Chapter 2 Theories of Motivation

Chapter 2: Theories of motivation Checkpoint questions + answers Which of the following statements about the interaction between motivation, ability, environment, and performance is accurate?  Performance is the result of motivation, ability, and environment. o Performance is best described as the result of the interaction between motivation, ability, and environment. Which of the following statement about motivation is correct?  Motivation is a key influence over an employee’s performance level. o An employee’s performance level is influenced by motivation, among other things like ability and environment. How does Zappos test the motivation of its new hires?  The company offers its new hires who are undergoing training a sum of money to quit the company. o Zappos offers everyone going through company training money to quit, in the hope that it will persuade anyone who isn’t truly motivated to work somewhere else. In effect, this generous offer provides a good test of potential employees’ motivation. In the view of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, which of the following is MOST responsible for motivating people?  Happiness o Happiness is the driving force behind people’s actions, according to Hsieh, and he has accordingly structured his company to maximize happiness for his employees. Which of the following BEST summarizes Maslow’s theory of motivation?  After basic needs are satisfied, higher-order needs become motivators. o Maslow’s theory is a hierarchy: After basic needs are satisfied, the higher-order needs become motivators. All needs are important, but they proceed in order, as it’s hard to improve your prospects of self-actualization if you are worried about lower order needs like job security. Researchers have criticized Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for which of the following reasons?  Empirical studies do not support the argument that satisfied needs no longer motivate behavior. o Researchers have criticized Maslow’s hierarchy of needs because empirical studies do not support the argument that satisfied needs no longer motivate behavior. Which category of needs would an annual company awards ceremony help to satisfy?  Esteem needs o An annual awards ceremony would provide an opportunity for employees to feel respected and recognized by their colleagues, thereby helping to satisfy their esteem needs. Imagine you have just started a new job that offers generous health benefits. Which of the following need has been satisfied, in the view of Maslow?  Safety o Health benefits and retirement planning satisfy safety needs, as they will assure individuals that they will be cared for when they get sick or retire. Samuel is a manager at a distribution facility, and he has noticed a lack of morale and camaraderie among his employees. As a result, he is concerned about their social need. Which of the following could BEST satisfy his employees’ social needs?  a company-wide bowling tournament o A company-wide bowling tournament could satisfy Samuel’s employees’ social needs. Social needs are typically related to friendships and bonding with others, and the bowling event would allow this to occur more naturally. The relatedness category, as proposed by Alderfer, includes which of Maslow’s needs?  Social o Relatedness corresponds to Maslow’s idea of social needs. Which of the following statement highlights the main contribution that ERG Theory made to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?  ERG Theory suggests that more than one need may be in play at a time. o And each is not necessarily fulfilled in order. Your co-worker Dave has repeatedly expressed his aggravation that he doesn’t have many friends, a sign that his relatedness needs aren’t being met. According to ERG Theory, which category of needs is Dave likely to focus on next?  Existence or growth needs o Since Dave’s relatedness needs are not being met, ERG Theory suggests that he will focus on his existence or growth needs instead. This illustrates the frustration-regression hypothesis—if people are frustrated by their inability to meet a particular need, they will shift their focus to fulfilling other needs. Which of the following BEST describes Hygiene Factors?  circumstances related to a workplace’s environment o As the text explains, hygiene factors are the elements that make up a job’s environment, as opposed to the job itself. They include company policies, supervision, working conditions, salary, safety, security on the job, and so on. Which of these statement about Motivators is MOST accurate, according to Herzberg’s research?  Motivators are factors that make employees highly engaged in their work. o According to Herzberg, motivators (like recognition and growth opportunities) are the conditions that drive employees and increase employee engagement. Which of the following is a common criticism of Herzberg’s two-factor theory?  It’s not clear whether pay is a hygiene factor or a motivator. o The issue of pay (and other factors) is complicated. Herzberg classified pay as a hygiene factor, but, as critics point out, pay may also have value as a motivator, because higher pay usually reflects an increase in an employee’s recognition and responsibility. According to McClelland’s acquired-needs theory, what are the three types of needs that people have as a result of their experience?  achievement, affiliation, and power o McClelland’s acquired-needs theory argues that individuals acquire needs for achievement, affiliation, and power as a result of their experiences; the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) assesses what someone’s dominant need is. In the view of acquired-needs theory, which of the following jobs would be best suited for someone with high need for achievement?  Surgeon o A career in surgical medicine is best suited for someone with a high need for achievement. People with this need work best in careers that have explicit goals and provide a lot of feedback. Mark has just finished his TAT. In his story, he describes a woman who has sacrificed time at ho me with her family in order to work in a new executive position. The woman is an advisor to the CEO and wants to manage as many people in her company as possible. How will the test administrator likely evaluate Mark’s test?  The administrator will conclude that Mark has a need for power. o Mark’s response to the image suggests that he has a need for power, because his story is focused on influencing others and making an impact on an organization. Which level of challenge stress will have the most positive effect on performance?  a moderate level of challenge stress o A moderate level of challenge stress is associated with higher levels of performance, when compared with both low and high levels of challenge stress. Which of these actions can help lower feelings of stress?  Getting enough sleep o Getting enough sleep, along with eating well and exercising, can be an effective way to decrease feelings of stress. Jorge has made a New Year’s resolution to lower stress by improving his time management. What should be his first step to create good time management habits?  Track his activities for a few days to figure out how he spends his time. o Tracking his time for a few days will help Jorge figure out how his days are actually spent; this, in turn, will help him identify where he could save time and be more productive. Which of the following statements BEST summarizes equity theory?  Equity theory is the belief that people in a workplace are motivated (or unmotivated) by their perceptions of fairness. o According to equity theory, individuals are motivated by a sense of fairness in their interactions. Which of the following is an example of an input?  computer programming experience o Inputs are contributions people feel they are making to the environment, so computer skills constitute a good example of an input. Imagine that you are the head of your company’s accounting department. Which of the following people at your company is an appropriate referent to you?  the head of the marketing department o The head of the marketing department is an appropriate referent to you. It is important that referents be at a comparable level to and have similar goals and requirements as the person to whom they are being compared. Imagine you are the head of your company’s marketing department. You recently discovered that you make $10,000 a year more than the head of the sales department. According to research, how are you likely to react to this payment gap?  You wouldn’t experience much guilt over the situation. o Though you might experience some slight initial guilt, research shows that individuals find ways to change their perceptions of the situation, such as believing that they bring more education and/or skills to the job than the referent. From an equity theory perspective, which of the following descriptions BEST applies to a boss who expects a yearly bonus and salary increase even though he has not improved his performance in years?  entitled o The boss is “entitled,” a term for an individual who expects generous compensation for comparatively little input. Which of these factors is MOST relevant to someone’s perception of procedural justice?  the process of decision-making that was used to give an award o The perception of procedural justice depends on the decision-making procedures used in a particular situation. If an award is being given, then people’s perception of procedural justice would depend on the process used to determine who would receive the award. Which of these strategies would be MOST likely to increase procedural justice within an organization?  Solicit employee feedback on important issues such as company policies or performance reviews. o Procedural justice argues that a company’s decision-making policies should be applied consistently and in a way that involves the employees. If company managers are soliciting feedback from employees before they make decisions that will affect the employees, they are practicing procedural justice. What is interactional justice?  the degree to which people are treated with respect, kindness, and dignity while communicating with others o Interactional justice is the degree to which people are treated with respect, kindness, and dignity while communicating with others. Joaquin received the Chancellor’s Award and an $8,000 scholarship for a research paper and formal presentation he created. He believes that he worked hard for the paper and the presentation and deserved the award. Which of the following would Joaquin be most likely to feel?  a sense of high distributive justice o In this scenario, Joaquin would be most likely to feel a sense of high distributive justice. Which of the following BEST summarizes the idea of expectancy theory?  The level of effort someone gives is dependent on expected results. o According to expectancy theory, individual motivation to put forth more or less effort is determined by a rational calculation in which individuals evaluate their situation. Which of the following BEST describes valence, according to expectancy theory?  Valence is the satisfaction that will result from an outcome. o Valence is the anticipated satisfaction that comes from achieving an outcome, and it can be positive or negative. If you would find the outcomes enjoyable, you have a positive valence; if you would find the outcomes undesirable, you have a negative valence. You have always made good grades in school, believing that if you can keep your GPA above 3.5, then you will be able to find your dream job. Which of the following BEST describes your perception of your GPA?  high instrumentality o High instrumentality describes your perception of your GPA. Instrumentality is the perception that performance leads to positive rewards. Imagine you are a manager and you are interested in increasing the instrumentality perceptions of your employees. Which of the following is the BEST way to proceed?  Consistently provide rewards to high performers. o Consistently rewarding high performers is the best way to increase the instrumentality perceptions of your employees. Instrumentality is the perception that performance is related to outcomes, like rewards; connecting rewards to performance using bonuses, merit pay, and other award systems is a great way to achieve high instrumentality. What is the main idea behind reinforcement theory?  Behavior is influenced by its past consequences. o The main idea behind reinforcement theory is that behavior is a function of its outcomes, or consequences—if a behavior has positive outcomes, it is more likely to be repeated. Which of the following BEST exemplifies Steven Kerr’s quote about “the folly of rewarding A while hoping for B”?  A manager rewards an employee who cuts corners in order to make a project deadline. o A manager who decides to reward an employee who cuts corners to make a project deadline exemplifies Kerr’s statement, which describes rewarding behaviors that lead to certain positive outcomes but are achieved in undesirable ways. Which of the following is an example of extinction?  ignoring a coworker who is telling inappropriate jokes o Ignoring a coworker’s inappropriate jokes may reduce their frequency and would thus be an example of extinction. You are an excellent student and do well in your classes. You study for tests weeks in advance and often ask the instructor for help. After the term is over, everything on your final report card is marked with an A. As a result, you decide to continue studying the same way next term. This is an example of what type of reinforcement?  positive reinforcement o This is an example of positive reinforcement, which means that positive behavior is followed by positive consequences. Which reinforcement schedule involves giving rewards after a specified amount of time?  fixed-interval schedule o In a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule, rewards are given after a specified amount of time; an example would be a monthly sales bonus. Lindsey owns a local sporting-goods store. Every once in a while, she buys lunch for whichever employee had the highest sales the day before, but her employees are never sure when this will happen. Which type of reinforcement schedule is Lindsey using?  variable ratio o Lindsey is utilizing a variable-ratio schedule, which means that she rewards her employees’ good behavior randomly. In which setting does OB Mod apply reinforcement theory?  the workplace o Organizational Behavior Modification, or OB Mod, is the systematic application of reinforcement theory to modify behaviors in the workplace. Consider the following scenario: Reginald, who is a manager, discovers that some of his employees are stealing their coworkers’ lunches. During which step of his Organizational Behavior Modification program would he look at the causal factors of this undesirable behavior?  step three o During step three—analyzing behavior antecedents and outcomes— Reginald would look at causal factors. Why are the lunches being eaten? Are the lunch eaters being unintentionally rewarded for their behavior? According to the research cited in this section, what motivates employees to act ethically (or unethically)?  the positive or negative consequences of unethical behavior o The research presented on this page argues that ethical behavior is a learned behavior. If unethical actions have positive consequences, then people are more likely to behave unethically. In the experiment mentioned at the beginning of the page, why did the participants stop behaving unethically?  They were threatened with punishment. o Participants stopped behaving unethically after they were threatened with punishment. Which of the following is a true statement regarding culture and motivation theories?  Fairness is relative to each culture. o All cultures value justice and fairness, but what is considered fair depends on the culture. Which of the following is a way that Trader Joe’s motivates its employees to do a good job?  The company gives all of its employees a large degree of autonomy. o According to the text, Trader Joe’s has been able to motivate its employees by promoting an environment of collaboration and autonomy. It also pays its employees generously and provides them with regular feedback.