CHAPTER 7

Creating a Motivating Work Setting

True/False Questions

Opening Case – Motivating Employees at Hydro

1. Norsk Hydro has a holistic approach to job design and emphasizes the significance
of the work employees perform for the company as a whole as well as for society
in general.

True (page 202, moderate, recall)

2. At Norsk Hydro in Norway, employees are given the autonomy to decide when
and where they work.

True (page 202, moderate, recall)

3. In spite of longer work hours, Norsk Hydro employees exhibit job satisfaction and
organizational commitment.

False (page 202, moderate, understanding)

Norsk Hydro realizes that allowing employees to have balance in their lives
(between work and family) helps them perform better and contributes to
their job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

4. The Hydroflex program at Norsk Hydro is an on-the-job exercise program

designed to boost company morale and increase productivity.

False (page 202, difficult, recall)

Key to Norsk Hydro’s approach to flexibility is there Hydroflex program
which provides flexibility in when and where one works, flexibility in the use
of one’s skills, and flexibility in the kinds of contributions one makes on the
job.

Job Design: Early Approaches

5. Job design is the process of linking specific tasks to specific jobs and deciding
what techniques, equipment, and procedures should be used to perform those
tasks.

True (page 203, easy, recall)

6. Job design does not influence the motivation of employees and their input levels.

162
 False (page 203, moderate, understanding)
Managers try to design jobs to motivate employees to perform well, enjoy
their work, and receive the outcomes they deserve. Job design also influences
the motivation of employees and their input levels. When employees are
motivated to contribute inputs at a high level and perform their jobs more
effectively, organizational effectiveness increases.

7. The scientific management method was developed out of the U.S. war effort in
World War II.

False (page 204, moderate, recall)

In 1911, Frederick Taylor published one of the earliest approaches to job
design, The Principles of Scientific Management. Scientific management was
developed by Taylor to increase the performance of individual employees.

8. The determination of the exact types of body movements that are most efficient for
performing certain tasks is done through a process called “time and motion
studies.”

True (page 205, easy, recall)

9. In the scientific management approach to job design, pay is the principal outcome
used to motivate employees to contribute their inputs.

True (Page 205, moderate, understanding)

10. Jobs that were designed under scientific management principles tended to be
monotonous and dehumanizing.

True (page 205, moderate, understanding)

11. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory was a driving force in the movement to enrich
jobs.

False (page 206, moderate, analysis)

Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory was a driving force in the movement to
enrich jobs. Herzberg’s theory suggested that employees’ motivator needs
are satisfied by things such as having autonomy on the job and being
responsible for one’s work, and that employees are satisfied with their jobs
only when these needs are met.

12. Job enlargement is referred to as horizontal job loading.

True (page 206, easy, recall)

13. Job enlargement programs tended to have mixed success.

163
 True (page 206, moderate, recall)

14. Job enlargement is also referred to as vertical job loading.

False (page 206, easy, recall)

Job enlargement is often referred to as horizontal job loading because the
content of a job is expanded, but the difficulty remains constant.

15. When an assembly line worker is given some of the responsibility for checking the
quality of work that the supervisor used to do, his job has been enriched.

True (page 206, moderate, analysis)

16. General Mills was able to cut costs and increase efficiency by enriching jobs.

True (page 207, moderate, recall)

17. Workers whose jobs have been enriched are more motivated and generally perform
at a higher level, according to general findings of job enrichment research.

False (pages 207-208 , difficult, recall)

Not all employees want the additional responsibility that job enrichment
brings, and it can sometimes have disadvantages for the organization as a
whole. Enriching some jobs may result in loss of efficiency. Research
evidence on the effects of enrichment has been mixed. Although employees
seem to be more satisfied with enriched jobs, it is not clear whether
employees with enriched jobs are actually more motivated and perform at a
higher level.

Job Design: The Job Characteristics Model

18. According to the job characteristics model, when workers think their jobs have
more impact on the people inside and outside the organization than other jobs,
their intrinsic motivation should be higher.

True (page 208, moderate, understanding)

19. When employees are intrinsically motivated, they feel good, motivating them to
continue to perform at a high level, so good performance becomes self-reinforcing.

True (page 208, moderate, analysis)

20. The higher a job scores on each core job dimension, according to the job
characteristics model, the higher the level of extrinsic motivation.

False (page 208, moderate, recall)

164
 The higher a job scores on each dimension, the higher the level of intrinsic
motivation.

21. The jobs of Subway employees have a low level of skill variety.

True (page 208, easy, understanding)

22. Task significance is the degree to which a job allows an employee freedom and
independence.

False (page 209, easy, recall)

Task significance is the extent to which a job has an impact on the lives or
work of other people in or out of the organization.

23. An individual can score between 1 and 7 on each of the five core dimensions of the
job characteristics model. Therefore, the maximum possible motivating potential
score on the Job Diagnostic Survey is 35.

False (page 211, difficult, understanding)

The motivating potential score (MPS) is a measure of the overall potential of
a job to foster intrinsic motivation. MPS is equal to the average of the first
three core characteristics multiplied by autonomy and feedback. The lowest
MPS possible for a job is 1 and the highest possible is 343.

24. The Job Diagnostic Survey can be used to identify the elements of a job that
should be redesigned and that, if changed, will produce the largest increase in the
motivating potential score.

True (page 212, difficult, analysis)

25. The critical psychological state that stems from the core dimension of autonomy is
experienced meaningfulness of work outcomes.

False (page 213, moderate, recall)

Experienced responsibility for work outcomes stems from the core dimension
of autonomy.

26. The five core dimensions of the job characteristics model produce three critical
psychological states that result in four key outcomes for workers and their
organizations.

True (page 213 and Figure 7.4, easy, recall)

27. According to the job characteristics model, workers who experience low levels of
the three critical psychological states are extrinsically motivated.

False (page 213 and Figure 7.4, moderate, understanding)

165
 When jobs are high on the five core dimensions, employees experience the
three critical psychological states and are intrinsically motivated.

28. The job characteristics model helps explain why employees may respond somewhat
differently to an increase in some of the core characteristics of their job.

True (page 215, moderate, understanding)

29. Workers who are dissatisfied with their work context spend significant amounts of
energy dealing with their dissatisfaction and are not able to appreciate and respond
to the potential for intrinsic motivation on their jobs.

True (page 215, moderate, understanding)

30. Cultural differences may have an impact on the relationships between the core job
dimensions and psychological states.

True (pages 215-216, easy, recall)

31. Research on the job characteristics model has shown clearly that the five core
dimensions discussed by Hackman and Oldman best describe the job design of all
jobs.

False (page 216, moderate, recall)

It is not clear that exactly five dimensions best describe the job design of all
jobs. Research shows that job dimensions have the most significant effects
on intrinsic motivation and on job satisfaction.

32. According to research on the job characteristics model, simply adding up the
scores for the characteristics may provide a better way to calculate the motivating
potential score than the multiplication suggested by Hackman and Oldman.

True (page 216, difficult, recall)

33. Redesigning jobs to increase the levels of the five core dimensions listed in the job
characteristics model will universally increase job performance and absenteeism.

False (page 216, moderate, analysis)

Research shows that job dimensions have the most significant effects on
intrinsic motivation and on job satisfaction; the effects on actual work
behaviors (such as job performance, absenteeism, and turnover) are not as
strong.

Job Design: The Social Information Processing Model

166
34. Social information processing and the job characteristics model highlight the same
aspects of job design.

False (page 217, moderate, understanding)

The job characteristics model is complemented by the social information
processing model.

35. The social information processing model of job design proposes that co-workers
and supervisors provide workers with cues about which work outcomes are
important and how these work outcomes should be evaluated.

True (page 217, moderate, recall)

36. Social information processing theory would predict that, all other things being
equal, highly paid executives who earned their positions because of family
connections are less likely to be intrinsically motivated than similar executives who
competitively earned their positions in the company.

True (page 217, difficult, analysis)

37. Once employees have gained first-hand experience with their jobs, the social
environment may play less of a decisive role in molding reactions, and the actual
design of the job itself may be come more important.

True (page 219, moderate, understanding)

Job Design Models Summarized

38. Approaches to job design that stress extrinsic motivation promote designing jobs
to closely link performance to compensation.

True (page 219, moderate, analysis)

Organizational Objectives

39. Organizational objectives contribute to creating a motivating work setting because

they can provide employees with a sense of meaning and purpose.

True (page 220, moderate, recall)

40. Google’s organizational objective dictates that users’ experiences are paramount.
Therefore, employees are continually collecting data on what users like and don’t
like.

True (page 221, moderate, recall)

167
41. Employees typically focus on achieving their goals tied to their own job and rarely
realize what the organizational objective is.

False (page 222, moderate, understanding)

Although employees typically focus on achieving their goals tied to their own
jobs, they are more likely to realize that by meeting their individual or group
goals, they are helping the organization to reach its objectives, too. In
addition to general organizational objectives, the individual goals employees
work towards play an important role in creating a motivating work setting.

Goal Setting

42. Hackman and Oldham are leaders in goal-setting theory and research.

False (page 222, easy, recall)

Edwin Locke and Gary Latham are leaders in goal-setting theory are
research.

43. Goal-setting theory focuses on how to motivate employees to contribute inputs to

their jobs.

False (page 222, easy, recall)

Goal setting theory focuses on how to motivate employees to contribute
inputs to their jobs. The theory also stresses the importance of ensuring their
inputs result in acceptable job performance levels.

44. Goal setting theory states that specific and difficult goals lead to higher motivation
and performance than do easy, moderate, or vague goals or no goals at all.

True (page 223, easy, recall)

45. Feedback is not necessary for goal setting to work.

False (page 223, moderate, recall)

Goal setting seems to work best when employees are given feedback about
how they are doing.

46. Research shows that goal seeing affects motivation and performance only when
employees are given extra extrinsic rewards for achieving their goals.

False (page 224, difficult, recall)

It is important that research shows that goal setting affects motivation and
performance even when employees are not given any extra extrinsic rewards
for achieving their goals.

47. The Coca Cola/Burger King test on frozen Coke is a reminder that any efforts to
attain goals must be defensible on ethical grounds.

168
 True (page 225, moderate, understanding)

48. Setting specific and difficult goals reduces performance when a considerable
amount of learning is important to the task.

True (page 225, moderate, understanding)

49. If creativity is desired and employees are given specific, difficult goals, it is likely
they will focus on achieving the goals rather than being creative.

True (page 226, moderate, understanding)

50. The objective of MBO is to make sure that all goal setting contributes to the
organization’s effectiveness.

True (page 226, easy, recall)

Goal Setting and Job Design as Motivation Tools

51. In terms of the motivation equation, job design and goal setting focus primarily on
how to motivate employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs and
organizations.

True (page 227, moderate, understanding)

Multiple-Choice Questions

Opening Case – Motivating Employees at Norsk Hydro

52. In Norway, Norsk Hydro is known for its extensive efforts to

A) provide unconditional job security.
B) enrich jobs using scientific management.
C) promote diversity.
D) promote job satisfaction. (page 202, moderate, recall)

53. All of the following are common at Norsk Hydro EXCEPT

A) flexibility.
B) long work hours. (page 202, moderate, recall)
C) autonomy.
D) intrinsic motivation.

54. The key to Norsk Hydro’s management approach is

A) goal setting.
B) extrinsic motivation.
C) scientific management.

169
 D) flexibility. (page 202, moderate, understanding)

Job Design: Early Approaches

55. Job design is the process of linking specific tasks to

A) the abilities of specific individuals.
B) specific jobs and of deciding which techniques, equipment, and processes
should be used to perform them. (page 203, easy, recall)
C) specific techniques, equipment, and processes.
D) specific motivational tools within a specific job.

56. Managers use job design to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT to
A) increase worker motivation.
B) encourage workers to perform well.
C) allow workers to enjoy their work.
D) raise the level of outcomes provided to workers. (page 203, moderate,
understanding)
57. All of the following are true of scientific management EXCEPT
A) scientific management was developed by Frederick Taylor to increase the
performance of individual employees.
B) Taylor believed in the principle of job enrichment. (page 204, moderate,
recall)
C) Taylor believed there was one best way to perform any job.
D) all of the above.

58. Many auto shops that promise oil changes in 30 minutes or less accomplish such
by having one person assigned to put the car on the lift, a second whose job is to
drain the old oil, a third who is responsible for putting the new oil in, and a fourth
person who checks to be sure all of the other jobs are done and all of the other
lubricants are checked. This method of breaking down a job into these various
elements is known as
A) time and motion studies.
B) simplification and specialization. (page 204, difficult, analysis)
C) job enlargement.
D) job enrichment.

59. Josh Bishoff is an industrial engineer who measures exactly how long a task takes
and works on developing ways to complete the job in minimal time, including
specifying the exact body movements workers should use to do the job most
efficiently. The process he uses to develop the optimal way to perform a task is
known as
A) time and motion studies. (page 205, difficult, understanding)
B) horizontal job loading.
C) job enlargement.
D) job enrichment.

60. The principal tool used to motivate workers in the scientific management approach
to job design is

170
 A) worker satisfaction.
B) pay. (page 205, easy, understanding)
C) time and motion studies.
D) specialization.

61. The disadvantages of scientific management include all of the following EXCEPT
A) workers have no opportunity to acquire new skills.
B) the work is monotonous.
C) workers are often paid by the piece produced. (page 205, moderate,
recall)
D) workers feel they have no control over their work behaviors.

62. A significant problem with the scientific management approach to job design is that
it
A) ignores intrinsic motivation. (page 205, moderate, understanding)
B) ignores extrinsic motivation.
C) does not produce measurable improvements in productivity.
D) gives workers too much control over the job.

63. Job enlargement is a form of job design that

A) increases the number of tasks on a higher level difficulty performed by a
worker on a job.
B) increases the number of tasks at the same level of difficulty performed by
a worker on a job. (page 206, moderate, recall)
C) designs jobs to provide for worker growth in an effort to increase extrinsic
motivation.
D) designs jobs in accordance with Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory in order
to increase extrinsic motivation.

64. Job enrichment is also known as

A) horizontal job loading.
B) job enlargement.
C) job desimplification.
D) vertical job loading. (page 206, easy, recall)

65. A driving force in the movement to enrich jobs was

A) Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.
B) Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory. (page 206, moderate,
understanding)
C) equity theory.
D) expectancy theory.

66. The most common ways manager can enrich jobs is by allowing workers to do all
of the following EXCEPT
A) check their own work.
B) decide how the work should be performed.

171
 C) do several tasks. (page 206, moderate, understanding)
D) plan their own work schedules.

67. General Mills was an example of how

A) Betty Crocker produced more cake mixes.
B) job enrichment can also lead to efficiency gains. (page 207, moderate,
recall)
C) added responsibility does not always work.
D) cost cutting requires job re-design.

68. The warnings associated with job enrichment include all of the following EXCEPT
A) not all workers want the additional responsibility job enrichment brings.
B) job enrichments may be expensive.
C) enriching some jobs may decrease efficiency.
D) intrinsic motivation is sometimes decreased by job enrichment. (pages
207-208, moderate, understanding)

Job Design: The Job Characteristics Model

69. The job characteristics model’s primary focus is identifying which job
characteristics contribute to
A) extrinsically motivating work.
B) intrinsically motivating work. (page 208, easy, recall)
C) how workers interpret past behaviors.
D) workers’ growth need strength.

70. The five core dimensions of the job characteristics model include
A) skill variety, task identity, and skill significance.
B) task variety, skill identity, and task significance.
C) skill variety, task identity, and task significance. (page 208, moderate,
recall)
D) task variety, task identity, and skill significance.

71. In the job characteristics model, the extent to which a job involves performing a
whole piece of work from beginning to end is referred to as
A) feedback.
B) task identity. (page 208, easy, recall)
C) autonomy.
D) task significance.

72. In the job characteristics model, the extent to which a job requires an employee to
use a number of different skills, abilities, or talents is referred to as
A) feedback.
B) task identity.
C) skill variety. (page 208, easy, recall)
D) task significance.

172
73. In the job characteristics model, the degree to which a job allows a worker the
freedom and independence to schedule work and decide how to carry it out is
known as
A) autonomy. (page 209, easy, recall)
B) task identity.
C) skill variety.
D) task significance.
74. In the job characteristics model, the extent to which a job provides a worker with
clear information about his or her effectiveness is known as
A) autonomy.
B) task identity.
C) task significance.
D) feedback. (page 209, easy, recall)

75. In the job characteristics model, the extent to which a job has an impact on the
lives or work of other people in or out of the organization is referred to in the job
characteristics model as
A) feedback.
B) task variety.
C) skill identity.
D) task significance. (page 209, easy, recall)

76. Keith Parks is responsible for testing all products for safety before they are shipped
from Chrismer and Park Company. Keith is highly motivated to do a good job
because he believes ensuring product safety is important to the company’s
customers, the company, and all of his fellow employees. The job characteristics
model would rate Keith’s job as having
A) high task variety.
B) high task significance. (page 209, moderate, understanding)
C) high autonomy.
D) high feedback.

77. Bill Simmons enjoys that his job as quality assurance coordinator allows him to see
when he is being effective and when he is not. The job characteristics model refers
to this as
A) autonomy.
B) task significance.
C) outcome significance.
D) feedback. (page 209, moderate, understanding)

78. When you are considering the five core dimensions of the job characteristics
model, it is important to realize that the key determinants of intrinsic motivation
are determined by the
A) objective characteristics of the job.
B) workers’ perceptions of the core dimensions. (page 209, moderate,
analysis)
C) managers’ assessments of the core dimensions.
D) perceptions of co-workers.

173
79. The questionnaire that is used to measure how workers perceive the core
dimensions of their jobs is called
A) motivating potential score (MPS).
B) job diagnostic survey (JDS). (pages 209-211, moderate, recall)
C) job diagnostic inventory (JDI).
D) growth needs survey (GNS).

80. According to the job characteristics model, the overall potential of a job to foster
intrinsic motivation is called the
A) motivating potential score (MPS). (page 211, moderate, recall)
B) job diagnostic survey (JDS).
C) job diagnostic inventory (JDI).
D) growth needs survey (GNS).

81. According to Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristics model, the motivating
potential score is equal to which of the following equations (using the initials of
each of the core dimensions)?
A) (SV + TI + TS) × A × F
B) (SV + TI + TS) + A + F
3
C) (SV + TI + TS) × A + F
3
D) (SV + TI + TS) × A × F (page 211, difficult, recall)
3

82. The range of motivational levels measured by the entire Job Diagnostic Survey and
reported as the MPS is from
A) 1 to 7.
B) 1 to 35.
C) 1 to 241.
D) 1 to 343. (pages 211-212, difficult, recall)

83. Hackman and Oldham suggest that an average motivating potential score (NPS)
for jobs in the U.S. corporations is around
A) 78.
B) 128. (page 212, moderate, recall)
C) 200.
D) 300.

174
84. Recent changes in the engineering department at Faye & Cy, Inc. have given
individual engineers increased responsibility for projects from start to completion
and more information on how well the engineering on each project met the needs
of the customer. As a result of these changes, and according to the job
characteristics model, management should expect
A) increased task challenge.
B) decreased task significance.
C) a decrease in the motivating potential score.
D) an increase in the motivating potential score. (page 212, difficult,
analysis)

85. A supervisor has the opportunity to change either the extent to which one of the
workers’ jobs impact the lives of people outside the organization OR the extent to
which a job allows one of the workers the freedom to decide how to carry out a
job. If the supervisor can change only one of these two dimensions, and whichever
core dimension is chosen will experience a two-point increase in the score for that
related dimension to get the biggest increase in the MPS, the supervisor should
A) change the skill variety.
B) change the task identity.
C) change the autonomy. (page 212, difficult, analysis)
D) change the task significance.

86. The three critical psychological states that determine how workers react to the
design of their job are
A) skill variety, task significance, and task identity.
B) experienced meaningfulness of work, experienced responsibility for work, and
experienced autonomy.
C) experienced meaningfulness of work, experienced responsibility for work
outcomes, and knowledge of results. (page 212, moderate, recall)
D) experienced responsibility for work, experienced autonomy, and experienced
skill variety.

87. The extent that workers feel they are personally responsible for their job
performance is known as the
A) experienced responsibility for work outcomes. (page 213, easy, recall)
B) motivating potential score.
C) experienced meaningfulness of work.
D) knowledge of results.

88. The key outcomes of the critical psychological states in the job characteristics
model do NOT include
A) high intrinsic motivation.
B) high job performance.
C) high job satisfaction.
D) high organizational citizenship behavior. (pages 213-214, easy, recall)
89. The job characteristics model assumes workers will have increased job satisfaction
when the critical psychological states are
A) at a steady and consistent level.

175
 B) decreasing.
C) high. (page 214, moderate, understanding)
D) low.

90. The extent to which an individual wants his or her work to contribute to personal
growth, learning, and development is the
A) worker’s growth need strength. (page 215, easy, recall)
B) experienced meaningfulness of work.
C) experienced responsibility for work outcomes.
D) worker’s satisfaction with the work context.

91. The three individual differences identified by the job characteristics model include
A) skill variety, task identify, and task significance.
B) growth need strength, the worker’s level of knowledge and skills, and
satisfaction with the work context. (page 215, moderate, recall)
C) core dimensions, critical psychological states, and growth need strengths.
D) experienced meaningfulness of work, experienced responsibility for work
outcomes, and knowledge of results.

92. When employees do not have the necessary knowledge and skills, the relationship
between the core dimensions and the psychological states and the relationship
between the psychological states and their work/personal outcomes may be
A) weak.
B) nonexistent.
C) negative.
D) all of the above. (page 215, moderate, analysis)

93. According to the job characteristics model, how satisfied workers are with pay,
benefits, and job security is called
A) knowledge of results.
B) experienced responsibility for work outcomes.
C) growth need strength.
D) satisfaction with the work context. (page 215, moderate, recall)

94. The research on the job characteristics model has found that all of the following
are true EXCEPT that
A) the effect of the core job dimensions of the job characteristics model on actual
work behaviors is weaker than their effect on job satisfaction.
B) the job characteristics model has received modest support from other
researchers who have studied it.

176
 C) job performance is clearly higher when the core dimensions are higher.
(page 216, moderate, understanding)
D) it is not clear that job performance will be higher when core dimensions are
high.

Job Design: The Social Information Processing Model

95. Salancik and Pfeffer proposed that workers’ perceptions and reactions to job
design are influenced by
A) five core dimensions.
B) workers’ past behaviors and information from other people. (page 217,
moderate, recall)
C) emotional, affective, and behavioral factors.
D) critical psychological states.

96. In the classic movie Twelve O’Clock High, the misfits and poor performers in a
bomber squadron during World War II are put into one crew and forced to fly a
plane named The Leper Colony as a form of punishment. Salancik and Pfeffer
would predict that having this group of disgruntled men working together in one
social unit would
A) increase the level of job satisfaction due to the weakness of comparative
others.
B) increase the level of job satisfaction due to the close cohesion such a group
would generate.
C) decrease the level of job satisfaction because of the negative social
environment. (page 217, difficult, analysis)
D) not affect job satisfaction, because all of the workers are misfits and poor
performers.

97. According to the social information processing model, the social environment
includes all of the following EXCEPT
A) other members of the work group.
B) supervisors.
C) books and movies. (page 217, moderate, understanding)
D) co-workers.

98. According to the social information processing model, workers’ past behaviors
affect
A) how they view their current jobs and work outcomes. (page 218, difficult,
recall)
B) how they currently view past experiences.
C) their extrinsic motivation.
D) their future earnings potential.

177
99. Tom Siegmund joined Chrismer and Park Co. as a security guard 30 years ago and
after many years of hard work is now the company’s security manager. Tom has
received several job offers from other companies over the years, but has always
chosen to stay with Chrismer and Park. Jesse Black is also a 30-year veteran who
works as a clerk at Chrismer and Park. Tom and Jesse see each other only at the
annual veteran’s awards ceremony. This year, Jesse told Tom how unhappy he was
in his work, but that he couldn’t do anything about it, because he had never
received a job offer from another company. According to social information
processing theory, if all other things are equal, Tom’s job satisfaction could be
predicted to be
A) the same as Jesse’s, as they both joined the company at the same time.
B) higher than Jesse’s, as Tom is a manager and Jesse is a clerk.
C) higher than Jesse’s, based on Tom’s past choices and personal sacrifices.
(pages 218-219, difficult, analysis)
D) relatively high, as he has been with the company for 30 years.

100. Research has shown that once workers have developed their own experiences on
the job,
A) autonomy, a part of the job characteristics model, is no longer an important
issue in motivating the worker.
B) the actual job design in terms of the five core dimensions of the job
characteristics model eliminates the effects of social information processing.
C) their past experiences play a greater role in determining job satisfaction than do
the components of the job characteristics model.
D) the social environment may play a less-decisive role in molding reactions
and the actual design of the job itself may become more important. (page
219, moderate, recall)

101. Social information processing theory suggests newcomers should be trained

A) with other groups of newcomers to develop a cohesive group.
B) by extrinsically motivated employees.
C) by work groups whose members are satisfied and who like their jobs.
(page 219, moderate, understanding)
D) by using extensive stories of veteran employees’ past experiences.

Job Design Models Summarized

102. All of the following approaches to job design focus on some degree of intrinsic
motivation EXCEPT
A) scientific management. (page 219, Table 7.2, moderate, recall)
B) job characteristics model.
C) job enrichment.
D) social information processing.

103. Job design affects the level of motivation primarily by influencing the level and
amount of _____ that workers contribute to their jobs and organizations.

178
 A) psychological commitment
B) persistence
C) psychological effort
D) inputs (page 219, easy, recall)

Organizational Objectives

104. Organizational objectives

A) contribute to creating a motivating work setting.
B) describe the overarching purpose of an organization.
C) provide employees with a sense of meaning.
D) all of the above. (page 220, easy, recall)

105. Employees at Google concentrate on

A) giving users exactly what they want at breakneck speed. (page 221,
moderate, recall)
B) being top engineers.
C) gaining additional benefits.
D) gaining flexibility in their work.

106. Which theory postulates that people tend to classify themselves and others into
social categories?
A) Social information processing theory
B) Job characteristics model
C) Social identity theory (page 222, moderate, recall)
D) All of the above

Goal Setting

107. Goal-setting theory proposes that difficult and specific goals lead to
A) increased extrinsic motivation.
B) increased absenteeism and turnover.
C) higher motivation and performance than do easy or vague goals. (page
222, easy, understanding)
D) higher stress and conflict on the job.

108. All of the following are important to the use of difficult and specific goals as a
motivational tool EXCEPT that workers
A) accept goals.
B) be committed to the goals.
C) set the goals themselves. (pages 222-223, moderate, analysis)

179
 D) are given feedback about how they are doing.

109. An important element for successful use of goal-setting theory that allows workers
to believe they can attain difficult goals is
A) commitment.
B) self-efficacy. (page 223, moderate, recall)
C) participation.
D) quantitative goals.

110. The reasons that setting difficult and specific goals lead to consistently higher
performance do NOT include that it encourages the individual to
A) direct more attention toward achieving the goals.
B) put forth more effort to meet the goals.
C) create a plan for achieving the goals.
D) have increased belief in the necessity of the goals. (page 224, moderate,
understanding)

111. The use of specific and difficult goals, if not properly monitored, could reduce
A) intrinsic motivation.
B) extrinsic motivation.
C) organizational citizenship behavior. (page 224, moderate, understanding)
D) performance.

112. The use of goal setting will not increase motivation or performance
A) without extrinsic rewards for goal accomplishment.
B) if organizational citizenship behaviors is important to the company.
C) unless the workers are involved in setting the goals.
D) when workers lack the skills and abilities needed to perform at a higher
level. (page 225, moderate, understanding)

113. The information systems department at Wilson and Davis Co. was given the
specific and difficult goal of learning how to program a new computer system
within 20 days of the equipment’s arrival. Although the department has
experienced and qualified programmers, two months after equipment installation
the department has not yet learned how to program the complex system. This
incident illustrates that
A) employee participation in goal setting is critical to its success.
B) goal setting may not work for complicated tasks that require a
considerable amount of learning. (page 225, moderate, analysis)
C) organizational citizenship behavior is important.
D) goal setting will not work when the workers lack the skills to perform at a high
level.

114. The formal system designed to ensure goal setting takes place on a periodic basis
and contributes to the organization’s effectiveness is referred to as the
A) job characteristics model (JCM).
B) Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS).
C) Scanlon plan (SP).

180
 D) management by objectives (MBO). (page 226, moderate, recall)

115. The three basic steps of an MBO program are

A) setting goals, implementation, and evaluation. (page 226, easy, recall)
B) planning, autonomy, and feedback.
C) goal setting, goal getting, and goal rating.
D) goal planning, goal organization, and goal control.

116. The necessary elements of a successful MBO program include all of the following
EXCEPT
A) specific goals.
B) difficult goals.
C) rapport and trust between the manager and the subordinate.
D) penalties. (page 227, moderate, understanding)

117. With MBO, when conditions change

A) a willingness to change objectives in midstream can be important.
B) objectives may no longer be appropriate.
C) there is no point in continuing work toward inappropriate objectives.
D) all of the above. (page 227, moderate, understanding)

Goal Setting and Job Design as Motivation Tools

118. A key challenge in an organization is

A) to deliver superior customer service.
B) motivating employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs. (page 227,
moderate, recall)
C) saving money on salaries.
D) setting easy objectives.

119. How to motivate employees to contribute their inputs to their jobs and
organizations is the focus of
A) job design and goal setting. (page 227, moderate, understanding)
B) motivation and job design.
C) goal setting and motivation.
D) none of the above.

Summary

120. One of the earliest systematic approaches to job design was

A) job enrichment.
B) scientific management. (page 227, moderate, recall)

181
 C) job enlargement.
D) vertical loading.

121. Both job enlargement and job enrichment attempt to overcome some of the
problems that arise when jobs are designed according to the principles of
A) job simplification.
B) job rotation.
C) scientific management. (page 227, easy, understanding)
D) social information processing.

122. When employees are performing very complicated and difficult tasks that require
all of their attention and a considerable amount of learning,
A) specific, difficult goals should be set to increase performance levels.
B) specific, difficult goals should not be set until the employees have mastered
the tasks. (page 228, moderate, understanding)
C) easy goals should be set to guarantee achievement.
D) none of the above.

Essay Questions

123. What is job design?

Answer:
Job design is the process of linking tasks to specific jobs and deciding what
techniques, equipment, and procedures should be used to perform those
tasks.

Page 203

124. What is scientific management? What principles were stressed by Taylor?

Answer:
Scientific management is a set of principles and practices stressing job
simplification and specialization developed by Frederick Taylor. He believed
that following the principles of job simplification and specialization would
help managers make a determination of the one best way to perform any job.

Page 204

125. Briefly define job simplification and job specialization.

Answer:

182
 Job simplification is when all the tasks that need to be performed within the
organization are broken up into the smallest possible parts and the jobs are
designed around the smallest possible parts. Job specialization occurs when
workers focus exclusively on the small, simple tasks identified in job
simplification.

Page 204

126. What are time and motion studies?

Answer:
Time and motion studies are analyses conducted to determine the one best
way to perform each narrow task by calculating how long it takes to perform
a task and the optimal way to perform it.

Page 205

127. Contrast job enlargement and job enrichment.

Answer:
Job enlargement involves increasing the number of tasks a worker performs
when all of the tasks are at the same level of responsibility and difficulty. It is
also known as horizontal job loading. Job enrichment is the designing of
workers’ jobs to provide opportunities for the growth by giving them more
responsibility and control over their work. Job enrichment is also known as
vertical job loading.

Page 206

128. How can managers enrich jobs?

Answer:
Managers can enrich jobs by allowing employees to plan their own work
schedules, allowing employees to decide how the work should be performed,
allowing employees to check their own work, and allowing employees to learn
new skills.

Page 206

129. Name and define the five core dimensions of the job characteristics model and
explain how these core dimensions are combined to produce a motivating potential
score.

Answer:

183
 Skill variety is the extent to which a job requires a worker to use a number of
different skills, abilities, or talents. Task identity is the extent to which a job
involves performing a whole piece of work from its beginning to its end. Task
significance is the extent to which a job has an impact on the lives or work of
other people in or out of the organization. Autonomy is the degree to which a
job allows a worker the freedom and independence to schedule work and to
decide how to carry it out. Feedback is the extent to which performing the
job provides a worker with clear information about his/her effectiveness.

The motivating potential score is calculated as follows:

(Skill variety + Task Identity + Task significance) × Autonomy × Feedback =
3
Motivating Potential Score

Pages 208-212

130. At a social gathering, your new boss has just stated that the motivation provided
by a job may vary across workers due to individual differences. When pressed to
explain, your boss suggests that you could probably answer the question better, as
you are a recent college graduate.

Please summarize your reply using the job characteristics model.

Answer:
There are three types of individual differences that would affect motivation
according to the job characteristics model. These include the worker’s
growth need strength, level of knowledge and skills, and satisfaction with the
work content.

Growth need strength is the extent to which a worker wants work to

contribute to personal growth, learning, and development. The relationships
between the core dimensions of the job and the related psychological states
and between the psychological states and work outcomes are both stronger
when individuals want their jobs to contribute to personal growth. These
individuals will be more responsive to increased levels in the core dimensions
and the critical psychological states than will individuals who are not
interested in having work contribute to personal growth.

The individual worker’s knowledge and skills will also affect the motivational
level of the job. The linkage between the core job dimensions, psychological
states, and outcomes are less for someone who lacks the knowledge or skill to
perform the job adequately. Such individuals are struggling to perform the
job and may become frustrated by efforts to increase motivation. Those with
the needed skills and abilities will be more open to motivational efforts.

184
 Satisfaction with the work context is another individual element. It describes
how satisfied workers are with the extrinsic outcomes of the position, such as
pay, benefits, and job security. Workers who are dissatisfied with extrinsic
outcomes or the work context are not able to appreciate or respond to the
potential for intrinsic motivation in their jobs.

Pages 214-216 and Figure 7.4

131. Discuss the role of the social environment and past behavior on workers.

Answer:
Workers’ perceptions of the motivation offered by their jobs are influenced
by information from other people and by workers’ own past behaviors. The
other individuals workers come into contact with at work provide
information about what aspects of their jobs they should pay attention to and
how they should evaluate their jobs and work outcomes. The actions and
conversations of co-workers, supervisors, and other individuals at work cue
the worker as to what is important and what is not important and how
various behaviors will be evaluated, rewarded, or punished.

Past behaviors also play a role in the social information processing model.
The workers’ past behaviors aid in shaping how they view their current jobs
and work outcomes. A current outcome may be more valued because of all
the sacrifices made to achieve it; these help to justify the sacrifice. Similarly,
outcomes may be less valued if they are the result of little or no choice by the
individual.

As a result, the social environment and past behaviors affect the motivational
level of the job. Both social environment and past behaviors vary with the
individual.

Pages 217-219

132. What are the major characteristics of goals that lead to higher levels of
performance? Why?

Answer:
The two characteristics of goals are that (1) specific goals lead to higher
performance than do no goals or vague goals and (2) difficult goals lead to
higher motivation and performance than do easy or moderate goals.

Specific and difficult goals accomplish this because they prompt the worker

1. To direct more attention towards goal-relevant tasks,

2. To apply more effort towards performing the task,
3. To create a plan to achieve the goal
4. To be more persistent in efforts to reach the goal despite obstacles or
difficulties than do easy, moderate, or vague goals or no goals at all.

185
Pages 222-224

186