Employee Behavior and Motivation 32 Questions with Answers

Employee Behavior and Motivation 1) What is the term for behavior that is related to doing a certain job? A) Performance behavior B) Interpersonal behavior C) Disruptive behavior D) Potential behavior E) Assertive behavior Answer: A Explanation: A) Performance behaviors are the total set of work-related behaviors that an organization expects employees to display. 2) Which would an employee who is productive but refuses to help others or the organization be lacking in? A) Organizational citizenship B) Workplace aggression C) Performance behavior D) Personal productivity E) Self-esteem Answer: A Explanation: A) Good organizational citizenship includes such factors as being willing to work overtime and to help orient new employees. 3) Behaviors that detract from, instead of contribute to, organizational performance are known as what? A) Inclusive B) Negative reinforcement C) Counterproductive D) Turnover E) Associative Answer: C Explanation: C) The prefix counter- means "against," and so counterproductive behaviors work against production and organizational performance. 4) Which of the following is NOT a central aspect of organizational citizenship? A) Reporting structure B) Corporate culture C) Workgroup attitude D) Business field E) Team composition Answer: D Explanation: D) The qualities that make a good organizational citizen, such as willingness to work overtime if asked, are common across business fields. 5) Which of these behaviors BEST indicates good organizational citizenship? A) Being willing to help new employees B) Asking for a pay raise C) Meeting job performance standards D) Keeping regular hours E) Using office supplies for business use Answer: A Explanation: A) Good employee citizenship is more than simply showing up and doing the job, but extends to improving and supporting other workers and the organization. 6) In what way does absenteeism result in a direct cost to a business? A) Additional training must be provided to coworkers. B) Turnover among high quality employees increases. C) Burnout and psychological distress increases for those who are on the job. D) There is confusion about authority roles within the organization. E) A substitute must do the work of the missing employee. Answer: E Explanation: E) When an employee is absent, legitimately or not, his or her work does not get done at all or his or her work may be completed by a temp or another employee. In any event, though, absenteeism results in direct costs to a business. 7) Performance behaviors contribute directly to company productivity. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Performance is related to how well a job is done. 8) Organizational commitment reflects an individual's identification with the organization and its mission. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Job satisfaction, also known as morale, is the extent to which people have positive attitudes toward their jobs. Organizational commitment, in contrast, reflects an individual's identification with the organization and its mission. 9) Organizational citizenship reflects the ability of a behavior to detract from, rather than contribute to, organizational performance. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Employees can also engage in positive behaviors that do not directly contribute to the bottom line. Such behaviors are often called organizational citizenship. Organizational citizenship refers to the behavior of individuals who make a positive overall contribution to the organization. 10) What are some potential consequences of employees being dissatisfied? Answer: Dissatisfied employees may be absent more often, may experience stress that disrupts coworkers, and may be continually looking for another job. Unlike dissatisfied employees, satisfied employees tend to be absent less often, to be good organizational citizens, and to stay with the organization. 11) Why is workplace violence increasing? Answer: Workplace violence is increasing because of economic fears regarding job security, heightened concern for personal safety since 9/11, and generalized stress and anxiety among workers. Employee insecurity leads to workplace violence. 12) How can managers minimize the chance of workplace violence? Answer: Managers can minimize the chance of workplace violence by treating people with respect, dignity, fairness, and honesty. When a cut to hours, pay, or elimination of jobs becomes necessary, managers should provide as much advance information as possible. They should also make sure each person affected understands the basis for the decision. Enhancing employee feelings of security and fairness can reduce workplace violence. 13) Discuss ways in which absenteeism affects coworkers and the organization. Answer: Absenteeism is a counterproductive behavior that occurs when an employee does not show up for work. Some absenteeism has a legitimate cause, such as illness, jury duty, or death or illness in the family. Other times, the employee may report a feigned legitimate cause that's actually just an excuse to stay home. When an employee is absent, legitimately or not, his or her work does not get done at all or his or her work may be completed by a temp or another 14) Which of these "big five" personality traits is an indication of how open or rigid a person is in terms of his or her beliefs? A) Openness B) Extraversion C) Emotionality D) Conscientiousness E) Agreeableness Answer: A Explanation: A) The "big five" personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotionality, extroversion, and openness) can be viewed as continuums that run from high levels of the trait to low levels of the trait. 15) What is emotionality? A) The ability of a person to get along with others B) The degree to which someone tends to be positive or negative C) The number of things a person tries to accomplish at once D) The relative rigidity of an individual's beliefs E) The likelihood that a person will react aggressively Answer: B Explanation: B) Emotionality is a continuum of positivity and negativity. 16) Which of the following might you, as a manager, expect to see in an employee who has a low degree of conscientiousness? A) A tendency to be unprepared at meetings B) A tendency to have a high degree of performance C) A tendency to focus on relatively few tasks at one time D) A high level of organization and self-discipline E) An ability to meet deadlines without fail Answer: A Explanation: A) Conscientious employees tend to be thorough and organized and would not arrive at a meeting unprepared. 17) If a task involves a high level of detail, which type of personality would be best suited to perform the task? A) One who exhibits high agreeableness and low conscientiousness B) One who exhibits more negative emotionality and low agreeableness C) One who exhibits high openness and low negative emotionality D) One who exhibits high conscientiousness and low extraversion E) One who exhibits high creativity and low negative emotionality Answer: D Explanation: D) Your most conscientious employee will probably excel at the task. 18) The extent to which people are self-aware, able to manage their emotions, and motivate others is an aspect of which of the following? A) Attitude B) Emotional intelligence C) Negative emotionality D) Social skills E) Empathy Answer: B Explanation: B) Self-awareness, including recognizing and controlling one's emotions, is an important aspect of emotional intelligence. 19) Which of the following is represented by a relatively stable set of psychological attributes that distinguish people from others? A) Differences B) Attitude C) Personality D) Extroversion E) Emotional intelligence Answer: C Explanation: C) Personality is the relatively stable set of psychological attributes that distinguish one person from another. 20) If an employee has a tendency to focus on relatively few tasks at one time, what type of personality trait is considered to be high? A) Agreeableness B) Conscientiousness C) Emotionality D) Extraversion E) Openness Answer: B Explanation: B) Highly conscientious people tend to focus on relatively few tasks at one time. As a result, they are likely to be organized, systematic, careful, thorough, responsible, and selfdisciplined. 21) Which of the following best represent the personality attributes of someone who is considered to be an extrovert? A) Forgiving, understanding, and good natured B) Organized, systematics, and self-disciplined C) Calm, resilient, and secure D) Sociable, assertive, and open to new relationships E) Curious, willing to listen to new ideas, and willing to change their own beliefs Answer: D Explanation: D) Extraverts are sociable, talkative, assertive, and open to establishing new relationships. 22) According to the Myers-Briggs framework, how do introverts recharge their energy levels? A) By being around others B) When considering abstract ideas C) When completing or finishing an assignment or project D) By having time to process open-ended situations E) By being alone and having solitude Answer: E Explanation: E) Extraverts get their energy from being around other people, whereas introverts are worn out by others and need solitude to recharge their energy. 23) What is the term that reflects the extent of one's self awareness and ability to manage emotions? A) Emotional intelligence B) Personality C) Introversion D) Openness E) Emotionality Answer: A Explanation: A) Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient refers to the extent to which people are self-aware, can manage their emotions, can motivate themselves, express empathy for others, and possess social skills. 24) Which of the following best describes empathy? A) The ability to balance fear, anxiety, and anger B) The ability to remain optimistic and continue to strive when facing setbacks C) The ability to understand how others feel D) The ability to get along with others E) The ability to establish positive relationships Answer: C Explanation: C) Empathy is a person's ability to understand how others are feeling even without being explicitly told. 25) What is the correct term for one's belief that their behavior has an effect on what happens to them? A) Self-efficacy B) Authoritarianism C) Self-esteem D) Locus of control E) Risk propensity Answer: D Explanation: D) Locus of control is the extent to which people believe that their behavior has a real effect on what happens to them. Some people, for example, believe that if they work hard they will succeed. 26) Which of the following is based on the knowledge a person presumes to have about perceptions of truth and reality? A) Affect B) Intention C) Attitude D) Personality E) Cognition Answer: E Explanation: E) Cognition is the knowledge a person presumes to have about something. Cognitions are based on perceptions of truth and reality and as we note later, perceptions agree with reality to varying degrees. 27) Which of the following is used to guide a person's behavior? A) Affect B) Intention C) Attitude D) Personality E) Cognition Answer: B Explanation: B) Intention guides a person's behavior. You may intend to do one thing, but later alter your intentions because of a more significant and central attitude. 28) What is the result of a person behaving in a way that is inconsistent with their attitudes? A) Affect B) Lapsed morale C) Increased satisfaction D) Cognitive dissonance E) Impairment Answer: D Explanation: D) Cognitive dissonance also occurs when people behave in a fashion that is inconsistent with their attitudes. 29) What is the outcome when employees have positive attitudes towards their jobs? A) Increased cognitive dissonance B) Decreased morale C) Stronger intention D) Limited commitment E) Increased job satisfaction Answer: E Explanation: E) Job satisfaction reflects the extent to which people have positive attitudes toward their jobs. 30) When an employee sees themselves as a member of the team and can easily identify with the organization's mission, what is the result? A) Organizational commitment B) Psychological contracts C) Cognitive dissonance D) Intention E) Cognition Answer: A Explanation: A) Organizational commitment, sometimes called job commitment, reflects an individual's identification with the organization and its mission. 31) Which term, similar to emotions, identifies a person's feelings about something? A) Affect B) Intention C) Cognitive dissonance D) Attitude E) Morale Answer: A Explanation: A) A person's affect is his or her feelings toward something. In many ways, affect is similar to emotion as it is something over which we have little or no conscious control. 32) How willing a person is to take chances in their decision process indicates a person's A) self-esteem. B) locus of control. C) risk propensity. D) self-efficacy. E) cognitive dissonance. Answer: C Explanation: C) Risk propensity is the degree to which a person is willing to take chances and make risky decisions.