Chapter 5

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Chapter 6 Basic Motivation Concepts

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Defining Motivation

1. Motivation is:

a. a component of ability.

b. situational.

c. a personal trait.

d. a constant intensity for each individual.

(b; Moderate; p. 155)

2. Motivation is best defined as:

a. high performance.

b. efficient behavior.

c. processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence toward attaining a

goal.

d. being told to exert high levels of effort.

(c; Easy; p. 155)

3. The three key elements in the definition of motivation do not include:

a. drive.

b. intensity.

c. direction.

d. persistence.

(a; Moderate; p. 155)

Early Theories of Motivation

4. The drive to become what one is capable of becoming is which level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

a. social

b. self-actualization

c. physiological

d. esteem

(b; Easy; p. 156)

5. The most well-known theory of motivation is Abraham Maslow’s:

a. Theories X and Y

b. Hierarchy of Needs

c. Two-factor Theory

d. Motivator-Hygiene Theory

(b; Easy; p. 156)

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6. Maslow’s hierarchy has five levels of needs. Which of the following is not one of those levels?

a. safety needs

b. social needs

c. motivational needs

d. self-actualization needs

(c; Moderate; p. 156)

7. Which of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs deals with satisfying one’s need for hunger, thirst, and sex?

a. safety

b. physiological

c. social

d. esteem


8. Self-respect, autonomy, and achievement are examples of Maslow’s:

a. physiological factors.

b. social factors.

c. internal esteem factors.

d. external esteem factors.


9. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are arranged in which of the following orders?

a. physiological, esteem, safety, social, and self-actualization

b. physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization

c. safety, physiological, esteem, social, and self-actualization

d. physiological, social, safety, esteem, and self-actualization

(b; Easy; p. 156)

10. Growth and achieving one’s potential are examples of Maslow’s:

a. self-actualization factors.

b. physiological factors.

c. social factors.

d. esteem factors.


11. According to Maslow, when does a need stop motivating?

a. when it is substantially satisfied

b. it never stops motivating

c. when one returns to a lower level need

d. when one chooses to move to a higher level need

(a; Moderate; pp. 156-157)

12. Which one of the following statements about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is not true?

a. The five levels of needs are arranged in hierarchical order.

b. Physiological needs are the lowest level.

c. The lower order need must be fully satisfied before the next higher need becomes potent.

d. The need hierarchy concept has not been well supported by research.

(c; Challenging; pp. 156-157)

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13. The primary organizational factor that satisfies people’s physiological needs is:

a. relationships with co-workers.

b. recognition.

c. pay.

d. challenging job assignments.


14. Which of the following were considered higher-order needs by Maslow?

a. physiological, safety, social

b. safety, social, esteem

c. esteem, self-actualization

d. social, esteem, self-actualization

(d; Moderate; p. 157)

15. There is little evidence:

a. that need structures are organized along Maslow’s proposed dimensions.

b. that unsatisfied needs motivate.

c. that a satisfied need activates movement to a new need level.

d. all of the above

(d; Challenging; p. 157)

16. Douglas McGregor proposed:

a. the Hierarchy of Needs Theory.

b. Theories X and Y.

c. the Two-Factor Theory.

d. ERG Theory.


17. A Theory X manager would view employees as:

a. seeking responsibility.

b. needing to be coerced to achieve goals.

c. viewing work as a normal daily activity.

d. exercising self control.

(b; Easy; p. 157)

18. Which one of the following statements best describes a manager who follows Theory X assumptions?

a. He lets employees choose their own goals.

b. He allows employees to use discretion.

c. He imposes strict controls.

d. He makes extensive use of delegating authority.


19. All of the following are assumptions of a Theory X manager concerning employees except:

a. avoids responsibilities.

b. dislikes work.

c. seeks formal direction.

d. exercises self direction.


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20. A Theory Y manager would assume that employees would:

a. dislike work.

b. need to be controlled.

c. avoid responsibility.

d. exercise self direction.

(d; Easy; p. 157)

21. A Theory X manager would assume that employees would:

a. like work.

b. seek responsibility.

c. need to be controlled.

d. exercise self direction.

(c; Easy; p. 157)

22. Theory X assumptions relate to:

a. Maslow’s lower level needs.

b. Maslow’s higher level needs.

c. both levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

d. neither level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.


23. Who proposed a two-factor theory?

a. Maslow

b. McClelland

c. Herzberg

d. Alderfer

(c; Challenging; p. 159)

24. The two-factor theory is also referred to as:

a. Theories X and Y.

b. Motivator-Hygiene Theory.

c. Hierarchy of Needs Theory.

d. Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction Theory.


25. Two-factor theory suggests that extrinsic factors such as _____ cause dissatisfaction.

a. advancement

b. working conditions

c. achievement

d. recognition


26. Which of the following is not true about the two-factor theory?

a. Working conditions are characterized as hygiene factors.

b. Intrinsic factors are motivators.

c. A job becomes satisfying when the dissatisfying characteristics are removed.

d. Responsibility is a satisfier.

(c; Moderate; pp. 159-160)

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27. Which one of the following would Herzberg classify as a hygiene factor?

a. responsibility

b. growth

c. company policy

d. achievement


28. Which one of the following would be considered a motivator in the two-factor theory?

a. salary

b. supervision

c. working conditions

d. recognition


29. The hygiene factors make up the continuum that ranges from:

a. no dissatisfaction to dissatisfaction.

b. no dissatisfaction to satisfaction.

c. satisfaction to no satisfaction.

d. satisfaction to dissatisfaction.

(a; Challenging; Exh. 6-3; p. 160)

30. Which of the following is a criticism of the two-factor theory?

a. No overall measure of satisfaction is utilized.

b. The research methodology does not examine productivity.

c. The theory is inconsistent with previous research.

d. all of the above

(d; Easy; pp. 160-161)

31. The popularity over the past 30 years of vertically expanding jobs to allow workers greater

responsibility in planning and controlling their work can probably be largely attributed to the theory

developed by:

a. McGregor.

b. Vroom.

c. Herzberg.

d. Maslow.


Contemporary Theories of Motivation

32. _____ developed the ERG theory.

a. McClelland

b. Maslow

c. Alderfer

d. Ouchi


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33. _____ substitutes three core needs for Maslow’s five needs.

a. ERG theory

b. Equity theory

c. McClelland’s theory of needs

d. Expectancy theory


34. Hunger, thirst, sex, pay, and physical work environment are examples of Alderfer’s:

a. existence needs.

b. safety needs.

c. growth needs.

d. physiological needs.


35. Desires for relationships with those who are significant to us, such as family members, supervisors,

and friends, are examples of Alderfer’s:

a. existence needs.

b. relatedness needs.

c. growth needs.

d. esteem needs.


36. Our intrinsic desire for personal development is included in Alderfer’s:

a. existence needs.

b. relatedness needs.

c. growth needs.

d. esteem needs.


37. Alderfer’s ______ needs include the intrinsic component from Maslow’s esteem category and the

characteristics included under self-actualization.

a. existence

b. relatedness

c. growth

d. physiological


38. Which one of the following is not characteristic of ERG theory?

a. It proposes three levels of needs: existence, relatedness, and growth.

b. More than one level of needs may serve as motivators at the same time.

c. It involves a frustration-regression process.

d. The existence needs must be satisfied before the relatedness needs become important.


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39. _____ theory is more consistent with our knowledge of individual differences than other theories.

a. ERG

b. Maslow’s

c. Two-factor

d. McClelland’s

(a; Challenging; p. 162)

40. McClelland’s theory of needs includes all of the following except:

a. need for achievement.

b. need for existence.

c. need for power.

d. need for affiliation.


41. McClelland’s need for affiliation is:

a. the drive to excel, to strive to succeed.

b. the need to make others behave in a new way.

c. the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships.

d. the same as Maslow’s physiological need.


42. Which of the following needs is included in McClelland’s theory of needs?

a. control

b. power

c. politics

d. success

(b; Easy; p. 162)

43. Who proposed that there are three major relevant motives, or needs, in workplace situations:

achievement, affiliation, and power?

a. McClelland

b. Alderfer

c. Herzberg

d. Maslow


44. According to McClelland, the need for ____ is the need to make others behave in a way that they

would not have behaved otherwise.

a. power

b. achievement

c. affiliation

d. effectiveness


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45. Individuals who have a desire to excel and to succeed are high in:

a. nPow.

b. nAch.

c. nMot.

d. nAff.


46. McClelland’s need for achievement best approximates Maslow’s need for:

a. esteem.

b. self-actualization.

c. love.

d. success.

(b; Challenging; p. 163)

47. A desire for being productive and reaching desirable goals is an example of McClelland’s:


b. need for affiliation.

c. need for power.

d. need for esteem.

(a; Easy; p. 163)

48. The desire for positive relationships with others is an example of McClelland’s:



c. need for power.

d. need for esteem.

(b; Easy; p. 163)

49. The desire for influence and control over others is an example of McClelland’s:



c. need for power.

d. need for esteem.

(c; Easy; p. 163)

50. Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer all of the following except:

a. job situations with personal responsibility.

b. a high degree of risk.

c. overcoming obstacles.

d. feedback.


51. The ______ identified by McClelland has received the least attention from researchers.

a. need for achievement

b. need for affiliation

c. need for power

d. need for esteem


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52. How does most research determine if someone is a high achiever?

a. polygraph

b. projective test

c. personal interview

d. Myers-Briggs


53. A high ___ motive may be a requirement for managerial effectiveness.

a. need for achievement

b. need for affiliation

c. need for power

d. need for esteem


54. The issue of whether intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are independent is considered in which theory?

a. expectancy

b. reinforcement

c. equity

d. cognitive evaluation


55. Which of the following is true about cognitive evaluation theory?

a. If cognitive evaluation theory is correct, it would make sense to make an individual’s pay

noncontingent on performance.

b. Employees are motivated by a hierarchy of needs.

c. This theory was developed by McClelland.

d. Needs are separated into higher-order and lower-order categories.

(a; Challenging; pp. 164-165)

56. _____ proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation.

a. Maslow

b. Herzberg

c. McClelland

d. Edwin Locke

(d; Easy; p. 166)

57. According to the goal-setting theory of motivation, goals should be:

a. extremely difficult.

b. easy.

c. difficult but attainable.

d. just a bit beyond his or her potential.


58. All of the following are important issues relating to goal-setting theory with the exception of:

a. goal difficulty.

b. goal specificity.

c. equity among co-workers.

d. feedback.

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59. Which of the following is inconsistent with goal-setting theory?

a. Specificity increases motivation.

b. Goals that are certain to be accomplished increase motivation.

c. Challenging goals or difficult goals can increase performance.

d. If employees participate in setting goals, chances for acceptance are increased.


60. In addition to feedback, what are two of the other factors that have been found to influence the goals-

performance relationship?

a. goal commitment and task difficulty

b. self-efficacy and task subjectivity

c. goal commitment and self-efficacy

d. task subjectivity and task difficulty


61. Your personal evaluation of your ability to perform is termed:

a. goal setting.

b. equity.

c. self-efficacy.

d. distributive justice.

(c; Easy; p. 167)

62. Goal-setting theory is well adapted to countries like:

a. Canada.

b. Chile.

c. Portugal.

d. Spain.


63. Reinforcement theory views behavior as:

a. a cognitive process.

b. environmentally caused.

c. the inner state of the individual.

d. a function of one’s power need.

(b; Challenging; pp. 167-168)

64. Which theory is, strictly speaking, not a theory of motivation since it does not concern itself with what

initiates behavior?

a. equity theory

b. expectancy theory

c. ERG theory

d. reinforcement theory


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65. The work equivalent of the athlete’s being “in the zone” is called:

a. concentration.

b. flow.

c. hype.

d. zoned out.


66. Which of the following is not a component of Thomas’ intrinsic motivation model?

a. choice

b. competence

c. confidence

d. progress


67. Thomas’ four intrinsic motivation components link with the concept of:

a. flow.

b. hype.

c. zones.

d. motivation.


68. In equity theory, individuals assess the:

a. cost-benefit ratio.

b. efficiency-effectiveness trade-off.

c. quantity-quality trade-off.

d. outcome-input ratio.


69. When individuals compare their outcomes and inputs against those of others, the applicable theory is

called:

a. equity theory.

b. expectancy theory.

c. needs hierarchy theory.

d. ERG theory.

(a; Easy; p. 170)

70. When people perceive an imbalance in their outcome-input ratio relative to others:

a. an illegal situation is assumed.

b. they expect to be promoted.

c. equity tension is created.

d. turnover is inevitable.


71. Each of the following is a comparison an employee can use in equity theory except:

a. self-inside.

b. self-goal.

c. other-outside.

d. self-outside.

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72. Which of the following is not true about referent comparisons in equity theory?

a. Both men and women prefer same-sex comparisons.

b. Employees in sex-segregated jobs use more cross-sex comparisons.

c. Employees with long tenure rely more heavily on co-workers for comparisons.

d. Upper-level employees make more other-outside comparisons.


73. Which of the following is not a predictable choice when employees perceive an inequity?

a. change their inputs

b. change their outcomes

c. choose a different referent

d. acquire more tenure


74. If a salaried employee is overpaid, equity theory would predict that:

a. quantity will decrease.

b. quality will decrease.

c. quantity and/or quality will increase.

d. there will be no effect.


75. If a piece-rate employee is overpaid, equity theory would predict that:

a. quality will increase.

b. quantity will increase.

c. quality will decrease.

d. there will be no effect.


76. Equity theory focused on:

a. interpersonal justice.

b. distributive justice.

c. equity.

d. procedural justice.


77. There are several types of justice. Which one is the term for “fairness of the process?”

a. interpersonal justice

b. distributive justice

c. equity

d. procedural justice


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78. Jessica believes that she got an appropriate salary increase this year but she does not believe that the

company’s methods for determining salary increases are fair. She believes that there is a problem

with the firm’s:

a. interpersonal justice.

b. distributive justice.

c. equity.

d. procedural justice.


79. Equity theory historically focused on _____ justice.

a. procedural

b. distributive

c. interpersonal

d. interactive


80. _____ justice is perceived fairness of the amount and allocation of rewards among individuals.

a. Interactive

b. Interpersonal

c. Procedural

d. Distributive

(d; Easy; p. 172)

81. What was the first model which attempted to measure the strength of one’s expectations and predict

motivation?

a. expectancy theory

b. equity theory

c. goal setting theory

d. ERG theory


82. Expectancy theory was developed by:

a. McClelland.

b. Maslow.

c. House.

d. Vroom.


83. The degree to which an individual believes that performing at a particular level will generate a desired

outcome is defined by expectancy theory as:

a. performance-reward relationship.

b. effort-performance relationship.

c. rewards-personal goals relationship.

d. effort-satisfaction relationship.


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84. Which of the following is not one of the relationships proposed in expectancy theory?

a. performance-reward relationship.

b. effort-performance relationship.

c. rewards-personal goals relationship.

d. effort-satisfaction relationship.


85. In expectancy theory, the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of

effort will lead to performance is the _____ relationship.

a. rewards-personal goals

b. performance-reward

c. effort-performance

d. rewards-effort


86. According to expectancy theory, the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual’s

personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual is the ____

relationship.

a. performance-reward.

b. effort-performance.

c. rewards-personal goals.

d. effort-satisfaction.


87. The theory that asserts that motivation depends upon an employee’s goals, and the belief that

productive behavior will get these goals accomplished, is called:

a. Herzberg’s dual-factor theory.

b. McClelland’s three needs theory.

c. Vroom’s expectancy theory.

d. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.


88. Which of the following concepts is inconsistent with the expectancy theory of motivation?

a. Self-interest is pursued.

b. Performance and rewards are related.

c. Attractive rewards will motivate.

d. One’s inputs and outputs are compared to another’s.


Caveat Emptor: Motivation Theories are Culture Bound

89. Most current motivation theories were developed in the United States by Americans and have a strong

emphasis on:

a. individualism and quantity of life.

b. teamwork and quality of life.

c. teamwork and quantity of life.

d. risk minimization and consensus.


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90. A motivation concept that clearly has an American bias is the:

a. power need.

b. affiliation need.

c. achievement need.

d. social need.


91. The desire for _____ seems important to almost all workers across cultures.

a. interesting work

b. higher pay

c. more flexibility

d. telecommuting options


92. A theory based on “needs” is the premise for theories by all of the following except:

a. McClelland.

b. Alderfer.

c. McGregor.

d. Maslow.


TRUE/FALSE

Defining Motivation

93. Motivation is a personality trait.

(False; Moderate; p. 156)

94. Motivation is the result of the interaction of the individual and the situation.

(True; Easy; p. 156)

95. Leadership is the processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of

effort toward attaining a goal.


96. High intensity is unlikely to lead to favorable job-performance outcomes unless the effort is channeled

in a direction that benefits the organization.

(True; Moderate; pp. 156-157)

Early Theories of Motivation

97. The early theories of motivation are widely used by practitioners to explain employee motivation.

(True; Moderate; p. 156)

98. According to Maslow, a need that is essentially satisfied no longer motivates.


99. Esteem is considered a lower order need.

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100. Higher-order needs are satisfied internally, whereas lower-order needs are predominantly satisfied

externally.

(True; Challenging; p. 157)

101. Research actively validates Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.

(False; Easy; p. 157)

102. Theory X assumptions hold a basically negative view of human beings.


103. McGregor referred to the positive assumptions of human beings as Theory Y.


104. People are inherently lazy.


105. Maslow proposed a two-factor theory, suggesting that intrinsic job factors motivate, whereas extrinsic

factors only maintain and placate employees.


106. According to Herzberg, the opposite of “satisfaction” is “dissatisfaction.”


107. According to Herzberg, some factors lead to satisfaction, but if you remove the factors you create

dissatisfaction.


108. According to Herzberg, pay is a motivation factor.


109. Hygiene factors usually lead to job satisfaction when present in a job.


110. The popularity of vertically expanding jobs to allow workers greater responsibility in planning and

controlling their work can probably be attributed largely to Maslow’s findings.

(False; Challenging; p. 161)

Contemporary Theories of Motivation

111. The contemporary theories of motivation are generally more valid than the early theories of

motivation.


112. The core needs in ERG theory are reconcilable with Maslow’s five need categories.


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113. According to Alderfer, once an employee’s existence needs are substantially satisfied, the employee

moves on to his or her relatedness needs.


114. According to Alderfer, existence needs include the items Maslow considered to be physiological and

safety needs.


115. McClelland’s theory of needs contains a frustration-regression dimension.


116. A drive to succeed would be described by McClelland as a need for achievement.


117. High achievers attempt the most difficult goals because once achieved, they gain more recognition.


118. The needs for affiliation and power tend to be closely related to managerial success.


119. The evidence indicates that high achievers make good managers.


120. Evidence indicates that the best managers are high in nPow and low in nAff.


121. The achievement need can be stimulated through training.


122. When extrinsic rewards are given to someone for performing an interesting task, it causes intrinsic

interest in the task itself to decline.


123. Cognitive evaluation theory is concerned with whether individuals perceive that rewards are

distributed fairly.


124. According to the cognitive evaluation theory, pay should not be directly related to job performance.


125. Evidence gathered about the cognitive evaluation theory leads us to believe that extrinsic and intrinsic

rewards are interdependent.


126. The cognitive evaluation theory may have limited applicability to work organizations because most

low-level jobs are not inherently satisfying enough to foster high intrinsic interest.


131

127. According to goal-setting theory, a generalized goal will produce a higher level of output than a

specific goal.


128. Self-generated feedback has been shown to be a more powerful motivator than externally generated

feedback.


129. Participatively set goals increase acceptance and elicit superior performance.


130. Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing a task.


131. The basic logic underlying goal-setting theory and reinforcement theory are at odds.


132. The statement that “behavior is a function of its consequences” is consistent with reinforcement

theory.


133. According to reinforcement theory, behavior is environmentally determined.


134. Motivation researchers call the state of absolute concentration equivalent to an athlete’s being “in the

zone” flow.

(True, Moderate, p. 168)

135. Flow is often reported by people when engaged in leisure activities.


136. Flow is more likely to be experienced at work than at home.


137. Equity theory proposed that equity tension is the negative tension state which provides the motivation

to do something to correct it.


138. In equity theory, if perceived outcomes and inputs are not balanced, an individual will make certain

adjustments to correct imbalance.


139. Research shows that in equity theory men prefer same-sex comparisons but women do not.


140. If you pay an individual an hourly rate, according to the equity theory, overpaying this individual will

result in more output.


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141. Underpayment and overpayment, according to equity theory, tend to produce similar reactions to

correct the inequities.


142. It is possible for an employee to perceive injustice even if the amount and allocation of rewards

among individuals is perceived as fair.


143. Distributive justice refers to the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of

rewards.


144. Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of

rewards.


145. In expectancy theory, the strength of a person’s motivation to perform depends in part on how

strongly he believes he can achieve what he attempts.


146. The expectancy theory is a contingency model.


Integrating Contemporary Theories of Motivation

147. Expectancy theory predicts that an employee will exert only a low level of effort if she perceives a

strong relationship between effort and performance, performance and rewards, and rewards and

satisfaction of personal goals.


148. Reinforcement theory recognizes that the organization’s rewards reinforce the individual’s

performance.


Caveat Emptor: Motivation Theories are Culture Bound

149. Maslow’s hierarchy works equally well for all cultures.


150. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, a country high in uncertainty avoidance would have security needs

near the top of the need hierarchy.


151. The desire for interesting work seems important to almost all workers, regardless of their culture.


152. Studies suggest there is some universality to the importance of intrinsic factors in two-factor theory.


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SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS

Application of Maslow’s Hierarchy

Your department is made up of people who are very different in their lifestyles and their stages of life. Mary

is a 23-year-old single parent who is working for minimum wage. Jonathan is 60 years old, extremely wealthy

and works because he enjoys it. Jane is single, 45 years old and has few interests outside of the office. You

have decided to attempt to apply Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to motivate each of these individuals.

153. You would expect that Mary is trying to satisfy her _____ needs.

a. social

b. esteem

c. physiological

d. self-actualization

(c; Easy; pp. 156-157)

154. You would expect that Jane is trying to satisfy her ______ needs.

a. social

b. esteem

c. physiological

d. self-actualization


155. Which of the following do you think would motivate Mary the most?

a. more vacation time

b. more responsibility

c. greater discretion over her job

d. more money

(d; Moderate; pp. 156-157)

Application of Maslow’s Hierarchy

You are interested in applying Maslow’s hierarchy in your workplace. You are interested in how the various

employee needs are met by the organization because you believe your organization can motivate employees by

analyzing where they are on Maslow’s hierarchy.

156. Some of the employees’ safety needs are met by providing them with insurance.


157. Self-actualization needs can be met by giving employees a place to take their breaks together.

(False; Moderate; pp. 156-157)

158. The organization will find the employees’ self-actualization needs the easiest to satisfy.

(False; Easy; pp. 156-157)

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Application of McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

You are a new employee with Acme, Inc. Your supervisor has explained your job to you and has indicated

that you will have a great deal of control over your job once you become proficient at it. He compliments

your history of accepting responsibility and suggests that you are to feel free to offer constructive criticism

about the way that your job is structured.

159. Your supervisor seems to possess _______ assumptions.

a. Theory X

b. Theory Y

c. Theory Z

d. to be lazy

(b; Easy; p. 157)

160. Your supervisor would be expected to assume each of the following except:

a. employees view work as natural.

b. the average person will seek responsibility.

c. workers place security above all other factors.

d. the ability to make innovative decisions is not necessarily the sole province of managers.


161. As a Theory Y manager, your supervisor can be expected to do all of the following except:

a. assume that you will be internally motivated.

b. assume that you want to do your job.

c. allow you freedom to do your job as you believe it should be done.

d. monitor your work closely for signs that you are derelict.


Application of Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Your fellow employees have a terrible work situation. They work in an old, unattractive building with an

antiquated heating system. The work itself is tedious and the supervisor is rarely available. You have decided

to try to apply Herzberg’s two-factor theory to the situation.

162. You decide that your first job should be to remove the dissatisfiers. Which of the following are

hygiene factors?

a. working conditions

b. intrinsic rewards

c. recognition

d. advancement


163. Which of the following statements would be true?

a. When the dissatisfiers are removed, employees will be satisfied.

b. The relationship with the supervisor is a motivation factor.

c. Dissatisfaction and satisfaction are not opposites.

d. Lack of recognition is a dissatisfier.


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164. What would Herzberg believe would motivate the employees?

a. improvement in working conditions

b. fixing the heating system

c. receiving recognition for a job well done

d. having the supervisor “hang around” more

(c; Moderate; pp. 159-161)

Application of Equity Theory

You graduated from college two years ago and began working at Hampstead Electronics. You have received

good performance evaluations and a raise. You just found out that a recent college graduate with no

experience has been hired at a higher salary than you are now making.

165. You will probably use the _____ theory in evaluating how you regard this situation.

a. equity

b. expectancy

c. goal setting

d. reinforcement


166. Your referent comparison for equity theory is termed:

a. self-inside.

b. self-outside.

c. other-inside.

d. other-outside.


167. You can be predicted to:

a. work harder.

b. call in sick.

c. acknowledge that the new person hired is worth more.

d. not work so hard.

(d; Moderate; pp. 170-172)

Application of McClelland’s Theory of Needs

You manage a department of three employees. You have identified that Joe scores high in the need for

achievement, Mary scores high in the need for power, and Jim scores high in the need for affiliation. Sarah

scored high in both the need for power and the need for affiliation.

168. Which employee would be best suited to a challenging new assignment where they would receive

rapid feedback?

a. Joe

b. Mary

c. Jim

d. Sarah

(a; Challenging; pp. 162-163)

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169. Which employee would be best suited as a mentor to new employees with a chance to develop

friendships?

a. Joe

b. Mary

c. Jim

d. Sarah


170. Which employee would be most comfortable being in charge while you are on vacation?

a. Joe

b. Mary

c. Jim

d. Sarah

(b; Challenging; pp. 162-163)

SHORT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

171. What assumptions are held by a Theory Y manager?

(Page 157)

The Theory Y manager assumes employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play; people

will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives; the average person

can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility; and the ability to make innovative decisions is widely

dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management

positions.

172. List and explain the three groups of core needs in ERG Theory.

(Page 161)

Alderfer argues that there are three groups of core needs – existence, relatedness, and growth. The

existence group is concerned with providing our basic material existence requirements. The second

group of needs are those of relatedness – the desire we have for maintaining important interpersonal

relationships. Growth needs reflect an intrinsic desire for personal development.

173. Discuss McClelland’s Theory of Needs.

(Pages 162-163)

McClelland’s theory of needs focuses on three needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. The need

for achievement is the drive to excel, to achieve in relation to a set of standards and to strive to

succeed. The need for power is the need to make others behave in a way that they would not have

behaved otherwise. The need for affiliation is the desire for friendly and close interpersonal

relationships.

174. Explain cognitive evaluation theory.

(Pages 164-165)

Cognitive evaluation theory proposes that the introduction of extrinsic rewards, such as pay, for work

effort that had been previously intrinsically rewarding due to the pleasure associated with the content

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of the work itself would tend to decrease the overall level of motivation.

175. What is self-efficacy?

(Page 167)

Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing a task. The higher

your self-efficacy, the more confidence you have in your ability to succeed in a task.

176. What is flow?

(Pages 168-169)

Athletes commonly refer to it as being “in the zone.” It can also occur at work. Motivation

researchers call this state of absolute concentration flow. The activity people are pursuing when they

achieve the timelessness feeling of flow comes from the process of the activity itself rather than trying

to reach a goal. So when a person experiences flow, he or she is completely intrinsically motivated.

The flow experience is rarely reported by people when they’re doing leisure activities such as

watching television or relaxing. It is more likely to be experienced at work than at home.

177. Discuss distributive justice and procedural justice. Discuss how managers can use this information.

(Page 172)

Historically, equity theory focused on distributive justice or the perceived fairness of the amount and

allocation of rewards among individuals. But equity should also consider procedural justice – the

perceived fairness of the process used to determine the distribution of rewards. The evidence

indicates that distributive justice has a greater influence on employee satisfaction than procedural

justice, while procedural justice tends to affect an employee’s organizational commitment, trust in his

or her boss, and intention to quit. As a result, managers should consider openly sharing information

on how allocation decisions are made, following consistent and unbiased procedures, and engaging in

similar practices to increase the perception of procedural justice. By increasing the perception of

procedural fairness, employees are likely to view their bosses and the organization as positive even if

they’re dissatisfied with pay, promotions, and other personal outcomes.

178. What are the three relationships in Vroom’s expectancy theory?

(Page 173)

Expectancy theory argues that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the

strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness

of that outcome to the individual. The theory focuses on three relationships. The effort-performance

relationship is the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will

lead to performance. The performance-reward relationship is the degree to which the individual

believes that performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome. The

rewards-personal goals relationship is the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an

individual’s personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the

individual.

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MEDIUM LENGTH DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

179. Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

(Page 156)

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of

five needs. The physiological needs include hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs.

Safety includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm. Social includes affection,

belongingness, acceptance, and friendship. Esteem includes internal esteem factors such as self-

respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and

attention. Self-actualization is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming; includes growth,

achieving one’s potential, and self-fulfillment. As each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied,

the next need becomes dominant. So if you want to motivate someone, according to Maslow, you

need to understand what level of the hierarchy that person is currently on and focus on satisfying those

needs at or above that level.

180. According to Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, how might a manager promote job satisfaction among

employees?

(Pages 159-160)

According to Herzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that

lead to job dissatisfaction. Therefore, managers who seek to eliminate factors that can create job

dissatisfaction may bring about peace but not necessarily result in motivation, conditions surrounding

the job such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical working conditions, relations

with others, and job security were characterized by Herzberg as hygiene factors. When they are

adequate, people will not be dissatisfied; neither will they be satisfied. If we want to motivate people

on their jobs, Herzberg suggested emphasizing factors associated with the work itself or to outcomes

directly derived from it, such as promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth,

recognition, responsibility, and achievement. These are the characteristics that people find

intrinsically rewarding.

181. What predictions can be made based on the relationship between the achievement need and job

performance?

(Pages 163-164)

Individuals with a high need to achieve prefer job situations with personal responsibility, feedback,

and an intermediate degree of risk. When these characteristics are prevalent, high achievers will be

strongly motivated. The evidence consistently demonstrates, for instance, that high achievers are

successful in entrepreneurial activities such as running their own businesses and managing a self-

contained unit within a large organization. A high need to achieve does not necessarily lead to being a

good manager, especially in large organizations. People with a high achievement need are interested

in how well they do personally and not in influencing others to do well. Employees have been

successfully trained to stimulate their achievement need. So if a job calls for a high achiever,

management can select a person with a high need for achievement or develop its own candidate

through achievement training.

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COMPREHENSIVE ESSAYS

182. How does ERG theory differ from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

(Pages 161-162)

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs hypothesized that within every human being there exists a hierarchy of

five needs. The physiological needs include hunger, thirst, shelter, sex, and other bodily needs.

Safety includes security and protection from physical and emotional harm. Social includes affection,

belongingness, acceptance, and friendship. Esteem includes internal esteem factors such as self-

respect, autonomy, and achievement; and external esteem factors such as status, recognition, and

attention. Self-actualization is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming; includes growth,

achieving one’s potential, and self-fulfillment. As each of these needs becomes substantially satisfied,

the next need becomes dominant. So if you want to motivate someone, according to Maslow, you

need to understand what level of the hierarchy that person is currently on and focus on satisfying those

needs at or above that level.

Alderfer argues that there are three groups of core needs – existence, relatedness, and growth. The

existence group is concerned with providing our basic material existence requirements. They include

the items that Maslow considered to be physiological and safety needs. The second group of needs

are those of relatedness – the desire we have for maintaining important interpersonal relationships.

These social and status desires require interaction with others if they are to be satisfied, and they align

with Maslow’s social need and the external component of Maslow’s esteem classification. Growth

needs reflect an intrinsic desire for personal development. These include the intrinsic component

from Maslow’s esteem category and the characteristics included under self-actualization.

In addition, the ERG theory demonstrates that more than one need may be operative at the same time

and if the gratification of a higher-level need is stifled, the desire to satisfy a lower-level need

increases. ERG theory contains a frustration-regression dimension. ERG theory is also more

consistent with our knowledge of individual differences among people. Overall, ERG theory

represents a more valid version of the need hierarchy.

183. Discuss goal-setting theory and its implications for managers.

(Pages 166-167)

Edwin Locke proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation.

Goals tell an employee what needs to be done and how much effort will need to be expended. The

evidence strongly supports the value of goals. Specific goals increase performance; that difficult

goals, when accepted, result in higher performance than do easy goals; and that feedback leads to

higher performance than does nonfeedback.

Specific hard goals produce a higher level of output than does the generalized goal of “do your best.”

The specificity of the goal itself acts as an internal stimulus. The more difficult the goals, the higher

the level of performance. However, it’s logical to assume that easier goals are more likely to be

accepted. But once an employee accepts a hard task, he or she will exert a high level of effort until it

is achieved, lowered, or abandoned. People will do better when they get feedback on how well they

are progressing toward their goals because feedback helps to identify discrepancies between what they

have done and what they want to do; that is, feedback acts to guide behavior. Goal-setting theory

presupposes that an individual is committed to the goals, that is, is determined not to lower or

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abandon the goal when the goal is made public, when the individual has an internal locus of control,

and when the goal is self-set rather than assigned. Goal-setting has also been found to be culture

bound. It is well adapted to countries like the United States and Canada.

184. Discuss equity theory. Include the concepts of equity tension, referent comparisons, and how

employees might reduce perceived inequity.

(Pages 171-172)

According to equity theory, employees make comparisons of their job inputs and outcomes relative to

those of others. We perceive what we get from a job situation in relation to what we put into it, and

then we compare out outcome-input ratio with the outcome-input ratio of relevant others. If we

perceive our ratio to be equal to that of the relevant others with whom we compare ourselves, a state

of equity is said to exist. We perceive our situation as fair – that justice prevails. When we see

ourselves as under-rewarded, the tension creates anger; when over-rewarded, the tension creates guilt.

This negative state provides the motivation to do something to correct it. The referent that an

employee selects adds to the complexity of equity theory. The four referent comparisons that an

employee can use are the self-inside, the self-outside, the other-inside, and the other-outside. When

employees perceive an inequity, they can be predicted to make one of six choices. They may change

their inputs. They may change their outcomes. They may distort perceptions of self. They may

distort perceptions of others. They may choose a different referent, or they may leave the field.

Chapter 5

Documents

vertically

make innovative

cognitive

vrooms expectancy

social includes

equity theory

close interpersonal

maslows esteem