Base compensation refers to:
A) health insurance and time off.
B) fixed pay received on a regular basis.
C) perks determined by status within the company.
D) bonuses that underpin the employee’s total compensation.
Workforce diversity can most likely enhance organizational effectiveness by:
A) reducing training costs and improving quality.
B) decreasing communications problems and conflicts.
C) creating greater human resource system stability.
D) increasing creativity and improving problem solving.
Additional Case 13.2
Starline is a small children’s clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid
growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting
of managers, a number of issues are raised.
One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled
employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and
would not provide Starline with significant benefits.
Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to
address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the
potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook.
Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since
every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers
discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system.
One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to
help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions
during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the
surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey.
Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which term best describes the type of communication
that occurred at the meeting between Starline managers?
A) Information dissemination
B) Upward communication
C) Downward communication
D) Two-way communication
Cuts in overtime pay, profit sharing, and encouraging employees to take leave days are
all ways to reduce employee costs in what area?
A) Employment policies
B) Pay and benefits
C) Job design
D) Training
Additional Case 13.1
The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has
been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to
communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second,
Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about
their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and
employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally,
David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer
service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers.
Refer to Additional Case 13.1. The best means for Isabelle to communicate with
employees would most likely be through a:
A) newsletter.
B) memo.
C) bulletin board.
D) teleconference.
Advocates of skill-based pay argue that it:
A) diminishes the need for changing technology.
B) improves employee specialization.
C) reduces absenteeism.
D) enhances recruitment.
Sam is training a bomb squad to defuse bombs. Today’s bombs are very complex. The
equipment he is using for the training is hard to get and very expensive, and obviously,
mistakes are only made once. The best way to deliver this training would be:
A) simulation.
B) e-learning.
C) classroom training.
D) videotape and slides.
Jamie has been a manager at a large firm for nearly 10 years. After a recent hiring
period, he identifies a new employee named Carlos who shows potential for
administration and advancement in the company. During the next three years, he
coaches and encourages Carlos at his job, answers questions, and helps Carlos develop
a career strategy. This is most likely an example of:
A) developing communication standards.
B) dismantling stereotypes.
C) training an apprentice.
D) mentoring.
Which selection strategy is most appropriate when a large number of applicants are
being considered for a position?
A) Single-variant
B) Multiple-hurdle
C) Statistical
D) Clinical
In Japan, workers at large corporations are represented by:
A) business unions.
B) work councils.
C) enterprise unions.
D) labor specialists.
Which of the following is a true statement about HSAs?
A) Earnings and qualified withdrawals from HSAs are not taxed.
B) Unspent money from an HSA cannot be rolled into the next year.
C) HSAs offer low deductibles for people who rarely need health care.
D) Premiums on HSAs are higher than other health insurance policies.
Additional Case 8.4
RightChoice is a computer retailing company. It is very popular with employees
because of flexible shifts, rotating job schedules, and the lenient policies regarding time
off for family care. This also makes employee cohesiveness very important because
sometimes employees will be called to work on days off or pulled off of another job in
order to help in a different department. Though this may be a difficulty for a larger
business, the atmosphere and benefits that come with such flexibility are appreciated by
employees.
The application process includes a brief interview and a short test to determine whether
applicants have mastered basic literacy skills. During the most recent hire cycle,
RightChoice found that some applicants who desired retail and customer service
positions had not mastered basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. In response,
RightChoice garnered the assistance of a local community college, along with some
middle and upper-level managers in providing training to the new employees to give
them the necessary skills in performing their jobs.
After this hire, Lexi, an upper-level manager suggests that the new employee
socialization process should consist of a short-term program that explains to the
employees their job position and its place in the company, and a tour of the business.
Refer to Additional Case 8.4. Because of RightChoice’s flexible approach to employee
scheduling, many workers have changing work schedules and they often help one
another in various job operations or work in job rotation. In order to train new
employees for this type of working environment, the company should implement:
A) diversity training.
B) cross-functional training.
C) customer service training.
D) 360° feedback.
Discipline that involves employees monitoring their own behavior after collaborative
problem solving with the manager is called:
A) due process discipline.
B) positive discipline.
C) employment-at-will.
D) progressive discipline.
Which of the following is NOT addressed in most employment contracts?
A) Employee compensation
B) Duration of employment
C) Specific working conditions
D) Protection from discrimination
Similar to a quit, a ________ is initiated by the employee, but in this case the employee
is unlikely to search for another job.
A) layoff
B) retirement
C) discharge
D) buyout
According to the text, the most important training opportunity for an employee is:
A) development.
B) retraining.
C) orientation.
D) problem-solving.
Current international compensation packages are best described as:
A) simple because both locals and expatriates are paid in local currency based on local
wage rates.
B) complicated due to corporate cost-cutting and varying cost-of-living adjustments.
C) standardized and based on a two-tier system of local and expatriate wage rates.
D) inadequate due to the lack of information on global pay and benefits.
Which of the following is most likely a true statement about recruiting employees in a
protected class?
A) The recruiting message should be targeted to specific minority groups.
B) All private sector firms are legally required to have an affirmative action policy.
C) Using media that focuses on minorities is an effective way to recruit protected group
members.
D) Intense minority competition for jobs ensures a large pool of qualified and motivated
applicants.
Team training that focuses on how members function as a team are best known as:
A) operating skills.
B) group processes.
C) creative thinking.
D) cross-functional operations.
Which of the following is an example of a work requirement question?
A) Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a supervisor.
B) What is the procedure for handling a customer complaint?
C) Are you willing to work overtime to meet customer demands?
D) Tell me what you know about our company and product line.
When an employee applies for family or medical leave, an employer:
A) may deny it to employees with less than one year of service.
B) does not have to guarantee the employee the same/similar job upon returning to
work.
C) does not have to maintain health insurance coverage for the employee.
D) cannot hire replacement workers while the employee is on leave.
Carine’s position at FireWall was terminated when she refused to participate in office
theft for her supervisor. This is most likely an example of:
A) whistleblowing.
B) due process.
C) employment at will.
D) wrongful discharge.
An exempt employee:
A) works as a temporary employee.
B) is more costly to a firm than a nonexempt employee.
C) is not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.
D) works part time rather than full time.
Which of the following is the most likely advantage of traditional interviews?
A) Predicting a candidate’s fit with the organization
B) Making the hiring decision a team process
C) Limiting questions to job-related issues
D) Accurately predicting job performance
While diversity programs offer companies a number of benefits, some potential pitfalls
also arise, such as:
A) promoting job competition.
B) generating reverse discrimination suits.
C) promoting stereotypes.
D) creating communication barriers.