chapter 11- motivation

Question 1

define motivation

Answer 1

the internal and external factors that stimulate people to take actions that lead to achieving a goal

Question 2

what are 3 gains a business can have from well motivated staff

Answer 2

low labour turnover, low absenteeism, prepared to accept responsibility, make suggestions and improvements high productivity

Question 3

what are 3 indicators of poor motivation

Answer 3

absenteeism, lateness, poor performance, accidents, labour turnover, grievances, poor response rate

Question 4

what were the techniques of Taylor and the scientific management theory

Answer 4

establishing an idea or hypothesis, recording performance at work, altering working methods and rerecording performance

Question 5

what are the 7 steps on Taylor and the scientific management approach

Answer 5

1 select workers to perform a task
2 observe them performing the task and note the key elements of it
3 record the time taken to do each part of the task
4 identify the quickest method recorded
5 train all workers in the quickest method and don’t allow changes
6 supervise workers to ensure it is the best way
7 pay workers using the economic man

Question 6

what does the economic man theory suggest

Answer 6

it suggests that workers are driven by money alone and its the only factor that can stimulate further effort. Wage levels were changed based on output and is now known as paying workers with piece rate

Question 7

after Mayo’s original theory was disproved after experiments what was he forced to conclude

Answer 7

that working conditions themselves were not that important in determining productivity levels

Question 8

what does Mayo and the Hawthorne effect suggest

Answer 8

changes in working conditions and financial rewards had little impact on productivity, when management consult with workers and take an interest in their work motivation is improved working in teams and developing a team spirit can increase productivity groups can establish their own goals with informal leaders greatly influencing, when some control over working lives like when to take breaks it has a positive motivational effect

Question 9

What are some interpretations that can be made from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 9

individuals start on the lowest level of the hierarchy, once one level has been achieved humans will strive to achieve the next level, self actualisation isn’t reached by many people but everyone is capable, once a need has been satisfied it will no longer motivate people, reversion is possible is a lower level is withdrawn like job security

Question 10

state the hierarchy of needs from the bottom to top

Answer 10

physical needs (water, food)
safety needs (job security and health and safety)
social needs (trust and friendship)
esteem needs (respect and recognition)
self actualization (reaching full potential)

Question 11

what are the limitations of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 11

not everyone has the same hierarchy of needs, it can be difficult to see which need each worker is on and has met, money is necessary to fill all needs, self actualization is never permanently achieved and always needs challenges

Question 12

what are Herzberg and the two factor theory’s conclusions

Answer 12

job satisfaction is caused by motivators- achievement, recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility and advancement and job dissatisfaction is caused by hygiene factors- company policy, administration, supervision, salary, relationships and working conditions

Question 13

define job enrichment

Answer 13

aims to use the full capabilities of workers by giving them the opportunity to do more challenging and fulfilling work

Question 14

what did McClelland and the motivational needs theory suggest

Answer 14

three different motivational needs: achievement motivation (a person with a strong need for achievement will seek to reach realistic and challenging goals for job advancement and require constant feedback) authority/ power motivation (a person who desires to control others and requires to be influential and have a strong leadership instinct) affiliation motivation (a person who has a need for friendly relationships and wants to interact with others and are good team members)

Question 15

what does Vroom and the expectancy theory suggest

Answer 15

that workers have different set goals and can be motivated if they believe: there is a positive link between effort and performance reward will satisfy an important need. The three beliefs it is based on are valance, expectancy and instrumentality

Question 16

define valance in terms of Vroom and the expectancy theory

Answer 16

the depth of the want of an employee for an extrinsic reward such as money or an intrinsic reward such as satisfaction

Question 17

define expectancy in terms of Vroom and the expectancy theory

Answer 17

the degree at which people believe that putting effort into work will lead to a given level of performance

Question 18

define instrumentality in terms of Vrooms and the expectancy theory

Answer 18

the confidence of employees that they will actually get what they desire

Question 19

name as many payment or financial reward systems you know

Answer 19

hourly or time based wage, piece rate, salary, commission, performance related pay and bonuses, profit sharing, fringe benefits

Question 20

define time based wage rate

Answer 20

payment to a worker made for each period of time worked

Question 21

define piece rate

Answer 21

a payment to a worker for each unit produced

Question 22

define salary

Answer 22

annual income that is usually paid on a monthly basis

Question 23

define commission

Answer 23

a payment made to a sales person for each sale they make

Question 24

define bonus

Answer 24

a payment made in addition to the contracted wage or salary

Question 25

define performance related pay

Answer 25

a bonus scheme to reward staff for above average work performance

Question 26

define profit sharing

Answer 26

a bonus for staff based on the profits of the business usually paid as a proportion of basic salary

Question 27

define fringe benefits

Answer 27

benefits given separate from pay by an employer to some or all its employees

Question 28

name 3 non financial methods of motivation

Answer 28

job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment, job redesign, training, quality circles, worker participation, team working, delegation, empowerment

Question 29

define job rotation

Answer 29

increasing the flexibility of employees and the variety of work they do by switching from one job to another

Question 30

define job enlargement

Answer 30

attempting to increase the scope of a job of a job by broadening or deepening the tasks undertaken

Question 31

give 2 benefits of job enrichment

Answer 31

employees complete units of work so that the contribution of the worker can be identified and more challenging work offered, direct feedback on performance so the employees know their own progress, challenging tasks to be offered as a part of a range of activities

Question 32

define job redesign

Answer 32

involves the restructuring of a job usually with employees involvement and agreement to make work more interesting, satisfying and challenging

Question 33

define quality circles

Answer 33

voluntary groups of workers who meet regularly to discuss work related problems and issues

Question 34

define worker participation

Answer 34

workers are actively encouraged to become involved in decision making within the organisation

Question 35

what can team working lead to within a business

Answer 35

lower labour turn over, more and better ideas from the workforce on improving the product and the manufacturing process, consistently higher quality management is incorporated