Deck 8: Managing Human Resources in Organizations

Question 1

_____ reflects an organization's investment in attracting, retaining, and motivating an effective workforce.

A) Financial capital
B) Human capital
C) Surplus capital
D) Enterprise capital
E) Production capital

Answer 1

B
Human capital reflects an organization's investment in attracting, retaining, and motivating an effective workforce.

Question 2

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids discrimination against workers above which of the following ages?

A) 40
B) 45
C) 50
D) 55
E) 65

Answer 2

A
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, passed in 1967, amended in 1978, and amended again in 1986, is an attempt to prevent organizations from discriminating against older workers. In its current form, it outlaws discrimination against people older than 40 years.

Question 3

_____forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, or national origin in all areas of the employment relationship.

A) The Citizen Rights Act of 1957
B) Title IV of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
C) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
D) Section 1107 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
E) Section 401 of the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act

Answer 3

C
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, or national origin in all areas of the employment relationship.

Question 4

A hospital refuses to employ male nurses. This illustrates _____.

A) confirmatory bias
B) affirmative action
C) a direct form of discrimination
D) equal employment opportunity
E) employment at will

Question 5

A taxi company has a policy that it will never hire women drivers. This scenario illustrates_____.

A) workforce diversity
B) source monitoring error
C) a direct form of discrimination
D) confirmatory bias
E) affirmative action

Question 6

A medical student belonging to a minority ethnic group was selected for an internship program at a hospital even though he had lower grades and test scores than other applicants. This scenario illustrates:

A) confirmatory bias.
B) employment at will.
C) affirmative action.
D) source monitoring error.
E) equal employment opportunity.

Question 7

The Civil Rights Act of 1991:

A) increases punitive damages in lawsuits.
B) makes it easier for employees to sue an organization for discrimination.
C) requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family and medical emergencies.
D) limits union powers.
E) sets standards for safe working conditions.

Question 8

When an organization uses an employment test that the majority ethnic group is known to pass at a higher rate than minority groups , it is exhibiting _____.

A) an indirect form of discrimination
B) equal employment opportunity
C) affirmative action
D) a direct form of discrimination
E) a realistic job preview

Question 9

The Civil Rights Act of 1991:

A) limits union powers.
B) mandates affirmative action in all private business firms.
C) limits punitive damages in lawsuits.
D) allows passive discrimination.
E) sets standards for product packaging

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a direct form of discrimination?

A) An organization intentionally seeking and hiring employees from groups that are underrepresented in the organization
B) An organization refusing to promote employees belonging to an ethnic minority into management
C) An organization hiring professionals based on their experience and skills
D) An organization using employment tests that men pass at a higher rate than women
E) An organization using realistic job previews to recruit employees

Question 11

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act:

A) exclusively protects the elderly belonging to minority groups from discrimination.
B) sets a minimum wage for the elderly and requires overtime pay for work in excess of 40 hours per week.
C) protects individuals below the age of 25 years from discrimination.
D) requires affirmative action.
E) requires passive nondiscrimination.

Question 12

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires employers to provide up to _____ for family and medical emergencies.

A) six months of paid leave
B) 12 weeks of unpaid leave
C) 15 weeks of paid leave
D) one year of unpaid leave
E) one year of paid leave

Question 13

The _____ sets up a procedure for employees to vote on whether to have a union.

A) National Labor Relations Act
B) Labor Management Relations Act
C) Taft-Hartley Act
D) Civil Rights Act of 1991
E) Fair Labor Standards Act

Question 14

_____ also contains the National Emergency Strike provision, which allows the president of the United States to prevent or end a strike that endangers national security.

A) The Civil Rights Act of 1991
B) Title IV of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
C) The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
D) The Taft-Hartley Act
E) The Kennedy-Hawkins Act

Question 15

_____ is defined as intentionally seeking and hiring qualified or qualifiable employees from racial, sexual, and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in an organization.

A) Affirmative action
B) Direct form of discrimination
C) Indirect form of discrimination
D) Adverse impact
E) Validation

Question 16

The set of activities directed at attracting, developing, and maintaining an effective workforce is called _____.

A) operations management
B) organization development
C) relationship management
D) enterprise feedback management
E) human resource management

Question 17

Which of the following laws limits union power and specifies management rights during union-organizing campaign?

A) The National Labor Relations Act
B) The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
C) The Fair Labor Standards Act
D) The Labor Management Relations Act
E) The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

Question 18

The Americans with Disabilities Act:

A) allows passive discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
B) requires employers to pay higher wages to employees with disabilities.
C) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities.
D) requires employers to provide 24 weeks of unpaid leave to employees with disabilities.
E) requires employers to eliminate policies that support affirmative action.

Question 19

The _____, passed in 1938 and amended frequently since then, sets a minimum wage and requires the payment of overtime rates for work in excess of 40 hours per week.

A) National Labor Relations Act
B) Labor Management Relations Act
C) National Labor Relations Act
D) Occupational Safety and Health Act
E) Fair Labor Standards Act

Question 20

Employment requirements such as test scores and other qualifications are legally defined as having a(n) _____ on minorities and women when such individuals meet or pass the requirement at a rate less than 80 percent of the rate of majority group members.

A) affirmative action
B) adverse impact
C) confirmatory action
D) lien
E) divergent impact

Question 21

The _____ lists the skills, abilities, and other credentials needed to do a job.

A) article of incorporation
B) replacement chart
C) job description
D) job specification
E) statement of qualification

Question 22

While matching human resource supply and demand, managers can handle predicted shortfalls by _____.

A) avoiding the employment of new employees
B) convincing individuals who are approaching retirement to stay on
C) not replacing people who have quit
D) laying off employees
E) reducing the benefits provided to employees

Question 23

A company has all of its candidates who are qualifiable for promotion attend a five-day evaluation session during which they take a battery of tests, interviews, and perform in simulated work scenarios. The _____ method is used for the selection process in this scenario.

A) assessment center
B) structured orientation process
C) job analysis
D) job deskilling
E) attrition

Question 24

The CEO of Redd Inc. needs to know the names of the line managers in the company who will soon be ready to take up positions in middle management. The CEO can obtain this information from the _____.

A) demand forecast
B) job analysis
C) supply forecast
D) job evaluation
E) replacement chart

Question 25

Jason, a manager, is working on a new project that involves a lot of statistics. Jason is looking for employees with a background in statistics. He can find this information in the _____ of his company.

A) article of incorporation
B) job description
C) job specification
D) skills inventory
E) replacement chart

Question 26

Jennifer, the CEO of Phoenix Corp., is planning to build an internal design team for the company. She is looking for employees within the company who have the expertise and an interest in designing. Jennifer can find this information in the _____.

A) replacement chart
B) job specification
C) skills inventory
D) job description
E) article of incorporation

Question 27

A job application blank should not contain questions about an applicant's_____.

A) previous work history
B) educational background
C) national origin
D) age
E) personal interests

Question 28

Which of the following is the first step in human resource planning?

A) Assessing external and internal trends
B) Predicting demand
C) Forecasting supply
D) Comparing future demand and internal supply
E) Planning a response to predicted shortfalls or overstaffing

Question 29

A(n) _____ is usually computerized and contains information on each employee's education, work experience, and career aspirations.

A) bona fide occupational qualification
B) article of incorporation
C) skills inventory
D) statement of qualification
E) job description

Question 30

Nelson recently attended an interview where the HR manager showed him a video of an ordinary work day in the organization and explained in detail the expectations of the job. The HR manager also explained about the criteria for promotions in the company. Although some of the information did not appeal to Nelson, he was sure about what to expect from the job and the company. The organization used the _____ method in the interview.

A) affirmative action
B) training and development
C) job enlargement
D) job specialization
E) realistic job preview

Question 31

_____ is defined as determining the extent to which a selection device is really predictive of future job performance.

A) Realistic job preview
B) Internal recruitment
C) Job evaluation
D) Validation
E) Job analysis

Question 32

A(n) _____ lists each important managerial position in an organization, who occupies it, how long he or she will probably remain in the position, and who is or will be a qualified fill-in.

A) skills inventory
B) employee information system
C) enterprise resource planning system
D) replacement chart
E) Gantt chart

Question 33

A job description is most likely to provide information about:

A) the skills of an existing employee.
B) the tools, materials, and equipment used to perform the job.
C) the educational background of an applicant.
D) the personal profile of a supervisor.
E) the kind of skills that a job demands.

Question 34

_____ is a systematized procedure for collecting and recording information about jobs within an organization.

A) Job analysis
B) Job evaluation
C) Job specialization
D) Job enrichment
E) Job enlargement

Question 35

Advertising, campus interviews, employment agencies, and union hiring halls are all _____ methods.

A) external recruiting
B) job analysis
C) validation
D) job evaluation
E) realistic job preview

Question 36

Teresa, a recruiter, needs to know basic information such as the name, educational background, and the work experience of a candidate she will be interviewing. Teresa can find this information in the candidate's _____.

A) skills inventory
B) job description
C) job specification
D) application blank
E) replacement chart

Question 37

_____ is the process of attracting qualified persons to apply for jobs that are open.

A) Mentoring
B) Recruiting
C) Job analysis
D) Job evaluation
E) Validation

Question 38

You are reading a document that says that a job applicant must have good writing skills, be a citizen of the United States, and have a degree in management. You are reading a(n) _____.

A) article of incorporation
B) job analysis
C) job description
D) replacement chart
E) job specification

Question 39

The assessment center:

A) is used to select external candidates.
B) is a content-valid simulation of major parts of the managerial job.
C) is most likely to be biased against women and minority groups.
D) essentially involves conducting physical exams and drug tests on candidates.
E) essentially involves running credit checks on prospective employees.

Question 40

The _____ lists the duties of a job, the job's working conditions, and the tools, materials, and equipment used to perform it.

A) job specification
B) job description
C) replacement chart
D) statement of qualification
E) article of incorporation

Question 41

Jan works as a salesperson. She generally achieves the expected targets but has also failed several times. For the previous month, she performed better than all her team members and achieved a huge sales volume. Even though Jan has not achieved her targets on several occasions during the past one year, her supervisor ranked her as number one. This is an example of how a(n) _____ can influence a performance appraisal.

A) recency error
B) halo error
C) source monitoring error
D) severity error
E) average error

Question 42

A(n) _____ occurs when a manager allows the assessment of an employee on one dimension to spread to ratings of that employee on other dimensions.

A) recency error
B) average error
C) validation error
D) source monitoring error
E) halo error

Question 43

An example of judgmental performance measure is _____.

A) ranking
B) total sales
C) scrap rate
D) dollar volume of sales
E) number of units produced

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of an objective measure of performance?

A) Dollar volume of sales
B) Interpersonal agreeability
C) Ranking
D) Ratings
E) Commitment

Question 45

Sara is an efficient supervisor at a restaurant, which is part of a large national chain. She was recently sent to a two-week educational course by her employer to help her get the skills she needs for promotion to a higher management post. The human resource management concept illustrated in the scenario is _____.

A) job specialization
B) job rotation
C) development
D) training
E) recruitment

Question 46

_____is an ideal method for training employees in group decision making.

A) Vestibule training
B) Programmed learning
C) Role-playing
D) Assigned reading
E) The lecture method

Question 47

_____ is the financial remuneration given by an organization to its employees in exchange for their work.

A) Progression
B) Compensation
C) Validation
D) An intangible benefit
E) Insurance

Question 48

A performance appraisal system in which managers are evaluated by everyone around them-their boss, their peers, and their subordinates is known as _____.

A) employment at will
B) 360-degree feedback
C) source monitoring
D) job evaluation
E) job specialization

Question 49

Ken is a newly hired police officer. He has been asked to spend a workday with a more experienced officer to learn about paperwork, how to handle accident scenes, how to interact with people, and other duties that he will be expected to perform. Which of the following concepts is illustrated in the scenario?

A) Performance appraisal
B) The assessment center method
C) Training manuals
D) On-the-job training
E) The lecture method

Question 50

A(n) _____ represents a special compensation opportunity that is usually tied to performance.

A) wage
B) salary
C) incentive
D) benefit
E) intangible reward

Question 51

Venus LLC has recently recruited a new batch of employees, and the HR manager intends to apprise company rules to the employees. Which of the following training methods is most preferable in this scenario?

A) Electronic-media-based training
B) The lecture method
C) Role-playing
D) Case discussion groups
E) On-the-job training

Question 52

Number of claims processed, total sales, and scrap rate are all examples of _____.

A) training methods
B) predictive validation methods
C) content validation methods
D) judgmental performance appraisal criteria
E) objective performance appraisal criteria

Question 53

Which of the following is an advantage of Web-based training methods?

A) They can be easily updated and revised.
B) They facilitate interpersonal skills better than all other training methods.
C) They perfectly simulate real activities.
D) They effectively facilitate face-to-face interaction.
E) They can be easily used in place of vestibule training methods.

Question 54

_____ is used when employees must learn a physical skill, and this method also enables participants to focus on safety, learning, and feedback rather than on productivity.

A) Job rotation
B) The lecture method
C) Case discussion groups
D) Vestibule training
E) Assigned reading

Question 55

_____ is an effective method to use for training employees about ethical dilemmas and ethical decision making.

A) Job specialization
B) Case discussion groups
C) On-the-job training
D) The lecture method
E) Programmed instruction

Question 56

_____ compares each employee with a fixed standard rather than comparison with other employees.

A) An objective method
B) Rating
C) Ranking
D) Job specialization
E) Job enlargement

Question 57

In human resource management, _____ usually refers to teaching operational or technical employees how to do the job for which they were hired.

A) job rotation
B) job specialization
C) development
D) training
E) deskilling

Question 58

_____ is a formal assessment of how well employees are doing their jobs.

A) Job specialization
B) Job analysis
C) Performance appraisal
D) Employment branding
E) Validation

Question 59

The Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) is _____.

A) a method used for the validation of a selection device
B) an objective method of performance appraisal
C) a judgmental method of performance appraisal
D) a job training technique
E) a job analysis technique

Question 60

_____ refers to teaching managers and professionals the skills needed for both present and future jobs.

A) Development
B) Deskilling
C) Validation
D) Job evaluation
E) Performance appraisal

Question 61

_____ are usually set up through a procedure called job evaluation-an attempt to assess the worth of each job relative to other jobs.

A) Wage-level policies
B) Wage structures
C) Individual wage policies
D) Wage level decisions
E) Individual-benefit structures

Question 62

During a job interview, Sarah asked the HR manager if the company would provide her a family insurance or a retirement plan. She was discussing the _____ that companies generally offer.

A) benefits
B) intangible benefits
C) incentives
D) wages
E) progressions

Question 63

Organizations with a diverse workforce are most likely to _____ when compared to less diverse organizations.

A) have higher levels of productivity
B) have higher levels of turnover
C) have higher levels of absenteeism
D) foster fewer conflicts
E) have a lack of understanding of different market segments

Question 64

An attempt to assess the worth of each job relative to other jobs is known as _____.

A) job analysis
B) job evaluation
C) the wage-level decision
D) performance appraisal
E) benefit determination

Question 65

Organizations with a diverse workforce:

A) have fewer training needs.
B) find it difficult to gain competitive advantages.
C) tend to have low productivity.
D) tend to have conflicts.
E) find it difficult to understand different market segments.

Question 66

At Omega Inc., a fixed amount of money is added to the salaries of employees if their performance exceeds a predetermined level of expectation. A smaller portion of the amount is added if the employees' performances just meet the expected level. Omega is most likely to be motivating their employees with _____.

A) incentives
B) intangible benefits
C) rankings
D) progressions
E) appraisals

Question 67

A policy at Synergy Corp. states that the middle managers get a pay that is three times the pay of supervisors and the top managers get a pay that is six times the pay of first-line managers. The policy is regarding the _____ of Synergy.

A) wage-benefit decision
B) wage-level decision
C) individual-wage structure
D) benefit structure
E) wage structure

Question 68

Which of the following is an effective individual strategy for managing diversity?

A) Using micromanagement techniques for managing minority groups
B) Limiting interpersonal communication
C) Fostering tolerance
D) Treating everyone the same without regard for their fundamental human differences
E) Forming culturally and ethnically homogenous work teams

Question 69

Which of the following statements is true in the context of effectively managing diverse workforces?

A) Tolerance is not required to effectively function in a diverse workforce.
B) A diverse workforce can be managed effectively by not acknowledging the differences among people.
C) Organizations can more effectively manage diversity by following practices and procedures that are based on flexibility.
D) Any effort to treat everyone the same, without regard for their fundamental human differences, will reduce problems.
E) Limiting communication among different ethnic groups is an effective way of handling conflicts in a diverse organization.

Question 70

In the business world, the term _____ is generally used to refer to demographic differences among people-differences in gender, age, ethnicity, and so forth.

A) homogeneity
B) synergy
C) diversity
D) divestiture
E) entropy

Question 71

A person who works for an organization on something other than a permanent or fulltime basis is known as a(n)_____.

A) SCORE volunteer
B) union worker
C) contingent worker
D) knowledge worker
E) intrapreneur

Question 72

A cafeteria benefits plan:

A) allows employees to choose from a set of optional benefits.
B) provides performance-linked incentives to employees.
C) reimburses employees for their food and transportation expenses.
D) pays extra wages to employees for work they do during their lunch hour.
E) allows employees to take a certain number of unpaid leaves.

Question 73

_____, sometimes called indirect compensation, are things of value other than compensation that an organization provides to its workers.

A) Appraisals
B) Ratings
C) Rankings
D) Benefits
E) Scrap rates

Question 74

Gamma Inc. has a reputation for paying higher than the prevailing wages in its industry. This is an example of a(n) _____ decision by its management.

A) wage-level
B) wage-structure
C) individual wage
D) wage-benefit package
E) benefit-level

Question 75

An effective individual strategy for managing a diverse workforce is:

A) Encouraging interpersonal communication
B) Treating everyone the same without regard for their fundamental human differences
C) Creating ethnically homogenous work teams
D) Using micromanagement techniques
E) Limiting managerial communication

Question 76

_____ is the process of dealing with employees who are represented by a union.

A) Labor relations
B) Public relations
C) Human relations
D) Operational management
E) Assembly-line management

Question 77

The _____ is a management policy decision about whether a firm wants to pay above, at, or below the going rate for labor in the industry or the geographic area.

A) wage-level decision
B) benefit-level decision
C) wage-structure decision
D) individual wage decision
E) individual benefit decision

Question 78

When human resource managers determine how much each worker in a particular wage grade will be paid, they are making a(n) _____ decision.

A) wage-level
B) wage-structure
C) individual wage
D) benefit-level
E) overall-benefit

Question 79

Which of the following statements is true in the context of diversity in an organization?

A) Organizations with a diverse workforce are also better able to understand different market segments than are less diverse organizations.
B) Organizations with diverse workforces are generally less creative and innovative than other organizations.
C) Organizations that place emphasis on diversity tend to have fewer conflicts and communication problems than other organizations.
D) Organizations that place emphasis on diversity have fewer training requirements than organizations with non-diverse workforces.
E) Organizations with diverse workforces generally have lower levels of productivity than other organizations.

Question 80

An organization with a diverse workforce:

A) is most likely to have a high turnover.
B) is most likely to have low productivity.
C) is least likely to have conflicts.
D) is least likely to require communication.
E) is most likely to have a competitive advantage.