Deck 6: Strategy

Question 1

A statement that describes what an organization does that is different from others is a:

A)Values statement
B)Corporate goal
C)Vision statement
D)Mission statement

Answer 1

Mission statement

Question 2

Which of the following describes a pocket veto?

A)Congress submits a bill to the president, but the president does not sign the bill within 10 days.
B)The president vetoes a bill from Congress. Congress then holds a vote but does not have a quorum.
C)Congress submits a bill to the president and then adjourns. The president does not sign the bill within 10 days.
D)The president vetoes a bill from Congress. Congress then holds a vote, but the bill does not pass.

Answer 2

Congress submits a bill to the president and then adjourns. The president does not sign the bill within 10 days.

Question 3

Which business measurement tool tracks information in the four key areas of: financial results, customer results, key internal processes, and how people are hired and trained to achieve organizational goals?

A)Balanced scorecard
B)Total quality management
C)Six Sigma
D)Management by objectives

Answer 3

Balanced scorecard

Question 4

Which of the following options is one characteristic of an organization during the startup phase?

A)Executive benefits are upgraded.
B)New hires may have less experience.
C)The compensation package is competitive.
D)Employees work closely with founders.

Question 5

What is the primary benefit of having a chief ethics officer?

A)It allows for consistent communication of values and standards to the organization.
B)Legal counsel does not need to be consulted on ethical issues.
C)It reduces the number of employee complaints and dispute resolution sessions.
D)Other managers in the organization do not have to handle any more ethical issues.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a category of processes within project management?

A)Planning
B)Executing
C)Coordinating
D)Controlling

Question 7

Which of the following statements about change is most true?

A)HR professionals must proactively seek to understand change and what causes change.
B)HR must serve as an employee advocate during times of change.
C)HR must ensure that the pace of change does not exceed the organization's ability to adapt to it.
D)HR must serve as a management advocate during times of change.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about values is not true?

A)Values are often expressed through terms such as "communication" and "decision making."
B)Values impact behaviors that are exhibited on a day-to-day basis in the workplace.
C)Values are beliefs on which an organization is built.
D)Values shape and guide strategic - as well as day to day - decision making.

Question 9

The first step in the scientific method is:

A)Develop a hypothesis.
B)Question and observe.
C)Scan existing secondary research.
D)Conduct a needs analysis.

Question 10

The primary purpose of an HR audit is

A)To ascertain how well the HR department - through all of its various functional areas - has aligned itself with eh organization's strategic objectives.
B)To ascertain the degree to which the HR department has complied with all legal requirements, and the potential financial exposure associated with existing levels of non-compliance.
C)To ascertain the performance of the HR department with respect to the nature and quality of the consultative services it provides to its internal clients.
D)To ascertain the degree to which the HR department is poised to meet the current, future, and emerging human capital and talent needs of the organization.

Question 11

Effectiveness can be defined as

A)A ratio of "inputs" to "outputs"
B)The degree to which goals are met
C)The degree to which goals reflect desired outputs
D)A ratio of "outputs" to "inputs"

Question 12

Which of the following is not specifically recognized as being critically important to successfully implementing any strategic plan?

A)Commitment
B)Credibility
C)Collaboration
D)Communication

Question 13

Project managers seek to accomplish their objectives by gaining control over five factors, one of which is:

A)Regulatory compliance
B)Risk
C)Reward structures
D)Staffing

Question 14

All of the following are compelling reasons for organizations to engage in a strategic planning process except:

A)Developing a clearer awareness of how the organization "measures up" internally and externally.
B)Engaging individuals throughout the organization in a meaningful organizational effort.
C)Enabling employees to prepare themselves to react positively and constructively to future events.
D)Creating or reaffirming the vision, mission, and values of the organization.

Question 15

Which of the following is not a key element of the ADDIE model?

A)Needs assessment/ analysis
B)Evaluation
C)Data collection
D)Design

Question 16

Which of the following functions is least likely to be outsourced?

A)Learning and development
B)Recruiting
C)Employee relations
D)Retirement benefits

Question 17

Which of the following does Maslow identify as each person's most fundamental need?

A)Basic physical needs
B)Esteem
C)Recognition
D)A living wage

Question 18

Which of the following statements about RFPs is true?

A)RFPs should be written in a broad and open ended manner.
B)RFPs should not initially request information relative to the vendor's estimated costs.
C)Only government contractors or subcontractors need to use RFPs.
D)RFPs can be used relative to a variety of organizational problems.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about motivation-hygiene theory is accurate?

A)Victor Vroom developed it.
B)"Motivation factors" refer to non-work related factors such as pay, benefits and relationships with co-workers.
C)Unacceptable hygiene factors won't cause an employee to be unhappy at work , but unacceptable motivation factors will.
D)Acceptable or positive motivation factors won't cause an employee to be happy at work, but acceptable or positive hygiene factors will.

Question 20

Blake-Mouton's situational leadership theory

A)Measures and assesses concern for the needs of direct reports and concern for the accomplishment of tasks.
B)Identifies "impoverished managers" as ones who have not been given the opportunity to engage in training opportunities designed to enhance essential supervisory skills.
C)Uses a 10-point scale along each axis.
D)Builds upon Hersey and Blanchards' model.

Question 21

In the "selling" quadrant of Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership model, employees

A)Have mastered the technical aspects of the job and can function independently.
B)Have shifted their focus from learning a specific task to instruction and/or mentoring others in the organization on how to perform the function.
C)Have developed basic skills related to the task and can benefit from additional background and information about the task.
D)Need to focus on developing self-confidence in their abilities, selling themselves, in a sense, on their own ability to perform a particular task.

Question 22

Which of the following is not one of the six key elements of the HR Code of Ethics?

A)Professional Development
B)Commitment to Workplace Diversity
C)Fairness and Justice
D)Use of Information

Question 23

Trait theories

A)Support the belief that leaders are born, not made.
B)Support the belief that individuals can be trained to be effective leaders.
C)Support the belief that different situations require different leadership styles.
D)Support the belief that relationship dimensions of leadership style are more important than task dimensions of leadership work.

Question 24

The transformational leadership style

A)Places greater emphasis on relationships than on tasks.
B)Places greater emphasis on tasks than on relationships.
C)Is characterized by the possibility of rewards and by the threat of punishment.
D)Encourages a coaching style of leadership.

Question 25

A competitor has recently hired three of your company's employees. An email is sent to all remaining employees reminding them of their obligation to protect proprietary information to which they are exposed during the performance of their jobs, and that disciplinary action up to and including termination could result from violation of this policy. Shortly thereafter, a fourth employee interviews with a different competitor. The employee knows that he or she could present him or herself better by discussing current research and development projects on which he is working. The employee decides, however, not to discuss information about these projects with the interviewers. This represents an example of:

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Positive reinforcement
C)Punishment
D)Extinction

Question 26

An organization conducts an employee survey and finds that many employees are bored with their jobs, unhappy with their pay, and feel as though they don't get enough vacation time. If the organization's primary goal is to motivate employees, what is the first step that should be taken?

A)Conduct a survey to determine pay rates and vacation allotments among labor market competitors.
B)Identify ways in which employees' jobs can be enriched, and implement them.
C)Give everyone an across-the-board raise, and let employees know that you will be conducting a salary survey to see if further adjustments are needed.
D)Conduct another employee survey to see if the results of this survey are consistent with the results of the first survey.

Question 27

A manager with whom you have not previously worked comes to you for help with implementing two different solutions she has come up with to fix a turnover problem in her department. This manager is highly regarded and highly visible in the organization. You are eager to perform well on this project because you are confident it will help you forge a relationship with this manager. You are also certain that the manager will tell her peers about her experience with you, which makes it particularly critical that you handle yourself well. Your first response should be to

A)Communicate your commitment to implementing the manager's solution.
B)Offer alternative solutions based one experience you have had with similar situations.
C)Ask questions to obtain more information about the problems the manager is experiencing.
D)Ask questions to obtain information that will help you implement the manager's solution more effectively.

Question 28

You've been asked to make a recommendation relative to a new HRIS for your organization, and you need to collect information to assist you in formulating that recommendation. During the HRIS needs assessment, it would be important for you to ask all of the following questions except

A)To what degree are current employees familiar with the new system?
B)What financial resources can you commit to purchasing and implementing the system?
C)What human and capital resources will be required to support implementation of the system?
D)What financial, human and capital resources will be required to support and maintain the system?

Question 29

Which of the following characteristics is most likely to first manifest itself during the development (or growth) stage in the organizational life cycle?

A)A core group of highly talented employees who focus fixedly on the founder for direction and inspiration
B)Resistance to OD and change initiatives
C)Resistance to the process of formalizing policies and procedures
D)An entitlement mentality towards pay and benefits

Question 30

Henry Fayol was a guru in the area of

A)Quality
B)Management
C)Strategic human resources
D)Human behavior

Question 31

In determining whether outsourcing might be an appropriate option, which of the following considerations is least appropriate to take into consideration?

A)Vendor's technological resources and capabilities as compared to your project requirements
B)Internal abilities and talents versus abilities and talents available through outsourcing
C)The importance and complexity of the function that is being considered for outsourcing
D)The degree of variability in transaction volume of the function that is being considered for outsourcing

Question 32

Your organization has decided to outsource its payroll function, and you're involved in the process of researching vendors. Which of the following actions would be least valuable to you?

A)Find out what each vendor's track record is over a long period of time by speaking with clients from several years ago.
B)Find out about each vendor's most recent performance by speaking with recent and/or current clients.
C)Find out whether each vendor has related experience, and ascertain how recently the vendor gained that experience. In addition, evaluate how closely that experience resembles the current project in terms of scope, complexity and so forth.
D)Find out about each vendor's commitment to quality. Determine how it manifests itself and how can it be measured. Also, determine the average length of time that it takes each vendor to resolve concerns that originate from customers and/or clients.

Question 33

According to equity theory, if an employee feels that he is being treated unfairly at work, he is likely to take any of the following actions except

A)Encourage others to produce more
B)Encourage others to produce less
C)Recognize that life is not always fair, and start looking for a new job
D)Recognize that life is not always fair, and accept the situation as it is

Question 34

The balanced scorecard

A)Consists of a variety of non-financial measures of success, and is intended to be used as a tool to balance out other traditional financial measures of success.
B)Consists of a variety of financial measures of success, and is intended to be use as a tool to balance out other tools that only incorporate one single financial measure of success
C)Consists of a variety of financial and non-financial measures of success, and is intended to balance them against each other within the scorecard
D)Consists of a variety of measure that are predicted on the evaluative rating, or scores, collected from multiple stakeholders pertaining to multiple financial and non-financial measures of success

Question 35

McClelland's acquired needs theory focuses on one primary motivator, which is

A)Achievement
B)Recognition
C)Equity
D)Rewards

Question 36

Joseph M. Juran's focus on quality addresses three key areas, which include all of the following except (41)

A)Quality planning
B)Quality circles
C)Quality improvement
D)Quality control

Question 37

Strategic planning is a step-by-step process through which an organization does all of the following except

A)Ensures its individual and organizational readiness for the future
B)Generates a statement that articulates what the organization wants to become in the future
C)Identifies where it wants to be and what it wants to accomplish in the long-term (often 3-5 years)
D)Begins to map out how its vision and mission for the long-term will be attained

Question 38

Which of the following factors is least relevant to creating and sustaining credibility during the implementation of a strategic plan?

A)Securing the support and commitment of senior leadership
B)Clear, complete, and appropriate documentation of the process
C)A commitment to follow through on every step of the process
D)Representative participation from all levels of the organization

Question 39

Which of the following statements is least reflective of an organization's statement of vision?

A)It is a descriptive and inspirational statement that articulates where the organization wants to be and what it wants to become in the future.
B)It gives employees an awareness that they have a meaningful opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves.
C)It motivates and inspires employees to aspire to the legacy that the vision can create, and that it ultimately can leave behind.
D)It speaks to the nature of the organization's business or purpose, its customers, and sometimes even its employees and its role in the community.

Question 40

An employee seems to be working diligently but has been continually missing deadlines. After a great deal of coaching and counseling, this employee starts meeting deadlines - first sporadically, then on a more consistent basis. In response, the employee's supervisor begins assigning additional work to this employee; he believes she's ready to handle more. This is an example of:

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Positive reinforcement
C)Punishment
D)Extinction

Question 41

All of the following are elements of Vroom's Expectancy Theory except

A)Instrumentality
B)Proclivity
C)Valence
D)Expectancy

Question 42

In behavioral leadership theories, the dimension of leadership behavior known as initiating structure or job-related refers to

A)The interpersonal relationships that managers must first establish with employees before attempting to ensure completion of the actual work
B)What employees needs to do, and how they need to do it, in order to attain objectives
C)The training in which managers need to participate in order to develop the skills needed to be an effective leader
D)The degree to which an individual demonstrates an innate ability to be an effective leader

Question 43

The four P's refer to

A)Priorities, posting, places, and people (the four Ps of recruiting)
B)Perception, perspective, proportion, and perseverance (the four Ps of employee relations)
C)Prospect, persistence, proposal, and project (the four Ps of project management)
D)Product, place, price, and promotion (the four Ps of marketing)

Question 44

All of the following are valuable guidelines for managing a vendor and a relationship with a vendor except

A)Giving the vendor constructive and positive feedback.
B)Setting clear and reasonable expectations.
C)Converting full-time vendors from independent contracts to employee to foster greater esprirt de corps.
D)Incorporating upside potential and downside risk into your negotiated agreements with vendors.

Question 45

Of the following outputs, which is least likely to be supported by information that is generated from an HRIS?

A)Increasing overall employee productivity
B)Identifying and rewarding top performers
C)Increasing overall employee commitment
D)Placing the right people in the right jobs at the right times

Question 46

A code of ethics will not be effective if

A)The organization adopts a one-size-fits all approach.
B)It omits statements relative to how the code will be implemented and upheld.
C)The CEO does not write the introduction to and/or cover letter accompanying the code.
D)It includes components that could be perceived as threatening or punitive.

Question 47

Offshoring refers to

A)Outsourcing to third party providers whose corporate headquarters are located overseas
B)Another term for outsourcing
C)Moving part or all of the functions of a firm overseas, but maintaining corporate governance of those entities
D)Outsourcing to firms that primarily conduct business at their own worksite

Question 48

In the acronym SMART, M stands for

A)Marketable
B)Meaningful
C)Measureable
D)Motivational

Question 49

The process of maintaining awareness of opportunities and threats is known as

A)SWOT analysis
B)Environmental scanning
C)Strategic planning
D)Contingency planning

Question 50

What two terms are generally used interchangeably to describe methods for obtaining any information that may be necessary to make decisions that will best allow the organization to accomplish its goals?

A)Needs organization and needs assessment
B)Organizational assessment and organizational analysis
C)Needs analysis and organizational approach
D)Needs assessment and needs analysis

Question 51

What kind of a statement describes what an organization does and how that is different from what other organizations may do?

A)Mission statement
B)Corporate strategy
C)Core competencies
D)Vision statement

Question 52

Which of the following questions must be addressed in a needs analysis to select an HRIS?

A)Will the system share any data with other systems in the company?
B)What information will be an input into the HRIS?
C)Who will have access to the information in the HRIS?
D)All of the above

Question 53

The function of marketing is often described by the four P's. Which of the following sets is the four P's?

A)Price, product, placement, and promotion
B)Pressure, position, product, and professional
C)Price, position, product, and promotion
D)Pacify, perks, placement, and promote

Question 54

In what kind of transaction is a contract provided by an entity that is not otherwise involved in the agreement?

A)Request for proposal
B)Terminal contract
C)Third-party contract
D)Bought contract

Question 55

Which of the following, developed by a behavioral scientist, explains how people meet their various needs through work?

A)The Hierarchy of Work
B)The Meaning of Work
C)The Hierarchy of Needs
D)Needs, Wants, and Work

Question 56

During the strategic planning process, it is often necessary to use a PEST analysis. What is PEST an acronym for?

A)Political, economic, social, technology
B)Personal, environmental, strategic, technology
C)Private, efficiency, strategic, turnover rate
D)Productivity, efficiency, strategic, task structure

Question 57

What is a picture of an organization's financial situation on a specific day (usually the last day of the accounting period)?

A)Profit and loss statement (P&L)
B)Statement of cash flows
C)Product placement
D)Balance sheet

Question 58

Which motivational theory surmises that people are motivated only by the reward they will receive when they succeed and that they will constantly weigh the value of that reward against the effort they believe is required to achieve it?

A)The ERG Theory
B)The Expectancy Theory
C)The Motivation/Hygiene Theory
D)The Equity Theory

Question 59

What is the correct term for a statistical HR measurement that assesses productivity?

A)Revenue per employee
B)Loss per employee
C)Cost per hire
D)Ratio of total employees to HR staff

Question 60

True or False:
In McGregor's X and Y Theories, Theory X assumes workers are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can, while Theory Y assumes workers can be ambitious if they are properly motivated.

A)True
B)False

Question 61

Which motivation theory, based upon the work of Maslow, identifies the three basic needs as existence, relatedness, and growth?

A)ERG Theory
B)Acquired Needs Theory
C)The Hierarchy of Needs
D)Equity Theory