Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
277. In an interview that featured the CEO of Aruba Networks, New York Times reporter
Andrew Bryant probed the CEO about his experience at Hewlett Packard. He asked,
“What is the H.P. way?” The CEO responded, “Fundamentally, the H.P. way started with
the basic assumption that each employee wants to do well, and they are capable of doing
well, so as a manager you have to give them that environment to flourish.” In the study of
management, we would describe this management style as:
A. Theory B
B. Theory Y
C. Theory X
D. Theory Z
Feedback: Theory Y makes certain assumptions about people. These include that most
people like work. Most people naturally work toward goals. Most people, under the right
conditions, will seek responsibility. Under Theory Y conditions, managers emphasize a
relaxed environment where employees are free to set objectives, be flexible, and go beyond
the goals set by management. A key technique is empowerment.
278. William Ouchi believed that a pure Type J approach to management would not work
in the United States because it:
A. failed to encourage open communication.
B. could lead to violations of U.S. antitrust laws.
C. is based on the values and attitudes of Japanese culture.
D. is too dependent on the assumptions of scientific management.
Feedback: Ouchi believed that the Type J approach to management worked well in Japan, but
that it would be unreasonable to expect Americans to accept a system based on another
country’s culture. He therefore proposed a hybrid system, called Theory Z, which blended
elements of both the Japanese approach to management (Type J) and the American approach
(Type A).
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300. The basic principle of equity theory is that employees try to:
A. maintain equity between inputs and outputs compared to people in similar positions.
B. ensure that performance standards are fair and attainable.
C. earn as much as possible with as little work as possible.
D. achieve the mutually agreed upon goals of management and employees.
301. Inequity in the workplace is likely to result in:
A. arguments between managers and employees.
B. higher morale.
C. lower productivity and reduced quality.
D. greater worker empowerment.
302. Equity judgments are based on:
A. quantifiable evidence.
B. deductive reasoning.
C. statistical extrapolation.
D. people’s perceptions.
303.
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A problem with equity judgments is that employees often ________ their own
contributions to the success of a business.
A. overestimate
B. refuse to consider
C. do not care about
D. are unaware of
304. According to goal-setting theory, in order for goals to enhance motivation and
performance they must be:
A. accompanied by monetary rewards.
B. accompanied by feedback.
C. tied directly to the principles of scientific management.
D. put into the labor contract.
Feedback: Goal-setting theory says that setting ambitious but attainable goals can improve
motivation and performance if the goals are accepted by members of the organization,
accompanied by feedback, and facilitated by conditions within the organization.
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Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
One implication of goal-setting theory is that goals should be:
A. set by top management.
B. relatively easy to achieve.
C. set at a level that slightly exceeds the ability of employees to achieve them.
D. set through a process that involves all persons responsible for formulating and
implementing the goals.
Feedback: Goal-setting theory maintains that all members of the organization should have
some basic agreement about the overall goals for the organization and the specific objectives
to be met by departments and individuals. This can be accomplished by setting up a system
that involves everyone in the organization in goal setting and implementation.
306. A central characteristic of management by objectives is that:
A. goals are set by top management and followed without question by others within the
organization.
B. employees are given complete freedom to set their own goals as long as they are
consistent with broad guidelines established by top management.
C. goals are set through a process involving all members of the organization.
D. it assumes that management must motivate employees, since employees are incapable
of motivating themselves.
Feedback: Management by objectives is a strategy for involving all members of an
organization in goal setting and implementation.
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309. Which of the following would be most closely tied to the idea that employee
motivation requires that the rewards for completing a task are sufficient to justify the
effort?
A. Theory Z
B. Theory X
C. equity theory
D. expectancy theory
Feedback: Expectancy theory maintains that employees consider whether or not the effort
needed to complete a task is properly rewarded. If the employee values the reward and
considers it adequate, the employee will be motivated to complete the task.
310. Expectancy theory suggests that managers attempting to improve employee
performance would be well advised to:
A. make sure that all employees are expected to meet the same standards.
B. focus on setting monetary rewards for meeting the standards.
C. set attainable performance goals.
D. keep salaries earned by employees confidential.
Feedback: Expectancy theory states that if employees believe a task is unattainable, they are
unlikely to commit their maximum effort to completing that task. Thus, employees must
believe that a goal is attainable before they will exert their best effort.
311.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
A key idea in reinforcement theory is that:
A. goals should be set by everyone in an organization.
B. managers can use both rewards and punishment to influence employee behavior.
C. managers should use the same reinforcement techniques for all employees.
D. employees are more likely to obey written instructions than verbal instructions.
Feedback: Reinforcement theory is based on the idea that positive and negative reinforcers
motivate a person to behave in certain ways.
312. According to equity theory, which of the following statements is most accurate?
A. The best way to motivate employees is to offer everyone the same reward
B. Employees’ perceptions of fairness will affect their level of motivation
C. Employees generally do a good job of estimating their contributions to a firm
D. In the United States, employees tend to focus on their own situation and pay little
attention to the efforts and rewards of other employees
Feedback: Equity theory deals with perceptions of fairness. A central idea of equity theory is
that employees are concerned with their treatment relative to others in the organization.
313. The best remedy for staving off perceptions of inequity is:
A. Keeping employees’ pay rates as a guarded secret between HR department and the
supervisor.
B. Hiring at least one person fewer than you believe the work situation requires.
C. Frequent and open communication among all employees and managers.
D. Regularly reminding employees that relatively speaking they are very fortunate to have
jobs.
Feedback: Generally speaking, the best remedy for staving-off the perception of inequity is
clear and frequent communication among all parties. Managers must communicate their
expectations and outcomes for achieving goals.
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314. Dane works as a sales representative for the Better Butter Company. He is about to
meet with his manager to review his progress toward meeting the sales objectives they
agreed to at the beginning of the year. Dane likes the fact that managers at Better Butter
listen to their subordinates’ ideas and get everyone involved in setting goals and
objectives. Dane’s experience suggests that Better Butter is utilizing:
A. scientific management.
B. management by objectives (MBO).
C. the program evaluation and review technique (PERT).
D. programmed management.
Feedback: Management by objectives is a system of goal setting that involves a cycle of
discussion, review, and evaluation among managers and subordinates within an organization.
The process is designed to improve motivation by getting employees involved in setting goals
and objectives.
315. Becca is a manager in the credit department for 3STAR Motors. Joe Greene is a new
employee in her department. While Joe has been learning his job, Becca has provided him
with guidance by offering advice, encouragement, and instructions. However, she is
careful to let Joe do the actual work, even if he struggles a bit. Becca’s approach to getting
Joe up to speed indicates that she is:
A. both coaching and helping Joe.
B. helping Joe rather than coaching him.
C. familiar with the leading principles of scientific management.
D. coaching Joe rather than helping him.
Feedback: Coaching means acting as a resource by teaching, guiding, and recommending.
Helping means working with the subordinate and doing part of the work if necessary.
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316. Paul Blocker is the offensive line coach for a well-known university football team. He
wants his players to report to fall practice in good shape. Coach Blocker has set
challenging fitness standards that the linemen should have no problem achieving if they
work hard during the summer. He knows his players hate running wind sprints so to
encourage them to workout during the summer he announced that any player who passes
the fitness test at the beginning of fall practice will be allowed to skip sprints for the first
two weeks of practice. Coach Blocker’s approach to motivation is consistent with:
A. expectancy theory.
B. assessment theory.
C. scientific management.
D. the autonomous feedback principle.
Feedback: Proponents of expectancy theory suggest that motivation will be greatest if
participants believe the rewards they receive are adequate for the effort they expend; however,
they must first believe that the goal set is achievable. Thus it is important to set goals that are
attainable and establish rewards that are valued by employees and considered adequate for the
effort expended. This is what Coach Blocker is trying to do. The goals are challenging but
attainable, and the reward (no wind sprints) is very attractive to the players.
317.
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Which of the following problems would indicate that a manager failed to apply the basic
concepts of expectancy theory?
A. Employees are frustrated because they have no say in their organization’s goals and
objectives
B. Some of the organization’s employees reduce their effort because they feel that they are
being treated unfairly compared to other employees
C. Employees are unwilling to work toward achieving an important goal because they
believe the reward offered is not sufficient to justify the effort
D. Employees are confused and frustrated because managers do not provide them with
adequate feedback about their job performance
Feedback: Expectancy theory is based on the idea that the amount of effort employees will
exert to complete a task depends on their expectations about the outcome. Specifically,
employees will only commit maximum effort if they believe the reward they will receive is
worth the effort they must exert.
318. Lynn is in charge of a nursing shift at a hospital. She wants to improve the motivation
and performance level of the nurses under her direction. According to expectancy theory,
one element of an effective motivational strategy is to:
A. simplify the job.
B. determine what types of rewards are valued by the nurses.
C. set performance standards that are beyond the ability of most nurses to challenge them
to achieve.
D. rotate the nurses so that they perform different jobs each day.
Feedback: According to researchers David Nadler and Edward Lawler, the first task in
applying expectancy theory to improve employee performance is to determine what rewards
employees most value.
319.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
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Which of the following is the best example of extinction as the term is used in
reinforcement theory?
A. A manager uses very harsh negative reinforcements to punish an employee for
undesirable behavior
B. An employee refuses to do a certain task because she does not value the reward that she
will receive for its successful completion
C. An employee expresses frustration and quits because he feels management has set
goals that are impossible to attain
D. A manager decides not to take any specific actions against an employee who has
engaged in undesirable behavior
Feedback: In reinforcement theory, extinction means that a manager tries to stop an
undesirable behavior by not responding to it. The hope is that the behavior will eventually
become extinct.
320. Matt works for a sports marketing firm. He feels that he has been treated unfairly by
the organization. He helped three other employees organize a series of successful street
hockey tournaments in different regions of the country. While the other employees were
given a bonus and corporate recognition, his efforts were ignored. According to equity
theory, Matt is likely to respond by:
A. ignoring the perceived inequity.
B. reaching the conclusion that his treatment is not related to the treatment of others.
C. reducing his efforts on future projects.
D. threatening the boss.
Feedback: Equity theory states that if employees perceive inequity, they will try to reestablish
equitable exchanges of their efforts and their rewards. A common reaction is to reduce efforts
on future projects.
321.
Chapter 10 – Motivating Employees
As a manager, Charlene works hard to ensure that employees are treated fairly, yet she
still gets feedback that indicates that some employees don’t believe she is fair. This
problem most likely results from the fact that:
A. Charlene doesn’t understand that employees are not concerned with equity, only with
getting the biggest possible reward for the least possible effort.
B. “fair treatment” is a hygiene factor rather than a motivator.
C. attempts to treat employees fairly only works in an Asian or European culture.
American employees tend to be individualists who believe that rewarding results is more
important than perceptions of fairness.
D. equity judgments are based on perceptions, and the perceptions of employees are not
always accurate.
Feedback: Equity judgments are based on people’s perceptions, and sometimes those
perceptions are in error. For example, employees may overestimate the value of their
contributions to the firm. When this is the case, they may feel slighted by their rewards even if
the rewards are actually reasonable.
322.