Ch 4: Workforce Focus

Which of the following "Conditions of Collaboration," proposed by Kendall and Bodison, creates a congruency between what the organization stands for and the personal beliefs of the individual? a. Respect b. Trust c. Communication d. Aligned values

Aligned values

Which of the following activities is a part of workforce management? a. Procuring the resources to carry out the production process b. Identifying new markets for a product c. Developing a long-term strategy for the organization d. Assisting in the design of work systems

Assisting in the design of work systems

According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, which of the following core job characteristics is most likely to have an impact on an employee's experienced responsibility? a. Autonomy b. Task identity c. Skill variety d. Task significance

Autonomy

Ergo Industries, which manufactures automotive parts, had taken various measures to improve the quality of its products. The product-line managers at the company had the authority to stop production, without the approval of senior management, if they found defective components and had to take measures to resolve the issues. This authority motivated the managers to perform their jobs better. According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, which of the following core job characteristics is influencing the performance of managers in this scenario? a. Skill variety b. Task identity c. Autonomy d. Task significance

Autonomy

Which of the following learning approaches did American Honda use to support the overall emphasis on growth and quality? a. Instructor-led training b. Self-paced learning c. Blended learning d. Pure virtual online learning

Blended learning

According to the "engagement index" created by the Gallup Organization, employees who fall under the category of "not-engaged employees" undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish. a. True b. False

False

As managerial roles shift from directing and controlling to coaching and facilitating, managers, who must deal with cross-functional problems, benefit more from upward movement rather than horizontal movement in narrow functional areas. a. True b. False

False

In the adjourning stage of a team's life cycle, the team members cooperate with each other to solve problems and complete the goals of their assigned work. a. True b. False

False

Job design refers to how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such as departments and teams, within an organization. a. True b. False

False

Job enlargement is a work design approach that motivates employees by giving them more authority, responsibility, and autonomy rather than simply more or different work to do. a. True b. False

False

Management teams are specially empowered work teams whose members gather to solve a specific problem and then disband. a. True b. False

False

Natural work teams are usually cross-functional, as they work on specific tasks or processes that cut across boundaries of several different departments. a. True b. False

False

Strategic human resource management relies on proven approaches to improve organizational performance. a. True b. False

False

Teams organized to perform entire jobs, rather than specialized, assembly line-type work are referred to as quality circles. a. True b. False

False

The workforce management system proposed by Frederick W. Taylor failed to improve productivity in organizations. a. True b. False

False

Nathan, a sales manager at a consumer electronics company, motivated his sales executives by providing them with regular inputs on their performance and on what was expected of them from the company. The team had also developed a system through which the salespersons could analyze their performance based on customers' comments. According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, which of the following core job characteristics is motivating the employees to perform better in this scenario? a. Autonomy b. Task identity c. Task significance d. Feedback from the job

Feedback from the job

Which of the following statements regarding the employee suggestion system is true? a. It decreases workforce flexibility. b. It leads to poor interpersonal relationships in the workplace. c. It leads to lower levels of motivation. d. It improves workers' reasoning ability and leads to higher levels of peer recognition.

It improves workers' reasoning ability and leads to higher levels of peer recognition.

Which of the following statements regarding the job enlargement approach to work design is true? a. It leads to lower product quality. b. It allows workers to learn several tasks by rotating them between various tasks. c. It results in lower production costs and reduces fragmentation of jobs. d. It leads to lower worker satisfaction.

It results in lower production costs and reduces fragmentation of jobs.

_____ is an approach to work design that improves a worker's job by including several tasks rather than one single, low-level task. a. Job enrichment b. Job rotation c. Job enlargement d. Skill variety

Job enlargement

A food manufacturing company motivates its employees to perform well by giving them more responsibilities and authority to make decisions. The company believes that giving more authority to employees makes them more dedicated and committed to their work. Which of the following terms best describes this approach to job design? a. Job enlargement b. Task identity c. Job rotation d. Job enrichment

Job enrichment

Which of the following is the biggest cost in any employee turnover model? a. New hire training costs b. Separation processing costs c. Replacement hiring costs d. Lost productivity costs

Lost productivity costs

According to Herzberg's Two-Factor theory, which of the following factors is an example of a motivational factor? a. Nature of work b. Adequate pay c. Safe working environment d. Reasonable level of job security

Nature of work

Which of the following is a process measure that helps to assess workforce effectiveness? a. Employee turnover b. Job satisfaction c. Perceptions of teamwork and management effectiveness d. Number of suggestions made by the employees

Number of suggestions made by the employees

Which of the following types of teams in an organization is usually cross-functional? a. Project team b. Self-managed team c. Natural work team d. Quality circle

Project team

According to Kay Kendall and Glenn Bodison, which of the following "Conditions of Collaboration" refers to believing in the inherent worth of another person? a. Respect b. Values c. Trust d. Purpose

Respect

Which of the following practices will lead to effective recognition and rewarding of employees? a. Tying rewards to nonmeasurable performance so that employees provide more attention to quality rather than quantity b. Giving individual rewards rather than team rewards because team rewards can ignore the contributions of individual employees to the team c. Rewarding behavior, not just results d. Rewarding employees only through cash rewards as money is the most important and effective motivating factor for most employees

Rewarding behavior, not just results

According to Herzberg's Two-Factor theory, which of the following factors is an example of a maintenance factor? a. Recognition b. Advancement c. Safe working environment d. Achievement

Safe working environment

Which of the following stages of a team's life cycle takes place when team members disagree on team roles and challenge the way that the team will function? a. Storming b. Norming c. Performing d. Adjourning

Storming

Stella works as a customer service executive at a firm that manufactures computer systems. She is motivated to perform her job effectively, as she is aware that her job of helping customers to resolve technical issues has a direct impact on the performance of the organization. Which of the following job characteristics, as identified by Hackman and Oldham in their work design model, is motivating Stella in this scenario? a. Task significance b. Autonomy c. Skill variety d. Task identity

Task significance

Which of the following statements regarding the workforce management system proposed and designed by Frederick W. Taylor is true? a. The system failed to improve productivity in organizations. b. The system changed many manufacturing jobs into a series of mindless and mundane tasks. c. The system focused on training the workers and foremen on planning the process rather than just meeting the productivity standards. d. The system succeeded in exploiting the knowledge and creativity of the workforce.

The system changed many manufacturing jobs into a series of mindless and mundane tasks.

Which of the following models is used by American Honda for quality improvement? a. Enterprise process b. Customer-supplier c. Three-phase learning d. Six Sigma

Three-phase learning

A team is said to be in the "storming" stage when team members disagree on team roles and challenge the way that the team will function. a. True b. False

True

Creating a culture for high performance begins with senior leadership's commitment to the workforce. a. True b. False

True

Employee engagement fosters creativity and innovation. a. True b. False

True

Employee involvement (EI) refers to any activity by which employees participate in work-related decisions and improvement activities, with the objectives of tapping the creative energies of all employees and improving their motivation. a. True b. False

True

Employees who participate in team activities feel more empowered and receive better training in both job-related and problem-solving skills. a. True b. False

True

Empowerment requires employees to step outside their traditional roles and make decisions previously made by managers. a. True b. False

True

Empowerment, teamwork, and a great work environment motivate employees intrinsically. a. True b. False

True

Herzberg's Two-Factor theory proposed that factors such as recognition, advancement, achievement, and the nature of the work itself are effective in motivating employees to work harder. a. True b. False

True

Problem-solving teams and project teams work more on an ad-hoc basis to address specific tasks or issues, often relating to quality improvement. a. True b. False

True

The Taylor philosophy established an adversarial relationship between labor and management that has yet to be completely overcome. a. True b. False

True

The most common approach to assess worker perceptions and satisfaction is through a formal survey. a. True b. False

True

The nominal group technique helps to achieve consensus among team members by providing a way to prioritize and focus on important project objectives during the project definition stage. a. True b. False

True

Traditional hiring practices have been based on cognitive or technical rather than interpersonal skills. a. True b. False

True

Typical process measures that are used to assess workforce effectiveness include the number of suggestions that employees make, the numbers of participants in project teams, and participation in educational programs. a. True b. False

True

Using a structured problem-solving process helps teams mitigate issues that might lead to storming. a. True b. False

True

_____ refers to how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such as departments and teams. a. Workforce engagement b. Work design c. Workforce capacity d. Job design

Work design

_____ refers to an organization's ability to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work processes and successfully deliver products and services to customers, including the ability to meet seasonal or varying demand levels. a. Workforce engagement b. Workforce capacity c. Employee involvement d. Workforce capability

Workforce capacity

_____ is the function performed in organizations that facilitates the most effective use of people to achieve organizational and individual goals. a. Marketing management b. Product management c. Brand management d. Workforce management

Workforce management

The term "workforce capability" refers to an organization's ability to a. ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work processes and successfully deliver products and services to customers. b. create conditions that can motivate all employees to accomplish their work at their own peak level of efficiency. c. create job satisfaction among employees by engaging them in their work and making them a part of the "fabric" of the organization. d. accomplish its work processes through the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of its people.

accomplish its work processes through the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of its people.

An organization that has a strategic orientation to human resource management will a. focus on short-term immediate needs rather than future needs. b. rely on proven approaches in designing and implementing policies and procedures. c. focus on responding to stated needs of the organization rather than predicting unstated needs. d. adapt to changing business needs through innovative programs and systems.

adapt to changing business needs through innovative programs and systems.

The term "employee involvement" refers to a. the art of creating conditions that allow all employees to complete their work, at their own peak level of efficiency. b. an organization's ability to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work processes in order to meet seasonal and varying demands. c. how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such as departments and teams, within an organization. d. any activity by which employees participate in work-related decisions and improvement activities, with the objectives of tapping the creative energies of all employees and improving their motivation.

any activity by which employees participate in work-related decisions and improvement activities, with the objectives of tapping the creative energies of all employees and improving their motivation.

According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, a job is said to have high _____ if it permits workers freedom, independence, and authority to exercise personal control over the work. a. autonomy b. task identity c. task significance d. skill variety

autonomy

Innovation, customer satisfaction, efficiency, and _____ are central to American Honda's success. a. advertising b. marketing c. branding d. positioning

branding

Organizations can assess worker satisfaction by a. measuring the improvements in team selection and planning processes. b. conducting a formal survey that includes questions regarding quality of worklife, teamwork, opportunities and training provided, and leadership. c. assessing the employee understanding of problem-solving approaches and the frequency of use of quality improvement tools by the employees. d. analyzing data related to time taken by the management team to respond to employee suggestions, and the number of suggestions implemented.

conducting a formal survey that includes questions regarding quality of worklife, teamwork, opportunities and training provided, and leadership.

The primary challenge laid out for American Honda's associate learning and organizational development group was to a. eliminate the delivery of training for employees. b. increase training time for employees in a classroom setting. c. minimize the use of technology in training employees. d. ensure a tangible transfer of skills to improve internal service quality.

ensure a tangible transfer of skills to improve internal service quality.

The term "workforce engagement" refers to the a. ability of an organization to accomplish its work processes through the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of its workforce. b. extent of workforce commitment, both emotional and intellectual, to accomplishing the work, mission, and vision of the organization. c. art of creating conditions that allow the workforce to complete their work at their own peak level of efficiency. d. ability of an organization to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work processes and successfully deliver products and services to customers.

extent of workforce commitment, both emotional and intellectual, to accomplishing the work, mission, and vision of the organization.

Strategic human resource management differs from traditional HR practices in that strategic human resource management a. focuses on long-term, current, and future needs. b. views people as exploitable resources. c. relies on proven approaches. d. responds only to stated needs for system development.

focuses on long-term, current, and future needs.

According to Hackman and Oldham's work design model, experienced meaningfulness is the psychological need of workers to a. be accountable for the quality and quantity of work produced. b. know how their work is evaluated and the results of their evaluation. c. obtain information about the accuracy of their performance on a timely basis. d. have the feeling that their work is a significant contribution to the organization and society.

have the feeling that their work is a significant contribution to the organization and society.

According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, skill variety is a core job characteristic that refers to the degree to which the a. job gives the participants the feeling that they have a substantial impact on the organization or the world. b. job requires the worker to use a variety of talents. c. task permits freedom, independence, and personal control to be exercised over the work. d. worker can perceive the task as a whole, identifiable piece of work from start to finish.

job requires the worker to use a variety of talents.

Teams that are organized to perform entire jobs, rather than specialized, assembly line-type work are known as _____ teams. a. management b. natural work c. virtual d. quality

natural work

In a team's life cycle, the stage of _____ takes place when the issues of the previous stage have been worked out, and team members agree on roles, ground rules, and acceptable behavior when doing the work of the team. a. performing b. norming c. storming d. forming

norming

Kenneth works as a process associate in a company where he is unable to achieve a work-life balance. His personal problems are affecting his job performance. Even though he spends most of his time in the office, he is not able to perform his job effectively. According to the "engagement index" developed by Gallup, Kenneth will fall into the category of a. actively engaged employees b. not-engaged employees c. engaged employees d. actively disengaged employees

not-engaged employees

The process of subjectively evaluating the quality of an employee's work is known as a. employee involvement. b. empowerment. c. workforce engagement. d. performance appraisal.

performance appraisal.

Rational thinking skills have been successfully taught at American Honda for many years in a a. web-based training course. b. purely instructor-led workshop version. c. virtual workshop and forum. d. self-paced, asynchronous training program.

purely instructor-led workshop version.

Hewitt Associates uses _____ analysis to determine the most important drivers of retention for customer service representatives. a. regression b. correspondence c. principal component d. independent component

regression

According to the Hackman and Oldham work design model, _____ is the degree to which the worker can perceive the task as a whole, identifiable piece of work from start to finish. a. task significance b.skill variety c. task identity d. autonomy

task identity

In Hewitt's employee engagement framework, resources and processes fall under the _____ component. a. people b. company practices c. total rewards d. work

work