Chapter 8

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

Concerns the conditions responsible for variations in intensity, persistence, quality, and direction of ongoing behavior.

Question 2

Need

Answer 2

Internal motivation that is thought to be inborn and universally present in humans.

Question 3

Drive

Answer 3

Nonhuman equivalent of “motives” and “needs.”

Question 4

Behaviorist approach

Answer 4

Approach developed by B. F. Skinner that placed the emphasis for behavior and directed activity directly on the environment rather than on any internal needs or instincts.

Question 5

Field Theory

Answer 5

Approach developed by Kurt Lewin, who proposed that various forces in the psychological environment interacted and combined to yield a final course of action.

Question 6

Group Dynamics

Answer 6

Field that grew out of the application of Kurt Lewin’s field theory to industry.

Question 7

Person as Machine

Answer 7

Metaphor that suggests that people’s behaviors/actions are reflexive and involuntary and are performed without conscious awareness.

Question 8

Person as Scientist

Answer 8

Metaphor that suggests that people are active information gatherers and analysts who seek knowledge and understanding as a way of mastering their environment.

Question 9

Limited Rationality

Answer 9

The inability of humans to reason and make decisions in perfectly rational ways.

Question 10

Person as Judge

Answer 10

Metaphor in which an individual seeks information about the extent to which the person and others are perceived as responsible for positive and negative events. The person looks for evidence of intention in the actions of others and considers those intentions in choosing a personal course of action.

Question 11

Work-Life Balance

Answer 11

Area of research that investigates whether the satisfaction that one experiences at work is in part affected by the satisfaction that one experiences in non-work and vice versa, particularly to the extent that one environment has demands that conflict with the other.

Question 12

Maslow’s Need Theory

Answer 12

Theory that proposed that all humans have a basic set of needs and that these needs express themselves over the life span of the individual as internal “pushes” or drives. Identified five basic needs sets: physiological, security, love or social, esteem, and self-actualization.

Question 13

Two-factor Theory

Answer 13

Theory proposed by Herzberg that suggested that there were really two basic needs, not five as suggested by Maslow, and that they were not so much hierarchically arranged as independent of each other.

Question 14

Hygiene Needs

Answer 14

Lower-level needs described in Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Herzberg proposed that meeting these needs would eliminate dissatisfaction but would not result in motivated behavior or a state of positive satisfaction.

Question 15

Motivator needs

Answer 15

Higher- level needs described in Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Herzberg proposed that meeting such needs resulted in the expenditure of effort as well as satisfaction.

Question 16

Reinforcement Theory

Answer 16

Theory that proposes that behavior depends on three simple elements: stimulus, response, and reward. Proposed that if a response in the presence of a particular stimulus is rewarded (i.e., reinforced), that response is likely to occur again in the presence of that stimulus.

Question 17

Contingent Reward

Answer 17

A reward that depends on or is contingent on a particular response.

Question 18

Intermittent Reward

Answer 18

A reward that is given for only some correct responses

Question 19

Continuous Reward

Answer 19

A reward that is presented every time a correct response occurs.

Question 20

Path-goal Theory of Motivation

Answer 20

First formal work motivation theory to suggest that people weighed options before choosing among them. Reasoned that if a worker saw high productivity as a path to the goal of desired rewards or personal goals (e.g., a pay increase or promotion, or increased power, prestige, or responsibility), he or she would likely be a high producer.

Question 21

VIE Theory

Answer 21

Motivation theory that assumed that individuals rationally estimate the relative attractiveness and unattractiveness of different rewards or outcomes (valence), the probability that performance will lead to particular outcomes or rewards (instrumentality), and the probability that effort will lead to performance (expectancy).

Question 22

Valence

Answer 22

The strength of a person’s preference for a particular outcome.

Question 23

Instrumentality

Answer 23

The perceived relationship between performance and the attainment of a certain outcome.

Question 24

Expectancy

Answer 24

An individual’s belief that a particular behavior (e.g., effort, hard work) will lead to higher performance.

Question 25

Dissonance Theory

Answer 25

Theory suggested by Festinger that observed that tension exists when individuals hold “dissonant cognitions” (incompatible thoughts). This approach assumes that individuals always seek some sense of “balance” (i.e., absence of tension) and that they will direct their behavior toward reducing the tension resulting from dissonant cognitions.

Question 26

Equity

Answer 26

Motivational theory developed by Adams (1965) that suggested that individuals look at their world in terms of comparative inputs and outcomes. Individuals compare their inputs and outcomes with others (e.g., peers, co-workers) by developing an input/outcome ratio.

Question 27

Inputs

Answer 27

The training, effort, skills, and abilities that employees bring to or invest in their work.

Question 28

Outcomes

Answer 28

The compensation, satisfaction, and other benefits employees derive from their work.

Question 29

Comparison Other

Answer 29

A co-worker or idealized other person to which the individual compares himself or herself in determining perceived equity.

Question 30

Outcome/input ratio

Answer 30

Ratio that results when employees compare their inputs and outcomes to those of others (e.g., peers, co-workers) to determine if they are being treated equitably.

Question 31

Person-as-Intentional Approach

Answer 31

Motivational approach that assumes that individuals are intentional in their behavior.

Question 32

Goal-setting theory

Answer 32

Theory proposed by Locke and colleagues in which the general concept of a goal is adapted to work motivation. In this approach, a goal is seen as a motivational force, and individuals who set specific, difficult goals perform better than individuals who simply adopt a “do your best” goal or no goal at all.

Question 33

Feedback Loop

Answer 33

Connection between knowledge of results and the intermediate states that occur between goal commitment and performance.

Question 34

Control Theory

Answer 34

Theory based on the principle of a feedback loop that assumes that an individual compares a standard to actual outcome and adjusts behavior to bring the outcome into agreement with the standard.

Question 35

Self-Regulation

Answer 35

Process by which individuals take in information about behavior and make adjustments or changes based on that information. These changes, in turn, affect subsequent behavior (e.g., strategies, goal commitment).

Question 36

Self-Efficacy

Answer 36

The belief in one’s capability to perform a specific task or reach a specific goal.

Question 37

Action Theory (Rubicon Theory)

Answer 37

Theory that includes broad consideration of the role of intention in motivated behavior as well as the connection between intention and action.

Question 38

Action Process

Answer 38

Process that starts with a goal, proceeds to a consideration of events that may occur in the future, and then progresses to the development of several alternative plans, the selection of a plan, the execution and monitoring of the chosen plan, and the processing of information resulting from the execution of the plan. The last step, feedback, then influences goal development once again.

Question 39

Action structure

Answer 39

Structure that includes the notion that (1) observable action is the result of a number of prior events and plans, hierarchically arranged, and (2) the feedback and resulting regulation of actions occur at different levels.

Question 40

Motivational Trait Questionnaire

Answer 40

A 48- item questionnaire that provides a standardized method of assessing six distinct aspects of general performance motivation.

Question 41

Job Enrichment

Answer 41

A motivational approach that involves increasing the responsibility and interest level of jobs in order to increase the motivation and job satisfaction of employees performing those jobs.

Question 42

ProMES

Answer 42

The Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System; a motivational approach that utilizes goal setting, rewards, and feedback to increase motivation and performance.

Question 43

Indicators

Answer 43

Quantitative measures of how well each objective is being met in the ProMES approach.