Deck 10: Human Resources Management

Question 1

What is human capital?

A)the total value of the benefits package provided to an employee
B)the strategic value of employee knowledge and abilities
C)the total amount of wages and salaries that a company pays annually
D)the credits that employees can spend on the benefits they desire
E)the development of a pool of applicants for jobs in an organization

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Liana and Rosario are entrepreneurs who started Deliverables, an online company that curates, assembles and delivers "unique, customized gift baskets for busy people." The company has been so successful that Liana and Rosario recently opened a brick-and-mortar shop in their large city, which they need to fully staff within the next month. Along with Yiannis, their HR Manager, they have determined how many people they need and what skills those people need to have. They have also looked at workforce trends and the information they have regarding available workers already with the company, and have determined that they need to hire additional employees from outside the company to meet their needs. Liana and Rosario are ready to start accepting applications and interviewing candidates, but Yiannis tells them there is one last step to complete before they are ready to start the recruitment process. Which of the following remains to be done?

A)Rosario and Liana need to conduct job analyses and write descriptions for each position.
B)Yiannis needs to conduct a demand forecast for their city and present the results.
C)Liana needs to conduct research on Betsy's Baskets, their biggest competitor in the area.
D)Rosario needs to research their current workforce via an integrated social media campaign.
E)Yiannis needs to conduct background checks on potential applicants for each position.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Performance appraisals serve two purposes: administrative and developmental.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Carl is excited that his engineering staff will soon be very busy, in fact overloaded, with new project work. He immediately begins to review options for addressing his labor deficit, including

A)hiring new employees, demoting current employees so that more attractive positions will be available to new hires, and outsourcing work to contractors.
B)hiring new employees, promoting current employees to new positions, and outsourcing work to contractors.
C)instituting a hiring freeze, promoting current employees to boost morale, and laying off excess staff.
D)hiring new employees, promoting current employees to new positions, and laying off excess staff.
E)instituting a hiring freeze, reducing salaries to be cost competitive, and outsourcing work to contractors.

Question 5

Which of the following employees would be a source of competitive advantage?

A)Caryn, who graduated with decent grades from a mid-ranked college
B)DeShawn, who has developed three patented systems for his company
C)Sherman, who attends company management training with 11 other employees
D)Parker, who is an entry-level employee with a high school diploma
E)Toby, who is one of 15 customer service representatives in the call center

Question 6

Most jobs today are filled by

A)newspaper advertising.
B)Internet job boards.
C)internal job posting.
D)word-of-mouth recommendations.
E)recruiting on college campuses.

Question 7

Which of the following are the three stages of the human resources planning process?

A)planning, executing, and delivering
B)hiring, training, and firing
C)planning, programming, and evaluating
D)planning, delivering, and appraising
E)recruiting, screening, and hiring

Question 8

Internal factors affecting the wage mix include conditions of the labor market, the cost of living, and collective bargaining.

Question 9

The human resources planning process occurs in three stages: planning, organizing, and adapting.

Question 10

Firms can create a competitive advantage when human resources are

A)rare.
B)trainable.
C)imitable.
D)unorganized.
E)submissive.

Question 11

A thorough job ________ may help organizations successfully defend themselves in lawsuits involving employment practices.

A)analysis
B)interview
C)specification
D)training
E)training

Question 12

Which of the following is one of the concerns of human resources managers?

A)managing employee layoffs
B)understanding the needs of customers
C)creating economies of scale
D)improving the quality of products
E)increasing sales

Question 13

The human resources department of Spark Media makes use of its employee database to analyze its past rates of turnover, terminations, and retirements. The company is looking at its ________ labor supply.

A)internal
B)external
C)potential
D)past
E)excess

Question 14

When managers and executives describe the strategic value of skills and knowledge of employees, they use the term

A)social capital.
B)emotional intelligence.
C)working capital.
D)human capital.
E)multiple intelligence.

Question 15

Demand forecasting is one of the most difficult parts of human resources planning.

Question 16

________ deals with formal systems for the management of people within an organization.

A)Financial management
B)Human resources management
C)Customer-centric management
D)An information management system
E)Vertical integration

Question 17

Employment-at-will means that an employee may be terminated for any reason.

Question 18

If the region or country where a company is located is experiencing a labor shortage, what should the company's management do?

A)downsize the staff
B)rightsize the staff
C)increase training budgets
D)decrease remedial budgets
E)suspend the recruitment process

Question 19

Poor supervisory practices can influence workers to vote for a union.

Question 20

Companies invest a great deal to hire, train, and keep the best and the brightest employees in an attempt to gain competitive advantage by employing ________ human resources.

A)similar
B)imitable
C)empowered
D)diverse
E)rare

Question 21

Two years ago, Maribel hired 15 new people into her department. Since their hire, they have undergone training, development, performance appraisals, and compensation review/reward. Now it is time to evaluate ________, in terms of productivity, quality, innovation, satisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, health, and other factors.

A)results
B)methods
C)programming
D)controls
E)planning

Question 22

A tool for determining what is done on a given job and what should be done on that job is known as a job

A)screening.
B)analysis.
C)orientation.
D)profile.
E)design.

Question 23

A job ________ refers to the essential tasks, duties, and responsibilities involved in performing a job.

A)specification
B)description
C)design
D)title
E)validation

Question 24

A difficult part of human resources planning is conducting demand forecasts, which

A)determine how many and what type of people are needed.
B)analyze how unemployment rates affect sales.
C)survey the external labor supply.
D)detail the job specifications of existing employees.
E)project future developments in labor union policy.

Question 25

Which of the following is included in a job analysis?

A)a job description and a job specification
B)a job description and a job appraisal
C)a job specification and a job profile
D)a job specification and a job appraisal
E)a job profile and a job design

Question 26

The final stage in the human resources planning process is to

A)evaluate the activities conducted to ensure that they are producing the desired results.
B)discharge those employees determined to be ineffective at realizing organizational goals.
C)implement the plans determined earlier in the planning process.
D)evaluate the hiring and termination decisions made for legal compliance.
E)ensure that the right number and types of people are available for hiring.

Question 27

Tobin, floor supervisor at Jameson Warehouse and Storage, has asked Rachel, a specialist in the human resources department, to help him fill an open position for a floor worker. Rachel asks Tobin to describe what is needed to perform the job. Tobin replies, "A high school education; an ability to lift a 50-lb box to a height of 6 feet; an ability to work on one's feet for an 8-hour shift; and an ability to get to work on time." "Fine. I will include these job requirements in the ________," Rachel says.

A)job application
B)demand forecast
C)personality tests
D)job specification
E)labor forecast

Question 28

A mechanism used for promoting open job positions internally is known as a ________ system.

A)job rotation
B)benchmarking
C)job-posting
D)vertical integration
E)job bidding

Question 29

Shelli is evaluating four soon-to-be accounting graduates for an entry-level position in her accounting group. The organization is going through some restructuring, and she is not sure how many or what level of accountants she might need a year from now. Doing these ________ is the most difficult part of human resource planning.

A)labor forecasts
B)demand forecasts
C)job analysis
D)employee recruitment
E)professional development

Question 30

Petra, engineering manager at Chevrell Corporation, was delighted to hear that her firm had won a big project requiring a lot of engineering-more engineering than her current staff could perform. Before she called the human resources department to enlist their help in identifying candidates to fill new positions, she first engaged in some human resources planning. Therefore, she met with her group leaders to determine

A)recruiting, training, and pay requirements.
B)performance appraisal needs.
C)the right number and types of people needed.
D)if the new hires are producing the needed results.
E)employee selection approaches.

Question 31

Rob Glenewinkel, long-time vice president of human resources at RMG Corporation, is helping one of his peers, the vice president of marketing, develop information for a potentially game-changing business opportunity-a major program for a worldwide manufacturer. To be considered for this opportunity, RMG must demonstrate its ability to staff the program immediately upon award. To estimate RMG's ________ labor supply, Rob uses his human resources information system to generate data regarding turnover, terminations, retirements, promotions, and transfers.

A)external
B)internal
C)future
D)past
E)marketing

Question 32

Which of the following best describes recruitment?

A)It involves choosing an employee for a job.
B)It is the development of a pool of applicants for a job.
C)It refers to selecting a group of applicants for employment.
D)It involves determining the number of employees needed.
E)It is the act of hiring from among qualified applicants.

Question 33

Crystal Ship Knitwear, Inc., is expanding its offerings from handmade winter hats, scarves, and gloves to include clothing such as sweaters and knit outerwear. At the same time, it wants to open two retail stores and not rely entirely on online sales. To staff the new manufacturing facilities and brick-and-mortar stores properly, the company should conduct a(n)

A)situational analysis.
B)utilization survey.
C)inventory calculation.
D)demand forecast.
E)benchmarking analysis.

Question 34

The programming stage of human resources management involves

A)monitoring turnover and absenteeism.
B)estimating labor supply.
C)evaluating human resources activities.
D)implementing the company's plans.
E)discovering new HR trends.

Question 35

Helios, Inc., is a new startup specializing in retrofitting existing commercial buildings with affordable solar energy panels. The company is growing quickly and needs to fill about 20 junior and senior staff positions over the next few months. Their main goals at this stage are to increase brand awareness and to maximize the return on the time they invest in recruiting candidates. They also want the hiring process to be cost-effective. Finally, they are looking to attract non-traditional candidates, not necessarily only those with business and science backgrounds. The founders, Brianna, Nick, and Vinh, meet with team managers to discuss the best strategy for locating outstanding new hires. Which option makes the most sense given their current goals and restrictions?

A)using LinkedIn to search for potential candidates and then contacting those people directly
B)attending the local university's career fair, which will yield a large pool of educated job-seekers
C)taking out ads on several online job boards like Indeed.com, Monster.com, and GlassDoor
D)having current employees network among their contacts and make qualified referrals
E)posting a job ad on the company's Facebook page to alert people to the various openings

Question 36

Rodrigo had a need to fill 20 new positions in his oil and gas division over the next six months. The positions ranged from entry-level through senior management. He was advised by his human resources department that the most frequently used sources of outside applicants are

A)online job boards, newspaper ads, employee referrals, and college campus recruiting.
B)online job boards, company websites, community flyers/leaflets, and college campus recruiting.
C)online job boards, competitor employee lists, newspaper ads, and college campus recruiting.
D)online job boards, client websites, former employee files, newspaper ads, and college campus recruiting.
E)online job boards, company websites, employee referrals, and college campus recruiting.

Question 37

The skills, knowledge, abilities, and other characteristics needed to perform a job are detailed in a job

A)description.
B)portfolio.
C)specification.
D)profile.
E)profile.

Question 38

A significant advantage associated with external recruiting is that it

A)can inspire innovation.
B)is the most cost-effective method.
C)simplifies selection decisions.
D)motivates current employees.
E)uses the job-posting system.

Question 39

________ activities increase the pool of candidates that might be selected for a job.

A)Recruitment
B)Benchmarking
C)Mobilization
D)Job enlistment
E)Job enrollment

Question 40

Which of the following is the stage of the HR planning process in which the organization enacts specific human resources activities, such as recruitment and training?

A)planning
B)controlling
C)programming
D)directing
E)forecasting

Question 41

Validity refers to the

A)qualifications needed for the job.
B)qualifications of a job candidate.
C)accuracy of a selection test.
D)interpretation of the test scores.
E)consistency of test scores over time.

Question 42

Surveys show that ________ are the way most job positions get filled.

A)want ads
B)word-of-mouth recommendations
C)private employment agencies
D)unions
E)drop-in applications

Question 43

The selection technique that involves asking all applicants the same questions and comparing their responses to a standardized set of answers is a(n)________ interview.

A)structured
B)termination
C)informal
D)nondirective
E)observational

Question 44

Scaffold Tech Corp. requires all job applicants for mid-level management positions to take a company aptitude test. This exam measures aptitude for management by measuring verbal comprehension, mathematical calculations, and other necessary management skills. Such a test is considered a(n)________ test.

A)personality
B)performance
C)integrity
D)cognitive-ability
E)background

Question 45

The termination interview

A)is usually easier than a selection interview.
B)should be conducted by the immediate superior.
C)should be conducted away from company premises.
D)need not be in writing in order to avoid a lawsuit.
E)should allow time for a lengthy question and answer session.

Question 46

Rick received an offer of employment from Colonel Johnson, his potential supervisor at the Department of Defense, contingent upon Rick's successful passing of a ________. When he called Colonel Johnson to ask about this requirement, Colonel Johnson said, "Rick, it is frequently used as part of the employee selection process. Many federal agencies and private U.S. employers use it."

A)drug test
B)performance test
C)cognitive-ability test
D)personality test
E)integrity test

Question 47

Nermala applied for a summer job at a mall clothing store. Following her interview, she was asked to take a test on paper. One of the questions she was asked was, "What you would do if you were to find a coin purse with money on a display table?" This type of test would be described as a(n)

A)personality test.
B)validity test.
C)intelligence test.
D)integrity test.
E)cognitive-ability test.

Question 48

Goldman Brothers is recruiting recent graduates with a physics or chemistry degree because of their problem-solving skills. The type of recruitment being used by Goldman Brothers is ________ recruiting.

A)referral
B)government
C)internal
D)diversity
E)external

Question 49

Which of the following is true of personality tests?

A)They measure a range of intellectual abilities.
B)They are currently on a downswing.
C)They might be seen as discriminatory.
D)They accurately predict job performance.
E)They allow no opportunity to cheat.

Question 50

In a performance test used for selecting employees, the test taker

A)executes a sample of the job.
B)takes a paper-and-pencil honesty test.
C)is measured for general aptitude.
D)observes others performing the job.
E)completes a pre-test and a post-test.

Question 51

A test that measures a range of intellectual skills, including verbal comprehension and numerical aptitude, is a(n)________ test.

A)personality
B)interest inventory
C)cognitive-ability
D)mechanical dexterity
E)assessment center

Question 52

Which of the following types of interviews focuses on hypothetical circumstances?

A)situational interviews
B)exit interviews
C)behavioral description interviews
D)unstructured interviews
E)nondirective interviews

Question 53

The consistency of test scores over time and across alternative measurements is known as

A)integrity.
B)reliability.
C)factuality.
D)content validity.
E)criterion-related validity.

Question 54

The news division of WEXS Channel 10 wanted to hire a new morning news anchor. As part of the interview process, candidates were asked to read several impromptu news stories from the teleprompter. This type of test is known as a ________ test.

A)cognitive-ability
B)personality
C)performance
D)integrity
E)informal

Question 55

Which of the following is an advantage of internal recruiting?

A)It brings new blood into the company.
B)It can inspire innovation.
C)It leads to a larger candidate pool than external recruiting.
D)It is the best way to find managers with new perspectives.
E)It draws on candidates who know the organization.

Question 56

Lourdes applied for a job as a cashier at a hardware store. As part of her employment screening, she was asked to take an exam that had general mathematical aptitude questions in it. This type of selection test is referred to as a ________ test.

A)performance
B)cognitive-ability
C)validity
D)personality
E)certification

Question 57

Outplacement involves

A)recruiting from external sources.
B)hiring from external applicants.
C)attracting applicants from other countries.
D)transferring of employees to other branches.
E)helping laid off workers find other employment.

Question 58

Lupe and Hunter were classmates who discovered that they had each been interviewed for the same position at the Happy Bean coffee shop. When they discussed their interview experiences, they learned that they had been asked the very same questions. The selection technique that was used by the coffee shop was the ________ interview.

A)exit
B)nondirective
C)cognitive
D)structured
E)informal

Question 59

The legal concept that an employee may be terminated for any reason is known as

A)plausible termination.
B)employment-at-will.
C)expatriation.
D)memorandum of understanding.
E)terminal validity.

Question 60

With regard to new employees, selection concerns

A)developing a pool of applicants.
B)deciding which applicant to hire.
C)deciding where to place new hires.
D)attracting potential candidates.
E)conducting a situational analysis.

Question 61

According to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, discrimination is prohibited against people aged

A)60 and over.
B)50 to 70.
C)70 to 75.
D)20 to 40.
E)40 and over.

Question 62

Which of the following is true of training?

A)It usually starts with a needs assessment.
B)It is primarily given to higher-level employees.
C)It focuses on teaching managers how to perform their future jobs.
D)It involves teaching professional employees broader skills.
E)It is given only to those employees who opt for it.

Question 63

The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, prohibits

A)workplace modifications to facilitate disabled employees.
B)hiring people with contagious diseases.
C)employing people addicted to drugs or alcohol.
D)employment discrimination against people with disabilities.
E)disabled people from being required to work.

Question 64

________ training is typically used to familiarize new employees with their new jobs, work units, and the organization in general.

A)Orientation
B)Diversity
C)Team
D)On-the-job
E)Introductory

Question 65

Felix has been a paralegal at Varga, Reynolds, and Cox, a law firm, for nine months. For the first six months, Felix was a model employee who displayed conscientiousness in his work ethic, a razor-sharp attention to detail, and excellent writing and research abilities. Over the last few months, however, family problems have led to his being frequently late. In addition, the quality of his work has suffered greatly. He is making more mistakes, sometimes costly ones, due to being distracted. Tibor Varga, one of the law partners, has reprimanded Felix verbally as well as on paper; in addition, he has met with Felix to discuss his performance. Tibor gives Felix a paid leave day and offers to let Felix work from home part-time, coming in to the office from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. However, after two weeks of this arrangement, Felix's work has not significantly improved. Which step should Tibor take next?

A)He should give Felix another verbal reprimand.
B)He should give Felix another written reprimand.
C)He should call Felix into his office for a termination interview.
D)He should fire Felix and ask security to escort him out of the office.
E)He should offer Felix an entire week of paid leave.

Question 66

Which of the following is one of the basic functions of a performance appraisal?

A)benchmarking technological innovation
B)evaluating potential product markets
C)recruiting for management positions
D)conducting diversity training
E)developing employee capabilities

Question 67

Which of the following acts prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion?

A)the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
B)the Immigration Act of 1990
C)the Equal Pay Act of 1963
D)the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
E)the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Question 68

Josef invested a large portion of his department's budget on the staff training program in the past year. He had first assessed his staff's needs. Then, he had designed a training program. Next, he had determined training methods and locations and implemented the program. Now, a year later, it is time to

A)determine job rotation assignments.
B)establish training objectives and content.
C)develop role-play opportunities.
D)evaluate the program's effectiveness.
E)determine which staff need which type of training.

Question 69

Training that provides employees with the skills and perspectives they need to collaborate with others is known as ________ training.

A)orientation
B)team
C)on-the-job
D)diversity
E)needs

Question 70

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits unequal pay based on

A)gender.
B)age.
C)job type.
D)merit.
E)race or ethnicity.

Question 71

Julian was a bit surprised to learn that, to be considered for a supervisory position at Connie's Turf-n-Surf Restaurant, he would need to take a(n)________ test to measure his intellectual abilities, including verbal comprehension and numerical aptitude.

A)cognitive-ability
B)performance
C)personality
D)integrity
E)aptitude

Question 72

________ becoming more difficult to obtain because of potential lawsuits.

A)Reference information is
B)Personality test results are
C)Résumés are
D)Drug test results are
E)Applications are

Question 73

Teaching lower-level employees how to perform their present jobs is referred to as

A)training.
B)performance appraisal.
C)development.
D)performance counseling.
E)workplace education.

Question 74

During a job interview, Alicia questions Javier about his duties on his last job and what he accomplished during his time of employment. This type of interview is called a ________ interview.

A)termination or exit
B)structured
C)nondirective
D)behavioral description
E)situational

Question 75

Phase two of training involves

A)completing a job analysis.
B)designing a training program.
C)conducting a needs assessment.
D)selecting a training method.
E)evaluating effectiveness.

Question 76

Gary, department head at MLJ Corporation, contacted his human resources manager, Jean, to inform her of his need to lay off six workers due to a slowdown in business. After Jean reviewed Gary's information, she met with him and said, "Gary, this is a problem. You manage a department of 120 staff, consisting of 70 males and 50 females, yet all six of the workers that you plan to lay off are minority females. This may be viewed as discriminatory because of the

A)workers' protection under the Equal Pay Act."
B)workers' exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act."
C)adverse impact."
D)employment-at-will concept."
E)violation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act."

Question 77

Compared to other types of appraisals, ________ appraisals tend to be more objective and can focus on production data such as sales volume or profits.

A)comparative
B)behavioral
C)trait
D)results
E)industry

Question 78

Frank, supervisor at Acme Manufacturing, burst into his manager's office. Frank said, "Jim, I just got a call from the human resources department. They told me that we were being sued by that woman who interviewed for my open position last month!" Jim asked, "Do you know the reason for the lawsuit?" Frank replied, "She's probably just mad. You see, I had second thoughts about having sent her an offer letter, so I sent a follow-up letter revoking the offer. Then I called her to tell her that I really thought she would be happier somewhere else because women should not work in a manufacturing environment. She's just upset that I didn't hire her." Jim replied, "And with good cause, Frank. What you said is not only entirely inappropriate and untrue, you have violated

A)the Age Discrimination in Employment Act."
B)the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act."
C)the Fair Labor Standards Act."
D)the Vocational Rehabilitation Act."
E)Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act."

Question 79

An analysis identifying the jobs, people, and departments for which training is necessary is a(n)

A)development exercise.
B)performance appraisal.
C)situational analysis.
D)needs assessment.
E)environmental scanning.

Question 80

Monday was heart-breaking for Peter and his organization. He had to lay off three employees due to a business slowdown. Now, on Tuesday morning, he detects an atmosphere of ________ among the 12 "survivors" in the office. One of the first steps in Peter's dismissal process is to talk to the survivors in a thoughtful and fair manner, helping them adjust to the new situation.

A)optimism and hope
B)renewed commitment
C)fear and distrust
D)energy
E)enthusiasm