BUAD421 Exam 1
Companies utilize a variety of strategies to manage "talent shortages" of needed employees. For each of the following scenarios select the MOST appropriate strategy for handling talent shortages. A manufacturer should utilize_____ (a)for a short-term shortage due to a large one-time customer order. An organization that hires mostly college students is experiencing high turnover because the work schedules interfere with the students' class schedules. This organization should utilize_____(b) A small organization which needs expertise and help to conduct HR functions but cannot afford to hire a full-time employee to perform the work should utilize_______(c) An organization located in an undesirable and unpopulated area has difficulty recruiting and retaining employees who do not want to commute to the organization's location. This organize should utilize________ (d)
(a) overtime (b) "flexible" or alternative schedules (c) outsourcing (d) telecommuting options
Tomaso's Pizza is not your everyday pizza restaurant. With three locations in Iowa, Tomaso's Pizza has won numerous regional and national awards for their delicious pizza. They also have a devoted cult following of fans who typically have to wait in long lines for an open table. These accolades suggest that Tomaso's Pizza is successfully following and accomplishing their mission statement which is quite simply: "Make good pizza." Below are FICTIONAL examples of what Tomaso's might identify as HR factors in a SWOT analysis if they were engaging in strategic planning (in other words, these examples are purely hypothetical and created for this exercise). Identify which component of a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity, or threat) corresponds to each description below. The price of a large specialty pizza at Tomaso's is nearly triple that of some basic pizzas offered by lower-priced competitors like Dominos. This is an example of______ (a) Informal customer feedback suggests that many people desire additional Tomaso's locations in surrounding cities. This is an example of______ (b) Award-winning secret pizza recipes and hard-working employees. This is an example of_______ (c) Lack of leadership pipeline; lack of clear plan and standards for achieving consistency across locations. This is an example of________ (d)
(a) threat (b) opportunity (c) strength (d) weakness
The_______ is a U.S. federal law which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 or older.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Which term below best describes a situation in which an HR manager evaluates all HR activities (like selection, training, and compensation) to make sure that they are consistent with the organization's overall goals?
Aligning HR activities
Katrina has been hired as an HR generalist for a rapidly growing company that previously had no HR department or positions. During her first week on the job Katrina realizes that the company has no written job descriptions and has never performed job analyses. Katrina schedules a meeting with the company president to explain the need for job descriptions and the identification of essential job functions for compliance with laws like the_____
Americans with Disability Act
Identify the term that best describes this scenario: A casting agent for a movie depicting the life story of Barack Obama requires that the actor hired to play Obama is a Black male.
Bona-fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)
Which of the following areas of content knowledge is MORE heavily tested (as a percentage of the total certification in the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) than in the PHR (Professional in Human Resources)?
Business Management and Strategy
The______section of a job description typically includes statements that allow for modifications to an employees' job duties.
Disclaimers and approvals
Despite frequent reports of mergers and acquisitions in the corporate world, business experts Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton (2006) state that most mergers are "failures" which do not help further the organization's long-term objectives or financial position. Imagine that you are the manager of a large organization that is planning to acquire a smaller company. You have just read Pfeffer and Sutton's book and know that the odds are not favorable for successful mergers. Which of the following assessments would you recommend in order to help determine whether and how your company should move forward with the merger?
Due dilligence
Harrison is a sales manager for a timeshare resort and real-estate company. Harrison offers his sales team members a lucrative cash bonus and a full week of paid vacation if they can complete 10 timeshare sales within the next 24 hours. The problem is that none of the employees are very motivated by Harrison's offer because they view the sales goal as basically impossible to achieve. On average, the employees typically make 1-2 sales during an entire week of work and no one has ever made 10 sales within 24 hours. Expectancy theory would suggest that Harrison needs to correct which of the following components if he wants to increase his employees' motivation in this situation?
Effort-performance expectations
What is an HR metric that would be especially valuable to an organization that wishes to determine whether it should continue to invest resources into the company "Wellness Program" (which has included benefits like free employee gym memberships and health education seminars)?
Employee satisfaction
Prior to the Lily Ledbetter Act of 2009, Lily Ledbetter, a supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant was planning to retire when she learned that she had been receiving less compensation than her male peers for many years during her employment. When Ms. Ledbetter filed a lawsuit against her employer for violation of the____, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the statute of limitation for the complaint had passed because Ms. Ledbetter had not filed the complaint for years after the discriminatory decision was made. The Lily Ledbetter Act of 2009 extends the statute of limitation in such cases so that people like Ms. Ledbetter would be protected even if they did not learn about the compensation disparity for years after the decision had been made.
Equal Pay Act
Identify which theory of motivation best explains the employee's LOW motivation in the following scenario: Shayla is a bank teller who receives the same pay as all the other tellers even though Shayla has additional responsibilities like training new employees.
Equity Theory
Olga is an attorney at a large law firm. She recently learned that two of her peers are earning more money than she is despite the fact that Olga has more legal experience, a degree from the same law school, and handles a heavier case load than she does. Which theory would most clearly predict that Olga's motivation will be quite low in this case?
Equity Theory
Identify which theory of motivation best explains the employee's LOW motivation in the following scenario: Lance wants to receive a promotion at work but he is not sure if he can meet the requirements needed to receive the promotion; additionally, he knows that at least four other employees have applied for the promotion.
Expectancy Theory
The most widely known HR certification are the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) and the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources), both sponsored by the HRCI. Visit the HRCI website (http://www.hrci.org/) and use the search function to find information about the PHR and SPHR exams. Which of the following content areas is NOT assessed on the PHR exam NOR on the SPHR exam?
Financial and Accounting Requirements
Using information from the past and present, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS; issued a report_____ which a 19.3% decrease in management jobs within farming, ranching, and agricultural areas between 2012 and 2022.
Forecasted
is defined as a specific measure of HR performance such as turnover rates.
HR Metric
Kane is an American citizen and an employee of Laptops Inc. located in Seattle, Washington. The company is headquartered in Austria. Kane best illustrates
Host-Country National (citizen of one country working in that country and employed by an organization headquartered in another country)
Tanya and Tyrone are in the process of hiring employees for their new TWT ("Total Wellness Totally") business. The employees represent________and will include full-time and-part-time nutritionists, personal trainers, and massage therapists.
Human Capital
The____section of a job description states the job title, department, and classification information like job code, pay grade, and EEOC classification.
Identification
One thing that is special about TWT ("Total Wellness Totally") is that the founders have created a unique customized system which assesses each individual and creates a personalized nutrition and fitness plan tailored to that person along with customized vitamin supplements. This TWT customized system has been patented and represents_______of the company
Intellectual Property
The practice of "forcing strategic asset reallocation" used by former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond is described in Chapter 2.1 "HR Perspective" of the textbook. Which of the following answers most accurately reflects the practice of forced strategic asset reallocation?
It can be a healthy part of strategy which often leads to healthy turnover and change
Identify which term best describes the following scenario: As part of his medical school training, Azibo works in different departments of a hospital to learn about different areas of medicine.
Job Rotation
Identify which theory of motivation best explains the employee's LOW motivation in the following scenario: Ebony receives good compensation for her job but she does not find her work fulfilling or meaningful.
Maslow's hierarchy
Identify which term best describes the following scenario: Jenn is employed by two different organizations and does a different job for each employer.
Moonlighting
Identify which of the following job analysis methods would be most appropriate for the following scenario: A small business does not employ anyone with HR expertise but knows they need to quickly and efficiently write job descriptions.
O*Net
Ruby is the manager of a mid-sized company that provides website development and online content management for small businesses. Within the last year, Ruby has noticed an increase in turnover. During exit interviews with the employees who quit, many of them said the job did not provide them with the work-life balance they needed. Based on these exit interviews, which of the following changes could Ruby make to best prevent additional turnover?
Offer increased opportunities for flexible scheduling and telecommuting
Author Thomas Friedman, author of the best-seller The World is Flat, has written extensively about globalization. Friedman has argued that India is a popular______ destination for call-center jobs for U.S. companies because of India's large English-speaking population and because of its relatively low labor costs.
Offshoring
Which of the following individuals would be categorized as having a disability that would be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act?
Omar, a customer call center employee who was permanently injured in a car accident and now uses a wheelchair for mobility.
Netflix is an internet television network that currently boasts the world's largest paying membership (Source: 2015 Netflix investor relations overview, Netflix website). The company was founded in 1997 and its early years were focused on subscription services mailing loaned DVDs to subscribers. Today, however, Netflix has reallocated resources of the organization in significant ways. For example, according to Netflix's "long-term view" statement to investors, the company plans to spend $3 billion in content development for its members in 2015. Indeed, Netflix has already won major awards for shows like House of Cards, aired only by Netflix. As this example illustrates, companies like Netflix must engage in_______to remain relevant and competitive in the ever-changing environment of technology advancements, social trends, and legal regulations.
Ongoing strategic planning
Which term below best describes a situation in which an HR manager conducts cost-benefit analyses to examine the impact of contracting jobs domestically and internationally?
Outsourcing analysis
Identify which term best describes the following scenario: Carmelita is a college student and works 10 hours a week at McDonald's.
Part time employment
is a strategy in which employees (often older employees in particular) gradually reduce their workloads and compensation levels.
Phased Retirement
Organizations need to successfully manage different forms of capital. Tanya and Tyrone are entrepreneurs starting a company called TWT ("Total Wellness Totally") that will provide paying members with nutritional consulting with registered dieticians, fitness classes from personal trainers, and stress management programs led by counselors, massage therapists, and yoga instructors. Members will also have access to a gym equipped with a full weight room, pool, and other exercise equipment. The pool and exercise equipment like treadmills and bikes are considered_______assets of TWT
Physical
A workflow analysis would likely include assessment of all of the following factors EXCEPT
Political and societal events
An organization that requires job applicants to______ is violating U.S. anti-discrimination laws.
Provide documentation of family and individual genetic information
Compared to previous generations of workers like the "baby boomers" and "traditionalists," the current generation of "millennial" employees entering the workforce arguably has a very different________about the nature of the employment relationship.
Psychological contract
Many organizations like Texas Instruments took preventative actions after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to protect Muslim applicants and employees from this type of discrimination and harassment.
Religious
Identify the term that best describes this scenario: Christina's employer fires her because she filed a complaint against her supervisor, Ira, for sexually harassing her
Retaliation
Shu Lin works in the HR Department for BigBucksBankers. Shu Lin's primary responsibilities currently include 1) conducting job evaluations; 2) administering salary surveys to assess market rates for different jobs; and 3) researching best practices for employee "pay-for-performance" incentive plans. Which HR function best describes Shu Lin's role?
Rewards: Compensation and Benefits
Which of the following HR employees is most accurately described as a "generalist"?
Ryan, who works for a local daycare facility and is responsible for recruiting, selecting, training, and compensating daycare employees
Felipe is a salaried employee who works as a quality control specialist for an electronics and software company. Felipe's son recently had surgery, and Felipe had to miss one week of work to take care of his son. Which of the following is a direct cost to the company associated with Felipe's absenteeism?
Salary paid to Felipe during his absence
The______was passed in 2002 by Congress as a reaction to major corporate and accounting scandals in U.S. companies like Enron and Worldcom.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Which of the following activities has most likely become more efficient as a result of advances in HR technology?
Scanning and sorting resumes
Kyra is an HR specialist who has been asked by her manager to create a report detailing employee absenteeism within the company. Kyra creates a report which includes three different measures of absenteeism. Identify which metric Kyra is reporting when she calculates the average number of hours lost per absent employee in the last month.
Severity rate
Which of the following reasons most likely explains the changing nature of the psychological contract as viewed by the current generation of millennials as compared to previous generations like the baby boomers and traditionalists?
Societal events like mass organizational layoffs and technology developments
Smart State University President created______ composed of faculty members, staff, students, and University administrators. The President tasked them with creating a plan to increase student retention as well as to increase the diversity of the student body.
Special purpose team
Elizabeth is an employee at Gaggle, a large organization that is devoted to wildlife conservation, education, and research. Elizabeth develops and validates hiring tools like structured interviews and personality tests so that Gaggle ensures that they hire the best employees. Which HR function best describes Elizabeth's role?
Staffing
In 2004, researchers Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan sent fictitious resumes in response to employers' help-wanted job postings. The researchers made the resumes identical with regard to the fictitious applicants' qualifications but altered the names on the resumes to reflect male versus female names and "White-sounding" versus "African-American-sounding" names. They found that resumes with "White names" like Emily and Greg received 50 percent more callbacks for interviews than did the resumes with "Black names" like Tyrone and Lakeisha. The results of this study indicate that employment decisions of some employers might not be_____and could indicate illegal discrimination under________
Status blind, Civil Rights Act of of 1964
Highbridge Community Life Center was a community hub and resource for the Bronx community that was founded in 1979 by two Catholic nuns. Brother Ed Phalen served as Executive Director for more than two decades when he started to consider retirement and what would happen to the organization and its leadership after he left. In order to plan for his eventual departure, Brother Phelan and the board of directors began the process of_____Despite these efforts, however, a 2014 New York Times article reported that the Center had closed due to serious financial problems (Sources: Gonzalez, 2014, Wolfred, 2008).
Succession Planning
In a study led by Rice University research Michelle Hebl, female research assistants posed as job applicants and either appeared to be pregnant (by wearing a pregnancy prosthetic under their clothing) or not pregnant. The study showed that when the job applicants appeared to be pregnant they encountered more negative and hostile reactions compared to job applicants who did not appear to be pregnant. Which of the following statements about this study is most accurate?
The study suggests that some employers appear to be violating the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities. Sam recently applied for a job but was told that he was not eligible for consideration because he is legally blind. If Sam filed a discrimination lawsuit against the employer, which of the following statements is most likely/accurate?
There is not enough information here to determine the outcome because the essential functions of the job have not been stated.
Imagine that an organization utilizes a physical ability test as part of its selection process for a particular job, and that significantly more men pass the test than women. Based on the test, the organization ends up hiring nearly three times as many men as women. Which of the following statements is most accurate with regard to this situation?
This is an example of disparate impact and may or may not constitute illegal discrimination under U.S. EEO law depending on the job requirements
Telework is not feasible for all kinds of jobs. Which of the following jobs would be BEST suited for telework options?
Website designer
is the ability to produce a specific desired result or effect.
effectiveness
is the degree to which operations are done in an economical manner.
efficacy
