1. Human resource management is the process of deciding the number and types of people
your business needs, and then, recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating,
compensating, and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals.
2. Human resource management is receiving increased attention because the shift from
traditional manufacturing industries to service and high-tech manufacturing industries requires
workers to have more technical job skills.
3. Recruiting is relatively easy today because qualified labor is so plentiful.
4. Today, human resource management is viewed as a clerical function of keeping personnel
records and processing payroll.
5. The human resource function has become so critical that it is now a concern of all
managers.
6. The human resource manager’s job is easier today than it was in the past because a
growing percentage of the workforce is highly educated and well-prepared for jobs in the
contemporary business environment.
7. The reason industries such as robotics and biotechnology have grown rapidly in recent
years is that the United States has a surplus of highly educated and experienced workers
available for employment in these fields.
8. One of the challenges facing today’s human resource managers is a shift in the age
distribution of the labor force, including aging baby boomers, many of whom are deferring
retirement.
9. Today’s workers have an increased demand for benefits tailored to their individual needs.
10. Today’s workers place a lower priority on leisure time than they did in the past.
11. One challenge faced by today’s human resource managers is the fact that workers
overseas often work for lower wages and are subject to fewer laws and regulations.
12. Today’s workers tend to be very loyal, as evidenced by declining turnover rates in most
industries.
13.
Underemployed workers
present a challenge for human resources managers. These are
people who are working beyond their capabilities.
14. The appropriate term for employees whose skills and knowledge go beyond their current
work environment and work responsibilities is
underemployed workers.
15. Very few experienced employees have skills and knowledge that are considered to be at a
higher level than what they use at their jobs.
16. It is challenging for HR managers to deal with a declining economy that results in a short–
term preference for part-time and/or temporary employees and a trend to outsource jobs, even
though there are skilled employees who are willing to work.
17. The growing importance of human resource issues has led most firms to expect only their
human resource specialists to tackle HR issues.
18. HR is focused on issues directly related to a person’s job and with things that happen at
work, as opposed to concerns that may affect one’s work such as eldercare and childcare, but are
not directly related to work.
19. Robotek International is a rapidly growing firm specializing in the production of
sophisticated robots. One of the major problems Robotek is likely to face is a shortage of
qualified workers.
20. Rick is in his early sixties. A few years ago he had planned to retire by the time he was
sixty, but when the time came, he decided to continue working. In fact, not only is Rick still
working, he has no intention of retiring or setting a time when retirement might occur. Rick’s
decision to keep working into his late sixties is unusual in today’s labor market.
21. Elise is the manager in the finance department for a company that competes in a service
industry. If her company is like most contemporary firms, Elise will leave almost all aspects of
human resource functions to specialists in the human resource department.
22. Last year Adam lost his job as a skilled welder at an automobile assembly plant. After
looking for work for several months, he finally accepted a job as an unskilled laborer at a local
nursery. Although he is pleased to have work, Adam feels that his new job doesn’t use his skills
to their full potential. Adam is an example of an underemployed worker.
23. In one year’s time, James developed gall bladder problems and needed surgery; he
became a single parent; he willingly moved his older mom in to live with him in order to avoid
placing her in a nursing home; and he unexpectedly tore his rotator cuff playing softball during
the summer. Overall, these are not considered circumstances that impact job performance
because they fall outside of the workplace. HR managers need only be concerned with how
James performs when he is at work.
24. The federal government has minimized its role in human resource management.
25. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, or
compensation, based on race, religion, creed, sex, or national origin.
26. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not do enough to discourage discriminatory practices in
the workplace.
27. Congress has given the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission broad powers to issue
guidelines for acceptable employer behavior concerning employment opportunities.
28. The effectiveness of the EEOC has been limited because Congress never gave it any
authority to enforce its mandates.
29. Affirmative action programs are the least controversial method of correcting job inequities
created by past discrimination.
30. Reverse discrimination is the term the EEOC uses to refer to activities designed to “right
past wrongs” that resulted from discrimination against women and minorities.
31. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 gave victims of discrimination the right to seek punitive
damages from the firms that discriminated against them.
32. Although the purpose of affirmative action was to “right past wrongs” against minorities,
subsequent laws were passed to reverse earlier decisions that required some industries to
maintain employment quotas when it came to the hiring of minorities.
33. Recent federal law clearly and strongly supports the notion that companies must use strict
employment quotas to correct for past discriminatory actions.
34. The concept of “reasonable accommodations” means that all workers should be treated in
the same manner.
35. Most firms have trouble implementing the structural changes required by the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
36. In their efforts to accommodate disabled workers, most firms experience difficulties with
cultural changes, more so than with structural changes.
37. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act only prevents discrimination against employees
who are over the age of 65.
38. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act permits age limits in professions where it can
be established that ability to perform the job declines significantly with age.
39. One way human resource managers can keep current on human resource legislation and
rulings is to read current business literature such as
The Wall Street Journal
and
Business Week
.
40. When it comes to human resource management issues, the federal government generally
has taken a “hands off” approach since the early 1960s.
41. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people who are born with physical
disabilities, exclusively, but not those who acquire disabilities later in life.
42. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects qualified persons from discriminatory hiring
practices, but does not require employers to provide suitable accommodations in the workplace,
or opportunities for promotion. This is left to occupational safety laws.
43. Ruth Gray is a manager who takes pride in her ability to be fair and impartial. She treats
all workers the same way, and evaluates them all using the same standards. Ruth is likely to have
difficulty with the adjustments needed to accommodate disabled workers.
44. Sonny Skies is in his late fifties and loves his work as a pilot for a major airline. He wants
to continue working for many more years. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act provides
Sonny with the right to keep his job as long as his company is financially sound and he does not
commit a felony.
45. Sean works for a large discount retailer. His wife works for a large bank with several
branches. After recently adopting a child, the couple agreed that each would take six weeks of
leave from work in order to care for the child. According to the Family and Medical Leave Act,
one, but not both, are eligible for leave.
46. Zorn Enterprises hired several qualified soldiers returning from Afghanistan with hearing
impairment to rehab its recently acquired apartment complexes. As a growing business, it is
abiding by the law as currently stated. It is not required to adapt the work site to help these
soldiers hear and communicate better with each other.
47. Mario and Marla are web development professionals for a popular high-tech company.
Due to injuries Mario sustained while serving in the Army Reserves, upon his return the company
provided him and other returning soldiers with ergonomic desks and chairs that accommodate
wheel chairs and bad backs. Although Marla is hearing impaired, the company does not need to
consider providing her with a headset that magnifies sound because she is the only employee out
of 200 requiring this accommodation.
48. Ramona is a recent HR hire for a security firm that hires retired law enforcement officers
to provide security for retail malls across the nation. Her supervisor was impressed with
Ramona’s knowledge of current laws with respect to hiring practices, but asked her to quickly get
up to speed on compensation and training laws. This is a reasonable request if Ramona plans to
stay in the HR field.
49. Like all management, human resource management begins with planning.
50. The first step in the human resource planning process is to prepare a job analysis for each
available position within the firm.
51. One purpose of a human resource inventory is to determine whether the labor force is
technically up-to-date and well trained.
52. The result of a job analysis is a written document called a human resource inventory.
53. When you collect information about a particular job title, including how the job is
performed and what it takes to perform the job, you are conducting a
job analysis
.