SHRM - The Ultimate Set

Which feedback message will be most useful to the feedback receiver? "That was a good call. Don't forget the last step in customer service though. Follow up with our HR customers to explain the status of an issue." "I got an e-mail last month from one of our HR customers who wanted to know the status of a compensation dispute. Not good." "I notice that you never check back in with our HR customers. That's the last step in our process. Why do you skip that?" "You need to improve your customer service delivery. We scored low on that in the last quality survey."

"That was a good call. Don't forget the last step in customer service though. Follow up with our HR customers to explain the status of an issue." Effective feedback should be clear about what behavior needs to be changed, and the feedback should be delivered in a timely manner. The best feedback statement is "Don't forget the last step in customer service...." It is specific about what should be done (follow up). It is timely, unlike the feedback based on an observation made a month ago. It is not a generalization, like "you never check back."

In September 2019, the Department of Labor issued a final rule that revised the regulation to raise the salary thresholds for exempt employees. This rule is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2020. What is the exempt salary threshold as of January 1, 2020? $684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year) $695 per week (equivalent to $36,140 per year) $661 per week (equivalent to $34,372 per year)

$684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year)

Exchange of anything of value to gain greater influence or preference. Bribery Ethics Corruption

Term: Bribery

Orderly way to resolve differences of opinion. Grievance process Grievance procedure Grievance investigation

Term: Grievance procedure

Analyzing candidates' application forms, curricula vitae, and résumés to locate the most- qualified candidates for an open job. Applicant tracking System (ATS) Interview Selection screening

Term: Selection screening Page 109

Part of a service contract where the service expectations are formally defined. Service-level agreement (SLA) Systems-level agreement (SLA) Strategic-level agreement (SLA)

Term: Service-level agreement (SLA)

Sexual, romantic, or emotional/spiritual attraction that one feels for persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or both sexes and more than one gender. *Gender Identity *Sexual Orientation *Sex

Term: Sexual orientation

Ability to create connections or rapport with others. Social skills Social intelligence Social awareness

Term: Social intelligence

Organization characterized by a capability to adapt to changes in environment. Learning organization Ridged organization Care-free organization

Term: Learning organization Page 223

Organization's debts and other financial obligations. Liabilities Expenses Assets

Term: Liabilities

Globalization strategy that emphasizes consistency of approach, standardization of processes, and a common corporate culture across global operations. *Globalization *Glocalization *Global Integration

Term: Globalization

Situations in which an employee's pay is below the minimum of the range. Yellow-circle rates Red-circle rates Green-circle rates

Term: Green-circle rates Page 377 (Grass is Green and is below your feet/market range)

Ratio of gross profit to net sales. Net profit margin Gross profit margin Operational profit margin

Term: Gross profit margin (Gross profit / net sales)

Act of deliberately accessing computer data without permission. Phishing Hacking Social engineering

Term: Hacking Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. This is a type of hacking or social engineering. Social engineering is the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes. Phishing and Hacking are both forms of social engineering.

Number of people on an organization's payroll at a particular moment in time. Demographics Employee surveys Headcount

Term: Head count Page 95

U.S. act that prohibits discrimination against job applicants on the basis of national origin or citizenship and establishes penalties for hiring undocumented workers. *Labor Management Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) *Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA)

Term: Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)

Factor that motivates performance of a desired behavior or discourages performance of an undesired behavior. Incentive Perquisites Benefits

Term: Incentive Page 304

System in which pay is based on longevity in the job and pay increases occur on a pre- determined schedule. Time-based step-rate pay Base pay Performance- or Merit based

Term: Time-based step-rate pay Page 358, 364

Effective and continuing on-the-job application of the knowledge and skills gained through a training experience. Blended learning Transfer of learning On the job training

Term: Transfer of learning Page 247

Extent to which an organization's agreements, dealings, information, practices, and transactions are open to disclosure and review by relevant persons. Honesty Integrity Transparency

Term: Transparency

Annualized formula that tracks number of separations and total number of workforce employees per month. Usually expressed as a percentage. Turnover costs Turnover rate Turnover scale

Term: Turnover rate

Money an organization's customers owe the organization. Accounts payable Accounts receivable Liabilities

Term: Accounts receivable

Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-166) (CRA) and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-2) amend several sections of Title VII. In addition, section 102 of the CRA (which is printed elsewhere in this publication) amends the Revised Statutes by adding a new section following section 1977 (42 U.S.C. 1981), to provide for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional violations of Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

(these are just notes to read)

Communication technique to increase the engagement between communicators and their audiences. It involves two-way communication and attention to nonverbal signs that indicate interest and reactions to the message and speaker . Active listening Effective listening Focused listening

Term: Active listening

Basic beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and customs shared and followed by members of a group, which give rise to the group's sense of identity. Tenants Confirmation Culture

Term: Culture

HR structural alternative that allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. Dedicated HR Centralized HR Decentralized HR

Term: Dedicated HR

Technique in which participants each suggest ideas through a series of rounds and then discuss the items, eliminate redundancies and irrelevancies, and agree on the importance of the remaining items. Mind mapping Nominal group technique Delphi technique

Term: Nominal group technique (NGT)

Components of a message apart from its words. This could include physical gestures and posture and vocal tones, volume, and speed. Nonverbals Unspokens Unfocused

Term: Nonverbals

Extension of the power of a country's laws over its citizens outside that country's sovereign national boundaries. Extradition Extraterritoriality International territoriality

Term: Extraterritoriality

Method by which an organization relocates its processes or production to an international location through subsidiaries or third-party affiliates. *Outsourcing *Offshoring *Nearshoring

Term: Offshoring

Societies or groups characterized by complex, usually long-standing networks of relationships; members share a rich history of common experience, so the way they interact and interpret events is often not apparent to outsiders. High context cultures Low context cultures Known context cultures

Term: High-context cultures

Pay systems in which employee characteristics, rather than the job, determine pay. Works best where skill/knowledge levels are well defined and development of employees is valued. Can be costly in terms of both administration and training. Time Base Rate Pay Single Flat Rate Pay Person Base pay

Term: Person-based pay Page 363, 365

Learning/development programs offered initially in a controlled environment with a segment of the target audience. Learning model Pilot programs Input-Process-Output Model

Term: Pilot programs Page 257

Amount of uncertainty an organization is willing to pursue/endure or to accept to attain its risk management goals. *Risk Tolerance *Risk Appetite *Risk Control

Term: Risk appetite

Action taken to manage a risk. *Risk management *Risk Position *Risk Tolerance

Term: Risk management

An organization's desired gain or acceptable loss in value. *Risk Position *Residual Risk *Risk Tolerance

Term: Risk position

Tool used to gather and determine individual assessments of various characteristics of risk (e.g., frequency of occurrence; degree of impact, loss, or gain for the organization; degree of efficacy of current controls). *Triple Bottom Line *Risk Tolerance *Risk Appetite

Term: Risk tolerance

U.S. act that amended the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to include all employee benefits; also provided standards that an employee's waiver of the right to sue for age discrimination must meet in order to be upheld by a court. *Uniformed Services & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) *Older Workers Benefit Protection *Vesting

Term: Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA)

Training provided to employees at the work site utilizing demonstration and performance of job tasks. On-the-job training (OJT) Self-Directed Study Instructor-Led Training

Term: On-the-job training (OJT) Page 245

Process of assimilating new employees into an organization through orientation programs and their experiences in their first months of employment. Recruiting Onboarding Promotions

Term: Onboarding Page 139, 214

Type of analysis that starts with a result and then works backward to identify the seed of fundamental cause. Regression analysis Root-cause analysis Scenario analysis

Term: Root-cause analysis

Notes: What are the advantages and disadvantages to a Centralized HR structure? Advantages: Provides more control and consistency across organization Disadvantages: Can inhibit flexibility and responsiveness, can decrease effective communication

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Notes: What are the advantages and disadvantages to a Functional HR structure? Advantages: Facilitates consistency between headquarters policy and practices and implementation in business units Disadvantages: Can isolate headquarters HR from business realities perceived by all staff and employees

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Good thing to know: Employers must check state and local law. Some states have WARN acts that have stricter criteria. A number of states and some municipalities have "mini WARN" laws that may apply even when federal WARN does not.

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NOTE In an HR audit, an organization's HR policies, practices, procedures, and strategies undergo a systematic and comprehensive evaluation to establish whether specific HR practices are adequate to achieve the function's goals. For example, policies must be aligned with current organizational goals. Audit results help to identify gaps, which can then be prioritized for corrective action.

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Relocation of business processes or production to a lower-cost location inside the same country as the business. *Outsourcing *Nearshoring *Onshoring

Term: Onshoring

Notes: Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline discusses five disciplines that interface and support one another in order to create an environment where learning can occur: Systems thinking is a conceptual framework that makes patterns clearer and helps one see how things interrelate and how to change them. Mental models are our deeply ingrained assumptions that influence how we understand the world and how we take action. Personal mastery is the high level of proficiency in a subject or skill area. Team learning is aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the results its members desire. Shared vision is a look into the future that fosters genuine commitment and is shared by all who need to possess it.

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Beliefs and principles defined by an organization to direct and govern its employees' behavior. Vision statement Organizational values Mission statement

Term: Organizational values Page 225

Process by which new employees become familiar with the organization and with their specific department, coworkers, and job. Orientation Onboarding Training

Term: Orientation Page 139

Process by which an organization contracts with outside third- party vendors to provide selected services/activities instead of hiring new employees. Temp agencies Outsourcing Employee leasing

Term: Outsourcing

How long must COBRA coverage be continued in the event that employee is disabled at the time of reduction in hours or termination (if required notice is provided to plan administrator in timely manner)

29 months

Concept that stipulates that no individual is beyond the reach of the law and that authority is exercised only in accordance with written and publicly disclosed laws. Rule of law Due process Jurisdiction

Term: Rule of law

Which factor has the greatest impact on maintaining peak performance? Risk management Training opportunities Challenging assignments Cultural obstacles

Challenging assignments. Research has shown that high-potential employees perform at their peak in new assignments within two years and performance declines if they are not given new and more-challenging assignments.

Distance of any data point from the center of a distribution when data is distributed in a "normal" or expected pattern. Expected deviation Standard deviation Natural deviation

Term: Standard deviation

How long must COBRA coverage be continued in the event of Divorce or death of the employed spouse, or a dependent child loses eligibility status?

36 months

Structured conversations with employees for the purpose of determining which aspects of a job encourage employee retention or may be improved to do so. Employee Engagement Survey Stay interviews Exit interviews

Term: Stay interviews Page 179

Which is the best method for an HR compensation manager to use to evaluate the jobs and salary ranges of the organization's key positions compared to those of its competitors? Market-based evaluation to establish the worth of positions Job ranking approach to establish a hierarchy of positions Point-factor scheme that appraises each position Job classification process to group like positions together

A market-based job evaluation assesses the relative worth and pay structure of different jobs based on their market value or the going rate in the marketplace.

Extent to which a measurement instrument measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability Validity Authority

Term: Validity

Extent to which diversity is embraced in management of people, products/services, and branding. *Diversity *Identity Alignment *Culture

Term: Identity alignment

Form of direct compensation where employers pay for performance beyond normal expectations to motivate higher performance. Incentive pay Geographic Differential Pay Overtime pay

Term: Incentive pay Page 369

The process by which an organization creates the product or service it offers to the customer. Process chain Value chain Fulfillment chain

Term: Value chain

Statement that reports revenues, expenses, and profits for a specified period of time, for example, quarterly or annually. Cash flow statement Balance sheet Income statement

Term: Income statement

Document that guides employees toward their goals for professional development and growth. Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Resume Individual development plan (IDP)

Term: Individual development plan (IDP) Page 268

The following are the first three steps of what learning model?: 1. Knowledge, or remembering facts. 2. Recognition of learning content when content is presented differently. 3. Application of learning to an example in order to draw a conclusion or to identify a principle at work. ADDIE Face-to-Face Driver Model Flex Model

ADDIE Bonus Question: What does ADDIE Stand for? Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation

Way to collect, organize, store, analyze, and share data. Cloud computing (CC) Information systems (IS) Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Term: Information systems (IS)

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process-specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Which next step should the VP of HR take to send a clear message to business leaders that HR has heard the concerns and is working to improve the customer experience? A. Request a plan of action from the recruiting manager that outlines how recruiting will achieve the desired results. B. Outline a plan of action to address customer concerns and communicate with business leaders on an ongoing basis. C. Ensure that the recruiting team provides regular quarterly updates to the business leaders regarding recruiting performance and results. D. Provide a deadline to business leaders for change to be apparent that is in alignment with internal client expectations.

B is the best response. It is the first step in Kurt Lewin's change management model at the "Change" stage and the first step in John Kotter's change model. Ongoing communication is critical to the success of any change initiative. In addition, collaborating with all leads to develop a solution will ensure that there is consistency in the service customers will experience. A is incorrect. While the VP of HR may request a more tactical plan from the recruiting manager, it may not be apparent to the business leaders what is being done to address concerns. C is incorrect. Providing quarterly updates on the status of recruiting efforts may not fully demonstrate the efforts to improve upon the work flow. D is incorrect. Providing a deadline does not demonstrate an understanding of the concerns or spell out the efforts that are being taken to improve the work flow.

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears a number of concerns relating to talent acquisition, including the new hire selection process. The HR director believes these concerns, as he personally experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring process. In the current process, interviewers use an unstructured approach, where each candidate is asked different questions and interviewers use different criteria to evaluate responses. The HR director also learns that the company has a track record of poor hiring, inconsistent decision making, and lack of diversity in certain departments. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people. However, that is not a concern the rest of the organization shares. Each department believes that its hiring approach is effective. Historically no department has shown an interest in trying a new approach. The HR director confirms that absence of diversity is an issue in certain departments. Given the organization's lack of recognition, what is the next step he should take? A. Discipline the interviewers for engaging in discriminatory hiring practices that have occurred. B. Explain to interviewers and managers why diversity among employees is good for business. C. Encourage interviewers to read a copy of the company's diversity policy. D. Develop a company-wide diversity hiring program to help reverse this identified trend.

B. Explain to interviewers and managers why diversity among employees is good for business. B is the best answer, because it provides an immediate first step to educating those directly involved in the process on the need for diversity. A and C are incorrect, because they do not solve the problem nor do they facilitate communication about the lack of diversity. D is incorrect as an immediate next step. Developing a diversity hiring program is needed, but it is a longer-term solution that will require formal communication and education.

Practice of purchasing and using resources wisely by balancing economic, social, and environmental concerns, with the goal of securing the interests of present and future generations. *Sustainability *PESTLE *SWOT

Term: Sustainability

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. Which action should the country HR director recommend that country leaders take that would proactively support a union avoidance strategy? A. Tracking employee engagement scores, looking for and addressing the issues as they arise B. Instilling a culture of trust and teamwork between employees and management C. Ensuring that managers are trained to implicitly communicate the negative impact of unions D. Conducting a communication campaign to remind employees of the growth-stifling impact of unions

B. Instilling a culture of trust and teamwork between employees and management Building and sustaining a culture of trust between employees and management is one of the most successful strategies for avoiding unionization. A is incorrect. This is a reactive rather than proactive strategy for union avoidance. Engagement scores will identify that a problem exists, whereas the intent of a proactive strategy is to prevent the problem from developing. C is incorrect. This could have ethical and legal implications in some countries. D is incorrect. This can be viewed as a veiled threat against unionizing activity, and it is unethical and illegal in some countries.

A new HR manager joins a manufacturing organization that is experiencing an increase in workplace safety incidents. These incidents are resulting in higher insurance costs, increased absences, reduced productivity, and lower-quality products. A review of compliance functions and key performance indicators shows an excessive increase in the last 12 months. This timeline coincides with the retirement of the compliance manager and the transfer of the duties related to managing workplace safety to the HR department. The manager also compares the number of incidents in the organization with industry standards and determines that the organization's incident rates are 50% greater than the industry average. The HR manager recognizes that changes need to be made immediately in the HR department to improve safety and protect employees from future incidents and injuries. The CEO tasks the HR manager with finding solutions to increase safety knowledge and decrease incidents in the organization. Which approach should the HR manager take to identify the reasons for the excessive number of safety incidents? A. Ask department managers about the possible cause of the increase in incidents. B. Review incident reports for the last 12 months to determine if there are patterns. C. Observe employees while they are working to watch for unsafe behaviors. D. Review employee work logs for a relationship between hours worked and incidents.

B. Review incident reports for the last 12 months to determine if there are patterns. B is correct. As the HR manager has limited experience in this area, collecting data allows for more comprehensive analytics to be performed to help in identifying patterns in the safety issues. A, C, and D are incorrect. Speaking with managers or observing employees would be subsequent steps after themes have been identified from the review of previous incidents to validate what is happening and determine why it might be happening.

Process for understanding how seemingly independent units within a larger entity interact with and influence one another. Environmental scanning Systems thinking PESTLE analysis

Term: Systems thinking Page 15

An HR staff person is negotiating fees with a number of meeting venues. The lowest bid is much lower than the average of the rest of the bids. What should the HR staff person do? Start the bidding process again with a different set of venues. Be frank with the lowest bidder and ask a lot of questions. Throw out the lowest bid and focus on the higher ones since they are more plausible. Take the lowest bid. It is the venue's responsibility to run its business.

Be frank with the lowest bidder and ask a lot of questions. It is not sustainable or ethical to encourage a vendor to lose money. In principled negotiation, both sides receive the value they seek. The low-bidding venue may have its own reasons, however. If the HR person ensures that the meeting will receive the promised accommodations, the negotiation could proceed.

Which is one of the negative social effects of global technological forces? Economic imperialism by developed economies Complexity of privacy issues Decreasing foreign investment in developing economies Increasing ethnocentrism

Because of technology and integration of information, privacy issues have become much more ubiquitous and complex. Privacy issues range from employer-employee privacy to compliance questions raised by government requests for customer data from corporations. In response to the prevalence of issues, many countries have instituted privacy laws.

How should HR support an international assignee during his or her assignment? By preparing a security briefing on the assignment country By coordinating communication and visits to the home country By identifying potential risks to the assignee and the organization By providing a country overview and information on everyday life

By coordinating communication and visits to the home country

Which best exemplifies a risk mitigation approach? An organization chooses not to assign employees to a destabilized country. Workers operating dangerous machinery cannot exceed a set shift length. A firm partners with another firm to increase the likelihood of its winning a design bid. A company uses a thorough substance abuse screening program for pre-hires.

By limiting the length of the work shift, the company mitigates the risk of accidents caused by fatigue and inattention. This is aimed at reducing the probability of the occurrence of accidents, at least for this cause. Decisions not to assign or not to hire are risk avoidance measures. The partnering strategy is a way of enhancing upside risk.

How should an HR professional make a strong business case for incorporating a diversity and inclusion strategy in an organization? By proving that it has the support of shareholders and other key stakeholders, By linking it directly to the organization's mission, vision, and business objectives, By connecting individual components to specific competitive advantages, By demonstrating its short-term and long-range cost-effectiveness

By linking it directly to the organization's mission, vision, and business objectives Diversity and inclusion can gain commitment at an organization's highest level only if their ability to play a critical role in achieving core business goals can be demonstrated. A diversity and inclusion advocate must delve beyond general truths about the benefits of diversity to create a business case linked specifically to the organization's unique mission, vision, and business objectives.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. After careful research, the HR director learns that many similar organizations have successfully implemented a shared services model with focused HR business partners, centers of excellence, and a centralized HR service center. Which approach is best for the HR director to take to determine the viability of this option? A. Define new roles based upon a shared services model and present the information to the leadership team. B. Partner with an external consultant to develop and implement a pilot of the shared services model. C. Develop a business case for the shared services model, including cost implications, and present it to the CEO. D. Send out an announcement about the intent to move to a shared services model and request feedback.

C is the best response. Developing a business case for this potential change will help to guide HR's research and prepare a data-based discussion with the CEO and the leadership team. A is incorrect. Defining new roles may be completed after developing a business case and obtaining buy-in from the CEO and leadership team. B is incorrect. While a consultant may be helpful to develop the new structure, the HR director will first need to complete the business case and obtain the support of the leadership team to move forward. D is incorrect. If feedback is needed, a survey of a sample of the company group may be a more controlled approach. This information may be used in the development of the business case, which is a more comprehensive way to examine the model and to obtain leadership support.

A company sends a team of employees and one field supervisor to a customer's location for a week. Employees stay in hotel rooms, two employees per room, and receive a daily meal allowance that allows the purchase of one alcoholic beverage. At dinner one evening, the employees have a few alcoholic beverages, and then they return to the hotel, where one employee passes out in the parking lot. The other employees call an ambulance, and emergency personnel ask if the unconscious employee takes any medication. The employee who shares a room with the unconscious employee goes to the room and finds the employee's medication bottles. No one rides in the ambulance or follows it to the hospital. The field supervisor calls HR to report the incident. The HR manager asks if the employee's spouse has been called and which hospital the employee was admitted to. No one knows where the employee has been taken, nor has the employee been in contact with anyone. The field supervisor locates the employee, who is in serious condition. The employee remains unconscious; it is unknown if the employee will recover from the incident. Management wants to end the employment relationship with the employee. What can HR do to ensure that all employees understand the company's daily meal allowance policy? A. Take no action, since it has not been determined that the employee's medical condition is related to alcohol consumption. B. E-mail the company's daily meal allowance policy to all employees and direct the employees to review it. C. Distribute the policy to employees and provide a venue to review it and answer questions. D. Forward the policy to supervisors and rely on them to review the policy with each of their employees.

C. Distribute the policy to employees and provide a venue to review it and answer questions. C is the best answer. This ensures that the communication is consistent and everyone is involved and has an opportunity to ask questions. A is incorrect. Company policy needs to be followed regardless of whether the incident was related to alcohol consumption. B is incorrect. E-mail is one form of communication, but it does not ensure that the recipient receives and understands the information. D is incorrect. There is no assurance that supervisors will share the information in a consistent manner or that they will be able to answer questions that may arise.

An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time." After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. If the employee agrees to follow the policy, which recommended action should the HR generalist suggest to the manager? A. Reiterate to the employee that if the employee does not follow the policy going forward, there will be documentation. B. Nothing. The employee has stated that he knows the policy and will follow it. C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations. D. Inform the three employees that have been complaining about this particular employee that the issue is resolved and that they don't have to worry about it.

C. Note the date and time the employee agrees to the policy and send a recap e-mail to the employee regarding his acknowledgment and the expectations. C is the best response. Having the manager make a note of the conversation and then send an e-mail to the employee allows for the information to be used if the employee does not follow the procedure going forward. The e-mail also gives a time stamp to further document the conversation. A is incorrect. Stating that the employee will be held accountable if he doesn't follow the policy after this simply underscores to the employee that no real accountability exists in the organization. B is incorrect. Having the employee do nothing is not an acceptable option, as this provides no information if he reverts to this behavior in the future. D is incorrect. There is no need to inform the other three employees about the conversation with the employee in question, nor would this be appropriate. By doing this, you are drawing needless attention toward the employee and potentially creating an unhealthy work environment.

Direct and indirect remuneration approaches that employers use to attract, recognize, and retain workers. Recognition Compensation Total Rewards "Remuneration" = employee benefits, salary, stock, bonus etc

Term: Total rewards Page 300

An HR manager began a new job at an international school in another country. On her first day, she went to the main office to introduce herself to the school's long-time principal and his recently hired executive assistant. The HR manager noticed flowers on the assistant's desk and complimented them. The assistant nervously dismissed the compliment, frowned, and said they were from the principal and that they were his way of flirting with her. The HR manager knows this is against the school's corporate gift-giving policy, which prohibits using school funds to purchase gifts for individual employees. Later, the HR manager met with the principal to discuss HR priorities. Concerned by the assistant's comments, the HR manager asked about the flowers. The principal dismissed the concerns, saying that giving gifts to recognize employees is common in that country, and angrily remarked that he is entitled to spend his discretionary budget how he wishes. After the meeting, the HR manager felt concerned about the principal making an exception to the gift-giving policy and planned to speak to the school director about the incident. That evening, the HR manager receives a voice mail from the assistant, who frantically asks her not to say anything about the flowers because she needs to keep her job. Which strategy should the HR manager use to reconcile the locally accepted practice of giving gifts to employees with the school's corporate gift-giving policy? A. Host webinar training sessions by the corporate legal department on the approved code of conduct. B. E-mail the staff information on the school's mission of being an international organization and need for consistency across all sites. C. Use existing staff meetings to review the policy while acknowledging comments about the local practice of giving employees gifts. D. Post a directive to the local staff prohibiting any gifts to employees while also expressing appreciation of the local culture.

C. Use existing staff meetings to review the policy while acknowledging comments about the local practice of giving employees gifts. . As the HR manager is new to the location, a good first step would be to determine where discrepancies exist between the policy and cultural norms and then to work on an plan to address them, if possible. A is incorrect, as this would not adress the cultural differences in the location. B and D are incorrect. A standardized approach would most likely not make sense across all locations, as it would not take into account local norms and practices and may be seen as dismissing important cultural practices.

Plan or method implemented by an organization that provides monetary, benefits-in-kind, and developmental rewards to employees who achieve specific business goals. Total Rewards Strategy Compensation Strategy Learning & Development Strategy

Term: Total rewards strategy Page 303

This exterior environmental scanning process is systematized by searching for environmental forces organized under specific categories. SWOT analysis PESTLE analysis Input-Process-Output Model

Term: PESTLE analysis Page 18 Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental Scanning process that searches for environmental forces in political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental categories.

Job evaluation method in which each job is compared with every other job being evaluated; the job with the largest number of "greater than" rankings is the highest-ranked job. Job-Content-Based Job Evaluation Paired-Comparison Method Point-Factor system

Term: Paired-comparison method Page 337

Group of workers who coordinate their activities to achieve common goals in their relationship with an employer or group of employers; also called labor union. Work unit Trade union Organized labor

Term: Trade union or labor unions

What is the difference between Corporate Social Responsibility and the Social Audit?

CSR annual reporting looks outward—a way for an organization to present itself to investors, regulators, or prospective employee. The social audit is primarily a tool for self-evaluation.

An employee recently filed a grievance against an employer with his union. When the employee came in for his shift the following day, the supervisor sent him home. Which should HR advise the employer to do? Make sure the whole issue is thoroughly documented. Check the handling of this action against previous disciplinary actions. Call the employee back to work immediately. Contact the union directly and ask for a meeting.

Call the employee back to work immediately. Most contracts specify a process for handling grievances, which would certainly not include retaliation against the employee. Refusing to honor this process would constitute an employer unfair labor practice. The employer should therefore call the employee back to work and begin the formal grievance process, with the union's participation. Consistency with previous actions and documenting actions surrounding the grievance are important, but they are not the central issues here because of the union relationship. The union already knows; the employer should correct the supervisor's action first and then notify the union.

Process by which employees are provided with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) specific to a task or job. Training Orientation Interview process

Term: Training Page 221, 292, 403

Statistical method that examines data from different points in time to determine if a variance is an isolated event or if it is part of a longer movement. Trend analysis Unplanned analysis Ratio analysis

Term: Trend analysis

A vice president (VP) of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. All locations operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. These teams cover all shifts, providing support. Each location is in the process of rolling out updated policies, including enhancements to the company's progressive disciplinary process and an ethics policy that focuses on commitment to mutual respect, ethical decision making, and integrity. One day, after the VP of HR has left her office, she receives a call from a site HR generalist. The generalist tells the VP that when he returned from his dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. Books were thrown on the floor, and name tags were torn off doors and thrown into the trash. The generalist also reports that when security checked the cameras, they reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage and then had left the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. The VP also has recently discovered that the manager has been drinking routinely after work and wonders if the ransacking of the office occurred when the manager returned to the office after a drinking session. The following day, members of the HR team separately contact the HR VP with concerns about the incident. Which action should the VP take address the concerns of the HR team? A. Ask the HR team to document their concerns to share with the site general manager. B. Bring the HR team together and ask the site HR manager to apologize to the team. C. Request that they schedule time to discuss their concerns directly, one-on-one, with the HR manager. D. Meet with the HR team as a group, discussing what happened and listening to concerns they have.

D is the best response. The HR team will likely be concerned and unsettled. Bringing them together for reassurance and to hear their concerns will help. Reinforce that there is a plan to address the situation. A is incorrect. Asking the HR team to document their concerns may create additional anxiety and opportunity for gossip. The HR VP should convey the facts and concerns to the general manager on behalf of the HR team. B is incorrect. Because of the history of the HR manager's volatile behavior, an apology may not be well received. If the HR manager feels pressured to provide an apology, it might not be seen as sincere and could generate additional concern. C is incorrect. Given the history of the HR manager, this could further exacerbate the situation.

An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time." After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. How can the HR generalist effectively assess whether to update the policy? A. Review when the policy was last updated and gather all relevant employment law changes in effect. B. Compare the current policy with those of other companies in the industry. C. It is too soon to update the policy because there could be other items that need to be changed. It is better to wait. D. Determine when the last update was, and, if over a year ago, partner with the HR manager to begin the process of updating.

D. Determine when the last update was, and, if over a year ago, partner with the HR manager to begin the process of updating. D is the best response. Laws and regulations change, and a best practice is to update an employee handbook at least once a year to stay current. A is incorrect. Although reviewing the policy is important, no action is taken regarding the review. B is incorrect. Comparing the policy to those of other companies in the industry does not help to determine if an update is needed at this company. C is incorrect. Not updating the policy could cause confusion for the employees and create compliance issues.

The HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed. While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction. The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity. What is the best course of action for the HR director in proactively addressing employee concerns with the engagement survey? A. Meet with the union representative and legal counsel to share insights and get their perspectives. B. Analyze new employee complaints to determine recurring trends and patterns indicating the need for the survey. C. Advise the CEO about employee insights gained from complaints that support or negate the need for the survey. D. Explore employees' interest in participating in stay interviews to give insight to the organization.

D. Explore employees' interest in participating in stay interviews to give insight to the organization. D is correct. Absent administering a full-scale employee engagement survey, it is possible to glean insight from one-to-one stay interviews. Of course, pursuing this avenue would require CEO and key stakeholder support to ensure that there is a commitment to action. It is beneficial to get a sense of whether or not employees would openly and honestly participate in the interviews before launching the efforts. It would provide an opportunity to reinforce the company's commitment to its employees. This could serve as the prelude to administering the engagement survey. A is not correct. Meeting with the union representative would be premature. When a meeting does occur, the hospital's legal counsel should be engaged early in the process. B is not correct. While the HR director may want to analyze the complaints, this is a reactive rather than proactive measure. C is not correct. It is impractical to inform the CEO about every new complaint and piece of information gleaned from the complaints. It is also presumptuous to generalize information from the complaints to support the need for a survey. The HR director should remain cognizant of the nature, frequency, theme/pattern, severity, etc., of the complaints. At some point, the CEO may need a briefing about the complaints and the overall implications.

An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time." After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. How should the HR generalist advise the manager if she insists on documenting the employee behavior? A. The manager can compile whatever documentation she feels is appropriate in this particular situation. B. Advise that it would be a bad decision to take this fight on, as the manager is new to the company and it would not look good in front of all the employees. C. Terminate the employee, despite the fact that the behavior is not documented, and hope the next hire adheres to the policy. D. Partner with the manager and her supervisor to gain effective buy-in that expectations must be reset before documentation can commence.

D. Partner with the manager and her supervisor to gain effective buy-in that expectations must be reset before documentation can commence. D is the best response. It entails creating a partnership with management and becoming a trusted advisor while also protecting the company. A is incorrect. Allowing the manager to simply do what she wants removes HR as a partner in the organization. B is incorrect. The HR generalist should help guide the manager into finding a solution that will help the employees meet their goals and expectations. C is incorrect. Recommending termination based on a non-documented issue and hoping that the next hire solves the problem is not an acceptable option. Although the manager may be upset with the employee, she must still follow the process of progressive discipline.

A company sends a team of employees and one field supervisor to a customer's location for a week. Employees stay in hotel rooms, two employees per room, and receive a daily meal allowance that allows the purchase of one alcoholic beverage. At dinner one evening, the employees have a few alcoholic beverages, and then they return to the hotel, where one employee passes out in the parking lot. The other employees call an ambulance, and emergency personnel ask if the unconscious employee takes any medication. The employee who shares a room with the unconscious employee goes to the room and finds the employee's medication bottles. No one rides in the ambulance or follows it to the hospital. The field supervisor calls HR to report the incident. The HR manager asks if the employee's spouse has been called and which hospital the employee was admitted to. No one knows where the employee has been taken, nor has the employee been in contact with anyone. The field supervisor locates the employee, who is in serious condition. The employee remains unconscious; it is unknown if the employee will recover from the incident. Management wants to end the employment relationship with the employee. The leadership team wants to implement a policy that prohibits sending employees who have medical conditions out of town on business. How should HR handle this request? A. Agree with the leadership team and create the policy that forbids employees with medical conditions from company travel. B. Ignore the leadership team's request because it is impractical and hope that they will forget about it C. Require all new hires to pass a physical exam and, if the exam isn't passed, don't allow them to travel. D. Schedule a meeting with the leadership team to address their request and offer other options that are focused on the best interests of the business.

D. Schedule a meeting with the leadership team to address their request and offer other options that are focused on the best interests of the business. D is the best answer. This provides an opportunity to hear all points of view and reach a conclusion that is legal and nondiscriminatory and meets the organization's needs. A is incorrect. It is a discriminatory policy and should not be created; this is a coachable opportunity for HR. B is incorrect. HR should take advantage of this opportunity to coach managers. C is incorrect. Legal requirements and reasonable accommodations need to be factored into any policy.

Economic, social, and environmental impact metrics used to determine an organization's success. *Corporate Social Responsibility *Triple Bottom Line *Annualized Loss Expectancy (ALE)

Term: Triple bottom line

2010 U.S. law that requires virtually all citizens and legal residents to have minimum health coverage and requires employers with more than 50 full-time employees to provide health coverage that meets minimum benefit specifications or pay a penalty. *Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) *Uniformed Services & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

Term: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

An HR team member was recently promoted to a team leader position. He is anxious about making the transition. What should the employee focus on in this new role? Clarifying his authority with all team members Promoting office social gatherings Developing and coaching team members Encouraging lack of conflict within the team

Developing and coaching team members. An effective leader accomplishes strategic goals and objectives through the work of the leader's team. The leader and the team benefit most when the leader focuses on coaching and developing team members: The leader benefits from a team that is more productive and competent, and team members improve their job skills. Effective leaders do not rely on personal likeability or power, and they strive to understand and resolve conflict, not avoid it.

Which is the best example of direct compensation? Cash achievement award Use of a company car Deferred pay Disability insurance

Direct compensation is cash compensation. It includes wages, commissions, and cash achievement awards. Indirect compensation includes benefit programs and items like a company car, disability insurance, and noncash rewards.

Which does not count toward the regular rate of pay for overtime calculations? Production bonuses Sales commissions Discretionary bonuses Shift premiums

Discretionary bonuses do not count toward the regular rate of pay. All the other choices (shift premiums, sales commissions, and production bonuses) do count toward overtime calculations.

Which of the following is considered a criterion for effective employee resource groups (ERGs) as established by DiversityInc.? The leader of the group is the CEO or a direct report to the CEO., Group members serve as formal mentors., The group sets and signs off on metrics and goals., The group has a formal charter.

DiversityInc. recommends formal charters for ERGs. The other options refer to criteria for effective diversity councils, not ERGs.

Which is a characteristic of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)? Results in disciplinary action Requires an external third party Does not preclude litigation Exclusive to union environments

Does not preclude litigation. ADR does not prevent disputes from leading to litigation or arbitration, but it can result in fewer cases going to trial. It is generally used in union-free organizations.

Which employee must be paid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? Assistant manager who regularly supervises four full-time employees Computer programmer who earns $825 per week Manager who has the authority to hire or fire other employees Manager who earns $450 per week

Each individual employee must qualify for one of the specific exemptions provided by the FLSA to be excluded from the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements of the law. In general, they must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and must be paid on a salary basis at not less than $684 per week.

"These characteristics of a culture are the underlying values, the unwritten norms of behavior that guide people regarding which behaviors are considered appropriate or inappropriate" What is this the definition of? .Implicit Culture Explicit Culture

Implicit Culture

Which is an appropriate action for HR during an investigation into charges of discriminatory employment practices? Conduct an HR audit. Involve local law enforcement. Ensure confidentiality as much as possible. Provide the accused party with legal representation.

Initially supporting a timely investigation and then ensuring confidentiality as much as possible is the best course of action for HR.

Quantitatively expanding the scope of a job. Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

JOB ENLARGEMENT

During the job evaluation phase, if the organization used the , then the pay grade will consist of all jobs that fall within two or three ranks. Point-factor method Job ranking method Job classification method

Job ranking method

HR works with IT to develop policies and procedures for Internet use and social media posts on the organization's network. Which best describes the impact of this policy? Limiting legal liability and ensuring data security Increasing productivity and eliminating outside distractions Facilitating the monitoring of employee work practices Preserving the organization's employee value proposition

Limiting legal liability and ensuring data security. Policies restricting access to certain websites (e.g., sexual content) aim at managing risk to the organization's data security posed by questionable sites. The policy may also deter downloading of materials that could be used to harass other employees and pose legal liabilities for the organization. This policy is not aimed at increasing productivity or monitoring activity. It may indirectly preserve the organization brand by preventing problems, but this is not its primary purpose.

Which best describes how management differs from leadership? Management maintains order, while leadership produces and manages change. Management aligns people to the vision, while leadership establishes a structure. Management energizes people, while leadership organizes people to solve problems. Management establishes the vision, while leadership establishes detailed steps and timetables.

Management maintains order, while leadership produces and manages change. Managers administer and create orderly results that maintain the status quo and keep things working efficiently, while leaders create useful change through innovation and inspiration. Managers tend to ask how and when; leaders often ask what and why.

Which best identifies the impact of cognitive barriers on risk management? Leadership's example does not motivate good risk management practices. Managers perceive risks in an outdated manner. Units or functions may not communicate well with each other. Teams are rewarded for being risk-averse

Managers perceive risks in an outdated manner. Cognitive barriers to risk management relate to managers' tendencies to rely on older perceptions of the risks they face and the most effective ways of managing them.

What kind of structure combines departmentalization by division or program and function to gain the benefits of both. An organization may use this structure when the vertical hierarchy begins to obstruct value activities—when silos (and the man) get in the way of collaboration. Functional Product or Customer Geographic Matrix

Matrix

The employee relations manager has been tasked with hosting a company event so employees can meet coworkers in other parts of the company. How should the HR manager approach this task? Schedule a meeting with the CEO to discuss event ideas. Meet with functional managers throughout the company to gather ideas. Send a company-wide communication outlining the event details. Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and present it to the chief human resources officer.

Meet with functional managers throughout the company to gather ideas. Meeting with managers in other departments is a win-win tactic. It begins to expand the HR manager's internal network, and it gives these managers input into the event planning. The other options exclude other members of the organization.

Under the Blake Mouton theory, which set describes the Middle-of-the-road manager? low task, high relationship Low task, low relationship, high task, low relationship midpoint on both task and relationship high task, high relationship (pg 58)

Midpoint on both task and relationship. These managers get the work done but are not considered leaders.

What codetermination model does the following describe: Employee representatives are included, but they are only advisors (i.e. in a non-voting capacity). Mixed System Management System Works Council System

Mixed System - Employee representatives are included, but they are only advisors (i.e. in a non-voting capacity).

Which Codetermination system results in the least power over an organization for employees Dual System Single-tier System Mixed System

Mixed system - Employee representatives are included as advisors, but they have no voting rights. They probably have mixed feelings about this.

The time allowed for the public to express its views and concerns regarding an action of an administrative agency.

Public comment period

What are three key reasons why diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives require full-fledged, organization-wide efforts? Complexity, compliance, brand reputation Cultural stereotypes, diaspora, dilemma reconciliation Demographic dichotomy, hyperconnectivity, compliance Priority, complexity, resistance

Priority, complexity, resistance D&I initiatives are resource-intensive because of priority, complexity, and resistance. To be a strategic priority, D&I must be aligned with core business goals; otherwise, it will always have a lower priority than more immediate concerns. Because of the complexity of the D&I problem, initiatives require a strategic, organization-wide solution. Achieving D&I initiatives requires major organization-wide change that can be problematic and challenging.

In what kind of structure are functional departments grouped under major product divisions? Functional Product or Customer Geographic Matrix

Product or Customer

Which is diversity's greatest value to an organization? Ability to meet regulatory requirements Improved employee and labor relations Positive publicity it brings the organization Range of perspectives and modes of thinking

Range of perspectives and modes of thinking What makes diversity valuable to an organization is, first and foremost, the expanding range of perspectives and modes of thinking that it provides, with potential rewards of greater innovation, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities.

A RACI chart helps an organization establish clarity around its critical activities by assigning responsibility and describing communication needs. These charts can be a helpful exercise when an organization is restructuring or introducing new activities or processes. What does RACI stand for?

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

Value that occurs most frequently in a set of data. Mean Median Mode

Term: Mode

Which of the following factors might cause a business to expand globally? Greater strategic control over global branding Favorable tax policies for domestic investment Attractive trade agreements with foreign countries Saturated market demand at home

Saturated demand at home means that the only growth option (without developing new products and markets at home) is to find new customers in new countries.

U.S. acts that expanded FMLA leave for employees with family members who are covered members of the military. *National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) *Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Term: National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA)

Which employee action is most likely to contribute to developing a global mindset? Demonstrating motivation to work in another country Spending time in educational programs abroad Learning another language based on organizational locations Completing cultural diversity courses the employer offers

Spending time in educational programs abroad Of the choices, the candidates most likely to have a global mindset are the employees who have actually spent time living outside their own countries. This provides daily interactions that embody cultural differences. The other actions will also help develop a global mindset, but they do not provide the firsthand, intensive experience of living in another culture.

Which of the following is not a intrinsic factor or motivation? When you get inherent enjoyment and bliss because of something, and for doing that, you do not crave any trophy, prize or external rewards. When you play in a soccer match because is is fun, and not for just the trophy Spending time with a family during the holidays because is is expected of you. When a student works hard and fares well in his or her subject out of interest and the passion he or she reserves

Spending time with a family during the holidays because is is expected of you. Intrinsic motivation refers to the drive that comes from within. It is an internal inspiration that pushes you to work hard and achieve what you desire. The endpoint is always the inner satisfaction, and it does not depend upon any external incentives or rewards Extrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation is mainly quipped with any external incentive like earning rewards or avoiding an imminent punishment.

U.S. act that protected and encouraged the growth of the union movement; established workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively with employers. *Labor Management Reporting Disclosure Act (LMRDA) *National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) *Labor - Management Relations Act (LMRA)

Term: National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)

Which activity is HR most likely to perform at the corporate level using an upstream/downstream model? Training and development planning Compensation analysis Strategic planning Benefits administration

Strategic planning When using the upstream/downstream model, an organization keeps strategy at the corporate or upstream level since it does not require local adaptations.

Which activity is HR most likely to perform at the corporate level using an upstream/downstream model? Training and development planning Benefits administration Strategic planning Compensation analysis

Strategic planning. When using the upstream/downstream model, an organization keeps strategy at the corporate or upstream level since it does not require local adaptations.

What are the four categories of the COSO Enterprise Risk Management—Integrated Framework (ERM Framework) Strategy, External, Internal & Preventable, Home Markets Strategy, Operations, Financial Reporting, Compliance Strategy, Integrated process alignment, Local responsiveness, Global integration

Strategy—risks that affect the organization's ability to achieve its objectives Operations—risks that affect the myriad ways in which the organization creates value Financial reporting—risks that affect the accuracy and timeliness of information about the organization's financial performance and condition Compliance—risks associated with meeting the requirements of laws and regulations

Any variable that affects the value of the company. To be useful, however, these need to be organized so that managers can identify which have the greatest impact and assign responsibility for them to individuals who can help the organization meet its targets. External drivers Value drivers Internal drivers

Term: Value drivers Actions, processes, or results that are needed to deliver a desired result. Page ???

What is EPPA nd what does it do?

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) of 1988 generally prevents most private employers from requiring applicants or employees to take a polygraph test for preemployment screening or during the course of employment. There are very limited exceptions.

What does the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970 do?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) of 1970 regulates the collection and use of consumer credit information.

What does OSHA's General Duty Clause mandate? Employees need not report for duty if their safety is at risk. Employees must report unsafe working conditions to OSHA. Employers must develop standards if none exist for their industries. Employers must provide a work environment free of recognized hazards to safety.

The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires that employers provide a work environment free of recognized hazards that could cause employee death or serious physical harm to employees, even if there are no standards governing the work area or industry.

What is GINA?

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of their genetic information in both employment and health insurance. Covered employers are those with 15 or more employees and include state and local governments. Unlike GINA, some state laws may apply to employers with fewer than 15 employees.

In the balanced scorecard approach to strategic management, which company action does the customer value? Monitoring processes to ensure satisfactory outcomes Analyzing employee ability to accomplish goals Providing quality goods and services Designing clear long-range objectives

The balanced scorecard measures an organization from four perspectives. The customer perspective captures the ability of the organization to provide quality goods and services, the effectiveness of their delivery, and overall customer service and satisfaction.

What advice would you give an HR colleague facing an employee grievance in a unionized environment? Document all grievance meetings and take notes. Immediately escalate the matter to the vice president of HR. Agree to change some work rules to settle the grievance. Try to exclude the union representative from all meetings.

The best advice is to document all meetings related to the grievance, since individual grievances can become the grounds for union reactions.

An HR business partner is conducting a focus group to examine possible causes for recent low engagement survey scores. What is the business partner's role in this meeting? To present HR's theories about the possible causes To identify candidates for individual interviews To encourage full discussion and participation To convey management's concern about the scores and commitment to action

The business partner is a facilitator in the meeting, and the facilitator's role is to encourage an active and open discussion, asking follow-up questions and ensuring participation by all focus group participants.

Which factor is most important to consider when an organization is seeking to globalize its leadership development program? Executive buy-in at each location for the leadership development program The organization's internal culture as it affects leader development The individual candidates who have potential to assume leadership roles The culture in each country as it affects how leaders emerge

The culture of each country impacts the adoption of the program. Examining the organization's internal culture is not enough; it is important to also consider global leadership concepts. Leadership development programs should be accessible to all, not just those who have the potential to assume leadership roles. Executive buy-in at each location is incorrect because changes may have to be made to accommodate local norms.

When administered in the same way in different countries, which assessment approach would provide the most consistent results in collecting information on job candidates? Standardized measures of psychological traits Panel interviewing Evaluation of work samples One-on-one interviewing

The evaluation of work samples will probably provide the most consistent results because of the direct relationship between the test situation and the work situation. The interviewing approaches may be very effective, but they are likely to be inconsistent because of the different perspectives of the observers. Responses to psychological tests are likely to be very much affected by cultural differences.

At which point in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic process should a global organization decide on using local leadership? Assessment Plan implementation Infrastructure creation Executive commitment

The infrastructure creation step involves creating the infrastructure that will be responsible for guiding, overseeing, administering, reviewing, and championing the CSR strategy. For a global corporation, that includes determining whether local departments, divisions, or individuals will be responsible for local efforts and how these will coordinate with global goals and initiatives.

A technician in a diagnostic lab has filed a complaint with HR accusing a supervisor of selectively enforcing policies. Which action would constitute workplace retaliation? The supervisor reassigns the technician from bench work to physically difficult duties. The technician is required to attend a dispute resolution meeting with the supervisor. The supervisor conducts a previously scheduled performance review. The technician physically attacks the supervisor and is discharged

The supervisor reassigns the technician from bench work to physically difficult duties. Workplace retaliation occurs when an employer, an employer's agent, or a labor union commits an action that is harmful to an employee, usually after the employee has made a complaint but perhaps because an employee has given evidence to support a complaint. In this case, reassigning the employee to less desirable duties could be considered retaliation.

What does Title VII prohibit?

Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Which is the primary aim of an organization's diversity and inclusion efforts? To comply with labor laws To develop diverse perspectives To brand the organization To respond to pressure from labor unions

To develop diverse perspectives The business case for diversity and inclusion efforts is premised on the value of diverse perspectives in an organization.

How can HR help prevent its organization from committing an unfair labor practice? By preventing the organization from firing workers involved in wildcat strikes By engaging in a union avoidance strategy By providing guidance on selective enforcement of contract provisions By training management on allowed speech

Training management on allowed speech may help to prevent a manager or supervisor from interfering with legal union activity.

Which practice supports a strategic decision toward global assignments? Sending assignees to another country to manage a special project Viewing assignments as leadership and career development opportunities Creating assignments based on solving specific short-term issues Choosing average and good performers for selection as assignees

Viewing assignments as leadership and career development opportunities. Organizations that employ a global strategy will use more strategic and systematic approaches toward filling global assignments. They will use a wide variety of global assignment types; choose high-potential and top executives as assignees; view assignments as leadership, career, and organizational development opportunities; and make assignments for many reasons other than situational project management.

Under which circumstances should a market-based job evaluation be used? In larger organizations where a hierarchy of positions is being established When using generic job characteristics to reflect skill and responsibility In smaller organizations where jobs are grouped by job families When an organization is positioning against its compensation philosophy

When an organization is positioning against its compensation philosophy. Positioning pay against the organization's compensation philosophy allows an understanding of whether the pay program achieves the basic objectives of the compensation philosophy. It also allows for a better understanding of internal equity.

A compensation and benefits specialist conducted a salary data survey last year but did not have time to benchmark the results to the organization's pay structure. What action should the specialist take at this point in time? Weight the data compared to other survey data. Completely redo the survey from the beginning. Age the data to make it current. Level the data to determine relevance.

When data is aged, older wage survey data is changed to reflect the movement of salaries in the market since the survey was conducted. If the data is aged, it is still usable.

The governor in the state in which an organization operates rejects a bill passed by the state's legislature. What is this known as? Regulation Veto Amendment Case law

When the chief executive of a governmental unit refuses to sign a bill or statute passed by the legislature, it is known as a veto.

The hiring manager is concerned with the number of resumes that come in compared to how many candidates are being interviewed. What area would the hiring manager want to discuss with the recruiter? a4. Effectiveness of recruiting methods b4. Effectiveness of recruiting, selection, and orientation methods c4. Increasing efficiencies in recruitment and hiring process d4. Benefits of a change in workplace conditions

a4. Effectiveness of recruiting methods The applicant yield ratio is the percentage of applicants who proceed to the next step of the selection process. It demonstrates the effectiveness of recruiting methods., Cost per hire is total costs of hiring divided by number hired. It demonstrates increased efficiencies in the recruitment and hiring process., The success ratio is the proportion of selected applicants who are later judged to be successful on the job. It indicates the effectiveness of the recruiting, selection, and orientation methods., The absence rate is the ratio of lost days to number of employees. It can reflect the benefits of a change in workplace conditions.

Which HR structure features HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities? a7. Decentralized, b7. Functional, c7. Centralized

a7. Decentralized, Advantages: Allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communication and responsiveness., Disadvantages: Lack of consistency among HR policies and standards.

Define differentiation (in a cultural context)

appreciating what different cultural values can contribute while maintaining one's own cultural values

Which HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs? a2. Shared Services b2. Dedicated c2. Functional

b2. Dedicated, Advantages: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units. Disadvantages: isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience; may lead to duplications and inefficiencies.

Which HR structure features each business unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share?, a3. Decentralized b3. Shared Services c3. Functional

b3. Shared Services, Advantages: Offers expertise efficiently, reducing load of transactional activity in favor of value-creating activity., Disadvantages: Risks underuse of service centers when their existence is not widely known.

Which HR structure may lead to duplications and inefficiencies? a4. Shared Services b4. Dedicated, c4. Functional

b4. Dedicated, Advantages: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units. Disadvantages: isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience; may lead to duplications and inefficiencies.

Which HR structure promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units? a6. Centers of Excellence, b6. Dedicated, c6. Centralized

b6. Dedicated, Allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs., Advantages: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units., Disadvantages: isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience; may lead to duplications and inefficiencies.

Which HR model allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs?, a8. Functional, b8. Dedicated, c8. Centralized

b8. Dedicated, Advantages: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units., Disadvantages: isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience; may lead to duplications and inefficiencies.

What is the opposite of a functional HR structure? ai. Shared Services, bi. Dedicated, ci. Centralized

bi. Dedicated, In a functional HR organization, headquarters HR is staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. This type of organization is often found in the least diversified, but not necessarily small, organizations., A dedicated HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This is in some ways a "corporatized" HR, with an HR function at headquarters and separate HR functions located (or "embedded") in separate business units. Corporate HR articulates basic HR values, develops tools to be used by the organizational-level HR functions, and creates programs aimed at enhancing global literacy and leadership skills. The business unit HR staff develops local policies and practices.

Which two HR structures both have the disadvantage of isolation? a1. Functional and Dedicated, b1. Dedicated and Shared Services c1. Dedicated and Decentralized

c1. Functional and Dedicated

Which identifies the best use of the balanced scorecard in strategic planning? a3. Establishing internal strengths and weaknesses, b3. Demonstrating potential return on investment, c3. Identifying significant strategic objectives, d3. Supporting financial reporting of tangible assets,

c3. Identifying significant strategic objectives, The balanced scorecard can help leaders identify the key drivers of the organization's past and continued success. These drivers can then be used to develop goals and strategies to achieve those goals.

Which HR structure provides more control and consistency across the organization, but also may decrease effective communication?, a5. Decentralized, b5. Functional, c5. Centralized

c5. Centralized, All HR personnel located within HR department; delivers services to entire organization., Advantages: Provides more control and consistency across organization. Disadvantages: Can inhibit flexibility and responsiveness; can decrease effective communication.

Under the Blake Mouton theory, which set describes the Authoritarian leader? low task, high relationship Low task, low relationship, high task, low relationship midpoint on both task and relationship high task, high relationship (page 58)

high task, low relationship. Authoritarian leaders expect people to do what they are told without question and tend not to foster collaboration.

What are three examples of misaligned risk? moral hazard, the principle-agent problem, conflict of interest scope creep, budget risk, resistance to change reputational, financial, governance

moral hazard, the principle-agent problem, conflict of interest

The concept of a triple bottom line (a term coined in 1994 by John Elkington) applies the 3Ps principle. What are the 3ps?

people, planet, profits

How does a social audit resemble a financial audit? an official inspection of an individual's or organization's accounts, typically by an independent body the goal is to assess an organization's current status, identify missing or inadequate elements or inefficiencies, and determine steps for improvement. the examination or inspection of various books of accounts by an auditor followed by physical checking of inventory to make sure that all departments are following documented system of recording transactions.

the goal is to assess an organization's current status, identify missing or inadequate elements or inefficiencies, and determine steps for improvement.

What is a legal doctrine under which a party can be held liable for the wrongful actions of another party.

vicarious liability

Define Congruence (as it relates to culture)

How cultures are similar

Modification of the U.S. Constitution or a U.S. law. Bill Amendment Governance

Term: Amendment

Supreme Court Case that imposed prevented unions from soliciting support on private property unless no reasonable alternatives exist. *Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (2007) *Lechmere, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board (1992) *Griggs v. Duke Power Co (1971)

**Lechmere, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board (1992) Petitioner Lechmere, Inc., owns and operates a retail store located in a shopping plaza in a large metropolitan area. Lechmere is also part owner of the plaza's parking lot, which is separated from a public highway by a 46-foot-wide grassy strip, almost all of which is public property. In a campaign to organize Lechmere employees, nonemployee union organizers placed handbills on the windshields of cars parked in the employees' part of the parking lot. After Lechmere denied the organizers access to the lot, they distributed handbills and picketed from the grassy strip. In addition, they were able to contact directly some 20% of the employees. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with respondent National Labor Relations Board (Board), alleging that Lechmere had violated the NLRA by barring the organizers from its property. Held: Lechmere did not commit an unfair labor practice by barring nonemployee union organizers from its property. Pp. 531-541. By its plain terms, the NLRA confers rights only on employees, not on unions or their nonemployee organizers. Thus, as a rule, an employer cannot be compelled to allow nonemployee organizers onto his property.

U.S. case that set the standard for determining whether discrimination based on disparate impact exists. *Faragher v. City Boca Raton *Griggs v. Duke Power *Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth

*Griggs v. Duke Power In the 1950s Duke Power's Dan River Steam Station in North Carolina had a policy restricting black employees to its "Labor" department, where the highest-paying position paid less than the lowest-paying position in the four other departments. In 1955 the company added the requirement of a high school diploma for employment in any department other than Labor, and offered to pay two-thirds of the high-school training tuition for employees without a diploma.[3] On July 2, 1965, the day the Civil Rights Act of 1964 took effect, Duke Power added two employment tests, which would allow employees without high-school diplomas to transfer to higher-paying departments. The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test was a test of mechanical aptitude, and the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test was an IQ test measuring general intelligence. Blacks were almost ten times less likely than whites to meet these new employment and transfer requirements. According to the 1960 Census, while 34% of white males in North Carolina had high-school diplomas, only 18% of blacks did. The disparities of aptitude tests were far greater; with the cutoffs set at the median for high-school graduates, 58% of whites passed, compared to 6% of blacks.[4]. The Supreme Court ruled that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, if such tests disparately impact ethnic minority groups, businesses must demonstrate that such tests are "reasonably related" to the job for which the test is required.

2007 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that claims of sex discrimination in pay under Title VII were not timely because discrimination charges were not filed with the EEOC within the required 180-day time frame. *Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company *Griggs v. Duke Power *NLRB v. Weingarten

*Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Landmark 1975 U.S. labor relations case that dealt with the right of a unionized employee to have another person present during certain investigatory interviews. *National Federation of Independence Business v. Sebelius *NLRB v. Weingarten *Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation

*NLRB v. Weingarten Beginning in 1961, Leura Collins was employed as a sales person at Weingarten Store No. 2, which was a store with a lunch counter.[1] Then in 1970, she was transferred to Store No. 98, which was a lobby food operation, where she again worked as a sales person.[1] As a Weingarten sales person, Collins was represented under a collective bargaining agreement by Local Union No 455 of the Retail Clerks Union, which later became part of United Food and Commercial Workers.[2] After a report that Collins was taking money from the cash register, an internal Weingarten investigator spent two days in June 1972 observing the store without the knowledge of Store No. 98's manager.[1] After completing the surveillance, the investigator informed the store manager of his presence and reported that he could find nothing wrong.[1] The store manager then told the investigator that one coworker had reported that Collins failed to pay full price for a box of chicken she had purchased.[1] The manager and investigator summoned Collins for an interview and questioned her.[1] Collins asked for the presence of a union representative several times but was refused by the manager each time.[1] Upon questioning, Collins explained that she had put four pieces of chicken (which cost $1 total) into a larger box (one which could hold $2.98 of chicken) because the store had run out of the four-piece sized boxes.[3] To check Collins's story, the investigator left to ask the coworker who had reported her.[4] The coworker confirmed that the store had run out of $1 size boxes and admitted she did not know how much chicken Collins had placed in the larger box.[4] The investigator returned to the interview, apologized to Collins, and prepared to let her go.[4] Collins then burst into tears and exclaimed that the only thing she had ever gotten from the store without paying was her free lunch.[4] This prompted renewed questioning from the investigator and manager because of the differing policies regarding free lunches at lobby food operations (not allowed) versus stores with lunch counters (allowed).[4] Collins again requested and was refused the presence of a union representative.[4] Based on the questioning, the investigator prepared a statement that Collins owed $160 for lunches but she refused to sign the statement.[4] It was later found that most (if not all) of the employees at Store No. 98 (including the manager) took free lunches because they had never been informed of the policy prohibiting it.[4] When the investigator contacted company headquarters during the interview, the company itself was uncertain whether the policy against free lunches was even in effect at that store.[5] As a result, the investigator terminated the questioning and the store manager asked Collins to keep the inquiry private.[6] However, Collins reported the interview to her shop steward and other union representatives. As a result, an unfair labor practice proceeding was brought before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).[6]

1971 U.S. case that stated that an employer may not, in the absence of business necessity, refuse to hire women with preschool-aged children while hiring men with such children. It was the first sex discrimination case under Title VII to reach the Court. *Faragher v. City Boca Raton *Phillips v Martin Marietta Corp. *NLRB v. Weingarten

*Phillips v Martin Marietta Corp. The Martin Marietta Corporation had a policy which did not allow the hiring of mothers with pre-school aged children because they were assumed to be unreliable employees; Ida Phillips, a mother, applied for a job at the company and was denied because of her circumstance as a mother. Phillips sued under Title VII claiming that the policy was discriminatory. The Supreme Court unanimously held that the Marietta Corp. policy did discriminate on the basis of sex

Type of sexual harassment that occurs when an employee is forced to choose between giving in to a superior's sexual demands and forfeiting an economic benefit such as a pay increase, a promotion, or continued employment. *Quid Pro Quo Harassment *Id Est Harassment

*Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Name three of the five things an HR balanced scorecard must be to be truly effective: +Be carefully planned and executed, +Contain accountability and measurable results, +Focus on results +Contain all measurements possible, not just those that result in actionable items, +Be carefully planned and executed, +Be valid. +Every element on the scorecard must be directly linked to business outcomes, +Be carefully planned and executed, +Contain all measurements possible, not just those that result in actionable items

+Contain accountability and measurable results. +Be valid. The measurement system must contain understandable measures, metrics, and targets that are aligned to the objective and can be supported with solid data. +Contain only those measures that are most important to the objective and the organization's strategic plan; that is, the measures must result in actionable items. +Focus on results. Simply measuring turnover or time to fill is ineffective if no action is taken as a result. More meaningful measures that are aligned clearly with the organization's strategic plan include productivity and retention. +Be carefully planned and executed.

Name three critical tests to determine if someone is an independent contractor:

+Having the ability to set own hours and determine sequence of work +Working by the project rather than having a continuous relationship with the employer +Being paid by the job (rather than by the hour or pay period) +Having the opportunity for profit and loss +Furnishing own tools and training +Being self-employed and holding oneself out as such

Notes: Criteria for Effective Employee Resource Groups Groups have formal charters Percentage of employees in at least one group Racial/gender breakdown of groups Percentage of top executives who are sponsors of groups Whether groups are used for recruitment, onboarding of new employees, talent development, marketing, mentoring, and diversity training If the groups' success is measured through retention, engagement, talent development, and other contributions to business (focus groups, client interactions, marketing ideas) If resource group leaders have rotational positions on executive diversity councils

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Notes: Reasons Why Diversity Is Important Creating equal opportunities for everyone is simply the right thing to do., Diversity is good for business and yields "a diversity dividend" of quantifiable improvements in market share, a competitive edge in accessing new markets, and a stronger bottom line. Robust workplace diversity in an organization has a positive impact on the economies and societies in which the business operates., Diversity creates opportunities for everyone to learn from others and grow., Diverse views make for better business decisions and drive a high-performance culture.

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Notes: What are Robert Kaplan and Anette Mikes three categories of risk? Internal and preventable. These risks come from within the organization and could include violations of ethics and failures in routine processes. Strategy. This is desirable uncertainty that an organization willingly accepts when it commits to a strategy—for example, uncertainty whether loans can be repaid or employees will be fully productive. External. These sources of uncertainty are outside the organization and beyond its control. They would include changes in the economy or laws and regulations, disruptive technologies, and availability of trained employees.

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Notes: What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to a Functional structure? Advantages: Easy to understand Specializations develop Economies of scale Easier communication within functions Clear career paths Disadvantages: Weaker customer or product focus Potentially weak communication among functions Weak grasp of broader organizational issues

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Notes: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Dedicated structure? Advantages: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units Disadvantages: Isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience; may lead to duplications and inefficiencies.

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Notes: What are the advantages and disadvantages to a Decentralized HR structure? Advantages: Allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communications and responsiveness Disadvantages: Lack of consistency among HR policies and standards

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Notes: What is Nassim Taleb's theory about? "Black swans", or unforeseen (unknown unknown) outlier events that are extremely rare, have a major impact, and, when viewed in hindsight, are reasonably predictable (e.g., the results of abrupt changes in technology or sudden sociopolitical shifts).

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Notes: Related—but not identical—to the shared service center is the Center of excellence (COE). Shared service centers deliver savings and increased productivity by locating similar, more transactional processes in one location. COEs aim at leveraging strategic expertise in the organization to foster growth and continuous improvement. COEs can be located in a certain facility but can also be "virtual." They can take advantage of digital communications to create networks of experts who can reside anywhere in the organization. COEs in HR might focus on talent acquisition, talent management, organization development, learning and development, compensation and benefits, and other areas of HR expertise.

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Notes What are some advantages and disadvantages to a Matrix structure: Advantages: Combination of cross-disciplinary capabilities and perspectives, Availability of best global talent, Flexibility and agility Disadvantages: Complex reporting structures Potential for conflicts between functions and projects over resources, Potential cultural conflicts on teams

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Notes What are some advantages and disadvantages to a geographic structure? Advantages: Proximity to customer, Adapted to local practices, Quicker response time, Cross-functional communication Disadvantages: Fewer economies of scale Potential issues with consistency across regions (e.g., practices, values, strategic focus)

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Notes What are the advantages and disadvantages to a Shared Services structure? Advantages: Offers expertise efficiently, reducing load of transactional activity in favor of value-creating activity Disadvantages: Risks underuse of services when their existence is not widely known.

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Notes What is span of control versus chain of command? Span of control refers to the number of individuals who report to a supervisor. Chain of command refers to the line of authority within an organization. As organizations push decision-making authority downward or become matrixed, and as ad hoc or permanent work teams become more common, the line of authority or chain of command can appear lateral or web-like.

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Notes: Covering affects workers' behavior along four dimensions: Appearance. Adjusting their attire, grooming, and mannerisms to "blend in." Affiliation. Avoiding behaviors associated with their "identity group" (culture, ethnic minority, sexual orientation, etc.). Advocacy. Avoiding engaging in advocacy on behalf of their identity group. Association. Avoiding associating with members of their identity group.

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Notes: Criteria for Effective Diversity Councils: Leader of the council is the CEO or a direct report to the CEO. Council meets frequently—usually monthly or quarterly. Council sets and signs off on metrics and goals. Compensation of executives on the council is tied to those goals. Council has rotational positions for leaders of employee resource groups. Council members serve as formal mentors. Support from senior leadership. The ability to link the organization's diversity strategy with the overall business strategy and emphasize the importance of diversity in and to the organization. Diverse representation. Metrics to measure progress. Consistent communication of goals and efforts. Long-term strategy.

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Benefits The desire to make organizations and workplaces more diverse and inclusive is driven by a common sense that a diverse workforce strengthens the organization. The types of perceived benefits can vary, however: Improved creativity and innovation. This benefit derives from having groups with multiple perspectives, life experiences, and learning and problem-solving styles. This generates more ideas, but the experience of working in a more novel group with different behaviors and norms also fosters increased openness and flexibility. As Columbia Business School Professor of Leadership and Ethics Katherine Phillips explains, the discomfort caused by diversity in and of itself helps promote innovation. Knowing that members of a group have a different background and are likely to bring a different perspective increases both the depth to which group members critically examine their own assumptions and their openness to alternative ideas. Recruitment and retention. Demographic changes and local labor markets have driven employers to develop diverse workplaces. Here, as with so many aspects of D&I, principles must be applied to local needs. Recruitment gaps and challenges may be very different for each local subsidiary of an organization. Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce enhances the employer's ability to attract high-potential talent in minority groups. Market strengths. Having a diverse workforce improves an organization's ability to understand the perspectives and needs of its customer segments, to identify and reach new market segments, and to develop new products that anticipate and meet those needs. Branding. The positive image of being a diverse, inclusive organization can be a marketing advantage and selling point, helping the organization to connect and identify a brand with diverse markets. Global integration and local differentiation. Local employees add greater awareness of local laws and regulations and business models and practices. They also bring potential entry into social networks, sources of information, and influence.

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NOTE Governance is the system of rules and processes an organization puts in place to ensure its compliance with local and international laws, accounting rules, ethical norms, and environmental and social codes of conduct.

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NOTES A social audit also resembles a 360-degree performance review in that it begins by interviewing all of an organization's stakeholders—internal and external—and concludes by publishing all results in a format available to all participants. (notes)

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Note Ethical universalism argues that there are fundamental principles that apply across cultures and that global organizations must apply these principles when making decisions in a country, without regard to local ethical norms.

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Notes Consider an HR function that has analyzed the organization's strategy and has identified the following ways in which it can contribute, based on the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard: Financial: Develop alternative staffing strategies to provide more flexibility to meet shifts in production demands., Customers (other functions and employees): Provide easier access to HR services, including consultation with functional leaders., Internal business processes: Apply technology to increase efficiency and capture data., Learning and growth: Make sure that future leaders will be available across functions, throughout the organization.

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Notes For an HR balanced scorecard to be truly effective, it must: Contain accountability and measurable results. Be valid. The measurement system must contain understandable measures, metrics, and targets that are aligned to the objective and can be supported with solid data., Contain only those measures that are most important to the objective and the organization's strategic plan; that is, the measures must result in actionable items., Focus on results. Simply measuring turnover or time to fill is ineffective if no action is taken as a result. More meaningful measures that are aligned clearly with the organization's strategic plan include productivity and retention., Be carefully planned and executed.

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Notes Ways to Increase Diversity Voluntary training (not mandatory) Self-managed teams (to help increase contact between groups), Cross-training (to increase management exposure to people from different groups), College recruitment targeting women and minorities, Mentoring for women and minorities Diversity task forces (to promote social accountability), Diversity managers (to support transparency in recruiting and promotion decisions)

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Notes: A common tool used in organizational development is called The McKinsey 7-S framework. This model describes organizations as having seven interconnected elements. Each of these elements must be considered in creating sustainable organizational change: Strategy. A customer-centric culture is a necessary part of HR's attempt to create value for the organization. The strategy provides a plan for creating this value, and it should incorporate input from members throughout the HR organization., Shared values. HR leaders communicate to function members a commitment to quality performance and customer service. The message must be explicit; it must be communicated through various media and at meaningful times, such as during onboarding and at regular meetings and individual performance meetings., Structure. HR leaders must take steps to change HR's structure if it slows or prevents HR professionals from delivering quality work to their customers. This can involve empowering HR professionals to make changes to meet customer needs and to correct mistakes quickly. It may involve creating a position or group to continually assess customers' perceptions of HR service., Systems. Systems support the way people do their jobs. Systems can include a variety of tools, policies, and processes.To improve customer service, HR leaders implement processes to improve the customer relationship., Staff. Ability to deliver customer service is a criterion for selecting HR professionals. HR professionals are rewarded and recognized for exceptional acts of customer service., Skills. HR leaders undertake to assess the competencies among HR staff to deliver quality customer service and to address gaps through training and development (e.g., training in communication, conflict resolution)., Style of leadership. Leaders must model in all their actions the values they have identified for the HR organization—for example, supporting customer focus even when it may require additional resources. They must be willing to invite HR employees to participate in problem solving and decision making.

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The basis for the process of implementing a D&I strategy described here is Gardenswartz and Rowe's seven steps for developing and implementing an organization-wide D&I strategy. As they note, the steps may not always be consecutive; some may occur at the same time as others. HR will have a major supportive role in almost all steps. For key steps, HR professionals will need to be the drivers—or, at a minimum, will be on the front lines—of the process. What are the seven steps? 1. Executive Commitment, 2. Preliminary Assessment. 3. Infrastructure Creation 4. System Changes, 5. Training, 6. Measurement and Evaluation, 7. Evolution and Integration (see pic on back)

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The business case for promoting supplier diversity includes: It strengthens the organization's appeal to its own diverse customer base and to those customers who specifically support supplier diversity practices. Diverse suppliers, especially those that are politically active, can serve as advocates for the company sourcing from them. In terms of regulatory compliance, organizations are increasingly held responsible for the actions of their suppliers. (And even if they are not legally responsible, organizations may be judged by the "court of public opinion.") Diverse suppliers can be resources in diversity recruiting efforts within the organization. Diverse suppliers bring many of the same benefits as diversity within the organization: unique skill sets, innovation, etc. Supplier diversity demonstrates social responsibility, which brings its own business benefits.

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There are three main reasons why a strategic approach is required for D&I : priority, complexity, and resistance.

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What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to a Product or Customer structure? Hints: Advantages: Economies of scale, Product team culture Product expertise, Cross-functional communication Disadvantages: Regional or local focus Weak customer focus (for product) or weak product focus (for customer)

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As amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 (discussed next), Title VII applies to: Most private employers and state and local governments that have 15 or more employees. Educational institutions. Federal government agencies. Public and private employment agencies. Labor unions with 15 or more members. Joint (labor-management) committees for apprenticeships and training.

.(these are just notes to read)

In cases of alleged discrimination, an individual must first file an administrative charge with the EEOC (the federal agency responsible for enforcing antidiscrimination laws) or with the state agency responsible for handling such charges. If the complainant does not file a discrimination act under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Right Act, because his/her state has it's own agency that process/investigate charges of discrimination, how long does the complainant have to instead file with the EEOC?

.300 days

How long must COBRA coverage be continued in the event of gross misconduct?

0 months

How long must COBRA coverage be continued in the event of any reason other than gross misconduct (examples include reduction in hours, the employee quitting, or the employee being terminated for reasons other than gross misconduct)?

18 months

Which headquarters HR is staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. 1. Decentralized, 2. Shared Services, 3. Functional

3. Functional, Advantages: Facilitates consistency between headquarters policy and practices and implementation in business units. Disadvantages: Can isolate headquarters HR from business realities perceived by all staff and employees.

Collects data in a full circle around an individual, compares self-ratings to ratings by others such as an immediate supervisor, peers, subordinates, internal and/or external customers, suppliers. 360 Degree Assessment Manager assessment Competency-based Interview

360 Degree Assessment Page 285

Although the founder of an organization is very competent, she has alienated nearly everyone in the organization. Colleagues have tried to share their concerns; however, she does not believe there to be an issue. Rather she believes she merely has a direct approach. Which assessment tool is best suited to display how her directness is impacting others? Situation judgment tests Emotional intelligence tools Assessment center simulations 360-degree assessments

360-degree assessments

Although the founder of an organization is very competent, she has alienated nearly everyone in the organization. Colleagues have tried to share their concerns; however, she does not believe there to be an issue. Rather she believes she merely has a direct approach. Which assessment tool is best suited to display how her directness is impacting others? 360-degree assessments Situation judgment tests Assessment center simulations Emotional intelligence tools

360-degree assessments gather and report feedback from managers, peers, and subordinates for a complete picture of skills and weaknesses for leader development. If there is consensus among the findings, the founder may be forced to face facts. Situation judgment tests, assessment centers, and emotional intelligence tools won't be helpful in convincing the CEO that she needs to change.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits discrimination in the workplace to employees of what age and older? What are it's two exceptions for regular employees?

40 and older with a few limited exceptions to recognize that advanced age may, in some circumstances, affect an individual's ability to perform certain jobs effectively. Other exceptions to ADEA's nondiscrimination requirements may occur under the following circumstances: +The employer is adhering to a genuine seniority or benefit plan. +The employer is disciplining or firing a person for reasonable factors other than age. The employee is a top executive or policy maker. (High-level managers and certain bona fide executives or high policy makers can be required to retire at age 65 if they are entitled to receive organization-sponsored retirement benefits of at least $44,000 per year, in the aggregate, and have held their position for two years immediately prior to retirement.) The top executive exception to the prohibition on mandatory retirement does not apply in some states. If the exception does not apply in a particular state, then the federal exception is irrelevant in that state. In some states, however, there may be a cap of age 70 for protection.

The administrative assistant to the vice president of operations confides in the HR manager that the VP has been making inappropriate advances that have been getting progressively more forward and aggressive. This has made the administrative assistant uncomfortable, and now she wants to find a new position in the organization. The administrative assistant and the HR manager are long-time personal friends, and this information is shared with the HR manager outside of the work environment, on personal time. While the HR manager informs the administrative assistant that she should bring a formal complaint, the administrative assistant is very clear that she is sharing this information as a friend. She does not want to file a formal complaint out of fear of retaliation. Instead, she asks the HR manager to help her find a new role so that she can quietly leave her current position without creating trouble for the VP, the organization, or herself. The VP of operations has been identified as one of the top two possibilities to succeed the current CEO. The VP of HR receives a letter from the attorney of a different employee that charges the VP of operations and the organization with unlawful harassment. Which is the best first course of action the HR VP should take? Answers A. Notify the CEO and the organization's attorney, asking to meet to determine appropriate next steps. B. Initiate the investigation by gathering all the facts about the unlawful harassment claim. C. Independently speak to the VP of operations and ask if there is any merit to the claim of unlawful harassment. D. Terminate the VP of operations' employment immediately in order to mitigate any further risks.

A Notify the CEO and the organization's attorney, asking to meet to determine appropriate next steps, is the best response. The VP of operations plays a critical role in the organization and has been identified as a potential successor to the CEO. Given that this is the second time sexual harassment allegations have been made against him and that this time there's a threat of a lawsuit, it is important to notify the CEO and corporate counsel. B is incorrect. It is important to investigate the entire situation, with all allegations and claims considered equally. C is incorrect. HR should not take any action independent of the organization's CEO and attorney. D is incorrect. At this stage, firing the VP of operations may be premature, as it is just an allegation with no actual evidence and not even clarity on the facts. A sound and unbiased investigation must be conducted to uncover the facts, and only then would the policy on disciplinary action apply if deemed necessary.

How has the sustainability movement changed organizations' relations with their stakeholders? Organizations focus on fewer key stakeholders but give those few more input on strategic decisions. The focus has shifted from internal to external stakeholders, and stakeholder value is defined more broadly. A broader range of stakeholders is now considered, allowing for a more active role in shaping policies and goals. Customers are now considered as stakeholders in addition to shareholders, and there is more focus on providing them value.

A broader range of stakeholders is now considered, allowing for a more active role in shaping policies and goals. Sustainability has expanded both who the significant stakeholders are and how the organization interacts with them. Instead of just those with a direct financial stake in the organization, stakeholders now also include those affecting or affected by an organization's social and environmental value. Sustainability also expands the ways in which the organization interacts with its stakeholders, who now play a more active role in helping it define and implement everything from individual projects to larger corporate social responsibility strategy and goals.

In which scenario would having a knowledge management program be beneficial to an organization? A company's workforce has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age. Employees volunteer at a charitable event on the weekend. An organization is increasing the employer premium share of its medical insurance plan. An employer is implementing an education reimbursement policy

A company's workforce has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age. A knowledge management program would be beneficial in an organization that has a large percentage of employees nearing retirement age; this will allow the organization to retain the departing employees' institutional knowledge. The other answers do not require knowledge use, retention, or transfer.

How does communicating the guiding principles behind employee pay support an effective compensation philosophy? It creates a framework for transparency. It removes leadership from pay decisions. It guarantees how much employees are paid. It eliminates local conditions in pay considerations.

A compensation philosophy creates a framework for consistency and transparency. Communicating the guiding principles behind employee pay plays a key role in being transparent. A compensation philosophy will guide how an organization pays employees, but it will not guarantee how much an employee will be paid. Compensation philosophies are typically created in collaboration with leadership. Compensation philosophies take local conditions into consideration as part of the review for competitiveness.

When must an employer give a WARN notice?

A covered employer must give notice if there is to be a mass layoff that does not result from a plant closing but that will result in employment loss at the employment site during any 30-day period for 500 or more employees, or for 50 to 499 employees if they make up at least 33% of the employer's active workforce. Again, this does not count employees who have worked less than six months in the last 12 months or who work an average of less than 20 hours a week for the employer. These latter groups, however, are entitled to notice.

What is an HR dashboard?

A display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics. Where previous dashboards offered simple drill-downs, more advanced dashboards enable you to predict the future through the predictive power of machine learning algorithms. This gives insights into how employees will behave, for example, which employees are at risk of quitting. This information could potentially be of great strategic value.

Which best describes a diversity council? Quasi-judicial review committee to review diversity and inclusion efforts Management task force to promote diversity and inclusion in the organization Labor-management committee dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the organization Voluntary private/public partnership to promote diversity and inclusion

A diversity council is a management-level task force established to define and promote an organization's diversity and inclusion initiatives.

What is a Diversity Council and what are its key responsibilities?

A diversity council is a task force (including upper management) created to define the D&I initiative and guide the process., Key responsibilities include: Setting goals and priorities. (One source even suggests creating formal D&I vision and mission statements.), Ensuring alignment with core business strategies., Identifying obstacles and opportunities., Recommending actions., Monitoring the process., Collecting data and evaluating results.

Which program gives technical workers the ability to earn as much as they would in a management position? Maturity curves Pay for performance Dual career ladder Perquisites

A dual career ladder allows technical employees to earn as much as they would in a management position.

Which program gives technical workers the ability to earn as much as they would in a management position? Perquisites Dual career ladder Maturity curves Pay for performance

A dual career ladder allows technical employees to earn as much as they would in a management position.

During a company event at a local establishment, an employee fractures his arm. An HR coworker is unsure of whether this should be reported to OSHA and asks the HR manager's opinion. What should the HR manager recommend? Report an accidental injury to OSHA within 30 days of the event. Don't report the injury, as the event happened off company property. Report a workplace incident to OSHA within 14 days. Report an occupational injury to OSHA within 24 hours of learning about the event.

A fracture is an occupational injury, and OSHA requires that occupational injuries be reported within 24 hours of learning about the event. Although the event occurred off-site, it was a company-sponsored outing and the person was there in his role as an employee; therefore, it is considered an extension of the traditional workplace.

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The CEO requests that the HR manager research industry trends regarding hiring policies and drug use that takes place during personal time. How should the HR manager gather the information? A. Meet with the executive board to determine their specific goals for this research regarding drug use during personal time. B. Ask an intern to Google industry policies regarding drug use during personal time. C. Form a committee whose sole purpose is to examine trends in employment practices. D. Review competitors' hiring practices in open job descriptions.

A is correct. Meeting with the executive board provides the HR manager with the appropriate structure to begin the research. B, C, and D are incorrect; these would be subsequent steps once the HR manager determines which outcomes the executive board is looking for.

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The creative manager requests that the HR manager make an exception to the company policy and allow the hiring process to continue. How should the HR manager address the request? A. Explain to the creative manager that this is a long-standing employment requirement. B. Confidentially inquire if the candidate has a medical condition that covers the drug for medicinal purposes. C. Offer to retest the candidate at the same screening agency. D. State that the candidate can continue working as an independent contractor.

A is correct. While the candidate otherwise may be the best choice for employment, deviation from the established policy for one candidate potentially creates significant risk for the organization. B is incorrect, as a drug screen would have been reviewed by a medical review officer (MRO) to determine the legitimate use of the substance. C is incorrect, as a positive result is reviewed to determine accuracy before sharing this with the organization. D is incorrect, as this may no longer be an option.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. In trying to ensure strategic alignment of human capital activities, what would be most beneficial to HR? A. Scheduling a meeting with the business leaders to understand business needs and goals for the future B. Networking with colleagues to determine which activities they may have used in similar situations C. Reviewing and assessing past activities of this type and then building an appropriate process for this initiative D. Interviewing all managers in the affected unit to determine what support they would need for the move, but only when it is really necessary

A is the best answer. Spending time in consultation with the business leaders about the business case will help HR quickly identify the key elements needed for successfully supporting the initiative. B is incorrect. Information from the network will not be sufficiently specific to this initiative. C is incorrect. Looking at past similar activities will provide some insights but not as much as can be gained through consulting with the business leaders and managers. D is incorrect. Understanding managers' needs is always necessary.

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. Which is the best and most objective way for HR to support the company's position of blending both cultures and convince leadership to move forward with the recommendation? A. Research evidence-based practices that support the recommendation from HR. B. Provide leadership with pie charts, PowerPoint presentations, and reports to support HR's recommendation. C. Conduct surveys with employees from both companies to gather input on what works well and what doesn't work well within their respective cultures. D. Research winners from the recent "Best Places to Work" list for recommendations on merging cultures.

A is the best response, because evidence-based research will allow HR to provide objective data to leadership. B is incorrect, because HR must conduct research before they are able to present information. C is incorrect. Employee input is not the only source of information that should be used for this decision, nor is it the most objective. D is incorrect, because the "Best Places to Work" list does not provide merger data.

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. What is the first step HR should take to ensure that all employees are treated fairly in regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions? A. Hold focus groups to understand the issues and recommend any changes to the leadership team. B. Educate employees on the internal complaint procedure. C. Tell the employees that the company will address their concerns once the merger is completed. D. Provide training on new jobs and processes.

A is the best response, because it involves input from employees and encourages open communication. B is incorrect. Although an internal complaint system is important, it does not address the issue as to how to fix the perceived inequities among employees. C is incorrect. Open communication involves transparency at every step. Although HR will not be able to provide any confidential information, employee concerns still need to be addressed at the time they are presented. D is incorrect. Training would occur after understanding what the issues are and what changes will be made.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. What is the best course of action the HR leader should take to determine how to structure the HR department to support the needs of the growing business? A. Initiate an assessment of the HR function to include internal and external considerations. B. Complete a survey of managers to solicit recommendations for the best structure. C. Consult with other HR professionals in the area to benchmark against similar companies. D. Pilot a new structure for six months and evaluate the pros and cons of the new structure.

A is the best response. A SWOT analysis would be the best starting point for the HR director to better understand the present state and to determine the structure and HR resources needed to support the organization now and in the future. Given the need to maintain quality and efficiency during this growth stage, it will be important to address any opportunities/threats related to the improvement of the quality or efficiency of the HR services/support being delivered. This will further ensure that the HR strategy is aligned with the organizational strategy. B is incorrect. While ensuring that the new structure will effectively support managers, a focus on just the managers' perspective is a limited view of what may be needed. C is incorrect. Consulting with HR professionals in the area to benchmark may be a part of the external scanning; however, it would provide a limited view of what may be needed. D is incorrect. Piloting a new structure without a clear understanding of the existing capabilities and opportunities is risky without a better understanding of the current state.

A vice president (VP) of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. All locations operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. These teams cover all shifts, providing support. Each location is in the process of rolling out updated policies, including enhancements to the company's progressive disciplinary process and an ethics policy that focuses on commitment to mutual respect, ethical decision making, and integrity. One day, after the VP of HR has left her office, she receives a call from a site HR generalist. The generalist tells the VP that when he returned from his dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. Books were thrown on the floor, and name tags were torn off doors and thrown into the trash. The generalist also reports that when security checked the cameras, they reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage and then had left the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. The VP also has recently discovered that the manager has been drinking routinely after work and wonders if the ransacking of the office occurred when the manager returned to the office after a drinking session. What steps should the VP of HR take to address the condition of the HR office? A. Work with the second shift HR generalist to clean up the damage and destruction of the HR office. B. Leave the office as is so everyone can see it when they arrive the next day. C. Demand that the HR manager return and clean up the HR area. D. Request employees from the site and ask for their help with cleaning up the office.

A is the best response. Helping the second shift HR generalist with the cleanup is consistent with the company's value of constant respect for people. B is incorrect. With the security footage available for reference, there is no need to leave the office in a shambles for more people to witness. C is incorrect. Contacting the HR manager for this purpose could only further exacerbate the matter. D is incorrect. There is no need to create disruption and potential productivity issues in the factory by bringing more people in to witness the mess.

What is a broad statement that reflects an organization's philosophy, objectives, or standards concerning a particular set of management or employment activities? Business case Contract Mission statement Policy

A policy is a broad statement that reflects an organization's philosophy, objectives, or standards concerning a particular set of management or employment activities.

A publicly owned company has acquired a small privately owned company. The small company had grown too big for the former owners to manage. Prior to the acquisition, the owners were both heavily involved in the day-to-day decision making of the company, but they are not adept in effective management practices. Both former owners have signed contracts to remain with the company for two years post-acquisition to be a resource as the integration is completed. Policies and controls in the small company were nonexistent. The treatment of employees was not consistent, and employee morale is low, primarily due to the uncertainty in the acquisition and the fear of favoritism. The HR manager assigned to perform due diligence on merging the small company has found additional issues. There is a substantiated allegation that one of the owners of the small company was involved in a romantic affair with a female subordinate, and the HR/finance clerk was demoted for inappropriately allocating funds from the company to his personal bank account. Both of these issues were addressed and the matters closed without any further disciplinary action being taken with either of the individuals. The CEO of the acquiring company asks the HR manager to make the needed changes to ensure compliance with laws and policies, as soon as possible, without upsetting the former owners. What is the best first step the HR manager should take to create a positive working relationship with the former owners? A. Involve the former owners along with representatives of the acquiring company in developing a plan for implementing policy changes. B. Implement all needed changes immediately using the CEO's directive to address any employee or former owner reluctance to change. C. Make any changes slowly so as not to upset the workforce; then share them with all stakeholders after the fact. D. Share the policy changes and a time line as to when they will be changed with the former owners.

A is the best response. Involving the former owners in the development of the policy changes provides the HR manager with an opportunity to build rapport, trust, and credibility. The HR manager can use this as an opportunity to mentor the former owners on legal and acceptable policies in the workplace environment. B is incorrect. Implementing changes without the former owners' knowledge will not be helpful in creating a positive working relationship. C is incorrect. The CEO wants the changes made as soon as possible. If changes are made slowly, the employees will wonder what the next change will be. Changes that are made all at once are more in line with transparent communication. D is incorrect. In order to obtain buy-in, the HR manager should involve the former owners in developing the plan rather then simply informing them that changes will be made.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. Which information should the director of HR present to the controller and the accounts receivable manager during the next discussion of workforce planning? A. The HR director should present critical information about the exit interviews of accounts receivable staff and benchmark data on the staffing plans of large hospitals. B. The HR director should have the remaining accounts receivable employees join the meeting and share their complaints directly with the controller and the accounts receivable manager. C. The HR director should present the concerns voiced by the departing employees and the fact that there was incomplete work hidden in their desks. D. The HR director should present information on the need to hire more staff to meet demand without revealing the work that was hidden in the departing employees' desks.

A is the best response. The HR director must gather industry data to support the recommendation of why the department needs more staff members. B is incorrect. This could make both the controller and the manager defensive and have a negative impact on the working relationship of the entire team. C is incorrect. The employees came to the HR director in confidence. This is valid information, but it must be shared in a way that comes from the HR director, not the employees. D is incorrect. Telling another manager to do something is authoritative instead of collaborative and could damage the relationship. It is better to present facts.

Which would be the most effective measure of an intervention designed to improve customer service? Number of customer complaint calls handled per hour Customer anecdotes related to positive service interactions Proportion of employees who have completed customer service training Specific numerical ratings on a customer satisfaction survey

A numerical rating is a quantifiable measure of desired performance, and it serves as a target for improvement. The best measure in this case is a numerical rating indicating a high level of customer satisfaction. Training is often necessary for improving performance but does not reflect actual performance. The number of calls handled is a legitimate measurement, but it measures efficiency rather than quality. Anecdotal feedback is not quantifiable and is a problematic measurement tool.

What type of alternative dispute resolution system would be most appropriate for a small and young enterprise? Arbitration Peer review Single designated officer Mediation

A single designated ADR officer can investigate and resolve disputes. When management is committed to fairness, it should have sufficient credibility with its employees to select and empower this individual. Arbitration and mediation both save internal labor and time but involve additional expense; the objectivity of binding arbitration is sometimes questioned if the employer selects the arbitration service. Peer review would necessitate releasing panel participants from their regular duties for training and to investigate and resolve complaints.

What is a social audit? A formal review of an organization's social and environmental policies and procedures. Linking clearly defined department objectives and performance to the company's strategic business goals. The way an organization groups its job and aligns effort.

A social audit is a formal review of an organization's social and environmental policies and procedures.

How does the United Nations describe a social audit? a technique to understand, measure, verify, report on and to improve the social performance of the organization. the way an organization groups its job and aligns effort. linking clearly defined department objectives and performance to the company's strategic business goals.

A technique to understand, measure, verify, report on and to improve the social performance of the organization

What document legally authorizes a person to take employment in another country? Nonimmigrant visa Immigrant visa Work permit Residence permit

A work permit is the official document giving a foreigner permission to take a job in a country.

Which method is most effective for controlling hazards and their negative consequences? Abate and eliminate the hazard from the workplace. Train personnel on awareness and safety procedures to avoid it. Require protective equipment to shield personnel against the hazard. Control the hazard by enclosing or guarding it at its source.

Abate and eliminate the hazard from the workplace. The most effective way to control hazards and their consequences is to engineer them out of the workplace. For example, a sawmill may design the cutting process so that the level of sawdust is acceptable.

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears a number of concerns relating to talent acquisition, including the new hire selection process. The HR director believes these concerns, as he personally experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring process. In the current process, interviewers use an unstructured approach, where each candidate is asked different questions and interviewers use different criteria to evaluate responses. The HR director also learns that the company has a track record of poor hiring, inconsistent decision making, and lack of diversity in certain departments. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people. However, that is not a concern the rest of the organization shares. Each department believes that its hiring approach is effective. Historically no department has shown an interest in trying a new approach. The HR director wants to address his team's concerns soon. He also recognizes that the rest of the organization will need to be convinced to change. Which is the best immediate course of action he could take? A. Create a structured interview process that standardizes the questions asked and the criteria for grading. B. Maintain the current process but have HR participate in all of the interviews going forward. C. Solicit feedback from organizational stakeholders about the key qualities they are looking for in talent. D. Analyze turnover, performance, and exit interview data over the past two years to present to leaders.

A. Create a structured interview process that standardizes the questions asked and the criteria for grading. A is the best answer. It champions the HR function via the implementation of a new, standardized procedure based on an identified need for organizational change. B is incorrect. Simply adding HR into the process will not suffice; a standardized process is still needed. C and D are incorrect, because they do not address the current hiring process.

Describe a Decentralized HR Structure versus a Shared Services HR Structure: A. Decentralized: HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities, Shared Services: Each business unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share. B. Shared Services: HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities, Decentralized: Each business unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share.

A. Decentralized: HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities, Advantages: Allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communication and responsiveness, Disadvantages: Lack of consistency among HR policies and standards., Shared Services: Each business unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share, Advantages: Offers expertise efficiently, reducing load of transactional activity in favor of value-creating activity, Disadvantages: Risks underuse of service centers when their existence is not widely known.

An HR manager began a new job at an international school in another country. On her first day, she went to the main office to introduce herself to the school's long-time principal and his recently hired executive assistant. The HR manager noticed flowers on the assistant's desk and complimented them. The assistant nervously dismissed the compliment, frowned, and said they were from the principal and that they were his way of flirting with her. The HR manager knows this is against the school's corporate gift-giving policy, which prohibits using school funds to purchase gifts for individual employees. Later, the HR manager met with the principal to discuss HR priorities. Concerned by the assistant's comments, the HR manager asked about the flowers. The principal dismissed the concerns, saying that giving gifts to recognize employees is common in that country, and angrily remarked that he is entitled to spend his discretionary budget how he wishes. After the meeting, the HR manager felt concerned about the principal making an exception to the gift-giving policy and planned to speak to the school director about the incident. That evening, the HR manager receives a voice mail from the assistant, who frantically asks her not to say anything about the flowers because she needs to keep her job. The HR manager wants to demonstrate genuine interest in learning about the principal's approach to recognizing his employees. What should the HR manager do to most effectively demonstrate this? A. Listen actively to the principal as he describes his approach and rationale in person. B. Ask the principal to outline his approach in an e-mail to capture all relevant details. C. Use behavior-based interview techniques to accurately capture the principal's practice of recognizing employees. D. Invite the school's director to facilitate a conversation with the principal to ensure that he participates.

A. Listen actively to the principal as he describes his approach and rationale in person. Engaging with the principal and actively listening for deeper understanding of his thought process will allow the HR manager to develop a relationship with the principal and determine if there is a way that she can support the principal's desire for recognition without violating company policy. B is incorrect, as an e-mail will not typically get to a deeper understanding of the principal's desire to recognize employees, nor does it take an effective step to develop the relationship between the HR manager and the principal. C is incorrect. Behavior-based interview techniques are not the best choice to use in this situation. D is incorrect, as escalating this to the school director would be premature until the HR manager better understands the principal's desire for recognition.

The HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed. While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction. The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity. What risks should the HR director share when recommending an employee engagement survey to the hospital's CEO? A. Low senior leadership commitment poses significant risks when there is no credible action plan to address identified employee concerns. B. The survey could raise unmanageable employee expectations that senior leadership neither can nor wants to fully meet in the future. C. Inherent risks associated with an engagement survey, such as obtaining potential negative repeated feedback, cannot be fully mitigated. D. Employees can challenge the validity of the survey through either individual or group legal actions. Submit

A. Low senior leadership commitment poses significant risks when there is no credible action plan to address identified employee concerns.. A is the best response. It represents a fundamental principle in conducting employee surveys: that the organization should not undertake such projects unless senior leadership is seriously committed to acting on the results. B is incorrect. While it is true that surveys tend to raise expectations, responsible communications on the organization's capacity to meet these expectations within the limits of its resources can help set more realistic employee expectations of results. C is incorrect. Carefully managing expectations and setting clear but realistic goals could mitigate the risk. D is incorrect. It is unlikely that such an individual or group legal action would be successful, providing the survey is validated to minimize the risk of adverse impact against any particular group.

Refer to the following scenario for the next 4 questions. An HR manager began a new job at an international school in another country. On her first day, she went to the main office to introduce herself to the school's long-time principal and his recently hired executive assistant. The HR manager noticed flowers on the assistant's desk and complimented them. The assistant nervously dismissed the compliment, frowned, and said they were from the principal and that they were his way of flirting with her. The HR manager knows this is against the school's corporate gift-giving policy, which prohibits using school funds to purchase gifts for individual employees. Later, the HR manager met with the principal to discuss HR priorities. Concerned by the assistant's comments, the HR manager asked about the flowers. The principal dismissed the concerns, saying that giving gifts to recognize employees is common in that country, and angrily remarked that he is entitled to spend his discretionary budget how he wishes. After the meeting, the HR manager felt concerned about the principal making an exception to the gift-giving policy and planned to speak to the school director about the incident. That evening, the HR manager receives a voice mail from the assistant, who frantically asks her not to say anything about the flowers because she needs to keep her job. What should be the HR manager's first step to ensure the local adoption of the school's gift-giving policy? A. Meet with the principal to go over the school's gift-giving policy in detail. B. Research the local culture to determine if the principal is telling the truth about local cultural norms. C. Prepare a business case highlighting the risks of the principal's behavior. D. Recommend the principal for disciplinary action for his violation of the policy.

A. Meet with the principal to go over the school's gift-giving policy in detail. Reviewing the policy with the principal allows for the new HR manager to begin to build the relationship and trust with the principal. Further, it allows the HR manager to ask questions to potentially see how often the principal deviates from the policy, and it helps the HR manager begin to understand local cultural norms and form a plan of how to reconcile those with alleged policy violations.

The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. The VP of HR has completed the analysis and developed recommendations for resolving the short- and long-term workforce cost issues in this country. Which is the best step that the VP of HR should take at this point in time? A. Meeting with key stakeholders individually, before the group meeting, to familiarize them with the recommendations and gather support B. Sharing with the COO the analysis and recommendations to garner support before the rest of the leadership team hears them C. Having the country HR director review and provide input on the recommendations before presenting them to the rest of the leadership team D. Implementing the best recommendation immediately before employees hear about the increases and begin the process of unionization

A. Meeting with key stakeholders individually, before the group meeting, to familiarize them with the recommendations and gather support It is best to ensure that all key stakeholders are supportive of the proposal to avoid risking rejection of the recommendations further downstream. B is incorrect. By not ensuring that the key stakeholders are fully supportive, there is a risk that the COO will approve but there will be a failure in implementation. C is incorrect. The country HR director is just one of several key stakeholders. It is best to ensure that all key stakeholders are supportive of the proposal to avoid risking rejection of the recommendations. D is incorrect. Nothing should be implemented without the review and support of all key stakeholders.

An HR business partner for a mid-sized company has been asked to investigate root causes of high employee turnover. The CEO thinks that the turnover is the result of HR failing to set clear expectations for managers and has stated that there is a disparity in how managers lead their employees versus what employees think their managers should be doing. The CEO believes that this inconsistency in expectations is the reason for attrition. HR currently conducts annual employee engagement and morale surveys and presents the results to management. However, most of the management team has been with the company for many years and are resistant to change. Past efforts to guide the management team have been unsuccessful due to limited participation. For example, leadership skills training has been held in the past, but most of the management team have declined to attend. The CEO has requested that the HR manager provide a detailed plan to address the turnover by next quarter. Which step should the HR manager take to ensure buy-in from the managers when implementing an initiative to address the turnover? A. Present data to managers that shows how the high turnover has affected the company's profit. B. Create a policy that links participation in leadership training with incentives and bonuses for managers. C. Ask employees about their managers' capabilities and provide managers with this feedback. D. Purchase off-the-shelf business competency models to use as a management tool.

A. Present data to managers that shows how the high turnover has affected the company's profit. The best answer is A. HR is demonstrating the Critical Evaluation competency by showing the manager the correlation between turnover and profits. By seeing the negative impact on profits, managers will be more interested in working toward solutions. B, C, and D are not the best answers. After the managers are fully aware of the correlation between profits and turnover, they may be willing to move forward with feedback opportunities and training programs.

A company sends a team of employees and one field supervisor to a customer's location for a week. Employees stay in hotel rooms, two employees per room, and receive a daily meal allowance that allows the purchase of one alcoholic beverage. At dinner one evening, the employees have a few alcoholic beverages, and then they return to the hotel, where one employee passes out in the parking lot. The other employees call an ambulance, and emergency personnel ask if the unconscious employee takes any medication. The employee who shares a room with the unconscious employee goes to the room and finds the employee's medication bottles. No one rides in the ambulance or follows it to the hospital. The field supervisor calls HR to report the incident. The HR manager asks if the employee's spouse has been called and which hospital the employee was admitted to. No one knows where the employee has been taken, nor has the employee been in contact with anyone. The field supervisor locates the employee, who is in serious condition. The employee remains unconscious; it is unknown if the employee will recover from the incident. Management wants to end the employment relationship with the employee. Which action should the HR manager take first to ensure that field supervisors are prepared to handle emergency situations in the field? A. Review company emergency protocols and conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps. B. Survey the field supervisors to determine their desire for training. C. Recognize that emergency situations are unpredictable; therefore, training should focus on previous situations. D. Identify emergency training programs and offer non-mandatory training.

A. Review company emergency protocols and conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps. A is the best answer. Conducting a training needs assessment is a comprehensive approach to identifying training gaps that need to be addressed to improve organizational and individual performance. B is incorrect. Surveying employees to get feedback on the type of training is one part of a needs assessment but doesn't necessary align the training needs to the organizational strategy. C is incorrect. Past emergency experiences provide great learning opportunities and should be included, but there should be several other components in an effective, comprehensive training program. D is incorrect. If training isn't mandatory, there is no assurance that employees will participate in it, thus putting the company and employees at risk of not being prepared for emergency situations.

What are the differences between Dedicated and Decentralized HR Structures? AZ: Decentralized structures feature HR staff within each unit, carrying out required activities. This allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communication and responsiveness, AZ: Dedicated structures allow organizations with different strategies in multiple business units to apply HR's expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units. BZ: Dedicated structures feature HR staff within each unit, carrying out required activities. This allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communication and responsiveness, BZ: Decentralized structures allow organizations with different strategies in multiple business units to apply HR's expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units.

AZ: Decentralized structures feature HR staff within each unit, carrying out required activities. This allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions and facilitates communication and responsiveness, AZ: Dedicated structures allow organizations with different strategies in multiple business units to apply HR's expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units.

What is the Civil Rights Act of 1991

According to the Civil Rights Act of 1991, jury trials are allowed in cases where the plaintiff seeks compensatory or punitive damages.

A large company denies health-care coverage for an employee's daughter who will be turning 26 in six months. What law does this practice violate? Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) Equal Pay Act (EPA) Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

According to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an organization with 50 or more employees is required to cover employees' adult children until age 26.

Which is most likely to be an outcome of a total rewards strategy in an organization with a geocentric approach to management? Giving full autonomy to individual regions in the development of the total rewards strategy Accounting for local cultural and legal norms in the local administration of the total rewards strategy Modifying headquarters total rewards policies for local application only when it is required by local laws Overlooking important cultural differences as headquarters total rewards policies are adjusted for local application

Accounting for local cultural and legal norms in the local administration of the total rewards strategy In a geocentric organization, an international company is seen as a single global business, with management talent coming from any location in the enterprise. The strategic plan is global in orientation, while the need to balance global strategy with local culture and regulations is well understood.

In McClelland's motivation theory, which three desires motivate individuals? Hygiene, Micromanagement, Control Intrinsic factors, extrinsic factors, respectability Achievement (accomplishment), affiliation (feeling part of the group), power (influence or control over others)

Achievement (accomplishment), affiliation (feeling part of the group), power (influence or control over others)

Which solution would best resolve a growing problem with absenteeism? Administering the organization's attendance policy consistently Focusing on results, not behaviors, of employees Using focus groups to determine root problems Using strong disciplinary procedures that result in termination

Administering the organization's attendance policy consistently Administration of the attendance policy will remind employees that absenteeism is not acceptable. Applying the policy consistently will be evidence that the organization holds each employee to the same standard. Focus groups are not an effective forum in which to discuss noncompliance with basic attendance policies. Although it is important to focus on results, results are not always visible and do not replace the need for a consistent attendance policy.

An HR professional transitioned into a new role that requires thorough knowledge of federally mandated laws in order to create new organizational policies. Which is the best resource to ensure federal compliance? Administrative agencies HR practitioners The Constitution The Bill of Rights

Administrative agencies are the best resource, as their guidelines interpret how laws and regulations will be enforced by organizations. The Constitution provides basic principles but not guidelines that influence how an organization operates, and the Bill of Rights guarantees such rights as freedom of speech. While using the knowledge of other HR professionals can be helpful, it is not the best answer.

An employee's ex-husband waits outside her place of work. When she emerges, he begins yelling. She retreats inside the building. The husband attempts to follow but is prevented by a door that locks automatically behind the employee. An HR staff member observes the incident. What action should the staff member take? Call for immediate revision of the organization's security policies. Recommend that those involved debrief the incident. Write a memo to the HR head, documenting the incident. None. The security measures worked as intended.

After-action debriefs are a good way to examine the effectiveness of a specific risk response strategy, presenting an opportunity for learning and improvement.

Which is a core labor standard of the International Labour Organization? Prohibition of forced military service Guaranteed address of worker grievances Age limits for hazardous work Workers' right to strike

Age limits for hazardous work. One of the eight core International Labour Organization standards prohibits hiring children too young to have completed compulsory schooling and employing those under 18 in hazardous work.

Which project management approach is used when when the assumptions on which a project is based are unclear or may evolve as project work proceeds? Lean Project Management Critical chain project Management Agile Project Management

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Which should be the first step in creating an organization's philanthropic strategy as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy? Creating a policy for employee involvement resulting in employee satisfaction Identifying worthy social programs for employees to participate in Aligning philanthropic activities with strategy and values Establishing contacts with local agencies to provide support to

Aligning philanthropic activities with strategy and values The first step in creating the philanthropic component of a CSR strategy is to align its focus with the organization's own business strategy, goals, and values. The identification of projects can proceed from this alignment. The projects can be social as well as environmental and can be directed internally (e.g., reducing waste) as well as externally (e.g., tutoring students). Networking with external contacts and policy creation will follow the initial alignment of the organization's and CSR strategy's goals.

Describe Centralized HR Structure

All HR personnel located within HR department; delivers services to entire organization. Advantages: Provides more control and consistency across organization. Disadvantages: Can inhibit flexibility and responsiveness; can decrease effective communication.

Describe an HR Centralized Structure

All HR personnel located within HR department; delivers services to entire organization., Advantages: Provides more control and consistency across organization., Disadvantages: Can inhibit flexibility and responsiveness; can decrease effective communication.

A CEO assigns employees to participate in fund-raising for a nonprofit school for students with learning disabilities. The company provides time off and covers the employees' expenses. Employee contributions and school accomplishments are communicated in newsletters and at annual meetings. How could this attempt at community involvement be improved? Choose another community partner less involved in advocacy. Allow employees more voice in choosing the community involvement partner. Avoid turning the involvement into personal gain through publicizing it. Provide volunteers with additional training in community work.

Allow employees more voice in choosing the community involvement partner. Although the cause may be worthy, it would be better if employees were more involved in choosing a partner and project rather than being assigned to one by the organization's leader.

How can management best establish a culture that values career development in an individual development plan (IDP)? Ask HR to implement career paths for employees. Have supervisors coach employees on career concerns. Assign employees responsibility for their own IDPs. Link career development to business objectives.

Although all of the options may help to establish a career development culture, actions taken by senior management that link career development to organizational goals will have the greatest impact.

Which would be an accurate statement about the forces that are shaping organizations' corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies? CSR has increased individuals' rights to privacy. CSR initiatives are seen by organizations as necessary but poor economic investments. Governments have mostly allowed organizations to take the lead on sustainability. Technology has had a mostly negative effect on society and the environment.

Although technology has created many challenges to privacy, the social and political reactions to this threat have created many protections for individuals' rights to privacy. Technology has had a mixed effect on society and the environment. Some technology increases work hours and stress, but some can be used to increase work flexibility, such as telecommuting, or to expand access to disabled employees. Governments have taken actions that often impel organizations to respond, such as carbon taxes or environmental, workplace, and ethical regulations. Many CSR investments are net money makers, such as improvements to efficiencies. It may be hard to calculate the economic impact of an organization's reputation for CSR, but the effect on recruiting and retention has been noted.

The modification of the Constitution or a law. Amendment modification may alter the actual text of the Constitution or law. But even if the text is not changed, this changes its effect.

Amendment

What does an HR audit measure? HR's contribution to the organization's bottom line Internal customer satisfaction with HR services and quality of delivery Adequacy of policies, practices, procedures, and strategies to support HR's goals Transparency and accountability in the use of the HR budget

An HR audit measures the adequacy of HR policies, practices, procedures, and strategies as HR works toward meeting its strategic goals. What an audit measures can vary according to an organization's focus, but in general audits measure effectiveness and efficiency of procedures in delivering outputs of desired quantity, timing, and quality. The audit, for example, could assess compliance with policies about using resources or with procedures designed to ensure alignment with legal requirements or customer service. The HR audit is not like a financial audit (although functional budgets may be audited by internal auditors).

Which situation illustrates Fisher and Ury's BATNA approach to negotiating? An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor. An HR manager and a vendor openly discuss their needs and expectations for a project. An HR manager identifies enough potential qualified vendors to ensure competitive bids. Both sides in a negotiation for outsourcing an HR project agree to act in each other's best interests.

An HR manager determines internal costs to produce an orientation manual before speaking with a vendor. BATNA stands for "best alternative to a negotiated agreement." This entails knowing what your options are and what the other side may propose during negotiation. In this case, knowing internal costs allows the HR manager to know if a bid delivers the needed value.

Several employees were hurt in an accident in the manufacturing department. To evaluate the effectiveness of the organization's risk controls, HR conducted a meeting with the department supervisor. Which document would provide the best information for this meeting? Compliance audit Occupational health and safety checklist External agency incident report After-action report

An after-action report examines what happened, why it happened, what was done at the time, and what could have been done better. The incident report, compliance audit, and OSHA checklist document only incidents, their frequency, and, in some situations, what was done; no evaluation is made of the effectiveness of the organization's existing risk controls.

The president of the United States issues a directive on immigration. This is an example of a legal protection originating from what source?

An executive order is a directive originating from the chief executive of a governmental unit.

Which action is an ombudsperson empowered to take after hearing both sides of a workplace dispute? Negotiating a mutually acceptable agreement on behalf of the employee Imposing specific discipline on an employee if facts support the finding Referring the matter to further alternative dispute resolution (ADR) Referring the matter for litigation if facts support the finding

An ombudsperson is a neutral party with limited powers; he or she cannot negotiate for one party. The ombudsperson can investigate the dispute, establish facts, and refer the matter, along with the evidence, to management or to other forms of ADR. The ombudsperson cannot impose a decision or refer the matter for outside litigation.

Which authoritative resource is considered an agency guideline? Public comment, Opinion letter, Statute, Regulation

An opinion letter is a form of guidance issued by a government enforcement agency in response to a question from the public. It provides an interpretation of a regulation or statute. A public comment is a suggestion or concern provided by the public to a government agency for its consideration during the rule-making process.

Which authoritative resource is considered an agency guideline? Regulation Opinion letter Statute Public comment

An opinion letter is a form of guidance issued by a government enforcement agency in response to a question from the public. It provides an interpretation of a regulation or statute. A public comment is a suggestion or concern provided by the public to a government agency for its consideration during the rule-making process.

Which alternative dispute resolution (ADR) option allows an organization to determine who will resolve disputes? Ombudsperson Single designated officer Peer review Chosen officer

An organization using the single designated officer approach to ADR designates and empowers a specific individual within the organization to investigate and resolve disputes.

Based on an analysis of future skills needed, an organization implements two new training courses. What type of intervention is this? Organizational Task Functional Individual

An organizational intervention is intended to change the organization's design, structure, and/or culture to improve performance across the organization.

The HR director and union representatives are unable to resolve a formal grievance at either the local or national level. What is the next step in the formal grievance process? Further negotiation Individual bargaining Arbitration Withdrawal of grievance

Arbitration is the next step when the internal grievance processes have been unsuccessful at resolving the matter. Individual bargaining is not permissible if there is a collective bargaining agreement. Withdrawing the grievance is not likely if the employee or union believes there is still an unresolved issue. Further negotiation is not likely to work if the negotiations have moved beyond both the local and national grievance levels.

The 70-20-10 model created by the Center for Creative Leadership identifies three clusters of experiences to develop people. Which type of experience does the 70 in the model represent? Challenging assignments Coursework and training On-the-job training Developmental relationships

Assignments that are challenging and are sequenced to provide learning advance the development of high-potential employees as well as adults in general. To develop managers, it is important to engage them in three clusters of experience, using a 70-20-10 ratio: challenging assignments (70%), developmental relationships (20%), and coursework and training (10%).

Which best demonstrates an attorney work product? Notes from interviews done at the attorney's request Internal memos identified and preserved at the attorney's request Conversations between attorney and client regarding harassment allegations Motions prepared to defend an organization against charges

Attorney work product includes reports and notes from investigations and interviews done at the attorney's request. Attorney work product is not subject to discovery (disclosure to the other side in a complaint). Conversations are not work product but are covered under attorney-client privilege and are excluded from disclosure. Preexisting materials identified and preserved as the result of an attorney request for litigation hold are discoverable.

What are the four steps of a Risk Management Audit?

Audits may be conducted internally or externally to check that policies for risk management are adequate, in place, being followed producing the anticipated results.

A manager overhears two team members accusing each other of being rude and endangering getting the necessary work done on time. Rather than step into the middle of this, the manager asks each person separately about the status of the activity. What method of conflict resolution is the manager using? Collaborate Compromise Accommodate Avoid

Avoid. The manager has decided not to ask about the conflict and instead focus on the status of the activity. To avoid is to withdraw from the situation or accept it, which is what is being done here. Avoidance saves time but does not provide a permanent resolution to the task or personality issues.

Define the four terms organizations use to describe risk management tactics. Avoidance Reduction Sharing Retention

Avoidance. The decision not to become involved in or action to withdraw from a risk situation. Reduction. The actions taken to lessen the probability, negative consequence, or both associated with a risk. Sharing. Sharing with another party the burden of loss or benefit of gain for a risk. Risk sharing can be done through insurance or other agreements. It can create new risks or modify existing risks. Relocation of the source of risk is not risk sharing. In some situations, legal, mandatory, or statutory rights can limit, prohibit, or mandate the sharing of certain risks. Retention. The acceptance of the burden of loss or benefit of gain for a risk.

A vice president (VP) of HR has responsibility for multiple manufacturing sites and is responsible for teams of HR managers and generalists that support each location. All locations operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. These teams cover all shifts, providing support. Each location is in the process of rolling out updated policies, including enhancements to the company's progressive disciplinary process and an ethics policy that focuses on commitment to mutual respect, ethical decision making, and integrity. One day, after the VP of HR has left her office, she receives a call from a site HR generalist. The generalist tells the VP that when he returned from his dinner break, the HR office appeared to have been ransacked. Books were thrown on the floor, and name tags were torn off doors and thrown into the trash. The generalist also reports that when security checked the cameras, they reached the conclusion that the site HR manager had done the damage and then had left the facility. The VP knows that the site HR manager has a volatile personality and has been counseled about it previously. The VP also has recently discovered that the manager has been drinking routinely after work and wonders if the ransacking of the office occurred when the manager returned to the office after a drinking session. What is the first step the VP should take before proceeding to the factory? Answers A. Call the HR manager to discuss the incident, conveying concern that this behavior is inconsistent with the organization's values and policies. B. Call security to notify them of her pending arrival and request to meet to review the surveillance coverage. C. Call the local police to request their presence at the site to bring forward charges of property destruction against the manager. D. Call the site general manager to inform him of the situation, advising that the HR manager will be terminated.

B Call security to notify them of her pending arrival and request to meet to review the surveillance coverage,. is the best response. This call will help assess security's level of concern regarding site safety and will ensure that they save the tapes of the incident. A is incorrect. If the HR VP calls the HR manager, the HR manager may demand that no action be taken. The HR VP will do better by taking appropriate investigatory action prior to contacting the HR manager. C is incorrect. Having the police on site would likely be viewed as an overreaction, since on-site security is available. D is incorrect. A proper investigation should be conducted prior to advising the general manager on what course of action should be taken.

A company is consistently having trouble hiring designers in its creative department, a critical team within marketing that produces all the graphic and visual art deliverables for clients. After several weeks, the recruiting team finds a strong candidate. The candidate requests working first as an independent contractor and then transitioning to permanent employment. After two weeks, things are going well, and the creative department manager is working with the HR manager to extend an employment offer. Company policy requires all new hire candidates to successfully pass a drug screen as a condition of employment, but the candidate tests positive for marijuana. The HR manager questions the candidate, who states that the drug was used only in a state where recreational use is legal. The creative manager asks the HR manager for help in recruiting designers since the department has had difficulty finding qualified applicants. How should the HR manager respond? A. Create a multi-year workforce plan to map out current and future skill set needs. B. Collaborate with the creative manager on a social media recruiting effort. C. Implement a company mentoring program for entry-level designers. D. Establish a compensation structure that pays bonuses to employees who obtain design specializations.

B is correct. HR must understand the needs of its internal stakeholder. Given that the role being sourced and recruited for is creative in nature, a less traditional approach to identifying candidates could be more effective as a short-term solution. A, C, and D are incorrect, as these are longer-term strategies and would not address the immediate needs the manager has.

Refer to the following scenario for the next 4 questions. A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How should the HR director respond to the negative feedback from employees? A. Wait until the organization's funding stabilizes, and then see if the negative feedback subsides. B. Create an employee engagement strategy and business case to present to the CEO and the board. C. Withhold further action, since the good comments from the survey far outweigh the negative comments. D. Continue to research the issues to understand if there are more negative things that are wrong.

B is the best response, as this demonstrates the director's partnership with the senior leadership team. Additionally, creating a strategy and business case will demonstrate the Business Acumen and Leadership and Navigation competencies. A is incorrect. This is a reactive approach that could prove to be detrimental to the organization, since there is no guarantee that the funding will stabilize. As such, the HR director needs to create an employee engagement strategy and obtain buy-in from the CEO and the board so that it can be implemented. C is incorrect. An employee engagement strategy focuses on addressing negative issues as well as capitalizing on positive issues. A formal plan is the best way to balance positive and negative issues. D is incorrect, as the director needs to understand how the leadership team wants to proceed, or if they do, before researching the issues. There is enough information to make a preliminary decision on an overall engagement strategy. Once the leadership team decides on the strategy and individual actions, then the research would be conducted.

The HR department in a musical instrument company is struggling to support the company's rapid growth. The company, which started as the home business of a casual musician, logged $17 million in sales last year. The HR department has hired additional team members over the years but hasn't changed its structure since start-up. All HR team members currently function as generalists, doing whatever it takes to support the company. The organization now consists of multiple store franchises. Each store has a sales department, a service and repair department, and a department offering music lessons. This initial product and service offering was followed by instrument rentals and later the acquisition of a publishing company that specializes in learning guides for new musicians and music teachers. The company's newest effort, the production of their own brand of mandolin, is recognized by most of the senior leaders as a high-risk effort but with the potential for a profitable high-margin instrument being added to their product line. With the rapid growth and expansion, the CEO is becoming increasingly concerned about quality and has made it clear that the entire corporation is to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining focus on the strategic plan. What is the most critical step the HR director should take to determine if outsourcing a non-core function is more efficient than the current process? A. Develop a project plan that outlines how to move from the current process to an outsourced model. B. Complete an analysis of current gaps in the process and evaluate this information in terms of the benefits of an outsourced model. C. Review recent survey results that capture employee impressions of the current recruiting process. D. Identify a list of the most reputable vendors with a track record of delivering efficient and quality service.

B is the best response. Critically evaluating the current process to determine what gaps exist will help the HR director to determine needs and further define the goals if it is determined that outsourcing is the more efficient option. A is incorrect. A project plan to implement an outsourcing process may be helpful once the current process is evaluated and a decision is made to outsource the function. However, an analysis of the current state precedes the development of a project plan. C is incorrect. While survey results regarding the recruiting process may provide some insight into the needs, a more complete analysis would be required to determine efficiency. D is incorrect. A list of potential vendor partners with a successful track record will be needed if it is determined that outsourcing is more efficient than the current process. However, it will not help to determine efficiency at this stage.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. What should the HR director do about the accounts receivable that have not been processed? A. Action is not needed, as the controller will find out soon enough that the accounts are past due and the work was not completed. B. Investigate, evaluate, document, and respond to the reports of the unethical behavior with the controller and the manager. C. Inform the remaining employees that the open accounts need to be processed immediately. D. Tell the manager that if additional staff is not brought in, the manager will have to process all outstanding invoices.

B is the best response. First investigate to ensure that the complaints are true. Discuss the problem with the manager and the controller to get clarification of the reasons for the behavior. A is incorrect. Doing nothing could perpetuate the unethical behavior. This is a critical issue that affects the bottom line of the hospital and needs to be addressed. C is incorrect. It would not be appropriate for the HR director to direct the work of these employees; moreover, the department is already processing the outstanding invoices. D is incorrect. The manager's department is already processing the outstanding invoices.

How do the three spheres of sustainability support an effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) program? By incorporating a blend of local, regional, and global perspectives By allowing an organization to better focus on the community in which it operates By offering an all-encompassing view of how an organization should function By limiting the measures of success to financial, earth, air, and water

By offering an all-encompassing view of how an organization should function The term "sustainability" originally referred to an ecological or environmental goal. Now that focus has expanded to also consider an organization's social and economic impact (sometimes referred to as the 3Ps: people, planet, profits). Based on stakeholder demands, the three spheres (social, economic, environment) attempt to provide a balanced focus to the organization's goals, objectives, and outcomes.

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process-specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Once the work flow is amended, which is the best way for the VP of HR to identify the measures of success and the impact on the organization? A. Measure the time it takes from the opening of a position to the acceptance of an offer to determine if there is an actual decrease in time to fill. B. Partner with the business unit leaders to outline meaningful measures and outcomes that demonstrate alignment with strategy. C. Work with the HR leadership team to design an HR scorecard that will support the HR strategy and measures the results. D. Carefully monitor the next quarter's recruiting results to determine if the amended work flow added value to the business.

B is the best response. Partnering with business leaders to outline agreed-upon outcomes and measures of success better positions HR to meet the expectations of the organization and ensure that results are aligned with the organization's strategy. A is incorrect. Time to fill is one metric that should be monitored. However, it will only partially address the concerns expressed by business leads and by itself will not represent a comprehensive measure of success. C is incorrect. This approach focuses on only the feedback from HR leadership versus capturing feedback from other business units as well. D is incorrect, as the HR team's success measures should be closely aligned and measured at the same frequency as other business goals and objectives.

An HR manager began a new job at an international school in another country. On her first day, she went to the main office to introduce herself to the school's long-time principal and his recently hired executive assistant. The HR manager noticed flowers on the assistant's desk and complimented them. The assistant nervously dismissed the compliment, frowned, and said they were from the principal and that they were his way of flirting with her. The HR manager knows this is against the school's corporate gift-giving policy, which prohibits using school funds to purchase gifts for individual employees. Later, the HR manager met with the principal to discuss HR priorities. Concerned by the assistant's comments, the HR manager asked about the flowers. The principal dismissed the concerns, saying that giving gifts to recognize employees is common in that country, and angrily remarked that he is entitled to spend his discretionary budget how he wishes. After the meeting, the HR manager felt concerned about the principal making an exception to the gift-giving policy and planned to speak to the school director about the incident. That evening, the HR manager receives a voice mail from the assistant, who frantically asks her not to say anything about the flowers because she needs to keep her job. How should the HR manager give feedback to the principal to help him more appropriately recognize employee contributions? A. Give talking points to the school's director to deliver, since the principal doesn't see the HR manager as a credible coach. B. Maintain control of the conversation with the principal, ensuring that the message is delivered without misinterpretation. C. Send the principal weekly e-mails containing articles on how to appropriately motivate the school's staff. D. Issue the principal a documented verbal warning to stop his unwanted advances toward his executive assistant.

B. Maintain control of the conversation with the principal, ensuring that the message is delivered without misinterpretation. Ongoing dialogue allows the relationship between the two to further develop and also allows the HR manager to influence the principal in a non-threatening way. A is incorrect, as there is no suggestion as to how the principal views the HR manager and involving the school director would be premature. C is incorrect, as sending e-mails to the principal is not a way to develop a trusted partnership. D is incorrect, as this would not be an appropriate step to take until it is determined whether this is an isolated incident or a deeper issue with the principal.

During the yearly performance and sales review at an organization, an HR manager realizes that the sales goal and bonus structure could potentially incentivize individuals to move closings from one quarter to the next as needed to meet quarterly sales goals. Leadership, mid-level management, and the salespeople have different bonus structures-annually for leadership, quarterly for mid-level managers, and monthly for salespeople. This has created a disconnect between the different groups and created different motivations. The HR manager presents an analysis of the data to the CEO. The CEO determines that, while this bonus structure may have worked in the past, it needs to be changed and the bonus structure of the different groups needs to be aligned. She tasks the HR manager with crafting a new bonus structure and implementing it after she has approved it. Which would be the most effective way to communicate the new plan? A. Decide on a date that the new plan will go into effect and announce it by e-mail. B. Meet first with managers and then with individual teams to discuss the new plan and its benefits. C. Hold a company-wide town hall and announce the changes. D. Host small gatherings of employees in which the plan is reviewed.

B. Meet first with managers and then with individual teams to discuss the new plan and its benefits. B is the best response, because it recognizes the role the managers play as important stakeholders in the sales process. They can provide advice on communicating the new policy to salespeople and can provide support once the policy is communicated. A is incorrect. This issue is too important to the individuals affected; they will want to ask questions and react. C is incorrect. It could lead to an open rebellion that damages the organization. D is plausible but misses the opportunity of enlisting manager support. The ripple effect of communicating the policy one team at a time may also be problematic.

An organization terminates an employee due to an organizational restructuring in response to lagging sales numbers. What is the maximum length of continuation of COBRA benefits for the terminated employee? 0 months 18 months 29 months 36 months

Because the employee was not terminated for gross misconduct, COBRA coverage may be extended for up to 18 months. Had the employee been terminated for gross misconduct, he or she would not be able to extend coverage (if the employer elected to apply the gross misconduct exception). If the employee was disabled at the time of termination, he or she would be eligible to continue coverage for 29 months. The 36-month coverage extension applies to situations involving divorce or death of the employed spouse or where a dependent child loses eligibility status.

Which best describes the impact of having senior leaders directly involved in a diversity council? Ensuring that internal and external stakeholders each have their own view and plan relating to a diversity and inclusion strategy, Mandating that each functional area and location in the organization be represented in the employee resource group, Being a catalyst for change that aligns functions and responsibilities and creates greater commitment, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity, Replacing the need for a diversity strategy and using the employee resource group to be the stakeholders' voice

Being a catalyst for change that aligns functions and responsibilities and creates greater commitment, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. Direct involvement of upper management is critical in order for an effective diversity and inclusion strategy to take hold. Leaders are able to leverage internal and external resources across the organization, throughout business units, to customers and the community, resulting in an attractive and competitive organization. There is no single council structure. Some organizations prefer a council with representation from all employee levels and functions; others opt for an executive council consisting entirely of upper management personnel. The relationship with ERGs or other advisory groups may vary as well.

Which technology has the biggest impact on benefits administration? Streaming video Wireless communication Internet access Virtual reality technology

Benefits administration has gone from a paper-driven process to an online process. Employees can access an employee self-service portal from remote locations at any time of the day via the Internet.

An HR organization is concerned that its current approach to onboarding is not supporting the organization's diversity and inclusion goals. What type of audit could help the organization set specific targets for improvement? Best practices Compliance Strategic Onboarding function

Best practices audits help an organization maintain or improve a competitive advantage by comparing the organization's practices to those of employers identified as having exceptional practices. In this case, a best practices audit could identify effective processes that the organization is not currently using. An audit of the onboarding function would measure the function's performance against its key performance indicators, but these KPIs may not be as challenging as competitors' best practices. Strategic audits focus on alignment of the HR strategy with the organization's strategy. Compliance audits focus on response to regulatory requirements, which are not as broad as diversity and inclusion goals.

A proposal presented to a legislative body for possible enactment as a statute.

Bill

This serves as a guide for educators to classify their lesson objectives through different levels. These levels are Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. Transfer Learning Blended Learning Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy

How is the Hershey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory similar to the Blake-Mouton theory? Both theories involve tasks and relationships Both theories have five types of managers Both theories expect the team members to evolve to meet the manager's needs

Both theories involve tasks and relationships (page 58)

Combining several salary grades or job classifications with narrow pay ranges into one band with a wider salary spread. Broadbanding Pay Grades Pay Range

Broadbanding

U.S. court ruling that distinguished between supervisor harassment that results in tangible employment action and supervisor harassment that does not. *Faragher v. City Boca Raton *Griggs v. Duke Power *Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth

Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth (1998) is a landmark employment law case of the United States Supreme Court holding that employers are liable if supervisors create a hostile work environment for employees.[1] Ellerth also introduced a two-part affirmative defense allowing employers to avoid sex discrimination liability if they follow best practices. Ellerth is often considered alongside Faragher.[2] Kimberly Ellerth, a female employee at Burlington Industries, sued the company for sexual harassment on the part of her male supervisor. She alleged the vice president of sales made offensive remarks and unwanted overtures. She identified three episodes involving threats to deny tangible job benefits unless sexual favors were granted. She alleged a violation of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lower court dismissed her claim, noting that she had suffered no actual negative job consequences.[3] The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court decision, but issued 8 separate opinions.[4]Ellerth is most referenced for its two-part affirmative defense for supervisor sexual harassment. In the case, a supervisor is defined by the ability to take a Tangible Employment Action. A Tangible Employment Action makes the company vicariously liable because the agency relationship was used to take the action. In alleged sex discrimination cases without a Tangible Employment Action, employers may prove that the employer exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior, and that the employee unreasonably failed to take advantage of any preventative or corrective opportunities provided by the employer or to avoid harm otherwise.

How can technology advance HR's role in supporting a culture of compliance? By enabling secure and scalable databases to store employment documents By focusing on greater use of e-procurement throughout the organization By restricting access to information through mandating software as a service to store information By encouraging business process integration across all core business functions

By enabling secure and scalable databases to store employment documents. With the electronic retention of employee files and other employment-related records, electronic record keeping helps HR comply with legal requirements without having to provide physical storage space for paper records.

How does a broadbanding approach support an egalitarian organization? By decreasing the involvement of line managers By encouraging de-layering efforts By reducing the value of pay ranges By restricting employee movement

By encouraging de-layering efforts. Surveys indicate that broadbanding reduces the number of job grades within an organization. This approach can be used to support de-layering efforts, which reduce the number of reporting levels within an organization.

How does the demographic dichotomy bring new attention to generational differences? By encouraging innovation in emerging markets and then importing that knowledge to developed markets By identifying educational and skills dividends and deficits between emerging and developed economies By allowing for mass migration of individuals from their homeland to multiple destinations By enhancing investment opportunities into equipment and organizations for a younger generation

By identifying educational and skills dividends and deficits between emerging and developed economies. In the growing demographic dichotomy, developed countries are facing an aging workforce while emerging economy workforces are much younger. So globalization has brought new attention to generational, as well as cultural, diversity. The diaspora of increased global migration has made the workforce increasingly diverse in all countries.

How can HR provide the most value in the strategic planning process? By serving as the facilitator for the planning sessions By critiquing the finished plan for alignment with corporate goals By identifying the HR implications of the company's strategy By recruiting other personnel to take part in the process

By identifying the HR implications of the company's strategy. HR can provide the most value by ensuring that all HR implications are identified and fully considered. To do this, HR must be involved in the early stages of strategy development so they can be aware of and influence the organizational goals. HR also brings knowledge of the internal and external environments in which the company operates.

How does HR support strategic management in a global organization? By developing communication policies that maintain organizational boundaries By measuring data independently collected and not depending on data mining By implementing processes to increase integration and knowledge exchange By maintaining policies not defined by globalization or constituent cultures

By implementing processes to increase integration and knowledge exchange. Implementing processes to increase integration and knowledge exchange achieves two goals. First, it aligns organizational values and goals and HR policies across global locations. Second, it establishes processes that promote collaboration and knowledge sharing across geographical boundaries.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. In the planning and implementation processes, what is the most important ethical concern for HR? A. Having an attractive relocation policy in place to support the initiative B. Avoiding all communications with employees affected by the changes in order to avoid any legal issues C. Understanding the business case for the initiative and minimizing impact on affected employees D. Reviewing job descriptions and updating them to reflect the new location

C is the best answer. HR has an ethical obligation to protect employees' wellbeing. Understanding the business case that underpins the initiative will help HR communicate imacts to affected employees in a timely manner. A is incorrect. A relocation policy is a good business idea, but it will not help employees who cannot relocate or are not eligible for relocation. B is incorrect. HR should maintain open communication with employees at all times. D is incorrect. Changes to the job descriptions to reflect the new location is not relevant to HR's ethical responsibilities.

A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How should the director build upon the organization's strengths in employee engagement? A. Do nothing, as the results are good. B. Coordinate a celebration of the results. C. Outline a strategy to capitalize on them. D. Offer bonuses to all employees.

C is the best response, as this would capitalize on the strengths (benefits, work environment, etc.) and not spend time on the weaknesses (economy, funding, competition, etc.), which could be considered uncontrollable variables. A is incorrect, as positive results still need focused attention to stay positive. Leaving it up to chance, without a plan in place to capitalize on it or provide continued focus, is setting the organization up for failure. B is incorrect, as it may not be appropriate to celebrate. The decision on a celebration should be part of an overall engagement strategy supported by the entire leadership team. The director may also not be the best person to plan the celebration. If the leadership team agrees to the celebratory activities, the director may want to elicit assistance from an employee group or committee to help plan and carry out the celebration. D is incorrect. Given the financial challenges the organization is having, this is not a viable option.

The leadership of a medium-sized technology company has determined that the most viable option to expand their product line is to merge with an existing, larger company. HR is part of the team conducting due diligence for the merger. One item that concerns HR is the different approaches the companies have to work/life balance. The employees of the old company feel that they are treated unfairly because pay, benefits, and working conditions are different within work groups. HR believes that the new company should have a blend of the cultures and the benefits of the two companies. HR is responsible for communicating the decision to the current employees and developing a timetable for the integration. Employees are excited to join the larger company, based on rumors of better pay and benefits with the new organization. The new company is ready to reduce redundancy in key leadership positions and develops a work group to identify positions for elimination. After identifying duplicate positions, managers must recommend individual employees for termination. The merger of the two companies is underway, and HR has been asked to develop organizational effectiveness measures to improve performance and productivity. HR has undertaken the OED process. One group has declined in performance, productivity, and profits. The leadership team has asked HR to review the situation and provide a recommendation. The manager of this group has a reputation of having an abrasive management style. Leadership has tasked HR with outlining an effective change management plan. What is the first thing HR should do to help manage the change in the organization? A. Communicate the change management plan to all of the employees. B. Measure the effectiveness of the change. C. Consult with the organization's leaders to identify potential gaps in culture and processes. D. Conduct a survey of the industry, asking specific questions about merger activity successes

C is the best response, because HR needs to first ensure that it understands the direction leadership wants for the company. A is incorrect. HR must first work with leadership to fully understand what the new direction of the organization will be and what specific changes will be made. B is incorrect, because there is no need to measure the effectiveness. The leadership has already acknowledged that productivity, profits, and quality are low. D is incorrect. Strategically, the company would not want to advertise to its competitors in the industry that it is having issues with the merger.

A publicly owned company has acquired a small privately owned company. The small company had grown too big for the former owners to manage. Prior to the acquisition, the owners were both heavily involved in the day-to-day decision making of the company, but they are not adept in effective management practices. Both former owners have signed contracts to remain with the company for two years post-acquisition to be a resource as the integration is completed. Policies and controls in the small company were nonexistent. The treatment of employees was not consistent, and employee morale is low, primarily due to the uncertainty in the acquisition and the fear of favoritism. The HR manager assigned to perform due diligence on merging the small company has found additional issues. There is a substantiated allegation that one of the owners of the small company was involved in a romantic affair with a female subordinate, and the HR/finance clerk was demoted for inappropriately allocating funds from the company to his personal bank account. Both of these issues were addressed and the matters closed without any further disciplinary action being taken with either of the individuals. The CEO of the acquiring company asks the HR manager to make the needed changes to ensure compliance with laws and policies, as soon as possible, without upsetting the former owners. The HR manager believes that the new company needs an HR manager on site. The former owners disagree and believe that the finance/HR clerk is sufficient. What is the first step the HR manager should take to resolve the difference of opinion? A. Disregard the former owners' opinion and recommend hiring an HR manager to address compliance in this part of the organization. B. Inform the organization's legal counsel of the lack of compliance and advise them to prepare for defending against any future claims. C. Conduct an audit of the HR department to determine effectiveness, capability, and historic compliance with organizational policies, laws, and regulations. D. To build a solid relationship with the former owners, hold off on making any recommendations or changes for at least three months.

C is the best response. Performing an HR audit will determine the company's current compliance with laws and regulations along with the capability and effectiveness of the HR function. This first step is critical in determining proper data-driven solutions. A is incorrect. Disregarding the opinion of the former owners will not promote a positive working relationship with them. B is incorrect. There is no need to involve corporate counsel at this point. D is incorrect. No decisions should be made without first having the proper data to validate those decisions.

A large metropolitan hospital acquires a small community hospital, resulting in a total employee population of 1,000. As a result of the acquisition, the accounts receivable department from the small hospital, which has only five employees, is handling all outstanding patient accounts. During a management workforce planning session, the HR director questions the accounts receivable manager about staffing requests for the following year. The manager informs the HR director that the department is adequately staffed and will not need more employees. Later the HR director learns that the manager has confessed to other managers that he hopes to be promoted to vice president by saving the hospital money from not hiring additional personnel. Two accounts receivable employees terminate their hospital employment abruptly. When cleaning out the desks of these employees, the accounts receivable manager finds over 100 accounts that have not been processed; monies are still outstanding on these overdue accounts. The manager distributes these overdue invoices to the other three remaining department employees and tells them not to mention this to the controller. These employees come to the HR director in confidence to complain about the additional work, and they confide that they were instructed not to tell the controller about the incomplete work. Since the accounts receivable manager is resistant to adding staff, which workforce strategy should the HR director encourage the manager to take for developing the accounts receivable department? A. Suggest a plan to the accounts receivable manager for adding one new staff person to the accounts receivable department next year. B. Plan to completely re-staff the accounts receivable department each year. C. Encourage the manager to "buy or build" new workforce approaches to help the department meet the organizational demands in the immediate future. D. Report the manager to the hospital's leadership team and inform them of the manager's refusal to add new staff, which is clearly a business need.

C is the best response. Since the manager is so resistant to change, the director should work with the manager to develop new workforce solutions to meet the demands of the department. A is incorrect. The director should not do the planning but should consult and coach the manager to plan for his own department. B is incorrect. The director should work with the manager to come up with creative solutions for the success of the department. D is incorrect. The HR director should go through the proper steps in order to gain buy-in from the manager and, if needed, the controller.

In his initial meeting with the HR team, a newly hired HR director hears a number of concerns relating to talent acquisition, including the new hire selection process. The HR director believes these concerns, as he personally experienced several questionable actions during his own hiring process. In the current process, interviewers use an unstructured approach, where each candidate is asked different questions and interviewers use different criteria to evaluate responses. The HR director also learns that the company has a track record of poor hiring, inconsistent decision making, and lack of diversity in certain departments. The HR team is not confident that the organization is hiring the best people. However, that is not a concern the rest of the organization shares. Each department believes that its hiring approach is effective. Historically no department has shown an interest in trying a new approach. Which action should the HR director take to encourage department heads to use a new hiring process? A. Conduct an audit of company-wide hiring practices to demonstrate internal discrepancies. B. Present anecdotal evidence from similar companies that show the benefits of a centralized hiring processes. C. Conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes (diversity, etc.) to those of similar organizations. D. Ask department heads what data they would need from a new hiring process.

C. Conduct a benchmarking study to compare the organization's hiring outcomes (diversity, etc.) to those of similar organizations. C is the best answer, because it uses metrics to demonstrate inefficiencies and support process improvement recommendations. A and D are incorrect, because they do not demonstrate the benefits of a new hiring process. B is incorrect. Anecdotal evidence will not suffice; data based on empirical evidence is needed.

An organization is experiencing a problem with new hires for a specific position leaving the company within the first six to nine months. They previously had several long-term employees in this position, but those employees have retired. The HR director performs research and determines that several of the employees have joined a competitor. The HR director decides to employ a third-party firm to conduct a salary survey and do a complete review of the job description and a job analysis for the position. Additionally, the HR director performs an internal employee opinion survey in which employees share their belief that the current benefits package lags that of other companies in the area. The results from the third-party survey confirm that the company is lagging the competitor by a large margin in terms of compensation and that the benefits package is no longer competitive. The HR director recommends to the executive team that increasing pay and benefits is necessary to remain competitive in the market. They agree. Which action should the HR director take to determine if the organization is realizing benefit from the proposed solution? A. Monitoring the employee departure rate to see if it declines in six months B. Communicating to managers that a plan has been implemented to reduce departures C. Conducting stay interviews with employees to periodically review benefit offerings and track retention rates D. Reviewing the next cycle of performance evaluations to confirm whether goals are being achieved

C. Conducting stay interviews with employees to periodically review benefit offerings and track retention rates C is the correct answer. Stay interviews allow for a connection with current employees and an opportunity to obtain feedback and answer any concerns or issues they may have. A is incorrect. Six months is not a sufficient time frame to accurately reflect effectiveness. B is incorrect. It does not address how the plan will be implemented or what the hoped-for reduction will be. D is incorrect. This does not address whether the solution was effective, nor was there any prior indication that employee performance was an issue.

An HR business partner for a mid-sized company has been asked to investigate root causes of high employee turnover. The CEO thinks that the turnover is the result of HR failing to set clear expectations for managers and has stated that there is a disparity in how managers lead their employees versus what employees think their managers should be doing. The CEO believes that this inconsistency in expectations is the reason for attrition. HR currently conducts annual employee engagement and morale surveys and presents the results to management. However, most of the management team has been with the company for many years and are resistant to change. Past efforts to guide the management team have been unsuccessful due to limited participation. For example, leadership skills training has been held in the past, but most of the management team have declined to attend. The CEO has requested that the HR manager provide a detailed plan to address the turnover by next quarter. Which action should the HR manager take to ensure the success of an initiative to improve employee engagement and retention? A. Assign HR employees to the initiative who have the availability and interest to support it. B. Ask the CEO to provide feedback on the action plan for the initiative. C. Create employee-led committees to develop ideas and provide support for the initiative. D. Ask all managers which aspects of the initiative they are willing to participate in.

C. Create employee-led committees to develop ideas and provide support for the initiative. The best answer is C. By creating and supporting employee-led committees to develop retention ideas, the HR manager is demonstrating the Leadership and Navigation competency. When employees are involved in the process, they will be more likely to support it, which will drive success. A and D are not the best answers, as the initiatives are not given priority and supported. B is not the best answer, because the CEO is asked to provide the feedback. None of these answers reflects the HR manager demonstrating any competencies.

A company sends a team of employees and one field supervisor to a customer's location for a week. Employees stay in hotel rooms, two employees per room, and receive a daily meal allowance that allows the purchase of one alcoholic beverage. At dinner one evening, the employees have a few alcoholic beverages, and then they return to the hotel, where one employee passes out in the parking lot. The other employees call an ambulance, and emergency personnel ask if the unconscious employee takes any medication. The employee who shares a room with the unconscious employee goes to the room and finds the employee's medication bottles. No one rides in the ambulance or follows it to the hospital. The field supervisor calls HR to report the incident. The HR manager asks if the employee's spouse has been called and which hospital the employee was admitted to. No one knows where the employee has been taken, nor has the employee been in contact with anyone. The field supervisor locates the employee, who is in serious condition. The employee remains unconscious; it is unknown if the employee will recover from the incident. Management wants to end the employment relationship with the employee. Which action should HR take to ensure that supervisors act appropriately in emergency situations without fear of violating employee privacy? A. Instruct supervisors to choose the best action; every situation is different, and supervisors should apply common sense to the situation. B. Require the supervisors to always call HR and to avoid any discussion with emergency personnel about the employee's medical condition. C. Use a collaborative approach with leaders to create and communicate a company-wide protocol that outlines steps to take in an emergency situation. D. Coach the supervisors to always call emergency personnel and to avoid any discussion with emergency personnel about the employee's medical condition.

C. Use a collaborative approach with leaders to create and communicate a company-wide protocol that outlines steps to take in an emergency situation. C is the best answer. Collaboration provides all stakeholders with the opportunity to provide input, resulting in better buy-in and understanding of the need for training. A is incorrect. Training needs to be provided so there is consistency and expectations are understood. B is incorrect. Failure to share key information with emergency personnel could be a matter of life and death. Moreover, although HR should be contacted, they are not in the best position to answer questions about the immediate situation. D is incorrect. Failure to share key information with emergency personnel could be a matter of life and death.

A fitness organization requires its employees to wear technology that tracks wellness bio-data. What challenges to this technology are likely to emerge? Biohacking and DNA privacy OSHA violations Carpal tunnel syndrome High cost

Challenges likely to emerge from wearable technology include biohacking and DNA privacy issues. Other potential issues include the duty to accommodate and arguments about the commodification of labor.

What is the difference between career management and career planning? Career management assesses career paths; career planning focuses on building a pool of qualified workers. Career management is based on communication between managers and employees; career planning involves only the employee. Career management focuses on the organization's needs; career planning focuses on the individual's needs. Career management assumes that employees are responsible for their careers; career planning assumes that the company is responsible.

Career management focuses on the organization's needs; career planning focuses on the individual's needs Career management focuses on the organization and concerns itself with identifying future staffing needs, matching organizational needs with individual abilities, and designing appropriate career development programs and paths. Career planning focuses on the individual, who assesses personal abilities and interests, evaluates career paths, and plans personal career goals.

How do career planning and career management differ? Career planning is only for entry-level employees, while career management is for executive-level employees. Career planning is short-term, while career management is long-term. Career planning focus on the individual, while career management focuses on the job. Career planning identifies personal abilities, while career management focuses on organizational staffing needs.

Career planning identifies personal abilities and interests and focuses on the individual. Career management focuses on organizational staffing needs and focuses on the entire organization. The length of time or the type of position one has with the company is not relevant to either career planning or career management.

How do career planning and career management differ? Career planning is only for entry-level employees, while career management is for executive-level employees. Career planning focus on the individual, while career management focuses on the job. Career planning identifies personal abilities, while career management focuses on organizational staffing needs. Career planning is short-term, while career management is long-term.

Career planning identifies personal abilities, while career management focuses on organizational staffing needs. Career planning identifies personal abilities and interests and focuses on the individual. Career management focuses on organizational staffing needs and focuses on the entire organization. The length of time or the type of position one has with the company is not relevant to either career planning or career management.

Some managers in an organization rate their employees' performance as uniformly high. An HR audit reveals that business outcomes do not support these higher employee assessments. Recommendations include changing the appraisal method to the behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS). Which method's shortfalls are mitigated by using BARS? Narrative Comparative Management by objectives Category rating

Category rating methods, the least complex means of appraising performance, require managers to simply mark an employee's level of performance on a designated scale or checklist. The BARS method was designed to overcome the problems of category rating by describing examples of desirable and undesirable behavior. Examples are then measured against a scale of performance levels.

This HR structure features all HR personnel located within the HR department and from there delivers service to the entire organization Centralized Functional Dedicated Shared Services

Centralized

What is the chain of command? Extent to which policies and procedures govern the rules of the organization Line of authority within an organization Number of individuals who report to a supervisor Balance between standardization and localization

Chain of command refers to the line of authority within an organization. Authority relates to the scope of responsibilities that define the area in which a manager is empowered to make decisions. A long chain of command is associated with more vertical organizations, which have more layers of decision making (Silos).

Which best illustrates the principle of sustainability in the workplace? The organization implements a flat structure, with few layers of decision-making authority. Changes to a headquarters location are weighed against the effects on stakeholders. Global HR policies are reviewed to make sure they comply with local laws and regulations. Competitive business practices are aligned with local norms in each operating region.

Changes to a headquarters location are weighed against the effects on stakeholders. Sustainable workplace policies focus on long-term effects and the integrated needs of people, the environment, and economic needs. Including a careful assessment of a change that would affect a large number of employees and the surrounding communities is sustainable.

An HR manager is training managers on team leadership. Which one of these tips will reduce unnecessary conflict within the managers' teams? Encourage discussion, but make it clear that your word is the final authority. Place employees on performance improvement plans for not meeting goals. Consult a superior as soon as a team member underperforms. Clarify goals, expectations, and ground rules for team behavior.

Clarify goals, expectations, and ground rules for team behavior. Team leaders can reduce conflict on their teams by being clear about goals, roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Expectations include ground rules about how to treat each other and how to resolve conflicts. Effective team leaders encourage discussion and collaboration. They would use coaching first rather than formal correction processes. They would be leaders and solve their own challenges.

Which initial step should an HR director recommend to best support a global pay-for-performance initiative? Periodic intervals of one-on-one coaching Formal 360-degree and multisource feedback Individual year-end performance appraisals Clear, meaningful, and challenging goal setting

Clear, meaningful, and challenging goal setting. As part of an effective performance management system, setting clear, meaningful, and challenging performance expectations is critical. This aligns individual performance expectations with organizational values and goals. The organization's pay program needs to support the performance management system.

What has become a popular solution to the problem of the volume of data created by big data strategies? Scalable on-premises servers Cloud computing Online analytical processing Software as a service

Cloud computing allows organizations to store some of the vast amounts of data they have collected on remote (off-premises) servers connected and accessed through the internet. Software as a service tends to solve issues related to the labor required to create and maintain software. Scalable servers do address the issue of increasing data volume, but this approach predates cloud computing. Online analytical processing is one of the reasons why data are multiplying so quickly in organizations.

What positive outcome will result from coaching high-potential employees? Employees are more likely to leave the organization. Employees will be less engaged in their current jobs. Employees will change jobs less frequently. Employees will contribute more effectively to the organization.

Coaching high-potential employees allows them to contribute more frequently and more effectively to the organization. It also reduces turnover and creates employees with skills the organization needs now and in the future.

What positive outcome will result from coaching high-potential employees? Employees will contribute more effectively to the organization. Employees will change jobs less frequently. Employees are more likely to leave the organization. Employees will be less engaged in their current jobs.

Coaching high-potential employees allows them to contribute more frequently and more effectively to the organization. It also reduces turnover and creates employees with skills the organization needs now and in the future.

What characterizes the statutory obligations of a company operating under the principle of codetermination? The company may reject a works council if worker representation is inadequate. The company must inform the works council and include it in decision making. The company and the works council share decision making, accountability, and legal liability. The company must inform the works council but may make decisions without its input.

Codetermination means that a firm is obligated to inform a works council and to include it, in some degree, in the firm's decision making.

Which best describes common law? It is the prevalent form of law in the world. It evolves over time through judicial decisions. It is drawn from religious sources. It applies to all global jurisdictions.

Common law is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative actions. Because these legal precedents can change over time, common law can evolve gradually.

What source of law ensures that the same principle applied in one court decision is used to make future legal determinations? Executive orders The Constitution Common law Agency guidelines

Common law is the source of law that establishes legal precedent. The other responses also offer legal protection but are not derived from court decisions.

Which is regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? Overtime pay Sales commissions Equal pay Employee benefits

Commonly referred to as the Wage and Hour Law, the FLSA governs employee status, overtime pay, and minimum wage. Employee benefits, sales commissions, and equal pay are not governed by the FLSA.

Which action can be taken by HR to help prevent industrial actions? Communicating the perspective of employees to management Eliminating the peer panel program for dispute resolution Hiring outside counsel for handling grievances Negotiating a provision in contracts against sympathy strikes

Communicating the perspective of employees to management. HR can help managers and supervisors understand how employees might view the employer's behavior. HR can also educate management about what honoring the contract requires and how to avoid behavior that may be perceived as bullying.

A company has separate divisions for distinct types of products. Each division has its own marketing, sales, manufacturing, and finance functions. What type of organizational structure does this illustrate? Functional Geographic Flat Product

Companies with a product structure usually have separate divisions for different products, and each division has its own functional departments.

How often should an organization review the components of its enterprise risk management framework? When a new strategy is developed Only if a major incident has occurred At an agreed-upon and regular interval Every three years

Components of an organization's risk management framework should be reviewed at an agreed-upon and regular interval as well as after major incidents.

What characteristic describes an effective professional network? Composed of internal and external members at different levels and in different roles Containing a limited number of internal and external contacts in the HR profession Respected members of the HR profession who can serve an immediate purpose Focused on experts with formal organizational relationships to the network builder

Composed of internal and external members at different levels and in different roles An effective professional network can include members from one's own organization as well as outside the organization. They may be HR professionals, but they may come from other disciplines. They can be above or below the network builder's own organizational level. They can contribute value to the network builder, and they can receive value.

The term "cultural relativism" is best demonstrated by which of the following? Concept that holds that there are no absolutes and everything is based on the situation Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the customs of one's own culture Philosophical position that, for every interaction with others, conditions exist that cause no other events State of mind that focuses on narrow section of an issue versus considering a broader context

Concept that holds that there are no absolutes and everything is based on the situation.

A manufacturer assembles commercial equipment in its host country, using components purchased from small manufacturers in other countries. Pursuing a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, the manufacturer has reviewed its own processes for potential environmental improvements related to energy and waste. HR has been directed to survey employees' workplace impressions, implement engagement practices, and initiate volunteer programs with local community groups. What else is HR in a good position to do to advance the CSR program? Conduct workplace compliance audits for supply chain partners. Compile a list of green products to be used in the organization. Implement an employee suggestion program at headquarters. Train suppliers in the organization's code of conduct.

Conduct workplace compliance audits for supply chain partners. Because of the manufacturer's business model, it makes sense for HR to recommend to management that suppliers' workplaces be audited for conditions that would violate local laws and/or the organization's own values and ethical code. The employee suggestion program has probably already been considered as part of an engagement program. Compiling a list of green products is outside HR's area of expertise. The manufacturer and HR cannot impose their code of ethics on a supplier, who must develop a code that complies with local laws, customs, and their own values. HR could, however, include review of such a code in their compliance audit of suppliers.

Which record-keeping practice ensures record retention compliance? Keeping digital records rather than paper files Conducting annual audits of employer and personnel files Adhering to the shorter retention period when more than one law applies Maintaining duplicate employee files in a separate location

Conducting annual audits will help ensure that files are complete, documents are stored in the proper location, and the appropriate retention period is observed. Maintaining duplicate files could actually increase the risk that documents will be managed inappropriately. In order to be in compliance, employers should observe the longer of two or more applicable retention periods. Keeping digital records rather than paper files will not ensure compliance because the same risks for violations exist for electronic files as for physical ones.

Which is the most effective way for HR professionals to align organizational effectiveness and development (OED) interventions with their organization's goals? Involving managers in the development of training activities Increasing the budget for training and development activities Connecting the organization's strategy and the intervention activities Reducing learning time for mastery of critical skills

Connecting the organization's strategy and the intervention activities. The most effective way to align HR activities with organizational goals is for HR professionals to participate in the strategic planning process. HR professionals should demonstrate the importance of an organization's OED activities by providing education and training in strategic planning and linking the outcomes of OED activities to organizational goals.

This alternative HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. Functional Dedicated Shared Services Decentralized

Dedicated.

How has technology affected the HR function? HR processes will all be outsourced to third parties. HR's role in the organization will become less important. Consumer-like applications will allow manager self-service. Workforce numbers will shrink, allowing HR staff to shrink.

Consumer-like applications will allow manager self-service. Consumer-like applications (manager and employee self-service) will allow HR's internal clients to handle many HR processes themselves. The ratio of workers to HR staff varies depending on the role HR plays in the organization; technology, in the form of data analytics, might add HR staff. Strategic HR processes will not be (or should not be) outsourced. HR's role in the organization won't become less important; it will become more strategic.

What HR task is typically associated with a multidomestic corporation? Facilitating knowledge exchange throughout the organization Administering payroll and benefits Coordinating HR activities between the home and host countries Building a common corporate culture across all operations

Coordinating HR activities between the home and host countries A multidomestic corporation is similar to a portfolio of independent businesses. Headquarters is in the home country, but over time the divisions achieve more autonomy. At this stage, HR is involved in coordinating HR activities, with the goal of consistency while remaining flexible with local law and culture.

Which action is characteristic of an organization that approaches global assignments from a strategic-systematic perspective? Coordinating critical functions among the home office and foreign locations Approaching international assignments as noncritical short-term business expenses Paying less attention to worldwide integration of values and technology Focusing attention mainly on problems as they arise

Coordinating critical functions among the home office and foreign locations The strategic-systematic approach to global assignments, which is characterized by coordinating and controlling functions among the home office and foreign locations, is more cost-effective than the alternative tactical-reactive approach and yields much better long-term results.

What does FACT stand for and what does the act do?

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) of 2003 amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under the FACT Act, an employer who uses a third party to conduct a workplace investigation no longer needs to follow the consent and disclosure requirements of the FCRA before commencing the investigation if the investigation involves suspected misconduct, a violation of law or regulations, or a violation of any pre-existing written policies of the employer.

Which factors provide the best basis for determining future global staffing requirements? Current experience with staffing requirements Corporate and HR strategic plans Staffing projections based on past experience Combined average of individual country projections

Corporate and HR strategic plans A common mistake is to weight past and current experience too heavily when forecasting future requirements. All of the items listed may be useful for predicting staffing requirements, but it is best to start with the requirements specified in the HR and corporate strategic plans, perhaps adjusting projections to reflect reasonable assumptions about how the environment may change. This will help ensure the alignment of staffing plans with corporate and HR strategy.

Which recruitment metric can help to assess the economic value of filling an open position? Human capital return on investment Key talent retention Cost per hire Success ratio

Cost per hire The cost per hire metric provides an approach for accurately calculating the cost of locating, recruiting, and hiring talent that all organizations can apply.

Under the Blake-Mouton theory, this kind of manager is low task, high relationship, and creates a secure atmosphere and trusts individuals to accomplish goals, avoids punitive actions so as not to jeopardize relationships: Country club, Impoverished, Authoritarian, Middle of the road, and Team leaders. (page 58)

Country club

Which project management approach is used when resources cannot be increased to meet deadlines? Critical chain project Management Six Sigma Project Management Lean Project Management

Critical chain project Management Page 52

Which two tendencies are critical to acquiring a global mindset? Parochialism and exclusiveness Ethnocentrism and self-satisfaction Cosmopolitanism and sophistication Curiosity and change acceptance

Curiosity and change acceptance A global mindset is characterized by intellectual curiosity, a desire to understand larger contexts and multiple perspectives. Employees with a global mindset tend to see change as an opportunity.

Enterprises are attracted to global expansion by certain opportunities but also pushed into it by certain conditions. Which is an example of a "push" factor in globalization? Favorable country-specific trade agreements Current home-country market saturation Proximity to resources and materials Better labor supplies in other countries

Current home-country market saturation An organization may begin to globalize if its current market is completely saturated, offering no potential for significant growth. Global expansion will allow the continuous growth in revenue that management and/or investors may require.

The administrative assistant to the vice president of operations confides in the HR manager that the VP has been making inappropriate advances that have been getting progressively more forward and aggressive. This has made the administrative assistant uncomfortable, and now she wants to find a new position in the organization. The administrative assistant and the HR manager are long-time personal friends, and this information is shared with the HR manager outside of the work environment, on personal time. While the HR manager informs the administrative assistant that she should bring a formal complaint, the administrative assistant is very clear that she is sharing this information as a friend. She does not want to file a formal complaint out of fear of retaliation. Instead, she asks the HR manager to help her find a new role so that she can quietly leave her current position without creating trouble for the VP, the organization, or herself. What action should the HR manager take in response to hearing about this harassment? Answers A. Confront the VP of operations directly with the allegations and demand an explanation as to why he has behaved inappropriately. B. Respect the friendship with the administrative assistant, honor the request for privacy on the issue, and not take any action in response to the complaint. C. Have a follow-up discussion with the administrative assistant reassuring her of protection against retaliation and urging her to formally complain of the behavior. D. Notify the VP of HR of the allegations so that a formal investigation can begin of these allegations of harassment.

D Notify the VP of HR of the allegations so that a formal investigation can begin of these allegations of harassment, is the best response. This is a very delicate situation for an HR manager, who must fulfill a duty to the organization. Respecting friendship and honoring other's requests are serious considerations. However, if ignored, claims of harassment put the organization in a precarious position, with potential liability. Given that the allegations are being made against a senior management employee, it is important for the HR manager to escalate this issue to a more senior HR leader to determine the best way to proceed. Furthermore, since the HR manager has a long-standing personal friendship with the employee making the harassment claim, it is probably best for another HR person to step in for the investigation so as to fend off any perception of HR bias. A is incorrect. The VP of operations should not be confronted until a formal plan of action is created. B is incorrect. Once the administrative assistant has shared the allegations with the HR manager, even if in confidence and during personal time, the HR manager has a duty to protect the employer from any liability. If the HR manager does not act on the allegations of misconduct and harassment, she is jeopardizing the organization. C is incorrect. Talking with the administrative assistant and urging her to file a formal complaint is a good idea. However, if the administrative assistant continues to say no, the HR manager must do something. If the HR manager does not act on the allegations of misconduct and harassment, even if the allegations were made on personal time, the HR manager is jeopardizing the organization.

HR is asked to advise on ways to help a development team become fully functional as quickly as possible. The team is dispersed geographically and faces very short deadlines. What team-building solution would you prioritize? Training on stress management Face-to-face socialization meetings Development of a roles and responsibilities chart Cross-cultural communications training

Defining roles and responsibilities would be a relatively quick way to make the group more efficient. Face-to-face meetings are impractical and time-consuming for a global team. Training would take time when the team is struggling to meet tough deadlines. Learning to manage stress is a good idea, but a better idea is to clear a possible source of stress, the confusion over roles and responsibilities.

What are the three WARN exceptions that permit fewer than 60 days' advance notice?

Faltering company Unforeseeable business circumstances. Natural disaster.

In a midsummer strategy session, a company determines that it will close its West Coast manufacturing unit and move the entire manufacturing effort to the East Coast head office. To bring the East Coast office fully online, 100 new positions will have to be filled. The work is going to migrate to the East Coast over a 90-day period that will begin September 1. HR has been asked for advice and support. What is the first action for HR to take to begin to support this business initiative? A. Initiate the layoff process for the employees located on the West Coast. B. Ask business partners for their ideas about what might be needed to support this initiative. C. Talk to West Coast employees to determine their interest in the positions on the East Coast. D. Review all of the job descriptions, current salaries and benefits, and existing policies to support the initiative. Previous Question

D is the best answer. The consultation process starts with fully understanding the issue at hand and the requirements for an effective solution, and only then designing that solution. Accurate job descriptions and updated policies and procedures provide the proper infrastructure to support all aspects of the initiative. A is incorrect. Although layoffs may need to occur, HR should not initiate any layoffs without discussing them with the company's leadership. B is incorrect. Asking business partners for their thoughts before offering a framework for the support needed would not position HR as a strategic partner to the business. C is incorrect. Although offering internal transfers to the East Coast might be a component of the overall strategy, it is not the best starting point.

A VP of HR for a growing 1,500-employee high tech firm has received feedback regarding the lack of effectiveness of the HR team. The internal customers have not been pleased with the level of service and support that is being provided by HR. One of the biggest challenges cited is the recruiting process-specifically, opening a new requisition. The business leader is first required to contact a recruiter to open a requisition and then to contact the compensation and benefits team to determine the pay level for the role. Business leaders may have to contact a different recruiter each time a requisition must be opened. If the recruiter is unfamiliar with the business unit and the nuances of the culture as well as common skill sets, the business leader has to spend additional time to ensure that the recruiter has all the information needed. As a result, some business leaders have asked for one point of contact in HR for all recruiting needs. Given the feedback and the request for one point of contact, which action is best for the VP of HR to take? A. Ask the recruiting team what their issues have been and share the information with the business leaders to begin a discussion. B. Add a point of contact for each business leader and have this person serve as a relationship manager for the team. C. Wait to see what the recruiting results are over the next 12 months and continue to monitor the recruiting work flow. D. Coordinate in-person discussions with business leaders to better understand their experience and expectations.

D is the best response, as meeting with the business leaders in person will allow the VP of HR to better understand the concerns and to determine if the issues are widespread or not. Also, listening to the customers' expectations will enable the VP of HR to structure a solution that will meet reasonable expectations. A is incorrect. Capturing the perspective of the recruiting team focuses only on the HR team's needs versus the needs of the customers they support. B is incorrect. Internal clients have already expressed concern with the multiple points of contact. Adding another point of contact may create more confusion and does not solve the work flow concern. C is incorrect. This does not address any issues immediately and could have negative repercussions for the entire HR team if they are not prepared to meet the current and future business demands over the next 12-month period.

A downturn in the economy has resulted in reduced funding. Recently other nonprofits have entered the field and are vying for the same financial resources, resulting in employees working longer hours in a fierce competition to earn grants. Key areas in the most recent employee engagement survey dropped significantly, citing the long hours and pay inequities. In contrast, however, employees were quite pleased with the benefits that are offered, the positive work environment, and recognition for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) work. How can the director leverage employees' commitment to their work and the recognition of that work by outside agencies? A. Do not take external action, as the industry is small and any interested stakeholders will already be aware of awards. B. Include this information in the organization's newsletter. C. Encourage employees to use the organization's awards as part of the employee referral program. D. Include this information in all employee branding and employee value proposition information and activities.

D is the best response, as this demonstrates the director's ability to think about broader impacts to the organization and how to use this information for the organization, both internally and externally. A is incorrect. An active approach to communication is a critical part of an effective employee engagement strategy. B is incorrect. This approach would be internal, not external. C is incorrect. Focusing only on the communication piece for internal employees does not integrate the context and reasons behind the awards to the degree that integrating them into an employment brand and employee value proposition would.

A publicly owned company has acquired a small privately owned company. The small company had grown too big for the former owners to manage. Prior to the acquisition, the owners were both heavily involved in the day-to-day decision making of the company, but they are not adept in effective management practices. Both former owners have signed contracts to remain with the company for two years post-acquisition to be a resource as the integration is completed. Policies and controls in the small company were nonexistent. The treatment of employees was not consistent, and employee morale is low, primarily due to the uncertainty in the acquisition and the fear of favoritism. The HR manager assigned to perform due diligence on merging the small company has found additional issues. There is a substantiated allegation that one of the owners of the small company was involved in a romantic affair with a female subordinate, and the HR/finance clerk was demoted for inappropriately allocating funds from the company to his personal bank account. Both of these issues were addressed and the matters closed without any further disciplinary action being taken with either of the individuals. The CEO of the acquiring company asks the HR manager to make the needed changes to ensure compliance with laws and policies, as soon as possible, without upsetting the former owners. In assessing the workplace culture of the smaller company, HR uncovers a significant degree of pro-union sentiment among its employees. What should the HR manager do with this knowledge? A. Inform all employees that there could be negative consequences for them if they consider creating or joining a union. B. Wait to see if there are any more rumors about union activity and then take action at that point. C. Conduct employee meetings to inform the employees of the new, free benefits that will be in effect following the acquisition. D. Conduct employee meetings. Acknowledge that there have been shortcomings, and ask employees for an opportunity to make things better.

D is the best response. HR must first acknowledge past mistakes and ask the employees to provide the new company with an opportunity to make things better. This is where HR can establish credibility with the employees. Open and transparent communication builds trust among the employee population. A is incorrect. This is an unfair labor practice. B is incorrect. Taking a passive approach to employee unrest does not deal with the problem. C is incorrect. There is a trust issue that needs to be addressed. Listing additional benefits for employees will not dissuade them from joining a union.

An employee who has been with the organization for over 10 years arrives every day on time at 9:00 a.m. The employee's team is scheduled to work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The employee returns from lunch 15 minutes after the other members of the team and ends the workday at 5:15 p.m. A new manager has recently taken over the department and notices this pattern of behavior. During an informal conversation, the manager mentions that the employee is taking extended lunches. The employee responds with, "What does it matter? I stay and make up the time." After concluding the conversation, the manager decides to partner with the HR generalist, as the manager wishes to document the employee taking an extended lunch. The manager is concerned that the previous manager allowed the behavior. There are no notes that the employee has any accommodation. Additionally, the manager is concerned that the morale of the team is suffering because of this, as three team members have approached her about this since she took over two months ago. The new manager is also worried that if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, she may lose the ability to effectively manage the team. The manager asks the HR generalist if HR can simply update the policy to allow the employees some flexibility in their hours. After a discussion with the manager, which recommendation should the HR generalist provide? A. Nothing; the employee has been allowed to do this for years. B. Immediately document the behavior and issue a final warning. C. Send an e-mail to the entire team that reaffirms attendance expectations. D. Advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person.

D. Advise the manager to individually reset expectations with the employee in person. D is the best response, because it will require the manager to address the behavior in question and discuss it with the employee while reinforcing the policy. A is incorrect. The fact that the behavior was accepted previously does not mean that it cannot be addressed. B is incorrect. Because the behavior has not been addressed previously, moving immediately to a final warning presents challenges in ensuring that progressive discipline is followed consistently for issues going forward. C is incorrect. This approach would not solve the issue regarding the employee in question. Preemptively doing this could also have an impact on morale.

Refer to the following scenario for the next 3 questions. The shared service centers of a multinational technology company are concentrated in one country. They provide back-office operational support for the finance and accounting, procurement, and HR functions of the company. The local talent market for the back-office operations skills is very competitive. To date, the company has been successful in recruiting experienced professionals from its competitors. The main draw has been the generous compensation and benefits package and the general perception of an amiable and cooperative management team. While competitors' workforces have unionized in this country, this company's workforce has remained union-free. The annual planning process has kicked off. The process requires the global HR and finance teams to recommend the payroll increase budget for each country based on key economic indicators, company performance, affordability, and compensation market survey data. The teams recommend a salary increase budget of 18% for the country with the shared service centers. The country HR director is concerned that the recommended budget is too low and believes that, in order to remain competitive and compensate for inflation, the increase should be 30%. The country director brings her concerns and recommendations to the global VP of HR. In a discussion with the global VP of finance and the global functional leaders, the global VP of HR learns that the 18% increase budget is a stretch and that going any higher will have a negative bottom-line impact. Which is the best first step the VP of HR should take to address the opinions and concerns on the salary increase budget? Answers A. Meeting with the global functional leaders and the country leaders to discuss each side's point of view until a consensus is reached B. Recommending that, as a fair compromise for all stakeholders, the budget should be 24%, which is midway between 18% and 30% C. Contacting the corporate attorney for an opinion on the unionization risk in this country if the budget is significantly lower than the rate of inflation D. Conducting a quantitative analysis that would model risks, costs, and benefits in order to develop scenarios and a recommendation on the optimal solution

D. Conducting a quantitative analysis that would model risks, costs, and benefits in order to develop scenarios and a recommendation on the optimal solution Making a decision based on facts and data and linked to ROI rather than opinion and anecdotal information embodies HR's commitment to the company's total business operations and strengthens the credibility of the HR function. A is incorrect. Although this option ensures that all key stakeholders are involved and a solution is reached, it is based on opinions rather than fact-based data and analysis. B is incorrect. This is not ideal. While compromise is a valid goal, the budget proposal needs to be based on facts and data, and the impact of the budget needs to be analyzed. Compromising on a budget that's halfway between the two viewpoints isn't a disciplined and rigorous analytical method, and it can result in negative impacts. C is incorrect. This is just one of several necessary inputs to the analysis and modeling exercise the global VP of HR needs to undertake.

An organization is experiencing a problem with new hires for a specific position leaving the company within the first six to nine months. They previously had several long-term employees in this position, but those employees have retired. The HR director performs research and determines that several of the employees have joined a competitor. The HR director decides to employ a third-party firm to conduct a salary survey and do a complete review of the job description and a job analysis for the position. Additionally, the HR director performs an internal employee opinion survey in which employees share their belief that the current benefits package lags that of other companies in the area. The results from the third-party survey confirm that the company is lagging the competitor by a large margin in terms of compensation and that the benefits package is no longer competitive. It has also been discovered that managers are not providing candidates with an accurate representation of the day-to-day activities in the positions they are interviewing for. Which action should the HR director take to help hiring managers understand the criticality of a realistic job preview? A. Recommending that all hiring managers be placed on a performance improvement plan for their interviewing shortcomings B. Conducting refresher training for experienced managers and more in-depth training for new managers on effective interviewing C. Partnering with managers to review current job descriptions to create a representation of the typical workday D. Discussing with managers the importance of accurate representations in the interview, turnover costs, and their questions

D. Discussing with managers the importance of accurate representations in the interview, turnover costs, and their questions D is the correct answer, as this will explain the business impact that the recruitment and interview process has on the company and will help increase managers' knowledge and their buy-in. A is incorrect. Placing employees on performance improvement plans cannot be done without first researching and noting the deficient behaviors. B is incorrect. It fails to explain the business impact that the recruitment and interview process has on the company, nor does it obtain buy-in from the managers. C is incorrect. It does not take the answer to its conclusion. Partnering to create a realistic job preview from the existing job descriptions may be helpful; however, nothing is described regarding what to do with ensuring that the job descriptions are accurate.

The HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed. While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction. The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity. The CEO moves forward with the engagement survey. What is the first step the HR director should take with the food service workers' union? A. Form a union and non-union employee participation committee to discuss conducting the engagement survey and seek their input in managing the project. B. Initiate formal discussions with the labor union representatives about including food service workers in the survey and then seek labor council input. C. Do not engage the union in the engagement survey discussion because to do so could be in violation of applicable labor laws. D. Engage the union, with hospital's labor counsel, in an exploratory discussion to discuss the possible participation of bargaining unit employees in the survey.

D. Engage the union, with hospital's labor counsel, in an exploratory discussion to discuss the possible participation of bargaining unit employees in the survey. D is the correct. It provides an opportunity to engage the union in discussion about possible labor-management collaboration on the project without obligating the organization to negotiate something that should be an inherent part of their management rights prerogative. A is incorrect. It fails to incorporate legal counsel on this issue. B is incorrect. No formal discussion should take place without the hospital's labor counsel. C is incorrect. This option fails to recognize the importance of maintaining positive labor-management relations with the organization's union.

An HR business partner for a mid-sized company has been asked to investigate root causes of high employee turnover. The CEO thinks that the turnover is the result of HR failing to set clear expectations for managers and has stated that there is a disparity in how managers lead their employees versus what employees think their managers should be doing. The CEO believes that this inconsistency in expectations is the reason for attrition. HR currently conducts annual employee engagement and morale surveys and presents the results to management. However, most of the management team has been with the company for many years and are resistant to change. Past efforts to guide the management team have been unsuccessful due to limited participation. For example, leadership skills training has been held in the past, but most of the management team have declined to attend. The CEO has requested that the HR manager provide a detailed plan to address the turnover by next quarter. Which step should the HR manager take to identify the root causes of turnover? A. Read comments from past employee engagement surveys. B. Review previous employee complaints related to manager behaviors. C. Set up an anonymous employee suggestion box in a common area. D. Examine employee exit interview documentation for trends.

D. Examine employee exit interview documentation for trends. The best answer is D. When reviewing the employee exit interview data, the HR manager is demonstrating the Critical Evaluation competency. The HR manager can identify the reasons employees have left the organization and focus on consistent themes. A and C are not the best answers, because the information is not identifiable and, therefore, the credibility of the data is in question. Because the feedback is anonymous, follow-up questions cannot be asked. B is not the best answer, because the complaints about managers may not be valid and not all complaints are reported.

During the yearly performance and sales review at an organization, an HR manager realizes that the sales goal and bonus structure could potentially incentivize individuals to move closings from one quarter to the next as needed to meet quarterly sales goals. Leadership, mid-level management, and the salespeople have different bonus structures-annually for leadership, quarterly for mid-level managers, and monthly for salespeople. This has created a disconnect between the different groups and created different motivations. The HR manager presents an analysis of the data to the CEO. The CEO determines that, while this bonus structure may have worked in the past, it needs to be changed and the bonus structure of the different groups needs to be aligned. She tasks the HR manager with crafting a new bonus structure and implementing it after she has approved it. What should the HR manager do first to create a bonus structure that is compatible with organizational goals and drives employee performance? A. Determine if salaries lead, lag, or match the market in order to determine if a bonus plan is still needed. B. Conduct interviews with employees to determine what changes they would like to see. C. Determine the average time required to close a sale, and use that to create a new plan. D. Hire an outside organization to conduct a remuneration survey of competitors and their bonus structure.

D. Hire an outside organization to conduct a remuneration survey of competitors and their bonus structure. D is the best answer, because it is based on identifying best practices in the industry. An experienced consultant is probably the best way to identify this data. A is not correct. It may, however, result from the consultant's work; the consultant may report that incentives are not effective in this industry. B is not correct. The employees do not have the perspective and expertise to make this decision. C is not correct. It is likely to damage the motivation of employees and possibly incentivize them to avoid complex but valuable sales.

An organization is experiencing a problem with new hires for a specific position leaving the company within the first six to nine months. They previously had several long-term employees in this position, but those employees have retired. The HR director performs research and determines that several of the employees have joined a competitor. The HR director decides to employ a third-party firm to conduct a salary survey and do a complete review of the job description and a job analysis for the position. Additionally, the HR director performs an internal employee opinion survey in which employees share their belief that the current benefits package lags that of other companies in the area. The results from the third-party survey confirm that the company is lagging the competitor by a large margin in terms of compensation and that the benefits package is no longer competitive. The departure of the new hires, many going to a competitor, shortly after starting the job is a cause for concern. Which recommendation should the HR director make in order for the organization to see an immediate reduction in the turnover? A. Increasing new-hire starting salaries by 20% because the competitor is paying its employees more B. Reviewing the job description for accuracy since that is the only important factor C. Reviewing the hiring process and ensuring that hiring managers are interviewing correctly D. Partnering with managers to review the job description and conducting interview and onboarding training

D. Partnering with managers to review the job description and conducting interview and onboarding training D is the correct response. Partnering with management to confirm accurate job descriptions and conducting interview training will help to reduce the rapid departure of new employees. A is incorrect. It is not addressing the root causes of why new hires are departing. Increasing salary by an arbitrary number does not solve the issue and may not be an accurate amount. B is incorrect. Accurate job descriptions will begin the process of making sure that candidates are applying based on the skills and qualifications they possess. However, the interview process is an important factor that needs to be evaluated. C is incorrect. This alone does not solve the issue of the departures.

Technological forces have had which critical effect on today's corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices? Telecommuting tools have helped organizations reduce their carbon footprint. Data mining and analytics capabilities have made CSR factors more readily measurable Monitoring tools have made it easier to track regulatory compliance. Organizing multicultural efforts through social media is easier.

Data mining and analytics capabilities have made CSR factors more readily measurable and their impacts more demonstrable and understandable. That in turn has increased accountability, helped shape regulatory requirements, and, where measurable performance results are positive, given organizations a powerful strategic tool.

This alternative HR structure features HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities. Functional Dedicated Shared Services Decentralized

Decentralized

Which type of HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs? Dedicated Functional Decentralized Centralized

Dedicated A dedicated HR structure meets this need and allows the business unit HR staff to develop local policies and practices. This is in some ways a "corporatized" HR, with an HR function at headquarters and separate HR functions located at (or "embedded") in separate business units.

An employee has a small online business selling a sauce made from the employer's copyrighted recipe. The company handbook forbids any employee from disclosing the employer's proprietary information. What can the employer do? Do nothing because the employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Demand the employee cease the activity and terminate employment. Request that the employee credit the company's original recipe. Ignore the activity because its very small scale makes a legal response impractical.

Demand the employee cease the activity and terminate employment. The employer has the right to demand that the employee cease the activity because it violates the employer's intellectual property rights. Because this is stated in the handbook, the employee could be subject to termination.

Which types of data should be measured at the preliminary assessment stage of the diversity and inclusion strategic process? Attitudes about diversity Organizational demographics Demographic and attitude data Leadership goals and attitudes

Demographic and attitude data A clear picture is needed not just of current organizational performance but also of current attitudes about diversity and about the organization's existing diversity and inclusion efforts. This requires both objective data, such as comparable promotion and turnover figures for various demographic groups, and subjective (but measurable) data, such as survey, interview, and focus group results.

Diversity may improve a team's innovation and creativity. Which obstacles may a diverse team have to initially overcome? Innovating while ignoring the costs of new approaches Demonstrating fragmented, nonproductive, and indecisive behavior Focusing on ideas from only one demographic, excluding other options Rejecting out of hand any proposals from the home office

Demonstrating fragmented, nonproductive, and indecisive behavior If not managed properly, diverse teams may become fragmented, nonproductive, and unable to arrive at decisions in a timely manner. Differences in approaches can be emphasized, making it difficult to reach a single solution.

When designing training for any new technology system, which activities will have the greatest impact on knowledge retention? Reading and a PowerPoint presentation Reading and case study Group discussion and structured exercises Demonstration and structured exercises

Demonstration and structured exercises When learning new software, it is most important to see how the software works and practice using it. A demonstration of each of the software functions, followed by hands-on practice, is an effective way to teach employees the skills that are required on the job.

What term describes how work groups are related in an organization? Departmentalization Process implementation Organizational process Hierarchy

Departmentalization

What are the first and last steps of an HR audit? Develop the audit questionnaire, Develop action plans Determine the scope and type of audit, Foster a climate of continuous improvement Collect the data, Foster a climate of continuous improvement

Determine the scope and type of audit, Foster a climate of continuous improvement

A new HR manager joins a manufacturing organization that is experiencing an increase in workplace safety incidents. These incidents are resulting in higher insurance costs, increased absences, reduced productivity, and lower-quality products. A review of compliance functions and key performance indicators shows an excessive increase in the last 12 months. This timeline coincides with the retirement of the compliance manager and the transfer of the duties related to managing workplace safety to the HR department. The manager also compares the number of incidents in the organization with industry standards and determines that the organization's incident rates are 50% greater than the industry average. The HR manager recognizes that changes need to be made immediately in the HR department to improve safety and protect employees from future incidents and injuries. The CEO tasks the HR manager with finding solutions to increase safety knowledge and decrease incidents in the organization. Several department managers approach the HR manager and state their concerns over the amount of safety incidents. What should the HR manager do to address their concerns? A. Develop a joint management-employee committee that discusses safety concerns. B. Engage an independent consultant to provide recommendations. C. Send an e-mail with safety tips to all employees on a monthly basis. D. Conduct safety checks in all departments weekly to hold employees accountable. Submit

Develop a joint management-employee committee that discusses safety concerns. A is correct. Establishing a committee with rotating volunteer members made up of both line employees and management, so that issues can be identified and resolved by decision makers, is an ideal way to address the safety concerns that are brought forward. B is incorrect, as it would not be a wise use of resources at this point in time to engage an external consultant. C is incorrect, as merely sending an e-mail does not ensure that employees understand how to implement or will actually implement the tip. D is incorrect, as weekly safety checks would be conducted by the manager or department leader versus the HR manager.

How does duty of care translate to an organization's responsibilities? Complying with all local health and safety requirements Managing risks to employees on assignment Taking all steps reasonable to ensure employee health and safety Providing health benefits to all of its employees and their families

Duty of care reflects an employer's responsibility to take all steps reasonably possible to support employee health and safety and prevent harm, whether the employee is in the workplace or on a remote assignment. This may involve but is not restricted to providing access to health care and complying with regulatory requirements.

The HR director of a 6,000-employee hospital is meeting with the hospital's CEO about potentially conducting an employee engagement survey. The hospital has never conducted an engagement survey. The hospital's turnover is low, and it pays competitive wages and benefits. It is nonunion except for about 200 employees in its food service department. There is a sense that a baseline assessment of employee work environment perceptions and the employees' commitment to serving patients is needed. While there is anecdotal evidence that employees are relatively satisfied with the work environment and committed to serving patients, employees have complained through the organizational hotline about lack of management support in some areas. Since other hospitals in the market have experienced union organizing activity, there is concern about possible unionization. While the CEO is interested in the survey, there is fear that it will raise employee expectations that the organization cannot meet, increasing employee dissatisfaction. The HR director is planning a follow-up meeting with the administrator and an external consultant. The goal is to share with the CEO best employer practices in conducting engagement surveys, the positive benefits of using surveys to improve morale, and appropriate engagement strategies and practices to support managers in improving performance and productivity. In developing the business case for the CEO in collaboration with the external consultant, which is the best action for the HR director to take? A. Execute a formal contract specifying the consultant's relationship and expectations of engagement during the entire assignment. B. Support the consultant in designing the engagement survey, providing appropriate guidance and feedback throughout the process. C. Lead the engagement survey design, seeking coaching, support, and feedback from the consultant in managing obstacles. D. Develop and present the business case, with the consultant's collaborative input during the development and presentation processes.

Develop and present the business case, with the consultant's collaborative input during the development and presentation processes. D is correct. It recognizes the importance of the HR director's role as the account manager for the organization, bringing in specialists to assist when needed. As the in-house partner to the business leaders, the HR director should not have the consultant manage the relationship with organizational leaders. This would mean that the HR director has given up a pivotal role. A is incorrect. Having a formal contract in place is important, but it does not address the need to develop a business case. B is incorrect. Such an approach would be counterproductive and detrimental to the interests and goals of the organization in executing the survey. C is incorrect. It does not recognize the importance of the two parties maintaining a collaborative and synergistic relationship to maximize each other's expertise in contributing to the success of the project.

A salesperson takes a personal phone call while a customer needs help. Which is the best approach the supervisor should take when providing feedback to the salesperson? Document the incident and discuss it during the performance review, providing an overall lower rating due to this incident. Gather the salespeople together, and explain the incident in detail and why the behavior was wrong. Wait for a few days and then discuss the behavior with the salesperson so as to not infuriate him or her and cause dissatisfaction. Discuss the incident with the salesperson immediately and in private, reminding them of policy on personal phone calls.

Discuss the incident with the salesperson immediately and in private, reminding them of policy on personal phone calls. Assuming an attitude of helpfulness rather than power is key when providing performance feedback. Discussing the incident with the employee immediately shows respect. During the discussion, it is necessary to specifically describe the behavior in question without passing judgment. Additionally, specific values may be called out in employee performance goals, such as acting in a way that shows commitment to customer service.

An employer with a unionized workplace wants to offer employees gift cards for reporting on a recent union meeting. How should HR advise the employer? Don't. This would be an unfair labor practice. Go ahead, as long as the reward is not cash. You don't need to. You have a right to ask the union. Try to get the information without using an incentive.

Don't. According to the National Labor Relations Act, promising or giving benefits to employees who oppose a union (e.g., rewarding employees who infiltrate or spy on union meetings or question other workers about their support for a union) is an unfair labor practice. The nature of the reward is irrelevant. The act of spying itself could be seen as intimidation and therefore a ULP. The union is not obliged to share this type of information with employers.

Codetermination is a form of corporate governance that requires a two-tiered corporate board structure - a management board and a supervisory board - that allows management and employees to participate in strategic decision making. Which of the following is a codetermination model? Dual System Management System Occupational System

Dual system - In addition to the typical management board, there is a supervisory board. Depending on the size of the employer, as many as half of the supervisory board may be workers. Because this supervisory board members has the authority to accept or reject the management board's decisions, organizations are essentially prohibited from implementing workplace changes without employee consent.

What is Executive Order 11246? The Affordable Care Act, The Equal Employment Opportunity Act, The Third Act of Hamlet

EO 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity) as issued by President Lyndon Johnson, which mandated that certain individuals or entities doing business with the United States government must comply with affirmative action requirements). The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 is the act which gives the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) authority to sue in federal courts when it finds reasonable cause to believe that there has been employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In the case of public employment, the EEOC refers the matter to the United States Attorney General to bring the lawsuit. Added as an amendment to Title VII , it expands the protection of Title VII to public and private employers with 15 or more employees, both public and private labor organizations with at least 15 members, and employment agencies.

Which of the following is true about employment practices liability insurance (EPLI)? It usually covers only legal costs associated with the termination of an employee. It usually covers legal costs regardless of the outcome of the case. It typically pays for punitive damages or civil or criminal fines. It typically covers claims arising under workers' compensation.

EPLI usually covers legal costs, no matter what the outcome of the case is. It typically does not cover punitive damages or civil or criminal fines. It usually does not cover compensation, consistent with relevant state laws. It is designed to cover cases arising at any point in the employment life cycle, from recruitment to termination.

The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) of 1990 amended the ADEA to prohibit discrimination in what two areas? Rewrite the second part of this answer. It sucks.

Employee benefits. The act provides guidance on the ADEA requirement that benefits offered to older workers must be equal to the benefits offered to younger workers. Waivers of claims. The act provides standards that an employee's waiver of the right to sue for age discrimination must be met in order to be upheld by a court.

Define: Employee Resource Groups

Employee resource groups, or ERGs, are voluntary groups for employees who share a particular diversity dimension.

A high-performing employee has been recommended for an international assignment. Based on the employee's knowledge, skill, and understanding, managers in the home and host countries both support the transfer. What will be the most critical ingredient for the employee to develop a global mindset? Length of the assignment Having a mentor or guide in the host country Fluency in the language and culture of the host country Employee's desire and motivation to learn a new culture

Employee's desire and motivation to learn a new culture Developing a global mindset requires appropriate SKAs (the employee's performance level), support from the system (the managers' approval), and the employee's own curiosity and openness to learn and change. A longer assignment and linguistic and cultural fluency would help, but only if the employee is motivated to develop a global perspective. Having a mentor in both home and host countries would be valuable support, but taking advantage of guidance offered is up to the employee.

Which statement is correct under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Preemployment medical examinations may be required before a job offer is extended. Rehabilitated and current users of illegal drugs are excluded by the law. Accommodation is not required if it results in undue hardship for the organization. Employers must develop affirmative action plans for candidates with disabilities.

Employers are not required to make accommodations that result in undue hardship. Current users of illegal drugs are excluded by the law, but rehabilitated drug users are not. Preemployment medical examinations may be required after a job offer is extended. There is no requirement to develop affirmative action plans for candidates with disabilities.

An organization is opening a new factory in the United States. Due to availability issues, the factory will be temporarily unable to comply with an OSHA standard regarding required safety equipment. What should the organization do? Apply to OSHA for a temporary variance from the standard due to the unavailability of required equipment. Apply to OSHA for a permanent variance from the standard due to the unavailability of required equipment. Postpone opening the factory until the required safety equipment can be purchased from another source. Open the factory without notifying OSHA and do not report any incidents associated with the standard.

Employers may apply for a temporary variance from a standard due to the unavailability of materials, equipment, or personnel needed to make necessary changes. This would potentially allow the organization to avoid postponing the opening of the new factory, and it does not carry the risk of penalties due to noncompliance with OSHA standards. Permanent variances are allowable where an employer can furnish proof that the facilities or the method of operation provides employee protection at least as effective as that required by the standard.

Which is an advantage of using a chosen officer in alternative dispute resolution (ADR)? Reducing expenses Providing quicker results Ensuring an objective perspective Empowering employees

Empowering employees. A chosen officer permits an employee to select an arbitrator from a group of individuals. This allows employees to feel some control over their futures.

Which best demonstrates due process in disciplining an employee for a dischargeable offense? Ensuring that the employee is afforded an opportunity to present a defense Reviewing discipline cases for dischargeable offenses that are legally justified Including a union representative in all meetings Incorporating peer review in the progressive disciplinary system

Ensuring that the employee is afforded an opportunity to present a defense. Due process is a principle that ensures that employees are informed of expectations and the consequences of failure to meet those expectations, are treated fairly and factually, and are allowed an opportunity to defend themselves and appeal the decision.

For an organization to be considered sustainable, what areas of practice are examined? Environmental, economic, social Social, ethics, economics Environmental, social, ethics People, profits, environment

Environmental, economic, and social are the three spheres of sustainability.

Why is ethics an intrinsic part of a corporate social responsibility program? Ethics increases external stakeholders' influence. Ethics is based on laws and regulations. Ethics dictates behavioral guidelines for an organization. Ethics allows for the adherence to the letter of the law.

Ethics is a set of behavioral guidelines an organization expects all to follow. Compliance is based on laws and regulations and allows for adherence to the letter of the law.

To meet a safety goal, an organization provided training to employees. The number of injuries, however, has not decreased over the last three years. What should the HR training manager do? Evaluate and adjust the training. Hire an outside consultant to provide the training. Develop new training content. Require all employees to attend the training

Evaluating the training will allow the company to identify whether the issue is with the training or the people, and adjustments can be made accordingly. Developing new content or hiring an outside consultant without evaluating the training could be a waste of time and resources. Making the training mandatory doesn't help if the training is ineffective.

What is a good way to signal acknowledgment but not necessarily comprehension or agreement in a face-to-face conversation? Eye contact Repeating back what was said Encoding thoughts Written summary

Eye contact can be a form of acknowledgment, which is a signal that a message was received. It is a sign that you are paying attention.

Which development approach is best suited for senior leaders? Conferences Executive coaching University courses Training seminars

Executive coaching can achieve extraordinary results, empowering staff success.

Which development approach is best suited for senior leaders? Executive coaching Conferences University courses Training seminars

Executive coaching can achieve extraordinary results, empowering staff success.

Which factor is essential for the success of a diversity and inclusion initiative? Regulatory pressure Employee commitment Executive commitment Shareholder pressure

Executive commitment Strong and consistent support of top executives is essential for sustaining an organization's diversity and inclusion efforts. Employee commitment is important as well, but this will follow the leadership's launch and commitment to such an effort.

Describe the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) exemption for executives.

Exemption is if the employee is a top executive or policy maker. (High-level managers and certain bona fide executives or high policy makers can be required to retire at age 65 if they are entitled to receive organization-sponsored retirement benefits of at least $44,000 per year, in the aggregate, and have held their position for two years immediately prior to retirement.) The top executive exception to the prohibition on mandatory retirement does not apply in some states. If the exception does not apply in a particular state, then the federal exception is irrelevant in that state. In some states, however, there may be a cap of age 70 for protection.

A new competitor entered the market and attracted many of a manufacturing organization's employees with higher hourly wages. The organization's HR team has revised the staffing plan. Which data could alert HR to the need for further revisions? Absenteeism reports Monthly turnover levels Stay interviews Exit interviews

Exit interviews Continuous improvement of staffing plans should include an ongoing measurement function to monitor the quality of the plan implementation. Since the turnover is prompted by higher wages/salaries at a competitor, exit data would inform HR of the reasons people are leaving.

"These characteristics of culture are the observable behaviours, rituals, symbols and heroes of a culture. These include the way people dress, the kind of food they eat, music, dance, the things that are considered beautiful and/or ugly." What is this the definition of? Implicit Culture Explicit Culture

Explicit Culture

A federal contractor receives an attorney statement claiming discrimination against an employee working in counterintelligence. The employee complains of unlawful termination for refusal to submit a polygraph test following an incident. What exclusion protects the employer under the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)? The federal contractor did not receive an EEOC claim. The federal contractor's policy was violated. The federal contractor was involved in national security. The federal contractor has reasonable suspicion.

Federal contractors working on national security and counterintelligence are exempt from the EPPA. Policy violation, reasonable suspicion, and not receiving an EEOC claim are not reasons for exclusion from EPPA provisions for federal contractors working in these areas.

A manager has been assigned to lead a team of employees in organizing corporate-wide participation for a community event next month. The manager knows that in order to meet the goals of the effort, she must make sure that the tasks and expectations are clear and that she provides plenty of direction. What leadership theory is the manager following? Fiedler's contingency theory Blake-Mouton's managerial theory Transformational leadership theory Trait theory

Fiedler's contingency theory Situational leadership emphasizes that a leader should change his or her approach based on employees' relationship and task needs. Leaders will have a natural style, but effective leaders should adapt themselves in order to make the team more successful. Fiedler's contingency theory asks "How can the situation be changed to improve the effectiveness of both leader and employees?" The goal is termed "situational favorableness." Three factors determine the favorableness of a leadership situation: leader-member relations, task structure, and position power.

What are the four perspectives of the HR balanced scorecard? Internal Business Processes, Learning and Growth, Corporate Social Responsibility, Financial Financial, Customers (other functions and employees), Internal Business Processes, Learning and Growth . Learning and Growth, Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Planning, Benchmarking

Financial, Customers (other functions and employees), Internal Business Processes, Learning and Growth

To capitalize on innovation and collaboration, HR must balance certain issues. Which are the most challenging? Text and video Openness and security Competing stakeholders Home country and global

For effective information management, a balance must be struck between openness, in the form of easy access to a large amount of information, and the security of that information from those who would misuse it.

What is B Lab with respect to organizations striving to achieve the transformation level of the Corporate Social Responsibility Maturity Curve?

For organizations striving to achieve the transformation level of the Corporate Social Responsibility Maturity Curve (Phase 1: Compliance, Phase 2: Integration, Phase 3: Transformation), there is an international certification program. By meeting the nonprofit B Lab's detailed measures of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, an organization receives certification as a Benefit Corporation (B Corp).

HR has been charged with benchmarking the organization's sustainability performance against that of its global competitors. Which resource will best help HR accomplish this? ISO 26000 United Nations Global Compact GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Sustainability Reporting Standards The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards enable meaningful and consistent comparisons of organizations' sustainability performance.

Which action should HR take in order to fully realize the benefits of workplace data analytics? Use dashboards as tools to review relevant data. Gather good-quality data to make relevant decisions. Eliminate real-time data processing tasks in the office. Use only data gathered by HR professionals.

Gather good-quality data to make relevant decisions. Data analytics is the process of studying data to detect patterns and relationships that can be used to make predictions and improve decisions. The challenge of data analytics for HR is to identify what data should be captured and how to use the data to model and predict capabilities so the organization gets an optimal return on investment on its human capital.

What is the correct term for the right of an individual worker to unite with other workers to promote desired employment conditions as a group? Due process Codetermination Freedom of association Collective bargaining

Freedom of association is the right of workers to join (or not join) an organization of their choosing without prior authorization by their employer.

Which statement best describes how organizations have evolved in their definition of diversity? From a cultural relativism perspective to one of universalist values From focusing on legal compliance to focusing on ethical and moral values From considering only racial and cultural differences to also including gender-based differences From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset

From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset. Diversity is not just a matter of adding new categories to a growing list of identity groups: race, religion, gender, culture, ethnic background, age, and so on. Rather, it is a move from viewing diversity defensively, as a matter of legal or ethical compliance, to viewing it strategically, as a valuable asset to be leveraged.

Which statement best describes how organizations have evolved in their definition of diversity? From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset, From considering only racial and cultural differences to also including gender-based differences, From focusing on legal compliance to focusing on ethical and moral values, From a cultural relativism perspective to one of universalist values

From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset. Diversity is not just a matter of adding new categories to a growing list of identity groups: race, religion, gender, culture, ethnic background, age, and so on. Rather, it is a move from viewing diversity defensively, as a matter of legal or ethical compliance, to viewing it strategically, as a valuable asset to be leveraged.

Which example illustrates strategic drift? Because effects are not measured and corrected, strategies eventually lead organizations toward poor performance practices. Leaders slowly evolve the organization's mission and values to remain more competitive in targeted markets. Front-line managers continue to perpetuate old ways of doing things and fail to address changing external forces. Strategic focus changes in an evolving and organic process when a new strategic planning cycle begins.

Front-line managers continue to perpetuate old ways of doing things and fail to address changing external forces. Strategic drift occurs when an organization fails to recognize and respond to changes in its environment that necessitate strategic change.

This alternative HR structure functions with headquarters HR staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. Functional Dedicated Shared Services Decentralized

Functional

In what kind of structure are departments defined by the services they contribute to the organization's overall mission, such as marketing and sales, operations, and HR. Traditionally, this has been the most common organizational structure. Functional Product or Customer Geographic Matrix

Functional.

A supervisor overhears an employee talking on the phone about a test for a hereditary form of breast cancer, and the supervisor subsequently denies the colleague a promotion based on this information. Which legislation does this action violate? HIPAA FMLA FLSA GINA

GINA

Which statement best describes how HR can enhance its social media policies? Avoid publishing strict policies regarding employees' use of social media at work. Be assertive in responding to negative social media comments about the employer brand. Request social media account information from new hires. Gather information from throughout the organization about possible risks.

Gather information from throughout the organization about possible risks. The organization's code or handbook should specify the employer's expectations and prohibitions about employees' use of social media. These policies, however, should be based first on a clear understanding of the specific types of threats that social media poses to the organization. While HR should monitor comments on social media sites, responding too strongly may harm the employer brand. Requesting social media account information may be illegal, but another concern is its effect on the brand and employee engagement.

At the request of senior management, an HR manager is assigned to solve a problem with a critical product development team. The manager has little information other than the fact that the team has fallen significantly behind schedule and the project leader is inexperienced. What should the HR manager do first? Arrange for the project leader to be coached in project management skills. Add a consultant to the team who is expert in group facilitation. Implement conflict resolution skills for the entire team immediately. Gather information through interviews and observation of the team at work.

Gather information through interviews and observation of the team at work. The first step should be understanding the reason for the issue and whether it can be solved by improving team effectiveness. It may be that the delays have been caused by external factors or that the schedule was unrealistic from the beginning. Interviews and observation will provide data for the HR manager to identify and eliminate possible causes.

What kind of structure is very similar to a product structure, with the exception that geographic regions or countries—rather than products—define the organizational chart? Functional Product or Customer Geographic Matrix

Geographic

A team leader comes to HR for advice. The team is meeting its first milestone goals, but the team leader is worried about the effect on future productivity of one team member. This person spends more time socializing at meetings than talking about the task at hand. What should the HR professional recommend? Coach the individual privately on more professional conduct. Manage the risk now and replace the team member quickly. At the next meeting, make a point of correcting the socializing behavior. Give the team time to develop its roles and relationships.

Give the team time to develop its roles and relationships. Team members often play different roles, and those roles may shift as a team develops or situations arise. Especially since the team is still young (i.e., meeting its first milestone goals), it may be valuable to have a member who is good at developing relationships and strengthening bonds of familiarity and trust. Correcting the behavior may hurt the team member's motivation and may weaken the entire team.

Which characterizes globalization? Technology has become globalization's single shaping force. Developed economies play an increasingly dominant role in globalization. Global markets, economies, and technologies are increasingly interconnected. Global interconnections reached a peak in the 1980s and 1990s and have since decreased.

Global markets, economies, and technologies are increasingly interconnected. The integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies is enabling individuals, corporations, and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before.

Characteristic of an organization with a strong global image but an equally strong local identity. *Globalization *Glocalization *Branding

Glocalization is for the service or product developed for global distribution that is altered to fit the local consumer. In glocalization, a product that is marketed globally is tailored to adjust to the preferences of consumers and adapt to local customs and laws. When a product is glocalized, more interest is given to it by the consumers.

What type of system does HR help develop that puts rules and processes in place for the organization to go by? Social audit Code of conduct Compliance program Governance

Governance is a system of rules and processes that ensure compliance with laws, ethical norms, and a social code of conduct. Codes of conduct and compliance are part of governance. A social audit is something you would perform to determine if you are in compliance.

Which term describes a system of rules and processes put in place to ensure adherence to laws, rules, norms, and social codes of conduct? Governance Ethics Compliance Rule of law

Governance is the system of rules and processes an organization puts in place to ensure its compliance with local and international laws, accounting rules, ethical norms, and environmental and social codes of conduct. Good governance is the outcome of a thoughtful assessment of an enterprise's legal, ethical, and civic obligations to the communities it serves and the development of systems that support fulfillment of these obligations.

A cosmetics company that denounces animal testing as a primary part of its branding was recently reported to be working with suppliers that routinely test on animals. Which aspect of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy is misaligned? Environment Governance Compliance Social

Governance. An organization with good governance is transparent and accountable at each level and function. By buying from suppliers that test on animals, the organization is intentionally deceiving consumers and being opaque rather than transparent.

Which is the best example of indirect compensation? Awarding store gift cards to top performers in a sales contest Paying individual bonuses to team members for meeting critical project deadlines Paying non-management employees at a higher rate for overtime hours worked Granting compensatory time off to a salaried employee for extra hours worked

Granting compensatory time off to a salaried employee for extra hours worked. Compensatory time off is considered indirect compensation. Cash recognition and achievement awards (gift cards), overtime pay, and cash bonuses are all considered direct compensation.

HR has defined key groups of employees who possess certain characteristics and abilities that are closely aligned with the organization's strategy. What effect will this have on the organization's staffing and compensation strategies? Greater clarity in compensation decisions Capping payroll for administrative compensation Slower increase in executive recruiting investment Diverting compensation from entry-level positions

Greater clarity in compensation decisions. Having defined talent pools may clarify compensation decisions to ensure that key talent is motivated and rewarded. Having defined critical talent pools does not necessarily reduce the need for executive recruitment; this may be a factor of the labor market. Compensation for certain job descriptions will also be driven by market factors. Diverting compensation from lower-level positions could cut off the supply of future talent.

Which is a trend in career development that an HR team leader must consider before engaging in career planning with team members? The employee is expected to assume greater individual responsibility for career development. Employees will be more successful in career development if they focus on developing in their current functions. The career projectory is longer, and employees may have to wait longer to reach positions of responsibility. The employer is expected to lead the process of career development by promoting employees along a traditional career path.

Greater individual responsibility is a career development trend that requires both the employer and the employee to collaborate. Career paths today may involve nontraditional paths and jobs outside an employee's original work area. Employees are being asked to assume more responsibility more quickly, especially in emerging markets.

Which is a trend in career development that an HR team leader must consider before engaging in career planning with team members? The employee is expected to assume greater individual responsibility for career development. The employer is expected to lead the process of career development by promoting employees along a traditional career path. The career projectory is longer, and employees may have to wait longer to reach positions of responsibility. Employees will be more successful in career development if they focus on developing in their current functions.

Greater individual responsibility is a career development trend that requires both the employer and the employee to collaborate. Career paths today may involve nontraditional paths and jobs outside an employee's original work area. Employees are being asked to assume more responsibility more quickly, especially in emerging markets.

What is Griggs v. Duke Power (1971)

Griggs v. Duke Power (1971) set the standard for determining whether discrimination based on disparate impact exists. When an employer establishes an employment practice (such as an education requirement or a test score), the employer must be able to justify its actions as being job-related and consistent with a business necessity. Practices, procedures, or tests that appear neutral on their face, and even neutral in their intent, and that result in a discriminatory effect on a protected class without the above justification are illegal.

A business partner is leading an employee committee tasked with developing a program of employee appreciation events. Two of the committee members are embroiled in what has become personal antagonism. They interrupt each other during meetings and are rude in front of the others. How could the business partner have best avoided this situation? Ground rules for behavior in meetings should have been established at the first meeting. The business partner should ask the employees' managers to replace them with other more reasonable representatives. The business partner should take the two members aside in a private conversation and try resolve their differences. The situation could not have been avoided. The business partner does not have the required authority. Submit

Ground rules for behavior in meetings should have been established at the first meeting. The conflict is wasting the time of the other committee members and could have been avoided by setting and enforcing ground rules for meeting behavior early. Perhaps the conflict can be resolved now, but it is late in the process.

What is the primary obstacle that must be avoided during the norming phase of team formation? Groupthink Lack of trust Interpersonal conflicts Limited communication

Groupthink - the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.

What is the purpose of an HR compliance checklist? To mitigate disparities between required and actual practices To maintain an image of propriety for the brand To garner positive word-of-mouth with the organization's stakeholders To help ensure that the organization fulfills the requirements of HR laws and regulations

HR audits and compliance checklists are often used to help ensure compliance with laws and regulations. They may lead an organization to correct disparities between required and actual practices. They may also lead to an image of propriety and garner positive word-of-mouth, but that is not their purpose.

Which activity best illustrates HR's strategic role in managing organizational risk? HR conducts a workshop with other functions to identify potential upside and downside risks under the workforce management plan. HR conducts regular health and safety reviews and administers documentation required by regulatory agencies. HR analyzes past accident reports to detect common patterns and design appropriate supervisor and employee training. HR interfaces with the organization's insurer to determine what level of insurance is required throughout the organization.

HR conducts a workshop with other functions to identify potential upside and downside risks under the workforce management plan. HR's strategic role recognizes the potential for upside (opportunity) and downside (threat) aspects of risk and approaches the task of identifying and planning for threats and opportunities in an enterprise manner, involving internal HR customers. Focusing on past health and safety issues is reactive and narrow in focus. HR cannot speak alone for the best way to manage risk in the organization.

The HR department is instructed to fill a critical management position as quickly as possible. Using multiple agencies will produce more candidates more quickly but will increase the cost by several times. Which critical input should HR seek before deciding how to proceed? Job description for the ideal candidate Risk tolerance of the organization Networking connections and employee referrals Desired applicant-to-hire ratio to indicate success

HR needs to know how management rates the level of risk in not filling this position quickly: their risk tolerance. This will help HR decide whether the increased cost of using multiple search firms is appropriate.

Which is the most important factor an HR leader should use when planning pay increases? HR workload HR systems Employee support Financial implication

HR should consider the potential financial implications of recommendations and actions. Financial analyses and HR decisions are always intertwined. While HR systems, employee support, and HR workload are all viable factors, they are not the most important and are not part of the decision making. They are factors to consider for implementing and communicating the increases.

What is the role of HR when it comes to whistleblowing? Working with mid-level managers to determine who is whistleblowing and seeking to ensure that the complaints are handled and withdrawn Seeking to prevent whistleblowing by any means necessary, including reassigning, retraining, or terminating employees found whistleblowing Gathering, assessing, and categorizing complaints from whistleblowers and presenting them to upper-level management during annual review cycles Establishing a communication process that allows direct access to upper-level decision makers and protecting whistleblowers from retaliation

HR should ensure that whistleblowing complaints reach upper-level management and should protect whistleblowers from retaliation by coworkers or managers. In some locations, whistleblowers are protected by law. HR should not seek to independently address whistleblowing complaints or encourage or engage in retaliation against whistleblowers.

HR is interviewing candidates who will have to think on their feet and keep calm in high-pressure, high-stakes, and emotionally charged situations. Which leadership development method is best suited to develop this skill? Situation judgment tests Risk management Hardship testing Action learning

Hardship testing involves stretch assignments that support the development of leaders. Experiencing failures, difficulties, and periods with little or no support help the individual develop competence and resilience.

Which is an example of a job specification for a line supervisor? Has five years of experience Has a bachelor's degree Able to allocate resources creatively Meets diverse business requirements

Has five years of experience A job specification should list what is necessary for satisfactory performance, not the characteristics of an ideal candidate. A bachelor's degree is probably more than is needed, and the traits of creative ability and versatility are typically indicative of critical success factors associated with job competencies.

An organization attempts to create employee participation teams that balance membership, in part, by age. What dimension layer of diversity is being addressed? Personality Organization Internal External

Internal dimensions of diversity include aspects over which we have little control, such as sex or age.

What is an example of HR's involvement during the discovery process of an employment lawsuit? Helping the employer's legal counsel gather information to prepare initial disclosures Ensuring that employees refrain from retaliation against the plaintiff Supplying legal counsel with the plaintiff's personnel files and any other related documents Supporting the employer's legal counsel with final trial preparations and trial litigation

Helping the employer's legal counsel gather information to prepare initial disclosures. During discovery, HR may be required to help the employer's legal counsel gather information that relates to the lawsuit. This occurs before final trial preparation and litigation and after personnel files and other related documents have been provided to the legal counsel. Ensuring that employees refrain from retaliation should be one of the first things that HR does, and it occurs during the notification step.

In which ways do Herzberg's motivational hygiene theory and Maslow's basic needs theory differ? Herzberg's intrinsic factors include job security, pay, and conditions, while Maslow's include include employee engagement and job satisfaction. Herzberg's theory focuses on only job related needs, while Maslow's theory includes basic survival needs Herzberg's external factors include challenging work, meaningful impact of work, and recognition, while Maslow's include pleasant coworkers and advancement opportunities. Herzberg's theory is based in extrinsic factors, while Maslow's theory is based on intrinsic factors. (page 77)

Herzberg's theory focuses on only job related needs, while Maslow's theory includes basic survival needs In Herzberg's theory, behavior is driven by intrinsic factors (such as challenging work, meaningful impact of work, and recognition) end extrinsic factors (such as job security, pay, and conditions) Maslow's theory describes motivation in five basic categories of need, physiological, safety and security, belonging and love, esteem, and self actualizations.

The HR generalist at a regional bank informs managers when fully qualified candidates apply for jobs. Although there may not be any current openings, HR and position-specific managers will screen candidates and determine next steps. How can HR reliably predict when an opening is likely to occur? Historical data of movement Organizational goals and objectives Monthly turnover reports Progressive performance actions

Historical data of movement Flow analysis can be accomplished in three ways, one of which is to estimate the movement based on historical data, looking at flows in, up, down, across, and out of the organization.

HR has implemented a change initiative in the operations area to increase productivity. The initiative combined process redesign, changes in reporting structure, training, and incentives. The changes have been in place for six months. What measure would show the effect of the investment in the initiative? Training return on investment Success ratio Return on investment Human capital value added

Human Capital Value Added (HCVA) is a measure of the extent to which employees add value to the business.

Which HR Structure has the following advantages and disadvantages? Advantages: Facilitates consistency between headquarters policy and practices and implementation in business units. Disadvantages: Can isolate headquarters HR from business realities perceived by all staff and employees. I. Decentralized, II. Functional, III. Shared services

I. Decentralized HR staff within each function, business unit, or location carrying out required activities.

Describe a functional and a dedicated HR: I. In a dedicated HR organization, headquarters HR is staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. This type of organization is often found in the least diversified, but not necessarily small, organizations., A functional HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This is in some ways a "corporatized" HR, with an HR function at headquarters and separate HR functions located (or "embedded") in separate business units. Corporate HR articulates basic HR values, develops tools to be used by the organizational-level HR functions, and creates programs aimed at enhancing global literacy and leadership skills. The business unit HR staff develops local policies and practices. II. In a functional HR organization, headquarters HR is staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. This type of organization is often found in the least diversified, but not necessarily small, organizations., A dedicated HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This is in some ways a "corporatized" HR, with an HR function at headquarters and separate HR functions located (or "embedded") in separate business units. Corporate HR articulates basic HR values, develops tools to be used by the organizational-level HR functions, and creates programs aimed at enhancing global literacy and leadership skills. The business unit HR staff develops local policies and practices.

II. In a functional HR organization, headquarters HR is staffed with specialists who craft policies. HR generalists, who may be located within divisions or other locales, implement these policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. This type of organization is often found in the least diversified, but not necessarily small, organizations., A dedicated HR structure allows organizations with different strategies in multiple units to apply HR expertise to each unit's specific strategic needs. This is in some ways a "corporatized" HR, with an HR function at headquarters and separate HR functions located (or "embedded") in separate business units. Corporate HR articulates basic HR values, develops tools to be used by the organizational-level HR functions, and creates programs aimed at enhancing global literacy and leadership skills. The business unit HR staff develops local policies and practices.

Which is the most desired outcome of an HR audit? Recognition of HR's role as a credible business partner Identification of underperforming areas of the function Confirmation that adequate controls are in place Increase in the organization's efficiency

Identification of underperforming areas of the function. The most desired outcome of an audit would be a clear sense of where performance could be improved and an action plan for implementing these improvements. A checklist of controls does not ensure that the controls are effective in their goals. The audit may not affect efficiency, although it should affect quality. Measuring oneself against peers is instructional, but doing it to gain credibility is shortsighted.

An organization has hired a new HR director. Which action should the director take first after meeting and getting to know the HR staff? Identifying and understanding internal and external stakeholders Developing programs to submit to management for support Gaining input about priorities and possible budget items Performing a risk assessment of the HR function

Identifying and understanding internal and external stakeholders Identifying stakeholders and their interests will provide the information the director will need to interpret staff recommendations and perform the assessment and analysis needed to develop an HR business plan.

An organization needs to prioritize spending for its risk management initiatives. Which is the first step the HR leader should take? Establishing senior management's risk tolerance level compared to their risk appetite Identifying processes and individuals critical to the organization's delivery of value Directing every function in the organization to complete risk assessment forms Comparing the costs of mitigating risks with the costs of transferring risks

Identifying processes and individuals critical to the organization's delivery of value. While all of the stated choices may help develop an appropriate risk management plan, a good first step is to identify critical processes and individuals essential to the organization's continued delivery of value/functioning. This will help the organization focus its resources in the most effective manner.

Which identifies the best use of the balanced scorecard in strategic planning? Demonstrating potential return on investment Establishing internal strengths and weaknesses Identifying significant strategic objectives Supporting financial reporting of tangible assets

Identifying significant strategic objectives. The balanced scorecard can help leaders identify the key drivers of the organization's past and continued success. These drivers can then be used to develop goals and strategies to achieve those goals.

Which identifies the best use of the balanced scorecard in strategic planning? Demonstrating potential return on investment Identifying significant strategic objectives Supporting financial reporting of tangible assets Establishing internal strengths and weaknesses

Identifying significant strategic objectives. The balanced scorecard can help leaders identify the key drivers of the organization's past and continued success. These drivers can then be used to develop goals and strategies to achieve those goals.

What activity is necessary for successfully implementing a knowledge management system? Writing an article for the company newsletter Establishing a 24-hour help line Identifying situations in which knowledge is lost or underused Deleting unnecessary knowledge from the database

Identifying situations in which knowledge is lost or underused. A critical action in establishing a knowledge management system is identifying those places in an organization's processes and structures where valuable knowledge has been developed and where losing that knowledge can endanger the organization's success.

Which is an employee right identified under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act? Requesting an OSHA inspection Overriding employer safety procedures Refusing to wear safety equipment Filing an unfair labor practice charge

If employees believe an unsafe situation exists, they have the right to request an OSHA inspection. However, they are obligated to follow the employer's safety procedures, wear the proper protective equipment, and go through the proper channels in raising safety issues. The OSH Act does not deal with unfair labor practices.

Key contributors to a recently completed project received bonuses. A male employee received $4,000. A female employee in another state received $10,000. The male employee files a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC does not find reasonable cause for the complaint. What may happen next? The EEOC will impose mandatory mediation. There is no further avenue for action for the complainant. The male employee may file a lawsuit against the employer. The employer must promptly pay $6,000 plus fees to the male employee.

If the EEOC does not find reasonable cause, the complainant (here, the male employee) is notified of the finding and of a right to sue the employer. The EEOC's involvement ends here.

Which is the most appropriate example of risk mitigation? Requiring vaccination programs for assignees Implementing an emergency communication system for assignees Requiring criminal background checks for applicants Training interviewers about proper questions to ask during hiring interviews

Implementing an emergency communication system for assignees. A risk mitigation strategy seeks to reduce the negative impact of an event. A communication system cannot prevent crises, but it can decrease stress and reduce assignees' exposure to threats.

Big data brings with it three requirements: volume (the ability to store massive amounts of data), velocity (the ability to refresh data rapidly), and variety. What does variety refer to? Importing, storing, and integrating data in different formats Integrating data from devices made from different manufacturers Collecting data from networks composed of highly dispersed points Data that can be used for multiple purposes (e.g., business analysis and employee engagement)

Importing, storing, and integrating data in different formats. Data is now available in varied forms: text, images, movie and audio files, logs, and so on. The ability to capture all these types of data creates richer opportunities for analysis and decision making.

Under the Blake-Mouton theory, which type of low task, low relationship manager uses a uses a 'delegate-and-disappear" management style. They detach themselves, often creating power struggles Country club, Impoverished, Authoritarian, Middle of the road, or Team leaders. (page 58)

Impoverished

Describe the suit Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (2007) and the subsequent Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (2007), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Lilly Ledbetter's claims of sex discrimination in pay under Title VII. The court ruled that Ledbetter's claims were not timely because she did not file discrimination charges with the EEOC within the 180-day time frame, which is a prerequisite for bringing a discrimination lawsuit. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 overturned the Ledbetter 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision. Under the Ledbetter Act, the statute of limitations resets as the employer issues each allegedly discriminatory paycheck.

Which U.S. Supreme Court case found the practice of hiring a male with preschool-aged children over a woman with preschool-aged children to be in violation of Title VII? Weingarten v. Lechmere, Inc. Griggs v. Duke Power Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation

In Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that it is contrary to Title VII for a company to refuse to hire a woman because she has preschool-aged children when it does not impose a similar restriction on men.

What undergoes a systematic and comprehensive evaluation during an HR audit? HR onboarding, training, and development HR policies, practices, procedures, and strategies HR measures, metrics, and analytics HR acquisition, coaching, and succession planning

In an HR audit, an organization's HR policies, practices, procedures, and strategies undergo a systematic and comprehensive evaluation. This helps to establish whether specific practice areas or processes are adequate, legal, and effective. Gaps identified through HR audits can be prioritized for corrective action.

An organization attempts to create employee participation teams that balance membership, in part, by age. What dimension layer of diversity is being addressed? Internal, Organization, External, Personality

Internal. Internal dimensions of diversity include aspects over which we have little control, such as sex or age.

A company that receives federal contracts learns that an employee has recently been convicted of a drug-related offense. The employee has a signed acknowledgment form in their personnel file. Under the Drug-Free Workplace Act, what action must the employer take? Impose a sanction on the convicted employee or require satisfactory participation in a rehabilitation program. Terminate employment on the basis of violating the company's drug-free standards. Provide a written warning to the convicted employee detailing the violation. Require that the convicted employee sign a new drug-free workplace acknowledgement form following the violation.

In order to comply with the Drug-Free Workplace Act, companies that receive federal contracts must maintain a drug-free workplace, and this can include imposing a sanction on the employee or requiring satisfactory participation in a rehabilitation program. The other answer choices are possible employer actions, but they are not required by the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

What factors does the risk equation use to determine level of risk? Potential for secondary risk and effectiveness of strategies Speed of onset and effectiveness of current controls Source of risk and number of business processes affected Probability of occurrence and magnitude of impact

In the risk equation, the level of risk equals the probability of occurrence multiplied by the magnitude of the impact of the risk event.

What is the appropriate role for an HR manager in an investigatory interview for a dischargeable offense? Prosecutor presenting evidence and challenging the employee Risk manager for the organization Champion of employee's perspective and position Supporter for manager/supervisor of involved department

In this situation, the role of HR is to be proactive and manage the legal and physical safety risks to the organization. HR managers must be aware of the need to ensure due process to employees and to provide a safe work environment for all employees. HR should not take a prosecutorial or defense role; the organization should approach the situation and the evidence objectively and calmly.

What benefit should HR emphasize to support a proposal to use a software as a service (SaaS) product to address an HR operational need ? In-house IT needs will not increase due to vendor-supplied IT support. Data can be accessed only in house with specialized equipment. Security concerns are eliminated because information is stored remotely. Management no longer needs to provide oversight of this process.

In-house IT needs will not increase due to vendor-supplied IT support. SaaS applications save internal IT some time that would be spent installing and maintaining the product.

Which statement best describes the relationship between diversity and inclusion? Diversity and inclusion are not related; they are mutually exclusive. Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity. Inclusion is a strategic approach, while diversity is a tactical approach. Inclusion represents the costs, while diversity represents the benefits.

Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity. Diversity provides the potential for greater innovation and creativity. Inclusion is what enables organizations to realize the business benefits of this potential. Diversity and inclusion, then, are two halves of the whole. Value is leveraged only by working from a definition of diversity that enables everyone to feel included, accepted, and valued.

Which statement best describes the relationship between diversity and inclusion? Diversity and inclusion are not related; they are mutually exclusive., Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity., Inclusion is a strategic approach, while diversity is a tactical approach., Inclusion represents the costs, while diversity represents the benefits

Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity. Diversity provides the potential for greater innovation and creativity. Inclusion is what enables organizations to realize the business benefits of this potential. Diversity and inclusion, then, are two halves of the whole. Value is leveraged only by working from a definition of diversity that enables everyone to feel included, accepted, and valued.

Which best identifies the outcome of requiring all employees to be trained in business continuity and disaster recovery plans? Increased risk of poor public relations Decreased size of risk management budgets Increased confidence among organization stakeholders Decreased risk of occurrence of risk events

Increased confidence among organization stakeholders. Preparation for crises and business interruptions demonstrates quality management practices and would boost stakeholder confidence and public image. It would not affect the likelihood of occurrence, nor would it decrease risk management budgets.

What does the Self-determination theory have in common with McClelland's theory? Individuals are motivated by the need for power/authority and the need for ownership/tenure Individuals are motivated by needs such as competence/achievement, and relatedness/affiliation Individuals are motivated by cash/salary and their next promotion/advancement (page 77)

Individuals are motivated by needs such as competence/achievement, and relatedness/affiliation

An organization is large and decentralized. It contains many operations that must communicate with each other. Leadership wants to be able to make more informed strategic decisions more quickly. Which issue is most directly related to these needs? Security from outside hacking Integrated data access and analysis Time-saving automation of processes Dashboard presentation of key performance indicators

Integrated data access and analysis. The issue of integration would be meaningful to an organization with many interrelated parts. An integrated information system would allow functions throughout the organization to access the same data in a timely manner and analyze it to gain insight and test solutions.

How can HR minimize the risk of failure of an organization's diversity initiative? Mandating management training Ignoring invisible diversity traits Integrating diversity into the business culture Implementing pay-for-performance reward systems

Integrating diversity into the business culture In order for a diversity initiative to succeed, an organization must truly embrace diversity and integrate varied life styles, beliefs, and needs into its business culture.

How does HR make sure that organizational effectiveness and development (OED) interventions deliver value? Efficiency metrics are established at the beginning of the intervention. Intervention objectives link outcomes to organizational goals. Interventions are completed on time and within budget. Organizational effectiveness and development processes are continually improved.

Intervention objectives link outcomes to organizational goals. The linkage to organizational goals is the best way to demonstrate HR's contribution to the organization's strategy. While the other actions are expected of HR, the critical activity is providing organizational effectiveness and development activities that affect the organization's bottom line. Outcomes must be determined before metrics can be developed.

What is the first step in developing a knowledge management system? Separating collections from connections Inventorying knowledge assets Monitoring both the formal and informal knowledge management systems Choosing the technology

Inventorying knowledge assets. The first step in developing a formal knowledge management system is to inventory the types of knowledge assets that exist and the assets themselves. This can be a time-consuming and considerable task, and a system must be established to properly index and mark each asset.

A company designs and manufactures sophisticated and unique components for satellites. Its product development process can take a decade. It forecasts steady growth and demand for designers and technicians. What strategy is the company most likely to use to meet its workforce needs? Focusing on automation of job tasks to decrease the demand for trained staff Investing in developing and retaining knowledgeable and skilled employees Developing long-term relationships with temporary staffing sources and contracting as needed Attracting the best talent by offering the highest compensation rates in the market

Investing in developing and retaining knowledgeable and skilled employees The company's business model requires a high level of specialized knowledge and skills that will be hard to locate in the labor market. It also needs a high level of institutional knowledge-a continuity of knowledge about the company's products and processes, which is less likely with a temporary workforce. While some tasks can be automated, this company makes intense use of human capital. It would benefit therefore from building the workers it needs and retaining them and their knowledge and experience.

Which generally describes governments' involvement in unions? It increases conflict and confrontation. It is prohibited by the International Labour Organization. It reduces conflict and confrontation. It varies from country to country

Involvement on the part of national governments varies from country to country. Some governments are active in legislating minimum wages, hours, and working conditions. Others help mediate labor disputes, while others take a hands-off approach. The International Labour Organization does not prevent government involvement in unions. There is no evidence that government involvement in unions reduces or increases conflict.

Which approach would be most helpful in obtaining commitment from managers when planning major changes in the performance appraisal process? Coaching managers on effectively using the new process Involving managers in determining what changes should be made Evaluating the ongoing organizational effectiveness and development effort Conducting isolated actions that best suit each manager's business unit

Involving managers in determining what changes should be made. The first stage of designing an organizational effectiveness and development intervention requires understanding the challenges fully. This would include determining the target audience's readiness for the upcoming change. In this case, soliciting management's input is a way to diagnose their readiness and obtain commitment. Then, managers could be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the new performance appraisal process.

An employee has been selected for an international assignment. This first-time assignment is expected to last two to three years and involves full relocation. Why is a well-crafted global letter of assignment a key part of the assignment plan? It mitigates the need for the services of specialized third-party vendors. It makes repatriation back to the home country easier. It addresses the terms and conditions of the assignment. It shortens the culture shock phase while on assignment.

It addresses the terms and conditions of the assignment A letter of assignment evolves from the assignment plan and addresses the business aspects of the assignment as well as compensation, benefits, and local work rules. Taking the time to ensure that the information provided is clearly articulated, thorough, consistent, and unambiguous sets clear and reasonable expectations between the employer and the employee. In turn, this information sets the stage for a successful first-time international assignment.

What does a Balanced Scorecard NOT do? Focus organizations and functions on key strategic activities Craft responses to goals, and create metrics to assess the effectiveness of these responses. Reflect employee benefits in the change of workplace conditions. Help support a clear line of sight from strategic goals to strategic performance. Provide a concise yet overall picture of an organization's performance.

It does not reflect benefits in the change of workplace conditions.

How does the issue of allegiance in global assignments affect the processes of global assignment selection and assignee management? Allegiance to the home or host country should not affect selection of a global assignee. It enables HR to deliver support appropriate to the assignee's unique needs. HR must pay greater attention to the logistics of the move. High levels of allegiance can create risks of noncompliance with local laws.

It enables HR to deliver support appropriate to the assignee's unique needs.

Which best describes how an organization's focus on diversity is a benefit to its recruitment efforts? It enables the organization to ignore local needs., It enhances the employment brand to attract talent., It reduces the costs of recruitment activities., It increases the number of potential candidates.

It enhances the employment brand to attract talent. Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce enhances the employer's brand and its ability to attract high-potential talent in minority groups. The organization can also more easily respond to demographic changes and local labor markets.

Which best describes how an organization's focus on diversity is a benefit to its recruitment efforts? It enhances the employment brand to attract talent. It enables the organization to ignore local needs. It increases the number of potential candidates. It reduces the costs of recruitment activities.

It enhances the employment brand to attract talent. Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce enhances the employer's brand and its ability to attract high-potential talent in minority groups. The organization can also more easily respond to demographic changes and local labor markets.

In global staffing, why is it important to use a common approach for analyzing and describing jobs? It ensures that all locations in a global organization use the same set of job requirements. It guarantees that legal requirements are satisfied. It facilitates communication and decision making about jobs. It alleviates the challenge of trying to observe incumbents across locations.

It facilitates communication and decision making about jobs Defining jobs consistently and clearly, in a common language, is important in a global environment because it establishes a common understanding of the jobs that need to be filled and the skills and experience necessary for those jobs. It also facilitates communication and decision making about jobs across different cultures.

What approach is most characteristic of succession planning? It is initiated as soon as it is clear that a senior executive is leaving. Local requirements are given the highest priority. It focuses on issues likely to occur in the short term of approximately one to 12 months. It focuses on long-term global issues.

It focuses on long-term global issues. Succession planning takes a long-range, strategic view and considers the entire organization and its business conditions.

What is the implication of an organization using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards to create an enhanced and comprehensive sustainability strategy? It is easier to evaluate performance and progress against industry and global benchmarks. It will save money by enabling the use of GRI-provided templates, forms, and surveys. The GRI Standards have been in place longer than the organization's own measures. These metrics are approved by all national and global HR organizations.

It is easier to evaluate performance and progress against industry and global benchmarks. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards are universally accepted for global reporting of an organization's sustainability efforts and progress, enabling meaningful and consistent comparisons of multinational organizations' sustainability performance.

Why is cross-cultural training critical for international assignees and their families? It increases the ability to mentor. It shortens the culture shock phase. It supports HR's duty-of-care obligations. It reduces the risk of failed assignments.

It reduces the risk of failed assignments. Effective international assignments involve many practices. Cross-cultural training for assignees and their families not only reduces the risk of failed assignments but also helps to manage expectations and to facilitate adjustment and performance.

While training a new staff member, an HR manager emphasizes that the staff member should always confirm with a line manager by phone call or email when a request has been resolved. Why is this especially important? It documents that the matter has been handled successfully. It provides a second check that the request was successfully handled. It reinforces HR's service and value to its internal business partners. The request is not officially closed until this notification.

It reinforces HR's service and value to its internal business partners. Providing feedback to the line manager is an opportunity to remind the line manager of the service that HR provides. The feedback in itself is not documentation that the request has been addressed or that it has been correctly addressed. It may be that providing feedback is the last step in the HR department's process, but the reason for its inclusion in the process is because of its impact on the customer relationship.

What are the common processes folded into shared service centers to make business functions more efficient? H. Payroll, procurement, accounts payable/receivable, travel expenses, tuition, and pension administration, I. Payroll, fixed assets, accounts payable/receivable, travel expenses, tuition, and pension administration, J. Payroll, procurement, accounts payable/receivable, travel expenses, health benefits enrollment, and pension administration, K. Payroll, fixed assets, accounts payable/receivable, travel expenses, health benefits reimbursement, and pension administration

J. The common processes folded into shared service centers include payroll, procurement, accounts payable/receivable, travel expenses, health benefits enrollment, and pension administration.

To decrease the boredom in performing a redundant task. Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

JOB ENLARGEMENT

What does the following describe? Outcome may or may not be positive No requirement of additional skills Expansion is horizontal Supervision is increased (THIS CARD SEEMS WRONG.) Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

JOB ENLARGEMENT (I'm not sure this one is right)

To make the job more challenging, interesting and creative. Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

JOB ENRICHMENT

What does the following describe? Outcome: the result is always positive. Requirement of additional skills Expansion is Vertical Supervision is comparatively less Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

JOB ENRICHMENT

A technique of job design in which the task related to a single job are increased. Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

Job Enlargement

A management tool used to motivate employees, by adding responsibilities in the job Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

Job Enrichment

Qualitatively extending the range of activities performed by a job. Job Enlargement Job Enrichment

Job Enrichment

During the job evaluation phase, if the organization used the , then jobs are categorized into classes or grades. Point-factor method Job ranking method Job classification method

Job classification method

A supervisor wants to improve job satisfaction and motivate employees by giving them more independence in their work and the opportunity to self-review and evaluate. Which is the best tactic to use for this? Job evaluation Job enlargement Job standardization Job enrichment

Job enrichment increases the depth of a job by adding responsibility for planning, organizing, controlling, and evaluation. This is also known as vertical integration. Examples of actions that increase job depth include giving employees more authority, increasing employees' accountability, and sharing feedback directly with employees.

Factory workers from the assembly department are assigned to the shipping department every other week. Which type of career development program are these workers participating in? Mentoring Job enrichment Replacement planning Job rotation

Job rotation is the movement between different jobs that require similar skill sets. These programs eliminate boredom on the part of employees as they participate in different jobs that build a wider range of skills and experiences.

A recruiter recently posted an opening for a mid-level manager. After reviewing the candidate applicant pool, it is determined that the candidates do not have the desired experience. What should the recruiter focus on in order to attract candidates who have the desired experience? Job specifications Job analysis Job design Job description

Job specifications The recruiter should reevaluate the job specifications to ensure that the posting has accurate minimum requirements for years of experience, education, certifications, etc. The job description is used to inform the candidate of the detailed information of the job posting. Job analysis is a process to identify and determine in detail the particular job duties and requirements of the job. The organizational structure is determined by the job design process and would not list the qualifications directly related to the job posting.

What job evaluation method assesses the responsibilities and requirements of each job and its relationship to other jobs in the organization? Survey-based Job-content-based Quantitative Market-based

Job-content-based. The relative worth of different jobs is based on the assessment of their content, and they can then be compared to other jobs within the organization.

Which technology has the primary mission of sharing information in meaningful ways to augment employee performance? Talent management systems Project management systems Knowledge management systems Human resource information systems

Knowledge management systems are increasingly popular as a knowledge-sharing tool in organizations. These systems facilitate access and exchange of information, expertise, and learning throughout the organization.

Which recommendation would you make to a new HR practitioner concerning investigating workplace complaints? Always include the employee's direct report in meetings. Become familiar with the requirements of labor contracts and local laws. Avoid documenting discussions that could create legal liability. Use a team of interviewers for greater credibility and impact.

Labor contracts can stipulate employee rights during an investigation, as can local laws. Investigators must be familiar with these obligations.

What type of communication helps ensure an employer's compliance with federal, state, and local law? Organizational training Total compensation statements Organizational code of conduct Labor posters

Labor posters outline basic information that employees must be made aware of regarding employment law at various levels. The other three answer choices are not legal requirements. Total compensation statements, however, may be appreciated by employees, and organizational training is a beneficial way to ensure that employees are oriented to their new company.

In Fielder's Contingency Theory of leadership, in which leaders make a situation more favorable (i.e. more likely to produce positive outcomes), when does situation favorableness occur? Positive task conflict, group creativity, invisible leader Agile team members, collaborative processes, individual accountability Leader-member relations, clarity in tasks and roles, empowered leader Ambitious goals, clear direction form leader, emergent leader

Leader-member relations, clarity in tasks and roles, empowered leader (pg 59)

Which organizational initiative should HR recommend to resolve glass ceiling issues for women? Leadership development and mentoring programs Flextime schedules and increased parenting leave Team-building and communication enhancement training Diversity awareness and conflict resolution training

Leadership development and mentoring programs Organization-wide diversity training can help make the organization more open to women's upward mobility, and flextime policies can help some women do their best at work. However, the most direct way to help women move up the organizational ladder is through mentoring with upper-level executives and programs to hone their leadership skills.

Which should be included in manager training for an organization's diversity and inclusion strategic initiative? Overcoming any negative attitudes the managers have about minorities Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment Identifying and overcoming limitations of minority members on their teams Demonstrating how to comply with diversity-based legal requirements

Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment The key goal of management-directed training is to help executives learn to manage more effectively. Diversity awareness courses aimed at the entire organization (another key training component) will cover better understanding how to work in a diverse organization, focusing on all differences and not particular groups.

Which should be included in manager training for an organization's diversity and inclusion strategic initiative? Overcoming any negative attitudes the managers have about minorities, Identifying and overcoming limitations of minority members on their teams, Demonstrating how to comply with diversity-based legal requirements, Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment

Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment. The key goal of management-directed training is to help executives learn to manage more effectively. Diversity awareness courses aimed at the entire organization (another key training component) will cover better understanding how to work in a diverse organization, focusing on all differences and not particular groups.

Which project management approach focuses on eliminating waste by maintaining a tight focus on the intended value of the project, empowering the team to make decisions, and emphasizes continuous learning? Six Sigma Project Management Lean Project Management Critical chain project management

Lean Project Management Main principle of lean project management is delivering more value with less waste in a project context. page 52

When designing a training program, which should a global HR professional consider first? Local differentiation and stakeholder support Standardization and translation considerations Local regulations and formal agreements Budget and ethical considerations

Local differentiation and stakeholder support Local differentiation and stakeholder support have implications for all aspects of the training analysis, design, development, and evaluation process. These precede the other issues mentioned.

Which strategy should HR recommend to embrace diversity in the workforce at a greenfield operation? Integrated process alignment Perlmutter's orientation Local responsiveness Global integration

Local responsiveness A greenfield operation is a way for an organization to grow its market by entering a new market and building its presence from the bottom up (as opposed to buying a local business). Since locals will understand the forces affecting diversity better than a global headquarters team, encouraging local HR to implement a diversity policy in a culturally appropriate way will be more effective.

Which strategy should HR recommend to embrace diversity in the workforce at a greenfield operation? Perlmutter's orientation Integrated process alignment Local responsiveness Global integration

Local responsiveness. A greenfield operation is a way for an organization to grow its market by entering a new market and building its presence from the bottom up (as opposed to buying a local business). Since locals will understand the forces affecting diversity better than a global headquarters team, encouraging local HR to implement a diversity policy in a culturally appropriate way will be more effective.

What do Shared Service Centers and Centers of Excellence not have in common? MMM. Shared Service Centers deliver savings and increased productivity by locating similar, more transactional processes in one location. MMM. Centers of Excellence can be located in a certain facility, but they can also be virtual, creating networks of experts who can reside anywhere in the organization. NNN. Centers of Excellence deliver savings and increased productivity by locating similar, more transactional processes in one location. NNN. Shared Service Centers can be located in a certain facility, but they can also be virtual, creating networks of experts who can reside anywhere in the organization.

MMM. Shared Service Centers deliver savings and increased productivity by locating similar, more transactional processes in one location. MMM. Centers of Excellence can be located in a certain facility, but they can also be virtual, creating networks of experts who can reside anywhere in the organization.

A company decides to lower payroll costs by hiring an organization to assume full responsibility for its IT department. What is this process called? Managed services Temp-to-lease Payrolling Professional employer organization

Managed services, or outsourcing, allows an outside organization to fully run and staff the department. Payrolling, professional employer organizations, and temp-to-lease programs only provide employees to the organization.

For much of a meeting, one team member is unofficially leading the discussion while several others are quietly listening. What should the manager leading the meeting do? Tell the talkative team member that you are in charge. Ask the quiet participants for their reactions. Allow the meeting to flow without interruption. Summarize what the talkative team member has said and then move to the next agenda item.

Managers support and control discussion during their meetings. This may involve asking quieter participants for their reactions or protecting participants from difficult or abusive group members. Asserting that you are in charge is a poor way of providing support and control.

A manager uses his skill with people to smooth over problems and to make his employees feel secure in their positions. According to the Blake-Mouton theory, what leadership style is the manager using? Answers Authoritarian manager Impoverished manager Team leader Country club manager

Managers who exhibit low task, high people (country club) leadership styles avoid using their authority because they fear that it will jeopardize their relationships. They try to create a supportive atmosphere and trust that employees will respond positively. An authoritarian leader emphasizes task, and an impoverished leader neglects both task and people. A true team leader attends to needs related to both tasks and people.

Which statement accurately describes the status of diversity and inclusion in a global context? Diversity and inclusion initiatives consider only gender and race. Many countries have laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The International Labour Organization requires diversity and inclusion initiatives. Diversity and inclusion is a concern only in the United States.

Many countries have laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Diversity and inclusion is a concern across the globe, and many countries have laws prohibiting discrimination. There is a great deal of variation across countries regarding which groups are impacted by these initiatives. Impacted groups may be members of a caste, a religious group, a racial group, and/or a nationality.

Which of the following is true regarding marijuana laws? It is illegal to fire an employee after the first instance of a failed drug test for marijuana. Marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The federal Controlled Substances Act allows for medicinal marijuana use. Employers must allow employees to use medicinal marijuana while on the job.

Marijuana is legal in multiple states for medical or recreational use, but it remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. This act does not feature an exemption for medicinal use. Both firing employees following a failed drug test and accommodating employees' use of medicinal marijuana may depend on current state regulations.

A manager has come to HR because an employee cannot meet production standards. After further investigation, it is discovered that several other employees cannot meet production standards. Records show that all employees have been properly trained and certified. Which action should HR recommend to resolve the issue? Providing remedial training with a different, more-experienced subject matter expert Developing a new training program that is mandatory for all employees Documenting underperforming employees with a verbal warning that is a precursor to termination Meeting with each employee to determine the obstacles to production

Meeting with each employee to determine the obstacles to production. Training is sometimes seen as the solution to all performance problems. In this case, the manager should meet with the underperforming employees to determine why they are not producing. Since other employees are meeting standards after receiving the same training, it may be that there is a different issue that must be addressed.

The vice president of human resources wants to develop a strong organizational commitment to ethical standards. Which is the best way to communicate this commitment? Delivering annual workshops on how to deal with ethical dilemmas Modeling of ethical behavior by leaders, managers, and supervisors Coaching individual employees whenever a question of ethics arises Inserting a statement to this effect in employee handbooks

Modeling of ethical behavior indicates management and supervisory support every day in a variety of scenarios. Statements in handbooks are passive learning and are hard to transfer to real workplace situations. Annual training without frequent reinforcement is not very effective. Individual coaching is good, but it is reactive, occurring after the event. Modeling can help prevent unethical behavior.

Which best defines the concept of moral hazard? A person engages in risky behavior knowing that someone else will absorb any losses. Intending to behave ethically, an organization violates employment laws or regulations. A leader demonstrates poor ethical behavior, leading to poor choices by employees. An organization decides to behave ethically, even though this means a financial loss.

Moral hazard exists when someone takes risks because he or she will not be affected by losses or damages that occur as a result.

An organization is experiencing low morale and decreased performance due to recent budget cuts and staff shortages. Which offering should HR recommend to most notably boost morale and performance among employees? Certificates of achievement and rewards New office equipment and work tools More communication and feedback Flexible work schedules

More communication and feedback. The organization may not have the resources to provide rewards or work tools or the ability to allow flexible schedules. However, without additional investment, leaders can motivate employees by communicating more, increasing transparency, and providing feedback that will help individual employees develop their skills.

A Taiwanese manufacturer of electronic components for major global brands has production locations in several countries, including Vietnam, Turkey, Mexico, and the United States. What offshoring trend does this exemplify? Multidirectional shift in the flow of offshoring jobs to and from developed and emerging economies Shift in offshoring from low-tech products such as textiles to high-tech products such as electronics Demise of offshoring by firms based in developed countries First use of offshoring by multinational companies

Multidirectional shift in the flow of offshoring jobs to and from developed and emerging economies. The motivations for offshoring, and, consequently, where it is taking place and which firms are adopting it as a global strategy, are changing as a result of new globalization forces, principally the shift from developed to emerging economies. The flow of offshoring jobs is now going in both directions or, rather, in many directions at once.

NOTES: To develop a global mindset, or to really achieve any change in behavior, three elements must be in place: Appropriate knowledge, skills, and understanding Desire and motivation on the part of the employee to change Support from systems and management

NOTES

U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requirement that individuals purchase health insurance was constitutional but requirement that states expand Medicaid was not. *Phillips v. Martin Marietta *NLRB v. Weingarten *National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

What is the best way to deliver negative feedback to a subordinate? Answers Start and end with positive feedback, even if it is about a minor performance element. Deliver positive feedback in person and negative feedback in writing for the purpose of documentation. Create a work environment in which employees feel valued even when negative feedback is necessary. Wait for a quiet moment, when any stress related to the issue has subsided.

Negative feedback is most effective when it occurs within a work context that makes employees feel valued. They see the negative feedback as opportunity to improve and contribute rather than as a personal failure.

A recruiter made an offer to a candidate of an annual salary that was below the candidate's minimum desired compensation. After discussing additional benefits (for example, an extra week of paid vacation), both parties came to an agreement. What is this process called? Negotiation Arbitration Intercession Conflict resolution

Negotiation During negotiation, both parties work together to reach an amicable agreement. Arbitration would be unnecessary in this situation, and an intercession was not needed on behalf of either party. Conflict resolution can involve negotiation, but it is not the best answer here.

A graphic designer is leaving a technology consulting firm after five years. Can the designer use copyrighted materials to launch a start-up company? Yes, the work belongs to the graphic designer. Yes, the firm and the designer share ownership of the work. No, the work is the property of the employer. Maybe. Mediation is needed to determine ownership.

No, the work is the property of the employer. Copyrighted or patented material is the employer's intellectual property. The graphic designer doesn't own the work, and the employer and the graphic designer don't share ownership of the work. No mediation is required.

A scientist is hired to perform research for a new product at a pharmaceutical company. Which clause is most critical to include in the employment contract? Non-disclosure of trade secrets and other confidential information Severance provisions for involuntary resignation and disability Commitment to drug-free workplace and employee assistant programs Benefits provided by the company and date of eligibility

Non-disclosure of trade secrets and other confidential information The most important information to include in the employment contract involves the protection of the organization's intellectual property (IP). The employee will have access to confidential information and research that would be of value to competitive firms. The organization must safeguard this information. The protection of IP is of particular importance when hiring scientists.

An organization with unionized and non-unionized workers negotiates a union contract that includes early retirement benefits and a 10% reduction in starting wages for new employees. Which should the organization likely expect as a result? Contract terms apply to non-unionized workers. Worker output will likely increase. Worker output will likely decrease. Non-unionized workers will expect similar terms.

Non-unionized workers will expect similar terms. The proposed contract may cause similar expectations among non-unionized employees and create ill will and possibly lead to resignations among this group. While they have no legal claim on the benefits of the union contract, the non-unionized workers may feel that the organization can afford to extend the terms to them as well. It would appear that the contract aims at replacing older, more highly paid workers with younger, lower paid workers, which will lower labor costs in the long run, although there will be additional costs at first for recruiting, hiring, and training. Output will probably decline until these new workers attain the same level of expertise.

What best describes the population of the employee workforce that is protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? Union Nonsupervisory Nonunion Supervisory

Nonsupervisory employees are covered under the NLRA. Supervisory employees are considered management. Both union and nonunion employees are protected by the NLRA. (It is a common mistake for many employers to believe that only unionized employees are covered.)

NOTES: What are Dynamic Presentations? Dynamic presentations are presentations that have the latest, up to date information presented in a variety of highly graphic, visual pleasing ways. The information is provided in stunning graphics and visuals, keeping your audience's attention.

Notes

The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970 established the first national policy for workplace safety and health. This federal law requires employers to provide safe and healthful working conditions for employees. How often are OSHA inspections scheduled? Semi-annually Quarterly Annually Random or when a complaint has been filed

OSHA inspections are scheduled at random or when a complaint of unsafe conditions has been filed.

When developing a pay structure, which data set should the HR practitioner use during the development process? Information gathered from surveys, local markets, and like institutions Average of low-paying and high-paying positions Overall points or values used during job evaluation Compiled job analysis, job documentation, and job evaluation

Once the job analysis, job documentation, and job evaluation are completed and other relevant information is collected, an organization uses all the data to develop its pay structure. Information gathered from surveys, local markets, and like institutions may assist with information gathering for benchmarking the position but only a part of the overall data collection for creating a pay structure. An organization should look at all positions, not just low- or high-paying positions. Job evaluation is only one aspect of developing a pay structure.

Term: Performance bonus Page 366

One-time payment made to an employee; also called a lump-sum increase (LSI). Performance bonus Lottery Differential pay

Management decides that training supervisors to identify and prevent bullying is not necessary, and they do not fund a program budget. What does this illustrate? Risk avoidance management strategy Precedence of global standardization in the organization Poor governance Organization's risk tolerance

Organization's risk tolerance. Management has decided that it is willing to accept the risk that bullying will occur and possible organizational costs. This is an example of an organization's risk tolerance, the amount of unmanaged risk that management is willing to accept.

What is the primary distinguishing characteristic of an enterprise risk management framework? Emphasis on strategic risks that threaten organizational goals Proactive as opposed to reactive approach to managing risk Perception of risk as an integrated organizational issue Focus on values and ethical systems that affect governance

Perception of risk as an integrated organizational issue. An enterprise risk management (ERM) system, such as COSO ERM, sees risk as an integrated issue that must be managed across divisions and functions in an enterprise.

In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012), the U.S. Supreme Court considered two key PPACA provisions: Medicaid expansion the individual mandate. Describe what happened.

PPACA proposed to expand the scope of Medicaid and increase the number of low-income individuals states must cover as well as increase federal funding to cover some of the states' costs in expanding the coverage. But PPACA stipulated that if a state did not comply with the PPACA-expanded Medicaid coverage requirements, the state could lose not only the federal funding for those expanded requirements but all of its federal Medicaid funds. The Supreme Court found that this requirement was unconstitutional For most individuals who are not exempt and who do not receive health insurance through an employer or government program, the individual mandate requires them to purchase private health insurance coverage. With limited exceptions, those who do not comply with the mandate must pay a penalty to the Internal Revenue Service for noncompliance. The Court held that the individual mandate was a tax and therefore constitutional because Congress had the power to assess a tax against those who did not purchase insurance.

In addition to salary, health benefits, and welfare benefits, which item should be included in an individualized total compensation statement? Employee discount programs Paid time off Flexible work schedule Alternative work locations

Paid time off should be included in the compensation statement; a dollar figure for it can be calculated based on salary. There is no consistent or tangible way to calculate the value of a flexible work schedule or an alternative work location. Employee discount programs (gym, movie theaters, streaming services, etc.) are based on the volume of participants; therefore, determining an accurate dollar value would be difficult.

Which best demonstrates HR's role in managing organizational risk? Following management's lead in identifying, prioritizing, and managing risks within the HR function Identifying past and current risks and avoiding those risks that affect the HR function Participating in the identification and management of threats and opportunities across the organization Defining the risk level that the organization is willing and able to assume

Participating in the identification and management of threats and opportunities across the organization. The best role for HR is one that is proactive, not reactive, and that considers risk from an integrated enterprise perspective. The definition of risk appetite and risk tolerance is best made by senior management, however.

Which major role does HR play in supporting global strategic management? Creating HR policies that reinforce global inclusion versus local responsiveness Ensuring that subsidiaries' workforces retain their local identities Defining strategies for local subsidiaries Partnering to create the organization's global strategy

Partnering to create the organization's global strategy. HR can support strategic management by helping to create global strategy, aligning HR activities with it, adapting the activities to local needs, and enhancing communication between the organization and its stakeholders.

How should an HR manager address an employee's concern about pay equity between his job and the job of another employee with a similar role? Make the duties different to justify the difference in pay. Perform a job evaluation of the employee's position. Punish the employee for discussing pay with another employee. Provide a pay increase to eliminate the inequity.

Perform a job evaluation of the employee's position. A job evaluation determines the value and price of a job in order to place and compare the job within the organization, and it intertwines with pay equity.

How can HR support an organization's technological challenges during an acquisition? Thoroughly train staff in the acquired company on the purchaser's technology-related policies. Create a strategy to align compensation structures across the purchasing and purchased companies. Do a comparative analysis of the two organization's positions and titles. Perform due diligence on HR information systems used in the acquired company.

Perform due diligence on HR information systems used in the acquired company. During mergers and acquisitions, organizations will consider structural, technological, financial, and legal issues. One common technological issue is that different HRIS in the two organizations will prevent sharing and analysis of data and create conflicts in processes and reporting. HR should first determine whether the purchasing company's technology policy should be changed or whether the two companies' policies should be integrated and employees in both companies retrained. Aligning compensation is a financial challenge, not a technical one, and aligning positions and titles is a structural issue.

What is Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation (1971)

Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corporation (1971) was one of the first cases to apply the sex discrimination provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to employment decisions. An employer may not, in the absence of business necessity, refuse to hire women with preschool-aged children while hiring men with such children.

A HR business partner receives an e-mail from the director of finance, asking for tax documents for an employee who needs the forms promptly to obtain a mortgage. The business partner has never communicated with the director before, but the department policy is to respond promptly to internal customers. What should the business partner do? Hit 'reply' and show the required customer service. Verify the individual's name and title in the company directory and then reply. Phone the individual's office and offer assistance. Forward the e-mail to the HR director, asking for instructions.

Phone the individual's office and offer assistance. This is a possible case of a spear-phishing attack, in which a cyber intruder asks for information or asks the recipient to click a link to a document or website. Any unusual request from an atypical sender should trigger suspicions and a cautious response. The safest course is to phone the extension number in the organization's directory and confirm the e-mail request. If it was a phishing attack, it should then be reported to the IT system manager.

In Maslow's Motivation theory, in what order do his five basic categories need to be met? Physiological (basic needs for survival), safety and security, belonging and love, esteem (both self esteem and admiration of others), self-actualization (the need to fill one's potential). Physiological (basic needs for survival), safety and security, esteem (both self esteem and admiration of others), self-actualization (the need to fill one's potential), belonging and love Physiological (basic needs for survival), safety and security, self-actualization (the need to fill one's potential), esteem (both self esteem and admiration of others), belonging and love

Physiological (basic needs for survival), safety and security, belonging and love, esteem (both self esteem and admiration of others), self-actualization (the need to fill one's potential).

During the job evaluation phase, if the organization used the , then the pay grade consists of jobs falling within a range of points. Point-factor method Job ranking method Job classification method

Point-factor method

By eliminating uncertainty, the organization or function takes steps to guarantee that positive risk events will happen and negative ones will not happen. These steps must be thoroughly researched and analyzed to establish that desired absolute degree of certainty. Describe a Positive Risk Event Describe a Negative Risk Event

Positive Risk Event: Optimize HR is developing a global assignment policy. To make the assignment program as attractive as possible and attract the greatest number of qualified candidates, HR includes a guaranteed income provision. Negative Risk Event: Avoid HR is screening applications and pauses over a problematic one. The individual has the required skills and is immediately available. However, employment history shows periods of brief employment and unexplained gaps in employment. The early departures and gaps could have legitimate reasons, but they could also signify difficulty in adapting to work environments. HR decides to demote the application to secondary consideration after other "group A" applicants are screened.

When an organization has a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) orientation, which is it likely to see as a primary outcome? Retention of existing customers and referral of new customers Greater employee productivity and performance Proactive and ongoing interaction with all stakeholders Increased profitability for its shareholders

Proactive and ongoing interaction with all stakeholders A CSR-oriented organization's primary responsibility should be to its stakeholders rather than to its shareholders.

An employer is investigating alleged misconduct by an employee who is a union member. What must the employer allow during any investigatory interview of the employee, if requested? Opportunity to review video evidence before the interview Ability to respond to questions in writing instead of an interview Presence of a personal attorney in the interview Presence of a union representative in the interview

Presence of a union representative in the interview

What would make for the most effective presentation to senior management to ask for the purchase of HRIS technology? Dynamic presentation that focuses only on key points Detailed presentation that shows proofs for all points Glossy presentation that states only what the customer wants to hear Bold presentation that glosses over negative points

Presentations to high-level decision makers need to be dynamic and focused on key points. Technical partners, such as IT, may need a more detailed presentation.

Which is the best way for an HR professional to persuade a function to embrace changes in work processes that are part of an organizational effectiveness intervention? Presenting evidence that the disruption will be only temporary Presenting the changes as necessary to maintaining competitiveness Explaining that credibility is jeopardized if the changes are not accepted Showing how these are standard procedures at other organizations

Presenting the changes as necessary to maintaining competitiveness Change is difficult. If organizational effectiveness and development initiatives are presented as a way to increase the competitiveness of the company or advance strategic goals, HR may gain better workforce support for the initiatives.

Which is the best example of a regulation? Civil Rights Act of 1964 Fair Labor Standards Act Interpretation of legal matters related to expatriation Process by which the Department of Labor clarifies the exempt status of employees

Process by which the Department of Labor clarifies the exempt status of employees Regulations are proposed, adopted, and enforced by administrative agencies. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Labor Standards Act are both examples of statutes. An interpretation of legal matters related to expatriation is an example of an agency guideline.

An HR manager leads a three-person team that is designing new audit processes and tools. One member who is new to the organization argues forcefully for approaches that she used in her previous job. The other two team members complain off-line to the team leader, saying that the new member does not listen and just wants to do things in a familiar way. What should the team leader do? Promptly and privately meet with the new member and discuss project goals and team ground rules. Encourage the new member to continue bring new ideas into the discussion and improve the team process. Counsel the two team members that they must show more patience and support for the new team member Express understanding to the team members but allow the team members to correct the situation themselves.

Promptly and privately meet with the new member and discuss project goals and team ground rules. The new team member may be introducing worthwhile ideas but is also disrupting the team's productivity. The team leader should act quickly to correct the situation, explaining that while the new member's ideas may have value, all team members' ideas must be heard and discussed.

An HR manager observes that a staff member spends considerable time following up on compliance questions from line managers and supervisors. How should the manager respond? Ask line managers to submit questions to HR in e-mail form. Provide positive feedback to motivate this type of behavior. Address the issue in a staff meeting without mentioning names. Say nothing now but document the amount of time spent in this manner.

Provide positive feedback to motivate this type of behavior. The staff member demonstrates HR's mission to provide service to its internal customers, and compliance questions merit HR's prompt attention. The role of HR leaders is to model commitment to the concept of customer service, which the manager can do by praising the staff member's performance.

What is one thing an organization can do to help ensure a global assignment's success for both the individual and the organization? Focus on expatriation rather than repatriation. View assignments as an activity rather than a process. Provide well-planned, ongoing training and support. Select a candidate based on functional competence and communication skills.

Provide well-planned, ongoing training and support. Ongoing training and support is critical throughout the assignment, not just before. Both expatriation and repatriation require equal attention. Assignments should be viewed as a process, not an activity. All criteria, not just functional and communication skills, should be considered in candidate selection.

What is the usefulness of a key risk indicator (KRI)? Establishes greater accountability of risk control measures Assists in preventing the emergence of identified risks Provides early warning of organizational risk emergence Identifies a global assessment of organizational exposure to risk

Provides early warning of organizational risk emergence. A KRI signals when risk exposure may be increasing. It can be used to identify emerging risks to the organization. KRIs monitor risk but do not prevent risks from occurring. They are not enough in themselves to create transparency and accountability.

Which step is necessary in conducting an effective investigation of employee complaints that may lead to discipline? Soliciting employee input on interview questions Providing protection against retaliation Providing a verbal report of the investigation results Selecting a neutral external investigator

Providing protection against retaliation is a necessary step in an investigation for ethical and risk management reasons.

Which is the best justification for offshoring production to another country to remain competitive? Quality control levels will remain the same. Labor relations concerns are diminished. Proximity to new markets will lower costs. Wage increase concerns are eliminated

Proximity to new markets will lower costs.

Which is the best justification for offshoring production to another country to remain competitive? Labor relations concerns are diminished. Wage increase concerns are eliminated. Quality control levels will remain the same. Proximity to new markets will lower costs.

Proximity to new markets will lower costs. The main reason offshoring is considered is that it will lower costs.

A stock brokerage firm incents in-house brokers with trips if they generate more than $500,000 worth of sales in a particular fund that the firm currently owns 20% in. Management asks HR to comment on the program. What should HR recommend? Recommend that this unethical practice stop and discuss alternative incentive plans. Allow this practice to continue without comment as long as it has a positive effect on revenue. Require that this illegal practice stop to avoid potential risks of noncompliance. Suggest lowering the dollar amount to mitigate risks of unethical behavior or revenue loss.

Recommend that this unethical practice stop and discuss alternative incentive plans. The rewards create a conflict of interest and may encourage questionable business decisions. It is the role and duty of HR to support and model ethical behavior, in this case by presenting its assessment of the ethical issue to management. The organization's action in this case may not be illegal, but it is unethical. Customers who bought into this fund would most likely question who was receiving the primary benefit from the transaction if the details of the incentives were made known. Lowering the amount does not address the ethical and policy issues.

Which change might a corporation make in the way it does business to create a sustainability sweet spot? Switching supply chain vendors to those whose more socially responsible practices slow down the delivery cycle Reducing how much of its processes are automated in order to employ more local workers Redesigning products so that components are made locally from recycled materials, thereby reducing production costs Altering its production facilities to use renewable energy sources (wind, solar) despite the increase in costs

Redesigning products so that components are made locally from recycled materials, thereby reducing production costs. Sustainability sweet spots create a win-win situation in which the changed products, procedures, or processes have a positive impact on society and/or the environment but also on the organization's bottom line. A change that does social or environmental good but costs the organization may be admirable but is not a sweet spot initiative.

An organization has experienced rapid growth, hampering its ability to respond quickly to competitive threats. Which form of restructuring will offer the best opportunity to minimize response times? Merging or acquiring a key competitor Redistributing decision-making authority Using an extended organization approach Downsizing to save internal costs

Redistributing decision-making authority. Redistribution of decision-making authority-in this case, shifting authority downward toward line managers or outward from headquarters to the field-will shorten response time. Using an extended organization structure may decrease response time since aligning with external partners can be challenging. Growing more through a merger will make the need for restructuring more necessary. Costs are not the issue, and downsizing is not the organization's strategy.

Define 'retrenching' +Reducing costs or spending in response to economic difficulty. +Making (a company or organization) smaller by eliminating staff positions +A period during which someone does not take part in an activity

Reducing costs or spending in response to economic difficulty.

Which action would be considered an unfair labor practice (ULP)? Conducting scheduled performance appraisals during negotiations Terminating an employee for just cause Refusing to bargain with a legally recognized union Filing charges against the union for coercing employees

Refusing to bargain with a legally recognized union. In general, a ULP is a violation by an employer or a union of a country's labor laws. Refusal to bargain with a legally recognized union or to provide information necessary for negotiations is an example of the type of action considered a ULP. The other actions listed are within an employer's rights.

A rule or order issued by an administrative agency; usually has the force of law. Interpretive bulletins distributed by administrative agencies are helpful in deciphering regulatory developments.

Regulation

Which type of rules or orders that have the force of law are issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency? Bills Executive orders Amendments Regulations

Regulations reflect how laws will be implemented and often have the force of law. An amendment is a modification to the Constitution or a law. A bill is a proposal presented to a legislative body for possible enactment as a statute. An executive order is a directive for a governmental unit.

The HR department monitors the emergency response plans and updates them as needed, at least annually. Which is the best way to evaluate the plan as part of the annual review? Rehearsing drills of the plan Testing procedures for each department Evaluating employees' knowledge of the plan through an online test Meeting groups of employees to get feedback

Rehearsing drills of the plan. A rehearsal (drill) of the plan will reveal its inevitable shortcomings as well as provide employees with valuable training. The time to test is before a crisis, not during one.

Which type of survey should an HR professional use to collect information on base pay, incentive plans, and benefits? Global Marketplace Remuneration Competitiveness

Remuneration surveys, the global terminology for compensation and benefit surveys, are used to collect information on prevailing market compensation and benefit practices. This type of survey allows an organization to check its remuneration structures against global and local trends.

What is a direct implication of HR's evolving strategic role? Redesign of incentive systems to reward increased customer satisfaction More employee engagement programs to smooth generational differences in the workforce Required competence to develop talent through career development and succession planning Increased knowledge of employment law, compliance issues, and record keeping

Required competence to develop talent through career development and succession planning. HR's talent management strategy needs to be aligned to the organization's strategies and business partners' needs. While the other activities listed are important, they are tied more to HR's operational and administrative roles. Operational activities focus on the day-to-day needs of managing people (e.g., compensation and incentive systems), while administrative activities focus on transactions, such as implementing payroll or creating and updating employee records.

What is the first step in developing an HR documentation policy? Documenting compliance with the rules of federal and state agencies Acquiring an area off site that can provide security and continuity Establishing a logical framework for organizing files and auditing practices Researching what laws apply, the records required, and the retention period

Researching what laws apply, the records required, and the retention period. HR must first identify its obligations (and risks) by defining the laws under which the employer is covered, what documents are required, and how long they must be retained. Establishing a framework and auditing practices cannot be performed until the requirements are identified. Documenting efforts and securing documents require attention but are later steps.

What legal principle is followed by national policies requiring affirmative action to prevent discrimination? Positive action Reservation Workforce nationalization Equal opportunity

Reservation The principle of reservation, where laws mandate a percentage quota or other special considerations for specified minority groups or ethnic communities, is often based on the concept that historic national discrimination against a given minority requires counterbalancing favorable affirmative action.

What is meant by the term "residual risk"? Amount of risk that is found in an organization's industry Risk levels that lie above an organization's threshold for risk tolerance Amount of uncertainty remaining after all risk management efforts have been made Risk that an organization has decided not to attempt to manage

Residual risk is the amount of uncertainty that remains after all possible management strategies have been exhausted.

HR is negotiating a contract. The salesperson is difficult to work with and insists that if the contract is not signed today, the favorable terms will change. Many of the terms are in alignment with the company's needs; however, some are not. What should the HR professional do? Restate the needs of the organization and focus on mutual needs. Walk away from the situation and look elsewhere. Retreat and concede the core points of the negotiating position. Accept the terms of the contract as offered by the salesperson.

Restate the needs of the organization and focus on mutual needs. In contract negotiation, it is HR's role to advocate for the needs of the organization. HR should restate the needs to the salesperson and try to resolve the conflict. Conceding or accepting poor terms is incorrect as it puts the organization at risk. Walking away prevents the company from receiving the items it needs.

An American multinational corporation known for its big, premium-priced ultrasound scanners (designed for use in U.S. hospitals) introduces a cheaper and portable version in emerging markets. The portable scanner also creates new markets in the U.S., for example, in small hospitals and for immobile patients. What globalization force does this exemplify? The diaspora Reverse innovation Hyperconnectivity The demographic dichotomy

Reverse innovation All of these choices are examples of forces shaping globalization. The scenario describes reverse innovation. Historically, multinationals innovated in developed-economy countries and sold those products in emerging-economy countries. Reverse innovation is doing just the opposite. It is about innovating for or by poor countries and bringing those products to rich countries.

A new HR manager joins a manufacturing organization that is experiencing an increase in workplace safety incidents. These incidents are resulting in higher insurance costs, increased absences, reduced productivity, and lower-quality products. A review of compliance functions and key performance indicators shows an excessive increase in the last 12 months. This timeline coincides with the retirement of the compliance manager and the transfer of the duties related to managing workplace safety to the HR department. The manager also compares the number of incidents in the organization with industry standards and determines that the organization's incident rates are 50% greater than the industry average. The HR manager recognizes that changes need to be made immediately in the HR department to improve safety and protect employees from future incidents and injuries. The CEO tasks the HR manager with finding solutions to increase safety knowledge and decrease incidents in the organization. What should the HR manager do to increase his own knowledge of safety practices and outcomes in the organization? A. Visit similar manufacturing organizations to find out about their safety procedures. B. Review incident reports from the past five years to identify themes and common problems. C. Watch manufacturing safety videos to become familiar with industry best practices. D. Interview employees at the organization about safety practices they use.

Review incident reports from the past five years to identify themes and common problems. B is correct. Given the limited experience the HR manager has in this area, it is a good first step to validate if there is a correlation between the retirement of the compliance manager and the increase in the number of incidents or if there are other factors contributing to the increase in incidents. Depending on what the HR manager finds, he can then create a plan to reduce the number of incidents potentially through a variety of activities (training, work redesign, safety reviews, compliance audits, etc.). A and C are incorrect. Since each organization would have a specific and unique approach to safety, the HR manager would not gain a good understanding of organization-specific practices and outcomes. D is incorrect, as employees may follow current safety practice to varying degrees and general outcomes may be difficult to ascertain only by interviewing employees.

A mature organization has relied on stable processes that supported its current success. One of these processes is succession planning. This HR team has followed a strategy of identifying effective higher-level managers and grooming them for leadership positions. If you were a new HR manager assigned to lead this team, what would you advise? Revise participation criteria to reflect the organization's maturity and processes. Maintain the current practice to preserve employee expectations and engagement. Immediately evaluate the succession planning process in terms of its cost-effectiveness. Review the succession planning strategy to ensure alignment with current business conditions.

Review the succession planning strategy to ensure alignment with current business conditions. Effective succession planning should be developing the type of talent the organization will need in the future. This means that the organization's needs should be reviewed regularly against the organization's strategy and competitive environment. It is not necessarily a good idea to limit succession planning participation to managers, and it could turn out that an organization needs skills other than management ones, such as technical and business analysis competencies. Evaluating cost-effectiveness is a good idea, but not the most pressing concern, given the possibility that the process is no longer aligned with the business's situation.

HR is considering whether to recommend termination of an employee after investigating and confirming numerous complaints from other employees about unlawful behavior. Which additional steps should the HR manager consider before making the termination recommendation? Developing justification of the need to respond to this allegation Validating the employment at-will exceptions with external legal counsel Reviewing the history of similar discipline situations Attempting to correct the employee's behavior

Reviewing the history of similar discipline situations. HR should confirm the consistency with which the organization has responded to this type of problem in the past. The action could be discriminatory if the response is inconsistent with previous similar situations.

What is secondary risk? Risk that is deemed lower in priority Risk events that closely follow primary events Risk events that occur as a result of primary risk occurrence Risk created by a risk management tactic

Risk created by a risk management tactic. Secondary risk refers to risks that are created by the risk management strategy itself. Before they are implemented, strategies must be analyzed to determine if they present secondary risks.

Factor such as religion, gender, national origin, etc. that is reasonably necessary, in the normal operations of an organization, to carry out a particular job function. Essential Functions Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) Competencies

Term: Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)

A company identifies a need for training on unlawful harassment for front-line supervisors as one aspect of an OED intervention. Which best describes the organizational impact of this activity? Supervisors will be able to conduct their own investigations of harassment allegations, for faster resolution of problems. HR will no longer have to get involved in dealing with harassment allegations once front-line supervisors are trained. Employees will be less likely to exhibit harassing behaviors once their supervisors have been properly trained. Risk will be mitigated because front-line supervisors will be equipped to recognize, correct, and report harassing behaviors.

Risk will be mitigated because front-line supervisors will be equipped to recognize, correct, and report harassing behaviors. As a result of completing training on unlawful harassment, front-line supervisors will gain the knowledge they need to be able to recognize, correct, and report harassment, thereby reducing the risk exposure the organization would have if they did not have such knowledge. The fact that employees know that the supervisors have been trained doesn't mean they'll be less likely to harass others-just that the supervisors will be able to recognize harassment for what it is sooner than they otherwise would. HR will always need to be involved when harassment is suspected, and managers should never investigate their own employees.

What data analysis tool should be used to show the relationship between employees' formal education and job performance ratings? Pareto chart Trend analysis Pie chart Scatter diagram

Scatter diagrams are used to show relationships between two variables-in this case, education level and performance rating.

Which is the best option to help an international assignee rapidly acclimate to the new country's culture? Arrange for the assignee to move in and live with a local host family for the first six months. Secure a specialized third-party vendor to provide the assignee with a customized settling-in program. Schedule the assignee in a series of accelerated language and customs courses. Provide the international assignee with a country overview and culture orientation.

Secure a specialized third-party vendor to provide the assignee with a customized settling-in program. To navigate the complexities of global assignments, a specialized third-party vendor is the best resource. Although the other options may be generally helpful, they are not specifically targeted to assist the assignee in acclimating to the global assignment.

Which of the following employment practices would an HR director recommend to increase employees' behavioral engagement levels? Have final candidates complete an assessment measuring self-initiative. Select applicants with an interest in solving problems and ensure challenging work. Implement an employee recognition program to reinforce faster completion of tasks. Implement delegation training for managers.

Select applicants with an interest in solving problems and ensure challenging work. Behavioral engagement occurs when both trait engagement (possessing traits like initiative, curiosity, and risk taking) and state engagement (for example, increasing autonomy and control over work) exist and are manifested in how employees approach their jobs.

An HR manager is negotiating a new contract with a recruiter. The HR manager has a specific budget and is responsible to management for the use of this budget and for meeting organizational diversity goals. The HR manager also has demanding internal clients who do not understand it when an open position is not filled promptly. In the past, HR has always worked with a designated liaison, but the recruiter does not want to commit to that. In this scenario, what would be considered a "want" rather than a "need"? Diverse candidates Single liaison Performance data Proven capacity

Single liaison The scenario suggests that time to fill is critical, so the recruiter's capacity to respond quickly to requisitions would be important. Since management requires performance reports and diversity, HR needs data from the recruiter that can be used to measure HR performance and a diverse pool of applicants. Of the items listed, the issue of a single contact person or liaison would be a negotiable "want."

What codetermination model does the following describe: There is only one board of directors, but employee representatives are included as members Dual System Single-tier System Mixed System

Single-tier system

Presentation to management that establishes that a specific problem exists and argues for a proposed solution. Business case Proposed solution Strategic case

Term: Business case

Which technology can reduce HR's transactional workload? Webconferencing Blogs Self-service systems Social media

Self-service systems Self-service technology can relieve HR of many data entry/revision tasks; managers and employees can perform these transactions themselves.

Which practice should HR recommend to reduce security concerns associated with increased Internet use? Encrypting employee computers and network communications Allowing data transfer to personal mobile devices Backing up all organizational data to off-site locations Requiring annual polygraph testing of employees

Sensitive data can be protected by encrypting employee laptops, desktops, and network communications to ensure secure storage and sharing of confidential information.

It is estimated that one-third of Fortune 500 CEOs have remained in their positions fewer than three years. Which does this indicate about executive development? Executives are open to change and have the skills to succeed but are not getting honest feedback about their performance. Executives have the people skills and intellect to succeed but lack the personal drive and initiative to manage change. Executives have strong people management skills but lack the knowledge and intellect to outperform the competition. Executives have the knowledge and intellect to succeed but lack the people skills to build teams or maintain productive relationships.

Several studies demonstrate that leaders may have the knowledge and intellect to succeed but fail because they lack the necessary people skills. This impairs their ability to learn from mistakes and readily adapt to change.

Faragher v. City of Boca Raton (1998) and Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth (1998) are two U.S. Supreme Court rulings regarding what? (Provide more info in the answer)

Sexual harassment. Faragher v. City of Boca Raton: The case centered on Beth Ann Faragher, a college student who, between 1985 and 1990, worked as a lifeguard for the City of Boca Raton, Florida. Faragher alleged that during this time two male supervisors made offensive sexual remarks and lewd gestures to her and other female lifeguards, touched them inappropriately, and asked them for sex. In June 26, 1998, ruled (7-2) that—under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—the United States Supreme Court in which the Court identified the circumstances under which an employer may be held liable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for the acts of a supervisory employee whose sexual harassment of subordinates has created a hostile work environment amounting to employment discrimination. The court held that "an employer is vicariously liable for actionable discrimination caused by a supervisor, but subject to an affirmative defense looking to the reasonableness of the employer's conduct as well as that of a plaintiff victim."[1] Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742 (1998), is a landmark employment law case of the United States Supreme Court holding that employers are liable if supervisors create a hostile work environment for employees.[1] Ellerth also introduced a two-part affirmative defense allowing employers to avoid sex discrimination liability if they follow best practices. Kimberly Ellerth, a female employee at Burlington Industries, sued the company for sexual harassment on the part of her male supervisor. She alleged the vice president of sales made offensive remarks and unwanted overtures. She identified three episodes involving threats to deny tangible job benefits unless sexual favors were granted. She alleged a violation of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lower court dismissed her claim, noting that she had suffered no actual negative job consequences.[3] The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court decision, but issued 8 separate opinions.[4] Under Title VII, an employee who refuses the unwelcome and threatening sexual advances of a supervisor, yet suffers no adverse, tangible job consequences, may recover against the employer without showing the employer is negligent or otherwise at fault for the supervisor's actions, but the employer may interpose an affirmative defense.

The HR director and the management team of a small resort hotel have been working to solidify a union avoidance strategy. As this is occurring, they discover that a union's representatives are talking with the employees about organizing. Which action should the HR director recommend the resort take in response to the union activity? Share the company's position and the union's strategy with the employees honestly. Present the company's position to the employees but do not mention the union. Ensure that the hotel's compensation package lags those of its direct competitors. Conduct a joint presentation with the union representative for hotel employees.

Share the company's position and the union's strategy with the employees honestly. Be honest with the employees. Being dishonest will play into the union's potential future organizing campaign. Employers are usually allowed to explain their reasons for wishing to remain union-free; making promises or threats may constitute unfair labor practices. A joint presentation with the union is risky, as well as unnecessary. A lagging compensation position would benefit the union and should be corrected if the employer wishes to avoid unionization.

In this alternative HR structure, each business unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share. Functional Dedicated Shared Services Decentralized

Shared Services

How is a risk control best understood by an organization? Ensuring that employees are following risk management guidelines Restricting the amount of risk the organization assumes in its dealings Indicating what triggers a specific risk management response Sharing a risk's occurrence or impact and its likelihood

Sharing a risk's occurrence or impact and its likelihood. A risk control is an action taken to manage a risk: to enhance the potential of an upside risk or to decrease the potential negative effects of a downside risk.

Which statement best describes a productive knowledge management system? Acquiring knowledge from outside sources to solve problems Implementing changes and committing to employee development Supporting new product development and creation of organizational policies Sharing of organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss

Sharing of organizational learning and reducing knowledge loss. Knowledge management programs typically focus on two key elements: expertise sharing and knowledge retention/reduction of knowledge loss due to employee attrition.

What communications medium has a high risk of becoming a source of noise for some function team members because many communications seem urgent even when they are not important? Videoconferencing E-mails Short messaging Worksheets

Short messaging Messaging or texting can be distracting if it is used too much. This can create noise in the form of the important messages being overlooked.

A European employee travels to transfer company technology for a manufacturing process. The employee remains on home-country compensation and benefit plans while on assignment. Incentives include one trip home every 12 weeks to visit family that remained at home. What type of global assignee is this individual? Globalist Just-in-time expatriate Short-term assignee International assignee

Short-term assignees go on assignment for less than a year but more than a few weeks, often without moving the family. International assignees are traditional expatriates on full relocation assignments lasting from one to three years. Globalists spend their entire careers in international assignments, moving from one locale to another. Just-in-time expatriates are ad hoc or contract workers hired for a single assignment.

Which project management approach derives from quality principles, and refers to a level of quality so high that very few errors occur? Six Sigma Project Management Lean Project Management Critical chain project Management

Six Sigma Project Management page 52

Which best describes the situation most likely to use a narrow span of control? Skilled manager shortage No requirement of team effort Complexity of tasks Significantly experienced subordinates

Span of control refers to the number of individuals who report to a supervisor. Narrower spans of control are typically used when tasks are complex, subordinates are poorly trained or inexperienced, or a team effort is required.

What action would best support a group creativity session? Start thinking of responses only after listening to what each person has to say. Think of possible responses to facilitate smooth transitions as others speak. Generate a conscious idea of what the various contributors will likely say. Make a list of rebuttals for concerns that will likely be raised.

Start thinking of responses only after listening to what each person has to say. Active listening requires turning away from oneself-one's preconceptions about the speaker, concerns about what's being said, one's own needs, possible responses-and focusing instead on the speaker.

Technology automates many HR tasks, shrinking the HR department. Yet, as HR evolves from transactional to transformational work, the workload may increase and become more complex. Staff may complain about being overloaded. Which is the best way to solve this problem? Outsource customer service related to manager self-service systems to an outside vendor. Support training to help HR staff make full use of available technology. Decrease additional spending on technology. Reassign tasks according to the staff's technological proficiency levels.

Support training to help HR staff make full use of available technology. The best solution is to make sure that staff are making good use of all the capabilities that their technology includes. Sometimes staff are not aware of these capabilities or lack confidence in their knowledge. Training will help. Reassigning tasks wastes resources. Resisting technology means not benefiting from its capabilities. Outsourcing customer service will strain relationships with HR's clients as they become less familiar with issues and less visible to their clients.

Business management software, usually a suite of integrated applications, that a company can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from many business activities. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) Suites of data application (SDA) Electronic data interchange (EDI)

Term: Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Notes Define the five steps of the risk management process? Identify the risk Analyze the risk Evaluate the risk Treat the risk Monitor & review the risk

Step 1: Identify the Risk. You and your team uncover, recognize and describe risks that might affect your project or its outcomes. There are a number of techniques you can use to find project risks. During this step you start to prepare your Project Risk Register. Step 2: Analyze the risk. Once risks are identified you determine the likelihood and consequence of each risk. You develop an understanding of the nature of the risk and its potential to affect project goals and objectives. This information is also input to your Project Risk Register. Step 3: Evaluate or Rank the Risk. You evaluate or rank the risk by determining the risk magnitude, which is the combination of likelihood and consequence. You make decisions about whether the risk is acceptable or whether it is serious enough to warrant treatment. These risk rankings are also added to your Project Risk Register. Step 4: Treat the Risk. This is also referred to as Risk Response Planning. During this step you assess your highest ranked risks and set out a plan to treat or modify these risks to achieve acceptable risk levels. How can you minimize the probability of the negative risks as well as enhancing the opportunities? You create risk mitigation strategies, preventive plans and contingency plans in this step. And you add the risk treatment measures for the highest ranking or most serious risks to your Project Risk Register. Step 5: Monitor and Review the risk. This is the step where you take your Project Risk Register and use it to monitor, track and review risks.

Which is a primary business benefit associated with implementation of an employee volunteerism program? Expanding skill sets for employees who participate Enhancing sense of camaraderie and teamwork Strengthening the company's brand and reputation Developing opportunities for employee recognition

Strengthening the company's brand and reputation While all of these may occur as a result of successfully implementing an employee volunteerism program, they are not all considered business benefits. Strengthening the company's brand and reputation is a business benefit. The others are benefits to the employees and/or the work environment.

What are the primary categories of barriers to effective risk management? Structural, cognitive, and cultural Time, money, and resources Opportunities, threats, and weaknesses Location, personnel, and equipment

Structural. Organizations that are structured in a silo fashion tend to respond to risk in an operational rather than strategic manner. They overlook dependencies within the organization that can create risks and/or interfere with proactive risk management. Cognitive. Managing risk effectively also requires imagination and openness to change. Cultural. The cultural barriers ultimately involve what types of mindsets are sought, instilled, and rewarded. Organizations must clearly communicate to their members just what the organization's position and appetite are regarding risk. Time, money, and resources and location, personnel, and equipment may be impacted by risk management efforts, but they don't drive those efforts. Similarly, opportunities, threats, and weaknesses may be part of what the organization looks at as part of its risk management efforts, but they don't drive those efforts.

Definition Process by which an organization identifies performance gaps and sets goals for performance improvement by comparing its data, performance levels, and/or processes against those of other organizations. Strategy Development Environmental Scanning Benchmarking

Term: Benchmarking

In order to further its diversity and inclusion initiative, an organization wants to help its employee resource groups (ERGs) succeed. Which role should HR take? Encouraging ERGs to operate independent of the organization Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs Assuming a leadership position in each ERG Assigning each new employee to the appropriate ERG

Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs ERGs and their parent organizations can serve as resources for one another, and the parent organization can provide support and expertise. But a critical element of ERGs is that they are self-selecting. By joining an ERG, an employee chooses to focus on one of many diversity dimensions that comprise his or her identity or interests. By the same token, organizational sponsorship, rather than leadership, is the appropriate role.

In order to further its diversity and inclusion initiative, an organization wants to help its employee resource groups (ERGs) succeed. Which role should HR take? Encouraging ERGs to operate independent of the organization, Assigning each new employee to the appropriate ERG, Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs, Assuming a leadership position in each ERG

Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs. ERGs and their parent organizations can serve as resources for one another, and the parent organization can provide support and expertise. But a critical element of ERGs is that they are self-selecting. By joining an ERG, an employee chooses to focus on one of many diversity dimensions that comprise his or her identity or interests. By the same token, organizational sponsorship, rather than leadership, is the appropriate role.

The vice president of operations has asked the chief human resources officer (CHRO) to determine the risk levels across the organization's three offices. With the help of the HR team, the CHRO conducts surveys, interviews, and focus groups to collect data. During which phase of the risk management process are these activities occurring? Managing risks Evaluating risks Analyzing risks Identifying risks

Surveys, interviews, and focus groups are methods used to identify risks. The organization must first identify the risks so that they can be analyzed, evaluated, and then managed.

Which term is best described as traditionally higher-level leadership responsibilities being transferred to leaders at lower levels? Task migration Job expansion Delegation Leadership training

Task migration occurs when traditionally higher-level leadership responsibilities are transferred to leaders at lower levels. This is partly a function of the trend toward flatter organizations, but it is also due to the greater frequency and complexities of challenges. What was typically handled by senior leaders in the past has been handed down to junior leaders so the former can focus on even more complex issues.

Under the Blake-Mounton theory, There are five types of managers, only one of which is considered a leader. Which one is it? Country club, Impoverished, Authoritarian, Middle of the road, and Team leaders. (page 58)

Team leaders. (high task, high relationship) lead by positive example, foster a team environment, and encourage individual and team development.

Mandatory or voluntary payments or services provided to employees, typically covering retirement, health care, sick pay/disability, life insurance, and paid time off. Benefits Compensation Total Rewards

Term: Benefits

HR specific software with modules aimed to excel in one particular HR function, such as talent management, workforce planning, or payroll. By definition, the features in such software modules tend to win out over the equivalent offered by an all-in-one integrated HRMS suite. Best of Breed System Enterprise Resource Plan System Human Resources Information System

Term: Best of Breed System

Proposal presented to a legislative body for possible enactment as a statute. *Amendment *Veto *Bill

Term: Bill

Planned approach to learning that includes a combination of instructor-led training, self- directed study, and/or on-the-job training. Transfer Learning Blended Learning Bloom's Taxonomy

Term: Blended learning

In Fielder's Contingency Theory of leadership, which one of these is not something that is done to change unfavorable situations? Improving relations between the leader and the team (e.g. by building trust) Changing aspects of the task (e.g. breaking a project down into more manageable pieces, providing more resources for the team. Increasing or decreasing the leader's exercise of power (e.g. to increase team involvement in and ownership of ideas, to decrease harmful conflict or resistance to change) Telling the employees what to do when they are not yet motivated or competent.

Telling the employees what to do when they are not yet motivated or competent.

Union employees' right in U.S. to have a union representative or coworker present during an investigatory interview. *Weingarten Rights *Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act *Protected Class

Term: *Weingarten Rights

Instructional systems design framework consisting of a number of steps that guide the design and development of learning programs. Learning Portal Synchronous ADDIE

Term: ADDIE model Bonus Question: What is ADDIE an acronym for? Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation

Money an organization owes its vendors and suppliers. Accounts payable Accounts receivable Liabilities

Term: Accounts payable

Data-sorting technique in which a group categorizes and subcategorizes data until relationships are clearly drawn. Affinity diagramming Nominal Group Technique Delphi diagramming

Term: Affinity diagramming The tool is commonly used within project management and allows large numbers of ideas stemming from brainstorming[2] to be sorted into groups, based on their natural relationships, for review and analysis.[3] It is also frequently used in contextual inquiry as a way to organize notes and insights from field interviews. It can also be used for organizing other freeform comments, such as open-ended survey responses, support call logs, or other qualitative data

Expected monetary loss for an asset due to a risk over a one-year period; calculated by multiplying single loss expectancy by annualized rate of occurrence. *Principal Agent Problem *Annualized Loss Expectancy (ALE) *Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

Term: Annualized loss expectancy (ALE)

Software application that automates organizations' management of the recruiting process (such as accepting application materials, screening applicants, etc.). Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Performance Management Learning Management System(LMS)

Term: Applicant tracking system (ATS)

Related to technical skills training; often a partnership between employers and unions. International Assignment Assimilation Apprenticeship

Term: Apprenticeship

Assessment tools that provide candidates a wide range of leadership situations and problem solving exercises. Self Assessment Assessment centers 360 Assessment

Term: Assessment centers Hints: Not necessarily a place but rather a method, pre-assessment for candidates, the assessments are for performance

Financial, physical, and sometimes intangible properties an organization owns. Assets Resources Appliances

Term: Assets

Financial, physical, and sometimes intangible properties an organization owns. Assets Resources Capital

Term: Assets

Employees who work outside their home countries. *Exempt Employees *Employees *Assignees

Term: Assignees

People who learn best by relying on their sense of hearing. Kinesthetic Learners Visual Learners Auditory Learners

Term: Auditory learners

Statement of an organization's financial position at a specific point in time, showing assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity. Balance sheet Statement of Cash Flows Depreciation Schedule

Term: Balance sheet

Statement of an organization's financial position at a specific point in time, showing assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity. Balance sheet Statement of Cash Flows Depreciation Schedule

Term: Balance sheet

Performance management tool that depicts an organization's overall performance, as measured against goals, lagging indicators, and leading indicators. Balanced Scorecard Employee Engagement Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Term: Balanced scorecard

Ability to use information to gain a deeper understanding of an organization and make sound business decisions. Business acumen Business intelligence Business metrics

Term: Business intelligence Business intelligence (BI) comprises the strategies and technologies used by enterprises for the data analysis of business information. BI technologies provide historical, current, and predictive views of business operations.

Progression through a series of employment stages characterized by relatively unique issues, themes, and tasks. Usually the employee's responsibility Career Development Career Management Career Planning

Term: Career development Career development is the series of activities or the on-going/lifelong process of developing one's career. Career development usually refers to managing one's career in an intra-organizational or inter-organizational scenario. It involves training on new skills, moving to higher job responsibilities, making a career change within the same organization, moving to a different organization or starting one's own business. Career development is directly linked to the goals and objectives set by an individual. It starts with self-actualization and self-assessment of one's interests and capabilities. The interests are then matched with the available options. The individual needs to train himself to acquire the skills needed for the option or career path chosen by him. Finally, after acquiring the desired competency, he has to perform to achieve the goals and targets set by him.

Preparing, implementing, and monitoring employees' career paths, with a primary focus on the goals and needs of the organization. Career Development Job Rotation Career Management

Term: Career management

Actions and activities that individuals perform in order to give direction to their work lives. Development Objectives Career Planning Career Management

Term: Career planning

Statement of an organization's ability to meet its current and short-term obligations, showing incoming and outgoing cash and cash reserves in operations, investments, and financing. Bank statement Cash flow statement Asset statement

Term: Cash flow statement

An organizational structure that leverages staff expertise in certain areas to improve the entire organization's strategic performance. Shared Service Center (SSC) Center of Excellence (COE) Outsource Center (OC)

Term: Center of excellence (COE)

U.S. act that expands the possible damage awards available to victims of intentional discrimination to include compensatory and punitive damages; gives plaintiffs in cases of alleged discrimination the right to a jury trial. *Civil Rights Act of 1991 *Civil Rights Act of 1964 *Equal Employment Opportunity Act

Term: Civil Rights Act of 1991

Legal system based on written codes (laws, rules, or regulations). Common law Civil law Federal law

Term: Civil law

Focused, interactive communication and guidance intended to develop and enhance on- the-job performance, knowledge, or behavior. Coaching Mentoring Informal Mentorship

Term: Coaching

Principles that guide decision making and behavior in an organization. Statement of morality Code of conduct Business values

Term: Code of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly written for employees of a company, which protects the business and informs the employees of the company's expectations.

Legal system in which each case is considered in terms of how it relates to legal decisions that have already been made; evolves through judicial decisions over time. Civil law Common law Regional law

Term: Common law

Pay rate divided by the midpoint of the pay range. Broadbanding Compa-Ratio Pay Ranges

Term: Compa-ratio Page 350

Concept that jobs filled primarily by women that require skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions comparable to similar jobs filled primarily by men should have the same classifications and salaries *Reasonable Accommodation *Compliance *Comparable Worth

Term: Comparable worth

All financial returns, beyond any tangible benefits payments or services, including salary and allowances. Compensation Benefits Perquisites

Term: Compensation Page 304

Clusters of highly interrelated attributes, including knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs), that give rise to the behaviors needed to perform a given job effectively. Disclaimers Essential Functions Competencies

Term: Competencies Page 76

State of being in accordance with all national, federal, regional, and/or local laws, regulations, and/or other government authority requirements applicable to the places in which an organization operates. *Corporate Social Responsibility *Compliance *Duty of Care

Term: Compliance

Method of nonbinding dispute resolution by which a neutral third party tries to help disputing parties reach a mutually agreeable decision; also called mediation. Conciliation Arbitration Collectivism

Term: Conciliation (also known as mediation)

Treatment of personal information that has been disclosed to another person or organization. Confidence Confidentiality Retirement

Term: Confidentiality

Situation in which a person or organization may benefit from undue influence due to involvement in outside activities, relationships, or investments that conflict with or have an impact on the employment relationship or its outcomes. Personal affliction Conflict of interest Contradiction of investment

Term: Conflict of interest

Situation in which a person or organization may benefit from undue influence due to involvement in outside activities, relationships, or investments that conflict with or have an impact on the employment relationship or its outcomes. *Principal - Agent Problem *Compliance *Conflict of Interest

Term: Conflict of interest

Pay adjustment given to eligible employees regardless of performance or organizational profitability; usually linked to inflation. COLA Seniority Increase Differential Pay

Term: Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Page 366

Organizational structure in which departments are defined by the services they contribute to the organization's overall mission, such as marketing and sales, operations, and HR. Product structure Functional structure Matrix structure

Term: Functional structure

Capacity to recognize, interpret, and behaviorally adapt to multicultural situations and contexts. Global mindset The knack Cultural intelligence

Term: Cultural intelligence The concept is related to that of cross-cultural competence.[4] but goes beyond that to actually look at intercultural capabilities as a form of intelligence that can be measured and developed. According to Earley, Ang, and Van Dyne, cultural intelligence can be defined as "a person's capability to adapt as s/he interacts with others from different cultural regions", and has behavioral, motivational, and metacognitive aspects.[5] Without cultural intelligence, both business and military actors seeking to engage foreigners are susceptible to mirror imaging.[6]

Technique that progressively collects information from a group of anonymous respondents. Nominal group technique Delphi technique Mind mapping technique

Term: Delphi technique Delphi is based on the principle that forecasts (or decisions) from a structured group of individuals are more accurate than those from unstructured groups.[6] The experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds. After each round, a facilitator or change agent[7] provides an anonymised summary of the experts' forecasts from the previous round as well as the reasons they provided for their judgments. Thus, experts are encouraged to revise their earlier answers in light of the replies of other members of their panel. It is believed that during this process the range of the answers will decrease and the group will converge towards the "correct" answer. Finally, the process is stopped after a predefined stop criterion (e.g., number of rounds, achievement of consensus, stability of results), and the mean or median scores of the final rounds determine the results.[8]

Activities that focus on preparing employees for future responsibilities while increasing their capacity to perform their current jobs. Training Systems Thinking Development Activities

Term: Developmental activities Page 221

Result from type of discrimination when a policy that appears to be neutral has a discriminatory effect; also known as adverse impact. *Disparate Treatment *Disparate Impact *Regulation

Term: Disparate impact

Type of discrimination that occurs when an applicant or employee is treated differently because of his or her membership in a protected class. *Disparate Treatment *Adverse Impact *Reasonable Accommodation

Term: Disparate treatment

Process of delivering educational or instructional programs to locations away from a classroom or site. Relocation Learning Portals Distance Learning

Term: Distance learning Page 250

Unmarried couples, of the same or opposite sex, who live together and seek economic and noneconomic benefits comparable to those granted to their married counterparts. Sandwich Generation Friends with Benefits Domestic Partners

Term: Domestic partners Page 392

Career development programs that identify meaningful career paths for professional and technical people outside traditional management roles. Job rotation Dual career ladders Promotions

Term: Dual career ladders Page 273 Organizations with dual career ladders provide technical employees with alternative opportunities for organizational advancement. Technical professionals may choose to advance through one of two ladders—the management ladder or the technical ladder. Employees who wish to advance into management positions shift their focus from technical application to administration and leadership responsibilities. Those who choose to advance up the technical ladder continue to focus their efforts on increasingly difficult and important technical tasks. Ideally, both ladders provide similar career advancement opportunities and organizational rewards.

Concept that laws are enforced only through accepted, codified procedures. Unified process Due process Legal process

Term: Due process

Electronic media delivery of educational and training materials, processes, and programs. E-Learning Distance Learning Virtual-World Simulations

Term: E-learning Page 249

Ability to be sensitive to and understand one's own and others' emotions and impulses. Emotional intelligence (EI) Crime scene investigator (CSI) Perceived intelligence (PI)

Term: Emotional intelligence (EI)

U.S. act that prevents private employers from requiring applicants or employees to take a polygraph test for preemployment screening or during the course of employment, with certain exemptions. *Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedure *Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) *Portal - to - Portal Act

Term: Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Exemptions in Employee Polygraph Protection Act: Qualified businesses who are under contract with the government for specified activities like intelligence work. Armored car personnel, nuclear facility workers, power plant employees, toxic waste disposal professionals, security officers, or any other employee whose job has significant impact on health or safety of the community.

Employees' emotional commitment to an organization, demonstrated by their willingness to put in discretionary effort to promote the organization's effective functioning. Behavioral engagement Trait engagement Employee engagement

Term: Employee engagement Page 183

Activities associated with an employee's tenure in an organization. Employee Life Cycle (ELC) Integration Job Performance

Term: Employee life cycle (ELC) Page 183

Instruments that collect and assess information on employees' attitudes on and perceptions of the work environment or employment conditions. Internal surveys External surveys Employee surveys

Term: Employee surveys Page 343

Employees' perceived value of the total rewards and tangible and intangible benefits they receive from the organization as part of employment, which drives unique and compelling organizational strategies for talent acquisition, retention and engagement Branding, Employee value proposition (EVP), Pay Rates

Term: Employee value proposition (EVP) Page 68

Process of positioning an organization as an "employer of choice" in the labor market. Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Talent Management Employment branding

Term: Employment branding Page 68

Business management software, usually a suite of integrated applications, that a company can use to collect, store, manage and interpret data from many business activities. Enterprise resource planning HR Information system Best of breed system

Term: Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

Category of processes that involves a systematic survey and interpretation of relevant data to identify both internal and external opportunities and threats and to assess how these factors affect the organization currently and how they are likely to affect the organization in the future. PESTLE, SWOT analysis, Environmental scanning

Term: Environmental scanning SWOT - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Examines both internal and external. This is a type of Environmental scanning. PESTLE - Type of Environmental scanning. Scans political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental categories. Page 17

U.S act that amended Title VII and gave the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission authority to "back up" its administrative findings and conduct its own enforcement litigation. *Equal Pay Act (EPA) *Civil Rights Act of 1991 *Equal Employment Opportunity Act

Term: Equal Employment Opportunity Act

Amount of owners' or shareholders' portion of a business. Retained earnings Bank balance Equity

Term: Equity

Primary job duties that a qualified individual must be able to perform, either with or without accommodation. Nonessential Functions Reasonable Accommodations Essential Functions

Term: Essential functions Page 77

The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAOs) needed to maintain high levels of personal and professional integrity, and to act as an ethical agent who promotes core values, integrity, and accountability throughout the organization Business Acumen Ethical Practice Critical Evaluation

Term: Ethical Practice

Set of behavioral guidelines that an organization expects all of its directors, managers, and employees to follow to ensure appropriate moral and ethical business standards. *Morals *Ethics

Term: Ethics

Situation in which an organization's compensation levels and benefits are similar to those of other organizations that are in the same labor market and compete for the same employees Internal equity, Department equity, External equity

Term: External equity Page 313

U.S act that frees employers who use third parties to conduct workplace investigations from the consent and disclosure requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act in certain cases. *Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) *Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act)

Term: Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) FACTA is principally known for its provisions against identity theft. FACTA also included many new rules for businesses and financial service providers. In particular, it permitted enforcement agencies to take action on any violations of "Red Flag Rules." Red Flag Rules require creditors and financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, to implement identity theft prevention programs that help detect and prevent identity theft. As a result of FACTA, there were numerous reforms implemented related to the use and protection of consumer information. For example, it increased the level of oversight that lenders, payment processors, and regulators must provide when proactively searching for suspicious transactions. Similarly, it allowed consumers to register fraud alerts on their own credit cards, in order to alert the authorities when suspected fraud has taken place. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (Title VI of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) protects information collected by consumer reporting agencies such as credit bureaus, medical information companies and tenant screening services. Information in a consumer report cannot be provided to anyone who does not have a purpose specified in the Act. Companies that provide information to consumer reporting agencies also have specific legal obligations, including the duty to investigate disputed information. In addition, users of the information for credit, insurance, or employment purposes must notify the consumer when an adverse action is taken on the basis of such reports. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act added many provisions to this Act primarily relating to record accuracy and identity theft. The Dodd-Frank Act transferred to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau most of the rulemaking responsibilities added to this Act by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act and the Credit CARD Act, but the Commission retains all its enforcement authority.

U.S act that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, youth employment, and record- keeping standards affecting full- and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.

Term: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

U.S act that provides employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for family members or because of a serious health condition of the employee. *Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) *Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Term: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

U.S. court ruling that distinguished between supervisor harassment that results in tangible employment action and supervisor harassment that does not. *Lechmere, Inc. v. NLRB *Faragher v. City of Boca Raton *Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Term: Faragher v. City of Boca Raton (1998), is a US labor law case of the United States Supreme Court in which the Court identified the circumstances under which an employer may be held liable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for the acts of a supervisory employee whose sexual harassment of subordinates has created a hostile work environment amounting to employment discrimination. The court held that "an employer is vicariously liable for actionable discrimination caused by a supervisor, but subject to an affirmative defense looking to the reasonableness of the employer's conduct as well as that of a plaintiff victim."[1]

In communication, structuring a message to include opportunities for correction or clarification. This requires two-way communication. Receiver loop Feedback loop Communication loop

Term: Feedback loop

Provides each incumbent of a job with the same rate of pay, regardless of performance or seniority; also known as single-rate pay. Performance - or - Merit-based pay Flat-rate pay Time-based step-rate pay

Term: Flat-rate pay Page 358, 364 Bonus: which system works best? Answer: Performance/Merit

Small group of invited persons (typically six to twelve) who actively participate in a structured discussion, led by a facilitator, for the purpose of eliciting their input. Focus group Delphi group Consensus group

Term: Focus group

Group decision-making tool designed to analyze the forces favoring and opposing a particular change. A factor is weighted, and the factors on each side are summed and compared. SWOT analysis Multi-criteria analysis Force-field analysis

Term: Force-field analysis is a method for listing and evaluating the forces for and against an situation. It helps you analyze all of the forces that have an influence on the current situation.

Process of constructing a message so that an audience sees communicated facts in a certain way and is persuaded to take a certain action. Reframing Framing Propaganda

Term: Framing

HR structural alternative in which headquarters HR specialists function to craft policies and HR generalists located within divisions or other locales function to implement the policies, adapt them as needed, and interact with employees. Centralized HR Functional HR Dedicated HR

Term: Functional HR

Pay increase given to all employees based on local competitive market requirements; awarded regardless of employee performance. Cost of Living COLAs General pay increase Lump-sum Increases

Term: General pay increase Page 366 (The purpose of the COLAs increase is due to rising inflation)

Ability to take an international perspective, inclusive of other cultures' views. International mindset Universal mindset Global mindset

Term: Global mindset

Harassment that occurs when sexual or other discriminatory conduct is so severe and pervasive that it interferes with an individual's performance; creates an intimidating, threatening, or humiliating work environment; or perpetuates a situation that affects the employee's psychological well-being. *Bullying Harassment *Hostile Environment Harassment *Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Term: Hostile environment harassment

Extent to which each person in an organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a team member. *Diversity *Identity Alignment *Inclusion

Term: Inclusion

Various forms of collective employee actions taken to protest work conditions or employer actions. Note: may also include employer actions. Also known as concerted activities in the U.S. Industrial actions Strikes Lockout

Term: Industrial actions (British term), also known as concerted activities in the US.

Extent to which employees perceive that monetary and other rewards are distributed equitably, based on effort, skill and/or relevant outcomes. Internal equity, Department equity, External equity

Term: Internal equity Page 313

Visualization of the impact of change on productivity. When change is introduced, there is typically a decrease in productivity and then a gradual return to—or, ideally, a surpassing of—previous levels of productivity. J curve Delphi curve Change curve

Term: J curve

Process of systematically studying a job in order to identify the activities/tasks and responsibilities it includes, the personal qualifications necessary to perform it, and the conditions under which it is performed. Job Evaluation Job Documentation Job Analysis

Term: Job analysis Page 332 FYI: This is step 1 in Designing a Compensation System Evaluation = determines the value & price of job Documentation = Job description of competencies Analysis = study of jobs to determine what tasks

Job evaluation method in which descriptions are written for each class of jobs; individual jobs are then put into the grade that best matches their class description. Job classification Job ranking Paired-comparison method

Term: Job classification Page 338

Document that describes a job and its essential functions and requirements, including tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, responsibilities, and reporting structure. Position Summary Job Identification Job Description

Term: Job description Page 75, 335

Process of broadening a job's scope by adding different tasks to the job. Job rotation Job enlargement Job enrichment

Term: Job enlargement Page 272 Rotation = movement changing jobs such as assembly to packaging. Enlargement = adding more tasks Enrichment = increases the depth of a job (planning, tracking, organizing, reports

Process of increasing a job's depth by adding responsibilities to the job. Job rotation Job enlargement Job enrichment

Term: Job enrichment Page 272

Process of determining a job's value and price for the purpose of attracting and retaining employees by comparing the job against other jobs within the organization or against similar jobs in competing organizations. Job Evaluation Job Documentation Job Analysis

Term: Job evaluation Page 332

Job evaluation method that involves establishing a hierarchy of jobs from lowest to highest based on each job's overall value to the organization. Job classification Job ranking Paired-comparison method

Term: Job ranking Page 338

Movement between different jobs. Job rotation Job enlargement Job enrichment

Term: Job rotation Page 272

Written statements of the minimum qualifications for the job incumbent. Job Specifications Job Competencies Job Relations

Term: Job specifications Page 80, 335 Specification Examples: - High School diploma - Exposure to union environment

Job evaluation method in which the relative worth and pay structure of different jobs are based on an assessment of their capacity and their relationship to other jobs within the organization. Job ranking Job-content-based job evaluation Job-market-based job evaluation

Term: Job-content-based job evaluation Page 336

Situation in which an organization shares responsibility and liability for their alternative workers with an alternative staffing supplier; also known as co-employment. Joint employment Temp-to-hire programs Contract workers

Term: Joint employment

Right of a legal body to exert authority over a given geographical territory, subject matter, or persons or institutions. Territory Jurisdiction Government

Term: Jurisdiction

People who learn best through a hands-on approach; also called tactile learners. Visual learners Auditory learners Kinesthetic learners

Term: Kinesthetic learners Page 237

U.S. act that imposed regulations on internal union affairs and the relationship between union officials and union members. *Labor - Management Relations Act (LMRA) *Labor Management Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) (1959) *Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification (WARN) Act

Term: Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) (1959) is a US labor law that regulates labor unions' internal affairs and their officials' relationships with employers. During the mid-to-late 1950s, the labor movement was under intense Congressional scrutiny for corruption, racketeering, and other misconduct.[2] Enacted in 1959 after revelations of corruption and undemocratic practices in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Longshoremen's Association, United Mine Workers and other unions received widespread attention,[2] the Act requires unions to hold secret elections for local union offices on a regular basis and provides for review by the United States Department of Labor of union members' claims of improper election activity. Organized labor opposed the act because it strengthened the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.[3]

Group of workers who coordinate their activities to achieve common goals in their relationship with an employer or group of employers. Bargaining collective Trade union Employee organization

Term: Labor union also called a trade union

Type of metric describing an activity or change in performance that has already occurred. Lagging indicator Leading indicator Opportunity indicator

Term: Lagging indicator Page ???

Training and professional development programs targeted at assisting management- and executive-level employees in developing the skills, abilities, and flexibility required to deal with a variety of situations. Self-Assessment On the job training Leader development

Term: Leader development Page 282

Ability to influence, guide, inspire, or motivate a group or person to achieve their goals. Leadership Instagram Influencer Subject Matter Expert

Term: Leadership Page 281

The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAOs) needed to navigate the organization and accomplish HR Goals, to create a compelling vision and mission for HR that aligns with the strategic direction and culture of the organization, to lead and promote organizational change, to manage the implementation and execution of HR initiatives, and to promote the role of HR as a key business partner Relationship Practice Leadership and Navigation Business Acumen

Term: Leadership and Navigation

Type of metric describing an activity that can change future performance and predict success in the achievement of strategic goals. Lagging indicator Leading indicator Opportunity indicator

Term: Leading indicator Page ???

System that holds course content information and has the capability of tracking and managing employee course registrations, career development, and other employee development activities. HR Information System Blended learning Learning Management System

Term: Learning management system (LMS) Page 252

U.S. act that creates a rolling time frame for filing wage discrimination claims and expands plaintiff field beyond employee who was discriminated against. *Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act *Griggs v. Duke Power

Term: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Work groups that conduct the major business of an organization. Staff units Line units Production units

Term: Line units are units that directly advances an organization in its core work. This always includes production and sales, and sometimes also marketing Staff units support the organization with specialized advisory and support functions. For example, human resources, accounting, public relations and the legal department are generally considered to be staff functions Production units are product manufactured after Prototype Approval and Release to Production. Production Units do not include Prototypes or Risk Product.

Societies in which relationships have less history; individuals know each other less well and don't share a common database of experience, so communication must be very explicit. High context culture Low context culture Professional context culture

Term: Low-context cultures

One-time payment made to an employee; also called performance bonus. Seniority Increase General pay increase Lump-sum increase (LSI)

Term: Lump-sum increase (LSI) Page 366

Job evaluation method in which the relative worth and pay structure of different jobs are based on their market value or the going rate in the marketplace. Benchmarking Market-based job evaluation Market share

Term: Market-based job evaluation Page 341

Organizational structure that combines departmentalization by division and function to gain the benefits of both; results in some employees reporting to two managers rather than one, with neither manager assuming a superior role. Functional structure Product structure Matrix structure

Term: Matrix structure

Average score or value. Mean Median Mode

Term: Mean

Middle value in a range of values. Mean Median Mode

Term: Median

Method of nonbinding dispute resolution by which a neutral third party tries to help disputing parties reach a mutually agreeable decision; also called conciliation. Arbitration Mediation Court proceedings

Term: Mediation Arbitration is a process in which two parties in a dispute use an independent, impartial third party to settle the dispute, often by making a decision that they both agree to. The process of resolving a dispute (as between labor and management) or a grievance outside of the court system by presenting it to an impartial third party or panel for a decision that may or may not be binding

Relationship in which one person helps guide another's development. Mentoring Coaching Partnership

Term: Mentoring Page 275 Mentoring - pairs a sr. and jr. colleague usually not their Supervisor Coaching - involves one on one discussions - usually with their Supervisor for career goals/advice

Situation where an individual's performance on the job is the basis for the amount and timing of pay increases; also called performance-based pay or pay for performance. Time-based pay Merit pay Flat rate

Term: Merit pay Page 359, 364

Data-sorting technique in which group members add related ideas and indicate logical connections, eventually grouping similar ideas. Nominal group technique Delphi technique Mind mapping

Term: Mind mapping

Concise outline of an organization's strategy, specifying the activities it intends to pursue and the course its management has charted for the future. Vision statement Organizational values Mission statement

Term: Mission statement Page 23 & 25 Vision - to inspire and motivate Org. values - beliefs that are important

Situation in which one party engages in risky behavior knowing that it is protected against the risk because another party will incur any resulting loss. *Ethics *Moral Hazard

Term: Moral hazard

Factors that initiate, direct, and sustain human behavior over time. Motivation Inducement Incentive

Term: Motivation

Group decision-making tool in which the group defines the characteristics of a successful decision and then scores each alternative against those criteria. Multi-criteria decision analysis Cost-benefit analysis Force-field analysis

Term: Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)

Organizations that own or control production or service facilities in one or more countries other than the home country. *Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) *Offshoring *Onshoring

Term: Multinational enterprises (MNEs)

Practice of contracting a part of business processes or production to an external company in a country that is relatively close (e.g., within the same own region). *Onshoring *Outsourcing *Nearshoring

Term: Near-shoring

Process by which two or more parties work together to reach agreement on a matter. Compromise Negotiation Arbitration

Term: Negotiation

Ratio of net income (gross sales minus expenses and taxes) to net sales. Net profit margin Gross profit margin Net income margin

Term: Net profit margin (Net income/Net Sales)

Process of developing mutually beneficial contacts through the exchange of information. Stakeholder concept Mutual collaboration Networking

Term: Networking

In communication, any factor that can disrupt the sending and receipt of a message—for example, physical factors such as loud environments, cultural factors such as a distinctive accent, or cognitive factors such as the use of unfamiliar jargon. Message link Medium link Noise

Term: Noise

Processing applications that store data in a multidimensional "cube," which enables users to analyze data quickly in a variety of different ways. Relational database Online analytical processing Query and report processing

Term: Online analytical processing (OLAP)

Acquisition and/or transfer of knowledge within an organization through activities or processes that may occur at several organizational levels; ability of an organization to learn from its mistakes and adjust its strategy accordingly. Organizational learning Acquisition learning Departmental learning

Term: Organizational learning Page 225

Occurs when there is only a small difference in pay between employees regardless of their experience, skills, level, or seniority. Gap pay Inadequate pay Pay compression

Term: Pay compression, also known as salary compression Page 378

Situation where an individual's performance on the job is the basis for the amount and timing of pay increases; also called merit pay. Productivity based Time based Pay for performance

Term: Pay for performance (P4P, PfP) Page 359, 364

Used to group jobs that have approximately the same relative internal or external worth and are paid at the same rate or within the same pay range. Pay grades Pay ranges Pay market data

Term: Pay grades Page 348

Set the upper and lower bounds of possible compensation for individuals whose jobs fall within a pay grade. Base pay Pay ranges Minimum wage

Term: Pay ranges Page 348

Process of measuring and evaluating an employee's adherence to performance standards and providing feedback to the employee. Ranking Field review Performance Appraisal

Term: Performance appraisal Page 200

Tools, activities, and processes that an organization uses to maintain, and/or improve the job performance of employees. Performance management Performance standards Performance behaviors

Term: Performance management Page 197

Behaviors and results as defined by an organization to communicate the expectations of management. Performance Standards Management expectations Authoritative realities

Term: Performance standards Page 198

Situation where an individual's performance on the job is the basis for the amount and timing of pay increases; also called merit pay.. Time Base - Step Rate Single/Flat Rate Performance-based pay

Term: Performance-based pay Page 359, 364

Compensation provided on an individual basis in the form of goods or services. Compensation Benefits Perquisites

Term: Perquisites Page 304, 383, 402 Ex. Automobile, mobile devices

This is a strategy for valuing jobs based on elements deemed important to the organization's survival. Identifying these elements require an internal business needs analysis and a definition of how success will be measured through key factors inherently contained in jobs within the organization. Job classification, Quantitative method, Point-factor system

Term: Point-factor system Job evaluation method that looks at compensable factors, such as skills and working conditions, that reflect how much a job adds value to the organization; points are assigned to each factor and then added to come up with an overall point value for the job. Page 338

U.S. act that defines what is included as hours worked and is therefore compensable and a factor in calculating overtime. *Portal - to - Portal Act *Workweek *Overtime Pay

Term: Portal-to-Portal Act

Payments in return for the achievement of specific, time-limited, targeted objectives. Premiums or Incentives Perquisites Stocks

Term: Premiums Page 304, 367

Situation in which an agent (e.g., an employee) makes decisions for a principal (e.g., an employer) potentially on the basis of personal incentives that may not be aligned with the principal's incentives. *Conflict of Interest *Principal - Agent Problem

Term: Principal-agent problem

Process in which negotiators aim for mutual gain, emphasizing the need to focus on the problem instead of personal differences and on mutually beneficial outcomes. Soft negotiation Hard negotiation Principled negotiation

Term: Principled negotiation

Extent to which underlying operations such as IT, finance, or HR integrate across locations. *Process Alignment *Local Responsiveness (LR) *SaaS

Term: Process alignment

Pay based on the quantity of work and outputs that can be accurately measured. Person-Based pay Productivity-Based-Pay Input-Process-Output Model

Term: Productivity-based pay Page 362, 365

Agreement that requires specific contractors to accept certain conditions in project contracts, such as paying a fair wage and contributing to health insurance, pension, and training funds. Staffing solution agreement (SSA) Project labor agreement (PLA) Contract labor agreement (CLA)

Term: Project labor agreement (PLA)

States that a fiduciary of a plan covered by the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act has legal and financial obligations not to take more risks when investing employee benefit program funds than a reasonably knowledgeable, prudent investor would under similar circumstances. *General Duty Clause *Prudent Person Rule

Term: Prudent person rule

Time allowed for the public to express its views and concerns regarding an action of an administrative agency.

Term: Public comment period

Comparing the sizes of two variables to produce an index or percentage; commonly used to analyze financial statements. Variance analysis Ratio analysis Trend analysis

Term: Ratio analysis

Tool used to provide a job applicant with honest, complete information about a job and the work environment. Realistic job preview (RJP) Job Enrichment Employee life cycle (ELC)

Term: Realistic job preview (RJP) Page 185

Process by which an organization seeks out candidates and encourages them to apply for job openings. Sourcing Internships Recruitment

Term: Recruitment Page 86 Sourcing = pool of candidates

Situations in which employees' pay is above the range maximum. Red-circle rates Yellow-circle rates Green-circle rates

Term: Red-circle rates Page 377

Process by which an organization moves an employee out of an international assignment; can involve moving back to the home country, moving to a different global location, or moving to a new location or position in the current host country. *Redeployment *Near - Shoring *Assignees

Term: Redeployment

Statistical method used to predict a variable from one or more predictor variables. You'll regret missing this. Regression analysis (RA) Simulation analysis (SA) Judgmental forecast (JF)

Term: Regression analysis

Rules or orders issued by an administrative agency of government that usually have the force of law. *Essential Functions *Governance *Regulation

Term: Regulation

Extent to which a measurement instrument provides consistent results. Reliability Validity Accuracy

Term: Reliability

Instruments that collect information on prevailing market compensation and benefits practices including starting wage rates, base pay, pay ranges, statutory and market cash payments, variable compensation, and paid time off. Remuneration survey, Engagement survey, Opinion Survey

Term: Remuneration surveys Page ???

Process by which employees returning from international assignments reintegrate into their home country's culture, conditions, and employment. *Repatriation *Inclusion *Comparable Worth

Term: Repatriation

Snapshot assessment of the immediate availability of qualified backup for key positions. Succession planning Replacement planning Evaluation planning

Term: Replacement planning Note: Replacement planning is for an immediate need, Succession Planning is for long term needs.

Amount of uncertainty that remains after all risk management efforts have been exhausted. *Risidual Risk *Risk Position *Risk Tolerance

Term: Residual risk

Act of reorganizing the legal, ownership, operational, or other structures of an organization. Flexibility Restructuring Reestablishment

Term: Restructuring

Ability of an organization to keep its employees. Retention Retirement Compensation

Term: Retention Page 161

Innovations created for or by emerging-economy markets and then imported to developed-economy markets. *Repatriation *Reverse Innovation *Portal - to - Portal

Term: Reverse innovation

Uncertainty that has an effect on an objective, where outcomes may include opportunities, losses, and threats. *Risk *Risk Management *Risk Appetite

Term: Risk

Method for assessment of an organization's strategic capabilities through use of the environmental scanning process, by which internal and external factors affecting achievement of organizational goals are identified and considered. Business Strategy SWOT Strategic fit

Term: SWOT analysis A SWOT analysis considers internal and external factors that can either boost or impede functions within your organization. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This analysis can help speed your company's transition from reactive to proactive mode to enhance strategy and function. Page 20

U.S. act that requires that all publicly held companies establish internal controls and procedures for financial reporting to reduce the possibility of corporate fraud. *Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (Cobra) *Sarbanes - Oxley Act (SOX) *Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA

Term: Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

Statistical method used to test the possible effects of altering the details of a strategy to see if the likely outcome can be improved. Root-cause analysis Scenario/what-if analysis Graphic data analysis

Term: Scenario/what-if analysis

Attempt by a union to influence an employer by putting pressure on another employer, for example, a supplier. Work-to-rule Picketing Secondary action

Term: Secondary action or boycott

Process of evaluating the most suitable candidates for a position. Hiring Promotion Selection

Term: Selection Page 108, 129

Interviews designed to probe areas of interest to the interviewer in order to determine how well a job candidate meets the needs of the organization. Behavioral interviews Informational interviews Selection interviews

Term: Selection interviews These can highlight where a candidate excels in experience and education, and it can uncover weaknesses that may not be apparent in a resume and cover letter. Meeting job seekers face-to-face, assessing their communication skills and determining the accuracy of the claims on their resume are vital to choosing the right person for the position. Page 113

HR structural alternative in which centers with specific areas of expertise develop HR policies in those areas; each unit can then select what it needs from a menu of these services. Shared services HR model Dedicated HR model Centralized HR model

Term: Shared services HR model

Expected monetary loss every time a risk occurs; calculated by multiplying asset value by exposure factor. *Single Loss Expectancy (SLE) *Triple Bottom Line *Annualized Loss Expectancy (ALE)

Term: Single loss expectancy (SLE)

Provides each incumbent of a job with the same rate of pay, regardless of performance or seniority; also known as flat-rate pay. This rate is often set to correspond to target market survey data relating to the job. Performance/Merit Pay Base Rate Pay Single-rate pay

Term: Single-rate pay. Single rate pay is a type of base rate pay (page 357). Base rate pay systems can be determined by rates, longevity, productivity, or other factors. Page 358, 364

Assessment tools that present prospective leaders with sample situations and problems they might encounter in a work environment. Emotional Intelligence Assessment 360-Degree Assessment Situation judgement tests (SJTs)

Term: Situation judgment tests (SJTs) Page 289

In a computer context, tricking a user into sharing information that can then be used to access systems. Hacking Social Engineering Data mining

Term: Social engineering Hacking is the catch-all term for any type of misuse of a computer to break the security of another computing system to steal data, corrupt systems or files, commandeer the environment or disrupt data-related activities in any way. Phishing and social engineering are types of hacking.

Process by which an organization generates a pool of qualified job applicants. Sourcing Outsourcing Recruitment

Term: Sourcing Page 86

Refers to the number of individuals who report to a supervisor. Span of control Chain of command Formalization

Term: Span of control

Work groups that assist line units by providing specialized services, such as HR. Line units Staff units Functional structure

Term: Staff units support the organization with specialized advisory and support functions. For example, human resources, accounting, public relations and the legal department are generally considered to be staff functions Term: Line units are units that directly advances an organization in its core work. This always includes production and sales, and sometimes also marketing Production units are product manufactured after Prototype Approval and Release to Production. Production Units do not include Prototypes or Risk Product.

HR function that acts on the organizational human capital needs, identified through workforce planning, and attempts to provide an adequate supply of qualified individuals to complete the body of work necessary for the organization's financial success. Sourcing, Staffing, Employment Branding

Term: Staffing Page 64 Sourcing = generates a pool Staffing = HR function, like recruiting, but more planning involved

Concept that proposes that any organization operates within a complex environment in which it affects and is affected by a variety of forces or stakeholders who all share in the value of the organization and its activities. Shareholder concept Stakeholder concept Network concept

Term: Stakeholder concept

System of actions that leaders take to drive an organization toward its goals and objectives and to create value for all stakeholders Strategic Management Success Factors Strategic Planning

Term: Strategic Management Includes the actions that leaders take to move their organizations towards the goals set in strategic planning. Page 8

Process of setting goals and designing a path toward a competitive position. Helps create an alignment of efforts and provides a layer of control. Strategic fit SWOT analysis Strategic planning

Term: Strategic planning The strategic plan is followed by strategic management, and helps create alignment of efforts and provides a layer of control. Page 4, 8

Plan of action for accomplishing an organization's overall and long-range goals. Strategy Systems Theory SWOT

Term: Strategy Page 179

Development and integration of HR processes that attract, develop, engage, and retain the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees that will meet current and future organizational needs. Mergers & acquisitions (MA) Talent management (TM) Talent pools (TP)

Term: Talent management

Violation of employee rights; act prohibited under labor relations statutes. Unfair labor practice (ULP) Labor malpractice (LMP) Negligent labor practice (NLP)

Term: Unfair labor practice (ULP)

Procedural document designed to assist employers in complying with federal regulations prohibiting discrimination. *Pregnancy Discrimination Act *Disparate Treatment *Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

Term: Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

U.S. act that protects the employment, reemployment, and retention rights of persons who serve or have served in the uniformed services. *Uniformed Services & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) *Employee Resource Group (ERG) *Redeployment

Term: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

Raw average of data that gives equal weight to all values, with no regard for other factors. Weighted mean Average mean Unweighted mean

Term: Unweighted mean

The benefit created when an organization meets its strategic goals; measure of usefulness, worth, or importance. Value Mission Validity

Term: Value

Statistical method for identifying the degree of difference between planned and actual performance or outcomes. Variance analysis Ratio analysis Trend analysis

Term: Variance analysis

Process by which a retirement benefit becomes nonforfeitable. *Vesting *Weingarten Rights *Process Alignment

Term: Vesting

Action of rejecting a bill or statute. *Bill *Amendment *Veto

Term: Veto

Legal doctrine under which a party can be held liable for the wrongful actions of another party. *Vicarious Liability *Covering *Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Term: Vicarious liability

Describes what a company desires to achieve in the long-run, generally in a time frame of five to ten years, or sometimes even longer. It depicts what the company will look like in the future and sets a defined direction for the planning and execution of corporate-level strategies. Mission statement Value statement Vision statement

Term: Vision statement Description of what an organization hopes to attain and accomplish in the future, which guides it toward that defined direction.

People who learn best by relying on their sense of sight. Kinesthetic learner Visual learner Vision statement

Term: Visual learners Page 236

Using the Internet to conduct meetings and give presentations to a small audience who has joined the meeting remotely. Web conferencing Social Media Webinar

Term: Web conferencing Page 252 Definition of webinar: a live online (usually not participative) educational presentation. Think about it this way: are your smaller group attendees actually participants (Web conferencing) or are they larger group viewers (webinar)? Web conferencing software is best if you want to be able to have everyone in your organization be active participants in an online meeting. If you're in the e-learning business, sales, customer success, or in any field where you need to share information with a large number of people outside of your organization on a regular basis, you will want to take advantage of the massive audience hosting capabilities of webinars. You don't wanna be That Guy that signs your company up for a webinar software subscription when you only needed a web conferencing software license for 10 people.

Form of web meeting where a presenter facilitates communication of material or information to a usually large audience in real time. Mobile learning Virtual-World Simulations Webinar

Term: Webinar Think about it this way: are your smaller group attendees actually participants (web conferencing) or are they larger group viewers (webinar)? Page 252

Average of data that adds factors to reflect the importance of different values. Unweighted mean Encumbered mean Weighted mean

Term: Weighted mean

Physical, psychological, and social aspects of employee health. Engagement Well-being Culture

Term: Well-being Page 152

Reporting of an organization's violations of policies and processes by employees. *Whistleblowing *Quid Pro Quo *Witnessing

Term: Whistleblowing

U.S. act that requires some employers to give a minimum of 60 days' notice if a plant is to close or if mass layoffs will occur. *Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification (WARN) Act *Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA) *Weingarten Rights

Term: Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act

Systematic approach to anticipate human capital needs and data HR professionals can use to ensure that appropriate knowledge, skills, or abilities will be available when needed to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Workforce analysis, Gap analysis, Solution analysis

Term: Workforce analysis. AKA Workforce Planning Typically includes four areas: supply analysis, demand analysis, gap analysis, and solution analysis

Encompasses all activities needed to ensure that workforce size and competencies meet the organization's strategic needs. This is, in its essence, a form of risk management. Workforce management Risk analysis Need-gap analysis

Term: Workforce management

This is the first step in the workforce management analysis. Activities needed to ensure that workforce size and competencies meet current and future organizational and individual needs. Workforce planning Gap analysis Solution analysis

Term: Workforce planning a.k.a. Workforce analysis

Groups that represent employees, generally on a local or organizational level, for the primary purpose of receiving from employers and conveying to employees information about the workforce and the health of the enterprise. Unions Works councils Employee participation programs

Term: Works councils

Any fixed, recurring period of 168 consecutive hours (7 days times 24 hours = 168 hours). *Overtime Pay *Workweek *Salary

Term: Workweek.

HR has four tools, often referred to as the 4 Ts, that it can use to influence managerial practices and develop new managerial skills. Travel, training, and transfers are three of the tools. What is the fourth, and what is its purpose? Teams. Working on global teams and international projects helps executives develop cross-cultural management skills. Technology. Mobile applications are making international assignments less isolating and are improving cross-cultural communication. Task orientation. This involves teaching managers to focus on task goals instead of established diversity-based innovations. Tracking. Performance and process evaluation metrics can teach executives to self-manage their cross-cultural skill development. Submit

The 4 Ts are travel, teams, training, and transfers. They can be valuable strategies for creating a global mindset and enhancing the multicultural awareness of leaders and senior managers. In regard to teams, managers can be trained to form all their teams with an eye toward diversity and inclusion (gender, generational, cultural, etc.), not just for its own sake but for the advantages in problem solving and innovation created by more diverse teams.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to all employers, excluding the federal government, with at least how many employees? 15 25 50 100

The ADA applies to employers with 15 or more employees. It protects qualified individuals with disabilities from unlawful discrimination in the workplace, including access to training and career development. The ADA does not cover the federal government when it acts as an employer.

Which federal law or regulation has the largest jurisdiction as it relates to the number of employers required to follow its provisions? Executive Order 11246 Rehabilitation Act Age Discrimination in Employment Act Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits discrimination in employment for persons age 40 and over. Executive orders are issued by the president of the United States to provide direction to government departments on specific issues. The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 apply only to the federal government and federal contractors.

What Acts affect the original Title VII?

The Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. (This is the 1991 CRA Act - Section 102 of the CRA added a new section f to provide for the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional violations of Title VII.)

When transitioning from paper employment records to electronic storage, employers must follow a standardized protocol. What government agency publishes guidelines for these protocols? Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

The DOL publishes guidelines for both electronic communication and record keeping. OSHA, the NLRB, and the EEOC are not responsible for the record retention guidelines for employee records, but they are responsible for records directly related to their agency functions.

Recently, a visibly upset employee came to the employee relations (ER) manager. The manager invited the employee to sit down and waited patiently while the employee calmed down and explained what was wrong. The ER manager then explained what action would be taken to remedy the situation. How could the ER manager's response have been improved? The ER manager should have mirrored the employee's emotional state. A second meeting should have been scheduled to discuss solutions. The ER manager should have included the employee in problem solving. The meeting should have been postponed until the employee was calmer.

The ER manager should have included the employee in problem solving. The employee relations manager failed to confirm his/her understanding of the problem and failed to use empathy by inviting the employee to participate in developing a response. The manager did well in meeting promptly with the employee and showed empathy by not demanding that the employee calm down. Empathy does not require mirroring the other person's emotional state.

Which is a provision of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Employees can be denied a leave of absence if it would impose an undue hardship on the employer. Employees are required to give 45 days' notice before taking leave. Employees are entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child. Employees are entitled to return to a similar job with the same pay and status.

The FMLA entitles a covered employee to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for the birth or adoption of a child or the serious health condition of the employee or the employee's child, spouse, or parent. In most cases, employees must be returned to the same job or one with equivalent status, pay, and benefits.

Notes (see back) The Four Layers of Diversity:

The Four Layers of Diversity Personality. At the center are matters unique to each individual—style and characteristics, preferences, perceptions, behavioral predispositions, cognitive and learning styles—all of which are influenced by, and in turn influence, the successive outer layers. Internal dimensions. These are aspects of self, often assigned at birth, over which we have little control. They include gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, ethnicity, race, and age. External dimensions. These are the results of life experiences and choices. They include geographic location, income, personal habits, recreational habits, religion, education, work experiences, appearance, marital status, and parental status. Organizational dimensions. These are similarities and differences based on an individual's position in the organization. They include functional level or classification; content or field of work; division, department, unit, or group; seniority; work location; union affiliation; and management status.

What does the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) do? What do they NOT do (not in list below)? Legalizes immigration for undocumented workers Increases border security Enforces penalties for undocumented workers Decreases immigrant labor force

The IRCA establishes penalties for undocumented workers through the use of E-Verify and Form I-9, which requires workers to prove their eligibility to work in the U.S. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), not the IRCA, handles the authorization of workers. Increasing border security and decreasing the immigrant labor force are in opposition to the IRCA's purpose of prohibiting discrimination based on national origin or citizenship.

What does IRCA stand for and what does the act do?

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 is designed to accomplish two somewhat divergent purposes. IRCA prohibits discrimination against job applicants on the basis of national origin or citizenship and, at the same time, establishes penalties for hiring undocumented workers, with certain exceptions.

Which activity is prohibited by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? Employer domination of unions Yellow-dog contracts Arbitrary injunctions Collective bargaining

The NLRA attempted to balance the interests of management and labor and prohibited the employer from unfair labor practices such as union domination. The NLRA did not prohibit collective bargaining; it established mandatory subjects for collective bargaining.

During a lawful picket, a supervisor threatened a new union member with termination for refusing to cross the picket line. Which law provides the employee protection from termination? NLRA WARN LMRA FLSA

The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects employees who are participating in union activities. The Labor-Management Relations Act (LMRA) oversees union practices, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) oversees compensation practices for both nonunionized and unionized employers, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act refers to employers' obligations in workforce reductions.

What is a key employer responsibility under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act? Prominently display all relevant OSHA standards at all workstations in multiple languages. Display the OSHA poster in a conspicuous place where it can be seen by all employees. Provide personal protective equipment, including prescription eyewear, at employer expense. Provide copies of the OSH Act and relevant standards to every new employee at the time of hire.

The OSHA poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where it can be seen and read by all employees. A copy of the OSH Act must be made available to employees upon request, but the act does not specify that it must always be provided at the time of hire. Employers must provide personal protective equipment at the organization's expense, except for prescription eyewear and footwear that can be used off the job. OSHA citations must be posted at the worksite where an alleged violation has occurred, but permanent display of OSHA standards at all workstations is not required.

Which government body requires organizations to electronically submit illness and injury data? Occupational Safety and Health Administration Department of Health Environmental Protection Agency Department of Labor

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has revised its requirements to require certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness data for posting on the agency's website.

What procedural document outlines the requirements that an employer needs to follow in order to show that it does not discriminate in its hiring process? Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures Title VII, Civil Rights Act Pregnancy Discrimination Act Executive Order 11246

The Uniform Guidelines cover all aspects of the selection process, including recruiting, testing, interviewing, and performance appraisals. Its purpose is to assist employers in complying with federal regulations against discrimination. The other choices set forth the law but do not assist employers in complying with it.

How does the Weingarten case apply to an investigatory meeting to obtain information that is the basis for disciplinary action? It confirms that a member of management can conduct the meeting alone. It protects the investigation through attorney-client privilege. It encourages union representatives to tell workers to not answer questions. It allows a union representative to be present during the meeting.

The Weingarten case gave union workers the right to request the presence of a union representative at an investigatory meeting (a meeting whose purpose is to gather facts). Friends, relatives, or an attorney may not be present. These rights apply only to an investigatory interview, not to meetings that impose disciplinary action.

What does WARN stand for and what does the act do?

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of 1988 requires some employers to give a minimum of 60 calendar days of advance written notice if a plant is to close or if mass layoffs will occur. This act allows displaced workers adequate time to search for a new job and allows government entities to determine whether any assistance may be available for affected workers; therefore, it potentially reduces the impact of any mass layoff or plant closing. The 60 days' advance written notice must be given to affected workers or, if unionized, their local and international union representatives; state dislocated worker units where the affected facilities are located; and the chief elected official of the local government where the closing or layoff will occur.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)of 1993 requires employers to allow employees to take time off for certain caregiving, medical, military, and family needs. What else does it do?

The act covers private-sector employers with 50 or more employees (full- or part-time) for 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year. It applies not only to private employers but also to nonprofit organizations and public agencies (regardless of the number of employees), including Congress. To be eligible for FMLA leave, an employee must have worked at least 12 months (total) for the employer, for at least 1,250 hours in the 12-month period preceding the commencement of the leave, and at a site within 75 miles of which 50 or more employees work.

An assembly operation has completely redesigned its work floor and added new machines. What would be the best way for HR to fulfill its duty of care to the operation's employees? Review the revised floor plans with the organization's insurers. Schedule a walk-through of the redesigned area during a work shift. Conduct a survey of the issue with a small sample of employees in this area Interview affected managers and supervisors about new hazards.

The best approach is to observe the workplace directly by conducting a walk-through. Visual inspection of both the space and the processes as they occur in the space can help HR identify new hazards created by the changes. The interview approach relies on the assessments of managers and supervisors who may not share HR's awareness of safety issues and regulations. Insurers can provide some general input about workplace safety but not specific input. As with managers and supervisors, employees may not be aware of the organizations's safety obligations, and a walk-through is a more direct and complete way to gather this information than a partial survey.

What is emotional intelligence?

The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. ZERORISK HR, Inc. president Mike Poskey (Dan Goleman) defines emotional intelligence "as a set of competencies demonstrating the ability one has to recognize his or her behaviors, moods and impulses and to manage them best according to the situation."

How has the cloud repositioned HR software? As a product to be managed As a product to be licensed As a service to be licensed As a service to be consumed

The cloud repositions software as a service to be consumed. Software is migrating away from being sold or licensed as a complete singular product and moving toward a subscription service.

An employee who has been in the department for only a month asks his supervisor for feedback. The supervisor lists three ways in which the employee's performance is inadequate. How is the employee likely to react? The employee will be discouraged and ask someone else for an assessment of his performance. The employee's performance will deteriorate further because of excessive negative feedback. The employee will work harder to correct his performance because of the specific feedback. The employee will disregard the criticism because it was not delivered in a timely manner.

The employee will be discouraged and ask someone else for an assessment of his performance. The critical information here is that the employee is fairly new and probably does not feel that he has a valued place in the organization yet. In these cases, the employee is likely to disregard the negative feedback and try to find some other source of positive feedback.

Which is the most advantageous outcome of employers treating employees with care and respect during termination of employment? The employees may return to the organization, and they will require little training. The employees will be less inclined to file an unemployment claim. The employees will not say anything negative about the organization. The employees will focus on their recruiting experience and base their response on that experience.

The employees may return to the organization, and they will require little training. The degree to which employees are treated well at termination may affect their decision to return to the employer. "Boomerang" employees-former employees who are rehired-often require shorter or more limited training time, and so they can be more productive more quickly.

Management allows employees to decorate their offices and provides tools for this. Standing on a step ladder, an employee causes a tall bookcase to fall over on himself. The employee suffers several fractures. Which aspect of this situation represents the most likely liability for the employer from an OSHA perspective? The employer did not fully consider the risk of the decorating activity. The employer had feasible means available to eliminate or reduce the possibility of injury. The employer allowed the workplace activity during work hours. The employer provided the tools and supplies.

The employer had feasible means available to eliminate or reduce the possibility of injury. The company violated the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act because it failed to recognize or prevent a hazard that was likely to cause serious injury or death. The employer should have been aware of the possibility of the bookcase tipping over and implemented a policy for all bookcases above a certain height to be anchored to the wall and for all bookcases to be inspected. The General Duty Clause does not require an employer to identify the risk in all workplace activities but to protect against recognized hazards. The timing and provision of tools are irrelevant here because they do not address the necessary recognition or prevention of the hazard.

A family-owned business with 100 employees wants to set up a retirement plan. If the organization implements a qualified defined contribution plan, what restrictions does the Employee Retirement Income Security Act impose on the investment of the assets? The investment advisor for the employer cannot have any conflicts of interest. The investment advisor of the plan must be a registered investment broker and not be employed by the organization. The employer must have its assets covered through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The employer has a fiduciary responsibility to invest the pension fund as any prudent person would.

The employer must follow the prudent person rule with respect to its handling, investment, and management of the plan's assets. The employer cannot take more risks than a reasonably knowledgeable, prudent investor would under similar circumstances. Conflicts of interest do not always have to be disclosed. Investment advisors are not required to be registered investment brokers. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation does not insure retirement plans that do not promise specific benefit amounts.

A company extends an offer to a candidate. As a part of the background check process, a credit check is included. Based on the negative report, the hiring manager wants to rescind the offer. How should HR advise the hiring manager? Rescind the offer without additional detail or communication to the candidate. Notify the candidate of the negative credit report and give the candidate sufficient time to respond. Report the finding to credit bureaus and notify the candidate of this action within seven business days. Proceed with hiring the candidate and note the matter in the personnel file as reference for possible adverse action.

The employer must give the candidate notice before taking adverse action and allow reasonable time for the candidate to respond. The other answer choices do not meet the compliance requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Define: inclusion

The extent to which each person in an organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a team member. Diversity is the byproduct of effective inclusion

An HR manager discovers a discrepancy between the organization's current compensation policy and the laws of the location the organization operates in. Which is the best first step the HR manager should take to address this? Ask the CEO his opinion on what approach is best. Determine which regulation most benefits the employee. Request that the governmental agency provide a recommended approach. Investigate regulations that most benefit the organization.

The general rule is to follow the regulation that most benefits the employee. This needs to happen as a first step in order to be able to analyze the impact to the organization and provide an effective recommendation to the CEO and other organizational leaders. This is demonstrating the Consultation competency.

How does the Global Integration-Local Responsiveness (GI-LR) matrix aid HR in developing policies and determining staffing needs? It indicates whether stronger links between headquarters and locations must be developed. The globalization strategy reflected in the matrix helps define HR's role at headquarters and subsidiaries. It provides a deeper understanding of the contrast between headquarters and local cultures. It defines an employer brand that HR can use for global recruitment and deployment.

The globalization strategy reflected in the matrix helps define HR's role at headquarters and subsidiaries. The GI-LR matrix shows an organization's strategic choices in terms of a desire to integrate its global operations and to allow local operations to develop their own strategies. This defines HR's role: whether it will direct, advise, or monitor HR policy at the local level.

Which of the following is considered a criterion for effective employee resource groups (ERGs) as established by Diversity Inc.? The group sets and signs off on metrics and goals. The group has a formal charter. Group members serve as formal mentors. The leader of the group is the CEO or a direct report to the CEO.

The group has a formal charter. Diversity Inc. recommends formal charters for ERGs. The other options refer to criteria for effective diversity councils, not ERGs.

What is a best practice as it relates to an organization's employee handbook? Reviewing the handbook to ensure that expectations are realistic and enforceable Focusing on detailed job-related procedures and rules written in unambiguous language Ensuring that the handbook is in compliance with the home country's employment law Posting the handbook on the organization's website, with periodic updates as needed

The handbook should be reviewed to ensure that expectations are realistic and can be reasonably complied with. Consistent enforcement can be challenged by unrealistic expectations.

In a Risk Matrix (grid) what do the horizontal and vertical axis represent? The horizontal axis represents the probability that an event will occur and the vertical axis relates to the severity of the impact on the organization or function if the event occurs. The horizontal axis represents the the severity of the impact on the organization or function if the event occurs and the vertical axis relates to he probability that an event will occur

The horizontal axis represents the probability that an event will occur and the vertical axis relates to the severity of the impact on the organization or function if the event occurs.

Which component in an information system enables operations? Logic tier Communications tier Presentation tier Data tier

The logic tier contains the applications that use information in the data tier (databases, stored data) to perform operations (e.g., applicant tracking software, project management systems).

What is the general minimum eligibility requirement set by ERISA for employer-sponsored 401(k) plans? 18 years of age, working at least 21 months 18 years of age, working at least 13 months 21 years of age, working at least 18 months 21 years of age working at least 12 months

The minimum eligibility requirement under ERISA is the attainment of 21 years of age and 12 months of service. An employer can lower the requirement (for example, to 19 years of age or ten months of service), but it cannot raise the minimum.

After an acquisition, the HR director at the acquiring company is tasked with aligning the total rewards systems of both organizations. Which should the HR director review first? Current benefit providers Mission and strategy Company payroll costs Organizational culture

The mission and strategy must be reviewed first because, in order to be successful, the total rewards system must be an extension of the strategic business plan and mission. Company payroll costs, organizational culture, and current benefit providers should be reviewed after the organization's mission and strategy, not before.

How should an HR professional best work with other leaders to achieve an employee-friendly, non-unionized workplace? Encourage frequent promotions of high-potential employees. Ensure that two-way feedback mechanisms are encouraged. Analyze the leaders' span of control to ensure an appropriate ratio. Create an open-door policy to allow for airing grievances.

The most effective of the methods listed is creating feedback mechanisms that promote two-way communication.

What are the four basic components of information systems? presentations tier, logic tier, data tier, communications tier hardware, software, telecommunications, databases networks, data warehouses, processing, feedback.

The presentation tier is the user interface with the system, the point at which the user can enter requests and receive responses. The logic tier (or business tier) is composed of system software and application software that enable operations. The data tier stores the information that will be used by the application tier to respond to user queries. The communications tier enables sharing of data and applications by networking a computer (or mobile device) with other computers or servers.

What leadership theory is characterized by the belief that managers must use different leadership styles depending on the circumstances? Motivational theory Behavioral theory Trait theory Situational leadership theory

The situational leadership theory states that different leadership styles should be used based on the situation in which managers find themselves. The trait theory states that leaders possess different traits than average people do. According to the behavioral theory, how a person behaves determines leadership effectiveness. The motivational theory looks at the factors causing job satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

What is the first step in the negotiation process? Preparation Relationship building Agreement Persuasion

The six steps in the negotiation process are, in order, preparation, relationship building, information exchange, persuasion, concessions, and agreement.

A HR professional has been assigned to help a new product development team that has had difficulty achieving smooth collaboration. The members keep accusing each other of not doing what they're supposed to be doing and instead interfering in each other's work. What tool could help the HR professional and the product team in this situation? RACI matrix Force-field analysis Delphi technique SWOT analysis

The team needs to define and agree on roles and responsibilities. This can be done by using a RACI matrix. It defines roles in term of whether a person or group is responsible for performing a task, accountable to management for the performance, consulted for input into the activity, or informed of progress.

Which is an advantage of having job descriptions in a global environment? They eliminate the need for career paths. They expedite forecasting of current and projected staffing. They reduce cross-border transfers because in-country candidates are easier to find. They reduce payroll costs because all salaries are set.

They expedite forecasting of current and projected staffing. Global management of information about numbers of various jobs and current and projected openings is based on consistent job descriptions.

Which would constitute an unfair labor practice (ULP)? The union fines a member for criticizing union actions. The union distributes buttons for employees to wear to work. Management issues a statement expressing its dislike for unions. A supervisor refuses to give a union member preferential treatment.

The union fines a member for criticizing union actions. ULPs can be committed by employers and unions. In this question, the union commits a ULP by coercing a member and interfering with the member's freedom of speech. It is not a ULP for the union to distribute to employees items such as hats or buttons, and, in most cases, employees can wear them to work. An employer is not required to give union members preferential treatment, although it is obliged to honor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. Employers also have the right to discourage unionization as long as they do not threaten, interrogate, punish, or spy on employees.

Leadership has requested HR to design a program to allow employees to telecommute. How will this advance the organization's sustainability? By reducing costs for the organization By allowing the organization to apply for ISO 26000 By allowing the organization to apply for SA8000 By reducing organization's carbon footprint

There are seven areas in which HR has a role in when advancing sustainability. How people work is one of those areas; it can affect the organization's carbon footprint.

How would an organization best defend against a claim of adverse impact? By using a reverse discrimination defense By developing a preferential quota system By showing reasonable cause for the action By demonstrating work-related requirements

There are some exceptions to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. According to the work-related requirements exception under Title VII, an employer may be able to defend a practice that has a disparate impact on a class of people if it is job-related and required by business necessity.

Which is the primary reason why work councils are prohibited in the United States? They are involved in contract negotiations. They are considered company-dominated unions. They are involved in the election of members by employees. They are seen as competitors to unions.

They are considered company-dominated unions. Works councils are a violation of Section 8(a)(2) of the National Labor Relations Act, which prohibits company-dominated unions.

Define: Covering

This defensive behavior occurs when an organization recruits a diverse workforce but, consciously or otherwise, promotes assimilation rather than inclusion. The subtle (if unintended) message to recruits is "you are welcome despite of who you are, not because of who you are."

Which act requires an organization with more than 50 full-time employees to provide health coverage that meets minimum benefit specifications or pay a $2,000-per-employee penalty? Age Discrimination in Employment Act Employee Retirement Income Security Act Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Family and Medical Leave Act

This is one of the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

A candidate rejects a job offer due to the salary, but the company does not want to go higher. The recruiter adds relocation and education reimbursement funds to the offer and asks the candidate to reconsider. Which negotiation tactic is the recruiter using? Principled Hard Brinksmanship Soft

This is principled negotiation. The recruiter has found a creative solution that will provide mutual gain, adding value for the candidate without exceeding the company's range. It is not hard negotiation, because the recruiter did not pressure the candidate to take the job at the current offer with nothing extra; it is not soft negotiation, because the recruiter did not ask the company to raise the salary. Brinkmanship negotiation is a strategy in which one party pushes the other to agree to a set of conditions to the point where he or she must accept or lose the deal entirely.

Which best identifies the reason why many organizational effectiveness and development (OED) programs begin with data collection from all the parties affected? This identifies more information about best practices that will support the intervention. This provides information to prepare more accurate activity-based budgets. This provides multiple perspectives that allow for a deeper understanding of the issue. This lessens undue influence from organizational leaders.

This provides multiple perspectives that allow for a deeper understanding of the issue. Data collection from all affected parties leads to a deeper understanding of the issue, including multiple perspectives on the issue itself and its effects and possible causes. Management personnel are stakeholders whose needs must be managed in an OED intervention. A better understanding will probably result in more efficient budgeting, but this is not the main purpose of the data collection. Best practices are explored once the need is more fully understood.

A technical recruiter receives a job description from a hiring manager. One of the requirements listed by the manager states that the position is not ideal for single parents. Which risk management strategy should the technical recruiter use to avoid similar situations in the future? Ignore the risk. It is unlikely that single parenthood will be a decisive factor for employment. Mitigate the risk by informing candidates that they have the right to information about hiring decisions. Avoid the risk by training hiring managers and reviewing all job descriptions before use. Transfer the risk by asking for legal review of this job description.

This risk can and should be avoided through training and a review process. An employer cannot ignore, mitigate (lessen), or transfer the legal obligation to avoid discrimination.

How does hyperconnectivity assist an organization in achieving its strategic goals? Through the significant increase in the speed of broadband connections Through the economic interconnection between emerging and developed economies Through the digital interconnection of people and things, any time and any place Through the interconnection of all PESTLE forces: political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental

Through the digital interconnection of people and things, any time and any place. The World Economic Forum defines hyperconnectivity as the "increasing digital interconnection of people-and things-anytime and anyplace." It is the purely digital/virtual aspect of globalization's "accelerating interconnectedness."

Which of the following is the primary reason to conduct stay interviews with employees? To assess why employees are choosing to leave the organization To minimize costs of capturing data from a large population of employees To address issues that affect engagement and retention To allow HR to meet with employees individually to determine their level of engagement

To address issues that affect engagement and retention. Stay interviews are targeted interviews of current high-potential employees to identify what they like and do not like about their current role and the organization to use in determining ways to minimize voluntary turnover.

What is the ultimate function of executive management? To serve as the primary interface with the organization's stakeholders, from investors and regulators to customers and communities, To be responsible for all core business functions and their effect on the organization's performance, To implement strategy through planning and directing initiatives at all levels in each function, To lead the organization through a shared vision and the values they model in all interactions

To be responsible for all core business functions and their effect on the organization's performance Executive management is primarily responsible for using the organization's resources to improve its value. This means creating strategies that align with external and internal environments and working with each business function to maximize a return on resources allocated to that function. Core business functions create and implement their own strategies in alignment with the organization's strategy. Executive management may be the primary interface with investors, but the administrative functions, such as public relations and government relations, interface with those groups. Leading a vision is critical to achieving a strategy and is in that sense a secondary responsibility of executive management.

What is the ultimate function of executive management? To lead the organization through a shared vision and the values they model in all interactions To serve as the primary interface with the organization's stakeholders, from investors and regulators to customers and communities To be responsible for all core business functions and their effect on the organization's performance To implement strategy through planning and directing initiatives at all levels in each function

To be responsible for all core business functions and their effect on the organization's performance. Executive management is primarily responsible for using the organization's resources to improve its value. This means creating strategies that align with external and internal environments and working with each business function to maximize a return on resources allocated to that function. Core business functions create and implement their own strategies in alignment with the organization's strategy. Executive management may be the primary interface with investors, but the administrative functions, such as public relations and government relations, interface with those groups. Leading a vision is critical to achieving a strategy and is in that sense a secondary responsibility of executive management.

Which is a primary goal of a transnational organization? To develop standardized policies and practices To develop ideas that are shared with subsidiaries To build strong local and global identities To create a loose federation of subsidiaries

To build strong local and global identities A transnational corporation builds strong local and global identities. Ideas flow not only from headquarters to the subsidiaries but among subsidiaries and to headquarters. Localized processes and practices meet cultural and legal requirements in each market, and knowledge and experience are shared globally.

Which is the most important reason for a global organization to have a values-based corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy? To create a foundation to make ethical decisions To be in compliance for local legislation To build a better corporate brand To avoid business scandals

To create a foundation to make ethical decisions. The values established create the foundation for ethical decisions. Avoiding business scandal, being in compliance, and building a better brand can also be considered reasons, but the values-based CSR strategy is the key to all decisions.

Which is the primary aim of an organization's diversity and inclusion efforts? To develop diverse perspectives, To comply with labor laws, To brand the organization, To respond to pressure from labor unions

To develop diverse perspectives The business case for diversity and inclusion efforts is premised on the value of diverse perspectives in an organization.

What is the role of an HR professional attending a meeting in a work unit that is struggling to implement recent changes? To engage the group in solving issues that have arisen To offer to modify work processes To reinforce management's goal in the change To take no role and allow the unit's leader to take action

To engage the group in solving issues that have arisen. The HR professional adds value in this OED engagement by using group process skills to facilitate problem solving. The group will be more successful in implementing solutions that they have helped develop. The team is probably aware by this point of management's goal in making the change. The HR professional is not sure yet that work processes are the team's issue. By avoiding involvement, the HR professional would not be fulfilling HR's role to improve the organization's effectiveness.

What is the primary purpose of a safety self-audit? To ensure employee compliance with the organization's safety programs To eliminate unsafe acts and environmental factors in the company To identify roles and responsibilities in the event of an industrial accident To lower workers' compensation insurance premiums for the company

To ensure employee compliance with the organization's safety programs. A safety self-audit is conducted by an employer to assure the organization that employees are following safety-related policies and procedures. Workers' compensation premiums are most directly affected by an organization's rate of injuries. Being prepared to handle an emergency is a good practice, but it is more related to procedures and training than to an audit. An audit can only capture evidence of compliance or noncompliance. Compliance alone, especially if policies and training are faulty, will not eliminate unsafe acts.

Which is the most appropriate reason for an HR professional to create a business case? To train the organization's managers and supervisors in applying ethical guidelines To secure budget and resources for a proposed project To report on the success of a strategic HR initiative To help senior management choose a competitive strategy

To secure budget and resources for a proposed project. Many organizations require their members to complete business cases when requesting organizational resources in order to increase accountability. A business case describes a problem to be solved, desired outcomes, the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions, and what will be needed to implement the best solution.

How is a growth-share matrix used in a large organization? Answers To monitor growth in each business line to develop a year-over-year comparison To provide an overview of internal strengths and opportunities To analyze the concept of systems thinking across the organization To understand the competitive position and value of each sector of the business

To understand the competitive position and value of each sector of the business. The growth-share matrix is used in large organizations to assess what type of value their divisions, investments, or products produce. The vertical axis measures the rate of growth, and the horizontal axis measures the market share or competitive position in the market.

The risk prioritization 'PAPA "model stands for: (Top left to top right, bottom left to bottom right:) Prepare, Act, Park, Adapt.

Top left to top right, bottom left to bottom right: Prepare, Act, Park, Adapt.

The HR director of a hotel learns that union employees in the housekeeping department are planning a strike for the following week. Which strategy might the HR director recommend to the hotel management team in anticipation of the labor action? Offer incentive bonuses to employees in exchange for their agreement not to strike. Advise employees that if they strike the employer will decline to collectively bargain going forward. Begin recruiting for new housekeepers to permanently replace those who decide to strike. Train managers on housekeeping duties so they can perform the work in the housekeepers' absence.

Train managers on housekeeping duties so they can perform the work in the housekeepers' absence. Training managers on housekeeping duties is within an employer's rights during a strike. Offering incentive bonuses would be considered coercion, which is an unfair labor practice. Recruiting for new housekeepers suggests that the employer plans to take adverse action against those who strike. Employers may not advise employees that they will decline to collectively bargain if employees stike; employers are instead required to bargain in good faith.

What recommendation should HR suggest once a union acceptance strategy is agreed to by senior leaders? Increasing transparency surrounding management decisions Committing to never using replacement workers Training management in collaboration and conflict strategies Including union representatives in strategy sessions

Training management in collaboration and conflict strategies. Once it accepts the presence of unions, management must decide if the relationship will be confrontational or cooperative. Training in these areas will be needed to prepare managers. Accepting a union does not necessitate strategic collaboration or complete transparency about all management decisions.

Contrary to policy, disciplinary actions taken by supervisors in the last year were not documented and terminations within the past six months have not been reviewed. Which action should a new HR manager take after learning about this situation? Advising that disciplinary actions should be documented Prioritizing the completion of the documentation retroactively Training supervisors and monitoring to ensure compliance Taking disciplinary action retroactively, where appropriate.

Training supervisors and monitoring to ensure compliance. The policy is not excessive, and the best approach is to prevent violations through training and monitoring. Poor documentation is only one aspect of this case; supervisor actions may be ineffective in changing employee behavior or may be violating the organization's values.

What does USCIS stand for and what are they a branch of?

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is a special branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

How does the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) amend the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)? PPACA tightens up the list of who is considered a qualified beneficiary. PPACA extends the eligibility time period for the COBRA premium reduction. PPACA requires coverage of an employee's adult children up to age 26. PPACA modifies qualifying events that may permit the maximum 36 months of coverage.

Under PPACA, employers are required to notify COBRA participants, in addition to their general employee populations, that adult children may be eligible for health plan coverage up to age 26.

Under the system of codetermination, whose approval is required by management prior to implementing strategic plans? Supervisory board Labor ministry Grievance committee Trade unions

Under codetermination, a firm's supervisory board must approve management decisions before they can be implemented. The supervisory board includes workers, who can comprise as many as half of the supervisory board members.

The authoritarian manager is characterized in which leadership theory? Hersey-Blanchard theory Blake-Mouton theory Path-goal theory Fielder's contingency theory (page 58)

Under the Blake-Mouton theory, authoritarian managers expect people to do what they are told without question and tend not to foster collaboration. Other manager types in this theory include Impoverished Leadership, Team Leadership, Country Club Leadership, Middle of the Road Leadership

Which of the following is a notable provision of the Department of Labor's electronic guidelines for data storage? Software must feature dual factor authentication security for user login processes. All records must be backed up by a paper copy that is stored separately from the primary storage location. Software systems must satisfy requirements as laid out by the Advanced Encryption Standards. Records must be convertible into readable paper copy to satisfy obligations under Title I of ERISA.

Under the DOL guidelines, records must be readily convertible into legible and readable paper copy to satisfy obligations that may arise under Title I of ERISA. It is crucial to use adequate safety practices, though, as technology changes, best practices will evolve as well. Paper copies of records that are not transferrable to electronic storage systems may be required, but retaining paper copies of every record is not required.

An HR director is creating a talent acquisition strategy. What should the director do first to incorporate risk management into the plan? Evaluate the effectiveness of current risk controls. Establish risk management objectives for the strategy. Understand the organization's risk appetite and tolerance. Create risk-monitoring mechanisms and key risk indicators (KRIs)

Understand the organization's risk appetite and tolerance. The first step in creating a strategy with a risk management component is to understand the organization's willingness to take on risk (e.g., by hiring candidates with unconventional qualifications) and tolerance to possible loss (e.g., hiring candidates who may decide to move on quickly). Identifying and analyzing risks and developing risk controls are most effectively performed after risk managers understand the context of risk in the organization.

A global corporation is engaging in negotiation with a partner organization in a country outside of headquarters. How should the HR manager prepare for negotiation discussions to create win-win outcomes? By identifying ways to reach a compromise quickly By clarifying the position and adhering to the defined perspective By defining and acting upon cues that signal a desire to avoid conflict By understanding the values and negotiation styles of the other country

Understanding the values and negotiation styles of the other country creates ease, trust, and respect. Seeking quick compromise, adhering to a defined perspective, and conflict avoidance are actions that do not support a win-win outcome.

Which is critical for HR to understand when considering forces for globalization? Determining whether a force is political, technological, economic, or social Identifying whether a force will have a positive or negative impact Learning whether a force's origin is an emerging or a developed economy Understanding which forces are significant to the organization and to HR responsibilities

Understanding which forces are significant to the organization and to HR responsibilities. An HR professional's goal in considering any aspect of globalization is to strive to understand which globalization events, forces, and trends are significant for a given organization and for HR responsibilities in that organization. Whatever the force's type or origin, its impact will be unique for that organization.

Which approach is most effective for promoting diversity and inclusion globally? Create a uniform standard for all countries. Emphasize the impact of diversity and inclusion for expatriates. Use a wide range of measures of success beyond demographics. Adher to local laws and religious traditions.

Use a wide range of measures of success beyond demographics. Diversity and inclusion includes differences in perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences in addition to differences in demographic characteristics.

Top management recently agreed on major organizational changes. HR has been tasked with developing a plan for communicating the changes to the employees. Which is the most effective way to communicate the changes? Charge department heads with communicating the changes to demonstrate their support. Use multiple channels of communication so the changes are shared in many ways. Capitalize on social trends by using social media so everyone is aware of the changes. Make one company-wide presentation so the changes are communicated consistently.

Use multiple channels of communication so the changes are shared in many ways. Change-related information should be communicated to employees through multiple channels and from multiple sources. In impactful communication, information is communicated in multiple frameworks so the message is better understood and received by a varied audience.

An exit interview assessment finds that the primary reason employees leave is for better total rewards offered at other organizations. Which is the best action HR should take to gather information on competitive total rewards packages to potentially offer its employees? Conduct a focus group session for management input on the effectiveness of total rewards. Participate in an external remuneration survey to assess the competitiveness of the organization's current offerings. Send an internally developed survey to local competitors asking what total rewards they offer. Survey employees to identify what total rewards the company should offer to them.

Using an external remuneration survey to collect information draws on extensive databases of incumbents and industry benchmarks. These benchmarks can be used to assess competitiveness.

An exit interview assessment finds that the primary reason employees leave is for better total rewards offered at other organizations. Which is the best action HR should take to gather information on competitive total rewards packages to potentially offer its employees? Send an internally developed survey to local competitors asking what total rewards they offer. Conduct a focus group session for management input on the effectiveness of total rewards. Participate in an external remuneration survey to assess the competitiveness of the organization's current offerings. Survey employees to identify what total rewards the company should offer to them.

Using an external remuneration survey to collect information draws on extensive databases of incumbents and industry benchmarks. These benchmarks can be used to assess competitiveness.

HR management decides to create a shared services center for career development counseling. Several months later, management notes high turnover in HR offices throughout the organization. What is the most likely reason for this outcome? V. Poor management of the extended effects of an organizational change, VI. Weak organizational communication, VII. Strategic workforce management, IX. Natural elimination of redundant positions,

V. Poor management of the extended effects of an organizational change. Since the employees' departures from the organization were not intended and since they occurred in multiple offices, they may illustrate a 'ripple effect' of the change to a shared service concept that was not anticipated or managed. The creation of the center may have removed a source of job satisfaction and/or valuable career opportunities for HR staff.

How have corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies evolved in corporations? Values and goals have been redefined based on CSR principles. The involvement of less-senior employees is required. The strategies are tied to the organization's net earnings. The strategies are intended to create visibility for the organization.

Values and goals have been redefined based on CSR principles.

What three features of big data have changed technology requirements for organizations? Structured, Unstructured, Semi-Structured Volume, Velocity, Variety Agility, Algorithms, Governance

Volume. Datasets have grown so large that new tools are required to store, access, and analyze them. Storage using cloud computing services—in which data is saved to remote servers that are connected through the Internet—has become a popular way to manage increasing amounts of data. Velocity. Data can flow into a system so quickly that its currency becomes an issue. Data analysis now requires real-time or almost real-time information. Data must be updated frequently or continuously throughout all points in the system. Variety. Data is not only numbers now. It may be still images, videos, or audio recordings. It may be imported from social media, mobile phones, or sensors (e.g., wearable technology such as badges). Systems must be capable of taking in these diverse forms and integrating them for storage and access.

HR is looking for ways to increase the organization's brand while developing the employees. How can this be achieved? Job sharing Outsourcing Job rotation Volunteering

Volunteering gives people a chance to learn new skills while representing the organization. Job sharing and rotation may improve an organization's effectiveness and productivity but not perceptions of its brand by external stakeholders. Outsourcing, if performed without due diligence, can hurt the organization's brand, but performed appropriately it will affect productivity and effectiveness rather than brand.

An organization examines the level of probability for all types of losses to which it may be exposed. What aspect of risk is the organization studying? Risk tolerance Mitigation planning Impact Vulnerability

Vulnerability refers to the degree of probability that a loss will occur. Impact is the possible effect on the organization, and tolerance is the amount of risk the organization can handle if an event occurs. Mitigation planning occurs after analysis of probability, risk, and speed of onset.

Who does WARN apply to?

WARN applies to employers who employ 100 or more: Full-time employees, or Full-time and part-time employees who, in the aggregate, work at least 4,000 hours (exclusive of overtime hours) per week at all employment sites. "Part-time" means either employees whose average workweek is less than 20 hours per week or those who have been employed for fewer than six of the preceding 12 months as of the date WARN notices are due.

An HR manager is preparing a risk management plan for a manufacturing floor. The manager has reviewed accident records from the past five years and talked with an insurer. Which approach to obtain additional useful information is best? Consult with representatives of factory equipment manufacturers. Ask an HR colleague in a different type of manufacturing setting. Walk through the area and observe conditions during work operations. Distribute a supervisory questionnaire identifying workplace risks.

Walk through the area and observe conditions during work operations. The best solution among those offered would be direct observation. It would be more accurate than experience gathered from a dissimilar setting and broader than risks posed by equipment only. Questioning supervisors is a good idea, but even they may be too removed from the work area to know its risks fully.

An organization wants to encourage its employees to improve their health and fitness. How could technology increase employee involvement in this goal? Messages on social media sites about ways to reduce stress Wearable technology that gathers and uploads data to the cloud Security badges that track use of on-site fitness rooms Automated reminders sent to employees' mobile devices

Wearable technology, such as watches, that record data on activity, heart rate, and other health indicators, can upload data automatically to the cloud. Employees can then track their own data against goals they may have set. It could even be used to create groups competing against each other toward goals. This is an interactive, automated, and actionable way to connect employees with healthful goals.

How does the Weingarten ruling apply to nonunion employees? Weingarten allows nonunion members to participate in picket lines without fear of reprisal from their employer. Weingarten does not require that nonunion employees be allowed union representation during investigatory interviews. Weingarten protects nonunion employees from being harmed by unfair labor practices during an organizing campaign. Weingarten requires that nonunion employees be allowed union representation during investigatory interviews

Weingarten does not apply to nonunion employees, so employers are not required to allow union representation at an investigatory interview of a nonunion member. Weingarten does not cover unfair labor practices or participation in picket lines.

A compensation and benefits specialist conducted a salary data survey last year but did not have time to benchmark the results to the organization's pay structure. What action should the specialist take at this point in time? Weight the data compared to other survey data. Level the data to determine relevance. Completely redo the survey from the beginning. Age the data to make it current.

When data is aged, older wage survey data is changed to reflect the movement of salaries in the market since the survey was conducted. If the data is aged, it is still usable.

Under which circumstances should ignoring conflict be used as a conflict management strategy? When failure in mediating and resolving the conflict would weaken the leader's position When the leader does not want to be associated with a negative outcome When the team needs to develop a win-win, mutual-gain resolution to the conflict When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships

When the issue will resolve itself without damaging the team processes and relationships Ignoring conflicts is a reasonable conflict resolution tactic when the stakes are small (there will be little damage done) or the conflict is likely to resolve itself in the near future. For example, an HR manager may know that a difficult team member will be transferring to another location soon.

Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of 1988, a plant with over 100 employees must give what minimum number of days of advance written notice of a plant closure? 10 calendar days 30 calendar days 60 calendar days 100 calendar days

With very limited exceptions, WARN specifies a minimum of 60 calendar days.

Which aspect of communication is a primary focus in low-context cultures? Nonverbal cues Cultural filters Words Relationships

Words provide the majority of the meaning for communication in low-context cultures. High context refers to nonverbal cues and the relationship between speaker and listener as being the most important part of the communicated message.

HR has been asked to target and identify how the organization's strategic plans can be realized over a three-year scope. This will necessitate examining current organizational competencies against those needed in the future and reconciling the differences. Which process should HR recommend to assist the organization in making these determinations? Benchmarking Workforce analysis Succession planning Talent management

Workforce analysis would allow HR to mine employee data, evaluate the internal environment, and forecast future external conditions. HR professionals can use the analysis to support and sustain organizational objectives and strategies.

HR professionals must anticipate future talent needs as well as plan for the future employee talent pool. Which key factor typically contributes to an anticipated shortage in the labor pool? Less diverse workforce Workforce skewed toward older employees Abundance of knowledge workers Less reliance on contingent workers

Workforce skewed toward older employees. When older employees represent a large portion of an organization's workforce, the organization can anticipate talent shortages as these employees reach retirement age. The amount of diversity and an abundance of knowledge workers do not contribute to a labor shortage. A labor shortage will force greater reliance on contingent workers.

Workplace harassment is a violation of which legislation? Executive Order 17066 Pregnancy Discrimination Act Affirmative action Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Workplace harassment is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What is the name of the formal structure composed of management and non-management employees who are responsible for consultation and effective flow of information? Labor union Works council Trade union Management council

Works councils are composed of workers and management representatives. Their purpose is to promote communication between management and employees on issues that affect workers' interests.

What are the positive and negative aspects of Dedicated and Decentralized HR functions? XXX. Dedicated: Negative: Risks Isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience. May lead to duplications and inefficiencies. Positive: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units XXX. Decentralized: Negative: Risks lack of consistency among HR policies and standards. Positive: it allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions, and facilitates communication and responsiveness. YYY XXX. Decentralized: Negative: Risks Isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience. May lead to duplications and inefficiencies. Positive: It allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions, and facilitates communication and responsiveness. XXX. Dedicated: Negative: Risks lack of consistency among HR policies and standards. Positive: it allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions, and facilitates communication and responsiveness.

XXX. Dedicated: Negative: Risks Isolation of dedicated HR units and loss of shared knowledge and experience. May lead to duplications and inefficiencies. Positive: Promotes strategic alignment between headquarters and units XXX. Decentralized: Negative: Risks lack of consistency among HR policies and standards. Positive: it allows for more direct contact between HR and other functions, and facilitates communication and responsiveness.

Which HR model allows each business unit to supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared HR services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share. a9. Decentralized, b9. Shared Services, c9. Functional

b9. Shared Services, Advantages: Offers expertise efficiently, reducing load of transactional activity in favor of value-creating activity., Advantages: Risks underuse of service centers when their existence is not widely known.

Which HR structure did Ulrich and Brockbank identify? aa. Decentralized, bb. Shared Services, cc. Functional

bb. Shared Services, This model is frequently used in organizations with multiple business units. Rather than having to develop its own expertise in every area, each unit can supplement its resources by selecting what it needs from a menu of shared services (usually transactional) that the units agree to share., Advantages: Offers expertise efficiently, reducing load of transactional activity in favor of value-creating activity., Disadvantages: Risks underuse of service centers when their existence is not widely known.

What do balanced scorecards do? a2. Balanced scorecards deliver savings and increased productivity by locating similar, more transactional processes in one location. Balanced scorecards aim at leveraging strategic expertise in the organization to foster growth and continuous improvement. b2. Balanced scorecards help support a clear line of sight from strategic goals to strategic performance, and provide a concise yet overall picture of an organization's performance. Balanced scorecards determine the eligibility of employees for promotions based on their performance. c2. Balanced scorecards provide a concise yet overall picture of an organization's performance. They can be used to focus organizations and functions on key strategic activities, to craft responses to goals, and to create metrics to assess the effectiveness of these responses. Balanced scorecards help support a clear line of sight from strategic goals to strategic performance.

c2. Balanced scorecards provide a concise yet overall picture of an organization's performance. They can be used to focus organizations and functions on key strategic activities, to craft responses to goals, and to create metrics to assess the effectiveness of these responses. Balanced scorecards help support a clear line of sight from strategic goals to strategic performance. A balanced scorecard is a strategic management performance metric used to identify and improve various internal business functions and their resulting external outcomes. They do not necessarily need to measure financial results. Balanced scorecards are used to measure and provide feedback to organizations. Data collection is crucial to providing quantitative results as managers and executives gather and interpret the information and use it to make better decisions for the organization.

HR has implemented a change initiative in the operations area to increase productivity. The initiative combined process redesign, changes in reporting structure, training, and incentives. The changes have been in place for six months. What measure would show the effect of the investment in the initiative? a5. Success ratio, b5. Training return on investment, c5. Human capital value added, d5. Return on investment

c5. The human capital value added metric shows growth in employee productivity. It is calculated by subtracting nonemployment expenses (e.g., materials, rent, utilities) from revenue and dividing the difference by the number of employees. A value should be established at the beginning of the initiative so that a later value can be compared with it to show effect.

While methods evaluate the whole job, methods evaluate the job using a variety of factors—often called compensable factors. Compensable factors reflect how much the job adds value to the organization. quantitative , nonquantitative nonquantitative, quantitative

nonquantitative, quantitative Page 337, 338