Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 5e (Dessler)
Chapter 9 Managing Careers
1) Which term refers to the occupational positions a person has had over many years?
A) engagement
B) experience
C) promotion
D) career
2) Which term refers to the lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person’s career
exploration, establishment, success, and fulfillment?
A) career management
B) career development
C) career planning
D) career
3) Career management is best defined as the ________.
A) process for helping employees to develop and use their skills and interests both within the
company and after they leave the firm
B) lifelong series of activities that contribute to a person’s career exploration, establishment,
success, and fulfillment
C) process through which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge,
motivations, and other characteristics
D) series of occupational positions that a person holds over many years
4) Which of the following is most likely an example of a career development activity?
A) selection interview
B) performance appraisal
C) employee coaching
D) training workshop
5) Kirk, a marketing specialist, is working with a mentor to identify his personal skills and
interests. Kirk will then identify career-related goals and establish an action plan to attain those
goals. Kirk is most likely involved with ________.
A) job training
B) career planning
C) career development
D) organizational management
6) According to the text, what is important to young people entering the job market today?
A) work-life balance
B) career development
C) international opportunities
D) strong organizational culture
7) The psychological contract between employers and employees identifies the ________ of each
party.
A) long-term goals
B) expectations
C) ethical morals
D) opportunities
8) Which factor most likely increases the importance of career management for workers?
A) global expansion
B) cost of health benefits
C) unpredictable labor market
D) lack of training opportunities
9) Kareem, a college student, has just completed the Self-Directed Search test. By taking the test,
Kareem is most likely trying to ________.
A) apply for a job
B) determine labor trends
C) assess cognitive strengths
D) identify suitable occupations
10) Which term refers to a phenomenon that occurs when a new employee’s high expectations
are met with a dull job?
A) engagement
B) reality shock
C) job withdrawal
D) employee turnover
11) Which of the following would LEAST likely prevent an employee from experiencing reality
shock?
A) being given simple tasks
B) being assigned a mentor
C) receiving realistic job expectations
D) having challenging work assignments
12) Career management, planning, and development are primarily the responsibility of the
________.
A) mentor
B) employee
C) employer
D) manager
13) All of the following are career management opportunities offered by many employers
EXCEPT ________.
A) providing realistic job interviews
B) offering periodic job rotation
C) distributing interest surveys
D) giving performance feedback
14) Intuit offers a Rotational Development Program that provides ________.
A) recruitment information
B) career coaching
C) selection criteria
D) work-life balance training
15) Which of the following is the role of a manager in an employee’s career development?
A) providing positive employee references
B) identifying the main interests of employees
C) providing monetary assistance for higher education
D) linking performance appraisals to development plans
16) Which term refers to a planned learning event in which participants evaluate occupational
trends, perform self-assessment exercises, set goals, and develop action plans?
A) employee orientation
B) team building retreat
C) career planning workshop
D) competency-based peer review
17) Allison, a new employee at Dixon Enterprises, has been assigned a career coach. Allison
should most likely expect the coach to help her with all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) negotiating for a lifelong learning account
B) obtaining development opportunities
C) identifying development needs
D) creating a five-year career plan
18) Which term refers to careers built around using one’s skills to create a livelihood based on
multiple income sources, often from a variety of jobs
A) job enrichment
B) portfolio careers
C) networking
D) job sharing
19) Which of the following is NOT a reason that people support themselves through portfolio
careers?
A) They want to be independent.
B) They cannot find a full-time job.
C) They want job security and benefits
D) They need flexibility for family matters.
20) What is the primary method for management to support the career development of
employees?
A) assigning career planning coaches
B) establishing corporate career centers
C) offering individual career counseling
D) providing realistic performance reviews
21) The Self-Directed Search test helps people evaluate their occupational orientations and
preferences.
22) Discuss how and why careers today are different from those in the past.
23) How can organizations facilitate the career development needs of employees?
24) What actions can managers take to support the career development needs of subordinates?
What role does coaching play in supporting employee development needs?
25) Which term refers to educating, instructing, and training subordinates to perform job-related
tasks?
A) outsourcing
B) networking
C) mentoring
D) coaching
26) Which term refers to advising, counseling, and guiding an employee?
A) coaching
B) mentoring
C) appraising
D) training
27) Jason, a sales manager, has been given the task of coaching a new employee. What should
Jason do first?
A) ask the employee to complete a job-related questionnaire
B) give the employee suggestions about work practices
C) observe the employee working and interacting
D) reach agreement with the employee on a plan
28) Jason, a sales manager, has been given the task of coaching a new employee. Jason has
already observed the employee on the job and reviewed the employee’s productivity levels. What
should Jason do next?
A) develop a change plan with the employee
B) offer the employee ideas and advice
C) observe the employee again
D) create a task assignment
29) Westin Manufacturing is a large firm with offices across the U.S. Many career opportunities
exist at Westin in areas such as IT, sales, marketing, and product development. Westin managers
are currently considering the idea of assigning a coach to every new employee at the firm. Which
of the following, if TRUE, best supports this idea?
A) Organizational development at Westin has improved employee engagement.
B) As a high-performance work system, Westin relies on multiskilled teams.
C) Westin employees participate in training and development programs twice a year.
D) The turnover rate of hourly employees at Westin is higher than the industry average.
30) According to research, effective mentors have the ability to ________.
A) maintain control of the relationship
B) establish basic standards of performance
C) steer employees into important projects
D) teach employees how to complete tasks
31) Unlike a traditional mentor, a mentor/sponsor is able to ________.
A) advocate for an employee’s promotion
B) guide employees into projects
C) offer professional advice
D) teach job skills
32) Quinn, a new employee at Madison Enterprises, thinks that a mentor would benefit his career
at Madison. In order to have a successful mentor-protégé relationship, Quinn should most likely
________.
A) keep expectations vague for flexibility
B) ask his manager to be his mentor
C) focus on specific work issues
D) discuss his personal problems
33) Coaching involves helping employees make long-term career plans, and mentoring focuses
on teaching shorter-term job-related skills.
34) Research indicates that traditional mentoring is more effective for women than for men.
35) Describe the four-step coaching process.
36) Why is traditional mentoring often less effective for women than men? How are some firms
addressing this problem?
37) Which term refers to being psychologically involved in, connected to, and committed to
getting one’s jobs done?
A) retention
B) engagement
C) ethical
D) enrichment
38) Diminished employee engagement is most likely shown by all of the following EXCEPT
________.
A) poor attendance
B) voluntary turnover
C) mental withdrawal
D) inadequate supervision
39) Which of the following statements about employee engagement is most likely TRUE?
A) Most of the global workforce is engaged.
B) Long-term employees are considered engaged.
C) Career development programs raise employee engagement.
D) Companies improve engagement by raising salaries.
40) Which of the following managerial actions would most likely improve employee
engagement?
A) highlighting how employee efforts help accomplish company goals
B) providing annual performance appraisals and bonuses
C) assigning employees to high-performing work teams
D) encouraging lifelong learning through training
41) Which of the following would LEAST likely measure employee engagement?
A) profitability
B) recruitment
C) absenteeism
D) customer satisfaction
42) Employers have to think through how they’re going to maintain employee engagement in the
face of potential downsizings.
43) Turnover is best defined as the rate at which ________.
A) employees leave a firm
B) employers hire workers
C) employees are promoted
D) employers downsize operations
44) Which of the following is an example of an intangible cost of turnover?
A) interviewing costs
B) recruiting costs
C) coaching costs
D) testing costs
45) According to research, what is the primary reason that top-performing employees leave an
organization?
A) stress
B) compensation
C) work-life balance
D) promotion opportunities
46) ABC Enterprises has a high rate of employee turnovers. Which of the following would most
likely help ABC managers identify turnover causes?
A) background checks
B) appraisal interviews
C) aptitude testing
D) exit interviews
47) Wilson Manufacturing has experienced a significant increase in employee turnover over the
last year. Managers at Wilson want to identify and correct problems before losing valuable
employees. Which of the following would most likely accomplish this goal?
A) administering attitude surveys to employees
B) initiating regular exit interviews for workers
C) providing additional training opportunities
D) offering a flexible benefits plan
48) Which of the following would most likely increase turnover rates at an organization?
A) training and development
B) flexible work arrangements
C) intense performance monitoring
D) high-involvement work practices
49) ________ can provide useful insights into potential turnover problems.
A) Performance appraisals
B) Exit interviews
C) Management-by objectives
D) Social media