Deck 7: Managing Human Resources

Question 1

Human resource management is concerned with ________ competent employees.

A)obtaining
B)obtaining, training, motivating, and retaining
C)obtaining, training, and motivating
D)training and keeping

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The most important environmental force that affects HRM is the legal environment.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

For the most part, ________ are involved in HR decisions within their own department or unit.

A)very few managers
B)some managers
C)most managers
D)all managers

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.

-Human resource management involves training, motivating, and retaining competent employees.

Question 5

The ________ prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.

A)Privacy Act
B)Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
C)Equal Pay Act
D)Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Question 6

Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.

-Human resource management is about hiring and firing only.

Question 7

Employment planning involves ________.

A)addition of staff only
B)addition of staff and reduction of staff only
C)addition of staff, reduction of staff, and selection only
D)addition of staff, reduction of staff, motivation of staff, and selection

Question 8

Employers cannot legally discriminate with regard to race, sex, or religion, but there are no laws against denying employment because of age.

Question 9

This is the goal of employment planning.

A)selecting competent employees
B)obtaining competent employees with up-to-date skills
C)obtaining competent and high-performing employees
D)selecting high-performing employees only

Question 10

Which U.S.law gives you the legal right to see your professor's letter of recommendation?

A)Civil Rights Act of 1991
B)Privacy Act of 1974
C)Polygraph Protection Act of 1988
D)Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Question 11

Which of the following countries' laws pertaining to HRM practices most closely parallel those in the United States?

A)Canada
B)Mexico
C)Australia
D)Germany

Question 12

Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.

-In setting up interviews for an executive position, Frances makes sure to include candidates of different ethnic backgrounds, including individuals from protected minority groups.Which kind of program is she attempting to carry out?

A)minority protection
B)positive action
C)diversity protection
D)affirmative action

Question 13

Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.

-Human resource management activities are restricted to the operational level and do not have an impact on organizational strategy or design.

Question 14

Prior to setting up the interviews for the executive position, Frances spent a great deal of time analyzing the position and determining what skills, attitudes, and actions it would require.This lengthy review is called a ________.

A)job description
B)job specification
C)job title
D)job analysis

Question 15

The most important environmental factor in the HRM process is ________.

A)the business environment
B)the natural environment
C)the legal environment
D)the scientific community

Question 16

The last steps of the HRM process deal with ________.

A)performance and compensation
B)training and compensation
C)compensation only
D)skills

Question 17

A community fire department can legally deny employment to a firefighter applicant who is confined to a wheelchair.

Question 18

Affirmative action programs seek to make sure that employers ________ minority groups.

A)pay equal wages to
B)enhance employment opportunities for
C)provide unemployment benefits for
D)establish training programs for

Question 19

A wheelchair-bound applicant may be denied a job ________.

A)under no circumstances
B)if the job is strenuous or physically tiring in some way
C)if the job requires complete physical mobility
D)in some states

Question 20

The first three activities of the human resource management (HRM)process are about ________.

A)recruiting
B)planning
C)training
D)downsizing

Question 21

The first step in any employment planning process involves making a ________.

A)job description
B)human resource inventory
C)product evaluation
D)job specification

Question 22

Which of the following downsizing methods can "happen on its own" if management suspends hiring practices?

A)firing
B)reduced workweeks
C)attrition
D)transfer

Question 23

The lengthy process by which a job is examined in detail in order to identify the skills, knowledge and behaviors necessary to perform the job is known as a ________.

A)job description
B)job specification
C)job definition
D)job analysis

Question 24

To find out more about a job with a title of "assistant media buyer," you would find this to be most helpful.

A)job title
B)job specification
C)job listing
D)job description

Question 25

The difference between firing and layoffs is that ________.

A)layoffs are not permanent
B)layoffs are permanent
C)firing is not permanent
D)firing is not voluntary

Question 26

A job specification is ________

A)a list of job qualifications only
B)a detailed description of the job
C)the description of a job that is used by an employment agency
D)usually several pages in length

Question 27

If employment planning shows a large surplus of employees, management may want to ________.

A)recruit
B)downsize
C)expand
D)continue with current employment levels

Question 28

A written statement of what a job holder does in his or her job, how it is done, and why it is done is known as a ________.

A)job specification
B)job qualifications
C)job definition
D)job description

Question 29

Western European countries differ from U.S.companies in that they have work councils that must be consulted on personnel decisions.

Question 30

Which of the following is an advantage of using private employment agencies for recruiting?

A)low cost
B)candidates who are familiar with the organization
C)improves employee morale
D)careful screening of applicants

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a voluntary form of downsizing?

A)attrition
B)early retirement
C)job sharing
D)layoff

Question 32

In the selection process, there are ________ possible outcomes.

A)two
B)three
C)four
D)dozens of

Question 33

A job description is ________.

A)not a written document
B)a written document used to describe a job to job candidates
C)something that employers keep secret from job candidates
D)the official title for the job

Question 34

Employees in Mexico are less likely to belong to a union than employees in the United States.

Question 35

________ in Germany give(s)employees the right to participate in personnel decisions.

A)Collective bargaining
B)Unionization
C)Board representatives
D)Work councils

Question 36

While ________ can reach the greatest number of applicants for a job, many of those candidates may be unqualified for the job itself.

A)an internal search
B)advertising
C)a temporary help service
D)school placement

Question 37

Recruitment is the process of ________.

A)hiring from outside the organization
B)locating, identifying, and attracting potential employees
C)assessing the national, international, and local labor market
D)hiring from inside the organization

Question 38

HR managers can accurately estimate human resource needs for an organization by evaluating which of the following?

A)employment and unemployment statistics
B)the general state of the economy
C)demand for the organization's product
D)how competitors are performing

Question 39

This is a key disadvantage to recruiting through employee referrals.

A)limited to entry-level positions
B)high cost
C)no diversity increase
D)lower-skilled candidates

Question 40

As one of his first tasks in a new job, Steve's boss asks him to develop a database that lists the educational level, special capabilities, and specialized skills of all the employees in his firm.This is known as a ________.

A)job description
B)human resource inventory
C)lengthy process
D)job analysis

Question 41

A(n)________ selection device shows a clear link between test performance and job performance.

A)reliable
B)invalid
C)unreliable
D)valid

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of selection device reliability?

A)An applicant was given very different interview scores by five independent interviewers.
B)An applicant was given the same interview score by five independent interviewers.
C)An applicant took a test a second time and her score improved markedly.
D)An applicant took a test once and scored higher than any other applicant.

Question 43

In an interview, Frances informs a candidate that the job is "absorbing" but its hours will be "long and grueling." Frances is conducting this kind of interview.

A)role-playing
B)stress
C)behavioral
D)realistic job preview

Question 44

Frances considers filling out a sample budget to be the most valid test for the job because ________.

A)it takes a great deal of skill to complete successfully
B)it is an actual task that would be required on the job
C)it is a good predictor of performance on the job
D)it is objective and quantitative

Question 45

How effective are behavioral interviews?

A)no more effective than other interviews
B)less effective than other interviews
C)eight times as effective as ordinary interviews
D)twice as effective as ordinary interviews

Question 46

A reject error occurs when an applicant ________.

A)who is hired performs poorly on the job
B)who is not hired would have performed well on the job
C)who is hired performs the job at a high level
D)who is not hired would have performed poorly on the job

Question 47

The most important reason for why managers are increasingly using performance-simulation tests is that they have been found to be ________.

A)valid predictors of job performance
B)nondiscriminatory
C)a good way to test an applicant's character
D)easy to administer

Question 48

During an interview, an applicant for a managerial job is confronted with role players who make the claim that they have been "harassed on the job." The applicant is then asked to deal with the complaints.What kind of selection device is being used?

A)performance-simulation test
B)structured interview
C)behavioral interview
D)high-stress interview

Question 49

To respond to a candidate for the executive position who wants to know more about the job, Frances is likely to send which of the following?

A)job analysis
B)job description
C)job title
D)human resource inventory

Question 50

Few people are ever selected for a job without this.

A)taking a written test
B)undergoing an interview
C)taking a performance-simulation test
D)taking a physical test

Question 51

A realistic job preview (RJP)includes ________ a job.

A)only factual information about
B)only positive aspects of
C)only negative aspects of
D)both positive and negative aspects of

Question 52

In an assessment center, an applicant for an engineering job might ________.

A)be interviewed by her prospective boss
B)take technical written tests
C)be interviewed by fellow employees
D)be given an engineering problem to solve

Question 53

Interviews are valid predictors of success in the workplace if ________.

A)questions are short
B)questions are unstructured
C)questions are structured
D)the interview lasts only a few minutes

Question 54

________ indicates how consistently a selection device measures a criterion.

A)Operational scoring
B)Qualification
C)Reliability
D)Validity

Question 55

To use a physical test as a selection device, a company must demonstrate that ________.

A)physical ability is related to job performance
B)the test is fair
C)the test is reliable
D)the test does not discriminate against people with physical disabilities

Question 56

Asking a candidate for an automotive mechanic's position to deconstruct and reconstruct part of an engine motor would be an example of what kind of selection device?

A)spatial ability test
B)performance-simulation test
C)mechanical ability test
D)perceptual accuracy test

Question 57

Today, selection techniques that result in reject errors can open the organization to ________.

A)decreased productivity and efficiency
B)charges of employee discrimination
C)reduced morale
D)a weakened workforce

Question 58

In testing for the executive position, Frances has a candidate fill out a typical sample budget for the department he would be working in.This is an example of a(n)________ test.

A)written
B)performance-simulation
C)intelligence
D)written interview

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a source of bias in a typical interview?

A)prior knowledge of the applicant
B)how articulate the interviewer is
C)the order in which applicants are interviewed
D)an applicant who shares the attitudes of the interviewer

Question 60

An accept error occurs when an applicant ________.

A)who is hired performs poorly on the job
B)who is not hired would have performed well on the job
C)who is not hired is hired by another firm
D)who is hired performs adequately on the job

Question 61

Increased demand for employees typically is associated with increased demand for the products or services offered by an organization.

Question 62

In a short essay, discuss the written test as a selection device for HRM.

Question 63

Keena's company needs to increase the diversity of its workforce.Which choice might this requirement rule out?

A)employee referral
B)advertising
C)school placement
D)private employment agency

Question 64

In a short essay, discuss job analysis, job description, and job specification.

Question 65

Written tests fell into disfavor in the late 1960s and are now rarely used in the selection process.

Question 66

In a realistic job preview (RJP), an applicant might be told that the likelihood for promotion for the job he is applying for is slim.

Question 67

Employee referrals are usually reliable.

Question 68

With regard to costs to HRM, which choice would probably be best for Keena?

A)advertisement
B)employee leasing
C)private employment agency
D)internal search

Question 69

In a short essay, list three major sources of potential job candidates.Include a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each major source to support your answer.

Question 70

Behavioral interviews involve placing an applicant in stressful circumstances and seeing how he or she deals with the situation.

Question 71

Advertisements have been shown to be the most effective method for identifying the best applicants for jobs.

Question 72

Employment planning includes two steps: assessing current human resources needs and developing a plan to meet those needs.

Question 73

A job description states the minimum qualifications a person needs to perform a job successfully.

Question 74

Firing, layoffs, furloughs, and early retirements are the only three downsizing options.

Question 75

In a short essay, discuss the performance-simulation test as a selection device for HRM.

Question 76

Performance-simulation tests are thought to be one of the best methods for evaluating job applicants in use today.

Question 77

A selection device is valid if it can be proven to accurately measure the abilities of job applicants.

Question 78

An accept error involves not hiring an employee who could have performed well in a job.

Question 79

To reach the largest possible audience, Keena should consider ________ as a source of potential candidates.

A)advertisements
B)employee referrals
C)school placement
D)private employment agencies

Question 80

In a short essay, discuss the interview as a selection device for HRM.