Deck 3: Environmental Influences on HRM

Question 1

What is the purpose of stakeholder groups?

A)to generate shareholder wealth and to ensure their investments are paid dividends
B)to manage diverse groups of individuals who shape the perceptions of the organization
C)to follow the actions of the organization and to lobby to have their interests satisfied
D)to influence HR strategy and practices by withholding their votes at the annual meeting

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What are the four stages that can be used to analyze the external environment?

A)scanning,monitoring,forecasting,assessing
B)monitoring,forecasting,assessing,extrapolating
C)scanning,forecasting,monitoring,analyzing
D)monitoring,scanning,assessing,extrapolating

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to your textbook,what percentage of HR functions has the potential to become managed electronically?

A)25 percent
B)50 percent
C)75 percent
D)100 percent

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What does an organization do once it has completed its environmental scan?

A)It alters the perceptions of stakeholders to match the scan.
B)It modifies the goals and objectives of the organization.
C)It analyzes the external environment further for more details.
D)It determines the impact on the organization.

Question 5

A new regulation issued by the government requires certain safety training of employees.What is the major environmental factor that will affect the company's HR strategy in this case?

A)economics
B)globalization
C)demographics
D)legislation

Question 6

A company wants to change its strategy to include "high tech" services.The HR manager then discovers that there is a shortage of technologically trained people and informs the CEO that the company may have to abandon its new strategy.What is the major environmental factor that has affected the company's strategy implementation?

A)technology
B)labour force
C)globalization
D)legislation

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a factor in determining the number of people available for work?

A)percentage of women in the workforce
B)unemployment rate
C)geographic migration
D)graduation rates from educational institutions

Question 8

What are the key issues that unions hope to resolve on behalf of their members?

A)telecommuting,flextime,job sharing,and workplace privacy
B)asset-backed pensions,job satisfaction,career planning,and diversity
C)wages,work-life balance,quality of life,and environmental friendliness
D)job security,income security,working hours,and inflation protection

Question 9

What is demographics?

A)the study of social influences
B)the study of economic climate
C)the study of geographic migration
D)the study of population statistics

Question 10

How many years does Canada lag behind the U.S.in identifying HR trends?

A)1 to 2 years
B)2 to 3 years
C)4 to 5 years
D)6 to 7 years

Question 11

A HR analysis of the external environment consists of four stages.Which of the following is one of the stages?

A)establishing a mission statement
B)monitoring for key indicators
C)analyzing core competencies
D)external competence analysis

Question 12

What type of law is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms an example of?

A)contract law
B)constitutional law
C)common law
D)criminal law

Question 13

What trend is occurring in the labour market with baby boomers?

A)Baby boomers may be eligible for retirement but will delay it.
B)Baby boomers will be the only generation to have organizational pensions.
C)Baby boomers will live longer than younger generations.
D)Baby boomers require greater accommodations in the workplace.

Question 14

What timeframe is most relevant for HR strategists?

A)2 to 3 years
B)5 to 6 years
C)9 to 10 years
D)12 to 13 years

Question 15

What is another name for stakeholders?

A)company shareholders
B)business owners
C)constituent groups
D)lobby groups

Question 16

HR managers develop strategies to systematically monitor the major factors influencing their organization to identify trends that might affect the formulation and implementation of both organizational and HR strategies.What is this process called?

A)environmental scanning
B)environmental sources
C)strategic HR planning
D)strategic planning

Question 17

According to the Global Wood Group,which of the following is NOT part of its environmental scanning?

A)external consultants and trainers
B)trade publications
C)professional associations
D)current legislation

Question 18

If a group of HR managers decides to lobby government in order to change the legislation in their favour,what type of stance is the group taking?

A)reactive
B)passive
C)proactive
D)recursive

Question 19

If the HR manager has noticed growth in flows of trade and financial capital across borders,what major environmental factor is the HR manager concerned with?

A)economics
B)labour force
C)globalization
D)demographics

Question 20

An HR analysis of the external environment consists of four steps.Which of the following is the first step?

A)scanning for changes and trends
B)monitoring for key indicators
C)analyzing core competencies
D)internal competency analysis

Question 21

WestJet Airlines studies the websites of other airlines for information about their strategic plans.What forecasting approach is the company using to obtain information about its competitors?

A)impact analysis
B)competitive intelligence
C)strategic indicators
D)competitive indicators

Question 22

When was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)established?

A)1974
B)1984
C)1994
D)2004

Question 23

Given its more than 50 percent of market share over 50 years ago,why did General Motors ("GM")fail?

A)GM did not cut fixed operating costs deeply enough.
B)GM did not understand how external factors interact.
C)GM did not look for clues to explain its efficiencies.
D)GM did not forecast the number of cars sold in China.

Question 24

Which of the following HR publications is published in Canada?

A)HR Magazine
B)People Management
C)HR Focus
D)Workplace Today

Question 25

Which of the following is a forecasting method that human resource professionals may rely on when generating predictions about an organization's future?

A)scenario planning
B)professional consultants
C)strategic indicators
D)competitive indicators

Question 26

Which demographic change is of concern to organizations and human resource professionals?

A)compensation and benefits
B)information systems
C)health and safety policies
D)older workers

Question 27

What are two environmental factors facing organizations?

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

Question 28

What statement depicts the importance of the labour market and its influence on an organization's ability to implement strategy?

A)The labour market is the most important demographic factor that should be monitored.
B)The labour market is the most important economic factor that should be monitored.
C)The labour market is the most important social factor that should be monitored.
D)The labour market is the most important global factor that should be monitored.

Question 29

Which of the following is a source of information that human resource professionals may rely on when developing strategies and determining their likely impact on the organization?

A)publications
B)professional designations
C)Delphi analysis
D)nominal group technique

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT one of the top-ten trends that will have a strategic impact on the workplace?

A)increasing employee rights due to legislation
B)increasing global competition for jobs
C)increasing complexity of legal compliance
D)increasing growth in national deficit

Question 31

In what way are HRM responsibilities affected by the economic climate?

A)They are concerned about balancing complicated issues related to diversity management.
B)They must know the various legislation and workplace quality and safety standards.
C)They must ensure privacy,ethics,and culture management policies.
D)They are concerned about the effect of unemployment and interest rates on HR planning.

Question 32

In light of the Occupy Wall Street protests,what are two major issues that human resources departments need organizations to address?

A)Organizations need to comply with labour legislation and reduce executive bonuses.
B)Organizations need to ensure pay equity and discourage high-risk executive behaviours.
C)Organizations need to increase hiring of disadvantaged groups and monitor executive compensation.
D)Organizations need to continue to support globalization and communicate ethical violations of executives.

Question 33

If an organization is debating over "doing the right thing" with respect to laying off some of the staff in a department because it is less expensive to outsource the work,what type of issue is the organization dealing with?

A)political
B)ethical
C)social
D)economic

Question 34

How long did it take for the World Wide Web to reach fifty million users?

A)4 years
B)6 years
C)8 years
D)10 years

Question 35

What are the most important factors to consider when scanning the environment in strategic planning?

A)the competition,customers,rival firms,new entrants,substitutes,suppliers,and external labour supply
B)the competition,the global landscape,rival firms,new entrants,substitutes,suppliers,and external labour supply
C)the competition,the global landscape,rival firms,new entrants,the business context,suppliers,and external labour supply
D)the competition,customers,rival firms,the workforce,substitutes,suppliers,and external labour supply

Question 36

According to your textbook,what are some of the major HR trends that were difficult to forecast more than twenty years ago?

A)e-learning,online recruitment,and technology
B)mandatory retirement,localization,and ethics
C)brain drain,diversity,and work-life balance
D)downsizing,outsourcing,and telecommuting

Question 37

What is an external environmental factor facing organizations and human resource management?

A)employee work-life balance initiatives and programs
B)company compensation and reward systems
C)economic climate
D)competitive intelligence

Question 38

Which of the following would NOT help governments improve the climate for job creation?

A)increasing public debt
B)creating balanced labour legislation
C)increasing job-training opportunities
D)providing tax incentives

Question 39

Which of the following is a source of information that human resource professionals may rely on when scanning and monitoring an organization's external environment?

A)scenario planning
B)conference and seminars
C)strategic indicators
D)competitive indicators

Question 40

What is the most influential effect of technology on organizations and HRM?

A)enhanced automated services and access to information
B)increased use of contract employment
C)increased concerns about ethical practices
D)increased issues related to diversity management

Question 41

The Conference Board of Canada (2016)identified the top human capital challenges faced by organizations.Which of the following is the top human capital challenge for organizations?

A)leadership capacity
B)labour cost containment
C)capacity to innovate
D)aging workforce

Question 42

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.gathers information about its environment in order to exploit opportunities or cope with threats.What is this called?

A)environmental scanning
B)SWOT analysis
C)environmental reporting
D)strategic analysis

Question 43

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What important environmental concerns and/or opportunities would influence Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s strategic planning?

A)environmental concerns of customers
B)globalization and localization
C)competitive intelligence
D)employees' attitudes toward environmental health

Question 44

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Swimco studies the websites of other swim apparel companies for information about their strategic plans.What forecasting approach is the company using to obtain information about its competitors?

A)scenario-based analysis
B)strategic indicators
C)competitive intelligence
D)competitive indicators

Question 45

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.systematically monitors key indicators that may affect its organization.Which of the following is a most important key indicator that Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.monitors?

A)safety technical advances
B)competitive intelligence
C)Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
D)safety policies and procedures

Question 46

Which of the following is a forecasting method that Swimco may rely on when generating predictions about its future?

A)scenario planning
B)professional consultants
C)strategic indicators
D)competitive indicators

Question 47

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What external organizational factors are influencing Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s human resource planning?

A)compensation policies
B)human resource information systems
C)global economy
D)environmental practices and procedures

Question 48

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.The Vice President of HR at Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.is focused on ensuring that Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.is staffed with the most effective human resources to achieve the organization's strategic goals.Which term best characterizes the Vice President of HR's role?

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

Question 49

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Swimco analyzes its external environment to exploit the opportunities and cope with threats.What would the first step in their environmental analysis consist of?

A)monitoring for key indicators
B)forecasting to project the impact on organizations
C)scanning for changes and trends
D)internal competency analysis

Question 50

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.believes its weakness is its performance in the U.S.A.It has also determined that it is missing an opportunity by not yet branching into children's plastic kayaks.In addressing these questions,what type of analysis/review is Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.conducting?

A)a SWOT analysis
B)an analysis of the company's internal weaknesses
C)a revenue analysis in order to see what chances it can take
D)a review of the company's strategic plans

Question 51

Information gathered through competitive intelligence methods must be subjected to two evaluation questions.What are these two questions?

A)Are the processes legal and ethical?
B)Is the source reliable and what is the likelihood of the information being correct?
C)Is the source legal and what is the likelihood the process is ethical?
D)Is the source valid and what is the likelihood the process is ethical?

Question 52

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What would be one of Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s most significant current business challenges?

A)diverse languages and cultures
B)human resource planning
C)the global economy
D)the environment

Question 53

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What issues does globalization raise for Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s human resource planning?

A)balancing complicated issues related to language and communication
B)differences in country legislations and business practices
C)concerns about privacy,ethics,and culture
D)employee concerns about compensation and outsourcing

Question 54

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.regularly monitors major external environmental forces influencing its organization.What is this process called?

A)demand forecasting
B)influence analysis
C)exception reporting
D)environmental scanning

Question 55

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What internal organizational factors are influencing Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s human resource planning?

A)technological advances
B)legislation
C)demographic and social concerns
D)staffing policies

Question 56

Refer to Scenario: Swimco.Swimo develops strategies to systematically monitor the major factors influencing its organization to identify trends that might affect the formulation and implementation of both organizational and HR strategies.What is this process called?

A)environmental scanning
B)environmental sources
C)strategic HR planning
D)strategic planning

Question 57

Organizations can use a formal approach to obtain information about your competitors.What is this approach called?

A)competitive intelligence
B)environmental scanning
C)environmental intelligence
D)competitive scanning

Question 58

A HR analysis of the external environment consists of four phases.Which of the following is one phase?

A)establishing a value statement
B)analyzing dynamic capabilities.
C)internal competency analysis
D)forecasting to project the impact on the organization

Question 59

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.What are the technological concerns that affect Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.'s human resource planning?

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

Question 60

Refer to Scenario: Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.Green Septic and Water Systems Inc.monitors demographic and labour market trends as well as technological and IT changes.Which of the following is it most likely performing?

A)a competitive environment scan
B)an environment scan
C)a strategic plan
D)a labour market scan

Question 61

When HR managers group together and try to change legislation,they are taking a reactive stance.

Question 62

Canadian HR trends lag three to five years behind U.S.trends.

Question 63

Canadian newspapers and magazines provide a good source of information for HR professionals.

Question 64

The labour market influences an organization's ability to implement strategy.

Question 65

According to your textbook,only 13 percent of organizations were able to learn about their competitors' moves early enough to respond to them.

Question 66

A collective agreement is an example of common law.

Question 67

The gig economy can be described as one in which workers are hired for projects and are not employed full time.

Question 68

"Baby Boomers" are those who were born in between World War I and World War II.

Question 69

The employer-employee relationship is governed by a legal framework that includes common law,contract law,and criminal law.

Question 70

Whether in Vancouver or New Delhi,managers are influenced by the culture in which they operate.

Question 71

There are more households in Canada with children than without.

Question 72

Every HR function has the potential to become managed electronically.

Question 73

According to your textbook,it has been estimated that one in ten jobs in Canada is related to international trade.

Question 74

In order to increase diversity with visible minorities,organizations can use inclusion programs such as customizing their communication styles and benefits.

Question 75

A drop in demand for contingent,temporary,and contract employees can predict an economic slowdown.

Question 76

Emerging economies such as China and India have many workers who are willing to work longer hours for less pay than workers in developed countries such as Canada.

Question 77

Reading American HR publications can provide early warning signals for Canadian HR professionals.

Question 78

Stakeholders are also known as constituent groups.

Question 79

The baby boomers are the most important demographic factor that should be monitored by HR professionals.

Question 80

Your textbook outlines one foremost criteria that helps organizations identify critical environmental events over less important environmental changes and trends.