12 Chapter - Motivation Across Cultures
Chapter 12
Motivation Across Cultures
True / False Questions
1. The three basic elements in the process of motivation are needs, drives and rewards.
True False
2. Process theories of worker motivation explain how employee behavior is initiated,
redirected and halted.
True False
3. The hierarchy-of-needs theory is based primarily on work by David McClelland.
True False
4. Maslow postulated that everyone has five basic needs, which constitute a need hierarchy. In
ascending order, beginning with the most basic, they are physiological, safety, social, esteem
and self-actualization needs.
True False
5. Safety needs consist of food, clothing, shelter and other basic physical needs.
True False
6. Self-actualization needs involve the need for power and status.
True False
7. Research generally shows that people throughout the world have needs that are similar to
those described in Maslow's need hierarchy.
True False
12-1
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
8. The two-factor theory of motivation holds that two sets of factors influence job satisfaction:
intrinsic and extrinsic.
True False
9. In the two-factor motivation theory, job context variables such as salary, interpersonal
relations, technical supervision, work conditions and company policies and administration are
referred to as hygiene factors.
True False
10. In work motivation, those factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions,
hours, earning, security, benefits and promotions are referred to as job context factors.
True False
11. Achievement motivation theory holds that individuals can have a need to get ahead, to
attain success and to reach objectives.
True False
12. High achievers tend to be high-risk takers.
True False
13. The culture of many countries does not support high achievement.
True False
14. The expectancy theory focuses on how motivation is affected by people's perception of
how fairly they are being treated.
True False
12-2
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
15. The goal-setting theory focuses on how individuals go about setting goals and responding
to them and the overall impact of this process on motivation.
True False
16. The equity theory postulates that motivation is largely influenced by a multiplicative
combination of a person's beliefs.
True False
17. The importance of work in individuals' life relative to other areas of interest is referred to
as work salience.
True False
18. The Japanese word for overwork or job burnout is Karoshi.
True False
19. Recent research reports that EU workers see a strong relationship between how well they
do their jobs and the ability to get what they want out of life.
True False
20. In general, although the process for motivation may be the same across cultures, the
content may change from one culture to another.
True False
12-3
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
Multiple Choice Questions
21. _____ is a psychological process through which unsatisfied wants or needs lead to drives
that are aimed at goals or incentives.
A. Ability
B. Inducement
C. Assurance
D. Motivation
22. The three basic elements in the process of motivation are:
A. Needs, abilities and desires
B. Desires, drives and accomplishments
C. Needs, drives and goal attainment
D. Perceptions, attitudes and goal attainment
23. The first assumption about the motivation process is that it is:
A. Universal
B. Country specific
C. Culturally explicit
D. Regionally distinct
24. In China _____ is an important need and _____ is a goal.
A. Group affiliation; professional achievement
B. Professional achievement; individual success
C. Group affiliation; harmony
D. Individual success; harmony
25. The factors Welsh, Luthans and Sommer observed among the Russian workforce that
seemed to increase worker performance are:
A. Value of extrinsic reward and participative techniques
B. Value of extrinsic reward and behavioral management
C. Participative techniques and behavioral management
D. Value of intrinsic reward and participative techniques
12-4
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
26. Work-motivation theories can be broken down into two general categories which are:
A. Method and outcome
B. Internal and external
C. Implicit and explicit
D. Content and process
27. Work-motivation in terms of what arouses, energizes or initiates employee behavior are
explained by:
A. Extrinsic theories
B. Content theories
C. Intrinsic theories
D. Process theories
28. Process theories of work motivation:
A. Explain how employee behavior is aroused and energized
B. Explain how employee behavior is initiated
C. Give a composite picture of employee motivation in a particular region
D. Have more value to the study of employee motivation in international setting
29. Most research in international human resource management has been _____, because
these theories examine motivation in more general terms and are more useful in creating a
composite picture of employee motivation in a particular country or region.
A. Content-oriented
B. Context-oriented
C. Procedure-oriented
D. Process-oriented
30. The hierarchy-of-needs theory is based primarily on work by _____; a well-known U.S.
psychologist now deceased.
A. David McClelland
B. Geert Hofstede
C. Frederick Herzberg
D. Abraham Maslow
12-5
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
31. Maslow postulated that everyone has five basic needs, which constitute a need hierarchy.
In ascending order, beginning with the most basic, they are:
A. Physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs
B. Social, safety, physiological, self-actualization and esteem needs
C. Safety, physiological, esteem, self-actualization and social needs
D. Esteem, social, physiological, safety and self-actualization needs
32. The following needs are correctly matched with their descriptions except:
A. Physiological needs-the need for food, clothing, shelter and other basic, physical needs
B. Safety needs-the desire for security, stability and the absence of pain
C. Social needs-the need for power and status
D. Self-actualization needs-the desire to reach one's full potential by becoming everything one
is capable of becoming
33. Which of the following needs is correctly matched with its description?
A. Physiological needs-the need to interact and affiliate with others and the need to feel
wanted by others
B. Safety needs-the desire for security, stability and the absence of pain
C. Esteem needs-the need for food, clothing, shelter and other basic, physical needs
D. Self-actualization needs-the need for power and status
34. The desire to fulfill one's basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are included in:
A. Esteem needs
B. Social needs
C. Physiological needs
D. Safety needs
35. The need to interact and affiliate with and, to feel wanted by others are included in:
A. Physiological needs
B. Safety needs
C. Social needs
D. Esteem needs
12-6
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
36. The needs for power and status come under:
A. Self-actualization needs
B. Esteem needs
C. Social needs
D. Safety needs
37. A basic assumption of Maslow's theory is that:
A. Lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs become motivators
B. Higher-level needs must be satisfied before lower-level needs become motivators
C. There are more ways to satisfy lower-level needs than higher-level ones
D. A need that has been satisfied can continue to serve as a motivator
38. Researchers have suggested that Maslow's theory needs a(n):
A. Capitalist perspective
B. Collectivist perspective
C. Individualist perspective
D. Social individualist perspective
39. The Haire and follow-up studies dealt only with:
A. Clerks
B. Managers
C. Technicians
D. Unskilled workers
40. The tables from Hofstede's research show that _____ needs rank highest for professionals
and managers.
A. Safety and social
B. Social and esteem
C. Esteem and self-actualization
D. Social and physiological
12-7
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
41. Researchers like Hofstede recommended that lower-level personnel should be given:
A. Physical rewards
B. The opportunity to use one's skill
C. A cooperative environment
D. Autonomy
42. The top-ranking goal for professional technical personnel from various countries is:
A. Personal time
B. Friendly department
C. Autonomy
D. Training
43. The least important goal for professional technical personnel from various countries is:
A. Benefits
B. Security
C. Efficient department
D. A successful company
44. The two-factor theory was formulated by well-known work-motivation theorist:
A. Frederick Herzberg
B. Geert Hofstede
C. David McCelland
D. Abraham Maslow
45. The two-factor theory of motivation holds that two sets of factors influence job
satisfaction. These are:
A. Inducement, subsistence
B. Advancement, responsibility
C. Hygiene, motivators
D. Recognition, rewards
12-8
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
46. In the two-factor motivation theory, the job content factors which include achievement,
recognition, responsibility, advancement and the work itself are referred to as:
A. Inducement factors
B. Reward factors
C. Hygiene factors
D. Motivators
47. Hygiene factors include all of the following except:
A. Interpersonal relations
B. Technical supervision
C. Advancement
D. Working conditions
48. Salary under Herzberg's theory is:
A. A social need
B. A motivator
C. Esteem need
D. A hygiene factor
49. The following is not a motivator:
A. Advancement
B. Responsibility
C. Working conditions
D. The work
50. Which researcher concluded that "the Herzberg model appears to have validity across
occupational levels"?
A. David McClelland
B. George Hines
C. Maslow
D. Hofstede
12-9
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
51. A number of research efforts have been undertaken to replicate the two-factor theory and
they:
A. Cast doubt on Herzberg's findings
B. Support Herzberg's findings
C. Are unable to either refute or support Herzberg's findings
D. Prove Herzberg's findings to be utterly worthless
52. In an Israeli kibbutz, the following hygiene factor was regarded as a source of satisfaction
rather than dissatisfaction:
A. Salary
B. Working conditions
C. Interpersonal relations
D. Technical supervision
53. According to the text, the most important motivational variable in Zambia is:
A. Growth opportunity
B. Relations with other
C. Work nature
D. Fairness in organizational practices
54. Herzberg-type motivators are of more importance to job satisfaction in:
A. Japan
B. South Africa
C. Zambia
D. Israel
55. In work motivation, factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions, hours,
earnings, security, benefits and promotions are referred to as:
A. Job context factors
B. Job content factors
C. Job process factors
D. Job inducement factors
12-10
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
56. In work motivation, factors internally controlled, such as responsibility, achievement and
the work itself are referred to as:
A. Job process factors
B. Job inducement factors
C. Job content factors
D. Job context factors
57. _____ theory holds that individuals can have a need to get ahead, to attain success and to
reach objectives.
A. Achievement motivation
B. Two-factor
C. Hierarchy of needs
D. Quality of life
58. Achievement motivation theory is associated with the work of Harvard psychologist:
A. Geert Hofstede
B. Abraham Maslow
C. Frederick Herzberg
D. David McClelland
59. According to the theory of achievement motivation, all of the following are characteristics
of high achievers except:
A. They like situations in which they take personal responsibility for finding solutions to
problems
B. They tend to be team players
C. They want concrete feedback on their performance
D. They tend to be moderate risk-takers
60. The theory that focuses on how motivation is affected by people's perception of how fairly
they are being treated is the:
A. Goal-setting theory
B. Equity theory
C. Motivation theory
D. Expectancy theory
12-11
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
61. The theory that focuses on how individuals go about setting goals and responding to them
and the overall impact of this process on motivation is:
A. Equity theory
B. Motivation theory
C. Expectancy theory
D. Goal-setting theory
62. Expectancy theory postulates all of the following except:
A. Effort will lead to performance
B. Performance will lead to specific outcomes
C. The outcomes will be of value to the individual
D. The employees are controlled by the external environment
63. _____ consists of a job's content, the methods that are used on the job and the way in
which the job relates to others in the organization.
A. Job design
B. Task portfolio
C. Job composition
D. Job structure
64. In the context of job design and work centrality, the acronym QWL stands for:
A. Quantity of Work Load
B. Quality of Work Life
C. Quality of Work Load
D. Quality of Work Level
65. A worker's QWL is directly related to his or her country's:
A. Predominant religious beliefs
B. Geographic location
C. Governmental structure
D. Culture
12-12
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
66. _____ designs are job designs that blend personnel and technology.
A. Sociotechnical
B. Sociocultural
C. Socioengineering
D. Sociohostilic
67. The importance of work in an individual's life relative to other areas of interest is referred
to as:
A. Work prominence
B. Work centrality
C. Work salience
D. Work objectivity
68. One reason that Americans and Japanese work such long hours is due to:
A. High stress levels
B. Low employee turnover
C. High cost of living
D. Employee complacency
69. "Balance in synergy" would require a moving away from all of the following except:
A. Individualistic thinking
B. Avoidance of risk taking
C. Holistic and idealistic thinking
D. Emphasis on control
70. To motivate employees, especially in foreign countries with high individualism companies
tend to offer:
A. Non-financial perks
B. Telecommunications
C. Local area networks
D. Financial incentives
12-13
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
Essay Questions
71. What are the two different approaches (or basic types of theories) used to study
motivation? Which approach has been used more extensively in international management
research? Why?
72. What are the basic assumptions on which the hierarchy-of-needs theory rests?
73. What are the differences between job context factors and job content factors?
74. What characteristics of high achievers did David McClelland identify?
12-14
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
75. What are sociotechnical job designs?
12-15
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
Chapter 12 Motivation Across Cultures Answer Key
True / False Questions
1. (p. 422) The three basic elements in the process of motivation are needs, drives and rewards.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
2. (p. 424) Process theories of worker motivation explain how employee behavior is initiated,
redirected and halted.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
3. (p. 425) The hierarchy-of-needs theory is based primarily on work by David McClelland.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
4. (p. 425) Maslow postulated that everyone has five basic needs, which constitute a need
hierarchy. In ascending order, beginning with the most basic, they are physiological, safety,
social, esteem and self-actualization needs.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
12-16
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
5. (p. 425) Safety needs consist of food, clothing, shelter and other basic physical needs.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
6. (p. 425) Self-actualization needs involve the need for power and status.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
7. (p. 425) Research generally shows that people throughout the world have needs that are
similar to those described in Maslow's need hierarchy.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
8. (p. 429) The two-factor theory of motivation holds that two sets of factors influence job
satisfaction: intrinsic and extrinsic.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
9. (p. 429) In the two-factor motivation theory, job context variables such as salary, interpersonal
relations, technical supervision, work conditions and company policies and administration are
referred to as hygiene factors.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
12-17
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
10. (p. 434) In work motivation, those factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions,
hours, earning, security, benefits and promotions are referred to as job context factors.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
11. (p. 435) Achievement motivation theory holds that individuals can have a need to get ahead,
to attain success and to reach objectives.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
12. (p. 435) High achievers tend to be high-risk takers.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
13. (p. 437) The culture of many countries does not support high achievement.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
14. (p. 437) The expectancy theory focuses on how motivation is affected by people's perception
of how fairly they are being treated.
FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
12-18
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
15. (p. 439) The goal-setting theory focuses on how individuals go setting about goals and
responding to them and the overall impact of this process on motivation.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
16. (p. 439) The equity theory postulates that motivation is largely influenced by a multiplicative
combination of a person's beliefs.
FALSE
Difficulty: Medium
17. (p. 442) The importance of work in individuals' life relative to other areas of interest is
referred to as work salience.
FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
18. (p. 444) The Japanese word for overwork or job burnout is Karoshi.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
19. (p. 446) Recent research reports that EU workers see a strong relationship between how well
they do their jobs and the ability to get what they want out of life.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
12-19
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
20. (p. 448) In general, although the process for motivation may be the same across cultures, the
content may change from one culture to another.
TRUE
Difficulty: Medium
Multiple Choice Questions
21. (p. 422) _____ is a psychological process through which unsatisfied wants or needs lead to
drives that are aimed at goals or incentives.
A. Ability
B. Inducement
C. Assurance
D. Motivation
Difficulty: Easy
22. (p. 422) The three basic elements in the process of motivation are:
A. Needs, abilities and desires
B. Desires, drives and accomplishments
C. Needs, drives and goal attainment
D. Perceptions, attitudes and goal attainment
Difficulty: Medium
23. (p. 423) The first assumption about the motivation process is that it is:
A. Universal
B. Country specific
C. Culturally explicit
D. Regionally distinct
Difficulty: Medium
12-20
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
24. (p. 423) In China _____ is an important need and _____ is a goal.
A. Group affiliation; professional achievement
B. Professional achievement; individual success
C. Group affiliation; harmony
D. Individual success; harmony
Difficulty: Medium
25. (p. 423) The factors Welsh, Luthans and Sommer observed among the Russian workforce
that seemed to increase worker performance are:
A. Value of extrinsic reward and participative techniques
B. Value of extrinsic reward and behavioral management
C. Participative techniques and behavioral management
D. Value of intrinsic reward and participative techniques
Difficulty: Medium
26. (p. 424) Work-motivation theories can be broken down into two general categories which
are:
A. Method and outcome
B. Internal and external
C. Implicit and explicit
D. Content and process
Difficulty: Medium
27. (p. 424) Work-motivation in terms of what arouses, energizes or initiates employee behavior
are explained by:
A. Extrinsic theories
B. Content theories
C. Intrinsic theories
D. Process theories
Difficulty: Easy
12-21
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
28. (p. 424) Process theories of work motivation:
A. Explain how employee behavior is aroused and energized
B. Explain how employee behavior is initiated
C. Give a composite picture of employee motivation in a particular region
D. Have more value to the study of employee motivation in international setting
Difficulty: Medium
29. (p. 424) Most research in international human resource management has been _____,
because these theories examine motivation in more general terms and are more useful in
creating a composite picture of employee motivation in a particular country or region.
A. Content-oriented
B. Context-oriented
C. Procedure-oriented
D. Process-oriented
Difficulty: Medium
30. (p. 425) The hierarchy-of-needs theory is based primarily on work by _____; a well-known
U.S. psychologist now deceased.
A. David McClelland
B. Geert Hofstede
C. Frederick Herzberg
D. Abraham Maslow
Difficulty: Medium
31. (p. 425) Maslow postulated that everyone has five basic needs, which constitute a need
hierarchy. In ascending order, beginning with the most basic, they are:
A. Physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs
B. Social, safety, physiological, self-actualization and esteem needs
C. Safety, physiological, esteem, self-actualization and social needs
D. Esteem, social, physiological, safety and self-actualization needs
Difficulty: Medium
12-22
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
32. (p. 425) The following needs are correctly matched with their descriptions except:
A. Physiological needs-the need for food, clothing, shelter and other basic, physical needs
B. Safety needs-the desire for security, stability and the absence of pain
C. Social needs-the need for power and status
D. Self-actualization needs-the desire to reach one's full potential by becoming everything one
is capable of becoming
Difficulty: Medium
33. (p. 425) Which of the following needs is correctly matched with its description?
A. Physiological needs-the need to interact and affiliate with others and the need to feel
wanted by others
B. Safety needs-the desire for security, stability and the absence of pain
C. Esteem needs-the need for food, clothing, shelter and other basic, physical needs
D. Self-actualization needs-the need for power and status
Difficulty: Medium
34. (p. 425) The desire to fulfill one's basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are included in:
A. Esteem needs
B. Social needs
C. Physiological needs
D. Safety needs
Difficulty: Medium
35. (p. 425) The need to interact and affiliate with and, to feel wanted by others are included in:
A. Physiological needs
B. Safety needs
C. Social needs
D. Esteem needs
Difficulty: Medium
12-23
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
36. (p. 425) The needs for power and status come under:
A. Self-actualization needs
B. Esteem needs
C. Social needs
D. Safety needs
Difficulty: Medium
37. (p. 425) A basic assumption of Maslow's theory is that:
A. Lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs become motivators
B. Higher-level needs must be satisfied before lower-level needs become motivators
C. There are more ways to satisfy lower-level needs than higher-level ones
D. A need that has been satisfied can continue to serve as a motivator
Difficulty: Medium
38. (p. 426) Researchers have suggested that Maslow's theory needs a(n):
A. Capitalist perspective
B. Collectivist perspective
C. Individualist perspective
D. Social individualist perspective
Difficulty: Hard
39. (p. 426) The Haire and follow-up studies dealt only with:
A. Clerks
B. Managers
C. Technicians
D. Unskilled workers
Difficulty: Medium
12-24
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
40. (p. 429) The tables from Hofstede's research show that _____ needs rank highest for
professionals and managers.
A. Safety and social
B. Social and esteem
C. Esteem and self-actualization
D. Social and physiological
Difficulty: Hard
41. (p. 429) Researchers like Hofstede recommended that lower-level personnel should be
given:
A. Physical rewards
B. The opportunity to use one's skill
C. A cooperative environment
D. Autonomy
Difficulty: Medium
42. (p. 427) The top-ranking goal for professional technical personnel from various countries is:
A. Personal time
B. Friendly department
C. Autonomy
D. Training
Difficulty: Easy
43. (p. 427) The least important goal for professional technical personnel from various countries
is:
A. Benefits
B. Security
C. Efficient department
D. A successful company
Difficulty: Easy
12-25
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
44. (p. 429) The two-factor theory was formulated by well-known work-motivation theorist:
A. Frederick Herzberg
B. Geert Hofstede
C. David McCelland
D. Abraham Maslow
Difficulty: Medium
45. (p. 429) The two-factor theory of motivation holds that two sets of factors influence job
satisfaction. These are:
A. Inducement, subsistence
B. Advancement, responsibility
C. Hygiene, motivators
D. Recognition, rewards
Difficulty: Medium
46. (p. 429) In the two-factor motivation theory, the job content factors which include
achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement and the work itself are referred to as:
A. Inducement factors
B. Reward factors
C. Hygiene factors
D. Motivators
Difficulty: Medium
47. (p. 429) Hygiene factors include all of the following except:
A. Interpersonal relations
B. Technical supervision
C. Advancement
D. Working conditions
Difficulty: Medium
12-26
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
48. (p. 429) Salary under Herzberg's theory is:
A. A social need
B. A motivator
C. Esteem need
D. A hygiene factor
Difficulty: Medium
49. (p. 429) The following is not a motivator:
A. Advancement
B. Responsibility
C. Working conditions
D. The work
Difficulty: Medium
50. (p. 432) Which researcher concluded that "the Herzberg model appears to have validity
across occupational levels"?
A. David McClelland
B. George Hines
C. Maslow
D. Hofstede
Difficulty: Easy
51. (p. 432) A number of research efforts have been undertaken to replicate the two-factor theory
and they:
A. Cast doubt on Herzberg's findings
B. Support Herzberg's findings
C. Are unable to either refute or support Herzberg's findings
D. Prove Herzberg's findings to be utterly worthless
Difficulty: Hard
12-27
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
52. (p. 432) In an Israeli kibbutz, the following hygiene factor was regarded as a source of
satisfaction rather than dissatisfaction:
A. Salary
B. Working conditions
C. Interpersonal relations
D. Technical supervision
Difficulty: Hard
53. (p. 432) According to the text, the most important motivational variable in Zambia is:
A. Growth opportunity
B. Relations with other
C. Work nature
D. Fairness in organizational practices
Difficulty: Medium
54. (p. 433) Herzberg-type motivators are of more importance to job satisfaction in:
A. Japan
B. South Africa
C. Zambia
D. Israel
Difficulty: Easy
55. (p. 434) In work motivation, factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions, hours,
earnings, security, benefits and promotions are referred to as:
A. Job context factors
B. Job content factors
C. Job process factors
D. Job inducement factors
Difficulty: Easy
12-28
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
56. (p. 434) In work motivation, factors internally controlled, such as responsibility, achievement
and the work itself are referred to as:
A. Job process factors
B. Job inducement factors
C. Job content factors
D. Job context factors
Difficulty: Easy
57. (p. 435) _____ theory holds that individuals can have a need to get ahead, to attain success
and to reach objectives.
A. Achievement motivation
B. Two-factor
C. Hierarchy of needs
D. Quality of life
Difficulty: Easy
58. (p. 435) Achievement motivation theory is associated with the work of Harvard
psychologist:
A. Geert Hofstede
B. Abraham Maslow
C. Frederick Herzberg
D. David McClelland
Difficulty: Medium
59. (p. 435) According to the theory of achievement motivation, all of the following are
characteristics of high achievers except:
A. They like situations in which they take personal responsibility for finding solutions to
problems
B. They tend to be team players
C. They want concrete feedback on their performance
D. They tend to be moderate risk-takers
Difficulty: Hard
12-29
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
60. (p. 437) The theory that focuses on how motivation is affected by people's perception of how
fairly they are being treated is the:
A. Goal-setting theory
B. Equity theory
C. Motivation theory
D. Expectancy theory
Difficulty: Easy
61. (p. 439) The theory that focuses on how individuals go about setting goals and responding to
them and the overall impact of this process on motivation is:
A. Equity theory
B. Motivation theory
C. Expectancy theory
D. Goal-setting theory
Difficulty: Easy
62. (p. 439) Expectancy theory postulates all of the following except:
A. Effort will lead to performance
B. Performance will lead to specific outcomes
C. The outcomes will be of value to the individual
D. The employees are controlled by the external environment
Difficulty: Medium
63. (p. 440) _____ consists of a job's content, the methods that are used on the job and the way in
which the job relates to others in the organization.
A. Job design
B. Task portfolio
C. Job composition
D. Job structure
Difficulty: Easy
12-30
Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
64. (p. 440) In the context of job design and work centrality, the acronym QWL stands for:
A. Quantity of Work Load
B. Quality of Work Life
C. Quality of Work Load
D. Quality of Work Level
Difficulty: Medium
65. (p. 440) A worker's QWL is directly related to his or her country's:
A. Predominant religious beliefs
B. Geographic location
C. Governmental structure
D. Culture
Difficulty: Medium
66. (p. 441) _____ designs are job designs that blend personnel and technology.
A. Sociotechnical
B. Sociocultural
C. Socioengineering
D. Sociohostilic
Difficulty: Easy
67. (p. 442) The importance of work in an individual's life relative to other areas of interest is
referred to as:
A. Work prominence
B. Work centrality
C. Work salience
D. Work objectivity
Difficulty: Easy
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Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
68. (p. 442) One reason that Americans and Japanese work such long hours is due to:
A. High stress levels
B. Low employee turnover
C. High cost of living
D. Employee complacency
Difficulty: Hard
69. (p. 446) "Balance in synergy" would require a moving away from all of the following
except:
A. Individualistic thinking
B. Avoidance of risk taking
C. Holistic and idealistic thinking
D. Emphasis on control
Difficulty: Hard
70. (p. 447) To motivate employees, especially in foreign countries with high individualism
companies tend to offer:
A. Non-financial perks
B. Telecommunications
C. Local area networks
D. Financial incentives
Difficulty: Medium
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Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
Essay Questions
71. (p. 424) What are the two different approaches (or basic types of theories) used to study
motivation? Which approach has been used more extensively in international management
research? Why?
The two different approaches used to study motivation in international management are
content theories of motivation and process theories of motivation. The content theories have
been given much more attention in international management research because they provide
the opportunity to create a composite picture for motivation of human resources in a particular
country or region of the world. In addition, content theories apply more directly to providing
ways for managers to improve the performance of their human resources.
Difficulty: Easy
72. (p. 425) What are the basic assumptions on which the hierarchy-of-needs theory rests?
The hierarchy-of-needs theory is based primarily on work by Abraham Maslow, a well-known
humanistic psychologist now deceased. Maslow's theory rests on a number of basic
assumptions. One is that lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs
become motivators. A second is that a need that is satisfied no longer serves as a motivator. A
third is that there are more ways to satisfy higher-level than there are ways to satisfy lowerlevel needs.
Difficulty: Medium
73. (p. 434) What are the differences between job context factors and job content factors?
In work motivation, those factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions, hours,
earnings, security, benefits and promotions are referred to as job context factors. In contrast,
those factors internally controlled, such as responsibility, achievement and the work itself, are
job content factors.
Difficulty: Medium
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Chapter 12 - Motivation Across Cultures
74. (p. 435) What characteristics of high achievers did David McClelland identify?
Researchers such as the late Harvard psychologist David McClelland have identified a
characteristic profile of high achievers. First, these people like situations in which they take
personal responsibility for finding solutions to problems. They want to win because of their
own efforts, not because of luck or chance. Second, they tend to be moderate risk takers rather
than high or low risk takers. Third, high achievers want concrete feedback on their
performance. They like to know how well they are doing and they use this information to
modify their actions. High achievers tend to gravitate into vocations such as sales, which
provide them with immediate, objective feedback about how they are doing. Finally and this
has considerable implications for human resource management, high achievers often tend to
be loners and not team players. They do not form warm, close relationships and they have
little empathy for others' problems.
Difficulty: Medium
75. (p. 441) What are sociotechnical job designs?
Sociotechnical designs are job designs that blend personnel and technology. The objective of
these designs is to integrate new technology into the workplace so that workers accept and use
it to increase overall productivity. Because new technology often requires people to learn new
methods and, in some cases, work faster, employee resistance is common. Effective
sociotechnical design can overcome these problems. There are a number of good examples
and perhaps the most famous is that of Volvo, the Swedish automaker.
Difficulty: Medium
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