Deck 9: Managing Human Capital

Question 1

 John, an organization's HR manager, is making plans to offer training to his employees. To effectively proceed with the training process, John should first

A) determine target audience.
B) design the training curriculum.
C) assess the effectiveness of training.
D) understand the goals of training.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

 Which of the following statements is true about the different types of training?

A) Informal training programs, in particular, are easy to measure.
B) Formal training is seldom valuable to an employee's learning.
C) Informal training of employees includes coaching or mentorship.
D) Formal training often tend to be much more effective than informal training.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

 Which of the following stages of organizational growth is characterized as being highly entrepreneurial and informal?

A) Functional growth
B) Initiation phase
C) Controlled growth
D) Strategic integration

Answer 3

B

Question 4

 BluBuddy Company has a loose, informal management structure, basic benefits, and flexible job definitions. BluBuddy is most likely in the

A) initiation stage of growth.
B) functional growth stage.
C) controlled growth stage.
D) functional integration stage of growth.

Question 5

 Which of the following statements about 360-degree feedback is true?

A) 360-degree feedback is often effectively used to determine pay raises.
B) Employees receive feedback from their superiors, peers, and subordinates.
C) It often provides employees with an unrealistic view of their skills.
D) 360-degree feedback is not effective for the leadership development process.

Question 6

 Humanix, Inc.allows its employees to make their own choices from a wide array of benefit options. Humanix has a

A) profit-sharing plan.
B) cafeteria plan.
C) flexible work option.
D) gain-sharing plan.

Question 7

 Of the five stages of organizational growth, strategic integration involves

A) technical specialization and increased formality.
B) concentrating on controlled growth and developing more formal procedures and increasing focus on professional management.
C) developing multiple product groups and integrating various functional aspects like accounting to provide more autonomy to divisions.
D) focusing on flexibility, adaptability, and integration across business functions.

Question 8

 Which of the following is an advantage of realistic job previews?

A) Large number of applicants to choose from
B) All candidates tend to be highly skilled
C) Communicate only positive job aspects
D) Decrease turnover in many organizations

Question 9

 Which of the following statements is an advantage of external recruitment?

A) External candidates often make a quicker impact in the new role.
B) Companies know better about the skills of external candidates.
C) Employers can find new talent through external recruiting.
D) External candidates tend to perform better than internal candidates.

Question 10

 Target hires and trains employees well in advance of actual openings and has managers groom one or two direct reports for management positions. Successful HR planning like the approach used at Target requires

A) job analysis.
B) job previews.
C) job appraisals.
D) management by objectives.

Question 11

 Which of the following provides a more precise job description and defines the characteristics of the ideal candidate for the position?

A) Mission statement
B) Job analysis
C) Job evaluation
D) Balanced scorecard

Question 12

 Which of the following is a disadvantage of realistic job previews?

A) Communicate only positive job aspects
B) Result in smaller pool of applicants
C) Provide poor job description
D) Cause increase in turnover

Question 13

 Which of the following statements is a disadvantage of group-based pay systems?

A) Group-based systems cannot be fully customized to a particular department.
B) They do not allow managers to modify their targets and formulas.
C) Group-based pay systems tend to result in a diffusion of responsibility.
D) All group-based pay programs are generally difficult to calculate and monitor.

Question 14

 A-Recruitz is an organization that allows its employees to work from home. Most of the interaction between the employees and the organization takes place through e-mail. Moreover, the organization is able to maintain increased employee performance and satisfaction. Identify the work option offered by A-Recruitz to its employees.

A) Variable work schedules
B) Flexible work schedules
C) Telecommuting
D) Job sharing

Question 15

 The factor that distinguishes job-based pay from skill-based pay is that job-based pay policies

A) are often used in organizations with lower hierarchical structures.
B) are often used in organizations where tasks are narrowly defined.
C) require individuals to use their personal judgment to make decisions.
D) tend to be best suited for organizations with more decentralized authority.

Question 16

 The final stage in the selection process often tends to be

A) reference checks.
B) situational interviews.
C) personality tests.
D) cognitive ability tests.

Question 17

 Eris Company is managing employees by outlining a series of specific milestones that they are expected to meet in a defined time period. Eris is utilizing

A) off-the-job training.
B) management by objectives.
C) Total Quality Management.
D) 360-degree feedback.

Question 18

 The HR department at Green Company is involved in long-range planning, training and development, and the strategic issues of the company. Green Company is most likely in the

A) controlled growth stage.
B) functional integration stage of growth.
C) strategic integration stage of growth.
D) functional growth stage.

Question 19

 _____ refers to a long-term process designed to build greater self-awareness, enhance managerial capabilities, and enable an individual to reach his or her potential.

A) Development
B) Offshoring
C) Participation
D) On-the-job training

Question 20

 Majestic Company is expanding benefits, adding training and development programs, and recruiting specialists. Majestic is most likely in the

A) initiation stage of growth.
B) functional growth stage.
C) controlled growth stage.
D) functional integration stage of growth.

Question 21

 Analyze the common mistakes firms make with respect to their offshoring activities.

Question 22

 Which of the following statements about outsourcing and offshoring is true?

A) Offshoring guarantees higher profits for a business.
B) Managers always account for the risks in offshoring a process.
C) Outsourcing is not a complicated issue.
D) Offshoring is used to lower costs in a firm's value chain.

Question 23

 After a recent downsizing, Joe's work responsibilities significantly increased. Joe felt guilty and resentful and became self-absorbed and risk adverse. Joe was suffering from

A) survivor syndrome.
B) MBO.
C) post-downsizing disorder.
D) outsourcing envy.

Question 24

 What are the benefits of internal recruitment?

Question 25

 In switching jobs, individuals should always be going "from" rather than "to."

Question 26

 The functional integration stage of organizational growth is characterized by informal management.

Question 27

 Huge Company is in the process of reducing its employee base in an effort to be more competitive. Huge is

A) offshoring.
B) outsourcing.
C) downsizing.
D) customizing.

Question 28

 A crucial part of employee development is providing feedback.

Question 29

 What is management by objectives? Identify its components.

Question 30

 The success of outsourcing is driven by a firm's ability to effectively manage people in different locations.

Question 31

 The most important provision of the Civil Rights Act, Title VII is that it

A) established minimum conditions for health, safety, and general well-being of workplaces.
B) established a federal minimum wage, set maximum hours for a workweek, and officially banned child labor.
C) allows employees to take unpaid leaves of absence for family and medical reasons without losing their jobs.
D) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, and national origin.

Question 32

 Trend Publishing Inc. sends its typesetting activities to a contractor in Indonesia. Trend is

A) offsourcing.
B) customizing.
C) offshoring.
D) downsizing.

Question 33

 The main components of MBO are derived from goal setting and participation in decision making.

Question 34

 Realistic job preview provides information to job candidates highlighting the most important conditions of a job including its positive and negative aspects.

Question 35

 Progressive organizations view human resources as a valuable resource that can be optimized to create competitive advantage.

Question 36

 Outline the different methods of training.

Question 37

 _____ analysis is the process of tracking the results of one's own key actions and decisions.

A) Feedback
B) Strategic
C) Trend
D) SWOT

Question 38

 What are the guidelines managers should follow when downsizing?

Question 39

 The only way to increase pay in skill-based pay systems is to switch jobs.

Question 40

 Which of the following questions should individuals address when making decisions about their career?

A) What are my strengths and values?
B) Who is my role model?
C) With whom will I work effectively?
D) From whom should I learn?