Deck 17: Managing Global Human Resources

Question 1

are formal, employee-elected groups of worker representatives that meet monthly with managers to discuss topics affecting the employees.

A)Work councils
B)Unions
C)Advisory boards
D)Employee boards
E)Mediation groups

Answer 1

A

Question 2

All of the following are work-related policies that vary from country to country within the EU except .

A)work week hours permitted
B)number of annual holidays
C)codetermination
D)employment contracts
E)minimum wages

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In many European countries, replace the union -based worker-management mediations typical in the U.S.

A)work councils
B)employee boards
C)unions
D)mediation groups
E)advisory boards

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is true of actual pay practices in China?

A)pay is based on a guaranteed income plan
B)unlikely to include bonuses
C)much variation in pay from employee to employee
D)heavy emphasis on incentives
E)no relationship between pay and seniority

Question 5

Marie is an Italian executive working in a manufacturing plant in Siena, Italy that is owned by a parent company based in Singapore. Marie is a .

A)host-country national
B)home-country national
C)expatriate
D)local
E)third-country national

Question 6

Of the types of international managers that multinational companies can employ, home -country nationals are .

A)noncitizens of the countries in which they are working
B)noncitizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
C)citizens of a country other than the parent or the host country
D)citizens of the countries where they are working
E)citizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters

Question 7

are noncitizens of the countries in which they are working.

A)Locals
B)Home-country nationals
C)Expatriates
D)Multi-nationals
E)Third-country nationals

Question 8

Of the types of international managers that multinational companies can employ, locals are .

A)noncitizens of the countries in which they are working
B)citizens of the countries where they are working
C)citizens of a country other than the parent or the host country
D)noncitizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
E)citizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters

Question 9

All of the following is true of France except .

A)there is a legal limit to the number of hours employees can work each week
B)employer's are limited in the extent to which they can dismiss workers
C)workers typically receive three weeks of vacation time each year
D)it is a capitalist society
E)all of the above are true

Question 10

Geert Hofstede called the extent to which less powerful members of institutions accept and expect an unequal power distribution .

A)tolerance for ambiguity
B)power distance
C)time framework
D)individualism
E)masculinity

Question 11

are citizens of a country other than the parent or the host country.

A)Home-country nationals
B)Expatriates
C)Multi-nationals
D)Third-country nationals
E)Locals

Question 12

Of the countries listed below, in which one do production workers receive the lowest hourly wage?

A)Mexico
B)United States
C)United Kingdom
D)Taiwan
E)Germany

Question 13

In Germany, employees have the legal right to a voice in setting company policies. This is called .

A)work council leadership
B)employment at will
C)internal coordination
D)employee participation
E)co-determination

Question 14

All of the following are characteristics of small Chinese firms except .

A)job descriptions accurately cover all job duties
B)job descriptions are current
C)jobs are broadly defined
D)employees stick to assigned job duties
E)work is heavily structured

Question 15

Jason is a British executive working in the Tokyo branch of a multinational bank based in the United Kingdom. Jason is classified as a .

A)host-country national
B)expatriate
C)local
D)third-country national
E)home-country national

Question 16

are citizens of the countries where they are working.

A)Home-country nationals
B)Third-country nationals
C)Locals
D)Multi-nationals
E)Expatriates

Question 17

Of the countries listed below, in which one do workers receive the largest amount of vacation time?

A)Germany
B)Korea
C)Italy
D)United States
E)France

Question 18

How do performance appraisals in China differ from those in the United States?

A)appraisals in China are "softer" than those in the US
B)appraisals in China focus on quantifiable, objective results
C)appraisals in China focus on developing the employee
D)performance appraisals in China focus on the process
E)employees in China are less likely to receive incentives

Question 19

Of the types of international managers that multinational companies can employ, expatriates are .

A)noncitizens of the countries in which they are working
B)citizens of the countries where they are working
C)citizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
D)noncitizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
E)citizens of a country other than the parent or the host country

Question 20

Of the countries listed below, in which one do workers receive the least amount of vacation time?

A)United States
B)Italy
C)United Kingdom
D)Germany
E)France

Question 21

Having local employees abroad to jobs that the firm's domestic employees previously did in-house is called .

A)outsourcing
B)international staffing
C)offshoring
D)downsizing
E)deportment

Question 22

What value classification refers to a prevailing attitude that the home country attitudes, management style, knowledge, evaluation criteria, and managers are superior to anything the host country has to offer?

A)geocentric
B)polycentric
C)francocentric
D)monocentric
E)ethnocentric

Question 23

What value classification refers to a conscious belief that only host country managers can ever really understand the culture and behavior of the host country market?

A)polycentric
B)ethnocentric
C)monocentric
D)francocentric
E)geocentric

Question 24

Which group tends to earn the highest total compensation from the parent company?

A)host country nationals
B)third country nationals
C)parent country nationals
D)both A and B
E)all of the above

Question 25

Samsung tends to follow an ethnocentric staffing model. From which group will it tend to hire for upper-level management positions?

A)third country nationals
B)host country nationals
C)parent country nationals
D)both A and B
E)both A and C

Question 26

Peter is a German citizen working as a manager for Siemens in Freiberg, Germany. Siemens has facilities all over the world but its headquarters is in Germany. Peter is a(n).

A)home-country national
B)expatriate
C)third-country national
D)host-country national
E)local

Question 27

An advantage of using expatriates to fill foreign subsidiary management positions is that .

A)they are more likely to implement the instructions from headquarters
B)they may not speak the local language
C)they may not understand local customs
D)they are more expensive than local managers
E)all of the above

Question 28

From what group can international firms hire?

A)host country nationals
B)parent country nationals
C)third country nationals
D)both A and B
E)all of the above

Question 29

Of the types of international managers that multinational companies can employ, third -country nationals are .

A)citizens of the countries where they are working
B)noncitizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
C)citizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters
D)citizens of a country other than the parent or the host country
E)noncitizens of the countries in which they are working

Question 30

Which type of international manager is most prevalent in both headquarters and foreign subsidiary operations?

A)home-country nationals
B)locals
C)host-country nationals
D)expatriates
E)third-country nationals

Question 31

Roberta is an Italian citizen who spent a great deal of time during her childhood in England. She now works in Brazil as an HR manager for a British company. Roberta is a(n).

A)host-country national
B)third-country national
C)home-country national
D)local
E)expatriate

Question 32

A disadvantage of using expatriates to fill foreign subsidiary management positions is that expatriates .

A)focus unnecessarily on long-term projects
B)spend too much time sightseeing in the foreign country
C)are more expensive than using local managers
D)bring a sense of diversity to the foreign facility
E)all of the above

Question 33

When the values of a firm's top executives are classified as polycentric, it means that there is a .

A)belief that the best manager for a specific position may be anywhere in the world
B)the best managers are multi-lingual
C)prevailing attitude that the home country attitudes, management style, knowledge, evaluation criteria, and managers are superior to anything the host country has to offer
D)conscious belief that only host country managers can ever really understand the culture and behavior of the host country market
E)the foreign subsidiary should be managed by expatriates

Question 34

Locals are often times a better choice than expatriates for filling foreign subsidiary management positions because they are .

A)cheaper
B)an effective means of illustrating a multinational's commitment to a country
C)more comfortable with the language
D)more knowledgeable regarding local customs
E)all of the above

Question 35

When the values of a firm's top executives are classified as ethnocentric, it means that there is a .

A)prevailing attitude that the home country attitudes, management style, knowledge, evaluation criteria, and managers are superior to anything the host country has to offer
B)the best managers are multi-lingual
C)the foreign subsidiary should be managed by local people
D)conscious belief that only host country managers can ever really understand the culture and behavior of the host country market
E)belief that the best manager for a specific position may be anywhere in the world

Question 36

Call centers that service customers for firms like software and computer hardware companies are increasingly using employees in India to staff the telephones. This is an example of .

A)offshoring
B)international staffing
C)outsourcing
D)downsizing
E)deportment

Question 37

Microsoft tends to follow a geocentric staffing model. From which group will it tend to hire?

A)third country nationals
B)parent country nationals
C)host country nationals
D)both A and B
E)all of the above

Question 38

are citizens of the country in which the multinational company has its headquarters.

A)Home-country nationals
B)Expatriates
C)Multi-nationals
D)Locals
E)Third-country nationals

Question 39

Mercedes sent a team of executives from Germany to oversee the start-up of its U.S. operations. Mercedes chose to manage this operation.

A)third country nationals
B)host country nationals
C)parent country nationals
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 40

Which group of employees may also be known as expatriates?

A)parent country nationals
B)host country nationals
C)third country nationals
D)both A and B
E)both A and C

Question 41

What value classification refers to a belief that the best manager for a specific position could be in any of the countries in which the firm operates?

A)geocentric
B)francocentric
C)polycentric
D)monocentric
E)ethnocentric

Question 42

When Colgate uses adaptability screening to assess an employee's probable success in handling a foreign transfer, the best predictor of future success is .

A)past international travel
B)youthfulness
C)language skills
D)extraversion
E)job competence

Question 43

When the values of a firm's top executives are classified as geocentric, it means that there is a .

A)conscious belief that only host country managers can ever really understand the culture and behavior of the host country market
B)the foreign subsidiary should be managed by locals
C)the best managers are multi-lingual
D)belief that the best manager for a specific position may be anywhere in the world
E)prevailing attitude that the home country attitudes, management style, knowledge, evaluation criteria, and managers are superior to anything the host country has to offer

Question 44

Which level of training for international assignments involves training on the impact of cultural differences and on raising the trainees' awareness of such differences and their impact on business outcomes?

A)Level 1
B)Level 2
C)Level 3
D)Level 4
E)Level 5

Question 45

JJP Enterprises seeks to entice one of its star managers to move to Iraq to oversee its negotiations for Iraqi oil. The firm will likely need to offer a(n)to a manager's base salary.

A)hardship allowance
B)cost-of-living allowance
C)bonus
D)tax equalization adjustment
E)all of the above

Question 46

Which term below refers to the process of assessing the assignee's (and spouse's)probable success in handling a foreign transfer and alerting them tissues the move may involve?

A)competency assessment
B)adaptability screening
C)balance sheet assessment
D)language skills placement testing
E)culture shock resistance scoring

Question 47

The idea that a manager who accepts a foreign assignment is entitled to the same standard of living the manager enjoyed at home is the basis for .

A)hardship premiums
B)premium expatriate salaries
C)balance sheet approach
D)tax equalization
E)foreign-service premiums

Question 48

If a firm chooses to fill key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries by seeking out the best people regardless of nationality, the firm is following a staffing policy.

A)francocentric
B)ethnocentric
C)polycentric
D)geocentric
E)monocentric

Question 49

When a firm follows a polycentric staffing policy, it fills key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries with .

A)employees who are multi-lingual
B)employees who have traveled extensively
C)employees who are parent-country nationals
D)employees who are host-country nationals
E)employees who are nationals of a country that is neither the host nor home country

Question 50

When a firm follows a geocentric staffing policy, it fills key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries with .

A)employees who are host-country nationals
B)employees who are nationals of a country that is neither the host nor home country
C)employees who are parent-country nationals
D)employees who have traveled extensively
E)employees who are multi-lingual

Question 51

Which of the following personality characteristics are associated with ending international work assignments early?

A)agreeableness
B)extraversion
C)emotionally stable
D)neuroticism
E)all of the above

Question 52

The basis of the approach to formulating expatriate pay is to estimate the employee's expenses in the home country and what that standard of living will cost in the host country.

A)performance
B)cash flow
C)equitable wage rate
D)balance sheet
E)income sheet

Question 53

If a firm chooses to fill key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries with employees who are parent-country nationals, the firm is following a(n)staffing policy.

A)francocentric
B)polycentric
C)ethnocentric
D)geocentric
E)monocentric

Question 54

If a firm chooses to fill key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries with employees who are host country nationals and management jobs in the home office with parent-country nationals, the firm is following a(n)staffing policy.

A)polycentric
B)ethnocentric
C)francocentric
D)geocentric
E)monocentric

Question 55

The most common reason that an expatriate fails at an international assignment is .

A)expense
B)incompetence
C)family pressures
D)technical demands of the job
E)all of the above

Question 56

are financial payments over and above regular base pay designed to encourage expatriates to accept and stay on international assignment.

A)Foreign service premiums
B)Hardship allowances
C)Cultural adjustments
D)Balance sheet payments
E)Mobility premium

Question 57

Which of the following is not one of the main home-country groups of expenses featured in the balance sheet approach to formulating expatriate pay?

A)discretionary expenses
B)housing
C)disposable income
D)income taxes
E)goods and services

Question 58

When a firm follows an ethnocentric staffing policy, it fills key management jobs in foreign subsidiaries with .

A)employees who are nationals of a country that is neither the host nor home country
B)employees who are parent-country nationals
C)employees who have traveled extensively
D)employees who are host-country nationals
E)employees who are multi-lingual

Question 59

is the early return of an expatriate manager to the home country because of an inability to perform in the overseas assignment.

A)managerial incompetence
B)repatriation
C)expatriate failure
D)culture shock
E)expatriate return

Question 60

Most North American companies use the approach to formulating expatriate pay.

A)total package
B)host country
C)equitable wage rate
D)performance
E)balance sheet

Question 61

The official length of a work week in the European Union is 40 hours.

Question 62

What is the term for a supplement used to induce individuals to accept an international assignment?

A)foreign-service premium
B)cultural adjustment premium
C)mobility premium
D)hardship premium
E)cost-of-living allowance

Question 63

The number of standard vacation days in France and in Germany exceeds that of the United States.

Question 64

Jim Simmons has worked for his company's Italian operations for two years now and has been very successful. Now, the company wants Jim to relocate to Turkey to work in a new division. The company will likely offer Jim a premium to reward him for moving from one assignment to another.

A)cost-of-living
B)mobility
C)foreign-service
D)cultural adjustment
E)hardship

Question 65

A formal repatriation program should seek to .

A)match the employee and his or her family with a specialist in repatriation issues
B)reassure the employee and his or her family of the company's concern for their welfare
C)maintain communication with the employee regarding activities and progress at the home office
D)make the employee comfortable with his or her career development in the company following the international assignment
E)all of the above

Question 66

In general, employers in China do not stress pay incentives as part of employee pay packages.)

Question 67

Third-country nationals hold citizenship in three countries.

Question 68

For which of the following events are insurance payments made for kidnapping and ransom insurance policies?

A)detention
B)extortion
C)kidnapping
D)threats to property
E)all of the above

Question 69

Employers around the world tend to use similar methods for selecting employees.

Question 70

refers to bringing a manager back home after a foreign assignment has been completed.

A)expatriate failure
B)acculturation
C)repatriation
D)expatriation
E)culture shock

Question 71

Codetermination means that employees have a legal right to voice opinions and preferences in setting company policies.

Question 72

In addition to salary adjustments, expatriates also get adjustments in .

A)private schooling for children
B)spousal job location assistance
C)medical benefits
D)housing
E)all of the above

Question 73

A major challenge for international businesses is the need to adapt personnel policies and procedures to the differences among countries.

Question 74

The least expensive way to fill managerial positions in foreign subsidiaries is with local people.)

Question 75

Most member countries in the European Union have a minimum wage system in place.

Question 76

In the movie, Proof of Life, Russell Crowe heads up a "crisis team" sent in to negotiate the release of a kidnapped employee. In real life, who would pay the costs for a crisis team in a situation like this?

A)The costs would be covered by insurance if the firm holds a kidnapping and ransom insurance policy.
B)The costs would be covered by the employee or employee's family.
C)The costs would be covered by the employer.
D)The costs would be covered by the host country.
E)The costs would be covered by the home country.

Question 77

Frank Williams is being sent to Saudi Arabia for two years to work for his company's Saudi affiliate. Which of the following suggestions should Frank follow to minimize his chances of being the victim of a kidnapping?

A)equip car and home with adequate security systems
B)wait at the airport in main traffic areas
C)take the same route to and from work each day
D)emphasize that he is an American
E)all of the above

Question 78

Most managerial positions in foreign subsidiaries are filled with expatriates.

Question 79

A strong corporate culture helps override geographical differences.

Question 80

As many as of all repatriated employees leave their employer within three years after returning home.

A)10%
B)25%
C)50%
D)75%
E)90%