Chapter 06 Motivation: Organizational Applications
True / False Questions
1. (p. 159) Stock options place an immediate claim on the company.
FALSE
Rationale: Stock options place a future claim on the company.
2. (p. 159) Stock options dilute the stake of others in the firm.
TRUE
3. (p. 160) Learning is one of the fundamental processes underlying behavior.
TRUE
4. (p. 160) Social learning among employees always has positive results.
FALSE
Rationale: Social learning among employees may be positive or negative.
5. (p. 160) Each of us uses symbolism as a guide for our behavior.
TRUE
6. (p. 161) Most people will readily attempt a job or task, even if they expect to be ineffective.
FALSE
Rationale: People rarely try to do a job or task when they expect to be ineffective.
7. (p. 161) How hard and long a student pursues an area of study depends less on his/her selfefficacy than on actual ability?
FALSE
Rationale: How hard and long a student pursues an area of study depends more on his/her self-efficacy than on actual ability.
8. (p. 161) The fact that others believe us capable of high levels of performance has no effect on
our ability to perform at that level.
FALSE
Rationale: The fact that others believe us capable of high levels of performance may lead us to perform at that level; this is the Pygmalion
effect.
9. (p. 161) Learning often occurs as a consequence of behavior.
TRUE
10. (p. 161) An operant can be strengthened or weakened by the events that follow it.
TRUE
11. (p. 161) Teaching a subordinate to prepare an accurate weekly budget report is an example of
operant conditioning.
TRUE
12. (p. 161) Behavior modification is individual learning by exception.
FALSE
Rationale: Behavior modification is individual learning by reinforcement.
13. (p. 162) A positive reinforcer won't always modify behavior in the desired direction.
TRUE
14. (p. 162) Positive reinforcement is anything that both increases the strength of response and
induces repetition of the behavior that preceded the reinforcement.
TRUE
15. (p. 162) Non-financial rewards are the only type of positive reinforcers shown to be
effective.
FALSE
Rationale: Monetary rewards are also positive reinforcers.
Multiple Choice Questions
16. (p. 163) An event is a negative reinforcer only if its removal after a response increases the
____________________ of that response.
A. Performance
B. Significance
C. Impact
D. Duration
True / False Questions
17. (p. 163) The results of punishment are more predictable than the results of reward.
FALSE
Rationale: The results of punishment aren't as predictable as those of reward.
18. (p. 163) When positive reinforcement for a learned response is withheld, the behavior will
cease.
FALSE
Rationale: When positive reinforcement for a learned response is withheld, individuals will continue to practice that behavior for an
indefinite amount of time.
19. (p. 164) Behavior modification is based on the assumption that behavior is less important
than its psychological causes.
FALSE
Rationale: Behavior modification is based on the assumption that behavior is more important than its psychological causes.
20. (p. 166) Identifying positive reinforcers isn't always easy.
TRUE
21. (p. 166-167) Surveys on interpersonal relations report that employees feel that they receive
positive reinforcement more often than managers think they give it.
FALSE
Rationale: More than 80 percent of supervisors claimed that they gave positive reinforcement frequently, but less than 20 percent of
employees felt that supervisors expressed appreciation more than occasionally.
22. (p. 166) Punishment by itself often doesn't give employees guidance as to how they can
improve their performance.
TRUE
23. (p. 166) A major strength in many applied motivational programs is that formal evaluations
aren't conducted.
FALSE
Rationale: Not conducting formal evaluations is a major weakness of many applied motivational programs.
24. (p. 166) Locke claims that people can learn by seeing others get positive reinforcement.
TRUE
25. (p. 166) Operant conditioning theorists pay particular attention to self-reinforcement.
FALSE
Rationale: Operant conditioning theorists ignore self-reinforcement.
26. (p. 167) Many employees would prefer input from the manager over a hike in pay.
TRUE
27. (p. 168) Any management approach can be affected by the national culture where that
approach is used.
TRUE
28. (p. 169) Intent has no place in goal-setting theory.
FALSE
Rationale: Intent plays a prominent role in goal-setting theory.
29. (p. 171) Research has shown that vague goals lead to higher output than do specific goals.
FALSE
Rationale: The opposite is true; specific goals lead to higher output.
30. (p. 172) Generally, the more difficult the goal, the lower the level of performance.
FALSE
Rationale: Generally, the more difficult the goal, the higher the level of performance.
31. (p. 172) Permitting individuals to participate in goal setting will enhance goal acceptance.
TRUE
32. (p. 172) When an individual faces a difficult goal, assigned goal setting enhances goal
acceptance more than participative goal setting.
FALSE
Rationale: When an individual faces a difficult goal, participative goal setting enhances goal acceptance more than assigned goal setting.
33. (p. 174) For some employees, goal accomplishment can become an obsession.
TRUE
34. (p. 174) Process theories concentrate on individuals and their characteristics.
FALSE
Rationale: Content theories concentrate on individuals and their characteristics.
35. (p. 174) Goal setting is a control device to monitor performance.
TRUE
36. (p. 176) As an organization becomes more involved in global transactions, pay and rewards
will become more closely linked to total company results.
TRUE
37. (p. 177) An individual's feelings of satisfaction are influenced by comparisons with what
happens to others.
TRUE
38. (p. 177) Extrinsic rewards are valued in and of themselves; they're related to performing the
job.
FALSE
Rationale: Intrinsic rewards are related to performing the work itself.
39. (p. 179) If managers are not trusted, workers will not freely communicate their feelings about
financial rewards.
TRUE
40. (p. 179) Money is a powerful motivator, even if employees do not see the connection
between performance and merit increases.
FALSE
Rationale: Unless employees see a connection between performance and merit increases, money isn't a powerful motivator.
41. (p. 179) The federal government has considered passing laws to influence the pay of top
executives.
TRUE
42. (p. 179) Most workers in America say that employee benefits are crucial to job choice.
TRUE
43. (p. 179) Fringe benefits are usually based on seniority or length of employment, rather than
performance.
TRUE
44. (p. 180) Some employees never experience a single promotion during their careers.
TRUE
45. (p. 181) Achievement is a management-administered reward derived from reaching a
challenging goal.
FALSE
Rationale: Achievement is a self-administered reward.
46. (p. 181) It is easy to create tasks that lead to a feeling of autonomy in jobs that are highly
structured and controlled by management.
FALSE
Rationale: It is often difficult to create tasks that lead to a feeling of autonomy in jobs that are highly structured and controlled by
management.
47. (p. 181) Managers can play an indirect role in developing and administering rewards.
TRUE
48. (p. 182) The addition of extrinsic rewards tends to reduce the extent to which the individual
experiences intrinsic rewards.
TRUE
49. (p. 182) If managers could develop reward systems that retained the best performers and
caused poor performers to leave, the overall effectiveness of an organization would improve.
TRUE
50. (p. 182) Employees go to work because they feel that attendance leads to more valued
rewards than alternative behaviors.
TRUE
51. (p. 183) Intrinsic rewards are important for developing organizational commitment.
TRUE
52. (p. 185) In a skill-based pay system, the size of pay raises is based on the content of jobs
learned.
FALSE
Rationale: In a skill-based pay system, pay raises are often the same size, regardless of the content of jobs learned.
Multiple Choice Questions
53. (p. 160) ____________________ are learned.
A. Perceptions
B. Emotional reactions
C. Goals
D. All of the choices are correct
54. (p. 160) As they related to learning, the word(s) ____________________ signify that a
change in behavior is more or less permanent.
A. Relatively enduring
B. Semi-permanent
C. Long lasting
D. Embedded
55. (p. 160) Self-efficacy includes all of the following dimensions except:
A. Magnitude
B. Generosity
C. Strength
D. Generality
56. (p. 160) The Bandura-inspired view of behavior is that it is a function of both personal
characteristics and ____________________ conditions.
A. Environmental
B. Organizational
C. Political
D. Sociological
57. (p. 161) An employee's sense of capability influences all of the following except:
A. Perception
B. Motivation
C. Performance
D. Ethics
58. (p. 163) Punishment is ____________________ accompanied by negative attitudes toward
the activity that led to the punishment.
A. Always
B. Seldom
C. Frequently
D. Never
59. (p. 163) The decline in the response rate because of non-reinforcement is defined as
____________________.
A. Punishment
B. Negative reinforcement
C. Extinction
D. Behavior modification
60. (p. 164) Specific and ____________________ behaviors are the most important bases in
developing any behavior modification plan.
A. Modifiable
B. Repeatable
C. Distinguishable
D. Individual
61. (p. 164) A behavior is pinpointed when it can be accurately observed and reliably
____________________.
A. Recorded
B. Modified
C. Duplicated
D. Directed
62. (p. 165) Which of the following is a consequence of an absenteeism problem?
A. Illness
B. Getting up late
C. Reduction in pay
D. Oversleeping
63. (p. 167) Regardless of the type of reinforcement given, it should always be accompanied by:
A. A monetary reward
B. Public recognition
C. Assignment of a new task
D. A personal expression of thanks
64. (p. 168) In behavioral self-management, a person is assumed to have some control over all of
the following except:
A. External constraints
B. Behavior
C. Cognitive processes
D. Contingent consequences
65. (p. 169) "I was considered an excellent performer by Tony, my previous boss. He knew that
my quantity and quality of output were excellent. I need to find out what the new boss
considers excellent in terms of quantity and quality." This statement is an example of
____________________.
A. Self-monitoring
B. Self-reinforcement
C. Self-evaluation
D. Self-doubt
66. (p. 169) Locke proposed that goal setting was a(n) ____________________ process of some
practical utility.
A. Inventive
B. Investigative
C. Subconscious
D. Cognitive
67. (p. 169) Intentional behavior tends to ____________________ it reaches completion.
A. Repeat itself before
B. Reverse itself before
C. Stop before
D. Keep going until
Rationale: Intentional behavior tends to keep going until it reaches completion.
68. (p. 170) Goal ____________________ is the process of setting a goal or determining how to
reach it.
A. Specificity
B. Difficulty
C. Intensity
D. Commitment
69. (p. 174) ____________________ focus(es) on the work environment, virtually ignoring the
notion of individual needs and attitudes.
A. Goal setting
B. Content theories
C. Reinforcement theory
D. Expectancy theory
70. (p. 174) ____________________ emphasizes cognitive processes and the role of intentional
behavior in motivation.
A. Content theory
B. Process theory
C. Reinforcement theory
D. Goal-setting
71. (p. 174) ____________________ primarily addresses the relationship between attitudes
toward inputs, outcomes and practices.
A. Content theory
B. Equity theory
C. Process theory
D. Expectancy theory
72. (p. 176) Satisfaction with a reward is a function of two things: how much is received and
____________________.
A. How often it is received
B. When it is received
C. How much the individual feels should be received
D. How much it is desired
73. (p. 177) Some extrinsic rewards are satisfying because they:
A. Lead to other rewards
B. Are expected
C. Come from within
D. Satisfy socialization needs
74. (p. 177) All of the following are considered intrinsic rewards except:
A. A promotion
B. Achievement
C. Autonomy
D. Personal growth
75. (p. 177) A reward package should be all of the following except:
A. Sufficient to satisfy basic needs
B. Individually oriented
C. Considered equitable
D. Distributed on a predictable basis
76. (p. 178) Whether a reward is extrinsic or intrinsic, it should be ____________________ by
employees.
A. Valued
B. Initiated
C. Praised
D. Agreed to
77. (p. 179) If limited to only one benefit other than money, most employees would choose:
A. Flexible work schedules
B. More vacation time
C. Health care
D. Educational opportunities
78. (p. 183) According to ____________________, people associate every behavior with certain
outcomes, rewards or punishments.
A. Content theories
B. Process theories
C. Reinforcement theory
D. Expectancy theory
79. (p. 184) All of the following are benefits of using a cafeteria-style benefit plan except:
A. It allows employees to play an active role in deciding on the allocation of fringe benefits
B. It lowers group insurance premium rates
C. Employees receive the benefits of greatest personal value to them
D. Third, It makes the economic value of fringe benefits obvious to each employee
80. (p. 184) The practice of granting additional time off for good performance or attendance is
called ____________________.
A. Flex-time
B. Banking time off
C. Behavior compensation
D. Performance compensation
81. (p. 185) ____________________ is a formula-based group incentive plan in which
employees share in an organization's financial gain from its improved performance.
A. Goldbricking
B. Stock sharing
C. Gain sharing
D. Skill-based pay
82. (p. 186) Most researchers agree that gain sharing is most effective in business units with
fewer than ____________________ employees.
A. 25
B. 100
C. 500
D. 1000
83. (p. 187) With which method do formulas measure the labor costs required to produce
services in a given base period?
A. Scanlon plan
B. Profit sharing
C. Rucker plan
D. Improshare
84. (p. 187) Which gain sharing approach establishes a standard that identifies the expected
hours required to produce an acceptable level of output?
A. Scanlon plan
B. Profit sharing
C. Rucker plan
D. Improshare
85. (p. 160) ____________________ is the process by which a relatively enduring change in
behavior occurs as a result of practice.
A. Learning
B. Reinforcement
C. The Pygmalion effect
D. Symbolism
Fill in the Blank Questions
86. (p. 161) The ____________________ effect refers to the enhanced learning or performance
that results from others having positive expectations of us.
Pygmalion
87. (p. 163) Negative reinforcement refers to an increase in the frequency of a behavior
following removal of something that is ____________________.
displeasing, unpleasant or undesirable
Multiple Choice Questions
88. (p. 168) Self-management is often called:
A. Self-control
B. Monitoring
C. Self-restriction
D. Restraint
Fill in the Blank Questions
89. (p. 169) A ____________________ is the object of an action; it's what a person attempts to
accomplish.
goal
90. (p. 181) Promotion decisions are often based on seniority and ____________________.
performance
91. (p. 185) In ____________________ pay programs, the employee's pay depends not on the
job, but on the number and level of job-related skills.
skill-based
Short Answer Questions
92. (p. 160) List the three dimensions of self-efficacy.
Magnitude, strength and generality.
93. (p. 161) Operant conditioning occurs in an ABC sequence. What do the letters A-B-C
represent?
"A" designates the antecedent or stimulus that precedes the behavior. "B" is the behavior
itself. "C" represents the consequences of the action.
94. (p. 162) When should positive reinforcement be administered?
Positive reinforcement should be administered immediately after a desired response to a
stimulus.
95. (p. 163) What must be removed in order for a behavior to be become extinct?
Positive reinforcement must be removed.
96. (p. 163) Extinction is less likely than other approaches to be used in organizational settings.
Why?
Extinction is used less often because it is more passive than other approaches and active styles
are preferred in the workplace.
97. (p. 166) What is the goal of operant conditioning?
The goal of operant conditioning is to strengthen desirable and observable performance
behaviors and to weaken undesirable behaviors.
98. (p. 173) Expectancy theory predicts that easier goals will result in increased performance.
Why?
Expectancy theory predicts easier goals will result in increased performance because the
probability of success and the probability of being rewarded, increases.
Essay Questions
99. (p. 170-171) There are five key steps in goal setting: diagnosing, preparing, emphasizing,
conducting and performing. Explain what is involved in each step.
Diagnosing whether the people, the organization and the technology are suited for goal
setting.
Preparing employees for goal setting via increased interpersonal interaction, communication,
training and action plans.
Emphasizing the goals that should be understood by a manager and subordinates.
Conducting intermediate reviews in order to make necessary adjustments in established goals.
Performing a final review in order to check the goals set, modified and accomplished.
100. (p. 174) Goal setting encourages game playing. What types of games might employees
and/or managers play?
(1) Subordinates setting low goals in order to look good later. (2) Managers setting an initial
goal that's generally not achievable in order to find out how subordinates react. Other answers
may also be correct, such as "rolling numbers from one month to the next in order to show
improvement over time."
101. (p. 176) What are the three primary objectives of reward programs?
(1) To attract qualified people to the organization. (2) To keep employees coming to work. (3)
To motivate employees to achieve high levels of performance.
102. (p. 183) Commitment to an organization involves three attitudes. What are they?
(1) A sense of identification with the organization's goals. (2) A feeling of involvement in
organizational duties. (3) A feeling of loyalty for the organization.
103. (p. 188) Researcher Alfie Kohn feels that rewards injure relationships. What are the key
points of his argument?
Individual rewards for performance create jealousies, envy, competition and shame. The
person not rewarded feels bad and there are always comparisons of what each person
received. The result is less interpersonal goodwill and working together.