HRM Summer 2005 Practice Test

HRM Summer 2005 Practice Test July 10, 2005

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. (answer key on the last page)

1) The three elements of a company's competitive position include which of the following?

A) its downsizing strategies

B) its ethical code of conduct and position on social responsibility

C) its creation of distinctive capabilities

D) self-managing work teams

E) coping with its external environment

Page Ref: 10

Case 1.2

As the manager of HR, you are leading the management team of an old established company in a strategic planning session. During the planning session, managers are being forced to think about the future, see the likely changes in the marketplace, and commit to plans to use company resources to enhance their competitive edge.

company decides that as part of its business strategy, it wants to attract and retain the best possible employees. You suggest that the company pay a hiring bonus, use a pay scale about 10% above industry average, and provide an extra week of vacation after only one year instead of the standard three.

2) Refer to Case 1.2. One clear benefit of this strategic planning session is:

A) the explicit communication of company goals.

B) identification of HR constraints and capabilities.

C) an exploitation of the company's distinctive capabilities.

D) identification of the gap between the current situation and a future vision.

E) the development of a reactive mindset.

Page Ref: 21

3) Which of the following HR strategies best fits a firm with an overall cost leadership business strategy?

A) emphasis on innovation and flexibility

B) external recruitment

C) performance appraisal as a control device

D) broad job classifications

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 30

4) Employment in the service sector is expected to:

A) decrease 31% between 2008 and 2012.

B) increase 32% between 2008 and 2012.

C) decrease 52% between 2008 and 2012.

D) increase 52% between 2008 and 2012.

E) shift only 2-3% in either direction.

Page Ref: 9

5) The relative contribution of an HR strategy to an organization's performance increases:

A) the less it fits the external environment.

B) to the degree that it increases bottom-line profitability, regardless of the cost to labor.

C) if the HR strategy is distinct from the firm's business strategies.

D) the more HR strategies are independent of each other.

E) the more HR strategy fits the uniqueness of the organization.

Page Ref: 28

Case 1.1Company is having a strategic planning session with the director of HR. They are discussing the fit between the company's overall management philosophy, organizational structure, organizational culture, and their current HR strategies. During the meeting, the management team asks the HR Director to profile the current workforce. The HR Director reports that the workforce used to be 85% white, 50% male. Now it is 50% white, 50% minority with twice as many women as men, but supervisors still tend to be white males.

management team begins to discuss how to control costs, improve quality, and create distinctive capabilities. Several ideas are raised, discussed, and either tabled or assigned to an individual for further exploration. Some managers noted that people tend to come in at start time and take 30 minutes to get down to work and that they begin to pack up for the day 30 minutes before quitting time. People don't seem all that concerned about working hard and producing quality products.

the team wraps up the day's meeting, they briefly discuss their commitment to the surrounding community. As a cost-cutting measure, they had eliminated their support of an Adult Literacy program, in which volunteers used company facilities to conduct reading classes. The management team decides that they should reinstate the program and appoints the Director of HR to notify the local literacy council.

6) Refer to Case 1.1. The closing discussion about supporting the literacy program is an example of a company grappling with:

A) the individual challenge of empowerment.

B) the organizational challenge of workforce diversity.

C) the environmental challenge of rapid change.

D) the individual challenge of social responsibility.

E) none of the above

Page Ref: 4

7) The impact of technology on organizational structure can be seen in the:

A) return of pyramidal structure due to the ease of transferring information between levels.

B) increase in authoritarian management in order to control access to technology and information.

C) changing nature of labor relations.

D) decrease in employees working at home.

E) ability of top management to bypass middle managers and deal directly with first-line managers.

Page Ref: 15

8) To compete and use its material and human resources effectively, an organization needs a proper fit between its business strategy and the appropriate:

A) business plan.

B) HRIS system.

C) management team.

D) quality-of-work life program.

E) organizational structure.

Page Ref: 48

9) The factors that affect employee dissatisfaction in Herzberg's theory include:

A) the work itself.

B) recognition for good work.

C) the amount of responsibility on the job.

D) company policies.

E) the opportunity for advancement.

Page Ref: 57

10) Goal-setting theory of motivation suggests that employee satisfaction and motivation are functions of:

A) company policies and the relationships formed with co-workers.

B) clear, direct goals over which the employee has control.

C) the opportunity for advancement.

D) the fit between the individual's needs and abilities and the job characteristics.

E) the core characteristics of the job.

Page Ref: 58

11) What should be included in the minimum qualifications section of a job description?

A) a question to determine whether a potential employee is disposed toward any psychological disability

B) the basic standards a job applicant must have to be considered for the job

C) the three-five most important responsibilities of a potential employee

D) a summary of job duties and its place in the organization structure

E) skills that would be beneficial for a potential employee to possess

Page Ref: 71

12) Which of the following is an example of job enrichment?

A) reducing specialized tasks by combining them, giving employees more narrowly defined tasks to perform

B) expanding the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the job by giving the employee responsibility for the whole production

C) dividing employees into self-managing teams, able to perform several different tasks and have complete responsibility for the entire production process

D) giving each employee a little responsibility for the task and duties of a particular job, but additional responsibility for the outcomes

E) matching employees to the job by examining their needs and skills and the specific job characteristics

Page Ref: 60-61

13) Job analysis is helpful to HR professionals in performing which of the following tasks?

A) establishing an HRIS

B) determining what type of team to use in a given situation

C) designing a benefit plan

D) budgeting

E) selecting and recruiting employees

Page Ref: 63

14) A company might adopt a boundaryless organizational structure because:

A) it seeks to structure its organization around functions.

B) management wants to enter foreign markets that have entry barriers to foreign competitors.

C) it is moving into a stable and predictable market.

D) it seeks to reorganize around its products, services, or customers.

E) it has adopted the two-factor theory of management.

Page Ref: 52

Case 3.4mid-sized architectural service company serves companies and the federal government. Your company is organized into divisions based on client types. FedHelp is your federal division. A successful company, your buildings won awards for simplicity, beauty, and design in the 1970s. Sweeping staircases were used instead of elevators to reach the second and third floors. Broad marble steps lead up to the front of each office building, etc.

upper management team is 100% male, over 50, and generally has been with the company over 25 years. Middle managers tend to be in their thirties, 40% female, and 1% minority. Hourly employees are 60% minority, 35% female. The communities from which you draw your hourly employees tend to be 75% minority, primarily Hispanic and Haitian, 35-40% female and as a group are generally better educated, with 35% having at least two years of college.

are the new HR Director. Your predecessor lost her job when she did not anticipate and then did not handle an HRM-based lawsuit against the company to the president's satisfaction. Your president believes that HRM should help the company avoid problems. You have three primary tasks: to anticipate future problems, advise management, and be an advocate for employees. Your boss doesn't see a conflict in these roles. You discover employee recruitment records are not complete; many are missing I-9 forms. You immediately begin to work on an affirmative action plan because of what you see happening in the company.

15) Refer to Case 3.4. Based on your utilization study of the company, which of the following EEO-related problems do you have?

A) There is an under-representation of younger managers in upper management.

B) Minorities are significantly underrepresented in management.

C) Women are significantly underrepresented in middle management.

D) Your hourly workforce does not reflect your labor pool population.

E) You are probably in violation of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act.

Page Ref: 106

16) The legislation that laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act was the:

A) Vocational Rehabilitation Act.

B) Civil Rights Act of 1964.

C) Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

D) Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

E) Equal Pay Act.

Page Ref: 103

17) A charter bus company requires drug tests of all its drivers prior to every charter. As a consequence of this testing, accident rates have fallen by 75%. This test seems to screen out more young minority males than any other group or protected class. This drug test:

A) is an example of disparate treatment.

B) is illegal because it has an adverse impact on a protected class.

C) is an example of a prima facie case of discrimination based on race.

D) is legally defensible as a reasonable business necessity.

E) violates employees' civil rights under the 1991 Civil Rights Act.

Page Ref: 93

18) According to your text, what types of businesses are required to have affirmative action plans?

A) Businesses located in areas where the protected class population is larger than the majority class population.

B) Businesses located in areas where the protected class population is 4/5 smaller than the majority class population.

C) Businesses that are contracted to, or part of, the federal government.

D) Businesses that have been in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 at least twice in the past.

E) Businesses that have over 50 employees and earn over $50,000 per year.

Page Ref: 105

19) Which of the following is NOT a member of a protected class?

A) Sheena Thomas, a 25-year-old African-American woman

B) Mark Chung, a 37-year-old Asian-American with a dependent child but no spouse

C) Gib Johnson, a 38-year-old Caucasian male, Persian Gulf War veteran

D) Peggy Sue Smith, a 47-year-old Caucasian female, naturalized U.S. citizen

E) All of the above are members of protected classes.

Page Ref: 91

20) The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act:

A) prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against Vietnam-era veterans.

B) prohibits all employers from discriminating against Vietnam-era veterans.

C) added military service to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a criterion for protected classes.

D) impacted employers with 50 or more employees.

E) instituted drug testing and opened the door for later drug testing of all employees.

Page Ref: 103

21) When presenting non-majority groups in chapter 4, your text does so in alphabetical order. This is probably a __________ used to present each group fairly without appearing to present them in a preferential order.

A) communication standard

B) diversity presentation

C) preferential standard

D) discriminatory order

E) social order

Page Ref: 145

22) Some employers' experience with the disabled is similar to Pizza Hut's, which found the turnover rate of the disabled:

A) significantly higher than with non-disabled employees.

B) about 10 times less than turnover with non-disabled employees.

C) the same as with non-disabled employees.

D) 10 times higher than the turnover of non-disabled employees.

E) 20 times less than with non-disabled employees.

Page Ref: 132

23) Harold, a homosexual man, believes that he has been rejected for a top-level management job at an accounting firm based solely on his sexual preference. What is Harold's best legal recourse?

A) Harold should file a complaint with the EEOC.

B) Harold should file a complaint with the OFCCP.

C) Harold has little or no recourse. In many states, including the one in which he lives, no legislation protects homosexuals from employment discrimination on the basis of sexual preference.

D) Harold should never tell his sexual preference to a potential employer.

E) either A or B

Page Ref: 134

24) Jorge is from Guatemala. Amanda, an American co-worker, assumes that Jorge, (and all Guatemalans) are just like her two Latina friends, and that the three share the same abilities, likes, and dislikes. Amanda is guilty of:

A) discrimination.

B) stereotyping.

C) harassment.

D) closed-mindedness.

E) A and B

Page Ref: 121

25) Some assume that one can infer an individual's motivations, interests, values, behavioral traits, etc., based on the individual's group membership. This practice is called:

A) cultural determinism.

B) recognizing one's cognitive structure.

C) seeing one's cognitive perception.

D) discrimination.

E) cultural awareness.

Page Ref: 148

26) A strategy to improve diversity management in a company which can be implemented even before a given individual becomes an employee is:

A) communication standards.

B) senior mentoring.

C) diversity training.

D) apprenticeships.

E) recruiting quotas.

Page Ref: 144

27) Employees who perform their jobs at above-average levels are:

A) worth 60% of their salary more to the organization than average employees.

B) a detriment, since average employees may feel they can neglect their duties, knowing that the above-average employees will make up for them.

C) may be more unmotivated than average employees.

D) worth 40% of their salary more to the organization than average employees.

E) a source of brain drain.

Page Ref: 160-161

28) Qualitative forecasts:

A) are more accurate than quantitative forecasts.

B) are more flexible in their considerations than quantitative forecasts.

C) are less subject to judgment errors.

D) require use of historical data.

E) are without error if the input data is correct.

Page Ref: 159

29) Spring Break is approaching and you are hoping to find a source of income during the break, as you have been spending frivolously during the year. Your best option is to:

A) check the Internet and Web sites for long-term jobs.

B) check the want ads.

C) visit a career fair.

D) hire out through a temporary help agency.

E) put in an application at an employment agency.

Page Ref: 165

30) Promoting internal candidates poses several advantages. These include:

A) rejuvenating the work unit.

B) reducing training costs.

C) generating new ideas, fostering innovation.

D) longevity, since the employee knows the organization and is more likely to stay in the job longer.

E) being seen as a rookie and therefore being given more time by employees to learn the job and do it well.

Page Ref: 170

31) A study conducted by the U.S. Postal Service regarding drug testing:

A) showed that drug testing is a valid predictor of job performance.

B) showed that drug testing does not correlate with on-the-job performance.

C) revealed that most job candidates can "beat" a drug test.

D) has been struck down by the Supreme Court.

E) revealed that they saved about $4 million a year in lost productivity.

Page Ref: 182

32) The most important way to establish essential characteristics needed to perform a job well is:

A) the organization's culture.

B) the applicants knowledge of the job.

C) the job itself.

D) the SKAs required to perform the job.

E) the job analysis.

Page Ref: 161

33) A firm can manage participation in an early retirement program by:

A) restricting the program to areas of the business with a redundancy of employees.

B) making it available only to female employees.

C) offering it only to protected-class individuals.

D) offering the program only to employees who can quickly find other jobs.

E) having participating employees sign a "no-compete" agreement.

Page Ref: 205

34) Compared with the United States, Japan's employment policies:

A) are relatively short term.

B) are more likely to be "life-long."

C) are much more permissive.

D) are very confusing.

E) tend to discourage a strong corporate culture.

Page Ref: 206

35) A layoff is typically implemented by an organization when:

A) it has no other means to reduce its labor costs.

B) HR doubts whether offering early retirement will achieve the needed results.

C) a majority of employees have been working for the organization for less than 15 years.

D) there are less than 100 employees.

E) the organization has excellent outplacement services.

Page Ref: 206

36) A company incurs a variety of separation costs, such as:

A) severance pay.

B) exit interviewing.

C) outplacement assistance.

D) continuing health care costs.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 196

37) Which of the following expenses is a selection cost?

A) advertising

B) benefits

C) outplacement

D) search firm fees

E) reference checks

Page Ref: 196

Case 7.4 , Inc. is preparing for a large-scale performance evaluation of workers in all departments. You are a member of the HR department and have been asked to join a committee that will be developing the criteria. The company is very team-centered and you need to develop appraisal criteria with teams in mind. Management has also asked the team to prepare a training session for line managers on how to provide appraisal feedback to employees, as well as how to perform appraisal interviews.

38) Refer to Case 7.4. Mary Anne suggests that team members' individual performance be based upon outcome measures. You respond that:

A) outcome measures should have no place in measuring performance.

B) using behavioral measures would be a better choice, since they are easier to observe.

C) using outcome measures would certainly be the best choice for measuring individual performance.

D) quantity measures should be used when determining individual performance.

E) individual performance should not be measured among team members.

Page Ref: 236-237

39) Those who manage employee performance effectively share some common management characteristics, such as:

A) the ability to motivate.

B) a thorough knowledge of HRM law.

C) a minimal use of progressive discipline.

D) the exploration of causes of performance problems.

E) a behavioral-based approach to managing people.

Page Ref: 241

Case 7.2are reviewing performance appraisals from across the company for a report to the president regarding manager performance. She wants to know not only how employees are doing, but also how well managers are evaluating their employees.

through Matt's evaluations of his MIS team, you note that he tends to rate all of his people in the middle of the scale. You recall a conversation last week when he told you that overall his people were okay, but nothing to cheer about. He would like to get them more training and institute an incentive program to get them motivated.

's employee evaluations look pretty good. They range from very good to some weak performers. You are startled to see that Madeline has rated Juan rather low. Pulling his file, you note that he has always had very high ratings until this time. You remember a meeting two months ago when Juan vehemently disagreed with Madeline in front of the president, who sided with Juan (to Madeline's embarrassment).

's employee evaluations seem to have no reason to them. Gary, a noted average performer has a very high rating. Jenny, another average performer who Anuar has been trying to convince to quit, has a very low rating. You remember hearing Edward say that Gary was the president's son-in-law and that he thought Jenny needed to be motivated to do more than just get by.

40) Refer to Case 7.2. Edward's employee evaluations show that Edward:

A) tends to have halo errors.

B) is subject to the influence of liking.

C) takes a rational or absolute perspective on performance appraisals.

D) is not considering situational factors in his appraisals.

E) believes in a political perspective regarding performance appraisals.

Page Ref: 235

41) Unlike relative judgment-based systems, absolute judgment systems:

A) do not create conflicts among employees.

B) are simpler to use.

C) help managers make clearer distinctions between employees.

D) focus attention on the person rather than just on performance.

E) help managers identify behavior that directly contributes to organizational success.

Page Ref: 226

42) Which of the following is a benefit of incorporating salary discussion into the appraisal interview?

A) Tying salary to assessment generally decreases an employee's anxiety over the appraisal process.

B) Feedback and assessment may become simply a meaningless exercise if salary implications are ignored.

C) Managers will be more conscientious when assessing employees if money is at stake.

D) There is no benefit.

E) B and C

Page Ref: 240

43) Layne has noticed high turnover among recent hires at her company. During exit interviews, several employees said that their job responsibilities simply weren't what they had expected and that this was their basis for leaving. In order to avoid this kind of problem in the past, Layne should:

A) revamp employee orientation.

B) initiate a realistic job preview program.

C) provide diversity training.

D) provide cross-functional training to provide workers with a wider range of responsibilities.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 286-287

44) Creativity training:

A) tends to focus on the imaginative and neglect the practical.

B) has few critics.

C) cannot be evaluated for effectiveness.

D) tends to solve more problems for companies than any other type of training.

E) is fading in the training world and is used less and less every day.

Page Ref: 280

45) To determine whether a training program will be worth its cost, a business should:

A) weigh the cost of the problem against the cost of eliminating it.

B) focus training on areas such as creativity and diversity.

C) develop an on-the-job training program and compare it with off-the-job training programs of similar companies.

D) weigh the costs of a layoff against the costs of training.

E) examine its stock value.

Page Ref: 263

46) Crisis training may:

A) focus on prevention.

B) include stress management.

C) deal with conflict resolution.

D) involve team building.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 282

47) One difficulty that businesses considering cross-functional training may come up against is:

A) finding motivated, dependable trainers who are able to teach others.

B) that the career limitations cross-functional training can place on an employee make it undesirable for most workers.

C) that there is no effective way to choose effective trainers.

D) that there is little evidence that cross-functional training is a good investment, and therefore most company presidents won't authorize the training.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 278-279

48) Mohammad is very concerned about keeping his job in the upcoming layoff that is to take place at the end of the year. Which of the following is a step he could take to protect himself from an involuntary separation?

A) If his job is in a vulnerable department, he could seek a transfer to another department.

B) He can assess his contributions to the company and try to correct any skill deficiencies.

C) Mohammad could cultivate a good relationship with his boss and his boss' superiors.

D) He should seek to network with other workers to build his reputation.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 318

49) A career development process that uses ongoing, sometimes spontaneous, meetings between managers and employees to discuss career goals and development is:

A) mentoring.

B) group mentoring.

C) coaching.

D) job rotation.

E) career pathing.

Page Ref: 315

50) A number of self-development suggestions are offered by your text, such as:

A) getting the right values and priorities.

B) being customer oriented.

C) being a team player.

D) developing interpersonal skills.

E) taking responsibility for your own direction and growth.

Page Ref: 320

Case 9.4 Blue Sky Corporation's HR department is evaluating their human resources. They find that upper-level and middle management consists primarily of members of non-protected classes. Most of the company's minorities are found in areas that are non-management, non-revenue generating areas of the organization.

, Blue Sky's VP, claims that most of the minorities and women in the company simply don't have the education and experience that they need to move into the upper echelons of the business. He suggests that all interested employees be provided with some sort of education or training to help prepare them for advancement opportunities. Torrina responds that it may be more effective to encourage Blue Sky's protected-class members to become involved in a professional organization to be able to network and find support. Louise would prefer to see a program where upper-level employees work with younger subordinate employees to mentor them and prepare them to take on the upper-level positions that they will someday leave. He claims that this ought to be done without regard to the race or gender of the employees.

51) Refer to Case 9.4. Torrina seems to be supporting which of the following as a development phase?

A) group mentoring

B) job rotation

C) cross-functional training

D) coaching

E) apprenticeships

Page Ref: 314

52) Variable compensation takes a variety of forms, including:

A) health insurance.

B) salary.

C) hourly wages.

D) profit sharing.

E) life insurance, disability insurance, etc.

Page Ref: 332

53) An individual-centered compensation system:

A) focuses on employees' contribution and increases compensation based on the employee's ability to perform more duties or tasks successfully.

B) assumes that the tasks being performed, and the contribution of those tasks to the company, provide the best criteria for setting the wage pay system.

C) rewards the skills used on the job.

D) pays based on the number of hours during which the employees perform their assigned job.

E) stresses the value of the job performed.

Page Ref: 334

54) One of the benefits of using skill-based pay is:

A) labor costs increase.

B) the work force becomes more specialized.

C) the work force becomes more diversified.

D) applicant selection is easier as job qualifications are more vague.

E) none of the above

Page Ref: 334

Case 10.2'Donnell International is updating its job-based compensation system. A key concern is internal equity. The HRM team is doing the job evaluations. Sean is responsible for gathering and organizing information concerning the tasks and duties of specific jobs. Susie is to determine the prerequisites for the successful accomplishment of each job analyzed. Jeff, Martha, and three line managers will work together to determine the compensable factors in each of the lower-level jobs evaluated. The HR director, the president, and two VP's will review the information on management jobs in order to determine the compensable factors in each. They will also put the jobs into a job hierarchy, highest to lowest, based on the committee's overall judgment as to the value of the jobs.

55) Refer to Case 10.2. For Jeff and Martha to accomplish their task, they need to:

A) conduct the job evaluations.

B) write the job descriptions.

C) identify the components of the job specifications.

D) rate the worth of the jobs.

E) create a job hierarchy.

Page Ref: 344

56) A survey of 1400 employers showed that __________ of them factor customer satisfaction into their calculation of incentive payments to employees.

A) 15% B) 50% C) 40% D) 35% E) 5%

Page Ref: 290

57) Carney is the president of a large corporation whose plants are very interdependent. Her corporation is vulnerable to cyclical ups and downs in product demand. Which of the following would be the best pay-for-performance plan for her corporation?

A) a gainsharing plan

B) an individual-based plan

C) a Rucker plan

D) a corporate pay-for-performance plan

E) a team-based plan

Page Ref: 383

58) When setting up a compensation plan for salespeople to get them to service accounts, a __________ would be your best choice.

A) straight commission plan

B) combination plan

C) straight salary plan

D) merit plan

E) gainsharing plan

Page Ref: 388-389

59) In general, perquisites:

A) are part of team-based pay-for-performance plans.

B) are appropriate for employees at all levels.

C) are closely linked to company business objectives.

D) make up more of executives' total compensation than any other form of compensation.

E) are not well received by executives.

Page Ref: 387

60) Legally required benefits include only:

A) health insurance.

B) retirement income.

C) life insurance.

D) family and medical leave.

E) disability insurance.

Page Ref: 403

Case 12.2works for Pitt Steel, Inc., an employer with 35 employees. They fabricate custom steel applications across the country. Roberto is 64 years old and is thinking about retirement. He has worked since he was seven years old and has contributed to Social Security since becoming an adult. Carol is also an employee of PSI, Inc. She has recently sustained an injury on the job and has been off work for about six weeks. She has been an employee of the company for 12 years and is 62 years of age.

seems that Carol's injury was more severe than originally thought. 14 months have now passed and she's still not back at work. The doctors think she can return to work in about 3 more months after physical therapy.

is now considering adding health insurance to its benefit package. They need the lowest cost, most flexible health insurance possible. Their employees travel the entire country and need to be able to see doctors anywhere in the country. They want to manage company costs by giving employees the responsibility for co-payments.

61) Refer to Case 12.2. When it turned out that Carol's injury was more severe, the time frame for her recovery made her eligible for what benefits?

A) long-term disability and workers' compensation

B) workers' compensation and Medicare

C) Medicare and Social Security benefits

D) unemployment insurance and workers' compensation

E) unpaid leave and survivors' benefits

Page Ref: 406

Case 12.1HR Director of The Camera Center is leading the executive team through a review of the company's benefits plan. He begins by explaining how they are funding the benefits plan. After a few questions on that matter, he moves on to clarify what they must offer, by law, and then what he thinks they should offer.

highly entrepreneurial, performance-driven company, The Camera Center provides an excellent profit-sharing plan and one of the best retirement packages in the industry. They commit a high portion of their compensation funds to the benefits plan. Their workforce tends to be college-educated younger professionals, who are just starting their families.

CEO wants the total benefits plan reviewed and repackaged, if necessary, to align it with The Camera Center's business culture and strategy. He also wants to contain costs as much as possible and simplify benefits administration.

62) Refer to Case 12.1. This company's benefits mix:

A) is a close fit with its culture and objectives.

B) is almost the opposite of what they need.

C) is correct, but they need to implement variable pay as well.

D) lacks an IRA or 401(k) to give employees a tax benefit in their retirement.

E) is in violation of federal law because they don't offer health care.

Page Ref: 404

63) Former employees may be denied unemployment insurance benefits:

A) if the ex-employees have been fired from a job.

B) if the ex-employees were government employees.

C) until the ex-employees have been unemployed for one year.

D) if the ex-employees worked for a private firm with less than 15 employees.

E) if the ex-employees quit voluntarily.

Page Ref: 408

64) A company's financial reports should be provided to:

A) company shareholders.

B) company employees.

C) company competitors.

D) all of the above

E) A and B

Page Ref: 441-442

65) Nepotism is the practice of:

A) hiring and/or favoring family members as employees.

B) making information available to decision makers wherever they are located.

C) communication through nonverbal means.

D) falling asleep at odd times, an uncontrollable condition.

E) dating and marrying co-workers.

Page Ref: 440

Case 13.2is revising several benefits policies, and they are in the process of communicating those changes to the employees. As Isis, the director of HR, is discussing this with one of her managers, she mentions that she wishes they had a way to regularly and periodically keep employees appraised of things going on in the company.

that afternoon an operations manager, Ramsis, stops by to talk about his TQM program. He is really pleased with what is happening. He asks Isis if she has any ideas about how he can give feedback to the employees about their performance, and at the same time, let other employees know how well his TQM teams are doing each day.

, one of the customer service managers, comes in to talk to Isis about providing low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who are at remote telemarketing centers. He wants ideas.

66) Refer to Case 13.2. The best means for HR to communicate the changes they've made would be by:

A) company newsletter.

B) voicemail.

C) memo.

D) bulletin board.

E) teleconferencing.

Page Ref: 441

67) Experts estimated that in the year 2000 nearly __________ employees were subject to electronic monitoring.

A) 30 million

B) 10 million

C) 132 million

D) 5 million

E) 34% of all

Page Ref: 476

68) When whistleblowing occurs in a company, management should:

A) approach the media immediately and make their own position clear.

B) use an informal investigation process until the allegation are proved true.

C) discharge the employee before further damage is done.

D) take immediate action if allegations are proved true.

E) guarantee whistleblowing employees lifetime employment.

Page Ref: 479

69) If an employee's drug test is positive at Motorola:

A) a medical review officer discusses the test to determine why.

B) he/she is terminated immediately.

C) he/she enters progressive discipline.

D) the employee is transferred from his/her current job to a less important job until rehab is completed.

E) the employee is required to enter rehab or they will be terminated.

Page Ref: 474

70) In the U.S., workers' economic benefits have historically been established by:

A) labor contract negotiation.

B) legislation.

C) government action.

D) work rules.

E) management in union avoidance activity.

Page Ref: 505

71) At its peak in 1945, nearly __________ of the U.S. workforce was unionized.

A) 75% B) 56% C) 43% D) 35% E) 15.5%

Page Ref: 506

72) The lifelong employment policy in Japan has:

A) created hostility between unions and management.

B) significantly decreased employees' desire to unionize.

C) encouraged cooperation between enterprise unions and management.

D) recently been abandoned, resulting in union increases.

E) reduced union influence in Japan.

Page Ref: 509

Case 16.2a management development seminar on OSHA and workers' compensation, the facilitator poses the following scenario. At a medium-sized manufacturer, there has been a rash of accidents, none serious, none a clear violation of OSHA standards, but there have been lots of them. An employee files an injury claim and it is upheld by the state. The employee requires vocational training in order to return to work when he recovers from his injury. After about six months of treatment, doctors decide that he cannot return to work because of the loss of certain motor skills. About six months later, while on another job, this worker is killed when he doesn't see a hoist hanging from a crane and is struck in the head.

73) Refer to Case 16.2. How do workers' compensation benefits apply to the employee in the second accident when he dies?

A) They don't because he is dead.

B) He will receive total disability benefits.

C) His survivors receive survivor benefits.

D) His employer may be sued under workers' compensation policy.

E) The employee's family may file a claim with OSHA for his projected lifetime earnings.

Page Ref: 539

74) Once it has been reported that a firm has violated OSHA standards, the firm's stock prices:

A) will fluctuate depending on the cost of the firm's penalty.

B) are likely to remain the same.

C) are likely to suffer long-term effects.

D) may drop for several days but not be affected in the long term.

E) will increase.

Page Ref: 546

75) Currently, nearly __________ of U.S. employers with more than 1000 employees offer some type of employee assistance program.

A) 80% B) 70% C) 60% D) 50% E) 25%

Page Ref: 562

76) When a company uses a(n) __________ approach to management of international operations, top management and other key positions are filled by people from the home country.

A) ethnocentric

B) polycentric

C) geocentric

D) expatriate

E) multinational

Page Ref: 578

77) If a host nation legally discriminates against some group, such as women, within its country, a U.S.-based corporation under EEO:

A) must obey U.S. law and not discriminate.

B) must seek an accommodation or middle ground, and obey both countries' laws.

C) may legally accommodate the host country's law.

D) must sue the host country for a variance, and if that fails, it may then accommodate the host country's law.

E) may not operate in the country under the International Human Rights Convention administered by the U.N.

Page Ref: 599

78) HRM practices are effective depending on their match to the culture's value system. Managers still need to keep several caveats in mind, such as:

A) even if two groups of workers share a common language and cultural background, HRM practices may not be transferable between them.

B) most international personnel problems are related to cultural differences.

C) the concept of right and wrong may vary widely outside the United States.

D) if a manager keeps his/her cultural norms in mind in ethical issue situations, he/she will always make the appropriate choice.

E) there is extensive research on the effectiveness of HRM practices as a function of national culture.

Page Ref: 602

79) If a firm is working on its strategic HR choices in the staffing area, it would be looking at decisions about:

A) imposing a hiring freeze to avoid laying off workers.

B) developing an appraisal system that invites participation by multiple employee groups.

C) empowering supervisors to make hiring decisions.

D) detailed work planning.

E) deciding whether to hire high wage people or train people internally.

Page Ref: 26

80) One potential pitfall of decentralizing a firm is:

A) the inflexibility that decentralizing a firm causes.

B) the few opportunities it leaves for employees to move up the company hierarchy.

C) more layers of management will need to be created, thereby slowing flow of communication between authorities and local managers.

D) a decrease in clear communication between the firm authority and local employees may lead to insecurity and a lack of focus within the firm.

E) dissatisfaction among employees who want more responsibility and decision-making authority.

Page Ref: 11

81) The most important organizational issue that affects an organization's competitive advantage is:

A) its ability to control costs.

B) the expatriation of foreign managers.

C) the development of joint ventures and collaborations with foreign firms.

D) its use of technology.

E) its organizational structure.

Page Ref: 10

82) Harolyn needs to hire some contingent workers. She needs people who are regularly available, but who will work less than 40 hours per week. They would be regular employees. Harolyn needs:

A) temporary employees.

B) part-time permanent employees.

C) subcontractors.

D) contract workers.

E) to outsource her work.

Page Ref: 72

Case 2.3International, Inc. (RII) is going through a major organizational change. They've decided to start at the very beginning and rethink the whole organization. They believe that employees will be most strongly motivated if they experience meaningful work, take responsibility for outcomes, and receive regular feedback.

the HR team comes to analyze jobs as part of the change process, they have to choose the best technique for their situation. They need to know what the incumbents do in their jobs, and they need behavioral descriptions from which to build their new performance appraisal system and training programs.

, RII is looking at their current staffing practices and trying to decide what type of workforce they need for the future. Their business is highly technical, requiring highly experienced employees. But product demand is volatile. It can double or be cut in half from one year to the next, depending on the economy and competitors' actions. Innovation is key in RII's product development. In order to manage all the HR information generated for and during the change, RII has initiated an HRIS system.

83) Refer to Case 2.3. The motivation theory that best fits RII's attitude about worker motivation is:

A) Herzberg's two-factor theory.

B) goal-setting theory.

C) work adjustment theory.

D) team-based job design.

E) job characteristics theory.

Page Ref: 58-59

84) A company needs to hire a telephone customer service representative. The job is 100% telephone contact with customers and requires the ability to speak clearly and quickly, because representatives must handle so many calls an hour. It also requires the ability to use a computer and to think and solve problems independently of supervision. Pauline applies. Bright, experienced with computers, she has a speech impediment that makes enunciation difficult and slow for her. She has an excellent track record for working unsupervised at previous jobs. She is not hired due to the speech impediment. Is this a case of discrimination under ADA?

A) Yes, because she has a major life activity impairment.

B) No, because the speech requirement is a marginal job duty.

C) Yes, because she is disqualified solely due to the impediment.

D) No, because the speech requirement is an essential task that cannot be accommodated.

E) Yes, because the company must accommodate her by offering her another position not requiring the ability to enunciate clearly.

Page Ref: 101

85) Studies show that reasonable accommodation of disabled applicants and employees:

A) is bankrupting a number of small companies.

B) has added about 3% to consumer costs of goods.

C) costs employers nothing in 20% of the cases.

D) generally costs $5,000-$10,000.

E) tends not to interfere with the work routines of other workers.

Page Ref: 102

86) Foreign-born individuals make up __________ of the U.S. population.

A) 5% B) 11% C) 12% D) 15% E) 17%

Page Ref: 132

Case 4.2, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that has just come to realize its need for managing diversity. HR is facilitating meetings among middle managers to both communicate this idea and to get input from the managers about how best to carry out this goal.

, a Latina manager, suggests that the company ought not to do more than what is already being done. She cites the company's previous affirmative action plan. "Also," she argues, "we've given African-Americans and Asian-Americans more than enough opportunity. I tried to promote a Latino to supervisor and you guys (HR dept.) told me I really needed to give Kym, an African-American, the opportunity."

, a white supervisor, feels that management is management. Managing diversity is just a gimmick, a passing fad. "I've been a supervisor for 20 years, and I've found that if I treat people fairly and listen to them, things work out just fine."

, a relatively new middle-manager, is a bit more positive about the idea but has significant reservations. She feels, however, that the company really needs to give women and minorities access to the "old boy network." If all the company does is conduct training and devise slogans, nothing will happen.

, Rahkim, an African-American supervisor, says he doesn't care what they do. He's giving notice because he's joining some other African-Americans in starting their own company. He's been a supervisor for five years and has been passed over for promotion twice. He feels that he has experienced discrimination because he's African-American.

87) Refer to Case 4.2. The above shows a number of challenges to implementing a managing diversity program. Mercedes' concerns represent which of the following challenges?

A) valuing diversity

B) individual vs. group fairness

C) segmented communication networks

D) focusing on performance

E) competition for opportunities

Page Ref: 129

88) Managers can contribute to the effectiveness of the HR department by:

A) taking sole responsibility for socializing the employees.

B) giving continuous feedback on the quality of different recruitment sources.

C) recruiting workers internally.

D) reducing the number of potential recruiting sources the business examines.

E) recruiting workers externally.

Page Ref: 167

89) The HR manager is discussing the amount of error present in the current selection process. She is discussing the __________ of the selection process.

A) reliability

B) validity

C) accuracy

D) legal defensibility

E) empirical validity

Page Ref: 172

Case 6.4Inc., a medical services company with 500 employees, has experienced an extensive business downturn. They are planning to implement a layoff of about 20% of the hourly and managerial workforces. Because of time demands and financial pressure, they will implement the layoff in 30 days.

an HR consultant brought in to help with the layoff, they turn to you for answers. This experience will be traumatic, since MedEquip has "verbally" committed to lifetime employment. They are planning to use work performance as the layoff criterion. Only about 3 areas of the business will be affected¹MIS, facilities, and accounting. Management is concerned about security in these areas, and there are minimal backup files available.

it is a large company, MedEquip has built a family atmosphere and everyone feels very close to everyone else. Corporate headquarters is in a fairly small community of about 10,000 people. They have hired a PR specialist to handle the press releases and public communications about the layoff.

the layoffs begin, Olivia and Quincy, two middle managers who will not be laid off, will hold group meetings with the sections involved. They then plan to have professional associates inform others about the layoff. They want you to conduct large group briefings orally. They do not want to give employees anything in print so they won't be drawn into litigation.

90) Refer to Case 6.4. The CEO asks your opinion on Olivia and Quincy's plan for the termination process. You should tell her that:

A) it is a solid and humane way to share the bad news.

B) not providing written documents is good, an oral briefing is sufficient.

C) having an outsider brief them in a large group is the best way to control any hostile feelings.

D) they should also coordinate media relations.

E) it is a very poor strategy and violates almost every rule a manager should follow in communicating a layoff.

Page Ref: 209

91) Companies strive to manage their turnover rates because:

A) of the potential impact on their public relations image.

B) of the legal requirements regarding warnings of layoffs.

C) of the need to plan for replacement workers.

D) turnover provides an opportunity for greater diversity and a positive affirmative action image.

E) they want to monitor and control employee replacement costs.

Page Ref: 195

92) A manager is in the process of deciding how effective or ineffective an employee's behavior has been. This manager is in the __________ stage of the performance appraisal model.

A) identification

B) measurement

C) management

D) design

E) performance improvement

Page Ref: 223

93) A company designs a performance evaluation process that evaluates the value of specific employee behaviors. The company is using a(n):

A) outcome-based system.

B) relative judgment system.

C) trait-based system.

D) behavioral-based system.

E) mikoshi-type performance system.

Page Ref: 229

94) Kristy is translating the duties and tasks of a set of jobs into the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. This translation effort is part of any:

A) organizational analysis.

B) personal needs analysis.

C) task analysis.

D) evaluation of a training program.

E) level of needs analysis.

Page Ref: 266

95) Crisis management is:

A) limited by the fact that it is only a reactive strategy.

B) also beneficial for preventing crises.

C) not focused on the human element of crises.

D) generally ineffective and hardly worth the expense to the business.

E) limited primarily to small businesses.

Page Ref: 282

96) Career development differs from training in that:

A) career development has a short-term focus. Training has a long-term focus.

B) career development is initiated by employees and training is initiated by the organization.

C) career development has a wider focus and broader scope than training.

D) career development is more beneficial to the organization and training is more beneficial to the individual employee.

E) training is more popular in organizations than is career development.

Page Ref: 297

97) Which of the following is an important aspect of a coaching relationship?

A) performance assessment

B) job hopping

C) downsizing

D) providing feedback

E) A and D

Page Ref: 316

98) Companies who pay employees at rates above the market are generally:

A) small start-up companies.

B) very competitive in the market.

C) companies who have been struggling financially.

D) larger companies in less competitive industries.

E) egalitarian.

Page Ref: 336

99) Profit sharing and ESOPs are both:

A) variable compensation plans.

B) gainsharing plans.

C) fixed compensation plans.

D) team-based pay-for-performance plans.

E) variable compensation, individual-based pay-for-performance plans.

Page Ref: 380

Case 12.3State Shipping employs 45 workers. They ship commodities across the country. Until recently, they had only legally required benefits, but business has become very profitable and they can now offer their employees more benefits.

average age of their employees is 50. Most employees have been there for more than 20 years¹the company prides itself on keeping workers. The majority of the jobs require heavy lifting or the operation of heavy equipment for loading and unloading trucks, trains, etc. Their workers' compensation tax has been running about 5% per year. They are in one of the lowest workers' compensation tax rate states, but TSS has had a lot of injuries. The lifting required and type of equipment used tends to result in a lot of sprained backs, mashed fingers, or bruised muscles. When workers are injured, they tend to heal quickly and return to work quickly.

its reputation for keeping workers, the dock supervisor recently fired a younger employee who had only been with TSS for about 8 months. Even though everyone liked him, the young man just couldn't learn his job.

100) Refer to Case 12.3. To lower their workers' compensation costs, TSS could:

A) audit their claims.

B) compare their health care coverage to the workers' compensation coverage, and try to use their health care.

C) put injured workers on modified duty.

D) emphasize safe working procedures.

E) relocate to a state with a lower workers' compensation tax rate.

Page Ref: 407

101) Employee handbooks should provide information on:

A) drug-testing procedures.

B) family leave policies.

C) sexual harassment.

D) company discipline procedures.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 440

102) The progressive discipline process begins with:

A) a written warning.

B) a verbal warning.

C) a meeting between HR and the offending employee.

D) an informal, unofficial warning from the first-line supervisor.

E) a counseling session placing responsibility for improvement on the employee.

Page Ref: 481

Case 15.4is the president of a candle manufacturing company. He has heard that employees are considering trying to unionize. He is concerned about this and calls a meeting of upper-level managers and the HR department. Demetry wants to know what can be done in order to discourage a union. He is also concerned about the steps employees will take in unionizing. Demetry knows relatively little about unions. He started the company in his workshop room for fun, and it grew into a business that he feels he can no longer control.

, a production manager, strongly believes that the employees will manage to unionize and wants to identify areas where the company would be able to give-and-take during the bargaining. She suggests that the company discuss codetermination and benefits for retired union workers.

, an HR employee, believes that the union will take hold too, and suggests that Demetry not fight or try to coerce employees away from supporting the union. He claims that this could result in a harmonious and cooperative relationship between management and the unions.

103) Refer to Case 15.4. Karsten probably holds to a:

A) union avoidance strategy.

B) union dissemination strategy.

C) union substitution strategy.

D) union acceptance strategy.

E) union suppression strategy.

Page Ref: 510-511

104) Which of the following is important to do when working with company safety committees?

A) rotating committee members constantly

B) having one strong, dominating personality to lead the committee

C) focusing on problems rather than solutions

D) giving the committee the necessary authority to meet its responsibilities

E) A and B

Page Ref: 561

105) An important difference between selecting an expatriate manager and selecting a manager for a domestic assignment is:

A) interviewing of the candidate by a panel of higher level managers.

B) reviewing the candidate's political views.

C) screening the candidate's spouse and family.

D) measuring the candidate's social skills.

E) assessing the candidate's psychological make-up.

Page Ref: 587

Case 1.3

Your company sells high-tech products throughout the world and is focusing on a differentiation strategy. The business environment for the company is volatile, rapidly changing, and highly complex. The company is highly entrepreneurial and has a strong moral commitment to quality products, employee job satisfaction, and contributing to the surrounding community. Finally, the management team has decided to create a common company culture among the various national and international subsidiaries to reduce cultural differences and tensions.

106) Refer to Case 1.3. The company's efforts at building a common culture relate to the strategic HR choice regarding:

A) employee relations.

B) training and development.

C) staffing.

D) work flows.

E) international management.

Page Ref: 28

107) A __________ is a detailed summary of a job's tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with the work flows. It emphasizes efficiency and control.

A) work flow job description

B) specific job description

C) general job description

D) task-related job description

E) none of the above

Page Ref: 68

108) During a conversation about a promotion with his boss, George is told that if he will meet her at the Slumberland Motel and spend the night with her, he will get the promotion. This is an example of:

A) a hostile work environment.

B) harassment.

C) illegal employment discrimination.

D) inappropriate conversation, but not illegal since there is no threat of coersion.

E) quid pro quo sexual harassment.

Page Ref: 95

109) The most common reason for initiating diversity training in U.S. corporations is:

A) tapping diverse customers and markets.

B) pending litigation.

C) affirmation action plans forced on them by the EEOC.

D) using workforce strengths.

E) avoiding litigation.

Page Ref: 140

110) Despite the criticisms of unstructured interviews, your text suggests they do have a significant advantage over structured interviews in:

A) predicting the "fit" of a candidate to the organization.

B) making the hiring decision a team process.

C) that they have higher content validity than other types of interviews.

D) that they lend themselves well to "stress interviewing" techniques.

E) that they accurately predict actual job performance.

Page Ref: 180

111) Your company is planning a layoff. As you explain the process to the management team, you tell them that outplacement assistance will be part of the process. Outplacement assistance is when:

A) an employee is given a final interview following separation.

B) the number of employees is reduced by not refilling job vacancies.

C) the company helps departing employees find jobs by training them in job-search skills.

D) the company measures the rate of employee separations.

E) the company terminates the relationship with the employee for any reason.

Page Ref: 197

112) Raters who commit severity errors generally:

A) rate employees on the basis of liking.

B) restrict ratings to the high portion of the appraisal scale.

C) restrict ratings to the low portion of the appraisal scale.

D) rate employee performance similarly in all appraisal areas.

E) become victims of organizational politics.

Page Ref: 232

Case 8.4HRM department is putting together a multi-step training program to help managers appraise their employees' performance. There will be training on EEO law, the company system and forms, how to conduct an interview, the most common questions managers and employees ask, and the company's answers.

training managers about EEO law, HRM's key concern is consistency and repeatability. They want managers to be able to review the material after the training and just before they conduct any performance appraisal.

to time constraints, they want to minimize the time spent in large group meetings, but they need a way to walk managers through company forms and systems. Because of rapid change in this area, HRM wants to be able to update easily and quickly.

to some very bad past legal experiences, HRM wants to be certain that every manager can conduct a performance appraisal properly and has done at least one good appraisal interview under supervision. Also, since employees and managers always ask a number of questions about the process, HRM wants to make certain that those questions are answered and that managers remember them.

, a recent situation where a disgruntled employee came back to her manager and threatened him with a gun has management demanding training on how to handle such threats. While the incident rate is low, obviously an error in judgment in this kind of situation can have terrible consequences.

113) Refer to Case 8.4. The best presentational format for addressing the time and pacing considerations would be:

A) classroom lecture.

B) computers.

C) videotape.

D) simulation.

E) role play.

Page Ref: 270

114) Organizations that offer tuition assistance programs may:

A) pay all of the employees' tuition and expenses.

B) pay only part of the employees' tuition and expenses.

C) pay for the employees' tuition contingent upon their performance.

D) all of the above

E) none of the above

Page Ref: 316

115) Refer to Case 10.2. Susie's responsibility relates to:

A) conducting the job evaluations.

B) writing the job descriptions.

C) identifying the components of the job specifications.

D) rating the worth of the jobs.

E) creating a job hierarchy.

Page Ref: 343-344

116) You want a sales compensation plan that is simple to administrate, controls sales costs, and encourages salespeople to be entrepreneurial. Your best choice of compensation plan would be a:

A) straight commission plan.

B) combination plan.

C) straight salary plan.

D) merit plan.

E) gainsharing plan.

Page Ref: 388-389

117) Refer to Case 12.1. What federal legislation will most likely impact this company, based on the nature of its workforce?

A) ERISA

B) workers' compensation

C) Social Security

D) COBRA

E) FMLA

Page Ref: 409

118) Paying attention to the feelings content of the employee communications process is especially important when a company is:

A) downsizing.

B) growing.

C) stagnant in growth.

D) acquiring a competitor.

E) hiring temporary workers.

Page Ref: 437

Case 14.3employee has performance and insubordination problems. The manager involved wants to fire her immediately. As the HR manager, you help him see that he needs to try to improve the employee's performance first and save termination as a last resort.

later, the CEO asks you to review and update the employee discipline process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure the best, most fair process. You now are conducting training for managers on the discipline process. You advise them about what they need to do to establish minimum standards as the conduct the discipline process.

119) Refer to Case 14.3. The manager's initial reaction:

A) is an example of progressive discipline.

B) would be a violation of due process.

C) would violate the employee's residual rights.

D) is in compliance with the employee's implied contractual rights.

E) is permissible within employment-at-will.

Page Ref: 468

120) Under a labor contract:

A) workers tend to receive less direct compensation than nonunionized workers.

B) job opportunities are allocated on the basis of seniority.

C) job opportunities are allocated on the basis of performance.

D) work rules are flexible.

E) layoff decisions are generally based upon merit.

Page Ref: 526

Case 16.1, Corey, and Shakil are debating what to do about an employee's workers' compensation claim. Damon feels that they aren't legally liable because the employee actually caused the accident due to his negligence. Shakil argues that they are liable under workers' compensation law. In fact, he's concerned that OSHA may find them in violation of its regulations, even though there are no specific standards for this particular job. Corey explains to both Damon and Shakil that the state believes that work-related accidents and injuries are simply a cost of doing business and will hold them liable, regardless of who's at fault. The employee files a claim and it is held valid by the state.

another occasion, Corey explains to Damon that the company needs to publish information to employees about the new hazardous chemicals they have at the plant. Damon doesn't understand why, but tells Corey to go ahead, but to be careful about how he words the announcement.

121) Refer to Case 16.1. What is the most likely consequence of this accident for the company?

A) Damon and Shakil will go to jail.

B) There is no likely consequence.

C) OSHA will fine the company $1,000.

D) The company's workers' compensation insurance rate will increase.

E) OSHA will grant the company a variance.

Page Ref: 540

122) Aileen is going to Paris for three weeks to train new store managers. Which would be the best type of training approach to prepare Aileen for her assignment?

A) the affective approach

B) the real word approach

C) the information-giving approach

D) the impression approach

E) the immersion approach

Page Ref: 588-589

Case 1.3

123) Refer to Case 1.3. Which of the following HR strategies would support the company's business strategy?

A) explicit job descriptions

B) self-managing work teams

C) intense supervision of labor

D) emphasis on technical qualifications and skills

E) job-based pay

Page Ref: 30

Case 2.1company makes computer components and peripherals for assemblers like Dell and Gateway. You are a small manufacturer, and your market share is highly volatile based on the entrance and exit of competitors into the market. You buy the raw materials for your components from several suppliers who also supply competitors. Your company is young, and you have two layers of management between the CEO and the component maker on the line.

CEO read a book on innovation and organizational change and now wants to look at what you should do about reorganizing, changing staffing practices, etc. He wants to reduce costs in order to increase profit margins because he sees that margins will continue to shrink.

productivity and quality are largely a function of the machines used in the process, your CEO still wants to focus on motivating your employees. He wants to motivate them by increasing wages through a bonus program, improving working conditions, and providing job security.

124) Refer to Case 2.1. Your best choice of an organizational design, given your product, market, etc., would be:

A) a bureaucratic structure.

B) a boundaryless structure.

C) a flat organizational structure.

D) self-managed teams.

E) a generic structure.

Page Ref: 50

125) The Civil Rights Act of 1991 prohibited:

A) quotas.

B) affirmative action plans.

C) jury trials in sexual harassment suits.

D) awards or damage payments.

E) all of the above

Page Ref: 99

126) The growing awareness of changing workforce demographic and the need to fully integrate and work effectively with nontraditional and minority employees is called:

A) equal employment opportunity.

B) affirmative action.

C) diversity training.

D) diversity management.

E) valuing diversity.

Page Ref: 123

127) __________ involves familiarizing new employees with company policies and procedures and orienting them to the company in general.

A) Recruiting

B) Selection

C) Socialization

D) Human resource planning

E) Interviewing

Page Ref: 160

128) Refer to Case 6.4. Given the primary areas affected by the layoff, you should recommend:

A) escorting affected employees off-site as soon as they are notified.

B) not worrying about security.

C) holding the large group termination session at the end of the week so employees can blow off steam over the weekend.

D) providing employees an opportunity to "let off steam" in the termination meeting.

E) having HR conduct the termination sessions one-on-one with the employees.

Page Ref: 212

129) 360e feedback:

A) is inherently less time consuming than any performance appraisal process.

B) takes less planning than traditional processes.

C) is rapidly becoming commonplace.

D) is being used less and less and will probably be gone within five years.

E) is less expensive than other appraisal processes.

Page Ref: 244

130) Law enforcement agencies' use of Firearms Training Systems, with its microcomputer and video screen, to train police officers is an example of:

A) computer-based training.

B) the use of role-play.

C) simulations.

D) OJT training.

E) the mixture of media available for classroom instruction.

Page Ref: 272

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

131) A company's managerial control is a key element of organizational culture.

Page Ref: 13

132) 99.8% of small businesses in the U.S. have less than 100 employees.

Page Ref: 12

133) A theory that suggests that employees' motivational levels and job satisfaction depend on the fit between their needs, abilities, and the characteristics of their job is the work adjustment theory.

Page Ref: 57

134) The work flow in an organization refers to the formal and informal relationships between people in the organization.

Page Ref: 48

135) The federal law or act that permits plaintiffs to collect punitive. as well as compensatory, damages is the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Page Ref: 99

136) Policies that have an adverse effect on protected persons may be defended if it is proven that the policy mandates a regulation that is essential for good job performance.

Page Ref: 92

137) The "glass ceiling" is an intangible barrier within an organization that prevents members of non-protected classes from filling positions above a certain level.

Page Ref: 129

138) In general, African-Americans and people of Hispanic origin have less educational preparation for the workplace than whites do.

Page Ref: 130

139) Labor demand is the number of employees who are seeking employment.

Page Ref: 155

140) When conducting exit interviews, management should assume employees will be honest with them, since the employees have already decided to leave the company.

Page Ref: 197

141) The advantage of outcome-based appraisal systems is that they eliminate subjectivity and potential for rater error.

Page Ref: 230

142) To enable employees to meet future company expectations, HR should implement employee development.

Page Ref: 260

143) When both members of a couple have careers and occupational responsibilities, their personal lives are less likely to affect their performance.

Page Ref: 303

144) The term "comparable worth" means essentially the same thing as equal pay-that men and women must be paid the same wage for the same job.

Page Ref: 355

145) Blair and Jose always ask the professor in their American Government class exactly what will be on the next exam. They ask this question so that they can study for no more than they absolutely must. This is an example of the "do only what you get paid for" syndrome.

Page Ref: 365

146) A company that focuses on providing job security and long-term employment is likely to devote a small portion of its compensation dollars to benefits.

Page Ref: 404

147) In order to express feelings most effectively, face-to-face communication is a necessity.

Page Ref: 437

148) It is inappropriate and also illegal to use discipline to correct poor performance when an employee has a physical or mental disability.

Page Ref: 488

149) Unionized firms tend to avoid merit pay plans.

Page Ref: 528

150) Employees who have HIV or AIDS are not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Page Ref: 550

151) Sacrifice for others, team effort, and a belief in the hand of fate are important culture values for employees in the countries of Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia.

Page Ref: 598

152) Companies always retain more employees during robust economic times than during times of economic challenge.

Page Ref: 10-11

153) As a member of a self-managed team, you should anticipate more consistent evaluations from your superior regarding your individual performance.

Page Ref: 54-55

154) The first step in affirmative action planning is conducting a utilization analysis.

Page Ref: 105

155) African-Americans constitute about 12% of the U.S. workforce.

Page Ref: 130

156) The labor supply for an organization is how many workers are available with the required skills to meet company needs.

Page Ref: 155

157) A quit and a retirement are similar types of employee separations since both are initiated by the employee.

Page Ref: 199

158) The use of a performance diary is an excellent, almost foolproof way of guarding against the performance evaluation error called "liking."

Page Ref: 234

159) Companies spent $57 billion on training in 2001.

Page Ref: 262

160) More and more workers are accepting that job hopping is important in their development.

Page Ref: 298

161) Job compensation directly affects how much labor costs detract from or contribute to business profitability.

Page Ref: 327-328

162) When seeking to increase employee involvement in rewarding performance, it is important to allow them some control in the dispensation of the rewards.

Page Ref: 369

163) On average, medical and time-not-worked benefits consume about the same amount of each benefit dollar.

Page Ref: 399

164) In a model of employee communications, employee relations fulfills the role of a channel.

Page Ref: 437

165) Unlike progressive discipline, positive discipline does not continue to the point of termination of the employee.

Page Ref: 483

166) Unionized companies face a competitive disadvantage because of higher wages than nonunion companies have.

Page Ref: 501

167) Both OSHA and ADA prohibit discrimination against smokers in the workplace.

Page Ref: 556

168) A company in Stage 2 of internationalization physically moves some of its operations out of the home country.

Page Ref: 576-577

169) Downsizing is simply one form of organizational restructuring.

Page Ref: 11

170) Whenever management decides to change its business strategy, it must also reexamine its organizational structure.

Page Ref: 48

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1) C

2) D

3) C

4) B

5) E

6) D

7) E

8) E

9) D

10) B

11) B

12) B

13) E

14) B

15) B

16) A

17) D

18) C

19) C

20) A

21) A

22) B

23) C

24) B

25) A

26) D

27) D

28) B

29) D

30) D

31) A

32) D

33) A

34) B

35) A

36) E

37) E

38) B

39) D

40) E

41) A

42) E

43) B

44) C

45) A

46) E

47) A

48) E

49) C

50) E

51) A

52) D

53) A

54) C

55) D

56) D

57) D

58) C

59) C

60) D

61) A

62) B

63) E

64) E

65) A

66) C

67) A

68) D

69) A

70) A

71) D

72) C

73) C

74) D

75) B

76) A

77) C

78) C

79) C

80) D

81) A

82) B

83) E

84) D

85) C

86) B

87) E

88) B

89) A

90) E

91) E

92) B

93) D

94) C

95) B

96) C

97) D

98) D

99) A

100) D

101) E

102) B

103) D

104) D

105) C

106) E

107) B

108) E

109) A

110) A

111) C

112) C

113) B

114) D

115) C

116) A

117) E

118) A

119) B

120) B

121) D

122) C

123) C

124) C

125) A

126) D

127) C

128) A

129) C

130) C

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.

131) FALSE

132) TRUE

133) TRUE

134) FALSE

135) TRUE

136) TRUE

137) FALSE

138) TRUE

139) FALSE

140) FALSE

141) TRUE

142) TRUE

143) FALSE

144) FALSE

145) TRUE

146) FALSE

147) TRUE

148) TRUE

149) TRUE

150) FALSE

151) FALSE

152) FALSE

153) FALSE

154) TRUE

155) TRUE

156) TRUE

157) TRUE

158) FALSE

159) TRUE

160) TRUE

161) TRUE

162) FALSE

163) TRUE

164) TRUE

165) FALSE

166) TRUE

167) FALSE

168) FALSE

169) FALSE

170) TRUE