Deck 12: Hrm in the Local Context: Knowing When and How to Adapt

Question 1

Patterns of labor relations in countries are affected by

A)Cultural factors.
B)Historical factors such as the level of technology development.
C)Ideological reasons.
D)All of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Selection in collectivist cultures

A)Favors performance-related backgrounds and qualifications.
B)Is similar to US selection practices.
C)Gives preference to the in-group members.
D)Gives preference to individuals with technical skills.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The dual-system in Germany refers to

A)The combination of selection and recruitment in one process.
B)The unification of management practices from Eastern and Western Germany.
C)The combination of in-house apprenticeship training with part-time vocational school training.
D)Academic preparation at the high school level.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to a study of ten countries on nine compensation practices

A)There was universal consensus on all nine as being necessary.
B)There was universal consensus on eight as being necessary.
C)There was universal consensus that seniority considerations are necessary.
D)None of the above are true

Question 5

Differences in HRM policies and practices among countries stem from

A)Education and training of the labor force.
B)Laws and cultural expectations for selection practices.
C)Laws and traditions regarding labor practices.
D)All of the above

Question 6

Japanese compensation systems base pay raises mostly on

A)Marital status and family size.
B)Seniority.
C)Merit.
D)Position.

Question 7

The US belief in the benefits of open and public advertising reflects the

A)US individualistic cultural values.
B)US preference for in-group members.
C)US collectivist cultural values.
D)US preference for hiring friends and relatives.

Question 8

Managerial selection and recruitment in Korea and Japan are dominated by

A)High school and university ties.
B)Club membership.
C)Performance-related backgrounds and qualifications.
D)All of the above

Question 9

A study of compensation practices in ten countries revealed that

A)Pay incentives are important.
B)Pay should be contingent on group performance.
C)Incentives should be significant amount of pay.
D)All the above are true

Question 10

All of the following are true about US selection practices EXCEPT

A)US selection practices focus on individual achievements and not on group affiliations.
B)US selection practices favor hiring of relatives and friends.
C)The aim of the typical US selection practice is to gather information of a candidate's job qualifications.
D)US selection practices are governed by laws and regulations.

Question 11

All of the following are true about the US performance appraisal system EXCEPT

A)It represents cultural values that espouse links among individual rights, duties, and rewards.
B)It attempts to be rational, logical, and legal.
C)It focuses primarily on the ability to function well in groups.
D)Research shows that it works well in all national contexts.

Question 12

Which of the following describes one potential way a Japanese supervisor can communicate negative feedback for poor work performance to his/her subordinate?

A)By simply ignoring the subordinate
B)With formal appraisal systems
C)By discussing the poor performance openly
D)By providing the negative feedback in writing

Question 13

An abundant level of iron ore deposits in a country represents which of the following?

A)Country institutions
B)Natural factor conditions
C)Induced factor conditions
D)Resource pool

Question 14

The practice of recruiting friends or relatives of those already employed is which form of recruiting?

A)Front gate recruiting
B)Walk-ins
C)Backdoor recruiting
D)Internal recruiting

Question 15

All of the following are true about US training and development practices EXCEPT

A)The most popular training topics are management development and computer training.
B)Most training programs reach a majority of the workers.
C)Because of global competition, demand for training will increase.
D)There are increased pressures on businesses to supplement basic educational training.

Question 16

An enduring system of relationships among people,such as education or the political system represent which aspect of the national context of a country?

A)National culture
B)Business culture
C)Social institutions
D)Managerial culture

Question 17

Backdoor recruitment in collectivist cultures may not always be used by foreign multinationals because

A)Such procedures will not work as well as newspaper advertisements.
B)The multinationals may not have access to the appropriate contacts.
C)It is almost always better to use expatriates in these situations.
D)They prefer to rely on internal job postings.

Question 18

The Japanese system of life-time or permanent employment

A)Applies more to workers than to managers.
B)Is easier to implement in smaller Japanese companies.
C)Is likely to produce a satisfied and less motivated Japanese workforce.
D)Applies equally to men and women.

Question 19

Which recruitment strategy do US managers see as most effective?

A)Newspaper and online advertising
B)College or university recruiting
C)Employee referrals
D)Personal contacts

Question 20

Which of the following is most true about the typical US compensation system?

A)Most companies take into account external and internal factors to determine compensation.
B)Most companies develop formal and systematic policies to determine compensation levels.
C)Raises in pay are determined mostly by merit.
D)All of the above are true.

Question 21

A union representing one occupational group in one company is

A)An enterprise union.
B)A craft union.
C)A local union.
D)A trade union.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT one of the recruitment steps?

A)Managers determine the jobs that are available.
B)Managers determine the types of skills and people that are necessary for these jobs.
C)Managers generate a pool of applicants for the job.
D)Managers choose a person who fits the job.

Question 23

The practice in Germany,whereby management surrenders a traditionally reserved share of control to workers refers to

A)Co-determination.
B)Co-selection.
C)Veto power.
D)Joint planning.

Question 24

In most collectivist cultures,performance appraisals

A)Follow similar patterns to the US legal requirements.
B)Are often communicated subtly, such as by a manager ignoring a worker.
C)Favor and open and honest dialogue regarding performance.
D)Are more formal than in individualistic cultures.

Question 25

An organization of all people from a company regardless of occupation or location is a (an)

A)Craft union.
B)Enterprise union.
C)Ideological union.
D)Industrial union.

Question 26

Which of the following is not one of the factors affecting national differences in human resource management as discussed in the text?

A)Types of jobs favored by applicants
B)Education and training of the labor pool
C)Laws and cultural expectations regarding fair wages and promotion criteria
D)All of the above are factors

Question 27

Which of the following statements about management development in the U.S.is false?

A)Management development in the U.S.is the responsibility of the firm rather than the individual.
B)U.S.companies can rely on senior-level managers to identify promising candidates for management development and training.
C)U.S.companies rely on direct assessment approaches such as assessment centers to identify individuals with managerial potential.
D)All of the above is true.

Question 28

All of the following are true about unions in England,Germany,France,and the U.S.EXCEPT

A)British unions developed with strong government interference.
B)German unions developed in harmony with the government and corporations.
C)French unions started much later and developed more slowly than did British or German unions.
D)US union membership has declined significantly since the 1940s.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors determining the resource pool of a country as discussed in the text?

A)The quantity, quality, and accessibility of raw material
B)The quantity, quality and cost of personnel available
C)The training and development system available
D)The cost and amount of capital available to firms

Question 30

A craft union

A)Represents one occupational group in one company.
B)Represents all people in one organization regardless of occupation or location.
C)Represents all workers based on some particular ideology.
D)Represents one occupational group such as plumbers.

Question 31

Union membership density refers to

A)The number of unions in any country.
B)The proportion of workers who belong to unions in a country.
C)The proportion of white collar workers/professional who belong to unions in a country.
D)The proportion of unions to companies in a country.

Question 32

The measure that considers the proportion of workers who belong to unions is known as

A)Union-membership scope.
B)Craft union density.
C)Union-membership density.
D)Trade union density.

Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding union membership is FALSE?

A)Union membership in the U.S.has stayed the same over the past 30 years.
B)In many major industrialized countries, union membership is still greater than 50%.
C)South Africa has doubled in size in union membership.
D)Europe still has a high proportion of workers who are union members.

Question 34

All of the following statements regarding Induced-factor conditions resources are true EXCEPT

A)Induced-factor conditions resources arise from cultural and institutional pressures.
B)Good examples of induced factor conditions are the high cultural value placed on education in many Asian societies creating a well-trained workforce.
C)Induced-factor conditions include those resources that occur naturally such as coal and gas reserves.
D)All of the above are true.

Question 35

The group of employees,found in Germany,that shares plant-level responsibility with managers over issues such as working conditions is

A)An enterprise union.
B)A craft union.
C)A works council.
D)An ideological union.

Question 36

All people in a particular industry,regardless of occupational group is most likely represented by

A)An enterprise union.
B)A local union.
C)A craft union.
D)An industry union.

Question 37

A union representing all workers belonging to one religious orientation in a company is known as

A)An ideological union.
B)A craft union.
C)A local union.
D)An ideological union.

Question 38

Which of the following is FALSE about recruitment and selection processes in collectivist cultures?

A)Companies prefer to hire directly out of school.
B)There is a preference for family and friends.
C)Personal information is considered important for selection.
D)Technical skills are considered crucial for selection.

Question 39

Which of the following statements regarding selection in collectivistic cultures is FALSE?

A)In selecting employees, employers prefer trustworthiness and loyalty.
B)Older male recruits are usually preferred because they can be easily molded to fit the company's culture.
C)Selection often relies on referrals from family or friends.
D)All of the above are TRUE.

Question 40

Major components of the legal requirements for a US performance appraisal system include

A)Evaluations must relate clearly to the job.
B)Evaluations are not required when all workers are the same gender.
C)All testing must be quantitative.
D)Older workers need not have performance appraisals.

Question 41

Define and describe union membership density as it has been historically and is now.Why is it important to multinational managers?

Question 42

Describe and discuss the major factors in the national context that affect a nation's HRM practices.

Question 43

What are some of the recruitment strategies used by U.S.companies? Why is open and public advertisements seen as the most effective recruitment strategies? Why would such strategies not work in more collectivist cultures?

Question 44

Compare and contrast the appraisal and compensation systems in the U.S.and more collectivist culture nations.Discuss legal and cultural problems that multinational managers might face using a collectivist approach to these systems in the U.S.and using a U.S.approach in more collectivist cultures.

Question 45

Some U.S.politicians have called for the development of a German-type apprenticeship training system in the U.S.If you were a manager of a U.S.Fortune 500 multinational company,how would you respond to this proposal and why? What are the current challenges facing the German system now?

Question 46

You have been given the assignment to set up a training program for first level managers in a formerly government-owned eastern European company.How would you go about developing a curriculum? Why?

Question 47

Contrast the different types of unions and discuss the challenges each type may pose to a multinational manager.

Question 48

How is feedback on performance given in collectivist societies,especially for managers?