Maytag was one of the first companies to use in the assembly of washing machine pumps.

Question 63

Job enrichment is based on the theory of motivation, which states positive job-related experiences and feelings of achievement, responsibility, and recognition are intrinsic to a job and could serve to motivate employees.

Question 64

Telecommuting is an arrangement that allows employees to spend part of their time working off-site, usually at home.

Question 65

Flextime allows workers to tailor their workday to fit their personal needs.

Question 66

Although regarded as a relatively inefficient management technique,
is often considered a very effective training technique.

Question 67

is the degree to which the job requires a variety of activities that involve different skills and talents.

Question 68

is an approach to job design that is based on the dual-structure theory of motivation.

Question 69

A involves volunteer employees who meet to identify and propose solutions to quality-related issues.

Question 70

A worker numbed by and may be less motivated to work hard and more inclined to do poor-quality work or to complain about the job

Question 71

determine what jobs will be performed in their organizations and how those jobs will be performed.

Question 72

Harvard University lecturer Laura Nash states that individuals can be happier in their personal and professional lives if they separate notions of and .

Question 73

The movement in vogue from the
1930s through the 1950s assumed that employees who are happy and satisfied will work harder.

Question 74

The theory focuses on the specific motivational properties of jobs.

Question 75

For college professors, nurses, bank loan officers, and executive assistants, comes from satisfying intellectual curiosity, helping others, giving back to the community, and feeling needed.

Question 76

is the degree to which individuals continuously understand how effectively they are performing the job.

Question 77

The degree to which the job activities give the individual direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance refers to .

Question 78

job loading involves adding more tasks to a job as well as giving the employee more control over those tasks.

Question 79

Hackman and Oldham believed that critical
determine the extent to which characteristics of the task enhance employee responses to that task.

Question 80

Hackman and Oldham indicate that three critical psychological states are triggered by the characteristics of the job known as core
.