Deck 18: HR Management and Organizational Strategy: Key Concepts and Considerations

Question 1

Human Resource departments serve a strategic role in most organizations because:

A)globalization has reduced competition.
B)today's organizations are instituting HR practices aimed at gaining competitive advantage through their employees.
C)Human Resource departments handle downsizing and layoff processes.
D)the workforce is becoming less diverse.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Total Quality Management (TQM)programs typically include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)a focus on customer satisfaction through continuous improvement.
B)specific penalties for employees who fail to meet TQM standards.
C)involvement of all members of the organization.
D)employee training designed to insure quality.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The management functions of most HR departments include:

A)staff responsibilities but not line responsibilities.
B)neither line nor staff responsibilities.
C)line responsibilities but not staff responsibilities.
D)both line and staff responsibilities.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Distinguishing characteristics of self-directed (self-managed)teams include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)strong managerial leadership.
B)enriched jobs.
C)naturally interdependent tasks.
D)employee empowerment.

Question 5

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on:

A)race, religion, or sexual orientation.
B)race, gender, or religion.
C)race, color, or ethnic background.
D)race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Question 6

A work redesign plan whereby employees build their workday around a core of midday hours is:

A)a compressed work week.
B)a flexible work schedule.
C)job sharing.
D)telecommuting.

Question 7

With regard to technology:

A)most organizations are decreasing, rather than increasing, technology usage.
B)expansion of employee Internet use has had little effect on HR policies and practices.
C)most employees need little training in technology as computer usage is widespread.
D)technology and the Internet have enhanced HR's ability to deliver services to employees.

Question 8

A comprehensive process to determine the effectiveness of a firm's HR policies and procedures would most likely include:

A)a re-design of the performance appraisal process.
B)an HR audit.
C)comparison of the firm's compensation practices with peer firms.
D)an analysis of turnover and absenteeism in the HR department.

Question 9

Which of the following is true with regard to flexible work arrangements?

A)Compressed workweeks are particularly suitable for organizations that offer services continuously, 24 hours a day.
B)Job sharing and work sharing are different terms for the same process.
C)Most firms using flexible work arrangements give employees broad freedom regarding the hours they work.
D)Flextime arrangements have been most successful in factory jobs.

Question 10

Strategic organizational issues related to employee compensation include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)how to handle salary compression.
B)whether employees should be paid weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
C)whether to emphasize seniority or performance.
D)who should distribute pay checks to employees.

Question 11

With regard to global HR management, HR practitioners should note that:

A)labor strikes occur very frequently in European countries.
B)the adjustment of the employee's spouse and family to the new country is rarely a significant factor in employee performance.
C)repatriation agreements are considered ineffective processes in today's international organizations.
D)research indicates that a significant number of employees will leave the firm within a year or two of returning home after an international assignment.

Question 12

A process that aims to improve the performance and interaction within a specific group of employees is:

A)survey research.
B)human factors engineering.
C)a Scanlon plan.
D)teambuilding.

Question 13

Human Resources departments can make a significant contribution to business process re-engineering by:

A)strengthening the top-down communication process.
B)moving from teams to functional departments.
C)redesigning work with a focus on multitasked, enriched, generalist work.
D)eliminating the distractions of cross-training.

Question 14

HR-related guidelines for building effective self-directed teams include:

A)assigning employees who dislike teams to work together as a team to overcome their resistance.
B)designating a strong leader as manager of the team.
C)eliminating cross training so that workers can concentrate on their jobs.
D)providing extensive training so that team members have the skills needed to do their jobs.

Question 15

A specialized approach to organizational change in which the employees themselves formulate the change that is required and implement it, often with the assistance of a trained consultant, is:

A)sensitivity training.
B)organizational development.
C)employee orientation.
D)skills training.

Question 16

Human Resource professionals need to understand the relationship between employee training and organizational strategy because:

A)employees generally enjoy training programs.
B)HR departments are responsible for delivering employee training.
C)training always results in improved performance.
D)training is often part of managerial efforts to renew or reinvent the organization so that it can meet a strategic challenge.

Question 17

Human Resources departments support organizational strategy implementation in all of the following ways EXCEPT:

A)retraining employees for redesigned work.
B)restructuring efforts.
C)instituting incentive plans, such as pay-for-performance plans.
D)developing and marketing the organization' s products and services.

Question 18

An important workforce demographic consideration for HR professionals is that:

A)diversity initiatives are no longer needed in most organizations.
B)older workers are more likely to remain in the workforce past the age of 65.
C)the average age of the labor force is declining.
D)the workforce has become less diverse in recent years.

Question 19

Current global pressures that affect HR strategic management include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)employee skills deployment to the appropriate location.
B)identifying and developing employee talent on a global basis.
C)knowledge dissemination throughout the organization.
D)stressing to employees that cultures are the same around the world.

Question 20

Technological changes in the workplace have influenced the practice of HR management because:

A)organizational spending on technology has reduced the funds available for HR functions.
B)employees need less training when organizations use technology.
C)technological changes have changed the nature of work.
D)as technology advances, firms become less competitive.

Question 21

The first step in the job analysis process entails:

A)replacing job descriptions with job specifications.
B)deciding how the organization will use the information collected.
C)comparing old job descriptions with new job specifications.
D)writing new job descriptions for all current employees.

Question 22

Designing job specifications based on statistical analysis:

A)is more defensible than a managerial judgment approach.
B)is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
C)is a quick, low-cost approach to the process.
D)is helpful in recruitment, but not a good predictor of employee performance.

Question 23

Which of the following is true with regard to predicting organizational employment needs?

A)Very few organizations engage in any kind of employment prediction process.
B)Computerized methods of employment forecasting are useful in small organizations but ineffective in large organizations.
C)Mathematical models such as ratio analysis examine the relationship between a causal factor (e.g., sales volume)and the number of employees needed.
D)The most effective analysis processes examine future practices to predict present needs.

Question 24

A basic provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act is that employers must:

A)provide increased benefits to disabled workers, based on the extent of their disability.
B)hire disabled individuals and then lower performance standards so that the disabled will not be adversely affected by their disability.
C)not discriminate against individuals who can perform the essential functions of a job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
D)make reasonable accommodation for disabled workers, even if doing so results in undue hardship to the company.

Question 25

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on:

A)appearance, race, color, or sex.
B)race, religion, color, sexual orientation, or gender.
C)race, religion, or gender.
D)race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Question 26

The final step in a job analysis process is:

A)collect the job analysis data.
B)decide how the analysis information will be used.
C)verify the analysis data with the worker performing the job and his or her immediate supervisor.
D)develop a job description and job specification.

Question 27

Outsourcing of HR functions is a valuable organizational strategy because this strategy:

A)increases employee commitment to the organization.
B)offers employees improved benefits packages.
C)reduces costs.
D)decreases turnover and absenteeism.

Question 28

Which of the following would likely be the least effective method of recruiting internal job candidates?

A)examining HR records of current employees
B)posting information on organizational bulletin boards
C)advertising in national newspapers and journals
D)consulting organizational skills banks

Question 29

Which of the following actions would likely be deemed discriminatory?

A)requiring disabled workers to perform the essential functions of the job for which they were hired
B)refusing to hire women in a private for-profit business with seven employees, all male
C)pay differences between men and women based on seniority
D)replacing a worker aged 45 with a worker aged 39

Question 30

HR departments contribute a unique perspective to the organizational strategic planning process because:

A)HR is responsible for compensation surveys.
B)HR offers training programs in the strategic planning process.
C)HR handles strategy implementation in regard to restructuring and organizational development.
D)HR maintains records of employee performance.

Question 31

Organizational efforts to eliminate the present effects of past discriminatory practices are collectively known as:

A)affirmative action.
B)reverse discrimination.
C)equal employment opportunity.
D)compliance strategies.

Question 32

A key determinant of success in business-government employment initiatives such as a welfare-to-work program is:

A)pre- and post-employment training initiatives, including new employee counseling and basic skills training.
B)offering salaries that are significantly higher than industry standards.
C)hiring only relatives of current employees.
D)hiring only those who speak English as their native language.

Question 33

A major provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 is that:

A)it permits the awarding of compensatory damages but not punitive damages.
B)it permits the awarding of punitive damages but not compensatory damages.
C)it placed the burden of proof back on employers and permits the awarding of compensatory and punitive damages.
D)it limits compensatory and punitive damages for employers found liable for discriminatory practices.

Question 34

With regard to Equal Employment Opportunity aspects of testing in the selection process:

A)testing always results in adverse impact.
B)if tests are valid, the tests need not show a relationship to job performance.
C)employers should avoid testing, as testing has been shown to violate the rights of protected classes.
D)employers must be able to prove the relationship between performance on the test and performance on the job.

Question 35

In the selection process, test validity refers to:

A)the number of criteria included on the test.
B)the accuracy with which the test measures what it purports to measure nor fulfills the function it was designed to fill.
C)the range of scores possible on the test.
D)the consistency of scores obtained by the same person when retested with the same or equivalent tests.

Question 36

The contemporary contingent work force:

A)is declining as firms continue to outsource.
B)is made up of workers who do not have permanent jobs.
C)is generally limited to clerical or maintenance staff.
D)is considered a staffing alternative of last resort.

Question 37

A written statement that describes the activities and responsibilities of a job, as well as important features such as working conditions and safety hazards, is a:

A)job analysis.
B)workforce warning and retraining notification statement.
C)job specification.
D)job description.

Question 38

Employee requirement and availability forecasts would be most helpful in:

A)the employee discipline process.
B)the performance appraisal process.
C)the recruiting process.
D)the interviewing process.

Question 39

An employer who wants to measure job performance directly rather than indirectly would likely use which of the following testing processes?

A)an intelligence test
B)a test of manual dexterity
C)a personality test
D)a work sample test

Question 40

As an organizational technology tool, HR Websites are used to:

A)provide employees with a single access point or gateway to organizational HR information.
B)streamline the performance appraisal process.
C)allow employees to communicate with each other via electronic mail.
D)minimize union organizing activity.

Question 41

With regard to flexible work arrangements such as compressed work week programs and flextime, HR professionals should note that:

A)flexible schedules are likely to increase absenteeism.
B)in shift work, a change to 12-hour shifts from 8-hour shifts creates more confusion, since there are fewer shift changes.
C)flexible work schedules generally have a positive effect on employee productivity, but may increase worker fatigue.
D)as programs become more flexible, they are easier to administer.

Question 42

The best medium for recruiting blue-collar and entry-level workers is generally:

A)the Internet.
B)the local newspaper.
C)trade journals.
D)nationally distributed newspapers.

Question 43

HR professionals should know the following about unemployment insurance benefits:

A)benefits are not paid unless the employee submits to an exit interview.
B)in most cases, unemployment insurance benefits expire in eight weeks.
C)firms are required to pay benefits only for employees dismissed through no fault of their own.
D)unemployment insurance benefits are not available to exempt employees.

Question 44

An advantage of job analysis methods that use quantitative measures is that:

A)it is much easier to plan employee training programs if quantitative measures are used.
B)quantitative measures never change, unlike non-quantitative measures.
C)HR professionals can group together, and assign similar pay to, all jobs with similar scores, even if the jobs are very different.
D)methods that use quantitative measures are much less expensive than non -quantitative methods.

Question 45

Which of the following job analysis methods quantifies job duties in the three specific areas of data, people, and things?

A)an unstructured interview
B)the Position Analysis Questionnaire
C)the Department of Labor job analysis procedure
D)a participant diary

Question 46

With regard to writing job specifications, HR professionals should know that:

A)job specifications are not needed for untrained workers.
B)identifying the specifications for trained workers is much more complex than for untrained workers.
C)identifying the specifications for untrained workers is much more complex than for trained workers.
D)job specifications are not needed for trained workers.

Question 47

Organizations wishing to ensure a suitable supply of employees for current and future senior or key jobs should consider implementing:

A)work-life initiatives.
B)higher compensation rates.
C)succession planning.
D)a stress interviewing process.

Question 48

Which of the following job analysis methods offers the most quantifiable measures of job duties?

A)a participant diary
B)the Position Analysis Questionnaire
C)observation
D)an interview

Question 49

An HR staffing plan would likely include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)projected turnover.
B)employee skills and quality.
C)an analysis of the causes of absenteeism in the organization.
D)financial resources available to the HR department.

Question 50

HR professional who based job specifications on statistical analysis rather than judgment should note that:

A)statistical analysis involves examination of qualitative, rather than quantitative, data.
B)neither approach is defensible.
C)basing job specifications on statistical analysis is a more defensible approach.
D)basing job specifications on judgment is a more defensible approach.

Question 51

The primary purpose of new employee orientation is to:

A)reduce employee lawsuits.
B)help the new employee feel comfortable in the organization.
C)reduce turnover and absenteeism.
D)provide new employees with basic information so that they can perform their jobs satisfactorily.

Question 52

Factors that can undermine the usefulness of an interview include all of the following except:

A)not knowing the job candidate.
B)being under pressure to hire.
C)the effect of the order in which candidates were interviewed.
D)not knowing the requirements of the job.

Question 53

Systematically moving workers from one job to another is known as:

A)job rotation.
B)job enlargement.
C)job enrichment.
D)dejobbing.

Question 54

Employers may wish to utilize employment agencies in the recruiting process because:

A)agencies almost always provide higher quality candidates that those recruited by HR departments.
B)it is generally less expensive to outsource recruiting than to do it in-house.
C)candidates, not the prospective employer, are responsible for paying the agency's fees.
D)agencies can generally fill a particular opening more quickly than in-house HR departments.

Question 55

Which of the following would be LEAST likely used when selecting staff for assignments outside the U.S.?

A)an occupational preferences test
B)the Overseas Assignment Inventory
C)an adaptability screening test
D)a test of foreign language speaking ability

Question 56

HR professionals should use multiple sources of information when conducting job analysis because:

A)quantifiable information is frequently erroneous.
B)using only one source of information may lead to inaccurate conclusions.
C)it is less expensive to use multiple sources.
D)it is less time-consuming to use multiple sources.

Question 57

Personnel replacement charts are primarily used for:

A)forecasting the supply of external job candidates.
B)forecasting the supply of internal job candidates.
C)conducting exit interviews.
D)writing job descriptions.

Question 58

Which of the following types of interviews tend to be the most reliable and valid?

A)stress interviews
B)panel interviews
C)unstructured interviews
D)structured interviews

Question 59

A primary advantage of unstructured versus structured interviewing techniques is that:

A)unstructured interviews take less time.
B)unstructured interviews are in compliance with EEOC regulations, whereas structured interviews are not.
C)in an unstructured interview, the interviewer can ask follow-up questions and pursue points of interest as they develop.
D)unstructured interviews are more cost effective.

Question 60

An employer who wishes to hire a recent immigrant should note the following related to U.S. immigration law:

A)EEOC regulations do not apply to foreign-born workers.
B)employers must verify eligibility for employment prior to hiring foreign-born applicants.
C)to be eligible for employment, immigrants must sign an oath of allegiance to the U.S.
D)a person must be a U.S. citizen, or have started the naturalization process, to be lawfully employed in the U.S.

Question 61

HR professionals can best promote transferability of training by:

A)using well-prepared speakers for training programs.
B)maximizing the similarity between the training situation and the work situation.
C)offering incentives to employees who attend training programs.
D)using technology in the delivery of training programs.

Question 62

A stress interview technique would be most appropriate for which of the following jobs?

A)a paralegal
B)a secretary
C)an executive chef
D)an air traffic controller

Question 63

Which of the following tests would likely be considered the MOST valid in terms of job relatedness?

A)a manual dexterity test for insurance sales staff
B)a typing test for medical transcriptionists
C)a mathematics test for factory workers
D)a management assessment center for data processors

Question 64

Methods of determining employee training needs include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)examining compensation records.
B)interviewing employees and supervisors.
C)analyzing customer complaints.
D)reviewing performance appraisals.

Question 65

In order to lower the chances of lawsuits claiming discrimination in hiring, employers should note that:

A)selection tests need not be job related as long as they are administered to all applicants.
B)selection tests need not be valid if they are reliable.
C)selection tests must be related to the job.
D)it is illegal to require selection tests for protected classes.

Question 66

The most widely used HR selection tool is:

A)cognitive testing.
B)the interview.
C)motor skills testing.
D)the assessment center.

Question 67

In regard to employee recruiting, the term "head hunter" generally refers to:

A)former employees who wish to return to the company.
B)entry-level candidates who demand large salaries.
C)executive recruiters.
D)candidates who are over-qualified for the job.

Question 68

Using the Internet in the recruiting process would likely be most useful when the company is attempting to recruit:

A)mail clerks.
B)data processors.
C)bookkeepers.
D)laborers.

Question 69

Using a structured interviewing technique would likely achieve all of the following EXCEPT:

A)increased consistency across candidates.
B)enhanced job relatedness.
C)more opportunity to explore areas as they arise during the interview.
D)reduced subjectivity on the part of the interviewer.

Question 70

If an employment selection test constitutes a fair sample of the duties of the job, the test has what kind of validity?

A)position validity
B)construct validity
C)content validity
D)criterion validity

Question 71

The federal law that would be least likely to affect employment references is:

A)The Fair Labor Standards Act.
B)The Freedom of Information Act.
C)The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.
D)The Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Question 72

If a company wishes to measure a job candidate's stability, introversion, and motivation, it would be most likely to use which of the following selection tests:

A)personality tests.
B)intelligence tests.
C)honesty tests.
D)handwriting analysis.

Question 73

Employees who are not citizens of the countries in which they are working are called:

A)naturalized citizens.
B)third-country nationals.
C)expatriates.
D)home-country nationals.

Question 74

A hospital that needs to recruit newly licensed physical therapists would probably be most successful by targeting its recruiting efforts toward:

A)internal job postings.
B)local physicians.
C)fitness centers.
D)university physical therapy departments.

Question 75

The process of verifying that there is an employee performance deficiency and determining if training is an appropriate solution is:

A)behavioral analysis.
B)task analysis.
C)performance analysis.
D)deficiency analysis.

Question 76

Which of the following recruiting advertisements would likely be deemed in violation of EEO regulations?

A)"experienced housekeeper wanted"
B)"nursery school seeks mature child care worker"
C)"female model needed for hosiery and lingerie manufacturer"
D)"young man needed for insurance sales position"

Question 77

The process of forecasting the supply of internal job candidates would be LEAST likely to use which of the following:

A)exit interviews.
B)personnel replacement charts.
C)qualifications inventories.
D)position replacement cards.

Question 78

The most appropriate method of assessing the training needs of new employees is:

A)task analysis.
B)psychological analysis.
C)performance analysis.
D)cognitive analysis.

Question 79

Tests that measure traits, temperament, or disposition are examples of:

A)intelligence tests.
B)personality tests.
C)work sample tests.
D)manual dexterity tests.

Question 80

A well-designed new employee orientation program is likely to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT:

A)faster advancement in the organization for the new employee.
B)fewer mistakes by the new employee.
C)an understanding of policies and procedures.
D)an appreciation of the company's core values.