Deck 1: Managing Employees for Competitive Advantage

Question 1

You need to recruit for a new secretary for your department. Which of the following methods may be the best approach for advertising for the position?

A) Hang a poster at the local grocery store.
B) Contact a local secretarial school for names of recent graduates.
C) Place an advertisement in the newspaper of the large city which is 25 miles away.
D) Review resumes you have on file from when the position was vacant a year ago.
E) Place an advertisement in a professional journal for your industry.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A human resources department may provide all of the following functions EXCEPT:

A) employee benefits administration.
B) payroll processing.
C) placing recruitment advertisements.
D) delivering training programs.
E) providing legal advice to employees.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

You have advertised in the local newspaper for an electrician, however you have not had a good response. In order to expand your recruiting efforts you may want to try all of the following approaches EXCEPT:

A) Hold a career fair at a local trade school.
B) Contact the local unemployment office to post the job.
C) Offer an internal transfer to a current employee who needs to be trained.
D) Contact a local employer who you know may be laying off electricians.
E) Offer an employee referral bonus program.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When designing a job, the manager should ask several questions related to which of the following items?

A) Tasks
B) Equipment
C) Training
D) Time
E) Technology

Question 5

Darcy wrote a letter to her manager explaining the need for she and her coworkers to have additional help on their shift. The letter described the challenges faced by the team in being able to complete all of their assigned tasks by the end of their shift. The letter went on to say how management does not understand the "line staff" and that they treat them like "slaves" and never provide feedback or acknowledge their good work. If you were Darcy's manager which issues do you need to address when you meet with Darcy to discuss the letter?

A) Employee competency and work design
B) Workforce planning and employee attitudes
C) Work design and workforce planning
D) Employee attitudes and behaviors
E) Employee attitudes and employee competency

Question 6

________ is created by providing a customer with greater value than a competitor relative to how much it costs to create the product or service.

A) Customer service
B) Asset management
C) Economies of scale
D) Competitive advantage
E) Employee satisfaction

Question 7

An organization is installing a state of the art computer system in order to increase efficiencies and remain competitive with similar organizations who operate abroad. By which HR challenge has this organization been most impacted?

A) Organizational demands
B) Environmental influences
C) Competitive advantage
D) Work design
E) Regulatory issues

Question 8

Sharon's manager rarely provides any feedback to her regarding her performance and never praises her with she does well with a project. Sharon will most likely:

A) receive positive feedback about her customer skills from her clients.
B) be unmotivated to do a good job on future projects assigned to her.
C) seek out training opportunities to enhance her skills.
D) request to work on projects where she may be able to excel and impress her manager.
E) remain with the organization for several more years.

Question 9

You have interviewed four Sales Manager candidates. You have compared their knowledge, skills and abilities and have determined who the most qualified is and are ready to make an offer of employment. You are now engaging in the ________ process.

A) recruitment
B) interviewing
C) performance management
D) workforce planning
E) selection

Question 10

Work design and work force planning is one of the primary HR activities. What else is considered to be a primary HR activity?

A) Benefits and compensation
B) Health and safety
C) Managing employee competencies
D) Recruitment and selection
E) Negotiating labor agreements

Question 11

The strategic management of employees:

A) centers around the constant monitoring of regulations and legislative issues.
B) helps an organization achieve competitive advantage.
C) must involve aligning HR activities in order for employees to perform well.
D) focuses on workforce planning and identifying labor force trends.
E) Both B and C

Question 12

You interview a job candidate who demonstrates professionalism and provides answers to your questions which lead you to believe they have a positive attitude, are self motivated, and have great attention to detail. Based on their background they seem like a viable candidate. However, their computer skills are somewhat lacking and you are concerned about the additional training they may need. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion to come to regarding your hiring decision?

A) You need to hire for skill and can always teach someone how to pay attention to details, how to remain motivated and how to have a positive attitude.
B) Finding an employee with the right attitude and professional demeanor is a challenge and you would rather hire this person and provide the necessary computer training than have to deal with a less than positive employee.
C) Computer skills are too important and you can't waste time training someone if you can find someone who is already proficient.
D) This person reminds you a lot of yourself when you first started out and you should give them a chance.
E) The candidate needs to have all of the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities and should not be considered if one of those piece is missing.

Question 13

Which of the following are identified as HR challenges?

A) Regulations and organizational demands
B) Managing employee competencies and designing training programs
C) Workforce planning and regulations
D) Benefits administration and employee wellness
E) Globalization and workforce planning

Question 14

Susan, the HR Manager for ZRT Industries, has been put in charge of detailing how HR activities will be organized as part of the expansion that the organization will be doing. ZRT is adding a new division line which will require recruiting 25 additional employees into jobs which ZRT does not currently have. The basic out line of Susan's plan would most likely look like which of the following?

A) Recruit appropriate staff to fill the jobs, train the employees how to perform the work, identify appropriate methods of compensation for the employees.
B) Research any regulatory issues that may be encountered by adding employees, train management staff how to handle employee issues, create a competitive benefits and compensation package.
C) Create required competencies for each job, train employees about those competencies, reward employees for completing competencies.
D) Identify how the jobs will be designed to meet the divisions needs, train the employees to ensure competency to perform the jobs, identify ways to motivate the employees to achieve productivity.
E) Create a strategic plan for the new division, determine the types of jobs that are required, recruit and select appropriate individuals to fill the jobs.

Question 15

EFG Transport expanded its customer service area to include three additional states. After hiring 75 employees to help support operations in this area EFG learned of an additional competitor which entered the market shortly after they did and due to this the demand for their services was not at the level which was expected or budgeted. Due to this EFG may consider using all of the following to deal with their labor force issue EXCEPT:

A) hire temporary employees.
B) offer early retirement options.
C) transfer employees to another region.
D) lay off employees.
E) leave positions vacant when someone resigns.

Question 16

HR Practices:

A) are the sole responsibility of the human resources department.
B) detail the financial cost of human capital within an organization.
C) are determined by the organization and carried out by all management staff.
D) are defined as the recruitment and selection processes of a company.
E) determine what term an organization uses to refer to its workforce.

Question 17

You are considering starting your own IT consulting firm. As part of the planning process you complete an analysis of the costs that may be involved in managing your own staff. All of the following items would most likely be included on your list EXCEPT:

A) supplies and equipment.
B) recruitment advertising.
C) vacation and sick time.
D) annual merit increases.
E) new hire orientation.

Question 18

Sarah has a bachelor's degree and eight years of experience working as a computer programmer. These things define her:

A) work design.
B) recruitment value proposition.
C) internal alignment.
D) competencies.
E) competitive advantage.

Question 19

Workforce planning is primarily impacted by all of the following factors EXCEPT:

A) a new product being rolled out.
B) high employee turnover in one department.
C) organizational restructuring.
D) low customer satisfaction scores.
E) a decrease in product sales.

Question 20

RST Associates has experienced a decrease in employee turnover during the past 12 months. All of the following could be contributing to this EXCEPT:

A) a leadership development series was completed by all management staff.
B) updated equipment was installed which eliminated my frustrating manual processes.
C) employees were given the responsibility to create their own work schedules.
D) an improved employee orientation program was implemented.
E) the tuition assistance program was replaced with an on-site GED program.

Question 21

________ ensure(s) that new and current employees have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in their jobs and that they are aware of how the organization operates on a day to day basis.

A) Training programs
B) Selection
C) Competencies
D) Recruitment
E) Work design

Question 22

A company whose strategy focuses on providing excellent customer service would most likely have the following practices in place EXCEPT:

A) job descriptions which emphasize the employees role in designing quality products.
B) detailed customer service training program for all employees.
C) compensation program which includes rewards for receiving positive customer comments.
D) selection tools which assess how an employee may behave towards a difficult customer.
E) no hassle policy regarding product returns and exchanges.

Question 23

In order to correctly build upon employees' competencies it is important to ask all of the following questions EXCEPT:

A) Which employees need to be trained?
B) How do I create an incentive for people to attend training?
C) How do I design an effective training program?
D) Which training methods will be most effective?
E) How will I know if the training has been successful?

Question 24

How well an employee performs their job is determined by all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Knowledge, skills and abilities of the employee.
B) Market demand for the company's product.
C) Nature of the work environment.
D) Attitude with which the employee approaches the work.
E) Access to the appropriate supplies and equipment to perform the job.

Question 25

At a recent meeting the management team of an organization brainstormed a list of organizational demands that they felt the company was currently facing. Their list mostly included all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Poor scores on a recent employee satisfaction survey that was completed.
B) Increased growth in the size of the company over the past 12 months.
C) Multiple customer demands for a lower cost product.
D) Recent changes to the management staff due to restructuring.
E) New policies regarding customer service that were not implemented correctly.

Question 26

An example of an organization who compensates employees based on performance would most likely be:

A) paying an employee based on the average number of parts they inspect every four hours.
B) providing an employee with a flat hourly rate for each hour of work they perform.
C) paying an employee an annual salary based on the management role they hold.
D) providing an employee with a holiday bonus each year in December.
E) providing a sales employee with a company car due to the volume of sales calls they make.

Question 27

All of the following are characteristic of a smaller organization as opposed to a larger organization EXCEPT:

A) a poor performing employee has a greater impact on productivity.
B) there is greater access to variety of resources.
C) the administrative assistant also acts as the receptionist and payroll clerk.
D) the employee benefits package may be more expensive and only offer the basic types of coverage.
E) there may be less regulatory issues with which the company needs to be concerned.

Question 28

Quality, safety and design might all be parts of a strategy for which of the following organizations?

A) Health care facility
B) Mail order catalog company
C) Real estate agency
D) Fast food restaurant
E) Tire manufacturer

Question 29

KLM Associates has had very low employee turnover. They provide the appropriate training to develop employee competency but the organization's management team understands that it must also guide employee motivation and effort. KLM Industries is mostly likely:

A) offering an employee health plan that meets the needs of the workforce.
B) implementing a variety of employee wellness programs to assist employees in getting healthy.
C) consistently and fairly providing performance feedback to each employee.
D) providing equitable wages to all employees.
E) All of the above

Question 30

Dara has just returned from her first department manager meeting in which the CEO shared with the management staff how important it is to dress professionally. He explained that business casual attire was not acceptable and that everyone must "dress to impress." Dara has just been exposed to:

A) sexual harassment.
B) labor force trend.
C) strategy.
D) company characteristic.
E) organizational culture.

Question 31

Steven is a manager with a small engineering firm. Jack, who is one of two civil engineers that Steven supervises, has been having an attendance problem lately which severely impacts the productivity of the already small group of staff. Other employees are starting to resent Jack and as a result employee morale has declined as well. Steven would like to terminate Jack but it will take him several months to find a replacement and he can't afford to operate with just one civil engineer. However, if he keeps Jack he may lose other staff to competing firms. This scenario is an example of how ________ can impact the way employees are managed.

A) organizational culture
B) strategy
C) employee concerns
D) labor force trends
E) company characteristics

Question 32

The majority of your employees are females under the age of 45. Which benefits will most likely attract and retain them?

A) Social Security and a pension plan
B) Long term disability and life insurance
C) Workers compensation and personal leave
D) Wellness programs and free parking
E) Health insurance and vacation time

Question 33

John was recently hired as the Production Manager for a meat packaging plant. He has all the necessary education, years of experience and abilities required to perform the job. Which of the following is most likely NOT True in regard to John's training needs?

A) He will need to be oriented to the company's culture, policies, and procedures.
B) Training in the specialized packaging equipment will be necessary.
C) He will need basic time management training due to the many tasks for which he is responsible.
D) He should sign up to take part in the company's leadership development course.
E) He will need to meet with Business Office Manager to learn how to process administrative forms.

Question 34

The ________, or OSHA, is the organization which oversees all things related to employee safety on the job.

A) Organizational Safety and Health Agency
B) Occupational Safety and Health Administration
C) Occupational Systems for Health Awareness
D) Organization for Safe and Healthy Adults
E) Occupational Safety and Health Awards

Question 35

An effective performance management program:

A) should include performance criteria that has been clearly communicated and aligned with organizational goals.
B) involves meeting with an employee once a year to provide performance feedback and an appropriate adjustment to their compensation.
C) represents feedback based on how well an employee completes their daily job responsibilities.
D) should provide employees with positive feedback so that they can focus on what they do best.
E) is a tool to discipline employees who do not perform

Question 36

The main purpose of recruitment and selection is to:

A) fill all vacant positions within an organization in a timely fashion.
B) ensure that new hires are offered the most competitive benefits and compensation package.
C) find employees who can be trained to meet the needs of the organization.
D) hire employees who have the knowledge, skills and abilities to help the company succeed.
E) use "one best way" to find and hire employees.

Question 37

Volvo is an automobile manufacturer which is focused on safety in order to give it a competitive advantage over rival car companies. This strategy can be described as a(n):

A) organizational demand.
B) environmental influence.
C) organizational culture.
D) company characteristic.
E) regulatory issue.

Question 38

John performs his work as a retail clerk in a satisfactory manner. He has good attendance and arrives on time, he completes special tasks as assigned, and he assists customers as necessary with few customer complaints. He has attended all of the required training for the job but has not made an effort to do any additional training or learn new tasks to make himself more promotable. John is satisfied with being average. As his manager, you would describe John as someone who:

A) is competent but lacks the motivation to be a top performer.
B) is highly motivated but lacks competency.
C) has low motivation and low competence.
D) has a poor attitude but seems to excel at his job.
E) is highly competent and motivated but needs to be disciplined.

Question 39

An employee who has the competency to do the job but lacks the motivation could be compared to an employee who has:

A) the desire to do a good job but lacks the tools and resources necessary to complete it.
B) the motivation to do a good and has the tools to perform the job.
C) the competency to perform the job but does not have a correctly designed job.
D) the tools to perform the job and has the competency to complete the tasks.
E) the right attitude and behaviors but is not motivated to perform the job.

Question 40

As a manager you provide an annual performance evaluation to each of your employees. You are looking for other ways to provide performance feedback to employees. Which of the following would be the most effective approach to accomplish this?

A) Discuss performance issues with an employee in front of their coworkers.
B) Post examples of errors made by employees in the breakroom from which everyone can learn.
C) Keep a log of an employee's performance issues and provide it to them quarterly to read.
D) Schedule routine "check ins" with each employee to discuss accomplishments and challenges.
E) Send a thank you card to each employee annually expressing your appreciation for their efforts.

Question 41

An example of how a company can address an employee concern is:

A) mediate a dispute between two coworkers.
B) meet with an employee who has voiced a concern about their recent performance evaluation.
C) allow an employee to work four 10 hour days to accommodate a temporary day care issue.
D) create a new policy explaining how to operate a new piece of equipment.
E) offer an employee of the month award.

Question 42

Allowing employees to work from home can pose all of the following challenges EXCEPT:

A) Presenting performance evaluations.
B) Providing on-going training and development.
C) Monitoring employees' work hours.
D) Tracking and measuring employee productivity.
E) Attracting qualified candidates.

Question 43

Kathy has been promoted several times at her current company. She is asked to lead project committees and given opportunities to present her ideas to upper management. Because she feels valued, her positive attitude will have a positive correlation with the satisfaction of her customers.

Question 44

One way to hold line managers more responsible for the retention and development of their staff would be to include measures like employee turnover and employee satisfaction on the line managers' performance evaluations.

Question 45

A job applicant arrives for the interview wearing a brace on their leg and limping. As the potential employer for this individual you:

A) must ask how they injured their leg in order to determine if they can perform the job for which they are applying.
B) understand they are protected by the Occupational Safety and Health Act and do not discuss their apparent disability.
C) explain the physical requirements of the job and inquire if they can perform those functions.
D) ask what type of accommodation was provided at their last job and how much it cost the employer.
E) hire the applicant, not because they are the most qualified but because you are afraid they won't be able to find work elsewhere.

Question 46

If an organization were looking for ways to become more socially responsible and encourage their employees to be so as well, they may want to consider all of the following EXCEPT:

A) allow employees to take the day off with pay (without using their vacation time) to assist with disaster relief in a neighboring state.
B) offer payroll deduction so that employees can donate money directly to a charity, such as United Way.
C) allow employees time off to volunteer for projects such as Habitat for Humanity as long as employees make up the missed work hours.
D) provide special containers throughout the building for paper, cans and plastic to encourage recycling.
E) match contributions employees make to their alma mater for scholarship funds.

Question 47

Offering the right value proposition to ensure you attract the right job candidates is the critical step in the selection process.

Question 48

If the organization you work for uses an external vendor to process employee paychecks they have utilized outsourcing for this function.

Question 49

If you design a general recruitment and selection process it can be applied across companies and even industries and still be effective.

Question 50

A company that produces a high-end line of skin care products for men and women must consider all of the following environmental influences EXCEPT:

A) the number of women entering in the labor force in the next 5 years.
B) how to best use the Internet to market its products.
C) the number of professionals in the workforce with experience in skin care research.
D) deciding how best to test their products based on environmental issues.
E) deciding whether or not to market their products in Europe.

Question 51

Jobs must be designed primarily to enhance an employee's knowledge and develop their skills in order to ensure the employee grows with the company for which they work.

Question 52

A large city hospital employs over 3000 people, 70% of which are over age 50 and over 60% of which are women. What will most likely be this organization's primary labor force concern over the next 15 years?

A) The number of women in the labor force is expected grow by 9%.
B) The number of Baby Boomers that will retire over the next 10 years.
C) The number of people under than age 30 pursuing health care careers.
D) The percentage of minorities they will be able to attract to their organization.
E) The percentage of male nurses they will be able to attract and retain.

Question 53

Regulatory issues in the workplace:

A) will continue to be a challenge for employers as legislation broadens existing statutes.
B) demonstrate an organization's level of social responsibility.
C) are not impacted by state laws.
D) encourage employees to complete ethics educational programs.
E) apply specifically to the recruitment and hiring process.

Question 54

Designing jobs and planning for the future workforce needs of an organization are considered one of the the primary HR activities known as work design and workforce planning.

Question 55

When an organization cannot recruit enough employees to fill their vacancies they may need to utilize independent contractors.

Question 56

Operating your business in both an ethically and socially responsible way will most likely:

A) increase the ligation in which your company is involved.
B) turn off customers who don't understand those types of policies.
C) decrease the emphasis on financial performance.
D) assist you in attracting and retaining top quality employees.
E) require less employee training and development.

Question 57

Today's labor force is very different than it was 30 years ago. All of the following are factors contributing to these differences EXCEPT:

A) the level of education of the overall labor force.
B) the technological "know how" required of today's labor force.
C) the litigious nature of today's labor force.
D) the need to identify unique ways to attract and retain today's labor force.
E) the lack of diversity within the labor force.

Question 58

A restaurant offers combination meals during the busy lunch hour that include an entree, side and drink for one low price to make it easier and quicker for customers to make their selection. This has created a competitive advantage for the restaurant.

Question 59

Setting up facilities in other countries, creating joint ventures or partnerships internationally, or setting up a facility in another country are all examples of:

A) establishing organizational culture.
B) creating a company strategy.
C) responding to organizational demands.
D) increasing globalization of an industry.
E) managing environmental influences.

Question 60

Job design is the same across one industry for the same type of position.

Question 61

It is important for organizations to invest in training beyond specific job tasks in order to develop employees and help make them promotable.

Question 62

A top performing employee not only has the competency to do the job, but also possesses the right attitude and behaviors in order to be successful.

Question 63

When considering regulatory issues in the employment arena, the focus is on protecting an individual's right to have an equal employment opportunity.

Question 64

An organization is required by law to offer employee benefit programs to all members of its workforce.

Question 65

Compensation systems across industries and organizations are designed to reward seniority.

Question 66

Technological advances in the workplace have made it difficult for employers to offer flexible scheduling arrangements to their work force.

Question 67

Offshoring is a good method of globalization for a manufacturing organization because it reduces labor force costs as well as production costs.

Question 68

A motivated and competent employee placed in a well designed job will lead to a top performing employee and good results for the the organization.

Question 69

Acting ethically and socially responsible does not require formal policies, programs or training; it should just come naturally to an organization as long as they hire upstanding employees.

Question 70

Having an internal process for current employees to apply for open positions or using an external process to gather employment applications for open positions is referred to as ________.

Question 71

Performance management should never be linked to compensation due to the likelihood it will confuse an employee about the True expectations that an organization has for its workforce.

Question 72

If a company hires highly skilled employees, a minimum amount of time and money will need to be invested in training.

Question 73

It is the responsibility of the organization to train an expatriate in the language, customs, laws and overall culture of the country in which they will be working.

Question 74

________ must participate in ________ to ensure that the right employees, are placed in the right job in order to achieve the goals of an organization.

Question 75

It is important for an organization to define its culture in writing in order to pass on the information to new employees and help them understand the values and beliefs of the employees.

Question 76

The HR Practices a company puts into place are determined by ________ demands and the ________ environment.

Question 77

Good performance management systems involves providing strictly positive reinforcement and focusing on what the employee has done well over the past year in order to create an incentive for employees to maintain good behaviors and attitudes.

Question 78

A labor ________ will cause an employer to look ________ an organization for solutions; whereas a labor ________ will cause an employer to look ________ an organization for solutions.

Question 79

A company should first determine the types of jobs it will offer and how it will design its HR activities, then the company's strategy can be determined.

Question 80

An organization can invest time and money into designing a job and creating the plan around how to best recruit to fill that job, but if the organization does not properly design its plan for identifying and managing ________ then they have not achieved ________ alignment.