HRM Exam 1
_____, a framework organizations use to report on a diverse set of performance measures, evens out financial and nonfinancial measures so that managers focus on long-term drivers of performance and organizational sustainability.
The balanced scorecard
In the context of business environments, identify an element of the VUCA environment.
The cause and effect of events are unknown.
Which of the following statements is true of the fastest growing jobs?
The fastest growing numbers of jobs require either a low or a significant level of education.
All of the following are key questions addressed during an internal jobs assessment EXCEPT:
"What is the talent available in the job market?"
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the maximum penalty that can be levied on an employer with 15-100 employees for intentional discrimination based on sex, religion, or national origin is:
$50,000.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act applies to private and commercial organizations that employ _____ or more full-time workers.
100
The first Civil Rights Act was passed in the year:
1866.
The current staffing level of Pink Incarnate, a bag manufacturing company, is 230. The projected outflow for this year is 10, and the projected inflow is 33. Calculate the internal labor supply for the next year.
253
In the United States, employment discrimination against individuals age _____ is prohibited by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
40 or older
Small businesses usually find that they would benefit from designating someone to specialize in HR practices once they have grown to having _____ employees.
80 to 100
Which of the following best exemplifies offshoring?
A U.S. corporation setting up a call center in India
Which of the following documents is on List C of the primary documents that can be used to certify I-9 compliance?
A U.S. social security card
Which of the following is an example of ethical misconduct related to compensation?
Accepting personal gifts from vendors
In the context of HR functions, which of the following falls under the equal employment opportunity function?
Affirmative action
_____ allows employers to consider the personal characteristics of applicants when making employment decisions.
An affirmative action approach
Which of the following is the focus of performance management?
Assessing how well employees are doing their jobs
Which of the following is a means of managing a talent surplus?
Attrition
_____ occurs when individuals quit or retire and are not replaced.
Attrition
Which of the following statements is NOT true of HR audits?
Audits should be performed by internal personnel to ensure objectivity.
_____ is the process of comparing an organization's business results to industry standards or best practices.
Benchmarking
Green Company expects its HR department to make strategic contributions to the company. In which of the following ways can the HR department make strategic contributions?
By leading site selection efforts for new facilities
Which of the following statements is true of the pattern of discrimination charges in the United States in the last two decades?
Charges of retaliation represent the highest number and percentage of complaints in recent years.
In the context of mergers, which of the following HR activities should the HR department of a company perform before a deal?
Conduct due diligence
Which of the following is a measure included in the balanced scorecard?
Conformance with standards
Rodman Company, a gadget manufacturer, wants to measure the productivity of its human resources. Which of the following methods should the company use?
Consider its unit labor cost
Identify a company that is engaged in offshoring.
Couture Boutiques, which has its embroidery facility in another country
A guideline of "one operations manager per five reporting supervisors" aids in forecasting the number of supervisors needed in a division. Identify the HR forecasting method to which this statement applies.
The rule of thumb method
Which of the following is true of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act?
It prohibits employers from harassing employees on the basis of their genetic information.
Which of the following is NOT true of the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act?
It provides that employees age 35 and older are entitled to a specified number of weeks to decide whether to accept severance benefits in exchange for waiving their right to sue their employer.
Which of the following is true of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993?
It requires that those taking family leave be allowed to return to their jobs.
In the context of the common visas encountered by employers, the _____ is reserved for intra-company transfers.
L-1 visa
In the context of forecasting methods and periods, which of the following statements is true of planning periods?
Long-range plans extend beyond three years.
Which of the following statements regarding ethical issues for global companies is NOT true?
Many global firms have established guidelines and policies for all situations that can arise in global environments.
In the context of making hiring decisions, which of the following is a protected characteristic in only some states?
Marital status
Who among the following employers is legally required to comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Natalie, who is the manager of a small state-owned museum that has six employees
Experts meet face-to-face, cite ideas, discuss as a team, and then compile a report. Which of the following HR forecasting methods does this statement describe?
Nominal groups
Which of the following is often referred to as a brain drain?
The significant number of experienced employees retiring in the near future
Which of the following statements is true about skills shortages?
They are leading to increased compensation to attract good employees.
Which of the following statements is true of employees who belong to Generation Z?
They are most likely to prefer a job that offers student loan repayment benefits.
Which of the following statements is true of software as a service (SaaS) agreements?
They enable firms to rent software packages from vendors instead of buying licenses.
Which of the following is true of older workers?
They face substantial barriers to entry in occupations that use a recently developed technology.
_____, the employment section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is the foundation on which all other workplace nondiscrimination legislation is built.
Title VII
Which of the following statements is true of the HR departments of organizations?
To be useful, the HR department must remain closely connected to the operating management of the organization.
Which of the following is one of the primary reasons for outsourcing HR functions?
To save money on HR staffing
Which of the following is NOT a factor to be considered while estimating the external supply of potential employees?
Transfer and promotion policies
Which of the following is the common order followed for managing a talent shortage?
Use overtime, outsource work, try alternative work arrangements
Which of the following actions is most likely to reduce the possibility of selection bias in hiring?
Using recruitment approaches that secure a diverse applicant pool
Which of the following is a key question addressed in an internal jobs assessment?
What jobs will be needed to implement future organizational strategies?
Which of the following is true of sexual harassment at work?
Working in a position of authority is not a prerequisite for sexual harassment.
The Global Remuneration Professional (GRP) certification is offered by the:
WorldatWork Association.
Which of the following emerges from the external environment and can impact an organization's outcomes?
Opportunities
_____ consists of the shared values and beliefs that give members of an organization meaning and provide them with rules for behavior.
Organizational culture
Which of the following is defined as the core reason for the existence of an organization and what makes it unique?
Organizational mission
Which of the following is NOT true of the legal considerations for workforce reductions?
Organizations with 100 or more full-time employees may lay off any number of employees without advance notice.
Which of the following variables does the HR department of a company need to consider while assessing potential and future workforce requirements?
Outsourcing possibilities
Which of the following terms has been ruled by courts, in a number of cases, as a possible code word used by organizations for workers being too old, thus causing them not to be considered for employment?
Overqualified
Which of the following is a means of managing a talent shortage?
Overtime
_____ involves the idea that compensation for jobs requiring comparable levels of knowledge, skill, and ability should be similar, even if actual duties differ significantly.
Pay equity
_____ is growing in use as a way to provide greater personal flexibility to older workers with significant knowledge and experience while helping the company retain its institutional knowledge and history.
Phased retirement
According to Bertrand Inc.'s sales forecast, it is likely to sell over 6 million units in the next year. The senior managers of the company plan to hire 24 sales representatives as they know that to sell effectively and meet the sales forecast, they require four sales representatives per million units. Which of the following quantitative HR forecasting methods does the company use in the given scenario?
Productivity ratio
When estimating the internal labor supply for a given unit, which of the following is considered a source of both inflows and outflows?
Promotions
In the context of managing sex and gender issues at the workplace, which of the following is a way to break the glass ceiling?
Providing opportunities for career rotation into different work areas for individuals who have shown talent in their current jobs
Which of the following would NOT fall under the purview of a modern-day HR department?
Providing specific, task-oriented, on-the-job training to assembly line workers
_____ refers to sexual harassment that links employment outcomes to the granting of sexual favors.
Quid pro quo
When estimating the internal labor supply for a given unit, which of the following is considered a source of inflows?
Recalls
Which of the following HR competencies helps build networks that support the firm?
Relationship management
_____ occurs when punitive actions are taken by employers against individuals who exercise their legal rights.
Retaliation
Which of the following scenarios exemplifies quid pro quo harassment in the workplace?
Sheena asking David for sexual favors in exchange for giving him a good performance review
Which of the following is a concern regarding the use of social media by employers?
Social media might be used to screen job candidates.
For HR generalists, the largest professional organization is the:
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Which of the following occupations is expected to experience the greatest growth by 2026?
Solar photovoltaic installers
Which of the following is a drawback of buyouts?
Some employees a company would like to retain might take advantage of a buyout.
A company has 75 production employees and 2 clerical employees, and it plans to hire 15 additional production employees. If there is 1 clerical person for every 15 production employees, it can be calculated that 4 clerical employees need to be hired. Identify the quantitative method of HR forecasting that has been used in the given scenario.
Staffing ratios
Which of the following is an example of ethical misconduct related to employee relations?
Stealing organizational assets and supplies
Which of the following is the process of defining organizational direction and allocating resources toward its achievement?
Strategic planning
Which of the following statements is true of strategic planning?
Strategic planning is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring.
Which of the following is a plan an organization follows for how to compete successfully, survive, and grow?
Strategy
_____ is the process of identifying a plan for the orderly replacement of key employees.
Succession planning
Megan works in the HR department of a bottling company. Her role entails performing job analyses for all the positions in the company and identifying the skills required to succeed in those positions. Which of the following HR functions is Megan most likely handling at the company?
Talent acquisition
Which of the following statements is true of technology and the administrative role of HR?
Technology has changed the way employment applications are received.
In the context of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines regarding language skills, which of the following professions is most likely to require English skills and voice clarity as a business necessity?
Telemarketing
_____ requires that employers verify the employment eligibility status of all employees.
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
Which of the following eliminated the statute of limitations for employees who file pay discrimination claims under the Equal Pay Act?
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
Which of the following HR roles has traditionally been the dominant role?
The administrative role
Line managers usually do the recruiting, selecting, and orienting in a small business. Which of the following is most likely to be a result of this?
The amount of time line managers have available to focus on their regular jobs reduces.
The term _____ refers to discriminatory practices that have prevented women and minority status employees from advancing to executive-level jobs.
glass ceiling
Workers can develop a _____ mind-set with greater job experiences all over the world, psychological capital (or a positive outlook), and varied experiences in different countries.
global
Two major shifts driving the transformation of the administrative role of HR are:
greater use of technology and outsourcing.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the definition of a disability no longer rests on an individual's inability to do something but on:
his or her medical condition.
The professional expertise of an individual constitutes a(n) _____ for his or her organization.
human asset
The _____ of an organization are the glue that holds all the other parts together to achieve results.
human assets
All of the following statements regarding organizational culture are true EXCEPT:
organizational culture is relatively fluid and changes over time.
In the context of the major ways to increase employee productivity, _____ involves eliminating layers of management.
organizational restructuring
Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employees on military leave have all of the following rights EXCEPT:
paid leave of absence.
In the context of HR functions, total rewards refer to:
pay, incentives, and benefits.
Disparate treatment occurs when:
people treat individuals with particular characteristics that are not job related differently from others.
In an unlawful discrimination suit, the _____ maintains the final burden of proof.
plaintiff
An organization must comply with the rules and regulations related to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if it is a:
private educational institution.
The term _____ refers to a measure of the quantity and quality of work done, considering the cost of the resources used.
productivity
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), discrimination is:
prohibited against individuals with disabilities who can perform essential job functions.
Hostile environment harassment may include all of the following EXCEPT:
promising a promotion in exchange for sexual favors.
Rachel, an HR executive at a law firm, is known for her good business acumen. This means that she most likely:
provides inputs that support the business strategies of the firm.
In the context of the major ways to increase employee productivity, _____ involves making changes to the way jobs get done by altering how job-related tasks are structured and coordinated.
redesigning work
A study found that developing inclusive HR policies related to age and creating a climate of age diversity leads to:
reduced intentions to quit.
All of the following are considered reasonable accommodations by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) EXCEPT:
reducing work hours of employees of a particular faith.
Chantalle's manager refused to promote her as he thought that she was too old for a high-powered job. When she filed a complaint with the HR department, no action was taken. Therefore, Chantalle sued the company for age discrimination. The company promptly fired her and terminated her health insurance coverage. In the given scenario, the actions of the company exemplify:
retaliation.
The average tenure of employees is an HR metric that helps in assessing:
retention and quality.
The first step of the HR planning process is:
reviewing the organization's environmental analysis and strategic plans.
The _____ function of HR includes a focus on employee health and wellness.
risk management and worker protection
The _____ function of HR includes disaster and recovery planning.
risk management and worker protection
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the penalties levied on employers for intentional discrimination based on sex, religion, or national origin are:
scaled by the size of the employer, that is, on the basis of the number of employees under the employer.
In the context of the components of traditional diversity training, one aim of _____ training is to make participants aware of how their words and behaviors are seen by others.
sensitivity
When an employee files an unlawful discrimination lawsuit again an employer, the burden of proof:
shifts to the employer once a case has been established.
When an employee's religious practice dictates an aspect of dress that conflicts with a business's required dress code, the business:
should make a reasonable accommodation whether or not the employee requests for it, unless the accommodation causes an undue hardship to the business.
The National Labor Relations Board has advanced a number of complaints about corporate social networking policies on the grounds that they violate:
workers' right to engage in conversations about the workplace.
In the context of mergers, all of the following HR activities should occur during integration EXCEPT:
workforce optimization.
Michael works in the HR department of a food processing company. He oversees HR functions related to employee and labor relations. Which of the following is most likely a part of Michael's duties?
Developing a policy to address employee rights
Which of the following types of discrimination was NOT recognized and addressed by the year 1997?
Discrimination on the basis of genetic information
_____ occurs when an employment practice that does not appear to be discriminatory adversely affects individuals with a particular characteristic so that they are substantially underrepresented as a result of employment decisions that work to their disadvantage.
Disparate impact
Which of the following questions should employers ask themselves when dealing with ethical dilemmas?
Does the behavior or result meet all applicable laws, regulations, and government codes?
_____ is a measure of the ability of a program, project, or task to produce a specific desired effect or result that can be measured.
Effectiveness
Which of the following statements is true of an HR ethics program?
Employees are more motivated to behave ethically when HR develops programs that encourage ethics.
In the context of appearance and weight discrimination, which of the following is legally acceptable?
Employers must link any weight or height requirements to specific job functions.
Which of the following actions by a company constitutes reasonable care to prohibit sexual harassment?
Encouraging reporting of sexual harassment incidents with a positive culture
Which of the following is NOT an example of strategic contributions by the HR department during a merger?
Ensuring compliance with equal employment opportunity laws
_____ is a broad-reaching concept that essentially requires companies to make status-blind decisions regarding hiring people.
Equal employment opportunity
People who are in a position to know are asked, "How many people will you need next year?" Identify the HR forecasting method to which this question applies.
Estimates
Which of the following is true of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)?
Every employer is required to comply with the provisions of the IRCA, regardless of company size.
Which of the following statements is true of HR functions in organizations?
Every leader in an organization of any size is also an HR manager.
_____ uses information from the past and present to predict future conditions.
Forecasting
In the context of geographic and competitive evaluations, which of the following statements is true of the labor market?
Global competition for labor intensifies as global competitors shift workers around the world.
Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the history and evolution of human resource management (HRM)?
HR departments became concerned with the legal implications of social legislation in the 1940s and 1950s.
Maria is responsible for performing a variety of HR activities. Maria is most likely an:
HR generalist.
In the context of HR functions, which of the following does NOT fall under the strategy and planning function?
HR policies
Which of the following is true of new graduates in America?
Health sciences graduates are in short supply relative to the demand for them.
The Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certifications are sponsored by the:
Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).
Which of the following shows the operating profit per full-time employee?
Human capital value added (HCVA)
Which of the following human capital effectiveness measures shows the wealth created per employee?
Human economic value added (HEVA)
_____ is the process of analyzing and identifying the need for and availability of people so that an organization can meet its strategic objectives.
Human resource planning
Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding migration patterns in the United States?
In the past decade, areas in the West have experienced negative net migration.
Which of the following is true of workforce downsizing?
It can result in a long-term lack of talent.
In the context of religious expression at work, which of the following statements is true of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act?
It does not allow religious minorities to aggressively push their religious views at work.
Which of the following is NOT a criticism of diversity training?
It focuses too much on behaviors and does not address beliefs.
Which of the following is true of quid pro quo harassment at work?
It is perpetrated by an employee's supervisor.
Which of the following is true of offshoring?
It occurs when a company relocates a business process from one country to another.
The _____ has given HR management in some organizations the reputation of being paper-pushers who primarily fill out forms and tell managers and employees what cannot be done, usually because of some policy or problem from the past.
administrative role
Noah needs to attend church services in the morning on a weekday. He works the morning shift, and his company does not have a holiday on that day. In the context of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommendations, Noah's manager can make a reasonable accommodation by:
allowing Noah to work the evening shift on that day.
The starting point for evaluating internal workforce readiness is:
an audit of the jobs that are expected in the planning period.
Diversity trainers emphasize that the key to avoiding backlash in diversity efforts at work is to focus more on _____ than beliefs.
behaviors
The WorldatWork Association offers a number of certifications that emphasize:
compensation and benefits.
For an organization, all of the following represent a potential source for opportunity EXCEPT:
competition.
In the context of the components of traditional diversity training, _____ training helps all participants see and accept the differences in people with diverse ethnic backgrounds.
cultural awareness
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects all of the following EXCEPT:
current users of illegal drugs.
In case of a sexual harassment lawsuit, all of the following actions are likely to help the employer in offering an affirmative defense EXCEPT:
gathering evidence to show that the plaintiff had a consistent record of poor work performance.
Steven is often teased and harassed by his colleagues as they think his behavior is more feminine than masculine. This is an example of sexual harassment rooted in _____.
gender stereotyping
HR departments have often been viewed negatively in relation to:
dealing with government regulations.
The triple bottom line considers an organization's impact on _____.
economic, social, and environmental areas
Under federal, state, and local laws, employers are prohibited from considering all of the following factors in making hiring decisions EXCEPT:
education.
Company downsizings have resulted in decreased:
employee loyalty.
Aster works in a grocery store as a stock clerk. One of her duties is to stock the product shelves. Her manager refuses to provide a stepladder for her to reach the higher shelves. The manager expects her to use a chair to reach the shelves, which is unsafe. In this scenario, the behavior of Aster's manager is an example of ethical misconduct associated with _____.
employee relations
The external environmental scan includes an assessment of all of the following EXCEPT:
employee skills.
The HR department of a company can help develop an ethical culture by:
encouraging open discussion when ethical issues emerge.
The assessment of external and internal environment conditions that affect an organization is called:
environmental scanning.
In the context of organizational assets, a bond is an example of a(n) _____.
financial asset
The administrative role of the HR department of a firm involves:
focusing on clerical information.
HR leaders can best contribute to organizational strategy by doing all of the following EXCEPT:
focusing primarily on the present.
The HR department of Bestfit Footwear is conducting interviews for a senior marketing position. It is looking for a candidate who has been working in the footwear industry for at least 15 years. The skills and experience that the hired candidate will bring to the job will become a part of the _____ of the company.
human capital
The collective value of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experiences, and motivation of an organization's workforce is known as:
human capital.
In the context of the types of organizational assets, a patent is a(n) _____ of an organization.
intellectual property asset
All of the following fall under the talent management function of HR EXCEPT:
job analysis.
In the context of an internal jobs assessment, the acronym "KSA" represents:
knowledge, skills, and abilities.
For a qualified person with a disability, an employer must _____, which involves modifying a job or work environment to give that individual an equal employment opportunity to perform.
make a reasonable accommodation
A primary goal of diversity training is to:
minimize discrimination and harassment lawsuits.
An organization that has facilities and other assets in at least one country other than its home country is known as a(n):
multinational corporation.
The term _____ refers to the practice of allowing relatives to work for the same employer.
nepotism
Many firms plan for workforce shortages because:
of the brain drain created by the retirement of existing older workers.
Millennials value jobs that:
offer retirement investment options.
Sportalia Inc., a sports car manufacturing company, has decided to move its assembly operations to Germany because of the availability of better talent in Germany. This best exemplifies:
offshoring.
The desired result of change efforts after a merger is to bring employees to a(n) _____ mentality.
one organization
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) certification can be earned at two levels, _____.
one that focuses on executive competencies and another that focuses on entry, middle, and senior competencies.
Juan recently joined a marketing company. The HR manager of the company conducted a background check of Juan's parents and his wife without obtaining Juan's permission. This inappropriate background investigation is an example of ethical misconduct associated with _____.
staffing and equal employment
The HR department at Adams Inc. is working with the top management to change the organizational culture. By doing this, the HR department is playing a(n) _____.
strategic role
In the term "SWOT analysis," SWOT is an acronym for:
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
All of the following programs are used by companies to encourage ethical behavior EXCEPT:
systems for public reporting of ethical misconduct.
The aim of _____ is to provide a sufficient supply of qualified individuals to fill jobs in an organization.
talent acquisition
Under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, differences in pay between men and women in the same job are permitted because of all of the following EXCEPT differences in:
tasks performed intermittently or infrequently.
Manuel is an upper-level manager at an insurance firm. He is expected to have a broad understanding of the different complex areas of HR management. Manuel is most likely:
the Chief Human Resources Officer of the firm.
In an organization, _____ decides when to conduct a job analysis.
the HR department
In the context of equal employment opportunity regulations, executive orders are issued by _____ to help government departments, agencies, and contractors manage their operations.
the President of the United States
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is part of:
the U.S. Department of Labor.
All of the following are considered in the employee and organizational capabilities inventory EXCEPT:
the characteristics of anticipated jobs.
As the unemployment rate rises, _____.
the people who are hired will likely receive lower pay and benefits
Evidence of whether a particular function is essential to a job includes all of the following EXCEPT:
the stress caused to the incumbent simply by the thought of performing the function.
In the formula ROI = C/(A + B), where ROI stands for return on investment, C, A, and B represent _____, respectively.
the value of gains from productivity improvements for the time period, operating costs for a new or enhanced system for the time period, and the one-time cost of acquisition and implementation
Compiling HR planning forecasts regarding the demand for and supply of human resources is the _____ step of the HR planning process. second
third
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) stipulates that within the first _____ of employment, all employees must complete a(n) _____ form and provide documents proving that they are legally authorized to work in the United States.
three days; I-9
The strategic planning cycle typically covers a _____ time horizon.
three- to five-year
In the context of mergers, the important factors in changing organizational culture include all of the following EXCEPT:
tracking employees to gauge their general attitude.
To contribute to the strategic planning process, HR leaders can provide their perspectives and expertise to operating managers by:
understanding what to measure.
A religious institution may use religion as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ):
when the job involves promoting a particular faith.