Question 1

When Olive, the HR manager, compared the overall levels of job satisfaction of staff to the overall job satisfaction of staff in a competitor's organisation she found that her staff were much more satisfied with their opportunities for promotion and development.Olive has collected:

Accepted Answer

A)   between-person metrics
B)   group-level metrics
C)   organisational-level metrics
D)   multilevel metrics C

Question 2

Aaron, the HR manager, found that those employees who had an extravert personality contributed to work group cohesion and that this contributed to a positive organisational culture.What did Aaron use to reach this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

A)   between-person metrics
B)   group-level metrics
C)   organisational-level metrics
D)   multilevel metrics D

Question 3

Part of being an effective leader in business is to think about what the future is likely to hold in terms of both challenges and opportunities.Consider the triple bottom line view and discuss its influences on business, society and government.

Accepted Answer

When considering the triple bottom line in HRM, it is useful to consider how the theory and practice of HRM might be different in the future, as well as how business might be different, and the people-management implications of these.
By considering what business might be like in the future, already we have witnessed shifts in how business is valued in society.The triple bottom line view has highlighted for business, society and governments the importance of which metrics are used to indicate successful business performance.In particular, the triple bottom line suggests that it is inappropriate to rely on financial performance indicators alone.Rather, this approach suggests that business success is measured by good performance on financial, social and environmental indicators.
Although the current ability to accurately assess environmental and social impact in any meaningful way is still problematic, the view that business should contribute to the wellbeing of the environment and society does foreshadow the possibility that current notions of economics and business performance may shift away from a material focus to a human wellbeing focus.For HRM, a key implication would be the need to explicitly link the management of people to social and environmental outcomes in addition to financial ones.
Examples of non-financial outcomes that HRM may need to show it positively affects include cognitive moral development, corruption, distributive justice, diversity openness, inclusion, crime, economic development, poverty alleviation, education, corporate citizenship, environmental impact, human rights, and empowerment to exercise civil and employment freedoms.
The increasing expectations of consumers, employees, communities and governments regarding the purpose of business in society and how it should operate will undoubtedly require a greater integration of HRM with the other functions within an organisation, as well as integration with the broader community.

Question 4

It is important that rather than simply adopting the practices of effective organisations, one should examine the underlying principles that led to the development of these effective practices.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Given the changes in how business is valued in society, discuss the potential "future" of organisations.Describe and provide examples of differing conditions that underpin the way that HRM may be practised in future organisations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the changes in how business is...

Question 6

The triple bottom line (TBL) approach suggests that three types of indicators should be used to measure successful business performance.These three indicators are:

Accepted Answer

A)   financial, environmental and cultural
B)   economic, ecological and social
C)   financial, environmental and social
D)   economic, ecological and cultural

Question 7

Developing an understanding of the organisation as a highly interconnected system is termed:

Accepted Answer

A)   benchmarking
B)   systems thinking
C)   SWOT analysis
D)   strategic objective setting

Question 8

Obtaining information about remuneration practices in order to understand the reality of the market for talent is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)   benchmarking
B)   competitor analysis
C)   SWOT analysis
D)   Filing gaps in the HRM practice

Question 9

If HR practitioners adopt 'best practices' used by other firms or repeat 'best practices' used in the past then they see effective HRM as a set of specific and routine practices that can be applied to any context.What is wrong with this thinking?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If HR practitioners adopt 'best practices' used...

Question 10

'Best principles' are scientifically proven axioms of human behaviour and often they focus on best practices rather than best principles.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Effective HRM is a dynamic process which involves:

Accepted Answer

A)   ongoing and systematic environmental scanning
B)   analysis of organisational objectives, strategies and policies
C)   the promotion of 'systems' thinking
D)   all of the above

Question 12

Gary used a horizontal gap analysis to examine whether the performance management process was being implemented differently for individuals and groups in different departments throughout the organisation.Gary used this analysis as part of the process for gathering:

Accepted Answer

A)   multilevel metrics
B)   organisational-level metrics
C)   group-level metrics
D)   within-person metrics

Question 13

The Sweat Shirt Company installed a new database system and developed an appropriate culture to utilise and further develop this system of technology.This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

A)   best principles
B)   benchmarking
C)   best practice
D)   HR culture audit

Question 14

If I wanted to determine whether Adam's level of job satisfaction varied from Michael's level, I would gather between-person metrics.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

When using organisational-level metrics it is necessary to undertake a gap analysis both vertically and horizontally to ensure that HR functions are consistent and that gaps do not prevent the organisation from achieving its strategic goals.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The paradigm that is most relevant to the contemporary business context contains which of the following values and beliefs?

Accepted Answer

A)   recognition of the whole person
B)   a positive social environment and the emotional aspects of working
C)   a healthy and secure physical environment
D)   all of the above

Question 17

HR practitioners believe that the quality of relationships with one's supervisor and co-workers affect work behaviour and attitudes is the only value and benefit to consider

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

List five of the values and beliefs that are contained in the thinking approach (or 'paradigm/) that is most relevant to the contemporary business context.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List five of the values and beliefs...

Question 19

The values and philosophy of an organisation that link to organisational success and the values and beliefs driving people management are crucial to the forming what type of HRM system?

Accepted Answer

A)   a value-driven culture
B)   an organisation where behaviours and attitudes are not respected
C)   a philosophical organisation
D)   value orientated HRM policy

Question 20

HR metrics can be used to monitor all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

A)   what is going on within the organisation
B)   what effects any changes implemented within the organisation are having
C)   the value being added to the organisation through its human resources
D)   the most appropriate recruitment and selection procedures to use in the organisation

Exam 12: Principles and Metrics for Value Adding HRM

When Olive, the HR manager, compared the overall levels of job satisfaction of staff to the overall job satisfaction of staff in a competitor's organisation she found that her staff were much more satisfied with their opportunities for promotion and development.Olive has collected:

Aaron, the HR manager, found that those employees who had an extravert personality contributed to work group cohesion and that this contributed to a positive organisational culture.What did Aaron use to reach this conclusion?

Part of being an effective leader in business is to think about what the future is likely to hold in terms of both challenges and opportunities.Consider the triple bottom line view and discuss its influences on business, society and government.

It is important that rather than simply adopting the practices of effective organisations, one should examine the underlying principles that led to the development of these effective practices.

Given the changes in how business is valued in society, discuss the potential "future" of organisations.Describe and provide examples of differing conditions that underpin the way that HRM may be practised in future organisations.

The triple bottom line (TBL) approach suggests that three types of indicators should be used to measure successful business performance.These three indicators are:

Developing an understanding of the organisation as a highly interconnected system is termed:

Obtaining information about remuneration practices in order to understand the reality of the market for talent is an example of:

If HR practitioners adopt 'best practices' used by other firms or repeat 'best practices' used in the past then they see effective HRM as a set of specific and routine practices that can be applied to any context.What is wrong with this thinking?

'Best principles' are scientifically proven axioms of human behaviour and often they focus on best practices rather than best principles.

Effective HRM is a dynamic process which involves:

Gary used a horizontal gap analysis to examine whether the performance management process was being implemented differently for individuals and groups in different departments throughout the organisation.Gary used this analysis as part of the process for gathering:

The Sweat Shirt Company installed a new database system and developed an appropriate culture to utilise and further develop this system of technology.This example illustrates:

If I wanted to determine whether Adam's level of job satisfaction varied from Michael's level, I would gather between-person metrics.

When using organisational-level metrics it is necessary to undertake a gap analysis both vertically and horizontally to ensure that HR functions are consistent and that gaps do not prevent the organisation from achieving its strategic goals.

The paradigm that is most relevant to the contemporary business context contains which of the following values and beliefs?

HR practitioners believe that the quality of relationships with one's supervisor and co-workers affect work behaviour and attitudes is the only value and benefit to consider

List five of the values and beliefs that are contained in the thinking approach (or 'paradigm/) that is most relevant to the contemporary business context.

The values and philosophy of an organisation that link to organisational success and the values and beliefs driving people management are crucial to the forming what type of HRM system?

HR metrics can be used to monitor all of the following except: