Human Resource Management, 14e, Global Edition (Dessler)
Chapter 1 Introduction to Human Resource Management
1) The basic functions of the management process include all of the following EXCEPT
________.
A) planning
B) organizing
C) outsourcing
D) leading
2) Which of the following is the person responsible for accomplishing an organization’s goals by
planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling personnel?
A) manager
B) entrepreneur
C) generalist
D) marketer
3) Which of the following includes five basic functions—planning, organizing, staffing, leading,
and controlling?
A) job analysis
B) strategic management
C) management process
D) adaptability screening
4) Which function of the management process requires a manager to establish goals and
standards and to develop rules and procedures?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) staffing
D) leading
5) Celeste spends most of her time at work establishing goals for her staff of fifty employees and
developing procedures for various tasks. In which function of the management process does
Celeste spend most of her time?
A) leading
B) controlling
C) organizing
D) planning
6) Jolene, a manager, delegates the authority for a project to Lee, her subordinate. Jolene is most
likely involved in which function of the management process?
A) staffing
B) organizing
C) motivating
D) leading
7) When managers use metrics to assess performance and then develop strategies for corrective
action, they are performing the ________ function of the management process.
A) planning
B) leading
C) controlling
D) organizing
8) Which function of the management process includes selecting employees, setting performance
standards, and compensating employees?
A) organizing
B) planning
C) motivating
D) staffing
9) Larry, a manager at a commercial real estate firm, has established a monthly sales quota for
his sales team. Which basic function of management best describes Larry’s actions?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) controlling
D) staffing
10) ________ is the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and
attending to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns.
A) Labor relations
B) Human resource management
C) Behavioral management
D) Organizational health and safety management
11) In the management process, which of the following is an activity associated with the leading
function?
A) motivating subordinates
B) setting performance standards
C) training new employees
D) developing procedures
12) 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
13) Since Human Resources is important to all managers, which is NOT a personnel mistake a
manager wants to make while managing?
A) Waste time with useless interviews
B) Hire the wrong person
C) Have your people not doing their best
D) Experience low turnover
14) According to experts, the primary hindrance to a firm’s productivity is its inability to
________.
A) establish effective manufacturing facilities
B) acquire and maintain human capital
C) use advanced accounting controls
D) attain adequate cash and credit
15) ________ is the right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and to give orders.
A) Leadership
B) Authority
C) Management
D) Responsibility
16) Which of the following best defines line authority?
A) management over a small staff in a public firm
B) management with flexible decision-making powers
C) a manager’s right to advise other managers or employees
D) a manager’s right to issue orders to other managers or employees
17) In most organizations, human resource managers are categorized as ________, who assist
and advise ________ in areas like recruiting, hiring, and compensation.
A) staff managers; line managers
B) line managers; middle managers
C) line managers; staff managers
D) functional managers; staff managers
18) Gerard is authorized to direct the work of subordinates and is responsible for accomplishing
the organization’s tasks. Gerard is most likely a ________.
A) training specialist
B) staff manager
C) line manager
D) recruiter
19) Which of the following is NOT considered one of the line supervisor’s responsibilities for
effective human resources management under the general headings outlined by a major
company?
A) Protecting employees’ health and physical condition
B) Changing employees’ attitudes regarding work
C) Developing the abilities of each person
D) Interpreting the company policies and procedures
20) A line manager’s human resource responsibilities most likely include all of the following
EXCEPT ________.
A) maintaining department morale
B) controlling labor costs
C) protecting employees’ health
D) marketing new products and services
21) Which of the following refers to the authority exerted by an HR manager as coordinator of
personnel activities?
A) staff authority
B) line authority
C) functional authority
D) corporate authority
22) Which of the following is most likely a line function of the human resource manager?
A) ensuring that line managers are implementing HR policies
B) advising line managers about how to implement EEO laws
C) representing the interests of employees to senior management
D) directing the activities of subordinates in the HR department
23) One of the ________ functions of a human resource manager includes directing the activities
of his or her subordinates in the HR department.
A) coordinative
B) corporate
C) staff
D) line
24) Which of the following is an example of a coordinative function performed by HR
managers?
A) ensuring that line managers are adhering to a firm’s sexual harassment policies
B) voicing employee concerns about health benefits and wages to upper management
C) providing upper management with relevant data on national employment trends
D) assisting line managers with hiring, evaluating, and firing employees
25) ________ functions involve assisting and advising line managers, and they are the central
aspect of a human resource manager’s job.
A) Staff
B) Advocacy
C) Line
D) Coordinative
26) All of the following are ways in which an HR manager most likely assists and advises line
managers EXCEPT ________.
A) administering health and accident insurance programs
B) representing employees’ interests to upper management
C) making strategic business planning decisions
D) hiring, training, and evaluating employees
27) Human resource managers generally exert ________ within the human resources department
and ________ outside the human resources department.
A) line authority; staff authority
B) staff authority; line authority
C) functional authority; line authority
D) staff authority; implied authority
28) All of the following are functions of the human resource manager EXCEPT ________.
A) ensuring that line managers are implementing HR policies
B) advising line managers about how to implement EEO laws
C) representing the interests of employees to senior management
D) integrating the duties of line managers with staff managers
29) All of the following are examples of human resource specialties EXCEPT ________.
A) job analyst
B) financial advisor
C) compensation manager
D) labor relations specialist
30) In general, how many human resource employees would be on staff for a firm with 500 total
employees?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 5
D) 10
31) Which of the following human resource management specialties calls for collecting data to
write job descriptions?
A) job analyst
B) job training specialist
C) compensation manager
D) EEO coordinator
32) Which of the following focuses on using centralized call centers and outside vendors as a
way to provide specialized support in day-to-day HR activities?
A) embedded HR units
B) corporate HR groups
C) HR centers of expertise
D) transactional HR groups
33) An HR generalist at Wilson Manufacturing has been assigned to the sales department to
provide HR management assistance as needed. Which of the following best describes the
structure of the HR services provided at Wilson Manufacturing?
A) transactional HR teams
B) embedded HR teams
C) centers of expertise
D) corporate HR teams
34) Roberta Whitman has recently been hired by Jackson Pharmaceuticals as the senior vice
president of human resources. Jackson Pharmaceuticals has a history of problems within its HR
department including difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified employees, EEO violations,
inadequate employee training programs, and confusion regarding health benefit enrollment and
coverage. With years of experience transforming HR departments in other firms, Whitman
believes she can correct the problems at Jackson Pharmaceuticals.
Which of the following best supports Whitman’s idea to develop a transactional HR group to
handle benefits administration?
A) An embedded HR unit would assist top management with big picture issues as well as
benefits administration.
B) Extensive training has been provided to line managers so that they fully understand the
different insurance options available to employees.
C) Outside vendors specializing in all aspects of benefits administration would provide improved
support to the firm’s employees.
D) Lower insurance premiums would eliminate the need for outsourcing services and improve
employee health coverage.
35) Roberta Whitman has recently been hired by Jackson Pharmaceuticals as the senior vice
president of human resources. Jackson Pharmaceuticals has a history of problems within its HR
department including difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified employees, EEO violations,
inadequate employee training programs, and confusion regarding health benefit enrollment and
coverage. With years of experience transforming HR departments in other firms, Whitman
believes she can correct the problems at Jackson Pharmaceuticals.
Which of the following best supports the argument that Whitman should create embedded HR
units and assign relationship managers to each department within the firm?
A) Employees frequently complain about the inconsistent assistance they receive from the HR
department due to its large size.
B) The global nature of the firm makes it difficult for the HR department to effectively
communicate corporate messages to employees scattered around the world.
C) Centralized call centers would enable the HR department to provide specialized support on
daily transactional activities.
D) Line managers want to implement additional screening and evaluations to improve the quality
of their subordinates.
36) Which of the following responsibilities is shared by line managers and human resource
managers in most firms?
A) preemployment testing
B) benefits administration
C) initial screening interviews
D) performance appraisals
37) In most firms, line managers work in conjunction with HR managers when ________.
A) visiting college campuses to recruit
B) interviewing job applicants
C) administering preemployment tests
D) testing employees for drugs
38) How have globalization and increased competition most likely affected human resource
management?
A) Corporate intranets are used by HR managers to communicate important messages.
B) HR managers need to focus on integrating ethics into a firm’s policies and practices.
C) Benefits administration is increasingly being handled internally as a way to lower costs.
D) HR managers need to focus on big picture issues to help firms achieve their strategic goals.
39) ________ refers to the tendency of firms to extend their sales, ownership, and/or
manufacturing to new markets abroad.
A) Expansion
B) Globalization
C) Export growth
D) Diversification
40) All of the following are the most common reasons that firms decide to globalize EXCEPT
________.
A) lower costs
B) supervising quality control methods
C) make employees more productive
D) to do things better