Motivation Theories: Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Job Design - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

14 original exam-style questions - 3 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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This topic is chapter 5 of A Level Business: Marketing, people and managing business activities Practice Book.

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BUS.AL18 Motivation Theories: Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Job Design

AQA 7132 · Calculators not allowed · about 55 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions in the spaces provided. Short answers may be brief sentences. For the longer 9-mark question write in full sentences and give a clear judgement. Show any working for calculations.

Match the theorist to the idea. For each letter write A, B, C or D next to the correct theorist name for GreenLeaf Cafe staff motivation.

(a)Taylor - scientific management: a) payment by piece rate; b) managers design tasks and monitor speed; c) employees progress through a hierarchy of needs; d) hygiene and motivator factors(1)

(b)Maslow - hierarchy of needs: which idea matches? a) payment by piece rate; b) managers design tasks and monitor speed; c) employees progress through a hierarchy of needs of five levels; d) hygiene and motivator factors(1)

(c)Herzberg - two-factor theory: which idea matches? a) payment by piece rate; b) managers design tasks and monitor speed; c) employees progress through a hierarchy of needs; d) hygiene factors separate from motivators(1)

(d)Which matches the idea 'payment by piece rate and close supervision to increase output' for a cafe workforce? a) payment by piece rate; b) managers design tasks and monitor speed; c) employees progress through a hierarchy of needs; d) hygiene and motivator factors(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 4 marks)

State one advantage of job rotation for employees at GreenLeaf Cafe.

(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)

Define 'scientific management' as proposed by Frederick Taylor in the context of a small business like GreenLeaf Cafe.

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

State the number of levels in Maslow's classical hierarchy of needs as commonly taught in business studies, and name the top level for employees at GreenLeaf Cafe.

(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)

Identify whether the following is an example of a Herzberg hygiene factor or a Herzberg motivator in the context of GreenLeaf Cafe: 'an increase in hourly pay'.

(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)

Define 'job rotation' and give one short example of how it could be used at GreenLeaf Cafe.

(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)

Define 'job enlargement' and give one concise example that would fit GreenLeaf Cafe's operations.

(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)

Define 'job enrichment' and give one brief example of job enrichment suitable for staff at GreenLeaf Cafe.

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

GreenLeaf Cafe serves 120,000 customer covers per year. There are 25 staff in total expressed as full-time-equivalent workers. Calculate average annual covers per FTE worker. Show your working.

(Total for Question 9 is 3 marks)

Explain how Taylor's scientific management approach could be used to improve motivation and productivity among front-of-house staff at GreenLeaf Cafe. Use GreenLeaf Cafe context in your answer.

(Total for Question 10 is 3 marks)

Explain how Maslow's hierarchy of needs could be applied at GreenLeaf Cafe to improve employee motivation. Refer to specific levels of the hierarchy in your answer.

(Total for Question 11 is 3 marks)

Explain how Herzberg's two-factor theory could guide GreenLeaf Cafe managers to improve staff motivation. Give one hygiene change and one motivator change and explain their effects.

(Total for Question 12 is 3 marks)

To what extent would introducing job enrichment motivate staff at GreenLeaf Cafe? Make a clear judgement and use GreenLeaf Cafe context and theory to support your answer.

(Total for Question 13 is 9 marks)

GreenLeaf Cafe has 25 staff at the start of the year. Over the year 6 employees leave and need replacing. The cafe operates 360 days per year and reports that average daily covers per full-time-equivalent worker are unchanged. Using these figures for GreenLeaf Cafe, analyse the likely impact of this staff turnover on productivity, recruitment costs and customer service. Use the data in your answer.

(Total for Question 14 is 8 marks)

Mark scheme · BUS.AL18 Motivation Theories: Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Job Design

Question 1

(a) B1 B cao
(a) Answer: B
(b) B1 C cao
(b) Answer: C
(c) B1 D cao
(c) Answer: D
(d) B1 A cao
(d) Answer: A

Question 2

B1 reduced boredom and increased skills/versatility cao
Answer: It reduces boredom and increases employees' skills and versatility.

Question 3

B1 a concise definition: managers analyse tasks to find the most efficient method and closely supervise workers, sometimes using financial incentives
Answer: Managers scientifically analyse tasks to find the most efficient method and closely supervise workers, often using pay incentives.

Question 4

B1 five levels and self-actualisation as the top level cao
Answer: Five levels; the top level is self-actualisation.

Question 5

B1 hygiene factor cao
Answer: Hygiene factor.

Question 6

B1 definition: moving employees between different tasks or roles to reduce boredom and broaden skills
Answer: Job rotation is moving employees through different tasks or roles to reduce boredom and develop skills. Example: rotating staff between front-of-house, barista and light food prep shifts.

Question 7

B1 definition: increasing the number of tasks an employee performs, usually at the same level of responsibility
Answer: Job enlargement is increasing the number of tasks an employee performs, without increasing authority. Example: a server also taking on simple cash-up and basic cleaning duties each shift.

Question 8

B1 definition: adding more meaningful tasks or responsibility to increase job satisfaction
Answer: Job enrichment is adding meaningful tasks, responsibility or autonomy to a role to increase satisfaction. Example: giving a barista responsibility for ordering stock and training new staff.

Question 9

M1 120,000 / 25 seen
M1 computation 120,000 / 25 = 4,800 shown
A1 4,800 covers per FTE per year cao
Answer: 4,800 covers per FTE per year.

Question 10

B1 knowledge: identifies a Taylorist measure, e.g. time-and-motion study, standardised tasks or piece-rate pay
B1 applied: links the measure to GreenLeaf Cafe, e.g. time studies could set standard times for taking orders and clearing tables
B1 developed: explains how this could raise motivation/productivity, e.g. clear targets and pay incentives could encourage faster serving and higher output
Answer: Carry out time-and-motion studies and set standardised tasks and targets for order taking and table clearing at GreenLeaf Cafe; link these to small bonuses or piece-rate-related incentives. Clear standards and financial incentives give staff a measurable target and reward for faster, consistent performance, which can increase productivity and short-term motivation.

Question 11

B1 knowledge: identifies a Maslow level or levels, e.g. physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualisation
B1 applied: links a level to GreenLeaf Cafe, e.g. fair pay and predictable shifts satisfy safety and physiological needs; team meetings satisfy social needs
B1 developed: explains effect on motivation, e.g. meeting lower-level needs allows staff to pursue esteem or self-actualisation through training or responsibility, increasing motivation
Answer: Ensure fair hourly pay and reliable rotas so staff can meet physiological and safety needs, run social events or team briefings to build belonging, and offer praise, responsibilities or training for esteem and self-actualisation. When basic needs are met, employees are more able to be motivated by higher-level factors like recognition and opportunities for personal development.

Question 12

B1 knowledge: identifies a hygiene factor and a motivator as per Herzberg
B1 applied: links each to GreenLeaf Cafe, e.g. improved pay/working conditions; giving staff responsibility for a shift or training
B1 developed: explains effects, e.g. hygiene reduces dissatisfaction, motivators increase job satisfaction and longer-term motivation
Answer: Improve hygiene by ensuring fair pay, comfortable staff areas and reliable rotas to reduce dissatisfaction, and introduce motivators such as giving staff responsibility for running a shift, recognition for good service or opportunities for training. Reducing hygiene problems prevents demotivation, while motivators increase job satisfaction and longer-term commitment.

Question 13

Level 1 (1-3): Offers simple, undeveloped claims about job enrichment, with little or no theory applied and no clear overall judgement.
Level 2 (4-6): Provides developed explanation linking job enrichment to motivation theory and GreenLeaf Cafe, discusses positive or negative impacts, but evaluation is partial or one-sided.
Level 3 (7-9): Balances analysis and evaluation: applies Herzberg, Maslow or other relevant theory to GreenLeaf Cafe, weighs benefits against limitations or costs, and reaches a clear, justified conclusion about the overall extent job enrichment would motivate staff.
Indicative content:
- Explain how job enrichment can act as a motivator by increasing autonomy, responsibility and opportunities for achievement, linking to Herzberg's motivators and Maslow's higher-level needs such as esteem and self-actualisation.
- Apply to GreenLeaf Cafe with examples: giving baristas responsibility for stock ordering and rota planning, offering training and customer feedback opportunities, or letting experienced servers run a shift.
- Analyse likely benefits: increased job satisfaction, lower turnover, improved service quality and potential productivity gains due to greater intrinsic motivation.
- Consider limitations and costs: some staff may prefer routine tasks and feel stressed by extra responsibility; managers must train and monitor enriched roles, which takes time and money; small cafes may have limited scope to redesign jobs.
- Weigh evidence: for a staff group seeking development and recognition, enrichment is likely to be highly motivating; for staff primarily motivated by pay or predictable routines, enrichment may have limited effect. A justified recommendation might be to pilot enrichment with volunteers and combine it with hygiene improvements like fair pay.

Question 14

B1 knowledge: computes staff turnover = (6/25) x 100 = 24% and states this figure
B1 applied: links 24% turnover to immediate effects on staffing, e.g. temporary understaffing or need to use agency staff
B1 applied: identifies increased recruitment/training costs for replacing 6 employees and links to GreenLeaf context
B1 analysis: explains how recruitment and training reduce short-term productivity, even if average daily covers per FTE remain unchanged over the year
B1 analysis: explains potential negative effect on customer service quality from inexperienced staff or frequent changes, with examples such as slower service or mistakes
B1 analysis: discusses possible longer-term effects, e.g. lower morale among remaining staff, higher manager workload, and risk of further turnover
B1 analysis: quantifies or weighs trade-offs using the 24% figure, e.g. replacing nearly a quarter of staff in a year is significant for a small cafe and likely to raise costs materially
B1 conclusion or judgement: provides a supported judgement about overall impact, e.g. turnover is likely to harm short-term productivity and customer service and increase costs unless managed
Answer: Staff turnover = (6/25) x 100 = 24%. A 24% annual turnover is high for a small cafe and means GreenLeaf must recruit and train nearly a quarter of its workforce, raising recruitment fees, vacancy costs and training time. Even though average daily covers per FTE are reported unchanged over the year, short-term productivity is likely to fall during recruitment and training periods, and the cafe may need agency or overtime cover, which is more expensive. Customer service may suffer from inexperienced staff, slower service and more mistakes, reducing customer satisfaction and potentially sales. Remaining staff may face higher workloads and lower morale, which can further reduce productivity and increase the risk of further turnover. Overall, the 24% turnover is likely to increase costs and reduce service quality unless the cafe invests in retention and rapid induction.

Motivation Theories: Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Job Design - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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