Entrepreneurial Motivation MCQs With Answer

Entrepreneurial Motivation MCQs With Answer

Introduction: This quiz set on entrepreneurial motivation is designed specifically for M.Pharm students enrolled in MIP 204T – Entrepreneurship Management. It focuses on psychological theories, practical motivational strategies, and their application in pharmaceutical entrepreneurship such as starting biotech ventures, motivating R&D teams, and sustaining innovation under regulatory constraints. Questions blend theory (Maslow, Herzberg, McClelland, expectancy theory) with context-specific scenarios relevant to drug development, quality assurance, and commercialization. Use these MCQs to deepen understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators influence entrepreneurial behavior, team performance, opportunity recognition, and long-term venture viability in the pharmaceutical sector.

Q1. Which type of motivation is most closely associated with personal satisfaction from scientific discovery during drug development rather than external rewards?

• Extrinsic motivation
• Intrinsic motivation
• Financial motivation
• Coercive motivation

Correct Answer: Intrinsic motivation

Q2. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, which need is most likely to drive an entrepreneur to seek patents, recognition, and industry awards in pharmaceutical innovation?

• Physiological needs
• Safety needs
• Esteem needs
• Belongingness needs

Correct Answer: Esteem needs

Q3. Herzberg’s two-factor theory distinguishes motivators from hygiene factors. Which of the following would be considered a motivator for a startup founder in pharma?

• Company policy clarity
• Salary and benefits
• Achievement in successfully completing a clinical trial
• Working conditions

Correct Answer: Achievement in successfully completing a clinical trial

Q4. McClelland’s need theory emphasizes three primary needs. Which need best explains a pharma entrepreneur’s drive to raise venture capital and scale operations aggressively?

• Need for affiliation
• Need for achievement
• Need for power
• Need for security

Correct Answer: Need for achievement

Q5. Expectancy theory suggests motivation is a product of expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. In a pharmaceutical R&D team, what does instrumentality refer to?

• Belief that increased effort will improve performance
• Value placed on the expected reward
• Belief that performance will lead to a specific outcome or reward
• Degree of task difficulty

Correct Answer: Belief that performance will lead to a specific outcome or reward

Q6. Which motivational strategy is most effective to sustain long-term innovation in a biotech startup where clinical timelines are long and uncertain?

• Short-term cash bonuses tied to monthly sales
• Recognition programs, research autonomy, and milestone-based incentives
• Strict hourly monitoring and penalties
• Random one-time gifts

Correct Answer: Recognition programs, research autonomy, and milestone-based incentives

Q7. Locus of control can influence entrepreneurial persistence. An entrepreneur who believes outcomes are a result of their actions has which locus of control?

• External locus of control
• Intermittent locus of control
• Balanced locus of control
• Internal locus of control

Correct Answer: Internal locus of control

Q8. Which psychological construct refers to the entrepreneur’s confidence in their ability to perform tasks necessary for venture success and is strongly linked to motivation?

• Self-efficacy
• Neuroticism
• Emotional intelligence
• Risk aversion

Correct Answer: Self-efficacy

Q9. In the context of motivating cross-functional teams for a new drug launch, what non-financial incentive most directly fosters team cohesion and shared purpose?

• Higher individual commission
• Team recognition and shared milestones celebrations
• Individual performance-based layoffs
• Strict hierarchical approval processes

Correct Answer: Team recognition and shared milestones celebrations

Q10. Which factor is least likely to function as a hygiene factor under Herzberg’s framework in a pharmaceutical start-up environment?

• Clinical trial funding stability
• Opportunity for creative research
• Regulatory compliance policies
• Safe laboratory conditions

Correct Answer: Opportunity for creative research

Q11. When motivating researchers to produce publishable results as well as commercializable products, which approach best balances intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?

• Only financial rewards for patents
• Provide research autonomy, recognition, and targeted commercialization bonuses
• Micromanage experiments to increase output
• Eliminate all performance reviews

Correct Answer: Provide research autonomy, recognition, and targeted commercialization bonuses

Q12. Which of the following motivational barriers is most specific to pharmaceutical entrepreneurship compared to other industries?

• Difficulty obtaining raw materials
• Lengthy regulatory approval processes and high R&D failure rates
• High employee turnover in retail
• Simple market entry with low capital needs

Correct Answer: Lengthy regulatory approval processes and high R&D failure rates

Q13. Which leadership behavior is most effective in motivating early-stage pharma teams facing repeated experimental failures?

• Punishing team members for failures
• Providing psychological safety, learning focus, and coaching
• Ignoring setbacks and continuing without reflection
• Centralizing all decisions to the founder

Correct Answer: Providing psychological safety, learning focus, and coaching

Q14. In expectancy theory terms, if researchers do not expect promotions despite high performance, which component is most directly weak and reduces motivation?

• Expectancy (effort → performance)
• Instrumentality (performance → reward)
• Valence (value of the reward)
• Task clarity

Correct Answer: Instrumentality (performance → reward)

Q15. Which motivational tool can founders use to align scientist incentives with long-term company value in a biotech startup?

• Short-term sales commissions
• Equity or stock options with vesting tied to milestones
• One-time holiday bonuses
• Hourly overtime pay without equity

Correct Answer: Equity or stock options with vesting tied to milestones

Q16. Which dimension of Victor Vroom’s theory explains why pharma entrepreneurs may work harder when they clearly see how each milestone advances regulatory approval?

• Valence
• Instrumentality
• Expectancy
• Equity

Correct Answer: Expectancy

Q17. Which motivational concept emphasizes setting specific, challenging goals to improve performance and is useful for planning drug discovery milestones?

• Goal-setting theory
• Equity theory
• Contingency theory
• Attribution theory

Correct Answer: Goal-setting theory

Q18. Equity theory suggests perceived fairness impacts motivation. Which action by founders can reduce perceptions of inequity among lab staff?

• Arbitrary allocation of credit
• Transparent criteria for rewards and clear communication on workload
• Secretive bonus decisions
• Favoring relatives for promotions

Correct Answer: Transparent criteria for rewards and clear communication on workload

Q19. Which motivational attribute is particularly important for entrepreneurs seeking to commercialize orphan drugs where market size is small?

• Short-term profit orientation
• Altruistic drive and perseverance despite low immediate returns
• Avoidance of regulatory engagement
• Focus only on large-market therapies

Correct Answer: Altruistic drive and perseverance despite low immediate returns

Q20. Which combination of interventions best fosters entrepreneurial motivation among pharmacy postgraduates interested in launching startups?

• Only classroom lectures on regulations
• Mentorship, access to incubators, hands-on project milestones, and seed grants
• Strict academic testing with no practical exposure
• Mandatory long unpaid internships with no guidance

Correct Answer: Mentorship, access to incubators, hands-on project milestones, and seed grants

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