Human Resource MGT ch 5

Which of the following best describes a phased-retirement program?

It refers to reducing the number of hours older employees work, as well as the cost of these employees.

When implementing an HR strategy, the organization must hold some individual accountable for achieving the goals. (T/F)

True

In the context of recruitment sources, private employment agencies serve primarily blue-collar workers, while public employment agencies mostly serve white-collar workers. (T/F)

False

In the context of recruitment sources, referrals are people who apply for a vacancy without prompting from the organization. (T/F)

False

Personnel policies influence the kinds of job applicants an organization attracts.

False

Statistical models are used for forecasting labor demands because they are good at capturing "once-in-a-lifetime" changes. (T/F)

False

The negative effect of downsizing would be low among firms that use performance-related pay incentives. (T/F)

False

Which of the following is true of companies that use a "lead-the-market" pay strategy?

They would pay more than the current market wages for a job.

In human resource planning, forecasting is an intermediary step. (T/F)

False

Keri, a trainer at Klemens Inc., plans on finding out how many candidates moved from the initial interview stage to the training selection stage in the past month in the company. She needs to compare the ________ to accomplish her task.

yield ratios

Which of the following observations is true of utilizing the services of independent contractors?

A company is not supposed to directly supervise the contractors.

In the context of options for avoiding a labor shortage, identify the similarity between outsourcing and overtime strategies.

Both strategies have high revocability.

Identify the correct statement regarding downsizing.

Downsizing often disrupts the social networks through which people are creative and flexible.

________ formally lay out the steps an employee may take to appeal an employer's decision to terminate that employee.

Due-process policies

________ states that if there is no specific employment contract saying otherwise, the employer or employee may end an employment relationship at any time, regardless of cause.

Employment at will

Errol, a manager at a large toy store, is expecting increased sales during the holiday season. He knows that he will experience a labor shortage during this time. Which of the following options is most suitable for Errol's situation to avoid a labor shortage?

Errol must hire temporary employees because he can let them go once the holiday season is over.

Britt, a production manager at Frelix Inc., is expecting a labor shortage for a short period of time. He needs to avoid it with a strategy that can be easily eliminated in the future when there is optimal labor available for work. Which of the following options for avoiding a labor shortage would be the right solution for Britt?

Hiring temporary employees.

Identify the correct statement regarding internal recruitment sources.

Internal recruiting minimizes the possibility of unrealistic employee expectations.

A manufacturing company hit by a slump in demand is experiencing a labor surplus. The company expects the market to improve in six months, and it does not want to lay off any of its employees. Which of the following strategies is an equitable way to handle this issue that results in spreading the burden more fairly?

Reduced work hours

Why is temporary employment popular with employers?

It gives them flexibility in operations.

A small company that manufactures special-order wood furniture has kept its employees busy on a 40-hours-a-week schedule for the past two years. The company just received a large contract from a Japanese company that is opening offices in the area. The Japanese company has given a month's time for completion of its order. To complete the contract in the required one month, the furniture company needs additional skilled labor on short notice. Which of the following strategies is best suited to avoid this short-term labor shortage if the company desires to find a simple and cost-effective solution?

Overtime

Yienze Inc., a manufacturer of electronic goods, is experiencing financial losses, and company management is trying to less the fiscal losses. The company is also facing the problem of labor surplus due to low demand for its products. In this context, which of the following is the best way to deal with this labor surplus?

The company must consider downsizing because it is the quickest way to deal with a labor surplus that results in financial losses.

Jackson, a production manager at Crenzel Inc., is expecting a labor shortage in the next six months due to increased demand for the company's products during the holiday season. He thinks the best way to deal with this labor shortage is to hire new employees. However, Pamela, the HR manager, thinks this idea would prove expensive and would lead to a labor surplus in the future. Which of the following statements, if true, supports Pamela's argument?

The demand for products will fall after the holiday season.

Identify a disadvantage of using temporary and contract workers.

These workers tend to be relatively less committed to the organization.

Betty, a production manager at Renton Inc., needs to avoid a labor surplus in the company in a fast and effective way. She wishes to do so with minimal suffering to the employees in terms of lay-offs and salary. Which of the following strategies will help Betty accomplish her goal?

Transfers

Contracting with another organization to perform a broad set of services is called outsourcing. (T/F)

True

Downsizing can be used to reduce surplus labor because it yields fast results. (T/F)

True

In the context of employing temporary and contract workers, if the person providing the service is a contractor and not an employee, the company is not supposed to directly supervise the worker. (T/F)

True

In the context of recruiter traits and behavior, the recruiter affects the nature of both the job vacancy and the applicants generated. (T/F)

True

Many of the people reading classified ads are either over- or underqualified for the position. (T/F)

True

The goals an organization sets in its human resource planning process should come directly from the analysis of its labor supply and demand. (T/F)

True

The steps in a workforce utilization review are identical to the steps in the HR planning process. (T/F)

True

Identify a benefit of applying statistical forecasting methods.

Under the right conditions, they provide predictions that are much more precise than judgmental methods.

People who apply for a vacancy without prompting from an organization are referred to as a(n):

direct applicants.

Jonathan, the CEO of Maxofan Inc., finds that the company needs to eliminate a labor surplus to avoid financial difficulties. To deal with this problem, he chooses a strategy that gives him fast results. However, the amount of suffering caused to employees is high. Jonathan is most likely using the ________ strategy to reduce the labor surplus.

downsizing

Bob, an HR manager at Delair Inc., is expecting a labor surplus in the company in the month of December. Bob has nearly eight months to deal with this problem. In order to reduce labor surplus, Bob must use a ________ strategy, which causes less suffering for employees.

hiring freeze

Rhodes Group, a financial services corporation, advertises itself to cultivate a favorable picture of the organization by using the slogan, "Investing innovatively." This scenario is an example of ________ advertising.

image

Juliette intends to approach Kaskade Inc. to fill a vacant position they have in the organization. She conducts a background check to find the merits and limitations of the vacancy. In the context of the behavior of the recruiter, Juliette is checking the ________.

realistic job preview

In the context of managing human resources, the process of ________ creates a buffer between planning and the actual selection of new employees.

recruiting

James, a new HR manager at Flenzel Inc., aims to understand the proportion of employees in the public relations department to decide if the company needs to hire new employees. James most likely needs to use a(n) ________ to achieve his objective.

transitional matrix