Human Resources Chapter 4
31. The ability to do an entire unit of work from start to finish contributes to the worker's ____ the job. a. knowledge of results of b. experienced meaningfulness of c. experienced responsibility for d. sense of autonomy over
b
13. An analysis is being conducted at YourOneStop Pharmacy to track how prescription orders arrive, how they are logged in, how they are filled, how they are stored, how they are sold to customers, etc. The analysis is considering all the inputs, activities, and outputs associated with the prescription drug business at the store. This is an example of a. workflow analysis. b. business process re-engineering c. job analysis using the PAQ. d. a time-and-motion study.
a
14. ____ studies the way work moves through the organization in order to improve efficiency. a. Work flow analysis b. Job analysis c. business process re-engineering d. Time-and-motion analysis
a
15. A work flow analysis BEGINS with a. an examination of the quantity and quality of the desired and actual outputs. b. analysis of job descriptions and job specifications. c. evaluating the activities, i.e., the tasks and jobs involved. d. assessing the inputs, i.e., the people, material, data, equipment that are used.
a
36. An organizational team formed to address specific problems, improve work processes, and enhance product and service quality, is called a a. task force. b. special-purpose team. c. standing committee. d. self-directed work team.
b
39. All of the following are typical advantages of diverse work teams EXCEPT a. increased employee learning. b. reduction in co-worker conflict. c. higher levels of task-relevant knowledge. d. more employee involvement.
b
42. A disadvantage for employees who telecommute is that they a. are less productive than employees who work on-site because of lack of access to company resources. b. may have lower motivation because they are not physically present at company facilities. c. are assigned heavier workloads than employees who are directly supervised, so there is a higher level of overwork. d. are viewed by managers as less committed to their work and the organization.
b
53. A large nursery and garden center specializes in a wide variety of trees, landscaping plants and vegetables for a well-to-do clientele focused on high-quality, unusual plants. The CEO wants to encourage the garden center employees to be highly client-centered, familiar with the nursery's inventory, and extremely knowledgeable about plants. The type of job analysis that would promote the CEO's goals would be a. task-based job analysis. b. competency-based job analysis. c. Functional Job Analysis. d. Position Analysis Questionnaire method.
b
63. Which of the following is true about the use of group interviews to gather job analysis information? They are a. relatively inexpensive. b. appropriate for highly technical jobs. c. less likely to result in "job inflation" because of the presence of peers. d. useful if there are time constraints.
b
69. The Functional Job Analysis (FJA) method examines the three components of jobs: a. intellectual, emotional, physical b. data, people and things. c. knowledge, skills and abilities. d. input, throughput and output.
b
74. Job analysis can be stressful for managers and employees because a. it is frequently conducted before major downsizing events. b. it may pinpoint that current job incumbents are not doing all the job tasks that should be done. c. of the fear that jobs will be upgraded and that the current incumbents will not be qualified to hold them any longer. d. of the concern that jobs will be outsourced.
b
81. At Ochre Automobile Insurance, the job of appraiser involves spending 40 percent of the time conducing "drive-by" assessments of the damage to policy-holders' vehicles. This task would be considered a/an a. performance standard. b. essential job function. c. job element. d. primary duty.
b
16. Henry, a manager for a floor covering manufacturing firm, is attending a presentation by a consultant discussing needed changes in operations to apply information gathered in workflow analysis regarding product development, customer service and service delivery. "Looks like the company is implementing ____." Henry thinks to himself. a. re-engineering b. outsourcing c. job redesign d. workforce reductions
a
23. Important factors that affect retention of employees in the workplace include all the following EXCEPT a. an undemanding job. b. safe working environment. c. modern equipment and technology. d. good physical working conditions.
a
26. Job enlargement involves a. broadening the scope of a job by expanding the number of different tasks to be performed. b. increasing the depth of a job to provide more autonomy. c. increasing the amount of impact the job has on other people. d. shifting a person from job to job to increase variety.
a
30. The extent to which the work requires several different activities for successful completion indicates its a. skill variety. b. multi-tasking demands. c. low task identity. d. high autonomy.
a
35. Amanda is responding to a job advertisement that describes the company's employees as "crew members." This company probably uses a. work teams. b. project-based work design. c. virtual employees. d. individual productivity bonuses.
a
4. The most crucial component for diversity programs in organizations to succeed is a. the support of top management. b. governmental enforcement agencies that actively pursue EEO complaints. c. a minority community that is committed to achieving success based on individual merits. d. an organizational culture of performance-based rewards.
a
43. Erica is in client relations for a large financial services firm in Atlanta. Her job is being changed from working with local clients to a telecommuting position where she will work largely from her home office. She is being assigned clients in Korea, India, Britain and Brazil. Although Erica can see many advantages of this change, she is also concerned about negative effects. All of the following are potential negative effects of telecommuting EXCEPT: a. loss of autonomy. b. working excessively. c. managing differences in time zones. d. increase in stress.
a
44. Chuck's office has moved to a ____ arrangement where Monday through Thursday the employees work from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. with an hour off for lunch, and everyone takes Friday off. a. compressed workweek b. contingency scheduling c. flextime d. shift work
a
47. Job analysis is a systematic way to a. gather and analyze information about the content, context and human requirements of jobs. b. analyze the distinct, identifiable work activities involved in a specific job classification. c. evaluate the quality of job performance of employees in terms of both effectiveness and efficiency. d. break down jobs into their component parts in readiness for business process re-engineering..
a
48. The most basic building block of HR management functions is a. job analysis. b. organizational culture. c. the human capital of the firm. d. job design.
a
50. Information that can be helpful in distinguishing between jobs in a job analysis include all of the following EXCEPT a. the social prestige of the job. b. interactions the job holder must have with others. c. the financial impact of the job on the organization. d. the working conditions of the job.
a
52. Individual capabilities that can be linked to enhanced performance by individuals or teams, are called a. competencies. b. talents. c. KSAs. d. abilities.
a
6. A legitimate concern with diversity programs is that a. they may be perceived as benefiting only certain groups of people and not others. b. diversity is a process to promote social justice, but it does not have offsetting benefits in terms of organizational performance. c. companies with well-known diversity programs tend to have minorities over-represented in their workforces. d. the programs required to include protected groups in the workplace, such as women, involve excessively expensive and disruptive changes to policies and procedures.
a
60. With respect to observation as a job analysis technique, a. the method is limited to jobs that have a complete and observable job cycle. b. the job incumbent should be unaware that he/she is being observed, otherwise the incumbent's behavior will not be normal. c. almost all traditional jobs can be analyzed with this technique. d. in order to be valid and reliable, observation must be continuous, not based on sampling.
a
62. Mark, the director of HR for a large professional services firm, wishes to do a job analysis of the professional jobs in the firm. Which method would the employees find MOST intrusive and burdensome to carry out? a. employee diary/log b. the O*Net technique c. Position Analysis Questionnaire d. panel interviews
a
65. Which of the following is true of the Position Analysis Questionnaire? a. It consists of checklists pertaining to job dimensions. b. It must be administered by an SME (Subject Matter Expert). c. It focuses on job-oriented elements of the technical aspects of the work. d. It is one of the most time-consuming methods of gathering job data.
a
67. The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) focuses on the ____ elements that describe behaviors necessary to do the job. a. worker-oriented b. organization-oriented c. market-oriented d. job-oriented
a
70. How is O*Net useful to a manager or HR specialist? a. It is a time-saving resource for writing job descriptions and typical job specifications. b. It can eliminate the need to conduct a job analysis in a small organization. c. The O*Net can be used as a recruiting tool because it includes a national database of job-seekers classified by occupational category. d. Because it has been compiled by the Department of Labor, firms using the O*Net are protected from job-related employee lawsuits.
a
73. Which of the following was identified as an organizational problem that often occurs as part of the job analysis process? a. inflation of the importance of the incumbent's job b. non-reporting by employees of extra duties they have taken on beyond their job description c. a focus on the job, rather than on the job incumbent d. an over-emphasis on the legal concerns
a
79. ____ are the fundamental duties of a job. a. Essential job functions b. Minimum job elements c. Primary requirements d. Dominant KSAs
a
82. The main considerations in determining whether a task is an essential function or a marginal function of the job include all of the following EXCEPT a. the number of employees performing the task. b. the percentage of time spent on the task. c. frequency of the task. d. importance of the task.
a
85. Archie is developing performance standards for the job of pediatric nurse practitioner for a pediatrics medical practice. Archie should base these standards directly on a. the pediatric nurse practitioner job description. b. the job specifications for pediatric nurse practitioner. c. benchmark data from other pediatric medical practices. d. the professional guidelines by the pediatric nurse practitioner accreditation organization.
a
89. The ____ section of the job description gives the job title, reporting relationships, department, location, and date of analysis. a. identification b. general summary c. essential functions and duties d. specification requirements
a
11. Work is defined as a. productive contribution to society either for pay or for personal satisfaction. b. effort directed toward producing or accomplishing results. c. a collection of tasks and duties performed by one person. d. labor directed by others.
b
2. Which of the following statements is true? a. The increase in multiculturalism is decreasing the amount of effort HR must spend on diversity issues, since the "melting pot" effect is erasing the differences among individuals. b. By 2050 whites will make up less than half the population of the U.S. c. Diversity is a concept that applies exclusively to U.S. employers with workers who are located in the U.S. d. As older individuals retire out of the active workforce, diversity will be less of an HR management issue, since most employees who are uncomfortable with women and minorities are older.
b
20. Job ____ refers to organizing tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a productive unit of work. a. structuring b. design c. re-engineering d. configuration
b
22. Which of the following statements is FALSE? a. Mark is a contingent employee of Perspectivo. He can legally work for another organization at the same time. b. Amy works for Perspectivo as a contingent worker. For legal purposes, she is an employee. c. Clark works for Perspectivo through an employment agency. Clark is a contingent employee. d. Gidget is an independent contractor for Perspectivo. Her contract limits her pay and the time period for which she will do work for Perspectivo.
b
27. All of the following are examples of enriching a job EXCEPT a. allowing a component-assembler to work without close supervision. b. assigning grocery store employees to cashier positions one month, stocking positions another month, and general maintenance positions another month with no change in pay. c. giving daily work station production reports to an assembly line worker at that station. d. assigning one hospital staff member to an in-patient's entire movement throughout the hospital.
b
29. The veterinary assistants at a large veterinary practice alternate between working at the reception desk, working in the lab and X-ray department, and assisting the vets during office visits with patients. This is a type of a. job enrichment. b. job rotation. c. job enlargement. d. job re-design.
b
3. Which of the following individual characteristics is not a typically diversity concern addressed by HR? a. foreign origin b. status as a parent c. age/generational membership d. religion
b
34. Which of the following is NOT a form of feedback as a job characteristic? a. a customer complains to a sales representative that the equipment purchased was not as specified b. an information technology specialist sees that his employer's stock price went down over the last quarter c. a dog owner who compliments the job the groomer has done on her Cocker Spaniel d. blank student faces as a professor lectures on plate tectonics
b
83. A job description identifies the a. knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual needs to do the job satisfactorily. b. tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job. c. contribution of the job to the strategic goals of the organization.. d. minimum performance standards for the job.
b
87. Job specifications list a. what the job accomplishes and how performance is measured in key areas of the job description. b. the knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual needs to perform the job satisfactorily. c. the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job. d. all the duties of the job and whether they are essential or marginal according to the ADA.
b
9. Men have been hit harder by job losses in the recent economic downturn because a. they tend to have higher seniority than women do, so they are laid off first. b. male-employee-dominated sectors such as manufacturing have experienced more severe financial losses than have female-employee-dominated sectors. c. women have been shown to be more productive and motivated employees than men. d. women make up a smaller proportion of senior executives and managers than do men, and downsizing has hit executive and middle-management ranks harder than lower levels in organizations.
b
91. You are looking for a new job and you are scanning dozens of job descriptions in a large organization where you hope to find a job. The quickest place to look in the job description to find the general responsibilities and main distinctive components of the job is in the a. identification section. b. general summary. c. essential functions and duties section. d. job specifications section.
b
10. Ernest is a corporate tax specialist who has been working for a major heavy equipment manufacturer for the last 20 years. He was born in 1949. Assuming that Ernest is typical of his generation of worker a. Ernest will have a short-term orientation and he will expect that he be rewarded more quickly for work achievements. b. the organization will benefit when Ernest retires and a younger employee with fresher knowledge takes his place. c. Ernest is likely to be interested in either continuing to work full-time or in working part-time rather than taking full retirement. d. it is unlikely that Ernest would be interested in mentoring a younger worker because of generational conflicts.
c
12. All of the following are positive multi-generational management activities EXCEPT a. Recently-graduated Milo helps a middle-aged manager learn how to send tweets. b. Milo (26), Clark (37), and Clarissa (62) are members of the policies and procedures revision committee. c. teams of high-potential employees are comprised of individuals who have at least 15 years of potential future tenure at the organization. d. Clarissa, a senior employee benefits manager, is mentoring Milo who has just joined the organization fresh from college.
c
18. The three phases of business processes re-engineering are a. analyze, diagnose, design b. unfreezing, changing, refreezing. c. rethink, redesign, retool. d. job analysis, job description, job specification.
c
21. Job design can affect all of the following EXCEPT a. absenteeism. b. job satisfaction. c. organizational strategy. d. job performance.
c
25. When the depth of a job is increased by adding responsibility for planning, organizing, controlling, and evaluating the job, ____ has occurred. a. job enlargement b. task significance c. job enrichment d. job enhancement
c
32. "The reason I love my work," remarked a nanny for two pre-school boys, "is that I am able to make sure they get the best start in life possible as regarding affection, nutrition, and intellectual stimulation. They enter kindergarten as really well-adjusted children." This nanny feels her job has high a. feedback. b. autonomy. c. task significance. d. task identity.
c
37. The ____ is composed of individuals who are assigned a cluster of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to be accomplished. This is the regular entity for the internal decision making process of the firm. a. special-purpose team b. quality circle c. self-directed work teams d. strategic work groups.
c
40. Which of the following HR policies would be LEAST effective in reducing environmental effects and energy costs created by the organizations? a. telecommuting. b. global virtual work teams. c. flextime. d. compressed work week.
c
41. ____ employees work from remote locations via electronic computing and telecommunications equipment. a. Remote b. Contingent c. Teleworking d. Pseudo
c
5. When an organization ignores diversity issues a. it enables employees to get along with one another because no employees are being singled out for preferential treatment on the basis of their race, gender or other non-job-related attributes. b. the amount of conflict within the organization is reduced, because disputes based on non-job-related characteristics are resolved internally. c. it is exposed to potential lawsuits by protected class employees. d. the organization can focus on strategic issues that enhance the organization's sustainable success.
c
51. A distinctive, identifiable work activity composed of motions is a a. responsibility. b. job. c. task. d. duty.
c
54. The ____ approach to job analysis considers how the employees' knowledge and skills are used. a. traditional b. individual responsibility c. competency d. knowledge-based
c
56. Inez, the vice-president of HR for a chain of international luxury hotels, is considering implementing a competency-based approach to job analysis in her organization because of its ability to contribute to organizational success. She expects that important competencies needed by mid-level managers in her hotel will include all of the following EXCEPT a. intense focus on customer needs and desires. b. being an effective communicator. c. expertise in designing transaction software. d. having the ability to resolve customer and hotel staff complaints.
c
57. Data that should be reviewed in the preparation stage of the job analysis process include all of the following EXCEPT a. existing job descriptions. b. organizational charts. c. pay scales attached to current jobs. d. previous job analysis information.
c
58. Ideally, in order to keep job descriptions and job specifications updated, the organization should a. conduct organization-wide job analysis every two years. b. conduct job analysis whenever a job-based lawsuit is filed. c. review and revise job descriptions and specifications during each performance appraisal interview. d. review all job descriptions and job specifications whenever the organization is restructured.
c
61. The work sampling type of observation a. gives a more detailed picture of the work than continuous observation. b. is useful for both routine and non-routine jobs. c. determines the content and pace of a typical workday through statistical sampling of current actions. d. is more expensive to conduct than continuous observation because of the statistical calculations involved.
c
68. Which of the following is a characteristic of computerized job analysis? a. difficulty in identifying mismatches between job scores and salary survey data b. lack of legal precedent for using computerized job analysis to defend lawsuits c. a reduction in the time and effort involved in writing job descriptions d. results cannot be used to develop job evaluation weights
c
71. All of the following are issues with job incumbents regarding job analysis EXCEPT a. there may be a difference between what the job incumbent is doing on the job and what should be done on the job. b. the current job incumbent may have higher qualifications than are necessary to carry out the job. c. the best determination of the essential functions of a job is made by observing what the current job incumbent does. d. the current job incumbent may have expanded the scope of the job beyond the core job duties.
c
75. The most restrictive job descriptions exist in a. service industries. b. white-collar jobs. c. unionized workforces. d. technical jobs.
c
77. A recommended way to allay employee anxieties about job analysis is a. to promise that no job reductions will occur in the next 12 months. b. to conduct wage and salary surveys at the same time, because usually this will result in an upward adjustment of employee pay. c. include employees in the revision of job descriptions. d. to use a consulting firm to conduct the job analysis, thus removing the process from internal organizational politics.
c
8. A Baby Boomer manager of a Generation Y subordinate may a. find that the subordinate is overly risk-averse. b. realize that the subordinate's technological skills do not transfer effectively to the workplace. c. be irritated by the subordinate's constant questioning. d. be surprised that the subordinate places a low value on monetary rewards.
c
80. Marginal functions are those duties that are part of a job a. that a disabled person cannot perform. b. that most disabled individuals can perform with minor assistance. c. that are incidental or ancillary to the job. d. are required job functions that are covered under the "miscellaneous" clause in the job description.
c
86. ____ indicate what the job accomplishes and how performance is measured in key areas of the job description. a. Employee specifications b. Job criteria c. Performance standards d. Employee competencies
c
88. Which of the following would be considered a performance standard for a clerk at a movie rental store? a. Stocks coolers of food items and snack racks. b. Operates cash register. c. Greets customer within 15 seconds of entering store. d. Files returned DVDs.
c
1. There are two key reasons why employees want flexible work. One is that their work does not require being in the office all the time. The other is that a. people in the generations following the Baby Boomers have less commitment to work and a lower work ethic. b. many jobs no longer require face-to-face contact with co-workers or clients, so it makes little difference what location the employees work from or what time they are "at work." c. employees are highly involved in community service and leisure pursuits. d. they have long commutes between home and their workplace.
d
17. A/an ____ is a grouping of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that constitutes the total work assignment for employees. a. assignment b. position c. employment specification d. job
d
19. Although Kathleen has a healthy lifestyle, she is suffering from high blood pressure and headaches. When she talks with her co-workers in the department, she finds that a number of them have high blood pressure, sleep disorders and other stress-related medical problems. It would be prudent for the HR manager to consider a. outsourcing these jobs to eliminate these unhealthy workers. b. enriching the jobs in this department. c. introducing flexible scheduling. d. examining the job design in this department.
d
24. Joshua is an extremely successful salesperson for a chemical products manufacturing company. His sales are approximately twice those of the average salesperson in his category, and he is a very valuable employee. But, Joshua's administrative abilities are minimal. This is causing problems with orders, customer follow-up, and reporting. Joshua's boss is frustrated because significant training expenditures on Joshua have resulted in minimal improvement in his administrative performance. The situation cannot continue. Which of the following would be the most useful solution for the company? a. This is likely a person-job fit issue. Joshua should be moved from employee status to contingent worker status, thus placing legal liability for non-performance of contract directly on him. b. This is likely a person-job fit issue, and Joshua must be moved to a different job or terminated. c. This is a motivation issue, and Joshua's compensation should be changed so that he is penalized for inadequate administrative work. d. This is probably a person-job fit issue, and Joshua's job should be re-designed to take advantage of his skills and eliminate administrative tasks.
d
28. Job ____ is the process of shifting a person from job to job. a. enlargement b. flexing c. variety d. rotation
d
33. Megan has been working with her supervisor on the Filbert's Fast Foods account for six months. Yesterday, Megan's boss told her that she is capable of handling the Filbert's Fast Foods account on her own from now on, but she can come to him for advice at any time. Which of the following statements is TRUE? a. Megan will be able to use a greater variety of skills at her work now. b. Megan's job has more significance. c. Megan's job will provide her more feedback than before. d. Megan's job now allows her more autonomy.
d
38. The team leader of a self-directed team is in reality a/an a. administrator. b. supervisor. c. arbitrator d. facilitator.
d
45. In which of the following scheduling arrangements do employees work a set number of hours per day at the workplace but vary starting and ending times? a. telecommuting b. compressed workday c. work sharing d. flextime
d
46. The increasing number of telecommuting employees has led to a. a reduction in the number of hours worked on average in the U.S. b. a decrease in the amount of bias against protected classes because face-to-face interaction with supervisors is limited. c. significant changes in federal and state employment laws. d. an increase in electronic monitoring of employee activities by employers.
d
49. Work-life balance issues a. are not typically a concern of mature and baby boomer employees. b. affect mainly hourly employees who do not have the flexibility in their work schedules that salaried employees have. c. are becoming less of a concern because men are taking over more traditionally-female caregiver roles in families. d. negatively affect the average pay levels that women employees have achieved.
d
55. ____ are obligations to perform certain tasks and duties. a. Missions b. Assignments c. Duties d. Responsibilities
d
59. As director of HR, you are organizing the process of analyzing all the jobs in the organization. Because your employer is an oil exploration firm with many engineers and scientists a. you will rely heavily on these employees to complete task diaries because knowledge workers willingly cooperate with this type of request. b. work sampling would be the most cost effective, unobtrusive and accurate method of collecting task data. c. much of the needed data can be collected by observation because most of these jobs have an observable cycle. d. you will have to call on many subject matter experts for panel interviews.
d
64. What is a major advantage of the questionnaire method of gathering data on jobs? a. The questionnaire method can be used with all levels and types of employees. b. Questionnaire data is more reliable and valid than data gathered in other ways. c. The same questionnaire can be used for both hourly and managerial jobs. d. Information on a large number of jobs can be collected in a relatively short period of time.
d
66. For legal reasons, Seneca Film Production, Inc., wishes to have a job analysis method that will lend itself to validity studies on selection tests. The company would be best advised to use a. panel interviews of SMEs. b. employee logs. c. observation of employees on the job. d. the Position Analysis Questionnaire.
d
7. All of the following are useful ways to integrate Hispanic employees into a majority-dominated workplace EXCEPT a. English language classes.. b. social events attractive to all workers. c. work groups that include Hispanic workers. d. mandating an English-only workplace.
d
72. Because job analysis information is often used for compensation purposes, employees and managers have a tendency to a. cooperate with the job analyst. b. exaggerate their competencies. c. use this as an opportunity to request raises. d. inflate the importance and significance of their jobs.
d
76. Job tasks classified as "miscellaneous" a. cannot be legally used as a basis for terminating an employee. b. can be considered primary job duties if they take up at least 20% of an employee's time. c. make the employee vulnerable to loss of earned overtime. d. cannot be considered essential functions under the ADA.
d
78. Jennifer, a member of the HR department, is working on the organization's job descriptions. She must classify duties as essential or marginal for ADA purposes, and she must also classify duties as primary or non-primary for FLSA purposes. Which of the following decision rules can Jennifer use in her task? a. If a duty is an essential job function for ADA purposes, it will also be a primary duty for FLSA purposes. b. There is no relationship between the requirements for essential functions and those for primary duties. c. If a duty is marginal for ADA purposes, it may still be considered primary for FLSA purposes. d. If a duty is primary for FLSA purposes, it will also be an essential job function for ADA purposes.
d
84. A job ____ identifies what is done, why it is done, where it is done, and briefly, how it is done. a. analysis b. performance standard c. specification d. description
d
90. An example of a ____ for a solar power company customer representative would be the ability to accurately calculate the number and arrangement of solar panels to go on a roof. a. job description b. job responsibility c. performance standard d. job specification
d
