Chapter 5: Test Your Knowledge

Which of the following approaches to control absenteeism rewards desired behaviors and punishes undesired behaviors? Combination approach Disciplinary approach Positive reinforcement Paid-time-off programs

Combination approach

Which of the following actions by an organization is most likely to enhance employee engagement? Encouraging a practical give-and-take relationship with employees Providing benefits other than salary Increasing salaries Emphasizing the company's culture and practices during interviews

Emphasizing the company's culture and practices during interviews

_____ is the extent to which employees' thoughts and behaviors are focused on their work and the employer's success. Employee engagement Organizational trust Motivation Organizational commitment

Employee engagement

In the process for managing retention, which of the following falls under management interventions? Absence/turnover measurement Data analysis Regular review of turnover data Employee relations

Employee relations

Which of the following is most likely to occur when organizations face economic and financial problems that result in layoffs? Actions such as information sharing increase the remaining employees' turnover intentions. HR efforts are seldom needed to retain existing employees. Employee turnover is more likely to occur. The remaining employees are more likely to improve performance to protect their jobs.

Employee turnover is more likely to occur.

Which of the following statements is true of employee turnover? State government department turnover is higher than the overall turnover rate for all industries. Employee turnover is low in service industries such as supermarkets. High levels of various kinds of work commitment increase employee turnover. Employee turnover typically goes up as unemployment rates drop.

Employee turnover typically goes up as unemployment rates drop.

Which of the following is NOT a required condition according to expectancy theory to motivate employees to exert greater effort on the job? Employees must value the rewards that they expect to receive. Employees must expect that high performance will result in receiving rewards. Employees must believe that they have the ability to perform the tasks on the job well. Employees must believe that their basic physiological needs are met.

Employees must believe that their basic physiological needs are met.

Which of the following industries has the highest annual turnover rate? Federal and state governments Fast food restaurants Entertainment and recreation Health care and social assistance

Fast food restaurants

In the context of job security, identify a true statement about employee retention. Focusing on job continuity and security tends to improve employee retention rates. Mergers and acquisitions tend to improve employee commitment and increase employee retention. When companies lay off employees, remaining employees work harder to avoid getting laid off, thereby improving retention. Downsizing usually decreases the anxiety levels in the remaining employees and improves retention.

Focusing on job continuity and security tends to improve employee retention rates.

_____ developed the two-factor theory of motivation. Lyman Porter and E. E. Lawler Abraham Maslow Victor Vroom Frederick Herzberg

Frederick Herzberg

Which of the following statements is true of the hygiene factors in the two-factor theory? Hygiene factors do not directly motivate employees. Addressing hygiene factors results in enhanced performance. Hygiene factors include the tasks associated with an individual's job. Hygiene factors do not include compensation and company policies.

Hygiene factors do not directly motivate employees.

Which of the following statements is true of motivation? It is not tied to physiological needs. It is a goal-directed drive. It is a process that usually occurs in a void. It is not associated with turnover.

It is a goal-directed drive.

Question Content Area Which of the following is true of turnover activity in an organization? It is acceptable if extensive training programs can be used to train new employees. It is not acceptable even if there are many good replacements available. It is acceptable when those leaving are less valuable than their replacements. It is not acceptable even if it is less than optimal turnover.

It is acceptable when those leaving are less valuable than their replacements.

Which of the following statements regarding exit interviews is NOT true? An HR interviewer may be able gain information that departing employees do not wish to share with managers and supervisors. It is preferable to conduct exit interviews on employees' last day of employment so that they can avoid retaliation from managers. A skilled HR interviewer may be able to gain useful information that can be used to make retention improvements. Departing employees may be reluctant to divulge their real reasons for leaving.

It is preferable to conduct exit interviews on employees' last day of employment so that they can avoid retaliation from managers.

_____ refers to the positive feelings and evaluations individuals have about their employment. Employee engagement Job satisfaction Motivation Organizational commitment

Job satisfaction

In the context of individual performance, which of the following factors is associated with effort level expended? Motivation Performance standards Personality factors Talent

Motivation

_____ is the desire that exists within an individual that causes that individual to act. Ability Self-actualization Churn Motivation

Motivation

Which of the following statements regarding absenteeism is true? The paid-time-off approach reduces overall time away from work. Voluntary absenteeism cannot be controlled. Normal absenteeism does not incur any cost to the company. Much absenteeism is avoidable, or voluntary.

Much absenteeism is avoidable, or voluntary.

Identify the approach to address absenteeism in which the reason for absenteeism is irrelevant and employees must manage their own attendance. Disciplinary approach Positive reinforcement Combination approach No-fault policy

No-fault policy

_____ occurs when an employee acts in a way that improves the psychological well-being and social environment of an organization. Employee engagement Loyalty Organizational citizenship behavior Organizational commitment

Organizational citizenship behavior

_____ is the degree to which workers believe in and accept organizational objectives and want to remain employed at a company. Organizational trust Job satisfaction Loyalty Organizational commitment

Organizational commitment

In the context of management literature, which of the following formulas broadly defines the relationship between the major factors that affect how a given individual performs? Performance (P) = Effort (E) × Support (S) / Ability (A) Performance (P) = Ability (A) × Effort (E) × Support (S) Performance (P) = Ability (A) × Support (S) / Effort (E) Performance (P) = Ability (A) × Effort (E) / Support (S)

Performance (P) = Ability (A) × Effort (E) × Support (S)

Which of the following leads the list of reasons individuals took their current jobs and why they stay with the company? Flexibility and alternate work arrangements Personal growth opportunities Benefits Salary

Personal growth opportunities

Which of the following approaches to control absenteeism includes actions such as giving bonuses, recognition, time off, and other rewards for meeting attendance standards? Disciplinary approach Positive reinforcement Paid-time-off programs No-fault policy

Positive reinforcement

Which of the following is a strategic HR approach that can enhance retention and involves discussions that can encourage high performers to commit to an organization in a long-term capacity? Exit interviews Recruiting Benchmarking Succession planning

Recruiting

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding employee surveys? Results of a companywide employee survey should be confidential and not shared with the employees in the company. Regardless of the topic, employee surveys provide data on the "retention climate" in an organization. Asking employees to respond candidly to an attitude survey builds employees' expectations that actions will be taken on the concerns identified. Employee survey results must be examined as part of retention measurement efforts.

Results of a companywide employee survey should be confidential and not shared with the employees in the company.

_____ can be considered the opposite of turnover. Vacancy Retention Presenteeism Churn

Retention

Which of the following employees is most likely to be a disengaged employee? Gina, who ensures that all members of her team have what they need to finish their jobs on time Wang, who thinks of better ways to do his job to improve his productivity Samuel, who does only the basic jobs mentioned in his job description Sandy, who is always highly involved in her work in the office

Samuel, who does only the basic jobs mentioned in his job description

Which of the following is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory pyramid? Self-actualization needs Esteem needs Physiological needs Belonging and love needs

Self-actualization needs

Question Content Area Which of the following best describes a firm experiencing churn? The firm is aggressively hiring to gear up for the upcoming peak season. The firm is hiring new workers while laying off others. Employees are leaving and are not being replaced. The rate of turnover in the firm is accelerating.

The firm is hiring new workers while laying off others.

_____ refers to the unwritten expectations employees and employers have about the nature of their work relationships. The balanced scorecard Employee engagement Organizational commitment The psychological contract

The psychological contract

Which of the following statements is true of psychological contracts? They cannot be changed or improved once they are formed. Companies do not have vested interest in them. Their significant parts are usually explicitly stated. They encompass expectations about both tangible and intangible items.

They encompass expectations about both tangible and intangible items.

Which of the following statements is true of stay interviews? They are usually conducted when it is too late to address specific issues. They usually focus on the employees' reasons for leaving an organization in order to improve retention. They are most helpful when there is a lack of trust between the employees and the management of an organization. They give an organization information about the level of current employee satisfaction and engagement.

They give an organization information about the level of current employee satisfaction and engagement.

In the context of controlling absenteeism, which of the following is true of paid time off (PTO) programs? They often increase the overall time away from work. They generally increase one-day absences. They focus on giving recognition for meeting attendance standards. They reward desired behaviors and punish undesired behaviors.

They often increase the overall time away from work.

_____ is the process in which employees leave an organization and have to be replaced. Retention Turnover Absenteeism Churn

Turnover

Which of the following statements is true of turnover costs in an organization? Turnover costs per employee are more or less the same for all companies. Turnover costs include hidden or indirect costs. Determining turnover costs is relatively simple irrespective of the efforts made and the data used. Turnover metrics illustrate that turnover is a relatively inexpensive HR and managerial issue.

Turnover costs include hidden or indirect costs.

In which of the following situations can an employee survey lead to fostering the appearance of hiding the results or placing blame? When the names of the participants of the survey are not disclosed When the names of the participants of the survey are disclosed When the negative results of the survey are not shared When the negative results of the survey are shared

When the negative results of the survey are not shared

The formula suggested by the U.S. Department of Labor for measuring absenteeism is: [Days lost through job absence during period/(Average number of employees × Number of workdays)] × 100. [(Average number of employees × Number of workdays)/Number of persons - Days lost through job absence during period)] x 100. [(Number of persons + Days lost through job absence during period)/(Average number of employees × Number of workdays)]. [(Number of persons - Days lost through job absence during period)/(Average number of employees × Number of workdays)] × 100.

[(Number of persons - Days lost through job absence during period)/(Average number of employees × Number of workdays)] × 100.

Part of the tangible rewards that people receive for working comes in the form of: job security. recognition. alternative work arrangements. benefits.

benefits.

Herzberg's hygiene factors correlate to Maslow's: bottom three needs in the needs theory pyramid: basic physiological needs, safety and security, and belonging and love. middle three needs in the needs theory pyramid: safety and security, belonging and love, and esteem. top two needs in the needs theory pyramid: esteem and self-actualization. topmost need in the needs theory pyramid: self-actualization.

bottom three needs in the needs theory pyramid: basic physiological needs, safety and security, and belonging and love.

In the context of managing retention, evaluation and follow-up of retention efforts include all of the following EXCEPT: adjustment of intervention efforts. career development and planning. tracking of intervention results. regular review of turnover data.

career development and planning.

Company XYZ is automating its manufacturing process. The management of the company is planning to lay off workers in large numbers and hire more software and hardware engineers to streamline the new process. In the context of turnover, the given scenario exemplifies _____. churn equity presenteeism benchmarking

churn

All of the following are prevalent myths about retention EXCEPT that: achieving a good match between people and work environment hinders retention. developing skills in employees makes them more marketable and tends to reduce retention. hiring has little to do with retention. money is the main reason people leave.

developing skills in employees makes them more marketable and tends to reduce retention.

Work opportunities that position high performers to move up in a company include all of the following EXCEPT: training and development of management competencies. easy job assignments that ensure success. regular performance feedback. mentoring with executives.

easy job assignments that ensure success.

Question Content Area According to _____, an employee's view of fair value is critical to the relationship between performance and job satisfaction. expectancy theory equity theory the two-factor theory the needs theory of motivation

equity theory

Individuals are asked to explain their reasons for leaving an organization in a(n): stay interview. intervention meeting. exit interview. attitude survey.

exit interview.

A disruptive and lower-performing employee leaves a company. This is an example of: functional and uncontrollable turnover. uncontrollable turnover. functional turnover. voluntary and dysfunctional turnover.

functional turnover.

Rerecruiting is a strategic HR approach that involves: enticing high performers who have left an organization to come back. focusing on positive aspects of a company that may not have been discussed during initial recruitment. getting outstanding employees to further connect with an employer. getting poor performers to become actively engaged and committed to an organization.

getting outstanding employees to further connect with an employer.

In the context of turnover costs, reduced productivity is a _____. vacancy cost hidden cost training cost replacement cost

hidden cost

Question Content Area A useful measure of absenteeism that indicates the percentage of time lost to absenteeism is the _____ rate. turnover inactivity severity incidence

inactivity

A useful measure of absenteeism that indicates the number of absences per 100 employees each day is the _____ rate. turnover inactivity severity incidence

incidence

In the context of individual workers and organizational relationships, in recent years, employee job satisfaction has been: on the rise as workers are more inclined to expect companies to provide generous health care programs. on the rise because of employees lowering their expectations of what a job should provide. declining as most employees feel stuck in jobs because of high unemployment rates. declining because of decreased union presence.

on the rise because of employees lowering their expectations of what a job should provide.

The three major factors that affect how an individual performs include all of the following EXCEPT: personal relationships. the organizational support received. the amount of effort expended. individual abilities.

personal relationships.

Robin wants to go on a vacation for two weeks during the month of May as her children will be on a summer break during that month. She applies for the vacation days in advance to minimize work disruptions. In the context of the types of absenteeism, Robin is taking a(n): incidental and extended leave. planned and incidental leave. extended and involuntary leave. planned and extended leave.

planned and extended leave.

Signs that point to possible turnover among employees include: significantly more contribution in meetings than before. increased desire for training and development opportunities. reluctance to be involved in long-term work opportunities. disinterest in staying in the same position and interest in promotion.

reluctance to be involved in long-term work opportunities.

All of the following are sources of the indirect costs of absenteeism EXCEPT: lost productivity with replacement. replacement for an absent worker. customer dissatisfaction. overtime.

replacement for an absent worker.

Elaine has recently resigned from her company and is planning to go on a vacation before joining another company. She is glad that the vacation pay she has accrued in her current company will give her enough money at the time of her final settlement to pay for her vacation. In the context of turnover costs, for the company, this additional money will be a(n) _____. indirect cost hidden cost separation cost vacancy cost

separation cost

A useful measure of absenteeism that indicates the average time lost per absent employee during a specified period of time is the _____ rate. turnover inactivity severity incidence

severity

Ben has been working at his current company for a year. Based on his experience, he has certain expectations from the company. Though not explicitly mentioned anywhere, he expects the company to treat him fairly and provide reasonable job security. He and his manager also have a clear understanding of what is expected from him in his job. In the given scenario, the expectations of Ben and his manager exemplify _____. the balanced scorecard organizational citizenship the psychological contract organizational commitment

the psychological contract

Reducing turnover in an organization makes sense when: an optimal level is determined to be more than the current turnover. there is uncertainty that good replacements are available. the employees who are leaving are less valuable than their replacements. it costs very little.

there is uncertainty that good replacements are available.

In the context of total turnover cost, paid orientation time is a(n) _____. vacancy cost separation cost training cost indirect cost

training cost

In the context of turnover costs, coworker "coaching" time and pay is part of _____. vacancy costs hidden/indirect costs training costs replacement costs

training costs

All of the following drivers of retention fall under rewards EXCEPT: training programs. incentives. benefits. competitive pay.

training programs.

Major High School caters to a small community. When one of its teachers quit his job suddenly because of a medical emergency in his family, the school had to hire a substitute teacher until it could hire another teacher. In the context of turnover costs, the cost of hiring the substitute teacher is an example of a _____. indirect cost training cost separation cost vacancy cost

vacancy cost

In the context of turnover costs in an organization, the cost of existing employee overtime and other costs until a terminated employee is replaced are part of _____. vacancy costs hidden/indirect costs training costs replacement costs

vacancy costs

A key, high-performing employee leaves the company because his spouse was transferred to another region. This is an example of: voluntary and uncontrollable turnover. controllable and involuntary turnover. functional and controllable turnover. uncontrollable and functional turnover.

voluntary and uncontrollable turnover.

A stay interview focuses on: rehiring of former employees. employees' reasons for quitting a job. what it will take for employees who have already resigned from a job to change their decision to quit. why employees want to continue working for an organization.

why employees want to continue working for an organization.

A company had a total of 200 employees at the beginning of a year, 180 employees at midyear, and 196 employees at the end of the year. Twenty employees left the company during the year. What is the company's turnover rate? 10% 11% 20% 23%

11%

Identify a true statement about employee retention. Friendships are not an important consideration for retention among Millennials. Work-related friendships are not likely to have any impact on retention . A manager who uses pressure to get results from employees is likely to improve retention. A supervisor or manager can aid retention by being fair and nondiscriminatory.

A supervisor or manager can aid retention by being fair and nondiscriminatory.

_____ developed the needs theory of motivation, which classifies human needs into five categories that ascend in a definite order. Lyman Porter and E. E. Lawler Abraham Maslow Victor Vroom Frederick Herzberg

Abraham Maslow

_____ is any failure by an employee to report to work as scheduled or to stay at work when scheduled. Disengagement Turnover Absenteeism Tardiness

Absenteeism

Identify a true statement about turnover. There is no such thing as positive turnover. HR managers should strive to reduce turnover even if it is optimal. An optimal turnover is necessary to replace low performers. Most managers know the optimal turnover for their departments.

An optimal turnover is necessary to replace low performers.

Identify a statement that is NOT true regarding employee surveys. As a means of bolstering employee morale, only positive survey results should be communicated to employees. A crucial part of conducting an attitude survey is providing feedback to those who participated in it. Whether surveys cover general employee attitudes, job satisfaction, or specific issues, the results must be examined as part of retention measurement efforts. Surveys can be starting points for reducing turnover and increasing the length of time that employees are retained.

As a means of bolstering employee morale, only positive survey results should be communicated to employees.

Which of the following individuals is most likely engaged in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)? Ramona, who takes exit interviews to help the company reduce employee turnover Peter, who is fully invested in his job and makes every effort to finish his assignments on time Meena, who attends most of the new skill development training sessions held in her company Cabe, who frequently volunteers to serve on committees that draft new employee policies

Cabe, who frequently volunteers to serve on committees that draft new employee policies

Which of the following is a management intervention in the process for managing retention? Exit interviews Career development and planning Employee surveys Absence/turnover measurement

Career development and planning