Deck 11: Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees

Question 1

The human resource manager's job is easier today than it was in the past because a growing percentage of the work force is highly educated and well-prepared for jobs in the contemporary business environment.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Today, human resource management is viewed as a clerical function of keeping personnel records and processing payroll.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

One challenge faced by today's human resource managers is the fact that workers overseas often work for lower wages and are subject to fewer laws and regulations.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Underemployed workers present a challenge for human resources managers. These are people who are working beyond their capabilities.

Question 5

The growing importance of human resource issues has led most firms to expect only its human resource specialists to tackle HR issues.

Question 6

Today's workers have an increased demand for benefits tailored to their individual needs.

Question 7

It is challenging for HR managers to deal with a declining economy that results in a short-term preference for part-time and/or temporary employees; and, a trend to outsource jobs, even though there are skilled employees who are willing to work.

Question 8

The reason industries such as robotics and biotechnology have grown rapidly in recent years is that the United States has a surplus of highly educated and experienced workers available for employment in these fields.

Question 9

According to the Thinking Green box, "Green Eggs and Ham", contemporary firms do not see a cost benefit to providing healthy snacks for employees.

Question 10

Human Resources Management is the process of deciding the number and types of people your business needs, and then, recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating, compensating, and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals.

Question 11

Contemporary firms such as Google who care about their employees also care about what their employees eat, as well as what is offered in the company cafeteria.

Question 12

The appropriate term for employees whose skills and knowledge go beyond their current work environment and work responsibilities are underemployed workers.

Question 13

The human resource function has become so critical that it is now a concern of all managers.

Question 14

Human resource management is receiving increased attention because the shift from traditional manufacturing industries to service and high-tech manufacturing industries requires workers to have more technical job skills.

Question 15

According to the Thinking Green box titled, "Green Eggs and Ham", your firm stands to benefit more by encouraging employees to eat healthier.

Question 16

One of the challenges facing today's human resource managers is a shift in the age distribution of the labor force, including aging baby boomers, many of whom are deferring retirement.

Question 17

Today's workers place a lower priority on leisure time than they did in the past. Nickels - Chapter 11 #9 Topic: The Human Resource Challenge

Question 18

Today's workers tend to be very loyal, as evidenced by declining turnover rates in most industries.

Question 19

Recruiting is relatively easy today because qualified labor is so plentiful.

Question 20

Very few experienced employees have skill and knowledge that is considered a higher level than what they use at their jobs.

Question 21

Affirmative action programs are the least controversial method of correcting job inequities created by past discrimination.

Question 22

The Civil Rights Act of 1991 gave victims of discrimination the right to seek punitive damages from the firms that discriminated against them.

Question 23

In one year's time, James developed gall bladder problems and needed surgery; he became a single parent; he willingly moved his older mom in to live with him in order to avoid placing her in a nursing home; and, he unexpectedly tore his rotator cuff playing softball during the summer. Overall, these are not considered circumstances that impact job performance because they fall outside of the workplace. HR managers need only be concerned with how James performs when he is at work.

Question 24

HR is focused on issues directly related to a person's job and with things that happen at work, as opposed to concerns that may affect one's work such as elder care and child care, but are not directly related to work.

Question 25

The concept of "reasonable accommodations" means that all workers should be treated in the same manner.

Question 26

Congress has given the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission broad powers to issue guidelines for acceptable employer behavior concerning employment opportunities.

Question 27

Recent federal law clearly and strongly supports the notion that companies must use strict employment quotas to correct for past discriminatory actions.

Question 28

Elise is the manager in the finance department for a company that competes in a service industry. If her company is like most contemporary firms, Elise will leave almost all aspects of human resource functions to specialists in the human resource department.

Question 29

The federal government has to minimized its role in human resource management.

Question 30

Reverse discrimination is the term the EEOC uses to refer to activities designed to "right past wrongs" that resulted from discrimination against women and minorities.

Question 31

The effectiveness of the EEOC has been limited because Congress never gave it any authority to enforce its mandates.

Question 32

Although the purpose of affirmative action was to "right past wrongs" against minorities, subsequent laws were passed to reverse earlier decisions that required some industries to maintain employment quotas when it came to the hiring of minorities.

Question 33

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, or compensation, based on race, religion, creed, sex, or national origin.

Question 34

San Diego State University continues to serve its employees fatty meats and dairy products in its cafeteria and vending machines because it's cheaper; it does not want to promote one choice over another; and, it can convert any waste from these products to compost.

Question 35

Rick is in his early sixties. A few years ago he had planned to retire by the time he was sixty, but when the time came, he decided to continue working. In fact, not only is Rick still working, he has no intention of retiring or setting a time when retirement might occur. Rick's decision to keep working into his late sixties is unusual in today's labor market.

Question 36

Most firms have trouble implementing the structural changes required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Question 37

Robotek International is a rapidly growing firm specializing in the production of sophisticated robots. One of the major problems Robotek is likely to face is a shortage of qualified workers.

Question 38

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not do enough to discourage discriminatory practices in the workplace.

Question 39

The EEOC sets guidelines that human resource managers follow in the process of hiring and dismissing employees.

Question 40

Last year Adam lost his job as a skilled welder at an automobile assembly plant. After looking for work for several months, he finally accepted a job as an unskilled laborer at a local nursery. Although he is pleased to have work, Adam feels that his new job doesn't use his skills to their full potential. Adam is an example of an underemployed worker.

Question 41

The Americans With Disabilities Act protects people who are born with physical disabilities, exclusively, but not those who acquire disabilities later in life.

Question 42

Ramona is a recent HR hire for a security firm that hires retired law enforcement officers to provide security for retail malls across the nation. Her supervisor was impressed with Ramona's knowledge of current laws with respect to hiring practices, but asked her to quickly get up to speed on compensation and training laws. This is a reasonable request if Ramona plans to stay in the HR field.

Question 43

When it comes to human resource management issues, the federal government generally has taken a "hands off" approach since the early 1960s.

Question 44

One purpose of a human resource inventory is to determine whether the labor force is technically up-to-date and well trained.

Question 45

Chip Dodson is a middle-aged white male employed by a large company. Recently, he was passed over for a promotion, despite receiving an excellent performance appraisal. The promotion went to a woman Chip felt was less qualified. His supervisor told him the woman got the promotion because the business was trying to comply with affirmative action guidelines. Critics of affirmative action would cite this situation as a case of reverse discrimination.

Question 46

Like all management, human resource management begins with planning.

Question 47

Sean works for a large discount retailer. His wife works for a large bank with several branches. After recently adopting a child, the couple agreed that each would take six-weeks of leave from work in order to care for the newborn. According to the Family and Medical Leave Act, one, but not both are eligible for leave.

Question 48

In their efforts to accommodate disabled workers, most firms experience difficulties with cultural changes, more so than with structural changes.

Question 49

Sonny Skies is in his late fifties and loves his work as a pilot for a major airline. He wants to continue working for many more years. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act provides Sonny with the right to keep his job as long as his company is financially sound and he does not commit a felony.

Question 50

One way human resource managers can keep current on human resource legislation and rulings is to read current business literature such as The Wall Street Journal and Business Week.

Question 51

The Americans With Disabilities Act protects qualified persons from discriminatory hiring practices, but does not require employers to provide suitable accommodations in the workplace, or opportunities for promotion. This is left to occupational safety laws.

Question 52

The first step in the human resource planning process is to prepare a job analysis for each available position within the firm.

Question 53

The result of a job analysis is a written document called a human resource inventory.

Question 54

Zorn Enterprises hired several qualified soldiers returning from the war with hearing impairment to rehab its recently acquired apartment complexes. As a growing business, it is abiding by the law as currently stated. It is not required to adapt the work site to help these soldiers hear and communicate better with each other.

Question 55

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act only prevents discrimination against employees who are over the age of 65.

Question 56

Ruth Gray is a manager who takes pride in her ability to be fair and impartial. She treats all workers the same way, and evaluates them all using the same standards. Ruth is likely to have difficulty with the adjustments needed to accommodate disabled workers.

Question 57

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act permits age limits in professions where it can be established that ability to perform the job declines significantly with age.

Question 58

Mario and Marla are web development professionals for a popular high tech company. Due to injuries Mario sustained while serving in the Army Reserves, upon his return the company provided him and other returning soldiers with ergonomic desks and chairs that accommodates wheel chairs and bad backs. Although Marla is hearing impaired, the company does not need to consider providing her with a headset that magnifies sound because she is the only employee out of 200 requiring this accommodation.

Question 59

Introduction to Business students know that the creation of laws are the first step that a society takes in order to act in an ethical manner. The U.S. government learned that unless it stepped in and created business laws, many firms would not concern themselves with fair practices when it comes to hiring, firing, and non-discriminatory actions.

Question 60

There are laws that protect employees from undo harm due to hazardous work conditions.

Question 61

A job specification identifies the minimum qualifications a person must have to fill a particular job.

Question 62

Human resource planning involves the assessment of both the future demand and the future supply of the various types of labor needed by the organization.

Question 63

A job analysis consists of creating two documents called a job inventory and a performance appraisal.

Question 64

The second step in human resource planning consists of conducting job analyses. Through observation and research, the manager will collect information on the kinds of things that each job title performs and how they are performed, as well as the skill and knowledge requirements for doing the job.

Question 65

According to the "Spotlight on Small Business" box in Chapter 11, one way that a small business can attract qualified employees is to hire its customers.

Question 66

The first four steps in human resource planning all lead to the final step, which is the development of a strategic human resource plan.

Question 67

take inventory of the type of workers (including the skills of the workers) that the business already has, in order to determine if it has the most up to date workforce for its needs; he/she then proceeds with (2) analyzing each job; (3) forecasting the firm's requirements for various job titles, and (4) making a determination of the future supply of skilled labor available to meet the demands of the business. Lastly, the HR professional (5) develops a human resource strategic plan.

Question 68

Chris Schubert is a human resource manager with the Night Owl Publishing Company. He just finished creating a document that describes what editors do at their jobs. The study Chris has completed is known as a human resource inventory.

Question 69

Recruitment is a set of activities undertaken for attracting qualified people, at the right time.

Question 70

A job description identifies and describes the type of person who should perform the job, including important qualifications such as deduction, skills, and experience.

Question 71

Job analysis helps a manager answer the question: "How many workers in my organization have this particular skill"?

Question 72

Helen Caldwell is a human resource manager for a firm that is planning to switch to a more sophisticated production method. As a human resource manager, one of Helen's duties will be to forecast the demand for the type of labor needed to implement the new method.

Question 73

As an HR manager, Erin is assigned to updating all job descriptions and job specifications for her company. Erin will begin by collecting information about each job title, as well as learning about the kinds of activities and responsibilities that go with each job. After she thoroughly analyzes a job, she will write the job description and job specifications for that job.

Question 74

A job specification is a statement of the job itself, while a job description is a statement about the person who does the job.

Question 75

Because of the continuous flow of potential employees into the labor market, recruiting usually is the easiest task for a human resource manager to accomplish.

Question 76

Lani wants to know how many workers in her company have certain specialized skills and have received training to update their qualifications within the past year. She could use a human resource inventory to help her find this type of information.

Question 77

The Administrative Assistant II position at Idle Time Gaming, Inc. performs word processing and spreadsheet development for two vice-presidents, and other secretarial duties as needed. Other job responsibilities include maintaining the office operations budget, receiving guests, and supervising two clerical positions. These tasks are part of the job description for this position.

Question 78

When you collect information about a particular job title, including how the job is performed and what it takes to perform the job, you are conducting a job analysis.

Question 79

Career Builders.com has posted a variety of sales management positions. Some require the manager to have five to ten years of experience and preferably a Master's Degree in a field of science. These requirements are part of the job specification.

Question 80

Toni Matthews is interested in a position that has opened up at her firm, but she wants to find out more about the type of work and responsibilities involved in the job. A document that would have the information she wants is the job specification.