Deck 12: Building and Managing Human Resources

Question 1

Strategic human resource management has the objective of developing the four building blocks of competitive advantage: efficiency, quality, responsiveness to customers, and

A)effectiveness.
B)creativity.
C)innovation.
D)value.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Employers are required to provide workers' compensation benefits to their employees, but not unemployment insurance.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The component of an HRM system that focuses on helping employees to build the skills and abilities that will enable them to perform their jobs successfully is

A)training and development.
B)education and advancement.
C)quality improvement.
D)performance appraisal.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In a 360-degree appraisal, a variety of people, beginning with the manager and including peers or coworkers, subordinates, superiors, and sometimes even customers or clients, appraise a manager's performance.

Question 5

The NLRB conducts certification elections, which are held among the employees of an organization, to determine whether they want a union to represent their interests.

Question 6

Outsourcing best for jobs that require problem solving and creativity.

Question 7

The component of an HRM system that focuses on attempting to attract and hire employees who have the abilities and experiences that will help the organization achieve its goals is known as

A)job searching.
B)development.
C)recruitment and selection.
D)advertising.

Question 8

Microsoft Corporation interviews dozens of highly qualified programmers before deciding on which ones to hire. This is the HRM process of

A)recruitment.
B)expansion.
C)selection.
D)appraisal.

Question 9

Managers face contemporary challenges such as managing HIV-positive employees, dealing with employees with substance abuse problems, and eliminating sexual harassment. These arise out of the ________ environment of business.

A)economic
B)social
C)legal
D)political

Question 10

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure is known as the reliability of the test.

Question 11

In the United States, the law which requires male and female employees to be paid the same if they perform equal work is

A)Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
B)the Comparable Worth Act.
C)the Americans with Disabilities Act.
D)the Equal Pay Act.

Question 12

The goal of EEO is to ensure that all citizens have an equal opportunity to obtain employment regardless of their gender, race, country of origin, religion, age, or disabilities.

Question 13

Newly hired programmers at Microsoft Corporation join small work teams so that experienced workers can serve as mentors to them while they are adjusting to their new job. This is the HRM process of

A)self-managing work teams.
B)selection.
C)performance appraisal.
D)training and development.

Question 14

The information that managers need to make good human resources decisions about how to train, motivate, and reward organizational members can be obtained through

A)recruitment and selection.
B)the induction process.
C)training and development.
D)the performance appraisal.

Question 15

Steffie has requested a week's leave to be with her ill mother, even though doing this would result in a loss of pay. However, her manager refuses to grant her the leave. By doing this, the manager is violating

A)the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
B)Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
C)the Family and Medical Leave Act.
D)the Equal Pay Act.

Question 16

Six Sigma programs

A)are a required part of every HR system.
B)do not require HR initiatives.
C)can be built by employees from the bottom up.
D)require top management commitment.

Question 17

Feedback from a performance appraisal system can serve a developmental purpose for managers.

Question 18

In general, unstructured job interviews work better than structured job interviews in the selection process of organizations.

Question 19

Collective bargaining is negotiation between labor unions and managers to resolve conflicts and disputes about important issues.

Question 20

The purpose of training activities within organizations is to teach current employees new skills so they can be better prepared to take on new responsibilities within the organization.

Question 21

The process by which managers determine the relative qualifications of job applicants for an open position is known as

A)validation.
B)selection.
C)recruitment.
D)appraisal.

Question 22

The human resource management process of determining whether a candidate has the potential to perform well in a specific job is a part of

A)validation.
B)job analysis.
C)recruitment.
D)selection.

Question 23

When a manager studies the résumé of a job applicant to determine the work history and education of the applicant, this is known as the process of

A)gathering data.
B)induction interviewing.
C)gathering background information.
D)situational interviewing.

Question 24

In the selection process managers use the ________ tool.

A)recruiting
B)training
C)references
D)orientation

Question 25

When managers hire contract employees who are not regular employees of their organization to produce goods and services, it is known as

A)open sourcing.
B)downsizing.
C)outsourcing.
D)job specification.

Question 26

A software firm has an opening for a software programmer. Jason, the HR manager, is making a list of all the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that make up a software programmer's job. He then lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities that a candidate should possess in order for him or her to perform the job. By doing this, Jason is developing a job

A)analysis.
B)validation.
C)utilization.
D)design.

Question 27

DigiFun, Inc., has long held the position as the premier video game company in the world. However, recently its position has been slipping. The company's games have become somewhat stale, while competitors have fresher, more innovative games that have sold well. As the head of human resources for DigiFun, Prim wants to figure out why her company's performance has declined. The veteran game designers for the company, which helped to bring it to prominence, have either retired or been lured to other companies. The new crop of designers has not contributed as many fresh ideas, even though they are well educated in their field and have kept up with the latest technical advances. Also, they do not seem to be motivated to do great work. Prim realizes she can effectively and efficiently help DigiFun regain its dominant position by

A)requiring potential hires to complete a series of tests to gauge their ability to innovate and devising a new bonus structure that gives the person who originates an idea a share of the resulting profits.
B)selecting only highly educated game designers who have at least 15 years of experience and sending all current employees to a week-long game creation boot camp.
C)sending all current employees to seminars that teach them leadership and teamwork skills and collecting customer feedback and posting it around the office so designers are reminded of recent responses.
D)enacting disciplinary procedures for employees who fail to bring creative ideas to team meetings two or more months in a row and firing employees to fail to do so for six cumulative months in a year.

Question 28

The set of activities in which managers generate a pool of qualified candidates for open positions is known as

A)selection.
B)outsourcing.
C)induction.
D)recruitment.

Question 29

A likely disadvantage of internal recruiting in organizations is the

A)high cost of recruitment.
B)lack of new ideas and approaches.
C)lack of knowledge about the inner workings.
D)need for more training.

Question 30

The attempt by managers to estimate the qualifications and the number of employees an organization will need, given its goals and strategies, is the process of

A)supply modeling.
B)outsource modeling.
C)resource forecasting.
D)demand forecasting.

Question 31

A summary of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are needed to perform a specific job is known as a job

A)design.
B)hypothesis.
C)description.
D)specification.

Question 32

The set of activities in which managers engage to predict the future human resource needs of their organization is known as

A)human appraisal development.
B)human resource management.
C)human resource planning.
D)human appraisal strategy.

Question 33

A large publishing company engages in outsourcing by

A)giving the job of copyediting a manuscript to an editor who has been working for the company for years.
B)hiring a full-time copyeditor for the task of copyediting a manuscript.
C)contracting with a freelance writer for the task of copyediting a manuscript.
D)assigning the task of copyediting a manuscript to a full-time editor who often works from home.

Question 34

When managers attempt to fill open positions with workers who are already working for the organization in some other capacity, they are engaging in ________ recruiting.

A)referral
B)external
C)walk-in
D)internal

Question 35

When managers use a set of predetermined questions for all the applicants for a specific job, this is known as a(n)________ interview.

A)structured
B)unstructured
C)stress
D)behavioral

Question 36

The process where job hunters come to an organization and inquire about employment possibilities is referred to as

A)outsourcing.
B)job placement contacts.
C)walk-ins.
D)insourcing.

Question 37

Feedback has help a company increase its profit margin by

A)enabling employees to work with the best co-workers in the field.
B)providing employees with the technical equipment to excel.
C)enabling employees to correct their own potential mistakes before they happen.
D)providing employees with the technical background needed to excel.

Question 38

A manager changes jobs within an organization and moves to another job at the same level without any major changes in authority or responsibility. This is known as

A)internal development.
B)a lateral move.
C)external development.
D)a vertical move.

Question 39

The process of identifying the job descriptions and the job specifications for all of the jobs within an organization is known as a job

A)design.
B)analysis.
C)utilization.
D)hypothesis.

Question 40

The process of identifying in writing the tasks, duties, and responsibilities for a specific job results in a job

A)description.
B)specification.
C)validation.
D)design.

Question 41

An employee will most likely seek a lateral move when he or she wants to

A)get closer to his or her ultimate goal, which is to become the CEO of the company.
B)have more influence on the development of a new product he or she has been working on.
C)receive a higher salary to afford a summer home on the ocean.
D)be transferred to a branch office in another location to be closer to family.

Question 42

The classroom instruction that focuses on allowing trainees to either directly participate in or watch others perform actual job activities in a simulated setting is called

A)role-playing.
B)validity testing.
C)reliability testing.
D)orientation.

Question 43

Larry interviews a series of job applicants and asks each applicant whatever he feels like asking without trying to ask all of the applicants the same questions. This is known as a(n)________ interview.

A)structured
B)realistic job
C)unstructured
D)situational

Question 44

The degree to which a test generates a similar score each time it is administered to a job applicant is known as the ________ of the test.

A)validity
B)recruitment ability
C)stability
D)reliability

Question 45

Tests that assess the skills of a job applicant that are necessary for the successful performance of a job are known as ________ tests.

A)stress management
B)ability
C)structured interview
D)performance

Question 46

Tests that measure the personal characteristics of job applicants that are relevant to successful performance on the job are known as ________ tests.

A)ability
B)structured interview
C)performance
D)personality

Question 47

Quest Motors asks applicants for assembly-line positions to complete a computer exercise on their reading and mathematical skills in order to determine if they have the mental aptitude necessary to do these types of jobs. Quest is utilizing the screening procedure of ________ tests.

A)personality
B)ability
C)situational
D)unstructured

Question 48

Karen is a manager in a large restaurant chain, and she wants to use situational interview questions while interviewing server candidates. As a result, Karen decides to ask

A)"What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses as a server?"
B)"What was a challenge you faced during your last job as a server?"
C)"What do you like most about being a server? What do you like least?"
D)"What would you do if a customer wanted to be seated away from small children?"

Question 49

A manager engages in personality testing by requiring all job applicants to complete

A)the tasks that they would do if they were hired.
B)a quiz that indicates numerical or reading comprehension skills.
C)feats of dexterity and stamina that would be unsafe to practice on the job.
D)a questionnaire that indicates whether they are an extrovert or introvert.

Question 50

A manager administers a performance test requiring all applicants for a secretarial position to

A)solve five math problems without a calculator in a short amount of time.
B)take a quiz that measures verbal aptitude.
C)role-play a situation in which they deal with a hostile client.
D)type a 1,000-word report to determine their error rate and typing speed.

Question 51

A manager attempting to select a test for a job applicant that will be a good predictor of the applicant's performance on the job should be primarily concerned with the ________ of the test.

A)validity
B)stability
C)reliability
D)compatibility

Question 52

Darren, a job applicant seeking a position in an organization is asked to furnish written letters from former supervisors about the quality of his work performance. This applicant is being asked to provide

A)references.
B)unstructured interviews.
C)personality characteristics.
D)citations.

Question 53

Tests that measure a job applicant's performance on actual tasks of the job are known as ________ tests.

A)physical ability
B)paper-and-pencil
C)personality
D)performance

Question 54

You are the manager of human resources for OpenSpaces, Inc., a land survey company that often surveys rugged, mountainous terrain. Your company has an opening for a land surveyor. For this job, a candidate needs a college degree in surveying. However, you also want to find out if candidates have certain qualities that will help them excel at the job. The position requires extensive math, good communication skills, and stamina. Considering all of these elements, you focus on ________ to determine which candidate to hire.

A)the interview process, paper-and-pencil personality tests, and paper-and-pencil ability tests
B)references, paper-and-pencil personality tests, and physical ability tests
C)the interview process, paper-and-pencil ability tests, and physical ability tests
D)references, the interview process, and paper-and-pencil ability tests

Question 55

When interviewers present a job applicant with a scenario that is likely to occur on the job and ask the applicant how he or she would respond, this type of question is known as a(n)________ interview question.

A)unstructured
B)ad hoc
C)situational
D)personality

Question 56

Prior to designing a training and development program for managers, a human resource specialist attempts to determine which managers require training and what types of skills and knowledge these managers require to develop. This process is known as

A)job validation.
B)RJP validation.
C)recruitment.
D)needs assessment.

Question 57

General Motors tests applicants for autoworker positions on their mechanical dexterity in an attempt to determine if they have the capability to perform an assembly-line job. This is an example of ________ testing.

A)physical ability
B)personality
C)situational
D)unstructured

Question 58

Lucia calls a former college professor and asks him to write a letter to her prospective employer commenting on her classroom performance. This is an example of

A)references.
B)recruiting.
C)selection.
D)performance testing.

Question 59

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure is called the ________ of the test.

A)reliability
B)validity
C)consistency
D)utility

Question 60

All of the job applicants for a sales position are asked "What would you do when a customer complains that it takes too long to receive service?" This type of question is known as a(n)________ interview question.

A)unstructured
B)situational
C)personality
D)ad hoc

Question 61

A manager evaluates a subordinate's job performance and his contributions to the organization. This is known as the process of

A)control appraisal.
B)selection testing.
C)performance appraisal.
D)results testing.

Question 62

When a manager appraises the performance of an employee by the actual outcomes of the employee's work behaviors, it is called a ________ appraisal.

A)selective
B)360-degree
C)trait
D)results

Question 63

Ahmed, a manager, likes to rely on his intuition when dealing with his employees. Because of this, he most likely conducts ________ appraisals.

A)result
B)behavior
C)objective
D)subjective

Question 64

An appraisal that focuses on relatively enduring human characteristics but that is difficult for employees to use to improve their performance is called a ________ appraisal.

A)result
B)trait
C)behavior
D)formal

Question 65

A manager assesses a subordinate on personal characteristics that are relevant to the job performance of that subordinate. This is known as

A)selection testing.
B)trait appraisal.
C)behavior appraisal.
D)ability testing.

Question 66

Employees learn how to do their jobs by working closely with their team leader, observing and learning how the process functions. This is known as

A)simulation.
B)role-playing.
C)on-the-job training.
D)development.

Question 67

While providing effective performance feedback to an employee, which of the following is an effective approach for a manager?

A)providing performance feedback only formally and not informally
B)approaching performance appraisal as an exercise in problem solving and solution finding
C)avoiding being specific on an employee's behaviors that are correctable.
D)avoiding focusing on outcomes of a worker that are within the worker's ability to improve

Question 68

A performance appraisal, which includes an employee's peers or coworkers, subordinates, supervisors, and sometimes even clients, is called a ________ appraisal.

A)personality
B)360-degree
C)self-management
D)result

Question 69

A manager at a hospital designs a training class that uses a simulation by having nurse candidates

A)take part in a surgery with a dummy patient.
B)watch a video showing a surgery.
C)watch other nurses assist a surgery.
D)enroll in a university course about surgery.

Question 70

An organization reimburses managers for graduate school tuition whenever they receive a grade of A or B in management-related courses. This component of the HRM process is

A)on-the-job training.
B)development.
C)orientation.
D)role-playing.

Question 71

Kristian is the human resource manager for Lifeline, Inc., a wilderness search-and-rescue operation. He will be training new recruits for a job that requires crossing mountainous, and often treacherous, terrain and administering first aid. Which of the following should Kristian do to prepare recruits?

A)take recruits to a climbing gym or other controlled area where he can lead recruits through imaginary rescues and demonstrate first aid techniques
B)show recruits a variety of training videos depicting various rescues that have occurred and have them read a book on how to provide emergency aid in the field
C)require that all recruits get CPR training and then take them on a real-life rescue mission because the best way to learn is on the job
D)send them off on a week-long trek through one of the local mountain ranges with only a few basic supplies and a radio

Question 72

A manager's evaluation of a subordinate's work that occurs twice a year and is based on measures of performance dimensions of that subordinate's job is known as a(n)________ appraisal.

A)controlled
B)structured
C)objective
D)formal

Question 73

The development approach in which an experienced member of an organization provides advice and guidance to a less experienced member, a protégé, is called

A)simulation.
B)mentoring.
C)testing.
D)role playing.

Question 74

The process by which a manager shares performance information with a subordinate and develops a plan for the future development of that subordinate is known as

A)training.
B)selection.
C)feedback.
D)assessment.

Question 75

An appraisal that provides clear information about what employees are doing right and wrong and how they can improve their performance is called a ________ appraisal.

A)subjective
B)trait
C)behavior
D)comprehensive

Question 76

Kevin, a middle manager, calls an impromptu meeting to discuss the progress of product development with his subordinates and plans to ask for suggestions to improve their performance. By doing this, Kevin is implementing a(n)________ appraisal.

A)360-degree
B)peer
C)structured
D)informal

Question 77

Stefan, a new employee of a tech firm, seeks advice from Yagmur, an experienced member, and follows Yagmur's guidance in his routine work. In this context, Stefan is playing a role of

A)mentor.
B)protégé.
C)tester.
D)researcher.

Question 78

A sales manager for a Ford Motor Co. dealer evaluates each one of his sales staff monthly on the basis of the number of new cars sold during the past month. This is a(n)________ type of appraisal.

A)trait
B)behavior
C)personality
D)objective

Question 79

An appraisal of a subordinate by a manager in terms of that manager's perceptions of the traits, behaviors, and results produced by that subordinate is known as

A)an objective appraisal.
B)a subjective appraisal.
C)management by objectives.
D)a 360-degree appraisal.

Question 80

Appraisals that are dependent on managers' perceptions of traits, behaviors, or results are called ________ appraisals.

A)360-degree
B)calculative
C)subjective
D)objective