Deck 13: Managing Human Resources

Question 1

Cisco Systems has had a spectacular growth rate, almost as fast as Microsoft.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Federal Express is considered one of the 100 best companies to work for in America, primarily because they continually scrutinize their approaches to managing human resources in order to improve continuously.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

There is a significant association between emphasizing human resources and subsequent long-term survival.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Compensation practices are covered by very few government regulations.

Question 5

Pay discrepancies between men and women are usually due to historical factors, discrimination, or labor market conditions.

Question 6

Contingent workers are ones who have been warned that they may be fired or laid off unless their performance improves.

Question 7

More than 60 percent of all large firms utilize some type of forecasting to project their HR needs.

Question 8

Job vacancies are usually caused by random events in the organization.

Question 9

Recruitment is an outside search for persons to fill vacant positions.

Question 10

Managers should request references and conduct reference checks because résumés are easily falsified.

Question 11

BMW is known as an "aerobic workplace."

Question 12

KMPG, a global consulting company, requires everyone-from senior partners to junior administrative assistants-to complete 50 hours of online training.

Question 13

With mentoring, an expert observes the employee in their job over a period of time and provides continuous feedback on how to improve.

Question 14

Performance appraisals work best as unstructured, informal sessions in which managers and subordinates can openly share their feelings.

Question 15

Accurately assessing the performance of subordinates is an extremely easy managerial task, as compared to other management responsibilities.

Question 16

A total compensation system has two major components: direct compensation and monetary compensation.

Question 17

Employee benefits are often a way to specially reward top managers and top producers.

Question 18

American workers receive more vacation days than employees in many western European countries.

Question 19

Which of the following is not one of Cisco Systems' human resources core values?

A) worker satisfaction
B) dedication to customer success
C) teamwork
D) doing more with less

Question 20

__________ is so important at Cisco Systems that disregarding it is one of the few things that can get a person fired.

A) Nondiscrimination
B) Employee honesty
C) Teamwork
D) Harassment policy

Question 21

FedEx is a company with an excellent reputation for having a successful approach to HRM. What approach does FedEx use to accomplish this?

A) They use an approach that can't be copied.
B) They hire employees who prefer to work part-time.
C) They have been able to incorporate a competitive spirit among the employees.
D) All of the above are used.

Question 22

Human resources are particularly important to firms that have __________.

A) weak marketing
B) few tangible assets
C) global customers
D) too many competitors

Question 23

__________ are not responsible for enforcing the law.

A) Federal agencies
B) Courts
C) Labor relations boards
D) HR attorneys

Question 24

Recent public discussions about __________ will have major long-term consequences for the ways companies use them in their future compensation plans.

A) family care leave of absence
B) flexible work arrangements
C) performance feedback
D) stock options

Question 25

At the heart of human resource planning are two tasks: determining an organization's future human resource needs and __________.

A) knowing the wage rates
B) developing a strategy for meeting the firm's anticipated HR needs
C) determining the organization's current workforce capacity
D) accepting the legal constraints on managing human resources

Question 26

Expert forecasting methods can be used to determine an organization's demand for human resources. More than ___________ percent of all large firms utilize some type of expert forecasting to project HR needs.

A) 40
B) 60
C) 75
D) 90

Question 27

An interviewer would role play a situation you could find on a job in a __________.

A) personality test
B) cognitive ability test
C) performance test
D) situational interview

Question 28

Tricia McBride is looking for a new seamstress for her clothing store. She interviewed a job candidate and wants to contact his former employer. Tricia knows that __________.

A) by law, past employers must answer all of her questions about Janet
B) contacting the references of the prospective employee will provide a complete picture of the applicant
C) former employers are always an excellent source of information about prospective employees
D) previous employers are often reluctant to provide performance evaluations of former employees

Question 29

What type of interview asks the candidate to describe or demonstrate how he or she would handle a situation that is likely to arise on the job?

A) situational
B) cognitive
C) stress
D) unstructured

Question 30

What company requires the job candidates to work for 90 minutes on a simulated assembly line?

A) Ford Motor Company
B) Procter & Gamble
C) BMW
D) Home Depot

Question 31

Gary Kessler is discussing employee improvement with a colleague, Shana Velazquez. They are at odds over the difference between training and development. They decide to contact their former management professor, Lucas William, for an answer. Most likely, William will indicate that __________.

A) training refers to improving an employee's skill to do future jobs, whereas development seeks to develop an employee's conceptual and human relations skills for the current job
B) training refers to improving an employee's skill to do current jobs, whereas development seeks to develop an employee's conceptual and human relations skills for a future job
C) training and development both refer to improving an employee's ability to perform the currently assigned tasks
D) There is no distinction between training and development.

Question 32

Why did the Norwegian arm of British Petroleum (BP Norge) decide to restructure the organization around self-managed teams?

A) They wanted to try a new training and development program.
B) They wanted employees to take more risks.
C) They wanted employees to communicate more about their feelings.
D) They wanted to speed up decision making, reduce costs and cycle times, and increase innovation.

Question 33

The Service Parts Operations division of General Motors achieved improvements in their supervisory and leadership competencies. This resulted in __________.

A) significantly improved business unit performance
B) 75% better performance overall
C) incentive awards for both managers and line workers
D) all of the above

Question 34

The SPO unit at GM received coaching that was assessed on all of the following measures except __________.

A) absenteeism
B) customer satisfaction
C) health and safety
D) productivity

Question 35

One year after TRW initiated their new performance appraisal system, both managers and subordinates found it to be __________.

A) worse than the previous system
B) a heavy burden
C) less efficient
D) more efficient

Question 36

Performance rating accuracy can be improved through training that focuses on __________.

A) both written and verbal skills
B) improving observational skills
C) technical skills rather than "soft" skills
D) all of the above

Question 37

Edgar's neighbor Roscoe is the office manager at Quest Diagnostics. He wants to join the company because he heard that their health insurance is free. His assumption would be __________.

A) right because all full-time employees generally receive the same benefits
B) wrong because managers usually get better benefits
C) wrong because employers are not required to offer coverage
D) unclear because benefits are negotiated at the time of hiring

Question 38

The average American company incurs a voluntary cost for pensions, insurance, etc. of __________.

A) 3 percent
B) 9.2 percent
C) 14.5 percent
D) 21.8 percent

Question 39

Many American employees feel that __________ is not healthy.

A) the balance between work and family life
B) lack of government sponsored medical care
C) our extensive holiday schedule
D) none of the above

Question 40

Benefits that allow the worker to enjoy a better lifestyle and better meet their personal obligations include all of the following except __________.

A) telecommuting
B) flexible work schedules
C) dependent care assistance
D) all of the above