Question 1

A supervisor rewards a restaurant employee for cleaning the bathrooms by allowing the employee to stock the salad bar. ______ would predict that the opportunity to stock the salad bar would actually be reinforcing.
A) Gainsharing
B) The Premack principle
C) Social loafing
D) Classical conditioning

Accepted Answer

The Premack principle states that a higher probability behavior (in this case, stocking the salad bar) can serve as a reinforcement for a lower probability behavior (cleaning the bathrooms). This means that the employee is more likely to engage in cleaning the bathrooms in the future because it results in the opportunity to perform a behavior that they likely enjoy (stocking the salad bar).

Question 2

Matt constantly posts charts and graphs indicating the latest production statistics. Matt seemsto believe in:
A) providing feedback
B) the Pygmalion effect
C) intrinsic motivation theory
D) goal setting theory

Accepted Answer

Matt's behavior of consistently posting charts and graphs indicating the latest production statistics indicates his belief in providing feedback. Feedback is an integral part of performance management and helps individuals understand how they are performing and where they can improve.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining the effectiveness of an incentive program?
A) Timing of the incentive
B) Contingency of the consequences
C) Type of incentive used
D) All three factors should be considered

Accepted Answer

All three factors mentioned (timing of the incentive, contingency of the consequences, and type of incentive used) are important in determining the effectiveness of an incentive program. Therefore, none of the options listed can be considered as not a factor.

Question 4

Benefits provide ______ and variable pay provides _____.
A) incentive / security
B) security / security
C) incentive / incentive
D) security / incentive

Accepted Answer

Benefits provide security by offering stable support such as health insurance and retirement plans, while variable pay provides incentive by rewarding performance with bonuses or commissions.

Question 5

Managers constructing a reinforcement hierarchy for employees are probably using:
A) gainsharing
B) the Premack principle
C) social loafing
D) classical conditioning

Accepted Answer

The Premack principle states that a higher frequency behavior (preferred behavior) can be used to reinforce a lower frequency behavior (less preferred behavior). By constructing a reinforcement hierarchy, managers are essentially using the Premack principle to reinforce specific behaviors in employees.

Question 6

A problem with _____ plans, is that they are based on subjective supervisor ratings.
A) pay-for-performance
B) merit pay
C) stock option
D) profit sharing

Accepted Answer

Merit pay plans often rely on subjective supervisor ratings to determine employee performance and subsequent pay increases.

Question 7

The supervisor at a local grocery store schedules individual monthly meetings with her four employees to let them know how they are doing in their respective areas. The supervisor is
Using a technique known as:
A) social learning
B) modeling
C) feedback
D) goal setting

Accepted Answer

The supervisor is giving feedback to each employee individually to let them know how they are doing in their respective areas. This is a key aspect of feedback, which involves providing information and guidance about an employee's performance.

Question 8

Which of the following types of rewards has been shown not to increase performance?
A) Financial
B) Non-financial
C) Social
D) All three can increase performance

Accepted Answer

All three types of rewards—financial, non-financial, and social—have been shown to increase performance in various contexts. Financial rewards can motivate employees by providing tangible benefits for their efforts. Non-financial rewards, such as recognition or opportunities for growth, can fulfill intrinsic motivational needs. Social rewards, including praise from peers or superiors, can enhance motivation by fulfilling humans' social needs. The effectiveness of each type of reward can vary depending on the individual and the specific situation, but all have the potential to increase performance.

Question 9

Operant conditioning focuses on:
A) modeling of behavior
B) self-esteem
C) reinforcement of behavior
D) employee needs

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning focuses on the reinforcement (positive or negative) of behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. The other options are not directly related to operant conditioning.

Question 10

An individual does not like to do laundry but prefers to do laundry over studying for exams. Because doing laundry is liked more than studying, _______ predicts that the opportunity to do laundry will motivate a person to study.
A) equity theory
B) the Anderson adage
C) the Thompson tenet
D) the Premack principle

Accepted Answer

The Premack principle states that a more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity. In this case, doing laundry (the more preferred activity) can be used to reinforce studying (the less preferred activity). Therefore, the opportunity to do laundry can motivate the individual to study.

Question 11

Employees at Denton Electronics receive $3 for each electrical switch they assemble.Denton is using a _____ system.
A) pay-for-performance
B) merit pay
C) gainsharing
D) profit sharing

Accepted Answer

Denton Electronics is compensating their employees based on the number of electrical switches they assemble, which is a measure of their performance. This is a pay-for-performance system. Merit pay, gainsharing, and profit sharing are different types of incentive programs that can be used for different purposes.

Question 12

Lona gives her employees attention, smiles at them, and nods her head in approval when they perform well. She is using _____ to motivate her employees.
A) social recognition
B) social learning
C) equity
D) valence

Accepted Answer

Lona is using social recognition, which involves providing positive feedback, attention and approval to employees for good performance, to motivate her employees. This method of motivation relies on social interaction and can have a positive impact on employee engagement and morale. The other options presented (social learning, equity, and valence) do not accurately describe Lona's specific motivational approach.

Question 13

Three meta-analyses indicate that allowing an employee to participate in goal setting willresult in:
A) an increase in performance
B) a decrease in performance
C) no effect on performance
D) decreased job satisfaction

Accepted Answer

The answer of Three meta-analyses indicate that allowing an employee...

Question 14

Which of the following incentive plans is most geared toward short term performance?
A) Pay-for-performance
B) Profit sharing
C) Stock options
D) All three are short-term oriented

Accepted Answer

Pay-for-performance plans reward employees for meeting short-term goals and are typically tied to specific performance metrics or tasks, making them most geared toward short-term performance. Profit sharing and stock options can also provide short-term benefits, but they are often tied to longer-term company or individual performance outcomes.

Question 15

_______ incentive plans often result in social loafing.
A) Individual
B) Group
C) Both individual and group
D) Neither individual nor group

Accepted Answer

Group incentive plans often result in social loafing because individual effort and contribution may not be easily distinguished or recognized in a group setting, leading some individuals to reduce their effort and rely on others to carry the workload. In contrast, individual incentive plans typically reward individual performance and reduce the likelihood of social loafing.

Question 16

_______ plans are also called earnings-at-risk plans.
A) Pay-for-performance
B) Merit pay
C) Stock options
D) Profit sharing

Accepted Answer

Pay-for-performance plans are also known as earnings-at-risk plans because the employee's earnings are tied to the company's performance, meaning there's a risk that the employee may earn less if the company does not perform well.

Question 17

Feedback is most effective when it focuses on an employee's ______ and the supervisor explains how the behavior impacts _____ .
A) behavior / others
B) personality / the employee
C) behavior / the employee
D) personality / others

Accepted Answer

Feedback is most effective when it focuses on specific behaviors rather than personality traits, and when it explains how these behaviors impact others in the workplace, fostering a more constructive and actionable response.

Question 18

Which part of a pay plan is designed to motivate employees?
A) Benefits
B) Base pay
C) Shift and location adjustments
D) Variable pay

Accepted Answer

Variable pay, also known as incentive pay, is designed to motivate employees by rewarding them for their performance, productivity, and achievements. It provides a direct link between employees' effort and their pay, which motivates them to work harder and achieve better results. This type of pay plan is commonly used to incentivize sales teams, where a commission is earned based on the amount of sales made.

Question 19

Fred's parents tell him to try his best in college. Fred's first semester GPA is 1.8 and his parents are mad. What was wrong with the goal set for Fred?
A) It was not specific
B) It was not general enough
C) It was too high
D) Fred did not help set the goal

Accepted Answer

The goal "try your best" is not specific, making it difficult for Fred to understand what is expected of him and how to achieve it.

Question 20

Janelle will receive $1,000 if her performance appraisal score is at least a 4.0. It sounds like Janelle is under a _____ plan.
A) pay-for-performance
B) merit pay
C) gainsharing
D) profit sharing

Accepted Answer

The answer of Janelle will receive $1,000 if her performance...

Quiz 9: Employee Motivation

A supervisor rewards a restaurant employee for cleaning the bathrooms by allowing the employee to stock the salad bar. ______ would predict that the opportunity to stock the salad bar would actually be reinforcing.

Matt constantly posts charts and graphs indicating the latest production statistics. Matt seemsto believe in:

Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining the effectiveness of an incentive program?

Benefits provide __ and variable pay provides _.

Managers constructing a reinforcement hierarchy for employees are probably using:

A problem with _____ plans, is that they are based on subjective supervisor ratings.

The supervisor at a local grocery store schedules individual monthly meetings with her four employees to let them know how they are doing in their respective areas. The supervisor is Using a technique known as:

Which of the following types of rewards has been shown not to increase performance?

Operant conditioning focuses on:

An individual does not like to do laundry but prefers to do laundry over studying for exams. Because doing laundry is liked more than studying, _______ predicts that the opportunity to do laundry will motivate a person to study.

Employees at Denton Electronics receive $3 for each electrical switch they assemble.Denton is using a _____ system.

Lona gives her employees attention, smiles at them, and nods her head in approval when they perform well. She is using _____ to motivate her employees.

Three meta-analyses indicate that allowing an employee to participate in goal setting willresult in:

Which of the following incentive plans is most geared toward short term performance?

_______ incentive plans often result in social loafing.

_______ plans are also called earnings-at-risk plans.

Feedback is most effective when it focuses on an employee's __ and the supervisor explains how the behavior impacts _ .

Which part of a pay plan is designed to motivate employees?

Fred's parents tell him to try his best in college. Fred's first semester GPA is 1.8 and his parents are mad. What was wrong with the goal set for Fred?

Janelle will receive $1,000 if her performance appraisal score is at least a 4.0. It sounds like Janelle is under a _____ plan.