BUSS 42105

A focus on competitiveness and motivation suggests that a company should promote on the basis of seniority.

Since Internet job boards are limited to large firms, small business owners are forced to recruit through local newspapers.

Hiring the wrong person for the job, committing unfair labor practices, and having your people not doing their best are personnel mistakes that hinder firms from achieving positive results.

The strong correlation between test results and job performance has led to numerous expert recommendations that tests be used as the only selection tool in the hiring process.

Human resource managers who complete HRCI professional certification exams can earn PHR and SPHR, GPHR certificates.

EEO laws require nondiscriminatory selection procedures for protected groups.

It is acceptable for an employer to refuse to hire union members even if they are qualified for the position because they might be union salts.

Interviewers tend to be more influenced by unfavorable than favorable information about a candidate.

According to the ADA, firms must employ all disabled individuals who apply for positions and provide them with job training when necessary.

Strategic human resource management refers to performing basic day-to-day duties that satisfy the needs and demands of both the employees and the employer.

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution led to the establishment of the EEOC.

After identifying a business process to redesign, the next step in business process reengineering is measuring the performance of the existing process.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act an interviewer must limit his or her questions to whether an applicant has any physical or mental impairment that may interfere with his or her ability to perform the job’s essential tasks.

Supervisors can best handle grievances by providing grievants with long, written responses so that the issue is clear.

Under no circumstances may religion be used as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ).

If an employee is injured at work due to a blatant disregard for company safety policies, the company is not required to pay workers’ compensation.

A construction firm that wants to compare its own HR-related metric results with those of other construction firms can use a benchmarking service provided by SHRM.

The primary advantage of broadbanding is that it provides greater flexibility into employee assignments.

Fair treatment reflects concrete actions such as “employees are treated with respect,” and “employees are treated fairly.”

The barriers for women to advance at work are referred to as the glass ceiling because federal legislation has enabled women to earn an equal number of top-level positions as men.

Right to work refers to state statutory or constitutional provisions banning the requirement of union membership as a condition of employment.

Termination interviews are interviews, usually conducted by a human resource professional just prior to the employee leaving, that elicit information aimed at giving employers insights into their companies.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits the use of age as a BFOQ for any type of employment.

With a standard hour plan, employers do not need to recalculate piece rates when changes are made to the hourly pay rate.

In China, a structured interview process is the typical method for selecting employees.

O*NET has become an increasingly popular Web tool for creating and distributing position analysis questionnaires to employees who are located throughout the world.

An occupational illness is any abnormal condition or disorder caused by exposure to environmental factors associated with employment.

While career development ultimately should result in an employee who is more employable, such programs often result in increased employee commitment.

Benefits are an important aspect of employee compensation, and they involve the direct financial payments employees receive for remaining with an employer.

Personnel planning requires an estimation of personnel needs, the supply of inside candidates, and the likely supply of outside candidates.

What is the first step in succession planning?
A) creating an applicant pool
B) identifying and analyzing key position needs
C) selecting who will fill key positions
D) developing the strengths of current employees

Which of the following is one of the primary complaints regarding the use of the forced distribution method for performance appraisals?
A) difficult to implement
B) harm to employee morale
C) high costs of administration
D) time consuming to administer

Carlos, a marketing manager at Devon Consulting, is attending an ethics training program at his workplace. During the training, Carlos is LEAST likely to learn how to ________.
A) identify ethical dilemmas
B) role play employee dismissals
C) use disciplinary practices ethically
D) use codes of conduct to resolve problems

Which of the following areas is NOT a major area where human resource managers assist and advise line managers?
A) recruiting
B) hiring
C) compensation
D) performance management

What has been the most significant impact of modern technology on job analysis methods?
A) Extensive use of the Internet by HR managers enables more people to telecommute from locations far from corporate headquarters.
B) Corporate use of the Internet and intranet has enabled HR managers to distribute and collect job analysis surveys to employees in multiple geographic locations.
C) Worker functions have changed as a result of modern technology, so the DOL procedure for data collection has been modified and categories have been altered.
D) The ability to falsify information on Internet surveys has led to an increase in interviews and observations by HR managers to collect accurate job analysis information.

Orion is a business software firm based in Atlanta that employs over 400 people. Orion has traditionally provided legislatively required benefits for its employees including Social Security, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance. In addition, Orion offers employees health and dental insurance. Orion employees work Monday through Friday on a 9 to 5 schedule. Orion’s top executives are considering the idea of adding a flexible benefits plan and implementing a flexible work schedule.
Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Orion should offer its employees a cafeteria benefits plan?
A) Orion lacks the resources to join a low-cost health insurance plan, so the firm belongs to a pool with other businesses.
B) Some Orion employees have indicated that they would like vision insurance, while others have no interest in dental insurance.
C) Orion offers its employees a PPO health insurance plan, but employees have expressed interest in an HMO plan.
D) Orion outsources its employee benefits program, so employees go through the plan’s administrator when filing claims.

Trevor, a sales manager at IBM, recently learned that an IBM human resources manager with comparable responsibilities and spans of control earns a higher salary than Trevor. Which form of equity is of most concern to Trevor?
A) external
B) internal
C) distributive
D) individual

Which of the following terms refers to hiring workers who have criminal backgrounds without proper safeguards?
A) employment malpractice
B) negligent hiring
C) improper hiring
D) invalid screening

________ relates to protecting employees from internal and external security risks.
A) Risk management
B) Security
C) Crisis
D) Safety

Which process involves assessing the company’s strategic needs, appraising the current performance of managers, and building skills of managers?
A) management development
B) performance management
C) strategic management
D) management by objectives

A ________ is the time it takes to complete a job.
A) work cycle
B) work week
C) shift
D) duty

Julio is part of a team of 8 at work which runs itself with little supervision to accomplish a specific task. This is an example of what type of team?
A) sales team
B) self-managing work team
C) suggestion team
D) problem-solving team

The information resulting from a job analysis is used for writing ________.
A) job descriptions
B) corporate objectives
C) personnel questionnaires
D) training requirements

Which of the following interview formats will most likely result in the highest validity?
A) structured, situational
B) unstructured, situational
C) structured, behavioral
D) unstructured, behavioral

The formula used by federal agencies to determine disparate rejection rates is based on a selection rate for any racial, ethnic, or sex group less than ________ percent of the rate for the group with the highest rate.
A) 40
B) 60
C) 80
D) 100

Managers who prepare for an interview using the streamlined interview process should focus on all of the following factors about a candidate EXCEPT ________.
A) personality
B) age and skills
C) work motivation
D) knowledge and experience

Personnel activities associated with human resource management most likely include all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) orienting and training new employees
B) appraising employee performance
C) building employee commitment
D) developing customer relationships

In Vroom’s theory of motivation, motivation is equal to E * I * V, where I represents ________.
A) intrinsic needs
B) internalization
C) instrumentality
D) incentives

Geert Hofstede called the extent to which less powerful members of institutions accept and expect an unequal power distribution ________.
A) masculinity
B) individualism
C) power distance
D) tolerance for ambiguity

Which of the following is the primary advantage of using graphic rating scales as performance appraisal tools?
A) eliminates central tendency errors
B) offers extremely high rate of accuracy
C) provides quantitative rating for each employee
D) links with mutually agreed upon performance objectives

With a geocentric staffing policy, a firm is most likely able to ________.
A) provide effective training
B) recruit recent college graduates
C) use its human resources efficiently
D) strengthen its image within a local community

Which of the following is a characteristic of a PEO?
A) PEOs become co-employers of record for the firm’s employees.
B) PEOs usually work for firms with at least 100 employees.
C) Most PEOs charge 8% to 10% of a firm’s total payroll.
D) PEOs are legally limited to payroll tasks.

Which of the following best explains why firms are using temporary workers more frequently?
A) low cost when hired through agencies
B) workers’ desires for flexible schedules
C) high cost of workers’ compensation insurance
D) weak economic confidence among employers

According to the text, approximately what percentage of the U.S. workforce feels engaged?
A) 5%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 75%

The owner of A-1 Construction paid more in workers’ compensation costs than salaries last year. Which of the following would most likely help the owner of A-1 Construction?
A) taking online courses through the SBA
B) screening employees with the Predictive Index
C) requesting a consultation with an OSHA safety expert
D) referring to the “FirstStep Employment Law Advisor” for assistance

The ________ lists a job’s specific duties as well as the skills and training needed to perform a particular job.
A) organization chart
B) job analysis
C) work aid
D) job description

All of the following guidelines will most likely improve the effectiveness of a performance appraisal EXCEPT ________.
A) maintaining a diary of employees’ performance during the year
B) using a graphic rating scale to ensure fair and consistent ratings
C) knowing the advantages and disadvantages of different appraisal tools
D) developing a plan to assist employees with performance improvement

Which type of interview questions are most likely designed to probe an applicant’s motivation to meet the job’s requirements through activities such as physical labor, customer service, and frequent travel?
A) willingness
B) behavioral
C) personality
D) job knowledge

A course of action that a firm can pursue to achieve its strategic aims is known as a ________.
A) vision
B) goal
C) strategy
D) mission

Sweet Leaf Tea, a Texas-based maker of bottled iced tea, is a small but fast-growing firm that has gained a loyal following for its use of fresh, organic ingredients in its beverages. Although beverage industry experts recommended that Sweet Leaf replace the organic cane sugar and honey it uses with less costly high-fructose corn syrup, Sweet Leaf refused because of the company’s mission to provide a high-quality, organic beverage to consumers. The 11-year old company has 50 employees, and its products are available in 30% of the U.S. market. Sweet Leaf Tea recently received multi-million dollar investments which will enable the business to expand its national presence.
Which of the following, if true, best supports the idea that Sweet Leaf Tea has implemented a competitive strategy of differentiation?
A) New Sweet Leaf Tea customers are initially attracted to the unique labels and logo on the bottles.
B) Loyal customers of Sweet Leaf Tea seek products that are USDA certified organic despite the associated higher costs.
C) Other brands of bottled iced tea compete with Sweet Leaf Tea by offering new flavors at competitive prices.
D) Sweet Leaf Tea sells both lemonade and teas in a variety of flavors that appeal to consumers of all ages.

In most firms, a rating committee used for performance appraisals consists of ________ members.
A) 2-3
B) 4-5
C) 6-8
D) 9-10

________ involves setting objectives, making forecasts, reviewing alternative courses of action, evaluating options and implementing the plan.
A) The management planning process
B) Financial auditing
C) Employee testing
D) Employee benchmarking

According to Herzberg’s Hygiene-Motivator theory, which of the following factors will most likely satisfy employees’ higher-level needs?
A) base salary
B) achievement
C) incentive pay
D) co-worker relationships