Chapter 12: Work, Leisure, and Retirement

Question 1

True or False. The belief that people only work for a paycheck is correct.

Answer 1

False. Schwartz states that most people want to do something meaningful

Question 2

Blue and pink-collar workers drive meaning from _______, whereas white-collar workers place more emphasis on ________

Answer 2

Finding unity with others and developing the inner self. Expressing full potential

Question 3

Studies have shown that corporate executives who have better alignment with their personal intentions and company’s mission statement _______________.

Answer 3

Care more about their employee’s happiness, job satisfaction, and emotional well-being.

Question 4

What does the career construction theory say about how people build careers?

Answer 4

The theory states that people build careers through their actions that result from their own personal characteristics and social context. Aka, the actions people do at work result from how they adapt to their environment.

Question 5

Holland proposes that people choose occupations to optimize _________ and __________.

Answer 5

Individual traits and occupational interests

Question 6

What does the social cognitive career theory say about career choices?

Answer 6

It states that career choice is the result of the application of Bandura’s social cognitive theory.

Question 7

What are the six personality types that Holland states are related to occupation choice?

Answer 7

• Investigative
• Social
• Realistic
• Artistic
• Conventional
• Enterprising

Question 8

What are the four main factors of the SCCT in the simplest model? What are the two added factors in the complex model?

Answer 8

The four main factors are self-efficacy (belief in your ability), outcome expectations (what you think will happen in a situation), interests (what you like), and choice goals (what you want to achieve).

The two added factors are supports (environmental things that help you) and barriers (environmental things that block or frustrate you).

Question 9

True or False. People are likely to choose careers and occupations that they believe they will be successful in.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

At what age do people begin to form opinions about what work in a particular occupation will be like?

Answer 10

Adolescence

Question 11

Over time, what happens to a person’s opinions of themselves as they gain more personal experience?

Answer 11

Their opinions get redefined as they continue to update their occupational expectations and development.

Question 12

What are three reasons why an individual may modify their occupational goals?

Answer 12

• Interests change
• They cannot pursue the level of education required to achieve it
• They lack certain skills and cannot acquire them

Question 12

How do millennials differ from older generations in terms of occupational expectations?

Answer 12

They are more cynical of traditional organizations, are more likely to change jobs, are more comfortable with working with people from diverse backgrounds, and value employee development more.

Question 13

True or False. Most people who know they have the talent and opportunity to achieve their occupational/career goals often attain them.

Answer 13

True. Academically talented high school students’ assumptions of their career expectations and outcomes were proven to be correct 10 to 20 years later.

Question 14

What is reality shock? How can it be alleviated?

Answer 14

It is a situation in which what you learn in the classroom does not always transfer directly into the real world and does not represent all you need to know.

I can be alleviated by taking on internships and practicum experiences with a mentor

Question 15

What is a mentor?

Answer 15

A part-time teacher, sponsor, model, or counselor who facilitates on-the-job learning to help the new hire do their current role and prepare for future roles.

Question 16

What is a developmental coach?

Answer 16

An individual who helps a person focus on their goals, motivations, and aspirations to help them achieve focus and apply them appropriately.

Question 17

What is the difference between a mentor and a developmental coach?

Answer 17

Mentors work with people new to a position while coaches work with those with more experience.

Question 18

With mentors, occupational success often depends on _________ and __________

Answer 18

The quality of the mentor-mentee relationship and the mentee’s perception of its importance

Question 19

Why are women and minorities in need of mentors?

Answer 19

Women benefit from having higher expectations placed on them and they have been reported to have better perceived career development after mentoring.

Minorities need mentors to help them adjust to the work culture of the organization. Culturally conscious mentoring can help mentors be made aware of how the organization and employee culture affect employees and help them build upon those assumptions.

Question 19

What do mentors get out of a mentor-mentee relationship?

Answer 19

Helping a younger employee can help mentors achieve Erikson’s phase of generatively.

Question 20

True or False. A bad mentor or coach is better than none.

Answer 20

False. Having a bad mentor or coach is proven to be worse than having none. A company must match individuals carefully with mentors in order to get the best outcomes.

Question 21

What is job satisfaction?

Answer 21

It is the positive feeling that results from an appraisal of one’s work.

Question 22

True or false. Most people do not find a job where they are reasonably happy in sufficient time.

Answer 22

False. Research has shown that people do find a job where they are reasonably happy in sufficient time.

Question 23

How do family responsibilities affect the relationship between age and job satisfaction?

Answer 23

Family responsibilities colliding with one's work along with little job accommodations for family problems can lower job satisfaction. Overtime, as individuals get better at managing their work-life balance their job satisfaction may increase.

Question 23

Which type of job professions see a general increase in job satisfaction? What type of job professions does not see a general increase in job satisfaction?

Answer 23

White-collar jobs do see a general increase in job satisfaction while blue-collar jobs do not.

Question 24

How have changes in the labor market affect the notion of job satisfaction among employees?

Answer 24

Job satisfaction has become more complicated since companies have started eliminating jobs and workers based on old worker stereotypes. Employees find it more difficult now to develop a sense of commitment towards their organization.

Question 25

What is alienation? What kind of employees are more likely to feel alienated?

Answer 25

Alienation is the feeling that one's work is meaningless and their efforts are devalued or that their work does not connect with the final product. Employees who perform routine, repetitive actions or feel abandoned by their employers are more likely to feel alienated.

Question 26

What is burnout? What kind of profession is burnout most common?

Answer 26

Burnout is the depletion of one's energy and motivation, the loss of occupational idealism, and the feeling that one is being exploited. It is most common among people in helping positions like police, fist responders, teaching, and social work.

Question 27

What are the two types of passion proposed by Vallerand?

Answer 27

Obsessive passion - The internal urge to engage in a passionate activity which makes it difficult for a person to fully disengage from an activity. Leads to conflict with other activities in a person's life. Harmonious passion - When a person freely chooses to engage in an activity and it is in harmony with the rest of their lives.

Question 27

What negative effects does burnout have on our brains?

Answer 27

It weakens the connections between the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex. This causes people to have trouble regulating their emotions, making good judgments, and preventing themselves from having emotional outbursts.

Question 28

What does obsessive passion and harmonious passion predict in occupations?

Answer 28

Obsessive passion predicts higher levels of conflict and burnout while harmonious passion predicts higher levels of work satisfaction and lower levels of burnout.

Question 29

What percentage of all women over 16 work in the US? Which ethnic group participates the most and least?

Answer 29

58%. African American women participate the most while Latina women participate the least.

Question 30

How does the US Department of Labor categorize women's nontraditional occupations?

Answer 30

Occupations in which women constitute 25% or less of the total number of people employed.

Question 31

Which type of occupation has the lowest participation rates of women?

Answer 31

The skilled trades (electricians, plumbers, and carpenters)

Question 32

True or False. Women dominated occupations pay more than male-dominated occupations

Answer 32

False.

Question 33

What are the two main reasons that female professionals leave their jobs?

Answer 33

1. Organizations idealize and reward masculine values of working (ex. individuality, self-sufficiency, and competitiveness). Most women prefer organizations that value relationships and collaboration, 2. Women feel disconnected from their workplace so they leave to seek out satisfaction, growth, and development somewhere else.

Question 34

How many of all people employed in management, professional, and related occupations are women?

Answer 34

More than half

Question 35

True or False. The glass ceiling has only been used to describe women's lack of advancement in their careers.

Answer 35

False. The term glass ceiling has also been used to account for African American and Asian men's lack of advancement in careers.

Question 35

What is the glass ceiling?

Answer 35

The level a woman may rise in an organization but beyond which they may not go.

Question 36

True or False. Women are more likely to be put in leadership positions when the company is in crisis.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

According to Kolb, Williams, and Frohlinger, what are five things that women should focus on to help ensure that they get their rightful place at the table?

Answer 37

- Drilling deep into the organization so you can make informed decisions - Getting critical support - Getting the necessary resources - Getting a buy-in - Making a difference

Question 38

Women who work full time earn about ______ of men's median annual earnings.

Answer 38

79%

Question 39

What percentage of occupations show a gender-based wage gap?

Answer 39

98%

Question 40

What law in the US protects workers over 40 from age discrimination?

Answer 40

The US Age Discrimination in Employment Act

Question 40

True or False. There is a universal definition for harassment.

Answer 40

False. Men and women have different perceptions of it and many victims do not report it

Question 41

What is career plateauing?

Answer 41

A situation in which there is a lack of challenge in the job or promotion in the organization or a person chooses to not seek advancement.

Question 42

How can career plateauing be prevented?

Answer 42

Retraining employees by having them participate in programs or courses to improve existing skills or add new job skills.

Question 43

What events have caused people to feel insecure about their jobs today?

Answer 43

Increases in competition in the global economy, Great Recession, and continued advancements in technology.

Question 44

True or False. The thought of losing one's job can negatively affect a person's physical and psychological health regardless of whether or not it is true.

Answer 44

True. Those who believe that they are losing their jobs showed similar stress levels to those who were unemployed.

Question 45

True or False. It takes minority groups longer to find another job than European Americans

Answer 45

True

Question 46

True or False. Younger-aged men are more vulnerable to the negative effects of unemployment than middle-aged or older men.

Answer 46

False. Middle-aged men are more vulnerable than any other age group because they have greater financial responsibilities and derive more of their identity from work.

Question 47

What negative effects do people experience after unemployment?

Answer 47

Lower mental health, life satisfaction, marital/family situation, and subjective physical health.

Question 48

What is some advice for adults who are trying to manage occupational transitions?

Answer 48

- Approach job loss with a healthy sense of urgency - Consider next career move and what you must do to achieve it - Acknowledge and react to change as soon as it is evident - Be cautious of stopgap employment - Identify a realistic goal and then list steps you must take to achieve it

Question 49

What act allows a worker to take unpaid time off to care for their dependents with the right to return to their jobs?

Answer 49

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

Question 50

True or False. US is the only developed country in the World to not have mandatory paid leave benefit.

Answer 50

True

Question 51

In woman-friendly countries like Sweden or Germany, have long leaves been shown to have positive or negative effects on upward career movement?

Answer 51

Negative. On the other hand, short leaves have had no negative effects on career movement.

Question 52

What are the negative effects that working caregivers face when caring for a dependent child, parent, or partner?

Answer 52

- Negative effects on work - Higher levels of stress - Problems with coping

Question 53

How can women's stress be lessened when trying to balance work and life?

Answer 53

- Good support from partner - Having good control over their jobs - Realizing that it is impossible to have it all

Question 54

How can a company provide support to employees with families?

Answer 54

- Provide backup care - Provide broad base support - Allow employees to leave work without penalty to tend to family needs

Question 55

True or False. Women are doing less housework now than in the past

Answer 55

False. Women are still left doing most of the household chores and child-rearing today; however the gap between the amount of time women and men spend on household chores is narrowing.

Question 56

What determines how work and family life affect one another?

Answer 56

Several factors impact how work and family impact one another. Some main ones are spouse emotional support, age of children, and the woman's own developmental stage.

Question 57

What categories of leisure activities did Jopp and Hertzog come up with?

Answer 57

- Physical - Crafts - Games - Watching TV - Social-private (ex. going out with friend, visiting relatives) - Social-public (ex. attending a club meeting, volunteering) - Religious (ex. praying) - Travel (ex. going out of town) - Developmental (ex. studying a foreign language) - Experimental (ex. collect stamps, read for leisure) - Technology use (ex. photography, using computer software)

Question 58

How can measures of leisure activities help in clinical settings?

Answer 58

It can help with detecting depression, lower well-being, and dementia in a person.

Question 59

What determine the type of leisure activities we pursue?

Answer 59

Perceived competence (how good we think we are at the activity) and psychological comfort (how well we meet our personal goals for performance).

Question 60

True or False. Income, education, health, abilities, transportation, and social characteristics can affect the type of leisure activities we do.

Answer 60

True. Some leisure activities are more expensive or require transportation (skiing) while some require very little finances (ex. reading).

Question 61

How do leisure activities differ with age?

Answer 61

Young adults participate more in intense activities (ex. rock climbing, skydiving). In middle age, these activities switch to more home-based and family-orientated. In old age, these activities become more sedentary (ex. reading and watching TV) and moderately strenuous (ex. tennis and hiking).

Question 62

True or False. Leisure interests tend to remain relatively stable over time.

Answer 62

True. Studies have shown that the level of physical activity in young adulthood predicts the activity level later in life.

Question 63

How do leisure activities affect people?

Answer 63

They promote mental and physical health and help strengthen attachment with family, friends, and spouses.

Question 64

According to Kleiber and colleagues, how do leisure activities help us cope with stress?

Answer 64

- They distract us from negative events - They generate optimism about the future - They connect to our personal past by allowing us to participate in them for much of our lives - They are used as vehicles for personal transformation

Question 65

True or False. Marital satisfaction is not linked with leisure time

Answer 65

False. Studies have shown that couples who spend leisure time together are happier and are even happier when they spend some leisure time with others

Question 66

What is place attachment? How does it relate to leisure activities?

Answer 66

Place attachment is when people derive a sense of personal satisfaction and identity from a particular place. It drives people to return to a place over and over again therefore strengthening the connection they have to the location. Doing the same leisure activities can lead to place attachment as people continue to go to the same place to do them (ex. going to the same lake to fish).

Question 67

True or False. Retirement is difficult to define.

Answer 67

True. Retirement looks different to everyone and it is a complex process to go through (partly because it involves the loss of occupational identity).

Question 68

What factors influence a person's decision to retire?

Answer 68

Goal expectations, occupational history, and income security.

Question 69

What is a good rule of thumb for how much you should save for retirement?

Answer 69

Enough to generate 70-80% of current income. Should last for 25 years in retirement.

Question 70

How does women's retirement differ from men's?

Answer 70

Women typically have fewer financial resources for retirement because of how their employment career developed (ex. starts and stops due to child care or late entry). Those who worked at home all their lives do not get any source of retirement income for themselves and their work at home continues.

Question 70

What are four factors that help people feel good about retirement?

Answer 70

- Financial security - Health - Supportive network of friends and family - Internal sense of motivation

Question 71

How does retirement affect health?

Answer 71

How retirement affects people is complex. There is no evidence that voluntary retirement has immediate negative effects but there is evidence that forced retirement is correlated to poor physical and mental health.

Question 72

How has retirement changed since the Great Recession?

Answer 72

Many older adults are working part-time to make ends meet and stay involved in society.

Question 73

Have more older men or women been participating in the labor force? Why?

Answer 73

Women. This is due to more women being in the labor force across adulthood across the decades, more older women being single, and greater financial need.

Question 74

How can hiring older adults benefit companies?

Answer 74

Older adults can bring needed expertise to the company, they have more flexibility in their schedules, and the type of benefits the need or don't need make them less expensive.