Deck 3: Strategic HR Planning and Decision Making in Business

Question 1

For the Strategic HR Planning Process to stimulate critical thinking:

A)it needs to create common bonds among the various work units in the organization.
B)it should focus on day-to-day management issues.
C)it cannot include specific operational planning but must remain at the conceptual level.
D)it should manage work flows at the same time.
E)it must be a continuing, flexible process rather than a rigid procedure.

Answer 1

it must be a continuing, flexible process rather than a rigid procedure.

Question 2

Creating a sense of community and shared values and goals among employees at a firm can often increase:

A)innovation and customer focus within the firm.
B)decentralization within the firm.
C)brain drain.
D)gaps between the current situation and the future goals.
E)the disinterest of line managers.

Answer 2

innovation and customer focus within the firm.

Question 3

One challenge of Strategic HR Planning is:

A)getting employees to accept empowerment strategies.
B)decreasing job security while lowering labor costs.
C)being appropriately reactive to problems in the firm and external environment.
D)building HR strategies independent of the overall business strategy of the company.
E)developing strategies that offer a firm a sustained competitive advantage.

Answer 3

developing strategies that offer a firm a sustained competitive advantage.

Question 4

The challenges inherent in Strategic HR Planning include:

A)identifying HR constraints and limitations.
B)creating common bonds.
C)developing HR strategies suited to unique organizational features.
D)explicating company goals.
E)all of the above

Question 5

The acid test for an HR strategic plan is:

A)management's commitment to it.
B)whether it makes a practical difference for the company.
C)how people oriented it is.
D)if it provides fast solutions.
E)if it is an emergent strategy rather than an intended strategy.

Question 6

Intended strategies are as opposed to emergent strategies, which are.

A)proactive / reactive
B)spontaneous / planned
C)fuzzy / detailed
D)based on company politics / based on company environment
E)necessary in large companies / necessary in smaller companies

Question 7

If a firm is working on its strategic HR choices in the staffing area, it would be looking at decisions about:

A)imposing a hiring freeze to avoid laying off workers.
B)developing an appraisal system that invites participation by multiple employee groups.
C)empowering supervisors to make hiring decisions.
D)detailed work planning.
E)deciding whether to hire high wage people or train people internally.

Question 8

Timberlake Corporation is reconsidering recent choices regarding employee and labor relations, including:

A)the strong "top-down" communication from managers to subordinates.
B)the discipline policy regarding Internet use at work.
C)a policy that tends to protect employees' interests over those of the employer.
D)the new on-the-job training for incoming employees.
E)compensation of managers versus compensation of lower-level employees.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a key strategic HR choice when working with international management in a business?

A)Establishing a repatriation agreement with each employee going abroad versus avoiding any commitment to expatriates.
B)Sending expatriates abroad to manage foreign subsidiaries versus hiring local people to manage them.
C)Establishing travel packages and benefits to those who will be expatriated versus making other compensation changes.
D)Creating a common company culture to reduce inter-country cultural differences versus allowing foreign subsidiaries to adapt to local cultures.
E)Establishing company policies that must be followed in all subsidiaries versus decentralizing policy formulation so that each local office can develop its own.

Question 10

The relative contribution of an HR strategy to an organization's performance increases:

A)the less it fits the external environment.
B)to the degree that it increases bottom-line profitability, regardless of the cost to labor.
C)if the HR strategy is distinct from the firm's business strategies.
D)the more HR strategies are independent of each other.
E)the more HR strategy fits the uniqueness of the organization.

Question 11

An evolutionary corporation would most likely display which of the following characteristics?

A)It would be a mixture of several different industrial firms.
B)It would exhibit strong managerial control over employees.
C)It would be very decentralized and flexible.
D)It would emphasize long-term career development among employees.
E)It would emphasize moral commitment.

Question 12

Which of the following HR strategies best fits a firm with an overall cost leadership business strategy?

A)emphasis on innovation and flexibility.
B)external recruitment.
C)performance appraisal as a control device.
D)broad job classifications.
E)all of the above

Question 13

A firm's differentiation business strategy refers to:

A)employee satisfaction.
B)the defender's strategy.
C)cost effectiveness of production.
D)the creation of a unique product or service.
E)the emphasis of the focus strategy.

Question 14

An HR strategy that fits a company's differentiation strategy would be:

A)one emphasizing innovation and flexibility.
B)managerial control reliability.
C)HR employee selection.
D)standardized appraisals, internal recruiting.
E)detailed work planning and a narrow focus in performance appraisal.