MHR 305 Practice Exam #1 Spring 2016

Which of the following is an organized approach for obtaining relevant and timely information on which to base HR decisions? a. Outsourcing b. A human resource information system c. A data warehouse d. A performance evaluation program e. Strategic positioning

A human resource information system

Based on the results of your analysis in the flight attendent question, an employer could potentially defend its selection practices based on. a. Business necessity b. Job-relatedness c. BFOQ d. Bona fide seniority system e. All of the above

All of the above

Based on the workforce diversity simulation on Henton cast, key take aways from the simulation include _____________________. a. Lack of diversity can be a problem because companies may lose out on wider perspectives for creativity and problem solving in relation to products, services,operations, etc. b. A company that possesses diversity in its workforce may have a greater capacity to attract a more diverse customer base. c. Determine the reasons behind gender disparities in the workplace through surveys,focus groups, or interviews. d. To understand the root causes of why employees quit, deploy an exit interview process. Also, you can attempt to contact these individuals who left the company in the past. e. All of the above.

All of the above.

Selection Ratios for Flight Attendant Job. American Indians: 52% Asian Americans: 57% African Americans: 65% Hispanics: 60% Caucasians: 70% Based on applying the 4/5 rule to the data above, there is evidence of adverse impact for. a. American Indians b. African Americans c. Asian Americans d. Hispanics e. All of the above

American Indians

Which of the following is/are true regarding various anti-discrimination laws? a. Based on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an employer must allow women to return to work after child birth on the same basis as for other disabilities. b. Based on Title VII, employers are not obligated to accommodate employee requests for reasonable accommodations in terms of religion. c. Based on the Age Discrimination on Employment Act, employers cannot discriminate against individuals who are 50 years-old or older. d. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 put the burden of proof on the plaintiffs to prove that they were discriminated against by an employer. e.All of the above are true.

Based on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an employer must allow women to return to work after child birth on the same basis as for other disabilities.

Which of the following, similar to an internship, provides a vehicle for relaunching a career after a break? a.On ramping b. Returnship c. Removing the glass ceiling d. Cultural socialization e. Digital native training

Returnship

The BXMCorporation possesses an affirmative program designed to increase representation of members of protected classes. If there are 20% Hispanics in the external labor market for the company and the company currently employs 7% Hispanics, then the affirmative action goal for Hispanics should be. a. 7% b. 13% c. 15% d. 20% e. Not enough information to answer the question.

20%

Which of the following is an example of quid pro quo sexual harassment? a. An employee who displays a "pin-up" calendar in his work area. b. A manager who makes sexually-oriented comments about the clothes worn by female employees. c. A female manager who tells a make direct report that she will give him a promotion with a pay increase if he has dinner with her and engages in sexual activities with her. d. Male workers making "elevator eyes" toward female employees. e. Employees telling dirty jokes during their lunch break.

A female manager who tells a make direct report that she will give him a promotion with a pay increase if he has dinner with her and engages in sexual activities with her.

A working knowledge of human resource management is important for the effectiveness of _____________ in the performance of their jobs in organizations. a. HR professionals b. Line managers c. Individual contributors d. Senior executives e. All of the above

All of the above

Based on the "Downsizing" Incident from your textbook that was discussed in lecture, the elements of the company's environment that Scott (the HR Manager) will need to consider in developing his suggested plan for reducing the size of the workforce by 30% in his company include ___________. a. Competition and the need to be cost competitive b. Impact of the reduction on the community in which it has been located c. Negative press from the media d. Negative campaigns from special interest groups e. All of the above

All of the above

Based on the "Workforce Diversity Program Design" exercise conducted in discussion section, an effective diversity program needs to address which of the following issues? a. What are the objectives of the workforce diversity program? b. What are the elements of the workforce diversity program? c. Which hey actions will be taken to support implementation of the diversity program? d. How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce diversity program? e.All of the above

All of the above

Based on the HR Simulation you completed on Tri-State Dairies and that we discussed in lecture, the key takeaways from this case include ________. a. Be sure to take the the personalities and learning styles of workers into consideration when designing training programs. b. Traditional training methods tend to be richer in content and emphasis than technology-based methods. c. It is important to listen to employees concerns about training programs and to try to respond to concerns when possible. d. Be aware of and actively manage political factors related to the design and delivery of training programs. e. All of the above

All of the above

Based on the analysis of the "Case of the Hidden Harassment" in discussion section, what are the practical takeaways from this case study for you as future HR professionals, line managers, or individual contributors in organizations? a. Sexual harassment needs to be formally defined in the policy b. A reporting procedure should be included with the policy so employees who feel they may have been sexually harassed understand how to report it. c. Employees should be given options in terms of how they can obtain assistance to deal with sexual harassment. d. The company should investigate all sexual harassment claims and take swift and appropriate action for dealing with violators of the policy. e. All of the above

All of the above

Based on the case study entitled, "Why Doesn't This HR Department Get Any Respect?," appropriate recommendations to assisting Luke Robinson, the HR Manager, with the situation at his company include_____________. a. Present specific data that demonstrates how HR can benefit each senior manager's area. b. Decentralize HR and make line management more accountable for playing a role in handling HR issues. c. Identify the causes of the bonus check fiasco and fix them. d. Robinson must learn more about the business the firm is in (investments) in order to relate more effectively to senior management. e. all of the above.

All of the above

The job description/specification play an important role in supporting which of the following HR activities? a. Recruitment b. Selection c. Determining pay rates for jobs d. Performance appraisal e. All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following strategic measures of HR effectiveness should HR professionals attempt to minimize over time? a. Health care cost per employee (total health care costs/number of employees) b. Turnover costs (cost to terminate+cost per hire+vacancy cost+learning curve loss) c. Training investment factor (total training cost/headcount) d. Voluntary turnover rate e. All of the above

All of the above

Federal law is concerned when workers with caregiving responsibilities are treated differently based on a characteristic that is protected by existing federal laws. Which of the following characteristics is NOT protected by federal law? a. Race b. Disability c. Association with an individual with a disability d. Gender e. Caregiver status

Caregiver status

Which of the following would NOT be a factor as to whether the EEOC will pursue litigation? a. The number of people affected by the alleged practice b. The type of charge c. The amount of money involved in the charge d. Other charges against the employer e. Compliance evaluations and complaint investigations of federal contractors and subcontractors

Compliance evaluations and complaint investigations of federal contractors and subcontractors

A disabled individual applies for a job as a computer operator at a telecommunications firm. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, what does the employer need to do in this situation? a. Reject the applicant given his disability condition. b. Apply the reasonable person standard in determining whether to hire this applicant. c. Determine whether the job applicant can perform the essential functions of the job. d.All of the above. e. None of the above.

Determine whether the job applicant can perform the essential functions of the job.

Large companies like Whole Foods, Lenovo, and Google are growing themselves by acquiring smaller firms that are viewed as having high potential to add value to these companies. From an HR perspective, these companies will likely need to address which of the following strategic HR challenges? a. Employee transfer, reassignments, and layoffs b .Aggressive recruiting and selection of new employees c. Linking compensation to achieving growth objectives d. Providing meaningful career development for employees e. All of the above

Employee transfer, reassignments, and layoffs

You have been hired as a consultant by the vice-president of human resources at a computer company in order to help her to develop and implement strategies for enhancing the credibility of HR in the organization. Based on this situation and the Strategies for Enhancing the Credibility of HR, which of the following would you recommend? a. Hire outside firms (i.e., outsource) to handle key HR processes such as payroll. b. Formally define HR responsibilities in relation to the line. c. Listen to focus primarily on front-line employee problems and concerns. d. Never question senior management's decisions about employee issues. e. Outsource the majority of the HR function to an outside firm to handle.

Formally define HR responsibilities in relation to the line.

________ refers to sets of collective skills, knowledge, and ability that employees can apply to create economic value for their employers. a. Human resource planning b. Human capital c. Career development d. Human resource development e. Performance management

Human capital

Which of the following statements is(are) true regarding the Scarpello, Ledvinka, and Bergmann Human Resource Management Systems Model? a. It emphasizes that the external environment is the most important dimension of the model as these factors drive strategic decision making of senior management in organizations. b. It emphasizes that the organization is the most important dimension in the model because profit maximization is always the #1 key performance indicator for organizations. c. It emphasizes that the HR system dimension of the model exists in a context-free vacuum in which HR leaders must make strategic decisions based on relevant factors within the HRM system alone. d. It emphasizes that the HR system dimension of the model is itself composed of three inter-related components including planning, implementation, and outcomes/evaluation. e. All of the above.

It emphasizes that the HR system dimension of the model is itself composed of three inter-related components including planning, implementation, and outcomes/evaluation.

Which of the following statements is (are) true regarding human resourcemanagement? a. It is a core line function in mostorganizations. b. Its sole priority is the attraction and retention of an efficient and low cost workforce. c. It is composed of formal employment policies, systems, and practices. d. Its sole priority is the development of effective leadership skills among senior executives. e. All of the above.

It is composed of formal employment policies, systems, and practices.

Which of the following has traditionally been the most useful indicator of employment level needs? a. Sales volume b. Requirements and availability c. Bottom-up forecast d. Human resource planning e. Zero-based forecast

Sales volume

Based on the Hewlett Packard strategic HR case study discussed in lecture, effective actions that were taken by management and/or HR leaders to support the effective implementation of a strategic approach to HR included ___________. a. Senior management and HR leaders defined the degree of ownership for playing each of four key strategic HR roles. b. Senior management reassigned a key executive to the HR leadership team to provide support. c. Management and HR leaders developed a budget for the initiative to ensure that financial support was available for the initiative. d. Senior management and HR developed a strategy map and balanced scorecard to formalize the new strategic approach to HR in the company. e. Allof the above.

Senior management and HR leaders defined the degree of ownership for playing each of four key strategic HR roles

Based on the "Strategic HR" Incident from your textbook that was discussed in lecture, how did the corporate strategic plan assist Charmagne in challenging Brian and his desire to promise a client that the company can complete a project for them in one year rather than two years? a. Since everyone was involved in developing the strategic plan, she was able to enhance the merit of her argument for caution before committing to the completion of the project in one year. b. Since the CEO and other members of senior management were the only ones involved in developing the strategic plan, whatever they decided had to be followed regardless of how Brian felt about it. c. Since the existing corporate strategic plan was very informal and open-ended, Charmagne was able to convince Brian that a decision could not be made on this issue until the plan was updated. d. The corporate strategic plan explicitly stated that the company needed to prioritize getting things done correctly and not quickly so it would be a risky move to offer the client a one-year proposal for completing the project. e. All of the above.

Since everyone was involved in developing the strategic plan, she was able to enhance the merit of her argument for caution before committing to the completion of the project in one year.

Based on Thurow's concept of the Wealth Pyramid, which of the following statements is (are)true? a. Resources are the key determinants of a company's wealth creation. b. Tools are a key HR issue that must be invested in with a long-term perspective inpromoting the wealth of anorganization. c. Social Organization is a key contributor to the wealth creation of an organization butnot anation. d. Skills are a key HR issue that contribute to the wealth creation of a nation. e. All of the above.

Skills are a key HR issue that contribute to the wealth creation of a nation.

You are the HR manager at a small printing company in North Carolina. Your company has had three sexual harassment lawsuits filed against it by female employees. The president of the company has asked you to address the situation immediately in order to prevent future incidents of sexual harassment. Based on our discussion of practical guidelines for handling sexual harassment, the actions you would take include. a. Create a "three strikes and you are out" policy on sexual harassment b. Implement an informal grievance procedure for employees c. Transfer employees who file sexual harassment complaints in order to protect them from retaliation d. Take every complaint seriously e. All of the above

Take every complaint seriously

The set of principles that help employers, labor organizations, employment agencies, and licensing and certification boards to comply with federal employment laws is called ____________. a. The Uniform Guidelines b. The Federal Contract Compliance Program c. Affirmative action d.EEOC e. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

The Uniform Guidelines

Based on the "What is Affirmative Action?" Incident discussed in lecture, the affirmative action program that the company needed to develop should have been designed to accomplish which objective? a. To remove "conspicuous imbalances" in the workforce so that an employer's workforce reflects the demographics of the places in which it does business. b. To conduct a utilization analysis. c. To conduct an availability analysis. d. To apply the 4/5 rule to selection data. e. All of the above

To remove "conspicuous imbalances" in the workforce so that an employer's workforce reflects the demographics of the places in which it does business.

You have been hired by the Vice President of Human Resources at the XBP Corporation to advise her on how to evaluate the effectiveness of HR from a strategic perspective. Specifically, she is interested in learning more about how she can use strategic measures of HR effectiveness. Based on this situation, what would you say to her? a. Try to maximize or increase scores on the training investment factor measure (total training cost/headcount). b. Try to minimize or decrease scores on the total labor cost revenue percent (compensation cost+benefit cost+other labor cost)/revenue) c. Try to maximize or increasescores on the voluntary separation rate measure (voluntary separations/headcount). d. Try to minimize or decrease scores on the human capital ROI measure (revenue-(operating expense-[compensation cost+benefit cost]/(compensation cost+benefit cost). e. All of the above.

Try to minimize or decrease scores on the total labor cost revenue percent (compensation cost+benefit cost+other labor cost)/revenue)

Bob Livingston, a job analyst at the PHX Corporation,collected in-depth empirical data (e.g. multiple worksite tours,surveys, interviews) regarding the customer service representative job he was analyzing and created and finalized the job description which he entered into the company's formal job description system. Based on the Job AnalysisProcess, which critical step in the process did Bob neglect to address in implementing his job analysis process? a. Collecting appropriate job data b. Conducting focus groups with employees regarding the job c. Validating the job description d. Benchmarking the job description against other job descriptions in the company e.All of the above

Validating the job description

Which of the following is the systematic process of matching the internal and external supply of people with job openings anticipated in the organization over a specific period of time? a. Requirements forecast b. Availability forecast c. Bottom-up forecast d. Zero-base forecasting e. Workforce planning

Workforce planning

The role of HR professionals in organizations has evolved from primarily a(n) ________ role into more of a strategic role within the organization. a. administrative and supervisory b. supervisory and accounting c. accounting and compliance d. administrative and compliance e. supervisory and compliance

administrative and compliance

The HR department at Lazaro Financial Services Corporation excels at working with line managers and executives to reengineer organizational processes. Based on Ulrich's Strategic HR Roles Framework, the deliverable associated with this activity is to__________________. a. create a quality-driven organization b. execute strategy c. create a renewed organization d. build an efficient infrastructure e. all of the above

build an efficient infrastructure

In terms of handling employment laws effectively, the key objective for management, HR, and individual contributors is to achieve _____________. a. compliance with all applicable laws and regulations b. a basic understanding of relevant local and state HR laws and regulations c. affirmative action goals and time tables d. the creation of a culture that values team work e. the creation of in-depth training programs on employment laws that individual contributors (but not managers) need to complete

compliance with all applicable laws and regulations

You have been assigned to conduct a job analysis of a business analyst for an insurance company. The first thing you did was to collect preliminary job information (e.g.,reviewing the existing job description and training manuals) for the business analyst position. The next step in the process would be to __________________ which is important in order to ___________________. a. collect job data; enhance your understanding of the job b. draft the job description and job specification; summarize the data you have collected c. conduct a work-site tour; obtain direct experience with the job d. consolidate job data; draft the job description and specification e. all of the above

conduct a work-site tour; obtain direct experience with the job

Based on the SAS video case presented in lecture, the HR function at the company demonstrates vertical integration between the corporate strategy of___________and the HR strategyof _____________. a. cost-cutting; compensation and benefits b. customer service; recruiting c. creativity and innovation; education and training d. growth; legal compliance e. all of the above

creativity and innovation; education and training

The major difference between disparate treatment and adverse impact illegal discrimination is that ___________. a. adverse impact is intentional b. disparate treatment involves the use of different standards for different groups c. disparate treatment involves unequal consequences or results d. adverse impact involves the use of prejudiced actions e. all of the above

disparate treatment involves the use of different standards for different groups

The LRS Corporation possesses a job analysis process that monitors job descriptions for all jobs in the organization and ensures that they are all kept up-to-date. This enables the training process to design training and development programs that help new employees to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to be successful on their jobs. This situation provides an example of _________________. a. horizontal integration b. lack of horizontal integration c. vertical integration d. lack of vertical integration e. all of the above

horizontal integration

The HR department at the Hewitt Corporation devotes a lot of time on "providing resources to employees by listening and responding to their concerns about their workplace. Based on Ulrich's Strategic HR Roles Framework, the deliverable associated with this activity is to __________________. a. execute strategy b. building an efficient infrastructure c. creating a renewed organization d. increase employee commitment and capability e. all of the above

increase employee commitment and capability

The Scarpello, Ledvinka, and Bergmann Human Resource Management Systems Model is useful for understanding and managing HR issues because it provides a(n) ___________for HR professionals, managers, and individual contributors in organizations. a. integrated conceptual framework b. HR balanced scorecard c. HR strategy map d. job description e. job specification

integrated conceptual framework

The key deliverable(s) of the job analysis process include a(n)____________. a. affirmative action plan b. job description and a job specification c. workforce diversity program d. HR balanced scorecard e. HR strategy map

job description and a job specification

Changes in the content and level of responsibility of a job so as to provide greater challenges to the worker is called _________. a. job enrichment b. job enlargement c. job rotation d. job redesign e. job optimization

job enrichment

Jack Cade's is a fast-food restaurant that competes directly with McDonalds and Burger King. The company's basis business model is to provide high quality food at a reasonable cost, served by customer service-oriented staff. The company's recruiting process only requires that service staff by at least 16 years-old and available to work evenings and weekends. As a result of this, the company's customer service has been very uneven. This is an example of which of the following? a. horizontal integration b. lack of horizontal integration c. vertical integration d. lack of vertical integration e. all of the above

lack of vertical integration

The PXM Corporation has established a formal e-business unit designed to develop products and services that will utilize the Internet. This new emphasis required a new set of knowledge and skills among employees including expertise in technology management and an understanding of the needs and preferences of Internet customers. The HR department has established goals and strategies that emphasize hiring employees that possess teamwork skills and the ability to work in a highly structured environment (i.e., lots of formal work rules and policies). This situation provides an example of ____________. a. lack of horizontal integration b. missing KPIs c. vertical integration d. a prima facie case of strategic misalignment e. lack of vertical integration

lack of vertical integration

The Weston Corporation is pursuing a corporate strategy that focuses on maintaining its current position in the consumer electronics industry. The major HR challenges associated with the use of this strategy would include__________. a. managing change in the organization's culture, structure and processes b. providing meaningful career development for employees c. linking employee compensation to achieving growth objectives d. reducing costs through pay freezes and pay reductions e. working with the union to obtain concessions to increase the competitiveness of the firm

providing meaningful career development for employees