Letters of recommendation are among the best predictors of future job performance.
Workers who make up nontraditional labor pools typically lack the experience,
education, and social experience found in traditional labor pools.
The labor supply for an organization is how many workers are available with the
required skills to meet company needs.
Job-based compensation plans place strong consideration on the nature of the business.
Unstructured interviews are more effective than structured interviews at screening out
unsuitable job candidates who don’t fit with the organization.
The legal battle over drug testing is primarily at the U.S. Supreme Court level.
Basing a layoff on performance can be a legal hazard for an employer if the employee’s
performance has not been well documented over a period of time.
The need for generalists with an ability to change job assignments quickly, respond to
rapidly changing conditions, and to help out where needed has increased the need for
retraining.
High-deductible health plans lower employer health-care costs and employees’
premiums.
The critical-incident technique is useful for developing BARS.
The number of workplace homicides increased significantly between 2008 and 2009.
TQM programs are designed to improve the quality of the processes used to produce
products.
An egalitarian pay system strives to place most of their employees under the same
compensation plan, while elitist pay systems establish different compensation plans
based on employees’ organizational level.
Common training subjects for virtual teams include enhancing communication skills,
using technology, and managing group members.
Norms, rules of the game, and organizational climate are elements of an organization’s
structure.
When an employer shuts down a business before a labor dispute gets to a strike, the
employer is:
A) initiating a wildcat strike.
B) in violation of the Wagner Act.
C) using a lockout as a bargaining strategy.
D) avoiding an economic strike by the workers.
Additional Case 4.1
As the Director of HR, David is leading a management discussion to plan and
implement a diversity management program. David is concerned that management,
while tolerant, tends to stereotype minorities and this will eventually lead to difficulties
for the firm. The company’s top three markets are in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
All three markets are heavily Latino in make-up. The senior management team is all
male. The youngest member is 58 years of age.
Martinez, the VP of Operations, feels that people should blend together and that
focusing on differences merely creates divisions. He thinks that you should have a
common training program to create a unified “American” company culture. Patrick, VP
of Finance, doesn’t see the need for a program. He respects that people are different, but
he feels that once you get to know a Hispanic, African-American, or Asian-American,
you know how to work with any Hispanic, African-American, or Asian-American.
Moreover, Patrick doesn’t believe the company should get into affirmative action
programs. The firm tried it ten years ago, and it created many problems.
Simon, the CEO, thinks a diversity management program is important. He believes the
company is missing some important talent without such a program. Simon feels that the
company can create a competitive advantage by being in the lead on this issue and also
believes the changing workforce is going to require adjustments in the future.
Refer to Additional Case 4.1. Patrick is most likely directed by:
A) his belief that people can control the factors that make them diverse.
B) shifts in the demographic make-up of the workforce.
C) the firm’s legal responsibilities.
D) his own cognitive structure.
A training manager is reviewing how well a training program met its objectives. This
review represents the ________ phase of the training cycle.
A) needs assessment
B) development and design
C) implementation
D) evaluation
Business unionism tends to focus on:
A) promoting union workers to a company’s board of directors.
B) improving the economic welfare of union members.
C) improving the working conditions of managers.
D) increasing employee participation in company management.
Career development in traditional bureaucratic organizations differs from that in more
modern organizations in that:
A) bureaucratic organizations left career development solely to the employees, while
modern organizations implement career development for employees.
B) bureaucratic organizations supported employee empowerment, while most modern
organizations shy away from employee empowerment.
C) bureaucratic organizations saw career development as something that was done “for”
employees, while modern organizations view it as something in which the employee
must play a role.
D) bureaucratic organizations saw career development as something that would
improve the individual employee, while modern organizations see career development
as something that will improve the company as a whole.
Casey wants a pay-for-performance incentive program that will increase both
productivity and quality and that has few performance measurement difficulties. Her
best choice is a(n):
A) individual-based incentive plan.
B) piece rate incentive plan.
C) team-based incentive plan.
D) gainsharing plan.
Which of the following would most likely increase as a result of work simplification?
A) Costs
B) Turnover
C) Satisfaction
D) Skill variety
The primary difference between a layoff and a discharge is:
A) a layoff is an involuntary separation and a discharge is a voluntary separation.
B) a layoff is a voluntary separation and a discharge is an involuntary separation.
C) a discharge occurs when the company’s strategy forces it to reduce its workforce and
a layoff occurs when there is a poor fit between the employee and the organization.
D) a layoff occurs when the company’s strategy forces it to reduce its workforce and a
discharge occurs when there is a poor fit between the employee and the organization.
Additional Case 10.1
Brighton Manufacturing is reviewing its compensation system. The CEO wants
employees to be paid wages and benefits comparable to Brighton’s competitors. He
wants a system that allows for maximum flexibility in reassigning workers to different
jobs without requiring compensation adjustments each time. The Finance VP suggests
that the company link compensation costs more closely to productivity and profit.
When profits are down, compensation costs should be reduced as well. The Finance VP
also believes that employees should be paid for what they produce, not for their time,
and the compensation program should apply to all employees equally. The VP of HR
suggests that the key to the company’s success is their employees and advocates an
individual-based compensation plan. People should be paid for their skills or
knowledge, not just because they are fulfilling certain jobs. The VP of HR also feels
that it would be simpler to implement a compensation system by level rather than by
job.
Refer to Additional Case 10.1. The CEO is primarily concerned about:
A) external equity.
B) skill-based pay.
C) distributive justice.
D) internal equity.
The best training to ensure maximum transfer of learning to the job is:
A) computer-aided training.
B) simulation-based training.
C) classroom training.
D) on-the-job-training.
Which of the following is an advantage of using local employees in international
subsidiaries?
A) Difficult decisions are often handled earlier by local employees than by expatriates.
B) A local manager is better able to balance local demands with the firm’s international
priorities.
C) Using a local employee ensures transfer of management practices from the home
company to the subsidiary.
D) Using local employees increases the community’s acceptance of the company as a
legitimate participant in the local economy.
In any group, some individuals put in more effort than others. On occasion, the
contribution is markedly less than the average of the rest of the team. The most
appropriate term for this is:
A) limited group cohesiveness.
B) the free-riding effect.
C) single-mindedness.
D) job autonomy.
An employment selection tool that has content validity:
A) reports consistent results across time.
B) results in consistency among evaluators.
C) contains a high correlation to job performance.
D) accurately measures knowledge required for the job.
Which type of compensation would most likely be given in a unionized firm?
A) Merit pay
B) Performance-based pay
C) Profit sharing
D) Lump-sum bonuses
Additional Case 6.4
Organizers, Inc. has implemented new business technologies that require fewer
employees. Paul, the firm’s CEO, sees the need to eliminate some middle managers and
institute work teams to eliminate ineffective or unnecessary work processes. He
believes that such changes won’t be costly to the business. Most of the middle managers
have been with the company anywhere from 10-15 years but are a long way from
retirement.
One specific problem that Paul recognizes involves Zena, an upper-level manager. Zena
has been coming to work late, missing deadlines on assignments, and refusing to
complete an important assignment. Paul has warned Zena personally about the
consequences for further actions and has even meted out several proscribed disciplinary
actions against Zena. Her work habits have not improved, and Paul feels he may have to
take further action.
Refer to Additional Case 6.4. By Paul’s estimation, Organizers, Inc. most likely needs to
do which of the following to improve efficiency?
A) Implement internship opportunities
B) Perform a large-scale layoff
C) Downsize
D) Rightsize
Additional Case 10.1
Brighton Manufacturing is reviewing its compensation system. The CEO wants
employees to be paid wages and benefits comparable to Brighton’s competitors. He
wants a system that allows for maximum flexibility in reassigning workers to different
jobs without requiring compensation adjustments each time. The Finance VP suggests
that the company link compensation costs more closely to productivity and profit.
When profits are down, compensation costs should be reduced as well. The Finance VP
also believes that employees should be paid for what they produce, not for their time,
and the compensation program should apply to all employees equally. The VP of HR
suggests that the key to the company’s success is their employees and advocates an
individual-based compensation plan. People should be paid for their skills or
knowledge, not just because they are fulfilling certain jobs. The VP of HR also feels
that it would be simpler to implement a compensation system by level rather than by
job.
Refer to Additional Case 10.1. Which of the following, if true, best supports the
compensation plan advocated by the VP of HR?
A) Turnover at Brighton is relatively low.
B) Most jobs at Brighton require significant employee training.
C) The technology used at Brighton changes frequently.
D) Employees at Brighton rarely need to cover for each other.
Which of the following compensation possibilities is NOT permissible under the Equal
Pay Act?
A) Paying a man more than a woman when they are performing the same job in the
same organization
B) Enforcing a seniority plan that pays a woman more per year if she has been with the
company longer than a man
C) Paying a male employee more than a female employee if he has more responsibility
and more job duties than she does
D) Paying a woman more than a man if she is living in a different geographical region
in which the cost of living is considerably more than the region in which the male
employee is living
According to Herzberg’s theory, the absence of which of the following would most
likely lead to employee dissatisfaction?
A) Achievements
B) Job responsibilities
C) Coworker relationships
D) Advancement opportunities
Which of the following is designed to encourage preventive health care in order to
reduce overall costs?
A) Traditional health insurance
B) Preferred provider organization
C) Patient’s Bill of Rights
D) Health maintenance organization
The most common reason for expatriate failure is:
A) overemphasis on technical qualifications.
B) inability to speak the language.
C) family problems.
D) culture shock.
Which term refers to individual employee accounts funded by the employer, the
employee, or both based on rules specified in Section 125 of the Internal Revenue
Code?
A) Core-plus option plan
B) Modular plan
C) Flexible spending account
D) Health savings account
Approximately one in ________ civil suits is based on harassment or discrimination
complaints.
A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
There are federal guidelines regarding AIDS that require organizational compliance.
The major source of these guidelines is ________ and OSHA.
A) NIOSH
B) ADA
C) HCSC
D) OSHRC
Additional Case 7.2
As an HR manager at a publishing firm, you are reviewing performance appraisals for a
report to the CEO regarding manager performance. The CEO wants to know not only
how employees are doing, but also how well managers are evaluating their employees.
Matt, Madeline, and Edward are the firm’s key managers.
Reading through Matt’s evaluations, you note that he tends to rate all of his subordinates
in the middle of the scale. You recall a conversation during which Matt commented that
his subordinates were overall satisfactory but not excellent. Matt would like to get them
more training and institute an incentive program for motivational purposes.
Madeline’s employee evaluations of her team range from excellent to poor. You are
startled to see that Madeline has rated Juan rather low. Pulling Juan’s file, you note that
he has always had very high ratings until this time. You remember a meeting two
months ago when Juan vehemently disagreed with Madeline in front of the CEO, who
agreed with Juan’s opinion to Madeline’s embarrassment.
Edward’s employee evaluations have very little justification. Gary, the CEO’s
son-in-law, is typically an average performer, but Edward gave him a very high rating.
Jenny, another average performer, has a very low rating. You recall a comment from
Edward that Jenny needed motivation to work harder.
Refer to Additional Case 7.2. Madeline’s evaluation of Juan most likely involves a(n)
________ error.
A) central tendency
B) influence of liking
C) frame-of-reference
D) assessment criteria
Managing difficult employees is an important part of the discipline process. Identify
three common employee problems that managers must deal with and the questions or
issues managers should consider with each.
Three key laws ‘” the Wagner Act, the Taft-Hartley Act, and the Landrum-Griffin Act ‘”
govern labor-management practices in union settings. Describe the major points of each
act.
What are the four ways labor relations strategies are available to management? What
are the three phases of the labor relations process?
________ is either refusal to obey a direct order from a supervisor or verbal abuse of a
supervisor.
The process of orienting new employees to the organization, or the unit in which they
will be working, is referred to as ________.
The idea that one can successfully infer an individual’s motivations, interests, values,
and behavioral traits based on that individual’s group membership is referred to as
________.