IIA IIA Certifications IIA-CIA-PART4 Questions & Answers

• Question 171:

  Which of the following is a cultural aspect that typically makes international and intercultural communication more difficult?

  I. Long distances between sender and receiver.

  II. Body language.

  III. Language.

  IV.

  Attitude.

  A.

  I and Ill only.

  B.

  II and V only.

  C.

  I, IV, and V only.

  D.

  II, Ill, IV, and V only.

  Correct Answer: D

  Facial, gestural, and postural body language, and other forms of nonverbal communication, may have different meanings in different cultures. Furthermore, because of the differences in language even within the same country, special care must be taken not to make mistakes or offend others in a foreign land. It is nearly impossible for someone with only a few semestersof a foreign language to understand the subtleties of nonnative communication. Attitudes, such as stereotyping, also may cause misunderstandings. In addition, time is a barrier to intercultural communication. The perception of time as it relates to business and social life varies with the culture. Polychronic time is based on a perception that time is nonlinear, flexible, and multidimensional. This perception is typical of Mediterranean,Latin American, and Arabic cultures. Monochronic time is based on a perception that time is the same for everyone and is measurable in standard units. This perception is common in Northern Europe and the U.S. These western cultures believe in punctuality and that time is money and should not be wasted. However, communication difficulties due to the long distances separating senders and receivers have been minimized by electronic communication, such as email, fax, and teleconferencing.

• Question 172:

  In many jobs, excessive specialization can eventually lead to poor motivation, boredom, and alienation. In order to cope with the potential problems in such a situation, managers should:

  A. Focus on the employees' higher-level needs in order to help them achieve self- actualization.

  B. Remove dissatisfiers such as low salary, bad supervision, lack of job security, and poor working conditions.

  C. Implement an optimal organizational rewards system and provide all needed training to keep employees up to date on technology.

  D. Change the jobs to fit the employees' needs or rotate employees to jobs that satisfy the employees' needs.

  Correct Answer: D

  Job design theories of motivation specifically address the issue of overspecialization. These theories focus on the match between the person and the job as the key to motivation. The recommendation for dealing with the potential problems of overspecialization and boredom is either to enrich the job or to move the employee to a job that provides the appropriate level of challenge.

• Question 173:

  Motivation is:

  A. The extent to which goal-specific performance is recognized by supervisors.

  B. The extent to which individuals have the authority to make decisions.

  C. The extent of the attempt to accomplish a specific goal.

  D. The desire and the commitment to achieve a specific goal.

  Correct Answer: D

  Motivation is the desire to attain a specific goal goal congruence) and the commitment to accomplish the goal managerial effort). Managerial motivation is therefore a combination of managerial effort and goal congruence.

• Question 174:

  A production manager is working on a plan to increase employee motivation at a local plant by comparing results of employee interviews to those from employees at a higher performing plant. The manager is puzzled about the results of two sets of employee interviews. The employees interviewed performed identical jobs. Local employees thought their jobs were boring and unfulfilling while the other plant's employees were very satisfied. Even new employees at the local plant indicated they quickly lost enthusiasm. Identify the primary element the manager must overcome to enhance performance.

  A. Negative job perception.

  B. Inadequate job autonomy.

  C. Lack of skill variety.

  D. Low task significance.

  Correct Answer: A

  The tasks and environment for both sets of employees are the same. Thus, the individuals' perceptions are the key to the problem.

• Question 175:

  Which of the following is false concerning job motivation?

  A. Increased planning and decision making in a job is a positive motivator only if accompanied by a salary increase.

  B. Recognition of achievement motivates performance.

  C. Poor working conditions create dissatisfaction with the job.

  D. Poor interpersonal relations create dissatisfaction with the job.

  Correct Answer: A

  Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory of human behavior postulates that there are two classes of factors in the job situation. Maintenance of hygiene factors dissatisfiers) are those the presence of which will not especially motivate people but the absence of which will diminish performance. These factors are extrinsic to the work itself. They include supervision, working conditions, interpersonal relations, salary, and status. Motivational factors (satisfiers) are those the absence of which will not diminish performance but the addition or availability of which will motivate employees. Intrinsic to the work itself, these include achievement, recognition, challenging work, advancement, growth in the job, and responsibility. Thus, increased planning and decision making enrich the job and serve toincrease satisfaction and motivation. A pay increase is not necessary to achieve this positive effect, but a perceived inadequacy of compensation would act as a dissatisfier.

• Question 176:

  Some behavioral models stress employee participation as a key to motivation. A limitation of the participative approach is:

  A. Workers are intrinsically lazy and must be driven.

  B. A number of dissatisfiers must be present in order for the approach to work.

  C. It is difficult to elicit the participation of all employees.

  D. Unresolvable conflicts arise when a mature, capable, creative person joins a structured, demanding, and limiting organization.

  Correct Answer: C

  For a participative management approach to succeed, the parties must have sufficient time, the issues must be relevant to employees' interests, employees must have the abilities training and communication skills) to participate, and the organizational culture should support participation. Accordingly, a limitation of the participative approach is that it is unlikely that all employees are willing to participate in decision making.

• Question 177:

  Both Maslow and Herzberg have developed popular motivational theories. Which statement best distinguishes Herzberg's theory?

  A. Job performance improves as job satisfaction increases.

  B. Job performance improves as physiological needs are met.

  C. Job esteem improves as physiological needs are met.

  D. Job esteem improves as job satisfaction increases.

  Correct Answer: A

  Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory of human behavior postulates that there are two classes of factors in the job situation. Maintenance or hygiene factors are those whose presence will not especially motivate people but whose absence will diminish performance. These factors are extrinsic to the work itself. They include supervision, working conditions, interpersonal relations, salary, and status. Motivational factors are those the absence of which will not diminish performance but the addition or availability of which will motivate employees. Intrinsic to the work itself, these include achievement, recognition, challenging work, advancement, growth in the job, and responsibility.

• Question 178:

  An employee's self-actualization need would be met by:

  A. Attractive pension provisions.

  B. Challenging new job assignments.

  C. Good working conditions.

  D. Regular positive feedback.

  Correct Answer: B

  Self-actualization is the highest human need. It is the desire to become what one is capable of becoming, to realize one's potential and accomplish to the limit of one's ability. In other words, the job itself is an intrinsic motivation; no extrinsic motivation such as rewards or reinforcements) is needed. Intrinsic motivation provides the worker with psychological income. Thus, challenging new job assignments meet an employee's self actualization needs.

• Question 179:

  Alternative work schedules for employees are said to increase the efficiency of business operations. Alternative work schedules are consistent with the underlying concepts of which theory?

  A. Motivation-hygiene theory.

  B. Theory X.

  C. Equity theory.

  D. Cognitive evaluation theory.

  Correct Answer: A

  Herzberg's two-factor theory of human behavior postulates two classes of factors:motivational and hygiene. Hygiene factors dissatisfiers) include those factors whose presence will not especially motivate people but whose absence will lead to diminished motivation. These factors are extrinsic to the work itself. They include status, interpersonal relations, and alternative work schedules. Hygiene factors such as work schedules need to be adequate so that workers will have little dissatisfaction. The absence of motivational factors satisfiers) will not diminish performance, but their addition or availability will motivate employees. Intrinsic to the work itself, they include achievement, advancement, and recognition.

• Question 180:

  Which of the following motivational theories are most alike in that both theories assume employees want to work and can do so unsupervised?

  A. Theory X and Theory Y.

  B. Theory X and Theory Z.

  C. Theory Y and Theory Z.

  D. Theory Y and Herzberg's two-factor theory.

  Correct Answer: C

  Ouchi's Theory Z is based on the Japanese practice of providing long-term employment to workers. Decisions are made on a team basis, and trust is an important aspect of the theory, including the issue of trusting employees to complete their work satisfactorily and unsupervised. Theory Y assumes that Iiemployees like to work and will do so unsupervised.