Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
Herzberg’s findings suggest that many U.S. firms can help workers satisfy higher order
needs by identifying those things that motivate (inspire) them to work at their fullest
potential.
Feedback: Herzberg’s findings suggest that worker motivation can be triggered by giving
employees more interesting and challenging work, by recognizing worker contributions to the
success of the firm, and by giving employees the chance for growth and advancement within
the firm. All of these job characteristics would help employees achieve their higher order
needs as Maslow identified them.
66. Douglas McGregor observed that all managers tend to share common assumptions about
employees.
67. According to McGregor, Theory X managers assume that employees dislike work, and
will avoid it if possible.
68. According to McGregor, Theory X-type managers motivate employees by giving them a
great deal of freedom and responsibility.
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69. Managers who make Theory X assumptions about employees tend to watch their
subordinates very closely and provide detailed instructions to employees about how they
should do their jobs.
70. Theory X management has essentially disappeared from the real world workplace.
71. Theory Y managers assume that most people are capable of using a relatively high degree
of imagination and creativity to solve problems.
72. Theory Y managers assume that the main factor that motivates most employees is the
desire to earn more money.
73.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
Theory Y managers are likely to use empowerment to motivate employees.
74. Theory Y managers adhere to the principle that most people do not work to their fullest
intellectual potential.
75. According to William Ouchi, two of the main features of the Japanese approach to
management are individual decision-making and rapid promotions.
76. William Ouchi concluded that culture should not be a factor in one’s management style.
77. Ouchi’s Theory Z is a blend of Type A and Type J business cultures.
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82. The best way for U.S. firms to become more competitive is to adopt the Type J approach
to management.
Feedback: Type J is the Japanese approach to management. The cultures of Japan and the
United States are quite different, and it is unlikely that the Type J approach would work as
well in the United States because of these cultural differences.
83. Recent economic events and demographic trends in Japan have clearly demonstrated the
superiority of a Type J approach to management.
Feedback: Type J is the management style that is favored in most Japanese firms. It
emphasizes consensual decision-making, collective responsibility, and slow evaluation and
promotion. However, the prolonged and severe economic downturn that plagued Japan in the
late 1990s and early 2000s, coupled with social and demographic changes and fierce global
competition, are leading some Japanese managers to question whether this approach is always
the best. In particular, critics have pointed out that this approach has resulted in a lack of risk-
taking and has stifled creative thinking.
84.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
The goal of William Ouchi was to develop a modified business culture that blends the
best of Type J with the best of Type A.
Feedback: Knowing that American culture would not operate with the Type J philosophy,
where the employees act like a family and make decisions by consensus; where you have
employment for life, and where employees assume collective responsibility, Ouchi’s attempt
to improve Type A work environments was to integrate some of Type J and some of Type A
into a new work environment he called Theory Z.
85. Alan tries to make life easy on his employees by telling them exactly what to do and how
to do it. He believes that most of his subordinates are lazy, and will goof off if he doesn’t
keep an eye on them, so he spends much of his time monitoring their work. When he finds
an employee who is not performing up to his expectations, Alan uses threats and
punishment to increase the worker’s motivation. Alan is a Theory X-type manager.
Feedback: A Theory X-type manager assumes that employees are lazy and will avoid work if
possible. He or she also assumes that employees have very little ambition and prefer to be told
what to do. A Theory X-type manager tries to motivate employees by using threats and
punishment.
86. Jerry has a great deal of faith in the abilities of his subordinates. He believes that most
employees want to be productive, and will work hard if given the proper incentives. He
also believes that most firms do not take full advantage of the intelligence and creativity
of their employees. For these reasons Jerry favors a managerial style that allows
employees to be flexible and creative in how they do their jobs, and empowers them to
make and implement decisions. Jerry is a Theory Y-type manager.
Feedback: Theory Y-type managers favor a relatively free managerial atmosphere in which
employees are allowed to set objectives, be creative, and be flexible. A key aspect of this
approach is the empowerment of employees to make and implement decisions.
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87. Jenny is a creative and intelligent person who likes to work independently on challenging
projects. Jenny would be most effective when working for a Theory X-type manager.
Feedback: Theory X-type managers expect employees to follow orders and give them little
freedom and flexibility to be creative. Jenny probably would become very frustrated under the
direction of a Theory X-type manager.
88. Marita is a very talented and ambitious person who likes to work independently and
wants to move up in her company as quickly as possible. Marita may become frustrated if
she worked in a firm that took a Theory Z approach to management.
Feedback: Theory Z calls for collective decision-making and a relatively slow evaluation and
promotion of employees. This approach would frustrate employees who like to work
independently and who expect (and think they deserve) quick promotions.
89. Hillary enjoys working with others to solve problems and make decisions, but is also able
to assume individual responsibility. She prefers working for a company that takes a
holistic view of its employees. These preferences suggest that Hillary might enjoy
working at a company that uses a Theory Z approach to management.
Feedback: Collective decision-making and a holistic view of employees are two of the
characteristics of Theory Z.
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90. After a 3-year probationary period, career positions at Fairview Community College are
fairly secure, even though the opportunity for promotion runs at a snail’s pace (pretty
slow). These jobs would probably appeal to people who currently work for Type A
companies – similar to the way many companies operate in Silicon Valley.
Feedback: Type A personalities prefer individual responsibility and decision-making, and the
opportunity for rapid promotion. They also prefer specialized career paths and exist in a
culture where the concern for employee welfare is segmented. The culture at the community
college, where jobs are fairly secure but promotions do not happen very often is more like a
Theory Z approach.
91. Peter Drucker made an important distinction when he stated that managers do not
motivate employees, but employees motivate themselves.
92. Management by objectives (MBO) is a goal setting theory model that sets goals by
getting all employees active in the goal formulation process, committing employees to
meeting the goals, and then monitoring performance.
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93. The central idea behind MBO (management by objectives) is that employees motivate
themselves through the process toward goal achievement.
94. The management by objectives model devised by Peter Drucker works best in a dynamic,
rapidly changing business environment, where management makes short-term plans.
95. It may be difficult to utilize the MBO (management by objectives) model when
employees have not agreed upon the goals set by top management.
96.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
According to Victor Vroom, the effort employees exert on a specific task depends on
their expectations of the outcome.
97. According to Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory, expectations of employees can affect
their motivation.
98. Vroom’s expectancy theory contends that prior to committing maximum effort to a task,
employees want to know if they can accomplish the task and if it will equally reward
everyone at work, even if others were not involved in the accomplishment of the task.
99. According to expectancy theory, one of the things employees want to know before they
commit to making a maximum effort on a task is whether the reward for accomplishing
the task is worth the effort.
100. Expectancy theory says that employees will be motivated if: 1) They can actually
achieve the task; 2) they will be rewarded for their achievement; 3) the reward will be
worthy of their effort.
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101. According to researchers David Nadler and Edward Lawler, managers should set
performance standards that are attainable only by the most talented and dedicated
employees.
102. According to expectancy theory, employees in a given organization tend to have very
similar expectations.
103. Reinforcement theory suggests that employees respond to carrots (rewards) but not to
sticks (punishment).
104.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
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According to reinforcement theory, individuals act to receive rewards and to avoid
punishment.
105. In reinforcement theory, reprimands and reductions in pay are examples of negative
reinforcements.
106. The basic principle of equity theory is that employees try to maintain fairness between
their efforts and their compensation compared to others in similar positions.
107. Equity theory tells us that when employees perceive inequitable treatment they will
respond in a manner that will attempt to reestablish fairness.
108.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
According to equity theory, if employees perceive that their level of effort is greater than
their compensation, they will work to increase their productivity.
109. Equity theory suggests that if employees perceive inequity in the workplace, they
might respond with reduced productivity, higher absenteeism, or even voluntary
resignation.
110. Equity judgments are precise, objective measurements of the fairness between an
employee’s effort and their compensation.
111. The best strategy to deal with a perceived inequity in the compensation of different
employees is to require that salaries and other forms of compensation are kept secret.
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115. U.S. workers value being treated fairly. According to equity theory, if things seem
unfair, they will either do their best to make them equitable either by withholding effort,
increasing effort, or by rationalizing that they are undeserving of the same as others.
Feedback: Equity judgments are based on perceptions and are subject to errors and
disagreements. It is not unusual for employees to overestimate their own contributions and to
disagree with the evaluations of managers. When this happens, the employees may perceive
the pay and recognition they receive as inequitable even if the manager was actually accurate
in evaluating performance.
116. In reinforcement theory, extinction refers to a strategy of responding to undesirable
behavior with negative reinforcements, such as verbally reprimanding an employee in
front of his peers.
Feedback: In reinforcement theory, extinction means that a manager does not respond to
undesirable behavior. The idea is that if the manager does not reinforce the behavior, the
employee will eventually quit doing it.
117.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
Elias is disappointed with the work effort of the employees in his department. According
to expectancy theory, Elias could improve employee performance by setting more
ambitious performance standards that exceed the ability of most employees to attain
them.
Feedback: Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory contends that unattainable goals will not
motivate employees, but rather convince them that committing maximum effort to a task is
not worthwhile.
118. Cedric works for a landscaping business. His employer has asked Cedric if he would
be willing to work overtime this weekend to finish a job for an important client.
According to expectancy theory, Cedric will want to compare the compensation or other
rewards offered by his employer to the extra effort involved before he decides whether to
agree to the job.
Feedback: According to Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory, prior to committing effort to a
task, employees want to know (1) Can I accomplish the task? (2) If I do accomplish it, what’s
my reward? (3) Is the reward worth the effort?
