Deck 13: Human Resource Management

Question 1

Performance appraisals should emphasize how well the individual is doing the job, not the evaluator's impression of the individual's work habits.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

When employees' performance is appraised using a rating scale, only one employee can occupy a particular ranking.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Recruitment is the process of developing qualities in human resources that will enable them to be more productive and thus contribute more to organizational goal attainment.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In a lecture, trainees participate primarily through listening and note taking.

Question 5

Typing and keyboarding tests are examples of aptitude tests.

Question 6

An assessment center is a place in which participants engage in a number of individual and group exercises constructed to simulate important activities at the organizational levels to which they aspire.

Question 7

A job description refers to the characteristics of the individual who should be hired for the job.

Question 8

Although conceptually similar, performance and objectives should be distinct and independent topics of discussion during performance appraisals.

Question 9

Private employment agencies collect a fee from either the person hired or the organization doing the hiring, once the hire has been finalized.

Question 10

Wikstrom's human resource inventory forms are meant to be used exclusively for filling managerial positions and cannot be used for filling nonmanagerial positions.

Question 11

In the area of equal employment opportunity, the basic purpose of positive movement is to eliminate barriers and increase opportunities for the purpose of increasing the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals.

Question 12

The phrase inappropriate human resources refers to organization members who do not make a valuable contribution to the attainment of management system objectives.

Question 13

Wikstrom's human resource inventory records furnish different data on which to base a hiring-from-outside decision.

Question 14

One of the weaknesses of performance appraisals is that the emphasis is on completing paperwork rather than on critiquing individual performance.

Question 15

To be considered as effective, test results should not be used as the sole determinant of a hiring decision.

Question 16

Performance appraisal is a continuing activity that focuses exclusively on established human resources within the organization, while training focuses on newcomers.

Question 17

Wikstrom's position replacement form focuses on position-centered information rather than the people-centered information maintained on the management inventory card.

Question 18

Managers expose themselves to legal prosecution by basing employment decisions on personality tests that are invalid and unreliable.

Question 19

The supply of individuals from which to recruit is continually changing, which means that at times, finding appropriate human resources will be much harder than at other times.

Question 20

Equal opportunity legislation protects the right of a citizen to work and obtain a fair wage based primarily on race and ethnicity.

Question 21

Which of the following items is likely to be found in a job specification?

A) job title
B) working conditions
C) equipment used
D) job summary
E) physical skills

Question 22

Which of the following human resource inventory records proposed by Walter S. Wikstrom contains an organizational history of an individual and an indication of how he or she might be used in the future?

A) management manpower replacement chart
B) employee payroll graph
C) position replacement form
D) organizational restructuring chart
E) management inventory card

Question 23

Which of the following is an objective of a human resource inventory?

A) advertising a vacant organizational position in a publication whose readers are likely to be interested in filling the position
B) keeping management up to date about the possibilities for filling a position from within
C) eliminating barriers and increasing opportunities for the purpose of increasing the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals
D) selecting for an open position the individual who finds most aspects of that position interesting
E) increasing the productivity of employees by influencing their behavior

Question 24

A(n) ________ consists of information about the characteristics of organization members.

A) job repository
B) employee payroll
C) job analysis
D) human resource inventory
E) curriculum vitae

Question 25

The technique commonly used to gain an understanding of a position to be filled so that the broad range of potential employees can be narrowed intelligently is known as ________.

A) job analysis
B) workforce profiling
C) employment forecasting
D) performance appraisal
E) work normalization

Question 26

The ________ is a human resource inventory record that presents a composite view of the individuals management considers significant for human resource planning.

A) management inventory card
B) employment authorization document
C) job analysis chart
D) management manpower replacement chart
E) position replacement form

Question 27

The activities that a job entails are collectively referred to as the ________.

A) job specification
B) job description
C) workforce profile
D) résumé
E) performance appraisal

Question 28

Which of the following functions does a position replacement form perform?

A) provides information about the organizational history of an individual
B) compares the merits of two individuals being considered for a position
C) determines who might be eligible to fill a vacant position
D) assesses the potential of an employee in the organization
E) advertises a vacant position in the organization and requests applications from qualified candidates

Question 29

Equal opportunity legislation protects the right of a citizen to work and obtain a fair wage based primarily on ________.

A) race
B) ethnicity
C) gender
D) disability
E) performance

Question 30

A(n) ________ details the characteristics of the individual who should be hired for a particular job.

A) job description
B) workforce profile
C) curriculum vitae
D) job specification
E) performance appraisal

Question 31

Which of the following is the first step in providing appropriate human resources for an organization?

A) selection
B) orientation
C) recruitment
D) training
E) performance appraisal

Question 32

Which of the following items is likely to be found in a job description?

A) physical effort needed
B) equipment used
C) educational qualifications desired
D) job responsibilities
E) experience required

Question 33

At which stage of the selection process is a candidate likely to be eliminated because of an inadequate educational and performance record?

A) personal judgement
B) personality tests
C) preliminary screening from data sheets, etc.
D) diagnostic interview
E) performance references

Question 34

A candidate is eliminated from the selection process for lacking the necessary innate ability, ambition, and other qualities required of the job. Which stage of the selection process was the candidate most likely at when he or she was eliminated?

A) preliminary interview
B) personality test
C) performance references
D) diagnostic interview
E) intelligence test

Question 35

The basic purpose of affirmative action is to ________.

A) narrow a large field of prospective employees to a relatively small group of individuals from which someone eventually will be hired
B) eliminate barriers and increase opportunities for the purpose of increasing the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals
C) increase the productivity of employees by influencing their behavior
D) refine work methods, reduce production costs, and increase the level of organizational diversity
E) furnish feedback to organization members about how they can become more productive and useful to the organization in its quest for quality

Question 36

________ is the process of outlining who will follow whom in various organizational positions.

A) Organizational restructuring
B) Succession planning
C) Forecasting
D) Headhunting
E) Scheduling

Question 37

Which of the following entities was created by the Civil Rights Act, passed in 1964 and amended in 1972, to enforce federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in recruitment, hiring, firing, layoffs, and all other employment practices?

A) American Equal Rights Association
B) United States Commission on Civil Rights
C) Federal Labor Relations Authority
D) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
E) National Labor Relations Board

Question 38

The basic purpose of recruitment is to ________.

A) increase the productivity of employees by influencing their behavior
B) furnish feedback to organization members about how they can become more productive and useful to the organization in its quest for quality
C) eliminate barriers and increase opportunities for the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals
D) narrow a large field of prospective employees to a relatively small group of individuals from which someone eventually will be hired
E) refine work methods, reduce production costs, and increase the level of organizational diversity

Question 39

Which of the following processes involves choosing an individual to hire from all those who have been screened from the prospective human resources available to fill a position?

A) selection
B) training
C) recruitment
D) promotion
E) orientation

Question 40

________ is the initial attraction and screening of the supply of prospective human resources available to fill a position.

A) Onboarding
B) Promotion
C) Recruitment
D) Prospecting
E) Orientation

Question 41

________ refer(s) to the information or skill areas of an individual or group that require further development to increase the productivity of that individual or group.

A) Training needs
B) Professional maturity
C) Self-actualization needs
D) Vocational interest
E) Growth potential

Question 42

Which of the following actions is performed during the personal judgement stage of the selection process?

A) A candidate's personality aspects are determined.
B) A candidate's records and data sheets are screened for adequate educational and performance record.
C) A candidate is placed in an available position.
D) A candidate's innate ability and ambition are assessed.
E) A candidate's past performance records are reviewed.

Question 43

An HR manager of one of the companies Sean interviews for tells him that he has been eliminated from the selection process as his professors rate him as lethargic and not dedicated on account of late project and assignment submissions. Sean was most likely at the ________ stage of the selection process when he was eliminated.

A) diagnostic interview
B) aptitude test
C) preliminary interview
D) performance references
E) intelligence test

Question 44

________ is the process of developing qualities in human resources that will enable them to be more productive and thus contribute more to organizational goal attainment.

A) Recruitment
B) Training
C) Selection
D) Performance appraisal
E) Induction

Question 45

________ attempt to measure an individual's interest in performing various kinds of jobs.

A) Aptitude-interest tests
B) Vocational interest tests
C) Intelligence tests
D) Personality tests
E) Functional interest tests

Question 46

A(n) ________ is a program in which participants engage in a number of individual and group exercises constructed to simulate important activities at the organizational levels to which they aspire.

A) job analysis
B) assessment center
C) performance appraisal
D) employment audit
E) workforce plan

Question 47

Which of the following is an example of an achievement test?

A) intelligence test
B) aptitude test
C) thematic apperception test
D) keyboarding test
E) visual skills test

Question 48

Which of the following statements is true of lectures as a training method?

A) Lectures involve even exchange of information between instructors and trainees by way of discussions and debates.
B) Lectures are disadvantaged by their inability to expose trainees to a substantial amount of information within a given time period.
C) The nature of the lecture situation makes it of minimal value in promoting attitudinal or behavioral change.
D) Instructors can handle the wide diversity of ability, attitude, and interest that may prevail among the trainees by way of lectures.
E) A lecture format provides opportunities for practice, reinforcement, knowledge of results, and overlearning.

Question 49

When tests are used as part of the selection process, care must be taken to ensure that the test being used is both valid and reliable. A test is reliable if ________.

A) it measures what it is designed to measure
B) it can be used as the sole determinant of a hiring decision
C) it measures similarly time after time
D) it doesn't contain language or cultural biases that discriminate against minorities
E) it subjectively assesses candidates' potential and desire to obtain a position

Question 50

The first step of the training process is ________.

A) designing the training program
B) administering the training program
C) determining the training needs
D) evaluating the training program
E) standardizing the training program

Question 51

Which of the following is a likely reason for the elimination of a candidate from the selection process at the preliminary interview stage?

A) negative aspects of personality
B) lack of physical fitness for the job
C) obvious misfit from outward conduct
D) lack of necessary innate ambition
E) unfavorable reports on past performance

Question 52

A(n) ________ is primarily a one-way communication situation in which an instructor orally presents information to a group of listeners.

A) group discussion
B) lecture
C) student debate
D) learning cell
E) symposium

Question 53

The purpose of training is to ________.

A) increase the productivity of employees by influencing their behavior
B) furnish feedback to organization members about how they can become more productive and useful to the organization in its quest for quality
C) eliminate barriers and increase opportunities for the purpose of increasing the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals
D) narrow a large field of prospective employees to a relatively small group of individuals from which someone eventually will be hired
E) refine work methods, reduce production costs, and increase the level of organizational diversity

Question 54

When tests are used as part of the selection process, care must be taken to ensure that the test being used is both valid and reliable. A test is valid if ________.

A) it measures what it is designed to measure
B) it can be used as the sole determinant of a hiring decision
C) it measures similarly time after time
D) it doesn't contain language or cultural biases that discriminate against minorities
E) it subjectively assesses candidates' potential and desire to obtain a position

Question 55

Which of the following is an advantage of lectures as a training method?

A) Lectures are extremely helpful in promoting attitudinal and behavioral changes among trainees.
B) Lectures provide ample opportunity to check on whether trainees really understand the training material.
C) Lectures allow instructors to expose trainees to a maximum amount of information within a given time period.
D) Lectures are ideal training methods for handling the wide diversity of ability, attitude, and interest that prevails among trainees.
E) Lectures facilitate opportunities for practice, reinforcement, knowledge of results, and overlearning.

Question 56

Cal appears for a battery of tests as part of a selection process that aims to fill ten positions in a certain company. He fails to clear the tests the first time around and appears for them again after three months. Even though the test content was fairly consistent across both sets of tests, he manages to pass the tests the second time around. Which of the following characteristics is attributed to these tests?

A) unreliable
B) objective
C) valid
D) discriminatory
E) unfair

Question 57

Sean is in the final year of his graduate course in information technology. A host of companies have conducted campus recruitment programs at Sean's college. However, Sean has been eliminated from the selection process for every company at the preliminary interview stage. Which of the following reasons best explains Sean's elimination at the preliminary interview stage?

A) Sean has been scoring 40 points on average in his aptitude tests, the minimum score required being 60.
B) Sean displays a particularly conspicuous absence of ambition when asked about his career aspirations.
C) Sean's professors have mentioned his inability to meet project and assignment deadlines in their references.
D) Sean's physical fitness levels are unsatisfactory when compared to those of other students his own age.
E) Sean constantly turns up for interviews dressed very casually and appears uninterested.

Question 58

________ is examining human resources for qualities relevant to performing available jobs.

A) Selection
B) Orientation
C) Testing
D) Induction
E) Training

Question 59

Tests that measure the level of skill or knowledge an individual possesses in a certain area are called ________.

A) aptitude tests
B) vocational tests
C) achievement tests
D) intelligence tests
E) personality tests

Question 60

Aptitude tests measure ________.

A) the level of skill or knowledge an individual possesses in a certain area
B) an individual's interest in performing various kinds of jobs
C) the potential of an individual to perform a task
D) an individual's personality dimensions in such areas as emotional maturity, subjectivity, honesty, and objectivity
E) an individual's response to stressful situations in order to assess his/her presence of mind

Question 61

________ is an on-the-job training technique that involves direct critiquing of how well an individual is performing a job.

A) Programmed learning
B) Coaching
C) Lecturing
D) Overlearning
E) Position rotation

Question 62

________ is an on-the-job training technique that involves moving an individual from job to job to enable the person to gain an understanding of the organization as a whole.

A) Position rotation
B) Declarative learning
C) Coaching
D) Overlearning
E) Sequence learning

Question 63

Which of the following is an advantage of using a programmed learning approach for training employees?

A) The costs of a programmed learning approach are practically nonexistent as training is delivered through computer programs.
B) One-on-one interaction with mentors and trainers fosters a co-learning atmosphere in the organization.
C) Employees get a first-hand experience of their job demands as they learn skills by performing them.
D) Employees are able to learn at their own pace, picking up information piece-by-piece.
E) Programmed learning allows instructors to expose trainees to a maximum amount of information within a given time period.

Question 64

Which of the following performance appraisal methods requires appraisers to simply write down their impressions of employees in paragraph form?

A) forced ranking
B) rating scale
C) free-form essay
D) forced distribution
E) critical-form essay

Question 65

In which of the following performance appraisal methods do appraisers write down particularly good or bad events involving employees as these events occur and evaluate each employee's performance using their respective records of all documented events?

A) forced ranking
B) free-form essay
C) forced distribution
D) critical-form essay
E) employee comparisons

Question 66

Which of the following classroom training techniques typically involves trainees acting out and then reflecting on some people-oriented problem that must be solved in the organization?

A) position rotation
B) jigsaw format
C) management games
D) role-playing format
E) conceptual clustering

Question 67

________ is a training technique for instructing without the presence or intervention of a human instructor.

A) Experiential learning
B) Programmed learning
C) On-the-job training
D) Active learning
E) Overlearning

Question 68

Which of the following statements is true of performance appraisals?

A) Performance and organizational objectives should be discussed separately during performance appraisals.
B) Performance appraisals should ideally reflect the evaluator's impression of the employee's work habits.
C) The goal of performance appraisals is to subjectively analyze an individual's habits, rather than objectively evaluating the employee's performance.
D) Performance appraisals should provide a base for improving individuals' productivity within the organization by making them better equipped to produce.
E) Performance appraisals should be sufficiently acceptable to the evaluator to be effective in achieving objectives.

Question 69

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using performance appraisals?

A) Performance appraisals do not provide judgments systematic enough to support salary increases, promotions, or transfers.
B) Individuals involved in performance appraisals view them as a reward-punishment situation.
C) Performance appraisals place undue emphasis on critiquing individual performance rather than increasing organizational productivity and completing paperwork.
D) Performance appraisals focus employees on the long-run success of the organization, rather than individual rewards, which affects employee morale negatively.
E) Performance appraisals are not effective at telling subordinates how they are doing and of suggesting needed changes in behavior, attitudes, skills, or job knowledge.

Question 70

________ are on-the-job training vehicles for assigning a particular task to an individual to furnish him or her with experience in a designated area.

A) Virtual teams
B) Cross-functional teams
C) Special project committees
D) Geographically-dispersed teams
E) New product committees

Question 71

The most common format for ________, a classroom training technique for skill development, requires small groups of trainees to make and then evaluate various management decisions.

A) position rotation
B) coaching
C) role-playing
D) special project review
E) management games

Question 72

Which of the following is a disadvantage of programmed learning as a training method?

A) Programmed learning methods do not lend themselves easily to computerization.
B) The limited time period of programmed learning modules are disadvantageous to students who prefer to learn at their own pace.
C) Programmed learning approaches are not conducive for encouraging students' active participation in the learning process.
D) With programmed learning, there is no one present to answer a confused learner's questions.
E) Students using programmed learning approaches are often confused as they cannot immediately know whether they are right or wrong.

Question 73

The process of reviewing individuals' past productive activity to evaluate the contribution they have made toward attaining management system objectives is known as ________.

A) job analysis
B) workforce profiling
C) performance appraisal
D) employee audit
E) workplace turnover

Question 74

Describe the term "appropriate human resources." What is the role of appropriate human resources in an organization?

Question 75

The main purpose of performance appraisal is to ________.

A) keep management up to date about the possibilities for filling a position from within
B) refine work methods, reduce production costs, and increase the level of organizational diversity
C) furnish feedback to organization members about how they can become more productive and useful to the organization in its quest for quality
D) eliminate barriers and increase opportunities for the purpose of increasing the utilization of underutilized and/or disadvantaged individuals
E) narrow a large field of prospective employees to a relatively small group of individuals from which someone eventually will be hired

Question 76

Write a short note on the process of recruitment and its importance.

Question 77

Which of the following characteristics can be attributed to classroom training techniques in contrast to lectures?

A) lack of opportunity for attitudinal or behavioral change in trainees
B) learning through listening and note-taking
C) maximum amount of information transmission to trainees in limited amount of time
D) inability to handle wide diversity of ability, attitude, and interest among trainees
E) high levels of discussion and interaction among trainees

Question 78

Answers to which of the following questions help determine the effectiveness of a training program?

A) Are deadlines being met more regularly?
B) What skills do employees need to improve their performance?
C) Should the training program follow a lecture approach?
D) How much time and money must be invested in training employees?
E) Should on-the-job training be preferred over classroom training techniques?

Question 79

________ is a performance appraisal method in which individuals appraising performance rank several employee qualities and characteristics on a continuum, on a form that lists such factors.

A) Free-form essay
B) Forced ranking
C) Critical-form essay
D) Rating scale
E) Forced distribution

Question 80

________ is a performance appraisal method in which appraisers rank employees according to factors such as job performance and value to organization, with each ranking being held exclusively by an employee.

A) Rating scale
B) Forced distribution
C) Likert scale
D) Semantic differential
E) Rasch model