Deck 1: The Nature of Human Resource Management

Question 1

Scientific management helped augment the concept of assembly-line production.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Unemployment rates in the United States continue to decline, and now the rate is near what is known as functional full-employment.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

To achieve the human resource management goal of promoting individual growth and development, an organization should:

A) provide pro bono services and establish charitable foundations.
B) ensure that its corporate strategies enhance the citizenship role played by the organization.
C) provide stress-management programs to help its employees effectively cope with anxiety.
D) promote ethnocentrism in the workplace.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following revealed that individual and group behavior played an important role in organizations and that human behavior at work was something managers really needed to understand more fully?

A) The Hawthorne studies
B) Maslow's hierarchy of human needs
C) McGregor's Theory X framework
D) The Jevons paradox

Question 5

Contemporary HR managers are increasingly regarded as second-class corporate citizens.

Question 6

The human relations era emerged following the Hawthorne studies.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true of the HR department of large organizations?

A) Relatively little HR training is provided in large organizations.
B) Line managers are required to handle basic HR functions in large organizations.
C) General managers handle the HR duties in large organizations.
D) HR functions are likely to have specialized subunits in large organizations.

Question 8

The view of human resource management (HRM) as part of the legal enforcement arm of an organization is largely applicable only in the United States.

Question 9

Scientists and lawyers are usually considered knowledge workers.

Question 10

Which of the following is defined as the overall set of expectations held by an employee with regard to what he or she will contribute to an organization and held by the organization with regard to what it will provide to the individual in return?

A) A value proposition
B) A vision statement
C) A mission statement
D) A psychological contract

Question 11

Computer monitoring allows organizations to collect real-time performance data from employees on various jobs.

Question 12

The HR department of Woodworkers, a furniture manufacturing firm, takes the time and effort to identify and attract the right type of skilled employees required to manufacture premium furniture. It also trains the employees extensively so that they gain job-related knowledge. Moreover, it has established monthly reward systems so that the employees feel appreciated for their hard work. In this scenario, the activities undertaken by the HR department of Woodworkers most likely align with the human resource management goal of _____.

A) adhering to legal business guidelines
B) complying with social obligations
C) creating an ethnocentric work environment
D) enhancing productivity and quality

Question 13

The passage of the Taft-Hartley Act made it clear that organizations had to find ways to hire, reward, and manage people effectively within the limits of the law.

Question 14

Outsourcing has resulted in an increase in the size of HR staffs within companies.

Question 15

To better manage its human resources, the management of Bart, a pharmaceutical company, decides to create a separate department that would be responsible for hiring skilled employees, dealing with government regulations, and managing behavioral issues. The given scenario illustrates the concept of _____.

A) personnel management
B) scientific management
C) outsourcing
D) licensing

Question 16

The use of new technologies by an organization for manufacturing, communication, and human resource management reduces the organization's need for knowledge workers.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true of scientific management in the 20th century?

A) It was concerned exclusively with creating an ethnocentric work environment.
B) It helped augment the concepts of division of labor and economies of scale.
C) It was primarily based on the belief that employees would work harder if they were happy.
D) It focused on maximizing job satisfaction and quality rather than efficiency and productivity.

Question 18

Which of the following is most likely to happen as a small firm grows into a large business?

A) A separate HR unit will become a necessity.
B) Specialized HR subunits will be merged to form one large HR department.
C) The owner or general manager of the firm will start handling HR duties.
D) The firm will exempt from many legal regulations.

Question 19

Douglas McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y framework grew from _____.

A) the Green Revolution
B) scientific management
C) the human relations movement
D) operations management

Question 20

Xbuzz, a gadget manufacturer, has developed a new gaming platform that enables users to talk to the characters in video games. When the company files a patent for the platform, it discovers that the product has already been wrongfully patented by a competing firm. The company hires a lawyer to get his expert advice on the situation and to find a way to gain rights over the product. In the given scenario, Xbuzz hires a(n) _____.

A) blue-collar worker
B) knowledge worker
C) ancillary worker
D) free rider

Question 21

Which of the following, perhaps, will be the most important challenge for HR in the coming years?

A) Selection of knowledge workers
B) Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct at work
C) Development of personnel departments
D) Effective performance appraisal and compensation systems

Question 22

Which of the following is the attempt to measure, in objective terms, the impact and effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) practices in terms of metrics such as a firm's financial performance?

A) Utility analysis
B) Ethnographic analysis
C) Market basket analysis
D) Narrative analysis

Question 23

Zander, an e-commerce company, hired over 50 workers to handle customer orders. As the company grew in size, the management recognized the need to maximize the productivity and efficiency of its workers. To achieve this, all aspects of the workers' jobs were studied carefully and their jobs were structured to help them work faster. The given scenario most likely illustrates the use of _____.

A) personnel management
B) scientific management
C) licensing
D) outsourcing

Question 24

Which of the following statements is true of human resource management (HRM) in modern organizations?

A) HRM is exclusively concerned with structuring jobs to maximize efficiency.
B) HRM is responsible for promoting ethnocentrism in the workplace.
C) Modern organizations outsource all HR functions.
D) Line managers often make decisions about pay raises and promotions.

Question 25

Which of the following departments within an organization was usually thought of as a staff function?

A) The legal department
B) The operations department
C) The finance department
D) The marketing department

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

A) It banned labor unions in the United States.
B) It made the processes of hiring and promoting employees within the organization far more complex.
C) It promoted ethnocentrism in the workplace.
D) It required that organizations provide a 60-day notice before terminating employees or closing a factory.

Question 27

Which of the following organizations created the HR Certification Institute (HRCI)?

A) The Human Resources Professionals Association
B) The Institute of Human Resource Capital Consultancy
C) The Society for Human Resource Management
D) The National Academy of Human Resources

Question 28

The material resources of an organization include:

A) the people employed to do the work of the organization.
B) the sources of information of the organization.
C) patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
D) factories, equipment, raw materials, computers, and offices.

Question 29

TechUp Inc., a computer manufacturing firm, hires an external specialist agency to perform background checks on its new employees. By doing this, TechUp Inc. ensures quality service and saves both time and labor costs. In the given scenario, TechUp Inc. uses _____.

A) crowdsourcing
B) foreign direct investment
C) homeshoring
D) outsourcing

Question 30

Envirer Inc., a small independent business, manufactures and sells recycled notebooks. Because of the small size of the company, Adam, the company's owner, decides to assign the HR duties of the company to one person. Who among the following is most likely to handle the HR duties?

A) Tim, the Business Intelligence Officer of the company
B) Martha, the Chief Accountant of the company
C) Jaden, the General Manager of the company
D) April, the Product Manager of the company

Question 31

The basic premise of the human relations era was that:

A) employees have to be intimidated to be motivated.
B) individuals work best in an ethnocentric environment.
C) satisfied employees work harder and are more productive.
D) union activities are harmful for an organization.

Question 32

Which of the following statements is true of the HR department of small organizations?

A) The HR department of small firms has specialized subunits, each with its own functions.
B) Small firms usually provide extensive HR training.
C) HR issues are relatively straightforward in small firms.
D) Small firms usually have one full-time HR manager and a single secretary to assist the manager.

Question 33

Wrapp Kitchen Inc., a restaurant chain, wants to increase worker productivity and efficiency. To achieve this, the management of the restaurant restructures the jobs of servers and chefs to maximize output and service delivery. The aim is to focus each and every employee activity toward maximizing productivity. This scenario most likely illustrates the concept of _____.

A) personnel management
B) outsourcing
C) licensing
D) scientific management

Question 34

Which of the following is a necessary prerequisite for success in human resource management?

A) A solid educational background
B) A membership in the Society for Human Resource Management
C) An inclination toward Theory X style of management
D) An ethnocentric attitude

Question 35

Which of the following recognizes that if an organization needs highly skilled, knowledgeable workers to carry out its strategy, then all staffing activities must be coordinated toward identifying and attracting such employees?

A) The function-oriented view of human resource management
B) An empirical approach to human resource management
C) The scientific management approach to human resource management
D) A systems-oriented view of human resource management

Question 36

Fulfilling the psychological contract between employers and employees aligns with the human resource management goal of _____.

A) adhering to legal business guidelines
B) creating an ethnocentric work environment
C) promoting individual growth and development
D) complying with social obligations

Question 37

Wags is a chain of veterinary clinics. As a growing organization, the management of Wags recognizes the need to coordinate various human resource management (HRM) activities. It believes that all staffing activities should be directed at identifying and attracting skilled workers and that appraisals, compensation, and performance management should reflect the nature of its employees. In this scenario, which of the following approaches to HRM most likely explains the management's recognition of the need to coordinate HRM activities?

A) A systems approach
B) The scientific management approach
C) The open-book management approach
D) An empirical approach

Question 38

Which of the following supplanted scientific management as the dominant approach to management during the 1930s?

A) The open-book approach to management
B) Taylorism
C) The human relations era
D) The systems-oriented view of human resource management

Question 39

The management of Rockslide Inc., a sports equipment manufacturing firm, hires an external agency to manage its payroll and insurance functions. It does this to ensure expert services and more efficient operations. In the given scenario, the management of Rockslide Inc. is using _____.

A) crowdsourcing
B) foreign direct investment
C) outsourcing
D) homeshoring

Question 40

The HR department of Asterix, a large organization, recommends setting up fitness centers and conducting career planning sessions to enhance the overall development of its employees. The management of the company believes that the employees should be happy and personally fulfilled on the job. In the given scenario, the recommendation of the HR department, if executed, will most likely help Asterix achieve the human resource management goal of _____.

A) adhering to legal business guidelines
B) complying with social obligations
C) promoting ethnocentric practices in the workplace
D) promoting individual growth and development

Question 41

The management of Gilbert Inc., an automobile parts manufacturer, has created a separate department to deal with the company's increasing hiring needs. This department hires skilled employees, administers basic HR activities such as pay and benefits, and ensures that all organizational activities are in compliance with government regulations. In the given scenario, the new department is most likely concerned with _____.

A) operations management
B) production management
C) personnel management
D) technology management

Question 42

Which of the following is an economic measure of efficiency that summarizes and reflects the value of the outputs created by an individual, organization, industry, or economic system relative to the value of the inputs used to create them?

A) Quality
B) Productivity
C) Reliability
D) Sustainability

Question 43

Which of the following offers three core certifications: Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)?

A) The American HR Certification Association
B) The HR Certification Institute
C) The National Academy of Human Resources
D) The Institute of Human Resource Capital Consultancy

Question 44

Which of the following statements is true of traditional line managers?

A) They are responsible for the support functions of their organization.
B) They make indirect bottom-line contributions to their organization.
C) They include human resource managers.
D) They are directly responsible for creating goods and services.

Question 45

Employees who contribute to an organization by the nature of what they know and how well they can apply what they know are known as _____.

A) ancillary workers
B) free riders
C) blue-collar workers
D) knowledge workers

Question 46

Which of the following activities aligns with the human resource management goal of enhancing productivity and quality?

A) Promoting ethnocentric practices in the workplace
B) Establishing charitable foundations to deal with societal problems
C) Using new and different types of rewards to help maintain employee motivation
D) Undertaking corporate social responsibility initiatives

Question 47

Which of the following should an organization do to achieve the human resource management goal of facilitating organizational competitiveness?

A) Organizational objectives should be formulated in such a way that they deal with revenue growth and profitability.
B) HR practices should focus on promoting ethnocentrism in the workplace.
C) Organizations should match employee contributions to local charities.
D) Management should establish charitable foundations and regularly organize fund-raisers.

Question 48

Which of the following is true of HR managers in the 1980s and 1990s when firms sought mergers and acquisitions to compete effectively in the global marketplace?

A) HR managers helped create strategies that promoted ethnocentrism in the workplace.
B) HR managers helped identify the critical human resources that the firms would need in the future.
C) HR managers developed strategies that ensured that any knowledge acquired was kept confidential among top executives.
D) HR managers were involved solely in scheduling working hours and disciplining problem employees.

Question 49

The management of Crimson, a cosmetics company, has entrusted its HR department with the responsibility of organizing fund-raisers to create awareness about various issues related to women and children. The management also supports volunteer activities by matching employee contributions to local charities. By engaging in these activities, the management of Crimson is fulfilling the human resource management goal of:

A) complying with and meeting social obligations.
B) adhering to legal guidelines.
C) facilitating organizational competitiveness.
D) enhancing productivity and quality.

Question 50

Which of the following terms refers to treating social outcomes and financial outcomes as complementary, rather than competing outcomes?

A) Astroturfing
B) Organizational citizenship behavior
C) Greenwashing
D) Conscious capitalism

Question 51

Which of the following acts made it illegal for employers to consider factors such as gender, religion, race, skin color, or national origin when making employment-related decisions?

A) The Civil Rights Act of 1964
B) The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988
C) The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947
D) The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947

Question 52

The management of Finitos, a stationery manufacturer, wanted to cut down its fixed costs to increase the profits of the company. As a result, it drastically reduced its HR staffs and hired an external agency to manage basic HR functions such as payroll and benefits. To achieve Finitos's objective, the management of the company most likely employed _____.

A) crowdsourcing
B) outsourcing
C) foreign direct investment
D) homeshoring

Question 53

Undertaking initiatives that help an organization assume an enhanced citizenship role most likely aligns with the human resource management goal of:

A) complying with and meeting legal and social obligations.
B) facilitating organizational effectiveness.
C) enhancing productivity and quality.
D) promoting individual growth and development.

Question 54

Which of the following statements is true of contemporary human resource management (HRM)?

A) HRM policies are aimed at promoting ethnocentrism in the workplace.
B) HR managers are considered second-class corporate citizens.
C) HR managers are solely responsible for carrying out line functions.
D) HRM practices significantly affect management's ability to formulate and implement strategy in any area.

Question 55

Which of the following is the largest professional HR association in the field of human resource management?

A) The Human Resources Professionals Association
B) The Institute of Human Resource Capital Consultancy
C) The Human Resources Management Association
D) The Society for Human Resource Management

Question 56

Identify a true statement about outsourcing.

A) It tends to eliminate jobs that are repetitive.
B) It reduces a firm's risk of facing intellectual property theft.
C) It has resulted in larger internal HR staffs.
D) It helps a firm share functions that are of strategic importance.

Question 57

Varo Inc., a pharmaceutical company, plans to develop a drug that would treat the diseases caused by a new strain of virus. To assist the in-house doctors in developing the drug, the company hires a scientist who has previously conducted research on the virus. The company intends to use the scientist's expertise on the subject to create a useful drug. In the given scenario, Varo Inc. has hired a(n) _____.

A) blue-collar worker
B) knowledge worker
C) ancillary worker
D) free rider

Question 58

The management of Futurics, a consultancy firm, regularly introduces various reward programs to maintain motivation and effort among its employees. The management understands the importance of providing incentives to the employees to ensure efficiency and a high level of customer service. In the given scenario, which of the following goals of human resource management is fulfilled by the aforementioned activities of the management?

A) Adhering to legal business guidelines
B) Enhancing productivity and quality
C) Creating an ethnocentric work environment
D) Complying with and meeting social obligations

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true of contemporary HR executives?

A) They are regarded as second-class corporate citizens.
B) They are tasked with developing policies that promote ethnocentrism in the workplace.
C) They are required to possess general management abilities that reflect conceptual, diagnostic, and analytical skills.
D) They are concerned exclusively with hiring first-line employees such as blue-collar workers and unskilled labor.

Question 60

Abigail, an HR executive in a company, coordinates with the management to plan and implement a wide range of employee engagement activities for improving the mental and physical health of the employees. These activities include personality enhancement sessions, career development seminars, and annual office trips. She also works with the management to provide employees with a platform where they can share their innovative ideas. In this scenario, Abigail's initiatives fulfill the human resource management goal of:

A) complying with social obligations.
B) promoting individual growth and development.
C) adhering to legal business guidelines.
D) creating an ethnocentric work environment.

Question 61

Will sexual misconduct at work pose a challenge to human resource management in the coming years?

Question 62

What is the Society for Human Resource Management? What are the certifications offered by the Human Resource Certification Institute?

Question 63

How do people become HR managers?

Question 64

Briefly explain the human resource management goal of complying with legal and social obligations.

Question 65

Explain how human resource management operations are carried out in small organizations.