Deck 2: Aligning HR With Strategy

Question 1

Which of the following is a practical barrier associated with workforce planning?

A)It is Hard to measure success.
B)No data are available.
C)It is seen as too daunting to change.
D)It is considered to lack credibility.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to concurrent strategy formulation,when does strategy development occur?

A)prior to when HRM issues are considered
B)simultaneously when HRM issues are considered
C)subsequent to when HRM issues are considered
D)mutually exclusive of when HR issues are considered

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following does NOT align human resources strategy with business strategy?

A)starting with organizational strategy and then creating HR strategy
B)starting with HR competencies and then creating corporate strategy
C)starting with HR strategy and then creating HR competencies
D)starting with business strategy and then creating HR strategy

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is a perception and attitude barrier associated with workforce planning?

A)multiple planning horizons
B)organizational silos
C)lack of a holistic approach
D)moving targets-business goals are not clear

Question 5

What does McDonald's "no unique response" system mean?

A)that employees are not expected to contribute ideas
B)that employees are not expected to communicate formally
C)that employees are not expected to accommodate customer inquiries
D)that employees are not expected to respond beyond a basic standard

Question 6

What does it mean if an organization's human capital return on investment is $3?

A)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in return.
B)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in revenue.
C)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in capital assets.
D)For every dollar an organization invests in human capital,the employees will generate $3 in productivity.

Question 7

What is the purpose of strategic HRM?

A)to ensure the effective functioning and survival of the organization and its members
B)to implement the planning,timing,and delivery of an effective organizational strategy
C)to motivate and attract employees who will internalize the organization's culture
D)to emerge as an industry leader with numerous distinct competencies and a competitive advantage

Question 8

Costs incurred in training,motivating,compensating,and monitoring employees can be viewed as investments in human capital that result in gains to productivity per worker.How does this type of investment yield such gains?

A)by matching the business strategy to the external environment
B)by matching the capabilities of employees with the corporate strategy
C)by matching the needs of the employees to their desires for empowerment
D)by matching the HR strategy to the potential employee competencies

Question 9

Fit is an important consideration when designing HR programs.What is it called when an organization fits its HR strategy to its organizational strategy?

A)internal fit
B)best fit
C)external fit
D)organizational fit

Question 10

What two items does an organization match together in the human capital perspective of HRM?

A)values of employees and the organization's budget
B)capacity of employees and the organization's motivation
C)capabilities of employees and the organization's strategy
D)creativity of the employees and the organization's goals

Question 11

Payroll represents a routine activity that must be done for the organization to operate on a daily basis.What term best describes this type of activity?

A)transitional
B)transactional
C)temporal
D)transformational

Question 12

Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work to locations such as Prague and Manila,but kept its HR talent management practices internally managed through its corporate centre,adopting HR practices that are linked to organizational success.What term best describes Johnson and Johnson's talent management focus?

A)transitional
B)transactional
C)strategic
D)transformational

Question 13

Johnson and Johnson outsourced its administration work to locations such as Prague and Manila,but kept its HR talent management practices internally managed through its corporate centre,adopting HR practices that are linked to the organizations success.What emerging trend best describes the structure of the HR functions at Johnson and Johnson?

A)to focus on transformational practices
B)to adopt a transactional and transitional focus
C)to integrate HR and organizational strategies
D)to separate transactional work and focus on strategic HR

Question 14

What is the primary reason that strategic HRM aligns HR policies,practices,and philosophies with organizational strategy?

A)to develop new methods to deliver training and orientation
B)to constrain undesirable behaviours within an organization
C)to ensure that the institutional memory remains current
D)to facilitate the attainment of organizational strategy

Question 15

To the HR practitioner,what does human capital incorporate?

A)knowledge,commitment,values,culture
B)commitment,experience,culture,abilities
C)experience,knowledge,skills,commitment
D)skills,values,culture,experience

Question 16

Selective hiring,extensive training,and competitive pay are HR practices that could make an organization more successful.What term best describes this type of activity?

A)transitional
B)transactional
C)high-performance
D)transformational

Question 17

If IBM introduces a new software package in January,Microsoft can probably imitate or duplicate this package by February of the same year.However,if IBM technical support people are trained and motivated to provide "knock your socks off service," Microsoft will have a difficult time imitating this service within a month.This is an example of how employees can provide a competitive advantage.What theory is being applied here?

A)behavioural perspective
B)resource-based view
C)human capital
D)strategic management

Question 18

According to Google Inc. ,which of the following does NOT produce innovative behaviours from employees?

A)selecting people with high creativity
B)providing employees with time and freedom to innovate
C)motivating innovation through incentive programs
D)stimulating opportunities for job enlargement

Question 19

When the HR training department teaches individuals a new customer service computer program,the HR recruiting department must work together with the HR training department to hire individuals with comparable computer skills.What is this collaborative approach called?

A)cross-functional HR practices
B)industry-consistent HR practices
C)exemplary HR practices
D)bundling HR practices

Question 20

In many ways,HR strategy generates the business strategy,and business strategy determines the HR strategy.What is the concept that describes this relationship?

A)reciprocal strategy
B)reciprocal partnerships
C)reciprocal dependence
D)reciprocal interdependence

Question 21

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.It is particularly important for Swimco to define and develop the behaviours necessary to achieve their organizational capabilities of innovation and customer care.What theory is Swimco applying to its strategic management?

A)behavioural perspective
B)resource-based view
C)human capital
D)strategic management

Question 22

Refer to Scenario: Swimco."Our company is committed to making our customers feel confident in swimwear so they can be free to enjoy some of the best experiences of their lives." What type of statement is this quote an example of?

A)attitude
B)policy
C)strategic
D)value

Question 23

According to your textbook,which of the following does NOT use a differentiation strategy?

A)BMW
B)Polo Ralph Lauren
C)Rolex
D)IBM

Question 24

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Fit is an important consideration in Swimco's HR strategic planning.What is it called when Swimco fits its HR strategy between its HR functions (i.e. ,training)and across its other business functions (i.e. ,accounting)?

A)external fit
B)best fit
C)internal fit
D)organizational fit

Question 25

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.When planning,Swimco's corporate leadership team reviewed the company's business plans not only to ensure consistency with their HR strategy but also to provide input to their strategy,based on HR strengths and weaknesses.What approach is Swimco using to link its HR processes to their strategy?

A)It is starting with organizational strategy and then creating HR strategy.
B)It is starting with HR competencies and then creating corporate strategy.
C)It is starting with HR strategy and then creating HR competencies.
D)It is doing a combination of both business strategy and HR strategy in a form of reciprocal relationship.

Question 26

Fit is an important consideration when designing HR programs.What is it called when an organization fits its HR strategy to other functional areas?

A)internal fit
B)best fit
C)external fit
D)organizational fit

Question 27

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Which of Porter's competitive business strategies is Swimco applying?

A)low-cost provider
B)broad differentiation
C)market niche with lower cost
D)market niche with differentiation

Question 28

Four Seasons Hotels competes on service excellence.It invests in HR systems for service quality,such as selecting,training,and rewarding employees' service-related skills.What theory is being applied by Four Seasons Hotels.

A)service quality
B)resource-based view
C)human capital
D)behavioural

Question 29

If a company uses a differentiation strategy,what is it more concerned with relative to equity with the external market?

A)pay structures
B)compensation strategy
C)pay for performance
D)internal equity

Question 30

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.What is the primary reason that Swimco's HRM leadership team aligns their HR policies,practices,and philosophies with their organizational strategy?

A)to facilitate the attainment of top talent
B)to ensure that the HR system remains current with the internal environment
C)to ensure that the HR system remains current with the external environment
D)to facilitate the attainment of organizational strategy through their HR systems

Question 31

According to classical economics,what are the three most important resources or inputs?

A)labour,capital,land
B)capital,knowledge,land
C)knowledge,economics,land
D)economics,assets,land

Question 32

Refer to Scenario: "Tentree Apparel." Tentree Apparel is most likely to gain a sustained competitive advantage through its people by using which of the following programs?

A)one in which employees are motivated through training and reward initiatives
B)one in which employee talent is organized,difficult to imitate,rare,and valuable
C)one in which employees are empowered and engaged in their work
D)one in which employees have skills and knowledge that are transferable to many positions.

Question 33

What percentage of payroll do Canadian organizations typically pay for fringe benefits for their employees?

A)20 percent
B)25 percent
C)30 percent
D)35 percent

Question 34

Human resources management (HRM)can be viewed as an umbrella term that encompasses three elements.What are these three elements?

A)philosophies,policies,and practices
B)emergent,intended,realized
C)transactional,transformational,temporal
D)internal,external,results

Question 35

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Why might Swimco's current focus on quality online customer service be an effective strategy for the retailer?

A)Swimco's online quality customer service is variable and substitutable like the strategies it applies.
B)Swimco's online quality customer service is inspirational to both its customers and its employees.
C)Swimco's online quality customer service is unique,and strategic mimicry by other swim wear retailors is difficult to achieve.
D)Swimco's online quality customer service is a low-cost,low-price,basic design strategy.

Question 36

What kind of strategy is an organization using if it attempts to pay wages slightly below industry norms?

A)outsourcing
B)compensation
C)differentiation
D)lag

Question 37

Refer to Scenario: "Tentree Apparel." Which of Porter's competitive business strategies is Tentree Apparel applying?

A)market niche with lower cost
B)broad differentiation
C)low-cost provider
D)market niche with differentiation

Question 38

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Through its e-commerce initiative,Swimco is transitioning from local to national in its market position.What type of strategy is Swimco adopting?

A)restructuring
B)divestiture
C)business
D)growth

Question 39

Refer to Scenario: "Tentree Apparel." Why is strategic HR planning important to Tentree Apparel?

A)The planning process itself results in improved goal attainment.
B)The implementation results in an effective organizational strategy.
C)It motivates and attracts high-performing employees.
D)It helps achieve competitive advantage through distinct employee competencies.

Question 40

According to your textbook,what is the annual turnover rate for organizations using a low-cost provider strategy?

A)100 percent
B)200 percent
C)300 percent
D)400 percent

Question 41

Michael Porter estimates that it takes approximately five years to duplicate a competitive edge in human resources.

Question 42

Over 70 percent of Canadian executives state that their strategies are supported by a workforce plan.

Question 43

HR departments may fall somewhere on the continuum of options between doing no workforce planning and hiring as needed to enterprise-level workforce planning and mitigation planning.

Question 44

Recently HR departments have been required to move from demonstrating real value to articulating perceived value.

Question 45

The aggregate of all employees' knowledge is an example of human capital.

Question 46

Refer to Scenario: "Tentree Apparel." Tentree Apparel's strategic approach,which ensures the company maintains its social responsibility aims,shields the organization from what type of competitors?

A)labour market strategy providers
B)broad differentiation strategy providers
C)low-cost strategy providers
D)emergent strategy providers

Question 47

There is a negative relationship between the amount of money spent on training employees and the perceived value of human capital.

Question 48

Professional certification is NOT a human capital asset.

Question 49

The statistical technique in HR examining,demand forecasting,and resource supply is based on a linear relationship.

Question 50

Human resources create competitive advantage for organizations,which reflects a resource-based view.

Question 51

Refer to Scenario: "Tentree Apparel." How can Tentree Apparel's strategic HR planning deliver the behaviours needed to enable its organizational strategy?

A)The HR planning process itself results in improved employee satisfaction.
B)The implementation of HR planning practices results in an effective organizational strategy.
C)The HR planning process motivates and attracts high-performing employees.
D)Employees help the organization achieve success because they are placed within a strategic framework.

Question 52

A possible practical barrier to strategic HR planning is the lack of a holistic approach.

Question 53

A clearly written mission statement typically increases turnover.

Question 54

The HR senior manager team moves from insider status to outsider status with strategic HRM.

Question 55

Almost 70 percent of Canadian organizations indicated they had difficulty recruiting quality candidates.

Question 56

Traditionally,the HRM program influenced the creation of the corporate strategy.

Question 57

From the human capital perspective,companies should invest in their employees.

Question 58

According to the resources-based view,the less a resource can be imitated,the more it contributes to competitive advantage.

Question 59

Making decisions,such as how to best use human capital,is an example of a transactional activity in HR.

Question 60

Human resources management used to be called the personnel department.

Question 61

A firm's human resources are more valuable for sustained competitive advantage than technological and physical resources.

Question 62

What employee skills do employers look for if they have a differentiation strategy?

Question 63

Describe two reasons why strategic planning is important to organizations.

Question 64

Companies with a differentiation strategy have a strong training focus that includes both skills and attitudes.

Question 65

Identify and describe three ways that HR processes can be linked to business strategy.

Question 66

"Human capital" refers to the collective sum of the attributes,experience,knowledge,and commitment that employees choose to invest in their work.

Question 67

A resource-based view of HR involves the thinking that different strategies require different behaviours from employees,which in turn are influenced by different HR practices.

Question 68

The advantages of an organization with effective HR practices may come from having better resources,but it also comes from making better use of these resources

Question 69

A possible perception and attitude barrier to workforce planning is that leaders lack planning and business acumen.

Question 70

Efficiency and controlling human resource costs are paramount for organizations adopting a low-cost-provider strategy.

Question 71

The purpose of HR strategy is to capitalize on the distinctive competencies of the organization and add value through the effective use of human resources.Effective HRM strategies include external and internal fit,and a focus on results.Explain external and internal fit.

Question 72

Firms providing features that appeal to a particular market segment are said to compete on a differentiation strategy.

Question 73

Identify an organization you are familiar with (such as from your work experience or from your textbook).Describe one reason why strategic planning is important to your chosen organization.Provide an example.

Question 74

Only one third of Canadian executives state that their strategies are supported by a workforce plan.Discuss what makes HR planning so difficult.List three practical and three perceptual and attitude barriers to workforce planning
or,
The 2017 Conference Board of Canada survey,Workforce Planning Practices in Canada: Human Resources Trends and Metrics,provides some insights into why the majority of organizational strategies are not supported by a workforce plan.Describe one practical and one perceptual and attitude barrier to workforce planning.Describe how an organization can overcome these barriers?

Question 75

The goals of these HRM strategies are to shape employee behaviour so that it is consistent with the direction the organization identifies in its strategic plans.

Question 76

Human resource professionals recognize the need to play a more strategic role within the organization,but many executives do not.

Question 77

What is human capital? What comprises human capital?

Question 78

What are the three ways in which HR becomes a strategic business partner?

Question 79

There are various approaches to linking HRM strategies to organizational strategies.De-scribe one approach.Provide an example.

Question 80

Define "strategic human resources management" and discuss some of the major elements it encompasses.