Deck 6: Managing Human Resources

Question 1

The first three activities of the human resource management (HRM)process are about measuring and rewarding staff.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The most important environmental factor in the HRM process is ________.

A)the scientific community
B)the academic environment
C)the business environment
D)the legal environment

Answer 2

D

Question 3

To find out more about a job with a title of 'assistant media buyer',you would find this to be most helpful.

A)Job listing.
B)Job specification.
C)Job title.
D)Job description.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Human resource management involves training,motivating and retaining competent employees.

Question 5

As one of his first tasks in a new job,Steve's boss asks him to develop a database that lists the educational level,special capabilities and specialised skills of all the employees in his firm.This is known as a ________.

A)human resource inventory
B)job analysis
C)lengthy process
D)job description

Question 6

Downsizing occurs in which phase of the human resource management process?

A)First.
B)Second.
C)Third.
D)Fourth.

Question 7

Recruitment is the process of ________.

A)locating,identifying and attracting capable applicants
B)assessing the national,international and local labour market
C)hiring from inside the organisation
D)hiring from outside the organisation

Question 8

For the most part,________ are involved in HR decisions within their own department or unit.

A)most managers
B)all managers
C)some managers
D)very few managers

Question 9

A wheelchair-bound applicant may be denied a job ________.

A)if the job requires complete physical mobility
B)in some states
C)if the job is strenuous or physically tiring in some way
D)under no circumstances

Question 10

Which legislation deals with issues such as race,age,sex and colour?

A)Sex Discrimination Act.
B)Privacy Act.
C)Equal Employment Opportunity Act.
D)Fair Work Act.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a voluntary form of downsizing?

A)Early retirement.
B)Firing.
C)Attrition.
D)Job sharing.

Question 12

The difference between attrition and redundancy is that ________.

A)firing includes job training and re-placement
B)attrition is a faster process
C)attrition is a slower process
D)attrition includes job training and re-placement

Question 13

Which of the following occurs first in an employment planning process?

A)human resource inventory
B)job specification
C)performance-simulation test
D)job analysis

Question 14

Which of the following is a key DISADVANTAGE to recruiting through employee referrals.

A)No diversity increase.
B)Limited to entry-level positions.
C)Lower-skilled candidates.
D)High cost.

Question 15

A person who believes they have been unfairly dismissed should consult which legislation?

A)Work Health Safety Act.
B)Fair Work Act.
C)Equal Employment Opportunity Act.
D)Crimes Act.

Question 16

If employment planning shows a large surplus of employees,management may want to ________.

A)downsize
B)expand
C)continue with current employment levels
D)train and develop employees

Question 17

A job description is ________.

A)something that employers keep secret from job candidates
B)a written document used to describe a job to job candidates
C)the official title for the job
D)not a written document

Question 18

HR managers can estimate human resource needs by evaluating which of the following?

A)How competitors are performing.
B)Demand for the organisation's product.
C)Employment and unemployment statistics.
D)The general state of the economy.

Question 19

A community fire department cannot legally deny employment to a firefighter applicant who is confined to a wheelchair.

Question 20

The most important environmental force that affects HRM is the legal environment.

Question 21

Keena's company needs to increase the diversity of its workforce.Which choice might this requirement rule out?

A)Advertising.
B)School placement.
C)Private employment agency.
D)Employee referral.

Question 22

During an interview,an applicant for a managerial job is confronted with role players who make the claim that they have been 'harassed on the job'.The applicant is then asked to deal with the complaints.What kind of selection device is being used?

A)Behavioural interview.
B)Performance-simulation test.
C)Structured interview.
D)High-stress interview.

Question 23

Few people are ever selected for a job without which of the following?

A)Taking a written test.
B)Taking a physical test.
C)Taking a performance-simulation test.
D)Undergoing an interview.

Question 24

An accept error occurs when an applicant ________.

A)who is hired performs poorly on the job
B)who is not hired would have performed well on the job
C)who is hired performs adequately on the job
D)who is not hired is hired by another firm

Question 25

Prior to setting up the interviews for the executive position,Frances spent a great deal of time analysing the position and determining what skills,attitudes and actions it would require.This lengthy review is called a ________.

A)job specification
B)job title
C)job analysis
D)job description

Question 26

Interviews are valid predictors of success in the workplace if ________.

A)questions are structured
B)the interview lasts an hour
C)questions are long
D)the interviewee gets along with the interviewer

Question 27

A reject error occurs when an applicant ________.

A)who is not hired would have performed poorly on the job
B)who is hired performs poorly on the job
C)who is hired performs the job at a high level
D)who is not hired would have performed well on the job

Question 28

In an assessment centre,an applicant for an engineering job might ________.

A)be interviewed by fellow employees
B)be interviewed by her prospective boss
C)be given an engineering problem to solve
D)take technical written tests

Question 29

Employment planning includes three steps: assessing current human resources needs,developing a plan to meet those needs,and reporting to external regulators.

Question 30

To respond to a candidate for the executive position who wants to know more about the job,Frances is likely to send which of the following?

A)Human resource inventory.
B)Job description.
C)Job title.
D)Job analysis.

Question 31

To use a physical test as a valid selection device,a company must demonstrate that ________.

A)the test is reliable
B)the test does not discriminate against people with physical disabilities
C)the test is fair
D)physical ability is related to job performance

Question 32

A(n)________ selection device shows a clear link between test performance and job performance.

A)valid
B)invalid
C)unreliable
D)reliable

Question 33

Which of the following downsizing methods can 'happen on its own' if management suspends hiring practices?

A)Transfers.
B)Attrition.
C)Firing.
D)Reduced workweeks.

Question 34

________ indicates how consistently a selection device measures a criterion.

A)Operational scoring
B)Validity
C)Qualification
D)Reliability

Question 35

With regard to maintaining a low recruitment cost,which choice would be best for Keena?

A)Employee leasing.
B)Private employment agency.
C)Internal search.
D)Advertisement.

Question 36

A realistic job preview (RJP)includes ________ a job.

A)only factual information about
B)both positive and negative aspects of
C)only negative aspects of
D)only positive aspects of

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of selection device reliability?

A)An applicant was given very different interview scores by five independent interviewers.
B)An applicant took a test once and scored higher than any other applicant.
C)An applicant took a test a second time and her score improved markedly.
D)An applicant was given the same interview score by all five independent interviewers.

Question 38

In an interview,Frances informs a candidate that the job is 'absorbing' but its hours will be 'long and gruelling'.What kind of an interview is Frances conducting?

A)Stress.
B)Realistic job preview.
C)Role-playing.
D)Behavioural.

Question 39

How effective are behavioural interviews?

A)Nearly eight times as effective as ordinary interviews.
B)No more effective than other interviews.
C)Less effective than other interviews.
D)Twice as ineffective as ordinary interviews.

Question 40

A realistic job preview states the minimum qualifications a person needs to perform a job successfully.

Question 41

In a short essay,discuss the written test as a selection device for HRM.

Question 42

Which of the following is the best way to evaluate a training program?

A)How much information trainees retain.
B)Actual job performance of trainees.
C)How costly the method is.
D)How much trainees say they learned.

Question 43

In a realistic job preview (RJP),an applicant might be told that the likelihood for promotion for the job he is applying for is slim.

Question 44

In a short essay,list the following sources of potential job candidates: temporary help services,school placement,and employment agencies.Include a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each major source to support your answer.

Question 45

Which form of on-the-job training might have a trainee working with a single mentor from the organisation?

A)Vestibule training.
B)Understudy assignments.
C)Simulation exercises.
D)Job rotation.

Question 46

Performance-simulation tests are thought to be one of the best methods for evaluating job applicants in use today.

Question 47

A selection device is valid if it can be proven to accurately measure the abilities of job applicants.

Question 48

Job referrals are generally not a good method for improving workplace diversity.

Question 49

Firing,layoffs,and early retirements are the only three downsizing options.

Question 50

A disadvantage of a written essay for employee appraisal is that it tends to be biased by ________.

A)the prejudice of the evaluator
B)friendship between the employee and the evaluator
C)the writing skill of the employee
D)the writing skill of the evaluator

Question 51

In a short essay,discuss the performance-simulation test as a selection device for HRM.

Question 52

Written tests fell into disfavour in the late 1960s and are now rarely used in the selection process.

Question 53

Advertisements have not been shown to be the most effective method for attracting the best applicants for jobs.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a sign to look for in a successful orientation process?

A)The new employee is less likely to resign.
B)The new employee clearly exceeds all productivity goals for her work unit.
C)The new employee feels comfortable.
D)The new employee does not perform poorly.

Question 55

All of the following describe ways an organisation can ensure workplace health and safety EXCEPT ________.

A)monitoring absenteeism,accident and injury rates
B)interviewees are given a realistic job preview
C)controlling workplace hazards
D)workplace health and safety audits

Question 56

The ________ establishes a legal requirement for organisations to minimise the risk of accident,injury or disease to anyone associated with the work process.

A)Equal Employment Opportunity Act
B)Fair Work Act
C)Work Health Safety Act
D)Crimes Act

Question 57

Employee referrals are usually reliable.

Question 58

Which of the following reasons describes the need for workplace health and safety?

A)Lower insurance and compensation cost.
B)Less damage to plant and equipment.
C)Higher productivity.
D)Higher absenteeism rate.

Question 59

Important goals of job orientation are to reduce anxiety and to familiarise the recruit with the job and the organisation.

Question 60

In a short essay,discuss the interview as a selection device for HRM.

Question 61

All of the following are advantages of a graphic rating scale for employee evaluation EXCEPT ________.

A)easy to draw conclusions from and summarise
B)not time-consuming
C)provides objective quantitative data that can be analysed in a variety of ways
D)all of the above

Question 62

Which of the following is NOT a reason that managers put a lot of importance into developing a good compensation system?

A)A sense of fairness.
B)To avoid breaking the law.
C)To attract talented employees.
D)To retain talented employees.

Question 63

A performance appraisal method that combines two other well-known methods into one process is called ________.

A)360-degree feedback
B)written essay
C)BARS
D)graphic rating scales

Question 64

The amount of pay an employee receives can be determined by the location of the company and the level of unionisation.

Question 65

Job training never addresses trainee attitudes toward the job or the organisation.

Question 66

A key goal of compensation administration is to create a cost-effective system that will provide incentive for employees.

Question 67

The best way to measure the effectiveness of job training is to find out how stressful the process was for trainees.

Question 68

Most companies vary the payment of benefits according to how well employees perform.

Question 69

To set pay standards,HRM employs ________.

A)outside consultants
B)a national pay scale
C)a panel of an employee's peers
D)compensation administration

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can influence compensation and benefits?

A)Gender.
B)Geographical location.
C)Employee performance levels.
D)Seniority.

Question 71

In a short essay,discuss off-the-job training methods.

Question 72

Why do managers often offer counselling to underperforming employees rather than just fire them?

A)To avoid unsettling other employees.
B)To give the organisation a favourable image.
C)To avoid the cost of replacing the employee.
D)To avoid discord.

Question 73

Which multi-person employee evaluation method allows for two or more employees to get the same rating?

A)360-degree feedback.
B)Individual ranking.
C)Group-order ranking.
D)Paired comparison.

Question 74

When the employer rates an applicant according to actual behaviours on a graphical rating scale,they are using the graphic rating scale approach.

Question 75

Health insurance is an example of which of the following?

A)Wages.
B)Employee benefit.
C)Compensation.
D)Salary.

Question 76

Using individual ranking as an employee appraisal device,two employees might be named 'best' in the group.

Question 77

This appraisal method is used by more major corporations than any other method.

A)Management by objectives.
B)Graphic rating scales.
C)Critical incidents.
D)360-degree appraisal.

Question 78

The only goal of a performance management system is to assess training needs.

Question 79

In a short essay,discuss on-the-job training methods.

Question 80

What do the written essay,critical incidents,graphic rating scales and BARS evaluation methods have in common?

A)They rank employees by performance.
B)They compare individuals against standards.
C)They compare one employee to his or her peers.
D)They are multi-person comparisons.