Psychology Chapter 6: Motivating Work Design

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Questions and Answers

What is a major disadvantage of job specialization?

Increased staff training time

Job dissatisfaction due to boredom (correct)

Reduced employee productivity

Higher costs of staffing

Which approach involves breaking down tasks into simpler components for employees?

Job specialization (correct)

Collaborative work

Job rotation

Job enrichment

What is one potential benefit of job rotation?

Higher costs of staffing

Reduced employee turnover (correct)

Increased absenteeism

Decreased skill acquisition

How does scientific management relate to employee training?

It provides specific instructions to enhance efficiency. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an objective of job design according to scientific management?

Reducing the need for employee training Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary impacts of effective job design on employees?

Enhanced job satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the main goal of job rotation?

To alleviate monotony in work tasks Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential drawback of job specialization in relation to employee behavior?

Leads to counterproductive work behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What is the main benefit of job enlargement?

Reduced boredom and monotony Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes job crafting?

Changes employees make to their own job description Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary definition of a SMART goal?

Specific, Measurable, Aggressive, Realistic, Time-bound Signup and view all the answers

What factor does not influence the effects of job enlargement?

Level of managerial oversight Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential downside of job enrichment?

Increased employee frustration over responsibilities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following aspects may not benefit strongly from empowerment?

Low achievement need Signup and view all the answers

What does the Job Characteristics Model aim to increase?

Skill variety and autonomy Signup and view all the answers

Why might managers feel threatened by implementing employee empowerment?

They fear loss of control over decision-making Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes effective goals from mere presence of goals?

The specificity and measurability of the goals Signup and view all the answers

Which core characteristic is part of the Job Characteristics Model?

Skill variety Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant benefit of rotating high-level employees in a company?

Improvement in innovation and training of managers Signup and view all the answers

How do aggressive goals affect performance compared to easier goals?

They encourage people to work harder or smarter Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about job enrichment is TRUE?

It can sometimes cause dissatisfaction among employees Signup and view all the answers

What type of goals are easier to quantify?

Productivity and sales Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of setting specific and measurable goals?

It allows tracking of goal achievement effectively Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an effective goal?

Vague and nonspecific Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential problem with merit pay?

Employees come to expect ongoing pay increases Signup and view all the answers

Which factor should sales commissions be designed to align with?

Company objectives Signup and view all the answers

How can employee recognition awards be made more effective?

By allowing employees to choose among alternatives Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary downside of goal setting related to learning?

Learning decreases Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes team bonuses from individual performance incentives?

Team bonuses encourage cooperation among employees Signup and view all the answers

Which factor increases goal commitment among employees?

Making goals public Signup and view all the answers

What negative effect can arise from having strict performance goals within a team?

Difficulty adapting to unforeseen circumstances Signup and view all the answers

In gainsharing programs, employees are rewarded based on what criteria?

Performance gains compared to past metrics Signup and view all the answers

What is one limitation of profit-sharing programs?

They do not effectively tie pay to individual effort Signup and view all the answers

How can goal setting lead to ethical problems?

By increasing pressure to achieve goals Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of performance may be sacrificed due to single-mindedness in goal achievement?

Quality of work Signup and view all the answers

What is a main purpose of offering stock options to employees?

To align employee interests with those of the company Signup and view all the answers

What trend has recently affected the popularity of stock options?

Changes in options accounting regulations Signup and view all the answers

What is a key benefit of involving employees in the goal-setting process?

It increases their sense of ownership. Signup and view all the answers

What can be a consequence of setting only performance-related goals?

Neglect of other important performance elements Signup and view all the answers

Why might employees feel helpless when specific outcome goals are not achievable?

They lack the necessary skills and knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential drawback of using 360-degree feedback as a basis for reward decisions?

It may lead to biased feedback due to personal relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason adequate notice is important in an appraisal system?

It allows employees to prepare by knowing the criteria beforehand. Signup and view all the answers

Why might organizations prefer using only supervisor ratings for reward decisions?

Using multiple raters can complicate the decision-making process. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic of an appraisal system promotes fairness by allowing two-way communication?

Fair hearing Signup and view all the answers

Which approach helps to mitigate the bias that can arise from relying solely on supervisors for performance appraisals?

Implementing a 360-degree feedback system. Signup and view all the answers

What does judgment based on evidence in an appraisal system primarily focus on?

Using factual data and performance documentation. Signup and view all the answers

How can supervisors’ personal stakes in employee performance impact appraisal validity?

Their potential rewards might bias their evaluations negatively. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is crucial for employees to feel that the appraisal process is fair?

Providing the opportunity for employees to communicate their points of view. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 6: Designing a Motivating Work Environment

Importance of Job Design: Job design significantly impacts employee motivation, satisfaction, commitment, absenteeism, and turnover.

6.2 Motivating Employees Through Job Design

Scientific Management & Job Specialization: Early attempts at job design, scientific management (Taylor) aimed to improve efficiency by breaking down tasks into simplest components, assigning them to specific employees for repetitive performance.
Job Specialization Advantages: Reduced skill requirements, lower training costs, shorter training times, and less effort per job
Disadvantages of Job Specialization: Associated with boredom, repetitiveness, and negative outcomes like absenteeism and tardiness. It's criticized for ignoring employees' social and motivational factors; it's often referred to as the "dark ages" of management.
Job Specialization Impact: Led to automation and standardization (e.g., assembly lines at McDonald's), influencing management mentality and increasing the emphasis on employee efficiency for organisations.
Alternatives to Job Specialization: Job rotation (moving employees from one job to another), and job enlargement (adding more variety to tasks).

Job Enrichment

Job Enrichment: Redesigning jobs to provide greater responsibility and control to employees to perform their own tasks.
Job Enrichment Benefits: Reduced turnover, increased productivity, reduced absences, and job satisfaction.

Job Crafting

Job Crafting: Employees modify their job descriptions to better fit their own needs, personality, and work-life goals. It involves changing task, relational, and cognitive aspects of the job.

Job Characteristics Model

Five Core Job Dimensions:
Skill variety
Task identity
Task significance
Autonomy
Feedback
Psychological States: Meaningfulness of work, responsibility for outcomes, and knowledge of results.
Outcomes: Increased motivation, performance, satisfaction, and reduced absenteeism and turnover.

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)

MPS Formula: [(Skill Variety + Task Identity + Task Significance) / 3] x Autonomy x Feedback
Importance of Autonomy and Feedback: More crucial factors in determining motivational potential than skill variety, identity, or significance.

Growth Need Strength

Growth Need Strength: The degree to which a person desires higher-order needs, like self-esteem and self-actualization, influencing the impact of job characteristics on motivation.

Empowerment

Empowerment: Removing conditions that lead to powerlessness, promoting employee autonomy and discretion in their work.

6.3 Motivating Employees Through Goal Setting

SMART Goals: Specific, measurable, aggressive, realistic, and time-bound goals.
Goal Setting and Performance: Setting goals positively correlates with performance improvement
Conditions for Effective Goals: Feedback, ability to achieve the goal, and commitment to achieving the goal.

6.4 Motivating Employees Through Performance Appraisals

Performance Management: Process addressing employee performance improvement; it's not the same as performance appraisals.
Performance Appraisal Purpose: Provides feedback, promotion/salary decisions, termination decisions, and development guidance.
Rating Sources: Supervisors, peers, subordinates, and customers.
Bias in Performance Appraisal: Liking, leniency, stereotypes, inadequate notice, lack of fair hearing, and judging performance without sufficient evidence

6.5 Motivating Employees Through Performance Incentives

Performance-Based Incentives: Rewarding employee performance, increasing effort, and motivating productivity.
Incentive Types: Piece rate systems, individual bonuses, merit pay, sales commissions, and gainsharing.
Potential Downsides of Incentives: Risk aversion, diminished creativity, and neglecting non-goal-oriented behaviors.

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Description

Explore the principles of job design and its impact on employee motivation and satisfaction in this Chapter 6 quiz. Delve into the benefits and drawbacks of job specialization as discussed in psychological theories. Understand how effective job design can mitigate issues like absenteeism and enhance workplace commitment.