Question 1

Managers should reward employees for multitasking.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that multitasking can decrease productivity and increase stress levels. Instead, managers should prioritize tasks and encourage employees to focus on one task at a time. Rewarding multitasking can lead to a culture of overcommitment and burnout.

Question 2

Targets that are particularly demanding and can generate a major shift away from mediocrity and toward tremendous achievement are known as ________ goals.
A)challenge
B)mountaintop
C)reach
D)summit
E)stretch

Accepted Answer

The term "stretch goals" specifically refers to targets that require significant effort and improvement in order to achieve, pushing individuals or organizations to go beyond their usual level of performance. "Challenge," "reach," "summit," and "mountaintop" may also connote difficulty or ambition, but do not specifically indicate the degree of effort required for achievement.

Question 3

Premium Water, a manufacturer of jet boats and related accessories, has designed its job positions to ensure that people are attracted to the organization, show up every day, and work hard while they are there. Yet most employees stay no longer than five years. In this case, the company should focus more on motivating their employees to
A)work as a team.
B)remain in the organization.
C)compete with others.
D)perform their work adequately.
E)exhibit good citizenship.

Accepted Answer

The company's current strategy is successful in attracting and retaining employees in the short term, but it is not effective in keeping them motivated to stay longer than five years. By focusing more on strategies to motivate and retain employees, the company can reduce turnover and build a stronger, more committed workforce.

Question 4

Which of the following techniques is useful for generating goals that employees accept willingly?
A)assigning targets that are exceptionally demanding
B)allowing employees to participate in setting their goals
C)encouraging employees to choose targets that are easy to reach
D)using the acronym SMART to define the goals
E)setting the same goals for all employees at the same level

Accepted Answer

Allowing employees to participate in setting their goals increases their sense of ownership and commitment to the goals, leading to increased willingness to accept and work toward them. Option A, assigning targets that are exceptionally demanding, may lead to employees feeling overwhelmed and demotivated. Option C, encouraging employees to choose easy-to-reach targets, may result in subpar performance and lack of challenge. Option D, using the SMART acronym to define goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound), is a useful technique but does not necessarily lead to increased willingness to accept the goals. Option E, setting the same goals for all employees at the same level, may not be appropriate as individuals have different skill levels and job responsibilities.

Question 5

Martin was one of Sloane's lower-quartile performers, mainly due to lack of punctuality. In Martin's annual performance review, he submitted his draft goals for the upcoming year. One of his goals was to "Improve my punctuality." Sloane responded, "No, Martin. That goal is not acceptable. Your goal needs to be more ________ so that you and I can monitor and measure whether or not you are attaining your goal."
A)subjective
B)emotional
C)specific and quantifiable
D)general
E)time bound

Accepted Answer

Sloane is looking for a specific and quantifiable goal that can be measured and monitored for progress. Improving punctuality is a vague goal, and it would be difficult to determine if it has been achieved or not. A specific and quantifiable goal might be to arrive at work on time every day for the next 2 months. This goal is specific, measurable, and has a time limit, making it much easier to track progress and success.

Question 6

Which of the following types of behavior is not motivated behavior?
A)involuntary reflexes
B)job performance
C)relationship choices
D)project completion
E)career selection

Accepted Answer

Involuntary reflexes are not motivated behavior, as they are automatic responses to stimuli without conscious awareness or intention. In contrast, the other options involve intentional and goal-directed behavior that is influenced by various motives and incentives.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?
A)giving a letter of warning
B)giving a pay raise
C)taking someone off probation
D)removing a reprimand from the record
E)demoting someone

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is the process of rewarding a behavior in order to increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. Giving a pay raise is an example of positive reinforcement because it rewards an employee's behavior (such as hard work, dedication or exceptional performance), making it more likely that they will continue to perform well in the future.

Question 8

________ refers to the forces that energize, direct, and sustain a person's efforts.
A)Benefaction
B)Arbitration
C)Motivation
D)Validation
E)Integration

Accepted Answer

Motivation is the only option that accurately defines the concept mentioned in the question. Benefaction refers to doing good deeds or acts of kindness, arbitration refers to the process of resolving disputes, validation refers to the confirmation of something, and integration refers to the process of combining different elements into a whole.

Question 9

According to equity theory, employees compare their outcomes to other employees' inputs.

Accepted Answer

According to equity theory, employees compare their own input/outcome ratios to the input/outcome ratios of other employees, not just their outcomes to others' inputs.

Question 10

As Danielle deals with her employees, she works with them to set goals that will energize them and direct their thoughts and work behaviors toward a particular end. Danielle is using
A)positive reinforcement.
B)equity theory.
C)goal-setting theory.
D)stretch goals.
E)expectancy theory.

Accepted Answer

Danielle is using goal-setting theory, which involves setting specific and challenging goals with employees to increase motivation and direction.

Question 11

A satisfied worker is not necessarily more productive than a dissatisfied one.

Accepted Answer

While job satisfaction may lead to higher motivation and engagement, it does not guarantee increased productivity. Other factors such as workload, resources, and skill level also impact productivity.

Question 12

Motivation will be high if any one of the following is high: expectancy, instrumentalities, or total valence of all outcomes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Motivation will be high if any one...

Question 13

Herman manages a production facility that makes furniture. He asked Missy, a shift supervisor, to reach a goal of producing less than 2 percent scrap during the past month, instead of the 9 percent usually produced on her shift. This goal seemed impossible since the industry averages 10 percent scrap, and the best month ever at Herman's facility still produced 5 percent scrap. Missy's shift did not reach the goal, producing 6 percent scrap during the month. How should Herman respond?
A)He should fire Missy for falling short of an official goal, no matter how unrealistic it was.
B)He should give Missy a chance to cut scrap to one percent next month or face consequences.
C)He should avoid punishing Missy for missing the goal and recognize that she still had an exceptional month.
D)He should tell Missy it is all right because goals do not really mean anything.
E)He should require Missy to work unpaid overtime to cover the excess scrap produced on her shift.

Accepted Answer

The best choice is to avoid punishing Missy for missing an unrealistic goal and recognize her efforts for still having an exceptional month. It is important for managers to set achievable goals for their employees as unattainable goals can lead to demotivation and dissatisfaction. It is also important to recognize and appreciate the effort put in by employees towards reaching these goals, even if they fall short. Punishing an employee for missing such a goal would be unfair, demotivating, and counterproductive. Therefore, the best course of action would be to acknowledge the effort put in by Missy and work with her to set more realistic goals for the future.

Question 14

A motivation theory stating that people have conscious goals that energize them and direct their thoughts and behaviors toward a particular end is ________ theory.
A)the equity
B)the path-goal
C)the goal-setting
D)the expectancy
E)Maxwell's goal

Accepted Answer

The description given matches with the definition of the goal-setting theory which suggests that individuals have set goals that direct their thoughts and actions towards a particular outcome.

Question 15

In his second year of managing the accounting department, Darwin set a goal for his team to slightly improve its "days billing" from last year's mediocre 36 days to 35.5 days. Midway through the year, Darwin is disappointed that the "days billing" has actually worsened, to 37 days. Darwin's manager advised Darwin that, to motivate his staff to perform at a higher level, Darwin should set a goal that is
A)unattainable.
B)subjective.
C)provisional.
D)not quantifiable.
E)more challenging.

Accepted Answer

Darwin's initial goal of improving from 36 days to 35.5 days was not challenging enough, as it only required a slight improvement. Setting a more challenging goal could motivate his team to work harder and strive for better results. However, the goal should still be realistic and attainable, as setting unattainable goals could lead to demotivation and frustration. Therefore, option E, more challenging, is the best choice for setting a goal.

Question 16

At Martel's annual review, he and his boss set a performance goal that will be difficult for him to achieve in one year. However, Martel is very enthusiastic about giving it a try. What type of goal is this?
A)an equity goal
B)a negative goal
C)an outcome goal
D)a reverse goal
E)a stretch goal

Accepted Answer

This is a stretch goal because it is difficult to achieve in one year but Martel is enthusiastic about giving it a try, indicating a desire to push beyond current capabilities and achieve something challenging.

Question 17

A moderate to high need for affiliation and power are associated with managerial success.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A moderate to high need for affiliation...

Question 18

The "M" in SMART, an acronym used by Microsoft for goal-setting, stands for
A)motivated.
B)managed.
C)measurable.
D)multitasked.
E)moderate.

Accepted Answer

The "M" in SMART stands for "measurable," which means that the goal should have a specific metric or criteria by which progress towards achieving the goal can be assessed. This is an important aspect of effective goal-setting, as it allows individuals or organizations to track their progress and adjust their strategies as needed to stay on track towards achieving their objectives. The other choices do not accurately describe the "M" in SMART.

Question 19

According to the Hackman and Oldham model of job enrichment, people will perform better when they feel responsible, their job has meaning, and they know how well they are performing.

Accepted Answer

The Hackman and Oldham model outlines that there are five core job characteristics that can lead to job enrichment and improved job performance. These include skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. These characteristics contribute to employees feeling a sense of responsibility, meaning, and awareness of their performance, ultimately leading to better job performance.

Question 20

Organizational behavior modification focuses on
A)administering an adverse consequence.
B)failing to provide a reinforcing consequence.
C)expecting particular outcomes for behavior.
D)influencing people's behavior.
E)achieving self-actualization.

Accepted Answer

Organizational behavior modification is a method used by managers to influence and change their employees' behavior. It focuses on using positive reinforcement and/or punishment to achieve the desired behaviors and outcomes in the organization. Therefore, choice D - "influencing people's behavior" - is the best answer.

Quiz 13: Motivating for Performance

Managers should reward employees for multitasking.

Targets that are particularly demanding and can generate a major shift away from mediocrity and toward tremendous achievement are known as ________ goals.

Which of the following techniques is useful for generating goals that employees accept willingly?

Which of the following types of behavior is not motivated behavior?

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

________ refers to the forces that energize, direct, and sustain a person's efforts.

According to equity theory, employees compare their outcomes to other employees' inputs.

As Danielle deals with her employees, she works with them to set goals that will energize them and direct their thoughts and work behaviors toward a particular end. Danielle is using

A satisfied worker is not necessarily more productive than a dissatisfied one.

Motivation will be high if any one of the following is high: expectancy, instrumentalities, or total valence of all outcomes.

A motivation theory stating that people have conscious goals that energize them and direct their thoughts and behaviors toward a particular end is ________ theory.

At Martel's annual review, he and his boss set a performance goal that will be difficult for him to achieve in one year. However, Martel is very enthusiastic about giving it a try. What type of goal is this?

A moderate to high need for affiliation and power are associated with managerial success.

The "M" in SMART, an acronym used by Microsoft for goal-setting, stands for

According to the Hackman and Oldham model of job enrichment, people will perform better when they feel responsible, their job has meaning, and they know how well they are performing.

Organizational behavior modification focuses on