ACCA BT · Chapter 11
Motivating individuals and groups MCQs with Answers
11 multiple-choice questions on Motivating individuals and groups for ACCA BT Business and Technology. Try each one before revealing the answer and explanation.
Practise this chapter interactivelyQuestion 1
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level of need must generally be satisfied immediately before esteem needs become the main motivator?
- A) Safety needs
- B) Social (love and belonging) needs
- C) Physiological needs
- D) Self-actualisation needs
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Answer: B) Social (love and belonging) needs
Maslow's hierarchy, from the bottom, is physiological, safety, social (love and belonging), esteem and self-actualisation. Esteem needs become dominant once social needs are reasonably satisfied. Self-actualisation sits above esteem at the top of the hierarchy.
Question 2
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following is a hygiene factor?
- A) Salary
- B) Recognition for achievement
- C) Responsibility
- D) Opportunity for advancement
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Answer: A) Salary
Herzberg's hygiene (maintenance) factors relate to the job context and include salary, company policy, supervision, working conditions and interpersonal relations; when inadequate they cause dissatisfaction. Motivators relate to the job content and include achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement.
Question 3
A manager gives a team a pay rise and improves the canteen, but finds that, although complaints have reduced, staff are no more motivated than before. Which theory best explains this outcome?
- A) Herzberg's two-factor theory
- B) McGregor's Theory X
- C) Vroom's expectancy theory
- D) Taylor's scientific management
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Answer: A) Herzberg's two-factor theory
Herzberg argued that improving hygiene factors such as pay and working conditions removes dissatisfaction but does not create positive motivation, which requires motivators such as achievement and responsibility. This matches the reduced complaints without increased motivation. Taylor, by contrast, believed pay was the main motivator.
Question 4
Vroom's expectancy theory expresses motivational force using which formula?
- A) Force = Valence + Expectancy
- B) Force = Valence x Expectancy
- C) Force = Hygiene factors x Motivators
- D) Force = Expectancy / Valence
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Answer: B) Force = Valence x Expectancy
Vroom stated that the strength of motivation (force) equals the value an individual places on an outcome (valence) multiplied by their expectation that their action will lead to that outcome (expectancy). Because the terms are multiplied, if either is zero there will be no motivation.
Question 5
An employee values a promotion very highly, but believes there is no chance that extra effort will lead to promotion because promotions are based purely on length of service. According to Vroom, what is the likely level of motivation to work harder for promotion?
- A) Zero, because the expectancy is zero
- B) High, because the valence is high
- C) Moderate, because high valence offsets low expectancy
- D) Negative, because the employee values the outcome
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Answer: A) Zero, because the expectancy is zero
Under Vroom's formula, Force = Valence x Expectancy. However highly the promotion is valued, an expectancy of zero gives a product of zero, so there will be no motivation to make extra effort for that outcome. Valence and expectancy do not offset each other additively.
Question 6
According to McGregor, a manager who believes that employees inherently dislike work, avoid responsibility and must be closely controlled holds which set of assumptions?
- A) Theory X
- B) Theory Y
- C) Theory Z
- D) Hygiene theory
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Answer: A) Theory X
McGregor's Theory X assumes people are lazy, dislike work and need coercion and close supervision. Theory Y assumes people can enjoy work, seek responsibility and exercise self-direction when committed to objectives. Theory Z is associated with Ouchi, and hygiene factors with Herzberg.
Question 7
Which of the following management practices is most consistent with McGregor's Theory Y assumptions?
- A) Introducing strict clocking-in procedures and close supervision
- B) Linking all pay to piece-rate output with penalties for errors
- C) Centralising all decisions with senior management
- D) Delegating authority and involving employees in setting their own targets
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Answer: D) Delegating authority and involving employees in setting their own targets
Theory Y assumes employees are self-motivated and seek responsibility, so managers should delegate, encourage participation and allow self-direction. Strict controls, coercive piece-rate systems and centralisation reflect Theory X assumptions.
Question 8
Which job design technique involves giving an employee greater responsibility and control over planning and checking their own work, adding vertical depth to the job?
- A) Job enlargement
- B) Job enrichment
- C) Job rotation
- D) Job simplification
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Answer: B) Job enrichment
Job enrichment adds vertical depth by giving employees more responsibility, autonomy and decision-making. Job enlargement adds horizontal breadth by increasing the number of similar tasks, job rotation moves staff between jobs for variety, and job simplification breaks work into smaller repetitive tasks.
Question 9
Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model identifies five core job dimensions. Which of the following is one of them?
- A) Salary level
- B) Task significance
- C) Span of control
- D) Group cohesiveness
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Answer: B) Task significance
The five core dimensions are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. These are said to create critical psychological states (meaningfulness, responsibility, knowledge of results) leading to higher motivation. Salary is a hygiene factor in Herzberg's terms, and span of control and group cohesiveness are structural and group concepts.
Question 10
McClelland identified three types of motivating need. Which of the following lists them correctly?
- A) Physiological, safety and esteem
- B) Existence, relatedness and growth
- C) Achievement, affiliation and power
- D) Valence, expectancy and instrumentality
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Answer: C) Achievement, affiliation and power
McClelland's acquired needs theory identifies the need for achievement, the need for affiliation and the need for power. Physiological, safety and esteem are levels of Maslow's hierarchy, existence-relatedness-growth is Alderfer's ERG theory, and valence, expectancy and instrumentality are elements of Vroom's expectancy theory.
Question 11
Which of the following is an example of a 'content' theory of motivation?
- A) Vroom's expectancy theory
- B) Adams' equity theory
- C) Locke's goal-setting theory
- D) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
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Answer: D) Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Content theories focus on what motivates people, identifying needs or factors, and include Maslow, Herzberg and McClelland. Process theories, such as Vroom's expectancy theory, equity theory and goal-setting theory, focus on how people decide to be motivated.