Exam 10: Motivating Employees

Most Gen X managers are likely to be flexible and good at collaboration.

According to McGregor, Theory X managers assume that employees dislike work, and will avoid it if possible.

________ is the characteristic of work concerned with the degree of freedom, independence and discretion an employee has in scheduling work and determining procedures.

According to expectancy theory, employees in a given organization tend to have very similar expectations.

According to Victor Vroom, the effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their expectations of the outcome.

The original results of the Hawthorne studies proved that employees were much more productive when they worked in well-lit areas than when they worked in poorly lit areas.

Herzberg's research found that safe working conditions and good pay

WellTech, a biotechnology firm, has four locations throughout Colorado. Marcy is a marketing specialist at the oldest and most rural location. Her colleagues at the three other sites get an hour off each day to work out because there are gym facilities at those locations. While Marcy knows that she makes a little more money than they do, she measured the cost of stopping off at the gym on her way home each evening. She realized that the extra compensation does not cover the cost of the membership. Because of this, Marcy is keeping tabs on marketing positions that may open at the company's other sites. Equity theory suggests that she is motivated to bring a sense of fairness to what she perceives as an inequity.

At the Sunny Solutions Company, employees are involved in decision making and promised long-term employment. The employees follow a somewhat specialized career path and have individual responsibility for results. Sunny Solutions' approach is an example of

Herzberg found that the factors associated with job content ranked high as employee motivators.

Brad, an employee for a sports marketing firm, feels he has been treated unfairly by the organization. He helped three other employees organize a series of successful street soccer tournaments all around the country. While the other employees were given a bonus and corporate recognition, his efforts were ignored. According to equity theory, Brad is likely to respond by

________ was the father of scientific management.

The basic principle of equity theory is that employees try to maintain fairness between their efforts and their compensation compared to others in similar positions.

A major conclusion of the Hawthorne studies was that the best way to motivate employees is with monetary incentives such as pay raises and bonuses.

Job enlargement is about breaking down a sizeable job into smaller parts so that the employee is not overwhelmed by a large task.

According to Herzberg, a sense of achievement, earned recognition, and interest in the work itself were all

According to researchers David Nadler and Edward Lawler, managers should set performance standards that are attainable only by the most talented and dedicated employees.

The purpose of management by objectives is to

In analyzing the differences among Theories X, Y, and Z managers, it is appropriate to assess that

Kylie wants to work with others to solve problems and make decisions. But, she is also able to assume individual responsibility. She prefers working for a company that takes a holistic view of its employees. These preferences suggest that Kylie might enjoy working at a company that uses a Theory Z approach to management.