Chapter 2- People

An employee engagement strategy should specify how engagement efforts will be sustained over time. Which of the following choices is a recommended best practice designed to accomplish this objective? A.) Implement a flextime program B.) Conduct regular employee feedback surveys C.)Link employee engagement to business results D.) Conduct extensive background checks designed to best identify qualified job applicants

C is correct. Communication of how engagement influences tangible organizational outcomes helps to build and sustain an effective engagement strategy. A, B, and D are incorrect. Implementing a flextime program, conducting regular employee feedback surveys, and conducting extensive background checks on job applicants are all recognized best practices, but they do not directly influence tangible organizational outcomes as well as employer communication of engagement efforts directly linked to the quality of the organizational environment.

Which of the following is not a pay differential? A.) Hazard pay B.) Shift pay C.) Base pay D.) Overtime

C is correct. Hazard pay, shift pay, and overtime are all differentials. Base pay is the foundation of an employer's compensation program.

What is the basis of Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory?

Employees experience two different factors that affect their behavior in different ways.

The term that describes an organization's international orientation in which the organization exercises tight control over its international operations is called:

Ethnocentric

Which quality control tool prioritizes categories from most frequent to least frequent?

The Pareto chart is a vertical bar graph on which the bar height reflects the frequency or impact of effects, with the bars arranged in descending order from left to right.

Which of the following laws covers both whistleblower protection and notice requirements for defined contribution plans?

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act protects whistleblowers who expose security violations and also requires administrators of defined contribution plans to provide 30 days' notice in advance of a blackout period.

An employee elects a $500 annual deferment in his Section 125 Flexible Benefits Plan (FSA). His employer pays an FSA claim for $500 in March. In April, the employee terminates his employment after deferring only $167 to his plan. What happens in this situation?

The employee is entitled to the full reimbursement for $500.

Which of the following is an internal recruiting source? A.) Job bidding B.) Former employees C.) Internships D.) Contract agencies

A is correct. Job bidding is an internal recruiting source that allows employees to indicate an interest in a position before one becomes available.

To which of the following job evaluation methods does the paired comparison method belong? 1.) Ranking 2.) Job classification 3.) Point-factor 4.) Factor comparison

A is correct. This is an example of ranking jobs. The paired comparison method involves plotting all of the jobs into a matrix. You then compare each job with every other job.

Which employee lifecycle (ELC) phase would most likely have the greatest effect on a millennial in today's workforce? A.) Recruitment and selection B.) Training and development C.) Performance management D.) Transition

A. The recruitment and selection phase would most likely be the phase with the greatest effect on the millennial since millennials are characteristically younger with significant personal interests, i.e., starting a family. Millennials want to be able to ask questions, get constant feedback, and have mentors. B, C, and D are incorrect. While each of these choices is a phase of the employee lifecycle that also impacts the millennial, each impact is more directly connected to job interest and performance.

The purpose of a gap analysis is to: A.) Determine which employees are underinsured B.) Revise benefits that are not meeting employee or organizational needs C.) Eliminate benefits that are too costly D.) Ensure that all employees receive the same benefits

B is correct. A gap analysis compares the organizational objectives, the employee needs, and the existing set of benefits to determine what the organization's benefits package should and should not include. A, C, and D are incorrect because they are all potential conclusions that couldbe reached based on the results of the gap analysis. However, the primary reason for agap analysis is to determine for the entire organization if a change in the total rewards package is necessary in order to continue to support the strategic goals of the organization such as retention, recruitment, etc.

What is a characteristic typical of an adult learner? A.) Learn best in a directive environment B.) Focus on "real-world" issues C.) More comfortable with basic theory than application D.) Easily adaptable to change

B is correct. Adult learners learn best when learning can be immediately applied to the job or other "real-life" issues.

Which of the following is the most important factor to consider when organizing a focus group? A.) Detailed planning B.) A facilitator C.) Cultural effects that might affect the survey results D.) An identified record-keeper (note-taker)

B is correct. An experienced facilitator who knows the topics reasonably well, has good resolution skills, has enthusiasm for the session, and is conscious of time allocation and usage is most important. A, C, and D are incorrect. While all three other choices are significant, they are secondary to the selection of an experienced, qualified facilitator.

A company operating internationally: A.) Requires prior in-country approval in all cases before conducting recruiting activities B.) Can choose a local responsivenes sstrategy in addition to a global integration approach C.) Requires U.S. Department of Labor approval prior to making local hires D.) Is required to utilize local recruiting resources

B is correct. The fact that talent acquisition on a global basis requires a globally oriented staffing perspective does not negate the possibility that, under certain conditions, a locally oriented responsiveness strategy may also be employed. A, C, and D are incorrect. Although there might be some cases when prior in-country approval of local recruiting activities may be required, generally this is not the case. C is incorrect in that prior U.S. Department of Labor approval is not required for local in-country recruiting to occur. D is incorrect in that talent acquisition activities, such as global recruiting, do not require local resources, although, in many cases, local resources may be more effective.

Which of the following would be an appropriate alliance for an automotive safety technology company whose mission is to provide safe transportation services for children? A.) Hosting community workshops on child restraint devices B.) An ad campaign against drinking and driving C.) Employees participating in crash testing D.) Installing GPS devices in school buses

C is correct. The overall purpose of human resource capital management planning is to identify what skill sets are needed for the company to successfully execute the company's strategy A, B, and D are incorrect. A and B are incorrect because these are both part of the purpose for a recruiting plan but not the overall purpose of an HCMP. D is incorrect because an HCMP supports the company's business plan. Its purpose is not to decide which strategic direction the company should pursue.

Which of the following terms refers to collapsing multiple pay ranges into a single-wide pay range? A.) Wide banding b.) Pay compression c.) Green circle rates d.) Broad-banding

D is correct. Broadbanding is a term that refers to pay ranges with a wide spread. This is often done to facilitate the management of pay levels within the pay range.A side effect of broadbanding is to reduce the opportunity for promotions due to a smaller number of ranges. That can adversely affect morale.

What term best describes a situation in which an employee is given additional tasks to accomplish in the same job?

Job enlargement occurs when an employee is given additional tasks that require the same skills within the same job. job enrichment increases the depth of the job by adding related responsibilities such as planning, organizing, controlling, and evaluating that add value to the work.

Management and leadership differ in that:

Management directs people; leadership motivates people.

Success factors used in job descriptions describe:

Personal characteristics that contribute to an incumbent's ability to perform well on the job

What is the overall purpose of human resource capital management?

Planning is to identify what skill sets are needed for the company to successfully execute the company's strategy.

What post-training evaluation method utilizes performance evaluations to measure success? A. Reaction B. Learning C. Behavior D. Results

Results- Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation includes results (that is, how the training program affects organizational goals), which are effectively done by an analysis of worker performance evaluations.