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Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
10-121
Brett manages a sales force that sells laboratory supplies to companies and university
science labs. He wants to implement a reward program for high performance. Any rep
whose territory bills over $500,000 in sales will win a trip for two, to a Caribbean Island.
Last year the high billing territory made $400,000 in sales. As his outside consultant on
the rewards program project, you suggest that he ask around to make certain that this is
something the reps would enjoy. Your other advice is:
A. to make certain the payout threshold is sufficiently high so that very few reps will be
able to reach the sales goal.
B. if after several months into the sales contest it appears that several reps are over
halfway to meeting this goal, there may be a need to increase the payout threshold.
C. monetary rewards are never motivators.
D. to consider whether the sales reps believe that this reward is attainable.
Feedback: Brett wants to use expectancy theory to motivate his sales force to increase
company revenues. Nadler and Lawler suggest five things that managers should consider
when using expectancy theory to motivate employees: 1) Determine what rewards employees
value; 2) Determine each employee's desired performance standard; 3) Ensure that
performance standards are attainable; 4) Guarantee rewards tied to performance standards; 5)
Be certain that employees consider the rewards adequate.
323.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
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Company A just bought one of their competitors (Company B). The CEO announced last
week that employees at the newly acquired firm (Company B) will get raises that are
equal to what persons doing the same jobs at Company A are making. The announcement
has caused quite a stir at Company A because it is common knowledge that the culture at
Company B is quite different from their culture. For one thing, Company B employees
take hour-long lunches, while Company A lunch breaks are ½ hour. Company B
employees get another ½ hour each day for exercise, while Company A employees have
never enjoyed this privilege. Company B employees expect three weeks vacation each
year, while Company A employees get two weeks only after they have been with the
company for three years. If the CEO goes through with his plans, which of the following
is a response that he is likely to get from employees at the combined company?
A. Company A employees will accept the decision within weeks.
B. Company A employees may reduce their effort at work.
C. Company A employees will increase their effort to justify higher pay.
D. Company A employees will rationalize the fact by saying that they are "just lucky they
have jobs."
Feedback: When employees experience inequities, they are likely to rationalize the
difference, to convince themselves that the inequity is fair. They may often reduce their inputs
or effort to create a more-fair environment. They may even go so far as to quit their jobs and
find what they consider to be a better situation elsewhere. It is unlikely that they will be
motivated to increase their effort due to an increase in pay.
324.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
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You are a graduate teaching assistant in the Biology department at Fairview University.
You have several graduate student friends who have graduate appointments in the
business department and the English department. While everyone's compensation and
employee benefits are exactly the same, your department requires you to always show-up
and tutor students at least four hours each day and to serve on one university committee
each semester. Graduates students at the other departments are not required by their
management to follow these rules. Lately, you are doing your best to limit your daily
obligation to 2 ½ to 3 hours each day. The motivational theory that most closely correlates
with your actions is:
A. equity theory
B. expectancy theory
C. reinforcement theory
D. goal-setting theory
Feedback: Equity theory looks at how an employee's perception of fairness affects his/her
willingness to perform. In this case, the employee is comparing his/her job with others in
similar positions. He/she will likely withhold inputs by reducing the number of hours of work
in order to bring a sense of equality to all Teaching Assistant positions.
325.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
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As the marketing director for Chipper's Golf Resort, you are making plans for the annual
golf tournament, and trying to decide on dollar prizes. In past years, you successfully
raised $25,000 through registration fees and sponsorship. After learning that in past years,
you successfully raised in excess of $25,000 through registration fees and sponsorship, the
general manager wants to make the top prize $10,000. His exact words were, "We can
attract some great talent at the level!" At your morning meeting, you inquire: "Can we
afford to announce a $10,000 prize at the expense of losing out on a portion of the
registration fees if some of our past participants decide not to enter the tournament? You
explain to the general manager that if you set the prize too high, several better than
average golfers in the area will find it to be "out of their league" and will be unmotivated
to participate or spend the money. Your analysis of the situation is reasonable according to
____________.
A. Goal-Setting Theory
B. Equity Theory
C. Expectancy Theory
D. Reinforcement Theory
Feedback: According to expectancy theory, the participant will ask three questions: 1) If I
decide to compete in this tournament, do I have a chance to achieve the goal - win the
tournament? 2) If I win the tournament, will I receive a reward for my effort? 3) Will the
reward be sufficient for the effort and expense?
326.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
As the marketing manager for Chipper's Golf Resort, you hired interns from the local
university to go out and sell your annual golf event. You provided each of three interns
with their own list of past sponsors, participants, and prize contributors. You also asked
each to create their own marketing plan in order to secure five new sponsors in the next
four weeks, and promised them a bonus at the end of the fourth week, if they could verify
that they followed their own plan, contacted everyone on their list; and, developed five
new sponsors. Essentially, each would have ownership in his/her success. During the
fourth week, you randomly contacted a few sponsors on each of the three lists and quickly
learn that one of the interns had slacked-off on the job. When you met with each of the
three interns, you withheld the bonus from the one that did not do the job and informed
him that his internship grade will reflect the fact that he was not motivated to get the job
done. Which theory did you initially follow, and which theory did you utilize to assess the
intern that did not perform his/her job?
A. Goal-setting Theory; Negative Reinforcement
B. Goal-setting Theory; Positive Reinforcement
C. Equity Theory; Positive Reinforcement
D. Theory Z; Negative Reinforcement
Feedback: Initially, you used goal-setting theory. You used negative reinforcement to punish
the intern for sub-standard performance. Withholding the bonus and awarding a poor grade
are examples of negative reinforcement.
327. Herzberg's research indicated that employees are motivated by job content.
Contemporary managers focus on _____________ by increasing the significance of the
job, and even providing the employee with important feedback.
A. rotating the job
B. enriching the job
C. simplifying the job
D. reducing the responsibilities in the job
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338. The first step toward establishing open communication within an organization is to:
A. create a clear chain of command much like the one found in military organizations.
B. set up a computer network.
C. place suggestion boxes in every department.
D. create an organizational culture that rewards listening.
339. As companies restructure to create greater efficiencies in their operations, there is a
greater opportunity for _____________ where management combines specialized tasks in
one job, and asking employees to broaden their scope of responsibilities.
A. job enlargement
B. job simplification
C. job specialization
D. job confrontation
Feedback: Job enlargement involves combining a series of tasks into one larger and more
interesting assignment.
340.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
As a contemporary manager, your employees will be motivated to provide you with
important feedback if:
A. you provide closed-end surveys on a monthly basis.
B. you prepare daily, company-wide passive voicemail messages.
C. you institute a respectful rank and file politeness plan, where middle and higher level
managers are addressed as "Mr.", "Ms", or "Dr.".
D. you solicit open-ended responses from your employees.
Feedback: Open-ended responses are more effective questioning techniques that motivate
employees to respond in thoughtful ways that often result in creative solutions.
341. As a contemporary manager, your employees will perceive that their opinions are
more valued if:
A. you allow for personalized, closed-end question type employee opinion surveys.
B. you provide settings where employees have the opportunity to converse with all levels
of management.
C. you televise CEO communication to their offices on a regular basis.
D. the company emphasizes job simplification.
Feedback: Open communication is enhanced by removing barriers to communication. One
way to achieve this is to provide settings where employees and management can enter into
verbal exchanges. Communication is also enhanced with the removal of special
titles/designations such as Dr., Ms., Mr., and President.
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342. The major benefit of open communication in a company setting is:
A. a more directed flow of information.
B. motivated employees.
C. the ability to utilize the technique known as extinction.
D. activation vs. passivication.
Feedback: Open communication is one way that contemporary firms motivate employees to
achieve at work.
343. Which of the following practices would fail to result in more open communication?
A. provide opportunities such as company picnics and open lunch rooms that promote
active communication among employees and management
B. develop opportunities for employees to offer open-ended responses to internal surveys
C. provide the opportunity for exit interviews when employees leave or are discharged
D. provide training for improving listening skills
Feedback: If management waits until the exit interview to receive important feedback from
employees, it is too late. At this point, the employees are not motivated to provide solutions
for your company problems.
344.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
Which of the following practices would be most consistent with the views of scientific
management?
A. job enlargement
B. job simplification
C. job enrichment
D. job rotation
Feedback: The goal of job simplification is to increase task efficiency by breaking down jobs
into simple steps, then assigning a person to each of those steps. This practice is consistent
with the scientific management views of Frederick Taylor.
345. Ramon works at Chicago Medical Instruments. His job was recently redefined so that
he now has more flexibility in the hours he works and more say in the procedures used on
the job. This suggests that Chicago Medical Instruments is trying to change Ramon's job
so that it has more:
A. feedback.
B. autonomy.
C. task identity.
D. task significance.
Feedback: One of the five characteristics of job enrichment is autonomy, which means giving
employees more freedom and discretion in scheduling work and determining procedures.
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350. As the new general manager at Backstreet Books, Chloe wants the sales associates to
perceive her style as open and friendly. Which of the following would not be helpful to
her cause?
A. Assign employees to train at a variety of jobs
B. Encourage employees to share best practices they experienced at other stores
C. Adhere to two separate lunch rooms for discussion - one for managers and one for sales
associates
D. Devote time to listen to associates when their work life and home life conflict
Feedback: Open communication is a good motivator. Managers should make it easy for
employees to communicate by creating physical space that brings management and employees
together.
351. At one of the new campuses of Wild Oak Community College, administrative staff
members are trained on a number of jobs including general student registration
procedures, advising, counseling, computer support, and faculty assistance. Although
Christy usually registers students and Sam usually advises students, they can easily switch
roles and help each other out during busy times. They can also be called into a classroom
to assist an instructor troubleshoot a computer issue. Unlike other College's where lines
are long and students must come back several times in order to be served, at Wild Oak,
you never hear someone say, "It's not my job!" This campus has successfully implemented
_____________.
A. job simplification
B. job rotation
C. job enlargement
D. a self-managed team
Feedback: Job rotation is the practice of training several employees to perform several
different jobs. Employees are moved from one job to another, depending on the firm's needs.
352.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
After several years of higher education, Tom and Zoe Dash were awarded their Ph.D.
degrees and found jobs at an eastern university, where they plan to work in research labs.
Tom's lab is very large with at least 15 research faculty like himself and 25 graduate
students whose benches are all together on one side of the laboratory. Zoe's lab is similar
in size, but graduate student benches are interspersed with faculty. From the very
beginning, Tom was referred to as Dr. Dash by the graduate students. Zoe and the
graduate students in her lab are on first-name basis. As a student of management, which of
the following statements would you consider good advice to the managers (also known as
the principle investigators) of these labs?
A. Graduate students will easily lose respect for the principle investigator and other
faculty if they are not encouraged to use the title: "Dr" when referring to the researchers
who have attained the Ph.D. degree
B. There is a lot of sensitive information and highly classified techniques in the research
process that should not be shared with graduate students
C. Job enrichment is an important part of the learning process, and it will only happen if
students have their own space, separate from the faculty/researchers
D. Open communication occurs when barriers such as work titles and ranks are
eliminated, and work spaces are conducive to learning
Feedback: Open communication occurs more easily when barriers to communication such as
the use of titles rather than first names are removed. Also, physical space can be created such
that management and employees can more easily converse and share ideas.
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355. The theme of the Social Media in Business box titled, “Keeping the Lines Open”
emphasizes _______________.
A. the fact that employers should not get caught -up in trying to stay current with
communications technology. It is always best to stick with what works for your firm
B. how one company copes with employees who fail to get to work on time. They are
penalized from using their social media sites at work
C. the communication expectations of today’s workers. They expect to use the same
contemporary modes of communication at work that they do in their personal lives
D. Herzberg’s hygiene factors when it comes to social media. Employees will only care if
contemporary lines of communication are missing, but their absence will not affect
motivation
Feedback: “Keeping the Lines Open” reflects today’s communication requirements at work.
Employees will be more motivated if they can communicate in real-time and have online
interaction with co-workers.
356. Motivational formulas are:
A. tailored to the individual.
B. tailored to the team of employees.
C. developed by using one theory at a time.
D. developed by using collecting historical information on the types of factors that
motivated the majority of employees in the past.
357.
Chapter 10 - Motivating Employees
In a high-context culture:
A. workers get right to the task, without the need to socialize during the first 30 minutes at
work.
B. workers get right to the task, after they ease into the work day.
C. relationship building is considered a waste of time.
D. relationship building and group trust is considered very important and occurs before
performing business tasks.
358. In a low-context culture:
A. workers get right to the task, without the need to socialize during the first ½ hour of
work.
B. workers get right to the task, after they take care of their social needs.
C. relationship building is considered a waste of time.
D. relationship building is considered very important and occurs before performing
business tasks.
359. Generation X employees are likely to:
A. be more concerned with career security than with job security.
B. be less willing to move and change jobs.
C. lack the drive and ambition of earlier generations.
D. be poor at providing feedback to others.
