HRM

Solar Energy Inc. is a company that produces solar panels for domestic use. It has 800 permanent employees working in different departments. Suppose the company gets involved in a case of intentional employee discrimination, what will be the maximum punitive damage that it will have to pay under the Civil Rights Act of 1991?

300,0000

Which of the following is an example of violation of the right of freedom of conscience in a workplace environment?

A supervisor coerces an example to use unsafe practices to keep a project on schedule

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of a(n).

Acquisition

The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and contract company workers, collectively constitutes:

Alternative work arrangements

Florence, a marketing executive in her late thirties, had worked at a reputable marketing firm for the last three years. However, she was fired from the company without any prior notice when she collapsed at work after experiencing an epileptic seizure. Following this, Florence sued the company under _____.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Kidzi Inc. is a toy manufacturing company. As the new production manager, Andrew notices that the production unit has been underperforming. In an attempt to streamline the existing work flow, Andrew works on a new set of ideas that will help improve the efficiency of the production unit. He first identifies discrepancies in the quality and quantity of the toys produced by Kidzi. Which of the following steps should Andrew consider next in order to get a clearer view of how to increase the effectiveness of the production unit?

Andrew should carefully examine the work processes used to generate the end product.

Gary, the new human resource manager at Alchemy Corp., proposes using automated systems for screening résumés of applicants. Gary claims that automated systems are better than humans at picking the right profiles. Which of the following statements weakens Gary's claim?

Automated systems arbitrarily reject highly qualified people who submit a creatively worded résumé.

Which of the following is a standard that human resource managers must satisfy for HRM practices to be ethical?

Managers must always maintain that customers are right.

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following factors would motivate individuals the most?

Meaningfulness of a job

Which of the following is true about medical examinations of job candidates?

Medical examinations are conducted after a candidate has been given a job offer.

The employees at Circa Financial often complain that they are not provided feedback about their work. They feel that they do not get proper information as to how they have performed and the areas in which they need to improve. They also claim that the performance goals are vague and not measurable. Which of the following HR functions does Circa Financial need to specifically improve upon to resolve the complaints put forth by its employees?

Performance management

Which of the following is defined as the process of ensuring employees' activities and outputs match an organization's goals?

Performance management

rancisco Holt had applied for the position of an emergency direct care worker at the City Medical Center. In the last round of the selection process, he had to take part in a testing procedure that simulated an emergency situation. He had to run a half-mile on the treadmill, followed by a step test, a posture test, a squat test, and a weight-lifting test. His performance was timed and his heart rate was monitored throughout the tests. Which of the following tests is exemplified in this case?

Physical ability test

In an attempt to motivate its current employees and to attract skilled professionals, Labyrinth Inc. decides to increase salaries as well as year-end bonuses to its best performers. Which of the following HR functions is demonstrated in this scenario?

Planning and administering pay and benefits

As part of a companywide business strategy, Wright Inc. conducts a comprehensive examination of its critical work techniques to increase their efficiency. The strategy is also used to provide high quality goods and services to the firm's customers. Which of the following HRM practices does Wright use?

Rapidly changing customer needs and technology have caused many organizations to rethink the way they get work done. Therefore, many organizations have undertaken reengineering—a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality. In this scenario, Wright Inc. conducted the HRM practice of reengineering.

Juliette intends to approach Kaskade Inc. to fill a vacant position they have in the organization. She conducts a background check to find the merits and limitations of the vacancy. In the context of the behavior of the recruiter, Juliette is checking the _____.

Realistic job preview

Identify the correct statement regarding reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation is typically provided in situations involving individuals with disabilities or different religious needs.

Identify the process through which an organization seeks applicants for potential employment.

Recruitment

A manufacturing company hit by a slump in demand is experiencing a labor surplus. The company expects the market to improve in six months, and it does not want to lay off any of its employees. Which of the following strategies is an equitable way to handle this issue that results in spreading the burden more fairly?

Reduced work hours

N-Pax Technology Corp., a microchip manufacturing company, is hiring for the position of marketing manager for its new division. Nathan, the HR manager, considers the factual information necessary for performing the job successfully, the candidate's level of proficiency at performing tasks, his or her enduring capabilities, and other personality traits, such as persistence or motivation to achieve. Which of the following most likely relates to the task being carried out by Nathan while hiring for this position?

Response Feedback: A job specification looks at the qualities or requirements the person performing the job must possess. It is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform the job. In this scenario, Nathan is working on a job specification.

Henry has been newly appointed as the head of the HR team at AAS Technologies. In an attempt to establish a more efficient and reliable workflow, Henry has taken up the responsibility of creating job descriptions and job specifications for the newly hired and current engineers within the organization. While doing so, Henry gathers information about the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) required for an engineer to successfully perform the job. Which of the following statements highlights the importance of a thorough understanding of KSAOs if Henry is attempting to fill a position?

Response Feedback: A manager attempting to fill a position needs information about the characteristics required and about the characteristics of each applicant. Interviews and selection decisions should therefore focus on KSAOs.

In which of the following scenarios will workers be less motivated to perform a job per the Job Characteristics Model?

Response Feedback: According to the Job Characteristics Model, task significance relates to the impact the job has on the lives of other people. The more of each of the five characteristics a job has, the more motivating the job will be.

Bitstar Global Inc. is a soft drink manufacturing company. Kelly, the production manager, designs a new work flow for the production unit. She is confident that the new work flow design will help increase the unit's productivity and efficiency. If Kelly is at the last stage of analyzing the work flow, she is _____.

Response Feedback: The final stage in work flow analysis identifies the inputs required to carry out the work processes. Inputs fall into three categories: raw inputs (materials and information), equipment, and human resources (knowledge, skills, and abilities). In this scenario, Kelly is identifying the inputs utilized in the creation of the soft drinks.

Which of Kant's basic human rights is violated when a supervisor requires an employee to do something that is unsafe or environmentally damaging, in spite of the employee clearly objecting to the order?

Right of Freedom

Ryan filed a lawsuit against his previous employer because he was fired without warning. Which of the following events most likely compelled Ryan to file the lawsuit?

Ryan was fired from the company without prior notice.

Which of the following can be used to consolidate different human resource functions into a single location, eliminate redundancy, and reduce administrative costs?

Shared service centers

If two firms in one industry join to hold a greater share of the industry, it will be referred to as a(n)

Some mergers and acquisitions result in consolidation within an industry, meaning that two firms in one industry join to hold a greater share of the industry.

Which of the following is defined as a systematic, planned effort to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers?

Talent Management

As a _____, an HR professional should know the ways that people join an organization and move to different positions within it.

Talent Manager

Reese, the human resource (HR) manager at Axis Inc., clearly understands how individuals join the firm, get used to its values, and reach various positions within the company. She is also aware of the organizational structure and suggests measures to modify the structure in order to attain the firm's goals. This indicates that Reese is a _____.

Talent manager/organizational designer

Which of the following is true of self-managing work teams

Team members usually share work assignments.

After a large fire at Rowen Mills Inc., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent inspectors to the facility to investigate the incident. The group began its inspection by talking to all the employees involved in the recent fire and asked them what had caused the accident. Once all employees gave their views individually, they were asked to discuss among themselves the single systemic failure that caused the fire. Which of the following methods is being used by OSHA to study the recent fire at Rowen Mills?

Technic of operations review

Reese's use of illegal drugs limits her ability to walk properly. The elevator at her office was not working for many months, so she needed to climb two flights of stairs and it was difficult to get to her desk. She tried suing her company under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, arguing that her company discriminates against individuals who cannot perform major life activities. Which of the following would weaken Reese's argument?

The ADA does not cover conditions of substance abuse.

Naomi, a white female applicant, is refused a job at a state university in favor of a less qualified minority applicant. She considers suing the state university on charges of reverse discrimination against her under _____.

The Fourteenth Amendment

Name the model that was developed by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham to describe ways to make jobs more motivating.

The Job Characteristics model

Identify the most comprehensive U.S. law regarding worker safety.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act

Which of the following is true of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)?

The PAQ is meant to be completed only by job analysts trained in this method.

Which of the following is true about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

The act applies to organizations with 15 or more employees.

Name the agency that is responsible for conducting research to determine the criteria for specific operations or occupations and for training employers to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

The department of Health

Which of the following agencies is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress?

The executive of the government.

The practice of having another company provide services is known as _____.

The practice of having another company provide services is referred to as outsourcing.

Identify a disadvantage of using temporary and contract workers.

These workers tend to be relatively less committed to the organization

How do human resources professionals provide an organization with a valuable advantage?

They hire high-quality employees who provide a needed service as they perform many critical functions.

Which of the following is true of companies that use a "lead-the-market" pay strategy?

They would pay more than the current market wages for a job.

Which of the following describes a planned effort to enable employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior?

Training

Which of the following exemplifies a high utility selection procedure?

Tywell Capital, an international investment firm, spends close to a million dollars to hire a renowned economist as its new CEO.

According to the affirmative-action plan required by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which of the following refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of an employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply?

Utilization analysis

Nikita heads the human resource (HR) team at Strait Corp., a marketing firm. She has knowledge about how the firm earns revenues, about its clients and their requirements, and why the clients rely on the firm's services. This scenario illustrates Nikita's skills as a(n) _____.

WRONG: cultural and change steward. Feedback: This scenario illustrates Nikita's skills as a business ally. Members of an HR department who are business allies know how the business makes money, who its customers are, and why customers buy what the company sells.

Which of the following processes involves analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service?

Work flow design

Albright Corp. uses a set of quantitative tools to assess employee data such as performance, compensation, designations, and benefits. This is done to arrive at decisions based on accurate findings from analyses that can help the firm achieve its goals. Albright is engaging in the practice of _____.

Workforce analytics

Companies are finding that to survive they must contend in international markets as well as fend off foreign competitors' attempts to gain ground in the United States. Which of the following would help businesses in the United States meet these challenges?

Companies are finding that to survive they must compete in international markets as well as fend off foreign competitors' attempts to gain ground in the United States. To meet these challenges, U.S. businesses must develop global markets, keep up with competition from overseas, hire from an international labor pool, and prepare employees for global assignments.

Olivia works in the human resource (HR) department at Hercules Corp. Her chief responsibilities include administering salaries, determining incentives, managing group insurance and employee vacation and leave. Identify the human resource management (HRM) function being performed by Olivia.

Compensation and benefits

Revlay Corp., which is based in California, has clients across the globe. In order to maintain a 24-hour presence, the firm allows its employees to work in shifts. One of the ways to enable this arrangement is a schedule in which full-time workers complete their weekly hours in fewer than five days. For example, instead of working eight hours a day for five days, the employees could complete 40 hours of work in four 10-hour days. Which of the following flexible work arrangements is being implemented by Revlay?

Compressed Workweek

Identify the responsibility that is specifically associated with the HR function of employee relations.

Conducting attitude surveys

Gilbert, an HR manager at MaxNet Inc., hires 50 employees in five months. He has used different sources of recruitment to recruit these employees. He desires to determine the success rate of the recruitment sources. Gilbert must use the _____ to achieve his objective.

Cost per hire

Which of the following statements is true about the HR profession?

Wrong: Professional certification in HRM continues to be the most common feature of a majority of professionals in the field. Response Feedback: HR generalists usually perform the full range of HRM activities, including recruiting, training, compensation, and employee relations. The vast majority of HRM professionals have a college degree, and many also have completed postgraduate work. The typical field of study for HR professionals is busines s.

Penta Toy Corp. (PTC) is a firm that manufactures toys. Very often, employees of the firm are on leave citing physical stress. An expert hired by PTC investigates the situation and recommends investing in an ergonomics study of the work environment. In this scenario, the expert is recommending:

a study of the interface between individuals' physiology and the characteristics of the physical work environment.

Donna Hernandez has applied for the position of data systems operator in one of the federal governmental agencies. As part of the selection process, she takes a civil services examination that measures her existing knowledge and skills. This scenario exemplifies a(n) _____.

achievement test

Identify the traits that are found in a conscientious person.

Dependable, organized, persevering, and achievement-oriented

In the 1930s, the U.S. Department of Labor created the _____ as a vehicle for helping the new public employment system link the demand for skills and the supply of skills in the U.S. workforce.

Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

Which of the following is NOT a rule for drug testing?

Drug test reports should not be sent to applicants.

_____ formally lay out the steps an employee may take to appeal an employer's decision to terminate that employee.

Due-process policies

A _____ refers to an agreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and an organization that the organization will cease certain discriminatory practices and possibly institute additional affirmative-action practices to rectify its history of discrimination.

consent decree

Leo Corp., a large-scale cell phone manufacturer, buys Milo Inc., a small cell phone manufacturer, to secure a greater share of the cell phone industry. This scenario exemplifies a(n) _____.

consolidation

For tests that measure abstract qualities such as intelligence or leadership skills, validity would best be established by _____ validation.

construct

People's right of privacy is the right to

control what they reveal about their private life

Marshall, a 33-year old unemployed software engineer, applied for a job at Bluetel Inc., a Florida-based software company. In his résumé, he gave his former project manager as a reference. But he was rejected soon after the HR specialist at Bluetel called his former manager and learned that Marshall was accused of racial discrimination against another employee. Sensing this to be the reason for his rejection at Bluetel, Marshall can sue his former manager on charges of _____.

defamation

Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as _____.

disparate treatment

Employees realize that many companies are no longer able to provide long-term employment security. Instead, the employees now want:

employability

Berzen Inc. hires John as a supervisor in the company. They have an implied understanding that both the employer and the employee have the right to end their relationship at any time they desire. In the context of personnel policies, the relationship between the company and John is based on the _____.

employment-at-will policy

Job enrichment differs from job rotation in that job enrichment:

empowers workers by adding more decision-making authority to their jobs.

Which of the following statements is true about the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871?

hey were passed to further the Thirteenth Amendment's goal of abolishing slavery.

Janet, an HR manager at SensNet Inc., hires employees who have a specific set of skills that will give her company advantage over its competitors. In the context of strategic planning, Janet is:

hiring individuals with a core competency.

Rhodes Group, a financial services corporation, advertises itself to cultivate a favorable picture of the organization by using the slogan, "Investing innovatively." This scenario is an example of _____ advertising.

image

The external labor market consists of

individuals who are actively seeking employment

Oliver works at Tate Corp., an apparel manufacturing company. He primarily focuses on the tastes and needs of the firm's customers. He achieves this by managing a team that regularly interacts with customers through various promotional activities and events. He also provides insights on how to produce eco-friendly outfits through cost-efficient manufacturing processes. This implies that Oliver:

is a knowledge worker

The process of communicating information about a job vacancy on company bulletin boards, in employee publications, on corporate intranets, and anywhere else an organization communicates with employees is referred to as:

job postings

A _____ interview allows interviewer's discretion in choosing the questions to be asked and generally includes open-ended questions about the candidate's strengths, weaknesses, career goals, and work experience.

nondirective

When large U.S. software companies open facilities in developing countries to take advantage of the highly skilled labor available there at lower pay rates, they are engaging in:

offshoring

Grace is the HR manager of Trelsoft Inc., a software company located in Boston. She wants to establish the validity of a test designed for computer technicians using a predictive criterion-related validation strategy. According to this validation, Grace must administer the test to _____.

people applying for computer technician jobs in Trelsoft

By keeping employees' personal records confidential, an employer respects their right of:

privacy

Joshua, the human resource (HR) manager at Potter Inc., has a clear understanding of the firm's business. This enables him to comprehend the various needs of the business and help the company meet its goals for attracting, keeping, and developing employees with the required skills. This scenario indicates Joshua's responsibility of:

providing business partner services

Steve applies for a job at Texel Inc. because his friend Dan, who is a manager there, prompts him to do so. In this scenario, Steve is a(n) _____.

referral

The _____ of a type of measurement indicates how free that measurement is from random error.

reliability

Most direct applicants to an organization have done some research and concluded there is enough fit between themselves and the vacant position to warrant submitting an application. This process is termed:

self-selection

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who are _____.

severely disfigured

During an interview for a sales position at Lock-Spark Inc., all job candidates are asked about what they would do to regain business with a client whose products were damaged during a business transaction with Lock-Spark. This is an example of a(n) _____ interview.

situational

The industrial engineering approach is most likely to emphasize _____.

streamlining jobs to make them simpler, efficient, and automatic

To gather information about worker requirements, the Fleishman Job Analysis System typically asks _____ to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform the job.

subject-matter experts

n the context of HR planning, implementation that ties planning and recruiting to an organization's strategy and to its efforts to develop employees becomes a complete program of:

talent management

Ron, an HR manager at Franton Inc., needs to determine how the number of administrative staff increased in the last two years. He observed that there was a decrease in the accounting department by the same number of staff. In the context of determining labor supply in the accounting department, Ron must use a(n) _____.

transitional matrix

In recent trend, some companies are doing away with their human resource (HR) departments altogether because they:

want to encourage department managers and other employees to handle HR issues as they arise.

Joe, the CEO of TexTel Inc., studies the structure of his organization and finds that many of its processes are inefficient. His company has a team-oriented culture in which people perform as groups and complete short-term projects to earn revenue. He decides to downsize the organization to increase profits and use the profits to enhance the organization's efficiency. Emily, the company's HR manager, thinks downsizing is detrimental to the organization's growth. Which one of them is right?

Emily is right because downsizing will affect the organization's team culture and result in poor productivity.

Which of the following is responsible for the shift in the job trend, from the use of narrowly defined jobs to the use of broadly defined jobs in organizations?

Emphasis on innovation and quality

Which of the following is a characteristic of current day high-performance work systems?

Employee empowerment in decision making

Which of the following refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company?

Employee engagement refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company.

Nicole, an employee at Neo Corp., develops and distributes newsletters that announce upcoming events in the company. Which of the following human resource management (HRM) practices is being performed by Nicole?

Employee relations

In the context of today's organizations, which of the following statements is true of employees? .

Employees are not easily the replaced parts of a system, but they are the source of a company's success or failure

Which of the following would qualify as a compressed workweek?

Employees are permitted to work 10 hours a day, so that they can work fewer days per week.

Which of the following statements reflects a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

Employees over the age of 40 are asked to retire as part of a company's downsizing program.

Which of the following is a requirement under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?

Employers must verify and maintain records on the legal rights of applicants to work in the United States.

Which of the following is in compliance with the core values of total quality management?

Encouraging employees and customers to provide inputs on improving quality of the products and deciding on the costs

Which of the following is an element in the final stage of human resources planning?

Evaluating outcomes

Which of the following is a "Big Five" personality trait?

Extroversion

Which of the following describes the employees of an organization in terms of their training, experience, judgment, intelligence, relationships, and insight?

Human Capital

Costabin Inc., a company in the recycling business, has revamped its management and business criteria. It has also added new objectives that would require recruitment of new and skilled labor. The responsibility of identifying the numbers and the kinds of employees lies with the HR department of the firm. This responsibility of the HR department is known as _____.

Human Resource Planning

Which of the following is a challenge for human resource management during mergers?

Human resource management (HRM) should have a significant role in carrying out a merger or acquisition. Differences between the businesses involved in the deal make conflict inevitable. Training efforts should therefore include development of skills in conflict resolution. Also, HR professionals have to sort out differences in the two companies' practices with regard to compensation, performance appraisal, and other HR system

Which of the following responsibilities is specifically associated with the HR function of support for strategy?

Human resource planning and forecasting

Identify the correct statement regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

If an OSHA violation results in citations, an employer must post each citation in a prominent place near the location of the violation.

Information from observers should be used as a supplement to information from incumbents. Identify the statement that is most likely to support this argument.

Incumbents provide accurate information, but they may have an incentive to exaggerate what they do to appear more valuable to the organization.

Identify the correct statement regarding internal recruitment sources.

Internal recruiting minimizes the possibility of unrealistic employee expectations.

Harley wants to build a startup company with a small number of people working for him. He decides to do all the hiring himself. Antonio, a friend of Harley's, who is also a lawyer, wants to warn Harley about the risk of discrimination complaints by applicants who were not hired. Which of the following arguments must Antonio use to warn Harley?

Interviews are subjective, so they have the potential of assessing candidates based on questions not related to the job.

What is the advantage of establishing and administering policies in organizations?

It allows companies to handle situations more fairly and objectively.

Which of the following is an accurate feature of a job application form?

It ensures that certain standard categories of information are obtained.

Why is temporary employment popular with employers?

It gives them flexibility in operations

Identify the statement that accurately represents the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It goes beyond prohibiting discrimination to require that employers take steps to accommodate individuals covered under the legislation.

Which of the following statements is true of a bona fide occupational qualification?

It is a necessary qualification for a job.

Which of the following best describes the multiple-hurdle model of personnel selection?

It is a process of arriving at a selection decision by eliminating some candidates at each stage of the selection process.

Identify the statement that characterizes the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)

It outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40.

Identify the disadvantage of using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ).

It results in abstract reports that are of limited use.

Jenny is a line manager at Maxvin Corp. She is assigned the task of understanding and gathering detailed information about the requirements of carrying out a certain job. Information gathered by Jenny will be used to provide essential knowledge for staffing, training, performance appraisal, and other HR activities. Which of the following most likely corresponds to the task undertaken by Jenny?

Job analysis

Kylie changes jobs on a regular basis. She does this to secure better career growth opportunities and to decrease boredom. Kylie engages in _____.

Job hopping

Which of the following is necessary for the success of employee empowerment?

Jobs must be designed to give employees the necessary latitude for making a variety of decisions. Employees must be properly trained to exert their wider authority and use information resources such as the Internet as well as tools for communicating information.

Kathleen is a member of the human resource (HR) department at Jade Corp. She had set a goal to enhance the firm's strategy. She worked to attain it by understanding the current resources and by attracting new resources according to requirements. However, her strategic ideas did not lead to effective results. Which of the following, if true, would imply the reason for Kathleen's failure in attaining her goal?

Kathleen did not make an attempt to understand Jade's business, its industry, and its competitors.

Kelton Inc. produces large quantities of products for their customers within tight deadlines. However, customers are not satisfied with the products produced by Kelton. Which of the following, if true, would best explain the customers' dissatisfaction with Kelton?

Kelton does not adhere to quality standards

Identify the limitation of cognitive ability tests.

Legal issues related to administering the tests

Which of the following HR functions includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies?

Maintaining positive employee relations

Which of the following observations is true of utilizing the services of independent contractors

A company is not supposed to directly supervise the contractors.

What is a human resource (HR) dashboard?

A human resource (HR) dashboard is a display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics, such as productivity and absenteeism.

Zoemetra Corp. has been receiving some criticism about the way it evaluates the results of a test used in the selection process for job candidates. It employs a method wherein scores between 90 and 100 are graded A, scores between 80 and 90 are graded B, scores between 70 and 80 are graded C, and so on. The criticism has come about because this practice allows them to give preference to unrepresented groups within a range. Which of the following accurately describes this method of evaluating tests?

Banding

In the context of options for avoiding a labor shortage, identify the similarity between outsourcing and overtime strategies.

Both strategies have high revocability

How can an HR department that is considered its company's strategic partner help the company gain a competitive advantage?

By providing the needed human resources to the company and understanding the existing ones

Select the correct statement about HR responsibilities of supervisors.

Supervisors typically have responsibilities related to all the HR functions.