Motivation and Leadership Theories questions for the CHST

CHST Domain 4: Leadership, Communication, and Training (K4.2 Human behavior motivation methods and techniques; K4.7 Leadership strategies). 3 free questions below. Every answer quotes and links the source document it comes from.

Sources covered

Maslow, A. H., A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review 50 (1943), 370-396 A Theory of Human Motivation
Pringle, Starr & McCavitt, Electronic Media Management, 3rd ed. (Focal Press, 1995), p. 9, Fig. 1-2, reprinting McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), pp. 33-34, 47-48 McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y

Guidance documents are quoted from the published edition linked above; they are recommendations, not regulations.

Question 1

A new foreman believes his crew will steer their own work toward goals they are committed to, and that discipline is not the only way to get results. He wants to raise compliance with fall protection planning. Which action fits that belief?

Show answer and source: Pringle, Starr & McCavitt, Electronic Media Management, 3rd ed. (Focal Press, 1995), p. 9, Fig. 1-2, reprinting McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), pp. 33-34, 47-48, PDF p. 1

Answer: C. Ask the crew to help set the fall protection goal and plan their own task controls

McGregor's Theory Y says external control and punishment are not the only means of getting effort, and people use self-direction and self-control for objectives they are committed to. Involving the crew in setting the goal and planning controls builds that commitment. Discipline schedules and close supervision are control-based, and dropping goals gives nothing to commit to.

On the job

A plant engineer wants better lockout compliance on a packaging line, where the maintenance crew has been writing procedures handed down from the office. Believing external control and threats of punishment are not the only way to get effort, and that people direct themselves toward objectives they are committed to, she brings the mechanics into the next planning session. They help set the lockout goal and write the isolation steps for their own machines, because commitment to those targets is what drives self-direction on the line.

Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.

Answer C comes from

Pringle, Starr & McCavitt, Electronic Media Management, 3rd ed. (Focal Press, 1995), p. 9, Fig. 1-2, reprinting McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), pp. 33-34, 47-48, PDF p. 1

“External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing about effort toward organizational objectives. Man will exercise self-direction and self-control in the service of objectives to which he is committed.”

Question 2

A superintendent asks only the project engineers for ideas to cut ladder incidents. He says laborers 'can't come up with anything useful.' A laborer then suggests a simple staging change that removes most ladder use. The safety technician wants to explain the superintendent's mistake using McGregor's Theory Y. Which statement fits Theory Y?

Answer: A. Creative problem solving ability is widely spread across the workforce, so crew input should be sought

McGregor's Theory Y says the capacity for ingenuity and creativity in solving organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed. So laborers' ideas should be sought. The choices claiming creativity is limited to a few, or that workers prefer direction and avoid responsibility, are Theory X-style views that the quote rejects.

On the job

A plant engineer at a bottling plant is stuck on a recurring forklift near-miss problem. A shift lead suggests moving a pallet staging area, and the engineer realizes he almost dismissed the idea because it came from the floor. Applying Theory Y, which holds that ingenuity and creativity in solving organizational problems are widely distributed, he starts a standing practice of asking line operators for fixes.

Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.

Answer A comes from

Pringle, Starr & McCavitt, Electronic Media Management, 3rd ed. (Focal Press, 1995), p. 9, Fig. 1-2, reprinting McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), pp. 33-34, 47-48, PDF p. 1

“The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems is widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population.”

Question 3

A general contractor wants its subcontractor crews to commit to a new housekeeping goal. A safety manager proposes tying recognition and a team reward to each crew meeting the goal. Which Theory Y idea does this plan rely on?

Answer: B. Workers' commitment to a goal depends on the rewards linked to achieving it

McGregor's Theory Y says commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with achieving them, so linking recognition to the goal fits. Fear of discipline, security above all, and tight supervisor control are Theory X assumptions, and the plan does not rely on them.

On the job

A site superintendent at a warehouse build wants subcontractor crews to commit to a fall-protection inspection goal. Following the Theory Y idea that commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with achieving them, he links a crew lunch and public recognition at the weekly meeting to each crew that meets the goal. Crews that hit the target are rewarded, and the program is built around that link rather than on threats.

Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.

Answer B comes from

Pringle, Starr & McCavitt, Electronic Media Management, 3rd ed. (Focal Press, 1995), p. 9, Fig. 1-2, reprinting McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (1960), pp. 33-34, 47-48, PDF p. 1