HR Final
Caroline, a researcher, believes that an organization needs to plan what they will pay employees in each job. Mark, her colleague, argues that an employee's pay should be independently negotiated. Which of the following statements will weaken Mark's argument?
An unplanned approach will likely result in unfairness and dissatisfaction among the employees.
Stephen works as an accountant in the headquarters of a fast-food chain. He encourages his colleagues to participate in an initiative he started that involved planting trees and flowers on the office's grounds. Stephen's initiative most likely reflects one of individuals in a _____ culture.
Feminine
Which of the following best describes a card-check provision?
It is an agreement that if a certain percentage of employees sign an authorization card, the employer will recognize their union representation.
Which of the following 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.
What is the perception about training in a learning organization?
It is viewed as an investment in the organization's human resources.
Which of the following is a disadvantage of skill-based pay systems?
It may result in paying employees for skills they don't use.
An electric utility operates in a state with right-to-work laws. About three-quarters of its line workers have elected to join the union that represents them. Joel, one of the line workers, believes that his supervisor is unfairly passing him over when selecting employees to earn extra pay by working overtime. Joel wants to file a grievance according to the process in the labor agreement, but he is not a member of the union. What must the union do in this situation?
It must give Joel representation equal to what a union member would receive.
Which of the following must be true for a pension plan to be deemed as a qualified plan?
It must not discriminate in favor of an organization's highly compensated employees.
Which of the following is true of short-term disability insurance?
It pays a portion of a disabled employee's salary as benefits for up to six months.
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.
Brandon, an employee of EduTech Corp., demonstrates a series of unacceptable behaviors. Marian, his manager, wants to refer Brandon to the company's employee assistance program. Which of the following situations would call for such a referral?
If EduTech Corp. wants to terminate Brandon due to problems that involve alcohol abuse.
The aspects of a task—namely the complexity of the task, the degree of physical strain and exertion required, and the value an employee places on the task—have particular significance when they are viewed as linked to
Job dissatisfaction
results when situations such as the nature of the job, supervisors and co-workers, pay levels, or the employee's own disposition cause the employee to become unhappy with the job.
Job withdrawl
Which of the following provisions is included in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?
MINIMUM WAGE
Mike, 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 of the following statements strengthens Mike's argument?
Profit sharing helps employees to cooperate and to focus on organizational interests.
Sean is employed as a supervisor at MaxCharge Industries. He gets fired from his job because he refused to break local laws and discharge harmful chemicals from MaxCharge into a nearby river. Which of the following is the exception to the employment-at-will doctrine that Sean is likely to choose when he files a wrongful discharge suit?
Public policy
Rachel, a Canadian citizen, has been working in the United States for two years. Rachel's manager, Kevin, believes she possesses the skills required for adaptation and is ideal for an overseas managerial assignment in India. Which of the following, if true, strengthens Kevin's belief?
Rachel has the ability to foster relationships with people in a host country
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.
Alex, an employee of Teal Inc., an American company, was sent to Turkey for an assignment. HR specialists at Teal Inc. have been preparing Alex for his return to the United States after three years. Which of the following terms describes the process being undertaken by the HR team at Teal Inc.?
Repatriation
Kim, a civil engineer, was sent by her firm to Kuwait on a temporary assignment. After completing her project within the given span of six months, Kim approaches the HR department of her firm to arrange for her return. The HR department is likely to prepare for Kim's _____ as the first task.
Repatriation
Talent poaching makes it difficult for companies to _____.
Retain their top performers
In the role analysis technique, the people who directly interact with the person who is filling a new role are referred to as the person's
Role set
Sean, a consultant, was assigned an overseas project in China for a period of two years. After a period of seven months, Sean's manager decides to bring Sean back to his home country and replace him with someone else in China. Which of the following, if true, is most likely to have resulted in this decision?
Sean exhibited a sense of intolerance towards collectivist ideals
Which of the following benefits provided by employer is required by law in the United States?
Social Security
Which of the following statements 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.
A pharmaceutical company, TechnoGene, has initiated a system where high-potential employees are identified and trained for senior positions in the company. Which of the following processes is exemplified in this scenario?
Succession planning
_____ 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
U.S.-based GlitterMe introduced a line of accessories that have been very popular in France, leading the company to want to open a distribution facility there. The marketing manager is optimistic and wants to scale up fast, but the HR manager advises proceeding with caution. What difference between the countries best explains the HR manager's advice?
U.S. laws give employers wide latitude for workforce reductions, but French laws do not
The _____ requires employers to make jobs available to their workers when they return after fulfilling military duties for up to five years.
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Which of the following strategies 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.
When employees initiate a turnover, when the organization would prefer to keep them, it is called _____ turnover.
Voluntary
Zohrina is a top manager at her current company. However, she is leaving the company for a better job at a competing firm. Which of the following forms of turnover is illustrated in this scenario?
Voluntary turnover
Timothy, a manager at Zillful Company, is concerned because negotiations with the union are breaking down, and the union is discussing a strike. What would be the major harm from management's perspective?
When the company does not have enough workers, production output will fail.
In which of the following situations will workers become eligible for unemployment benefits?
When they are actively seeking work
Trevor, the human resource manager at XTech, is advising the company's business executives that paying more for labor than competitors can support the company's strategy. Under what conditions might Trevor's idea be most valid?
XTech pays more to attract top talent, applying employees' knowledge to be more innovative than competitors.
Jarvis, a manager at Livingston Corp., believes that he can fire Yolanda, his subordinate, at any time he wishes to do so. Which of the following, if true, would help strengthen Jarvis' belief?
Yolanda does not have a specific employment contract with the company.
Michael, a newly appointed human resource manager at Zeta Inc., learns that several female managers have complained that the company has a "glass ceiling." Indeed, the top positions are all filled by men, but Michael isn't sure whether the pattern is just a coincidence. He agrees to investigate. Which of the following conditions, if it exists, would be evidence of a glass ceiling at Zeta?
Zeta has no formal mentoring program to ensure that the female managers have mentors.
Identify the HRM practice that can assist firms in becoming a high-performance organization.
a job related and legal selection system
The glass ceiling is likely caused by
a lack of access to developmental relationships.
The employees of Fanzi Textiles Inc. are concerned about company management overlooking their interests. They decide to form a union to voice their concerns and speak up for their rights. They elect Ronny to represent them during negotiations. Ronny's new role requires him to ensure that the terms of the labor contract are enforced and that the interests of the union are met. In this context, Ronny most likely holds the position of _____.
union steward
Neal joins Filestene Inc. as an executive designer. The HR manager informs him that he will have to join the labor union within a period of 30 days from his start date. In the context of the security provisions related to union membership, Neal's HR manager is referring to a(n) _____ arrangement.
union shop
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 that.
what the HR department does has a more beneficial effect on employees' and the organization's performance.
FileTech, a company headquartered in the United States, opens an overseas facility in Ireland. In this scenario, the Irish facility is located in a
Host country
Which of the following is an advantage of a two-tier wage system?
It helps reduce labor costs without cutting employees' existing salaries.
Which of the following is true of job enlargement?
It involves adding challenges or new responsibilities to employees' current jobs.
Which of the following best defines job withdrawal?
It is a set of behaviors with which employees try to avoid the work station physically, mentally, or emotionally
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.
Which of the following is true about continuous learning?
Employees should continuously learn about their work systems to improve performance.
Which of the following is a federal law that establishes a minimum wage and requirements for overtime pay and child labor?
Fair Labor Standards Act
Most organizations offer _____ to encourage learning and attract the kinds of employees who wish to develop their knowledge and skills.
tuition reimbursement plans
The Rudd-Mitchell 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%. The employees will be given a bonus if the actual labor costs are less than
$1.5 million.
Linda, who is pregnant, works for an organization with more than 100 employees. She lives 20 miles away from work. By federal law, she is entitled to _____ of unpaid leave after her child is born.
12 weeks
Helen is a marketing manager at a local equipment manufacturer. She and her husband know that saving for college for their 4-year-old twin boys is a challenge. Her employer recently implemented a college tuition plan that lets parents and other family members defer taxes on their contributions to the plan. What is the type of plan recently implemented?
529 savings plan
Jerome believes that the key to effective management is to involve his team members in the firm's decision-making processes. He surmises that this will allow him and his team to work as one unit, making choices that will benefit them all in addition to the firm. In this case, Jerome's thoughts reflect that of a person with
A collectivist nature
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.
Rita, who recently moved to a new city, evaluates several insurance options from her new employer. Owing to her recent medical issues, she wants to choose her health care providers, even if seeing them costs more than seeing the providers in a specific insurance network. Which of the following health care plans is Rita most likely to find suitable for her needs?
A preferred provider organization
Most national unions in the United States are linked with the _____, an association that pursues to improve the shared interests of its member unions at the national level.
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL - CIO)
Brandon is a new employee at Relagen Inc. He wants to work for the company, but he has no desire to join the union or even consider the possibility of becoming a member in the future. Which of the following security provisions of union membership is most suitable for Brandon?
An agency shop provision because it requires employees to pay union dues but does not force them to become members
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which of the following employers is most likely to face legal challenges?
An employer who switches to risk-based policy after hiring a disabled employee
Which of the following best describes a multinational company?
An organization that builds facilities in a number of different countries in an effort to minimize production and distribution costs
_____ occurs when a date or price in a stock option agreement is changed so that the option holder can buy shares at a bargain price.
Backdating
Lindsay, a human resource professional, is evaluating some of the company's managers to select one for an overseas assignment. She knows she may not discriminate based on age or sex, but she also doesn't want to send someone on an assignment that will cause personal difficulties, disrupt family relations, and cause complications for the manager's success. How can she best avoid discrimination while selecting a candidate who can thrive in the assignment?
By giving a complete, accurate preview of the assignment and the host country's culture.
According to the FLSA, which of the following individuals is most likely a nonexempt employee?
C. Hourly-paid employee
A company with _____ level participation is likely to have a single office, the headquarters, in the parent country.
Domestic
Sean, a senior editor at News CRB, asks Kiara, the editor-in-chief, for a sabbatical. Which of the following statements best explains why News CRB would pay Sean during the sabbatical, if Kiara approves it?
During the sabbatical, Sean can develop new skills and refresh his existing ones.
Dev and Emily are employees of a publishing house and work together on the same team. Dev believes that Emily hails from an individualistic culture, while Emily disagrees. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Dev's argument?
Emily focuses on self-development and puts her needs before those of the group
Identify the correct statement regarding protean careers.
Employees in protean careers look for organizations to provide development opportunities based on the modern psychological contract.
Which of the following is true of employee benefits?
Employees significantly underestimate the cost and value of their benefits.
For incentive pay to motivate employees to contribute to the organization's success, the pay plans must be well designed. Which of the following statements describes a characteristic of a well-designed plan?
Employees value the rewards or incentives that are being offered.
Employees at Akesson Inc. are frustrated with their manager, Ryan, 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 of the following statements would strengthen the employees' arguments?
Employees who receive feedback gain more clarity on their roles and how they fit within an organization.
Which of the following is a requirement set for employers under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standards?
Employers must set aside the funds they expect to need for benefits to be paid after retirement.
Janet, a sales manager at Drexler Inc., claims that labor and management are rivals for most organizations. Carmella, the HR manager, says she is aware of exceptions. Which statement best supports Carmella's perspective?
Examples of cooperation between labor and management include employee involvement in decision making and self-managing teams.
How does linking executive pay to stock performance make unethical behavior tempting?
Executives can use the advantage of knowing the company's inside information to buy or sell stock and create huge personal gains.
_____ can uncover reasons why employees leave and perhaps set the stage for some of them to return.
Exit interviews
James, an American who works for a U.S.-based company, has been sent to England for a work assignment. James would be known as a(n)
Expatriate
Employees with negative affectivity are inclined to
Experience feelings of anger contempt, fear and guilt.
Blyrie Pharma is a pharmaceutical company based in Alabama. Blyrie Pharma expects its employees to work long hours and achieve increased production rates. Employees earn one and a half times the usual hourly rate for working more than 40 hours in one week. Which of the following laws is Blyrie Pharma abiding by in this scenario?
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of overtime
Charlie, the accounting manager of MindChannel Inc., 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 is time-consuming, and he has not seen any positive results. Which of the following responses to Charlie'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 situations is an example of involuntary turnover?
Gizela, an employee at Future Tech Inc., is fired because of theft
Which of the following organizations are most likely to locate a facility based on the ability to effectively, efficiently, and flexibly produce a product or service, using cultural differences as an Advantage?
Global organizations
Hal, a manager at a leading IT firm, is reviewing trends in his department. He notices the programming team has significantly increased the amount of work they have completed, but the testing team continues to stay at the same productivity level. What human resource information system tool would allow Hal to view such data?
HR Dashboard
Maridings Inc., an apparel manufacturer, employed a large-scale recruitment drive to hire some of the country's best fashion designers. The company's HR team was responsible for measuring the success of this recruitment drive to quantify its returns. In this scenario, the HR team can use a process is referred to as _____.
HR analytics
The HR department at TIP Consulting uses a human resource information system (HRIS). The employees of the department can view and track their individual progress as well as the progress that the department has made using HRIS. The component of the HRIS that enables this is called a(n) _____.
HR dashboard
Nick, 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 Nick to say she has been called up for jury duty and needs to be away next week. What should Nick do?
He should establish, and then apply, policies for other situations requiring time off.
Tanya works at a retail store in Los Angeles. She addresses her Indian manager, Priya, by her first name. Tanya's colleague advises against addressing Priya by her name, as she might find it disrespectful. The colleague is most likely right if Priya's cultural beliefs align with a
High power distance
Sheena hails from a country whose legal system is based on religious scriptures. Social and business behaviors are judged based on religious laws and legal codes to a great extent. Which aspect of culture do these conditions represent?
High uncertainty avoidance
When Builder Bob Enterprises, a maker of construction equipment, needs supervisors for its factories in China, it recruits Chinese workers before it looks in other countries. Which statement best explains Builder Bob's recruiting practices in China?
Hiring locally is much less expensive than training and transporting expatriate employees
As part of his company's initiative to create a high-performance work system, Brady, an HR manager, has been reorganizing work so that teams of employees will concentrate on coordinating their efforts to make sure customers are satisfied. The vice president of human resources has asked Brady to explain to a team of executives how this project will help the company's financial performance. What would be the most effective explanation for Brady to use?
Improving customer satisfaction should increase demand, leading to greater sales and profits.
Veronica, a vice president of human resources at an auto company, wants to develop its programs for employee empowerment. However, she is concerned because unions are heavily involved in representing auto workers and might object to empowerment programs. Which of the following statements about the National Labor Relations Board would best address Veronica's concern?
In its rulings, the NLRB has shown clear support for employee involvement in decision making.
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 statements is true of job enlargement?
It creates an opportunity for employees to develop new skills.
Identify a true statement about the balance sheet approach used for expatriate compensation.
It ensures managers receive extra pay for the inconvenience of locating overseas
Which of the following is a feature of a company with an individualistic culture?
It exhibits greater differences between the highest and lowest pay in the organization
_____ provides a method for rewarding performance in all of the dimensions measured in the organization's performance management system.
Merit pay
Jack has to decide between two jobs that provide equal pay. He decides to compare the health care benefits provided by both jobs to arrive at a decision. He wants to choose the job that offers him a flexible spending account over the job that offers him managed care. Which of the following statements best supports Jack's preference?
Money in flexible spending accounts is not taxed, so employees get more take-home pay.
Sapheda Inc., a heavy machinery company, has employees belonging to the age group of 17 to 30. Noah, a 17-year-old, is prohibited from working with heavy machinery tools. Instead, he works in the mail room. Under the laws governing Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which of the following will justify the organization's decision to forbid Noah from doing heavy machinery work?
Noah cannot be employed in hazardous occupations because he is 17 years old.
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.
Identify the right statement regarding the effects of unions on company performance.
On average, union members receive higher wages and more generous benefits than nonunion workers.
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.
SourceCodes Inc. is an organization that tries to avoid the potential for violence or a lawsuit each time an employee is asked to leave the company. It does this by having the former employees meet with a specialized member of the HR staff to discuss their feelings while also getting help to find a new job. Which of the following strategies does SourceCodes Inc. use in this scenario?
Outplacement counseling
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.
Gerard is an Australian citizen and works at the headquarters of an Australian company. This would make him a(n) _____.
Parent-country national
A company, which has its headquarters in Japan, has branches in the United States. A Pakistani manager works in a facility in the United States. In this scenario, Japan is the _____ country, and Pakistan is the _____ country.
Parent; third
Weeble Brass, a maker of musical instruments based in Akron, Ohio, is preparing to open a branch office in Paris. Its benefits package in the United States includes the benefits most commonly offered in this country. What additional benefits are the French employees likely to expect?
Pensions and more paid vacation time
How does 360-degree feedback help organizations?
Performance improves and behavior changes as a result of participation.
Peter, a British citizen, and Keith, a U.S. citizen, are employees of an electronics manufacturing company headquartered in London. While Peter works out of the London office, Keith operates out of the marketing unit in New York. Which of the following statements is true in this scenario?
Peter is a parent-country national
Christina, an employee at Value Depot, is regularly late for work and takes excessive sick days. In this scenario, which of the following types of job withdrawal is being experienced by Christina?
Physical job withdrawal
Edward, a U.S. businessman, visits India for a corporate meeting. While interacting with the board members, he addresses them by their first names, as he does with board members in the United States. However, the board members in India were offended by this gesture. Which of the following differences in culture does this scenario reveal?
Power distance
Roger, the vice president of HR at Maestro Inc., claims that the department's effectiveness has improved since it implemented the use of an HR dashboard. What capabilities of an HR dashboard best explain this improvement?
The HR dashboard provides an easy-to-scan review of HR performance on a companywide basis.
_____ strictly limits the definition of "independent contractors," so that employers cannot avoid legal obligations by classifying workers as self-employed when the organization receives the benefits of a permanent employee.
The Internal Revenue Service.
The _____ has required companies to more clearly report executive compensation levels and the company's performance relative to that of competitors.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Open-door policy, peer review, and mediation are methods of
The alternative dispute resolution system.
At Carbon Fine Inc., a maker of premium art pencils, the human resource department is evaluating its pay structure. A compensation specialist computes the compa-ratio of the designers and determines that it is 1.9. What problem is most likely to result from a compa-ratio of this size?
The company may have difficulty keeping costs under control.
Cliff Stiff Inc., a cement company, receives more than $2,000 in federal money. The company hires employees belonging to the age group of 25 to 40. Soon after, the Cliff Stiff is charged for violation of law under the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 and the Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act of 1936. Which of the following would most likely explain the reason for the company being sued?
The employees of the company are not being paid at rates at least equal to the prevailing wages in the area.
Teno Industries Inc. is a manufacturing company based in Texas. In the year after Teno Industries implemented a comparable-worth policy, its expenses increased, and as a result, profits declined. What difficulty of comparable-worth policies does this example illustrate?
The employer is at an economic disadvantage because of increased pay for some jobs.
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.
A manufacturing firm aims to become a high-performance work system. To do this, a survey team asks employees for comments and suggestions on how they can improve the firm. Some of the newest hires say they feel left out of decision-making processes, while some of the experienced employees say their objections towards the firm switching to cheaper manufacturing equipment went unheard. Which of the following conditions would help the firm strengthen the formation of its high-performance work system?
The management should allow experienced employees to participate in planning changes in equipment, layout, and work methods.
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.
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.
Ricardo has been selected to work at his firm's manufacturing plant in China. The training department divides the cross-cultural preparation into three phases. Which of the following is the training team likely to do during the departure phase of cross-cultural preparation?
They are likely to conduct training sessions that include language instructions
The hourly employees at BigHeart Health System have become dissatisfied with their union. They find that management communicates more openly and treats them with respect in resolving problems, so they don't see much value in paying dues to a union. What option do the employees have in this situation?
They can call for a decertification election to take place when their contract term ends.
Which of the following is the most likely reason for hiring host-country nationals to fill most of a company's foreign positions?
They can easily understand the values of the local workforce
Which of the following employees is likely to be the most motivated to take on an overseas assignment?
Tina, who has a very realistic understanding of what working and living abroad requires
What is the main objective of a company using the balance sheet approach to determine compensation for expatriate managers?
To give the manager the same standard of living plus extra for the inconvenience of moving.
The decision-making dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator relates to the
amount of consideration given to others' feelings when making a decision
The Public Transport Union and the Chicago Transit Authority are in conflict with each other. When the conflict escalates, the Chicago City Council decides to intervene and settle the dispute. The Council, after listening to offers from both sides, puts forth a binding settlement, which both parties must accept. In the context of the alternatives to work stoppages, this is an example of _____.
arbitration
Brenda, the vice president of human resources at FSE Inc., meets with the executive committee to discuss planning for future job openings at the vice president level. Brenda advises the committee that sending some high-potential employees to an assessment center would be beneficial, although a full-day assessment could cost $20,000. Which of the following statements supports Brenda's recommendation?
assessment centers primarily identify whether employees have the functional skills they need to carry out their jobs. High assessment center ratings are associated with career success.
Which of the following is a method where a combination of performance measures directed toward the company's long- and short-term goals are used as the basis for awarding incentive pay?
balanced scorecard
In collective bargaining, the term _____ refers to the range of employees and employers covered by the contract.
bargaining structure
According to your text, the practices that do most to promote employee engagement are opportunities for career progress, recognition for accomplishments, and _____.
brand alignment
The slogan of Natural Care Products is "Loving the Earth." This is more than just an advertising message. The company hires people who not only have job-related skills but also a commitment to sustainability and enjoyment of nature. The employees regularly have opportunities to sign up for service projects such as river cleanups and recycling drives. Employees are enthusiastic about developing and marketing products made with all-natural ingredients sustainably sourced. The HR department uses its communication tools to remind employees about how everyone contributes to realizing this eco-friendly vision for the company. Together, these efforts at Natural Care Products create _____.
brand alignment
Deep Space Aeronautics is developing a profit-sharing plan. Randy, the human resource manager, assumes the employees are excited to participate in this start-up company's success. However, a supervisor tells Randy about anxiety surrounding a rumor that employees will lose money if the company has a bad year. How should Randy address this problem with employee morale?
by conducting meetings to teach about profit sharing and how employees will benefit
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, how do Introverted types (I) gain energy?
by focusing on inner thoughts
Employee benefits at Great Nile, an online retailer, include a basketball team, a gym, and an on-site massage therapist. In what way are these benefits most likely to support the company's business goals?
by helping employees cope with demanding, high-stress jobs
Which of the following elements establish an organization's pay structure?
job structure and pay level
A pay policy line
can be generated using a statistical procedure called regression analysis.
Joe and his colleagues are members of the union at Pinnacle Inc. While negotiating the terms of the labor contract, they request their employer to deduct union dues from their paychecks. This type of contractual arrangement between the two parties is known as a(n) _____.
checkoff provision
Barbara, a job applicant at Solace Corp., finds that the job she is applying for requires her to be a union member before being hired. She also learns that this arrangement is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act. In the context of the security provisions related to union membership, this Solace Corp. has a(n) _____ arrangement.
closed shop
When an employee's pay is calculated as a percentage of sales, it is referred to as
commissions
The National Labor Relations Board has two major functions: one is to prevent unfair labor practices, and the other one is to
conduct and certify representation elections.
House Factory Inc. and a union conducting an organizing campaign agree on the time and place of an election and a way to determine who can vote. Which type of election does this scenario best describe?
consent election
With reference to the impact of unions on company performance, it can be said that companies wishing to become more competitive must
continually monitor their labor relations strategy.
The positive or negative bottom-line views that people have of themselves are known as
core self-evaluations.
The Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act of 1936
covers all government contractors receiving $10,000 or more in federal funds.
A labor union in which all of the members have a particular skill or occupation is known as a(n) _____ union.
craft
The senior management of a firm is undecided about the number of employees needed for its new project. To advise the executives, a human resource specialist uses a computer system to estimate how long teams of three different sizes will take to complete the project, assuming the project is of either low, average, or high difficulty. The type of system appropriate for this case is a(n) _____.
decision support system
Joy Limon, a manufacturing company, has a pay structure based on job descriptions. As the company moves toward customizing production to meet customers' specific needs, it finds that managers are lacking flexibility in both job assignments as well as awarding pay increases to their employees. In this case, which of the following alternatives to job-based pay structures would best help the organization to respond to this problem?
delayering
Most pay-related communications come through
discussions between employees and their supervisors
In a high-performance work system, task design makes jobs _____.
efficient while encouraging high quality
Under a 401(k) plan, the _____ is responsible for choosing specific investments.
employee
Employee participation in pay-related decisions can be part of a general move toward
employee empowerment.
Which of the following conditions will most likely ensure a job rotation will succeed?
employees and their managers agree on which skills are to be developed
According to _____, people measure outcomes such as pay in terms of their inputs.
equity theory
A firm's HR department uses a computer system that assists in the selection of candidates to be interviewed for a job opening. The computer system enables the interviewer to act as both an interviewee and interviewer in a simulation, thus providing the HR specialist with comprehensive knowledge about the firm's overall interview and selection process. This computer system is likely to be a(n) _____.
expert system
_____ is a group incentive program that measures improvements in productivity and effectiveness and distributes a portion of each gain to employees
gain sharing
Organizations that want employees to focus on efficiency and on group incentives are most likely to implement a _____ program.
gainsharing
QVO Financial, an auditing firm, distributes a portion of the profits resulting from improvements in productivity and efficiency among its employees. If the company enjoys an improvement of $45,000, 60% of the improvement is the company's share. The other 40% is distributed among the employees in the company. Which of the following is being exemplified in this scenario?
gainsharing
Circumstances that resemble an invisible barrier that keep most women and minorities from attaining the top jobs in organizations are referred to as the
glass ceiling
The method for providing solutions to union-management conflicts over interpretation or violation of a collective bargaining agreement is known as a _____.
grievance procedure
Marshall finds that he meets the eligibility requirements for Social Security. He elects to receive retirement benefits at 62. In this case, which of the following is true
he will receive benefits at a permanently reduced level
High-performance work systems result in _____.
high product quality
Leroy joins the human resource department at ZenFuels Inc., where the production workers are represented by a union. Which of the following goals would Leroy most likely be expected to work toward in supporting any negotiations with the union?
keeping operations flexible and retaining some control over schedules
The human resource department of Winston Memorial Hospital has played a leading role in helping the hospital become a high-performance work system. Recently, the team has been focusing on the organization's performance management. Which of the following efforts would most directly ensure that performance management supports the development of a high-performance work system?
identifying and hiring people who are enthusiastic about and able to contribute to teamwork
The first step in the process of developing a succession plan is
identifying the positions to be planned for.
Based on the expectation that two people in conflict should first try to arrive at a settlement together, organizations have a policy of making managers available to hear complaints. Typically, the first "open door" is that of the employee's
immediate supervisor.
Which of the following is an advantage of a qualified plan in retirement benefits?
immediate tax deductions for the funds employees contribute to the plan
Bilge Makers Unlimited has a goal to lower the cost of employee benefits. Its human resource department compares the costs of its benefits with averages published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other sources. The investigation shows that its cost for workers' compensation insurance is high relative to other companies. Which of the following actions could best help Bilge Makers accomplish its goal?
improve safety to lower the company's experience rating
Vactin Motors, an automobile company, ties individual performance, profits, and other measures of employees' success to a particular form of pay. This form of pay is influential because the amount paid is linked to certain predefined behaviors or outcomes. Which of the following is exemplified in this scenario?
incentive pay
A pay structure specifically designed to energize, direct, or control employees' behavior is known as
incentive pay.
The many kinds of incentive pay fall into three broad categories: _____.
incentives linked to individual, group, or organizational performance
A year ago, a production facility of a beverage company became the subject of negative news coverage following complaints that it had been slow to alert the community to some contamination of the water supply. During the reporters' investigation, several employees came forward to blame a supervisor who they claimed was nasty and unfair in his dealings with them. After the stories spread online, the human resource department noticed that the number of workers applying for jobs at the facility had tumbled, and so had the quality of applicants who did apply. The troublesome manager was dismissed, and now the human resource department is investigating how to improve the ethical climate at the facility. Which of the following measures would contribute most to the effort?
including measures of ethical behavior in performance management
The energy dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates
individuals' degree of introversion or extroversion
Britt, a heavy equipment operator, Sara, an operating engineer, and Nick, a construction mechanic, hail from different parts of the United States. Though they have different occupations, they are all members of the same union. In the context of types of union, Britt, Sara, and Nick most likely belong to a(n) _____ union.
industrial
Bob, an employee at Machina Corp., is well-known for his short temper. One morning, he gets into a heated argument with one of his supervisors and responds with hostility. Rather than immediately terminating Bob, his manager, Mia, calls him in for a discussion. Mia treats Bob with dignity and respect, listening to what he has to say about the incident. This scenario can be best categorized as one that uses _____.
interactional justice
Explanation of decision, respectful treatment, consideration, and empathy are features of _____.
interactional justice
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Extroverted types (E) gain energy through
interpersonal relationships
Martin, the HR vice president at Ace Trucking, evaluates responses from an employee survey and questions at the company's annual benefits presentation. He concludes that many employees are confused about their options for health insurance and often unhappy with the policy they choose. What should Martin do about this situation?
introduce software that will guide employees to the insurance option for their needs
Perlis Inc. is a whole-foods distributor. Its human resource department gathers the following data for computing compa-ratios of some positions. Based on the data, for which position is Perlis most likely underpaying for human resources?
inventory clerks: average salary of $20,000, range midpoint of $30,000
Terminating an employee for the use of illegal drugs is an example of a(n) _____ turnover
involuntary
Compa-ratio
is defined as the ratio of average pay to the midpoint of the pay range.
Which of the following statements is true about the 360-degree feedback process?
it involves rating an individual in terms of work-related behaviors
The combination of relationships, problems, demands, tasks, and other features of an employee's jobs is referred to as
job experiences
Zenita was a creative writer at The Machner Group before her editor asked her to try out her skills at photography in the company's visuals department. After completing a short course on photography, Zenita joined the visuals department. Which of the following methods of job design did Zenita experience?
job rotation
Teamwork and empowerment contribute to high performance when they improve _____.
job satisfaction
is a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one's job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one's important job values.
job satisfaction
Hamish Life, an insurance company, defines the difference in pay between an entry-level recruiter and an entry-level assembler, as well as the difference between an entry-level recruiter, an HR manager, and the vice president of the human resource department. Which of the following is being exemplified in this scenario?
job structure
Max, a new supervisor at Freson Inc., is being trained on skills that managers and union leaders require to encourage employee-management cooperation. He is learning the different ways of dealing with employee-management conflicts and how to resolve situations in ways that benefit both parties. In the context of labor management, Max is receiving training on _____.
labor relations
When employees in an organization have reason to believe that the management is overlooking their needs and interests, they are likely to respond by collectively forming _____.
labor unions
A move to a job with a similar level of responsibility within the same organization is called a(n)
lateral move
At Wakame Beauty Solutions, Sheila created an award-winning line of lip balm, lip gloss, and lipstick after many hours of research and discussions with experts. Now, with her manager's encouragement, she frequently conducts workshops for other employees about lip color and other beauty products. In this scenario, which of the following features of Wakame Beauty Solutions is exemplified?
learning culture
In the U.S., the amount of sick leave given to employees is often based on _____.
length of service
Kolese Inc., a manufacturing company, includes stock options and stock purchase plans in executive pay. Executives at the company will want to do what is best for Kolese because that will cause the value of the stock to grow. Which of the following is being exemplified in this scenario?
long-term incentive
The primary function of a merit increase grid is to
make pay increases consistent.
Lola, a neutral third party, tries to resolve a conflict initiated by a manager and union representative at Thornton Inc. She does so by listening to what both parties have to say about the issue and facilitating the negotiations. In this scenario, Lola is exercising which of the following types of alternatives to work stoppages?
mediation
Adam Wallace, a neutral party outside of La Mesa Inc., helped simplify issues between two technical teams of the company. Though Wallace's solution had no binding power, both the teams decided to accept his solution. This is an example of
mediation.
According to the provisions outlined in the contract between Kranfer Inc. and its labor union, Kranfer must pay its employees double for working overtime. However, due to financial constraints, the company is unable to meet these demands. The company and the union decide to negotiate the terms of the contract in a relatively informal manner. A non-authoritative third party is invited to listen to the views of both sides and to help resolve the conflict. In the context of the alternatives to work stoppages, the third party in this scenario is an example of a(n) _____.
mediator
A _____ gives the biggest pay increases to the best performers and to those whose pay is relatively low for their job.
merit pay system
Which of the following is an example of a defined-contribution pension plan?
money purchase plan
People experience _____ when they love their work, when they and their co-workers care about one another, and when they find their work meaningful.
occupational intimacy
In assessment centers, typically, each assessor observes and records _____ employees' behaviors in each exercise.
one or two
Bargaining over a new union contract typically occurs
only about every three years
Gibson United is a new firm located in Chicago. The firm has to hire qualified individuals, compartmentalize them into different departments, and hire a set of managers who will be able to instruct, monitor, and guide these employees to ensure smooth functioning of the organization. In this scenario, Gibson United is engaging in creating a(n) _____.
organizational structure
Ricardo reprimanded five of his employees for coming to work drunk after a lunch outing. The next week, Ricardo fired another employee for being drunk at work. The employees under Ricardo can conclude a lack of _____ in dealing with employees being drunk at work
outcome fairness.
Contrary to Western European countries, the United States has no legal requirements regarding employee _______.
paid vacation time
Which of the following is an adjustment to a pay rate to reflect differences in working conditions or labor markets?
pay differentials
An organization's choices about _____ are limited by its response to the economic forces of product markets and labor markets.
pay structure
An employee's tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to get along with others are assessed in
personality tests
Which of the following is a measure of customer satisfaction that indicates the success of the benefits programs implemented by the HR department of an organization?
promptness in handling claims
Identify the unfair labor practice under Section 8(a) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
restraining employees in exercising their rights to join or assist a labor organization
Which of the following is a business indicator of the success of the training programs implemented by the HR department of an organization?
training dollars per employee
Ryan is an experienced employee at an organization. The latest policy implemented by the firm's management provides only new employees with bonuses and other perks for exemplary performance. Ryan has raised concerns regarding the revised policy, but management stands firm on its revised policy. For Ryan's company to be a high-performance work system, which of the following elements is Ryan seeking to improve?
reward systems
Which of the following elements in a high-performance work system contributes to high performance by encouraging people to strive for objectives that support the organization's overall goals and includes the performance measures by which employees are judged?
reward systems
In _____, a participant takes the part of a manager or employee in a situation involving the skills to be assessed.
role-plays
Outplacement counseling programs are
services in which professionals try to help dismissed employees manage the transition from one job to another.
Instruck Inc. is a real estate firm based in Colorado. The company ensures that employees' pay is dependent on what they are capable of doing. The company also supports efforts to empower its employees by encouraging them to be independent and to make decisions in various areas. This, in turn, ensures job enrichment. Based on this information, identify the pay structure being utilized by Instruck.
skill-based pay systems
The idea that unions benefit people in communities by holding employers accountable for the way they treat workers is an example of a(n) _____ goal.
societal
Jupiter 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 of the following payment methods does this scenario illustrate?
standard hour plan
Protean careers require that employees
take responsibility to manage their own careers.
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what is true of individuals with a Sensing (S) preference?
tend to gather the facts and details to prepare for a decision.
In general, HR departments should be able to improve their performance through some combination of greater efficiency and greater effectiveness. In this context, greater effectiveness means that.
the HR personnel use fewer and less-costly resources to perform its functions.
A multinational organization uses a gainsharing program in which employees receive a bonus if the ratio of labor costs to the sales value of production is below a set standard. This incentive plan is referred to as
the Scanlon plan.
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.
In a company's merit pay program, an individual's compa-ratio represents
the individual's pay relative to company's average pay for that position.
As a predictor of job dissatisfaction, nothing exceeds
the nature of the task itself.
According to your text, people will be satisfied with their jobs as long as they perceive that
their jobs meet their important values.
Which of the following statements is true about cultures with a long-term orientation?
they focus primarily on cultural values and tend to pay off in the future
Which of the following in an organization usually makes most of the decisions about organizational structure?
top management
A chain of fried-fish restaurants hires part-time workers and pays minimum wage. Turnover is very high. Given that most employees do not stay at a restaurant long or work there full-time, organizing campaigns are very difficult. With these facts in mind, Gloria, the chain's vice president of human resources, believes unions will not have an impact on the company. What possible force in labor markets is Gloria overlooking?
worker center, which could influence attitudes through publicly and community support.
