Employee Behavior and Motivation (63-114 Questions with Answers)

63) An employee's level of effort began to decline when they learned a new employee with far less experience was hired at the same salary. The employee'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 Answer: A Explanation: A) Equity theory focuses on people evaluating their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others. 64) 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 rewards will increase as the quality of work is increased. 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. Answer: B Explanation: B) Theory Y says that employees will be most motivated by factors intrinsic to their work itself. If employees see their work as contributing to their own success, this will help. Choice A is about the incentives and not about how employees are motivated to do the work itself. Choices C and E do not tell whether the manager's strategy will reward employees on factors inherent in the job itself. Choice D would show that the manager's strategy is consistent with Theory X, not Theory Y. 65) 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. Answer: A Explanation: A) Letting the sales team engineer their own solution from their own ideas is likely to motivate them much more than merely being given incentives. Choice B describes what may be true in some situations, but being able to engineer their own solutions will be much more motivating. Choices C and D are possible outcomes, but not particularly likely, given the information. Choice E does not apply, since the plan described is not primarily focused on earning more money as the primary motivation. 66) Which of the following supports the belief that people are naturally lazy and must be punished or rewarded to be made productive? A) Hierarchy of human needs B) Theory X C) Theory Y D) Two factor theory E) Expectancy theory Answer: B Explanation: B) Managers who subscribe to Theory X tend to believe that people are naturally lazy and uncooperative and must be either punished or rewarded to be made productive. Managers who are inclined to accept Theory Y tend to believe that people are naturally energetic, growth-oriented, self-motivated, and interested in being productive. 67) According to McGregor, what motivational theory beliefs will result in managers most likely to have satisfied and motivated employees? A) Hierarchy of human needs B) Theory X C) Theory Y D) Two factor theory E) Expectancy theory Answer: C Explanation: C) McGregor argued that Theory Y managers are more likely to have satisfied and motivated employees. Their value lies primarily in their ability to highlight and classify the behavior of managers in light of their attitudes toward employees. 68) According to Frederick Herzberg, which of the following is considered a hygiene factor? A) Recognition B) Hours C) Working conditions D) Additional time off E) Added responsibility Answer: C Explanation: C) Psychologist Frederick Herzberg concluded that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction depend on two factors: hygiene factors, such as working conditions, and motivation factors, such as recognition for a job well done. 69) According to McClelland, what is the need for achievement based on? A) The desire to control one's environment B) The desire to increase job satisfaction C) Recognition for a job well done D) The desire to accomplish a goal or task as effectively as possible E) The need for human companionship Answer: D Explanation: D) The need for achievement arises from an individual's desire to accomplish a goal or task as effectively as possible. Individuals who have a high need for achievement tend to set moderately difficult goals and to make moderately risky decisions. 70) According to McClelland, what do employees experience when they tend to want reassurance and approval from others and are genuinely concerned about others' feelings? A) The need for power B) The need for satisfaction C) The need for achievement D) The need for motivation E) The need for affiliation Answer: E Explanation: E) Many individuals also experience the need for affiliation—the need for human companionship. Individuals with a high need tend to want reassurance and approval from others and usually are genuinely concerned about others' feelings. 71) According to McClelland, which of the following represents the desire to control one's environment? A) The need for power B) The need for satisfaction C) The need for achievement D) The need for motivation E) The need for affiliation Answer: A Explanation: A) A third major individual need is the need for power-the desire to control one's environment, including financial, material, informational, and human resources. 72) Which of the following indicates that an employee will work towards their goals if they believe they have a reasonable opportunity to achieve those goals? A) Equity theory B) Expectancy theory C) Maslow's hierarchy of needs D) Hygiene factors E) Herzberg's two-factor theory Answer: B Explanation: B) Expectancy theory suggests that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and that they believe they have a reasonable chance–or expectancy–of obtaining. A reward that seems out of reach is likely to be undesirable even if it is intrinsically positive. 73) Which motivational theory focuses on social comparisons as a motivator? 73) Which motivational theory focuses on social comparisons as a motivator? A) Equity theory B) Expectancy theory C) Maslow's hierarchy of needs D) Hygiene factors E) Herzberg's two-factor theory Answer: A Explanation: A) Equity theory focuses on social comparisons and people evaluating their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others. 74) According to the classical theory of motivation, attention from the supervisor is more of a motivator than money. Answer: FALSE Explanation: According to the classical theory of motivation, money is a more fundamental motivating factor. 75) The two-factor theory examines the relationship between effort and performance. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Two-factor theory examines the contributors to motivation. 76) According to expectancy theory, people are motivated to work toward rewards they want and that they believe they have a reasonable chance of obtaining. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Expectancy theory deals with an employee's perceived ability to reach goals. 77) When people feel they are being inequitably treated, they are likely to ask for raises, increase their efforts, and work longer hours. Answer: FALSE Explanation: When people feel they are being inequitably treated, they are likely to lose motivation. 78) Hygiene factors affect motivation only if they are absent or fail to meet expectations. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Hygiene factors likely do not make us satisfied, but do keep us from becoming dissatisfied when they are present or suitable. 79) Motivation factors are directly related to the work that employees perform; hygiene factors refer to the environment in which they work. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Once hygiene factors are acceptable, managers can offer motivation factors. 80) 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. Answer: FALSE Explanation: The ratios do not have to be the same, only fair. 81) Individuals may satisfy social needs by making and maintaining friendships at work. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Social needs are the mid-level needs in the hierarchy. 82) Equity theory is based on the premise that workers prefer a workplace where all employees are paid equally. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Equity theory focuses on people evaluating their treatment by the organization relative to the treatment of others. 83) How are equity theory and the psychological contract connected? Answer: In both situations, employees compare a ratio of contribution to return. With equity theory, one employee compares his or her ratio with another employee's ratio. According to both theories, employees need to know that they are being treated fairly. 84) How does Maslow's hierarchy of needs model explain employee motivation? Answer: Maslow identified five levels of human needs, arranged in a hierarchy of importance. Lower-level needs must be met before a person will try to satisfy higher-level needs. Maslow's theory recognizes that because people have different needs, they are motivated by different factors. Maslow's hierarchy of needs explains the human needs that must be met for people to be motivated. 85) According to the two-factor theory, how should managers enhance motivation? Answer: According to this theory, managers should follow a two-step approach to enhance motivation. First, managers must ensure that hygiene factors are acceptable, reducing dissatisfaction. Then they must offer motivational factors as a means of improving satisfaction and motivation. The two-factor theory includes hygiene factors and motivation factors. 86) Contrast Theory X and Theory Y. Answer: Theory X carries the assumption that people are lazy, lack ambition, are self-centered, resist change, and are gullible. Theory Y carries the assumption that people are energetic, ambitious, selfless, intelligent, and want to contribute to company growth. Theory X and Theory Y are two competing informal theories of motivation. 87) How does expectancy theory explain employee motivation? Answer: Expectancy theory suggests that people are motivated to work toward rewards that they want and they believe they have a reasonable chance, or expectancy, of obtaining. Expectancy theory states that a number of issues must be considered for individuals to exert high effort. The individual must expect that high effort will result in high individual performance and thereby organizational rewards. Finally, the individual must expect that the organizational reward will meet their personal goals. Expectancy theory explains the circumstances in which employees will work toward goals. 88) 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 Answer: A Explanation: A) This allows employees to take more responsibility for their own performance. 89) What is flextime an example of? A) Job sharing B) Job rotation C) Modified work scheduling D) Work sharing E) Modified workplace planning Answer: C Explanation: C) Flextime gives employees more freedom in their professional and personal lives. It allows workers to plan around the work schedules of spouses and the school schedules of young children. Studies show that the increased sense of freedom and control reduces stress and improves individual productivity. 90) 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) Training E) Job enrichment programs Answer: A Explanation: A) Instead of finding a worker to fit a job, the job is tailored to the worker. 91) Which is an example of a modified work schedule? A) Job sharing B) Job redesign C) Job rotation D) Job enrichment E) Job elimination Answer: A Explanation: A) Job sharing allows for the accommodation of the needs of employees, increasing the likelihood that they will be retained. 92) 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 Answer: B Explanation: B) Flextime allows workers to accommodate the needs of their personal life, such as family and childcare demands. 93) Which of the following is the most frequently used method of setting performance goals to motivate behavior? A) Social learning B) Participative management C) Management by objectives D) Job enrichment E) Positive reinforcement Answer: C Explanation: C) Performance goals are also commonly used to direct and motivate behavior. The most frequent method for setting performance goals is called management by objectives (MBO), which is a system of collaborative goal setting that extends from the top of an organization to the bottom. 94) Which of the following is being practiced when employees can determine how to accomplish their jobs and results in increased commitment to organizational goals? A) Social learning B) Participative management C) Management by objectives D) Job enrichment E) Positive reinforcement Answer: B Explanation: B) When a firm uses participative management and empowerment, it gives its employees a voice in how they do their jobs and in how the company is managed. They become empowered to take greater responsibility for their own performance. 95) Which of the following is successful at acknowledging that different people need and want different things from their jobs? A) Training B) Teamwork C) Participative management D) Job redesign E) Empowerment Answer: D Explanation: D) By restructuring work to achieve a more satisfactory fit between workers and their jobs, job redesign can motivate individuals with strong needs for career growth or achievement. 96) Which behavior modification choice links a negative action with a negative consequence? A) Performance measurement B) Punishment C) Regression D) Social learning E) Management by objectives Answer: B Explanation: B) Punishment is designed to change behavior by presenting people with unpleasant consequences if they exhibit undesired behaviors. 97) According to social learning theory, what determines the behavior of an individual at the work place? A) Cognitions and social environment B) Management by objectives C) Analysis D) Comparisons E) Reinforcement Answer: A Explanation: A) Social learning occurs when people observe the behaviors of others, recognize their consequences, and alter their own behavior as a result. Social learning theory, then, suggests that individual behavior is determined by a person's cognitions and social environment. More specifically, people are presumed to learn behaviors and attitudes at least partly in response to what others expect of them. 98) The essence behind management by objectives (MBO) is that performance goals are used to direct and motivate behavior. Answer: TRUE Explanation: MBO involves employees and managers in goal-setting that will direct and motivate behavior. 99) With job rotation, conventional office space is redesigned to accommodate jobs that are less dependent on assigned spaces. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Job rotation deals with assigning different duties, not rearranging office space. 100) Participation and empowerment work more effectively in large firms than in small firms. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Participation and empowerment work effectively in both large and small firms. 101) Job rotation is a form of job enrichment. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Job rotation gives employees opportunities to try different jobs that may represent growth opportunities. 102) With job sharing, companies often experience increased turnover. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Job sharing gives employees opportunities to work part-time when they might not otherwise have been able to. 103) MBO involves managers and subordinates in setting goals and evaluating progress. Answer: TRUE Explanation: As workers become more adept at what they do, rewards can be used less frequently. 104) Positive reinforcement is used when a company or manager provides a reward when employees exhibit desired behaviors. Answer: TRUE Explanation: As workers become more adept at what they do, rewards can be used less frequently. 105) According to many experts, motivational impact is the biggest advantage of MBO. Answer: 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. 106) The use of teams can increase motivation and job satisfaction. Answer: TRUE Explanation: On one level, employees may be given decision-making responsibility for certain narrow activities. On a broader level, they may be consulted on such decisions as production scheduling, work procedures, hiring, etc. 107) According to social learning theory, people learn, in part, because others expect them to. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Social learning theory suggests that people are presumed to learn behaviors and attitudes at least partly in response to what others expect of them. 108) In what three ways is job redesign typically implemented? Answer: Job redesign is usually implemented through combining tasks, forming natural work groups, or through establishing client relationships. Job redesign is usually implemented through combining tasks, forming natural work groups, or through establishing client relationships. 109) How can teams lead to higher levels of employee motivation and satisfaction in smaller firms? Answer: They help employees make decisions more quickly and effectively. In addition, participation on teams enhances companywide communications and encourages organizational members to feel more like a part of the organization. Teams give employees opportunities to feel as if their level of contribution is meaningful. 110) Under what conditions might the use of work teams be inappropriate? Answer: Work teams may not be appropriate when workers perform repetitive, highly specialized tasks. Basing pay on team productivity can result in resentment, as faster workers feel that slower workers reduce the group's total output, and slower workers feel their coworkers are putting pressure on them to produce more. Teamwork is not always appropriate for every kind of work. 111) Discuss management by objectives (MBO). Answer: MBO is a system of collaborative goal setting that extends from the top of an organization to the bottom. MBO involves both managers and subordinates in setting goals and evaluating progress. MBO can serve as a program for improving satisfaction and motivation. Management by objectives is the most frequently used method for setting performance goals, which are commonly used to direct and motivate behavior. 112) Discuss modified work schedules and how they increase job satisfaction. Answer: Modified work schedules are different approaches to working hours. Modified work schedules can give employees more flexibility in balancing work with life. Work sharing programs and flextime programs, such as telecommuting, give employees more freedom in their professional and personal lives. 113) Discuss the potential benefits to the employer from a flextime program. Answer: Employers implementing flextime programs can expect a number of benefits. Studies have shown that the increased sense of freedom associated with flextime reduces stress and improves individual productivity. In urban areas, flextime programs can reduce traffic congestion and similar problems that contribute to stress and lost work time. Employers also benefit from higher levels of commitment and job satisfaction. Flextime programs can increase employee satisfaction and motivation by helping them to balance work and life. 114) Discuss ways in which managers can link the concept of punishment and rewards as a form of behavior modification. Answer: Some managers try to influence workers' behavior through systematic rewards and punishments for specific behaviors. Such managers first try to define the specific behaviors that they want their employees to exhibit (working hard, being courteous to customers, stressing quality) and the specific behaviors they want to eliminate (wasting time, being rude to customers, ignoring quality). Then they try to shape employee behavior by linking positive reinforcement with desired behaviors and punishment with undesired behaviors.