P&G Ch 2

In which of the following cases would a company opt for a short-term staffing strategy? A. competitive advantage B. Higher-level managers need a substantial amount of knowledge about how the company works. C. Employee skill sets need to be developed through intensive training. D. Employee turnover is high.

D. Employee turnover is high.

Higher performers that are productive within a company can ________. A. generate a greater amount of business B. recruit new employees C. create a new strategy D. create new products

A. generate a greater amount of business

A company is successful at recruiting engineers by handing out flyers during community events near a university which is highly rated for its engineering program. The company's competitor effectively reaches the same audience by hanging banners at a similar event. This is an example of ________. A. substitutability B. inimitability C. refutability D. value addition

A. substitutability

To hire technical skills a company expects to need in six months, it would engage in ________. A. job-oriented staffing B. idiosyncratic staffing C. talent-oriented staffing D. reactive staffing

C. talent-oriented staffing

Jen is the Human Resources manager for Bailey's, a large department store. A competitor, ShopWell, is scheduled to open nearby in a few months and Jen is afraid that some of her staff may quit and join ShopWell. To prevent this, Jen introduces a performance incentive program that will reward Bailey's highest-performing employees at the end of the year. This is an example of ________. A. idiosyncratic staffing B. reactive staffing C. replacement charting D. proactive staffing

D. proactive staffing

Idiosyncratic jobs are ________. A. created around a current or new employee's unique skills B. created to fill an immediate hiring need C. jobs that have been in an organization for over 20 years D. jobs that are at the entry-level only

A. created around a current or new employee's unique skills

According to the resource-based view of the firm, in order to create value, staffing practices must ________. A. enhance the differentiation of the firm's products B. imitate the practices followed by competitors C. rapidly create new products or services D. maximize the number of applicants who are hired

A. enhance the differentiation of the firm's products

Bella Vista Inc. needs to hire a new marketing manager after the former manager retired. The company recruited James Anderson, who was employed in Webster & Co., and offered him the job of manager. This is an example of ________. A. external talent focus B. growth focus C. internal talent focus D. competitive advantage

A. external talent focus

A software company has a high turnover rate. What staffing strategy would be most appropriate? A. filling vacancies quickly with people who are able to perform with minimal job training B. hiring people with the potential to be promoted over a period of years C. slowing down the hiring process to try to find better recruits D. hiring people quickly even if their skills are not as high as required

A. filling vacancies quickly with people who are able to perform with minimal job training

Ed Waters is a former CEO who was responsible for the dramatic turnaround of a food company. When Ed retired, Phil, the CEO of a travel agency, invited him to be a business consultant for the travel company, hoping that Ed's unusual strategies could work the same magic twice. Phil created a new designation and position in the company especially for Ed. This is an example of ________. A. idiosyncratic staffing B. job-oriented staffing C. talent-oriented staffing D. reactive staffing

A. idiosyncratic staffing

Hiring people who are efficient, trainable, and willing to follow standardized procedures would support a(n) ________ competitive advantage. A. operational excellence B. product leadership C. training and development D. customer intimacy

A. operational excellence

With which of the following competitive advantages is cost less of a barrier in attracting top talent for companies? A. product innovation B. growth C. maturity D. cost leadership

A. product innovation

Which of the following is true about external hiring? A. External hires reinforce the organization's culture more than do internal hires. B. It can enhance organizational diversity. C. It sends employees the message that good performance can be rewarded with a promotion. D. Jobs can be filled faster than through internal hiring.

B. It can enhance organizational diversity.

Taking the time to explain the hiring process and making every effort to follow up with candidates and minimize delays is an example of ________. A. hiring for long-term careers B. a commitment to ethical behavior C. a commitment to diversity D. viewing applicants as assets

B. a commitment to ethical behavior

Which of the following is compromised when retaining workers? A. creating a workforce that has a better understanding of the company's processes B. a regular infusion of new ideas and perspectives C. creating a more loyal and committed workforce D. decreasing staffing costs

B. a regular infusion of new ideas and perspectives

When viewing employees as assets, the staffing focus is on managing ________. A. existing employees B. costs C. performance D. hiring strategies

B. costs

A company that lets each of its business units staff in whatever way they choose and house their own staffing function, is an example of ________. A. centralized staffing B. decentralized staffing C. delegation D. strategic staffing

B. decentralized staffing

When a firm pursues a differentiation strategy, it is attempting to ________. A. achieve the efficient production and delivery of products B. develop products that have unique characteristics C. expand the company to increase the firm's sales D. be the lowest-cost producer for a particular level of product quality

B. develop products that have unique characteristics

When viewing applicants and employees as investors, the goal is to ________. A. terminate the bottom performing 10% of employees every year B. give applicants and employees a return on their personal contributions in the organization C. be as selective as possible in choosing whom to hire D. ensure that the revenue generated by a new hire exceeds the new hire's total compensation level

B. give applicants and employees a return on their personal contributions in the organization

Promotions are likely to be fastest in organizations in the ________ stage of their life cycle. A. decline B. growth C. introduction D. maturity

B. growth

Independent bookstore Signature Books has been struggling to survive as sales declined sharply in the past year. Its main competitors are the large chain stores that have a much wider range of books and can afford to sell books at a discount, but online retailers are also eating into Signature's market. Signature Books focuses on a specialization strategy, focusing on foreign-language books and learning materials. Which of the following, if true, will support Signature's decision? A. Chain stores are the cost leaders in the category, as bulk buying and publisher discounts keep prices down. B. Online retailers have negligible operational costs as well as the price advantages of large chain stores. C. Chain stores stock mainly books of general interest, such as books by popular authors and self-help books. D. Chain stores invest heavily in developing a customer-friendly style and atmosphere.

C. Chain stores stock mainly books of general interest, such as books by popular authors and self-help books.

Compstar Limited establishes a mutually beneficial relationship in which employees are recognized as investing their resources, such as time or energy, in exchange for pay and benefits and an opportunity to develop their skills. This is an example of ________. A. viewing employees as assets B. an innovation strategy C. viewing employees as investors D. a competitive disadvantage

C. viewing employees as investors

Which of the following, if true, would uphold a company's sustainable competitive advantage in front of rival firms? A. Staffing practices have maximum substitutability. B. The firm should take care not to exploit staffing practices. C. Workforce attributes encouraged by staffing practices are commonplace. D. Strategic staffing practices are difficult to imitate.

D. Strategic staffing practices are difficult to imitate.

Which of the following, if true, would require a company to respectfully and honestly explain the hiring process to all applicants? A. The company is solely interested in profit-making. B. The company views employees as investors. C. The company views employees as assets. D. The company is committed to practicing ethical behavior.

D. The company is committed to practicing ethical behavior.

Axis Auto tries to keep its operational spending as low as possible so that it can pass its savings on to customers in the form of lower prices. This is known as a ________ strategy. A. differentiation B. specialization C. growth D. cost-leadership

D. cost-leadership

Hiring people who are learning-oriented, and who have good networking skills would support a ________ competitive advantage. A. product leadership B. training and development C. operational excellence D. customer intimacy

D. customer intimacy

Organic growth takes place when an organization ________. A. acquires those companies with which it used to compete B. branches into producing numerous other unrelated goods C. focuses on just one specific line of production D. expands from within by opening new factories or stores

D. expands from within by opening new factories or stores

When a firm has a superior level of cooperation and innovation among its research team that allows it to design a new product two days faster than its competitors it has created a ________. A. human capital advantage B. talent maximization strategy C. human resource strategy D. human process advantage

D. human process advantage

Organizations relying on excellent organization performance would have what type of talent philosophy? A. hiring as many people as possible B. viewing employees as investors C. viewing employees as assets D. keeping salaries as low as possible to control costs

D. keeping salaries as low as possible to control costs

Hiring people who are entrepreneurial, creative, and have a high tolerance for ambiguity would support a ________ competitive advantage. A. customer intimacy B. operational excellence C. training and development D. product leadership

D. product leadership