Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 5e (Dessler)
Chapter 1 Managing Human Resources Today
1) The basic functions of management include all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) staffing
B) planning
C) organizing
D) outsourcing
2) A manager is best described as a person who is responsible for ________.
A) teaching new employees basic skills
B) accomplishing the organization’s goals
C) communicating with stockholders
D) delegating authority to subordinates
3) Which individual in an organization is responsible for accomplishing the organization’s goals
by planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling personnel?
A) manager
B) generalist
C) marketer
D) entrepreneur
4) Which of the following represents the five functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading,
and controlling?
A) strategic management
B) adaptability screening
C) succession planning
D) management process
5) Which basic function of management includes developing rules and procedures?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) leading
D) staffing
6) Which basic function of management involves maintaining employee morale and motivating
subordinates?
A) planning
B) leading
C) organizing
D) developing
7) What specific activities listed below are part of the planning function?
A) giving each subordinate a specific task
B) training and developing employees
C) developing rules and procedures
D) establishing quality standards
8) 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) planning
B) organizing
C) leading
D) staffing
9) John primarily spends his time giving tasks to subordinates and establishing departments. He
is performing what function of management?
A) leading
B) planning
C) organizing
D) controlling
10) Which function of the management process includes delegating authority to subordinates and
establishing channels of communication?
A) organizing
B) motivating
C) leading
D) staffing
11) Amini, a sales manager with a commercial real estate firm, uses sales quotas to assess the
performance of his staff members, and he then develops strategies for corrective action. Which
function of the management process is Amini most likely performing?
A) planning
B) staffing
C) controlling
D) organizing
12) Which of the following activities is related to the organizing function of the management
process?
A) giving each subordinate a specific task
B) recruiting prospective employees
C) developing rules and procedures
D) establishing quality standards
13) All of the following are activities performed within the staffing function of the management
process EXCEPT ________.
A) evaluating performance
B) providing training
C) recruiting employees
D) maintaining morale
14) Which of the following terms best describes firms such as IBM, Apple, and Google?
A) bargaining unit
B) work council
C) organization
D) open shop
15) In the management process, which activity is part of the staffing function?
A) developing rules
B) maintaining morale
C) evaluating performance
D) setting production levels
16) Which function of the management process involves setting standards such as sales quotas
and production levels?
A) planning
B) organizing
C) controlling
D) leading
17) Which activity is part of the controlling function of the management process?
A) recruiting prospective employees
B) training and developing new employees
C) developing departmental rules and procedures
D) comparing employee performance with standards
18) ________ is the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and
attending to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns.
A) Human resource management
B) Career planning
C) Behavioral management
D) Job evaluation
19) Human resource management is best defined as the process of ________.
A) controlling and orienting new employees
B) organizing and scheduling work activities for teams
C) outsourcing and offshoring clerical jobs to foreign countries
D) acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees
20) ________ is the right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and to give orders.
A) Leadership
B) Authority
C) Arbitration
D) Bargaining
21) All of the following are a line manager’s responsibilities for effective HR management
EXCEPT ________.
A) advising upper management
B) controlling labor costs
C) developing employees
D) orienting new employees
22) Line authority is best defined as a manager’s right to ________.
A) use flexible decision-making powers
B) advise other managers or employees
C) advocate on behalf of his or her department
D) issue orders to other managers or employees
23) 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
24) Which of the following has historically been an integral part of every line manager’s duties?
A) establishing dress codes
B) developing annual budgets
C) addressing personnel issues
D) creating personnel policies
25) Which of the following best explains why HR management is important to all managers?
A) Economic challenges facing the world call for advanced cost-cutting and streamlining.
B) Investing in human capital enables managers to achieve positive results for the firm.
C) An enthusiastic labor force is likely to provide financial support to local unions.
D) Technological changes and global competition require clear organization charts.
26) Larry is a line manager at a large sporting goods store. Which of the following is LEAST
likely to be one of Larry’s HR responsibilities?
A) training new employees
B) interpreting company policies
C) sharing financial advice
D) improving job performance
27) All of the following are examples of human resource specialties EXCEPT ________.
A) job analyst
B) training specialist
C) EEO coordinator
D) financial advisor
28) Nicole works as a job analyst at a computer firm. Which of the following most likely
describes Nicole’s duties in her current position?
A) searching for qualified job candidates
B) processing employee benefits programs
C) collecting information about job duties
D) planning and organizing training activities
29) Personnel mistakes to be avoided while managing include all of the following EXCEPT
________.
A) hiring the wrong person for the job
B) experiencing high turnover
C) having your company in court due to your discriminatory actions
D) offering training and development programs
30) Which of the following human resource management specialties would most likely require
extensive travel?
A) labor relations specialist
B) training specialist
C) job analyst
D) recruiter
31) Which of the following assist top management in top-level issues such as developing the
personnel aspects of the company’s long-term strategic plan?
A) centralized HR units
B) corporate HR teams
C) embedded HR units
D) HR consulting firms
32) 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) shared services HR teams
B) corporate HR teams
C) embedded HR units
D) HR centers of expertise
33) 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 high employee turnover, EEO violations, inadequate training programs,
and benefit enrollment difficulties. 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.
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 high employee turnover, EEO violations, inadequate training programs,
and benefit enrollment difficulties. 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 shared services HR team to
handle benefits administration?
A) Extensive training has been provided to line managers so that they fully understand the
different insurance options available to employees.
B) Lower insurance premiums would eliminate the need for outsourcing medical services and
improve employee health coverage.
C) Shared services HR teams provide managers and employees with specialized support in day–
to-day HR activities (such as discipline problems).
D) All employees are currently required to participate in health screening and drug tests to
eliminate high risk employees from the benefits plan.
35) Planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling are the five basic functions of the
management process.
36) Personnel management involves recruiting prospective employees, setting performance
standards, and monitoring production levels.
37) Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or production levels is part of the
leading function of human resource management.
38) The planning function of management includes establishing goals and standards and
developing forecasts.
39) Communicating is one of the five basic functions of the management process.
40) Staff managers are authorized to issue orders to subordinates and are directly in charge of
accomplishing the organization’s basic goals.
41) In most large firms, human resource managers assist line managers with hiring, training,
evaluating, rewarding, counseling, promoting, and hiring employees.
42) Extensive travel is required of recruiters, compensation managers, and job analysts.
43) Firms of all sizes are required under employment laws to have at least one full-time human
resource manager on staff.
44) Corporate HR teams focus on assisting top management in big picture issues such as
developing the personnel aspects of a firm’s long-term strategic plan.
45) An embedded HR unit focuses on using centralized call centers and benefits advisors to
provide specialized support.
46) A center of expertise might provide specialized advice in areas such as organizational change
to all the company’s various units.
47) Human resource management is the sole responsibility of human resource managers, so line
managers and staff managers rely heavily on HR specialists to hire the best employees.
48) What are the five basic functions of management? Explain some of the specific activities
involved in each function. Is one function more important for human resource management?
49) What is human resource management? Why is human resource management important to all
managers? What is the role of line managers in human resource management?
50) List and explain five personnel mistakes you do not want to make as an HR manager.