Employee Motivation, Leadership, and Stress Management: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Aug 9, 2024 in Social sciences

Review Questions & Answers

Employee Motivation

1. Key Elements in Motivating Employees

Hire employees predisposed to motivation, set goals, provide feedback, reward excellent performance, treat employees fairly, and place new employees with motivated mentors.

2. McClelland’s Motivation Theory: Three Motives

Need for Achievement: The desire to succeed (Trait Theory).
Need for Affiliation: The desire for social interaction.
Need for Power: The desire to control others (Trait Theory).

3. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-Actualization Needs
Ego Needs
Social Needs
Safety Needs
Basic Biological Needs

5. Three Types of Self-Esteem

Chronic, situational, and socially influenced.

6. Ways to Increase Self-Esteem

Training seminars
Ensure success with initial easy tasks (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy)
Supervisory confidence in employees (Pygmalion Effect)

7. Characteristics of Properly Set Goals

Concrete and specific, challenging yet attainable, self-set rather than assigned.

8. Individual Incentive Plans

Pay-for-performance, merit pay.

9. Organizational Incentive Plans

Profit sharing, gainsharing, stock options.

10. Components of Expectancy Theory

Expectancy, instrumentality, valence.

11. Factors of Core Evaluation

Self-esteem, locus of control, self-efficacy, emotional stability.

12. Sources of Job Satisfaction

Individual differences, met expectations, enjoyable tasks, positive relationships with supervisors and coworkers, happy colleagues, equitable distribution of rewards and resources, opportunities for challenge and growth.

13. Ways to Increase Job Growth and Challenge

Job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment.

14. Scales to Measure Job Satisfaction

Faces Scale, Job Descriptive Index (JDI), Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), Job in General Scale (JIG), Nagy Job Satisfaction Scale.

15. Strategies for Increasing Attendance

Link attendance to consequences (incentives, time off, recognition, discipline)
Reduce employee stress (remove negative factors, add Employee Assistance Programs)
Reduce illness (wellness programs, fitness programs)
Avoid hiring absence-prone employees

Leadership

16. Characteristics of Leader Emergence (Trait Theory)

Intelligence, dominance, masculinity, self-monitoring.

17. Reasons for Leadership Failure (Hogan)

Lack of training, lack of intelligence, personality disorders.

18. Factors Determining Situational Favorability (Fiedler)

Task structuredness, leader position power, leader-member relations.

19. Leadership Styles and Climates (IMPACT Theory)

Informational Style in a Climate of Ignorance
Magnetic Style in a Climate of Despair
Position Style in a Climate of Instability
Affiliation Style in a Climate of Anxiety
Coercive Style in a Climate of Crisis
Tactical Style in a Climate of Disorganization

20. Strategies for Effective Leadership (IMPACT Theory)

Align leadership style with climate
Adapt leadership style to the climate
Change followers’ perception of the climate
Modify the climate

21. Leadership Styles (Path-Goal Theory)

Instrumental Style: Plans, organizes, controls.
Supportive Style: Shows concern for employees.
Participative Style: Shares information and encourages employee participation.
Achievement-Oriented Style: Sets challenging goals and rewards performance improvements.

22. Major Types of Power

Coercive Power: Using punishment or threats.
Reward Power: Offering positive reinforcement.
Legitimate Power: Formal authority within an organization.
Expert Power: Possessing specialized knowledge or skills.
Referent Power: Based on respect, admiration, and likability.

Stress Management

23. Types of Stress

Eustress: Positive, motivating stress leading to desirable outcomes and optimal arousal.
Distress: Negative stress resulting in emotional and physical illness.

24. Job Characteristics Associated with Stress

Role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload.

25. Organizational Characteristics Associated with Stress

Person-organization fit, work environment, change, interpersonal relationships.

26. Factors Affecting Predisposition to Stress

Personality (Type A, pessimism), exercise, laughter, diet, smoking, sleep, self-empowerment, coping skills, support groups.

27. Factors Influencing Noise Impact on Performance and Satisfaction

Pleasantness, task type, task difficulty, individual differences, necessity, familiarity.

28. Body’s Temperature Regulation Mechanisms

Radiation and evaporation.

29. Components of Effective Temperature

Air temperature, humidity, air flow, temperature of surrounding objects.

30. Profile of a Typical Berserker

Male, middle-aged, job-dependent self-esteem, fascination with and access to firearms, often described as a loner.