Deck 1: The World of Human Resources Management

Question 1

A recent study suggests that about 55 percent of Canada's workforce will be impacted by globalization,with knowledge workers and manufacturing jobs taking the brunt of the impact of the competition by lower-wage countries.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Managers in general and HR managers in particular should be concerned with the makeup and expectations of their employees.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

HR programs and assignments are often the primary method by which knowledge is transferred among employees.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Organizations own their human capital,including investments made in training and development.

Question 5

Currently,the percentage of women in the labour force is 35 percent.

Question 6

Employee productivity is the result of a combination of employees' abilities,motivation,and work environment,and the technology they have to work with.

Question 7

Because HR managers function in an advisory role,they are responsible for issuing policy revisions and implementing them.

Question 8

Some companies report that offering family-friendly benefits is so successful there are virtually no drawbacks.

Question 9

One of the roles of HR managers is to act as employee advocates despite their positions as managers.

Question 10

Employee leasing shifts administrative costs from the company to a professional employer organization.

Question 11

Women are heavily concentrated in managerial occupations.

Question 12

A human resource information system (HRIS)provides current and accurate data for control and decision making by managers.

Question 13

Family-friendly companies may risk alienating those employees who cannot utilize benefits provided.

Question 14

To be successful,organizations should seek to align their processes with customer needs.

Question 15

Reallocation of resources and assets is most often the reason for failed change management.

Question 16

The introduction of advanced technology tends to increase the number of jobs that require basic skills.

Question 17

HR professionals do not need to fully understand the economic and financial matters pertaining to their organization.

Question 18

Employee leasing refers to employing workers in their homes rather than within the traditional office environment.

Question 19

Due to increases in education,the gap between the educated and the non-educated is decreasing.

Question 20

Managing diversity means ensuring all employees are treated equally.

Question 21

In general,many companies are realizing diminished demand for "touch labour" and an increasing demand for "knowledge workers."

Question 22

An important hidden cost of layoffs is a loss of institutional memory and trust in management.

Question 23

Reengineering is a statistical method of translating customer needs into separate tasks and defining the best way to perform each task.

Question 24

The knowledge,skills,and capabilities that impact a company's performance but do not necessarily show up on its balance sheet are known as human capital.

Question 25

Top management increasingly expects HR managers to reduce their level of involvement in the overall strategy of the organization and concentrate on improving administrative efficiency.

Question 26

Because of the "dot-com bust," the initial explosive success of Internet business declined drastically and is still in a moderate decline.

Question 27

Methods of reducing labour costs include downsizing,outsourcing,and employee leasing.

Question 28

To launch a successful reengineering effort,it is important that managers build on existing processes.

Question 29

Employee motivation,teamwork,corporate culture,employee education,performance management,and rewards are the six aspects in the quality improvement program known as "Six Sigma."

Question 30

One of the responsibilities of HR managers is to provide advice and counsel to line managers.

Question 31

Rather than simply laying off people in downsizing efforts,companies such as L.L.Bean rely upon voluntary separation programs to provide an incentive for employees to leave on their own accord.

Question 32

Labour costs are one of the largest expenditures of any organization.

Question 33

Because of its importance,HR managers in progressive organizations are frequently assuming sole responsibility for the implementation of information technology.

Question 34

The extent to which organizations are successful in focusing on internal management issues often separates the winners from the losers in today's competitive world.

Question 35

Most human resources issues have little relevance for line managers.

Question 36

An HR manager is typically expected to function as an in-house consultant to supervisors,managers,and executives.

Question 37

Organizations known for product and service quality recognize the importance of employees in fostering quality improvements.

Question 38

One of the main reasons change efforts fail is that organizations do not create a sense of urgency.

Question 39

Outsourcing is positively related to improving key competencies of the firm.

Question 40

To successfully manage change,organizations,particularly in fast-growing industries,should wait to see how external forces impact performance,and then develop a plan to react to those changes.

Question 41

According to the diagram in the text,courage is an important aspect of being an HR professional.

Question 42

Employees today are less likely to define success only in terms of financial gain.

Question 43

In a recent survey,only about two-thirds of companies reported having a formal change management program to support their change initiatives.

Question 44

Employees and the public at large are demanding that employers demonstrate greater social responsibility.

Question 45

Organization C is attempting to manage reactive change within the organization.This organization is radically changing every process through redesigning and rethinking from the ground up.The firm needs a dramatic change in order to survive.What is Organization C implementing?

A)Six Sigma
B)continuous improvement
C)reengineering
D)total quality management

Question 46

Which type of work would a knowledge worker most likely engage in?

A)deciding which type of fertilizer to buy wholesale for a landscaping business
B)counting the number of grocery items in carts leaving a wholesale store
C)monitoring children on new daycare playground equipment
D)installing new ink cartridges in colour photocopiers in an office environment

Question 47

Which of the following is an increasing source of success for organizations?

A)the knowledge,skills,and abilities of its top executives
B)the knowledge,skills,and abilities of its employees
C)the proper management of the knowledge,skills,and abilities of its employees
D)the knowledge,skills,and abilities of HR professionals

Question 48

Almost all Canadian employers have engaged in some type of downsizing.

Question 49

ABC Corporation wants to contain its costs while allowing it to maintain working relationships with the employees while shifting administrative costs to another firm.What is this practice an example of?

A)professional employer organization
B)gainsourcing
C)employee leasing
D)outsourcing

Question 50

Which statement best reflects the current view on the efficacy of offshoring as a cost reduction measure?

A)While organizations can save with this practice,hidden costs,such as productivity loss during the transition,can chew up much of the financial gains.
B)The practice of offshoring has been one of the most positive HR trends of the last ten years.
C)The continuous shifting of global economies makes offshoring a necessary function for organizations to survive.
D)Offshoring only works if top managers begin early in the process to plan their key strategies,such as alternative talent pools and workforce training.

Question 51

ABC Corporation wants to expand on its markets in its new strategic plan.The plan covers the use of key resources available to the firm,including technology,people,and access to capital.Which of the following would be a critical human capital component of the plan?

A)capital investments
B)employees' skills
C)new markets
D)updated technology

Question 52

Older workers now are choosing to work longer.

Question 53

HRIS systems in some organizations,such as Corning Inc.,are changing the way HR processes are designed and executed.What type of technological effect is this?

A)relational
B)operational
C)transformational
D)configurational

Question 54

Which of the following is one of the largest expenditures of service companies?

A)production costs
B)marketing costs
C)labour costs
D)distribution costs

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an approach generally used by organizations to try to lower labour costs?

A)employee development
B)outsourcing
C)employee leasing
D)relocating aspects of their operations to countries in the developing world

Question 56

"Six Sigma" refers to the six criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Question 57

It is quite possible that when managers increase costs productivity often rises.

Question 58

To achieve sustainable competitive advantage through people,an organization's employees' skills,knowledge,and abilities must be widely available in the labour market.

Question 59

An increased reliance on outsourcing is likely to increase the morale and productivity of the employees that remain on the job.

Question 60

Why does effective management of human resources provide a firm with competitive advantage?

A)because it is financially cheaper to acquire people versus other resources
B)because people help to accelerate the use of technology
C)because it is difficult to replicate how we manage people in organizations
D)because it is easier to manage people versus other resources

Question 61

Which of the following best captures the list of modern social issues in HRM?

A)changing work structures,attitudes toward work and family,and increasing labour costs
B)changing demographics,employer/employee rights,and attitudes toward work and family
C)changing demographics,increasing labour costs,and global economic pressures
D)corporate social responsibility,organizational citizenship behaviour,and changing work structures

Question 62

The importance of Six Sigma to HR extends to all of the following EXCEPT which one?

A)performance management
B)employee benefits
C)training
D)communication

Question 63

Which organization has the BEST chance of implementing a successful change initiative?

A)one that has ensured the employees are not overburdened with work relating to the change and have time to focus on their jobs
B)one that has been very positive and relaxed throughout,ensuring not to establish a sense of urgency and always reporting positive effects
C)one that has ensured good news is shared and the change victory is celebrated as soon as some indicators appear positive
D)one that has ensured the changes are aligned with the organizational culture in important ways

Question 64

Which of the following groups is responsible for building an organization's skilled and motivated workforce?

A)HR managers
B)line managers and supervisors
C)department managers
D)HR and line managers

Question 65

Many Canadian firms are shifting some of their work and jobs to overseas locations.What is this business practice called?

A)nearshoring
B)offshoring
C)employee leasing
D)downsizing

Question 66

Which of the following is an example of corporate social responsibility?

A)providing career counselling to outsourced employees to increase their ability to find work
B)installing noise-reduction baffling in plants to decrease anticipated community complaints
C)sharing knowledge freely throughout the organization to improve employee efficiency and workflow
D)providing speed-reading courses for front-line staff to improve their abilities in absorbing new information

Question 67

Information technology impacts HRM practices in several important ways.Which of the following is one such way?

A)Paper waste from employee files is drastically decreased.
B)Convenience in general has increased.
C)Employee recording of all types is carried out much faster.
D)Many HR functions can now be considered "self-serve."

Question 68

What is the changing nature of the HR manager's role increasingly focused on?

A)policy formulation
B)international issues
C)privacy issues,global management issues,HR planning,and downsizing issues
D)basic practices like staffing,but also policy development,employee advocacy,and advice

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT a key benefit of corporate social responsibility?

A)avoiding lawsuits
B)improving earnings
C)attracting more applicants
D)improving pay for employees

Question 70

Which statement best describes the relationship among gender,education,and pay?

A)Women generally earn less than men do; however,when they have an advanced degree they earn the same amount as men.
B)Men and women generally earn the same amount except when neither group has any higher education.
C)Women consistently and in every category earn less than men with an equivalent amount of education.
D)Men with a university degree earn approximately the same as women with an advanced degree.

Question 71

Which of the following is a critical demographic-related problem facing Canadian firms?

A)an increasingly homogenous population
B)retirement of baby boomers
C)migration from Ontario
D)increasing salaries for employees

Question 72

Organization A is attempting to foster proactive change within the firm.This organization is forming teams and extending its processes to include training,performance management,communication,culture,and even rewards.The organization hopes to improve its ability to catch mistakes before they happen.What is Organization A implementing?

A)Six Sigma
B)continuous improvement
C)reengineering
D)total quality management

Question 73

In today's highly competitive environment,managing organizational change has become which of the following?

A)a core competency of the organization
B)a product of globalization and technological advancement
C)a proactive method of downsizing
D)the preferred method of reacting to a decrease in organizational performance

Question 74

HRM plays an important role in organizations by balancing the sometimes competing demands of which of the following?

A)competitive challenges and employee concerns
B)international challenges and employee concerns
C)employee concerns and employer challenges
D)competitive and employee challenges

Question 75

Which of the following trends is causing a major organizational concern that the expertise of employees will be rapidly drained from their companies?

A)Generation nexus is thus far not demonstrating a dedication to training and education.
B)There is an increase of uneducated women entering the workforce.
C)Recruitment of lower-skilled immigrant workers is increasing.
D)Large proportions of some workforces are nearing retirement.

Question 76

HRIS systems in some organizations help managers to connect with employees and with the HR data they need.What type of technological effect is this?

A)relational
B)operational
C)transformational
D)configurational

Question 77

What was the first major trade agreement of the twentieth century to establish rules and guidelines for global commerce?

A)NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
B)GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)
C)FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas)
D)APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)

Question 78

ABC Bank is experiencing rapid retirement of baby boomers.The bank needs to retain its employment levels because of the volume of work,and it does not want to increase the workload of its employees.Which of the following is a good strategy for the bank to pursue to address this situation?

A)Do nothing as the situation will rectify itself.
B)Offer higher compensation packages to attract qualified candidates.
C)Downsize the firm to save on labour costs.
D)Increase production efforts so as to gain more revenue.

Question 79

Dave Ulrich,a professor of management,is quoted as saying that,in terms of learning and development: "Learning capability is g times g…." What does this mean?

A)an employee's knowledge,measured as g,multiplied by the employer's goodwill
B)an organization's goodwill multiplied by its generosity to employees in terms of salaries and benefits
C)an organization's grand image and brand multiplied by its goodwill
D)an organization's ability to generate new ideas multiplied by its adeptness at generalizing them throughout the company

Question 80

What are the competencies of the human resources manager?

A)business mastery,HR mastery,and executive mastery
B)business mastery,HR mastery,and personal credibility
C)business mastery,HR mastery,personal credibility,and change mastery
D)change mastery,personal credibility,union mastery,and HR mastery