Deck 8: Human Resources

Question 1

Successful quality-oriented firms recognize the importance of their employees when developing a competitive strategy.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Companies with a quality focus generally give their employees the authority to make decisions that will improve quality.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Scientific management involves breaking down jobs into elemental activities.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Achieving strategic quality goals for quality and customer satisfaction often requires teamwork and group participation.

Question 5

The motivation for companies to create alternative workplaces is primarily financial.

Question 6

In a piece-rate wage system, pay is based on the efficiency of the overall process.

Question 7

One of the prerequisites to job rotation is cross-training.

Question 8

Motivation refers to the willingness of an employee to perform as needed to attain a goal or objective.

Question 9

Studies have shown that the success of Japanese companies is due to cultural factors.

Question 10

For most industrialized countries, the difference between a company's success and failure is dependent on the capability of its human resources.

Question 11

With total quality management (TQM), employees are usually given precise directions to achieve narrowly defined objectives.

Question 12

An alternative workplace is a combination of nontraditional work locations and practices that supplement or replace the traditional office.

Question 13

Studies have shown that the success of Japanese companies is due to management practices.

Question 14

A piece-rate wage plan rewards employees for attaining company goals and objectives.

Question 15

Scientific management divides jobs into their most elemental activities to simplify job design.

Question 16

Because services are labor intensive, human resources is becoming a more important strategic factor for service companies.

Question 17

Job rotation often requires cross-training of employees.

Question 18

Flexibility has traditionally been used as a measure of job efficiency.

Question 19

With total quality management (TQM), employees receive broad job training giving them more flexible in where they can work

Question 20

Empowerment involves giving employees the authority and responsibility to innovate and act on their own.

Question 21

Globalization has resulted in an overall reduction in diversity related issues in the workplace.

Question 22

Learning curves have limited application for assembly lines with short, repetitive jobs.

Question 23

Scientific management involves all the following except

A) breaking down jobs into their simplest elements.
B) eliminating unnecessary motions.
C) hiring only highly trained workers.
D) assigning tasks to workers.

Question 24

While still an important issue, diversity issues in U.S. companies is on the decline.

Question 25

In the U.S, affirmative action and equal opportunity are basically the same.

Question 26

A process flowchart is a graph showing the steps of a job or how a set of jobs fit together into the overall flow of the production process.

Question 27

All of the following are advantages of task specialization except

A) increased output.
B) lower labor costs.
C) reduced boredom.
D) minimal training.

Question 28

Learning curves are useful for measuring work improvement for repetitive, simple jobs requiring short times to complete.

Question 29

A worker-machine chart illustrates the amount of time a worker and a machine are working or idle.

Question 30

By managing diversity, a company can gain a competitive edge because all employees are given an opportunity to do their best.

Question 31

The interface of workers with machines is probably the least important aspect of job design.

Question 32

An 80% learning curve describes an improvement rate of 80% each time production doubles.

Question 33

Determining worker capabilities and responsibilities for a job is known as worker analysis.

Question 34

The formal study of the individual human motions used to perform a task was developed by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.

Question 35

A worker-machine chart determines whether worker and machine tasks are strategically aligned.

Question 36

A graph that reflects the fact that repetition of tasks improves worker performance is referred to as a learning curve.

Question 37

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics very few people entering the workforce over the past decade were members of minority groups.

Question 38

One advantage of an individual piece-rate system is that it provides strong incentives to ensure high quality.

Question 39

Job design includes determining the characteristics a worker needs to meet the job requirements.

Question 40

Fitting the task to the person in a work environment is known as job analysis.

Question 41

Which of the following would most likely be used to redesign or improve existing jobs?

A) methods analysis b technology analysis
C environmental analysis
D task analysis

Question 42

The elements of job design include

A) task analysis.
B) worker analysis.
C) environmental analysis.
D) All of these answer choices are correct.

Question 43

Research has shown the success of Japanese companies operating production facilities in the United States is due to

A) cultural factors.
B) management practices.
C) superiority of American workers.
D) None of these answer choices is correct.

Question 44

The two traditional forms of employee compensation include

A) hourly wage and individual incentive.
B) hourly wage and profit sharing.
C) salary and individual incentive.
D) hourly wage and gainsharing.

Question 45

Which of the following is not a contemporary trend in human resource management?

A) cross training
B) flexible work schedules
C) telecommuting
D) reduced work week for full time employees

Question 46

A trend among service companies, in particular, is the use of

A) temporary and part-time employees.
B) telecommuting.
C) flexible work schedules.
D) teamwork.

Question 47

______________ gives employees the responsibility and authority to make decisions.

A) Cross training
B) Empowerment
C) Job rotation
D) Horizontal job enlargement

Question 48

Advantages of telecommuting include all of the following except

A) reduced turnover.
B) decreased absenteeism and leave usage.
C) flexible work schedules.
D) direct visual surveillance of employees.

Question 49

The development of the assembly line by Henry Ford is based on the principles of

A) scientific management.
B) mass production.
C) both scientific management and mass production.
D) None of these answer choices is correct.

Question 50

__________________ is an incentive plan that joins employees in common to achieve company objectives in which they share in the gains.

A) Profit sharing
B) Gainsharing
C) Performance pay
D) None of these answer choices is correct.

Question 51

Assigning a worker a complete unit of work with clearly defined start and end points is referred to as

A) vertical job enlargement.
B) job rotation.
C) horizontal job enlargement.
D) empowerment.

Question 52

Allowing employees more control over their own work and some of the supervisory responsibilities is known as

A) vertical job enlargement.
B) empowerment.
C) horizontal job enlargement.
D) cross training.

Question 53

Advantages of empowerment include all of the following except

A) more attention to product quality.
B) higher productivity.
C) abuse of power.
D) more satisfying work.

Question 54

_________________ refers to the physical location of a job and the requisite surroundings.

A) Task analysis
B) Worker analysis
C) Methods analysis
D) Environmental analysis

Question 55

Empowerment involves giving employees _________________ to make decisions.

A) responsibility
B) authority
C) both responsibility and authority
D) None of these answer choices is correct.

Question 56

An incentive plan that encourages employees to achieve a company's goals and objectives is referred to as

A) a piece-rate wage plan.
B) gainsharing.
C) profit sharing.
D) overtime.

Question 57

In a piece-rate wage system a worker's pay is based on

A) total output.
B) job rating.
C) job classification.
D) total time.

Question 58

Determining how tasks fit together to form a job is referred to as

A) worker analysis.
B) task analysis.
C) environmental analysis.
D) ergonomics.

Question 59

Which of the following is not a principle for job enrichment?

A) provide additional authority and freedom
B) vertical job enlargement
C) make periodic reports available to workers
D) introduce simple, repetitive tasks

Question 60

Fitting the task to the employee in a work environment is known as

A) motivation.
B) worker analysis.
C) ergonomics.
D) task analysis.

Question 61

Briefly describe the principles of scientific management.

Question 62

A 90% learning curve indicates a) a 90% increase in processing time per unit as output doubles.
B) a 90% decrease in processing time per unit as output doubles.
C) a 10% increase in processing time per unit as output doubles.
D) a 10% decrease in processing time per unit as output doubles.

Question 63

A company has accepted a contract to produce a special electric motor. The number of direct labor hours required to produce the first motor is 250. If an 85% learning curve applies to the production of motors then the number of labor hours needed to produce the 4th motor is a) 212.5 hours.
B) 180.6 hours.
C) 153.5 hours.
D0 37.5 hours

Question 64

The gradual shift from treating employees as a replaceable part to embracing them as a valuable resource was primarily brought about by the trend toward

A) globalization.
B) quality management.
C) scientific management.
D) customization.

Question 65

The principles of motion study relate to all of the following categories except

A) the human body.
B) the efficient use of capital.
C) the workplace.
D) the efficient use of equipment and machinery.

Question 66

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

Question 67

A graph that illustrates the improvement rate of workers, as a job is repeated, is known as a a) learning curve.
B) process flowchart.
C) worker-machine chart.
D) task analysis chart.

Question 68

___________ illustrate the improvement rate of workers as a job is repeated. a) Learning curves
B) Process curves
C) Learning charts
D) Process charts

Question 69

The amount of time a worker and a machine are working or idle on a job is illustrated by a

A) process flowchart.
B) worker analysis.
C) task analysis.
D) worker-machine chart.

Question 70

The direct labor 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 labor hours for the fifth unit to be a) 1692.4 hours.
B) 1620.0 hours.
C) 1566.0 hours.
D) 1523.2 hours.

Question 71

Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scientific management.

Question 72

The direct labor 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

A) 100%.
B) 90%.
C) 85%.
D) 80%.

Question 73

A learning curve illustrates that increasing the number of cumulative units produced ________ the labor required per unit. a) increases
B) eliminates
C) decreases
D) does not impact

Question 74

A(n) __________________ is used to graphically analyze how the steps of a job fit together into the overall flow of the production process.

A) methods analysis
B) process flowchart
C) task analysis
D) environmental analysis

Question 75

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

A) Learning curves can help managers project labor requirements.
B) Learning curves are not affected by product modifications.
C) Learning curves are useful in developing production scheduling plans.
D) Learning curves can help make overall product cost estimates.

Question 76

______________ involves the horizontal movement of a worker between two or more jobs.

A) Cross training
B) Empowerment
C) Alternative workplace
D) Job rotation

Question 77

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

Question 78

The direct labor time required to produce the first sailboat of a particular model was 3,000 hours. If the company believes that an 80% learning curve applies to the production of this model sailboat then the direct labor time required to produce the second boat is estimated to be

A) 600 hours.
B) 2,400 hours.
C) 3,600 hours.
D) 4,000 hours.

Question 79

A learning curve reflects the fact that a) each time the number of units produced doubles, the processing time per unit decreases by a constant percentage.
B) each time the number of units produced doubles, the processing time per unit increases by a constant percentage.
C) each time the number of units produced doubles, the processing time per unit increases by 10%.
D) each time the number of units produced doubles, the processing time per unit remains the same.

Question 80

Motion study, the study of the individual human motions used in a task, was developed by

A) Henry Ford.
B) F. W. Taylor.
C) Frank and Lillian Gilbreth.
D) Frederick Herzberg.