84) ________ are computer systems that incorporate the decision rules used by people who are
considered to have proficiency in a certain area.
A) Decision support systems
B) Expert systems
C) E-HRM systems
D) Transaction-processing systems
E) Clouds
85) A firm’s HR department uses a computer system that assists in the selection of candidates to
be interviewed for a job opening. The computer system enables the interviewer to act as both an
interviewee and interviewer in a simulation, thus providing the HR specialist with
comprehensive knowledge about the firm’s overall interview and selection process. This
computer system is likely to be a(n)
A) expert system.
B) employee retention system.
C) decision support system.
D) work-action system.
E) document management system.
86) A standard feature of a modern HRIS (Human Resource Information System) is the use of
________ databases, which store data in separate files that can be linked by common elements.
A) graph
B) hypermedia
C) relational
D) unstructured
E) parallel
87) Identify the advantage of a relational database.
A) It facilitates the storage of employee information in a single, large file.
B) It replicates the traditional method of filing employee data by name, a system that is strongly
preferred by organizations worldwide.
C) It helps HR staff in retrieving information about specific applicants.
D) It helps people arrive at decisions that reflect expert knowledge.
E) It is designed to exclusively meet the needs of the HR department.
88) Which of the following refers to a display of a series of HR measures, showing human
resource goals and objectives and the progress toward meeting them?
A) a performance review template
B) a job preview
C) an expert system
D) an HR dashboard
E) a relational database
89) The HR department at TRP Consulting uses a human resource information system (HRIS).
The employees of the department can view and track their individual progress as well as the
progress that the department has made using HRIS. The component of the HRIS that enables this
is called an
A) HR banner.
B) HR bulletin board.
C) HR showcase.
D) HR dashboard.
E) HR scroll.
90) Ron, the vice president of HR at Masters Inc., claims that the department’s effectiveness has
improved since it implemented the use of an HR dashboard. What capabilities of an HR
dashboard best explain this improvement?
A) The HR dashboard eliminated the need for relational databases.
B) The HR dashboard is used by all the employees.
C) The HR dashboard provides an easy-to-scan review of HR performance on a companywide
basis.
D) The HR dashboard supplies human resource information to managers in their cars.
E) The HR dashboard performs computations of routine HR practices.
91) Barry, a manager at a leading IT firm, is reviewing trends in his department. He notices the
programming team has significantly increased the amount of work they have completed, but the
testing team continues to stay at the same productivity level. What human resource information
system tool would allow Barry to view such data?
A) expert system
B) cloud computing database
C) decision support system
D) HR dashboard
E) judge-advisor system
92) Identify the correct statement regarding e-HRM.
A) Most administrative and information-gathering HRM activities can be part of e-HRM.
B) E-HRM is less economical than traditional HR systems.
C) E-HRM has adversely affected employee manageability.
D) The number of organizations actively engaged in e-HRM is steadily decreasing.
E) A major drawback of e-HRM is that employees cannot help themselves to the information
they need when they need it.
93) Century Clothes is a retailer with outlets in more than 30 cities in the United States. After a
recent expansion of an additional 25 outlets, Century Clothes looked to expand its IT
infrastructure to make it easier for workers to apply for jobs and for employees to submit their
time sheets. The IT department decided against increasing the capacity of the company’s servers.
Instead, the team used a third-party hosting service for running these applications. The
employees at the megastores are allowed access to this information through a web interface. In
this scenario, Century Clothes is employing
A) expert systems.
B) relational database management.
C) cloud computing.
D) an HR dashboard.
E) decision support systems.
94) Tahoma Inc. has extensively made use of cloud computing for several functions of its HR
department. This technology has helped manage department functions, store necessary data, and
also has given employees access to the required databases to resolve customer queries and
complaints. Which scenario, if true, would disrupt the services provided by this arrangement?
A) Internet access in the facility becomes intermittent for three hours every day
B) an updated version of the cloud, including multiple new features, becomes available
C) many other companies making use of this device to store and manage data
D) the company’s computers not having capacity for all the software required
E) the company not having enough servers to host the system
95) The three things human resource management needs to define in a customer-oriented
approach are
A) the customer needs, the size of the organization, and the number of customers.
B) the customer groups, the customer needs, and the activities required to meet those needs.
C) the size of an organization, the customer groups, and the level of motivation of the customers.
D) the size of the organization, the number of customers, and the customer needs.
E) the dedication to quality, the size of management, and the goals of the organization.
96) Carmella, a human resources executive, emphasizes to her staff that the department should
focus on serving its “customer,” the company’s employees. Which activity best expresses
treatment of employees as customers?
A) providing employees with the training they need to succeed at work
B) keeping records of whether employees complete training when it is required
C) reporting safety performance to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
D) directing employees who call to submit their questions in writing on a certain form
E) telling employees what they must do to meet the needs of the HR department
97) A number of techniques are available for measuring HRM’s effectiveness in meeting its
customers’ needs depending on the situation. These techniques include reviewing a set of key
indicators, measuring the outcomes of ________, and measuring the economic value of HRM
programs.
A) training results
B) committed employees
C) goals
D) specific HRM activities
E) predicted successes
98) A formal review of the outcomes of HRM functions, based on identifying key HRM
functions and measures of business performance, is referred to as a(n)
A) balanced scorecard.
B) profit-and-loss statement.
C) evidence-based HRM.
D) job description.
E) HRM audit.
99) To determine the outcomes of the HR functions at Veranda International, several top-level
managers suggest conducting a formal review of the HR department to evaluate its functions.
The CEO approves the implementation of this suggestion. Which way to measure the
effectiveness of human resource management would Veranda use?
A) HRM functions
B) HRM audit
C) HRM analytics
D) HRM programs
E) HRM activities
100) Which of the following is an HRM function in an HRM audit?
101) In the context of an HRM audit, the ratio of acceptances to offers made primarily serves as
a business indicator for ________ activities.
A) employee development
B) appraisal
C) training
D) compensation
E) staffing
102) The HR department of Laser Line identifies the per capita requirement costs in its annual
audit. It also calculates the average number of days taken to fill open positions at the firm. The
data gathered were used as business indicators in the audit. The business indicators are most
likely to measure the performance of the ________ activity of Laser Line.
A) training
B) employee appraisal
C) employee development
D) compensation
E) staffing
103) What is a measure of customer satisfaction that indicates the success of the staffing efforts
of an HR department?
A) treatment of applicants
B) average years of experience or education of hires per job family
C) average days taken to fill open requisitions
D) the ratio of acceptances to offers made
E) the ratio of minority or women applicants as a representation of the local labor market
104) What is a business indicator for the success of the compensation system designed by the HR
department of an organization?
A) competitiveness in the local labor market
B) the ratio of average salary offers to the average salary in the community
C) the relationship between pay and performance
D) employee satisfaction with pay
E) the fairness of an existing job evaluation system in assigning grades and salaries
105) Which of the following is a customer satisfaction measure that indicates the success of the
compensation system designed by the HR department of an organization?
A) competitiveness in the local labor market
B) the ratio of average salary offers to the average salary in the community
C) per capita (average) merit increases
D) the percentage of overtime hours to straight time
E) the ratio of recommendations for reclassification to number of employees
106) Which of the following is NOT a measure of customer satisfaction that indicates the
success of the benefits programs implemented by the HR department of an organization?
A) promptness in handling claims
B) the average unemployment compensation payment
C) per capita (average) merit increases
D) the benefit cost per payroll dollar
E) the percentage of sick leave to total pay
107) In the context of an HRM audit, average unemployment compensation payment primarily
serves as a vital business indicator for activities related to
A) staffing.
B) training.
C) employee appraisals.
D) benefits.
E) recruitment.
108) For a business conducting an HRM audit, what is an important customer satisfaction
measure in assessing the success of training programs conducted by HR?
A) the percentage of employees participating in training programs per job family
B) the percentage of employees receiving tuition refunds
C) per capita (average) merit increases
D) training dollars per employee
E) the quality of introduction or orientation programs
109) What is a business indicator of the success of the employee appraisal and development
programs implemented by the HR department of an organization?
A) the assistance in identifying management potential
B) the organizational development activities provided by the HRM department
C) the accuracy and clarity of information provided to managers and employees
D) the quality of the introduction or orientation programs
E) the distribution of performance appraisal ratings
110) Marytime Inc., an apparel manufacturer, employed a large-scale recruitment drive to hire
some of the country’s best fashion designers. The company’s HR team was responsible for
measuring the success of this recruitment drive to quantify its returns. In this scenario, the HR
team can use a process referred to as
A) HR report.
B) HR audit.
C) HR analytics.
D) HR statistics.
E) HR scoping.
111) In general, HR departments should be able to improve their performance through some
combination of greater efficiency and greater effectiveness. In this context, greater efficiency
means the HR department
A) has a relatively limited influence over employee performance.
B) uses fewer and less-costly resources to perform its functions.
C) spends lavishly on resources.
D) has a more beneficial effect on the organization’s performance.
E) ensures that all operations are legal.
112) In general, HR departments should be able to improve their performance through some
combination of greater efficiency and greater effectiveness. In this context, greater effectiveness
means that
A) the rate of employee turnover is considerably high.
B) the HR personnel use fewer and less-costly resources to perform its functions.
C) the average employee compensation in the organization is well above the prevailing market
rate.
D) what the HR department does has a more beneficial effect on employees’ and the
organization’s performance.
E) there is a relatively narrow gap between the highest and the lowest salaries paid in the
organization.
113) What is a high-performance work system? Explain the different elements of a high-
performance work system. What is the role of HRM in such a system?
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114) Discuss the various outcomes of a high-performance work system.
115) List the conditions that contribute to the formation of a high-performance work system.
116) Discuss how recruitment and selection practices contribute to high performance in an
organization.
117) How can HR departments improve their performance?
118) How does a high-performance system differ from traditional management practices?
119) What are the key features of a learning organization?
120) What is occupational intimacy?
121) What is an HR dashboard?
122) What is an HRM audit?