Deck 1: The Challenges of Hrm

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an emerging area in the field of HRM?

A)high performance work groups
B)incentive compensation
C)organizational development
D)human resource information systems

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What are two emerging areas in the field of HRM?

A)organizational development and flexible work arrangements
B)incentive compensation and labour relations
C)pay and benefits,and safety
D)performance management and job design

Answer 2

A

Question 3

ARC Refrigeration Inc.is particularly good at bringing together different kinds of people to achieve their common organizational purpose.What is this the essence of?

A)human resources management
B)organizational strategy
C)organizational vision and goals
D)enlightened leadership

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What HR process ensures that people in the organization are the right people with the right skills at the right time in the right place?

A)human resource planning
B)job descriptions and work design
C)recruitment and selection
D)employee relations

Question 5

What emerging HR activity is an extension of training and development?

A)on the job coaching
B)learning and organizational development
C)human resource planning
D)employee development

Question 6

Which activity is NOT part of HRM?

A)occupational health and safety
B)job designs and job descriptions
C)planning,recruitment,and selection
D)promotions and transfers

Question 7

What does HRM refer to?

A)techniques and processes for organizing people and work activities
B)management techniques for controlling people at work
C)an integrated set of processes focusing on effective employee deployment and development
D)all management activities

Question 8

What HR activity provides the resources to assist employees in developing the necessary knowledge and skills to do their jobs today and in the future?

A)job descriptions and design
B)human resource planning
C)training and development
D)strategic planning

Question 9

Which function is within the framework for Human Resources Management?

A)ISO 9000
B)customer expectations
C)employee relations
D)globalization

Question 10

What are two emerging areas in the field of HRM?

A)executive compensation and labour relations
B)safety and unions
C)performance management and staffing
D)high performance work groups and HRIS

Question 11

Which resources are essential to an organization?

A)utilities,money and people
B)money,machines and people
C)people,machines and utilities
D)machines,utilities and finances

Question 12

In a recent survey,what did employees cite as a major influence on their decision to stay with an organization?

A)good pay and benefits
B)progressive policies and procedures
C)their direct manager
D)challenging work

Question 13

What is the HR practitioner's primary role?

A)ensuring the line managers carry out HR policies
B)ensuring technology is introduced throughout the organization
C)ensuring vacation time is effectively and fairly scheduled
D)ensuring the line managers have the best human resource practices

Question 14

Why is it important that line managers understand HRM?

A)it allows managers to meet their goals through the achievement of organization goals
B)it allows managers to apply HRM principles in the execution of their technical skills
C)managers are the key link between the employee and the customer
D)managers are responsible for a wide range of HRM activities

Question 15

Jayne Carter,the Vice President of HR for Starline Hotels is focused on ensuring that Starline Hotels is staffed with the most effective human resources to achieve the organizations strategic goals.What is Jayne's role?

A)operational
B)strategic
C)staffing
D)administrative

Question 16

Which of the following is an HRM activity?

A)ensuring legal compliance
B)selecting employees
C)project management
D)job coaching

Question 17

Which activity is part of a line manager's responsibility?

A)compensation policies
B)performance management systems
C)scheduling production
D)ensuring legal compliance

Question 18

Which term describes the structure of HR processes and activities and their relationship to the organization and the employees?

A)linear
B)integrated
C)functional
D)dynamic

Question 19

What is the significance of the new phrases "human capital," "intellectual assets," and "talent management" that have crept into business jargon?

A)they illustrate how organizations recognize the individual differences of each
Employee
B)they highlight how people are brought together to achieve a common purpose
C)they emphasize the value that people have to organizations
D)they imply that people need to be managed as resources

Question 20

What HR activity determines what,where,when,and how work tasks are done?

A)defining and designing work
B)human resource planning
C)recruitment and selection
D)employee relations

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT part of the major role of HR professionals?

A)provide guidance and assistance to line managers
B)assume a greater role in top management planning and decision making
C)relieve line managers of their HR responsibilities
D)help organizations achieve success by maximizing employee potential

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a method used to contain costs,as an alternative to downsizing?

A)outsourcing
B)contract workers
C)employee leasing
D)employee redeployment

Question 23

Which of the following is used by companies to minimize the negative impact on individuals during downsizing?

A)flextime
B)job sharing
C)lay off employees based on performance
D)outsourcing

Question 24

What are three current business challenges facing organizations?

A)global economy,demographics,and technology
B)language,organizational culture,and employee assistance
C)human resource planning,staffing,and training
D)labour relations,language,and culture

Question 25

Globalization is not just of interest to large firms.What percentage of the Canadian economy is affected by international competition?

A)80 to 90 %
B)70 to 80 %
C)50 to 60 %
D)30 to 40 %

Question 26

The HRM for a Canadian real estate company wants to develop an overall recruitment approach to attract individuals with key skill sets.This approach would then generate a pool of applicants with the required competencies for all the regions.The regional manager will actually select the best person from this pool.What is this an example of?

A)appropriate functional authority
B)misuse of staff authority
C)appropriate line and staff authority
D)inappropriate line and staff authority

Question 27

How has the effect of globalization added to HRM responsibilities?

A)they are balancing complicated issues related to language and communication
B)they must know the differences in country legislations and business practices
C)there are increased concerns about privacy,ethics,and culture
D)they must address employee concerns about outsourcing

Question 28

Ciara McKay,the banquet manager at Riverside Hotels,typically provides coaching and feedback to her employees.What type of authority is Ciara using?

A)line
B)staff
C)functional
D)legitimate

Question 29

Which of the following is part of the role of a line manager?

A)executive planning and decision making
B)assessing the causes of production problems
C)developing human resource policies
D)helping organizations achieve success by maximizing employee potential

Question 30

What is a current business challenge facing organizations and human resource management?

A)employee assistance programs
B)developing human capital
C)HRIS policies
D)conflict management

Question 31

When managers talk about "going global",they have to balance a complicated set of issues.Which of the following is NOT one of those issues?

A)cultural differences
B)gender differences
C)legal differences
D)geographical differences

Question 32

In organizations that have an HR unit,what do HR managers assume a greater role in?

A)executive planning and decision making
B)selecting employees who deserve bonuses
C)assessing the causes of production problems
D)setting department goals for line managers

Question 33

What is the term for hiring someone outside the company to perform tasks that could be done internally?

A)contracting
B)outplacement
C)employee leasing
D)outsourcing

Question 34

Manteo Resort places an increased emphasis on the growth and development of its people.The managers are front-and-centre in identifying the gaps in any skill sets and the HR practitioner offers ways of bridging the gaps.What is this an example of?

A)functional authority
B)line manager and HRM partnership
C)strategic planning
D)human resource planning

Question 35

Which is the best example of HRM responding to the challenge of globalization?

A)identifying capable expatriate managers
B)containing staffing costs
C)redesigning jobs and the ways in which people work
D)estimating the demand and supply of human resources

Question 36

Kyle Jon,the HRM at Riverside Hotels,typically supports and advises the line managers.What type of authority is Kyle using?

A)line
B)staff
C)functional
D)legitimate

Question 37

Who is the key link between the employee and the organization?

A)the line manager or supervisor
B)the human resource manager
C)the work group
D)the department teams

Question 38

HR departments play an active role in influencing change within organizations.What is NOT part of the HR role?

A)developing credibility
B)developing sound business knowledge
C)setting production standards for employees
D)becoming business partners with the entire organization

Question 39

SynCore,a Canadian oil and gas company and DYNA,a Canadian mining company have been experiencing growth while the Canadian car manufacturing industry has declined significantly.What current business challenge is this an example of?

A)demographics and employee concerns
B)technology and quality
C)culture and environment
D)evolution of firms and sector survival

Question 40

Which is the best example of HRM responding to the challenge of technology?

A)identifying technically skilled workers
B)containing costs
C)redesigning jobs and the ways in which people work
D)developing privacy and code of conduct policies

Question 41

What is the goal of Six Sigma,ISO 9000,and TQM management approaches?

A)to improve quality and achieve higher customer satisfaction
B)to improve resource allocation
C)to embrace new technology and manage change
D)to enhance human resource development

Question 42

What is the Canadian workforce anticipated to exhibit in the future?

A)about the same demographic mix as it does today
B)an increase in Generation X workers
C)an increase in ethnic diversity
D)a decrease in the number of older workers

Question 43

What is the term used to describe the combination of knowledge,skills,and characteristics needed to effectively perform a role in an organization?

A)knowledge capital
B)human capital
C)core competencies
D)talent management

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that information technology influences HRM?

A)IT stores and retrieves large amounts of information quickly.
B)IT improves productivity with the HR function.
C)IT enhances services to line managers and employees.
D)IT increases the cost of computer hardware.

Question 45

What is the overall term used to describe the value of knowledge,skills,and capabilities that may not show up on a company's balance sheet but nevertheless have tremendous impact on an organization's performance?

A)human capital
B)core competencies
C)knowledge capital
D)stakeholder value

Question 46

According to Statistics Canada,what percentage of the labour force do first nations represent?

A)15.2 %
B)10.1 %
C)5.7 %
D)3.8 %

Question 47

In what way are Canadian labour force demographics expected to change?

A)College graduates will make up a smaller share of the Canadian labour force than they did in the past.
B)Women will make up a smaller share of the Canadian labour force than they did in the past.
C)Visible minorities will make up a smaller share of the Canadian labour force than they did in the past.
D)Young entry-level workers will make up a smaller share of the Canadian labour force than they did in the past.

Question 48

What practices are a growing number of companies using to accommodate the generational cohorts who strive to balance the demands of their jobs with the needs of their families or non work lives?

A)offering greater job flexibility,such as part-time work
B)offering educational leaves and training funds
C)offering onsite day care
D)offering financial supports for elder care services

Question 49

What are integrated knowledge sets within an organization known as that distinguish it from its competitors,and that deliver value to customers?

A)individual competencies
B)core competencies
C)human capital
D)organizational competencies

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a primary impact that technology has had on HRM?

A)Technology has improved the processes of internal and external communications.
B)Technology has altered the methods of collecting employment information.
C)Technology has diminished the role of supervisors in managing employees.
D)Technology has sped up the processing of employment data.

Question 51

What is an important factor in effective quality improvement strategies?

A)employee education
B)job evaluation
C)job specifications
D)change in HRM policies and procedures

Question 52

What is the term for the skills,knowledge,education and experience of an organization's workforce?

A)human capital
B)intellectual capital
C)core competencies
D)employee capital

Question 53

What part of an organization is formed by a focus on customer and active listening skills?

A)its human capital formation
B)its skills inventory
C)its core competencies
D)its leveraged talent

Question 54

A study by the Conference Board of Canada detailed the skills that are important for contributing to innovation in the workplace.Which of the following are two of the skills?

A)continuous improvement and relationship-building
B)conflict resolution and communication
C)planning and teamwork
D)positive attitude and analytical problem-solving

Question 55

What is the term for finding the best practices in other organizations which can be brought into the company to enhance performance?

A)worldwide quality standards
B)profit maximization
C)competitive assessment quality management
D)benchmarking

Question 56

What is a major implication for HRM that has resulted from technological advancement?

A)older worker retention
B)hiring new employees to handle the increased workload
C)greater ability to manage HR information
D)the need to restrict employee use of the Internet

Question 57

What is the term used to describe leveraging competencies to achieve high organizational performance?

A)knowledge capital
B)human capital
C)core competencies
D)talent management

Question 58

According to Statistics Canada,what percentage of the labour force growth do immigrants represent?

A)72 %
B)68 %
C)54 %
D)33 %

Question 59

A study by the Conference Board of Canada detailed the skills that are important for contributing to innovation in the workplace.Which of the following are two of the skills?

A)creativity and communication
B)relationship building and critical thinking
C)implementation and risk taking
D)teamwork and analytical problem-solving

Question 60

What is the influence of technology on HRM?

A)operational (i.e.automation),enhanced services and increased access to information
B)increased contracting out,outsourcing and employee leasing
C)concerns about privacy,ethics and culture
D)a complicated set of issues related to language and communication

Question 61

RB Trucking is experiencing an increasingly imbalanced age distribution of their long haul truck drivers and office administration assistants.What does this mean for their future labour force?

A)retraining workers will not be as important as it is today
B)there will be greater competition for advancement opportunities
C)there will be more workers available to support retirement benefits
D)there will be more career opportunities for the middle-aged employee

Question 62

Which of the following represents a recent cultural change emerging in organizations?

A)equal pay for equal work
B)balancing work and family demands
C)employment equity
D)accommodating unemployed workers

Question 63

Why do organizations consider the options of job sharing and daycare?

A)to supplement maternity and parental leaves
B)to address the gender distribution in the workforce
C)to address the changing attitude of employees toward work
D)to help employees achieve a better balance between work and family

Question 64

Which demographic change is of concern to organizations?

A)compensation expectations
B)older workers
C)family friendly policies
D)information systems

Question 65

According to Statistics Canada,approximately what percentage of the Canadian workforce do women comprise?

A)36.8 %
B)43.9 %
C)51.0 %
D)62.0 %

Question 66

What is a capacity or quality called that an organization has,which gives it an edge over its competition?

A)core competency
B)competitive advantage
C)business strategy
D)productivity edge

Question 67

Approximately what percentage of the Canadian working population work part-time?

A)30 %
B)20 %
C)15 %
D)10 %

Question 68

Which demographic change is of concern to organizations?

A)salary expectations
B)working-age population
C)benefit costs
D)ethics codes

Question 69

Approximately what percentage of the Canadian working population is self-employed?

A)30 %
B)20 %
C)15 %
D)10 %

Question 70

The basis of which strategy is formed by the question "How should we compete?"

A)corporate strategy
B)business strategy
C)HR strategy
D)systems strategy

Question 71

What percentage of the Canadian population lacks the basic literacy skills to meet everyday requirements in our society?

A)25 %
B)35 %
C)45 %
D)55 %

Question 72

What does the federal law PIPEDA deal with?

A)the collection and use of personal information
B)full disclosure in all matters pertaining to human resources
C)personal use of the Internet on company time
D)information theft

Question 73

In recent years,has the educational attainment of the Canadian labour force changed?

A)no,it has remained at about the same level
B)yes,it has fallen slightly
C)yes,it has fallen dramatically
D)yes,it has risen steadily

Question 74

What are two ways that cultural changes influence employees in the workplace?

A)their reactions to leadership styles and corporate culture
B)their reactions to corporate culture and reward systems
C)their reactions to work assignments and organizational culture
D)their reactions to reward systems and leadership styles

Question 75

Which of the following is a cultural change,well-established in terms of attitude toward work,which has had an impact on HRM?

A)a de-emphasis on family time
B)a return to the work ethic
C)a decline in the amount of free time available to individuals
D)an increased demand for jobs that permit personal self expression and potential fulfillment

Question 76

What do changes in the workplace involving employee privacy,employment equity,and pay equity reflect?

A)changes in employee rights
B)cultural changes
C)changes in the nature of the job and workplace
D)changes in employee responsibility

Question 77

What is an emerging demographic HR issue that is becoming increasingly important to line managers' and human resource managers' future workplaces?

A)development of clean technologies and communication technology
B)enlightened leadership and teamwork
C)TQM and Six Sigma
D)work-life balance

Question 78

The Ethics Resource Center identified how leaders can enhance ethical practices.What is one of these practices?

A)providing good career advancement opportunities
B)providing good benefits
C)demonstrating that integrity is a priority
D)ensuring compliance to ethical codes of conduct

Question 79

The basis of which strategy is formed by questions such as "Should we be in business?" and "What business should we be in?"

A)business strategy
B)corporate strategy
C)department strategy
D)HR strategy

Question 80

Which strategy are you using when analyzing how hamburgers are sold?

A)corporate strategy
B)operating unit strategy
C)business strategy
D)HR strategy