Management Exam 2 Second Half

A Sign of the Times (Scenario) After considering the option for a long time, Jane's company has finally decided that it must "right-size," and this meant coming up with a plan for reducing the current size of the workforce at her manufacturing plant. The job was left to her, and as much as she hated doing this part of her job, it was necessary for the survival of the company and not just an effort to inflate their stock price. Jane also appreciated her company's attempt to try do what it takes to enhance profitability. Another option that Jane feels can be considered is to ask some employees to share jobs or perform their jobs on a part-time basis. If the company does this, it would be ________. Select one: a. reducing the workweeks b. encouraging early retirements c. firing employees. d. encouraging layoffs

A

A ________ includes both positive and negative aspects about the job and the company. Select one: a. realistic job preview b. behavioral preview c. job analysis d. structured interview

A

A work group ________. Select one: a. has no need or opportunity to engage in collective work that requires joint effort b. encourages open-ended discussions and active problem-solving meetings c. works intensely on a specific goal using their positive synergy d. measures performance directly by assessing collective work outputs

A

An organization brings together members from various departments such as marketing, accounting, human resources, and finance to form a team. This is an example of a ________ team. Select one: a. cross-functional b. specific c. temporary d. functional

A

Identify the key difference between work teams and work groups. Select one: a. Leadership is shared in work teams whereas it rests on a particular individual in work groups. b. In a work team, work is decided upon by the group leader, whereas in the work group it is decided upon by group members. c. Work groups have their own specific purpose, while the purpose of a work team is the same as that of the organizations. d. In a work group, performance is measured directly, while in a work team it is measured indirectly.

A

Labor unions use ________ to protect the rights of their members. Select one: a. collective bargaining b. plea bargaining c. juvenile arbitration d. commercial arbitration

A

The ________ method utilizes feedback from supervisors, employees, and coworkers. Select one: a. 360-degree appraisal b. graphic rating scale c. critical incident d. management by objective

A

The first three activities of the human resource management process involves ________. Select one: a. identifying and selecting competent employees b. providing employees with flexible job assignments c. providing employees with up-to-date knowledge and skills d. retaining competent and high-performing employees

A

Which of the following is true about group decision making? Select one: a. Groups take more time to arrive at a decision. b. The pressure to conform is low when working in groups. c. Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information. d. Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making.

A

Which of the following traits is negatively related to group productivity and morale? Select one: a. unconventionality b. sociability c. independence d. self-reliance

A

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates. Select one: a. Status incongruence b. Role ambiguity c. Job enrichment d. Groupthink

A

Work teams interact primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member do his or her job more efficiently and effectively. Select one: True False

FALSE

A ________ states the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to successfully perform a given job. Select one: a. job description b. job specification c. job manual d. job preview

B

A ________ system rewards employees for the job competencies they demonstrate. Select one: a. fixed pay b. skill-based pay c. variable pay d. piece-rate pay

B

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________. Select one: a. external status categories b. informal status categories c. reserved status categories d. formal status categories

B

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones, when the group is involved in ________. Select one: a. routine tasks b. problem solving c. groupthink d. long-term projects

B

Larry is an HR manager with Merlin Infosystems. He is in charge of recruitment for entry-level positions in the company. He is of the view that job interviews should provide a realistic job preview. Which of the following is Larry likely to do during job interviews? Select one: a. explain all the positive points, including the flexible nature of work b. intimating the employee about possible overtime c. promise a vibrant, fun work culture at the office d. over-embellish the growth opportunities for employees

B

Leadership is very important to effective teams. In most cases, effective team leaders act as ________. Select one: a. regulators b. facilitators c. controllers d. autocrats

B

Managers begin human resource planning by ________. Select one: a. job analysis b. inventorying current employees c. locating capable applicants d. recruitment and decruitment

B

The New Professor (Scenario) Dan Powell received his Ph.D. and has begun teaching at a large university. Prior to his first day of class, Dan's department head met with him and explained what was expected of a new professor in terms of maintaining discipline in his classroom and providing students with a challenging course. Later that week, Dan met with other professors in a faculty meeting. During that meeting, a number of issues were discussed. Although Dan did not agree with all of them, he did not feel comfortable voicing his opinion because he was less experienced than the other professors. Many of the senior professors were also reluctant to discuss issues. Midway through his first semester, one of the teams in Dan's class came to him with a problem. Of the four team members, all of them were doing their jobs except Stacey. The group had agreed to have Stacey as a member since they all knew she had a high GPA and worked hard on all of her individual assignments. However, as a team member the group agreed that they were not getting Stacey's best efforts. Which of the following is a possible explanation for Stacey's behavior? Select one: a. role conflict b. social loafing c. groupthink d. status differentiation

B

The ________ method of performance appraisal allows the evaluator to rate employees on an incremental scale. Select one: a. behaviorally anchored rating scale b. graphic rating scale c. management by objective d. multiperson comparison

B

________ conflict relates to the content and goals of the work. Select one: a. Process b. Task c. Relationship d. Network

B

________ is the process of introducing a new employee to his job and the organization. Select one: a. Selection b. Orientation c. Staffing d. Communicating

B

A social network structure refers to ________. Select one: a. the extent of diversity in a formal group b. the varying skills and knowledge that the members of a group posses c. the informal connections among individuals within groups d. the formal norms and rules of a group that members must abide by

C

A work team ________. Select one: a. measures performance based on its influence on others b. cannot be quickly refocused or disbanded c. has shared leadership roles d. focuses on efficiency rather than collaboration

C

An assessment that defines jobs and the behaviors necessary to perform them is known as a ________. Select one: a. job preview b. job specification c. job analysis d. job description

C

Application forms ________. Select one: a. use actual job behaviors b. include personality and interest forms c. are most useful for gathering information d. do not predict job performance

C

Conflicting Opinions (Scenario) The two vice presidents of a company, Merle and Celine, were in a heated debate. Celine feels that the traditional form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore and that loyal customers would stay regardless. She feels the company should alter its marketing strategy. Merle disagrees vehemently. He feels the company may lose its loyal customers if it adopts aggressive marketing tactics. The battle between vice presidents is causing a stir in the organization. Some felt conflicts like this hurt the company and weaken the trust of employees and stockholders. Others felt that this conflict over marketing strategies was bound to occur eventually and may even help the company. They think it helps the company make better decisions. Some even encouraged the conflict as it could lead to better functioning of the company. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have aNo ________ view of conflict. Select one: a. relational b. human relations c. traditional d. interactionist

C

The ________ stage of the group development process is one in which close relationships develop and the group becomes cohesive. Select one: a. forming b. storming c. norming d. performing

C

The process by which managers ensure that they have the right number and kinds of capable people in the right places and at the right times is known as ________. Select one: a. job specification b. performance management c. human resource planning d. affirmative action

C

The type of conflicts that support group goals and improve performance are called ________. Select one: a. natural conflicts b. strategic conflicts c. functional conflicts d. planned conflicts

C

________ are groups of nominated or elected employees who must be consulted when management makes decisions involving personnel. Select one: a. Task forces b. Board representatives c. Work councils d. Cross-functional teams

C

A disadvantage of using professional recruiting organizations is ________. Select one: a. that they generate many unqualified candidates b. that they can only be used for entry-level positions c. that they do not increase the diversity and mix of employees d. their limited commitment to specific companies

D

During the ________ stage of the group development process, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership and agreement on the group's direction emerge. Select one: a. norming b. forming c. performing d. storming

D

Errors made by getting rid of candidates who would have performed successfully on the job are known as ________. Select one: a. accept errors b. admission errors c. reception errors d. reject errors

D

Fletcher has worked as a regional sales manager for Waiyo, a firm that sells espresso machines to offices and restaurants, for 8 years. Faced with falling demand and plummeting sales, the firm decided to prune its operations and concentrate on its most profitable markets. Fletcher's sales territory was not part of this and he was let go of by the management, with a modest severance package. However, his health coverage was discontinued following his termination, even though Fletcher was willing to pay for it. Which of the following Acts can Fletcher cite in his efforts to have his health coverage benefits restored? Select one: a. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) b. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act c. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) d. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

D

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________. Select one: a. have longer norming processes b. have shorter group tenure c. are better at obtaining diverse input d. are faster at completing tasks

D

The New Human Resources Manager (Scenario) Steve is hired as the manager of the human resources department of a local manufacturing company which is desperately trying to improve its fortunes. This company is unable to retain good employees, who treat it as a stepping stone until they find better opportunities. Employee turnover is high and morale is low. Steve is determined to change the situation and turn the organization's human resources into a competitive advantage and source of pride for the firm. Steve believes that one of the reasons for the high turnover is that job roles are very poorly defined, creating confusion in the minds of the employees as to what is expected of them. However, even after undertaking a thorough job analysis and clearly defining the behaviors necessary to perform them, Steve finds that employee motivation and turnover is not sufficiently reduced. Which of the following, if true, could explain this apparent discrepancy? Select one: a. There is a recession in the economy that has severely affected employment levels across the country. b. The company has a strong labor union so the majority of the decisions are dictated by collective bargaining. c. The company does not have good decruitment policies in place. d. The higher level employees repeatedly overemphasize the company's positive points while interviewing candidates.

D

The two most common forms of representative participation are ________. Select one: a. task forces and labor unions b. work councils and cross-functional teams c. board representatives and cross-functional teams d. work councils and board representatives

D

Recruitment is defined as the process of screening job applicants to determine who is best qualified for the job. Select one: True False

FALSE

Which of the following is a benefit of global teams? Select one: a. Stress and tension are uncommon in global teams. b. Communication problems are less likely in global teams. c. There is a greater trust among team members. d. Global teams usually have a greater diversity of ideas.

D

Which of the following is considered to be the last stage of group development for permanent work groups? Select one: a. norming b. storming c. adjourning d. performing

D

________ interact primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member do his or her job more efficiently and effectively. Select one: a. Informal groups b. Self-managed teams c. Work teams d. Work groups

D

Task groups are permanent teams that take on special projects. Select one: True False

FALSE

The Civil Rights Act, Title VII prohibits discrimination of employees who are above 40 years of age. Select one: True False

FALSE

Variable pay systems reward employees for the job skills and competencies they can demonstrate. Select one: True False

FALSE

Job rotation allows employees to work at different jobs in a particular area, thereby giving them exposure to a variety of tasks. Select one: True False

TRUE

Strategies such as avoidance, forcing, and compromise are used to resolve high conflict levels. Select one: True False

TRUE

Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high levels of group performance. Select one: True False

TRUE

Written essay and critical incident are performance appraisal methods. Select one: True False

TRUE