Deck 2: Strategy and Human Resources Planning

Question 1

Organization Z is planning its future. In the process, the firm is making decisions such as what type of market it wants to be the leader in and what path to take to achieve this goal. What is Organization Z doing?

A) strategic planning
B) human resources planning
C) performing a Markov analysis
D) applying principles of strategic human resources management

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is an important shortcoming of an organization's having to rely on part-time employees?

A) limited benefits
B) no job security
C) lack of training
D) no organizational loyalty

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Smith Frozen Foods performs a yearly employee survey to assess how its employees feel about safety on the job, the comfort of the working conditions, and their general level of satisfaction with their work, managers, and coworkers. What is Smith Frozen Foods most likely performing?

A) a job satisfaction survey
B) an environmental analysis
C) a cultural audit
D) an engagement measure

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Kramer Athletic Equipment is planning the future of the organization. In this process, the firm is making decisions such as whether to maintain its current path as industry leader in the running shoe business, or branch out to include casual footwear. In addition, the company is also discussing the various needs it will have for new staff if it does choose to go in a new direction. What is Kramer Athletic Equipment doing?

A) strategic planning
B) human resources planning
C) applying principles of strategic human resources management
D) planning both its business needs and its HR needs

Question 5

Which statement best describes strategic knowledge workers?

A) They have unique skills directly linked to the company's strategy.
B) They have firm-specific skills directly related to company strategy.
C) They have skills that are valuable but not unique.
D) They have skills available to all firms.

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the core values of a company?

A) they encompass the systematic monitoring of external opportunities
B) they are the basic purpose of the organization
C) they are the strong enduring beliefs and principles used by the company to make decisions
D) they provide a perspective on where the company is headed

Question 7

What is human resources planning?

A) a technique that identifies the critical aspects of a job
B) the process of anticipating and making provisions for movement of people into, within, and out of an organization
C) the process of setting major organizational objectives and developing comprehensive plans to achieve these objectives
D) the process of determining the primary direction of the firm

Question 8

What are the most important factors to consider when scanning the environment in strategic planning?

A) the competition, customers, rival firms, new entrants, substitutes, suppliers, and external labour supply
B) the competition, the global landscape, rival firms, new entrants, substitutes, suppliers, and external labour supply
C) the competition, the global landscape, rival firms, new entrants, the business context, suppliers, and external labour supply
D) the competition, customers, rival firms, the workforce, substitutes, suppliers, and external labour supply

Question 9

On the entrance to Mac Pencils' factory are the words "to provide the world with high-quality and dependable pencils." What is this an example of?

A) mission
B) strategic vision
C) core values
D) strategic mission

Question 10

Which term refers to the integrated knowledge sets within an organization that distinguish it from its competitors and deliver value to customers?

A) individual competencies
B) core capabilities
C) human capital
D) organizational competencies

Question 11

What does a human capital architecture map classify employees according to?

A) exempt and non-exempt status
B) employee function and wage rate
C) employee function and skill level
D) strategic value and unique skills

Question 12

Which of the following can be used to classify different skill groups in an organization by the degree to which they create strategic value and are unique?

A) internal environmental scanning
B) a human capital architecture map
C) a skills inventory
D) strategic planning

Question 13

Which statement best describes the skills of contract labour workers?

A) Their skills are not directly related to company strategy.
B) They have firm-specific skills directly related to company strategy.
C) They have skills that are valuable but not unique.
D) Their skills are available to all firms.

Question 14

Which term refers to the systematic, regular monitoring of major external forces influencing the organization?

A) demand forecasting
B) environmental scanning
C) exception reporting
D) influence analysis

Question 15

One way human resource planning links to strategic planning is by providing a set of inputs into which of the following?

A) the strategy formulation process
B) the strategy implementation process
C) the strategic analysis process
D) the source of competitive advantage

Question 16

HR managers must be concerned with aligning HR planning and which of the following?

A) the organization's strategic plan
B) the organization's marketing position
C) the organization's return on its human assets
D) the competitive environment

Question 17

Which term refers to the examination of the attitudes and activities of a company's workforce?

A) environmental scanning
B) trend analysis
C) a cultural audit
D) behavioural modelling

Question 18

Which of the following organizations is most likely to gain a sustained competitive advantage through its people?

A) one in which employee talent is organized, difficult to imitate, rare, and valuable
B) one in which employees are motivated through training initiatives, pay, and fair practices
C) one in which employees are empowered, have promotion opportunities, and have a high morale level
D) one in which employees are empowered, have talent that is rare and valuable, and are motivated through training

Question 19

Eldorado Electronics wants to move from the stagnant calculator industry into the smart phone industry. To do so, however, it would have to make significant changes to its approach to product development in order to gain an edge in this competitive industry. What is the smartest next step for Eldorado Electronics?

A) It should consider how its strategic plans will affect its HR needs.
B) It should engage in human resources planning.
C) It should apply principles of strategic human resources management.
D) It should consider how its strategic plans will affect HR needs and also how its current HR status will affect its strategic plans.

Question 20

When an organization monitors demographic and labour market trends as well as technological and IT changes, it is most likely performing which of the following?

A) a competitive environment scan
B) an environment scan
C) a strategic plan
D) a labour market scan

Question 21

What is a major reason why many mergers do not go well?

A) strategic planning failures
B) failures in context analysis
C) cultural inconsistencies and conflicts
D) a competitive business environment

Question 22

Organization Y is a unionized textiles manufacturing company that is downsizing. What will Organization Y most likely use when deciding whom to lay off first?

A) seniority
B) the payroll
C) what skills and abilities the company needs to thrive
D) talent

Question 23

Which of the following lists current jobholders and identifies possible replacements?

A) a staffing table
B) a replacement chart
C) a trend model
D) Markov analysis

Question 24

Which process refers to the examination of the attitudes and activities of a company's workforce?

A) environmental scanning
B) trend analysis
C) a cultural audit
D) behavioural modelling

Question 25

Kappa Technology is a firm in the high-technology sector. It needs to hire individuals with very specific knowledge and abilities, and it needs to do so quickly. Which aspect of employee forecasting will be most important for this company?

A) skills inventories
B) staffing tables
C) Markov analysis
D) succession planning

Question 26

In what way can HR best help ensure that a strategic alliance or joint venture goes smoothly in the beginning?

A) plan labour supply needs for both organizations
B) systematically monitor employee morale for both organizations
C) teach employees about the other organization
D) assess the compatibility of the two organizational cultures

Question 27

What is at the centre of the 7-S model?

A) shared values
B) strategy
C) style
D) systems

Question 28

Which of the following is an important step in human resources planning?

A) assessing the organizational strategic plan
B) formulating strategy
C) developing global awareness
D) surveying employees

Question 29

Which of the following is the process of identifying, developing, and tracking key individuals so that they may eventually assume top-level positions?

A) target forecasting
B) predicted change
C) succession planning
D) replacement selection

Question 30

What should you take into account when forecasting demand?

A) product/service demand
B) the number of part-time employees needed
C) unemployment rate
D) labour mobility

Question 31

Which of the following is a graphical representation of all organizational jobs along with the numbers of employees currently occupying those jobs and future employment requirements?

A) a staffing table
B) an organization chart
C) a skills inventory
D) career planning

Question 32

Vindal Fabrics has determined that its organizational strength is being an industry leader in producing upholstery fabrics for automobiles. The company believes its weakness is its performance in Southeast Asia. It has also determined that it is missing an opportunity by not yet branching into upholstery for public transit seats. In order to complete a SWOT analysis, what piece of information does Vindal Fabrics need to figure out next?

A) It needs to see that its major threat is the economic downturn of the auto industry.
B) Its HR department needs to address the company's major weakness.
C) It needs to perform a revenue analysis in order to see what chances it can take.
D) Its HR department needs to address the company's missed opportunity.

Question 33

What is the most important information obtained from a Markov analysis?

A) human capital readiness
B) what types of employees work in each department
C) how many individuals are in each job in each department
D) what positions are going to be coming open and will require a new hire

Question 34

Which statement best describes a hiring freeze?

A) It is usually only successful during times of economic crisis.
B) It is a workforce attrition strategy.
C) It discourages competent employees.
D) It leaves more talented labour for the competition.

Question 35

Severance pay is usually calculated based on which of the following?

A) the employee's years of service and salary
B) complex formulas administered by the federal government
C) the employee's skills and abilities
D) the employee's education and performance

Question 36

Which term refers to reducing the workforce through the departure of employees who resign or retire?

A) a hiring freeze
B) a worker loan-out program
C) attrition
D) termination

Question 37

What is the difference between trend analysis and management forecasts?

A) Trend analysis is used to analyze the business environment and management forecasts predict labour needs.
B) Trend analysis uses organizational indexes and management forecasts utilize statistical techniques.
C) Trend analysis is quantitative and management forecasts are qualitative.
D) Trend analysis has proven success and management forecasts have major shortcomings.

Question 38

Manning Logistics laid off 9 employees from data-entry positions in its finance division. Two weeks later it hired 15 employees into data-entry positions in the inventory division. What mistake has the company committed?

A) faulty human resources planning
B) not forecasting
C) faulty strategic planning
D) not analyzing the internal labour force

Question 39

Which of the following best describes forecasting human resources needs?

A) It is scientific and relatively error-free.
B) It is difficult and should only be done on rare occasions.
C) It should rely strictly on quantitative approaches, which utilize sophisticated analytical models.
D) It estimates the number and type of people that are needed to meet organizational objectives.

Question 40

What are the three Cs in strategic planning?

A) culture, capabilities, and composition
B) culture, clarity, and composure
C) culture, competition, and clarity
D) culture, creativity, and composition

Question 41

Scenario 2.1
Blockbuster Canada was the first of its kind in Canada in the movie and games rental business and operated for more than 21 years. However, with the advent of more modern technology accessible mainly through Netflix and Rogers On Demand, Blockbuster struggled to stay relevant in a tech-savvy environment where videos and games could now be rented conveniently from the comfort of one's couch via computer or TV. Despite efforts to try to stay relevant they did not leverage technology that had become an important part of their consumer base's daily lives. As a result, Blockbuster was not able to fight off the competition.
Refer to Scenario 2.1. For years, Blockbuster survived as a successful entity with various competitors until Netflix and Rogers On Demand began making movies and games available online. Which of the following most likely contributed to Blockbuster going out of business?

A) economic, global, political, and environmental factors
B) technological, psychological, and physical factors
C) technological changes, social concerns, and demographic and labour market trends
D) the lack of knowledge workers

Question 42

Strategic plans have a strong external orientation that covers major portions of the organization, focusing mainly on how the organization will position itself globally.

Question 43

Scenario 2.2
Avie Products Inc. is planning to add a third shift to its production schedule. It currently has 450 workers involved in all aspects of its fertilizer business, best done in Canada. A recent surge in demand from its global customers is driving the need for more workers; however, Simi Meher, the CEO, is concerned that the surge may be temporary, especially in light of the recent economic downturns in the global environment where Avie does business.
Refer to Scenario 2.2. What is the best strategy for Avie to follow with respect to workers on the third shift?

A) hire full-time employees to get their commitment
B) hire part-time staff
C) get management to do the extra work
D) outsource the work to India

Question 44

The mission statement of an organization is a description of the organization's vision and values.

Question 45

Scenario 2.2
Avie Products Inc. is planning to add a third shift to its production schedule. It currently has 450 workers involved in all aspects of its fertilizer business, best done in Canada. A recent surge in demand from its global customers is driving the need for more workers; however, Simi Meher, the CEO, is concerned that the surge may be temporary, especially in light of the recent economic downturns in the global environment where Avie does business.
Refer to Scenario 2.2. Assume that Avie goes ahead with the third shift. What can the company use to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy in a year's time?

A) Markov analysis
B) trend analysis
C) skill inventories
D) benchmarking

Question 46

Scenario 2.1
Blockbuster Canada was the first of its kind in Canada in the movie and games rental business and operated for more than 21 years. However, with the advent of more modern technology accessible mainly through Netflix and Rogers On Demand, Blockbuster struggled to stay relevant in a tech-savvy environment where videos and games could now be rented conveniently from the comfort of one's couch via computer or TV. Despite efforts to try to stay relevant they did not leverage technology that had become an important part of their consumer base's daily lives. As a result, Blockbuster was not able to fight off the competition.
Refer to Scenario 2.1. Blockbuster Canada managers could have successfully advanced the company and remained relevant by focusing on which of the following?

A) an environmental analysis
B) what they do best, traditional rentals
C) technological changes including information technology and innovations
D) incentives to keep consumers coming back

Question 47

Scenario 2.1
Blockbuster Canada was the first of its kind in Canada in the movie and games rental business and operated for more than 21 years. However, with the advent of more modern technology accessible mainly through Netflix and Rogers On Demand, Blockbuster struggled to stay relevant in a tech-savvy environment where videos and games could now be rented conveniently from the comfort of one's couch via computer or TV. Despite efforts to try to stay relevant they did not leverage technology that had become an important part of their consumer base's daily lives. As a result, Blockbuster was not able to fight off the competition.
Refer to Scenario 2.1. Blockbuster's competitive environment includes which of the following?

A) its customers, HR strategy, new entrants, core capabilities
B) its environmental scanning and analysis
C) its environmental analysis, strategic planning, and HR strategy
D) its customers, rival firms, new entrants, substitutes, and suppliers

Question 48

Human resources planning (HRP)is the conducting of recruitment and selection methods according to a strategic plan.

Question 49

What is benchmarking?

A) the practice of identifying employees with promotion potential
B) the practice of identifying performance differences with competing firms
C) the process of identifying the best practices of a firm in a given area and comparing your practices to their practices
D) the process of establishing performance standards through HRP

Question 50

Human resources planning plays a key role in organizational strategy implementation because organizational leaders must make decisions regarding resource allocations to human capital, among other things.

Question 51

Scenario 2.2
Avie Products Inc. is planning to add a third shift to its production schedule. It currently has 450 workers involved in all aspects of its fertilizer business, best done in Canada. A recent surge in demand from its global customers is driving the need for more workers; however, Simi Meher, the CEO, is concerned that the surge may be temporary, especially in light of the recent economic downturns in the global environment where Avie does business.
Refer to Scenario 2.2. Which approach could Avie use to forecast demand for its products?

A) staffing tables
B) Markov analysis
C) skill inventories
D) trend analysis

Question 52

What is an important difference between small and large businesses in terms of alignment between organization and people strategies?

A) Large businesses are constrained by existing internal processes; small businesses have less bureaucracy and can change faster.
B) Large businesses have more strategy to align; small businesses keep it simple.
C) Large businesses have more competitors; small businesses can keep a closer eye on fewer rivals.
D) Large businesses have more overhead and constraints; small businesses are leaner and meaner.

Question 53

HR planning is the process of setting major organizational objectives and developing comprehensive plans to achieve those objectives.

Question 54

Scenario 2.1
Blockbuster Canada was the first of its kind in Canada in the movie and games rental business and operated for more than 21 years. However, with the advent of more modern technology accessible mainly through Netflix and Rogers On Demand, Blockbuster struggled to stay relevant in a tech-savvy environment where videos and games could now be rented conveniently from the comfort of one's couch via computer or TV. Despite efforts to try to stay relevant they did not leverage technology that had become an important part of their consumer base's daily lives. As a result, Blockbuster was not able to fight off the competition.
Refer to Scenario 2.1. To remain competitive Blockbuster Canada needed to systematically monitor the major external forces influencing the movie/game rental business. Which of the following would be important to its success?

A) analysis of the internal environment
B) environmental scanning
C) changes in demographics
D) changes in its mission, vision, and values

Question 55

Scenario 2.1
Blockbuster Canada was the first of its kind in Canada in the movie and games rental business and operated for more than 21 years. However, with the advent of more modern technology accessible mainly through Netflix and Rogers On Demand, Blockbuster struggled to stay relevant in a tech-savvy environment where videos and games could now be rented conveniently from the comfort of one's couch via computer or TV. Despite efforts to try to stay relevant they did not leverage technology that had become an important part of their consumer base's daily lives. As a result, Blockbuster was not able to fight off the competition.
Refer to Scenario 2.1. What is one of the most important assessments a firm like Blockbuster could have made in order to stay relevant?

A) identifying the needs of its customers
B) identifying the needs of its producers
C) identifying the needs of its employees
D) teaming up with the competition

Question 56

Which term refers to an enthusiastically adopted tool for mapping a firm's strategy in order to ensure strategic alignment?

A) target forecasting
B) predicted focus
C) balanced scorecard
D) replacement selection

Question 57

Which of the following is a method for measuring a firm's strategic alignment?

A) Markov analysis
B) SWOT analysis
C) benchmarking
D) using a balanced scorecard

Question 58

Scenario 2.2
Avie Products Inc. is planning to add a third shift to its production schedule. It currently has 450 workers involved in all aspects of its fertilizer business, best done in Canada. A recent surge in demand from its global customers is driving the need for more workers; however, Simi Meher, the CEO, is concerned that the surge may be temporary, especially in light of the recent economic downturns in the global environment where Avie does business.
Refer to Scenario 2.2. What would assist Avie in determining how many additional workers it would need for the third shift?

A) reconciling supply and demand
B) Markov analysis
C) replacement charting
D) trend analysis

Question 59

Increased emphasis on HR issues becomes especially critical when organizations consider global strategies, relocation of plants, product innovation plans, and so forth.

Question 60

An organization states that teamwork and working together are important in its strategy but gives bonuses to individuals who excel independently. What is this an example of?

A) a misalignment of functional strategy
B) a misalignment of external fit
C) a misalignment of internal fit
D) a misalignment of strategy and HR

Question 61

The number of hours that Canadians work per week has been trending downward and now hovers around 33 hours a week.

Question 62

Economic factors in environmental scanning include general and global conditions.

Question 63

Trend analysis is a qualitative approach to labour demand forecasting.

Question 64

National and regional unemployment rates are often considered a general barometer of labour supply.

Question 65

Environmental scanning involves the systematic monitoring of internal factors influencing the organization.

Question 66

Core capabilities provide a long-term basis for technological innovation, product development, and service delivery.

Question 67

A cultural audit asks questions such as "How do employees spend their time?"

Question 68

Forecasting may be as informal as having one person familiar with the organization anticipate HR needs.

Question 69

Organizations such as Canadian Tire and CIBC conduct cultural audits to examine the attitudes and activities of the external workforce.

Question 70

There are two approaches to HR forecasting: quantitative and qualitative.

Question 71

A cultural audit asks questions such as "What is the ethnic make-up of my workforce?"

Question 72

External supply of labour is central to strategic planning.

Question 73

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)analyzes labour markets to determine the supply and demand for labour.

Question 74

Internal analysis provides strategic decision makers with an inventory of organizational skills and resources.

Question 75

Nearly one-fifth of the workforce is made up of part-time, temporary, and self-employed workers.

Question 76

Organizational core values are the strong enduring beliefs and principles that a company uses as a foundation for its decisions.

Question 77

Core capabilities are integrated skills and knowledge sets within an organization that distinguish it from its competitors and deliver value to customers.

Question 78

A cultural audit may examine how people are empowered.

Question 79

Trend analysis relies on a single business factor.

Question 80

In general, contract labour possesses skills and knowledge of less strategic value to the organization than core knowledge workers.