Deck 8: Employee Behavior and Motivation

Question 1

Performance behaviors contribute directly to company productivity.

Answer 1

True
Explanation:Performance is related to how well a job is done.

Question 2

According to many experts,motivational impact is the biggest advantage of MBO.

Answer 2

True
Explanation:When employees sit down with managers to set goals, they learn more about companywide objectives, come to feel that they are an important part of a team, and see how they can improve companywide performance by reaching their own goals.

Question 3

Individuals may satisfy social needs by making and maintaining friendships at work.

Answer 3

True
Explanation:Social needs are the mid-level needs in the hierarchy.

Question 4

Participation and empowerment work more effectively in large firms than in small firms.

Question 5

The use of teams can increase motivation and job satisfaction.

Question 6

MBO involves managers and subordinates in setting goals and evaluating progress.

Question 7

With job sharing,companies often experience increased turnover.

Question 8

The two-factor theory examines the relationship between effort and performance.

Question 9

When people feel they are being inequitably treated,they are likely to ask for raises,increase their efforts,and work longer hours.

Question 10

Job rotation is a form of job enrichment.

Question 11

For an individual to feel equitably treated,his ratio of contribution to return must be the same as the other individual's ratio with whom he or she is comparing.

Question 12

In terms of a psychological contract,inducements represent what employees will contribute to an organization.

Question 13

Equity theory is based on the premise that workers prefer a workplace where all employees are paid equally.

Question 14

Motivation factors are directly related to the work that employees perform; hygiene factors refer to the environment in which they work.

Question 15

Hygiene factors affect motivation only if they are absent or fail to meet expectations.

Question 16

According to the classical theory of motivation,attention from the supervisor is more of a motivator than money.

Question 17

With job rotation,conventional office space is redesigned to accommodate jobs that are less dependent on assigned spaces.

Question 18

Positive reinforcement is used when a company or manager provides a reward when employees exhibit desired behaviors.

Question 19

According to expectancy theory,people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and that they believe they have a reasonable chance of obtaining.

Question 20

The essence behind management by objectives (MBO)is that performance goals are used to direct and motivate behavior.

Question 21

Which of these is one of the "big five" personality traits?

A) openness
B) logic
C) creativity
D) organization
E) musical talent

Question 22

Which of the following aspects of the psychological contract is provided by the organization?

A) competency
B) effort
C) loyalty
D) status
E) talent

Question 23

Which would an employee who is productive but refuses to help others or the organization be lacking in?

A) organizational citizenship
B) workplace aggression
C) performance behavior
D) personal productivity
E) self-esteem

Question 24

Which of these behaviors BEST indicates good organizational citizenship?

A) being willing to help new employees
B) asking for a pay raise
C) meeting job performance standards
D) keeping regular hours
E) using office supplies for business use

Question 25

According to research,emotional intelligence cannot be developed or learned.

Question 26

An employee with a low level of social skills would be unlikely to do which of the following?

A) be very detail oriented
B) circulate a get-well card
C) produce creative work
D) work well independently
E) track milestones effectively

Question 27

Which of the following aspects of the psychological contract is provided by the employee?

A) benefits
B) pay
C) skills
D) security
E) status

Question 28

Michelle has been working at AdCo for five years.The company recently hired a new college graduate to work in a position very similar to Michelle's position.In a casual conversation with the new hire,Michelle discovers that the new employee is making $4,000 more annually than she is.What might Michelle's reaction be?

A) Michelle may feel that the psychological contract has been broken.
B) Michelle may feel that her job description no longer applies.
C) Michelle may feel that her supervisor is not empathetic.
D) Michelle may feel that her person-job fit cannot be improved.
E) Michelle may feel that she has benefitted from the Hawthorne effect.

Question 29

You need to assign a task to one of your employees.The task involves a high level of detail.To whom should you assign the task?

A) Amy, who exhibits high agreeableness and low conscientiousness
B) David, who exhibits more negative emotionality and low agreeableness
C) Sarah, who exhibits high openness and low negative emotionality
D) Winston, who exhibits high conscientiousness and low extraversion
E) Liza, who exhibits high creativity and low negative emotionality

Question 30

Balancing anxiety,fear,and anger so that they do not overly interfere with getting things accomplished is a part of emotional intelligence.

Question 31

Which of the following is the set of expectations held by employees and the organization regarding what the employee will contribute and what he or she will receive?

A) psychological contract
B) nondisclosure agreement
C) job satisfaction
D) mutual commitment
E) self expression

Question 32

What is the term for behavior that is related to doing a certain job?

A) performance behavior
B) interpersonal behavior
C) disruptive behavior
D) potential behavior
E) assertive behavior

Question 33

Behaviors that detract from,instead of contribute to,organizational performance are known as what?

A) inclusive
B) negative reinforcement
C) counterproductive
D) turnover
E) associative

Question 34

Which of the following would have the lowest cost to an organization?

A) absenteeism
B) workplace violence
C) sexual harassment
D) theft
E) racism

Question 35

What is emotionality?

A) the ability of a person to get along with others
B) the degree to which someone tends to be positive or negative
C) the number of things a person tries to accomplish at once
D) the relative rigidity of an individual's beliefs
E) the likelihood that a person will react aggressively

Question 36

Which of the following might you,as a manager,expect to see in an employee who has a low degree of conscientiousness?

A) a tendency to be unprepared at meetings
B) an inability to work in a team setting
C) a tendency toward mood swings
D) a high level of comfort with other people
E) an ability to meet deadlines without fail

Question 37

What does turnover refer to?

A) people quitting their jobs
B) managers reprimanding staff
C) employers cutting down costs
D) employees calling in sick
E) benefits being improved

Question 38

Organizational commitment reflects an individual's identification with the organization and its mission.

Question 39

The extent to which people are self-aware is an aspect of which of the following?

A) attitude
B) emotional intelligence
C) negative emotionality
D) social skills
E) empathy

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a central aspect of organizational citizenship?

A) reporting structure
B) corporate culture
C) workgroup attitude
D) business field
E) team composition

Question 41

Which of the following theories focuses on people evaluating their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others?

A) equity theory
B) hierarchy of needs
C) expectancy theory
D) goal-setting theory
E) X and Y theory

Question 42

Because job permanence is less likely in today's economy,which of the following are some companies offering in order to keep the psychological contract in balance?

A) additional promotions
B) additional vacation time
C) fewer training opportunities
D) flexible scheduling
E) additional sick days

Question 43

Jane is a very conscientious worker,but she has poor social skills.Which of the following jobs might be best for her?

A) working independently on spreadsheets
B) providing customer service
C) handling problems in a call center
D) training new employees
E) working in public relations

Question 44

Brooke was excited to take a job at Film,Inc.She was looking forward to working with Robert,the man who had hired her,because of his experience and status within the industry.Eight months after her hire,Robert retired.Which aspect of the psychological contract might Brooke feel has been violated?

A) benefits
B) career opportunities
C) pay
D) job security
E) talent

Question 45

Which of the following helps explain why some people do not work as hard as they can when their salaries are based purely on seniority?

A) two-factor theory
B) Maslow's hierarchy of human needs
C) scientific management
D) expectancy theory
E) Theory X and Theory Y

Question 46

What is MOST useful about Theory X and Theory Y?

A) They shed light on managers' attitudes toward employees.
B) They provide a useful blueprint for taking action.
C) They help managers better understand employees.
D) They accurately depict the attitude of employees at work.
E) They support management decisions and plans.

Question 47

What is telecommuting an example of?

A) job sharing
B) job rotation
C) modified work scheduling
D) work sharing
E) modified workplace planning

Question 48

If an employee needs to feel that she is a part of a team and yet her position involves working alone,which of the following may not be right?

A) the pay scale
B) the person-job fit
C) the employee's attitude
D) the organization's plan
E) the team structure

Question 49

Which of the following works to achieve a more satisfactory fit between workers and their jobs?

A) job redesign
B) team management
C) MBO
D) participative management
E) person-position fitting

Question 50

Douglas believes that his employees are self-motivated and growth-oriented.He is what type of manager?

A) Theory Y
B) Theory X
C) classical
D) hierarchical

Question 51

What is the term for the extent to which a person's contributions and the organization's inducements match?

A) employee equity
B) person-job fit
C) psychological contract
D) time-motion study
E) team culture

Question 52

Which is an example of a modified work schedule?

A) job sharing
B) job redesign
C) job rotation
D) job enrichment
E) job elimination

Question 53

According to Maslow's model,a set of needs will be a motivator until which of the following occurs?

A) The needs are satisfied.
B) New needs are identified.
C) The person becomes self-motivated.
D) A supervisor changes the work.
E) The needs are replaced by hygiene factors.

Question 54

Which of the following allows people to choose their working hours by adjusting a standard work schedule on a daily or weekly basis?

A) job enrichment
B) flextime programs
C) job enlargement
D) job redesign
E) work sharing

Question 55

According to which theory are employees given a voice in how they do their jobs and how the company is managed?

A) participative management and empowerment
B) Theory X
C) classical theory of motivation
D) modified work schedules
E) scientific management

Question 56

Which of the following lists Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs in order,starting with the most basic?

A) physiological, security, social, esteem, self-actualization
B) social, security, physiological, esteem, self-actualization
C) physiological, self-actualization, security, esteem, social
D) physiological, esteem, security, social, self-actualization
E) esteem, self-actualization, social, physiological, security

Question 57

Tina is the most productive employee in her department.When her manager retires,Tina doesn't apply for the job,in spite of her excellent record and the pay and prestige associated with the job.She believes that the job will go to someone who has more seniority.Based on expectancy theory,which would explain why Tina doesn't apply for the job?

A) the effort-performance issue
B) the rewards-personal goals issue
C) the performance-reward issue
D) her personal goals
E) her family demands

Question 58

Sue works very hard and is the most productive worker on her day shift.When a position opens on the evening shift,Sue is encouraged to apply,but does not; she has children and wants to be home in the evening.Based on expectancy theory,which explains why Sue doesn't apply for the job?

A) the effort-performance issue
B) the rewards-personal goals issue
C) the performance-rewards issue
D) the rewards-ethics issue
E) the ethics-performance issue

Question 59

Which of the following BEST describes scientific management?

A) a theory of motivation holding that job satisfaction depends on two factors, hygiene and motivation
B) a theory of motivation holding that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and that they have a reasonable chance of obtaining
C) a theory of motivation holding that people evaluate their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others
D) a theory of motivation holding that managers should analyze jobs to find the most efficient methods and use money as a primary motivator
E) a theory of motivation that people will work more productively as long as they receive some kind of attention from management

Question 60

What is the Hawthorne effect?

A) the belief that employees are motivated by money alone
B) the conclusion that workers are more productive if management pays attention to them
C) the determination that the level of lighting in a workplace has no effect on productivity
D) the theory that workers are more productive if their jobs are analyzed closely
E) the unspoken agreement between the employee and the employer

Question 61

The incentive plan is based on which assumption?

A) In comparison to other Macmoo employees, Macmoo salespeople are less interested in the overall success of the company.
B) Macmoo salespeople believe that they can have a significant effect on the overall performance of the company.
C) In the past, Macmoo salespeople have not consistently acted in the best interests of the company.
D) The only effective way to motivate employees is through financial incentives.
E) Macmoo employees are similar to other salespeople in the industry.

Question 62

All of the following are assumed by Peck's argument EXCEPT:

A) Employees can understand the new incentive system.
B) Employees are capable of achieving the results specified by the new incentive system.
C) Employees who exhibit a similar level of effort will receive similar rewards.
D) Employees will perceive that the rewards offered by the new incentive system are worth the effort required to achieve the results that lead to those rewards.
E) Employees believe that the things that the new incentive system calls for them to do are likely to have an effect on the outcomes that affect their rewards.

Question 63

Which of the following is assumed by the manager?

A) The meetings would be more effective if they were held once a week.
B) The staff meetings are not the cause of the workers' bad moods.
C) If the workers make valuable contributions, then the meetings will be successful.
D) Successful meetings will be an important contributor to the success of the organization.
E) The workers' moods will be more positive at 10 a.m. than at any other time of the day.

Question 64

If all of Witt's statements are true,which of the following must also be TRUE?

A) If Robin were paid more than Jonaki, she would be motivated.
B) All employees who are motivated and feel that they are paid less than employees who do the same work have received a persuasive justification.
C) If Robin felt that she is being treated fairly, then she would be motivated.
D) Workers who are provided with a persuasive justification for differences in pay will be motivated.
E) Any employees who are not motivated and feel that they have been treated unfairly must not have received a persuasive justification.

Question 65

Which of the following,if true,would weaken the argument for the company's exercise policy?

A) The company has set up an arrangement with a local gym to provide facilities for exercising.
B) The policy is not designed to increase the amount of time that the workers' families will spend exercising.
C) Many of the workers who exercise more because of the policy would return to their previous levels of exercise if they left the company.
D) Different people require different kinds of exercise in order to get the benefits of exercise.
E) The workers who are most in need of additional exercise are least likely to participate in the exercise program.

Question 66

Terry generally likes her job and works hard.However,Terry's level of effort has declined recently.Terry became aware that a new employee,with far less experience,was hired at Terry's current salary.Terry's lack of motivation can best be described by which theory of motivation?

A) equity
B) expectancy
C) two-factor
D) scientific management
E) planning

Question 67

If it were possible to qualify for membership in the "excellence club" by completing a new product deal worth over $1,000,000,then which of the following business developers would have met all of his or her annual goals?

A) Ali, who did not complete any deal worth over $1,000,000, but generated more dollars in sales than he did last year.
B) Yero, who completed more new product deals worth over $1,000,000 than any other business developer.
C) Kelly, who qualified for the "excellence club" and completed a new product deal worth over $1,000,000.
D) Shelly, who did not place in the top ten percent in terms of the dollar value of the deals completed, completed a new product deal worth over $1,000,000 and generated more dollars in sales than she did last year.
E) Bobby, who did not qualify for the "excellence club," completed a deal worth over $1,000,000, and generated more dollars in sales than he did last year.

Question 68

Which of the following,if true,would BEST show that a manager's strategy for motivating his team is consistent with "Theory Y" about employee motivation?

A) The employees would need to see incentives as worth having for their own sake.
B) The employees would need to see their work as contributing to a success that they share in.
C) The manager wants his team to feel rewarded by doing their job well.
D) The manager thinks that his team will not do their work well without added incentives.
E) The manager thinks that incentives are needed in order to boost morale.

Question 69

Which of the following must be true about the business developers at Oak Meteors during any given year?

A) Some of them meet all of their annual goals.
B) Some of those that meet all of their annual goals are among the top performers in the entire organization.
C) All of those who generate more dollars in sales than they did in the previous year qualify for the "excellence club."
D) Some of those in the "excellence club" do not meet all of their annual goals.
E) Not all of them meet all of their annual goals.

Question 70

In which of the following situations would the interests of the salesperson be MOST likely to conflict with the interests of the overall organization?

A) A Macmoo real estate agent and another real estate agent have a difference of opinion about the fair market value of a property.
B) A Macmoo real estate agent completes a transaction, earns a commission, and generates sales leads that become profitable relationships for other Macmoo agents.
C) A Macmoo agent becomes the selling agent for the same property multiple times.
D) A real estate transaction would generate a high commission for an agent, but would associate the agency with the destruction of a beloved local landmark.
E) A Macmoo agent works excessively to earn a big bonus, but neglects her personal life.

Question 71

Which of the following is a point at issue between Gordon and Linda?

A) Was Zen Park Frantic a market success?
B) Would Zen Park Frantic have been as successful if it had followed the organization's normal procedures?
C) Are team-based product development processes successful in any organizational setting?
D) Is the "Hawthorne effect" an important concept in explaining the causes of increased productivity?
E) Does the evidence support a move to team-based product development?

Question 72

Kent wants to motivate the maintenance staff to be more productive.He starts by providing training and assures employees that high productivity will be rewarded.Employees are asked to identify the rewards that would mean the most to them.Kent likely subscribes to which theory of motivation?

A) equity
B) expectancy
C) two-factor
D) hierarchy of needs
E) productivity

Question 73

If the manager's beliefs are all true,which of the following must also be TRUE?

A) If the employees make valuable contributions during a staff meeting, then that meeting will be successful.
B) If the employees are in positive moods during a staff meeting, then that meeting will be successful.
C) If the employees did not make valuable contributions during a staff meeting, then they must have been in negative moods.
D) If the employees do not make valuable contributions during a staff meeting, then that staff meeting cannot be successful.
E) If the employees are not in positive moods during a staff meeting, then they will not make valuable contributions during that staff meeting.

Question 74

Macmoo's compensation structure is based on which of the following principles?

A) People will act to accomplish a goal when they have a stake in the accomplishment of that goal.
B) An incentive structure should be as simple as possible.
C) An incentive structure is more effective when it encourages people to act in ways that benefit society in general as well as themselves.
D) Compensation policies should always follow the specific requirements of all applicable laws.
E) People will be more likely to follow a policy when they have had some input into the creation of that policy.

Question 75

A manager criticizes the "excellence club" because she believes that it encourages negative behavior that would not happen otherwise.She believes instead that business developers should be rewarded based on the revenue they bring in.Which of the following,if true,would MOST strongly support this conclusion?

A) Business developers often pursue deals that generate revenue in the year they are completed, but are bad propositions in the long term.
B) Business developers who are less successful have been known to try to take credit for deals completed by more successful business developers.
C) Business developers have sometimes lied to customers about the real value of the deals they offer.
D) Toward the end of the fiscal year, business developers outside the top ten percent put in extra hours in order to increase their chances of qualifying for the "excellence club."
E) Business developers outside the top ten percent have contacted some customers of those in the top ten percent in an effort to prevent those customers from completing their deals.

Question 76

If,instead of offering incentives for sales goals,a manager were to get ideas on increasing sales revenue from his sales team to implement,which of the following would MOST likely result?

A) The sales team would be more motivated by feeling more invested in the process.
B) The sales team would prefer to be given clearly defined goals to meet.
C) The sales team would not have enough information to go on in order to get ideas.
D) The sales team would come up with too many different ideas.
E) The sales team would be more motivated because of the chance to earn more money.

Question 77

The reasoning behind the company's exercise policy assumes which of the following?

A) Exercise is the most effective way to improve the moods of the workers.
B) The exercise that the workers would engage in will be more strenuous than the exercise they would do on their own.
C) Most employees will not exercise more unless they are forced to do so.
D) Adopting the policy will not require the company to purchase any special equipment or reallocate any office space.
E) The employees who would exercise during the work day are not getting enough exercise.

Question 78

Witt's claim that Robin must be dissatisfied assumes which of the following?

A) Jonaki is aware of Robin's salary.
B) Most people in the organization would agree that Robin and Jonaki do comparable work.
C) Jonaki receives more favorable employee reviews than Robin does.
D) Robin has met all of the goals specified by the organization's incentive system.
E) Robin has not been provided with a persuasive justification for the difference in salary.

Question 79

All of the following questions are relevant to the company's decision with respect to its exercise policy EXCEPT:

A) What is the value of the time the workers will spend exercising during the work day?
B) How likely is it that workers will be injured by overexercising?
C) Would the workers have different exercise needs if they had formed different behavioral patterns when they were children?
D) What resources will be required to monitor the workers to make sure that they do not spend more than 3 hours per week exercising during work hours?
E) After how much exercise do the benefits of exercise diminish?

Question 80

Suppose that Oak Meteors institutes a "Super Bonus" program that provides a large cash award for the business developer with the greatest year-to-year increase in revenue.A manager claims that this would encourage business developers to do poorly in one year in order to make it easier to do much better in the subsequent year.All of the following would help address this concern EXCEPT:

A) restricting eligibility for the "Super Bonus" program to those who achieved their annual goals in the previous year
B) changing the "Super Bonus" so that it is awarded only to those who have increased their revenue by a substantial percentage
C) offering the "Super Bonus" for the current year's performance and then never offering it again
D) including a review panel empowered to disallow the "Super Bonus" for those who have abused the process
E) disqualifying all business developers who have earned a negative performance review within the last three years