CHAPTER 7—JOB DESIGN AND WORK SCHEDULES
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Marvin's job involves selling used trucks. To boost his job satisfaction, Marvin's boss authorizes him
to tell the dealer when a truck needs a paint job in order to sell. Which task characteristic has been
added to Marvin's job?
a. feedback from the job
b. decision-making authority
c. work methods autonomy
d. task significance
ANS: B
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Creation of Value
REF: p. 228
2. A job contains high task significance when the
a. work output touches the lives of many people.
b. work output earns a profit for the firm.
c. job holder has varied working hours.
d. job holder receives frequent feedback from the boss.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Creation of Value
REF: p. 228
3. Airplane mechanic Clyde tells his boss, "This job is killing my back. Crawling into small places every
day is more than I can tolerate." Which job sub-dimension is Clyde complaining about?
a. ergonomics
b. interdependence
c. skill variety
d. work methods autonomy
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Environmental Influence
REF: p. 230
4. A job description is a written statement of the
a. key features of a job.
b. qualifications necessary to fill a job.
c. design features of a job.
d. degree of specialization within a job.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Strategy
DIF: E
REF: p. 233
5. A major benefit of job specialization is that it allows for
a. a flexible work force.
b. enrichment of virtually all jobs.
c. excellent coordination of contributors to a total job.
d. the development of expertise at all occupational levels.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Operations Management
6. An enriched job typically includes the element of
a. control over resources.
REF: pp. 231-232
b. indirect communication authority.
c. routine experiences.
d. limited personal accountability.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Operations Management
REF: p. 235
7. Control over method in job enrichment means that the worker
a. communicates directly with the client or customer.
b. must present to management an analysis of the best method.
c. chooses the method to accomplish the assigned task.
d. must try a new method for accomplishing the task.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
DIF: E
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 235
8. In the job characteristics model, the task dimension of autonomy leads to
a. skill variety.
b. a feeling of meaningfulness.
c. a feeling of responsibility for work outcomes.
d. job satisfaction.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 236
9. Before implementing a program of job enrichment it is recommended that the manager
a. grant immediate pay increases.
b. find out if employees want an enriched job.
c. rewrite job descriptions for all employees involved.
d. empower employees to enrich their own jobs.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Communication, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 237
10. Workers with high job involvement will
a. identify psychologically with their work.
b. involve others in getting their work done.
c. separate their self-image from their work.
d. search for horizontal job loading.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: E
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 237
11. Zeke is in charge of stocking shelves in the soft-drink aisle in a supermarket. To apply job
enlargement, the store manager might
a. allow Zeke to do market research about soft-drink consumption.
b. schedule Zeke to switch back and forth between stocking the soft-drink and pet-food
aisles.
c. give Zeke the additional permanent assignment of also stocking the dry-cereal section.
d. assign Zeke flexible working hours.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: D
REF: p. 237
12. Priscilla, a customer service representative at a call center, adds to her job by asking customers how
much they liked their previous purchase. Priscilla is engaged in job
a.
b.
c.
d.
simplification.
rotation.
crafting.
specialization.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Creation of Value
REF: p. 237
13. Job embeddedness refers to
a. the array of forces attaching people to their jobs.
b. the physical and mental changes individuals make in the task or relationship aspects of
their job.
c. a temporary switching of job assignments.
d. increasing the number and variety of tasks within a job.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Environmental Influence
REF: p. 241
14. Which one of the following is not a common type of job crafting? Making changes in
a. the pay structure of a job.
b. the number and types of job tasks.
c. the interactions with others on the job.
d. one's view of a job.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 241
15. Which of the following is the least effective method for preventing cumulative trauma disorder?
a. use the computer mouse whenever possible
b. rotate jobs to reduce repetitive hand and body movements
c. install equipment that minimizes awkward hand and body movements
d. use voice recognition systems as a substitute for keyboarding
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Technology, Information Technology
REF: p. 243
16. An experiment about noise levels with female clerical workers demonstrated that the workers exposed
to noise
a. increased their productivity levels.
b. capitalized more on ergonomic features of their work furniture.
c. experienced inner-ear damage.
d. developed high levels of stress hormones in the blood.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 245
17. A modified work schedule
a. is any formal departure from the traditional hours of work.
b. excludes shift work and staggered work hours.
c. both a & b
d. leads to ergonomic problems.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 245
18. A study showed that a major reason why employees are hesitant to use the flextime option is that they
a.
b.
c.
d.
are concerned about appearing uncommitted to work.
dislike starting work so early.
dislike staying so late at work.
cannot afford the reduction in pay.
ANS: A
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Individual Dynamics
REF: pp. 246-247
19. A potential disadvantage of telecommuting is that workers at home are likely to
a. work on weekends.
b. face distractions at home.
c. feel isolation from coworkers.
d. feel exploited.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, HRM
REF: p. 250
20. Job sharing is a work arrangement in which
a. two people who work part-time share one job.
b. salary and benefits are prorated for the half-time workers.
c. both a & b
d. employees work from home.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 251
21. High-performance work system is a way of organizing work so that
a. jobs are enlarged
b. front-line workers participate in decisions that have an impact on their jobs and the wider
organization.
c. jobs are rotated.
d. telecommuting can take place.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 255
22. According to the policy of job sharing,
a. high-paid workers share pay with low-paid workers.
b. workers without an office share get to use the offices of those belonging to managers.
c. two part-time workers share one job.
d. workers delegate work to those lower in rank.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: E
REF: p. 251
23. Contingent workers
a. share jobs with other employees.
b. are only hired when they are needed.
c. always work less than 40 hours per week.
d. work for more than one employer at a time.
ANS: B
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 253
24. A major characteristic of a high-performance work system in a manufacturing environment is that
a. workers are allowed limited rest breaks.
b. time and motion studies dictate work methods.
c. supervisors make all the important decisions.
d. workers participate in making decisions that have an impact.
ANS: D
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: E
REF: p. 255
25. According to the method of creating high-performance jobs by adjusting resources, bookkeeper Pam
will perform at her best when she
a. gets paid more than most bookkeepers.
b. creates her own resources.
c. gets all the resources she needs to do her job.
d. consults regularly with a human resources specialist.
ANS: C
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Strategy
DIF: D
REF: p. 256
TRUE/FALSE
1. Sam's supervisor says to him, "Sam, you are an outstanding performer." Sam is therefore the feedback
dimension leads to knowledge of results.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Communication, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 236
2. A manager whose job required frequent consultation with his or her BlackBerry would have a job that
scores high on the sub-dimension of information processing.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Technology, Information Technologies
REF: p. 229
3. An example of the contextual characteristics of a job would be the type and amount of equipment use
the job requires.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Operations Management
REF: p. 231
4. A study of job dimension differences between professionals and nonprofessionals showed that
professional jobs had fewer physical demands.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 231
5. Sylvia is the store manager at a large supermarket, thereby qualifying as a generalist in her job.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 232
6. Automation enhances job satisfaction when annoying or dangerous tasks are removed.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Technology, Information Technology
REF: p. 233
7. Control over method in job enrichment refers to a worker being permitted to determine when he or she
will perform a particular task.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 235
8. In the job characteristics model, a significant task is one requiring an above-average degree of mental
ability.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 236
9. Workers with high job involvement often consider their job to be part of their self-mage.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 237
10. A positive feature of job enlargement is that it avoids the problem of having to deal with multiple
priorities.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Creation of Value
REF: p. 238
11. Job rotation is a good example of vertical job loading.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Operations Management
REF: p. 239
12. According to the contemporary view of jobs, the competent worker strictly follows his or her job
description.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 240
13. An emerging trend is to for companies to hire people to work at various activities rather than fill a
specific job slot.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Strategy
DIF: M
REF: p. 240
14. The purpose of job crafting is to emphasize aspects of the job that will lead to higher hourly pay or
bonus pay.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 240
15. A study with teachers and aides in 62 childcare centers found that crafting by the group resulted in
better job satisfaction and performance.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Group Dynamics
REF: p. 240
16. A major contributor to musculoskeletal disorders on the job is not using a part of the body, such as the
hands and wrist, frequently enough.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 242
17. Working the back of a deep display case to stock merchandise can be uncomfortable, so OSHA
recommends is the use of display cases that are stocked from the back.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: D
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 242
18. A major contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome is the pinching of a nerve that gives feeling to the hand.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 243
19. Many cases of back pain stem from ergonomics problems, including long periods of time hunched
over a computer monitor.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Environmental Influence
REF: p. 244
20. An experiment with clerical workers demonstrated that low-intensity noise raised stress levels just
enough to give the workers a high and elevate productivity.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Environmental Influence
REF: p. 245
21. A giant organization like AT&T that uses telecommuting is likely to achieve increased productivity.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Technology, HRM
22.
DIF: M
REF: p. 249
Telecommuting offers access to a wider range of employee talent.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Technology, HRM
DIF: E
REF: p. 250
23. Night-shift workers have a lower incidence of alcohol and drug abuse than do workers on the day and
evening shifts.
ANS: F
PTS: 1
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
DIF: M
REF: p. 255
24. You know that you are part of a high-performance work system when production workers are asked to
participate in important decisions.
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: E
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, Individual Dynamics
REF: p. 255
25. To be part of a high-performance work system, workers throughout the organization should ask, "What
measures will be used to evaluate my performance?"
ANS: T
PTS: 1
DIF: M
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, Strategy
REF: p. 256
ESSAY
1. Under the new system at LouisVuitton, it take less time to assemble bags, in part because they no
longer sit around on carts waiting to be moved by workers from one workstation to another. That
enables the company to ship fresh collections to its boutiques every six weeks—more than twice as
frequently as in the past.
1. What does this story illustrate about job design?
2. Do you think workers prefer the new system? Why?
ANS:
1. The Louis Vuitton story illustrates how modifying job design is a major part of helping a
company stay competitive.
2. By adding tasks to the production workers’ jobs, they became more productive Employers
such as Vuitton use a variety of job designs and work schedules to increase productivity and
job satisfaction.
PTS: 1
DIF: D
REF: p. 226
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
2. Explain how you might enrich any job familiar to you, using the job characteristics model.
ANS:
As a claims examiner, I would experience job enlargement if I were given additional responsibilities
such as examining claims for boats and motorcycles as well as automobiles.
PTS: 1
DIF: M
REF: pp. 237-238
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM
3. Describe telecommuting, along with some of its advantages and disadvantages.
ANS:
The advantages of telecommuting include: increased productivity, low overhead, access to a wider
range of employee talent, and direct contribution to green initiatives. Disadvantages include: isolation
from coworkers, distractions at home, limited benefits, reinforcement of negative tendencies like being
a workaholic, and difficulty in supervising under-performing workers.
PTS: 1
DIF: D
REF: pp. 249-250
NAT: AACSB: Reflective Thinking, HRM
4. From the standpoint of job design, what can company managers do to develop a high-performance
work system?
ANS:
High-performing work systems based on the contribution of individual workers overlap with several of
components of job enrichment and the job characteristics model. A high-performance work system is a
way of organizing work so that front-line workers participate in decisions that have an impact on their
jobs and the wider organization.
PTS: 1
DIF: M
REF: p. 256
NAT: AACSB: Analytic, HRM