Question 1

Which of the following is a practical barrier associated with workforce planning?
A)It is Hard to measure success.
B)No data are available.
C)It is seen as too daunting to change.
D)It is considered to lack credibility.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

According to concurrent strategy formulation,when does strategy development occur?
A)prior to when HRM issues are considered
B)simultaneously when HRM issues are considered
C)subsequent to when HRM issues are considered
D)mutually exclusive of when HR issues are considered

Accepted Answer

According to concurrent strategy formulation, strategy development and HRM issues are considered simultaneously. This approach ensures that HRM policies and practices are aligned with the overall business strategy. This helps to ensure that the organization has the necessary HR capabilities and resources to achieve its strategic objectives.

Question 3

Which of the following does NOT align human resources strategy with business strategy?
A)starting with organizational strategy and then creating HR strategy
B)starting with HR competencies and then creating corporate strategy
C)starting with HR strategy and then creating HR competencies
D)starting with business strategy and then creating HR strategy

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

Which of the following is a perception and attitude barrier associated with workforce planning?
A)multiple planning horizons
B)organizational silos
C)lack of a holistic approach
D)moving targets-business goals are not clear

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a perception...

Question 5

What does McDonald's "no unique response" system mean?
A)that employees are not expected to contribute ideas
B)that employees are not expected to communicate formally
C)that employees are not expected to accommodate customer inquiries
D)that employees are not expected to respond beyond a basic standard

Accepted Answer

The answer of What does McDonald's "no unique response" system...

Question 6

What does it mean if an organization's human capital return on investment is $3?
A)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in return.
B)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in revenue.
C)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in capital assets.
D)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in productivity.

Accepted Answer

A human capital return on investment (ROI) of $3 means that for every dollar invested in human capital, the organization can expect to receive $3 in return. This return may come in the form of increased productivity, reduced employee turnover, and other positive outcomes that result from investing in employees. Therefore, option A is the correct answer. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not accurately describe what a human capital ROI of $3 means.

Question 7

What is the purpose of strategic HRM?
A)to ensure the effective functioning and survival of the organization and its members
B)to implement the planning,timing,and delivery of an effective organizational strategy
C)to motivate and attract employees who will internalize the organization's culture
D)to emerge as an industry leader with numerous distinct competencies and a competitive advantage

Accepted Answer

The purpose of strategic HRM is primarily to ensure the effective functioning and survival of the organization and its members. This involves aligning HR strategies with the overall business strategy to ensure that the organization's goals are met and that its workforce is able to contribute to achieving those goals. This includes attracting, retaining, and developing talent, as well as managing performance, compensation, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Ultimately, the goal is to optimize the organization's human capital to drive long-term success. Choices B, C, and D may be important objectives of strategic HRM, but they are not the primary purpose.

Question 8

Costs incurred in training,motivating,compensating,and monitoring employees can be viewed as investments in human capital that result in gains to productivity per worker.How does this type of investment yield such gains?
A)by matching the business strategy to the external environment
B)by matching the capabilities of employees with the corporate strategy
C)by matching the needs of the employees to their desires for empowerment
D)by matching the HR strategy to the potential employee competencies

Accepted Answer

By investing in training, motivating, compensating, and monitoring employees, organizations can improve the skills and knowledge of their workforce, align their capabilities with the corporate strategy, and create a culture of continuous improvement. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity per worker and improved performance outcomes. Matching the capabilities of employees with the business strategy is essential to achieve these gains. It ensures that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

Question 9

Fit is an important consideration when designing HR programs.What is it called when an organization fits its HR strategy to its organizational strategy?
A)internal fit
B)best fit
C)external fit
D)organizational fit

Accepted Answer

External fit refers to aligning the HR strategy with the overall organizational strategy to ensure they complement each other effectively.

Question 10

What two items does an organization match together in the human capital perspective of HRM?
A)values of employees and the organization's budget
B)capacity of employees and the organization's motivation
C)capabilities of employees and the organization's strategy
D)creativity of the employees and the organization's goals

Accepted Answer

The human capital perspective of HRM focuses on matching the capabilities and skills of employees with the strategic needs and goals of the organization. By aligning the organization's strategy with the capabilities of its employees, HR can maximize the potential of its workforce and increase the likelihood of achieving its goals.

Question 11

Payroll represents a routine activity that must be done for the organization to operate on a daily basis.What term best describes this type of activity?
A)transitional
B)transactional
C)temporal
D)transformational

Accepted Answer

Transactional activities are routine, repetitive tasks that are necessary for an organization to operate on a daily basis. Payroll processing is a typical example of a transactional activity as it involves calculations, data entry, and the issuance of payments for employee compensation.

Question 12

Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work to locations such as Prague and Manila,but kept its HR talent management practices internally managed through its corporate centre,adopting HR practices that are linked to organizational success.What term best describes Johnson and Johnson's talent management focus?
A)transitional
B)transactional
C)strategic
D)transformational

Accepted Answer

The answer of Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work...

Question 13

Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work to locations such as Prague and Manila,but kept its HR talent management practices internally managed through its corporate centre,adopting HR practices that are linked to the organizations success.What emerging trend best describes the structure of the HR functions at Johnson and Johnson?
A)to focus on transformational practices
B)to adopt a transactional and transitional focus
C)to integrate HR and organizational strategies
D)to separate transactional work and focus on strategic HR

Accepted Answer

The best emerging trend that describes the structure of the HR functions at Johnson and Johnson is to separate transactional work and focus on strategic HR. Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work but kept its HR talent management practices internally managed, indicating a focus on strategic HR rather than transactional or operational HR activities.

Question 14

What is the primary reason that strategic HRM aligns HR policies,practices,and philosophies with organizational strategy?
A)to develop new methods to deliver training and orientation
B)to constrain undesirable behaviours within an organization
C)to ensure that the institutional memory remains current
D)to facilitate the attainment of organizational strategy

Accepted Answer

The primary reason for strategic HRM is to facilitate the attainment of organizational strategy. By aligning HR policies, practices, and philosophies with organizational strategy, HRM can help ensure that the organization has the necessary talent, skills, and capabilities to achieve its goals. This involves identifying the skills and knowledge that are required for success, developing recruitment and retention strategies, and implementing performance management and training programs that align with the organization's strategic objectives.

Question 15

To the HR practitioner,what does human capital incorporate?
A)knowledge,commitment,values,culture
B)commitment,experience,culture,abilities
C)experience,knowledge,skills,commitment
D)skills,values,culture,experience

Accepted Answer

Human capital incorporates experience, knowledge, skills, and commitment. While values and culture can be a part of an organization's human capital, they are not included in this question's answer choices.

Question 16

Selective hiring,extensive training,and competitive pay are HR practices that could make an organization more successful.What term best describes this type of activity?
A)transitional
B)transactional
C)high-performance
D)transformational

Accepted Answer

These practices are commonly associated with high-performance HR practices, which aim to attract, develop, and retain top talent in order to achieve superior business performance. The other options do not accurately reflect these practices or their purpose.

Question 17

If IBM introduces a new software package in January,Microsoft can probably imitate or duplicate this package by February of the same year.However,if IBM technical support people are trained and motivated to provide "knock your socks off service," Microsoft will have a difficult time imitating this service within a month.This is an example of how employees can provide a competitive advantage.What theory is being applied here?
A)behavioural perspective
B)resource-based view
C)human capital
D)strategic management

Accepted Answer

The theory being applied here is the resource-based view, which asserts that a firm's resources and capabilities are the primary determinants of its competitive advantage. The example shows that IBM's technical support people, as a resource, can provide a competitive advantage that is difficult to imitate, even by a competitor as capable as Microsoft.

Question 18

According to Google Inc. ,which of the following does NOT produce innovative behaviours from employees?
A)selecting people with high creativity
B)providing employees with time and freedom to innovate
C)motivating innovation through incentive programs
D)stimulating opportunities for job enlargement

Accepted Answer

The statement "stimulating opportunities for job enlargement" is not mentioned as a factor that produces innovative behaviors from employees according to Google Inc. The other options are all mentioned as ways to encourage innovation.

Question 19

When the HR training department teaches individuals a new customer service computer program,the HR recruiting department must work together with the HR training department to hire individuals with comparable computer skills.What is this collaborative approach called?
A)cross-functional HR practices
B)industry-consistent HR practices
C)exemplary HR practices
D)bundling HR practices

Accepted Answer

The answer of When the HR training department teaches individuals...

Question 20

In many ways,HR strategy generates the business strategy,and business strategy determines the HR strategy.What is the concept that describes this relationship?
A)reciprocal strategy
B)reciprocal partnerships
C)reciprocal dependence
D)reciprocal interdependence

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal interdependence describes the relationship between HR and business strategy, as they both rely on and influence each other. HR strategy can shape the capabilities of the workforce and the culture of the organization, which in turn affects the business strategy. Conversely, the business strategy determines the organizational priorities and goals, which drive the HR strategy. This interdependence highlights the importance of aligning HR and business strategies to achieve organizational success.

Quiz 2: Aligning HR With Strategy

Which of the following is a practical barrier associated with workforce planning?

According to concurrent strategy formulation,when does strategy development occur?

Which of the following does NOT align human resources strategy with business strategy?

Which of the following is a perception and attitude barrier associated with workforce planning?

What does McDonald's "no unique response" system mean?

What does it mean if an organization's human capital return on investment is $3?

What is the purpose of strategic HRM?

Costs incurred in training,motivating,compensating,and monitoring employees can be viewed as investments in human capital that result in gains to productivity per worker.How does this type of investment yield such gains?

Fit is an important consideration when designing HR programs.What is it called when an organization fits its HR strategy to its organizational strategy?

What two items does an organization match together in the human capital perspective of HRM?

Payroll represents a routine activity that must be done for the organization to operate on a daily basis.What term best describes this type of activity?

What is the primary reason that strategic HRM aligns HR policies,practices,and philosophies with organizational strategy?

To the HR practitioner,what does human capital incorporate?

Selective hiring,extensive training,and competitive pay are HR practices that could make an organization more successful.What term best describes this type of activity?

According to Google Inc. ,which of the following does NOT produce innovative behaviours from employees?

When the HR training department teaches individuals a new customer service computer program,the HR recruiting department must work together with the HR training department to hire individuals with comparable computer skills.What is this collaborative approach called?

In many ways,HR strategy generates the business strategy,and business strategy determines the HR strategy.What is the concept that describes this relationship?