Deck 5: Determining HR Demand

Question 1

How do the experts finally agree on a solution in the nominal group technique?

A)by defending their perspectives
B)by voting for the best estimate
C)by lobbying the other group members
D)by ranking the solutions with a secret vote

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In a simple regression prediction model,what does B represent?

A)dependent variable
B)constant or intercept
C)slope of the linear relationship between X and Y
D)independent variable

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What type of quantitative forecasting method that attempts to forecast future human capital needs by extrapolating from historical changes in one or more organizational indices?

A)trend analysis
B)regression analysis
C)time series model analysis
D)structural equation modelling analysis

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In the Delphi technique,why does the project coordinator continue to issue questionnaires to the experts?

A)Current information has not been optimal,and so further information is required.
B)Additional information still needs to be gathered regarding the predetermined questions.
C)Information gathered to date has not led the group to make a consensual decision.
D)Current information is insufficient in some way that is required to make future supply estimates.

Question 5

According to the textbook,what is one disadvantage of the Delphi technique?

A)groupthink
B)shyness
C)time and costs
D)communication

Question 6

Which of the following demand forecasting methods is NOT a quantitative method?

A)trend analysis
B)Delphi technique
C)regression analysis
D)staffing table

Question 7

Why are assumptions necessary when implementing the steps of the nominal group technique?

A)to minimize the chance that expert estimates will be misinterpreted
B)to make sure that the group is not dominated by one expert estimate
C)to eliminate the necessity for experts to defend their estimates
D)to ensure the validity and confidentiality of the expert estimates

Question 8

If HR specialists use multiple predictor estimates of the future demand for personnel based on a variety of differing assumptions about how future events will unfold,what type of forecasting technique or analysis are they using?

A)Delphi technique
B)nominal technique
C)impact analysis
D)scenario forecast

Question 9

In the Delphi technique,why do the experts NOT meet face-to-face?

A)They do not have the time.
B)They want to lower costs.
C)They worry about groupthink.
D)They lack communication expertise.

Question 10

What type of analysis reveals the historical relationship between the operational index and the demand for labour?

A)correlation
B)multivariate
C)trend
D)regression

Question 11

What is the most common operational index used by organizations in a ratio analysis?

A)sales level
B)units produced
C)clients served
D)production hours

Question 12

What method of estimating HR demand extrapolates historical organizational indices to forecast future personnel needs?

A)trend analysis
B)ratio analysis
C)cohort analysis
D)impact analysis

Question 13

What stage in the nominal group technique would typically ask a question like,"What will Concord Corporation's demand for production workers be in the year 2017?"

A)select the experts
B)meet face to face
C)define the question
D)discuss demand estimates

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT considered a benefit of the nominal group technique?

A)supports brainstorming
B)lower costs and time
C)equal participation
D)reliable and valid

Question 15

According to the textbook,when the Delphi technique was used to identify competencies for research chef,which of the following was NOT a topic for consideration?

A)factors that differentiate successful from unsuccessful research chefs
B)years of experience for successful and unsuccessful research chefs
C)skills and knowledge needed to be a successful research chef
D)tasks that differentiate a successful research chef from an ordinary chef

Question 16

Which forecasting technique provides a long-run qualitative forecast where experts meet and give their assessments about the future?

A)Delphi technique
B)critical incident technique
C)repatriation technique
D)nominal group technique

Question 17

What federal government agency provides expert information for labour demand forecasting?

A)National Occupational Classification
B)Citizenship and Immigration Canada
C)Conference Board of Canada
D)Statistics Canada

Question 18

Typically,how is most of the expert information gathered using the Delphi technique?

A)interviews
B)discussion groups
C)teleconferencing
D)questionnaires

Question 19

What technique should be used if you want all the participants to have equal participation in the sessions and to minimize dominance,personal attacks,and defensive behaviour?

A)Delphi technique
B)critical incident technique
C)repatriation technique
D)nominal group technique

Question 20

If you want to determine the total HR demand requirement for operational or short-run time periods,what type of information should you gather?

A)staffing table
B)HR budget
C)impact analysis
D)envelope/scenario forecasts

Question 21

What do you call the observed relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

A)causal
B)direct
C)linear
D)indirect

Question 22

An organization wants to determine the total HR demand requirement for long-run time periods.What would be the best way to gather this information?

A)use staffing tables
B)use movement analysis
C)use impact analysis
D)use scenario forecasts

Question 23

The Oakland Athletics baseball team used statistical cause-and-effect models for HR planning.What do cause-and-effect models assume?

A)that there is an ongoing relationship between independent and dependent variables
B)that the extrapolated trends will influence future supply and demand
C)that the time horizon used for the models is most conducive to short-term forecasts
D)that the subjective judgment of experts supports the forecasts

Question 24

An organization wants to determine its total HR demand requirement for operational or short-run time periods.What would be the best way to gather this information?

A)use staffing tables
B)use Markov analysis
C)use impact analysis
D)use scenario forecasts

Question 25

What would be two human resource quantitative forecasting demand techniques?

A)regression analysis and trend projection techniques
B)extrapolation and transition matrices techniques
C)indexation and replacement chart techniques
D)budget analysis and skills inventory techniques

Question 26

What would be the first step in HR forecasting once an organization has identified its organizational goals,objectives,and plans?

A)to examine data from a variety of perspectives
B)to determine the overall demand requirements for personnel (i.e. ,what staff are needed,when,and where)
C)to assess in-house skills and other internal supply characteristics
D)to determine the net demand requirements that must be met from external environmental supply sources

Question 27

What would be two human resource qualitative forecasting demand techniques?

A)regression analysis and trend/ratio analysis techniques
B)extrapolation and transition matrices techniques
C)scenario planning and nominal group techniques
D)budget analysis and skills inventory techniques

Question 28

What type of analysis presupposes that a linear relationship exists between sales and the number of employees?

A)ratio
B)multivariate
C)trend
D)regression

Question 29

An organization wants to use a qualitative demand forecasting method.Which of the following is a qualitative method?

A)trend analysis
B)nominal group technique
C)HR budget
D)staffing table

Question 30

Tiger Boots,a footwear retailer,is currently determining its HR demand using ratio analysis.What would be a key operational index used by Tiger Boots in a ratio analysis?

A)sales level
B)human resources
C)clients served
D)production hours

Question 31

In reference to a systems perspective,what is the first step necessary to determine the demand for any job?

A)to understand both the long-run qualitative and quantitative forecasts of jobs within the firm
B)to understand how that job fits into the needs of the organization and how those job requirements interact with other jobs within the firm
C)to understand both the needs of the organization and the long-run forecast of jobs within the organization
D)to identify both the needs of the organization and human resources competencies required

Question 32

An organization wants to use a quantitative demand forecasting method.Which of the following is NOT a quantitative method?

A)trend analysis
B)Delphi technique
C)regression analysis
D)staffing table

Question 33

There are six steps associated with the Delphi technique for HR demand forecasting.What is the first step?

A)identify the experts,terms,and time horizon
B)issue the first round of questionnaires
C)select the experts
D)define and refine the issue or question

Question 34

Which forecasting technique would an organization use if it wanted to conduct a long-run qualitative forecast in which experts meet and give their assessments about the future?

A)Delphi technique
B)critical incident technique
C)repatriation technique
D)nominal group technique

Question 35

Organizations interact with their changing environments.Which of the following is an environment factor that aids HR forecasters in predicting the demand for a particular job?

A)customers
B)sales levels
C)production levels
D)policies

Question 36

What is another name for the dependent variable in the simple regression prediction model?

A)causal variable
B)target variable
C)linear variable
D)random variable

Question 37

There are two main factors that determine whether a quantitative model or qualitative model is a better choice.Which of the following is one of these factors?

A)the degree of uncertainty involved in the demand forecast
B)the complexity of balancing supply and demand forecasts
C)the estimates of the demand for labour
D)the long-term environmental forecasts of labour

Question 38

An organization wants to develop a better understanding of what factors influence demand and supply,and what processes may be causing bottlenecks in the flow of human capital.What would be the best way to gather this information?

A)use staffing tables
B)use HR budgets
C)use a simulation
D)use scenario forecasts

Question 39

When trying to forecast the number of employee hours required for work in a retail store during December,the HR planner used last December's ratio of total sales to total hours worked as the basis for an estimate for the current year's needs.What forecasting model is the HR planner using to predict future HR demand?

A)times series model
B)regression model
C)projection model
D)production model

Question 40

An organization is using multiple predictor estimates of the future demand for human resources based on a variety of differing assumptions about how future events will unfold.What type of forecasting technique or analysis is it using?

A)Delphi technique
B)nominal technique
C)simulation
D)scenario forecast

Question 41

Organizations interact with their always-changing environments.Which of the following is an environment factor that aids HR forecasters in predicting the demand for a particular job?

A)compensation strategy
B)human resources strategy
C)sales levels
D)economy

Question 42

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.What do the Canadian National Household Survey and the Canadian Labour Force Survey reports attempt to do?

A)predict the future demand and supply for a wide variety of Canadian occupations
B)predict the future demand growth for a wide variety of Canadian occupations
C)estimate the future demand and supply for Canadian workers
D)predict the future demand and supply for Canadian engineering workers

Question 43

Which of the following is a qualitative human resource forecasting method?

A)time series
B)nominal group technique
C)regression analysis
D)structural equation modelling technique

Question 44

For a medium-sized Canadian furniture manufacturing company the demand for recliner chairs is fairly stable,because the market for recliner chairs is fairly stable.Since there exists a comparatively high degree of certainty in the market,which of the following forecasting models would be an effective model for assessing the demand for labour for this company?

A)a simple model based on a future forecast
B)a simple model based on an existing forecast
C)a structural equation model
D)a model based on an existing forecast

Question 45

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.What would you call the process described in this scenario?

A)strategic human resource management
B)human resource planning
C)linking human resource management with strategic planning
D)human resource supply techniques

Question 46

What type of forecasting method is concerned with blending of quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis?

A)simulation
B)regression analysis
C)scenario planning
D)structural equation modelling

Question 47

What forecasting method is the most commonly used qualitative method for gathering human resource demand information?

A)nominal group input
B)direct managerial input
C)scenario planning group input
D)Delphi group input

Question 48

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.Indicators suggest that the demand for engineering occupations currently exceeds supply at the provincial and national levels.What is this estimate of demand and supply called?

A)strategic human resource management
B)human resource planning
C)human resource estimating techniques
D)human resource forecasting techniques

Question 49

What forecasting model or technique would be better when forecasting demand in a stable market when there is a high degree of certainty in the relationship between the demand for labour and the indicators of that demand?

A)qualitative model
B)quantitative model
C)scenario planning
D)expert surveys

Question 50

What type of quantitative forecasting method projects HR demand by analyzing the historical relationship between an operational index and the number of employees required?

A)time series model analysis
B)regression analysis
C)ratio analysis
D)structural equation modelling analysis

Question 51

Which of the following forecasting methods is the most commonly used qualitative method for determining workforce requirements?

A)nominal group technique
B)Delphi technique
C)scenario planning
D)management surveys

Question 52

There are two main factors that determine whether a quantitative model or qualitative model is a better choice.Which of the following is one of these factors?

A)the estimates of the demand for labour
B)the long-term environmental forecasts of labour
C)the short-term environmental forecasts of labour
D)the volume and complexity of the data available

Question 53

What type of qualitative forecasting method is concerned with long-run forecasting utilizing expert assessments?

A)nominal group technique
B)Delphi technique
C)scenario planning
D)structural equation modelling technique

Question 54

As the volume and complexity of forecasting data increases and forecasting uncertainty becomes very high,which forecasting models would be preferable?

A)quantitative models
B)statistical models
C)qualitative models
D)structural equation models

Question 55

What qualitative forecasting process solicits and summarizes the forecasts and judgments of a selected group of experts in an attempt to determine the future HR demand?

A)nominal group technique
B)scenario planning
C)Delphi technique
D)management surveys

Question 56

HR forecasters uses various qualitative forecasting methods.What qualitative technique is used to imagine future possible organizational states and the resulting capabilities,activities,or strategies that are necessary to be successful in those future states?

A)management surveys
B)Delphi technique
C)scenario planning
D)nominal group technique

Question 57

What sources of information do HR budgets take into consideration when used in forecasting human resource demand?

A)university researchers' and business consultants' data
B)professional associations and Statistics Canada
C)industry experts and management knowledge
D)union and industry associations

Question 58

What type of information do HR budgets take into consideration when used in forecasting human resource demand?

A)industry experts and management knowledge
B)line employee and union staff records
C)historical company staffing trends and competitor staffing practices
D)university researchers' and business consultants' data

Question 59

HR forecasters uses various statistical forecasting methods.What statistical technique permits the testing of multiple relationships simultaneously in a theoretically derived model?

A)time series model analysis
B)regression analysis
C)ratio analysis
D)structural equation modelling analysis

Question 60

Organizations interact with their constantly changing environments.Which of the following is an environment factor that aids HR forecasters in predicting the demand for a particular job?

A)collective agreement
B)company strategy
C)competitors
D)employees relative worth

Question 61

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.The growth in demand for civil engineering occupations has been strong due to the rising needs associated with the high number of retiring workers.Although countless challenges influence the demand for engineering professionals,what is the primary cause of demand in this case?

A)external factors
B)demographic factors
C)labour market factors
D)organizational factors

Question 62

A ratio analysis is a quantitative method of projecting HR demand by analyzing the relationship between an operational index and the number of employees required.

Question 63

Trend analyses are complex since they require the analysis of multiple variables.

Question 64

The first step in the nominal group technique is to select the experts.

Question 65

In the Delphi method experts do not meet,but they do in the nominal group technique.

Question 66

Simulation is a powerful blend of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Question 67

In an structural equation modelling,current trends are analyzed by a panel of experts to predict future HR demand.

Question 68

In a trend analysis,it is necessary to extrapolate data related to historical changes.

Question 69

In a simple regression,Y is the independent variable.

Question 70

Typical estimates for scenario forecasting are organized into optimistic,realistic,and pessimistic scenarios.

Question 71

In the simple regression prediction model,X represents the independent variable.

Question 72

Scenario forecasting is based on the premise that,because the future course of events is not known with certainty,it is necessary to develop several plausible sets of outcomes.

Question 73

Another name for the scenario forecast method is the projection forecast method.

Question 74

The Delphi technique is a quantitative method for deriving detailed assumptions of long-run HR demand.

Question 75

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.What human resource technique is being used to gather the data for the Engineers Canada labour market projection report?

A)human resource occupational planning
B)human resource Markov analysis
C)human resource audits
D)human resource forecasting

Question 76

A regression analysis is a linear equation between a single causal variable and multiple dependent variables.

Question 77

A staffing table forecasts the total HR demand required for operational or short-run time periods.

Question 78

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.The situation described in this scenario can be referred to as a tight labour market.What occurs in a tight labour market?

A)The supply of labour exceeds the demand for labour.
B)Labour supply and demand creates tension in the labour market.
C)The demand for labour exceeds the supply of labour.
D)Supply and demand create labour shortages.

Question 79

Refer to Scenario: Canadian Engineering Shortages.Of the following options,what would be the most effective strategy to deal with the engineering shortages?

A)utilize job sharing arrangements
B)increase engineering school graduates
C)use flexible contract arrangements
D)use internal transfers

Question 80

A deficiency of the Delphi technique is that the results cannot be verified statistically.