81. Most attempts to measure job satisfaction rely on:
A. observation of employees by top management.
B. reports by co-workers.
C. worker's self-reports.
D. behavioral measures.
There is a vast amount of data on the reliability and validity of many existing scales as well as a wealth of data from companies that have used these scales, allowing for comparisons across firms.
82. The job descriptive index measures all of the following facets of satisfaction EXCEPT:
A. pay.
B. the work itself.
C. co-workers.
D. customers.
One standardized, widely used measure of job satisfaction is the Job Descriptive Index (JDI). The JDI emphasizes various facets of satisfaction: pay, the work itself, supervision, co-workers, and promotions.
83. The Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) focuses on all of the following dimensions EXCEPT:
A. pay levels.
B. benefits.
C. promotions.
D. pay structures.
The Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) focuses on these more specific dimensions (pay levels, benefits, pay structure, and pay raises); thus this measure gives a more detailed view of exactly what aspects of pay are most or least satisfying.
84. The key to finding the number of measurable satisfaction facets in operational contexts, where the main concern is retention, is making sure that scores on whatever measures taken truly relate to _____ among valued people.
A. involuntary turnover
B. voluntary turnover
C. internal turnover
D. external turnover
Satisfaction with co-workers might be low, but if this aspect of satisfaction is not too central to employees, it may not translate into voluntary turnover.
85. Organization PQR strategically implements many pay-for-performance plans and receives reports on low performers being dissatisfied. The organization does not consider it as an operational problem because this strategy is implemented to create:
A. dissatisfaction among low performers to motivate them to higher levels of performance.
B. voluntary turnover.
C. involuntary turnover.
D. satisfaction among high performers to motivate them to higher levels of performance.
In an organization that bases raises on performance, low performers might report being dissatisfied with raises, but this may not reflect any operational problem.
86. Regardless of what measures are used or how many facets of satisfaction are assessed, a systematic, _____ program of employee survey research should be a prominent part of any human resource strategy for a number of reasons.
A. periodic
B. occasional
C. intermittent
D. ongoing
Ongoing program of employee survey research allows the company to monitor trends over time and thus prevent problems in the area of voluntary turnover before they happen. It provides a means of empirically assessing the impact of changes in policy or personnel on worker attitudes. When these surveys incorporate standardized scales like the JDI, they often allow the company to compare itself with others in the same industry along these dimensions.
87. Employee survey research allows the company to monitor trends over time and thus prevent problems in the area of _____ before they happen.
A. dissatisfaction among low performers
B. voluntary turnover
C. involuntary turnover
D. human resource strategy
Regardless of what measures are used or how many facets of satisfaction are assessed, a systematic, ongoing program of employee survey research should be a prominent part of any human resource strategy for a number of reasons.
88. Within the organization, a systematic survey program allows the company to check for differences between units and _____ best practices that might be generalized across units.
A. benchmark
B. avoid
C. discontinue
D. reevaluate
Regardless of what measures are used or how many facets of satisfaction are assessed, a systematic, ongoing program of employee survey research should be a prominent part of any human resource strategy for a number of reasons.
89. _____ with departing workers can be a valuable tool for uncovering systematic concerns that are driving retention problems.
A. Behavioral interviews
B. Retention interviews
C. Exit interviews
D. Mock interviews
If properly conducted, an exit interview can reveal the reasons why people are leaving, and perhaps even set the stage for their later return.
90. Boomerangs are:
A. former employees who have returned to work for the company.
B. workers who have voluntarily left two or more organizations within the past five years.
C. expatriates who are in the process of returning home from their overseas assignment.
D. children of baby boomers who are just beginning to enter the workforce in large numbers.
A good exit interview sets the stage for boomerangs because if a recruiter is armed with information about what caused a specific person to leave policies, when the situation changes, the person may be willing to come back.