CHAPTER 17—ENHANCING PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY AND MANAGING
STRESS
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A personal mission statement boosts work habits and time management because
a.
the mission statement has a built-in to-do list.
b.
achieving your mission statement counts toward your performance evaluation.
c.
mission statements are usually well organized.
d.
without a personal mission statement, you have nothing to plan and act for.
2. A recommended starting point in improving personal productivity is to
a.
clean up your work area and sort out what tasks need doing.
b.
streamline your work.
c.
work at a steady pace.
d.
achieve peak performance.
3. The major end product of streamlining work is a
a.
reduction in low-value work.
b.
revised “to do” list.
c.
faster approach to work.
d.
longer cycle time.
4. Information technology specialist Marcy engages in true work streamlining when she
a.
stops working one weekends.
b.
works faster than her coworkers.
c.
eliminates sending a few unnecessary reports.
d.
has the memory on her notebook computer upgraded.
5. Surfer’s voice is a term to describe
a.
the habit of conversing with someone on the telephone while surfing the Web.
b.
talking and reading e-mails.
c.
talking and texting.
d.
all of the choices.
6. Concentrating on high-output tasks is an application of
a.
perfectionism.
b.
the law of diminishing returns.
c.
the Pareto Principle.
d.
Gantt chart.
7. A major time waster is
a.
interruptions from others.
b.
telecommuting.
c.
the Pareto principle.
d.
sending emails.
8. Peak performance is
a.
a mental state in which maximum results are achieved with minimum effort.
b.
perfectionism.
c.
the use of multi-tasking.
d.
a part of a personal mission statement.
9. A major problem with interruptions when performing intellectually demanding work is that
a.
creativity is killed for the rest of the workday.
b.
people often lose momentum, and must launch themselves again.
c.
the typical worker will take about an hour to get back on track.
d.
the typical worker then loses interest in the task at hand.
10. Martha, one of your coworkers, walks into your cubicle unannounced to discuss the Winter Olympics.
Her interruption is technically classified as a(n)
a.
break.
b.
distraction.
c.
intrusion.
d.
discrepancy.
11. During a period of peak performance, the worker
a.
ignores small details about the job.
b.
does whatever is necessary to please the boss.
c.
acts temporarily like a Type A personality.
d.
is totally absorbed in the task.
12. A key feature of a productivity-boosting nap is that the person naps
a.
right next to the computer.
b.
for about one and one-half hours.
c.
during meetings, yet keeping the eyes open.
d.
for a brief time period during the workday.
13. A big part of the productivity advantage offered by meditation is that it helps you
a.
fantasize about reaching your career goals.
b.
concentrate and focus.
c.
obtain an objective viewpoint on your problems.
d.
prioritize the tasks facing you.
14. Luke, an industrial sales representative, works smarter not harder when he
a.
carefully plans his customer visits to reduce travel time.
b.
offers kickbacks to major customers.
c.
adds five hours to his weekly work schedule.
d.
asks his boss for a raise so he can work fewer hours.
15. Which of the following is a recommended technique for reducing and controlling procrastination?
a.
Avoid doing something uncomfortable or frightening.
b.
Avoid investing energy into charting your progress.
c.
Post messages reminding you that you are a terrible procrastinator.
d.
Break the task down into smaller units.
16. To reduce procrastination,
a.
calculate the cost of procrastination.
b.
reward yourself for achieving milestones.
c.
engage in multi-tasking
d.
both a & b
17. Job burnout results from
a.
exposure to chronic job stressors.
b.
individual sources of stress.
c.
sudden exposure to job stressors.
d.
too much excitement on the job.
18. Another notable personality characteristic related to job stress is
a.
agreeableness
b.
locus of control
c.
Type A
d.
both b & c
19. Hindrance stressors are
a.
happy events.
b.
stressful events.
c.
thoughts that have a negative effect on motivation and performance.
d.
both b & c
20. The job demand-job control model explains that workers will experience the most stress under the
condition of
a.
high control, low job demands.
b.
high control, high job demands.
c.
low control, low job demands.
d.
low control, high job demands.
21. Work-family conflict generally arises because the individual has to
a.
work longer hours than expected.
b.
pay more bills than expected.
c.
accept a cut in health benefits.
d.
perform multiple roles.
22. Workers are the most likely to suffer from attention deficit trait when they
a.
are bombarded with simultaneous and competing messages.
b.
are tempted to visit recreational Web sites during working hours.
c.
participate in a program of behavior modification.
d.
work through lunch hour.
23. Retail sales associate Jody is likely to experience emotional labor when she has to
a.
work weekends and holidays
b.
choose between working and taking care of personal responsibilities.
c.
smile at and be polite toward rude customers.
d.
express to her supervisor how she really feels about her job.
24. Methods to control stress include:
a.
getting social support
b.
improving work habits
c.
developing positive self-talk
d.
all of the choices
25. A general-purpose method of learning to relax by yourself is called
a.
job stressors.
b.
challenge stressors.
c.
relaxation response.
d.
meditation.
TRUE/FALSE
1. To become highly productive, it is helpful to develop goals to support your mission statement.
2. A strong work ethic is a firm belief in the dignity and value of work.
3. The primary task of work streamlining is to sort out work into two categories—urgent and not so
urgent.
4. An analysis of work interruptions indicates that interruptions have both positive and negative
consequences.
5. An example of a discrepancy interruption is an unexpected visit by a former coworker from a different
department.
6. Another way to improve productivity is to organize your work so you are not constantly shifting
between creative and routine tasks.
7. Productivity suffers when you must spend time learning the technology, consulting with the tech
center, or transporting equipment to the repair shop.
8. A recommended technique for decreasing the waste of time is to sort out your mail over a wastebasket
or recycling bin.
9. Concentrating on high-output tasks is similar to looking for an outstanding return on your investment
of time.
10. The office technology you choose to accomplish a task is more important than your imagination and
focus in terms of achieving high productivity.
11. To prepare yourself for peak performance, it is recommended that you visualize how it would feel to
perform at your best.
12. One way in which meditation works is to get your mind into such an excited state that you are
bubbling with mental energy.
13. Max works smarter rather than harder when he takes on a few additional tasks to please his boss.
14. A recommended approach to reducing procrastination is to break a challenging task down into smaller
units.
15. In the counterattack technique for overcoming procrastination, the person gets even with the person
who assigned an uncomfortable task to him or her.
16. A recent survey estimated that worker stress costs employers about $300 billion annually in terms of
lost productivity and other factors.
17. Tax accountant Lauren is likely to face a challenge stressor when she has to work on an income tax
report covering some brand new regulations.
18. Inventory specialist Ben is likely to face a hindrance stressor when his boss asks him for an update on
obsolete inventory.
19. According to the job demand-job control model, workers experience the most stress when the demands
of the job are low and they have high control.
20. A person with an external locus of control is less prone to negative stress than a person with an internal
locus of control.
21. Customer service agent Mary is distracted, a little frantic, and impatient because of the overwhelming
amount of information she has to process. It appears that she is experiencing the attention deficit trait.
22. Emotional labor will often take place when an employee is required to continuously express true
feelings to customers and coworkers.
23. Work-family conflict typically stems from not earning enough money to pay for family luxuries in
addition to necessities.
24. Improving one’s work habits is an effective strategy for getting job stress under control.
25. A strategic method of escaping stress is to first identify your work skills and then find work to match
those skills.
ESSAY
1. Identify and describe five time-management techniques you intend to use to maintain a high level of
personal productivity.
2. What steps or actions should a person take to reduce his or her procrastination?
3. Describe some of the major stressors in the workplace.
4. Primary Freight Services Inc. introduced a three-month stress management program for its 70
employees during the Great Recession, six weeks before shortening the workweek to four days and
cutting everyone’s pay 29 percent. The program is aimed at teaching employees how to take care of
themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a result of the program, the mood remains
upbeat.
1. What does this anecdote illustrate about stress in the workplace?
2. Why did the company institute a stress management program?
