Deck 2: Trends in Human Resource Management

Question 1

Skilled knowledge workers would suffer the most in a slow economy as they have little operational importance in a company.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Knowledge workers are in a position of power, because they own the knowledge that the company needs in order to produce its products and services. Skilled knowledge workers have many job opportunities, even in a slow economy. If they choose, they can leave a company and take their knowledge to another employer. Replacing them may be difficult and time consuming.

Question 2

A company that operates in the U.S.,shifts its warehouses and operations to a low rent area that is 50 miles away from town.This is an example of offshoring.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Offshoring refers to moving the operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available.

Question 3

Successful organizations treat all their workers as knowledge workers.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Recently, the idea that only some of an organization's workers are ―knowledge workers has come under criticism. To the critics, this definition is no longer realistic in a day of computerized information systems and computer-controlled production processes. For the company to excel, everyone must know how their work contributes to the organization's success. Successful organizations treat all their workers as knowledge workers. They let employees know how well the organization is performing, and they invite ideas about how the organization can do better.

Question 4

Knowledge workers in an organization do not work directly with customers.

Question 5

Virtual teams rely on communications technology such as videoconferences,e-mail,and cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities.

Question 6

When forming Citigroup,Citicorp combined its banking business with Traveller's Group's insurance business.This is an example of a merger.

Question 7

An individual who is actively seeking employment is a part of an organization's external labor market.

Question 8

An organization's critical work processes are not altered during a reengineering process.

Question 9

Nathan,a citizen of England,works for an automobile company in England and is currently working on a project of the company in the United States.Nathan will hence be regarded as an expatriate.

Question 10

A large gap exists between the social system and the technical system in high-performance work systems.

Question 11

Early-retirement programs are are one of the most effective approaches to downsizing.

Question 12

Total quality management proposes that every employee in the organization receive training in quality.

Question 13

When two firms in one industry join together to hold a greater share of the industry,it is regarded as a consolidation.

Question 14

Most organizations are look for educational achievements to find employees who can handle a variety of responsibilities,interact with customers,and think creatively.

Question 15

Individuals who arrive in the United States without meeting the legal requirements for immigration or asylum are referred to as undocumented immigrants.

Question 16

The members of Generation X are characterized by their comfort with the latest technology,and the need to be noticed,respected,and involved.

Question 17

Total quality management is intended to bring about a continuous process of quality improvement.

Question 18

The traditional role of HRM as primarily an administrative function has gradually given way to a new role-that of strategic partner.

Question 19

Teamwork gives the employees the authority and ability to decide on how to do their work.

Question 20

The use of employee empowerment has shifted the recruiting focus away from general cognitive and interpersonal skills toward technical skills.

Question 21

Which of the following statements best explains the term "labor force"?

A) All the permanent employees of an organization
B) All the people who have contracts to work at the company
C) All the adult members of a population
D) All the temporary workers of an organization
E) All the people willing and able to work

Question 22

Which of the following racial groups forms the majority of the U.S.labor force?

A) African-Americans
B) Whites
C) Hispanics
D) Asians
E) Europeans

Question 23

Employers' support for immigration to the United States can be attributed to the fact that:

A) there is lack of adequate technology in the country.
B) undocumented immigration is not taken seriously by the U.S. government.
C) qualified technical workers are scarce in the United States.
D) there is increased support from the government.
E) U.S. workers are not open to innovation.

Question 24

How has the requirement for creating high-performance work systems changed?

A) There is a drive toward low-cost strategy in the labor market.
B) Employees prefer implementation of 40-hour work weeks.
C) Competitors are looking for ways to standardize prices in their respective industries.
D) Employers are looking for ways to tap people's creativity and interpersonal skills.
E) Customers are demanding standardized products over customized products.

Question 25

Which of the following is a trend that is seen in present day high-performance work systems?

A) Mismatches in technical system and social system
B) Employee empowerment in decision making
C) Increase in individual assignments
D) Centralized decision making
E) Reduced reliance on knowledge workers

Question 26

Which of the following defines organizations with the best possible fit between their social system and their technical system?

A) Workforce analysis systems
B) Holistic management systems
C) Supply chain systems
D) High-performance work systems
E) Total quality management systems

Question 27

The growth in e-commerce and information economy has led to an increase in the demand for employees in:

A) technical jobs.
B) mining and resource extraction.
C) agriculture.
D) service occupations.
E) manufacturing.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about the composition of the U.S.labor force during the next decade is true?

A) The labor force is expected to grow at a greater rate than at any other time in U.S. history.
B) The largest proportion of the labor force is expected to be in the 16- to 25-year age group.
C) For the first time ever, the number of workers under 40 years of age will exceed the number of workers 40 years of age or older.
D) Despite a small increase in the number of young workers, the overall workforce will be aging.
E) The total cost of labor in the United States would considerably decrease.

Question 29

The employers can direct contract workers on details such as how and when they have to do their jobs without paying the employer's share of Social Security for those workers.

Question 30

Contract company workers are employed directly by a company.

Question 31

Which of the following is true regarding skilled knowledge workers?

A) They do not have considerable autonomy to make decisions.
B) They are most likely to experience a lack of opportunities in a slow economy.
C) They are not easily replaceable as they own the knowledge that the company requires to produce its products.
D) They are not expected to be technically efficient and are only involved in direct interactions with customers.
E) They are bound to work under the conditions imposed by the employer owing to the low status of their jobs.

Question 32

Which of the following authorities is responsible for tracking changes in the composition of the U.S.labor force and forecasting employment trends?

A) National Statistics Association
B) Occupational Outlook Bureau
C) U.S. Census Bureau
D) Bureau of Labor Welfare
E) Bureau of Labor Statistics

Question 33

Which of the following skills are more actively sought by U.S.employers today?

A) Physical strength
B) Mastery of particular machinery
C) Interpersonal skills
D) Ability to perform routine tasks
E) Ability to work with a tool

Question 34

The processing and transmission of digitized HR information is called electronic human resource management.

Question 35

Under the new psychological contract,organizations expect employees to contribute time,effort,skills,abilities,and loyalty in return for job security and opportunities for promotion within the organization.

Question 36

The temporary work visa granted by the U.S.government:

A) allows workers to permanently bring their spouse and children to the United States.
B) permits the workers to remain in the U.S. as immigrants.
C) provides dual citizenship to highly qualified and valued immigrants.
D) permits highly educated workers to work in the U.S. for a set period of time.
E) allows the workers to work permanently in the U.S.

Question 37

Managing cultural diversity involves:

A) forming different pay structures for various groups.
B) creating separate career tracks for employees with families.
C) avoiding the use of affirmative action policies.
D) reducing cultural diversity by selective hiring.
E) encouraging career development for women and minorities.

Question 38

Most organizations look for _____ to find employees who are capable of handling a variety of responsibilities,interacting with customers and thinking creatively.

A) basic psychomotor skills
B) skills related to computers
C) technical expertise
D) specific work experience
E) educational achievements

Question 39

Employees' job security has increased as a result of the new psychological contract.

Question 40

The term external labor market refers to the:

A) contract workers in the organization.
B) current employees of the organization.
C) individuals who are actively seeking employment.
D) employees who have direct contact with customers.
E) employees of the immediate competitors of the organization.

Question 41

As a method of downsizing,early-retirement programs have been shown to be:

A) by far the most effective.
B) linked to greater employee suffering and distress.
C) a better alternative to the "grenade" approach.
D) most suited to distinguish clearly between good and poor performers.
E) humane.

Question 42

Teams that rely heavily on communications technology such as videoconferences,e-mail,and cell phones to keep in touch and coordinate activities are referred to as:

A) associate teams.
B) electronic teams.
C) virtual teams.
D) traditional teams.
E) technological teams.

Question 43

Which of the following observations about reengineering is true?

A) It is primarily concerned with production processes.
B) Critical processes are not altered during this process.
C) Changing customer needs and technologies necessitate reengineering.
D) It has no impact on human resource practices and systems.
E) It is an effort to retain the current work processes with minimal change.

Question 44

How has the use of employee empowerment affected the recruitment of knowledge workers?

A) It has enhanced the need for people with high knowledge regarding individual parts of a particular production processes.
B) It has substantially enhanced employment opportunities for women and minorities.
C) It has shifted the focus away from technical skills to general cognitive and interpersonal skills.
D) It has significantly reduced recruiting costs by using the low-cost strategy though it hinders innovation.
E) It has made the recruitment process less time consuming.

Question 45

Human resource departments can help in employee empowerment by:

A) designing jobs such that the managers have complete control over business processes.
B) getting employees fully engaged by communicating to them about their role in supporting the organization's mission.
C) rewarding employees based on their loyalty to the organization rather than personal accomplishments or predetermined objective criteria.
D) providing feedback only during the employee performance review.
E) creating jobs that minimize the need for the employees to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.

Question 46

According to the principles of total quality management:

A) the feedback process should be initiated only after a significant quality improvement.
B) human resource managers have a limited role since the emphasis is on quality alone.
C) only key personnel receive training in quality.
D) errors in a product or service should be prevented before occurrence.
E) internal customers are more valuable than external customers.

Question 47

The term teamwork essentially refers to:

A) centralizing responsibility and authority to make decisions regarding all aspects of product development.
B) having the best possible fit between an organization's social system and technical system.
C) making efforts to continuously improve the ways people, machines, and systems accomplish work.
D) assigning work to a group of employees with various skills who interact to assemble a product.
E) providing employees with individual opportunities to grow, thereby achieving organizational goals.

Question 48

In 1999,Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham combined their businesses to create a new company,GlaxoSmithKline.This is an example of a(n)_____.

A) acquisition
B) take-over
C) partnership
D) strategic alliance
E) merger

Question 49

Employee empowerment primarily involves _____.

A) following a centralized and tall organizational structure
B) providing increased salary and benefits to employees
C) leading employees by the strength of one's charisma
D) continually learning and improving one's skills and abilities
E) giving employees responsibility and authority to make decisions

Question 50

When two companies join forces and become one entity,it is referred to as a(n):

A) acquisition.
B) merger.
C) take-over.
D) joint venture.
E) strategic alliance.

Question 51

Which of the following is in compliance with the core values of total quality management?

A) Providing specific quality training to the supervisors
B) Adopting a retrospective approach to quality control by correcting error prone products
C) Developing generalized methods and processes rather than focusing on meeting the needs of the specific customers
D) Encouraging employees and customers to provide inputs on improving quality of the products and deciding on the costs
E) Measuring employees' progress based on the amount of work done rather than the feedback obtained from the customers

Question 52

Present day managers expect the HR professionals to use their knowledge of business and human resources to support the company's strategy by:

A) maintaining compliance with labor laws.
B) performing administrative functions effectively.
C) designing and delivering effective HR policies and programs.
D) recruiting skilled knowledge workers.
E) developing strategies to meet broader goals such as profitability and market share.

Question 53

_____ refers to full involvement in one's work and commitment to one's job and company.

A) Job enlargement
B) Employee selection
C) Employee appraisal
D) Job specialization
E) Employee engagement

Question 54

Who among the following can be regarded as knowledge workers?

A) Retail salespersons
B) Food serving workers
C) Office clerks
D) Registered nurses
E) Attendants

Question 55

A chemical company buying a medical equipment manufacturing company is an example of a(n)_____.

A) acquisition
B) partnership
C) consolidation
D) joint venture
E) strategic alliance

Question 56

The HRM function during downsizing is to terminate the workers who:

A) are performing multiple organizational roles.
B) are less valuable in their performance.
C) are a part of the external labor force.
D) are older than the other employees.
E) are being paid the highest salaries.

Question 57

Which of the following is a challenge for HRM during mergers?

A) Scrutinizing balance sheets
B) Evaluating the financial worth of the new company
C) Developing competitively priced products
D) Developing conflict resolution skills among employees
E) Sustaining the brand image of the company

Question 58

Which of the following terms describes a company wide effort to continuously improve the way people,machines,and systems accomplish work?

A) Business reengineering
B) Total quality management
C) High-performance work system
D) Optimal performance system
E) Performance management

Question 59

When an organization undertakes a complete review of its critical work processes to make them more efficient and to be able to deliver higher quality,it is engaging in:

A) outsourcing.
B) offshoring.
C) reengineering.
D) greenfield venturing.
E) codetermining.

Question 60

If two firms in one industry join to hold a greater share of the industry,it will be referred to as a(n)_____.

A) take-over
B) consolidation
C) acquisition
D) assimilation
E) conglomerate

Question 61

Offshoring is defined as:

A) a practice of having another company provide services.
B) moving operations from the country where a company is headquartered to a country where pay rates are lower but the necessary skills are available.
C) a method of staffing other than the traditional hiring of full-time employees.
D) a complete review of the organization's critical work processes to make them more efficient and able to deliver higher quality of products and services.
E) the act of acquiring a new company in a distant location or another country in order to acquire higher market share or growth.

Question 62

Which of the following terms refers to a computer system used to acquire,store,manipulate,analyze,retrieve,and distribute information related to an organization's human resources?

A) Electronic performance support systems
B) e-CRM
C) High-performance work systems
D) Self-service systems
E) Human resource information systems

Question 63

What is an HR dashboard?

A) A messaging system used by HR managers to communicate with employees.
B) A display of how the company is performing on specific HR metrics.
C) A tool used to measure the profitability and growth rate of the organization.
D) A computer system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve, and distribute information about work schedules and job duties
E) A system used to store, analyze, and process the information regarding the levels of demand and inventory

Question 64

The largest number of immigrants to the U.S.workforce are from:

A) Africa.
B) Asia.
C) North America.
D) Europe.
E) Central America.

Question 65

Employees who take assignments in other countries are called _____.

A) home-country nationals
B) immigrants
C) external employees
D) expatriates
E) emigrants

Question 66

When large U.S.software companies like IBM and Microsoft open facilities in India to take advantage of the highly skilled labor available there at lower pay rates,they are engaging in:

A) consolidation.
B) nationalization.
C) crowdsourcing.
D) codetermining
E) offshoring.

Question 67

Which of the following technologies lets a company rent space on a remote computer system and use the system's software to manage its HR activities,including security and upgrades?

A) Application service providers
B) Internet portals
C) Shared service centers
D) Business intelligence systems
E) Electronic performance support systems

Question 68

Avion textiles,a cloth manufacturing company implements a new technology in their production process to improve the speed at which the cloth is produced.To make effective use of this technology,the company decides to train its employees regarding the new technology.They also make changes in the quality check and sales teams to maintain the costs at profitable levels and deliver good quality products.This reformation in all the critical processes of the company to make them efficient is known as _____.

A) outsourcing
B) codetermining
C) downsizing
D) hedging
E) reengineering

Question 69

How does a human resource information system help the organization?

A) It can be used to scrutinize balance sheets.
B) It can be used to develop new lines of products.
C) It can be used to provide employee coaching.
D) It can help avoid litigation and lawsuits.
E) It can be used by salespeople to improve targeting.

Question 70

Scott's Services is a company which hosts a software that helps in data processing.They process the payroll,performance,and other details required by a company and make the results available online.Which of the following technologies is being used by the company to do the computing tasks for other companies?

A) Intranet
B) HR dashboards
C) HR dashboards
D) Cloud computing
E) Business Intelligence systems

Question 71

Which of the following is the reason why more organizations are looking overseas to hire talented people?

A) Lack of technology in the U.S.
B) Lack of demand for their products in the U.S.
C) Poor quality of labor in the U.S.
D) Governmental pressure
E) Low cost of labor in foreign countries

Question 72

The practice of having another company provide services is known as _____.

A) benchmarking
B) downsizing
C) codetermining
D) outsourcing
E) reengineering

Question 73

A(n)_____ provides insight into business trends and patterns and helps businesses improve decisions.

A) electronic performance support systems
B) Internet portal
C) shared service center
D) application service provider
E) business intelligence system

Question 74

The confidentiality of the HR information can be maintained by setting up e-HRM on _____,a network that uses Internet tools but limits access to authorized users in the organization.

A) an open website
B) an intranet
C) an ethernet
D) an extranet
E) Arpanet

Question 75

An Internet portal is primarily used to:

A) process all HR transactions at one time.
B) consolidate different HR functions into a single location.
C) combine data from several sources into a single site.
D) obtain insight into business trends.
E) create a benchmark for all other companies in the industry.

Question 76

Which of the following can be used to consolidate different HR functions into a single location,eliminate redundancy,and reduce administrative costs?

A) Internet portals
B) Application services
C) Shared service centers
D) Business intelligence systems
E) Electronic performance support systems

Question 77

The use of social networking in HR has resulted in _____.

A) organizations becoming more bureaucratic and restrictive about information pertaining to workplace policies
B) the elimination of the self-service approach toward information dissemination in the organization
C) the elimination of face-to-face meetings and training sessions entirely across all businesses.
D) the collection of employees' opinions through online surveys to improve employee engagement initiatives
E) HR employees having to take on greater responsibilities pertaining to record keeping.

Question 78

_____ refer(s)to the processing and transmission of digitized HR information using computer networking and the Internet.

A) Electronic human resource management
B) An HR dashboard
C) An electronic performance system
D) An HR scorecard
E) Business intelligence

Question 79

Home Needs is a consumer goods company who provide the option of door-to-door delivery.They have partnered with a packaging company for transporting their goods to the customers.This practice of having another company to provide one of the services of the company is known as _____.

A) cause marketing
B) outsourcing
C) reengineering
D) disinvesting
E) downsizing

Question 80

A system in which employees have online access to information about HR issues and go online to enroll themselves in programs and provide feedback through surveys is termed as:

A) social facilitation
B) payroll automation.
C) cloud computing.
D) data mining.
E) self-service.