R&J Chapter 7

Question 1

What is motivation?

Answer 1

The processes that
account for an
individual’s intensity,
direction, and
persistence of effort
toward attaining a goal.

Question 2

Intensity and Direction

Answer 2

Intensity is how hard a person tries. This is the element most of us focus on
when we talk about motivation. However, high intensity is unlikely to lead to favorable
job-performance outcomes unless the effort is channeled in a direction that benefits the
organization.

Question 3

Persistence

Answer 3

how long a person can maintain effort

Question 4

Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 4

Abraham Maslow’s
hierarchy of five
needs—physiological,
safety, social,
esteem, and self-actualization—in
which, as each need is
substantially satisfied,
the next need becomes
dominant. Criticized because studies show that not all cultures organize needs in this direction.

Question 5

Two Factor Theory

Answer 5

A theory that relates
intrinsic factors
to job satisfaction
and associates
extrinsic factors with
dissatisfaction. Also
called motivation-hygiene theory.
In Herzberg's two factor theory model, the opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction, it is no satisfaction. Conversely, the opposite of dissatisfaction is no dissatisfaction. This theory is criticized for assuming productivity is heavily tied to satisfaction, and assuming that hygiene factors don't affect satisfaction, only dissatisfaction. Some people gain satisfaction from hygiene factors.

This theory is popular in Asia.

Question 6

Hygiene Factors

Answer 6

Conditions such as quality of supervision, pay, company policies, physical work
conditions, relationships with others, and job security. When these factors are present, people will not be satisfied nor dissatisfied. However, when they are absent, people will be dissatisfied.

Question 7

McClelland’s Theory of Needs

Answer 7

A theory that
achievement (nAch), power (nPow),
and affiliation (nAff) are
three important needs
that help explain
motivation.

These needs are more motivating factors than needs for survival.

Question 8

Need for achievement (nAch)

Answer 8

the drive to excel, to achieve in relationship to a

set of standards

Question 9

Need for power (nPow)

Answer 9

the need to make others behave in a way they would not have otherwise

Question 10

Need for affiliation (nAff)

Answer 10

the desire for friendly and close interpersonal

relationships.

Question 11

What are some characteristics of high achievers according to McClelland?

Answer 11

They enjoy 50/50 chances, risk that isn’t too high because it is still achievable given hard work and not by pure chance. They don’t like lower risk because they enjoy being challenged.

Question 12

Assuming that high nAch acts as a motivator assumes what two things?

Answer 12

—willingness to accept
a moderate degree of risk (which excludes countries with strong uncertainty-avoidance
characteristics, see Chapter 5), and concern with performance (which applies to countries
with strong achievement characteristics). This combination is found predominantly in
Anglo-American countries such as the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, and
much less in collectivistic countries like Chile and Portugal

Question 13

What are some factors that highly motivate high nAch people?

Answer 13

jobs that have a
high degree of personal responsibility and feedback, along with an intermediate degree
of risk.

Question 14

Are high nAch people inherently good managers?

Answer 14

No, especially in large organizations it cannot be assumed that high nAch people are good managers. They are interested in how well they do personally, not in influencing others to do well.

Question 15

Under McClelland’s theory, what factors make a good manager?

Answer 15

the most effective leaders are high in nPow and nAff, according to recent research—the “rough edges” of nPow may be tempered by the nAff desire to be
included

Question 16

How valid is McClelland’s theory of needs?

Answer 16

McClelland’s theory has research support, particularly cross-culturally (when
cultural dimensions including power distance are taken into account)

Question 17

Modern theory: self determination theory

Answer 17

People like having agency/control over their lives, the same task is enjoyed more as a choice rather than as an obligation, more motivation when you choose to do a task

Question 18

Cognitive Evaluation Theory

Answer 18

A version of self-determination theory
in which allocating
extrinsic rewards for
behavior that had been
previously intrinsically
rewarding tends to
decrease the overall
level of motivation if
the rewards are seen as
controlling.

Question 19

Self-concordance

Answer 19

The degree to which
people’s reasons for
pursuing goals are
consistent with their
interests and core
values.

Question 20

goal-setting theory

Answer 20

proposed by Edwin Locke, a theory that specific
and difficult goals,
with feedback, lead to
higher performance, intentions to work toward a goal are considered a major source of work
motivation

Question 21

Goal commitment

Answer 21

Goal-setting theory assumes an individual is committed to the
goal and determined not to lower or abandon it. The individual (1) believes he or
she can achieve the goal and (2) wants to achieve it.28 Goal commitment is most
likely to occur when goals are made public, when the individual has an internal
locus of control, when the goals are self-set rather than assigned, and when they are
based at least partially on individual ability.29

Question 22

Task characteristics

Answer 22

Goals themselves seem to affect performance more strongly
when tasks are simple rather than complex, well learned rather than novel, independent
rather than interdependent, and on the high end of achievable.30 On interdependent
tasks, group goals are more effective.

Question 23

National characteristics.

Answer 23

Goals may have different effects in different cultures.
In collectivistic and high power-distance cultures, achievable moderate goals can
be more motivating than difficult ones.31 However, research has not shown group based
goals to be effective in collectivist than in individualist cultures (see Chapter
4). More research is needed to assess how goal constructs might differ across
cultures.

Question 24

Promotion focus

Answer 24

strive for advancement and accomplishment, and approach conditions that move them closer toward desired goals (studying for a test)

Question 25

Prevention focus

Answer 25

A self-regulation strategy that involves striving for goals by fulfilling duties and obligations while avoiding conditions that pull them away from desired goals (avoiding distraction in the way of a test, e.g. video games)

Question 26

A person’s job satisfaction will be more heavily impacted by failure when they have a ____ focus

Answer 26

Prevention

Question 27

Management by

objectives (MBO)

Answer 27

Popular in the 70s, emphasizes goals that are tangible, verifiable, and measurable. A program that
encompasses specific
goals, participatively
set, for an explicit time
period and including
feedback on goal
progress. A version of MBO, called Management by Objectives and Results
(MBOR), has been used for over 30 years in the governments of Denmark, Norway,
and Sweden

Question 28

What are the most common failures of MBO?

Answer 28

unrealistic expectations, lack of commitment
by top management, and inability or unwillingness to allocate rewards based on
goal accomplishment

Question 29

Self-efficacy theory

Answer 29

An individual’s belief that he or she is capable of performing a task

Question 30

What are the four ways self-efficacy can be increased?

Answer 30

1. Enactive mastery.
2. Vicarious modeling.
3. Verbal persuasion.
4. Arousal.

Enactive mastery