MGT 3050 Exam One Practice Questions

What are the competencies of the human resources manager?

Business mastery, HR mastery, personal credibility, and change mastery

Which of the following is a typical activity undertaken by human resource management professionals in a SWOT analysis? a. Gauging the external supply of labour b. Analyzing the organizations core competencies c. Reconciling labour supply and demand d. Analyzing the industry and competitors

a. Gauging the external supply of labour

Which of the following is a cooperative strategy pursued by firms? a. joint ventures b. mergers c. acquisitions d. diversification

a. joint ventures

Human Resources Management focuses its attention on all of the following except a. Training and Development b. Recruitment c. Analysis and Work Design d. Citizenship Behaviour

d. Citizenship Behaviour

What type of team is formed by management to resolve a major problem immediately? a. a self-directed team b. a project team c. a process-improvement team d. a task force team

d. a task force team

What do we call the type of work schedule in which employees can adjust their daily starting and quitting times, provided that they work a certain number of hours per day or week?

A flextime arrangement

What do we call reducing the workforce through the departure of employees who resign or retire?

Attrition

Why does effective management of human resources provide a firm with competitive advantage?

Because it is difficult to replicate how we manage people in organizations

What is the term for the process that is used to identity "best practices"?

Benchmarking

As part of the strategic planning process, XYZ Inc. recently examined the attitudes and activities of the company's workforce. What was XYZ doing?

Cultural audit

What is the first step in the strategic planning process?

Establishing the mission, vision, and values of the organization

Employers that pay men and women a different salary are violating the Equal Pay Act only if the pay difference is a result of:

Gender

Which generation should organizations target the most for recruitment with the use of social media?

Generation Z

Behavioural-based job design focuses on two key simultaneous outcomes. What are these?

Organizational efficiency and employee job satisfaction

Sandeep has been fired from his managerial position. His organization provides services to help him become employable and find a suitable position elsewhere. What are these services called?

Outplacement

Company A has decided to hire someone outside the company to perform tasks that could be done internally. What is this practice called?

Outsourcing

What is the first stage in the career stage model?

Preparation for work

What is the first step in the employment equity implementation process?

Senior management commitment

What is the changing nature of the HR managers role increasingly focused on? (4 points)

Staffing Policy development Employee advocacy Advice

What do we consider the firm's resources to be when they improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the company?

Valuable

When is an organization's workforce "representative"?

When it reflects the demographic composition of the external workforce

What is a job specification? a. a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job b. a statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with the job c. a group of related activities and duties d. the different duties and responsibilities performed by one employee

a. a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job

Phil's Antique Superstore is hiring ten new customer service agents. All three of Phil's stores are housed in historic landmark buildings that are "heritage" sites and do not have wheelchair ramp access. What is this an example of? a. a systemic barrier b. the need for special measures c. lack of reasonable accommodation d. the duty to accommodate

a. a systemic barrier

How does representation of the four designated groups in the labour force compare with the Canadian population? a. all four groups are underrepresented in the labour force b. only women are underrepresented in the labour force c. only Aboriginals are underrepresented in the labour force d. women are overrepresented in the labour force

a. all four groups are underrepresented in the labour force

HRM plays an important role in organizations by balancing the sometimes competing demands of which of the following? a. competitive challenges and employee concerns b. international challenges and employee concerns c. employee concerns and employer challenges d. competitive and employee challenges

a. competitive challenges and employee concerns

What is an important drawback of allowing employees to telecommute? a. difficulty in developing appropriate performance standards b. less work-life balance c. increased work conflict d. increased absenteeism

a. difficulty in developing appropriate performance standards

Which of the following is NOT an approach generally used by organizations to try to lower labour costs? a. employee development b. outsourcing c. employee leasing d. relocating aspects of their operations to countries in the developing world

a. employee development

Which of the following is a strength of employee leasing? a. employee leasing shifts employment costs to the PEO b. With employee leasing, the PEO allows organizations to increase their productivity c. Employee leasing allows organizations to offer better job security through the strength of the PEO d. With employee leasing, the PEO can manage employee issues

a. employee leasing shifts employment costs to the PEO

Which job analytic method focuses on what workers to with regard to "information, people, and things"? a. functional job analysis b. position analysis technique c. critical incidents technique d. task inventory analysis

a. functional job analysis

In an effort to prevent downsizing its employees, ABC Inc. has asked its staff to accept reduced pay. What strategy is ABC Inc. using? a. furloughing b. employee leasing c. reduced downsizing d. outsourcing

a. furloughing

What is a key advantage of division of labour in organizations? a. improved efficiency b. less need for managers c. greater creativity d. increased employee autonomy

a. improved efficiency

Which term refers to a snapshot of the organization that includes where members of designated groups are employed, their salaries, and their status? a. stock data b. HR spreadsheet c. flow data d. employer profile

a. stock data

Sally is interviewing an employee, asking him to describe his job, how it is performed, what work is done, and what tools and equipment are used. What style of job analysis is Sally performing? a. the critical incidents style of job analysis b. the task analysis style of job analysis c. the PAQ style of job analysis d. the occupation classification style of job analysis

a. the critical incidents style of job analysis

A large accounting firm has 30% female UFE-certified accountants on staff. Women make up approximately 51% of the population and UFE-certified women make up approximately 15% of the labour force. Based on this information, what is the best description of the situation for women at this large accounting firm? a. they are concentrated b. they are underrepresented c they are underutilized d. they are discriminated against

a. they are concentrated

Which of the following is done during the data collection phase for employment equity purposes? a. voluntary self-identification b. mandatory self-identification c. surveys of similar employers d. surveys of supervisors

a. voluntary self-identification

Which of the following recruiting methods is very susceptible to creating systemic discrimination? a. word-of-mouth b. online ads c. ads in widely circulated newspapers d. ads in community newspapers

a. word-of-mouth

Which component of internal analysis involves evaluation of intangible assets like reputation and goodwill? a. Composition b. Culture c. Capabilities d. Competition

b. Culture

Which of the following groups is most likely to respond to advertisements placed through social media? a. Gen X b. Gen Y c. retirees d. baby boomers

b. Gen Y

This phrase is used when an employee/complainant shows that the practice is "at first view" discriminatory a. Meiorin Decision b. Prima facie c. Bona fide occupational qualification d. Systemic discrimination

b. Prima facie

Which of the following can be used to best identify candidates for internal recruitment and promotion? a. a Markov analysis b. a 9-box grid c. social media d. employee referrals

b. a 9-box grid

What is a key expected benefit of reengineering and less bureaucracy in organizations? a. improved access to government programs b. accelerated decision making c. better access to markets d. better leadership

b. accelerated decision making

What factors does Herzberg describe as key to enriching jobs? a. pay, promotion, pension, purpose, and perks b. achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility, and performance of the whole job c. safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization d. skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback

b. achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility, and performance of the whole job

What is the first step for the establishment of a workplan for the development of an employment equity program? a. doing a job analysis b. examining the workforce analysis c. developing a strategic plan d. setting numerical goals

b. examining the workforce analysis

Which of the following is an example of corporate social responsibility? a. providing career counselling to outsourced employees to increase their ability to find work b. installing noise-reduction baffling in plants to decrease anticipated community complaints c. sharing knowledge freely throughout the organization to improve employee efficiency and workflow d. providing speed-reading courses for front-line staff to improve their abilities in absorbing new information

b. installing noise-reduction baffling in plants to decrease anticipated community complaints

On the entrance to Mac Pencil's factory are the words "to provide the world with high-quality and dependable pencils." What is this an example of? a. strategic vision b. mission c. core values d. core resources

b. mission

Manning Logistics laid off 9 employees from data-entry positions in its finance division. Two weeks later, it hired 15 employees into data-entry positions in the inventory division. What mistake has the company committed? a. faulty cultural audit b. not forecasting properly c. faulty goal alignment d. not analyzing the internal labour force

b. not forecasting properly

Employers have to blend competitive challenges and employee concerns. Which of the following pairs these two aspects of management? a. globalization and technology b. technology and privacy issues c. job security and employee attitudes d. globalization and cost containment

b. technology and privacy issues

What is a position? a. a group of related activities and duties b. the different duties and responsibilities performed by one employee c. a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work d. a statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with work

b. the different duties and responsibilities performed by one employee

Which of the following best captures the "Peter Principle"? a. through natural selection, incompetent employees tend to turn over b. when promoting based on past performance and seniority, employees will be promoted regularly until they are promoted to a position where they cannot perform well c. incompetence breeds incompetence d. managers who are incompetent tend to produce situations where there are more grievances, more voluntary turnover, more absenteeism, and more harassment

b. when promoting based on past performance and seniority, employees will be promoted regularly until they are promoted to a position where they cannot perform well

ATM Company has experiences a recent growth in its business. Which of the following is NOT a likely response to its new HR demands? a. Hire full-time employees b. Ask employees to work over-time c. Allow for attrition d. Use contract workers

c. Allow for attrition

Which term refers to an enthusiastically adopted tool for mapping a firm's strategy in order to ensure strategic alignment? a. Target forecasting b. Predicted focus c. Balanced scorecard d. Replacement selection

c. Balanced scorecard

XYZ corporation wants to track the percentage and actual number of employees who remain in each of the firms job from one year to the next. Which of the following would XYZ benefit from? a. a replacement chart b. a skills inventory c. a Markov analysis d. a succession plan

c. a Markov analysis

Phil's Antique Superstore is hiring 10 new customer service agents. All three of Phil's stores are housed in historic landmark buildings that are "heritage" sites and do not have wheelchair ramp access. Phil, the owner, has indicated that city bylaws will not allow him to renovate and add a wheelchair ramp to his buildings because of their heritage status. This fact makes the ability to "go upstairs" which of the following in relation to working at Phil's? a. an undue hardship b. a reasonable accommodation c. a bona fide occupational qualification d. a system barrier

c. a bona fide occupational qualification

XYZ Corporation recently formed a team comprising of a mix of specialists tasks with the specific objective of developing a new product. What is this type of team called? a. a self-directed team b. a specialist team c. a cross-functional team d. a process improvement team

c. a cross-functional team

According to the work of Herzberg, which of the following methods can managers use to enrich the jobs of employees? a. improving pay b. increasing benefits c. adding more responsibility to jobs d. improving leadership

c. adding more responsibility to jobs

Which legal defence can a religious organization use if it insists on hiring a member from its own faith? a. adverse effect b. adverse impact c. bona fide occupation qualification d. reasonable accommodation

c. bona fide occupation qualification

Which of the following should you take into account when forecasting demand? a. absenteeism b. turnover c. business cycles d. labour mobility

c. business cycles

Green Acres Hospital pays its hallway painters/technicians nearly twice the hourly rate that it pays the nurses. Under which of the following circumstances is this fact likely to cause further investigation in a pay equity program implementation? a. if the nurses have more seniority b. if the painters have more training c. if the nurses are predominantly women and the painters are predominantly men d. if the painters union becomes involved in the process

c. if the nurses are predominantly women and the painters are predominantly men

What is the typical method used by organizations to design compressed work weeks? a. giving employees the work to do at home b. giving a free day off c. increasing the number of hours worked per day d. giving a week off every month

c. increasing the number of hours worked per day

What can result from generically written job descriptions? a. restructuring b. openness to change c. role ambiguity d. role precision

c. role ambiguity

HR planning requires HR managers to focus more on an alignment between HR plans and which of the following? a. the organizations financial strategy b. the organization's marketing position c. the organization's strategic plan d. the competitive environment

c. the organization's strategic plan

Which statement best describes the relationship among gender, education, and pay? a. women generally earn less than men do; however, when they have an advanced degree they earn the same amount as men b. men and women generally earn the same amount except when neither group has any higher education c. women consistently and in every category earn less than men with an equivalent amount of education d. men with a university degree earn approximately the same as women with an advanced degree

c. women consistently and in every category earn less than men with an equivalent amount of education

Which of the following can be used to translate strategic goals to operational objectives? a. A Markov analysis b. A replacement chart c. A skills inventory d. A balanced scorecard

d. A balanced scorecard

Which of the following groups is responsible for building an organization's skilled and motivated workforce? a. HR managers b. Line managers and supervisors c. Department managers d. HR and line managers

d. HR and line managers

Which of the following is included in an external analysis of an organization in a SWOT analysis? a. an analysis of its strengths b. an analysis of its weaknesses c. an analysis of its core capabilities d. an analysis of its opportunities

d. an analysis of its opportunities

As a part of its strategic planning process, TJX Corporation is involved in a systematic, regular monitoring of major external forces influencing the organization. What is this process called? a. external forecasting b. human resource planning c. Markov analysis d. environmental scanning

d. environmental scanning

Which organizational situation is most likely to benefit from using realistic job previews? a. in the financial industry where there are few jobs but the training is arduous and jobs are not very lucrative despite the promise of wealth in the long run b. in creative organizations where the work is not well paid and the training is intense c. in a high-tech organization where despite being in a very competitive industry engineers are allowed to explore their creative side and are motivated financially to suggest innovative products d. in a meat-processing plant where the work is very messy, the smell is strong and unpleasant, and a lot of expensive training is needed to do the job well

d. in a meat-processing plant where the work is very messy, the smell is strong and unpleasant, and a lot of expensive training is needed to do the job well

ABC Corporation needs a new CEO. What is an important advantage of getting this person externally? a. it helps to promote outbreeding b. it helps the organization maintain a rich organizational culture c. it helps to lower initial pay, thus saving on compensation costs d. it helps the organization gain access to knowledge from previous employers

d. it helps the organization gain access to knowledge from previous employers

Which of the following is a key motivator for offshoring? a. increased productivity b. better just-in-time operations c. better access to technology d. lowered labour costs

d. lowered labour costs

Which organization has the best chance of implementing a successful change initiative? a. one that has ensured the employees are not overburdened with work relating to the change and have time to focus on their jobs b. one that has been very positive and relaxed throughout, ensuring not to establish a sense of urgency and always reporting positive effects c. one that has ensured good news is shared and the change victory is celebrated as soon as some indicators appear positive d. one that has ensured the changes are aligned with the organizational culture in important ways

d. one that has ensured the changes are aligned with the organizational culture in important ways

XYZ Inc. decided to lay off a relatively large proportion of their employees due to poorer-than-anticipated financial performance. What is this an example of? a. proactive change b. transformational change c. transitional change d. reactive change

d. reactive change

Which of the following refers to those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualifies individuals from advancing upward in their organizations into management positions? a. artificial barriers b. the glass floor c. the job plateau d. the glass ceiling

d. the glass ceiling

In Canada, what is a key characteristic of the occupations in which women tend to be concentrated? a. they are occupations in advanced technologies and education b. there is a heavy concentration of immigrants c. they are occupations that are increasingly becoming extinct d. they are occupations with lower pay compared to men

d. they are occupations with lower pay compared to men

Which of the following is an important reason behind implementing a diversity initiative? a. to help train organizational leaders b. to avoid human rights complaints c. to comply with Canadian legal requirements in relation to pay d. to capitalize on emerging markets around the world

d. to capitalize on emerging markets around the world

What are the components of human capital?

employees knowledge, skills, and abilities