Chapter 6 - Motivating Others Flashcards
What PIAs for this chapter?
- Diagnosing poor performance and enhancing motivation
2. Work performance assessment
What tendency do supervisors assume? P265
Poor performance is a matter of low motivation
What is an attribution? p265
The tendency to make snap judgements about why things happen
How many workers in America are estimated to work nights? p265
One third
Performance =? p265
Ability X Motivation (Effort)
Ability =? p265
Aptitude X Training X Resources
Motivation =? p265
Desire X Commitment
Aptitude is? p265
The native skills and abilities a person brings to the job. The physical and mental capabilities; for many the personality characteristics.
Can be enhanced by education and training
If an applicant has minor deficiencies in skill aptitude but many other desirable characteristics, what can be used to increase the applicants qualifications to perform the job? p265
An intensive training program
Motivation represents an employees desire and commitment to perform. p266
- If some people want to complete a task but are easily distracted what motivation do they possess?
- If they persist with a job but the work is half hearted they are what kind of motivation?
- High desire//low commitment
2. High commitment//low desire
What is the first diagnostic question supervisors must ask themselves when dealing with a poor performer? p266
Is this an ability or motivation problem
What does research show when managers perceive that employees lack motivation? p266
They tend to apply more pressure on them
What justifications do some managers give when they perceive their employees have a lack of motivation? p266
“poor attitude”, “hostile to authority”, or “lacks dedication”
If the manager is incorrect and poor performance is really related to ability rather than motivation, what do their forceful responses actually do? p266
Worsen the problem
What happens to poor performers when thy feel that management is insensitive to their problems, such as lack of resources, inadequate training, or unrealistic time schedules? p266
They tend to lose what motivation they had. Their desire and commitment decreases in response to management’s insensitive, “iron-fisted” actions
What is the ‘vicious cycle’? p266
When management incorrectly diagnoses a problem and ‘forces’ an employee to perform
What are the two components of perforance? p266
Ability and Motivation
Motivation is what? (think about everyday) p266
central to day-to-day manager-subordinate interactions
Ability tends to, what? (think about long term) p266
remain stable over long periods of time
What is the Peter Principle? p266
That people are typically promoted one position above their level of competence
What should managers be on alert for? p266
Employees that show signs of ability deterioration
What are the three danger signals for management positions, with regard to degradation of ability? p266
- Taking refuge in a specialty
- Focusing on past performance
- Exaggerating aspects of the leadership role
What does taking refuge in a specialty mean? p266
When they retreat to their technical specialty. This happens when they feel insecure about problems outside their area of expertise and experience. ‘George I’
What does focusing on past performance mean? p266
measuring one’s value to the organization in terms of past performance or on the basis of former standards
What does exaggerating aspects of the leadership role mean? p266
Managers who have lost confidence in their ability tend to be very defensive. This often leads them to exaggerate one aspect of their management role. Might delegate most of their responsibilities because they no longer feel competent to perform them well.
What are the five principle tools for overcoming poor performance problems due to lack of ability, and what order should you asses them? p267
resupply, retrain, refit, reassign, and release
What does resupply mean? p267
This focuses on whether the employee has been provided the resources necessary to do the job, including peronnel, budget, and political clout.
What would you ask an employee whom you are trying to resupply? p267
Do you have what you need to perform this job satisfactorily?
During resupply you must do what to validate the claims, even if exaggerated? p167
Explore all complaints about lack of support in detail to determine their validity.
How much money according to the American Society for Training and Development do American companies spend on employee learning and development in 2011? p267
156 billion
How much of the money spend in training and development was spent on external trainers and other resources outside the company, in percent? p267
about 30%
What are some of the reasons why a large amount of money is spent on retraining employees? p267
- Technology is changing
- Typically, employees, fill a number of different positions at one business
- Demographic changes in our society will typically lead to an aging workforce
What percent estimated of our ability becomes outdated within three to five years? p267
50%
What are the different types of training programs a company can offer? p267
- Interactive technical instruction and business games that simulate problems managers are likely to experience.
- Subsidized university courses and in-house technical or management seminars
- Some companies do sabbaticals
- Internet based distance learning which represents 41.7% of all formal learning among fortune 500 firms
What does refitting accomplish? p267
While the suborinate remains on the job, the compnents of their work are analyzed, and different combinations of tasks and abilities that accomplish organizational objectives and provide meaningful and rewarding work are explored
What is ‘reassign’? p167
Moving a poor performer to a position of less responsibility or to one requiring less technical knowledge or interpersonal skills
What is the last option for managers using the five principle tools available for overcoming poor performance? p267
Release
What is theory X? p268
A management styles characterized by close supervision. The basic assumption is that people do not want to work hard or assume responsibility, Therefore managers must coerce, intimidate, manipulate, and closely supervise their employees.
What is theory Y? p268
Workers basically want to do aa good job and assume more responsibliity; therefore, management’s role is to assist workers to reach their potential by productively channeling their inherent motivation to succeed
Which theory X or Y is more prevelant? p168
Theory X
Why learn about motivating others as a manager? p268
Morale and performance are actually linked
What is the indulging management style? p268
When a manager emphasizes satisfaction to the exclusion of performance, will be seen as nice, but undermines organizational performance
What is imposing management styles? p268
when a manager has a strong emphasis on performance to the exclusion of satisfaction
What is ignoring management style? p268
When managers emphasize neither satisfaction nor performance. results in a lack of management.
What does integrating satisfaction and performance? p269
Allows the anger to capitalize on the apparent tensions between productivity and employee satisfaction to forge creative new approach to motivation.
What are the traps managers should avoid when fostering a motivating work environment? p269
- Working to engender high employee morale for its own sake
2. pushing short-term results at the expense of long-term commitment
What was the original model of elements of an effective motivation program? p269
Satisfaction -> Motivation -> Performance
What are the key assumptions underlying the framework of the elements of an effective motivation program? p269
- Employees typically start out motivated. Therefore, a lack of motivation is a learned response, often fostered by misunderstood or unrealistic expectations.
- The role of management is to create a supportive problem-solving work environment in which facilitation, not control, is the prevailing value.
- Rewards should encourage high personal performance consistent with management objective.
- Motivation works best when it is bases on self-governance.
- Individuals should be treated fairly.
- Individuals deserve timely, honest feedback on work performance
What is the now believed model of elements of an effective motivation program? p269
Motivation -> Performance -> Satisfaction
What is the revised model of elements of an effective motivation program? p269
Motivation -> Performance -> Outcomes -> Satisfaction
Why was Outcomes added to the model?
Data suggested that a large number of additional factors were needed to be added so the correlation between these variables could be increased
What is the first element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Motivation -> Performance
1. Establish moderately difficult goals that are understood and accepted.
Ask: “Do subordinates understand and accept my performance expectations?”
What is the second element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Motivation -> Performance
2. Remove personal and organizational obstacles to performance.
Ask: “Do subordinates feel it is possible to achieve this goal or expectation?”
What is the third element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Performance -> Outcomes
3. Use rewards and discipline appropriately to extinguish unacceptable behavior and encourage exceptional performance.
Ask: “Do subordinates feel it is possible to achieve this goal or expectation.”
What is the fourth element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Outcomes -> Satisfaction
4. Provide salient internal and external incentives.
Ask: “Do subordinates feel the rewards used to encourage high performance are worth the effort?”
What is the fifth element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Outcomes -> Satisfaction
5. Distribute rewards equitably
Ask: “Do subordinates feel that work-related benefits are distributed fairly?”
What is the sixth element of an Integrative Motivation Program? p270
Outcomes -> Satisfaction
6. Provide timely rewards and specific, accurate, and honest feedback on performance.
Ask: Are we getting he most out of our rewards by administering them on a timely basis as part of the feedback process?”
Ask: Do subordinates know where they stand in terms of current performance and long-term opportunities?”
What is proper goal setting? p271
The idea of putting to test goals
What is the goal-setting process? p271
When work groups choose their goals rather than have them assigned
What three goal characteristics should you keep in mind? p271
Specific, consistent, and appropriately challenging
What do specific goals entail? p271
The goals are measurable, unambiguous, and behavioral
What are phrases are too generic to fall under specific goals? p271
“be dependable”, “work hard”, “take initiative”, or “ do your best” - these provide limited motivational value
What specific goals could you pass along to employees? p271
Increase quality by 15%, Increase customer satisfaction by days, respond to employee suggestions within 48 hours
What are inconsistent goals? p271
Goals that are logically impossible to accomplish simultaneously that create frustration and alenation
Setting many weak goals leads to what? p271
performance freeze - where employees are essentially paralyzed with confusion about what behavior is most important
What does it mean to be appropriately challenging? p271
To have stretch goals, or goals that are more motivating than easy goals
Do high expectations foster high performance?
Yes, and low expectations decrease performance
What should an effective goal setting program include? p272
Feedback
What is feedback? p272
Something that provides opportunities for clarifying expectations, adjusting goal difficulty, and gaining recognition
What is one ‘key ingredient’ to an effective goal program? p272
A supportive work environment
What should managers shift their focus too? p272
Facilitating successful accomplishment by focusing on the ability part of the performance formula
What is the ‘path goal’ theory of leadership? p272
Figure 6.2
Leader Involvement and Subordinate Performance
Subordinates Expectations
/ Leader's involvement-----------Subordinates' performance
/ /
Task Characteristic Organizations Structure
What does the path goal theory help answer? p272
How much help should I give
What are the two traits of the employee’s task? p272
Structure and difficulty
What are the expectations of the subordinates? p272
- The desire for autonomy
- Their own ability and experience level
- Availability of organizational support
What is the desire for autonomy? p272
a desire for a manager with a highly participate leadership style
What does ability and experience level mean? p273
Capable and experienced employees feel they need less assistance from their managers because they are adequately trained, know how to obtain the necessary resources, and can handle political entanglements with their counterparts in other units.
What is the availability of organizational support? p273
The idea that management involvement should be complement, rather than duplicate, organizational sources of support.
What is the goal of path-goal model? p273
Encourages managers to tailor their style to employee conditions - see table 6.3
How do you reinforce behaviors? p273
by linking rewards to performance and by using discipline to extinguish counterproductive behaviors
Do universal benefits impact high performers?
Yes, it makes it difficult to retain the highest performing employees
Should you take into consideration culturally based assumptions?
Yes, persons from a collectivist country may be more in favor of a group reward
What is the award process? p274
- Give the award publicly
- use awards infrequently
- embed the award in a credible reward process
- use the awards presentation to acknowledge past recipients
- make sure the award is meaningful within the organizations culture
Does your daily interaction with subordinates contribute to an important source of motivation?
Yes
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Ask “How are we going to do this? What can I contribute to this effort? How will we use this result?” Thus implying your joint stake in the work and results
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Imply that the task is the employee’s total responsibility, that they hang alone if they fail. Individual failure means organizational failure
Don’t
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Use an interested, exploring manner, asking questions designed to bring out factual information
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Keep the analysis and evaluation as much in the employees’ hands as possible by asking for their best judgement on various issues.
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Play the part of an interrogator, firing questions as rapidly as they can be answered. Also, avoid asking questions that require only “yes” or “no” replies.
Don’t
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
React to their presentations on an emotional basis
Don’t
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Demand a change or improvement in a preemptory tone of voice or on what appears to be an arbitrary basis
Don’t
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Present facts about organization needs, commitments, strategy, and so on, which permit them to improve, and interest them in improving what they propose to do
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Take their planning papers and cross out, change dates, or mark “no good” next to certain activities
Don’t
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Ask them to investigate or analyze further if you feel tht they have overlooked some points or overemphasized others
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Ask them to return with their plans after factoring these items in
Do
Guidelines for Fostering Subordinate Initiative:
Do or Don’t
Redo their plans for them unless their repeated efforts show no improvement
Don’t
What is operant conditioning? p275
The process of shaping others’ behavior through linking rewards and punishments with behaviors
What are the three types of management repsonses to emploee behavior? p275
- No response (ignoring)
- Negative response (disciplining)
- Positive response (rewarding)
Providing no response to a behavior leads to what according to some psychologists? p275
Elimination or “extinction” of that behavior
Why is providing no response dangerous in a management environment? p275
Because no response to behavior is typically taken as a positive sign
Is any behavior repeatedly ehibited in front of a supervisor being rewaarded? p275
Yes, regardless of the intention
Does failing to give recognition erode people’s persistence? p275
Yes
What is the disciplining approach? p276
Involves responding negatively to an employee’s behavior in order to discourage future occurrences.
What is an example of disciplining? p276
If an employee is consistently late, a supervisor may reprimand him with the hope of decreasing the employee’s tardiness.
What is rewarding? p276
Consists of linking behaviors with employee-valued outcomes.
What is an example of rewarding? p276
When someone completes a report in a timely manor, the supervisor should praise his promptness.
What is the number one reason people leave their job? p276
They do not feel appreciated
What percent of workers said they didn’t receive a single word of praise or recognition during the past year? p276
65%
What are the two undesirable outcomes for a manager failing to take action or reprimand employees? p277
- the work unit’s morale is seriously threatened
2. The poor performers’ behaviors are not improved
What are the three broad initiatives for shaping behavior? p277
reprimand, redirect, and reinforce
How many steps are in the behavior-shaping process? p277
9
What do steps 1-6 represent? p277
reprimand and redirect; are used to extinguish unacceptable behaviors and replace them with acceptable ones
What do steps 4-9 represent? p277
redirect and reinforce; are used to transform acceptable behaviors into exceptional behaviors
True or False
Discipline should immediately follow the offensive behavior and focus exclusively on the specific problem p277
True
After reprimanding, it is important to ______ p277
redirect
What does the process of redirection help? p277
It helps people understand how they can receive rewards in the future
What is the ultimate goal of any negative feedback? p277
To transform inappropriate behaviors into appropriate ones, not simply to punish someone
If workers negative behavior subsides a manager can _____ p277
reinforce by using rewards
What are the guidelines for reprimand? p278
- Identify the specific inappropriate behavior, give examples, indicate that the action must stop.
- Point out the impact of the problem on the performance of others, on the unit’s mission, and so forth.
- ask questions about causes and explore remedies
What are the guidelines for redirect? p278
- Describe the behaviors or standards you expect. Make sure the individual understands and agrees that these are reasonable.
- Ask if the individual will comply
- Be appropriately supportive. For example, praise other aspects of their work, identify personal and group benefits of compliance; make sure there are no work-related problems standing in the way of meeting your expectations
What are the guidelines for reinforce? p278
- Identify reward that are salient to the individual
- Link the attainment of desirable outcomes with incremental, continuous improvement
- rewards all improvements in performance in a timely and honest manner
Give an example of an extrinsic outcome. p278
Pay and promotions and priase. Things that are controlled by someone other than the individual perfomer
What is an intrinsic outcome? p278
the experience of successful task performance. Includes a sense of purpose, feelings of accomplishment, self-esteem, and development of new skills
Which (extrinsic/intrinsic) outcome is critical for work performance? p278
intrinsic
What have researchers discovered for highly intelligent people? p278
That job satisfaction is closely linked to the degree of difficulty they encounter in performing their work
What is work design? p278
It is the process of matching job characteristics to workers’ kills and interests. See figure 6.4 p279 for a classic work design model
True or False:
The greater a variety of skills one uses at work, the more one perceives the work as meaningful or worthwhile. p279
True
Is having more autonomy at work indicitive of responsibility of successes and failures?
Yes
How can managers increase employee autonomy? p279
by instituting flexible work schedules, decentrailizing decision makin, or removing formalized controls, such as punching a time clock
How does feedback play a role in motivating workers by redesigning work? p279
The more feedback individuals receive about how well they are doing their jobs, the more knowledge they have about how to improve
What happens if you enhance the five core job dimensions? p279
You can enhance the potential for employees to feel motivated
Work design suggests five managerial action guidelines that can help increase desirable personal and work outcomes. What are they? p279
- Combine Tasks
- Form identifiable work units
- establish client relationships
- increase authority
- open feedback channels
What does Combine Tasks mean? p280
It reqquires workers to use a wider variety of skills, which makes the work seem more challenging and meaningful
How do you form identifiable work units? p280
By breaking the tasks up by client, or another method
