HRIR MT3 quiz questions

According to equity theory, people measure outcomes such as pay in terms of their outputs. Select one: True False

false

Group bonuses typically reward the performance of all employees in an organization. Select one: True False

false

Like merit pay, performance bonuses for individual performance are rolled into an employee's base pay. Select one: True False

false

Compensable factors are job characteristics that an organization values and chooses to pay for. Select one: True False

True

Job design aimed at empowerment is likely to be difficult in cultures with high power distance. Select one: True False

True

A balanced scorecard is a combination of performance measures directed toward the company's long- and short-term goals. Select one: True False

True

Paying a salary does not necessarily mean a job is exempt. Select one: True False

True

The federal government tracks trends in the nation's cost of living with a measure known as the: Select one: a. Consumer Price Index. b. Living-Wage Index. c. Gross National Product Index. d. Exchange Rate Index. e. Employment Cost Index.

a. Consumer Price Index.

Which of the following is a characteristic of delayering? Select one: a. It increases an organizations' flexibility. b. It increases the opportunities for promoting employees. c. It sets pay according to the employees' level of knowledge. d. It encourages a climate of learning. e. It helps employees use their knowledge and ideas more productively.

a. It increases an organizations' flexibility.

Which of the following is a reason for big pay differences between jobs? Select one: a. Shortage of talent in local labor markets b. Government rules regarding minimum wages for different jobs c. Low rates of employee turnover in certain jobs d. Low power distance e. High uncertainty avoidance

a. Shortage of talent in local labor markets

In which country would one experience the greatest latitude in reducing one's company's workforce in response to a forecasted oversupply of workers? Select one: a. The United States b. Germany c. The United Kingdom d. France e. Sweden

a. The United States

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using incentive plans? Select one: a. The goals of an incentive plan may interfere with other management goals. b. The goals of incentive plans cannot be linked to particular outcomes or behaviors. c. Incentive plans cannot be used to promote group and organizational performance. d. Incentive plans cause dissatisfaction among the non-performing employees in the organization. e. Incentive plans are not very effective for jobs other than sales and service.

a. The goals of an incentive plan may interfere with other management goals.

Which of the following statements is true about employee dismissal on the grounds of employment-at-will agreements? Select one: a. They are likely to raise principles of justice issues b. Most employers stopped using these agreements during the 1990s. c. The courts have declared these agreements as illegal. d. Most employees see the agreements as equitable. e. Employment-at-will agreements empower managers to discharge employees at their personal discretion.

a. They are likely to raise principles of justice issues

Peer review is an example of _____. Select one: a. alternative dispute resolution b. employee assistance programs c. outplacement counseling d. fair representation e. employee carve-out

a. alternative dispute resolution

When an employee's pay is calculated as a percentage of sales, it is referred to as: Select one: a. commission b. gain sharing. c. merit plan. d. variable wage plan. e. profit sharing.

a. commission.

Organizations that want employees to focus on efficiency and on group incentives are most likely to implement a _____ program. Select one: a. gainsharing b. standard hour c. bonus d. commission e. piece rate pay

a. gainsharing

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: Select one: a. immediate supervisor. b. choice of a neutral party. c. peers. d. immediate subordinates. e. personal counselor.

a. immediate supervisor.

The compa-ratio: Select one: a. measures the degree to which actual pay is consistent with the pay policy. b. is defined as average pay for the grade divided by the minimum pay for the grade. c. can range from 0 to 100 percent. d. uses data from market-pay surveys. e. measures the degree to which new skills learnt are consistent with the increases in pay.

a. measures the degree to which actual pay is consistent with the pay policy.

A company provides wages to its employees based on the amount workers produce. The more employees produce, the more they earn. This type of plan is called: Select one: a. piecework rate plan b. merit pay plan. c. Scanlon plan. d. profit sharing plan. e. standard hour plan.

a. piecework rate plan

What is profit sharing? Select one: a. 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. b. An incentive pay in which payments are a percentage of the organization's profits and do not become part of the employees' base salary. c. A group incentive program that measures improvements in productivity and effectiveness and distributes a portion of profit to employees. d. A combination of performance measures directed toward the company's profit and used as the basis for awarding incentive pay. e. An incentive plan where a percentage of the previous year's profits is provided to employees as a part of salary.

b. An incentive pay in which payments are a percentage of the organization's profits and do not become part of the employees' base salary.

_____ refers to an incentive pay in which the wage paid is higher when a greater amount is produced. Select one: a. Profit sharing b. Differential piece rate c. Gain sharing d. Scanlon pay e. Merit pay

b. Differential piece rate

Which of the following is true about the Consumer Price Index (CPI)? Select one: a. It helps product markets place an upper limit on the pay an organization will offer. b. Following and studying changes in the CPI helps employers prepare for changes in the demands of the labor market. c. It helps organizations lure top-quality employees. d. The CPI helps control labor market's demand for pay increases. e. It helps organizations to compete with companies in other industries that hire similar employees.

b. Following and studying changes in the CPI helps employers prepare for changes in the demands of the labor market.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States have encouraged trade among themselves with the: Select one: a. CSN. b. NAFTA. c. PICTA. d. APEC. e. TAFTA.

b. NAFTA.

Which of the following statements is true of international labor relations? Select one: a. In comparison with U.S. organizations, European organizations exert more centralized control over labor relations in the various countries where they operate. b. The day-to-day decisions about labor relations are usually handled by each foreign subsidiary. c. Governments never get involved to protect workers who immigrate to other countries. d. Most U.S. organizations, in contrast to European organizations, bargain with a union representing an entire industry's employees, rather than with the local union. e. Companies that operate across national boundaries mostly work only with unions in the home-country.

b. The day-to-day decisions about labor relations are usually handled by each foreign subsidiary.

Which one of the following statements is true of transnational HRM systems? Select one: a. To ensure fairness, they make decisions that are uniform and rigid. b. The participants from various countries and cultures contribute ideas from a position of equality. c. They emphasize the use of managers from the parent country. d. They feature decision making from a parent-country perspective. e. The host-country culture dominates the decision making process.

b. The participants from various countries and cultures contribute ideas from a position of equality.

Economic theory holds that the most profitable pay level, all things being equal, would be: Select one: a. below the market rate. b. at the market rate. c. above the market rate. d. anywhere within (slightly above or slightly below) the market-rate range. e. the pay level that is lower than that of the lowest paying organization.

b. at the market rate.

A pay policy line: Select one: a. shows the mathematical relationship between the minimum pay and the maximum pay in an organization. b. can be generated using a statistical procedure called regression analysis. c. requires market-pay-rate data on all jobs in the organization. d. can be used to estimate the minimum pay level for a given job evaluation. e. reflects the pay structure in the market, which always matches rates in the organization.

b. can be generated using a statistical procedure called regression analysis.

Values such as success, achievement, assertiveness, and competition are associated with: Select one: a. short-term oriented cultures. b. masculine cultures. c. high-power-distance cultures. d. low uncertainty avoidance cultures. e. collectivist cultures.

b. masculine cultures.

Open-door policy, and mediation are generally steps within: Select one: a. the strategy decision-making process. b. the alternative dispute resolution system. c. the collective bargaining system. d. the fair representation policy. e. the performance appraisal program.

b. the alternative dispute resolution system.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) includes provisions for: Select one: a. personal finance. b. minimum wage. c. wage discrimination. d. environmental hazards. e. retirement plans.

b. minimum wage.

An organization that builds facilities in a number of different countries in an effort to minimize production and distribution costs is aNo: Select one: a. international organization. b. multinational company. c. foreign subsidiary. d. global organization. e. outsourcing partner.

b. multinational company.

Although the rate of inflation is only 2 percent, Jessie receives a 6 percent increase in salary. She is nonetheless dissatisfied with her salary increase due to Norvin's, whose job designation is similar to Jessie's, 9 percent increase. Jessie is likely to contend that there is a lack of: Select one: a. employment-at-will. b. outcome fairness. c. procedural justice. d. interactional justice. e. fair representation.

b. outcome fairness.

Overlapping _____ give the organization more flexibility in transferring employees among jobs, because transfers need not always involve a change in pay. Select one: a. pay rates b. pay ranges c. pay policies d. pay differentials e. pay ranks

b. pay ranges

In merit pay programs, an individual's compa-ratio represents his/her: Select one: a. pay relative to performance of other workers in the industry. b. pay relative to average pay. c. comparable worth versus others. d. ratio of pay to benefits. e. the average worth of the skills possessed by the individual.

b. pay relative to average pay.

An intervention designed to increase the communication and understanding of the various sets of role expectations that exist for specific employees is called: Select one: a. role playing. b. role analysis technique. c. role carve-out. d. role enrichment. e. role overload.

b. role analysis technique.

The hot-stove rule differs from a progressive discipline process in that with the hot-stove rule: Select one: a. the punishment meted is always inconsistent. b. the consequences for breaking the rule is immediate. c. the rule breaker will be warned multiple times before termination. d. the consequences follow a gradual increase in seriousness e. the ideology is to prevent misbehavior rather than to merely punish it.

b. the consequences for breaking the rule is immediate.

To prevent job withdrawal, organizations therefore need to promote job satisfaction, a pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one's job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one's important job values. This definition has three components: Select one: a. compensation, working conditions, and peer support. b. values, perceptions, and ideas of what is important. c. job involvement, organizational commitment, and job withdrawal. d. physical environment, social environment, and the person. e. emotional, physical, and financial well-being.

b. values, perceptions, and ideas of what is important.

____ is a referral service that employees can use to seek professional treatment for emotional problems or substance abuse. Select one: a. Alternative dispute resolution b. Outplacement counseling c. Employee assistance program d. Progressive discipline program e. Request for proposal

c. Employee assistance program

How does a collectivist culture influence the HRM decisions related to job design? Select one: a. It gives more importance to skills, resources, and personality to succeed on the job. b. It encourages employees to make their own decisions. c. It gives emphasis to person—organization fit. d. It focuses on long-term rewards. e. It relies heavily on person—job fit.

c. It gives emphasis to person—organization fit.

What is the advantage of two-tier wage systems? Select one: a. They help in moving jobs out of the country. b. They help in closing down jobs without any legal hassles. c. They cut labor costs without cutting employees' existing salaries. d. They provide more pay to new employees. e. They provide better standards of benchmarking.

c. They cut labor costs without cutting employees' existing salaries.

In the context of the effect of culture on training, a culture with long-term orientation has trainees who: Select one: a. expect trainers to be authoritarian and controlling of session. b. value relationships with fellow trainees. c. are likely to accept development plans and assignments. d. have less tolerance for impromptu style. e. expect formal instructional environments.

c. are likely to accept development plans and assignments.

The positive or negative bottom-line opinions that individuals have of themselves are known as: Select one: a. negative affectivities. b. factor comparisons. c. core self-evaluations. d. fair representations. e. behavioral models.

c. core self-evaluations.

Historically, if the organization and employee do not have a specific employment contract, the employer or employee may end the employment relationship at any time. This is referred to as the _____ doctrine. Select one: a. force majeure b. laissez faire c. employment-at-will d. due process e. implied in fact

c. employment-at-will

The usual way that a company begins to enter foreign markets is by: Select one: a. importing. b. offshoring. c. exporting. d. outsourcing. e. relocating.

c. exporting.

An incentive system in which an organization links pay increases to ratings on performance appraisals is referred to as: Select one: a. commission. b. a Scanlon plan. c. merit pay. d. gain sharing. e. profit sharing.

c. merit pay.

According to Hofstede's dimensions of culture, _____ defines the amount of inequality that is normal. Select one: a. individualism b. uncertainty avoidance c. power distance d. collectivism e. masculinity

c. power distance

Straight commission plans: Select one: a. imply that the employees receive a straight salary. b. are useful when the organization wants salespeople to concentrate on listening to customers. c. help to attract employees risk-averse employees. d. are common among insurance and real estate agents. e. are not common among car salespeople.

d. are common among insurance and real estate agents.

The comparable-worth policy: Select one: a. advocates remedies for any undervaluation of jobs based on market-pay data. b. is designed to reduce the wage gap between women and minority groups. c. has been consistently upheld in court rulings. d. uses job evaluation of an organization's jobs in terms of such criteria as their difficulty. e. is the only non-controversial pay policy.

d. uses job evaluation of an organization's jobs in terms of such criteria as their difficulty.

Which of the following is true of key jobs? Select one: a. The organization usually has no survey data for key jobs. b. These are jobs that have highly unstable content. c. These are jobs that are unique among organizations and are rare to obtain. d. Organizations make the process of creating a pay structure more impractical by defining key jobs. e. A job with a higher evaluation score than a particular key job would receive higher pay than that key job.

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

Which of the following is true of the performance management process across national boundaries? Select one: a. The specific methods of performance management work the same way in almost every country. b. U.S. employees are much more used to indirect feedback than are employees in other countries. c. Which behaviors are rated, how and the extent to which performance is measured, who performs the rating, and how feedback is provided are usually uniform across countries. d. While the measures used may vary from country to country, the legal requirements remain the same as those in the United States. e. In rapidly changing regions, the organization may have to update its performance plans more often than once a year.

e. In rapidly changing regions, the organization may have to update its performance plans more often than once a year.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a merit pay system? Select one: a. It does not relate the rewards to economic conditions. b. It cannot be used effectively in performance appraisals. c. Comparative pay is not considered in its evaluation. d. It is not consistent with performance management's dimensions. e. It can quickly become expensive for the company.

e. It can quickly become expensive for the company.

Which one of the following is true of global organizations? Select one: a. All of their managers come from the host country. b. They increasingly emphasize standardization of products across market segments. c. They tend to have centralized, parent-country decision-making structures. d. HRM practices at such companies tend to be uniform across cultures. e. Managers at such companies must be able to get results across national boundaries.

e. Managers at such companies must be able to get results across national boundaries.

Foreign assignments can be highly disruptive to family members, and the resulting role _____ is the top reason that people quit overseas assignments. Select one: a. autonomy b. overload c. underload d. ambiguity e. conflict

e. conflict

The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931: Select one: a. permits a lower "training wage," which employers may pay to workers under the age of 20 for a period of up to 90 days. b. requires that employers pay higher wages for overtime, defined as hours worked beyond 40 hours per week. c. requires general contractors performing services on prime contracts in excess of $2,500 to pay service employees in various classes no less than the wage rates found prevailing in the locality. d. covers all government contractors receiving $10,000 or more in federal funds. e. covers construction contractors that receive more than $2,000 in federal money.

e. covers construction contractors that receive more than $2,000 in federal money.

An effective incentive pay plan should: Select one: a. have performance measures based on employees' requirements. b. not be provided as a direct percentage of employees' performance. c. encourage group performance and dispirit individual achievements. d. be the same for all types of employees in the organization. e. have performance measures linked to the organization's goals.

e. have performance measures linked to the organization's goals.

When conducting a workplace search, without probable cause, employers can act fairly and minimize the likelihood of a lawsuit by: Select one: a. hushing the company's search policies prior to the search. b. searching employees' workplace without their knowledge. c. using non-company personnel to conduct the search. d. conducting random searches with or without a probable cause. e. justifying that the organization has work rules that provide for searches.

e. justifying that the organization has work rules that provide for searches.

Retention bonuses refer to: Select one: a. the special reward programs used to satisfy the lower and middle level managers. b. the bonuses provided to union members to withhold a strike decision. c. the bonuses provided to employees who take long leaves without pay. d. annual incentives paid to daily wage workers to remain in the organization. e. one-time incentives paid in exchange for remaining with the company.

e. one-time incentives paid in exchange for remaining with the company.

Maria Celio, who was born in Spain, works at the headquarters of a Spanish company. She is a: Select one: a. host-country national. b. expatriate. c. governing-country national. d. third-country national. e. parent-country national.

e. parent-country national.

When employees initiate a turnover, when the organization would prefer to keep them, it is called _____ turnover. Select one: a. dysfunctional b. involuntary c. retentive d. external e. voluntary

e. voluntary

When employees cannot work with management to make changes, they may engage in ____, taking their charges to the media in the hope that if the public learns about the situation, the organization will be forced to change. Select one: a. scapegoating b. progressive discipline c. class actions d. media manipulation e. whistle-blowing

e. whistle-blowing