Deck 13: Human Resource Management and Staff Training Issues

Question 1

A gift shop in the mall had weekly net sales of $64,000. Six part-time employees worked a total of 320 hours, and two full-time employees worked 37.5 hours each. Costs of goods sold were $28,000 and the average salary paid was $10/hr. Calculate the sales per full-time equivalent.

A) $12,800.00
B) $1,620.25
C) $3,418.80
D) $6,075.95
E) $162.02

Answer 1

D

Question 2

When a retailer responds to an economic downturn by putting a freeze on salaries, laying off sales associates, and hiring more part-time workers, the employees tend to respond with:

A) lower job turnover
B) increased motivation and effort
C) poor customer service
D) higher levels of job satisfaction
E) all of these

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Bernice owns a small appliance store and has twelve employees. Although she has only a few associates, she wants to be able to identify the tasks performed by each of them. To summarize the information she could use a/an:

A) organization culture
B) authority chart
C) reporting relationship
D) job description
E) organization structure

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The first step in developing an organization structure is to:

A) create job descriptions
B) hire an effective and efficient human resource manager
C) recruit the right people
D) inventory all legal restrictions on hiring and employment practices
E) determine the tasks that must be performed

Question 5

Another name for a retailer's sales or profits divided by its employee costs is:

A) operations management
B) organizational management
C) employee turnover
D) human resource management
E) employee productivity

Question 6

is the activity of supporting people so they can reach their goals, with goal setting, training, advising, encouraging, and rewarding their successes:

A) Supervising
B) Planning
C) Leading
D) Coaching
E) Managing

Question 7

Which of the following is an advantage of having employees who are specialists rather than generalists?

A) Reduced labour costs
B) Reduced number of employees
C) Increased employee knowledge of HR activities
D) Increased employee satisfaction
E) Increased skill level of employees

Question 8

Often, when a retailer's sales and profits decline, it responds by:

A) putting a freeze on hiring and promotions
B) reducing training provided to its sales associates
C) laying off sales associates
D) employing more part-time workers
E) all of these

Question 9

The strategic objective of human resource management is to:

A) align the capabilities and behaviours of employees with the goals of the firm
B) make sure the retailer abides by all provincial and federal laws
C) introduce new services in order to obtain customer loyalty
D) supervise operations in all departments throughout the store
E) decrease turnover

Question 10

What is the first step in developing an organizational structure?

A) Determining the tasks that must be performed
B) Assigning jobs to individuals
C) Determining the degree of employee specialization
D) Matching the organizational structure with that of competitors
E) Determining the reporting relationships

Question 11

What is the result of hiring part-time inexperienced employees?

A) better customer loyalty
B) higher labour expenses
C) more extensive employee feedback
D) sales increase
E) high turnover

Question 12

Once Alexandra identified the tasks of each employee in her pet shop, she moved to the second step in her organizational design and:

A) grouped the tasks and assigned them to specific people
B) increased employee specialization
C) offered specialized training for each position
D) matched structure to strategy
E) designed administrative relationships

Question 13

Syed worked 35 hours during the past week, and his net sales for the week were $5,480. His gross sales were $6,000. During the same week, the department's total gross sales were $60,000 and net sales were $55,000. A total of 6 employees worked 180 hours. Syed's sales per employee hour for the week would be:

A) $305.55
B) $156.57
C) $171.43
D) $333.33
E) There is insufficient information to complete this calculation.

Question 14

What identifies the activities to be performed by specific employees and determines the lines of authority and responsibility in the firm?

A) Position map
B) Organization culture
C) Reporting relationship
D) Organization structure
E) Authority chart

Question 15

Bob owns Brew Master, a store that specializes in providing its customers with everything they need to make beer at home. Bob has thirteen employees. What must he do first in order to establish an organization structure?

A) Determine the tasks that must be performed
B) Redesign his company culture
C) Inform his employees of the impending reorganization
D) Determine the reporting relationships in the firm
E) Rewrite the store's mission statement

Question 16

Human resource management in retailing is challenging because of:

A) emphasis on expense control
B) the need to use part-time employees
C) the higher turnover of part-time employees
D) the change in demographics in the workforce
E) all of these

Question 17

What personnel in a retail chain organization would determine that the retailer should have employees who are generalists doing many tasks rather specialists doing specific tasks?

A) Line managers
B) Accounting staff
C) Computer systems administrators
D) Corporate managers
E) Real estate staff

Question 18

Howard thought he had his expense control problems resolved when he decided he would hire sales clerks from the local high school and pay them minimum wage. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true of Howard's decision?

A) No one works for minimum wage
B) It is a good move because of the decreasing workforce
C) He will probably have higher turnover, absenteeism and poor labour productivity
D) Since high school students are inexperienced, it is justified to pay minimum wage
E) Young energetic enthusiasm will help Howard's sales

Question 19

Peter worked at an Ace Hardware store after school. Each week, he is responsible for unloading the truck, shelving the merchandise, and offering customer assistance while on the floor. He never works the register or answers the phone. There are other employees for those tasks. Peter's assigned tasks demonstrate the productivity of:

A) partnering
B) specialization
C) organizational skills
D) empowerment
E) authority

Question 20

Sally works at a regional department store. Due to her artistic skills, she is responsible for creating floor and window displays. This is all she does at the store. This is an example of:

A) centralization
B) unity of tasks
C) specialization
D) decentralization
E) authority

Question 21

Extreme specialization increases:

A) customer satisfaction
B) sales and profits
C) job satisfaction
D) labour costs
E) customer loyalty

Question 22

Which of the following methods do fashion retailers use to improve appreciation of the sellers by buyers?

A) Centralizing merchandise buying processes
B) Stocking the same merchandise in all stores
C) Having buyers act as supervisors to sales associates
D) Requiring buyers to work as sales associates during their training period
E) Getting advertisement approvals from both groups

Question 23

Customer needs and preferences for consumer electronics are very similar across the country. What organization form would you suggest for a national consumer electronics retailer?

A) Specialized
B) Generalized
C) Mazur structure
D) Decentralized
E) Centralized

Question 24

How do large retailers better coordinate buying and selling?

A) They involve store managers in buying
B) Buyers make store visits
C) They assign employees to coordinating roles
D) They work to improve buyers' appreciation for the store environment
E) All of these.

Question 25

A retailing chain in which most of the retailing decisions are made by local store managers rather than at the corporate headquarters can be described as:

A) integrated
B) formalized
C) generalized
D) centralized
E) decentralized

Question 26

Large retail chains can coordinate their buying and selling activities by:

A) increasing loss prevention efforts
B) eliminating the information systems
C) reducing turnover in sales associates
D) decentralizing the buying decisions
E) assigning employees to coordinating roles

Question 27

Which of the following statements about centralization is true?

A) Centralization typically increases costs
B) Centralization allows management to better tailor its offering to the needs of the local market
C) Centralization provides the opportunity to have the best people with the greatest expertise make decisions for the entire corporation
D) Retailer stores are required to hire more managers with centralization
E) All of these statements about centralization are true

Question 28

Customer needs and preferences for grocery products differ considerably across the country. What organization form would you suggest for a national supermarket chain?

A) Mazur structure
B) Decentralized
C) Generalized
D) Centralized
E) Specialized

Question 29

Which of the following are categories for classifying tasks typically performed in a retail firm?

A) Strategic management tasks
B) Administrative management tasks
C) Store management tasks
D) Merchandise management tasks
E) All of these

Question 30

is the degree to which the authority for making retailing decisions is delegated to corporate managers rather than to geographically dispersed regional and store managers.

A) Decentralization
B) Specialization
C) Formalization
D) The span of control
E) Centralization

Question 31

Under what conditions can a supervisor effectively manage many people?

A) Subordinates are skilled
B) Subordinates perform simple tasks
C) Subordinates work at the same location as the supervisor
D) Subordinates perform standardized tasks
E) All of these

Question 32

Which of the following could be a problem that a store in a centralized retail chain might experience?

A) Inability to hire employees who will work for pay established by corporate offices
B) Missed sales because the merchandise mix does not appeal to the local tastes
C) The inability to respond quickly to a local competitor who is trying to gain a price advantage
D) All of these
E) None of these

Question 33

How do buyers typically gain an appreciation for the store environment?

A) Most buyers speak to the department managers frequently
B) Managers call in orders to buyers on a casual basis
C) Buyers spend several days a week in the local stores
D) Managers do workshops in the buying office about the store
E) Most buyers start their careers in the store for several months

Question 34

What is the final step in designing the organizational structure?

A) Write job descriptions and job specifications
B) Determine reporting relationships
C) Determine level and type of specialization
D) Recruit new employees
E) None of these

Question 35

Which one of the following methods can a retailer use to motivate and coordinate the activities of an employee?

A) Write ups
B) Written policies
C) Lay offs
D) Pay cuts
E) All of these

Question 36

If employees have the proper amount of authority to effectively undertake the responsibilities assigned to them, which of the following should increase?

A) Formalization
B) Specialization
C) Productivity
D) Centralization
E) Empowerment

Question 37

Centralization results in:

A) a duplication of functions by managers
B) an emphasis on efficiency
C) a lack of coordinated effort
D) increased overhead
E) all of these

Question 38

What does centralization mean for retailers?

A) The authority for decisions is delegated to corporate managers
B) All buying decisions are made regionally to best satisfy the customer
C) The location of corporate headquarters is located in the central part of the country
D) The authority for decisions is made at the nearest central office
E) Cash wraps are to be located centrally throughout the store

Question 39

What is the major disadvantage of centralization?

A) The inability to quickly respond to changes in local markets
B) Increased overhead expenses
C) Different merchandise in each store
D) The need to have standardized operating policies
E) The inability to use national advertising media

Question 40

When decision-making is centralized in corporate management, retailers:

A) have reduced costs
B) hire fewer sales associates
C) have better committed employees
D) involve department managers in the buying process
E) better meet the needs of customers in specific stores

Question 41

Which of the following would be a good question to consider in a job analysis for a salesperson?

A) What compensation plan will the salesperson have?
B) Are vendors involved in training?
C) When and how often will the buyer be involved in markdowns?
D) Will customers know who is responsible for the assortments?
E) All of these

Question 42

Organization cultures are developed and maintained through:

A) centralized organization structures
B) extensive advertising campaigns
C) stories and symbols
D) employee specialization
E) interaction with customers

Question 43

The pink Cadillac given to the best Mary Kay cosmetics salesperson annually is an example of a(n):

A) symbol used to exemplify the interconnections within the company's organization structure
B) symbol used to reinforce organization culture
C) benefit for salespeople that work for the company
D) reward given for outsourcing
E) method to increase coordination between merchandise buying and selling personnel

Question 44

Which of the following is additional compensation that is periodically awarded to employees on the basis of their performance?

A) Bonus
B) Perquisite
C) Benefit
D) Commission
E) Gratuity

Question 45

Build-A-Bear is a unique specialty store that teaches its customers how to build a cuddly stuffed animal through a series of stations throughout the store. Each bear is unique. The core of the business is light-hearted and kid-oriented. Even the CEO calls herself Chief Executive Bear. The focus on fun, creativity, and humour can be considered a part of the:

A) organization culture
B) corporate structure
C) corporate procedure
D) human resource plan
E) compensation plan

Question 46

Which of the following has the strongest effect on employees' actions?

A) Direct supervision
B) Compensation plans
C) Organization culture
D) Written policies
E) Commission

Question 47

Nigel works as a sales associate in the appliances department at a local retail store. He looks forward to a periodic , which he receives on the basis of his performance.

A) commission
B) perquisite
C) fringe benefit
D) gratuity
E) bonus

Question 48

Which of the following is a good technique for conducting a job analysis?

A) Gather secondary competitive data on job analyses at similar positions
B) Hold a focus group containing employees with little seniority
C) Observe efficient employees performing the tasks that need to be analyzed
D) Ask people who do not normally perform the tasks being analyzed how they would perform them
E) Follow the federal government guidelines

Question 49

The Home Depot employees are one of the biggest supporters of Habitat for Humanity. Many associates go to the building sites on weekends and voluntarily share their
Knowledge, expertise, and muscle. Volunteering is not a requirement for store associates, yet many participate in the exercise. The spirit of volunteering is an example of The
Home Depot's:

A) corporate procedures
B) empowerment
C) organizational development
D) organizational culture
E) none of these

Question 50

Organization culture:

A) gives an employee a sense of what they ought to do on the job in order to be consistent with the firm's strategy
B) represents the sum of the traditions passed from experienced employees to new ones
C) has a much stronger effect on employees' actions than compensation plans
D) is used to guide employee behaviour
E) is accurately described by all of these statements

Question 51

Which of the following is a drawback of incentives?

A) They may cause employees to ignore other work tasks and obligations
B) Most employees dislike incentives
C) They cause employees to ignore customers
D) Incentives work when standard pay is low
E) Most employees don't participate as they believe incentives are mere tokens from the management, and not really an appreciation of their performance

Question 52

Harry is concerned that the salespeople in his men's clothing store are not spending enough time selling merchandise to customers. What should he do?

A) Change the incentives from commissions to salary
B) Increase the sales commissions for his salespeople
C) Fire the salespeople and hire new ones
D) Stock less merchandise
E) None of these

Question 53

How do managers obtain the information needed for a job analysis?

A) Observing successful employees
B) Conducting exit interviews which offer insight into the job
C) Using their experience to write the job analysis
D) Observing employees in other retail firms and see how they do their job
E) Reading books with typical job analyses in them

Question 54

Sally is concerned that the salespeople in her dress shop are not keeping the store clean, and merchandise is not displayed properly. What should She do?

A) Fire the salespeople and hire new ones
B) Change the incentives from commissions to bonuses
C) Decrease the sales commissions for her salespeople
D) Stock less merchandise
E) None of these

Question 55

The most fundamental method of coordinating the work activities of retail employees is:

A) by paying them
B) by weak organization culture
C) through written policies
D) by not having close supervision
E) through trade promotions

Question 56

On payday, Lei received her weekly salary plus 2% of each sale she made during the pay period. This is an example of a:

A) commission
B) benefit
C) gratuity
D) perquisite
E) bonus

Question 57

The day begins in each Walmart store with the manager leading the famous Walmart cheer. The cheer is a fun and energetic way to remind employees that the customer is always number one. For years, it has been the one way that the company has shared its enthusiasm and can be considered part of the:

A) organization culture
B) empowerment
C) incentive compensation
D) sales promotion
E) organization structure

Question 58

As the manager of the infant department at a large retail store, Maria looks forward to a periodic , which she receives on the basis of her department's performance
Relative to its budgeted sales and profits.

A) fringe benefit
B) gratuity
C) perquisite
D) bonus
E) commission

Question 59

When motivating and coordinating the activities of retail employees, which of the following methods can be used?

A) Written policies
B) Providing incentives
C) Supervision
D) Having a motivating organizational culture
E) All of these motivate employees in some way

Question 60

What happens when retailers rely completely on written policies to obtain the coordination of employees?

A) Compensation becomes an issue
B) Managers follow policies and set examples
C) Communicating to employees about what they should do occurs more often
D) Employee motivation decreases
E) It becomes easier to develop and maintain a corporate culture

Question 61

A typical application form would be least likely to provide information about the applicant's:

A) previous compensation
B) character
C) references
D) employment history
E) education and training

Question 62

Which of the following statements about the use of testing in the screening process is true?

A) Testing programs are typically part of new employee orientation
B) Most companies use lie detector tests to assess applicants' honest
C) Testing can only be used as a part of the screening process when it can be proved the test scores are directly related to job performance
D) Labour laws require that everyone be given an honesty test
E) Testing programs are good ways to encourage socialization

Question 63

What is the first step in building a committed workforce?

A) Recruiting the right people
B) Organizing the tasks in a position
C) Developing a job description
D) Training and development
E) None of these

Question 64

A includes the activities an employee needs to perform and the firm's performance expectations expressed in quantitative terms.

A) job analysis
B) job application
C) job specification
D) job description
E) job reference

Question 65

Which of the following contains information about the applicant's employment history, previous compensation, reasons for leaving previous employment, education and training, personal health, and references?

A) Job preview
B) Job application form
C) Interview form
D) Testing form
E) References

Question 66

The turnover for a security position at the local department store was high, and the department managers were beginning to complain to Gina, the store manager. There was no lack of applications, and the pay was comparable to other stores, yet those who took
The position stayed no longer than a week. Exit interviews revealed that employees felt
The job's responsibilities were not what they expected. Which of the following would you suggest Gina do to reduce the turnover?

A) Show a video about the responsibilities of the job
B) Accept more applications by reducing the standards
C) Ask if they have plans to stay at the job during the interview
D) Insist that each applicant takes a drug test within 48 hours of applying
E) Check references

Question 67

Retail managers use realistic job previews when screening job applicants in order to:

A) increase investment in new employee training
B) provide meaningful orientations for newly hired employees
C) socialize new employees
D) decrease employee turnover
E) monitor the validity of testing tools

Question 68

is a set of steps taken to transform new employees into effective, committed members of the firm.

A) Socialization
B) Training
C) Job previewing
D) Job application
E) Employee retention

Question 69

Raven is a store manager for a discount chain. She decided to hire a new salesperson for the infants' department and has already developed a job description. What should Raven do next to secure an employee?

A) Test applicants
B) Organize an adequate training program focusing on infants' assortments
C) Conduct a behavioural interview
D) Develop a pool of applicants and screen them
E) Select a qualified applicant

Question 70

Which of the following is true about references?

A) References can screen up to 15% of applicants
B) References provide information about the employee's history and personal health
C) References are a good way to verify information given on an application form
D) References are used to provide insight about how hard potential employees will work
E) References involve interviews with the applicant

Question 71

Mandy has been a manager for 3 years in a variety of departments throughout the store. Recently, the floor manager position became available and Mandy inquired about it, only to learn a college recruit was awarded the position. This would be an example of what type of discrimination?

A) Minority impact
B) Random discrimination
C) Disparate impact
D) Desperate measures
E) Disparate treatment

Question 72

Which of the following statements about the job interview is true?

A) Interviewers should not plan interviews because they are only effective when they are spontaneous
B) The interviewer should be prepared to be a good listener
C) Interviews should be conducted in a busy area with lots of distractions
D) The most commonly used job interview is the benefit interview
E) The interviewer should ask leading questions to determine how well the applicant responds to trick questions

Question 73

The principal objective of employee socialization is to:

A) develop a long-term relationship with new employees to increase productivity
B) increase turnover
C) prevent the creation of employee bonds
D) make the screening process faster
E) make on-the-job training unnecessary

Question 74

A company that carefully selects its recruits, develops employee skills through training, shares information about company shares, encourages employees to take additional classes on customer service is trying to:

A) centralize its organization structure
B) develop a new mission statement
C) reduce turnover
D) decrease its fixed costs
E) maintain its current organization culture

Question 75

A retailer can reduce turnover by:

A) treating employees all the same
B) building an atmosphere of mutual commitment
C) reducing its fixed costs
D) increasing its dollar sales
E) doing all of these

Question 76

Roger applied for a position as a butcher's assistant at a nearby supermarket. After he completed his application, the manager showed him a video reviewing the responsibilities of an assistant to the butcher. After viewing that, Roger told the manager he didn't want the job. This screening technique is called:

A) a reference
B) a job preview
C) an interview
D) an application
E) testing

Question 77

Constance is the store manager for Fins, a pet store specializing in tropical fish. She needs to hire a full-time salesperson. What should she do first?

A) Look at the worst employees and determine what characteristics make them ineffectual workers
B) Visit other stores and look at how their employees treat customers
C) Set up the guidelines she will use to recruit, select, train, and evaluate the new salesperson
D) Identify essential activities that need to be performed and the qualifications used to perform them effectively
E) Ask the opinions of the store's long-time customers

Question 78

Which of the following would be inappropriate to ask at an interview?

A) What would you do with someone on your job made a racial slur?
B) What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with?
C) How did you spend summers during college?
D) What is your date of birth?
E) Why do you want to leave your present job?

Question 79

Autumn is the sales manager at a store that sells musical instruments. She has developed a job description for each of her employees. These job descriptions can be used for:

A) evaluating the sales performances of her employees
B) selecting the person most suited to the retailing job that needs to be filled
C) training both experienced and inexperienced retail salespeople
D) recruiting new sales help
E) doing all of these

Question 80

What can retailers do to build an atmosphere of mutual commitment and increase the financial performance of their firms?

A) They can empower employees
B) They can develop skills through selection
C) They can create a partnering relationship with employees
D) They can develop skills through training
E) They can do all of these