Deck 14: Managing Human Resources

Question 1

The last step in the human resource management process is training.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

High-performance work practices lead to both high individual and high organisational performance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT an example of a high-performance work practice listed in your textbook?

A)flexible job assignments
B)open communication
C)performance-based compensation
D)re-engineering
E)extensive employee involvement

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Improved change management was one of the examples of high performance work practices mentioned in the textbook.

Question 5

The human resource planning steps of the human resource management process include ________.

A)orientation
B)performance appraisal
C)decruitment
D)training
E)compensation and benefits

Question 6

The Employment Relations Act 2000 (New Zealand)ensures industry-based training for all workers.

Question 7

The last stage of the three stages in the human resource management process contains ________.

A)orientation
B)recruitment
C)decruitment
D)training
E)performance management

Question 8

In a short essay, describe high-performance work practices.Next, list seven examples of high-performance work practices.

Question 9

According to the textbook, one study reported that significantly improving an organisation's HRM practices could increase its market value by as much as 70 per cent.

Question 10

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Australia)is principally about equal pay for equal work.

Question 11

________ lead(s)to both high individual and high organisational performance.

A)Work specialisation
B)Departmentalisation
C)Centralisation of operations
D)High-performance work practices
E)Lower span of control

Question 12

A ________ is an organisation that represents workers and seeks to protect their interests through collective bargaining.

A)matrix group
B)labour union
C)transnational group
D)self-directed team
E)autonomous work group

Question 13

Currently, what per cent of the Australian workforce is unionised?

A)28
B)33
C)13.9
D)18
E)10

Question 14

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Australia)and the Human Rights Act 1993 (New Zealand)prohibit pay differences based on sex for equal work.

Question 15

High-performance work practices include such activities as ________.

A)closed communication
B)centralised decision making
C)firm job assignments
D)self-managed teams
E)matrix organisations

Question 16

A labour union is an organisation that represents workers and seeks to protect their interests through collective bargaining.

Question 17

The nine activities of the human resource process include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A)outsourcing
B)recruitment
C)compensation and benefits
D)orientation
E)performance appraisal

Question 18

According to the textbook, all the statements below are correct about HRM practices EXCEPT which one?

A)Many organisations do not have formal HRM departments.
B)The HR departments are moving away from their traditional responsibilities of simple personnel administration in many organisations.
C)The human resource management function is not part of the strategic activities of an organisation.
D)Many organisations have begun to recognise the role that employees play in organisational success.
E)All managers are involved with human resource decisions in their area.

Question 19

The first step in the human resource management process is planning, which includes recruitment and decruitment.

Question 20

In Australia, only approximately 20 per cent of workers are unionised.

Question 21

Decruitment can be done through downsizing.

Question 22

It is possible for a selection method to be reliable but invalid.

Question 23

A selection device is valid if it measures the same thing consistently.

Question 24

One disadvantage to employee referrals as a source of job candidates is that candidates tend to be minimally skilled.

Question 25

One advantage of an internal search for job candidates is that it boosts employee morale.

Question 26

In New Zealand, the ________ returned some of the collectivist principles of bargaining in industrial relations.

A)Employment Relations Act 2000
B)Industrial Training Act 1992
C)State Sector Act 1988
D)Human Rights Act 1993
E)both A and C

Question 27

Physical examinations, as a selection device, ________.

A)are another means of honesty testing
B)are gaining popularity for jobs with mental demands
C)are never valid for use in selecting disabled persons
D)are not valid
E)are used primarily for insurance purposes

Question 28

Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants.

Question 29

Assessment centres are considered appropriate for evaluating managerial potential.

Question 30

A good interviewer will minimise any prior knowledge about the applicants' background, experience, interests, test scores or other characteristics.

Question 31

Work sampling involves asking applicants to perform a task or set of tasks that are central to the job they are applying for.

Question 32

The selection process is the process of screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.

Question 33

Dismissal and early retirements are two decruitment options.

Question 34

Physical examinations, as a selection device, are used primarily for insurance purposes.

Question 35

Job descriptions focus on the job, and job specifications focus on the person.

Question 36

Which of the following laws requires that people with HIV are not discriminated against in Australia?

A)Disability Discrimination Act 1992
B)Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1987
C)Employment Relations Act 2000
D)Worker Relations Act 1996
E)Racial Discrimination Act 1975

Question 37

________ programs enhance the organisational status of members of protected groups.

A)Equal employment
B)BFOQ
C)OSHA
D)Sexual harassment
E)Affirmative action

Question 38

In Australia, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 ________.

A)also prohibits discrimination based on physical or mental impairment
B)is tied to the concept of comparable worth
C)would promote that an organisation's secretaries should be paid as much as its truck drivers because they are of equal worth to the organisation
D)protects women and minorities against unfair pay differences
E)deals also with sexual harassment, marital status and pregnancy

Question 39

Labour unions use ________ to protect the rights of their members.

A)collective bargaining
B)matrix
C)functional operations
D)new product development
E)process

Question 40

Reference checks generally provide useful information for most jobs.

Question 41

________ is (are)a form of temporary involuntary termination.

A)Reduced workloads
B)Attrition
C)Dismissal
D)Lay-offs
E)Early retirement

Question 42

Which of the following focuses on the qualifications a person must possess to perform a given job successfully?

A)job planning
B)job specification
C)job rotation
D)job description
E)job analysis

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT an example of a decruitment option?

A)contracting
B)dismissal
C)attrition
D)job-sharing
E)lay-off

Question 44

What is 'decruitment' commonly known as?

A)expansion
B)recruitment
C)selection
D)executive employee searches
E)downsizing

Question 45

________ is (are)a form of permanent involuntary termination.

A)Early retirement
B)Lay-offs
C)Dismissal
D)Attrition
E)Reduced workloads

Question 46

What is one advantage to private employment agencies as a means of recruiting employees?

A)wide contacts
B)fills temporary needs
C)low cost
D)builds employee morale
E)high candidate diversity

Question 47

Temporary help services tend to ________.

A)build employee morale
B)provide a wide distribution of recruits
C)have minimally trained candidates
D)have nominal costs
E)be expensive

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a method for gathering information for a job analysis?

A)evaluating the individual during job simulation
B)using structured questionnaires
C)using job experts
D)observing the individual perform job on film
E)watching the individual perform the job

Question 49

If a selection device demonstrates ________, there is a proven relationship between the selection device and some relevant criterion.

A)reliability
B)relevance
C)validity
D)understandability
E)predictability

Question 50

In an employment interview, if a manager was noticing that this occupation requires the jobholder to have an accounting degree, what would he/she be referring to?

A)job notice
B)job specification
C)employee handbook
D)job description
E)BFOQ requirement

Question 51

Which of the following decruitment methods is accomplished by not filling openings created by normal retirements?

A)dismissal
B)reduced workweeks
C)attrition
D)early retirements
E)lay-offs

Question 52

Which of the following is a disadvantage of recruiting at universities and colleges?

A)high cost
B)generates many unqualified candidates
C)limited to entry-level positions
D)limited supply
E)may not increase workforce diversity

Question 53

________ is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants.

A)Selection
B)Jobbing
C)Recruitment
D)Contracting
E)Decruitment

Question 54

Job analysis is concerned with which of the following human resource planning aspects?

A)what behaviours are necessary to perform a job
B)deciding how well someone is performing his/her job
C)counting the number of jobs in an organisation
D)hiring someone to do a job
E)estimating pay on job level in an organisation

Question 55

An assessment that defines jobs and the behaviours necessary to perform them is a(n)________.

A)job analysis
B)employee handbook
C)job specification
D)job notice
E)job description

Question 56

If human resource planning shows a surplus of employees, management may want to reduce the organisation's workforce through ________.

A)expansion
B)jobbing
C)decruitment
D)contraction
E)recruitment

Question 57

Which of the following is a consequence of an acceptance error in the selection process?

A)potential charges of discrimination
B)increased cost of training
C)cost of selection is increased
D)not hiring a candidate who would have been successful
E)more candidates have to be screened

Question 58

Which of the following would be a part of a human resource planner's workday?

A)deciding who is the best person for the new position opening
B)calculating the median pay level for organisational occupations
C)figuring how many new accountants will be needed by 2016
D)estimating the cost of a potential union strike
E)deciding where to advertise for potential job recruits

Question 59

Most studies show that ________ tend to produce strong job candidates.

A)college campuses
B)newspaper advertisements
C)walk-ins
D)employee referrals
E)executive search firms

Question 60

What is the method by which management identifies applicant characteristics to ensure the most appropriate candidate is hired?

A)selection
B)affirmative action
C)firing
D)decruitment
E)recruitment

Question 61

Teaching an employee to read would be considered a general form of employee training.

Question 62

Which of the following could be said about references as a selection tool?

A)They are rarely used.
B)They are useful and most human resource professionals would likely provide accurate information.
C)They are not very useful and may carry legal repercussions.
D)They are difficult but necessary.
E)Personal opinion rarely enters into a 'standardised' reference check.

Question 63

Job rotation is the implementation of lateral transfers allowing employees to work at different jobs in an organisation.

Question 64

In a short essay, discuss job analysis, job description and job specification.

Question 65

Of the following statements concerning several selection devices, which one is accurate?

A)Assessment centres are typically used for hiring front-line supervisors.
B)Interviews are very popular but worthless.
C)Applicant data verification is valuable for all jobs.
D)Reference checks are generally of low value.
E)Traditional tests are reasonably effective for non-routine jobs.

Question 66

________ involves asking applicants to perform a task or set of tasks that are central to the job they are applying for.

A)Decruitment
B)Work sampling
C)Orientation
D)Interviewing
E)Assessment centres

Question 67

Which of the following is generally worthless for all jobs?

A)verification of application data
B)interviews
C)reference checks
D)written tests
E)work samples

Question 68

If a selection device measures the same thing consistently, it demonstrates ________.

A)reliability
B)understandability
C)validity
D)relevance
E)predictability

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT one of the objectives of new employee orientation?

A)facilitate outsider-insider transition
B)estimate potential job performance
C)introduce to work unit
D)reduce new employee anxiety
E)familiarise new employees with the job

Question 70

Employees working with an experienced worker who provides information, support and encouragement is known as 'on-the-job' training.

Question 71

Typical types of written tests include all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A)interest
B)aptitude
C)polygraph
D)intelligence
E)ability

Question 72

________ are places in which job candidates undergo performance-simulation tests that evaluate managerial potential.

A)Assessment centres
B)Decruitment centres
C)Attribution centres
D)Jobbing centres
E)Business schools

Question 73

Which of the following is an example of an interview question a manager should NOT ask?

A)Are you willing to travel?
B)What type of work does your spouse do?
C)What is your 'ideal' job?
D)What is your experience?
E)What is your educational background?

Question 74

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the selection criteria 'validity'?

A)Validity is when there is an expected relationship between the selection device and job performance criteria.
B)The burden of criteria support is on the applicant.
C)A valid selection device would show a positive relationship between the predictor and criterion.
D)It is illegal to use intelligence tests.
E)The law is currently unclear about the use of invalid selection devices.

Question 75

Which of the following is an example of selection device reliability?

A)A protected group individual was given a low selection score and was a poor job performer.
B)A superior job performer was given a high interview score by all five independent interviewers.
C)The selection device reliability rating and validity rating were equal.
D)An applicant's score on an intelligence test predicted his/her job performance.
E)The intelligence test significantly predicted the job performance of 250 job applicants.

Question 76

Which of the following is the process whereby a new employee is familiarised with the organisation's goals?

A)orientation
B)selection
C)decruitment
D)job previews
E)recruitment

Question 77

Asking a candidate for an automotive mechanic's position to deconstruct and reconstruct part of an engine motor would be an example of what kind of selection device?

A)interview
B)in-basket exercise
C)simulation
D)intelligence test
E)spatial test

Question 78

An application form ________.

A)is good for background checks but yields little other useful information
B)is illegal if you ask for their address and telephone number
C)may have relevant information for some jobs such as high school graduation rank
D)is inexpensive but easy to validate
E)is never job related

Question 79

An outdoor thermometer that is always five degrees off of the actual temperature would be considered ________.

A)valid but not reliable
B)reliable and valid
C)reliable but not valid
D)neither reliable nor valid
E)This is not a test of reliability or validity.

Question 80

Assessment centres are typically used for which of the following applicant groups?

A)front-line workers
B)CEOs only
C)college coaches
D)managers
E)physically demanding jobs