Organizational Behavior, 15e (Robbins/Judge) Chapter Motivation: From Concepts to Applications 1) is an extrinsic means of motivation A) Recognition B) Autonomy C) Responsibility D) Flexibility E) Salary Answer: E Explanation: E) Salary or pay is one central means of motivation; it is a form of extrinsic motivation Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 2) Job design is defined as the A) degree to which the job rewards competence B) way the elements in a job are organized C) degree to which the job contributes to profit margins D) degree of decision-making power with the immediate superiors E) way the job is evaluated in terms of its relative worth to other jobs Answer: B Explanation: B) Job design is defined as the way the elements in a job are organized Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 3) With reference to the job characteristics model, which of the following defines skill variety? A) the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work B) the degree to which work activities generate direct and clear information about performance C) the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling and procedure D) the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people E) the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities tapping different abilities Answer: E Explanation: E) The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 4) With reference to the job characteristics model, which of the following defines task identity? A) the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work B) the degree to which work activities generate direct and clear information about performance C) the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling and procedure D) the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people E) the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities Answer: A Explanation: A) The job characteristics model ( JCM) describes jobs in terms of five core job dimensions: skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities; task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work; task significance, the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people; autonomy, the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling; and feedback, the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about performance Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 5) Adam Sears is an assembly line employee with Swenson Motors Though Adam is popular among his supervisors and colleagues, Adam experiences low morale and lack of motivation He feels frustrated that his job is restricted to fixing nuts and bolts on the car parts He fears that he has no chances of advancing in his career as he cannot completely assemble a car Which of the following is true with regard to Adam? A) Adam's job has high task complexity B) Adam's job has a high span of control C) Adam's job has low role definition D) Adam's job has low task identity E) Adam's job has high task significance Answer: D Explanation: D) Adam's job has low task identity This means that the degree to which the job requires the completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work is low Page Ref: 240 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 6) According to the job characteristics model, task significance is the degree to which A) a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work B) a job generates direct and clear information about performance C) a job provides the worker freedom in scheduling work and determining its procedure D) a job bears an impact on the lives or work of other people E) a job requires a variety of different activities Answer: D Explanation: D) Task significance is the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 7) Samantha Barnes is an emergency medical technician Recently, during an emergency call, she was able to resuscitate a man who had a cardiac arrest Subsequently, she spent some time calming the 12year-old daughter of the patient and looked after her till the rest of the patient's family arrived at the hospital Based on this description, it can be concluded that Samantha's job is high in A) task identity B) feedback C) extrinsic rewards D) task significance E) job rotation Answer: D Explanation: D) Although Samantha's job has many job characteristics, the description provided best describes task significance Task significance refers to the degree to which a job has an impact on the lives of other people Page Ref: 240 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 8) According to the job characteristics model, autonomy is defined as the degree to which A) a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work B) a job generates direct and clear information about performance C) a job provides the worker freedom, independence, and discretion D) a job has an impact on the lives or work of other people E) a job requires a variety of different activities Answer: C Explanation: C) Autonomy is the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining the procedures in carrying it out Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 9) According to the job characteristics model, indicates the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about your own performance A) task significance B) autonomy C) feedback D) task identity E) skill variety Answer: C Explanation: C) According to the job characteristics model, feedback indicates the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about your own performance Page Ref: 241 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 10) Which of the following series of dimensions of the job characteristics model (JCM) combine to create meaningful work? A) autonomy, task identity, and feedback B) skill variety, autonomy, and task significance C) skill variety, autonomy, and feedback D) feedback, task identity, and task significance E) skill variety, task identity, and task significance Answer: E Explanation: E) The first three dimensions in JCM, skill variety, task identity, and task significance, combine to create meaningful work that the incumbent will view as important, valuable, and worthwhile Page Ref: 241 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 11) The core dimensions of the job characteristics model can be combined into a single predictive index called A) extrinsic motivation score B) personal outcome score C) job diagnostic score D) motivating potential score E) potential development score Answer: D Explanation: D) The core dimensions of the job characteristics model can be combined into a single predictive index, called the motivating potential score Page Ref: 242 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 12) Which of the following statements is true of the job characteristics model? A) The operation of the model is universal and unaffected by cultural factors B) The operation of the model is relatively individualistic in nature C) The operation of the model requires employees to have similar skill sets D) The operation of the model cannot be quantitatively measured E) The operation of the model fulfils only extrinsic motivational needs Answer: B Explanation: B) The job characteristics model is relatively individualistic in nature as it considers the relationship between the employee and his or her work This suggests that job enrichment strategies may not have the same effects in collectivist ic cultures as in individualistic cultures Page Ref: 242 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 13) Which of the following statements is true regarding job rotation? A) It decreases the flexibility with which an organization can adapt to a change B) It decreases employee motivation C) It decreases productivity in the short-run D) It decreases supervisory workload E) It decreases the flexibility in scheduling work Answer: C Explanation: C) Job rotation increases the flexibility with which an organization can adapt to a change It reduces boredom and increases motivation Productivity tends to reduce when a worker moves into a new position and supervisory workload tends to increase because supervisors may have to spend more time answering questions and monitoring the work of recently rotated employees Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 14) The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level is defined as A) job enlargement B) job analysis C) job rotation D) job sharing E) job enrichment Answer: C Explanation: C) The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level is called job rotation Page Ref: 243 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 15) A prerequisite condition for job rotation is the A) presence of high level of autonomy among workers B) presence of high need for affiliation among workers C) presence of employees with similar skill sets and requirements D) presence of alternative work arrangements for employees to avail E) presence of employee involvement programs Answer: C Explanation: C) The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level is called job rotation Page Ref: 243 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 16) Managers at Flavors, a restaurant chain, train their employees such that in the absence of employees, someone trained in the same skills can step in and the job equally well Thus, many modules in training are extensive as they provide employees with details of the skill sets required for different jobs In practice, this lengthy training program does help the company as a well-trained and flexible workforce is at their disposal at all times The managers at Flavors use A) job rotation B) vertical enhancement C) telecommuting D) job sharing E) flextime Answer: A Explanation: A) This is an example of job rotation, or the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level Page Ref: 243, 244 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance CalTrack Services has been facing employee-related issues like decreased productivity, low morale, and poor organizational commitment in recent times At a meeting to discuss strategies to address these issues of immediate concern, Joe McEnroe, the production manager, proposed that the roles of employees working on key projects be enhanced to increase autonomy He felt that this would enhance productivity, motivation, and accountability Taking a cue from McEnroe, Paul Wilbur suggested job rotation as a solution to the problem they were facing Paul felt that a change of job roles would make the employees keener to learn and perform He emphasized that job rotation would help management create a larger skill base to choose from, depending on the needs of specific projects Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 17) Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument of adopting job rotation? A) The employees of the company have similar skill sets which are suited to transfer of learning B) The company has been conducting professional training programs to keep all employees up-to-date with the developments in the field C) AmWeb, one of the major rival firms, witnessed a substantial rise in profits following its crosstraining program for employees D) The research evidence favoring job rotation has rarely used samples from the service industry E) The company is now entering its busiest business season with multiple project deadlines Answer: E Explanation: E) Job rotation is the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level With the busiest business season coming up, time is at a premium for this company, and job rotation, though beneficial in the long run, will result in wastage of time for all employees involved; it will also cause a drop in the immediate productivity If the employees of the company have similar skill sets which are suited to transfer of learning, then this would strengthen the argument in favor of adopting job rotation The fact that the company has been conducting professional training programs to keep all employees up-to-date with the developments in the field does not weaken the argument of adopting job rotation The fact that AmWeb, one of the major rival firms, witnessed a substantial rise in profits following its cross-training program for employees does not strengthen or weaken the argument of adopting job rotation for CalTrack The fact that research evidence favoring job rotation has rarely used samples from the service industry does not strengthen or weaken the argument of adopting job rotation Page Ref: 244 LO: AACSB: Reflective Thinking Difficulty: Hard Quest Category: Critical Thinking Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 18) Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument in favor of adopting job rotation? A) The company is currently facing numerous budget constraints B) The company can enhance productivity of existing employees in various areas for different projects C) Two front-level managers have resigned in the last quarter as they were not promoted D) The company has launched a new brand which is cannibalizing one of its existing products E) The company has recently given employees new responsibilities by combining their routine tasks into natural work units Answer: B Explanation: B) If the company can enhance productivity of existing employees in various areas for different projects, then this would strengthen the argument for adopting job rotation The strengths of job rotation are that it reduces boredom, increases motivation, and helps employees better understand how their work contributes to the organization An indirect benefit is that employees with a wider range of skills give management more flexibility in scheduling work, adapting to changes, and filling vacancies Since CalTrack needs to increase productivity, job rotation would help the company create a pool of workers who are skilled in different areas that are important for different projects If the company is currently facing numerous budget constraints, it would weaken the argument of adopting job rotation The fact that two front-level managers have resigned in the last quarter as they were not promoted does not strengthen the argument in favor of adopting job rotation The fact that the company has launched a new brand which is cannibalizing one of its existing products does not strengthen the argument of adopting job rotation If the company has recently given employees new responsibilities by combining their routine tasks into natural work units, then this does not strengthen the argument in favor of adopting job rotation Page Ref: 244 LO: AACSB: Reflective Thinking Difficulty: Hard Quest Category: Critical Thinking Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 19) One of the methods of job enrichment is to expand jobs vertically This method involves modifying the dimension of the job A) task significance B) autonomy C) feedback D) task identity E) skill variety Answer: B Explanation: B) Expanding jobs vertically involves gives employees responsibilities and control formerly reserved for management.Thus it modifies the autonomy dimension of the job Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 20) Job enrichment is the process of A) periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level B) expansion of jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work C) redistribution of power within the organization through work councils and board representations D) distribution of a significant degree of power between subordinates and supervisors E) evaluation of an employee wherein subordinates, peers, and managers provide comprehensive feedback Answer: B Explanation: B) Job enrichment expands jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 21) The job characteristics model describes five dimensions of a job A job can be enriched by modifying one or more of these five dimensions Which of the following methods of job enrichment involves modifying skill variety and task identity dimensions of a job? A) combining tasks B) forming natural work units C) establishing client relationships D) expanding jobs vertically E) opening feedback channels Answer: A Explanation: A) Combining tasks puts fractionalized tasks back together to form a new and larger module of work Thus, it involves modifying skill variety and task identity dimensions of a job Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 22) Beyond redesigning the nature of the work itself and involving employees in decisions, another approach to making the work environment more motivating is to alter work arrangements to meet employee needs Which of the following is designed to give an employee greater control of their schedule? A) flextime B) gainsharing C) job rotation D) job enlargement E) job enrichment Answer: A Explanation: A) With flextime, employees can schedule their work hours to align with personal demands, reducing tardiness and absences, and they can work when they are most productive 10 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 73) Flexible spending plans consist of A) a set of core of essential benefits and a menu-like selection of others from which employees can select B) no base salary and pays the employee only for what he or she produces on the basis of a fixed sum for each unit of production completed C) a fraction of a company's profit margins determined on the basis of an established formula D) pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan that an employee sets apart to pay for particular benefits E) modules of benefits, each of which meets the needs of a specific group of employees Answer: D Explanation: D) The three most popular types of benefits plans are modular plans, core-plus options, and flexible spending accounts Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums Page Ref: 259 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 74) Which of the following is an example of an intrinsic reward? A) bonus B) profit-sharing plan C) employee stock option D) employee recognition E) gainsharing Answer: D Explanation: D) Important work rewards can be both intrinsic and extrinsic Rewards are intrinsic in the form of employee recognition programs and extrinsic in the form of compensation systems Page Ref: 259 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 75) Jack Holmes is a middle-aged, lower-level employee at an automobile service center Though he is not paid very well, he loves his job His supervisor speaks to him with respect and he is the favored candidate for mentoring new employees because on the vast experience he holds in the job Based on this information, which of the following is most likely to be the reason Jack likes his job? A) recognition B) prospects of growth C) salary D) flextime E) job sharing Answer: A Explanation: A) Intrinsic rewards in the form of employee recognition programs are increasingly being recognized as important in job satisfaction and motivation Jack's attitude stems from the recognition he receives 33 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 259 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 76) Which of the following statements is true regarding employee recognition? A) Employee recognition is an extrinsic reward B) Critics argue that employee recognition programs are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management C) Employee recognition programs are expensive D) Centralized programs across multiple offices in different countries can hinder the process of employee recognition programs E) Employee stock option is a more powerful workplace motivator than recognition Answer: B Explanation: B) Employee recognition is an intrinsic reward Employee recognition programs are inexpensive Some research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives, and according to research, recognition is the most powerful workplace motivator Critics argue that employee recognition programs are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management Page Ref: 261 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 77) The job characteristics model describes any job in terms of five core job dimensions and these five dimensions are skill variety, task significance, recognition, reward, and feedback Answer: FALSE Explanation: The job characteristics model describes any job in terms of five core job dimensions and these five dimensions are skill variety, task significance, autonomy, task identity, and feedback Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 34 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 78) Task identity is defined as the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent Answer: FALSE Explanation: Skill variety is the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent Page Ref: 240 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 79) John Dunker is one of the best firefighters in his squad and he recently received an award for his outstanding performance From this information, it may be concluded that John's job has low task significance Answer: FALSE Explanation: Task significance is the degree to which a job affects the lives or work of other people Being an outstanding firefighter, John is likely to have saved the lives of many which would be a sign of high task significance Page Ref: 240 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 80) Feedback is the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about one's own performance Answer: TRUE Explanation: Feedback is the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about your own performance Page Ref: 241 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 81) Jobs with high autonomy give incumbents a feeling of personal responsibility for the results Answer: TRUE Explanation: Autonomy is the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining the procedures in carrying it out Jobs with high autonomy give incumbents a feeling of personal responsibility for the results Page Ref: 240, 241 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 35 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 82) Job enrichment improves employees' skills by periodically shifting an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level Answer: FALSE Explanation: Job enrichment expands jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work Job rotation is the the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another Page Ref: 243, 244 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 83) To enhance the amount of autonomy employees enjoy, a company must provide its employees with tasks combined into natural work units Answer: FALSE Explanation: Expanding jobs vertically is the strategy that is used to enhance autonomy of employees as it gives employees responsibilities and control formerly reserved for management Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 84) A flextime arrangement requires all employees to be at their jobs during the common core period Answer: TRUE Explanation: A flextime arrangement requires all employees to be at their jobs during the common core period, but they may accumulate their other hours before, after, or before and after that Page Ref: 246 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 85) The major advantage of flextime is that it can be used for all categories of jobs Answer: FALSE Explanation: Flextime's major drawback is that it's not applicable to every job or every worker It works well with clerical tasks for which an employee's interaction with people outside his or her department is limited It is not a viable option for receptionists, sales personnel in retail stores, or people whose service jobs require them to be at their workstations at predetermined times Page Ref: 247 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 36 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 86) The term "virtual office" describes working from home on a relatively permanent basis Answer: TRUE Explanation: The term "virtual office" describes working from home on a relatively permanent basis Page Ref: 248 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 87) Participative management is characterized by the symbolic representation of employees in work councils and board meetings Answer: FALSE Explanation: Participative management programs are characterized by joint decision making, in which subordinates share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors Page Ref: 251 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 88) Internal equity refers to the worth of the job to the organization Answer: TRUE Explanation: Internal equity refers to the worth of the job to the organization It is usually established through a technical process called job evaluation Page Ref: 251 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 89) A variable-pay program bases a portion of an employee's pay on some individual and/or organizational measure of performance Answer: TRUE Explanation: A variable-pay program bases a portion of an employee's pay on some individual and/or organizational measure of performance Page Ref: 253 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 37 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 90) A pure piece-rate plan provides no base salary and pays the employee only for what he or she produces Answer: TRUE Explanation: A pure piece-rate plan provides no base salary and pays the employee only for what he or she produces Page Ref: 254 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 91) A profit-sharing plan works by tying rewards to productivity gains as the only criterion Answer: FALSE Explanation: A profit-sharing plan distributes compensation based on some established formula designed around a company's profitability Gainsharing differs from profit sharing in tying rewards to productivity gains rather than profits Page Ref: 256 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 92) When the profits of Emm Corp rose steadily over two quarters three years back, the employees of the company were given the offer of purchasing the company's shares at subsidized rates Many of the employees who bought the shares have become extremely rich after the phenomenal growth Emm Corp has had in the following years This is an example of a bonus Answer: FALSE Explanation: An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a company-established benefit plan in which employees acquire stock, often at below-market prices, as part of their benefits Page Ref: 257 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 38 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 93) A flexible benefits package is designed for a male with a wife and two children at home Answer: FALSE Explanation: Flexible benefits individualize rewards by allowing each employee to choose the compensation package that best satisfies his or her current needs and situation These plans replace the "one-benefit-plan-fits-all" programs designed for a male with a wife and two children at home that dominated organizations for decades Page Ref: 258 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 94) Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums Answer: TRUE Explanation: Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums Page Ref: 259 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 95) When it comes to motivating employees, financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives Answer: TRUE Explanation: When it comes to motivating employees, financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run it's nonfinancial incentives Page Ref: 259 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 96) Employee recognition programs are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management Answer: TRUE Explanation: Employee recognition programs are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management Page Ref: 261 LO: Difficulty: Easy Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 39 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 97) What are the various dimensions of the job characteristics model? Answer: J Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham developed the job characteristics model (JCM) which proposes that we can describe any job in terms of five core job dimensions These are explained below (a) Skill variety is the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent (b) Task identity is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work (c) Task significance is the degree to which a job affects the lives or work of other people (d) Autonomy is the degree to which a job provides the worker freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining the procedures in carrying it out (e) Feedback is the degree to which carrying out work activities generates direct and clear information about your own performance Page Ref: 240, 241 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 98) Andrew is a software tester He runs through the same types of programs day after day looking for bugs and reporting them He is taking night classes on programming Often, he knows the best solution to many of the bugs, but he is still learning to code Describe two job characteristics that Andrew is striving to improve, and explain two ways that Andrew's manager can redesign his current job to help him reach his goals Answer: Andrew is striving to have greater task identity, which is the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work He would like to not only look for the programming bugs, but be able to fix them He is also looking for skill variety, or the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent It is clear that he is bored with only the testing aspect of his job Andrew's boss needs to redesign his job to include aspects of job enrichment, which refers to the vertical expansion of jobs Job enrichment increases the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of his or her work One way to enrich Andrew's job would be to put him in contact with his internal clients, the programmers They could establish a set of bug recommendations that Andrew could fix, where he could begin to learn the types of code required His boss should also open the feedback channels so that the programmers can tell Andrew when he is making proper adjustments and using his new skills adequately Page Ref: 240, 241 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Hard Quest Category: Application Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 40 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 99) What is job enrichment? Describe various methods of job enrichment based on the job characteristics model Answer: Job enrichment expands jobs by increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of the work Various methods of job enrichment that are based on the job characteristics model are given below Combining tasks: It puts fractionalized tasks back together to form a new and larger module of work Forming natural work units: It makes an employee's tasks create an identifiable and meaningful whole Establishing client relationships: It increases the direct relationships between workers and their clients (clients can be internal as well as outside the organization) Expanding jobs vertically: It gives employees responsibilities and control formerly reserved for management Opening feedback channels: It lets employees know how well they are doing and whether their performance is improving, deteriorating, or remaining constant Page Ref: 244 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 100) Compare and contrast the job characteristics model and mutual assistance programs in terms of how they lend meaning to an employee's role Answer: The first three dimensions of the job characteristics model — skill variety, task identity, and task significance — combine to create meaningful work the incumbent will view as important, valuable, and worthwhile To be high on motivating potential, jobs must be high on at least one of the three factors that lead to experienced meaningfulness and high on both autonomy and feedback By emphasizing the relationship between the employee and his or her work, this model represents a relatively individualistic manner of enhancing the meaningful nature of work On the other hand, we have mutual assistance programs which represent a fairly social method for improving the meaningfulness of work Employees who can help each other directly through their work come to see themselves, and the organizations for which they work, in more positive, pro-social terms This, in turn, can increase employee affective commitment Page Ref: 241, 245 LO: 1, AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Synthesis Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 41 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 101) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of flextime Answer: There are several advantages of flextime They include reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, reduced overtime expenses, reduced hostility toward management, reduced traffic congestion around work sites, elimination of tardiness, and increased autonomy and responsibility for employees These factors help increase employee job satisfaction The major drawback with flextime is that it is not applicable to all jobs It works well with clerical tasks for which an employee's interaction with people outside his or her department is limited It is not a viable option for receptionists, sales personnel in retail stores, or similar jobs for which comprehensive service demands that people be at their workstations at predetermined times Page Ref: 246, 247 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 102) Describe telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement Answer: Telecommuting refers to working at home at least days a week on a computer linked to the employer's office This strategy suits three categories of jobs: routine information-handling tasks, mobile activities, and professional and other knowledge-related tasks The advantages of telecommuting include a larger labor pool from which to select, higher productivity, less turnover, improved morale, and reduced office-space costs A positive relationship exists between telecommuting and supervisor performance ratings The major drawback for management is less direct supervision of employees In today's team-focused workplace, telecommuting may make it more difficult to coordinate teamwork and can reduce knowledge transfer in organizations Page Ref: 249 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 103) Discuss the relationship between social and physical work context and employee satisfaction Answer: The job characteristics model shows most employees are more motivated and satisfied when their intrinsic work tasks are engaging However, having the most interesting workplace characteristics in the world may not always lead to satisfaction if you feel isolated from your co-workers Having good social relationships can make even the most boring and onerous tasks more fulfilling Research demonstrates that social aspects and work context are as important as other job design features The physical work context is also likely to affect employee satisfaction Work that is hot, loud, and dangerous is less satisfying than work conducted in climate-controlled, relatively quiet, and safe environments This is probably why most people would rather work in a coffee shop than a metalworking foundry Physical demands make people physically uncomfortable, which is likely to show up in lower levels of job satisfaction Page Ref: 249, 250 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 42 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 104) What is employee involvement and why is it important What are the two major forms of employee involvement? Answer: Employee involvement is defined as a participative process that uses the entire capacity of employees and is designed to encourage increased commitment to the organization's success The underlying logic is that by involving workers in those decisions that affect them and by increasing their autonomy and control over their work lives, employees will become more motivated, more committed to the organization, more productive, and more satisfied with their jobs.The two major forms of employee involvement are: a) Participative management Participative management programs use joint decision making Subordinates actually share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors b) Representative participation Representative participation refers to worker representation by a small group of employees who actually participate on the board The goal is to redistribute power within an organization, putting labor on a more equal footing with the interests of management and stockholders Page Ref: 250, 251 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 105) Nora Elm is a newly appointed HR manager at Seven Oaks, a famous PR firm that is not doing too well at present As she assumed the post of the HR manager, everyone impressed upon her the need to energize the employees and motivate them to give their best to the job After she met with the employees and managers, she felt that many employees were demotivated because they had attained their maximum potential in the current job roles Additionally, she felt that though the management believed strongly in its employee-friendly nature, this nature was not manifested in its actions Those employees who were on the board had begun to mimic the management's action of attributing the lack of any constructive change to company policies Describe any two changes that Nora should propose at the meeting with a rationale for each Answer: The two changes that Nora could propose are job rotation or job enrichment and a more participative management style Job rotation/ Job enrichment: Since the employees feel they have nothing more to learn in their current jobs, the act of job rotation would help them learn something new which would be motivating and beneficial to the company as well For employees who cannot be moved to another job, different strategies of job enrichment , like enhancing the job vertically or combining their tasks into natural work units would be an option These would directly satisfy some dimensions of the job characteristics model Participative management: The employees at Seven Oaks are demotivated not only because of the stagnant nature of their jobs, but also because the company is not truly employee-friendly The company has nominated some employees to its board of representatives but this is only a symbolic act of employee involvement Participative management, wherein employee and managers engage in joint decision making, will go a long way in motivating employees by giving them more autonomy and representation in the real sense 43 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 243, 244, 251 LO: 2, AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Hard Quest Category: Synthesis Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 106) Explain how participative management can enhance skill variety, task identity, and autonomy as described in the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) Answer: Skill variety, the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities so the worker can use a number of different skills and talent, can be enhanced by participative management because it helps the employees view their tasks from a different perspective It helps them understand why the management requires high productivity and efficiency from them By learning to think differently, the employees learn different skills at the mental and relational levels Task identity, the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, can be enhanced by participative management by allowing employees to make decisions on the spot without management approval For example, the woman at the Wegman's bakery that convinced management to let her include a traditional family recipe in the product line will feel a much stronger sense of task identity Autonomy, which is the freedom in determining work procedures and carrying them out, is enhanced by participative management because the employee is able to participate in the decision-making process Having a voice in the process increases the sense of autonomy and control Page Ref: 240, 244, 251 LO: 1, 2, AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Hard Quest Category: Synthesis Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 44 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 107) List and describe different variable-pay programs Answer: a) Piece-rate plans In piece-rate pay plans, workers are paid a fixed sum for each unit of production completed When an employee gets no base salary and is paid only for what he or she produces, this is a pure piece-rate plan b) Merit-based pay Merit-based pay plans also pay for individual performance However, unlike piecerate plans, which is pay based on objective output, merit-based pay plans are based on performance appraisal ratings c) Profit-sharing Profit-sharing plans are organization-wide programs that distribute compensation based on some established formula designed around a company's profitability d) Bonuses Bonuses can be paid exclusively to executives or to all employees Many companies now routinely reward production employees with bonuses in thousands of dollars when company profits improve e) Skill-Based Pay Skill-based pay (also called competency-based or knowledge-based pay) sets pay levels on the basis of how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can f) ESOPs Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are company-established benefit plans in which employees acquire stock, often at below-market prices, as part of their benefits g) Gainsharing Gainsharing is a formula-based group incentive plan Improvements in group productivity determine the total amount of money that is to be allocated By focusing on productivity gains rather than profits, gainsharing rewards specific behaviors that are less influenced by external factors Employees in a gainsharing plan can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable Page Ref: 253, 254, 255 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 108) How would you relate skill variety, job rotation, and skill-based pay? Answer: These represent three ways in which the organization can promote development of relevant skills among its employees Skill variety refers to the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities tapping different abilities and skills This primarily involves the relationship between the employee and his job and is an individualistic method of enhancing intrinsic motivation Job rotation involves the periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another with similar skill requirements at the same organizational level The strengths of job rotation are that it reduces boredom, increases motivation, and helps employees better understand how their work contributes to the organization An indirect benefit is that employees with a wider range of skills give management more flexibility in scheduling work, adapting to changes, and filling vacancies Skill-based pay is an alternative to job-based pay that bases pay levels on how many skills employees have or how many jobs they can For employers, the lure of skill-based pay plans is increased flexibility of the workforce: staffing is easier when employee skills are interchangeable Skill-based pay also facilitates communication across the organization because people gain a better understanding of each other's jobs However, people can earn all the skills the program calls for them to learn and then become frustrated when the challenges, learning, growth, and continual pay raises come to an end 45 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall Page Ref: 240, 244, 251 LO: 1, 2, AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Synthesis Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 109) Differentiate between bonuses and gainsharing plans Answer: Bonuses represent a pay plan that rewards employees for recent performance rather than historical performance An annual bonus is a significant component of total compensation for many jobs and many companies routinely reward production employees with bonuses in the thousands of dollars when profits improve However, when times are bad, firms cut bonuses to reduce compensation costs Thus, using bonuses as a variable pay program makes employees' pay more vulnerable to cuts and this is even more problematic when bonuses are a large percentage of total pay Gainsharing is a formula-based group incentive plan that uses improvements in group productivity from one period to another to determine the total amount of money allocated Gainsharing ties rewards to productivity gains rather than profits, so employees can receive incentive awards even when the organization isn't profitable Unlike bonuses, gainsharing incentives not vary with changes in company profits Page Ref: 255, 256 LO: AACSB: Analytic Skills Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Synthesis Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 110) List and describe the various flexible benefits plans Answer: The three most popular types of benefits plans are modular plans, core-plus options, and flexible spending accounts Modular plans are predesigned packages or modules of benefits, each of which meets the needs of a specific group of employees A module designed for single employees with no dependents might include only essential benefits Another, designed for single parents, might have additional life insurance, disability insurance, and expanded health coverage Core-plus plans consist of a core of essential benefits and a menu-like selection of others from which employees can select Typically, each employee is given "benefits credits" which allow the purchase of additional benefits that uniquely meet his or her needs Flexible spending plans allow employees to set aside pretax dollars up to the dollar amount offered in the plan to pay for particular benefits, such as health care and dental premiums Page Ref: 258, 259 LO: Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 46 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall 111) Compare and contrast the benefits of intrinsic rewards, such as recognition, and extrinsic rewards, such as pay, as forms of motivation Answer: Organizations are increasingly recognizing that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are important Rewards are intrinsic in the form of employee recognition programs and extrinsic in the form of compensation systems Intrinsic rewards range from a spontaneous and private thank-you to widely publicized formal programs in which specific types of behavior are encouraged and the procedures for attaining recognition are clearly identified Pay, an extrinsic reward, is not the primary factor driving job satisfaction, however, it does motivate people, and companies often underestimate its importance in keeping top talent No matter how much recognition a top performer gets, he will be tempted to leave if the pay scale is much lower than the market and another offer arrives Variable pay structures, such as bonuses, are often the best production motivators When pay is tied to performance, the employee's earnings also recognize contribution rather than being a form of entitlement Over time, low performers' pay stagnates, while high performers enjoy pay increases commensurate with their contributions An obvious advantage of intrinsic rewards like recognition programs is that they are inexpensive since praise is free However, they are highly susceptible to political manipulation by management When applied to jobs for which performance factors are relatively objective, such as sales, recognition programs are likely to be perceived by employees as fair However, in most jobs, the criteria for good performance aren't self evident, which allows managers to manipulate the system and recognize their favorites Abuse can undermine the value of recognition programs and demoralize employees Research suggests financial incentives may be more motivating in the short term, but in the long run intrinsic incentives will retain good employees if the extrinsic incentives are competitive Page Ref: 254 LO: 5, Difficulty: Moderate Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 47 Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc Publishing as Prentice Hall ... Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 8) According to the job characteristics model, autonomy is defined as the degree to which A) a job requires... Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 9) According to the job characteristics model, indicates the degree to. .. Quest Category: Concept Learning Outcome: Describe the major theories of motivation and relate them to organizational performance 14) The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another