Midterm Review

Assume you hired 25 of 50 white applicants; how many of 40 Hispanic applicants must you hire in order not to have adverse impact?

16

Which of the following cases would most likely be subject to a lawsuit filed under the disparate treatment theory of discrimination? A) A group of females are laid off due to a downturn in business B) Black applicants are being disproportionately rejected on the basis of apsychological test C) A black applicant is turned down for a job based on a handwriting analysis D) A woman with school-age children is rejected on the assumption that she will frequently be absent from work

A woman with school-age children is rejected on the assumption that she will frequently be absent from work

Which of the following, if true, would support reshoring as a strategy for a U.S. firm? A. Rising labor costs overseas B. Increasing wage costs in the United States C. Increasing public support for offshoring in the United States D. Improving health and safety requirements overseas E. Decreasing cost of living overseas

A. Rising labor costs overseas

The Charlie Brown saying about urinating in a dark suit illustrates what important aspect of the Porter and Lawler performance and satisfaction model? A. the performance to extrinsic rewards link is often weak B. the performance to intrinsic rewards link is typically weak C. the perceived equity of rewards often leads to dissatisfaction D. all of the alternatives are correct

A. the performance to extrinsic rewards link is often weak

Which is the level of integration at which the human resource management engages in day-to- day activities unrelated to the company's core business needs?

Administrative linkage

Peer reviews, mediation and arbitration are stages of...

B) alternative dispute resolution techniques.

With few exceptions, the relationship between task complexity and job satisfaction is A) weak/positive. B) strong/positive. C) weak/negative. D) strong/negative.

B) strong/positive

Which of the following is the most important aspect of work in terms of generating satisfaction? A. An employee's salary and the benefits that come along with the work he or she does B. The degree to which work is meaningfully related to core values of the worker C. The extrinsic rewards associated with the work and the organization D. A positive work environment and social support E. The non-monetary benefits received by the employee in terms of self-esteem and goal satisfaction

B. The degree to which work is meaningfully related to core values of the worker

Which of the following cases would most likely be subject to a lawsuit filed under disparate impact theory? A) White applicants with high test scores are rejected due to an affirmative action plan that uses race norming B) Black applicants are being disproportionately rejected relative to whites by a paper-and-pencil test C) A Hispanic applicant is told he will not be hired because "we don't like Mexicans here" D) A black employee is fired for testifying in a discrimination suit filed against an employer

Black applicants are being disproportionately rejected relative to whites by a paper-and-pencil test

Gemco Inc., a high-end luxury jewelry manufacturer, has training programs toensure that its current employees always design and manufacture jewelry inkeeping with its high quality standards. Which of the following directionalstrategies has Gemco adopted? A. Concentration B. Liquidation C. Benchmarking D. Rightsizing E. Divestment

Concentration

Which of the following is the first stage in the training design process?

Conducting a needs assessment

Which personality dimension has generally been found to have the highest validity across a number of different job categories?

Conscientiousness

A construction firm is in need of a construction superintendent, whose primary responsibilities involve organizing, supervising, and inspecting the work of several subcontractors. It administers a construction-error recognition test, where an applicant enters into a shed that has been specially constructed to have 25 common and expensive errors and where he or she is asked to record as many of these problems as can be detected. What type of validation would best be used for the test?

Content

Which of the following forms of validation becomes relatively more attractive as the sample available for validation becomes smaller? A. Predictive criterion-related B. Concurrent criterion-related C. Content validation D. Face validation

Content validation

The Job Descriptive Index measures all of the following facets of satisfaction except A) pay. B) work itself. C) coworkers. D) customers.

D) Customers

Which of the following is not an expected benefit of conducting an annual attitude survey of a company's employees? A) It gives employees an outlet for voicing their concerns B) It allows the company to monitor trends over time C) It provides a means for empirically assessing the impact of changes in personnel practice on worker attitudes D) It provides evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform specific jobs

D) It provides evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform specific jobs

The two primary sets of people in the organization who affect an individual's job satisfaction are A) subordinates and supervisors. B) supervisors and family members. C) coworkers and subordinates. D) supervisors and coworkers.

D) supervisors and coworkers.

Which of the following is a challenge of downsizing? A. It becomes difficult to change an organization's culture after downsizing. B. Downsizing is not effective in forcing parties to cooperate with management. C. Downsizing will not help organizations develop new and positive relationships. D. It is difficult to boost the morale of employees who remain after downsizing. E. It is not an effective strategy if an organization wants to make way for fresh ideas.

D. It is difficult to boost the morale of employees who remain after downsizing.

Which of the following statements is true about the composition of the U.S. labor force in the next decade? A. Immigration will cease to affect the size and diversity of the workforce. B. The largest proportion of the labor force is expected to be in the age group of 16-24 years. C. The percentage of highly skilled immigrants will continue to remain lower than the percentage of low-skilled immigrants. D. The median age of the labor force will increase to the highest number ever.

D. The median age of the labor force will increase to the highest number ever

Apple is known for using a unique operating system that integrates well with peripheral devices such as iPod and iPhone. What kind of a strategy is Apple using?

Differentiation

In the context of factors that influence the motivation to learn, which of the following management actions is likely to increase employees'; self-efficacy?

Emphasizing that learning is under the employees' personal control

Which of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from the Griggs v. Duke Power case? A) Standardized tests that have adverse impact are illegal B) Requiring applicants to have a high school diploma for employment is illegal C) Employment practices that have adverse impact are legal only if they are shown to be job related D) Employment practices that have adverse impact are illegal only if the employer was intentionally using them to discriminate

Employment practices that have adverse impact are legal only if they are shown to be job related

Processes, checklists, flowcharts, formulas, and definitions are examples of _____.

Explicit knowledge

T/F: A job description is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform the job.

False

T/F: Differentiation companies will have compensation systems that are geared toward internal rather than external equity.

False

T/F: Job context is not part of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

False

T/F: One of the negative features of the paper-and- pencil honesty test is that their validity is reduced because applicants can fake "good" responses.

False

T/F: Private employment agencies serve primarily blue-collar workers, while public employment agencies mostly deal with white-collar workers.

False

T/F: The training design process ends with choosing a training method.

False

Which of the following statements is true of disparate treatment and disparate impact? A. The discriminating individual's intent is irrelevant in disparate treatment. B. For there to be discrimination under disparate treatment, there has to be intentional discrimination. C. A selection practice that results in disparate impact is necessarily illegal in nature. D. The four-fifths rule for discrimination is not applicable to disparate impact. E. In a disparate impact case, the defendant is required to pay compensatory and punitive damages to the plaintiff.

For there to be discrimination under disparate treatment, there has to be intentional discrimination

If an Oklahoma company is hiring, which of the following recruiting source is likely to have the lowest yield ratio is

Harvard University

Explanation, consideration, and empathy are key determinants of...

Interactional Justice

Which of the following types of skills is best improved by behavior-modeling training?

Interpersonal

Which of the following is true about the product line administrative services and transactions? A. It deals with implementation of business plans and talent management. B. It emphasizes knowing the business and exercising influence. C. It emphasizes the knowledge of HR and of the business and competition. D. It contributes to the business strategy based on considerations of business capabilities. E. It deals with functions such as compensation, hiring, and staffing.

It deals with functions such as compensation, hiring, and staffing.

Which of the following is true of a balanced scorecard? A. It indicates the value of a company based on its competitive demands. B. It depicts a company from the perspective of internal and external customers. C. It measures a company's performance based on the business strategy adopted by it. D. It should not be used to link HRM activities and a company's business strategy. E. It guides companies to increase the time spent on new product and service development.

It depicts a company from the perspective of internal and external customers

Which of the following is not a managerial benefit of job analysis? A) It provides managers with an understanding of the workflow process B) It enables managers to make more accurate hiring decisions C) It provides an avenue for communicating policy information to employees D) It enables managers to more accurately evaluate subordinates' performance

It provides an avenue for communicating policy information to employees

When job analysis information is used to judge the relative value of each job within an organization, this HR activity is termed

Job Evaluation

Which of the following tends to have the most positive influence on job choice decisions? A. The kind of recruiters used B. The recruitment sources C. The use of realistic job previews D. Job vacancy characteristics

Job Vacancy Characteristics

_____ focuses on analyzing existing jobs to gather information for other human resource management practices, whereas _____ focuses on redesigning existing jobs to make them more efficient or more motivating to jobholders.

Job analysis; job design

Which of the following people would be categorized as part of the external labor market with regard to Phoenix Inc.? A. Ahmad, who works for Phoenix Inc. as a full-time employee B. Tamika, who works for Phoenix Inc. and is looking for a new job C. Pete, who is an employee at a direct competitor of Phoenix and is not looking for a new job D. Rogerio, who is unemployed and not looking for employment E. Karla, who works for Jupiter Inc. and is seeking employment elsewhere

Karla, who works for Jupiter Inc. and is seeking employment elsewhere

The _____ is a statement of the organization's reason for being that usually specifies the customers served, the needs satisfied and/or the values received by the customers, and the technology used.

Mission

The training and development function of an HR department includes _____.

Orientation

Among the functions performed by an HR department, feedback and coaching are categorized under the _____ function.

Performance Management

As a manager, Jorge wants to find out the impact of his company's behavior-modeling training program on his employees'; communications skills. The _____ evaluation design is necessary for this purpose.

Pretest/post test comparison group

The degree to which people are energized to do their jobs because it helps other people is called _____.

Prosocial Motivation

Which of the following statements is true regarding reliability and validity? A. Reliability and validity are directly proportional to each other. B. Reliability and validity are inversely proportional to each other. C. Reliability of a measure is essential for it to have any validity. D. Reliability and validity are independent of each other. E. Reliability is a necessary and sufficient condition for validity.

Reliability of a measure is essential for it to have any validity.

Over the next decade, which of the following people will have the most difficulty attracting talented employees due to a skills deficit?

Rex, the HR manager for a biotech research firm

During an interview for a sales position, you are asked the following question: "Suppose one of your clients refuses to speak to you after you lost one of his orders;what would you do to regain his business?" What type of interview question is this?

Situational future-oriented

Transfer of training is best assessed by which types of training evaluation?

Skill-based and results outcomes

Which of the following is true about offshoring? A. The smaller and newer a vendor, the better it is for the company to conduct business. B. Small overseas upstarts do not take risks that larger, more established contractor stake. C. Any work that is proprietary and requires tight security should be offshored. D. A company should avoid outsourcing work that is self-contained and does not need exchange of information. E. Small overseas upstarts often promise more than they can deliver.

Small overseas upstarts often promise more than they can deliver

Which of the following is true about temporary workers? A. Although they are temporary, these workers have to be included in employee records. B. The objective perspective that temporary workers bring along with them is of no value because of their lack of experience. C. Despite prior training from temporary agencies, companies have to retrain temporary workers to match company standards. D. Some full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security. E. Instead of replacing long-term employees with temporary employees, many organizations supplement their core staff with a small set of temporary workers who act more like assistants to the core staff than potential replacements.

Some full-time employees perceive the temporary help as a threat to their own job security

Which of the following sources of job analysis information would most likely provide accurate information regarding the importance of various tasks? A) Supervisors B) Incumbents C) Customers D) Subordinates

Supervisors

Organizations that pursue a _____ strategy pursue the "triple bottom line" of economic, social,and environmental benefits.

Sustainable

In the training process, _____ analysis involves identifying the conditions such as equipment, environment, and time constraints.

Task

The degree to which a job requires completing a "whole" piece of work from beginning to end is:

Task Identity

Which of the following is true of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A) The act applies only to those employees working more than 40 hours a week B) The act applies to organizations with 15 employees or more C) The act applies only to those employees working 35 or more weeks a year D) The act applies to organizations with 50 employees or more

The act applies to organizations with 15 employees or more

The main provision of OSHA states that each employer has a general duty to furnish each employee a place of employment free from recognized hazards. This is referred to as...

The general duty clause

_____ is ideal for understanding how skills and behaviors can be transferred to the job and for dealing with interpersonal issues.

The hands-on method

Which of the following activities is part of the assessment and development of the human resource dimension of HRM practices? A. Training employees to have the skills needed to perform their jobs B. Identifying human resource requirements C. Ensuring that HRM practices comply with federal, state, and local laws D. Creating an employment relationship and a work environment that benefit the company E. Creating pay systems as well as providing employees with benefits

Training employees to have the skills needed to perform their jobs

Action plans are developed to facilitate ___________

Transfer of learning

A(n) _____ shows the proportion of employees in different job categories at different times.

Transitional Matrix

Recruiting advertisements in newspapers and periodicals _____

Typically generate less desirable recruits than direct applications or referrals

Which of the following recruiter characteristics do applicants tend to respond to most positively? A. Warmth B. Race C. Age D. Gender E. Qualification

Warmth

The final stage of a workflow analysis is analyzing the

Work Inputs

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 allows men and women performing the same job to be paid differently as a result of A) merit. B) seniority. C) shift differentials. D) all three factors allow pay differences

all three factors allow pay differences

The concept of _____ suggests that similar groups of people whose scores differ by only a small amount all be treated as having the same score.

banding

Robert, a manager, decides to design jobs based on the principles of motivational approach. If he does not balance them with some traits of the mechanistic approach, he will see minimal impact on _____.

efficiency of production

Employees in companies with a differentiation strategy would need to be:

highly creative and cooperative

Men are significantly stronger in upper body strength than women. If an employer decided to hire only men for a job requiring good upper body strength, which of the following is not true? The employer is ______________

ignoring inter-individual differences

Two tests, A and B, have the same validity correlation between the tests and performance. If the selection ratio is lower when using Test A than Test B, the utility of Test A:

is higher than Test B

Job analysis information usually is obtained from

job incumbents and supervisors

Reference checks tend to have

low validity, low generalizability, and low utility

Research on the impact of negative affectivity suggests that...

personnel selection may be an important way of raising overall levels of job satisfaction

Because current employees have learned many things on the job that job applicants have not yet learned

predictive validation is superior to concurrent validation

Forecasting indicates your company needs to reduce its white-collar workforce in order to avoid a labor surplus in the next three to five years. Consistent with the corporate culture it wants to maintain, your company places a higher priority on minimizing human suffering than on achieving the labor reduction quickly. The options that are most consistent with these priorities are...

retirement and retraining

Goals and timetables in an affirmative action plan

specify the percentage of women and minorities that an employer seeks to have in each job group.

Company X is a retail firm specializing in menswear. It has identified its main competitors as firms providing formal attire to working males between the ages of 22-35. Company X is at the _____ phase.

strategy formulation

The process that involves allocating resources, developing structures, hiring skilled employees, and developing appropriate reward systems is known as:

strategy implementation

A high level of pay relative to that of competitors can ensure that _____.

the company attracts high-quality employees

When a company faces a shortage of labor, and it predicts that current demand for products or services may not extend to the future, it will:

try to garner more hours out of the existing labor force