Exam 14: Motivating Employees

Procedural justice is more likely to result in organizational commitment than distributive justice.

McGregor's Theory X suggests that workers are almost exclusively driven by __________ motivators.

The three key elements in motivation are effort, organizational goals, and needs.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Scenario) Joe supervises several employees, and they exhibit a wide range of behaviours. He has just returned from a conference on worker motivation where he was introduced to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Joe hopes to use this theory to gain a better understanding of his subordinates' behaviour. First there is Julie, who was hired only a week ago. She is currently preoccupied with finding a place to live and locating the nearest grocery stores and emergency services. Joe is hoping she will get these things sorted out soon so she can focus more clearly on her work. Then there is Jamie. When Joe asked her to work late next month, she agreed to as long as there was a security guard to escort her across the company grounds to the underground parking lot. Joe gladly made the arrangements with the security department. Also, there is Jason, who recently complained that his work was not challenging enough. He said he was not growing or using his full potential in his current job. Next there is Jessica-the "social butterfly"-who was constantly flitting from one work station to another, chatting with other employees. Not only did she have difficulty getting her own work done, but she also slowed down the work pace of everyone else! Finally, there is Larry, who seems to continually need attention and recognition. When Larry accomplished a goal, he wanted everyone in the department to know about his success. Quite an interesting mix of employees, thought Joe. -Jason would like his work to take him to which level on the hierarchy of needs?

Job characteristics models may not be appropriate for service- and knowledge-oriented jobs.

The motivation process moves from unsatisfied need to tension to _________.

In redesigning jobs for work that is more service and knowledge oriented, _________ is appropriate to increase employee input into decisions that affect their work.

McGregor's Theory Y assumed that individuals were primarily focused on satisfying their __________ needs.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Application of Early Theories of Motivation (Scenario) Weston has two very different first-line supervisors who report directly to him. Aaron really "cracks the whip" at his employees and firmly believes in strict controls and punishment for those who do not meet company expectations. Zach, on the other hand, has very few controls and believes that as long as people know what their objectives are, they will exercise self-control and self-direction. Aaron has been trying to use working conditions to increase the level of productivity in his department. When workers complained about unsafe working conditions, Aaron supplied them with protective gear and implemented new safety procedures. However, despite the improved working conditions, employees were still not motivated. Zach, on the other hand, had chosen to delegate responsibility and offer workers opportunities for growth. These efforts appeared to be much more successful at improving productivity. -According to Herzberg, Zach was trying to use __________ to increase productivity.

The referent with which employees choose to compare themselves is an important variable in expectancy theory.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Changing Jobs (Scenario) Marty sat in his favourite chair at home and pondered his work situation. The funding in his division had been cut by 25 percent, but the production goals were 10 percent higher! Something had to change, and he knew it was his job to figure out how to make the goals achievable. He decided to try to improve the way that tasks are combined into each job. First, he needed to know how many tasks there were to each job and how frequently each task was repeated. He also knew that because of the funding cut, people were going to be asked to expand their jobs horizontally. But he also felt that to balance this he should expand the jobs vertically by adding planning and evaluating responsibilities. Together, even though the employees were clearly being asked to contribute more, he felt they would have a greater degree of control over their work. Neither managers nor employees looked forward to this coming year, but it was "do or die" situation! -Which of the following terms best describes the way tasks are combined to form complete jobs?

Job __________ refers to the number of different tasks required in a job and the frequency with which those tasks are repeated.

A cabinet maker who designs a china cupboard, selects the wood, builds the cupboard, and finishes the project to the customer's satisfaction would experience which job characteristic?

The loyalty of professionals is more often to their employer than to their profession.

Expectancy theory recognizes that different individuals value different rewards and therefore exert effort in relation to the perceived rewards.

Managers using reinforcement theory to motivate employees should ignore, not punish, undesirable behaviour.

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions. Core Job Characteristics at JCM Corp. (Scenario) JCM Corporation's management believes their employees could be more motivated by their jobs. The jobs were recently enlarged and some improvements in motivation have been observed. -Most jobs at JCM were redesigned to allow the employees to complete a whole and identifiable piece of work. This describes __________, a core dimension of the job characteristics model.

Joseph, a line manager at a plant, believes that his workers have little drive and will not work unless pushed by him. Therefore, he closely monitors and controls their work and pulls up those who do not meet his standards. Joseph is a Theory Y manager.

The job characteristics model identifies __________ as the degree to which a job has substantial impact on the lives or work of other people.

Distributive justice has a(n) ____________ influence on employee satisfaction than procedural justice.