Managing Workflows and Conducting Job Analysis

Which of the following common conceptions about self-managed teams (SMT) is true?

• leaders lose power in the transition to teams

• employees are eager to be empowered

• it may take several years for a self-managed team to become fully operational

• if you group employees in a team structure, they will function as a team and the organization will reap the benefits of teamwork

• self-managed teams do not need leaders

The two-factor theory of motivation is based on the concept of:

• job satisfaction and dissatisfaction

• work adjustment

• equity

• need hierarchy

• empowerment

A long-time employee has recently expressed dissatisfaction with her job as an accounts payable clerk. According to the two-factor theory of motivation which of the following interventions would reduce her level of dissatisfaction?

• promote her to the position of department manager

• provide her with an "award of excellence" to recognize her efforts

• provide her with more accounts to be responsible for

• increase her level of responsibility

• increase her hourly rate of pay

Work adjustment theory proposes that:

• the employer's expectations for individual employees experiencing no dissatisfaction with the work environment are more likely to produce a superior-quality product

• employees need to be defined and communicated

• employees will be more motivated to perform when they have clear and specific goals

• jobs should be designed to provide as many motivators as possible

• not all employees want to be involved in decision making

Enriching jobs so that employees have the feeling that their work is important to others is termed:

• task identity

• task variety

• task significance

• feedback

• autonomy

Auto workers on the assembly line are periodically transferred from one workstation to the next to reduce boredom and fatigue. This job design approach is an example of:

• work simplification

• job rotation

• job enrichment

• job specialization

• job enlargement

Both job enlargement and job rotation have limitations because these approaches focus mainly on eliminating the de-motivating aspect of work and thus improve only:

• skill variety

• feedback

• task significance

• task identity

• autonomy

Dan Smith, a conscientious employer committed to making his employees' jobs more rewarding and satisfying, recently introduced a job enrichment plan. His plan included all of the following steps EXCEPT:

• move employees from job to job

• allow employees to build the entire product

• increase the level of job difficulty and responsibility

• provide more feedback

• give employees more authority and control over outcomes

Job analysis has been referred to as "the cornerstone of the organization" because it supports all of the following HR activities EXCEPT:

• legal defense

• performance appraisal

• job design

• compensation

• recruitment and selection

The identification information section of the job description may contain all of the following information EXCEPT:

• job title

• dates of job analysis

• source of job analysis information

• working conditions

• job location