Homework help for mgt
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THE HOMEWORK THE
FOR FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
The Human Resource Environment
When you have completed your exam and reviewed your answers,
Questions 1 to 20: Select the best answer to each question. Note that a question and its answers may be split across a page
break, so be sure that you have seen the entire question and all the answers before choosing an answer.
1. Which of the following cases would most likely be filed under the theory of disparate impact?
A. A black employee is fired for testifying in a discrimination suit filed against an employer.
B. A white applicant is told he won’t be hired because the employer doesn’t like whites.
C. Black applicants are being disproportionately rejected relative to whites by a paper-and-pencil test.
D. White applicants with high test scores are rejected due to an affirmative-action plan.
2. Which of the following terms describes the best possible fit between a company’s social system and its
technical system?
A. Self-service system
B. Outsourcing
C. High-performance work system
D. Total quality management
3. People’s right to freedom of speech is the right to
A. do as they wish in their private life.
B. refuse to do something that’s environmentally unsafe.
C. be treated only as they knowingly and willingly consent to be treated.
D. criticize an organization’s ethics if they do it in good conscience.
4. Which of the following categories of workers is not covered under OSHA’s Hazard Communication
Standards?
A. A technician servicing copy machines for most of the day
B. A receptionist changing the toner in a copier machine
C. Health-care workers exposed to latex and disinfectants
D. Production engineers manufacturing car batteries
5. The largest number of immigrants to the U.S. workforce are from
A. North America.
B. Europe.
C. Africa.
D. Asia.
6. Which of the following is a correct statement about dejobbing?
A. Dejobbing involves the use of task-based organization structures.
B. Dejobbing involves the downsizing or elimination of jobs.
C. Dejobbing involves emphasizing on detailed job descriptions which will be applicable year after year.
D. Dejobbing involves viewing organizations as a field of work to be done.
7. Which of the following decisions does not come under HRM?
A. Whom to hire
B. How to achieve sales targets
C. What training to offer
D. How to evaluate employee performance
8. Which of the following is a false statement about the Position Analysis Questionnaire?
A. It’s one of the broadest and best-researched instruments for analyzing jobs.
B. It’s a standardized, commercial instrument.
C. It describes specific duties and tasks that comprise the actual job.
D. It requires trained job analysts to complete it.
9. Which of the following is a false statement about the Occupational Safety and Health Act?
A. The act applies to organizations that employ 50 or more persons working 20 or more weeks a year and that are involved in
interstate commerce.
B. Under the act, covered employers must keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses and post an annual summary of
these records.
C. It’s the most comprehensive U.S. law regarding worker safety.
D. Enforcement responsibilities for the act are divided between the Department of Labor and the Department of Health.
10. Which of the following approaches would be most appropriate when gathering information for jobs that
are repetitive and involve physical activity?
A. A job analyst questions the peers about a particular job.
B. A job analyst visits the workplace and videotapes an employee performing the job.
C. A manager imagines what a well-done job would look like.
D. A job analyst visits the workplace and asks employees to show what the job entails.
11. Which of the following is a true statement about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A. The act applies to organizations with 15 employees or more.
B. The act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor.
C. The act protects employers from employee threats.
D. The act prohibits employers from discriminating against workers due to their age.
12. The processing and transmission of digitized HR information, especially using computer networking and
the Internet, is known as
A. e-business.
B. reengineering.
C. human resource information system implementation.
D. electronic human resource management.
13. One of the most common grievances that employees at Craines Tech have is that they don’t get
performance feedback. That is, they don’t get proper information as to how they’ve performed and where
they need to improve, and the performance goals are vague and not measurable. Which HR function does
Craines Tech need to improve?
A. Employee relations
B. Recruitment and selection
C. Performance management
D. Training and development
14. Which of the following refers to the KSAOs that an individual must have to perform the job?
A. Job specifications
B. Job analysis
C. Dictionary of Occupational Titles
D. Job descriptions
15. For which of the following occupations would it be easiest to implement telework?
A. Machine operator
B. Quality management
C. Production technician
D. Graphic designer
16. Which of the following refers to an employer’s obligation to do something to enable an otherwise
qualified person to perform a job?
A. Reasonable accommodation
B. Reverse discrimination
C. General-duty clause
D. Utilization analysis
17. Which of the following managerial functions is often assumed by work teams?
A. Conducting performance reviews
B. Controlling finances allocated for the project
C. Making strategy-related decisions such as areas to diversify in
D. Performing inspection and quality-control activities
18. Which of the following responsibilities is associated with the HR function of support for strategy?
A. Human resource discipline
B. Human resource relocation and outplacement services
C. Human resource planning and forecasting
D. Orientation
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19. Which of the following is not an action that OSHA can take, under the Occupational Safety and Health
Act?
A. Issue citations and require that they be posted in a prominent place near the location of the violations
B. Conduct unannounced workplace inspections
C. Close a workplace that represents an occupational hazard
D. Assess fines ranging from $20,000 for violations that result in the death of an employee to $1,000 for less serious violations
20. Managers and economists traditionally have seen HRM as a(n)
A. source of value to their organization.
B. asset.
C. necessary expense.
D. essential component of a high-performance work system.
Acquiring and Preparing Human Resources
Questions 1 to 20: Select the best answer to each question. Note that a question and its answers may be split across a page
break, so be sure that you have seen the entire question and all the answers before choosing an answer.
1. Which of the following is a permissible question for applications and interviews?
A. Do you have any disabilities?
B. Do you have children?
C. What schools have you attended?
D. When did you attend high school?
2. The general method of establishing the validity of a selection method by showing that there’s an
association between scores on the selection measure and scores for job performance is called
A. criterion-related validation.
B. content validation.
C. reliability of the measurement and validation.
D. split-half estimate of validation.
3. To increase the readability of training materials, one should
A. add checklists and illustrations to clarify the text.
B. combine two or more sentences into one long sentence
C. combine two or more paragraphs into one long paragraph.
D. replace concrete words with abstract words.
4. Should a former employer give a glowing statement about a candidate and the new employer later learn
of misconduct on the part of the employee during his or her previous employment, the new employer may
sue the former for
A. defamation.
B. lack of validity.
C. misrepresentation.
D. negligent omission.
5. _______ identifies the tasks, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that training should emphasize.
A. Organizational analysis
B. Task analysis
C. Person analysis
D. Training-method analysis
6. In personnel forecasting, an effective HR professional tries to
A. predict the number and types of legal challenges the company is likely to face within the year.
B. anticipate trends within the HR field which are most likely to affect the success of current company operations.
C. develop HR policies and practices in response to anticipated moves by major competitors.
D. determine the supply of and demand for various types of human resources.
7. Which of the following correctly describes a learning management system?
A. A computer application that automates the administration, development, and delivery of training programs
B. The process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and employees’ tasks to determine what kinds of training, if
any, are necessary
C. A process for determining the appropriateness of training by evaluating the characteristics of the organization
D. A process of systematically developing training to meet specified needs
8. The degree to which the information provided by selection methods enhances the effectiveness of
selecting personnel in organizations refers to the selection method’s
A. utility.
B. reliability.
C. generalizability.
D. validity.
9. Which of the following is a correct statement about executive search firms?
A. Executive search firms work almost exclusively with high-level, unemployed executives.
B. Executive search firms typically require the person being placed to make the initial contact with the prospective employer
directly.
C. Executive search firms aren’t subject to the requirements of Title VII.
D. Executive search firms almost exclusively find new jobs for people who are already employed.
10. Which of the following is not among the best ways for companies to establish a stronger recruiting
presence on a campus?
A. Select a limited number of campuses on which to recruit, and return to them on a yearly basis with new job openings.
B. Establish college internship programs.
C. Select campuses within a 150-mile radius of the company’s headquarters to ensure students are familiar with the company and
its products or services.
D. Participate in university job fairs.
11. Which of the following tests assesses how well a person can acquire skills and abilities?
A. Aptitude
B. Personality inventories
C. Cognitive ability
D. Achievement
12. The steps required to properly execute a workforce utilization review are
A. essentially the same as those involved in the strategic planning process.
B. essentially the same as those involved in job analysis.
C. tremendously varied from organization to organization.
D. identical to the steps in the generic human resource planning process.
13. Which of the following is a false statement about using simulations as a training technique?
A. Simulations are used to teach production and process skills as well as management and interpersonal skills.
B. Simulators need to have identical elements to those found in the work environment.
C. Simulations are inexpensive to develop and maintain due to virtual-reality technologies.
D. Simulations allow trainees to see the effects of their decisions in an artificial, risk-free environment.
14. Which of the following is found in a typical behavior-modeling session?
A. Presentation of the key behaviors, videotape of a model performing the key behavior, role-plays, and a planning session
B. Presentation of key behaviors, videotape of a model performing the key behavior, participation in a case study group, and
planning session
C. Lecture, videotape of a model performing the key behavior, on-the-job coaching, and practice opportunities
D. Videotape of a model performing the key behavior, planning session, coaching realistic game, and practice opportunities
15. To select a training service, the organization mails a(n) _______ to several vendors.
A. request for training
B. request for proposal
C. training-needs analysis
D. affirmative-action plan
16. Imagine that you manage a car dealership affiliated with one of the big three U.S. automakers. Given
the increasing complexity and variety of today’s automobiles, it’s impossible to train your mechanics on the
details of every potential repair problem. Thus, in cooperation with corporate headquarters, you have a
training program whereby mechanics learn the basis of engine, emission, and other types of repair, but in
the case of a particular problem, seek expert advice through an online computer application program. This
approach is known as
A. an experiential behavior-modeling program.
B. e-learning.
C. an electronic performance support system.
D. a virtual-reality simulation training program.
17. Which of the following options for avoiding an expected labor shortage has the benefit of being a
relatively fast solution with high revocability?
A. Overtime
B. New external hires
C. Turnover
D. Retrained transfer
18. Three of the following would enhance recruiter effectiveness. Which would not enhance recruiter
effectiveness?
A. Using realistic job previews as part of the recruitment process
End of exam
B. Recruiting in teams rather than individually
C. Ensuring that recruiters are knowledgeable about company policies and procedures
D. Ensuring that recruiters provide applicants with timely feedback
19. The long-term success of diversity training is characterized by
A. unstructured programs.
B. the number of minority or disabled employees on staff within the organization.
C. training that’s tied to business objectives, such as understanding customers.
D. making sure that HRM practices meet standards of equal employment opportunity laws.
20. According to the Training 2007 Industry Report, which training task was outsourced the most?
A. Instruction
B. Custom content
C. Learner support
D. Need analysis
Assessing Performance and Developing Employees
When you have completed your exam and reviewed your answers, click Submit Exam. Answers will not be recorded until you
Questions 1 to 20: Select the best answer to each question. Note that a question and its answers may be split across a page
break, so be sure that you have seen the entire question and all the answers before choosing an answer.
1. Three of the following are trends in executive education. Which one is not a trend in executive
education?
A. Formal educational programs are being supplemented with other developmental activities.
B. Distance learning is being used more frequently by companies.
C. Employers and education providers are developing short courses with content designed specifically for the audience.
D. Due to increasing costs, employees are increasingly being asked to cover tuition and other program-related costs.
2. Explanation, consideration, and empathy are key determinants of
A. procedural justice.
B. interactional justice.
C. alternative dispute resolutions.
D. perceptual justice.
3. In terms of job dissatisfaction, an employee who calls in sick or arrives to work late is engaging in
A. behavior change.
B. psychological withdrawal.
C. physical withdrawal.
D. whistleblowing.
4. The primary use of assessment centers is to identify
A. decision processes and communication styles that inhibit production.
B. employees’ personality types and job interests.
C. employees who have the personality, characteristics, and skills needed for managerial positions.
D. the strengths and weaknesses of team members.
5. Generally speaking, the contents of employees’ e-mail and voice-mail messages on companies’ systems
are
A. protected and private if job-related.
B. not private, protected communications.
C. protected and private only if they’re directed to parties outside of the company.
D. private, protected communications.
6. Based on the expectation that two people in conflict should first try to arrive at a settlement together, the
organization has a policy of making managers available to hear complaints. Typically, the first open door is
that of the employee’s
A. immediate subordinates.
B. immediate supervisor.
C. peers.
D. director.
7. Which of the following is a false statement about using peers as a source of performance information?
A. Peer ratings, according to research, are highly influenced by friendships.
B. Peers are more willing participants in reviews used for employees.
C. Peers have expert knowledge of job requirements and bring a unique perspective to the evaluation, often resulting in extremely
valid assessments of performance.
D. Peer ratings are particularly useful when supervisors don’t have the opportunity to observe employees.
8. Which of the following is a false statement about the glass ceiling?
A. The barrier may be due to a lack of access to training programs, developmental job experiences, and developmental
relationships, such as mentoring.
B. Research has found gender differences in accessing job experiences involving transitions and creating change.
C. The barrier may be due to stereotypes that hinder the development of women and minorities.
D. Research shows male managers receive more assignments involving high levels of responsibility than do female managers of
similar ability and managerial level.
9. Which of the following statements correctly describes in-basket exercises?
A. In-basket exercises simulate the administrative tasks of a manager’s job, using a pile of documents for the employee to handle.
B. In-basket exercises are paper-and-pencil tests designed to measure participants’ communication styles and skills.
C. In-basket exercises require participants to take the part of a manager or employee in a situation involving the skills to be
assessed.
D. In-basket exercises require teams of five to seven employees to work together to solve assigned problems within a certain
time period.
10. The step in the career management process in which employees receive information about their skills
and knowledge and where these assets fit into the organization’s plans is called
A. action planning.
B. reality check.
C. self-assessment.
D. goal setting.
11. HR professionals can best help organizations avoid and defend against charges of wrongful discharge
through all of three following activities. Which of the following is not a good way for HR professionals to
help organizations avoid and defend against charges of wrongful discharge?
A. Designing jobs with low mental and physical skill demands to ensure low employee turnover
B. Training managers to avoid making promises before or during employment that imply job security
C. Establishing and communicating policies for handling employee misbehavior
D. Writing and reviewing employee handbooks to avoid statements that might be interpreted as employment contracts
12. Advantages of result-based measures include three of the following. Which is not an advantage of
result-based measures?
A. Result-based measures are highly acceptable to employees and managers alike.
B. Result-based measures are generally less subjective than other kinds of performance systems.
C. Result-based measures are relatively easy to link to the organization’s goals.
D. Result-based measures are very effective in providing guidance on how to improve.
13. If a performance measure lacks _______ reliability, determining whether an employee’s performance
has truly changed over time will be impossible.
A. test-retest
B. interrater
C. external
D. strategic
14. Why would an employee seek a downward move?
A. To have more authority
B. To learn different skills
C. To have greater challenges
D. To increase salary and visibility
15. An employee refuses an employer’s request to falsify the contents of a report to the EEOC. The
employer subsequently discharges the worker for “not following orders.” In a wrongful-discharge suit, the
employee is likely to argue which of the following exceptions to the at-will-employment doctrine?
A. Public policy
B. Equal employment
C. Implied contract
D. Reverse discrimination
16. Which of the following statements illustrates effective feedback?
A. “You’ve achieved 100 percent of your target in less than six months.”
B. “Overall, your performance has been satisfactory.”
C. “I don’t see any progress from the last review; you’re lazy.”
D. “You’ve become careless; you came in late three times last week.”
17. To improve performance of underutilizers, managers should
A. withhold pay increases.
B. demote them from their current position.
C. link rewards to performance outcomes.
D. offer temporary assignments for skill development.
18. The type of performance management system in which a company assembles performance data on an
Compensating Human Resources
Questions 1 to 20: Select the best answer to each question. Note that a question and its answers may be split across a page
break, so be sure that you have seen the entire question and all the answers before choosing an answer.
1. The Scanlon plan is a variation of which type of incentive?
A. Gainsharing
B. Merit pay
C. Profit sharing
D. Individual
2. The National Compensation Survey is an ongoing activity of the
A. AFL-CIO.
B. Society for Human Resource Management.
C. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
D. American Management Association.
3. Three of the following are objectives of the unemployment insurance program. Which is not an objective
of the unemployment insurance program?
A. To offset lost income during a labor dispute
B. To provide an incentive for employers to stabilize employment
C. To preserve investments in worker skills by providing income during short-term layoffs
D. To offset lost income during involuntary unemployment
4. Pay specifically designed to energize, direct, or control employees’ behavior is known as
A. indirect pay.
B. exempt pay.
C. empowerment pay.
D. incentive pay.
5. From which source do most retirees receive the largest percentage of their retirement income?
A. Private pensions
B. Earnings from personal assets
C. Social Security
D. Disability insurance
6. An employee produces 10 components in an hour and earns $8.00 ($.80 × 10), while an employee who
produces 12 components per hour earns $9.60 ($.80 × 12). This arrangement is an example of a _______
plan.
A. commission
B. straight-salary
C. differential-piece-rate
D. straight-piecework
7. In response to the growing concern over ethical issues surrounding incentive pay for executives, three of
the following actions have been taken. Which action has not been taken in response to the growing concern
over ethical issues?
A. Requiring companies to more clearly report executive compensation levels and the company’s performance relative to that of
competitors
B. Using the balanced-scorecard to design executive pay and incentives
C. Imposing strict limits on insider trading
D. Limiting the amount companies may deduct for executive and performance-related pay to no more than $1 million
8. In 2003, a company employee received an option to purchase the company’s stock at $45 per share. If
the stock is trading at $40 a share in 2005, the employee will most likely
A. hold on to the option, hoping the stock price will increase in the future.
B. exercise the option, receiving a gain of $5.
C. try changing the price in the original option agreement to improve the stock’s performance.
D. exercise the option, receiving a gain of $40.
9. By law, what percent of assets must an ESOP invest in its company’s stock?
