Q&A Hero

Q: (p. 243) United Motors is facing shortage of funds and has decided to implement the piece-rate system of payment. This way the workers who perform better will get higher wages and it would not be a huge burden on the company's bank account. Which of the following methods of reinforcement schedules has United Motors implemented? A. Continuous B. Fixed interval C. Variable ratio D. Variable interval E. Fixed ratio

Q: One way to counteract social loafing is to _____. A. assign only simple tasks to the group B. encourage all members to voice objections and doubts C. hold individual members accountable for certain identifiable tasks D. encourage the usage of social media in the workplace E. increase the size of work groups

Q: (p. 243) When employees observe the actions of others, learn from what they observe, and then repeat what they have observed, they are engaging in: A. structural modeling. B. behavioral modeling. C. static learning. D. extrinsic learning. E. hierarchical modeling.

Q: The tendency for individual effort to decline as group size increases is referred to as _____. A. the Asch effect B. role overload C. role conflict D. groupthink E. social loafing

Q: Assigning someone the role of devil's advocate when discussing major alternatives is a way to: A. prevent groupthink. B. avoid the role conflict. C. decrease social loafing. D. lower role ambiguity. E. reduce role overload.

Q: (p. 243) _____ theory argues that people in organizations have the ability to learn through the observation of others. A. Social learning B. Learning life cycle C. Bounded rationality D. Social identity E. Attribution

Q: (p. 243) A slot machine is an example of a _____ reinforcement schedule. A. continuous B. fixed interval C. fixed ratio D. variable interval E. variable ratio

Q: One way to prevent groupthink is to _____. A. assign only challenging and important tasks to groups B. assign each member of the group the role of critical evaluator C. stifle the objections and doubts of group members D. stick to the consensus once it is reached E. encourage higher group cohesiveness

Q: (p. 242-243) A salaried paycheck is an example of _____ reinforcement schedule whereas piece-rate pay is an example of _____ reinforcement schedule. A. continuous; fixed interval B. fixed interval; fixed ratio C. variable ratio; variable interval D. variable interval; fixed ratio E. fixed ratio; continuous

Q: Which of the following is true about groupthink? A. Highly cohesive groups always have moderate levels of confidence in their decisions. B. Highly cohesive groups always produce better decisions than moderately cohesive groups. C. Moderately cohesive groups tend to produce better decisions than high-cohesive groups. D. Highly cohesive groups typically produce better decisions than low-cohesive groups. E. Groups with low cohesiveness tend to produce better decisions than moderately-cohesive groups.

Q: (p. 243) Which schedule reinforces behaviors after a certain number of them have been exhibited? A. Continuous B. Variable interval C. Variable ratio D. Fixed ratio E. Fixed interval

Q: Christina is the leader of a highly cohesive group. She and a few other members of her group propose a plan of action. Even though some group members do not like the plan, they remain silent. Christina interprets their silence as consent. This symptom of groupthink is known as _____. A. invulnerability B. self-censorship C. illusion of unanimity D. peer pressure E. mindguard

Q: (p. 242) The workers at Snack Time are always on their feet and do not take extra long breaks because their supervisor Mr. Dan pays surprise visits to the production department. This practice helps the firm exceed performance targets. Mr. Dan practices which of the following reinforcement schedules? A. Variable ratio schedule B. Fixed interval schedule C. Continuous schedule D. Variable interval schedule E. Fixed ratio schedule

Q: Dave does not agree with the decision that has been made by his group. However, he does not voice his opinion. This is an example of _____ which is a symptom of groupthink. A. invulnerability B. self-censorship C. illusion of unanimity D. inherent morality E. mindguards

Q: (p. 242) Mark is a new hire at Blue Bay Technologies, Florida. His work involves creating technology-enabled business solutions for clients from various states. Mark's work gets evaluated and rewarded at the end of each month. This is an example of _____ reinforcement. A. fixed interval B. variable ratio C. continuous D. fixed ratio E. variable interval

Q: Which of the following is a symptom of groupthink? A. Reduced group cohesiveness B. Unanimity among group members C. Effective decision making D. Inherent morality E. Unhindered self-expression

Q: (p. 242) _____ schedules are designed to reinforce behaviors at random points in time. A. Fixed ratio B. Variable interval C. Continuous D. Variable ratio E. Fixed interval

Q: _____ occurs when a cohesive group is unwilling to realistically view alternatives. A. The Asch effect B. Role overload C. Role conflict D. Groupthink E. Social loafing

Q: (p. 242) An organization revises its employees' salaries at the end of each financial year. This is an example of _____ reinforcement. A. variable ratio B. fixed interval C. continuous D. fixed ratio E. variable interval

Q: _____ occurs when an individual's judgment is distorted by the unanimous but incorrect opposition of a noncohesive group. A. The Asch effect B. Role overload C. Role conflict D. Groupthink E. Social loafing

Q: (p. 242) With _____ schedule, workers are rewarded after a certain amount of time, and the length of time between reinforcement periods stays the same. A. fixed interval B. variable ratio C. continuous reinforcement D. fixed ratio E. variable interval

Q: Mark has been harassing Julia for a number of days. Ever since she clearly indicated that she is not interested in him, he has been making obscene phone calls to her. Mark's behavior is an example of _____. A. sexual proposition B. personal derogatory attitude C. physical sexual contact D. sexual coercion E. unwanted dating pressure

Q: (p. 242) _____ reinforcement happens when a specific consequence follows each and every occurrence of a desired behavior. A. Fixed interval B. Variable ratio C. Fixed ratio D. Variable interval E. Continuous

Q: (p. 242) Which of the following is the simplest schedule of reinforcement? A. Variable ratio B. Variable interval C. Fixed ratio D. Continuous E. Fixed interval

Q: Sex-stereotyped jokes are examples of _____. A. sexual propositions B. role overload C. role ambiguity D. role conflict E. derogatory attitudes

Q: Which of the following statements regarding sexual harassment is true? A. Men and women experience the same level of sexual harassment in the workplace. B. The problem of sexual harassment is no longer an issue in the workplace. C. Women typically perceive a broader range of behaviors as sexual harassment than what men perceive. D. It is impossible for men and women to work constructively in group settings. E. White women typically experience more sexual harassment than women from minority groups.

Q: (p. 242) In general, _____ and _____ should be the most common forms of reinforcement used by managers to create learning among their employees. A. punishment; extinction B. negative reinforcement; extinction C. punishment; negative reinforcement D. positive reinforcement; negative reinforcement E. positive reinforcement; extinction

Q: (p. 241) Jackson High School introduced a scholarship of $1,000 for students who maintain 100 percent attendance. This is an example of using _____. A. positive feedback B. negative feedback C. punishment D. extinction E. positive reinforcement

Q: As part of a work group, Bob main job is to resolve conflicts between other group members. Whenever there is an argument, he tries to figure out a solution that benefits both parties, or he quickly defuses the tension with some jokes. Which of the following roles is Bob performing within his work group? A. Coordinator B. Orienter C. Evaluator D. Energizer E. Harmonizer

Q: (p. 241) James is the new manager of operations at Leo Motors. To his dismay, he finds the employees coming in late to work, taking long breaks and behaving unprofessionally at their work stations. James decides to promote desirable work practices. He plans to introduce incentives for meeting the required targets, at the same time withhold incentives when employees meet the target, but their work culture is poor and they continue coming late. Identify the contingencies that James is planning to implement. A. Punishment and extinction B. Positive reinforcement and punishment C. Punishment and negative reinforcement D. Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement E. Negative reinforcement and extinction

Q: The maintenance role of the _____ involves helping resolve conflict by meeting others half way. A. encourager B. harmonizer C. compromiser D. standard setter E. commentator

Q: (p. 241) _____ occurs when there is the removal of positive consequences following an unwanted behavior. A. Negative feedback B. Negative reinforcement C. Punishment D. Extinction E. Positive reinforcement

Q: During group meetings Patty feels that everyone should have their say whenever the group makes an important decision. She makes sure that every group member gets the chance to put forth his or her own ideas during the meeting. Which of the following maintenance roles is Patty performing? A. Harmonizer B. Encourager C. Compromiser D. Standard setter E. Gatekeeper

Q: (p. 241) Which two contingencies of reinforcement are designed to decrease undesired behaviors? A. Punishment and extinction B. Positive reinforcement and punishment C. Punishment and negative reinforcement D. Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement E. Negative reinforcement and extinction

Q: The maintenance role of gatekeeper involves _____. A. mediating conflict through reconciliation or humor B. pulling together ideas and suggestions C. keeping the group headed toward its stated goal D. encouraging all group members to participate E. evaluating the quality of group processes

Q: A group member who says _____ is performing a maintenance role. A. "What is the real issue here? We don't seem to be going anywhere." B. "Let's accept and praise the various points of view." C. "We can do this. We've met difficult goals before." D. "Last week we decided to table this agenda item. Are we ready to address it again?" E. "A goal of 150 per week sounds reasonable."

Q: (p. 241) A manager suspends one of his subordinates for showing up to work late. This is an example of: A. negative feedback. B. punishment. C. negative reinforcement. D. extinction. E. neutral reinforcement.

Q: As part of a work team in his office, it is Larry's job to make photocopies of relevant materials and hand them out to the team members during meetings. Which of the following task roles is Larry performing in his work team? A. Coordinator B. Orienter C. Evaluator D. Procedural technician E. Recorder

Q: (p. 241) Which of these occurs when an unwanted outcome follows an unwanted behavior? A. Reverse discrimination B. Neutral reinforcement C. Punishment D. Extinction E. Positive reinforcement

Q: (p. 241) _____ occurs when an unwanted outcome is removed following a desired behavior. A. Reverse discrimination B. Retribution C. Extinction D. Punishment E. Negative reinforcement

Q: The task role of _____ involves suggesting new goals or ideas. A. initiator B. elaborator C. evaluator D. recorder E. energizer

Q: (p. 241) Organizations use four specific consequences to modify employee behavior. They are known as: A. attribution biases. B. communities of practice. C. contingencies of reinforcement. D. climates of transfer. E. heuristics.

Q: The task role of coordinator serves to _____. A. mediate conflict through reconciliation or humor B. pull together ideas and suggestions C. keep the group headed toward its stated goal D. encourage all group members to participate E. evaluate the quality of group processes

Q: A group member who says _____ is performing a task role. A. "Let's focus on the main goal here. What are we trying to accomplish?" B. "Let's hear from those who oppose this plan." C. "You two agree more than you realize." D. "Bill, we haven't heard from you yet. What do you think?" E. "Karen, you make a very good point."

Q: (p. 240) _____ refer(s) to the notion that we learn by observing the link between our voluntary behavior and the consequences that follow it. A. Explicit learning B. Operant conditioning C. Social identification D. Heuristics E. Experimental conditioning

Q: At the first group meeting, Brandon, who is the manager and group leader, severely berates a latecomer. As a result, all the group members perceive Brandon to be a tough, no-nonsense boss who does not tolerate people coming late to work. In all the subsequent group meetings, all the members are always on time. This is an example of _____, and it contributes to the evolution of group norms. A. a carryover behavior B. a role episode C. primacy D. an explicit statement by a supervisor E. a critical event in the group's history

Q: (p. 240) Explicit knowledge _____. A. is highly personal in nature B. cannot be articulated to others C. is job and situation-specific D. contains conscious and accessible information E. is based on employees' experience

Q: Michelle has recently started a new job as a middle school history teacher. She is relatively certain of what she can expect from her students since she was a high school history teacher last year. This situation is an example of _____ that contributes to the development of a norm. A. a critical event in the group's history B. an explicit statement by a supervisor C. primacy D. a role episode E. a carryover behavior

Q: Vincent has worked at The Shadows restaurant for several years and in the restaurant industry for almost 30 years. He can't really explain it, but he "just knows" which applicants are the ones to hire. His intuition most likely comes from a high level of _____ that he has of the industry in general and this restaurant in particular. A. tacit knowledge B. extraneous knowledge C. early training D. continual reinforcement E. genetic knowledge

Q: Alyssa is the leader a work team. She creates a new rule that cell phones will no longer be allowed during team meetings in order to prevent any unwanted interruptions. This is an example of _____ which contributes to the development of a norm. A. a critical event in the group's history B. an explicit statement by a supervisor C. primacy D. a role episode E. a carryover behavior from a past situation

Q: (p. 240) Tacit knowledge _____. A. is based on experience B. involves conscious and accessible information C. can be learned through books D. exists as general information E. is easily transferred through written communication

Q: _____ is an attitude, opinion, feeling, or action that is shared by two or more people and guides their behavior. A. A role episode B. Ostracism C. A role D. The Asch effect E. A norm

Q: Jill recently started working as a management trainee at the human resources department of a large government organization. She read the job description and attended the orientation for new employees, but she's still not really sure what her job responsibilities are. Jill is experiencing _____. A. social loafing B. role overload C. role ambiguity D. role conflict E. role exchange

Q: (p. 240) Which of the following is a characteristic of tacit knowledge? A. Transferability through written communication B. Existence as general information C. Ability to be learned through books D. High personal nature E. Existence as conscious and accessible information

Q: (p. 239) _____ knowledge is not easily communicated but could very well be the most important aspect of what we learn in organizations. A. Book-based B. Direct C. Explicit D. Tacit E. Documented

Q: Explain the differences between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.

Q: (p. 239) The knowledge that employees can typically learn only through experience is called _____ knowledge. A. consensus-based B. tacit C. explicit D. direct E. open

Q: Provide a workable plan for maximizing the motivational impact of extrinsic rewards?

Q: Nicole has spent weeks studying the manuals in order to take the Lieutenant's exam. She has gained a great deal of ______ knowledge but little, if any, ______ knowledge from her studies. A. explicit, tacit B. high level; low level C. specific, general D. internal, external E. transitory, permanent

Q: Why do extrinsic rewards too often fail to motivate employees?

Q: (p. 239) Lucy just moved to New York on a job assignment. Lucy got herself a map of the city and various other guides on restaurants, fitness centers, libraries, and theaters. Lucy learns about New York by studying these materials. Lucy acquires _____ knowledge by learning this way. A. consensus-based B. tacit C. explicit D. intuition-based E. inherent

Q: Explain how managers can cultivate intrinsic motivation in others using the building blocks of intrinsic rewards.

Q: (p. 239) Information that is relatively easily communicated and a large part of what companies teach during training sessions is known as _____ knowledge. A. inherent B. inferred C. implied D. tacit E. explicit

Q: Mention some of the tips that managers should keep in mind when giving feedback as part of a comprehensive performance management program.

Q: (p. 239) True learning only occurs when: A. employees avoid mimicking the behaviors of experts. B. experts also pretend to be novices. C. changes in behavior become relatively permanent. D. employees are assigned larger responsibilities. E. learned behaviors are not repeated over time.

Q: Discuss the factors that influence a recipient's readiness for and interpretation of feedback.

Q: (p. 239) Research shows that the differences between experts and novices are almost always a function of: A. intelligence. B. consensus. C. heuristic. D. personality. E. learning.

Q: Discuss the general steps to follow when implementing a goal-setting program.

Q: Distinguish between learning goals and performance outcome goals. Explain how performance outcome goals could distract employees from the discovery of task relevant strategies.

Q: (p. 239) The knowledge and skills that distinguish specialists from novices is referred to as: A. motivation. B. expertise. C. heuristic. D. inspiration. E. rationale.

Q: (p. 238) _____ refers to the process of generating and choosing from a set of alternatives to solve a problem. A. Decision making B. Learning C. Intuition D. Reinforcement E. Conditioning

Q: Joanne was teaching her two year old son to write his first name. She praised him for writing the first letter correctly. After the child had mastered that first step, she praised him for every letter he wrote, until he wrote the entire name correctly. This implies that Joanne was engaging in _____.A. shapingB. negative reinforcementC. punishmentD. extinctionE. positive reinforcement

Q: (p. 238) Which of these reflects relatively permanent changes in an employee's knowledge or skill that result from experience? A. Perception B. Learning C. Intuition D. Consensus E. Heuristic

Q: _____ is defined as the process of reinforcing closer and closer approximations to a target behavior. A. Positive reinforcement B. Negative reinforcement C. Shaping D. Extinction E. Punishment

Q: (p. 259) Transfer of training occurs when the knowledge, skills, and behaviors used on the job are maintained by the learner once training ends and generalized to the workplace once the learner returns to the job.

Q: Philip got a mail from his supervisor with compliments and praises for his work over the past few months. This instance is an example of _____ schedule of reinforcement. A. continuous B. fixed ratio C. variable ratio D. fixed interval E. variable interval

Q: Paying an employee $10 for every 20 units he or she produces is an example of a _____ schedule of reinforcement. A. continuous B. fixed ratio C. variable ratio D. fixed interval E. variable interval

Q: (p. 259) Communities of practice are groups of employees who work together and learn from one another by collaborating over an extended period of time.

Q: A _____ schedule of reinforcement consists of providing reinforcement after a fluctuating time period has elapsed. A. continuous B. fixed ratio C. variable ratio D. fixed interval E. variable interval

Q: (p. 258) Learning has a weak positive effect on commitment.