Question 1

Which of the following sets of competencies should organizations develop in their employees to enhance the degree of rareness in employee skill and abilities?

Accepted Answer

A)  those that provide generic skills that are widely valued 
B)  those that are not equally available in the labour market 
C)  those that can be transferred to other organizations 
D)  those that can be duplicated

Question 2

To promote an egalitarian environment, organizations such as Monsanto have decided to pay all employees based on salary.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following compensation systems does NOT focus employee efforts on outcomes that are beneficial to both themselves and the organization as a whole?

Accepted Answer

A)  profit-sharing plans 
B)  skill-based pay systems 
C)  hourly based pay systems 
D)  employee stock ownership plans

Question 4

All of the following benefits are realized by redesigning work around key business processes EXCEPT which one?

Accepted Answer

A)  It empowers employees to make decisions. 
B)  It standardizes employees' skills. 
C)  It establishes a work environment that facilitates teamwork. 
D)  It takes advantage of employees' skills and knowledge.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a tangible symbol of commitment between labour and management?

Accepted Answer

A)  the establishment of joint forums with explicit mandates 
B)  clauses in the collective bargaining agreement 
C)  a policy document clarifying union involvement 
D)  good-faith negotiations

Question 6

High-performance work systems depend on the shift from touch labour to which of the following types of work?

Accepted Answer

A)  knowledge 
B)  managerial 
C)  scientific 
D)  technical

Question 7

Which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to be asked during a process audit?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Are employees rewarded for good performance and useful suggestions?" 
B)  "Is training developing the knowledge/skills employees need?" 
C)  "Are employees making more money than in the past?" 
D)  "Are employees actually working together, or is 'team' just a label?"

Question 8

Which of the following statements captures the fundamental logic of high-performance work systems?

Accepted Answer

A)  These are HR practices used to manage higher-performing employees. 
B)  Each of the HR practices creates high-performance employees in isolation. 
C)  These are work systems that are prominent in high-performance organizations. 
D)  All the HR practices work in complementary fashion to create synergy.

Question 9

One of the best ways to communicate the business needs to employees is to show them the gap between today's current performance and capabilities and where the organization needs to be in the future to be successful.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

High-performance work systems need to be periodically evaluated in terms of organizational priorities and initiatives.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Egalitarian work environments strive to clarify and strengthen status and power differences in order to increase collaboration and teamwork.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Which of the following would not support a high-performance work system in a small-sized organization?

Accepted Answer

A)  developing training programs that continually update employee skills 
B)  relying upon outsourcing arrangements 
C)  implementing team-based work systems 
D)  utilizing compensation practices that support specific organizational goals.

Question 13

Despite fewer layers of management and a greater reliance on team-based organizing, the role of managers and supervisors is not substantially different in an environment of high-performance work systems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Even if employees are underutilized, organizations can still operate at full performance.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Employees who are given timely information about business plans, performance, and strategies, are more likely to make good suggestions for improving business.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an added value of open, ongoing dialogue during change implementation?

Accepted Answer

A)  It speeds up the implementation process. 
B)  It enables both managers and workers to identify areas for improvement throughout the implementation. 
C)  It enables employees to ask questions as they come up. 
D)  It reaffirms commitment at all levels.

Question 17

Because of its complexity, skill-based pay is seldom used in high-performance work systems.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The philosophies, principles, and techniques that underlie high-performance work systems are also applicable to small and medium-sized organizations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Training in high-performance work systems focuses on arranging workflow and business processes.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The principle of shared information is part of the implementation of a command and control organizational system.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 16: Creating High Performance Work Systems

Which of the following sets of competencies should organizations develop in their employees to enhance the degree of rareness in employee skill and abilities?

To promote an egalitarian environment, organizations such as Monsanto have decided to pay all employees based on salary.

Which of the following compensation systems does NOT focus employee efforts on outcomes that are beneficial to both themselves and the organization as a whole?

All of the following benefits are realized by redesigning work around key business processes EXCEPT which one?

Which of the following is NOT a tangible symbol of commitment between labour and management?

High-performance work systems depend on the shift from touch labour to which of the following types of work?

Which of the following questions would be the LEAST likely to be asked during a process audit?

Which of the following statements captures the fundamental logic of high-performance work systems?

One of the best ways to communicate the business needs to employees is to show them the gap between today's current performance and capabilities and where the organization needs to be in the future to be successful.

High-performance work systems need to be periodically evaluated in terms of organizational priorities and initiatives.

Egalitarian work environments strive to clarify and strengthen status and power differences in order to increase collaboration and teamwork.

Which of the following would not support a high-performance work system in a small-sized organization?

Despite fewer layers of management and a greater reliance on team-based organizing, the role of managers and supervisors is not substantially different in an environment of high-performance work systems.

Even if employees are underutilized, organizations can still operate at full performance.

Employees who are given timely information about business plans, performance, and strategies, are more likely to make good suggestions for improving business.

Which of the following is NOT an added value of open, ongoing dialogue during change implementation?

Because of its complexity, skill-based pay is seldom used in high-performance work systems.

The philosophies, principles, and techniques that underlie high-performance work systems are also applicable to small and medium-sized organizations.

Training in high-performance work systems focuses on arranging workflow and business processes.

The principle of shared information is part of the implementation of a command and control organizational system.