Download Answers for questions chp 2

ESSAY QUESTIONS
145.
What is ability? What is the significance of the ability-job fit?
Ability refers to an individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a given job. It is a
current assessment of what one can do. Employee performance is enhanced when an
employee and position are well matched (in ability-job fit). If we focus only on the employee’s
abilities or the ability requirements of the job, we ignore the fact that employee performance
depends on the interaction of the two. (Pages 14-15)
146.
What prediction can you make for an organization where the ability-job fit is poor?
If employees lack the required abilities, they are likely to fail in their job performance.
Abilities significantly above those required can also reduce the employee’s job satisfaction
when the employee’s desire to use his or her abilities is particularly strong and is frustrated
by the limitations of the job. (Page 15)
147.
Discuss the three components of an attitude.
148.
The three components of an attitude are cognition, affect, and behavior. The cognitive
component is a value statement. Affect is the emotional or feeling segment of an attitude. The
behavioral component of an attitude refers to an intention to behave in a certain way toward
someone or something. (Page 16)
Discuss cognitive dissonance theory and three ways in which individuals might alleviate dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance seeks to explain the linkage between attitudes and behavior.
Dissonance means an inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance refers to any incompatibility that
an individual might perceive between two or more of his or her attitudes, or between his or
her behavior and attitudes. Individuals will seek a stable state where there is a minimum of
dissonance. Individuals may change their behavior, reduce dissonance by concluding that
the dissonant behavior is not so important after all, or change their attitude. (Pages 16-17)
149.
Define and discuss the theory of cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance was proposed in the late 1950s by Leon Festinger. This theory sought
to explain the linkage between attitudes and behavior. Dissonance means an inconsistency.
Cognitive dissonance refers to any incompatibility that an individual might perceive between
the two or more of his or her attitudes, or between his or her behavior and attitudes.
Individuals will seek a stable state where there is a minimum of dissonance. (Page 17)
150.
Explain self-perception theory.
Self-perception argues that attitudes are used, after the fact, to make sense out of an action
that has already occurred rather than as devices that precede and guide action. And contrary
to cognitive dissonance theory, attitudes are just casual verbal statements. When people are
asked about their attitudes, and they don’t have strong convictions or feelings, selfperception theory says they tend to create plausible answers. (Page 18)
151.
Most of the research in OB has been concerned with three attitudes: job satisfaction, job
involvement, and organizational commitment. Explain the difference between these attitudes.
Job satisfaction refers to an individual’s general attitude toward his or her job. A person with
a high level of job satisfaction holds positive attitudes toward the job, while a person who is
dissatisfied with his or her job holds negative attitudes about the job. Job involvement
measures the degree to which a person identifies psychologically with his or her job and
considers his or her perceived performance level important to self-worth. Employees with a
high level of job involvement strongly identify with and really care about the kind of work
they do. Organizational commitment is defined as a state in which an employee identifies
with a particular organization and its goals, and wishes to maintain membership in the
organization. So high organizational commitment means identifying with one’s employing
organization. (Page 20)
152.
What are the major causes of job satisfaction?
The major job satisfaction facets are the work itself, pay, advancement opportunities,
supervision, and coworkers. Enjoying the work itself is almost always the facet most strongly
correlated with high levels of overall job satisfaction. Most people prefer work that is
challenging and stimulating over work that is predictable and routine. For people who are
poor or who live in poor countries, pay does correlate with job satisfaction and with overall
happiness. But, once an individual reaches a level of comfortable living the relationship
virtually disappears. Personality also plays a role in job satisfaction. Research has shown
that people who have a negative personality (for example, those who tend to be grumpy,
critical, and negative) are usually less satisfied with their jobs. (Pages 23-24)
153.
Discuss how job satisfaction can impact employee productivity, absenteeism and turnover.
At the individual level, the evidence suggests that productivity is likely to lead to satisfaction.
There is a consistent negative relationship between satisfaction and absenteeism, but the
correlation is moderate. Satisfaction is also negatively related to turnover, but the correlation
is stronger than what was found for absenteeism.
An important moderator of the
satisfaction-turnover relationship is the employee’s level of performance. (Pages 24-27)
154.
Discuss whether employee satisfaction is related to customer satisfaction.
The evidence indicates that satisfied employees increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In service organizations, customer retention and defection are highly dependent on how
front-line employees deal with customers. Satisfied employees are more likely to be friendly,
upbeat, and responsive – which customers appreciate. And because satisfied employees are
less prone to turnover, customers are more likely to encounter familiar faces and receive
experienced service. These qualities build customer satisfaction and loyalty. Dissatisfied
customers can increase an employee’s job dissatisfaction. Employees who have regular
contact with customers report that rude, thoughtless, or unreasonably demanding customers
adversely effect the employees’ job satisfaction. (Page 25)
155.
What is learning?
Leaning is defined as any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of
experience. Learning involves change. The change must become ingrained. Some form of
experience is necessary for learning. (Page 27)
156.
Identify and discuss operant conditioning and social learning. Be sure to specifically identify the key
elements of each of these theories by name.
Skinner, who discovered operant conditioning, argues that behavior is a function of its
consequences. People learn to behave to get something they want or to avoid something
they don’t want. Operant behavior means voluntary or learned behavior in contrast to
reflexive or unlearned behavior. The tendency to repeat such behavior is influenced by the
reinforcement or lack of reinforcement brought about by the consequences of the behavior
and can be manipulated through positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment,
shaping, and extinction. Social learning is the theory that we can learn through both
observation and direct experience. Social learning theory is an extension of operant
conditioning; it assumes that behavior is a function of consequences – it also acknowledges
the existence of observational learning and the importance of perception to learning. People
respond to how they perceive and define consequences, not to the objective consequences
themselves. (Pages 27-28)
157.
How can managers shape employee behavior?
Managers can shape employee behavior by systematically reinforcing each successive step
that moves the individual closer to the desired response. Managers can mold individuals by
guiding their learning in graduated steps. Reinforcement increases as responses more
closely approximate the desired behavior. Managers may use positive reinforcement,
negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction to promote this gradual shaping of
employee behavior. (Page 29)
158.
Give an example of a fixed-ratio schedule for paying employees and an example of a variable-ratio
schedule for payment.
In a fixed-ratio schedule, rewards are initiated after a fixed or constant number of responses.
For example, a worker is rewarded with a piece rate system paying $10 for every 12 widgets
produced. Each dozen earns the worker another $10. A variable-ratio schedule provides
rewards at variable amounts of output. For example, a car salesman on commission is on a
variable-ratio schedule. Each potential customer does not necessarily result in a sale and
thus a commission. (Page 30)