Question 1

A graph that illustrates the improvement rate of workers as a job is repeated is known as a

Accepted Answer

A learning curve is a graph that demonstrates the relationship between experience and performance efficiency. It shows that as workers repeat a task, their productivity or efficiency improves, leading to lower costs and higher output.

Question 2

List the three categories of the principles of motion study and give two rules for each category.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the three categories of the principles...

Question 3

A learning curve illustrates that increasing the number of cumulative units produced ___ the labour required per unit.

Accepted Answer

As the number of cumulative units produced increases, workers become more efficient and familiar with the production process, resulting in decreased labor required per unit. This is known as the learning curve effect.

Question 4

A learning curve reflects the fact that

Accepted Answer

The answer of A learning curve reflects the fact that
...

Question 5

How has the trend toward quality management changed the way companies view their employees?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How has the trend toward quality management...

Question 6

Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scientific management.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of...

Question 7

The direct labour times required to produce the first four units of a new product are shown below:  Based on this data,the estimated learning or improvement rate is

Accepted Answer

To calculate the estimated learning or improvement rate, we can use the formula: 
% increase in productivity = (time for first unit – time for nth unit) / time for first unit * 100

Using the data given, we can calculate the % increase in productivity for the second, third and fourth units:
For the second unit: (12 – 11) / 11 * 100 = 9.09%
For the third unit: (10 – 11) / 11 * 100 = -9.09% (note that the time decreased, so the % increase is negative)
For the fourth unit: (9 – 10) / 11 * 100 = -9.09%

To calculate the overall improvement rate, we can simply take the average of these three values:
(9.09% – 9.09% – 9.09%) / 3 = -9.09% / 3 = -3.03%

So the estimated learning or improvement rate is -3.03%, which means that as production of the new product increases, we can expect to see a slight decrease in the time required to produce each unit. Therefore, the best choice is C) 85%.

Question 8

Briefly describe the principles of scientific management.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe the principles of scientific management....

Question 9

What is empowerment and why is it important to total quality management (TQM)?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is empowerment and why is it...

Question 10

What is the difference between cross training and job rotation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between cross training...

Question 11

In what ways have advances in information technologies changed the working environment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what ways have advances in information...

Question 12

A company has accepted a contract to produce a special electric motor.The number of direct labour hours required to produce the first motor is 250.If an 85% learning curve applies to the production of motors,then the number of labour hours needed to produce the 4^th motor is

Accepted Answer

The answer of A company has accepted a contract to...

Question 13

Which of the following is not a true statement regarding learning curves?

Accepted Answer

Learning curves are affected by product modifications as changes in product design or production processes may require new skills or different techniques, which could affect the learning curve.

Question 14

Define the three categories of the elements of job design.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define the three categories of the elements...

Question 15

Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using learning curves.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of...

Question 16

List 5 of the attributes of good job design identified by Frederick Herzberg.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List 5 of the attributes of good...

Question 17

The direct labour hours required to produce the first two units of a new product are 2,000 and 1,800,respectively.Using a 90% learning rate the company would estimate the direct labour hours for the 5^th unit to be

Accepted Answer

The formula for calculating the direct labour hours using the learning rate is:
D2 = D1 * (N2/N1)^log(learning rate)/log(2)
Where, 
D1 = Direct labour hours of 1st unit
D2 = Direct labour hours of subsequent unit
N1 = Number of units for D1
N2 = Number of units for D2
Learning rate = 90%
For the 3rd unit (N2=3), we need to calculate D3. So,
D2 = 2,000 hours (for 1st unit)
D1 = 1,800 hours (for 2nd unit)
N1 = 2 units
N2 = 3 units
Substituting the values, we get:
D3 = 1,800 * (3/2)^log(0.9)/log(2) = 1,566 hours (approx) 
Therefore, the answer is choice C, i.e. 1566.0 hours.

Question 18

A 90% learning curve indicates

Accepted Answer

The answer of A 90% learning curve indicates
...

Question 19

The direct labour time required to produce the first sailboat of a particular model was 3000 hours.If the company believes that an 80% learning curve applies to the production of this model sailboat then the direct labour time required to produce the 2^nd boat is estimated to be

Accepted Answer

An 80% learning curve means that each time the production quantity is doubled, the direct labour time required will decrease by 20%. In this case, the production quantity has doubled once from 1 to 2 sailboats (2/1), so the direct labour time required will be 80% of 3000 hours:
3000 * 0.8 = 2400 hours. Therefore, the answer is B) 2400 hours.

Quiz 10: Human Resources