HR Exam #3

graphic rating scale

method of PM that lists traits and provides a rating scale for each trait; the employer uses the scale to indicate the extent to which an employee displays each trait

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS)

method of PM that rates behavior in terms of a scale showing specific statements of behavior that describe different levels of performance

simple ranking method of PM

method of PM that require managers to rank employees in their group from the highest performer to the lowest performer (using alternation ranking)

mixed standards scale

method of PM that uses several statements describing each trait to produce a final score for that trait

paired-comparison method

method of performance management that compares each employee with each other employee to establish ranking

critical incident method

method of pm based on managers' records of specific examples of the employee acting in ways that are either effective or ineffective

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

methods of solving a conflict by bringing in an impartial outsider but not using the court system

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) includes provisions for:

minimum wage

Coaching, frequent performance feedback, goal setting, and restructured job assignments are effective ways to improve performance for which category of employees?

misdirected effort

An organization that builds facilities in a number of different countries in an effort to minimize production and distribution costs is a

multinational company

Mediation (ADR technique)

nonbinding process in which a neutral party from outside the organization hears the case and tries to help the people in conflict arrive at a settlement

Which of the following is true of key jobs?

A job with a higher evaluation score than a particular key job would receive higher pay than that key job.

Which one of the following statements is true of transnational HRM systems?

The participants from various countries and cultures contribute ideas from a position of equality

How does a collectivist culture influence the HRM decisions related to job design?

It gives emphasis to person—organization fit.

Which one of the following is true of global organizations?

Managers at such companies must be able to get results across national boundaries.

What is the disadvantage of peers as a source of performance information?

Peers are uncomfortable with rating employees for decisions that may affect themselves

exempt employees

managers, outside sales-people, and any other employees not covered by the FLSA requirement for overtime pay.

Values such as success, achievement, assertiveness, and competition are associated with:

masculine cultures

The compa-ratio:

measures the degree to which actual pay is consistent with the pay policy.

calibration meeting

meeting in which managers discuss employee performance ratings and provide evidence supporting their ratings with the goal of eliminating the influence of rating errors

forced-distribution method

method of PM that assigns a certain percentage of employees to each category in a set of categories

delayering

reducing the number of levels in an organization's job structure

An intervention designed to increase the communication and understanding of the various sets of role expectations that exist for specific employees is called:

role analysis technique

Appraisal politics are likely to occur when:

senior employees tell newcomers stories about distorted ratings

developmental purpose of performance management

serves as a basis for developing employees' knowledge and skills

Which of the following is a reason for big pay differences between jobs?

shortage of talent in local labor markets

pay level

the average amount (including wages, salaries, and bonuses) the organization pays for a particular job.

The hot-stove rule differs from a progressive discipline process in that with the hot-stove rule

the consequences for breaking the rule is immediate

employee engagement

the degree to which employees are fully involved in their work and the strength of their job and community commitment

job involvement

the degree to which people identify themselves with their jobs

minimum wage

the lowest amount that employers can pay under federal or state law stated as amount of pay per hour

The comparable worth policy

uses job evaluation of an organization's jobs in terms of such criteria as their difficulty.

When employees initiate a turnover, when the organization would prefer to keep them, it is called _____ turnover.

voluntary

Economic theory holds that the most profitable pay level, all things being equal, would be:

at the market rate

compa ratio

average salary / midpoint salary

arbitration (ADR technique)

binding process in which a professional arbitrator from outside the organization (usually a lawyer or judge) hears the case and resolves it by making a decision

The usual way that a company begins to enter foreign markets is by:

exporting

fair labor standards act (FLSA)

federal law that establishes a minimum wage and requirements for overtime pay and child labor

Strategic purpose of performance management

helps organization achieve business objectives.

emotional stages of foreign assignment

honeymoon->culture shock->recovery->adjustment

Based on the expectation that two people in conflict should first try to arrive at a settlement together, organizations have a policy of making managers available to hear complaints. Typically, the first "open door" is that of the employee's:

immediate supervisor

Consistency of results when more than one person measures performance is known as:

interrater reliability

The paired-comparison method of measuring employee performance:

involves comparing each employee with each other employee to establish rankings

Total quality management (TQM) differs from traditional pm in that

it assesses both individual performance and the system in which the individual works

Which of the following is a characteristic of delayering?

it increases an organization's flexibility

When conducting a workplace search, without probable cause, employers can act fairly and minimize the likelihood of a lawsuit by:

justifying that the organization has work rules that provide for searches.

expatriates

employees assigned to work in another country

nonexempt employees

employees covered by the FLSA requirements for overtime pay

Historically, if the organization and employee do not have a specific employment contract, the employer or employee may end the employment relationship at any time. This is referred to as the _____ doctrine.

employment at will

5 dimensions of culture in Hofstede model

1. Individualism/collectivism 2. Power distance 3. Uncertainty avoidance 4. Masculinity/femininity 5. Long-term/short-term orientation

In which country would one experience the greatest latitude in reducing one's company's workforce in response to a forecasted oversupply of workers?

The United States

Which of the following statements is true of international labor relations?

The day-to-day decisions about labor relations are usually handled by each foreign subsidiary.

host country

a country (other than the parent country) in which an organization operates a facility

third country

a country that is neither the parent country nor the host country of an employer

progressive discipline

a formal discipline process in which the consequences become more serious if the employee repeats the offense

pay differential

adjustment to a pay rate to reflect differences in working conditions or labor markets

Peer review is an example of _____.

alternate dispute resolution

Foreign assignments can be highly disruptive to family members, and the resulting role _____ is the top reason that people quit overseas assignments.

conflict

The federal government tracks trends in the nation's cost of living with a measure known as the:

consumer price index

The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931:

covers construction contractors that receive more than $2,000 in federal money.

4 factors affecting hrm in international markets

culture education economic systems political-legal systems

balance sheet approach

determines compensation package by adjusting to give same pay for standard of living plus extra for inconvenience

Managers can improve employee satisfaction with the feedback process by:

letting employees voice their opinions and discuss performance goals during the feedback process

Maria Celio, who was born in Spain, works at the headquarters of a Spanish company. She is a:

parent-country national

Overlapping _____ give the organization more flexibility in transferring employees among jobs, because transfers need not always involve a change in pay.

pay ranges

skill based pay systems

pay structures that set pay according to the employees' levels of skills or knowledge and what they are capable of doing

equity theory

people measure their outcomes of pay in terms of their inputs

360 degree performance appraisal

performance measurement that combines information from the employee's managers, peers, subordinates, self and customers

According to Hofstede's dimensions of culture, _____ defines the amount of inequality that is normal.

power distance

hot stove rule

principle of discipline that says discipline should be like a hot stove, giving clear warning and following up with consistent, objective, immediate consequences

peer review (ADR technique)

process for resolving disputes by taking them to a panel composed of representatives from the organization at the same levels as the people in the dispute

role

the set of behaviors that people expect of a person in a certain job

Effective performance management tells top employees

they are valued, encourage communication, establish standards for evaluating employees, and help organization identify weak/strong employees

cross-cultural preparation

training to prepare employees and their family members for an assignment in a foreign country

Legally defensible performance management systems are based on valid job analyses.

true

involuntary turnover

turnover initiated by an employer (often with employees who would prefer to stay)

voluntary turnover

turnover initiated by employees (often when the organization would prefer to keep them.

transnational HRM system

type of HRM system that makes decisions from a global perspective, includes managers from many countries, and is based on ideas contributed by people representing a variety of cultures

role ambiguity

uncertainty about what the organization expects from the employee in terms of what to do or how to do it

administrative purpose of performance management

use the system to provide information for day to day decisions about salary, benefits and recognition programs

Compensable factors are job characteristics that an organization values and chooses to pay for.

True

Job design aimed at empowerment is likely to be difficult in cultures with high power distance.

True

In the case of performance appraisal, validity refers to whether the appraisal measures all aspects of performance, both relevant and irrelevant.

False

Steps in Performance Management Process

1. Define performance outcomes for company division and department 2. Develop employee goals, behavior, and actions to achieve outcomes 3. Provide support and ongoing performance discussions 4. Evaluate performance 5. Identify improvement needs 6. Provide consequences for performance results

What is the difference between a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) and a behavioral observation scale (BOS)?

A BOS uses many examples to define all behaviors necessary for effective performance.

The positive or negative bottom-line opinions that individuals have of themselves are known as:

Core self evaluations

How does an organization specify the aspects of performance that are relevant to the organization?

Based on job analysis

____ is a referral service that employees can use to seek professional treatment for emotional problems or substance abuse.

Employee assistance program

According to equity theory, people measure outcomes such as pay in terms of their outputs.

False

Which of the following is true about the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

Following and studying changes in the CPI helps employers prepare for changes in the demands of the labor market.

Which rater error leads employees to believe that no aspects of their performance need improvement?

Halo error

Which of the following is true of the performance management process across national boundaries?

In rapidly changing regions, the organization may have to update its performance plans more often than once a year.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States have encouraged trade among themselves with the:Canada, Mexico, and the United States have encouraged trade among themselves with the:

NAFTA

Which of the following statements is true about employee dismissal on the grounds of employment-at-will agreements?

They are likely to raise principles of justice issues

What is the advantage of two-tier wage systems?

They cut labor costs without cutting employees' existing salaries

Identify a criticism against electronic monitoring systems.

They threaten to make the workplace an electronic sweatshop, robbing employees of their dignity

Paying a salary does not necessarily mean a job is exempt.

True

Which of the following is true of management by objectives (MBO)?

managers and their employees work together to set goals

pay policy line

a graphed line showing the mathematical relationship between job evaluation points and pay rate

procedural justice

a judgment that fair methods were used to determine the consequences an employee recieves

outcome fairness

a judgment that the consequences given to employees are just

interactional justice

a judgment that the organization carried out its actions in a way that took the employee's feelings into account

exit interview

a meeting of a departing employee with the employee's supervisor and/or a human resource specialist to discuss the employee's reasons for leaving

Organizational Behavior Modification (OBM)

a plan for managing the behavior of employees through a formal system of feedback and reinforcement

job satisfaction

a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one's job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one's important job values

benchmarking

a procedure in which an organization compares its own practices against those of successful competitors

role analysis technique

a process of formally identifying expectations associated with a role

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

a referral service that employees can use to seek professional treatment for emotional problems or substance abuse

outplacement counseling

a service in which professionals try to help dismissed employees manage the transition from one job to another

job withdrawal

a set of behaviors with which employees try to avoid the work situation mentally, physically, or emotionally

pay ranges

a set of possible pay rates defined by a minimum, maximum and midpoint of pay for employees holding a particular job or a job within a particular pay grade

role overload

a state in which too many expectations or demands are placed on a person

Management by Objectives (MBO)

a system in which people at each level of the organization set goals in a process that flows from top to bottom, sso employees at all levels are contributing to the organization's overall goals; these goals become the standards for evaluating each employee's performance

Behavioral Observational Scale (BOS)

a variation of BARS which uses all behaviors necessary for effective performance to rate performance at a task

Open-door policy, and mediation are generally steps within:

alternate resolution dispute system

job evaluation

an administrative procedure for measuring the relative internal worth of the organization's jobs

role conflict

an employee's recognition that demands of the job are incompatible or contradictory

multinational company

an organization that builds facilities in a number of different countries in an effort to minimize production and distribution costs

global organization

an organization that chooses to locate a facility based on the ability to effectively, efficiently, and flexibly produce a product or service, using cultural differences as an advantage

international organization

an organization that sets up one or a few facilities in one or a few foreign countries

open door policy (ADR technique)

an organization's policy of making managers available to hear complaints

In the context of the effect of culture on training, a culture with long-term orientation has trainees who:

are likely to accept development plans and assignments.

Total quality management differs from traditional performance measurement in that it:

assesses both individual performance and the system within which the individual works

A pay policy line:

can be generated using a statistical procedure called regression analysis

culture shock

disillusionment and discomfort that occur during the process of adjusting to a new culture

If a manager considers one employee at a time and circles a number/word to signify the degree to which that employee demonstrates a particular trait, he/she is using a:

graphic rating scale

Although the rate of inflation is only 2 percent, Jessie receives a 6 percent increase in salary. She is nonetheless dissatisfied with her salary increase due to Norvin's, whose job designation is similar to Jessie's, 9 percent increase. Jessie is likely to contend that there is a lack of:

outcome fairness

hourly wage

rate of pay for each hour worked

piecework rate

rate of pay for each unit produced

salary

rate of pay for each week, month, or year worked

pay grades

sets of jobs having similar worth or content, grouped together to establish rates of pay

parent country

the country in which an organization's headquarters are located

organizational commitment

the degree to which an employee identifies with the organization and is willing to put effort forward on its behalf

pay structure

the pay policy resulting from job structure and pay level decisions

repatriation

the process of preparing expatriates to return home from a foreign assignment

performance management

the process through which managers ensure that employees' activities and outputs contribute to the organization's goals

job structure

the relative pay of different jobs within the organization

To prevent job withdrawal, organizations therefore need to promote job satisfaction, a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one's job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one's important job values. This definition has three components:

values, perceptions, and ideas of what is important

When employees cannot work with management to make changes, they may engage in ____, taking their charges to the media in the hope that if the public learns about the situation, the organization will be forced to change.

whistle-blowing

job descriptive index (JDI)

widely used measure of job satisfaction