CHAPTER 11—MOTIVATION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Employee commitment often comes about as a consequence of
a.
being well motivated over time.
b.
threats of punishment.
c.
being motivated for a single task.
d.
having the appropriate job skills.
2. According to recent evidence about employee engagement, most American workers are
a.
so engaged in their work they risk becoming alcoholics.
b.
usually engaged in their work for the first four hours of the day.
c.
so unengaged in their work they are a liability to their employer.
d.
not fully engaged in their work.
3. The final group of needs in Maslow’s need hierarchy is
a.
physiological needs.
b.
esteem needs.
c.
self-actualizing needs.
d.
social needs.
4. A factor contributing today to the relevance of the need hierarchy is that
a.
job security has reached new heights in recent years.
b.
money is no longer a significant motivator.
c.
so many workers have to worry about satisfying basic needs.
d.
many companies sponsor programs of self-actualization.
5. Drives or needs are hardwired into our brains include the:
a.
drive to acquire scare goods.
b.
drive to bond.
c.
drive to comprehend.
d.
all of the choices
6. The achievement need refers to
a.
finding joy in accomplishment for its own sake.
b.
improving employee retention.
c.
forming friendships.
d.
increasing employee turnover.
7. Having pride in your work is considered to be a(n)
a.
internal motivator.
b.
external motivator.
c.
weak motivator.
d.
feeling that occurs mostly early in one’s career.
8. A recommended way for a manager to motivate through pride is to
a.
offer financial incentives for displays of pride.
b.
celebrate attaining small goals as much as attaining the major goal.
c.
celebrate attaining the major goal, and pay little attention to small goals.
d.
distribute T-shirts, hats, and cups that read, “I am proud.”
9. The need for risk taking and thrill seeking
a.
almost always has negative consequences for the employer.
b.
is ill-suited for the high technology era.
c.
can find constructive outlets on the job.
d.
lies close to the bottom of the need hierarchy.
10. Job satisfiers or motivators, according to the two-factor theory, relate to the
a.
financial bonuses associated with the job.
b.
content of the job.
c.
working conditions surrounding the job.
d.
benefits associated with the job.
11. Which of the following job factors is most accurately classified as a dissatisfier?
a.
opportunity for advancement
b.
recognition for good work
c.
working conditions
d.
responsibility
12. Which one of the following job factors is considered important for motivating the young generation of
workers?
a.
close monitoring of work such as through time clocks
b.
limited vacations
c.
minimizing feedback
d.
loads of responsibility
13. An accurate example of a cross-cultural difference in rewards is that
a.
most Asian workers want public recognition.
b.
workers from a poor country might prefer a practical reward.
c.
Italian workers prefer gift certificates to stores like Wal-Mart.
d.
Chinese women who sell beauty products dislike tangible rewards.
14. A goal is most likely to improve performance when it is
a.
relatively easy.
b.
specific rather than general.
c.
not used to evaluate performance.
d.
not linked to rewards.
15. Which one of the following statements best fits the category of a superordinate goal at the
manufacturer of latex gloves?
a.
“Let’s find a way to cut back on skin rashes from wearing our gloves.”
b.
“The purpose of our latex gloves is to save lives.”
c.
“Let’s exceed last year’s sales by 20 percent this year.”
d.
“Let’s diversify into foot protectors.”
16. Laboratory supervisor Sasha, is attempting to use the Pygmalion effect when she says to her group,
a.
“We will soon be implementing a bonus system.”
b.
“Who in this lab is not smart enough to do his or her job?”
c.
“We may not have the best lab group in the company, but we do try.”
d.
“I know that we will exceed our quota of useful ideas this year.”
17. A potential problem with relying on goals to motivate workers is that
a.
they might use unethical means to attain goals.
b.
they might receive praise from a supervisor.
c.
they might receive a sense of satisfaction from a job well done.
d.
it might lead to turnover.
18. A team leader wants Kristin, a customer-service representative, to keep up her fine record of resolving
customer complaints. The team leader should compliment Kristin
a.
at the end of every workday.
b.
every so often when she resolves a tough problem.
c.
even when she is unable to resolve a tough problem.
d.
each Monday through Thursday, but not on Friday.
19. The employee motivation program at Dollar General illustrates that
a.
people who work in discount stores demand luxury prizes.
b.
only financial motivators are effective.
c.
with even modest rewards, positive reinforcement can help a company attain its goals.
d.
the most effective rewards are low-priced merchandise.
20. Luis, a commercial real estate agent, says “I‘m almost sure that if I close this deal the company will
give me a bonus.” Luis is demonstrating a high
a.
E→P expectancy.
b.
P→O instrumentality.
c.
valence.
d.
need for affiliation.
21. Praising workers for good performance is a type of
a.
informal recognition..
b.
formal recognition.
c.
valence
d.
management
22. A thrust in linking pay to performance is to attempt to link pay to
a.
performance as good as the employee’s best year.
b.
team rather than individual performance.
c.
how long the employee has been with the firm.
d.
performance that supports the business strategy.
23. Gainsharing is
a.
a program allowing employees to participate financially in the productivity gains they
achieved.
b.
the same as stock options.
c.
a type of empowerment.
d.
a management style.
24. Stock options give the people granted the option the opportunity to
a.
purchase stock at a later date at a price established now.
b.
share directly in the profits of the firm.
c.
purchase company stock anytime at a specific discount.
d.
purchase stock of any company through online trading.
25. People who justify such high executive compensation say the large payments
are necessary
a.
to attract and retain top talent.
b.
to keep the executives motivated.
c.
both a & b
d.
to use profit sharing.
TRUE/FALSE
1. Decreased job security caused by downsizing and outsourcing and global outsourcing, along with
reduced benefits, are contributors to lowers= engagement by employees.
2. Motivation theory suggests that as along as you are strongly motivated you can accomplish almost
anything you want.
3. A Gallup Organization poll indicated that the vast majority of workers felt completely engaged in their
work, including feeling a full commitment to the employer.
4. Group norms are an important influence on worker motivation.
5. The principle of “What’s in it for me?” contradicts need theories of motivation.
6. One implication of need theory is that people are usually content, provided they have satisfied their
needs at the first three levels.
7. Having a strong affiliation need would contribute to a person’s effectiveness as a team player.
8. Employee needs for recognition can be satisfied both through informal recognition and by formal
recognition programs.
9. When praising an employee it is better to be vague about the reason for the praise. For example, it is
preferable to say “Great job Jimmy,” than “Great job in fixing the network Jimmy.”
10. Giving workers an opportunity to experience pride can be a strong internal motivator.
11. A manager can appeal to the need for risk taking and enhance motivation by rewarding good behavior
with adventuresome assignments
12. The needs for risk taking and thrill seeking can be satisfied in a variety of business jobs.
13. An example of a job satisfier for most people would be the opportunity to work on a project with an
expert in the field.
14. An example of a motivator job factor for the young generation of workers is limited responsibility so
they can relax on the job.
15. Gift certificates for large department stores are known to be an effective recognition award in virtually
all cultures.
16. Goals are more effective when they are used to evaluate performance.
17. When workers accept goals, the goals are more likely to motivate them toward higher performance.
18. Positive reinforcement increases the probability that behavior will be repeated by rewarding people for
making the right response.
19. To improve organizational productivity, both groups and individuals should receive rewards
for good performance.
20. According to Expectancy Theory, employees should be presented with credible evidence that good
performance leads to anticipated rewards.
21. Supervisor Cindy wants to increase the P→O (instrumentality) of customer service agent Harold, so
she should tell him something like, “Keep up the good work Harold, and I promise that you will get a
$100 bonus next week.”
22. Profit sharing plans are focused more on the performance of an entire organization or large unit, rather
than on individual performance.
23. Employee involvement in the form of making suggestions for productivity improvement is a major
aspect of gainsharing.
24. The motivational idea behind enabling employees to own company stock is that if the stock goes down
in value, employees can purchase a bargain.
25. A major concern about financial incentives is that the focus employee attention on the reward rather
than the joy of accomplishing work.
ESSAY
1. Explain how goal theory can be used to motivate people on the job.
2. A team leader wants to use positive reinforcement to motivate team members. Suggest to her
important rules for the effective use of positive reinforcement.
3. After three salespeople were laid off and revenue fell 40 percent, the owner of a college advertising
company sensed a bad vibe among the 19 remaining employees that he didn’t want to continue. He
invested $3,000 on perks to motivate his staff. By the end of May, sales were
up 10%.
1. What does this story illustrate about motivation?
2. Why should managers understand motivation?
4. Explain the need-satisfaction approach to motivation.
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