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Chapter 7 Motivation: From Concept to
Applications
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Motivating by Job Design: The Job
Characteristics Model
1.
Which of the following is not one of
the core job dimensions in the job characteristics
model (JCM)?
a.
task significance
b.
feedback
c.
autonomy
d.
status
e.
skill variety
(d; Moderate; Job Characteristics
Model; pp. 215-216) {AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
2.
In
the
job
characteristics
model
(JCM),
what
three
core
job
dimensions
combine
to
create
meaningful work?
a.
autonomy, task identity,
and feedback
b.
skill variety, autonomy, and task
significance
c.
skill variety, autonomy, and feedback
d.
feedback,
task identity, and task significance
e.
skill variety, task
identity, and task significance
(e;
Moderate; Job Characteristics Model; p. 216)
{AACSB: Analytic Skills}
3.
According to the job characteristics
model, which of the following results in the
maximum internal
rewards for an
individual?
a.
when they are given tangible rewards
b.
when they
learn that they personally have performed well on
a task that they care about
c.
when they initiate a
program that enables them to work with a variety
of like-minded colleagues
d.
when their training is
realized and their expectations are met
e.
when they are
singled out for praise for successfully completing
an arduous task
(b; Challenging; Job
Characteristics Model; p. 216)
4.
How is the motivational
potential score (MPS) calculated?
a.
skill variety
×
task identity ×
task
significance ×
autonomy ×
feedback
b.
3(skill variety + task identity + task
significance) + autonomy + feedback
c.
(skill variety + task
identity + task significance)/3 ×
autonomy ×
feedback
d.
skill variety
×
task identity ×
task
significance + autonomy + feedback
e.
(skill variety + task
identity + task significance + autonomy +
feedback)/5
(c; Moderate; Motivating
Potential Score; p. 217)
How Can Jobs Be Redesigned?
5.
What is another term for
cross-training?
a.
work enrichment
b.
job sharing
c.
work enlargement
d.
job
enhancement
e.
job rotation
(e; Easy; Job
Rotation; p. 218)
133
6.
A trucking company routinely makes all
of its office staff work for a week in the
warehouse area:
loading trucks,
cleaning trucks, and doing other work which they
are capable of. This program is
an
example of which of the following?
a.
job rotation
b.
job enlargement
c.
job
enrichment
d.
job sharing
e.
flextime
(a; Moderate; Job
Rotation; p. 218) {AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
7.
What is the main strength of job
rotation?
a.
It
eliminates boredom on the job.
b.
It increases motivation.
c.
It increases
productivity.
d.
It decreases training costs
e.
It decreases supervisor
workload.
(b; Moderate; Job Rotation;
p. 218)
8.
A
company redesigns the jobs of the workers in
accounts receivables, so that instead of
simply
billing customers,
they will also be responsible for following up on
non-payment, liaising between
customers
and the departments billing them, and other
related tasks. What term would best be
used to describe these changes?
a.
job rotation
b.
job
enlargement
c.
job enrichment
d.
job sharing
e.
flextime
(b;
Moderate; Job Enlargement; p. 219) {AACSB:
Analytic Skills}
9.
How do most employees
react to job enlargement efforts?
a.
unqualified approval
b.
somewhat
enthusiastically
c.
with a lack of enthusiasm
d.
mixed reaction
e.
very little
reaction
(c; Easy; Job Enlargement; p.
219)
10.
Job enrichment increases the degree to
which the worker controls the _____.
a.
planning, execution, and
evaluation of his or her work
b.
planning, execution, and
evaluation of company plans
c.
horizontal integration of
his or her tasks
d.
feedback that a worker receives from
his or her supervisor and peers
e.
evaluation of his or her
peers
(a; Moderate; Job Enrichment; p.
220)
134
11.
Which one
of the following is not one of the guidelines for
enriching jobs?
a.
form job redesign units
b.
establish client
relationships
c.
open feedback channels
d.
combine tasks
e.
expand jobs vertically
(a; Challenging; Job Enrichment; p.
220) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
12.
A firm
introduces job enrichment in order to motivate its
employees. Evidence would suggest that
which of the following is the most
likely result of this change?
a.
reduced absenteeism and
turnover costs
b.
lower fixed costs
c.
a drop in quality
d.
a decrease in
productivity
e.
an increase in productivity
(a; Challenging; Job Enrichment; p.
220) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
Alternative Work Arrangements
13.
Beyond
redesigning the
nature
of
the
work
itself
and
involving
employees
in
decisions,
another
approach to making the work environment
more motivating is to alter work arrangements.
Which
of the following is designed to
give an employee greater control of their
schedule?
a.
flextime
b.
job sharing
c.
job rotation
d.
telecommuting
e.
job enrichment
(a; Moderate;
Flextime; p. 221)
14.
Which of the following has not been
shown to be a benefit of flextime?
a.
reduced absenteeism
b.
improved
productivity
c.
increased meaningfulness
d.
increased satisfaction
e.
improved
promptness
(c; Moderate; Flextime; p.
222) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
15.
Which of the following
is a job that does not lend itself to
telecommuting?
a.
an attorney who spends most of her time
researching on the computer
b.
a writer of copy for an
advertising firm
c.
a car salesman who demonstrates the
features of a new model of car
d.
a telemarketer who uses
the phone to contact clients
e.
a product support
specialist who fields calls from irate customers
(c; Easy; Telecommuting; p. 223)
135
16.
After completing
cooking
school
with
very
similar
grades,
Joe
and
Gary
both
looked
forward
to
working in restaurants. Joe found work
as a short-order cook in a cramped diner. On many
shifts
he worked alone, and had to cook
a large number of meals on outdated equipment.
Gary found
work
in
a
modern
hotel
kitchen.
He
had
a
small
staff
helping
him
prepare
a
small
number
of
elaborate
meals
to
order.
Gary
became
a
highly
regarded
chef,
while
Joe
left
the
restaurant
industry. This example illustrates that
an individual needs what in order to perform well?
a.
ability
b.
motivation
c.
opportunity to perform
d.
adequate compensation
e.
feedback
(c; Moderate;
Opportunity to Perform; p. 225) {AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
Employee
Involvement
17.
What term is used for a participative
process that uses the entire capacity of employees
and is
designed to encourage increased
commitment to the organization’s
success?
a.
MBO
b.
employee involvement
c.
reengineering
d.
OB Mod
e.
job sharing
(b; Moderate; Employee Involvement; p.
225)
18.
The
underlying
logic
of
employee
involvement
is
that
by
involving
workers
and
increasing
their
autonomy
and
control
over
their
work
lives,
employees
will
become
all
of
the
following
except
more ________.
a.
motivated
b.
competent
c.
productive
d.
satisfied
e.
committed
(b; Moderate;
Employee Involvement; p. 225)
19.
What is the distinct
characteristic common to all participative
management programs?
a.
joint decision making
b.
autonomy
c.
empowerment
d.
productivity enhancement
e.
quality
awareness
(a; Challenging;
Participative Management; p. 225)
20.
Participative management
is a method of management where ________.
a.
subordinates
make corporate decisions and management helps
carry out those decisions
b.
upper management
participates in the organization’s strategic
planning
c.
subordinates share a degree of
decision-making power with their immediate
superiors
d.
low-level workers meet occasionally
with the CEO to discuss problems within their
department
e.
low-level workers are responsible for
making corporate policy decisions
(c;
Moderate; Participative Management; p. 226)
136
21.
A manager introduces
participative management in an effort to boost
morale and productivity. If
he wants to
make sure that it has as great a chance of success
as possible he should ensure all
of the
following except ________.
a. the
issues decided upon must be relevant to the
employees
b. the employees must be
informed and competent enough to make decisions
c. the employees must be trusted by the
manager
d. the manager must be trusted
by the employees
e. there is
representative participation through work councils
and board representatives
(e;
Challenging; Participative Management; p. 226)
{AACSB: Analytic Skills}
22.
Research
studies
conducted
on
the
participation-performance
relationship
show
that
the
use
of
participation _____.
a.
enhances job
satisfaction
b.
increases motivation
c.
has only a modest
influence on employee productivity
d.
greatly influences
employee attitudes
e.
lowers costs considerably
(c; Moderate; Participation-Performance
Relationship; p. 226)
23.
Research shows that
works councils tend to be ineffective for which of
the following reasons?
a.
Members of works council tend to side
with management when making decisions for fear of
being punished.
b.
Works
councils
represent
the
wishes
of
employees
that
are
often
at
odds
with
the
best
direction of an
organization.
c.
Works
councils are dominated by management and their
input has little impact on employees
or
the organization.
d.
Works
councils insert an extra element into decision
making which slows the response of an
organization to changing conditions.
e.
Members of works councils
are in general not qualified to make large
decisions concerning the
direction of
an organization.
(c; Moderate; Work
Councils; p. 226) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
24.
What does
legislation require almost every company in
Western Europe to do?
a.
have a form of representative
participation
b.
provide employee ownership
c.
provide flextime
d.
set up
quality circles
e.
have flexible benefit options
(a; Easy; Representative Participation;
p. 226)
25.
What
is the goal of representative participation?
a.
for workers
to own the firms where they work
b.
to help workers’
self
-esteem
c.
to provide greater motivation and
productivity
d.
to redistribute power within the
organization
e.
to empower high level managers
(d; Moderate;
Representative Participation; p. 226)
137
26.
What
is
the
name
for
employees
who
sit
on
a
company’s
board
of
directors
and
represent
the
interests of the firm’s
employees?
a.
board representatives
b.
works councils
c.
quality
circles
d.
union
representatives
e.
board leaders
(a; Easy;
Board Representatives; p. 226)
27.
Experience shows that
the greatest value of representative participation
is which of the following?
a.
increased motivation
b.
increased satisfaction
c.
symbolic
d.
decreased absenteeism
e.
increased commitment
(c;
Moderate; Representative Participation; p. 226)
28.
What term is
used for work groups of employees and supervisors
who meet regularly to discuss
their
quality problems and recommend solutions?
a.
department
teams
b.
cooperative groups
c.
evaluation teams
d.
quality
circles
e.
mixed-motive decision teams
(d; Moderate; Quality Circles; p. 226)
29.
While
_____
is/are
likely
to
increase
productivity,
it
shows
little
or
no
effect
on
employee
satisfaction.
a.
ESOP
b.
MBO
program
c.
quality circles
d.
job redesign
e.
social reconstruction
(c; Moderate; Quality Circles; p. 226)
30.
Participative management is compatible
with all of the following except _____.
a.
ERG theory
b.
Theory X
c.
stimulating
the achievement need
d.
MBO
e.
success needs
(b; Moderate;
Employee Involvement and Motivation Theories; p.
227) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
31.
Which of the following
is Theory X is consistent with?
a.
the autocratic style of
managing people
b.
participative management
c.
ERG theory
d.
the cognitive evaluation
theory
e.
none
of the above
(a; Challenging; Employee
Involvement and Motivation Theories; p. 277)
{AACSB: Analytic Skills}
138
32.
Which of the following is not true?
a.
Theory Y
aligns with the participative management style.
b.
Employee
involvement programs provide intrinsic motivation.
c.
Theory X
aligns with the autocratic management style.
d.
Employee
involvement is incompatible with ERG theory.
e.
Implementing
decisions can help satisfy an
employ
ee’s needs for
achievement.
(d; Moderate;
Employee Involvement and Motivation Theories; p.
227) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
Using Rewards to Motivate Employees
33.
Which of the
following are all forms of variable-pay programs?
a.
piece-rate,
wage incentive plans, gainsharing
b.
profit-sharing, lump-sum
bonuses, extended vacations
c.
wage incentive plans,
flextime, piece-rate
d.
retirement benefits, extended
vacations, wage incentive plans
e.
wage rate increases,
bonuses, flextime
(a; Easy; Variable-
Pay Programs; pp. 228-233) {AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
34.
Which of the following is not one of
the most widely used variable-pay programs?
a.
piece-rate wages
b.
merit-based pay
c.
flat pay
d.
employee stock ownership
e.
profit sharing plans
(c;
Easy; Variable-Pay Programs; pp. 228-233) {AACSB:
Analytic Skills}
35.
Which of the following is one advantage
of variable-pay plans to management?
a.
They turn fixed labor
costs into variable labor costs.
b.
They turn low producers
into high producers.
c.
They turn slow employees into fast
employees.
d.
They turn high fixed costs into low
fixed costs.
e.
They turn lower performance into fewer
employees.
(a; Challenging; Variable-
Pay Programs; p. 229)
36.
Which of the following is an example of
a piece-rate plan?
a.
time and a half for overtime
b.
$$2 for each
unit produced
c.
productivity bonus
d.
commission
e.
none of the above
(b; Moderate; Piece-Rate Plan; pp.
229-230) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
37.
What is the term used
for a pay plan where pay levels are based on how
many skills employees
have or how many
jobs they can do?
a.
a variable pay plan
b.
flexible pay
c.
competency-based pay
d.
gainsharing
e.
ISOP
(c; Moderate; Skill-Based Pay; p. 231)
139
38.
A certain corporation
ties its compensation for front-line operations
managers to developing their
skills
in
leadership,
workforce
development,
and
functional
excellence.
What
is
this
sort
of
compensation scheme
called?
a.
job-based pay
b.
training-based pay
c.
individual merit-based
pay
d.
skill-based pay
e.
development-based pay
(d; Moderate; Skill-Based Pay; p. 231)
{AACSB: Analytic Skills}
39.
Which of the following
is not a downside of skill-based pay?
a.
People can “top
out.”
b.
Skills
can become obsolete.
c.
Ambitious people can confront minimal
advancement opportunities.
d.
People are paid for acquiring skills
for which there is no immediate need.
e.
It doesn’t
address the level of performance
(c;
Moderate; Skill-Based Pay; p. 231)
40.
What is an advantage of
bonuses over merit pay?
a.
Employees don’t view bonuses as
pay.
b.
Pay levels are
based on
employees’ skills.
c.
Bonuses are paid based on
a formula.
d.
Bonuses are based on an objective
output.
e.
Employees are rewarded for recent
performance.
(e; Moderate; Bonuses; p.
231)
41.
Much of
the compensation of traders at Synalco, a metals
trading company, is in the form of stock
options. The amount
of
options
distributed
is
based
on
the
company’s
net
profits.
What
sort
of
compensation plan is this?
a.
profit-sharing
b.
gainsharing
c.
merit based
d.
ESOP
e.
employee
ownership
(a; Moderate; Profit-Sharing;
pp. 231-232) {AACSB: Analytic Skills}
42.
What is the name for an
incentive plan where improvements in group
productivity determine the
total amount
of money that is allocated?
a.
ESOP
b.
gainsharing
c.
profit-sharing
d.
piece rates
e.
employee
ownership
(b; Moderate; Gainsharing; p.
232)
140
43.
How is
gainsharing an improvement on profit sharing?
a.
It focuses on
productivity gains rather than profits.
b.
It rewards
specific behaviors.
c.
It does not distribute profits, only
gains in profits.
d.
It rewards behaviors that are less
influenced by external factors.
e.
Superior employees
can receive incentive awards even when
the organization isn’t profitable.
(a; Moderate; Gainsharing; p. 232)
44.
In what sort
of companies is gainsharing most popular?
a.
large
manufacturing companies
b.
large service organizations
c.
small, non-unionized
manufacturing companies
d.
small, privately-held companies
e.
non-profit
organizations
(a; Challenging;
Gainsharing; p. 232)
45.
What sort of plan is a company-
established benefit plan where employees acquire
stock as part of
their benefits?
a.
MBO program
b.
job redesign
c.
ESOP
d.
quality
circle
e.
piece-
rate
(c; Moderate; Employee Stock
Ownership Plan; p. 232)
46.
Research
on
employee
stock
ownership
programs
indicates
that
they
are
clearly
successful
in
doing which of the following?
a.
increasing
employee satisfaction
b.
reducing salaries
c.
reducing stress
d.
increasing
productivity
e.
increasing employee expectations
(a; Moderate; Employee Stock Ownership
Plan; p. 232)
Flexible
Benefits: Developing a Benefits Package
47.
What is the
term
used
for
the
situation
where
employees
are
allowed
to
pick
and
choose
from
among a menu of benefit options?
a
flexible pay
b.
benefit menu
options
c.
flexible benefits
d.
benefit participation
e.
flextime
(c; Easy; Flexible Benefits; p. 234)
141
48.
Why are flexible benefit
plans consistent with expectancy theory’s
thesis?
a.
They allow organizations to minimize
costs associated with benefits.
b.
They provide a suite of
tangible rewards that can be offered as
motivation.
c.
Organizational rewards should be linked
to each individual employee’s goals
.
d.
They make
employment at firms providing such programs more
attractive.
e.
The motivation to gain extra benefits
promotes productivity.
(c; Challenging;
Flexible Benefits; p. 234)
49.
The
average
organization
supplies
fringe
benefits
worth
approximately
what
percent
of
an
employee’s
salary?
a.
25
b.
30
c.
35
d.
40
e.
50
(d; Challenging; Flexible
Benefits; p. 234)
50.
Which of the following is not a typical
option in a flexible benefit program?
a.
additional life insurance
b.
disability
insurance
c.
expanded health coverage.
d.
tax free health care
spending accounts
e.
mortgage relief
(e; Easy;
Flexible Benefits; p. 234) {AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
51.
What
are modular benefit plans?
a.
essential benefits and a
menu-like selection of other benefits
b.
pre-designed packages of
benefits
c.
they
employees
to
set
aside
funds
up
to
the
dollar
amount
offered
in
the
plan
to
pay
for
services
d.
a scheme
designed for single employees with no dependents
e.
a scheme
designed for employees with families
(b; Moderate; Modular Benefit Plan; p.
234)
Intrinsic Rewards:
Employee Recognition Programs
52.
Laura only makes minimum
wage, but she loves her job.
Her
supervisor
regularly
compliments
her and she has
been chosen employee of the month twice this year.
Which of the following is
Laura’s
attitude most likely a function of?
a.
recognition
b.
motivation
c.
goal setting
d.
involvement
e.
reactance
(a; Moderate;
Employee Recognition Programs; p. 235) {AACSB:
Analytic Skills}
142