Deck 12: Building and Managing Human Resources

Question 1

Objective appraisals are based on facts and are likely to be numerical.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Objective appraisals are based on facts and are likely to be numerical. Managers often use objective appraisals when results are being appraised because results tend to be easier to quantify than traits or behaviors.

Question 2

Outsourcing is the process of using in-house suppliers and manufacturers to produce goods and services.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Outsourcing is the process of using outside suppliers and manufacturers to produce goods and services.

Question 3

Feedback from a performance appraisal system can serve a developmental purpose for managers.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Performance appraisal and feedback serve two different purposes in HRM. First, performance appraisal can give managers the information they need to make good human resources decisions-decisions about how to train, motivate, and reward organizational members. Second, feedback from performance appraisal serves a developmental purpose for members of an organization.

Question 4

In a 360-degree appraisal, a variety of people, beginning with the manager and including peers or coworkers, subordinates, superiors, and sometimes even customers or clients, appraise a manager's performance.

Question 5

Collective bargaining is negotiation between labor unions and managers to resolve conflicts and disputes about important issues.

Question 6

Benefit structure is the arrangement of jobs into categories reflecting their relative importance to the organization and its goals, levels of skill required, and other characteristics.

Question 7

Microsoft Corporation interviews dozens of highly qualified programmers before deciding on which ones to hire. This is the HRM process of ________.

A) recruitment
B) development
C) selection
D) validation

Question 8

In general, unstructured job interviews work better than structured job interviews in the selection process of organizations.

Question 9

The goal of EEO is to ensure that all citizens have an equal opportunity to obtain employment regardless of their gender, race, country of origin, religion, age, or disabilities.

Question 10

Employers are required to provide workers' compensation benefits to their employees, but not unemployment insurance.

Question 11

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in hiring, but not in working conditions.

Question 12

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure is known as the reliability of the test.

Question 13

The component of an HRM system that focuses on attempting to attract and hire employees who have the abilities and experiences to help the organization to achieve its goals is known as ________.

A) job searching
B) development
C) recruitment and selection
D) advertising

Question 14

Low wages give an organization a cost advantage and help ensure that an organization is going to be able to recruit, select, and retain high performers.

Question 15

Strategic human resource management has the objective of developing the four building blocks of competitive advantage: efficiency, quality, responsiveness to customers, and ________.

A) achievement
B) affiliation
C) innovation
D) power

Question 16

The purpose of training activities within organizations is to teach current employees new skills so they can be better prepared to take on new responsibilities within the organization.

Question 17

Outsourcing of jobs works best for jobs that require problem solving and creativity.

Question 18

The component of an HRM system that focuses on helping employees to build the skills and abilities that will enable them to perform their jobs successfully is ________.

A) training and development
B) education
C) quality improvement
D) performance appraisal

Question 19

Six Sigma programs ________.

A) are a required part of every HR system
B) do not require HR initiatives
C) can be built by employees from the bottom up
D) require top management commitment

Question 20

The NLRB conducts certification elections, which are held among the employees of an organization, to determine whether they want a union to represent their interests.

Question 21

The set of activities in which managers engage to predict the future human resource needs of their organization is known as ________.

A) appraisal
B) human resource management
C) human resource planning
D) recruitment

Question 22

The set of activities in which managers generate a pool of qualified candidates for open positions is known as ________.

A) selection
B) outsourcing
C) induction
D) recruitment

Question 23

When managers hire contract employees who are not regular employees of their organization to produce goods and services, it is known as ________.

A) open sourcing
B) downsizing
C) outsourcing
D) job specification

Question 24

An individual who contacts an organization and applies for a job in that organization without being asked to do so by anyone in that organization is referred to as ________.

A) outsourcing
B) a job placement contact
C) a walk-in
D) insourcing

Question 25

The process of identifying and describing in writing the tasks, duties, and responsibilities for a specific job results in a job ________.

A) description
B) specification
C) validation
D) design

Question 26

A likely disadvantage of internal recruiting in organizations is the ________.

A) high cost of recruitment
B) lack of new ideas and approaches
C) lack of knowledge about the inner workings
D) need for more training

Question 27

In the United States, the law which requires male and female employees to be paid the same if they perform equal work is ________.

A) Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
B) the Comparable Worth Act
C) the Americans with Disabilities Act
D) the Equal Pay Act

Question 28

A large publishing company contracts with a freelance writer for the task of copyediting a new manuscript, instead of hiring a full-time copyeditor. This is an example of ________.

A) lateral movement
B) open sourcing
C) outsourcing
D) job rotation

Question 29

Steffie has requested a week's leave to be with her mother, who is very ill. Her manager refuses to grant her the leave even though Steffie is aware that this would result in a loss of pay and she is agreeable to it. If her manager does not grant Steffie leave, the employer is violating ________.

A) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
B) Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
C) the Family and Medical Leave Act
D) the Equal Pay Act

Question 30

Managers face contemporary challenges such as managing HIV-positive employees, managing older workers, and eliminating sexual harassment. These arise out of the ________ environment of business.

A) economic
B) social
C) legal
D) political

Question 31

The process by which managers determine the relative qualifications of job applicants for an open position is known as ________.

A) validation
B) selection
C) recruitment
D) appraisal

Question 32

When managers attempt to fill open positions with workers who are already working for the organization in some other capacity, they are engaging in ________.

A) referral recruiting
B) external recruiting
C) walk-in recruiting
D) internal recruiting

Question 33

A manager changes jobs within an organization and moves to another job at the same level without any major changes in authority or responsibility. This is known as ________.

A) insourcing
B) a lateral move
C) outsourcing
D) paralleling

Question 34

The information that managers need to make good human resources decisions about how to train, motivate, and reward organizational members can be obtained through ________.

A) recruitment
B) induction
C) training
D) the performance appraisal

Question 35

The process of identifying the job descriptions and the job specifications for all of the jobs within an organization is known as a job ________.

A) design
B) analysis
C) utilization
D) hypothesis

Question 36

A summary of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are needed to perform a specific job is known as a job ________.

A) design
B) hypothesis
C) description
D) specification

Question 37

A software firm has an opening for a software programmer. Jason, the HR manager, is making a list of all the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that make up a software programmer's job. He then lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities that a candidate should possess in order for him/her to perform the job. This is the process of developing a job ________.

A) analysis
B) validation
C) utilization
D) design

Question 38

The attempt by managers to estimate the qualifications and the number of employees an organization will need, given its goals and strategies, is the process of ________.

A) supply forecasting
B) economic modeling
C) selection forecasting
D) demand forecasting

Question 39

Newly hired programmers at Microsoft Corporation join small work teams so that experienced workers can serve as mentors to them while they are adjusting to their new job. This is the HRM process of ________.

A) self-managing work teams
B) selection
C) performance appraisal
D) training and development

Question 40

The HRM process of determining whether a candidate has the potential to perform well in a specific job is a part of ________.

A) validation
B) job analysis
C) recruitment
D) selection

Question 41

A manager requires all job applicants to complete an online questionnaire that claims to tell the manager if each applicant is an extrovert or an introvert. This manager is engaging in the HRM process of ________.

A) reference checking
B) interviewing
C) ability testing
D) personality testing

Question 42

A manager attempting to select a test for a job applicant that will be a good predictor of the applicant's performance on the job should be primarily concerned with the ________ of the test.

A) validity
B) stability
C) reliability
D) compatibility

Question 43

A job applicant calls a former college professor and asks him to write a letter to her prospective employer commenting on her classroom performance. This is an example of ________.

A) reference checking
B) recruiting
C) selection
D) performance testing

Question 44

The degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure is called the ________ of the test.

A) reliability
B) validity
C) consistency
D) utility

Question 45

Tests that assess the skills of a job applicant that are necessary for the successful performance of a job are known as ________ tests.

A) stress management
B) ability
C) structured interview
D) performance

Question 46

A job applicant seeking a position in an organization is asked to furnish written letters from former supervisors about the quality of his work performance. This is known as ________.

A) reference checking
B) unstructured interviewing
C) personality testing
D) ability testing

Question 47

When interviewers present a job applicant with a scenario that is likely to occur on the job and ask the applicant how he/she would respond, this type of question is known as a(n) ________ interview question.

A) unstructured
B) ad hoc
C) situational
D) personality

Question 48

Tests that measure a job applicant's performance on actual tasks of the job are known as ________ tests.

A) physical ability
B) paper-and-pencil
C) personality
D) performance

Question 49

All of the job applicants for a sales position are asked "What would you do when a customer complains that it takes too long to receive service?" This type of question is known as a(n) ________ interview question.

A) unstructured
B) situational
C) personality
D) ad hoc

Question 50

A manager interviews a series of job applicants and asks each applicant whatever he feels like asking without trying to ask all of the applicants the same questions. This is known as a(n) ________.

A) structured interview
B) realistic job preview
C) unstructured interview
D) situational interview

Question 51

In the selection process managers use the ________ tool.

A) recruiting
B) training
C) reference checking
D) performance appraisal

Question 52

Tests that measure the personal characteristics of job applicants that are relevant to successful performance on the job are known as ________ tests.

A) ability
B) structured interview
C) performance
D) personality

Question 53

A manager requires all applicants for a secretarial position to type a 1,000-word report to determine their error rate and typing speed. This is an example of a ________ test.

A) personality
B) physical ability
C) role-playing
D) performance

Question 54

Prior to designing a training and development program for managers, a human resource specialist attempts to determine which managers require training and what types of skills and knowledge these managers require to develop. This process is known as ________.

A) job validation
B) RJP validation
C) recruitment
D) needs assessment

Question 55

When a manager studies the résumé of a job applicant to determine the work history and education of the applicant, this is known as the process of ________.

A) interviewing
B) induction
C) gathering background information
D) situational interviewing

Question 56

General Motors tests applicants for autoworker positions on their mechanical dexterity in an attempt to determine if they have the capability to perform an assembly-line job. This is an example of ________ testing.

A) physical ability
B) personality
C) situational
D) unstructured

Question 57

When managers use a set of predetermined questions for all the applicants for a specific job, this is known as a(n) ________.

A) structured interview
B) unstructured interview
C) stress interview
D) behavioral interview

Question 58

Lion Motors asks applicants for assembly-line positions to complete a computer exercise on their reading and mathematical abilities in order to determine if they have the mental skills necessary to do these types of jobs. Lion is utilizing the screening procedure of ________ tests.

A) personality
B) ability
C) situational
D) unstructured

Question 59

Karen is a manager in a large restaurant chain, and she wants to use situational interview questions while interviewing server candidates. A situational interview question Karen can ask is ________.

A) "What are your strengths and weaknesses as a server?"
B) "Tell me something about your last job as a server"
C) "What do you like about being a server?"
D) "What would you do if a customer wanted to be seated away from small children?"

Question 60

The degree to which a test generates a similar score each time it is administered to a job applicant is known as the ________ of the test.

A) validity
B) recruitment ability
C) stability
D) reliability

Question 61

A performance appraisal, which includes an employee's peers or coworkers, subordinates, supervisors, and sometimes even clients, is called a ________ appraisal.

A) personality
B) 360-degree
C) self-management
D) result

Question 62

A sales manager for a Ford Motor Co. dealer evaluates each one of his sales staff monthly on the basis of the number of new cars sold during the past month. This is a(n) ________ type of appraisal.

A) trait
B) behavior
C) personality
D) objective

Question 63

A manager evaluates a subordinate's job performance and his contributions to the organization. This is known as the process of ________.

A) control
B) selection
C) performance appraisal
D) testing

Question 64

An appraisal of a subordinate by a manager in terms of that manager's perceptions of the traits, behaviors, and results produced by that subordinate is known as ________.

A) an objective appraisal
B) a subjective appraisal
C) management by objectives
D) a 360-degree appraisal

Question 65

An organization reimburses managers for graduate school tuition whenever they receive a grade of A or B in management-related courses. This component of the HRM process is ________.

A) on-the-job training
B) development
C) orientation
D) role-playing

Question 66

An appraisal that provides clear information about what employees are doing right and wrong and how they can improve their performance is called a ________ appraisal.

A) selective
B) trait
C) behavior
D) result

Question 67

A manager designs a training class that includes key aspects of the work situation and attempts to duplicate the necessary job tasks as closely as possible. This is known as designing a(n) ________.

A) simulation
B) orientation
C) reliability test
D) ability test

Question 68

An appraisal that focuses on relatively enduring human characteristics but that is difficult for employees to use to improve their performance is called a ________ appraisal.

A) result
B) trait
C) behavior
D) formal

Question 69

Appraisals that are dependent on managers' perceptions of traits, behaviors, or results are called ________ appraisals.

A) 360-degree
B) calculative
C) subjective
D) objective

Question 70

The development approach in which an experienced member of an organization provides advice and guidance to a less experienced member, a protégé, is called ________.

A) simulation
B) mentoring
C) testing
D) role playing

Question 71

A manager's evaluation of a subordinate's work that occurs twice a year and is based on measures of performance dimensions of that subordinate's job is known as a(n) ________ appraisal.

A) informal
B) subjective
C) trait
D) formal

Question 72

A manager assesses a subordinate on personal characteristics that are relevant to the job performance of that subordinate. This is known as ________.

A) selection
B) trait appraisal
C) behavior appraisal
D) ability testing

Question 73

An employee learns how to do her job by working closely with her team leader, observing and learning how the process functions. This is known as ________.

A) simulation
B) role-playing
C) on-the-job training
D) development

Question 74

The process by which a manager shares performance information with a subordinate and develops a plan for the future development of that subordinate is known as ________.

A) training
B) selection
C) feedback
D) assessment

Question 75

The classroom instruction that focuses on allowing trainees to either directly participate in or watch others perform actual job activities in a simulated setting is called ________.

A) role-playing
B) validity testing
C) reliability testing
D) orientation

Question 76

The relative position of an organization's pay incentives in comparison with those of other organizations in the same industry employing similar kinds of workers is called pay ________.

A) level
B) structure
C) analysis
D) planning

Question 77

Kevin, a middle manager, calls an impromptu meeting to discuss the progress of product development with his subordinates and plans to ask for suggestions to improve their performance. In the context of performance appraisal, what is the approach employed by Kevin?

A) Collective appraisal
B) Formal appraisal
C) Trait appraisal
D) Informal appraisal

Question 78

When a manager appraises the performance of an employee by the actual outcomes of the employee's work behaviors, it is called a ________ appraisal.

A) selective
B) 360-degree
C) trait
D) results

Question 79

Andrew, a new employee of a tech firm, seeks advice from Sarah, an experienced member, and follows Sarah's guidance in his routine work. In this context, Andrew is playing a role of ________.

A) mentor
B) protégé
C) tester
D) researcher

Question 80

While providing effective performance feedback to an employee, which of the following is an effective approach for a manager?

A) Provide performance feedback only formally and not informally.
B) Approach performance appraisal as an exercise in problem solving and solution finding.
C) Avoid being specific on an employee's behaviors that are correctable.
D) Avoid focusing on outcomes of a worker that are within the worker's ability to improve.