Master Set 3-HR

A

Identify the type of case where most of the debate focuses on discriminatory consequences and the plaintiff need not prove the employer's intent to discriminate. A. Disparate impact B. Disparate treatment C. Reasonable accommodation D. Affirmative action E. Corrective action

B

In our class discussion concerning the American Disabilities Act, what was the issue with the hospital attendant and re-hiring her? A. Previous employment reference checks showed an average performance. B. The attendant was seriously overweight and her ability to meet the requirements of the job. C. The ADA did not cover her because of a pre-existing back injury. D. A shortage of hospital funds for hiring were suddenly unavailable.

Identify the benefit of relying on internal recruitment sources.

Internal sources are generally cheaper and faster than other means.

Dino Inc., a marketing firm, has employees who work in different cities in different time zones around the country. They coordinate their work efficiently with the help of technology, such as videoconferencing, mobile phones, and e-mail, for the production of marketing activities. Which statement is true of Dino Inc.?

It encourages virtual teams.

Which statement is true of a bona fide occupational qualification?

It is a necessary qualification for a job.

Which of the following is true of an intranet?

It is a network that uses internet tools but limits access to authorized users in the organization

Which of the following statements is true about a learning organization?

It supports lifelong learning by enabling all employees to continually acquire and share knowledge.

Which of the following is true of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?

It uses a common language that generalizes across jobs to describe the abilities, work styles, work activities, and work context required for various occupations.

Allie, a human resource manager at an electronics firm, observes that many employees who are reaching the traditional retirement age are not interested in leaving the organization. Which statement best explains the reason for this trend among older employees?

Jobs are becoming less physically demanding.

Which of the following is the reason why more organizations are looking overseas to hire talented people?

Low cost of labor in foreign countries

What is a characteristic of a successful formal mentoring program?

Managers are rewarded for employee development.

Cameron, a supervisor at Margolia Co., needs to appraise the performance of her subordinate, Stefan. In the context of performance information, what is the least biased source of information for appraisal and why?

Managers because their success depends on the employee's productivity.

Select the case that would most likely be filed under disparate impact.

Minority applicants are being disproportionately rejected relative to majority applicants by a paper-and-pencil test.

Min, the production manager of Manning Inc., is writing a recommendation to begin gathering performance appraisal information from peers along with other sources of information. Which statement best supports Min's recommendation for getting peer feedback?

Peers have expert knowledge of job requirements.

C

People's right of privacy is the right to: A. know the nature of the job they are being hired for. B. autonomy in how they carry out their work. C. control what they reveal about their private life. D. a fair and impartial hearing. E. fight against a wrongful discharge.

Identify the disadvantage of using profit-sharing plans.

Profit sharing is not directly linked to individual behavior.

Jordan is the human resource manager at a poultry-processing facility with 75 employees. He just received a call saying that an OSHA inspector has arrived at the facility. What can Jordan expect the company will need to do first?

Provide the inspector with records of any deaths, injuries, and illnesses.

Which of the following statements is true of reasonable accommodation?

Reasonable accommodation is typically provided in situations involving individuals with disabilities or different religions needs

Standards for ethical behavior: 4 principles: 4

4. They emphasizes fairness, that is, another person's interest count as much as their own.

Which of the following scenarios demonstrates a violation of the right of freedom of conscience in a workplace environment?

A supervisor coerces an employee to use unsafe practices to keep a project on schedule.

A

A(n) _____ is an area of personal capability that enables employees to perform their work successfully. A. competency B. entity C. identity D. duty E. opportunity

Which of the following terms refer to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group? A. Affirmative action B. Disparate impact C. Reasonable accommodation D. Reverse discrimination E. Adverse impact

A. Affirmative action Affirmative action refers to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group.

Which of the following is responsible for the shift in the job trend, from the use of narrowly defined jobs to the use of broadly defined jobs in organizations? A. Emphasis on innovation and quality B. Increased demand for low skilled workers C. Increased focus on simplifying jobs D. Lack of competition E. Reduced use of team-based project

A. Emphasis on innovation and quality With many simple jobs, a company can easily find workers who can quickly be trained to perform the jobs at relatively low pay. However, greater concern for innovation and quality has shifted the trend to more use of broadly defined jobs.

A(n) _____ is an area of personal capability that enables employees to perform their work successfully. A. competency B. entity C. identity D. duty E. opportunity

A. competency A competency is an area of personal capability that enables employees to perform their work successfully.

Which of the following is true about Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

ADEA outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40

Which of the following individuals will NOT be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

An individual who is subject to substance abuse

E

An individual wishing to file a complaint with the EEOC or a similar state agency must file the complaint within _____ days of the incident. A. 30 B. 14 C. 360 D. 7 E. 180

D

An organization's ability to profit without depleting its resources, including employees, natural resources, and the support of the surrounding community is called _____. A. high-performance management B. social media optimization C. substitutability D. sustainability E. supply chain management

Keith is paid for assisting a welder on a construction site. He also is adding to his welding skills by attending a local trade school. When he finishes his training program and demonstrates he has mastered specific skills, he will become a journeyman welder. Which statement best identifies that Keith is in an apprenticeship program?

Apprentices have hands-on experience assisting a tradesperson.

What is a similarity between unemployment insurance benefits and workers' compensation benefits?

Both of the programs' costs depend on the organization's experience ratings.

A telework arrangement is generally difficult to set up for _____. A. editors B. software programmers C. manufacturing workers D. graphic designers E. accountants

C. manufacturing workers Telework is easiest to implement for people in managerial, professional, or sales jobs, especially those that involve working and communicating on a computer. A telework arrangement is generally difficult to set up for manufacturing workers.

Olivia works in the human resource department at Hercules Corp. Her chief responsibilities include administering salaries, determine incentives, managing group insurance and employee vacation and leave. Identify the human resource management function being performed by Olivia.

Compensation and benefits

The HR team at Rod Inc. is meeting to discuss ways to improve the validity of its performance management system. One staffer suggests adding customer evaluations of the sales representatives in order to gauge their impact on customer satisfaction and sales. What is the major challenge of this approach?

Customer evaluations could cost hundreds of dollars for each salesperson.

Which of the following is a challenge for human resource management during mergers?

Developing conflict resolution skills

Identify the type of case where most of the debate focuses on discriminatory consequences and the plaintiff need not prove an employer's intent to discriminate.

Disparate impact

Managing cultural diversity involves: A. forming different pay structures for various groups. B. creating separate career tracks for employees with families. C. avoiding the use of affirmative action policies. D. reducing cultural diversity by selective hiring. E. encouraging career development for women and minorities.

E. encouraging career development for women and minorities. Managing cultural diversity involves creating an organizational culture that values diversity, ensuring that HRM systems are bias free, encouraging career development for women and minorities, promoting knowledge and acceptance of cultural differences, ensuring involvement in education both within and outside the organization and dealing with employees' resistance to diversity.

What is an advantage of cafeteria-style plans?

Employees can get a better understanding of the value of benefits provided.

A manager of a functional department would require skills in aligning employees' efforts with the organization's higher-level goals. Why is this a valid statement?

Employees in functional departments tend to identify more with their own departments.

Which of the following statements reflects a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

Employees over the age of 40 are asked to retire as part of a company's downsizing program.

Which statement reflects a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

Employees over the age of 40 are forced to retire as part of a company's downsizing program.

How do cafeteria-style plans increase costs for employers?

Employees select the kind of benefits they expect to need the most.

Which of the following is true about continuous learning?

Employees should continuously learn about their work systems to improve performance.

What is a potential problem of job rotation?

Employees typically develop a short-term perspective on their problems and solutions.

Dylan, a vice president of human resources, recommends adding self-appraisals to the company's performance management system. The other executives wonder why, since people would certainly want to inflate scores of their own performance. Which statement best supports Dylan's idea of using self-appraisals?

Evaluating one's contributions gets employees thinking about their performance.

Which manager is using the most effective approach to conducting a performance feedback session?

Evan works with each employee to solve performance problems respectfully, focusing on behaviors.

Which of the following legislations requires the federal government to base all its employment policies on merit and fitness

Executive Order 11478

Orange Banking Group, a corporation that has a global presence, is seeking to hire employees for its IT team. Among the available job positions are those of system administrators and chief technology officer. Who among the following is most likely to be the best source for recruiting employees for these important technical positions?

External Job Analysis

The use of employee empowerment has shifted the recruiting focus away from general cognitive and interpersonal skills toward technical skills

FALSE As with the need for knowledge workers, use of employee empowerment shifts the recruiting focus away from technical skills and toward general cognitive and interpersonal skills.

Job analysis can only be performed by certified external analysts of the U.S. Department of Labor.

FALSE In very small organizations, line managers may perform a job analysis, but usually the work is done by a human resource professional

Employees' job security has increased as a result of the new psychological contract.

FALSE Under the new psychological contract, employers expect employees to take more responsibility for their own careers, from seeking training to balancing work and family. These expectations result in less job security for employees.

A person can file a claim under the Fourteenth Amendment on charges of racial discrimination if he or she is fired by a private employer.

False

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers are required to take care not to discriminate against workers over age 40 in providing pay or benefits.

False

Employees' job security has increased as a result of the new psychological contract.

False

In order to minimize distributional errors, raters should use only one part of the rating scale.

False

Incumbents are the best source of information for a job analysis.

False

Parkers Appliances wants to improve the quality of and lower the costs in its service department. A strategy being considered involves directing technicians on exactly how to complete service calls, which should improve customer service in addition to lowering labor costs. In addition, the technicians will work under a contract so the company doesn't have to pay the employer's share of Social Security for those workers. Is this a possible strategy for Parkers Appliances to employ?

False

Two management students, Gunther and Jake, discuss the pros and cons of employee benefits. Gunther states that unemployment insurance is more advantageous to employees than it is to employers, while Jake argues that employers receive more rewards from it. Which statement weakens Jake's argument?

Federal and state taxes paid by employers fund most of unemployment insurance.

E

For analyzing technical skill levels, the best source for job information may be ____, who have vast experience rating a wide range of jobs. A. HR executives B. incumbents C. supervisors D. line managers E. external job analysts

Fiona, a white female applicant, is refused a job at a local college in favor of a less qualified minority applicant. She could consider suing the college on charges of reverse discrimination under the

Fourteenth Amendment.

For five years, Mainstream Production Systems offered $500 bonuses to individuals who identified ways to reduce costs by at least $1,000 per year. In the first year of that incentive program, 23 employees earned the bonus, but last year, only 7 submitted ideas, and only two of the ideas would actually save more than a few dollars. The company's HR director suggests that the company is likely to see more improvement if it replaces individual incentives with a gainsharing plan. Which statement best supports this argument?

Gainsharing expands employees' thinking beyond their individual interests.

Which statement is true about downsizing?

HRM can provide downsized employees with outplacement services to help them find new jobs.

Which statement is true of using stock options as incentive pay?

Stock options are rewarding for employees who exercise their option when the company's stock value has risen.

Anthony, a human resource executive for Beta Equipment, is preparing a recommendation to the company's executives that the company develop a program of succession planning. The company has been growing rapidly, so he anticip

Succession planning ensures that Beta Equipment is ready with candidates if a key position becomes vacant.

B

Susan Clarks, a white female applicant, is refused a job at a state university in favor of a less-qualified minority applicant. She considers suing the state university on charges of reverse discrimination against her, under _____. A. the Thirteenth Amendment B. the Fourteenth Amendment C. the Twenty-Second Amendment D. the Civil Rights Act of 1866 E. Title VII of CRA of 1964

Nathan, a citizen of England, works for an automobile company in England and is currently working on a project of the company in the United States. Nathan will hence be regarded as an expatriate.

TRUE Employees who take assignments in other countries are called expatriates.

When two firms in one industry join together to hold a greater share of the industry, it is regarded as a consolidation.

TRUE Some mergers and acquisitions result in consolidation within an industry, meaning that two firms in one industry join to hold a greater share of the industry.

Total quality management is intended to bring about a continuous process of quality improvement.

TRUE Total quality management refers to a company-wide effort to continually improve the ways people, machines, and systems accomplish work.

Which statement is true of self-managing work teams?

Team members usually share work assignments.

C

Teams that rely heavily on communications technology such as videoconferences, e-mail, and cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities are referred to as: A. associate teams. B. electronic teams. C. virtual teams. D. traditional teams. E. technological teams

B

The HRM function during downsizing is to terminate the workers who: A. are performing multiple organizational roles. B. are less valuable in their performance. C. are a part of the external labor force. D. are older than the other employees. E. are being paid the highest salaries.

Which of the following agencies is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress?

The executive branch of the government

D

The final stage in work flow analysis is to identify the _____. A. tangible outputs of a particular work unit B. operating procedures to be applied in production C. work processes used to generate the outputs of the work unit D. inputs used in the development of the work unit's product E. market forces of demand and supply for the outputs

B

The industrial engineering approach is most likely to emphasize _____. A. elaborate work arrangements and reporting requirements B. streamlining jobs to make them simpler, efficient, and automatic C. designing jobs in such a way that they require minimal specialization D. exploring new and diverse ways of doing the same job E. creating complex and challenging jobs that require innovative employees

Stakeholders

The parties with interest in the company's success (typically shareholders, the community, customers, and employees.)

B

The process of analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service is termed as _____. A. ergonomics B. work flow design C. utilization analysis D. industrial engineering E. break-even analysis

C

The process of defining how work will be performed and what tasks will be required in a given job is known as _____. A. job rotation B. job evaluation C. job design D. job enrichment E. job extension

Performance Management

The process of ensuring that employee's activities and outputs match the organizations goals.

A

The process of getting detailed information about jobs is known as _____. A. job analysis B. job definition C. job training D. job swapping E. job rotation

Identify a disadvantage of using temporary and contract workers.

These workers tend to be less committed to an organization.

Companies are finding that to survive they must contend in international markets as well as fend off foreign competitors' attempts to gain ground in the United States. Which of the following would help businesses in the United States meet these challenges?

They must prepare employees for global assignments

Which of the following statements is true of selection decisions?

They should be based on which candidate best meets the requirements of the position.

Which statement is true of selection decisions?

They should be based on which candidate best meets the requirements of the position.

What should employees typically do to earn bonuses under the Scanlon plan?

They should keep labor costs to a minimum and produce as much as possible with that amount of labor.

What is true of in-basket exercises?

They simulate the administrative tasks of a manager's job, using a pile of documents for the employee to handle.

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what is true of individuals with a Sensing (S) preference?

They tend to gather the facts and details to prepare for a decision.

Which of the following statements is true about the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871?

They were passed to further the Thirteenth Amendment's goal of abolishing slavery.

To ensure transfer of training, an organization's training programs should prepare employees to self-manage their use of new skills and behaviors on the job. Which is NOT a way for trainee employees to manage their new skills and behaviors?

Trainees should employ their new skills and behaviors perfectly.

Establishing and administering personnel policies allows a company to handle problematic situations more fairly and objectively than if it addressed such incidents on a case-by-case basis.

True

For on-the-job training (OJT) programs to be effective, an organization should review OJT practices at companies in similar industries.

True

Gia feels that being denied a promotion has more to do with her being a woman than with her overall performance. However, her supervisors and the HR department are refusing to hear her case. This suggests that Gia has been denied her right to due process.

True

Human resource management requires the ability to communicate through a variety of channels.

True

InTime Corp., a major watch manufacturer, purchases Antec Inc., a smaller company that makes watch bands. Following this purchase, the watch band operations are performed by the Antec Division of InTime Corp. This scenario is an example of an acquisition.

True

Marcus has opted for a different work schedule in which he works 40 hours over four days a week, instead of working eight hours a day for five days a week. Marcus's schedule can be termed a compressed workweek.

True

Someone who thrives in a highly structured environment might not be motivated by autonomy and would be a better fit for jobs with more supervision.

True

A

Under Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to _____ years. A. five B. eight C. eleven D. seven E. ten

______ is the set of guidelines issued by the EEOC and other agencies to identify how an organization sohould establish a recruitment process that is free and fair.

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

William, an employee with the U.S. Postal Service, was deployed to Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. army for two years. After the completion of his military duties, he resumed work at the post office. He was reemployed at a higher status and provided a higher compensation package. Which of the following legislation was used to help William return to reemployment on such favorable terms?

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

The employees at NeiFra Infosystems Inc., a website design company, have been struggling to provide quality services to clients. An investigation reveals that employees feel dissatisfied and fatigued due to the challenging nature of their jobs. Ellen, the HR manager, suggests simplifying jobs in order to reduce errors and increase accuracy. From the following options, identify a way to simplify the mental demands of employees' jobs.

Using software that helps with tracking progress

Which of the following refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of the employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply?

Utilization analysis

What is true of validity?

Validity ensures the fairness of employment practices during selection procedures.

D

Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was introduced to enhance employment opportunity for _____. A. women B. minors C. older employees D. individuals with disabilities E. minorities

In a recent trend, some companies are doing away with their human resource (HR) department altogether because they:

Want to encourage department managers and other employees to handle HR issues as they arise.

C

Which of the following is true of ethics in human resource management? A. Evidence shows that HRM practices are invariably ethical. B. The general public has a positive perception of the ethical conduct of U.S. businesses. C. Many ethical issues in the workplace involve human resource management. D. Most managers have a positive perception of the ethical conduct of U.S. businesses. E. Most people believe that individuals apply values they hold in their personal lives to their professional activities.

Which of the following is a condition that contributes to high performance?

Work design gives employees the opportunity to utilize a variety of skills.

Fuller Corporation recently undertook a reengineering strategy to increase the efficiency of its processes. According to your text, will reengineering have any effect on Fuller's HR department?

Yes; the structure of pay and benefits will have to be redesigned.

D

_____ are directives issued solely by the President, without requiring congressional approval. A. Constitutional amendments B. Judicial reviews C. Charters D. Executive orders E. Statutes

D

_____ are employed directly by a company for a specific time, specified in a formal agreement between the company and the workers. A. On-call workers B. Independent contractors C. Temporary workers D. Contract company workers E. Part-time workers

InfoTech Inc., a sales and marketing company, wants to combine the advantages of different incentive-pay plans and help employees understand the organization's goals. Which plan will help the company accomplish this goal?

a balanced scorecard

What is an HR dashboard?

a computer system used to acquire and distribute information about work schedules and job duties

Gavin and his team, employees of an online retailing company, are being trained on cyber surveillance and user security. As part of their training, they are working to identify a solution to the problem of cyber-phishing and data breaches. Which group-building method is being employed by Gavin's team?

action learning

According to the affirmative-action plan required by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which of the following refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of an employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply?

applied behavior analysis

A human resource professional of a company exhibits the competency of business acumen when he or she

applies knowledge of how the functions of HR contribute to business success.

_____ involves training sessions in which participants observe other people demonstrating the desired behavior, then have opportunities to practice the behavior themselves.

behavior modeling

Statistics that measure the degree to which two sets of numbers are related are known as _____.

correlation coefficients

Herbert, an HR manager at Maxtier Inc., hires 50 employees in five months. He used different sources of recruitment to recruit these employees. He wants to know which kind of source delivered the most new hires for the money. To answer that question, Herbert should determine the

cost per hire.

Team training in which team members understand and practice each other's skills so that they are prepared to step in and take another member's place is referred to as

cross-training

Which of the following is the first step in performance management process?

defining performance outcomes for company division and department

In the context of today's organizations, which of the following statements is true of employees?

employees are not easily the replaced parts of a system, they are the source of a companys success or failure

What common condition is necessary for gainsharing to be successful in an organization?

employees who value working in groups

Pay policies are one of the most important human resource tools for

encouraging desired employee behaviors.

What is legally required by an organization while offering early-retirement incentives?

ensuring there is no coercion used to force employees to retire

Fizzy Inc. is a soft-drink manufacturing company. Anne, the production manager, works with a human resource consultant to design a new work flow for the production unit. Together they define the necessary inputs. These include raw materials, information, human resources, and

equipment.

Once the outputs are identified, the next step in a work flow analysis involves

examining the work processes usedto generate those outputs

Ryan, a regional manager for a leading automobile company in the United States, decides to design a manufacturing job based on the principles of industrial engineering. Following its successful implementation, which outcome should he expect?

increased efficiency

David, the HR vice president at Redding Co., evaluates responses from an employee survey at the company's annual benefits presentation. He concludes that many employees are confused about their options for health insurance, and they are often unhappy with the policy they choose. What should David do about this situation?

introduce software that will guide employees to the insurance option for their needs

Lydia, a supervisor, is meeting with an employee whose performance has deteriorated since the previous year. The employee used to do the same work well, so Lydia believes the problem is not likely to be related to ability. Which of the following responses would be most likely to help in this situation?

investigating whether the employee feels she has been treated fairly

Bella, an employee at Lavender Holdings, was suspended for two weeks for drug use. Six months later, she was fired from the job because her productivity did not show any improvement even after undergoing treatment for drug use. Which of the following is the form of discharge experienced by Bella?

involuntary turnover

Oliver works at Tate Corp., an apparel manufacturing company. He primarily focuses on the tastes and needs of the firm's customers. He achieves this by managing a team that regularly interacts with customers through various promotional activities and events. He also provides insights on how to produce eco-friendly outfits through cost-efficient manufacturing processes. This implies that Oliver:

is a knowledge worker

Maria is a recruiter with a bachelor's degree in business administration. She is well respected among her peers for her professional standards and understanding of the HR field. However, she has noticed that when she recruits engineers for her company, they sometimes seem unresponsive to her. The most likely reason for this is because Maria

is perceived as less credible because she is an HR specialist.

Heather is an HR specialist at McCoy Manufacturing, where she is responsible for making sure HR policies and transactions deliver results on a companywide basis by acquiring, developing, motivating, and deploying human resources. This scenario illustrates Heather's skills as a(n) _____.

operational executor

Julian applies for the position of an emergency direct care worker at San Jose Medical Center. In the last round of the selection process, he has to take part in a testing procedure that simulates an emergency situation. He has to run a half-mile on the treadmill, followed by a step test, a posture test, a squat test, and a weight-lifting test. His performance is timed and his heart rate is monitored throughout the tests. Which test is exemplified in this case?

physical ability test

The management of Holmes Inc. expects its employees to be enthusiastic about their work by seeking training, putting in long hours of work, initiating better work procedures, and maintaining a sound balance between professional life and personal life. In return, the firm's employees expect management to arrange for better incentives, flexible work schedules, and increased authority to execute their tasks. This scenario is (an) example of a(n) _____.

psychological contract

The difference between job specifications and job descriptions is that job specifications primarily describe the:

qualities a person performing the job must possess.

When in situations they dislike, employees with positive core self-evaluation tend to

seek change in socially acceptable ways.

Ralph works at Delta Corporation. He is responsible for identifying individuals with skills required for the various roles in the organization. Which human resource management practice is being performed by Ralph?

selection

independent contractors are

self-employed individuals with multiple clients

The system in which employees have online access to information about human resource issues and go online to enroll themselves in programs and provide feedback through surveys is termed

self-service

According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, men and women performing the same job cannot have differences in pay on the basis of _____.

sex

Which action helps organizations reduce the cost of health care benefits offered to employees?

shifting from traditional health insurance plans to PPOs and CDHPs

According to your text, a number of techniques are available for measuring HRM's effectiveness in meeting its customers' needs depending on the situation. These techniques include reviewing a set of key indicators, measuring the outcomes of _____, and measuring the economic value of HRM programs.

specific HRM activity

In the context of HRM functions, the activities of performance management include

specifying the tasks and outcomes of a job that contribute to an organization's success.

Which of the following consists of an organization's planned effort to help employees acquire job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors?

training

Which of the following describes a planned effort to enable employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior?

training

The _____ of an employment test is indicated by the extent to which the test scores relate to actual job performance.

validity

Teams that rely heavily on communications technology such as video conferences, email, ad cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities are referred to as

virtual teams

After filing a discrimination complaint with the EEOC or other governmental agency, how long does an individual have to wait to sue in federal court?

60 days

C

After a large fire accident at Hilson Mills, the OSHA constituted a board of inspectors who were working to ensure the safety of the employees in the future. This board began its program by calling all the employees involved in the recent fire accident and asked them what had caused the accident. Once each individual employee had put forth his views, the employees were asked to discuss amongst themselves to determine the single systemic failure that caused the fire. Which of the following methods is being used by the OSHA in studying the recent fire accident at Hilson Mills? A. Operations cycle review B. Standard protocol review C. Technic of operations review D. Job hazard analysis technique E. Utilization analysis

Which of the following categories is NOT covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Age discrimination

An employee stock ownership plan denies employees the right to participate in votes by shareholders even if the stock is registered on a national exchange.

False

Statistical models are used for forecasting labor demand because they are good at capturing "once-in-a-lifetime" changes.

False

The negative effect of downsizing would be low among firms that use performance-related pay incentives.

False

The use of temporary workers might provide an organization with additional administrative tasks and financial burdens.

False

Under equal employment opportunity laws, if an employer uses an interview process that eliminates most candidates who are black or Hispanic, the employer must show that the method is necessary for selecting candidates who project the right brand image.

False

Under the workers' compensation laws, employees are eligible to receive their regular paychecks in the event of a disability.

False

Chad finds that he meets the eligibility requirements for Social Security. He elects to receive retirement benefits at 62. Which statement is true?

He will receive benefits at a permanently reduced level.

Which of the following best defines a competency?

It is an area of personal capability that enables employees to perform successfully.

What is true about a transfer?

It is an assignment of an employee to a position in a different area of the company, usually in a lateral move.

An automobile painting facility experienced a breakdown in one of its ventilation fans, causing a buildup of fumes. What must the facility do in this situation to meet the employee rights under the OSH Act?

Promptly inform the affected employees about their exposure to hazards.

Identify the correct statement about flexible work schedules.

The globalization of the world economy and the development of e-commerce have made the notion of a 40-hour workweek obsolete

Which of the following statements is true of equal employment opportunity laws?

The goal of these laws is for employers to provide equal pay for equal work.

Which of the following is true of the relationship between training and development?

The goal of training is preparation for the current job, while the goal of development is preparation for future job opportunities.

Which statement is true of the relationship between training and development?

The goal of training is preparation for the current job, while the goal of development is preparation for future job opportunities.

D

The growth in e-commerce and information economy has led to an increase in the demand for employees in: A. technical jobs. B. mining and resource extraction. C. agriculture. D. service occupations. E. manufacturing

Talented manager/ organizational designer

knows the ways that people join the organization and move to different positions within in.

After a large fire at Argile Manufacturing, the company called the employees together at the facility to investigate the incident. Management began by asking each of the employees to describe their understanding of what happened. Once all employees had given their views individually, they discussed the situation until they could agree on the single systemic failure that caused the fire. Which method is Argile Manufacturing using?

technic of operations review

Identify the similarity between the outsourcing and overtime strategies for avoiding a labor shortage.

Both strategies have high revocability.

What is the advantage of establishing and administering policies in organizations?

It allows companies to handle situations more fairly and objectively.

Identify the statement that accurately represents the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It goes beyond prohibiting discrimination to require that employers take steps to accommodate individuals covered under the legislation.

D

Employees who take assignments in other countries are called _____. A. home-country nationals B. immigrants C. external employees D. expatriates E. emigrants

Traditional management thinking treated human resource management primarily as a means to support a company's strategy.

False

Which of the following exemplifies one of the most creative developments in human resource information systems technology?

HR dashboard

Which of the following is true of competency models?

They help HR professionals ensure that all aspects of talent management are aligned with an organization's strategy.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of broad bands?

They reduce the opportunities for promoting employees.

C

Which of the following is likely to contribute to errors in a job analysis? A. Use of multiple analysis methods to obtain a detailed job analysis. B. Inputs from multiple sources like incumbents and supervisors. C. Fixed and unchanging job descriptions for various jobs. D. Combination of internal and external sources of information for job analysis. E. Creation of comprehensive and detailed job description.

C

Which of the following is the most comprehensive U.S. law regarding worker safety? A. Thirteenth amendment B. Fourteenth amendment C. OSH Act D. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 E. Civil Rights Act of 1991

Which of the following is the most comprehensive US law regarding worker safety?

OSH Act

Which of the following is the most comprehensive U.S. law regarding worker safety?

OSHA

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are attractive to employers. Along with tax and financing advantages, ESOPs give employers a way to build pride in and commitment to the organization. Which statement weakens this argument?

Risks involved will directly affect employees' retirement income.

Which of the following is true about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

The act applies to organizations with 15 or more employees

C

The relationship between employer and employee can be thought of in terms of a(n) _____, a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions. Unlike a written sales contract, this is not formally put into words. A. employee contract B. offer letter C. psychological contract D. union bond E. legal agreement

C

Which of the following refers to the process through which an organization seeks applicants for potential employment? A. Orientation B. Training C. Recruitment D. Work analysis E. Job design

E

Which of the following terms refers to a computer system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve, and distribute information related to an organization's human resources? A. Electronic performance support systems B. e-CRM C. High-performance work systems D. Self-service systems E. Human resource information systems

HR provide an organization with a sustainable competitive advantage because

high-quality employees provide needed service as they perform many critical functions

The _____ is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress

executive branch of the government

As a method of downsizing, early-retirement programs have been shown to be

humane

HR planning

identifying the numbers and types of employees the organization will require to meet its objective.

Which of the following is the first step in the human resource planning process?

forecasting

Which of the following is a component of a basic career management system?

goal setting

Compensation systems can help create the conditions that contribute to high performance. Consequently, organizations can increase empowerment and job satisfaction by

communicating the basis for decisions about pay.

Unon Inc. offers its employees a career management program in which they can take a variety of self-assessments. When employees complete these self-assessments, what is the organization's responsibility in the next stage of the career management process?

communicating to the employee the results of the performance evaluation and any development opportunities available

Disparate treatment could be legal if the discrimination

is categorized as a bona fide occupational qualification

The new type of psychological contract has resulted in reduced

job security

Which of the following is the most common reason why U.S. organizations hire employees in foreign countries?

low cost of labor in foreign countries

the HR function of maintaining positive employee relations primarily includes

maintaining communication with union representatives

The HR function of maintaining positive employee relations includes

maintaining communication with union representatives.

Which of the following HR functions includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies, and in large orgs, company publications such as a monthly newsletter or a web site on the org's intrnet

maintaining positive employee relations

Tasty Treats, a cookie manufacturer, combines with Minty Goodies, a chocolate manufacturer, to form a company called Yummy, Inc. This scenario illustrates a(n)

merger.

Souped Inc., a firm that manufactures ready-to-eat soups, offers incentives based on an employee's performance rating and the employee's compa-ratio. Which payment plan is exemplified in this scenario?

merit pay

Job rotation involves

moving an employee through a series of job assignments in one or more functional areas of the company.

Offshoring is defined as

moving operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available

A meatpacking facility has been neglecting employee health and safety. If employees contact OSHA to request an inspection, what can the facility's management expect?

no advance notification from OSHA

Organizations under pressure to cut labor costs may respond by

postponing hiring decisions

In the context of human resource planning, the primary goal of forecasting is to

predict labor shortages or surpluses in specific areas of an organization.

Peter, the human resource manager at Tinker Inc., has a clear understanding of the firm's business. This enables him to comprehend the various needs of the business and help the company meet its goals for attracting, keeping, and developing employees with the required skills. This scenario indicates Peter's responsibility of

providing business partner services.

Jill is a recruiter for Kinnack Inc. When she interviews job candidates, she works hard to provide background information about the job's positive and negative qualities. She aims to be sure every detail is accurate, so that any employees hired will feel they got what they expected and will want to stay on with the company. Jill's behavior is an example of providing a

realistic job preview.

Identify the process through which an organization seeks applicants for potential employment.

recruitment

_____ influence the kinds of job applicants an organization reaches.

recruitment sources

Ken, an HR manager at Colonial Corp., wishes to design jobs that do not exceed the mental capabilities and limitations of employees. To do so, Ken would most likely have to

reduce the information-processing requirements of a job.

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 strategy is an equitable way to handle this issue and spread the burden more fairly?

reduced work hours

Designing jobs that meet mental capabilities and limitations generally involves

reducing the information-processing requirements of a job

A male employee, over the objections of his female colleagues, continues to display a highly suggestive calendar containing indecent pictures within his office. This is an example of

sexual harassment

Enrique is hired as a seasonal firefighter by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The training used to prepare Enrique for his firefighting job involves an online training module. In this game-like module, Enrique is virtually placed in a real-life scenario such as a garage fire or a restaurant fire, and his goal is to put out the fire and save as many lives as possible. This form of training is referred to as a(n)

simulation.

Which of the following helps performance management meet the goals of supporting strategy and developing employees?

specific feedback

Which of the following statements is true about HR responsibilities of supervisors

supervisors typically have responsibilities related to all the HR functions

Cody works at a machine production facility assembling small parts in a specialized division. In addition to his regular job duties, Cody works in tandem with his other coworkers to schedule work, select new team members, and carry out multiple assembly tasks. This style of work is best described as

teamwork

According to the Job Characteristics Model, which of the following best describes task identity?

the degree to which a job requires completing a "whole" piece of work from beginning to end

Which of the following agencies is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress?

the executive branch of the government

B

After filing a discrimination complaint with the EEOC or other governmental agency, how long does an individual have to wait to sue in federal court? A. 30 days B. 60 days C. 10 days D. 20 days E. 40 days

D

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects only those workers who are over the age of _____. A. thirty B. twenty five C. twenty D. forty E. thirty five

E

By keeping employees' personal records confidential, an employer respects their right of: A. autonomy. B. freedom of conscience. C. equal opportunity. D. freedom of speech. E. privacy.

Which of the following is a permissible question for job applications and interviews?

Can you meet the requirements of the work schedule?

Point 3

Developing fair and effective policies requires strong decision-making skills, the ability to think ethically, and a broad understanding of business activities that will be covered by the policies.

C

Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as _____. A. disparate impact B. affirmative action C. disparate treatment D. reasonable accommodation E. reverse discrimination

Which statement accurately characterizes electronic performance support systems (EPSSs)?

EPSSs provide expert advice when a problem occurs on the job.

A Chicago-based company shifts its warehouses and operations to a low-rent area that is 50 miles away. This is an example of offshoring.

False

D

Job descriptions generally contain all of the following components EXCEPT _____. A. the job title B. a list of essential duties C. a brief description of the responsibilities D. the details of pay and benefits attached to the job E. the details of the tasks involved

Choose the correct statement about personal dispositions.

People with a positive core self-evaluation tend to experience job satisfaction.

Chris, the CEO of an automobile company, believes that profit sharing has increased the productivity of his organization. He feels that an incentive plan motivates employees to be more productive. Which statement strengthens Chris' argument?

Profit sharing helps employees to cooperate and focus on organizational interests.

Which of the following actions during the selection process would be illegal under the equal employment opportunity laws?

asking candidates how close they are to retirement age

Job analysis

the process of getting detailed information about jobs.

Which of the following observations about reengineering is true?

Changing customer needs and technologies necessitate reengineering.

Which of the following statements is true about the HR profession

HR generalists usually perform the full range of HRM activities

Job design aimed at empowerment

Includes access to resources

Acting as a mentor gives managers

a chance to develop their interpersonal skills.

What is the first step in performance management process?

defining performance outcomes for company division and department

Managing cultural diversity involves:

encouraging career development for women and minorities

Which statement is true regarding trends in job analysis?

Errors in job analysis have multiple sources, but most result from outdated job descriptions.

Employees rights

* Right of free consent * Right of privacy * right of freedom of conscience * Right of freedom of speech * right to due process

A vehicle manufacturing company decides to hire 35 employees for its new servicing branch located in Texas. A total of 90 eligible applicants apply for the job of which 50 are white and 40 are black. Assuming that the company decides to hire 25 whites and 10 blacks, what can be inferred using the four-fifths rule?

0.5 < 0.8, this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination.

A vehicle manufacturing company decides to hire 35 employees for its new servicing branch located in Louisiana. A total of 90 eligible applicants apply for the job, of which 40 are black and 50 are white. Assuming that the company decides to hire 10 blacks and 25 whites, what can be inferred using the four-fifths rule?

0.5 < 0.8; this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination.

Alice helped a sales manager place an ad on job boards and hire five new salespeople. She calculates that the total cost to recruit and select these employees was $200,000. What was the cost per hire for this recruiting effort?

$40,000

E

A _____ is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform a particular job. A. job rotation B. job definition C. job evaluation D. job scope E. job specification

B

A bona fide occupational qualification _____. A. is considered illegal by the court B. is a necessary qualification for the job C. is strictly prohibited by organizations D. is a preferred qualification for the job E. is used to deem disparate treatment illegal

Which of the following statements is true about key jobs?

A job with a higher evaluation score than a particular key job would receive higher pay than that key job.

Emma, a 24-year-old Hispanic woman, pressed charges of sexual harassment against Jonathan, a politician. The case became sensational because the accused was one of the strongest candidates in the upcoming elections. In the case's final stage, the United States Supreme Court issued a verdict that cleared Jonathan of all charges on the grounds of lack of evidence. The ruling spurred angry protests from many interest groups, especially Hispanic women, and they wanted the verdict reversed. According to the prevalent system, which among the following would invalidate the verdict in this case?

A law passed by Congress

Training

A planned effort to enable employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior.

Which statement is true of a psychological contract?

A psychological contract is not formally put into words.

E

A system in which employees have online access to information about HR issues and go online to enroll themselves in programs and provide feedback through surveys is termed as: A. social facilitation B. payroll automation. C. cloud computing. D. data mining. E. self-service.

D

A vehicle manufacturing company decides to hire 35 employees for its new servicing branch located in Texas. A total of 90 eligible applicants apply for the job of which 50 are Americans and 40 are African-Americans. Assuming that the company decides to hire 25 Americans and 10 African-Americans, what can be inferred using the four-fifths rule? A. 0.5<0.8, this indicates that there is no evidence of discrimination. B. 2>0.8, this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination. C. The hiring rate for African-Americans is equal to four-fifth the hiring rate of Americans; hence there is no evidence of discrimination. D. 0.5<0.8, this indicates that there is evidence of discrimination. E. 2>0.8, this indicates that there is no evidence of discrimination.

List and discuss the basic human rights suggested by the work of Immanuel Kant, as well as the tradition of the Enlightenment.

A widely adopted understanding of human rights, based on the work of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, as well as the tradition of the Enlightenment, assumes that in a moral universe, every person has certain basic rights: 1) Right of free consent: People have the right to be treated only as they knowingly and willingly consent to be treated. 2) Right of privacy: People have the right to do as they want in their private lives, and they have the right to control what they reveal about their private activities. 3) Right of freedom of conscience: People have the right to refuse to do what violates their moral beliefs, as long as these beliefs reflect commonly accepted norms. 4) Right of freedom of speech: People have the right to criticize an organization's ethics, if they do so in good conscience and their criticism does not violate the rights of individuals in the organization. 5) Right to due process: If people believe their rights are being violated, they have the right to a fair and impartial hearing. One way to think about ethics in business is that the morally correct action is the one that minimizes encroachments on and avoids violations of these rights.

Identify the action of employers that can result in reverse discrimination.

Affirmative action

Which question can be answered by performing a person analysis?

Are employees ready for training?

C

As a _____, the HR manager should know the ways that people join the organization and move to different positions within it. A. strategy architect B. cultural steward C. talent manager D. business ally E. credible activist

D

As a type of resource, human capital refers to the: A. wages, benefits, and other costs incurred in support of HR functions in an organization. B. cash, equipment, technology, and facilities that the organization uses. C. tax-deferred value of an employee's 401(k) plan. D. employee characteristics that add economic value to the organization. E. total budget allocated to the HR department in an organization.

The largest number of immigrants to the US workforce are from

Asia

B

At Smartech, a company dealing in software products, employees often complain about the lack of clarity regarding the tasks they are required to perform. Often there are two employees working on overlapping tasks, while some tasks are not designated to any employee. Though employees are satisfied with the pay and work culture, this aspect of their work environment has led to a lot of conflict in the workplace. From the information provided, this complaint of the employees can be closely linked to which of the following HR functions? A. Compliance with laws B. Analysis and design of work C. Compensation and benefits D. Maintaining employee relations E. Recruitment and selection

Operational executors

At the most basic level they carry out particular HR functions such as handling the selection, training, or compensation of employees and communicating through a variety of media.

D

At the most basic level, HR managers fulfilling the role of _____, carry out particular HR functions such as handling the selection, training, or compensation of employees. A. business allies B. cultural stewards C. talent managers/organizational designers D. operational executors E. credible activists

E

Avion textiles, a cloth manufacturing company implements a new technology in their production process to improve the speed at which the cloth is produced. To make effective use of this technology, the company decides to train its employees regarding the new technology. They also make changes in the quality check and sales teams to maintain the costs at profitable levels and deliver good quality products. This reformation in all the critical processes of the company to make them efficient is known as _____. A. outsourcing B. codetermining C. downsizing D. hedging E. reengineering

Which of the following is a trend that is seen in present day high-performance work systems? A. Mismatches in technical system and social system B. Employee empowerment in decision making C. Increase in individual assignments D. Centralized decision making E. Reduced reliance on knowledge workers

B. Employee empowerment in decision making Among the trends that are occurring in today's high-performance work systems are reliance on knowledge workers, empowerment of employees to make decisions, and use of teamwork.

Tech-Marketing Inc., an advertising firm located in Ohio, requires its employees to be at work between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This work rule allows employees to work additional hours before or after the time period in order to work the full day. Identify the job design method implemented at Tech-Marketing. A. Zero-hour contract B. Flextime C. Compressed workweek D. Telework E. Retroactive overtime

B. Flextime Flextime is a scheduling policy in which full-time employees may choose starting and ending times within guidelines specified by the organization. The flextime policy may require that employees be at work between certain hours, say, 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Employees work additional hours before or after this period in order to work the full day.

Which of the following responsibilities is specifically associated with the HR function of support for strategy? A. Discipline B. Human resource planning and forecasting C. Wage and salary administration D. Developing employee handbooks and company publications E. Developing an HR information system

B. Human resource planning and forecasting Human resource planning and forecasting and change management help organization provide support for an organization's strategy.

Which of the following HR functions includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies and, in large organizations, company publications such as a monthly newsletter or a Web site on the organization's intranet? A. Recruitment and selection B. Maintaining positive employee relations C. Ensuring compliance with labor laws D. Performance management E. Planning and administering pay and benefits

B. Maintaining positive employee relations Organizations often depend on human resource professionals to help them maintain positive relations with employees. This function includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies and, in large organizations, company publications such as a monthly newsletter or a Web site on the organization's intranet.

Which of the following refers to an employer's obligation to do something to enable an otherwise qualified person to perform a job? A. Reverse discrimination B. Reasonable accommodation C. Disparate impact D. Adverse action E. Reverse discrimination

B. Reasonable accommodation An employer's obligation to do something to enable an otherwise qualified person to perform a job is referred to as reasonable accommodation.

What is the goal of ergonomics? A. Empowering the employees by giving them decision-making authority B. Reducing the physical strain on employees performing the job C. Reducing the number of reporting relationships in the job D. Enlarging jobs by moving employees among several different jobs E. Increasing the job's mental demands

B. Reducing the physical strain on employees performing the job The goal of ergonomics is to minimize physical strain on the worker by structuring the physical work environment around the way the human body works. Ergonomics therefore focuses on outcomes such as reducing physical fatigue, aches and pains, and health complaints.

Lucas Johnson, an employee with the U.S. postal services was deployed to Afghanistan, to serve in the U.S. army for two years. After the completion of his military duties, he reassumed work at the post office. He was reemployed at a higher status and provided a higher compensation package. Which of the following legislations was used to help Lucas return to reemployment on such favorable terms? A. GINA B. USERRA C. ADA D. ADEA E. OSH Act

B. USERRA According to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to five years. When service members return from active duty, the employer must reemploy them in the job they would have held if they had not left to serve in the military, providing them with the same seniority, status, and pay rate they would have earned if their employment had not been interrupted.

Chandler is the owner of a restaurant called KC Kitchen. He decides to increase employee motivation by introducing benefit packages. However, Alivia, the manager, suggests that employees will be more motivated if Chandler increases their actual wages. Which statement, if true, strengthens Alivia's argument?

Benefit packages are more difficult to understand by employees than pay structures.

Identify the similarity between the natural attrition and early retirement strategies for reducing a labor surplus.

Both strategies yield slow results for an organization.

D

Carl Borden, the manager of an electronics store in California, gives his staff the authority to resolve customer complaints. He lets the staff decide whether to issue refunds or replace merchandise in case of consumer grievances. Which of the following job design techniques does Carl implement in his store? A. Job sharing B. Cross training C. Job rotation D. Job enrichment E. Job evaluation

D

Carla Warne is an HR executive looking for a new job. She comes across an advertisement in a newspaper seeking applications for the post of an HR manager. The advertisement exclusively highlights requirements such as strong communication skills, excellent teamwork, and leadership skills. These requirements constitute the _____. A. Knowledge B. Personality traits C. Skill D. Responsibility E. Ability

Which of the following statements is true about labor markets?

Competition for labor establishes the minimum an organization must pay to hire an employee for a particular job.

Which of the following is a challenge for HRM during mergers? A. Scrutinizing balance sheets B. Evaluating the financial worth of the new company C. Developing competitively priced products D. Developing conflict resolution skills among employees E. Sustaining the brand image of the company

D. Developing conflict resolution skills among employees HRM should have a significant role in carrying out a merger or acquisition. Differences between the businesses involved in the deal make conflict inevitable. Training efforts should therefore include development of skills in conflict resolution. Also, HR professionals have to sort out differences in the two companies' practices with regard to compensation, performance appraisal, and other HR systems.

Which of the following defines organizations with the best possible fit between their social system and their technical system? A. Workforce analysis systems B. Holistic management systems C. Supply chain systems D. High-performance work systems E. Total quality management systems

D. High-performance work systems High-performance work systems refer to organizations that have the best possible fit between their social system and technical system.

An individual wishing to file a complaint with the EEOC or a similar state agency must file the complaint within _____ days of the incident. A. 30 B. 14 C. 360 D. 7 E. 180

E. 180 An individual wishing to file a complaint with the EEOC or a similar state agency must file the complaint within 180 days of the incident.

How has the requirement for creating high-performance work systems changed?

Employers are looking for ways to tap people's creativity and interpersonal skills.

The Americans with Disabilities Act covers people with problems arising from substance abuse.

FALSE Conditions not covered by ADA include obesity, substance abuse, irritability and poor judgment

Content validation is most suitable for measuring abstract qualities such as intelligence or leadership ability.

False

Identify the correct statement regarding human resources.

Human resources have no good substitutes.

What would be a benefit to the company if it plans on applying industrial engineering to existing jobs?

Industrial engineering will provide measurable and practical benefits.

Mark and Amy hold the same position at an organization. However, Mark is paid more than Amy. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, what will strengthen the fact that the pay difference is a legal one?

Mark works the night shift.

Which of the following is true about medical examinations of job candidates?

Medical examinations are conducted after a candidate has been given a job offer.

The human resource, accounting, and legal departments of Glorious Software, a company with locations in seven states plus Europe, are working together on developing a profit-sharing plan. Which option for communicating with employees about the plan would be the most practical and effective?

Post descriptions and videos on the company's intranet.

Which of the following is a drawback of a comparable-worth policy?

Raising pay for some jobs places the employer at a disadvantage relative to employers that pay the market rate.

Which of the following is true about avoiding discrimination?

Reasonable accommodation is provided subject to the condition of undue hardship.

Richard, a researcher, is of the opinion that organizations should empower employees by designing work to be done by self-managing teams. Which of the following statements would validate Richard's argument?

Self-managing teams are highly involved in decision making.

A

Sexual harassment refers to _____. A. unwelcome sexual advances B. discrimination based on gender C. preferential treatment for a particular sex D. undue benefits provided to males E. reasonable accommodation based on gender

Development

The acquisition of knowledge, skills, and behavior that improve an employee's ability to meet changes in job requirements and in customer demands.

Which of the following is true about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

The act applies to organizations with 15 or ore employees

StrongSkills Consulting tests its salespeople on listening skills and then implements a training program to teach all of them to be better listeners. At the conclusion of the last training session, it conducts a posttest to measure listening skills again. Based on the results, the training manager reports that the training program increased listening skills by a significant amount. Which statement represents the main weakness in the manager's conclusion?

The actual impact of the training can only be evaluated by comparing the performance of employees who underwent training and those who did not.

C

The manager of a local grocery store places a short conveyor belt that allows customers to place items on it prior to billing. This saves the cashier from the physical strain of bending forward and reaching into carts to retrieve the items. This change is congruent with the _____ approach to job design. A. telecommuting B. job enrichment C. ergonomics D. flextime E. job sharing

Eli, a human resource manager, tells managers in his organization that following the system of progressive discipline requires written documentation at every step of the process. In which of the following situations could this be optional?

The manager reminds an employee that a minor first-time offense is against policy.

A strategic approach to selection requires ways to measure the effectiveness of selection tools. What is a basic standard for this?

The method offers practical value.

D

The use of social networking in HR has resulted in _____. A. organizations becoming more bureaucratic and restrictive about information pertaining to workplace policies B. the elimination of the self-service approach toward information dissemination in the organization C. the elimination of face-to-face meetings and training sessions entirely across all businesses. D. the collection of employees' opinions through online surveys to improve employee engagement initiatives E. HR employees having to take on greater responsibilities pertaining to record keeping.

When Lily started working for Tough Guy Construction, two of her coworkers made a point of telling sex-related jokes around her, and they occasionally ran their fingers through her hair and suggested meeting up after work. Lily feels uncomfortable. What grounds would she have for complaining to the human resource department about her coworkers?

Their behavior could be considered creation of a hostile working environment.

Identify the correct statement regarding companies that are ethical and successful.

They have a sense of purpose and vision that employees value and use in their day-to-day work.

Identify the correct statement regarding companies that are ethical and successful.

They have a sense of purpose and vision that the employees value and use in their day-to-day work.

Cafeteria-style plans increase benefits costs for employers.

True

When two companies merge, HRM plays an important role that includes preparing employees to resolve conflicts.

True

B

Under the principle of "employment at will", the employer may terminate employment: A. after two weeks' notice. B. at any time without notice. C. immediately after written notice. D. only if the employee voluntarily resigns. E. only if he cannot show just cause.

Identify a benefit of applying statistical forecasting methods.

Under the right conditions, they provide predictions that are much more precise than a human forecaster's subjective judgment.

A.

Which one of the following responsibilities is specifically associated with the HR function of employee relations? A. Conducting attitude surveys B. Work analysis C. HR information systems D. Human resource planning and forecasting E. Job design

A

_____ involves assessing the relative dollar value of each job to the organization in order to set up fair pay structures. A. Job evaluation B. Career planning C. Training D. Performance appraisal E. Job rotation

When Airborne Aircraft acquired Bell Airplanes, the executives of the two companies identified key employees they needed for the combined companies' success. One of them was Patrick, the vice president of engineering. The executives offered Patrick a one-time bonus of $25,000 if he stayed with the company for 12 months following the acquisition. In this scenario, Patrick's $25,000 represents

a retention bonus.

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of a(n)

acquisition

Which of the following forms of group building gives teams or work groups an actual problem, has them work on solving it and commit to an action plan, and holds them accountable for carrying out the plan?

action learning

Sustainability

an organization's ability to profit without depleting its resources, including employees, natural resources and the support of the surrounding community.

How can data analytics improve the measurement of employees' performance?

by finding patterns in an employee's behavior

Katie works in the human resource department at Zeus Corp. Her chief responsibilities include administering salaries, determining incentives, managing group insurance, and employee vacation and leave. Which human resource management function is being performed by Katie?

compensation and benefits

What is a challenge for human resource management during mergers?

developing conflict resolution skills

_____ are directives issued solely by the President, without requiring congressional approval

executive orders

Employees who take assignments in other countries are called

expatriates

Employees with negative affectivity are inclined to

experience feelings of anger, contempt, fear, and guilt.

A(n) _____ is a training method in which participants learn concepts and then apply them by simulating the behaviors involved and analyzing the activity, connecting it with real-life situations.

experiential program

What is the name of the rating error that leads employees to believe that no aspect of their performance needs improvement?

halo error

Which of the following are the most widespread methods for eliminating labor shortages?

hiring temporary workers and outsourcing work

Abdul, a financial analyst, is not employed directly by any company. He works for several clients based on their requirements. Abdul is a(n) _____.

independent contractor

Kokan Inc., a marketing company, includes stock options and stock purchase plans in executive pay. Executives at the company will want to do what is best for Kokan because that will cause the value of the stock to grow. What is being exemplified in this scenario?

long-term incentives

In the context of HRM functions, the activities of training and development include

making decisions on whether an organization will emphasize enabling employees to perform their current jobs, preparing them for future jobs, or both.

In the context of HRM functions, the activities of training and development include:

making decisions whether an organization will emphasize enabling employees to perform their current jobs, preparing them for future jobs, or both.

When two companies join forces and become one entity, it is referred to as a(n)

merger

Aubrey is a human resource executive for a manufacturing company that makes a variety of consumer products in several facilities. She is studying U.S. injury and illness trends from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify issues the company should address in its human resource policies. As she looks at nationwide trends since 1990, Aubrey identifies one that companies should correct. Which trend represents a problem for U.S. employers to address?

number of claims of retaliation against employees who report injuries

EnTech Inc., an electronics manufacturer, is headquartered in Florida. The firm shifted its operations from Florida to China due to lower labor costs and the availability of required skills in China. This scenario indicates that EnTech engaged in the practice of

offshoring.

Dino Corp. is a start-up located in Orlando. It offers highly beneficial pension plans to its employees. Which category of employees is the company most likely to attract through its pension benefits?

older people

Par On, a firm that creates games for mobile devices and PCs, has an unusual training program for all its new employees. The program lasts for five days and does not involve doing any work. During this period the trainees, in teams of three, visit different departments, gathering information about the company and various department functions. Additionally, they are paired with more experienced employees to discuss their goals at the company and to learn more about the organization's culture and policies. The form of training used for new employees at Par On is known as

onboarding.

Ashley thinks that her company is discriminating against a particular group of employees by denying them seniority or promotions. She expresses her concern to a senior human resources manager. This method of expressing concern about an instance of illegal employment through proper channels is known as

opposition.

Faller and Whitney Company, a firm that builds enterprise resource planning products for customers, wants to implement training programs for its employees as an HR initiative. Senior management proposes the use of an instructional design process. What should ideally be Faller and Whitney's next step?

organization analysis

Which organizations benefit when switching from a defined-benefit plan to cash balance plans?

organizations with many experienced employees

Which of the following forms of training prepares employees to perform their jobs effectively, learn about the organization, and establish work relationships?

orientation

The practice of having another company provide services is known as

outsourcing

Trotta Inc., a manufacturer of widgets, has entered into a contract with a third party to perform services related to processing orders, managing inventory levels, and shipping products to customers. The company is engaged in

outsourcing

At Your Service Inc. is a consumer goods company that provides the option of door-to-door delivery. The company partners with a packaging company for transporting its goods to the customers. This is an example of

outsourcing.

Trinkets Inc., a manufacturer of widgets, has entered into a contract with a third party to perform services related to processing orders, managing inventory levels, and shipping products to customers. The company is engaged in

outsourcing.

Sarah, a manager at Energy Inc., conducts an interview with Matthew for a job as regional sales manager. During the course of the interview, she has Matthew take a test that assesses Matthew's integrity by asking him about his attitude toward shoplifting and his own experiences with shoplifting, if any. Which test is Sarah conducting?

paper-and-pencil honesty test

Kate is the HR manager of Gunther Corp., a software company located in Chicago. She wants to establish the validity of a test designed for computer technicians using a predictive validation strategy. Accordingly, Kate must administer the test to

people applying for computer technician jobs in Gunther Corp.

Abby works at Trader Inc. Her primary role in the company is to create self-rating, job-related questionnaires for the employees. Which human resource management practice is being performed by Abby?

performance management

Julie works at Matrix Inc. Her primary role in the company is to create self-rating, job-related questionnaires for the employees. Which of the following human resource management (HRM) practices is being performed by Julie?

performance management

Which of the following is defined as the process of ensuring employees' activities and outputs match an organization's goals?

performance management

Jimmy, the marketing manager for an automobile manufacturer, observes frequent conflicts between two of his subordinates, Trent and Luke. He asks the human resource department to help, and the department's training manager, Emily, investigates. She tells Jimmy that the two subordinates lack interpersonal communication skills but would be likely to improve with proper training. This scenario suggests that Emily has conducted a(n)

person analysis.

In terms of job dissatisfaction, an employee who calls in sick or arrives to work late is engaging in

physical job withdrawal

Walters & Williams, a consulting firm, equips all of its employees with laptop computers, which they use at their desks and carry to client meetings. What ergonomic challenge may result from employees using these devices throughout the day?

physical strain to wrists from improper positioning for typing

Jewels & Co., a watch manufacturing company, provides wages to its employees based on the number of watches the workers assemble. The more the employees assemble, the more they earn. This type of plan is called a

piecework rate plan.

In an attempt to motivate its current employees and to attract skilled professionals, Integrated Inc. decides to increase salaries as well as year-end bonuses for its best performers. Which HR function is demonstrated in this scenario?

planning and administering pay and benefits

Which of the following HR functions includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies?

planning and administering pay and benefits

Point 2

planning pay and benefits involves many decisions often complex and based on knowledge of a multitude of legal requirements.

When an individual is promised a positive outcome for submission to sex, or threatened with a negative outcome for failure to submit to sex, this is referred to as

quid pro quo harassment

When an organization undertakes a complete review of its critical work processes to make them more efficient and to be able to deliver higher quality, it is engaging in

reengineering

According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, men and women performing the same job cannot have differences in pay on the basis of

sex

The industrial engineering approach is most likely to emphasize _____.

streamlining jobs to make them simpler and more efficient

Select the correct statement about HR responsibilities of supervisors.

supervisors typically have responsibilities related to all the HR functions

Which of the following is the correct statement about the HR responsibilities of supervisors?

supervisors typically have responsibilities related to all the HR functions

Eve & Rose Corp., an apparel manufacturer, has been profitable for a long time without depleting its resources—raw materials, employees, and the support of the local community. The company also caters to the needs of all its stakeholders. Which characteristic is illustrated in this scenario?

sustainability

Which action related to benefits can best give employers an advantage in the labor market?

teaching employees about the value of their benefits

Compared with other forms of diversity training, which approach do trainees tend to respond to most positively?

teaching employees skills for constructively handling communication barriers, conflicts, and misunderstandings that normally arise

The rapid use of technology by HR departments in business organizations has resulted in:

the collection of employees' opinions through online surveys to improve employee engagement initiatives.

It can be most beneficial to simplify jobs where

the costs of errors are severe

An investigation at Quadramine Textiles Inc. reveals that when employees feel little or no control over their situation, they tend to become fatigued and dissatisfied. Bobby, the HR manager, suggests simplifying jobs in order to deal with this problem. In this scenario, it can be most beneficial to simplify jobs where:

the costs of errors are severe.

As a predictor of job dissatisfaction, nothing exceeds

the nature of the task itself.

"Employment at will" refers to:

the principle that an employer may terminate employment at any time without notice.

Jessica wants to set up a manufacturing unit, so she meets with Rachel, a human resource manager at her company. Rachel explains that in order to decide on the human resource needs for the unit, they should conduct a work flow analysis. She suggests they start by defining the outputs of the process. To do this, what should Jessica define?

the type of products that will need to be manufactured

Workforce Analytics

the use of quantitative tools and scientific methods to analyze data from human resources databases and other sources to make evidence-based decisions that support business goals.

Toys-For-All is a toy manufacturing company. As the new production manager, Craig notices that the production unit has been underperforming. In an attempt to streamline the existing work flow, Craig brings in an HR specialist to help him conduct a work flow analysis. Craig describes to the specialist the quantity and quality of products to be produced. What will the HR specialist have Craig define next?

the work processes used to generate the end product

The specific ways in which human resource professionals support an organization's strategy vary according to

their level of involvement and the nature of the strategy.

The specific ways in which human resource professionals support an organization's strategy vary according to:

their level of involvement and the nature of the strategy.

A major problem with ESOPs is that

they carry a significant risk for employees.

Which of the following is true of companies that are ethical and successful?

they have a sense of purpose and vision that the employees value, and use in their day-to-day work

Identify the statement that accurately characterizes behavioral approaches to performance measurement.

they link the company's goals to the specific behavior required to achieve those goals

What is the main objective of diversity training programs that focus on behavior?

to change organizational policies and individual conduct that inhibit employees' personal growth and productivity

What is the objective of job enlargement?

to make jobs less repetitive and more interesting

Which of the following is the objective of job enlargement?

to make jobs less repetitive and more interesting

Identify a way in which an organization can promote fairness and reduce political behavior in the appraisal system.

train managers to use the appraisal process

So Yummy Mayo Inc. recognizes the need for providing on-the-job training to employees whose technical skills are lacking. The company's HR department is tasked with coordinating the entire training process. This function of the HR department at So Yummy Mayo is called

training administration.

_____ requires that employees actually learn the content of the training program and that the necessary conditions are in place for employees to apply what they learned.

transfer of training

Rantly Corp. is eliminating its desktop computer repair center in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the demand for mobile device repair—a service it provides in Florida and New Jersey—is growing rapidly. Betsy, a human resource specialist at the Rantly Corp. headquarters in Miami, must plan to avoid a labor surplus in Minnesota in a fast and effective way. She wishes to do so with minimal employee suffering in terms of layoffs and salary. Which strategy would best help Betsy accomplish her goal?

transfers

Damien, an HR manager at Guidelines Inc., is preparing for a 5 percent increase in the production labor force next year. To do this, he needs to determine what the current number of production employees is and how the number is likely to change by the end of the year. To help with this analysis, Damien should use a

transitional matrix.

Kevin is the founder of a new start-up company. He hires mostly young employees who are fresh out of college. He finds that most of his employees are willing to develop their knowledge and skills and would like to take courses to improve themselves. This additional knowledge would benefit Kevin's company, so he decides to encourage this behavior. Which program is Kevin most likely to use in order to do so?

tuition reimbursement program

Cultural and change steward

understand the organizations culture and helping to build and strengthen or change the culture by identifying and expressing its values through words and actions.

Along with 50 other candidates, Paula applied for the position of analyst at Atticus Inc. Because Paula's profile stood out from other candidates' profiles, she was called for an interview in which she performed well. In the context of the steps involved in the selection process for recruitment, which step would most likely be taken next by the recruiter?

verifying Paula's qualifications through background checks

The stage to prepare for evaluating a training program is

when the program is being developed.

In which situation do workers become eligible for unemployment benefits?

when they are actively seeking work

Jeremiah, a vice president of human resources, wants to ensure that his company's performance management process is effective, so he sets up an annual review of the process. What should that review measure?

whether measures of individual performance support the department's and company's objectives

Decisions related to training and development include:

whether to offer programs to select employees or to all employees.

Reliability answers the important question of

whether you are measuring something accurately.

Which of the following processes involves analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service?

work flow design

Paul's Pizza, a pizza chain, is known for its quick service. To make a pizza, employees must prepare the dough and add the sauce and toppings. Cooking happens next, followed by packaging. In this scenario, the employees of Paul's Pizza are engaged in

work processes.

BrightenUp Corp. uses a set of quantitative tools to assess employee data such as performance, compensation, designations, and benefits. This is done to arrive at decisions based on accurate findings from analyses that can help the firm achieve its goals. BrightenUp is engaging in the practice of

workforce analytics.

In the context of HR planning, implementation that ties planning and recruiting to an organization's strategy and to its efforts to develop employees becomes a complete program of

workforce utilization

Orion Trucking had its human resource department set up an online suggestion program, and employees submitted 376 ideas for improving workers' safety and health. An assistant in the department entered all the responses into a database. What additional step would be most important to add to this safety program?

working with management to ensure the company acts on the suggestions

Janine, a trainer at Keller Inc., wants to find out how many candidates moved from the initial interview stage to the training selection stage in the past month. To find out, she needs to compare the

yield ratios.

Identify the correct statement regarding computer-based training.

It gives a company the flexibility in scheduling training.

Which of the following statements is true of employee empowerment?

Jobs must be designed to give employees the necessary latitude for making a variety of decisions.

Jade is giving feedback to an employee who hopes to move into a supervisory role someday. Which statement represents the most effective kind of feedback?

Last week, when we had a problem, your comments shifted the team from complaining to problem solving.

What is the HR product line that contributes to a company success by understanding how HR can give the company a competitive advantage

Strategic partner

Which statement is true about standard hour plans?

They encourage employees to work as fast as they can.

The _____ performance management method requires managers to rate the frequency with which an employee has exhibited a behavior during a rating period.

behavior observation scale

Which of the following is a responsibility that is specifically associated with the HR function of employee relations?

creating a job design

Right to freedom of speech refers to the right to:

criticize an organization's ethics in good conscience.

Evidence-based HR is defined as the

demonstrating that HR practices have a positive influence on the company's profits or key stakeholders

Identify the traits that are found in a conscientious person.

dependable, organized, persevering, and achievement-oriented

Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as ____

disparate treatment

Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as _____.

disparate treatment

If people believe their rights are being violated, they have the right to a fair and impartial hearing. This reflects the basic human right to

due process

Which of the following is a characteristic of current-day high-performance work systems?

employee empowerment in decision making

Which of the following is a trend that is seen in present day high-performance work systems?

employee empowerment in decision making

Which of the following refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company?

employee engagement

_____ refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company

employee engagement

Some of the employees of MYV Services are unhappy with their supervisor's comments and remarks. They feel they are being unduly discriminated against by the supervisor, and so they turn to the HR department for help. Addressing such problems is a part of the HR function of

employee relations.

In the context of work flow design, which of the following best describes a position?

the set of duties performed by a person

The Henry-Bell organization uses the Scanlon plan to provide incentives to its employees. The workers produce electrical components worth $5 million. The target ratio set by the organization is 30 percent. The employees will be given a bonus if the actual labor costs are less than

$1.5 million.

HR responsibilities of supervisors

* Help define jobs * Forecast HR needs * Provide training * interview and select candidates * Appraise performance * Recommend pay increases and promotions * Communicate policies * Motivate, with support from pay, benefits, and other rewards.

Ethical alternative

* greatest good for greatest number * Fair and equitable * Respect for basic human rights.

The ratio of the hiring rate of a minority group to the hiring rate of a majority group is given below. Which of these rations privde evidence for discrimination? - 1.0 - 0.8 - 1.5 - 2.0 - 0.9

0.8

Everyone's Basic Right per the Constitution:

1. Right of free consent (treated as they knowingly and willingly consent) 2. Right of privacy (to do as they please, and reveal what they want) 3. Right of freedom of conscience (right to refuse against anything that violates our morals and beliefs) 4. Right of freedom of speech(criticize an organization's ethics) 5. Right to due process(if feel violated that have the right to a fair and impartial hearing)

Which of the following statements is true of a psychological contract?

A psychological contract is not formally put into words.

Which of the following statements is true of effective performance management?

It can tell top performers they are valued.

Which statement is true of effective performance management?

It can tell top performers they are valued.

Standards for ethical behavior: 4 principles: 1

1. in their relationship with customers, vendors and clients, ethical and successful companies emphasize mutual benefits.

A

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of a(n) _____. A. acquisition B. partnership C. consolidation D. joint venture E. strategic alliance

E

A limitation in using the PAQ is that it _____. A. applies exclusively to similar job profiles B. measures only the inputs of a work process C. fails to provide computerized reports D. requires incumbents to spend time filling the questionnaires E. results in abstract reports that are of limited use

D

A male employee, over the objections of his female colleagues, continues to display a highly suggestive calendar containing indecent pictures within his office. This is an example of _____. A. corrective action B. affirmative action C. reverse discrimination D. sexual harassment E. undue hardship

Which scenario demonstrates a violation of the right of freedom of conscience in a workplace environment?

A supervisor coerces an employee to use unsafe practices to keep a project on schedule.

Talented management

A systematic, planned effort to attract, retain develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers.

C

A telework arrangement is generally difficult to set up for _____. A. editors B. software programmers C. manufacturing workers D. graphic designers E. accountants

_____ refers to a condition in which employment practices are seemingly neutral yet disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities. A. Disparate impact B. Disparate treatment C. Corrective action D. Affirmative action E. Reasonable accommodation

A. Disparate impact Disparate impact refers to a condition in which employment practices are seemingly neutral yet disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities.

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following factors would motivate individuals the most? A. Meaningfulness of a job B. Fringe benefits in the job C. Share in company stock D. Salary and allowances E. Periodic bonuses

A. Meaningfulness of a job According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, individuals are motivated more by the intrinsic aspects of work (for example, the meaningfulness of a job) than by extrinsic rewards such as pay.

B

An HR manager becomes a(n) _____ when she is so well respected in the organization that she can influence the positions taken by managers. This involves delivering results with integrity, sharing information, building trusting relationships, influencing others, providing candid observation, and taking appropriate risks. A. administrator B. cultural steward C. recruitment manager D. operational aide E. trainer

True

An HR professional can be an effective talent manager or organizational designer only when he has the knowledge of how the organization is structured and how that structure might be adjusted to help it meet its goals for developing and using employees' talents. True False

C

An Internet portal is primarily used to: A. process all HR transactions at one time. B. consolidate different HR functions into a single location. C. combine data from several sources into a single site. D. obtain insight into business trends. E. create a benchmark for all other companies in the industry.

Which statement is true of an apprenticeship?

An apprentice usually assists a certified tradesperson at the worksite.

What distinguishes an apprenticeship from an internship?

An apprenticeship is sponsored by employee unions, whereas an internship is sponsored by educational institutions.

Which of the following statements is true about an assessment center?

At an assessment center, multiple raters or evaluators evaluate employees' performance on a number of exercises.

Which of the following authorities is responsible for tracking changes in the composition of the US labor force and forecasting employment trends?

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Differing conduct toward individuals, where the differences are clearly based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed as _____. A. disparate impact B. affirmative action C. disparate treatment D. reasonable accommodation E. reverse discrimination

C. disparate treatment Differing treatment of individuals, where the differences are based on the individuals' race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status is termed disparate treatment.

Which statement is TRUE regarding case studies?

Cases encourage trainees by giving them practice in weighing and acting on uncertain outcomes after evaluating a case.

E

Cellant Solar Energy, Inc. is a company that produces solar panels for domestic use. It has 800 permanent employees working in different departments. Suppose Cellant gets involved in a case of intentional employee discrimination, what will be the maximum punitive damage that it will have to pay under the Civil Rights Act of 1991? A. $50,000 B. $100,000 C. $200,000 D. $250,000 E. $300,000

A _____ is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform a particular job. A. job rotation B. job definition C. job evaluation D. job scope E. job specification

E. job specification A job specification looks at the qualities or requirements the person performing the job must possess. It is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform the job.

The manager of a local grocery store places a short conveyor belt that allows customers to place items on it prior to checking out. This saves the cashier from the physical strain of bending forward and reaching into the carts to retrieve the items. This change is an example of the _____ approach to job design.

Ergonomic

Filerton Inc. produces large quantities of products for their customers within tight deadlines. Recently, customers have been returning their products to Filerton, citing errors and defects in the items they have received. Which total quality management core value does Filerton need to employ to correct this issue?

Filerton needs to ensure quality is designed into their products so errors are prevented from occurring.

Clark, a newly appointed human resource manager at Gamma Corp., learns that several female managers have complained that the company has a "glass ceiling." Indeed, the top positions are all filled by men, but Clark isn't sure whether the pattern is just a coincidence. He agrees to investigate. Which condition, if it exists, would be evidence of a glass ceiling at Gamma?

Gamma has no formal mentoring program to ensure that the female managers have mentors.

Lillian is the purchasing manager at Ceramic Central, a maker of housewares. She has evaluated the first year's performance of Jason, a purchasing agent. In the evaluation, she noted that he places orders accurately, but when employees in the company ask about the status of their orders, he has difficulty finding the information for them in a timely manner. What should be the next step in performance management in this situation?

Lillian should arrange for training so Jason can learn how to look up the status of orders.

B

Lucas Johnson, an employee with the U.S. postal services was deployed to Afghanistan, to serve in the U.S. army for two years. After the completion of his military duties, he reassumed work at the post office. He was reemployed at a higher status and provided a higher compensation package. Which of the following legislations was used to help Lucas return to reemployment on such favorable terms? A. GINA B. USERRA C. ADA D. ADEA E. OSH Act

In a meeting to discuss pension plans, management decides to offer retirement plans exclusively to the organization's owners and top managers. Jeremy, one of the top managers, disagrees with this decision because he believes the company can benefit more by providing pensions to a broad range of employees. Which statement strengthens Jeremy's belief?

Nondiscrimination rules provide tax benefits to plans that do not favor the organization's highly compensated employees.

In an attempt to motivate its current employees and to attract skilled professionals, Labyrinth Inc. decides to increase salaries as well as year-end bonuses to its best performers. Which of the following HR functions is demonstrated in this scenario?

Planning and administering pay and benefits

Joshua, the human resource manager at Potter Inc., has a clear understanding of the firm's business. This enables him to comprehend the various needs of the business and help the company meet its goals for attracting, keeping, and developing employees with the required skills. This scenario indicated Joshua's responsibility of:

Providing business partner services.

Establishing and administering personnel policies allows the company to handle problematic situations more fairly and objectively than if it addressed such incidents on a case-by-case basis.

TRUE Organizations depend on their HR department to help establish policies related to hiring, discipline, promotions, and benefits. Establishing and administering personnel policies allows the company to handle problematic situations more fairly and objectively than if it addressed such incidents on a case-by-case basis.

Which of the following is true of self-managing work teams?

Team members usually share work assignments.

B

When employees of an organization feel they have been discriminated against, see safety hazards, or have other problems and are dissatisfied with their supervisor's response, they may turn to the HR department for help. Addressing such problems suitably is part of the HR function of: A. recruitment and selection. B. maintaining positive employee relations. C. training and developing employees. D. performance management. E. planning and administering pay and benefits.

A downsizing strategy at Archer Corp. has resulted in negative stock returns and lower profitability following the layoffs. Which of the following best explains the reason for these negative results at Archer?

When labor costs fall after a downsizing, sales per employee also tend to fall.

E

When large U.S. software companies like IBM and Microsoft open facilities in India to take advantage of the highly skilled labor available there at lower pay rates, they are engaging in: A. consolidation. B. nationalization. C. crowdsourcing. D. codetermining E. offshoring.

In which of the following scenarios will workers be less motivated to perform the job?

When the job has minimal impact on the lives of other people

B

When two companies join forces and become one entity, it is referred to as a(n): A. acquisition. B. merger. C. take-over. D. joint venture. E. strategic alliance.

C

Which of the following amendments to the constitution abolished slavery? A. Third Amendment B. Fourth Amendment C. Thirteenth Amendment D. Fourteenth Amendment E. Tenth Amendment

E

Which of the following statements best explains the term "labor force"? A. All the permanent employees of an organization B. All the people who have contracts to work at the company C. All the adult members of a population D. All the temporary workers of an organization E. All the people willing and able to work

E

Which of the following statements is true about Civil Rights Act of 1866 and 1871? A. They denied plaintiffs any form of compensatory and punitive damages. B. They restricted the rights of entering into and enforcing contracts to white citizens only. C. They denied individuals the right to sue in federal court. D. They excluded other individuals from having the same property rights as white citizens. E. They were passed to further the Thirteenth Amendment's goal of abolishing slavery.

Albright Corp. uses a sweet of quantitative tools to assess employee data such as performance, compensation, designations, and benefits. This is done to arrive at decisions based on accurate findings from analyses that can help the firm achieve its goals. Albright is engaging in the practice of _____.

Workforce Analysis

A

_____ are persons who work for an organization only when they are needed. A. On-call workers B. Moonlighting employees C. Apprentices D. Part-time employees E. Trainees

A

_____ are the activities that a team's members engage in to produce a given output. A. Work processes B. Task identities C. Group dynamics D. Job analyses E. Ergonomic activities

A

_____ are the products of any work unit. A. Outputs B. Inputs C. Tasks D. Jobs E. Processes

Maria, a 24-year-old Hispanic woman, pressed charges of sexual harassment against Andrew, a politician. The case became sensational because the accused was one of the strongest candidates in the upcoming elections. In the case's final stage, the United States Supreme Court issued a verdict that cleared Andrew of all charges on the grounds of lack of evidence. The ruling spurred angry protests from many interest groups, especially Hispanic women, and they wanted the verdict reversed. According to the prevalent system, which among the following would overturn the verdict in this case?

a law passed by Congress

The HR department at Tremont Communications oversees the recruitment and training of employees at the firm. As the firm grows and recruits more employees, overseeing individual training programs has become too much for the HR staff to handle. Which application should the HR department use to help with employee training?

a learning management system

In terms of the Job Characteristics Model, feedback refers to the extent to which _____.

a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself

Bruce heads a waste management firm. Recently, his firm was under scrutiny from environmental organizations. To counter any possible negative claims by these organizations against his company, Bruce assigned five of his junior managers to study the issue and propose plans or initiatives that could make the company appear more environmentally friendly. He also instructed senior managers to mentor their subordinates as they devised new ideas. Which of the following form of team training was applied by Bruce?

action learning

The final step in the career management process is

action planning and follow-up

The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and contract company workers, collectively constitute

alternative work arrangements

The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and contract company workers, collectively constitutes

alternative work arrangements

The decision-making dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator relates to the

amount of consideration given to others' feelings when making a decision.

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of

an acquisition

Clark Corp., an automobile manufacturer, purchases Forward Inc., a company that produces auto parts and accessories. This scenario exemplifies

an acquisition.

Hetrick, a firm that specializes in building construction, hires Mark, an unemployed teenager, to work in its carpentry division. Since Mark does not have the required skills to work as a carpenter, he is provided training that helps him pick up carpentry skills on the job. Mark learns by assisting other master carpenters and journeymen. In addition to the skills Mark acquires, he is paid by Hetrick. The form of training exemplified in this scenario is called

apprenticeship.

The human resource management (HRM) function during downsizing is to terminate the workers who:

are less valuable in their performance

The HRM function during downsizing is to terminate the workers who

are less valuable in their performance.

Team awards differ from group bonuses in that they

are more likely to use a broad range of performance measures.

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who

are severely disfigured

For what purpose do organizations typically review applicant résumés?

as a basis for deciding which candidates to investigate further

Under the principle of "employment at will", the employer may terminate employment

at any time without notice

Beyond Space Aeronautics is developing a profit-sharing plan. Ben, the human resource manager, assumes the employees are excited to participate in this start-up company's success. However, a supervisor tells Ben about anxiety surrounding a rumor that employees will lose money if the company has a bad year. How should Ben address this problem with employee morale?

by conducting meetings to teach about profit sharing and how employees will benefit

In which of the following ways do modern information systems contribute most directly to the creation of a high-performance work system?

by enabling organizations to give many employees access to information

How can managers improve employee satisfaction with the feedback process?

by letting employees voice their opinions and discuss performance goals during the feedback process

_____ training remains the most widely used method of training.

classroom

One of the least expensive and least time-consuming ways to train multiple trainees on a specific topic is through

classroom instruction.

Evidence-based HR

collecting and using data to show that hr practices have a positive influence on the company's bottom line or key stakeholders.

According to your text, the right of privacy is the right to

control what a person reveals about their private life.

A manager of a functional department would require skills in aligning employees' efforts with the organization's higher-level goals. This is a valid statement because:

employees in functional departments tend to identify more with their own departments rather than with other departments.

Which of the following would most likely aid in the formation of a high-performance work system?

employees' rewards and compensation that relate to the company's financial performance

Historically, if an organization and employee do not have a specific employment contract, the employer or employee may not require a specific time to end the employment relationship. This is referred to as the _____ doctrine.

employment at will

_____ 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

Job enrichment differs from job rotation in that job enrichment

empowers workers by adding more decision-making authority to their jobs

Job enrichment differs from job rotation in that job enrichment:

empowers workers by adding more decision-making authority to their jobs.

Managing cultural diversity involves

encouraging career development for women and minorities.

Managing cultural diversity involves:

encouraging career development for women and minorities.

The manager of a local grocery store introduces a short conveyor belt that allows customers to place items on it prior to checking out. This saves the cashier from the physical strain of bending forward and reaching into the carts to retrieve the items. This change is an example of the __________ approach to job design.

ergonomic

The step in the career management process in which employees receive information about their skills and knowledge and where these assets fit into the organization's plans is called

feedback

Antonio, a manager at the Colonial Inn, is training a new group of employees. After each training session, the employees complete various exercises to test their knowledge. After evaluating the results, Antonio speaks one-on-one with the employees to help them define their areas of weakness and encourage them to keep fine-tuning their strengths. In this scenario, Antonio is providing his employees with

feedback.

What is likely to contribute to errors in a job analysis?

fixed and unchanging job descriptions for various jobs

A sales firm regularly enrolls some of its employees in a six-month marketing course with a leading university. At the end of the course, the employees are able to perform better in the organization. Which method of employee development has the firm used

formal education

An Individual Coaching for Effectiveness program is designed to

help managers with dysfunctional behavior.

Which of the following defines organizations with the best possible fit between their social system and their technical system

high-performance work systems

Taryn, an HR manager at NetHint Inc., hires employees who provide a specific set of knowledge and skills that will give her company advantage over its competitors. In the context of strategic planning, Taryn is

hiring individuals with a core competency.

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

hiring temporary employees

When an employee evaluates his or her manager low on all performance criteria due to dissatisfaction with the manager's disposition, the employee has most likely committed a(n)

horns error.

Which of the following describes the employees of an organization in terms of their training, experience, judgment, intelligence, relationships, and insight?

human capital

Costabin Inc., a company in the recycling business, has revamped its management and business criteria. It has also added new objectives that would require recruitment of new and skilled labor. The responsibility of identifying the numbers and the kinds of employees lies with the HR department of the firm. This responsibility of the HR department is known as _____.

human resource planning

In the feedback step of the career management process, the employee is primarily responsible for

identifying what skills he or she could realistically develop in light of the opportunities available.

Amy is a human resource consultant who runs and operates her own business from her home. She is often hired by businesses to present one- or two-day workshops on various topics within her field of expertise. Amy is a(n):

independent contractor.

job analysis

is the process of getting detailed information about jobs.

How does establishing and administering policies help orgs?

it allows companies to handle situations fairly and objectively

Which of the following refers to the process of getting detailed information about jobs?

job analysis

A list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails is called a _____.

job description

Charlotte, the manager of an electronics store in Ohio, gives her staff the authority to resolve customer complaints. She lets the staff decide whether to issue refunds or replace merchandise in case of consumer grievances. Which job design technique is Charlotte implementing in her store?

job enrichment

Cory, an HR manager, observes that the number of employees quitting their jobs has been steadily increasing over the last six months. On closer inspection, he finds that a majority of the employees who quit were unhappy with the pay structures. Cory assesses the significance of each job to the organization, which helps him set up fair pay structures. This in turn helps the organization retain valuable employees. What most likely relates to the task undertaken by Cory?

job evaluation

In the context of forecasting the demand for labor, using trend analysis, inventory levels, changes in technology, and actions of competitors are examples of _____.

leading indicators

Angor, a manager at Primely Co., is asked by his manager to rate his subordinates' performances. He needs to rate 30 employees on a scale that ranges from 1 to 10. He rates 25 employees with a score of 8. In doing so, Angor commits a rating error. In the context of types of rating errors, Angor's mistake is called

leniency.

Bernard, the CEO of RTT Co., believes the goals of the company must be divided into smaller departmental and individual goals. The accomplishment of these smaller goals will allow employees at all levels to contribute to accomplishment of the bigger goals of the company. In the context of measuring performance results, Bernard's belief can be best justified using

management by objectives.

Themost important source of recruits for entry-level professional and managerial vacancies is

on-campus interviewing

by keeping employees' personal records confidential, an employer respects their right of

privacy

Selection methods should accurately predict how well individuals perform, and they should

produce information that actually benefits the organization.

For assessment to work efficiently, an employee must be

provided suggestions to improve his or her weak skills.

Evidence-based HR 1

refers to collecting and using data to show that human resource practices have a positive influence on the company's bottom line or key stakeholders.

The relationship between employer and employee can be thought of in terms of a(n) _____, a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions. Unlike a written sales contract, this is not formally put into words.

psychological contract

When an individual is promised a positive outcome for submission to sex, or threatened with a negative outcome for failure to submit to sex, this is referred to as _____.

quid pro quo harassment

credible activists

r well respected in the organizations that they can influence the positions taken by managers. HR professionals who r competent in this area have the most influence over the organization success, but to build this competency, they have to gain credibility by mastering all the others.

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

recruiting

As part of a company-wide business strategy, Smith Inc. conducts a comprehensive examination of its critical work techniques to increase their efficiency. The results of the examination are used to create a strategy to provide high-quality goods and services to the firm's customers. Which HRM practice is Smith Inc. using?

reengineering

When an organization undertakes a complete review of its critical work processes to make them more efficient in an effort to deliver higher quality, it is engaging in

reengineering

The _____ of a type of measurement indicates how free that measurement is from random error.

reliability

When using an outside training expert, a complete _____ should indicate funding for the project and the process by which the organization will determine its level of satisfaction.

request for proposal

In most organizations, the first step in the personnel selection process is

screening the applications to see which ones meet the basic requirements for the job.

The process by which an organization attempts to identify applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will help the organization achieve its goals is referred to as

selection

a system in which employees have online access to information about HR issues and go online to enroll themselves in programs and provide feedback through surveys is termed as:

self-service

Meghan is the new HR manager at Turner Times. She meets with the company's leaders to discuss how she intends to support business objectives. Meghan tells them that Turner Times has a performance management process that delivers reliable information, but it needs to be more strategic. Which action would best make performance management more strategic?

setting individual performance measures that are linked to the organization's goals

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who are _____.

severely disfigured

Trent owns and manages a small electronics repair store. He determines the time required by his employees to complete each task assigned by him. When employees complete the repairs in less time, they receive an amount of pay equal to that time determined by him. In this scenario, Trent is using a

standard hour plan.

_____ is the process of identifying and tracking high-potential employees who will be able to fill top management positions when they become vacant.

succession planning

An organization's ability to profit without depleting its resources, including employees, natural resources, and the support of the surrounding community is called _____.

sustainability

Which of the following is defined as a systematic, planned effort to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers?

talent management

Reese, the human resource (HR) manager at Axis Inc., clearly understands how individuals join the firm, get used to its values, and reach various positions within the company. She is also aware of the organizational structure and suggests measures to modify the structure in order to attain the firm's goals. This indicates that Reese is a _____.

talent manager/organizational designer

_____ is a training method that coordinates the performance of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal.

team training

Select the method that promotes safety by determining which specific element of a job led to a past accident.

technic of operations review

Which of the following represents an act of participation in a proceeding?

testifying in an investigation

The use of technology by HR departments in business organizations has resulted in

the collection of employees' opinions through online surveys.

The three things human resource management needs to define in a customer-oriented approach are

the customer groups, the customer needs, and the activities required to meet those needs.

The primary use of assessment centers is to identify

the employees who have the personality characteristics and skills needed for managerial positions.

Ashley, a purchasing manager, tells Franklin, the human resource manager, that she has selected a candidate to be her purchasing assistant. She shows him a draft of an e-mail message offering the candidate the job at the agreed-on starting wage. She asks Franklin if there is anything else she should mention in the message. Franklin replies that Ashley should add information about

the job responsibilities, work schedule, and starting date

Suppose you are a human resource executive, supporting strategy. Executives in your industry are concluding that a certain HR-related law no longer seems relevant in the Internet age. To which government branch would it be most effective to turn for addressing the need for a change in the legal environment?

the legislative branch, requesting a new law in this area

Selection

the process by which the organization attempts to identify applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will help the organization achieve its goals.

Job design

the process of defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that a given job requires.

Recruitment

the process through which the organization seeks applicants for potential employment.

Job specifications differ from job descriptions in that job specifications primarily describe

the qualities a person performing the job must possess

Nishi, a production manager at Havana Health, must predict future labor demand using information about inventory levels from the past three years. Nishi will most likely use __________ to predict the demand.

trend analysis

According to your text, the simplest approach to evaluating training is to

use only a posttest

Michael is the CEO of a company that is expanding overseas. He considers introducing a cafeteria-style benefits plan to cater to the company's diverse workforce. However, the HR team brings up the concern of higher expenses involved in this type of benefits. What is Michael likely to do to lower costs at the initial stage?

use software packages to design the plan

In general, HR departments should be able to improve their performance through some combination of greater efficiency and greater effectiveness. In this context, greater efficiency means the HR department

uses fewer and less-costly resources to perform its functions.

Which strategy can be legally adopted by organizations looking to restructure the workforce to minimize the expense of benefits?

using more independent contractors rather than hiring additional employees

which of the following skills are more actively sought by US employers today

interpersonal skills

An individual wishing to file a complaint with the EEOC or a similar state agency must file the complaint within _______ days of the incident

180

Standards for ethical behavior: 4 principles:2

2. Employees assume responsibilities for the actions of the comapny

Standards for ethical behavior: 4 principles: 3

3. Such companies have a sense of purpose or vision that employees value and use in their day-to-day work.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects only those workers who are over the age of _____.

40

What is the "new" psychological contract? What are its implications?

A "new" psychological contract is a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions. Unlike a written sales contract, the psychological contract is not formally put into words. Instead, it describes unspoken expectations that are widely held by employers and employees. In the traditional version of this psychological contract, organizations expected their employees to contribute time, effort, skills, abilities, and loyalty. In return, the organizations would provide job security and opportunities for promotion. However, this arrangement is being replaced with a new type of psychological contract. Companies expect employees to take more responsibility for their own careers, from seeking training to balancing work and family. These expectations result in less job security for employees, who can count on working for several companies over. In exchange for top performance and working longer hours without job security, employees want companies to provide flexible work schedules, comfortable working conditions, more control over how they accomplish work, training and development opportunities, and financial incentives based on how the organization performs.

Which of the following best describes job sharing? A. A work option in which two part-time employees carry out the tasks associated with a single job. B. Allowing full-time employees to choose start and end times within the guidelines specified by the organization. C. Empowering individual workers by adding more opportunities for specialization in their current job duties. D. Enlarging jobs by combining several relatively simple jobs to form a job with a wider range of tasks. E. Enlarging jobs by moving employees among several different jobs.

A. A work option in which two part-time employees carry out the tasks associated with a single job. Job sharing is a work option in which two part-time employees carry out the tasks associated with a single job. Such arrangements can enable an organization to attract or retain valued employees who want more time to attend school or to care for family members.

Martin Smiths works for a small chemical manufacturing company for the past ten years. Off late he and the other workers have developed minor respiratory problems. They confronted the management demanding proper ventilation at the factory as inhaling the chemical fumes continuously could prove fatal. When the management did not respond to their demands, they threatened to sue the company under the _____. A. OSH Act B. DINA C. Title VII of CRA D. ADA E. ADEA

A. OSH Act The main provision of the OSH Act states that each employer has a general duty to furnish each employee a place of employment free from recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. This is called the act's general-duty clause.

Which of the following is the objective of job enlargement? A. To make jobs less repetitive and more interesting B. To increase efficiency by identifying one best way to perform a job C. To decrease the burden of decision-making responsibilities for employees D. To assess the relative dollar value of each job to the organization E. To decrease the impact the job has on the lives of other people

A. To make jobs less repetitive and more interesting In a job design, job enlargement refers to broadening the types of tasks performed. The objective of job enlargement is to make jobs less repetitive and more interesting.

_____ are the activities that a team's members engage in to produce a given output. A. Work processes B. Task identities C. Group dynamics D. Job analyses E. Ergonomic activities

A. Work processes Work processes are the activities that a work unit's members engage in to produce a given output. They are described in terms of operating procedures for every task performed by each employee at each stage of the process.

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of a(n) _____. A. acquisition B. partnership C. consolidation D. joint venture E. strategic alliance

A. acquisition An acquisition happens when one company buys another company.

People's right to freedom of speech is the right to: A. criticize an organization's ethics if they do so in good conscience. B. refuse to do something that is environmentally unsafe. C. do as they wish in their private life. D. be treated only as they knowingly and willingly consent to be treated. E. prohibit criticism of the organization.

A. criticize an organization's ethics if they do so in good conscience. The right of freedom of speech states that people have the right to criticize an organization's ethics, if they do so in good conscience and their criticism does not violate the rights of individuals in the organization.

Under Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to _____ years. A. five B. eight C. eleven D. seven E. ten

A. five Under Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to five years.

The process of getting detailed information about jobs is known as _____. A. job analysis B. job definition C. job training D. job swapping E. job rotation

A. job analysis Job analysis is the process of getting detailed information about jobs. Analyzing jobs and understanding what is required to carry out a job provide essential knowledge for staffing, training, performance appraisal, and many other HR activities.

Alyona Carolls thinks that her company is discriminating against a particular group of employees by denying them seniority or promotions. She expresses her concern to a senior HR manager. This method of expressing concern about an instance of illegal employment through proper channels is known as _____. A. opposition B. retaliation C. participation in a proceeding D. discrimination E. affirmative action

A. opposition Opposition refers to expressing to someone through proper channels that you believe an illegal employment act has taken place or is taking place.

A

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following factors would motivate individuals the most? A. Meaningfulness of a job B. Fringe benefits in the job C. Share in company stock D. Salary and allowances E. Periodic bonuses

E

According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, men and women performing the same job cannot have differences in pay on the basis of _____. A. merit B. seniority C. education D. quality of production E. sex

D

According to the principles of total quality management: A. the feedback process should be initiated only after a significant quality improvement. B. human resource managers have a limited role since the emphasis is on quality alone. C. only key personnel receive training in quality. D. errors in a product or service should be prevented before occurrence. E. internal customers are more valuable than external customers.

Finch Inc., a software company, uses a certain approach in which software developers and programmers interact directly with customers. The team asks the customers for their requirements, develops a sample, and sends it to them for feedback. The team continues production based on the feedback given by their clients. The firm spends less time on negotiating contracts and documenting processes. This scenario implies that Finch is using a(n) _____ approach.

Agile

A

Alyona Carolls thinks that her company is discriminating against a particular group of employees by denying them seniority or promotions. She expresses her concern to a senior HR manager. This method of expressing concern about an instance of illegal employment through proper channels is known as _____. A. opposition B. retaliation C. participation in a proceeding D. discrimination E. affirmative action

Florence, a marketing executive in her late thirties, had worked at a reputable marketing firm for the last three years. However, she was fired from the company without any prior notice when she collapsed at work after experiencing an epileptic seizure. Following this, Florence sued the company under _____.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Which of the following is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission?

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

B

Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals who are _____. A. obese B. severely disfigured C. subject to substance abuse D. left-handed E. suffering from vision problems like myopia

Justine, a marketing executive in her late thirties, had worked at a reputable marketing firm for the last three years. However, she was fired from the company without any prior notice when she collapsed at work after experiencing an epileptic seizure. Following this, Justine sued the company under

Americans with Disabilities Act.

Kidzi Inc. is a toy manufacturing company. As the new production manager, Andrew notices that the production unit has been underperforming. In an attempt to streamline the existing work flow, Andrew works on a new set of ideas that will help improve the efficiency of the production unit. He first identifies discrepancies in the quality and quantity of the toys produced by Kidzi. Which of the following steps should Andrew consider next in order to get a clearer view of how to increase the effectiveness of the production unit?

Andrew should carefully examine the work processes used to generate the end product.

Natalie, a manager at a construction company, contends that applying industrial engineering is the simplest way to structure work and maximize efficiency. Which of the following statements supports Natalie's argument?

Applying industrial engineering reduces the complexity of work.

E

As a method of downsizing, early-retirement programs have been shown to be: A. by far the most effective. B. linked to greater employee suffering and distress. C. a better alternative to the "grenade" approach. D. most suited to distinguish clearly between good and poor performers. E. humane.

Which statement is true about an assessment center?

At an assessment center, multiple raters or evaluators evaluate employees' performance on a number of exercises.

Russell, the new human resource manager at RTL Inc., proposes using automated systems for screening résumés of applicants. Russell claims that automated systems are better than humans at picking the right profiles. Which statement weakens Russell's claim?

Automated systems might reject qualified people who didn't use the same keywords as the job description.

After filing a discrimination complaint with the EEOC or other governmental agency, how long does an individual have to wait to sue in federal court? A. 30 days B. 60 days C. 10 days D. 20 days E. 40 days

B. 60 days After the EEOC receives a charge of discrimination, it has 60 days to investigate the complaint. If the EEOC either does not believe the complaint to be valid or fails to complete the investigation within 60 days, the individual has the right to sue in federal court.

The largest number of immigrants to the U.S. workforce are from: A. Africa. B. Asia. C. North America. D. Europe. E. Central America.

B. Asia. The largest numbers of immigrants to the U.S. have come from Asia.

Point 5

Diversity training help people work productively in teams regardless of ethnicity, gender, or other differences.

The HRM function during downsizing is to terminate the workers who: A. are performing multiple organizational roles. B. are less valuable in their performance. C. are a part of the external labor force. D. are older than the other employees. E. are being paid the highest salaries.

B. are less valuable in their performance. Downsizing presents a number of challenges and opportunities for HRM. In terms of challenges, the HRM function must "surgically" reduce the workforce by cutting only the workers who are less valuable in their performance.

An HR manager becomes a(n) _____ when she is so well respected in the organization that she can influence the positions taken by managers. This involves delivering results with integrity, sharing information, building trusting relationships, influencing others, providing candid observation, and taking appropriate risks. A. administrator B. cultural steward C. recruitment manager D. operational aide E. trainer

B. cultural steward HR managers become cultural stewards when they are so well respected in the organization that they can influence the positions taken by managers. This involves delivering results with integrity, sharing information, building trusting relationships, influencing others, providing candid observation, and taking appropriate risks.

A bona fide occupational qualification _____. A. is considered illegal by the court B. is a necessary qualification for the job C. is strictly prohibited by organizations D. is a preferred qualification for the job E. is used to deem disparate treatment illegal

B. is a necessary qualification for the job The courts have held that in some situations, a factor such as sex or race may be a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ), that is, a necessary (not merely preferred) qualification for performing a job. In this case disparate treatment is legal.

Which of the following refers to a list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails? A. job evaluation B. job description C. utilization analysis D. conjoint analysis E. job standardization.

B. job description A job description is a list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDRs) that a job entails. TDRs are observable actions.

Susan Clarks, a white female applicant, is refused a job at a state university in favor of a less-qualified minority applicant. She considers suing the state university on charges of reverse discrimination against her, under _____. A. the Thirteenth Amendment B. the Fourteenth Amendment C. the Twenty-Second Amendment D. the Civil Rights Act of 1866 E. Title VII of CRA of 1964

B. the Fourteenth Amendment The Fourteenth Amendment forbids the states from taking life, liberty, or property without due process of law and prevents the states from denying equal protection of the laws. Recently it has been applied to the protection of whites in charges of reverse discrimination.

The process of analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service is termed as _____. A. ergonomics B. work flow design C. utilization analysis D. industrial engineering E. break-even analysis

B. work flow design Through the process of work flow design, managers analyze the tasks needed to produce a product or service. With this information, they assign these tasks to specific jobs and positions.

Which of the following skills are more actively sought by U.S. employers today? A. Physical strength B. Mastery of particular machinery C. Interpersonal skills D. Ability to perform routine tasks E. Ability to work with a tool

C. Interpersonal skills The increasing use of computers to do routine tasks has shifted the kinds of skills needed for employees in the U.S. economy. Such qualities as physical strength and mastery of a particular piece of machinery are no longer important for many jobs. More employers are looking for mathematical, verbal, and interpersonal skills, such as the ability to solve math or other problems or reach decisions as part of a team.

Which of the following can be used to consolidate different HR functions into a single location, eliminate redundancy, and reduce administrative costs? A. Internet portals B. Application services C. Shared service centers D. Business intelligence systems E. Electronic performance support systems

C. Shared service centers Shared service centers consolidate different HR functions into a single location, eliminate redundancy, reduce administrative costs, and process all HR transactions at one time.

Which of the following is true about telework? A. Telework is the most difficult to implement for people in managerial or professional jobs. B. A telework arrangement is the easiest to set up for manufacturing workers. C. Telecommuting supports the strategy of corporate social responsibility by reducing the employee's need to commute by vehicles. D. Telework arrangements are mandatorily restricted to employees who are disabled or need to be available for children or elderly relatives. E. Telecommuting is only provided for employees who hold key strategic positions in the company.

C. Telecommuting supports the strategy of corporate social responsibility by reducing the employee's need to commute by vehicles. Telecommuting supports the strategy of corporate social responsibility because telecommuting employees do not produce the greenhouse gas emissions that result from commuting by car

Which of the following is true regarding skilled knowledge workers? A. They do not have considerable autonomy to make decisions. B. They are most likely to experience a lack of opportunities in a slow economy. C. They are not easily replaceable as they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products. D. They are not expected to be technically efficient and are only involved in direct interactions with customers. E. They are bound to work under the conditions imposed by the employer owing to the low status of their jobs.

C. They are not easily replaceable as they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products. Knowledge workers are in a position of power, because they own the knowledge that the company needs in order to produce its products and services, and they must share their knowledge and collaborate with others in order for their employer to succeed. Replacing these employees is difficult and time consuming. They have many job opportunities, even in a slow economy.

Which of the following amendments to the constitution abolished slavery? A. Third Amendment B. Fourth Amendment C. Thirteenth Amendment D. Fourteenth Amendment E. Tenth Amendment

C. Thirteenth Amendment The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. It has been applied in cases where discrimination involved the "badges" (symbols) and "incidents" of slavery.

In which of the following scenarios will workers be less motivated to perform the job? A. When the job requires a variety of skills to be performed B. When the job requires completing the whole piece of work from beginning to end C. When the job has minimal impact on the lives of other people D. When the job allows individuals to take autonomous decisions about the job E. When a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself

C. When the job has minimal impact on the lives of other people According to the Job Characteristics Model, task significance relates to the impact the job has on the lives of other people.The more of each of the five characteristics a job has, the more motivating the job will be

The term external labor market refers to the: A. contract workers in the organization. B. current employees of the organization. C. individuals who are actively seeking employment. D. employees who have direct contact with customers. E. employees of the immediate competitors of the organization.

C. individuals who are actively seeking employment. The external labor market consists of individuals who are actively seeking employment.

Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, organizations must have _____ for chemicals that employees are exposed to. A. EEOC 1 forms B. white papers C. material safety data sheets D. standard operating protocols E. action reports

C. material safety data sheets MSDA books Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, organizations must have material safety data sheets for chemicals that employees are exposed to.

The relationship between employer and employee can be thought of in terms of a(n) _____, a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions. Unlike a written sales contract, this is not formally put into words. A. employee contract B. offer letter C. psychological contract D. union bond E. legal agreement

C. psychological contract A psychological contract between employer and employee is a description of what an employee expects to contribute in an employment relationship and what the employer will provide the employee in exchange for those contributions.

When an organization undertakes a complete review of its critical work processes to make them more efficient and to be able to deliver higher quality, it is engaging in: A. outsourcing. B. offshoring. C. reengineering. D. greenfield venturing. E. codetermining.

C. reengineering. Reengineering refers to a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality.

Antoine is proud of his team of warm, knowledgeable, and ethical recruiters at Luvia Insurance. They are sure to give realistic job previews, and they keep up to date on the company's policies so they can provide applicants with accurate answers to a host of questions. However, it sometimes takes a while to fill positions. And over the past year, Antoine has observed that the number of applicants who accept offers has fallen. He follows up with several who turned down offers and learns that they took jobs elsewhere because they developed an unfavorable opinion of Luvia Insurance. Which situation most likely explains this problem?

Candidates are not getting timely feedback about their applications.

AlphaTech is a company that develops software to help businesses with data processing. This software helps businesses process payrolls, generate tax information for employees, keep track of employee leave and personal time off, and manage performance evaluation reports. The software is hosted on a remote server maintained by AlphaTech, and businesses can access it online. Which of the following technologies is being used by AlphaTech to perform the computing tasks for other businesses?

Cloud Computing

Cory, a physicist at HealthAir, recently received an award for several patents he earned that enabled the company to help slow climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Jamie, HealthAir's vice president of human resources, is eager to get news coverage of the Cory's award. She knows that, in addition to drawing positive attention to the company, the publicity will support recruitment. Which statement best supports Jamie's thinking?

Creating the impression of HealthAir as a place where talented people make a difference can attract talented job candidates.

Which of the following is true about Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? A. ADEA favors the idea of coercing employees to accept early-retirement incentives. B. ADEA permits an employer to reduce the fringe benefits to all employees over 40. C. ADEA permits companies to lay off older workers when the economy is slow. D. ADEA outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40. E. ADEA recommends early-retirement incentive programs wherein employees agree not to sue the company for ageism.

D. ADEA outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40. Congress in 1967 passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits discrimination against workers who are over the age of 40. Similar to Title VII, the ADEA outlaws hiring, firing, setting compensation rates or other employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40.

Which of the following statements about the composition of the U.S. labor force during the next decade is true? A. The labor force is expected to grow at a greater rate than at any other time in U.S. history. B. The largest proportion of the labor force is expected to be in the 16- to 25-year age group. C. For the first time ever, the number of workers under 40 years of age will exceed the number of workers 40 years of age or older. D. Despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging. E. The total cost of labor in the United States would considerably decrease.

D. Despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging. It is expected that despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging

_____ are directives issued solely by the President, without requiring congressional approval. A. Constitutional amendments B. Judicial reviews C. Charters D. Executive orders E. Statutes

D. Executive orders Executive orders are directives issued solely by the president, without requiring congressional approval.

Which of the following refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of the employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply? A. Content analysis B. Job analysis C. SWOT analysis D. Utilization analysis E. Applied behavior analysis

D. Utilization analysis Utilization analysis is a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of the employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply. The percentages in the employer's workforce should not be greatly lower than the percentages in the labor supply.

As a type of resource, human capital refers to the: A. wages, benefits, and other costs incurred in support of HR functions in an organization. B. cash, equipment, technology, and facilities that the organization uses. C. tax-deferred value of an employee's 401(k) plan. D. employee characteristics that add economic value to the organization. E. total budget allocated to the HR department in an organization.

D. employee characteristics that add economic value to the organization. As a type of resource, human capital means the organization's employees, described in terms of their training, experience, judgment, intelligence, relationships, and insight—the employee characteristics that can add economic value to the organization.

Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was introduced to enhance employment opportunity for _____. A. women B. minors C. older employees D. individuals with disabilities E. minorities

D. individuals with disabilities In 1973, Congress passed the Vocational Rehabilitation Act to enhance employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

The practice of having another company provide services is known as _____. A. benchmarking B. downsizing C. codetermining D. outsourcing E. reengineering

D. outsourcing The practice of having another company provide services is referred to as outsourcing.

The temporary work visa granted by the U.S. government: A. allows workers to permanently bring their spouse and children to the United States. B. permits the workers to remain in the U.S. as immigrants. C. provides dual citizenship to highly qualified and valued immigrants. D. permits highly educated workers to work in the U.S. for a set period of time. E. allows the workers to work permanently in the U.S.

D. permits highly educated workers to work in the U.S. for a set period of time. The U.S. government grants temporary work visas to a limited number of highly educated workers, permitting them to work in the United States for a set period of time but not to remain as immigrants.

A male employee, over the objections of his female colleagues, continues to display a highly suggestive calendar containing indecent pictures within his office. This is an example of _____. A. corrective action B. affirmative action C. reverse discrimination D. sexual harassment E. undue hardship

D. sexual harassment Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual advances as defined by the EEOC. Common complaints in sexual harassment lawsuits include claims that harassers ran their fingers through the plaintiffs' hair, made suggestive remarks, touched intimate body parts, posted pictures with sexual content in the workplace, and used sexually explicit language or told sex-related jokes.

An organization's ability to profit without depleting its resources, including employees, natural resources, and the support of the surrounding community is called _____. A. high-performance management B. social media optimization C. substitutability D. sustainability E. supply chain management

D. sustainability Sustainability is broadly defined as an organization's ability to profit without depleting its resources, including employees, natural resources, and the support of the surrounding community. It is a way of seeking profits in ways that communities, customers, and suppliers will support in the long run.

Job descriptions generally contain all of the following components EXCEPT _____. A. the job title B. a list of essential duties C. a brief description of the responsibilities D. the details of pay and benefits attached to the job E. the details of the tasks involved

D. the details of pay and benefits attached to the job A job description typically includes the job title, a brief description of the TDRs, and a list of the essential duties with detailed specifications of the tasks involved in carrying out each duty.

David was part of a formal mentoring program and was mentored by Angela. The mentoring sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks to improve David's communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace. The sessions, however, were unsuccessful. Which scenario, if true, would most likely have caused the failure of the mentoring sessions?

David's participation was involuntary, and he had little understanding of the details of the program.

Identify the correct statement regarding the composition of the U.S. labor force during the period 2012-2022.

Despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging.

E

Disparate treatment could be legal if the discrimination _____. A. is practiced to increase efficiency B. is performed by a governmental organization C. is performed by a private employer D. is intended to reduce affirmative action E. is categorized as a bona fide occupational qualification

Frank is the CEO of Telex Inc., a company that has a team-oriented culture in which people perform as groups and complete short-term projects to earn revenue. After studying his company's structure, Frank feels Telex's current processes are inefficient. As a result, Frank decides to downsize the organization and then use the profits to enhance the organization's efficiency. What is a disadvantage of this approach?

Downsizing will interfere with the effectiveness of the organization's teamwork.

The human resource department at an accounting firm is preparing a policy for the drug testing of job applicants. Jim makes a list of statements to include in the policy and shows the list to his supervisor, Peggy. Which statement would Peggy direct Jim to change?

Drug test reports should not be sent to applicants.

John, a senior editor at TSS News, asks Ronda, the editor-in-chief, for a sabbatical. Which statement best explains why TSS News would pay John during the sabbatical, if Ronda approves it?

During the sabbatical, John can develop new skills and refresh his existing ones.

Which of the following statements best explains the term "labor force"? A. All the permanent employees of an organization B. All the people who have contracts to work at the company C. All the adult members of a population D. All the temporary workers of an organization E. All the people willing and able to work

E. All the people willing and able to work The term "labor force" is a general way to refer to all the people willing and able to work.

Which of the following individuals will NOT be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act? A. An individual with a history of heart disease B. An individual with a history of mental illness C. An individual with cancer in remission D. An individual who is deaf and blind E. An individual who is subject to substance abuse

E. An individual who is subject to substance abuse Conditions not covered under the ADA include obesity, substance abuse, irritability, and poor judgment.

Disparate treatment could be legal if the discrimination _____. A. is practiced to increase efficiency B. is performed by a governmental organization C. is performed by a private employer D. is intended to reduce affirmative action E. is categorized as a bona fide occupational qualification

E. is categorized as a bona fide occupational qualification The courts have held that in some situations that a factor such as sex or race may be a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ), that is, a necessary (not merely preferred) qualification for performing a job.

One of the qualities of human resources is that _____. A. it is highly substitutable and interchangeable B. it is easily available for all companies to utilize C. it is easily imitated by rivals D. it is negligible in terms of value E. it is indispensable for building a competitive advantage

E. it is indispensable for building a competitive advantage In terms of business strategy, an organization can succeed if it has a sustainable competitive advantage (is better than competitors at something and can hold that advantage over a sustained period of time). Human resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and hard to replace will give them such an advantage.

When an individual is promised a positive outcome for submission to sex, or threatened with a negative outcome for failure to submit to sex, this is referred to as _____. A. adverse impact B. disparate impact C. reverse discrimination D. undue hardship E. quid pro quo harassment

E. quid pro quo harassment In general, the most obvious examples of sexual harassment involve quid pro quo harassment, meaning that a person makes a benefit (or punishment) contingent on an employee's submitting to (or rejecting) sexual advances.

C

Employers' support for immigration to the United States can be attributed to the fact that: A. there is lack of adequate technology in the country. B. undocumented immigration is not taken seriously by the U.S. government. C. qualified technical workers are scarce in the United States. D. there is increased support from the government. E. U.S. workers are not open to innovation.

What is a reason for the popularity of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)?

ESOPs provide tax advantages to employers.

Which of the following is responsible for the shift in the job trend, from the use of narrowly defined jobs to the use of broadly defined jobs in organizations?

Emphasis on innovation and quality

E

Employee empowerment primarily involves _____. A. following a centralized and tall organizational structure B. providing increased salary and benefits to employees C. leading employees by the strength of one's charisma D. continually learning and improving one's skills and abilities E. giving employees responsibility and authority to make decisions

Nicole, an employee at Neo Corp., develops and distributes newsletters that announce upcoming events in the company. Which of the following human resource management practices is being performed by Nicole?

Employee relations

When Ulysses Corp., a travel insurance company, introduced new goals for internal management, there was a rift in the management regarding their implementation. Group A emphasized achieving short-term goals, while Group B believed in introducing policies that created a more efficient employee-management relationship. Which of the following results would prove Group B's decision to be ideal?

Employee surveys showing higher levels of engagement with the company

In the context of today's organizations, which statement is true of employees?

Employees are not easily replaced parts of a system; they are the source of a company's success or failure.

Which of the following would qualify as a compressed workweek

Employees are permitted to work 10 hours a day, Monday through Thursday

Which of the following would qualify as a compressed workweek?

Employees are permitted to work 10 hours a day, so that they can work fewer days per week.

As Monty Corp., a shoe manufacturer, grows more profitable, it wants to become more competitive as an employer in the labor market. Juliet, the human resource manager, urges the company to develop a more attractive package of benefits, rather than simply raising salaries. Which statement best supports Juliet's argument?

Employees do not pay income taxes on most benefits they receive.

Phono Inc. has a benefits package that includes paid vacations and sick leave. The human resource manager proposes shifting this time into a bank of paid time off. What would be an advantage of this change?

Employees have more flexibility and privacy for their personal matters.

Vince, an HR manager, conducts a survey to learn which benefits employees value the most. However, he finds that the survey results are difficult to apply. What is the most likely reason?

Employees have very different opinions about what they value.

Kotochi and Sons, a marketing company, has implemented a few incentive plans to motivate its employees. The organization encourages employees to learn new skills and cooperate with others. Which condition will contribute to employees' feeling that the organization's incentive pay plans are fair and something to pursue?

Employees must be able to understand the requirements of the incentive pay plan.

Which of the following statements reflects a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

Employees over the age of 40 are asked ot retire as part of a company's downsizing program

C

Employees realize that many companies are no longer able to provide long-term employment security. Instead, the employees now want: A. increased pay. B. less demanding work. C. employability. D. written employment contracts. E. additional benefits.

Employees at Atkins Inc. are frustrated with their manager, Kyle, who does not believe in providing feedback because he thinks it's a waste of time. His employees argue that they do not know how to hone their skills if they are not told what areas they should work on and what areas are satisfactory. Which statement would strengthen the employees' arguments?

Employees who receive feedback gain more clarity on their roles and how they fit within an organization.

How has the requirement for creating high-performance work systems changed?

Employers are looking for ways to tap people's creativity and interpersonal skills

What is a requirement under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?

Employers must verify and maintain records on the legal rights of applicants to work in the United States.

Human resource management is increasingly becoming a purely administrative function.

FALSE At one time, human resource management was primarily an administrative function. As more organizations have come to appreciate the significance of highly skilled human resources, however, many HR departments have taken on a more active role in supporting the organization's strategy.

The employers can direct contract workers on details such as how and when they have to do their jobs without paying the employer's share of Social Security for those workers.

FALSE Contract company workers are employed directly by a company for a specific time specified in a written contract. If employers direct workers in the details of how and when they do their jobs, these workers are legally defined as employees, not contractors. In that case, employers must meet the legal requirements for paying the employer's share of Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.

Early-retirement programs are one of the most effective approaches to downsizing.

FALSE Early-retirement programs are humane, but they essentially reduce the workforce with a "grenade" approach—not distinguishing good performers from poor performers but rather eliminating an entire group of employees.

Evidence-based HR refers to the practice of initiating disciplinary action against employees only in the presence of clear and demonstrable proof of undesirable behavior.

FALSE Evidence-based HR refers to demonstrating that human resource practices have a positive influence on the company's profits or key stakeholders (employees, customers, community, shareholders).

Executive Order 11478 requires the federal government to base all its employment policies on national origin.

FALSE Executive Order 11478 requires the federal government to base all its employment policies on merit and fitness.

An HR department at a manufacturing firm wants to ensure that applicants for production jobs provide complete information about themselves in a standard format. The most effective method would be to ask candidates to submit a résumé.

False

The concern for innovation and quality in recent time has forced companies to use more narrowly defined jobs to increase efficiency.

FALSE In general, jobs can vary from having a narrow range of simple tasks to having a broad array of complex tasks requiring multiple skills. In the past, many companies have emphasized the use of narrowly defined jobs to increase efficiency. However, greater concern for innovation and quality has shifted the trend to more use of broadly defined jobs

Job extension is defined as moving employees among several different jobs without changing the nature of the jobs the employee handles.

FALSE Job extension is enlarging jobs by combining several relatively simple jobs to form a job with a wider range of tasks.

The members of Generation X are characterized by their comfort with the latest technology, and the need to be noticed, respected, and involved.

FALSE Members of Generation X (1965-1980) tend to be pragmatic and cynical, and they have well-developed self-management skills. Those born from 1981 to 1995, often called Millennials or Generation Y, are comfortable with the latest technology, and they want to be noticed, respected, and involved

An organization's critical work processes are not altered during a reengineering process.

FALSE Reengineering involves a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality

Jobs that have survived the downsizing of recession tend to have a narrower scope of responsibilities coupled with increased supervision.

FALSE Research suggests that successful downsizing efforts almost always entail changes in the nature of jobs, not just their number. Jobs that have survived the downsizing of the most recent recession tend to have a broader scope of responsibilities coupled with less supervision.

The right of free consent states that employers can conceal the nature of the job while hiring an employee for a particular position.

FALSE Right of privacy states that people have the right to do as they wish in their private lives, and they have the right to control what they reveal about private activities. Concealing the nature of a job prior to hiring an employee would violate the human right of free consent which states that people have the right to be treated only as they knowingly and willingly consent to be treated.

The process of selection is limited to hiring new employees for job openings and excludes internal transfers and promotions

FALSE Selection refers to the process by which the organization attempts to identify applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will help the organization achieve its goals. An organization makes selection decisions in order to add employees to its workforce, as well as to transfer existing employees to new positions.

A person fired by a private employer can sue under the Fourteenth amendment on charges of racial discrimination.

FALSE The Fourteenth Amendment applies only to the decisions or actions of the government or of private groups whose activities are deemed government actions. A person could file a claim under the Fourteenth Amendment if he or she had been fired from a state university (a government organization) but not if the person had been fired by a private employer.

The legislative branch of the U.S. government is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress.

FALSE The executive branch, including the many regulatory agencies that the president oversees, is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress.

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, individuals with a Feeling (F) preference try always to be objective in making decisions, whereas individuals with a Thinking (T) preference are more subjective.

False

Fiona, a manger at Norman Corp., was responsible for workforce analytics in the organization. Her supervisor, Martin, argued that it was an unnecessary expense as he believed that collecting employee-related information was just an administrative responsibility. Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken Martin's argument?

Fiona identified subordinated who showed the potential to become leaders in the company based on the data.

Daniel, an accounting manager at Plot Co., agreed to work with a coach. He chose this in order to become more of a team player, which would, in turn, lead him to being considered for a larger role in management. After two months, however, he complained to the human resource manager that the process was time-consuming and he has not seen any positive results. Which response to Daniel's complaint would best reflect how coaching can contribute to employee development?

Getting results can take several months—and the employee has to keep practicing.

Which of the following statements is true about the HR profession?

HR generalists usually perform the full range of HRM activites

Which of the following terms refers to a computer system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve, and distribute information related to an organization's human resources?

HR information systems

Which of the following is TRUE of ethics in human resource management?

HR managers must view employees as having basic rights

Which of the following is true of ethics in human resource management (HRM)?

HR managers must view employees as having basic rights.

Which statement is true of ethics in human resource management?

HR managers must view employees as having basic rights.

Point 1

HR may be responsible for developing or obtaining questionnaires and other devices for measuring performance. performance measures may emphasize observable behavior (ex. answering the phone by the second ring). Outcomes (# of customer complaints and compliments or both.)

Which of the following is a standard that MR managers must satisfy for HRM practices to be ethical

HR practices must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people

Daniel, the director of operations, strongly believes that human resource management (HRM) is critical to the success of organizations. Melissa, the CFO of the organization, opposes Daniel's view because she thinks HRM is an unnecessary expense for the company. Which of the following statements weakens Melissa's belief?

HRM is indispensable for building a competitive advantage

Chris, the director of operations, strongly believes that human resource management (HRM) is critical to the success of organizations. Jamie, the CFO of the organization, opposes Chris' view because she thinks HRM is an unnecessary expense for the company. Which statement weakens Jamie's belief?

HRM is indispensable for building a competitive advantage.

Jerome is the CEO of a magazine publishing company. He wants to provide benefits for his employees but would still like to control his company's costs. Ashley, the head of the HR department, suggests implementing a cafeteria-style plan. What would be the most likely benefit of Jerome doing so?

He will avoid the cost of providing employees with benefits they don't value.

Daniel, the director of operations, strongly believes that human resource management (HRM) is critical to the success of organizations. Melissa, the CFO of the organization, opposes Daniel's view because she thinks HRM is an unnecessary expense for the company. Which of the following statements weakens Melissa's belief?

HRM is indispensable for building competitive advantage.

Yang, the HR manager at a start-up company, helped the founder plan a benefits package that includes paid vacations, holidays, and sick leave. Now an employee approaches Yang to say she has been called up for jury duty and needs to be away next week. What should Yang do?

He should establish, and then apply, policies for other situations requiring time off.

When Keenan joined Rod Riders as its human resource manager, he was surprised to hear some of the executives repeatedly laughing over stories about how the company's founder ensured that his fraternity brothers moved into management positions. According to the stories, the executives embellished the performance appraisals of these employees, which also influenced later staffing decisions. Keenan talked to some employees about performance management at Rod Riders and learned that the system was widely viewed as corrupt. What can Keenan do, besides discouraging the storytelling, to decrease the political behavior related to performance management?

He should persuade executives not to tolerate or ignore distorted ratings.

B

Helen Taylor works 10 hours a day for 4 days a week, while her colleagues work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. Helen is utilizing a flexible work schedule option known as _____. A. the zero-hour contract B. the compressed workweek C. the flexible workweek D. retroactive overtime E. telework

Helen, a supervisor at Covington Materials, asks Hunter, the human resource manager, for advice on delivering performance feedback. Helen finds that the meetings tend to be confrontational and don't lead to performance improvement. She tells Hunter how she carefully fills out the appraisal form ahead of time and then invites the employee into the conference room to discuss her feedback immediately, before the employee has time to think up excuses for poor performance. What advice should Hunter give Helen for delivering performance feedback?

Helen should give employees a chance to complete a self-assessment ahead of time.

A

Henry is a human resource consultant who runs and operates his own business from his home. He is often hired by businesses to present one- or two-day workshops on various topics within his field of expertise. Henry is a(n): A. on-call worker. B. agent. C. temporary employee. D. contract company worker. E. temporary worker.

Peggy, a Hispanic female in the accounting department of a large retail chain, believes she has been the victim of race and sex discrimination. Why can't she turn to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) for assistance with this problem?

Her employer doesn't have contracts with the federal government.

B

Home Needs is a consumer goods company who provide the option of door-to-door delivery. They have partnered with a packaging company for transporting their goods to the customers. This practice of having another company to provide one of the services of the company is known as _____. A. cause marketing B. outsourcing C. reengineering D. disinvesting E. downsizing

A

How does establishing and administering policies help organizations? A. It allows companies to handle situations fairly and objectively. B. It allows companies to address issues on a case-by-case basis. C. It eliminates the need for documentation and record-keeping. D. It encourages employees to defend themselves by claiming ignorance of disciplinary norms. E. It leaves a lot of room for subjective decision-making.

D

How has the requirement for creating high-performance work systems changed? A. There is a drive toward low-cost strategy in the labor market. B. Employees prefer implementation of 40-hour work weeks. C. Competitors are looking for ways to standardize prices in their respective industries. D. Employers are looking for ways to tap people's creativity and interpersonal skills. E. Customers are demanding standardized products over customized products.

C

How has the use of employee empowerment affected the recruitment of knowledge workers? A. It has enhanced the need for people with high knowledge regarding individual parts of a particular production processes. B. It has substantially enhanced employment opportunities for women and minorities. C. It has shifted the focus away from technical skills to general cognitive and interpersonal skills. D. It has significantly reduced recruiting costs by using the low-cost strategy though it hinders innovation. E. It has made the recruitment process less time consuming.

B

Human resource departments can help in employee empowerment by: A. designing jobs such that the managers have complete control over business processes. B. getting employees fully engaged by communicating to them about their role in supporting the organization's mission. C. rewarding employees based on their loyalty to the organization rather than personal accomplishments or predetermined objective criteria. D. providing feedback only during the employee performance review. E. creating jobs that minimize the need for the employees to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.

What is a standard that human resource managers must satisfy for HRM practices to be ethical?

Human resource practices must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people.

Which of the following is a standard that human resource managers must satisfy for HRM practices to be ethical?

Human resource practices must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people.

D

Human resources provide an organization with a sustainable competitive advantage because: A. highly skilled and knowledgeable employees are commonly available. B. the organization can easily duplicate the success of competitors' human resources. C. after financial resources, human resources are the most committed to an organization. D. high-quality employees provide a needed service as they perform many critical functions. E. employees can be easily trained, motivated, and developed to care about customers.

A

If a company, as part of its job redesign program, plans to set up teams to manufacture products, which of the following programs might it offer to help employees learn the ins and outs of effective teamwork? A. Development B. Recruitment C. Orientation D. Selection E. Performance management

Identify the correct statement regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).

If an OSHA violation results in citations, an employer must post each citation in a prominent place near the location of the violation.

Which of the following is true about enforcement of the OSH Act?

If an OSHA violation results in citations, the employer must post each citation in a prominent place near the location of the violation

E

If people believe their rights are being violated, they have the right to a fair and impartial hearing. This reflects the basic human right to: A. lifetime employment. B. privacy. C. due process. D. free consent. E. freedom of conscience.

B

If two firms in one industry join to hold a greater share of the industry, it will be referred to as a(n) _____. A. take-over B. consolidation C. acquisition D. assimilation E. conglomerate

Citrus Fruits Inc., a beverages company, was shut down because of public allegations about the quality of its products. After a period of 10 years, the former CEO of the company decided to start up the company again. Analyzing the situation, what measures should the revamped company undertake in order to emerge successful?

Improve the quality and ethics in production

Identify the case in which disparate treatment is considered legal.

In a certain shopping mall, female workers are exclusively employed to clean the women's restroom.

Identify the case in which disparate treatment is considered legal.

In a certain shopping mall, female workers are exclusively employed to clean the women's restroom.

E

In terms of the Job Characteristics Model, feedback refers to the extent to which _____. A. a job requires a variety of skills to carry out the tasks involved in the job and its duties B. employees are given the authority to make decisions C. performance appraisals are perceived as transparent and fair by employees D. a job requires a variety of skills to carry out the tasks involved E. a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself

D

In the Job Characteristics Model, task identity is defined as the _____. A. extent to which a job requires a variety of skills to carry out the tasks involved B.degree to which the job allows an individual to make decisions about the way the work will be carried out C. the extent to which a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself D. degree to which a job requires completing a "whole" piece of work from beginning to end E. extent to which the job has an important impact on the lives of other people

E

In the context of a work flow analysis, materials, equipment, and human resources needed to perform the tasks collectively constitute the _____. A. outputs B. jobs C. work processes D. operating procedures E. inputs

Identify the correct statement regarding an employee assistance program.

It is a system supervisors can use to refer their employees for professional treatment when necessary.

A

In the context of work flow design, a position is _____. A. the set of duties performed by a person B. a set of related duties fulfilled by many employees C. an aggregate of similar jobs D. the set of skills and abilities that is required of a person in a job E. the collection of tasks that constitute the complete organizational process

B

In the role of a cultural steward, an HR manager primarily: A. administers day-to-day work of managing people. B. facilitates change and helps to build and strengthen the culture C. develops people strategies to control attrition rates. D. understands how the business makes money. E. recognizes business trends and their impact on the business.

D

In which of the following instances is disparate treatment considered legal? A. In a particular retail outlet, male workers are employed to handle the sales. B. In an electrical company, male workers are exclusively employed to work as electricians. C. In a vehicle manufacturing company, male workers are exclusively employed in all departments. D. In a certain shopping mall, female workers are exclusively employed to clean the ladies restroom. E. In a particular hospital, only female nurses are appointed.

C

In which of the following scenarios will workers be less motivated to perform the job? A. When the job requires a variety of skills to be performed B. When the job requires completing the whole piece of work from beginning to end C. When the job has minimal impact on the lives of other people D. When the job allows individuals to take autonomous decisions about the job E. When a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself

Information from observers should be used as a supplement to information from incumbents. Identify the statement that is most likely to support this argument.

Incumbents provide accurate information, but they may have an incentive to exaggerate what they do to appear more valuable to the organization.

B

Independent contractors are: A. usually full-time company employees. B. self-employed individuals with multiple clients. C. people employed by a temporary agency. D. employed directly by a company for a specific time. E. people employed by the company to work on an independent project through a written contract.

Koland Corp. is an interior design firm based in California. The firm has a team of interior designers working closely with manufacturers to create home décor products. In the context of a work flow analysis, the interior designers, manufacturers, and home décor products required to provide interior design services collectively constitute the _____.

Inputs

Which of the following is the correct statement regarding internal recruitment sources?

Internal recruiting minimizes the possibility of unrealistic employee expectations.

Which of the following best describes job sharing?

It is a work option in which two part-time employees carry out the tasks associated with a single job.

Chad wants to build a start-up company with a small number of people working for him. He decides to do all the hiring himself. Lucas, a friend of Chad's who is a lawyer, warns Chad about the risk of discrimination complaints he could receive from applicants who are not hired. Which statement best expresses the basis of Lucas's concern about avoiding discrimination?

Interviews are subjective, so they have the potential of assessing candidates based on questions not related to the job.

Iris Corp. manufactures products by following traditional methods, and managers make decisions without obtaining input from their subordinates. Recently the firm has been receiving complaints from its customers regarding the quality of its products. Which of the following would help the firm avoid these complaints in the future?

Iris should create an atmosphere that promotes innovation.

B

It can be most beneficial to simplify jobs where _____. A. the employees seek challenges and new demands B. the costs of errors are severe C. the scope for errors is minimal D. the employees do not engage in multi-tasking E. the information-processing requirements of the job are minimal

Which of the following is an advantage of using a human resource information system in an organization?

It can help avoid litigation and lawsuits.

What is a disadvantage of a merit pay system?

It can quickly become expensive for the company.

Which of the following statements is true of a progressive discipline system?

It communicates unacceptable behavior and responds to a series of offenses with increasing forcefulness.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a pay structure that rewards employees for winning promotions?

It discourages employees from gaining valuable experience through lateral career moves.

What is most likely a consequence of paying most or all of a salesperson's compensation in the form of commissions?

It encourages the salesperson to focus on closing the sale.

Zino Inc., a marketing firm, has employees who work in different cities in different time zones around the country. They coordinate their work efficiently with the help of technology, such as videoconferencing, mobile phones, and e-mail, for the production of marketing activities. Which of the following statements is true of Zino?

It encourages virtual teams

Jayden, a manager, is rigid with his employees and does not allow them to voice their opinions or criticisms about their superiors. On the other hand, Tonya, another manager at the same firm, encourages her subordinates to communicate with her openly. Which statement uses basic rights to argue in favor of Tonya's practice over that of Jayden's?

It engages the employees in expressing constructive criticisms and opinions.

Why is temporary employment popular with employers?

It gives employers flexibility in operations.

Which of the following is true about the Americans with Disabilities Act?

It goes beyond prohibiting discrimination to require that employers take steps to accommodate individuals covered under the legislation

How has the use of employee empowerment affected the recruitment process in the United States.?

It has shifted the focus away from technical skills to general cognitive and interpersonal skills.

Which of the following is true of job enlargement?

It involves adding challenges or new responsibilities to employees' current jobs.

Which statement is true about the 360-degree feedback process?

It involves rating an individual in terms of work-related behaviors.

Which statement best describes the multiple-hurdle model of personnel selection?

It is a process of arriving at a selection decision by eliminating some candidates at each stage of the selection process.

Which of the following is an advantage of using results-oriented performance measurement?

It is relatively easy to link to the organization's goals.

Which of the following best describes job design?

It is the process of defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that a given job requires.

Which of the following best describes needs assessment?

It is the process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and employees' tasks to determine what kinds of training are necessary.

What is a characteristic of task analysis?

It is usually conducted along with person analysis.

Select the statement that characterizes the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

It limits the maximum punitive damages allowed, depending on the size of an organization.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of skill-based pay systems?

It may result in paying employees for skills they don't use.

Identify the statement that characterizes the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

It outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40

Identify the statement that characterizes the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

It outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40.

Identify the correct statement about succession planning.

It provides a set of developmental experiences that managers must complete to be considered for top management positions.

Which of the following is true about the OSH Act?

It provides employees with the right to have employer violations posted at the work site

Which of the following is true of quid pro quo harassment?

It refers to an individual gaining benefit in return for a sexual favor.

Which statement is true of quid pro quo harassment?

It refers to an individual gaining benefit in return for a sexual favor.

Which of the following best describes evidence-based HR?

It refers to demonstrating that human resource practices have a positive influence on a company's profits or key stakeholders.

Which of the following best describes offshoring?

It refers to moving operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available.

Identify the disadvantage of using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ).

It results in abstract reports that are of limited use.

A

Job enrichment differs from job rotation in that job enrichment: A. empowers workers by adding more decision-making authority to their jobs. B. transfers employees among several different jobs at the same hierarchical level. C. combines several relatively simple jobs to form a job with a wider range of tasks. D. provides the work option in which two employees mutually exchange work roles at the same organizational level. E. assesses of the relative dollar value of each job to the organization.

Which of the following statements is true about a product market?

Organizations in a product market are competing to serve the same customers.

Which statement is true of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?

It uses a common language that generalizes across jobs to describe the abilities, work styles, work activities, and work context required for various occupations.

Which statement is true of an assessment center?

It uses multiple selection methods to rate applicants on their management potential.

Identify a true statement about the mixed-standard scale.

It uses several statements describing each trait to produce a final score for that trait.

C

Jennifer Carter, a marketing executive in her late thirties, had been working at a reputed marketing firm for the past three years. However, she was fired from the company without any prior notice when she collapsed at work with an epileptic attack. Following this, Jennifer sued the company under the _____. A. Executive Order 11246 B. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 C. Americans with Disabilities Act D. Occupational Safety and Health Act E. Executive Order 11478

Aaron, an HR manager, observes that the number of employees quitting their jobs has been steadily increasing over the last six months. On closer inspection, he finds that a majority of the employees who quit were unhappy with the pay structures. Aaron assesses the significance of each job to the organization, which helps him set up fair pay structures. This in turn helps the organization retain valuable employees. Which of the following most likely relates to the task undertaken by Aaron?

Job Evaluation

What is a basic difference between job specifications and job descriptions?

Job descriptions look at a job's activities, and job specifications look at the qualities needed to do the job.

A

Job design is the process of: A. defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that a given job requires. B. generating a pool of potential candidates for a job. C. identifying suitable candidates for jobs. D. enabling employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior. E. presenting candidates with positive and negative information about a job.

E

Job specifications differ from job descriptions in that job specifications primarily describe: A. the list of the tasks and responsibilities that the job entails. B. the observable actions that comprise the various job demands. C. the reporting relationships within the division which includes the job. D. the functional needs of the position under study. E. the qualities a person performing the job must possess.

Which of the following is an example of an experiential training method?

John and his colleagues take part in a rafting course sponsored by their company.

Jonathan and Nicole hold the same position at an organization. However, Jonathan is paid more than Nicole. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which of the following will strengthen the fact that the pay difference is a legal one?

Jonathan works the night shift

Jonathan and Nicole hold the same position at an organization. However, Jonathan is paid more than Nicole. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which of the following will strengthen the fact that the pay difference is a legal one?

Jonathan works the night shift.

Kathleen is a member of the human resource (HR) department at Jade Corp. She had set a goal to enhance the firm's strategy. She worked to attain it by understanding the current resources and by attracting new resources according to requirements. However, her strategic ideas did not lead to effective results. Which of the following, if true, would imply the reason for Kathleen's failure in attaining her goal?

Kathleen did not make an attempt to understand Jade's business, its industry, and its competitors.

Kathleen is a member of the human resource department at Jade Corp. She had set a goal to enhance the firm's strategy. She worked to attain it by understanding the current resources and by attracting new resources according to requirements. However, her strategic ideas did not lead to effective results. Which of the following, if true, would imply the reason for Kathleen's failure in attaining her goal?

Kathleen did not make an attempt to understand Jade's business, its industry, and its competitors.

Moose Tech, a software start-up, is putting together a new team to work on the marketing strategies for their expansion project. In the context of using the "Big Five" personality traits for effective team building, which employees would be good additions to a team that encourages a strong and harmonious culture and is most likely to give the best results?

Kelly is very organized; Allison is very cooperative.

Hannah Barboza Inc., a publishing company, administered the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment to its editorial team and learned that some individuals are drawn toward gathering the facts and details needed for decision making, while others focus more on noticing relations among the facts. Some of the employees enjoy learning this about themselves, but the human resource specialist who administered the assessment cautions them not to use the results to limit their understanding of what they can do. Which of the following statements best explains the need for caution in applying the results of this assessment?

MBTI scores are not necessarily valid and reliable.

The HR function of maintaining positive employee relations includes:

Maintaining communication with union representatives

The HR department at Hufton Co. recently developed and employed a certain test in the selection process for managers. After observing trends within the organization, the HR department concluded that the test was not a valid selection criterion. What most likely led to the observation that the test was not valid?

Managers who performed well on the tests performed poorly in their roles.

E

Managing cultural diversity involves: A. forming different pay structures for various groups. B. creating separate career tracks for employees with families. C. avoiding the use of affirmative action policies. D. reducing cultural diversity by selective hiring. E. encouraging career development for women and minorities.

A

Martin Smiths works for a small chemical manufacturing company for the past ten years. Off late he and the other workers have developed minor respiratory problems. They confronted the management demanding proper ventilation at the factory as inhaling the chemical fumes continuously could prove fatal. When the management did not respond to their demands, they threatened to sue the company under the _____. A. OSH Act B. DINA C. Title VII of CRA D. ADA E. ADEA

B

Martin is a financial analyst who is not employed directly by any company. He works for multiple clients based on their requirements. Martin is a(n) _____. A. permanent employee B. independent contractor C. part-time employee D. contract company worker E. temporary worker

Gerard, a college student, believes that academic achievement and not mechanical skills will help one secure a job in the U.S. workforce. Jack, his classmate, believes that mechanical skills are more important than academic achievement in landing a job in the U.S. Which of the following statements strengthens Gerard's argument?

Mastery of a particular piece of machinery is no longer important for many jobs.

What is true about medical examinations of job candidates?

Medical examinations are conducted after a candidate has been given a job offer.

Frankie is deciding between two jobs that provide equal pay. He compares the health care benefits provided by both jobs to help him make a decision. One job offers a flexible spending account, while the other job offers him managed care. Which statement will help Frankie make a decision?

Money in flexible spending accounts is not taxed, so employees get more take-home pay.

Which scenario exemplifies an individual in the external labor market?

Morgan, an engineering graduate, looking for a job

E

Most organizations look for _____ to find employees who are capable of handling a variety of responsibilities, interacting with customers and thinking creatively. A. basic psychomotor skills B. skills related to computers C. technical expertise D. specific work experience E. educational achievements

D

Nathan Williams, a blind man in his early twenties, was recently appointed as a radio jockey at the local radio station in Florida. He was given permission by his manager to bring his guide dog to work. In this instance, Nathan's employer makes a _____. A. disparate impact B. disparate treatment C. reverse discrimination D. reasonable accommodation E. undue hardship

Which of the following statements is true about the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

Nonexempt employees are covered by FLSA and include most hourly workers.

Tom Fender has worked for a small chemical manufacturing company for the past 10 years. Of late, he and the other workers have developed minor respiratory problems. They confronted management demanding proper ventilation at the factory because inhaling chemical fumes continuously could prove fatal. When management did not respond to their demands, they threatened to sue the company under the _____.

Occupational Safety and Health Act

Milo has worked for a small chemical manufacturing company for the past 10 years. Recently, he and the other workers have developed minor respiratory problems. They confronted management demanding proper ventilation at the factory because inhaling chemical fumes continuously could prove fatal. If management does not respond to their demands, they could sue the company under the

Occupational Safety and Health Act.

El Niro Inc. is automating processes so the company can meet its demand with a smaller workforce. The CEO asks Megan, the vice president of human resources, for advice on how to address the resulting labor surplus. Megan studies the workforce and observes that many employees are in their 50s and 60s. Furthermore, these employees are the highest-paid workers in every job category. Based on this information, what should Megan suggest as the most effective way of addressing El Niro's labor surplus?

Offer early retirement incentives to the employees in their 50s and 60s.

Which of the following bodies is responsible for enforcing the executive orders that cover companies doing business with the federal government?

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Procedures

When large U.S. software companies open facilities in developing countries to take advantage of the highly skilled labor available there at lower pay rates, they are engaging in:

Offshoring

B

Offshoring is defined as: A. a practice of having another company provide services. B. moving operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available. C. a method of staffing other than the traditional hiring of full-time employees. D. a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality of products and services. E. the act of acquiring a new company in a distant location or another country in order to acquire higher market share or growth.

E

One of the qualities of human resources is that _____. A. it is highly substitutable and interchangeable B. it is easily available for all companies to utilize C. it is easily imitated by rivals D. it is negligible in terms of value E. it is indispensable for building a competitive advantage

Alyssa thinks that her company is discriminating against a particular group of employees by denying them seniority or promotions. She expresses her concern to a senior human resources manager. This method of expressing concern about an instance of illegal employment through proper channels is known as _____.

Opposition

Which of the following statements is true about job-based pay structures?

Organizations may avoid change because it requires repeating the time-consuming process of creating job descriptions and related paperwork.

What is true of formal education as an approach to employee development?

Organizations organize formal educational programs at the workplace or off-site to support employee development.

Samcys Services Inc. specializes in providing round-the-clock building security services to multinational companies. Which of the following terms most likely represents the service offered by Samcys?

Outputs

Carroll Inc., a cell phone manufacturer, has its assembly operations performed by Mortimer Corp., a firm that deals exclusively in assembling products for other companies. This scenario indicates that Carroll engages in the practice of _____.

Outsourcing

Which of the following statements is true of the FLSA requirements for overtime pay?

Overtime must be paid whether or not the employer specifically asked or expected the employee to work the extra hours.

A

People's right to freedom of speech is the right to: A. criticize an organization's ethics if they do so in good conscience. B. refuse to do something that is environmentally unsafe. C. do as they wish in their private life. D. be treated only as they knowingly and willingly consent to be treated. E. prohibit criticism of the organization.

The employees at Circa Financial often complain that they are not provided feedback about their work. They feel that they do not get proper information as to how they have performed and the areas in which they need to improve. They also claim that the performance goals are vague and not measurable. Which of the following HR functions does Circa Financial need to specifically improve upon to resolve the complaints put forth by its employees?

Performance management

Ty, the HR manager at Elrod Engines, is preparing a newly promoted employee for her role as a supervisor. In his experience, he will need to address the new supervisor's nervousness about conducting performance appraisals. What is the most likely cause of this nervousness?

Performance management supports administrative decisions that have a great impact on employees.

Phineas Corp. has made a name for itself by following long-standing methods to manufacture wooden furniture. Recently, competitors using more modern technology have appeared in the furniture market, and Phineas has found its business suffering as a result. Using a TQM approach, what might help Phineas Corp. improve?

Phineas should create an atmosphere that promotes innovation.

A

Present day managers expect the HR professionals to use their knowledge of business and human resources to support the company's strategy by: A. maintaining compliance with labor laws. B. performing administrative functions effectively. C. designing and delivering effective HR policies and programs. D. recruiting skilled knowledge workers. E. developing strategies to meet broader goals such as profitability and market share.

Identify the correct statement regarding reasonable accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation is typically provided in situations involving individuals with disabilities or different religious needs.

Brighton Corp. undertook a reengineering strategy recently to increase the efficiency of its processes. As a result, the HR department has revised the job and pay structures for employees. The firm is also hiring new employees with different skill sets. Which of the following arguments strengthens the HR department's decision?

Reengineering necessitates the HR department design and implement changes so employees will be committed to its success.

Who among the following can be regarded as knowledge workers?

Registered nurses

D

Scott's Services is a company which hosts a software that helps in data processing. They process the payroll, performance, and other details required by a company and make the results available online. Which of the following technologies is being used by the company to do the computing tasks for other companies? A. Intranet B. HR dashboards C. HR dashboards D. Cloud computing E. Business Intelligence systems

Edgar works at Alpha Inc. He is responsible for identifying individuals with skills required for the various roles in the organization. Which of the following human resource management (HRM) practices is being performed by Edgar?

Selection

Define sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome sexual advances. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: (1) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term of or condition of an individual's employment, (2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individuals, or (3) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Virginia considers Howard, her office assistant, to be both highly skilled and highly motivated. Howard frequently surprises Virginia with his creative problem solving, above and beyond the basic job requirements. What response should Virginia make to Howard's performance?

She should reward Howard and offer him opportunities for career development.

Sky Meadows Health Care Systems set up a program that encourages employees to share their ideas for patient satisfaction and cost savings. After a year of collecting these ideas, the HR department conducted an employee survey and learned that its employees did not feel very empowered. What else should Sky Meadows do to improve the sense of empowerment?

Show that management is listening to the ideas and implementing the valuable ones.

In the past, hospitals deferred to physicians' judgments in how they carry out their work. More recently, hospitals have begun asking surgical teams to use pre-surgical checklists aimed at avoiding miscommunications and oversights. From a job design perspective, why is this aspect of work flow an appropriate one for a hospital to focus on?

Simplifying work is especially beneficial when jobs are challenging and the costs of error are severe.

C

Skill is defined as _____. A. the past experience a person has in performing similar jobs B. the factual or procedural information that is necessary for successfully performing a task C. an individual's level of proficiency at performing a particular task D. the personality traits such as someone's persistence or motivation to achieve E. the tangible aspects of an employee's abilities like licenses or certifications

Management at an IT firm is thinking of promoting Tad, a customer service representative, to the position of senior customer relationship manager. Which scenario would make the promotion less likely to happen?

Slow growth is limiting the opportunities available in the company.

The _____ is the primary professional organization for HRM that provides education and information services, and it is the world's largest human resource management association.

Society of Human Resource Management

Fred, the vice president of Gallway Co., plans to introduce a retirement plan for all employees. Ron, the operations director, disagrees because the proposed plan would increase the company's costs. Which statement, if true, strengthens Fred's argument?

Some benefits have become so common that today's employees expect them.

Describe self-managing work teams. Also suggest steps to make such teams more effective.

Some organizations empower employees by designing work to be done by self-managing work teams. These teams have authority for an entire work process or segment. Team members typically have authority to schedule work, hire team members, resolve problems related to the team's performance, and perform other duties traditionally handled by management. Teamwork can give a job such motivating characteristics as autonomy, skill variety, and task identity. Because team members' responsibilities are great, their jobs usually are defined broadly and include sharing of work assignments. Team members may, at one time or another, perform every duty of the team. The challenge for the organization is to provide enough training so that the team members can learn the necessary skills. Another approach, when teams are responsible for particular work processes or customers, is to assign the team responsibility for the process or customer, then let the team decide which members will carry out which tasks. Studies have found that the right job design was associated with effective teamwork. In particular, when teams are self-managed and team members are highly involved in decision making, teams are more productive, employees more satisfied, and managers more pleased with performance. Teams also tend to do better when each team member performs a variety of tasks and when team members view their effort as significant.

Sophia, a manager at Mentor Corp., is responsible for workforce analytics in the organization. Her supervisor, Steve, argues it is an unnecessary expense as he believes that collecting employee-related information is just an administrative responsibility. Which statement, if true, would weaken Steve's argument?

Sophia identified subordinates who showed the potential to become leaders in the company based on the data.

What is the difference between stock options and an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)?

Stock options are usually granted to company executives, whereas ESOPs are provided to all employees.

Alyssa, the financial officer at Doone & Smithfield, encourages the human resource manager to consider using stock options as incentive pay for all employees. The human resource manager cautions that employees could become upset if the options don't turn out to be as valuable as cash. Which statement supports this concern?

Stock prices in the market may fall below the exercise price of the options.

Ethics

The fundamental principal of right or wrong.

Joe has opted for a schedule where he works 40 hours over four days instead of working eight hours a day for five days, and gets a three-day off over the weekend. Joe's schedule can be termed a compressed workweek

TRUE A compressed workweek is a schedule in which full-time workers complete their weekly hours in fewer than five days. For example, instead of working eight hours a day for five days, the employees could complete 40 hours of work in four 10-hour days.

All job descriptions within an organization should follow the same format.

TRUE All job descriptions within an organization should follow the same format. This helps the organization make consistent decisions about such matters as pay and promotions. It also helps the organization show that it makes human resource decisions fairly.

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 was partly designed to overturn Supreme Court decisions.

TRUE Decisions made by the Supreme Court are binding; they can be overturned only through laws passed by Congress. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 was partly designed to overturn Supreme Court decisions

For human resource practices to be considered ethical, they must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people.

TRUE For human resource practices to be considered ethical, they must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people. They must respect basic human rights of privacy, due process, consent and free speech, and treat employees and customers equitably and fairly.

High-performance work systems have been essential in making organizations strong enough to weather the storm of a recession and remain profitable when the economy begins to expand after the recession

TRUE High-performance work systems have been essential in making organizations strong enough to weather the storm of the recent recession and remain profitable when the economy slowly begins to expand again.

If an attempt at a settlement fails, the EEOC may issue a "right to sue" letter to the alleged victim.

TRUE If the attempt at a settlement fails, the EEOC has two options. It may issue a "right to sue" letter to the alleged victim. This letter certifies that the agency has investigated the victim's allegations and found them to be valid.

Individuals who arrive in the United States without meeting the legal requirements for immigration or asylum are referred to as undocumented immigrants.

TRUE More than 1 million immigrants come to the United States legally each year as relatives of U.S. citizens, on work- or study-related visas, and other means. Other foreign-born workers in the United States arrive in this country without meeting the legal requirements for immigration or asylum. These individuals, known as undocumented or illegal immigrants, likely number in the millions.

An employer who investigates the conviction records of minority applicants, but does not do so for majority applicants, can be sued on the basis of disparate treatment.

TRUE To avoid disparate treatment, companies can evaluate the questions and investigations they use in making employment decisions. These should be applied equally. For example, if the company investigates conviction records of job applicants, it should investigate them for all applicants, not just for applicants from certain racial groups.

Virtual teams rely on communications technology such as videoconferences, e-mail, and cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities.

TRUE Virtual teams are teams that teams that rely on communications technology such as videoconferences, e-mail, and cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities.

When forming Citigroup, Citicorp combined its banking business with Traveller's Group's insurance business. This is an example of a merger.

TRUE When two companies become one it is referred to as a merger.

Gilbert, the branch manager of a local bank, wants to initiate a teamwork system because he believes it will improve overall task management in the organization. Jane, his colleague, opposes Gilbert's idea because she thinks it will result in excessive costs. Which of the following, if true, would weaken Jane's argument?

Teamwork makes work interesting and fun for employees and helps reduce labor costs.

B

Tech-Marketing Inc., an advertising firm located in Ohio, requires its employees to be at work between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This work rule allows employees to work additional hours before or after the time period in order to work the full day. Identify the job design method implemented at Tech-Marketing. A. Zero-hour contract B. Flextime C. Compressed workweek D. Telework E. Retroactive overtime

After a large fire at Rowen Mills Inc., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent inspectors to the facility to investigate the incident. The group began its inspection by talking to all the employees involved in the recent fire and asked them what had caused the accident. Once all employees gave their views individually, they were asked to discuss among themselves the single systemic failure that caused the fire. Which of the following methods is being used by OSHA to study the recent fire at Rowen Mills?

Technic of operations review

Select the method that promotes safety by determining which specific element of a job led to a past accident.

Technic of operations review

Sarah, an HR executive, observes that telework or telecommuting has been a rising trend. She considers developing a policy to allow telecommuting at her company. Which statement is a fact about telecommuting that would support implementing this policy?

Telecommuting may support a strategy of corporate social responsibility.

Which of the following represents an act of participation in a proceeding?

Testifying in an investigation

Reese's use of illegal drugs limits her ability to walk properly. The elevator at her office was not working for many months, so she needed to climb two flights of stairs and it was difficult to get to her desk. She tried suing her company under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, arguing that her company discriminates against individuals who cannot perform major life activities. Which of the following would weaken Reese's argument?

The ADA does not cover conditions of substance abuse.

Under the FLSA, which of the following statements is true of child labor?

The FLSA's restrictions on the use of child labor apply to children younger than 18.

Regal Inc., an investment bank, is in the final stage of its selection process for a business analyst. Donald is one of the desired candidates for the position. As part of background checks, the bank wants to look at his credit history. Which Act requires them to obtain Donald's consent before using a third party to check his credit history?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act

C

The HR function of _____ involves acquiring knowledge, skills, and behavior that improve employees' ability to meet the challenges of a variety of new or existing jobs, including the client and customer demands of those jobs. A. recruitment B. personnel policy C. development D. employee relations E. selection

D

The HR function of maintaining positive employee relations primarily includes: A. maintaining performance measures on outcomes. B. offering training programs on effective teamwork. C. selecting only those applicants that are referred by employees. D. maintaining communication with union representatives. E. planning employee pay and benefits.

Josh, a manager at a manufacturing company, contends that using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) provides an organization with information that helps in comparing jobs. His supervisor, Mark, argues that the information provided is valid only when the jobs are similar. Which of the following statements validates Josh's argument?

The PAQ considers the whole work process, from inputs through outputs.

Which statement is true of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)?

The PAQ is meant to be completed only by job analysts trained in this method.

C

The _____ is primarily responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. A. U.S. House of Representatives B. U.S. Senate C. executive branch of the government D. legislative branch of the government E. U.S. Cabinet

C

The _____ is the primary professional organization for HRM that provides education and information services and is also the world's largest human resource organization. A. Strategic Human Resource Management B. Recognition Professionals International C. Society for Human Resource Management D. Human Resource Certification institute E. Human Resource Professionals Association

Identify the correct statement about flexible work schedules.

The globalization of the world economy and the development of e-commerce have made the notion of a 40-hour workweek obsolete.

DJ is a new father. His company helps DJ by collecting information about the cost and quality of available child care. What is true of the child care benefits provided by DJ's company?

The child care benefits provided by the company is at the lowest level of involvement.

Patricia, a training manager, is making a presentation to her company's business leaders. She says meeting the company's five-year plan will require skills in using some new technology. Employees and their supervisors are eager to learn, but Patricia says some situational constraints are standing in the way of meeting these objectives. What could be such a constraint?

The company has not budgeted sufficient funds for training.

False

The concept of "human resource management" implies that employees in an organization cannot be considered as a resource and hence are interchangeable. True False

D

The concept of "human resource management" implies that employees: A. are interchangeable. B. are easily replaceable. C. are a necessary expense to process work demands. D. are resources who add economic value to the organization. E. are secondary to all elements of economic capital like cash and technology.

B

The confidentiality of the HR information can be maintained by setting up e-HRM on _____, a network that uses Internet tools but limits access to authorized users in the organization. A. an open website B. an intranet C. an ethernet D. an extranet E. Arpanet

According to the hot-stove rule, which of the following qualities makes discipline more effective?

The consequences for breaking a rule are immediate.

What is a disadvantage of using résumés as a source of information about job applicants?

The content of the résumé is controlled by the applicant.

Montero Inc., an automobile manufacturing company, had the largest number of employees in the manufacturing sector last year. Instead of hiring more employees, the company decided to invest heavily in training its employees on automotive maintenance and design. Which of the following beliefs has led the company to take this decision?

The employees are the source of the company's success or failure.

Montero Inc., an automobile manufacturing company, had the largest number of employees in the manufacturing sector last year. Instead of hiring more employees, the company decided to invest heavily in training its employees on automotive maintenance and design. Which of the following beliefs has led to the company to take this decision?

The employees are the source of the company's success or failure.

Motorama, an automobile manufacturing company, had the largest number of its employees in the manufacturing sector last year. Instead of hiring more employees, the company decided to invest heavily in training its employees on automotive maintenance and design. Which belief has most likely led the company to make this decision?

The employees are the source of the company's success or failure.

`Sam leaves an organization for three years to fulfill military duties. Which of the following observations is true of his employer's obligation to reemploy Sam under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act?

The employer must reemploy Sam with the same seniority and status he would have earned if his employment had not been interrupted.

Which of the following is a drawback of setting pay rates based strictly on a pay policy line?

The estimated pay for a job may not reflect conditions in the labor market.

An OSHA inspector completed her inspection of a mining operation, including a walkaround and employee interviews. Then the OSHA inspector sought a restraining order from a federal court. What can you infer from this action by the inspector?

The inspector found a violation that could cause serious injury or death.

Spencer & Solomon, CPAs, brought in an HR consulting firm to evaluate the firm's performance management system. The firm has offices in six locations, and the manager of each location rates the office's staff members using a 5-point rating scale. After studying the appraisal results from the past three years, the consultants reported that they cannot make comparisons among the offices. What is the most likely problem?

The managers are making distributional errors, each using only part of the rating scale.

Which of the following statements is true about pay ranges?

The market rate or the pay policy line generally serves as the midpoint of a range for the job.

What is true of a cash balance plan?

The money earns interest at a predetermined rate, such as the rate paid on U.S. Treasury bills.

E

The new type of psychological contract has resulted in reduced: A. creativity. B. employee compensation. C. flexibility. D. training and development opportunities. E. job security.

B

The organizations try to address the right of _____ by offering hot lines and policies and procedures designed to handle complaints from employees. A. privacy B. freedom of speech C. due process D. freedom of conscience E. free consent

B

The parties with an interest in the company's success—typically, shareholders, the community, customers, and employees—constitute the _____ of a company. A. market B. stakeholders C. management D. personnel E. strategic partners

C

The policies, practices, and systems that influence employees' behavior, attitudes, and performance constitute: A. supply chain management. B. materials management. C. human resource management. D. labor laws. E. equal employment opportunity.

D

The practice of having another company provide services is known as _____. A. benchmarking B. downsizing C. codetermining D. outsourcing E. reengineering

B

The process by which the organization attempts to identify applicants with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will help the organization achieve its goals is referred to as _____. A. orientation B. selection C. compensation D. work analysis E. performance management

D

The process of ensuring that employees' activities and outputs match the organization's goals is called _____. A. job analysis B. supply chain management C. employee development D. performance management E. career planning

C

The process of identifying the numbers and types of employees the organization will require in order to meet its objectives is known as: A. supply chain management. B. performance management. C. human resource planning. D. utilization analysis. E. performance planning.

C

The process that helps the human resource department to forecast the organization's needs for hiring, training, reassigning employees along with handling or avoiding layoffs is known as _____. A. supply chain management B. job development C. human resource planning D. evidence-based HR E. corporate social responsibility

B

The ratio of the hiring rate of a minority group to the hiring rate of a majority group is given below. Which of these ratios provide evidence for discrimination? A. 1.0 B. 0.8 C. 1.5 D. 2.0 E. 0.9

How can an organization protect itself against discrimination and unjust dismissal lawsuits?

The requirements for job success should be clearly communicated to employees.

B

The right of employees to know the nature of the job they are being hired to do and the obligation of a company not to deceive them in this respect is mainly reflective of the basic Kantian right of _____. A. privacy B. free consent C. freedom of speech D. freedom of conscience E. due process

Craig, one of the senior managers at Clayton Inc., insisted that company supervisors handle employee relations as part of their jobs. Which of the following statements strengthens Craig's argument?

The supervisors represent the company on a day-to-day basis.

Jarrod, one of the senior managers at United Inc., insists that the company supervisors handle employee relations as part of their jobs. Which statement strengthens Jarrod's argument?

The supervisors represent the company on a day-to-day basis.

D

The temporary work visa granted by the U.S. government: A. allows workers to permanently bring their spouse and children to the United States. B. permits the workers to remain in the U.S. as immigrants. C. provides dual citizenship to highly qualified and valued immigrants. D. permits highly educated workers to work in the U.S. for a set period of time. E. allows the workers to work permanently in the U.S.

B

The term _____ is used to describe the employees of an organization in terms of their training, experience, judgment, intelligence, relationships, and insight. A. performance management B. human capital C. development D. traditional management E. working capital

C

The term external labor market refers to the: A. contract workers in the organization. B. current employees of the organization. C. individuals who are actively seeking employment. D. employees who have direct contact with customers. E. employees of the immediate competitors of the organization.

D

The term teamwork essentially refers to: A. centralizing responsibility and authority to make decisions regarding all aspects of product development. B. having the best possible fit between an organization's social system and technical system. C. making efforts to continuously improve the ways people, machines, and systems accomplish work. D. assigning work to a group of employees with various skills who interact to assemble a product. E. providing employees with individual opportunities to grow, thereby achieving organizational goals.

Discuss the responsibilities of the three branches of the U.S. government in establishing and enforcing employment-related laws.

The three branches of the U.S. government are legislative, executive, and judicial branches. 1)The legislative branch: This branch consists of the two houses of Congress, and has enacted a number of laws governing human resource activities. Senators and U.S. Representatives generally develop these laws in response to perceived societal needs. This branch of the federal government consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These bodies develop and pass laws that govern many HR activities, and most of the laws stem from a perceived societal need. 2)The executive branch: This branch, including the many regulatory agencies that the president oversees, is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. Some federal agencies involved in regulating human resource management include the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition, the president may issue executive orders, which are directives issued solely by the president, without requiring congressional approval. The executive branch consists of the President of the United States and the many regulatory agencies the President oversees. The executive branch is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. Agencies do this through a variety of actions, from drawing up regulations detailing how to abide by the laws to filing suit against alleged violators. In addition, the President may issue executive orders. 3) The judicial branch: This branch influences employment law by interpreting the law and holding trials concerning violations of the law. The U.S. Supreme Court, at the head of the judicial branch, is the court of final appeal. Decisions made by the Supreme Court are binding; they can be overturned only through laws passed by Congress. The judicial branch, the federal court system, influences employment law by interpreting the law and holding trials concerning violations of the law. The U.S. Supreme Court, at the head of the judicial branch, is the court of final appeal. Decisions made by the Supreme Court are binding; they can be overturned only through laws passed by Congress.

David, the marketing director of an automobile manufacturing company, enrolled a new group of trainees in experiential programs based on the responses evoked during a training session. Which response by the trainees could have resulted in their enrollment in experiential programs?

The trainees expressed a desire to be challenged and get out outside of their comfort zone but within limits that kept their motivation strong.

Michael, the training coordinator at Jaxon Solutions, inspected the written materials for a new training program and concluded that the materials were not very readable. Which condition would most likely lead Michael to this conclusion?

The training material consisted of too many long sentences.

B

The use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temporary workers, and contract company workers, collectively constitute: A. outsourcing. B. alternative work arrangements. C. consolidation. D. high performance work systems. E. offshoring.

C

The_____ granted all persons the same property rights as white citizens, as well as the right to enter into and enforce contracts. A. Thirteenth Amendment B. Fourteenth Amendment C. Civil Rights Act of 1866 D. Title VII of CRA E. Executive Order 11246

What attitude do employees typically express toward performance feedback?

They appreciate regular feedback, because they want to know if they are on track.

Which of the following is true of sustainable organizations

They are more concerned about justice and fairness rather than short-term profits

Identify the correct statement regarding sustainable organizations.

They are more concerned about justice and fairness rather than short-term profits.

Identify the correct statement regarding sustainable organizations.

They are more concerned about justice and fairness than short-term profits.

Which of the following is true regarding skilled knowledge workers

They are not easily replaceable as they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products

Identify the correct statement regarding skilled knowledge workers.

They are not easily replaced because they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products

Which statement is correct regarding skilled knowledge workers?

They are not easily replaced because they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products.

Which of the following statements is true of compensable factors?

They are the characteristics of a job that a firm values and chooses to pay for.

Which of the following is a way in which organizations can promote job satisfaction?

They can make jobs more interesting.

Which statement is true of competency models?

They help HR professionals ensure that all aspects of talent management are aligned with an organization's strategy.

How do human resources professionals provide an organization with a valuable advantage?

They hire high-quality employees who provide a needed service as they perform many critical functions.

Which of the following is true of electronic human resource management (e-HRM) applications?

They let employees enroll in and participate in training programs online.

Which of the following is drawback of relying solely on incumbents for job information?

They may have an incentive to exaggerate what they do.

Companies are finding that to survive they must contend in international markets as well as fend off foreign competitors' attempts to gain ground in the United States. What would help businesses in the United States meet these challenges?

They must prepare employees for global assignments.

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

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

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

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

Sharon, a manager at an organization, believes that using the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is the best way to collect information about employee requirements because it helps in establishing job descriptions. Which of the following statements will explain that Sharon's view is flawed?

This method provides descriptions that are rather abstract.

Excel Software is having difficulty filling all its positions for systems analysts. The company's human resource manager suggests introducing a kind of personnel policy known as a due-process policy. How is that most likely to help with recruitment?

This policy implies greater job security and concern for employees.

Which of the following statements is true of high-performance work systems?

To develop a high-performance work system, organizations need to determine what kinds of people fit their needs and then locate, train, and motivate those special people.

A

To gather information about worker requirements, the Fleishman Job Analysis System typically asks _____ to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform the job. A. subject-matter experts B. supervisors C. HR specialists D. external analysts E. the top management

Which of the following is the objective of job enlargement?

To make jobs less repetitive and more interesting

Tom, a supervisor at AutoMax Inc., realizes that a couple of months from now, he might experience a labor shortage for approximately two weeks due to increased demand for the company's products. Which option would be best for dealing with this labor shortage?

Tom should encourage employee overtime because it helps to increase productivity for a short period of time. Correct

D

Under the _____, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responsible for inspecting employers, applying safety and health standards, and levying fines for violation. A. Department of Health B. Department of Commerce C. Department of Trade D. Department of Labor E. Department of Development

Bill, an employee with the U.S. Postal Service, was deployed to Iraq to serve in the U.S. Army for two years. After the completion of his military duties, he resumed work at the post office. He was reemployed with an increase in pay. Which law protected Bill by requiring that his employer reemploy him with the seniority, status, and pay rate he would have earned if he had stayed on the job during the time of his deployment?

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Correct

B

What is an HR dashboard? A. A messaging system used by HR managers to communicate with employees. B. A display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics. C. A tool used to measure the profitability and growth rate of the organization. D. A computer system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve, and distribute information about work schedules and job duties E. A system used to store, analyze, and process the information regarding the levels of demand and inventory

D

What is the result of an organization structure that is strongly based on function? A. Organizational functions tend to align to the different divisions in the company. B. Jobs tend to involve teamwork or broad responsibility. C. Focus tends to be primarily on products or customer groups. D. Workers tend to work alone at highly specialized jobs. E. Decision-making tends to be highly decentralized.

E

When an individual is promised a positive outcome for submission to sex, or threatened with a negative outcome for failure to submit to sex, this is referred to as _____. A. adverse impact B. disparate impact C. reverse discrimination D. undue hardship E. quid pro quo harassment

C

When an organization undertakes a complete review of its critical work processes to make them more efficient and to be able to deliver higher quality, it is engaging in: A. outsourcing. B. offshoring. C. reengineering. D. greenfield venturing. E. codetermining.

D

Which of the following HR activities is similar to analyzing a job that does not yet exist? A. Human resource planning B. Career development C. Job evaluation D. Work redesign E. Selection

B

Which of the following HR functions includes preparing and distributing employee handbooks that detail company policies and, in large organizations, company publications such as a monthly newsletter or a Web site on the organization's intranet? A. Recruitment and selection B. Maintaining positive employee relations C. Ensuring compliance with labor laws D. Performance management E. Planning and administering pay and benefits

A

Which of the following actions of employers can result in reverse discrimination? A. Affirmative action B. Reasonable accommodation C. Disparate treatment D. Retaliation E. Disparate impact

B

Which of the following arrangements would qualify as job rotation? A. A receptionist is required to perform the jobs of file clerk and typist. B. Training housekeeping staff in front office functions through periods of alternating work arrangements. C. Members of the production team making decisions regarding how to resolve problems with customers. D. A manager participating in a meeting while on vacation with his family. E. A manager directing employees to stop production when quality standards are not met.

E

Which of the following authorities is responsible for tracking changes in the composition of the U.S. labor force and forecasting employment trends? A. National Statistics Association B. Occupational Outlook Bureau C. U.S. Census Bureau D. Bureau of Labor Welfare E. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A

Which of the following best describes ergonomics? A. The study of the interface between individuals' physiology and the characteristics of the physical work environment. B. The study of jobs to find the simplest way to structure work in order to maximize efficiency. C. The study of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities for employees in a new job. D. The study of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job. E. The study of the relationship between intrinsic rewards and employee motivation in the context of human resource management.

C

Which of the following bodies is responsible for enforcing the executive orders that cover companies doing business with the federal government? A. Occupational Safety and Health Administration B. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health C. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Procedures D. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission E. Federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

E

Which of the following can be categorized as an act of participation in a proceeding? A. Removing a whistleblower from employment B. Implementing affirmative action measures C. Expressing dissatisfaction over employment casually D. Retaliating against a whistleblower E. Testifying in an investigation

A

Which of the following categories is NOT covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A. Age discrimination B. Racial discrimination C. Religious discrimination D. Gender discrimination E. Discrimination on the basis of nationality

D

Which of the following defines organizations with the best possible fit between their social system and their technical system? A. Workforce analysis systems B. Holistic management systems C. Supply chain systems D. High-performance work systems E. Total quality management systems

B

Which of the following employees will NOT be covered under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standards? A. A technician who services copy machines for the most part of the day B. A receptionist who occasionally changes the toner in the copier machine C. A production engineer who manufactures car batteries D. A healthcare worker who is exposed to latex and disinfectants E. A lab technician who has to work with chemicals everyday

C

Which of the following is NOT a strategy used by OSHA to increase ergonomic job design? A. Issuing regulations and guidelines for industries B. Directing ergonomic research along specific lines C. Providing licenses to new companies only when they ensure the highest levels of ergonomically designed jobs D. Enforcing violations of its requirement that employers protect employees from work-related hazards E. Performing advisory functions in the area of ergonomic designing of occupational environments

A

Which of the following is NOT regarded as reasonable accommodation? A. A firm modifies its examinations and selection procedures to enable applicants of the minority community to fare better. B. A software firm changes its work schedule to accommodate employees of certain religious faiths. C. An employee is granted leave on a certain date to perform religious activities. D. A medium-sized firm changes a job assignment so that an employee with disability can work with ease. E. A small firm changes the design and structure of the building to allow access to wheelchairs.

D

Which of the following is a challenge for HRM during mergers? A. Scrutinizing balance sheets B. Evaluating the financial worth of the new company C. Developing competitively priced products D. Developing conflict resolution skills among employees E. Sustaining the brand image of the company

C

Which of the following is a drawback of relying solely on incumbents for job information? A. They lack in-depth knowledge of the tasks and duties of the job. B. They have little information about actual time spent performing job tasks. C. They may have an incentive to exaggerate what they do. D. They are less accurate in reporting safety-related risk factors. E. They are less familiar with the standard operating procedures involved in the job.

B

Which of the following is a standard that human resource managers must satisfy for HRM practices to be ethical? A. Managers must treat employees as family. B. Human resource practices must result in the greatest good for the largest number of people. C. Employment practices must respect employees' right of lifetime employment. D. Managers must always maintain that customers are right. E. Employment practices must limit the application of the principle of employment-at-will as it is unfair to employees

B

Which of the following is a trend that is seen in present day high-performance work systems? A. Mismatches in technical system and social system B. Employee empowerment in decision making C. Increase in individual assignments D. Centralized decision making E. Reduced reliance on knowledge workers

C

Which of the following is a way to simplify a job's mental demands? A. Enforcing stringent quality control standards B. Training employees to multi-task between different job duties C. Providing social-media tools to simplify information sharing D. Providing comfortably designed office chairs E. Enhancing the information processing functions of the job

D

Which of the following is an appropriate course of action while formulating job descriptions? A. Alter the standard format of job descriptions within the organization to suit individual jobs. B. Prohibit using the phrase "and other duties as requested" in job descriptions because it leads to ambiguity. C. Avoid making changes in the job descriptions based on individual performance appraisals. D. Prepare a new job description whenever a new job is created in the organization. E. Once standardized and created, a job description must not be changed.

E

Which of the following is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission? A. Thirteenth Amendment B. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 C. Fourteenth Amendment D. Executive Order 11246 E. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

D

Which of the following is in compliance with the core values of total quality management? A. Providing specific quality training to the supervisors B. Adopting a retrospective approach to quality control by correcting error prone products C. Developing generalized methods and processes rather than focusing on meeting the needs of the specific customers D. Encouraging employees and customers to provide inputs on improving quality of the products and deciding on the costs E. Measuring employees' progress based on the amount of work done rather than the feedback obtained from the customers

A

Which of the following is responsible for conducting research to determine the criteria for specific operations or occupations and for training employers to comply with the OSH Act? A. Department of Health B. Department of Commerce C. Department of Trade D. Department of Labor E. Department of Development

A

Which of the following is responsible for the shift in the job trend, from the use of narrowly defined jobs to the use of broadly defined jobs in organizations? A. Emphasis on innovation and quality B. Increased demand for low skilled workers C. Increased focus on simplifying jobs D. Lack of competition E. Reduced use of team-based project

E

Which of the following is the reason why more organizations are looking overseas to hire talented people? A. Lack of technology in the U.S. B. Lack of demand for their products in the U.S. C. Poor quality of labor in the U.S. D. Governmental pressure E. Low cost of labor in foreign countries

D

Which of the following is true about Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? A. ADEA favors the idea of coercing employees to accept early-retirement incentives. B. ADEA permits an employer to reduce the fringe benefits to all employees over 40. C. ADEA permits companies to lay off older workers when the economy is slow. D. ADEA outlaws making employment decisions based on a person's age being over 40. E. ADEA recommends early-retirement incentive programs wherein employees agree not to sue the company for ageism

D

Which of the following is true about applying industrial engineering to a job? A. It increases the complexity of the work. B. It eliminates the need for specialization in the job. C. It makes jobs less specialized and less repetitive. D. It provides measurable and practical benefits. E. It represents the best way to add meaningfulness to jobs.

D

Which of the following is true about avoiding discrimination? A. A bona fide occupational qualification is a merely preferred qualification for performing a job. B. Proving disparate impact in court requires showing the employer's intent. C. Proving disparate treatment in court does not require the plaintiff showing the employer's intent. D. Reasonable accommodation is provided subject to the condition of undue hardship. E. If the four-fifths rule is satisfied, substantial evidence of discrimination exists.

E

Which of the following is true about enforcement of the OSH Act? A. In the closing conference, all the findings of the inspection are kept confidential with the officers. B. OSHA compliance officers do not entertain any kind of input or complaints from the employees during the inspection. C. OSHA compliance officers notify the employers a month in advance before the inspection. D. The OSHA compliance officer will seek a restraining order from the U.S. District Court, even if the inspection reveals that the problem is minor. E. If an OSHA violation results in citations, the employer must post each citation in a prominent place near the location of the violation.

C

Which of the following is true about knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that are required for a job? A. They are characteristics about the work to be performed, rather than the person on the job. B. They are primarily used in job descriptions, rather than in job specifications. C. They play an important role in interviews and selection decisions. D. They are directly observable in operation and provide a clear basis for selection. E. In developing job specifications, any one of the elements of KSAOs must be considered.

Which of the following is a permissible question to ask in job applications and interviews?

Will you need any reasonable accommodation for this hiring process?

C

Which of the following is true about telework? A. Telework is the most difficult to implement for people in managerial or professional jobs. B. A telework arrangement is the easiest to set up for manufacturing workers. C. Telecommuting supports the strategy of corporate social responsibility by reducing the employee's need to commute by vehicles. D. Telework arrangements are mandatorily restricted to employees who are disabled or need to be available for children or elderly relatives. E. Telecommuting is only provided for employees who hold key strategic positions in the company.

C

Which of the following is true about the Americans with Disabilities Act? A. It permits the employer to cut down on fringe benefits of individuals with disabilities. B. It permits discrimination in areas such as layoff and leave. C. It goes beyond prohibiting discrimination to require that employers take steps to accommodate individuals covered under the legislation. D. It classifies a person, who needs ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses to perform each major life activity with little or no difficulty, as disabled. E. It is used to protect individuals with conditions such as obesity and substance abuse.

D

Which of the following is true about the Civil Rights Act of 1991? A. It limits damage claims to attorney's fees and costs. B. It requires violators to pay punitive damages that specifically cover emotional pain and suffering. C. It prohibits violators from paying compensatory damages. D. It limits the maximum punitive damages allowed, depending on the size of the organization. E. It limits the maximum punitive damages to $50,000 for all organizations even if the discrimination was intentional.

E

Which of the following is true about the OSH Act? A. It provides employers with the right to conceal information on the substances that could be dangerous to an employee's health. B. It prohibits employees from having a representative present during the inspection. C. It provides employers with the right to fire employees who request for an OSH inspection of the work site. D. It emphasizes on keeping company records regarding exposure to hazards confidential. E. It provides employees with the right to have employer violations posted at the work site.

B

Which of the following is true of O*NET? A. It provides listings of fixed job titles and narrow task descriptions. B. It uses a common language that generalizes across jobs to describe the abilities, work styles, work activities, and work context required for various occupations. C. It represents the first attempt made by the U.S. Department of Labor to match the demand and supply of labor. D. It uses a popular Internet-based software platform to provide information about the availability of qualified labor for governmental professions only. E. It was created by the U.S. Department of Labor in the 1930s as a vehicle for helping the new public employment system link the demand and the supply of skills in the U.S. workforce.

E

Which of the following is true of companies that are ethical and successful? A. They are solely concerned about the benefits of the company while making business decisions. B. The owners most often assume responsibility for the actions of the company rather than the employees. C. They are less concerned about the interests of the people involved in the business. D. Their main aim is to maximize profits in all their transactions. E. They have a sense of purpose and vision that the employees value, and use in their day-to-day work.

B

Which of the following is true of quid pro quo harassment? A. It involves mocking an individual's sexual orientation. B. It refers to an individual gaining benefit in return for a sexual favor. C. It involves making hiring decisions based on the gender of the applicant. D. It involves harassment against people based exclusively on the factor of age. E. It provides preferential treatment for the minority gender at the workplace.

B

Which of the following is true of self-managing work teams? A. Team members' job duties are narrowly defined. B. Team members usually share work assignments. C. Team members' joint responsibilities are minimal. D. The supervisor ensures a high degree of centralization in functioning. E. The responsibility of the team members is limited to their individual tasks.

C

Which of the following is true of sustainable organizations? A. They primarily focus on maximizing profits and delivering high returns to investors. B. They focus on smooth turnover and outsourcing rather than long-term planning. C. They are more concerned about justice and fairness rather than short-term profits. D. They are less concerned about employee development and empowerment. E. They are more concerned with the quantum of output than quality standards.

E

Which of the following is true of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)? A. It considers only the inputs of a work process, ignoring the outputs. B. PAQ reports provide concrete recommendations useful for writing job descriptions or redesigning jobs. C. PAQ ratings cannot be used to compare dissimilar jobs. D. The descriptions in the PAQ reports are very clear and specific. E. The PAQ is meant to be completed only by job analysts trained in this method.

C

Which of the following is true regarding skilled knowledge workers? A. They do not have considerable autonomy to make decisions. B. They are most likely to experience a lack of opportunities in a slow economy. C. They are not easily replaceable as they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products. D. They are not expected to be technically efficient and are only involved in direct interactions with customers. E. They are bound to work under the conditions imposed by the employer owing to the low status of their jobs.

C

Which of the following job analysis methods requires subject-matter experts to evaluate a job in terms of abilities required to perform the job? A. Work Sampling Technique B. Participatory Observation Technique C. Fleishman Job Analysis System D. Position Analysis Questionnaire E. Conjoint Analysis Technique

C

Which of the following job design techniques involving the addition of decision-making authorities to a job is credited to Frederick Herzberg? A. Job extension B. Job rotation C. Job enrichment D. Job enlargement E. Job sharing

B

Which of the following legal measure requires all federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in affirmative-action programs designed to hire and promote women and minorities? A. Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution B. Executive Order 11246 C. Occupational Safety and Health Act D. Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution E. Rehabilitation Act of 1973

B

Which of the following legislations requires the federal government to base all its employment policies on merit and fitness? A. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution B. Executive Order 11478 C. Civil Rights Act of 1866 D. Civil Rights Act of 1871 E. Rehabilitation Act of 1973

C

Which of the following methods is useful in promoting safety by determining which specific element of a job led to a past accident? A. Reasonable accommodation B. Affirmation action C. Technic of operations review D. Job hazard analysis technique E. Utilization analysis

C

Which of the following models was developed by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham to describe ways to make jobs more motivating? A. The Cognitive Dissonance Model B. The Situational Leadership Model C. The Job Characteristics Model D. The Push and Pull Model E. The Motivation-Hygiene Model

C

Which of the following observations about reengineering is true? A. It is primarily concerned with production processes. B. Critical processes are not altered during this process. C. Changing customer needs and technologies necessitate reengineering. D. It has no impact on human resource practices and systems. E. It is an effort to retain the current work processes with minimal change.

B

Which of the following racial groups forms the majority of the U.S. labor force? A. African-Americans B. Whites C. Hispanics D. Asians E. Europeans

D

Which of the following refers to a comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of the employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply? A. Content analysis B. Job analysis C. SWOT analysis D. Utilization analysis E. Applied behavior analysis

B

Which of the following refers to a list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails? A. job evaluation B. job description C. utilization analysis D. conjoint analysis E. job standardization.

Training 1

Which of the following refers to a planned effort to enable employees to learn job related knowledge, skills, and behavior?

B

Which of the following refers to an employer's obligation to do something to enable an otherwise qualified person to perform a job? A. Reverse discrimination B. Reasonable accommodation C. Disparate impact D. Adverse action

C

Which of the following refers to the process of getting detailed information about jobs? A. Job rotation B. Supply chain management C. Job analysis D. Policy creation E. Job orientation

B

Which of the following responsibilities is specifically associated with the HR function of support for strategy? A. Discipline B. Human resource planning and forecasting C. Wage and salary administration D. Developing employee handbooks and company publications E. Developing an HR information system

B

Which of the following responsibilities is specifically associated with the HR function of support for strategy? A. Discipline B. Human resource planning and forecasting C. Wage and salary administration D. Developing employee handbooks and company publications E. Developing an HR information system

C

Which of the following skills are more actively sought by U.S. employers today? A. Physical strength B. Mastery of particular machinery C. Interpersonal skills D. Ability to perform routine tasks E. Ability to work with a tool

D

Which of the following statements about the composition of the U.S. labor force during the next decade is true? A. The labor force is expected to grow at a greater rate than at any other time in U.S. history. B. The largest proportion of the labor force is expected to be in the 16- to 25-year age group. C. For the first time ever, the number of workers under 40 years of age will exceed the number of workers 40 years of age or older. D. Despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging. E. The total cost of labor in the United States would considerably decrease.

E

Which of the following statements is true about Civil Rights Act of 1866 and 1871? A. They denied plaintiffs any form of compensatory and punitive damages. B. They restricted the rights of entering into and enforcing contracts to white citizens only. C. They denied individuals the right to sue in federal court. D. They excluded other individuals from having the same property rights as white citizens. E. They were passed to further the Thirteenth Amendment's goal of abolishing slavery.

E

Which of the following statements is true about the HR profession? A. A degree in law is the main qualification for those who wish to choose HRM as a career. B. The vast majority of HRM professionals have a postgraduate degree. C. Professional certification in HRM continues to be the most common feature of a majority of professionals in the field. D. Usually, HR generalists get paid substantially more than HR specialists. E. HR generalists usually perform the full range of HRM activities.

C

Which of the following statements is true of reasonable accommodation? A. Reasonable accommodation is the same as reverse discrimination. B. Reasonable accommodation exclusively compensates for poor educational background that hampers the progress of employees. C. Reasonable accommodation is typically provided in situations involving individuals with disabilities or different religious needs. D. Reasonable accommodation is provided on a homogeneous basis without the provisions being tailored to the individual needs of employees. E. Reasonable accommodation is provided by the organization even if the requisite changes create undue hardship on the organization.

D

Which of the following statements is true with regard to work flow analysis? A. Information cannot be considered to be an input as it is not tangible. B. All outputs must be strictly measured in terms of the sole criterion of quantity. C. Quality standards are not a key criterion in the process of work flow analysis. D. Outputs may be tangible or intangible products of different work processes. E. Inputs and outputs are the two stages that represent the complete work flow cycle.

B

Which of the following statements reflects a violation of Age Discrimination in Employment Act? A. Older employees are permitted to work even after attaining the retirement age. B. Employees over the age of 40 are asked to retire as a part of a company's downsizing program. C. An employee is denied employment because of the fact that he is a minor. D. Older workers in an organization are compensated higher than the younger workers. E. An employee avails voluntary retirement before attaining the retirement age.

A

Which of the following technologies lets a company rent space on a remote computer system and use the system's software to manage its HR activities, including security and upgrades? A. Application service providers B. Internet portals C. Shared service centers D. Business intelligence systems E. Electronic performance support systems

B

Which of the following terms describes a company wide effort to continuously improve the way people, machines, and systems accomplish work? A. Business reengineering B. Total quality management C. High-performance work system D. Optimal performance system E. Performance management

A

Which of the following terms refer to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group? A. Affirmative action B. Disparate impact C. Reasonable accommodation D. Reverse discrimination E. Adverse impact

E

Which of the following would qualify as a compressed workweek? A. Employees are required to be at work from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can choose additional hours before/after this period. B. Two part-time employees work in different shifts and share the tasks of a specific job. C. Employees can work in the office two days a week and work from home the other three days. D. Employees can choose to work away from a centrally located work area. E. Employees are permitted to work 10 hours a day, Monday through Thursday.

D

Which one of Kant's basic human rights is violated when a supervisor requires an employee to do something that is unsafe or environmentally damaging, in spite of the employee clearly objecting to the order? A. Right of freedom of speech B. Right of equal opportunity employment C. Right to due process D. Right of freedom of conscience E. Right of privacy

C

Which one of the following cases would most likely be filed under the theory of disparate impact? A. Majority of the applicants with high test scores are rejected due to an affirmative action plan. B. A majority applicant is rejected on the grounds that the company only hires individuals from the minority group. C. Minority applicants are being disproportionately rejected relative to majority applicants by a paper-and-pencil test. D. A minority employee is fired for testifying in a discrimination suit filed against an employer. E. At a particular organization, employees belonging to the minority group are given more privileges and benefits compared to employees belonging to the majority group.

D

Who among the following can be regarded as knowledge workers? A. Retail salespersons B. Food serving workers C. Office clerks D. Registered nurses E. Attendants

D

Within the Job Characteristics Model, _____ refers to the job characteristic that reflects the degree to which the job allows an individual to make decisions about the way the work is carried out. A. task knowledge B. task ability C. skill variety D. autonomy E. feedback

C

_____ is a planned effort to enable employees to learn job-related knowledge, skills, and behavior. A. Selection B. Performance appraisal C. Training D. Compensation E. Recruitment

D

_____ is a systematic, planned effort to attract, retain, develop, and motivate highly skilled employees and managers. A. Work flow analysis B. Job analysis C. Conjoint analysis D. Talent management E. Performance management

A

_____ refer(s) to a plan identifying the ways in which for how the organization will meet its diversity goals. A. Action steps B. Utilization analysis C. Diversification D. Affirmative action E. Disparate impact

A

_____ refer(s) to the processing and transmission of digitized HR information using computer networking and the Internet. A. Electronic human resource management B. An HR dashboard C. An electronic performance system D. An HR scorecard E. Business intelligence

A

_____ refers to a condition in which employment practices are seemingly neutral yet disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities. A. Disparate impact B. Disparate treatment C. Corrective action D. Affirmative action E. Reasonable accommodation

C

_____ refers to an agreement between the EEOC and an organization that the organization will cease certain discriminatory practices and possibly institute additional affirmative-action practices to rectify its history of discrimination. A. Trust agreement B. Good faith bargaining C. Consent decree D. Letter of indemnity E. Judicial estoppel

E

_____ refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company. A. Job enlargement B. Employee selection C. Employee appraisal D. Job specialization E. Employee engagement

A

_____ refers to the intentional practice of changing jobs frequently. A. Job hopping B. Moonlighting C. Job enlargement D. Job enrichment E. Freelancing

B

_____ refers to the option given to employees to work away from a centrally located office. A. Zero-hour contract B. Telework C. Retroactive overtime D. Flextime E. Compressed workweek

C

_____ refers to the use of quantitative tools and scientific methods to analyze data from human resource databases and other sources to make evidence-based decisions that support business goals. A. Conjoint analysis B. Performance management C. Workforce analytics D. Career development E. Task analysis

Employees in a company's accounting department work 10 hours a day for 4 days a week, while employees in the other departments work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. The flexible work schedule option affecting the accounting department is known as _____.

a compressed workweek

Which of the following occurs when two companies join forces and become one entity?

a merger

According to the affirmative-action plan required by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, _____ refer(s) to a plan identifying the ways in which an organization will meet its diversity goals.

action steps

Identify a guideline that helps increase the readability of training materials.

add checklists and illustrations to clarify the text

Global enablement teams

address employee development nations in various regions by sending employees from highly developed nations to mentor employees in developing nations. The mentors teach skills while learning about these high-potential markets.

The ways in which organizations use the system to provide information for day-to-day decisions about salary, benefits, and recognition programs falls under the _____ purpose of a performance management system.

administrative

Which of the following actions by employers can result in reverse discrimination?

affirmative action

Which of the following refers to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group?

affirmative action

Which of the following terms refer to an organization's active effort to find opportunities to hire or promote people in a particular group?

affirmative action

Generally, an organization checks references

after it has determined that an applicant is a finalist for a job.

Which of the following is a work-study training method that teaches job skills through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom training?

apprenticeship

Brianna, a supervisor in a shoe store, observes Charles, an employee, becoming anxious and defensive when a customer complains about some shoes. The customer reacts to Charles' behavior by raising her voice and demanding to talk to a manager. When should Brianna give Charles performance feedback related to his handling of customer complaints?

as soon as she is finished talking with the complaining customer

A work team can be empowered by

authorizing the team to make decisions traditionally made by managers.

According to the Job Characteristics Model, _____ refers to the job characteristic that reflects the degree to which a job allows an individual to make decisions about the way the work is carried out.

autononmy

During interviews for medical assistants at the Fairview Medical Center, all the candidates are asked to talk about a situation in the past when they had to empathize with an emotionally unstable person and help that person make rational decisions. This was to test whether the candidates would be able to assist a frantic patient and help him or her make informed decisions. This is known as a(n) _____ interview.

behavior description

Braddington Inc. wants to assess the performance of its employees. It uses a questionnaire that has a usually high fit with strategy, usually high validity, usually high reliability, moderate acceptability, and very high specificity. Which approach to employee performance is being focused on by this questionnaire?

behavioral

Miller Inc. is a large corporation preparing to acquire GrowIt, a start-up business. Miller has many policies and procedures based on years of experience. Employees at GrowIt are used to figuring out the best practices as they go along. How can Miller's HR professionals help the company prepare for the acquisition to succeed in spite of these differences?

by identifying the differences and developing employees' skills in conflict resolution

How can individuals acting as references for job applicants minimize the risk of being sued for defamation or misrepresentation?

by only giving information about observable, job-related behaviors

At a supermarket chain, back injuries are a recurring problem around the loading docks, because employees in a rush forget to use proper lifting techniques. How could safety posters help the company improve safety?

by serving as a constant reminder of how to lift safely

To test the validity of a selection test for advanced widget designers, Apptastic administers the test to its current widget designers. The test results are then compared with existing measures of job performance. In this instance, what type of validation is being used by Apptastic?

concurrent validation

Chang works at a leading restaurant. She is usually scared of making any mistakes at her workplace, so she is very keen on paying attention to details. She also prioritizes quality in her work. In the context of Inscape's DiSC assessment, she would most likely score high in _____.

conscientiousness

A _____ refers to an agreement between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and an organization that the organization will cease certain discriminatory practices and possibly institute additional affirmative-action practices to rectify its history of discrimination.

consent decree

Benny, a supervisor, needs to assess Amanda's, a subordinate's, performance. He considers Amanda to be reliable and meets all his requirements, so he rates her as a good performer. But then Benny thinks about an exceptional employee, Christina, in his department, and decides that, compared with her, Amanda is just average. In this way, Benny's rating is a _____ error.

contrast

Identify the type of diversity training provided by some organizations that involves sending employees directly into communities where they have to interact with persons from different cultures, races, and nationalities.

cultural immersion

Which of the following statements about the composition of the US labor force during the next decade is true

despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging

Which HR function involves offering programs through which employees acquire knowledge, skills, and behavior that improve their ability to meet the challenges of a variety of new or existing jobs, including the client and customer demands of those jobs?

development

Point

development comes from a combination of on-the job learning, training programs, and support from mentors.

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

due process policies

"Performance management serves as a basis for improving employees' knowledge and skills." This statement corresponds to which of the following purposes of performance management?

developmental purpose

"Performance management serves as a basis for improving employees' knowledge and skills." This statement corresponds to which purpose of performance management?

developmental purpose

People who apply for a vacancy without prompting from an organization are referred to as

direct applicants

Identify the type of case where most of the debate focuses on discriminatory consequences and the plaintiff need not prove an employer's intent to discriminate.

disparate impact

_____ refers to a condition in which employment practices are seemingly neutral yet disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities

disparate impact

Corey, a supervisor, needs to rate the performance of 20 subordinates. He uses a rating scale to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. He rates 18 employees at 5, which leads to central tendency. In the context of types of rating errors, Corey commits a _____ error.

distributional

Identify the detail that can be asked in an application form to gather information about suitable candidates.

educational background

Kelsey is filling out an application form for the position of an elementary school teacher. While she is filling it out, she comes across a section that asks for information about her high school and college courses and grades. Which section of the application form is being referred to here?

educational background

_____ refer(s) to the processing and transmission of digitized HR information using computer networking and the internet

electronic HR management

Which of the following technologies can be used to consolidate different HR functions into a single location, eliminate redundancy, and reduce administrative costs?

electronic performance support systems

Which of the following is responsible for the shift in the job trend, from the use of narrowly defined jobs to the use of broadly defined jobs in orgs?

emphasis on innovation and quality

Employees realize that many companies are no longer able to provide long-term employment security. Instead, the employees now want

employability

Employees realize that many companies are no longer able to provide long-term employment security. Instead, the employees now want:

employability

As a type of resource, human capital refers to the

employee characteristics that add economic value to the organization

What is a characteristic of current-day high-performance work systems?

employee empowerment in decision making

Franklin Appliances Inc. is an electrical appliances manufacturing company. It distributes shares of stock to its employees by placing the stock in a trust managed on the employees' behalf. What is Franklin Appliances using in this scenario?

employee stock ownership plan

According to the core values of total quality management:

errors in a product or service should be prevented before occurrence.

Point 4

evidence for greater involvement in strategy comes from interviews with finance and HR executives who say they are more interested than ever in collaborating to strengthen their companies.

A telework arrangement is easiest to implement for manufacturing workers.

false

Which action could be an example of how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration plays a role in the legal environment for human resource management?

filing lawsuits against alleged violators of the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Under Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to _____ years

five

Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, employers must reemploy workers who left jobs to fulfill military duties for up to _____ years.

five

Martin opened up a small business that prints custom T-shirts, mugs, and trophies. He trains his 15 employees carefully, and after two years, no employee has experienced an on-the-job injury or illness. Under the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, what must Martin post in the workplace?

form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

Greene Creations, a popular furniture manufacturer, provides employee support through various workshops on interior design techniques. It also offers three-month courses on various aspects of decorating a home, from suitable paint for a media room to contemporary outdoor furnishings. This adds to employees' existing knowledge and skill sets, helping create customer satisfaction. In this scenario, which approach to employee development is Greene Creations taking?

formal education

According to the philosopher Immanuel Kant, the right of employees to know the nature of the job they are being hired to do and the obligation of a company not to deceive them in this respect is mainly reflective of the basic right of _____.

free consent

According to the philosopher Immanuel Kant, the right of employees to know the nature of the job they are being hired to do and the obligation of a company not to deceive them in this respect is mainly reflective of the basic right of

freedom of conscience

Kent, a manager at ITP Inc., was asked by his supervisor to sign a contract with a new supplier. The contract stated that the industrial waste released by the company would be released into a local river. Kent was against this idea of polluting the river with the waste, so he refused to sign the contract. In this scenario, Kent exercised his right of

freedom of conscience.

Paul, the HR manager at Carletta & Co., is trying to implement an effective group incentive plan that measures increases in productivity and effectiveness and distributes a portion of its earnings to all employees. In this case, Paul should apply the incentive scheme of

gainsharing.

Employee empowerment primarily involves

giving employees responsbility and authority to make decisions

Sebastian, an employee, understands that he has great potential after taking a self-assessment test at his company. He decides to create a checklist of short-term objectives to achieve to help him hone his skills. In this scenario, Sebastian is employing _____ as a mechanism of career management.

goal setting

Joel is a manager at Malan Inc., and he uses a rating approach to evaluate his employees. He considers one employee at a time and circles a number or a word to signify the degree to which that employee demonstrates a particular trait in the scale. Which approach is Joel using to assess his employees?

graphic rating scale

In order to cultivate a favorable picture of the organization, Shubert Group, a financial services corporation, advertises itself to potential applicants by using the slogan, "Investing in you no matter what road you take." This scenario is an example of __________ advertising.

image

What is an advantage of a qualified plan in retirement benefits?

immediate tax deductions for the funds employees contribute to the plan

Mohammed, a financial analyst, is not employed directly by any company. He works for several clients based on their requirements. Mohammed would be classified as a(n)

independent contractor.

The term external labor market refers to the

individuals who are actively seeking employment

The external labor market consists of

individuals who are actively seeking employment.

Behavior modeling is especially useful for improving

interpersonal skills

Killen Inc. is an interior design firm based in California. The firm has a team of interior designers working closely with manufacturers to create home décor products. In the context of a work flow analysis, the interior designers, manufacturers, and home décor products required to provide interior design services collectively constitute the

inputs.

Yvonne, a student at Carlitto College, is pursuing a degree in international business management. As part of her program at Carlitto College, she accepts an opportunity to work at Pullman Consulting for a period of six months, where she will gain experience related to her field. Yvonne's employment at Pullman Consulting is an example of a(n)

internship.

Sean works at Rowen Corp., an environmentally conscious apparel manufacturing company. He primarily focuses on the tastes and needs of the firm's customers. He achieves this by managing a team that regularly interacts with customers through various promotional activities and events. He also provides insights on how to produce eco-friendly outfits through his specialized knowledge of cost-efficient manufacturing processes. This implies that Sean

is a knowledge worker.

A bona fide occupational qualification

is a necessary qualifiction for the job

Identify the method that breaks down jobs into basic elements to rate them for their potential for harm or injury.

job hazard analysis technique

Kasey changes jobs on a regular basis. She does this to secure better career growth opportunities and to decrease boredom. Kasey engages in

job hopping.

A typing test for an administrative assistant's job is an example of a(n) _____ test.

job performance

The process of communicating information about a job vacancy on company bulletin boards, in employee publications, on corporate intranets, and anywhere else an organization communicates with employees is referred to as

job posting

Paytonics Inc., a microchip manufacturing company, is hiring for the position of marketing manager for its new division. Patrick, the HR manager, considers the requirements of the job, including the necessary knowledge, level of proficiency, enduring capabilities, and other personality traits, such as persistence or motivation to achieve. Which document includes these considerations to help Patrick in selecting a candidate?

job specification

Deborah is an HR executive looking for a new job. She comes across an advertisement in a newspaper seeking applications for the position of an HR manager. The advertisement exclusively highlights requirements such as strong communications skills, excellent teamwork abilities, and leadership skills. These requirements constitute a

job specification.

Business allies

knows how the business makes money, who its customers are, and why customers buy what the company sells.

The Workers' Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act requires that

organizations with more than 100 employees give 60 days' notice before any closing or layoff that will affect at least 50 full-time employees.

Johanna, a professional counselor, was recently asked to talk to an ex-employee of Highlanders Corp., a manufacturing company, about his performance issues. Johanna talked to this ex-employee about his grief and fear, as well as some strategies for finding a new job. Which of the following roles is Johanna performing?

outplacement counselor

Samuel's Security Inc. specializes in providing round-the-clock building security services to multinational companies. Samuel's Security selects security guards, conducts background checks, provides them with uniforms and training, and schedules guards to patrol and monitor security at clients' facilities. In the work flow analysis for Samuel's, which term best describes the security services?

outputs

M&B Textiles Inc., a garment manufacturing company, implements a new technology to improve the speed of its production process. To implement the new technology effectively, the company decides to train its employees on how to use this new process. The company also implements new quality checks and efficiency measures to reduce costs of production, while delivering better quality products. This process of making changes to vital company technology to make it more efficient is known as _____.

reengineering

Strategic architect

requires awareness of business trend and an understanding of how they might affect the business, as well as opportunities and threats they might present.

Which of Kant's basic human rights is violated when a supervisor requires an employee to do something that is unsafe or environmentally damaging, in spite of the employee clearly objecting to the order?

right of freedom of conscience

Which one of Kant's basic human rights is violated when a supervisor requires an employee to do something that is unsafe or environmentally damaging, in spite of the employee clearly objecting to the order

right of freedom of conscience

People have the right to refuse to do what violates their moral beliefs, as long as these beliefs reflect commonly accepted norms. This right is referred to as:

right of freedom of conscience.

Carol is a single mother who works full-time and attends to the needs of her two young children. Carol has opted to work from home for a short period after one of her children suffered a fractured arm while playing soccer. Even though she works from home, she often feels a lot of pressure in balancing her work and looking after her children. Which of the following is being experienced by Carol?

role conflict

During interviews for a sales position at Greggor Corp., the interviewer asks each candidate to imagine a situation where a customer e-mails to report that products were damaged during delivery from Greggor Corp. The interviewer then asks each candidate what he or she would do to handle this situation. This is an example of a(n) _____ interview.

situational

Executive pay at Ashcroft Inc., a manufacturing company, includes bonuses based on the year's profits or other measures related to the organization's goals. Sometimes, to gain tax advantages, the bonus is made part of executives' retirement plans. What is being exemplified in this scenario?

short-term incentives

Heidi, a local farmer, buys her equipment exclusively from the manufacturer Farm Supply Inc. Because of this, Heidi is affected by Farm Supply Inc.'s operations. This indicates that Heidi is

stakeholder.

Saturn Systems, an information technology company, determines that most problems handled by employees at its help desk can be resolved within 20 minutes. The company sets 20 minutes as the standard time for resolving a customer problem. If an employee solves a customer's problem in less than 20 minutes, the employee still earns 20 minutes' worth of wages. Which payment method does this scenario illustrate?

standard hour plan

A correlation coefficient of -1.0 between two sets of numbers indicates

that when one set of numbers goes up, the other set goes down.

Tech Surge applies research into physics and biochemistry to create advanced surgical instruments and implants. Its research department attracts some of the most talented professionals in these disciplines, each with a passion for his or her specialty. Next year, the position of vice president of research will be vacant, so the executive team is working with the HR department to define selection criteria for a new vice president. Given the company's structure, which quality will be important for the new vice president to possess?

the ability to align researchers' work with the company's strategy

Kaylee started a new job in a print shop. She worries about the different chemicals in the workplace, so she requests information about them from her employer. Which employee right under the OSH Act is Kaylee exercising?

the right to have dangerous substances identified