Chapter 4: Workforce Focus
TRUE/FALSE
1. The workforce management system proposed by Frederick Taylor failed to improve productivity in
organizations.
2. The Taylor philosophy established an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
3. Strategic human resource management relies on proven approaches to improve organizational
performance.
4. Creating a culture for high performance begins with senior leadership’s commitment to the workforce.
5. Employee engagement fosters creativity and innovation.
6. Employee involvement (EI) refers to any activity by which employees participate in work-related
decisions and improvement activities, with the objectives of tapping the creative energies of all
employees and improving their motivation.
7. Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory states that factors such as safe working environment, adequate pay, and
a reasonable level of job security are effective in motivating employees to work harder.
8. Job design refers to how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such
as departments and teams, within an organization.
9. Empowerment requires employees to step outside their traditional roles and make decisions previously
made by managers.
10. Job enlargement is a work design approach that motivates employees by giving them more authority,
responsibility, and autonomy rather than simply more or different work to do.
11. Employees who participate in team activities feel more empowered and receive better training in both
job-related and problem solving skills.
12. Management teams are specially empowered work teams whose members gather to solve a specific
problem and then disband.
13. Teams organized to perform entire jobs, rather than specialized, assembly line-type work are referred
to as quality circles.
14. Problem-solving teams and project teams work more on an ad-hoc basis to address specific tasks or
issues, often relating to quality improvement.
15. Natural work teams are usually cross-functional, as they work on specific tasks or processes that cut
across boundaries of several different departments.
16. The nominal group technique helps to achieve consensus among team members by providing a way to
prioritize and focus on important project objectives during the project definition stage.
17. A team is said to be in the “storming” stage when team members agree on roles, ground rules, and
acceptable behavior when doing the work of the team.
18. In the adjourning stage of a team’s life cycle, the team members cooperate with each other to solve
problems and complete the goals of their assigned work.
19. Using a structured problem-solving process helps teams to mitigate issues that might lead to storming.
20. Empowerment, teamwork, and good working environment motivate employees intrinsically.
21. The most common approach to assess worker perceptions and satisfaction is through a formal survey.
22. The process measures that are used to assess workforce effectiveness include rate of growth, employee
turnover, and absenteeism.
23. According to the “engagement index” created by Gallup, employees who fall under the category of
“not–engaged employees” undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish.
24. Traditional hiring practices have been based on cognitive and technical rather than interpersonal skills.
25. As managerial roles shift from directing and controlling to coaching and facilitating, managers who
deal with cross-functional problems, benefit more from horizontal movement rather than upward
movement in narrow functional areas.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is true of the workforce management system proposed and designed by
Frederick W. Taylor?
a.
The system failed to improve productivity in organizations.
b.
The system focused on training the workers and foremen on planning the process rather
than just meeting the productivity standards.
c.
The system changed many manufacturing jobs into mindless and mundane tasks.
d.
The system succeeded in exploiting the knowledge and creativity of the workforce.
2. _____ is the function performed in organizations that facilitates the most effective use of people to
achieve organizational and individual goals.
a.
Marketing management
b.
Product management
c.
Workforce management
d.
Brand management
3. Which of the following activities is a part of workforce management?
a.
Procuring the resources to carry out the production process
b.
Identifying new markets for a product
c.
Developing a long-term strategy for the organization
d.
Assisting in design of work systems
4. An organization that has a strategic orientation to human resource management will:
a.
focus on short-term immediate needs rather than future needs.
b.
rely on proven approaches in designing and implementing policies and procedures.
c.
adapt to changing business needs through innovative programs and systems.
d.
focus on responding to stated needs of the organization rather than predicting unstated
needs.
5. Strategic human resource management differs from traditional HR practices in that strategic human
resource management:
a.
views people as exploitable resources.
b.
focuses on long-term, current, and future needs.
c.
relies on proven approaches.
d.
responds only to stated needs for system development.
6. According to Kay Kendall and Glenn Bodison, which of the following “conditions of collaboration”
refers to believing in the inherent worth of another person?
a.
Purpose
b.
Values
c.
Trust
d.
Respect
7. Which of the following “conditions of collaboration,” proposed by Kendall and Bodison, creates a
congruency between what the organization stands for and the personal beliefs of the individual?
a.
Respect
b.
Trust
c.
Communication
d.
Aligned values
8. The term “workforce engagement” refers to:
a.
the ability of an organization to accomplish its work processes through the knowledge,
skills, abilities, and competencies of its workforce.
b.
the extent of workforce commitment, both emotional and intellectual, to accomplishing the
work, mission, and vision of the organization.
c.
the art of creating conditions that allow the workforce to complete their work at their own
peak level of efficiency.
d.
the ability of an organization to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work
processes and successfully deliver products and services to customers.
9. The term “employee involvement” refers to:
a.
the art of creating conditions that allow all employees to complete their work, at their own
peak level of efficiency.
b.
an organization’s ability to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work
processes in order to meet seasonal and varying demands.
c.
how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such as departments and
teams, within an organization.
d.
any activity by which employees participate in work-related decisions and improvement
activities with the objective of improving their motivation.
10. Which of the following is true regarding the employee suggestion system?
a.
It decreases workforce flexibility.
b.
It leads to poor interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
c.
It leads to lower levels of motivation.
d.
It improves workers’ reasoning ability and leads to higher levels of peer recognition.
11. According to Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory, which of the following factors is an example of a
maintenance factor?
a.
Recognition
b.
Advancement
c.
Safe working environment
d.
Achievement
12. According to Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory, which of the following factors is an example of a
motivational factor?
a.
Nature of work
b.
Adequate pay
c.
Safe working environment
d.
Reasonable level of job security
13. _____ refers to how employees are organized in formal and informal units, such as departments and
teams.
a.
Workforce engagement
b.
Work design
c.
Workforce capacity
d.
Job design
14. According to Hackman and Oldham’s work design model, “experienced meaningfulness” is a
psychological state that refers to the need of workers to:
a.
be accountable for the quality and quantity of work produced.
b.
know how their work is evaluated and the results of evaluation.
c.
obtain information about the accuracy of their performance on a timely basis.
d.
have the feeling that their work is a significant contribution to the organization and the
society.
15. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model, Which of the following core job
characteristics is most likely to have an impact on employee’s experienced responsibility?
a.
Autonomy
b.
Task identity
c.
Skill variety
d.
Task significance
16. Stella works as a customer service executive at a firm that manufactures computer systems. She was
motivated to perform her job effectively, as she was aware that her job of helping customers to resolve
technical issues had a direct impact on the performance of the organization. Which of the following
job characteristics, as identified by Hackman and Oldham in their work design model, is motivating
Stella in the above scenario?
a.
Task significance
b.
Autonomy
c.
Skill variety
d.
Task identity
17. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model, _____ is the degree to which a worker can
perceive a task, as a whole, identifiable piece of work from start to finish.
a.
task significance
b.
skill variety
c.
task identity
d.
autonomy
18. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model, “skill variety” is a core job characteristic that
refers to:
a.
the degree to which the job gives the participants the feeling that they have a substantial
impact on the organization or the world.
b.
the degree to which the job requires the worker to use a variety of talents.
c.
the degree to which the task permits freedom, independence, and personal control to be
exercised over the work.
d.
the degree to which the worker can perceive the task as a whole, identifiable piece of work
from start to finish.
19. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model, a job is said to have high _____ if it permits
workers freedom, independence, and authority to exercise personal control over the work.
a.
autonomy
b.
task identity
c.
task significance
d.
skill variety
20. Ergo Industries, which manufactures automotive parts, had taken various measures to improve the
quality of the products. The product-line managers at the company had the authority to stop production
if they found the components to be defective without the approval of the senior management in the
company and take measures to resolve the issue. This authority motivated the managers to perform
their jobs better. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model, which of the following core
job characteristics is influencing the performance of managers in the above scenario?
a.
Skill variety
b.
Autonomy
c.
Task identity
d.
Task significance
21. Nathan, a sales manager at a consumer electronics company, motivated his sales executives by
providing them regular inputs on their performance and also on what is expected of them from the
company. The team had also developed a system through which the sales persons could analyze their
performance based on customers’ comments. According to Hackman and Oldham work design model,
which of the following core job characteristics is motivating the employees to perform better in the
above scenario?
a.
Autonomy
b.
Task identity
c.
Task significance
d.
Feedback from the job
22. _____ is an approach to work design that improves a worker’s job by including several tasks rather
than one single, low-level task.
a.
Job enrichment
b.
Job rotation
c.
Job enlargement
d.
Skill variety
23. Which of the following is true of the job enlargement approach to work design?
a.
It results in lower production costs and reduces fragmentation of jobs.
b.
It allows workers to learn several tasks by rotating them from one to another.
c.
It leads to lower product quality.
d.
It leads to lower worker satisfaction.
24. A food manufacturing company motivates its employees to perform well by giving them more
responsibilities and authority to make decisions. The company believes that giving more authority to
employees makes them more dedicated and committed to their work. Which of the following terms
best describes this approach to job design?
a.
Job enlargement
b.
Task identity
c.
Job rotation
d.
Job enrichment
25. Teams that are organized to perform entire jobs, rather than specialized, assembly line-type work are
known as _____ teams.
a.
management
b.
natural work
c.
virtual
d.
quality
26. Which of the following types of teams in an organization is usually cross-functional?
a.
Project team
b.
Self-managed team
c.
Natural work team
d.
Quality circle
27. In a team’s life cycle, the stage of _____ takes place when the issues of the previous stage have been
worked out, and team members agree on roles, ground rules, and acceptable behavior when doing the
work of the team.
a.
performing
b.
norming
c.
storming
d.
forming
28. Which of the following stages of a team’s life cycle takes place when team members disagree on team
roles and challenge the way that the team will function?
a.
Storming
b.
Norming
c.
Performing
d.
Adjourning
29. Which of the following practices will lead to effective recognition and rewarding of employees?
a.
Tying rewards to immeasurable performance so that employees provide more attention to
quality rather than quantity
b.
Giving individual rewards rather than team rewards because team rewards can ignore the
contributions of individual employees to the team
c.
Rewarding behavior, not just results
d.
Rewarding employees only through cash rewards as money is the most important and
effective motivating factor for most employees
30. The process of subjectively evaluating the quality of an employee’s work is known as _____.
a.
employee involvement
b.
empowerment
c.
workforce engagement
d.
performance appraisal
31. Which of the following is a process measure that helps to assess workforce effectiveness?
a.
Employee turnover
b.
Job satisfaction
c.
Number of suggestions made by the employees
d.
Perceptions of teamwork and management effectiveness
32. Organizations can assess worker satisfaction by:
a.
measuring the improvements in team selection and planning processes.
b.
analyzing data related to time taken by the management team to respond to employee
suggestions, and the number of suggestions implemented.
c.
assessing the employee understanding of problem-solving approaches and the frequency
of use of quality improvement tools by the employees.
d.
conducting a formal survey that includes questions regarding quality of worklife,
teamwork, opportunities and training provided, and leadership.
33. Kenneth who works as a process associate in a company is unable to achieve a worklife balance. His
personal problems are affecting his job performance. Even though he spends most of his time in office,
he is not able to perform his job effectively. According to the “engagement index” developed by
Gallup, Kenneth will fall into the category of _____.
a.
actively engaged employees
b.
not engaged employees
c.
engaged employees
d.
actively disengaged employees
34. The term workforce capability refers to an organization’s ability to:
a.
ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work processes and successfully deliver
products and services to customers.
b.
create conditions that can motivate all employees to accomplish their work at their own
peak level of efficiency.
c.
accomplish its work processes through the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies
of its people.
d.
create job satisfaction among employees by engaging them in their work and making them
a part of the “fabric” of the organization.
35. _____ refers to an organization’s ability to ensure sufficient staffing levels to accomplish its work
processes and successfully deliver products and services to customers, including the ability to meet
seasonal and varying demands.
a.
Workforce engagement
b.
Workforce capacity
c.
Employee involvement
d.
Workforce capability
ESSAY
1. Define workforce management. What are the activities included under workforce management? What
are the objectives of an effective workforce management system?
2. What advantages does employee engagement offer to an organization over traditional management
practices?
3. List some of the advantages offered by teamwork.
4. Why is it important to assess workforce engagement and satisfaction? How do organizations measure
workforce effectiveness?
5. How has the hiring criteria changed in the recent years? List some of the innovative approaches being
used by organizations to recruit employees.
CASE
1. Innovation, customer satisfaction, efficiency, and _____ are central to American Honda’s success.
a. branding
b. marketing
c. advertising
d. positioning
2. The primarily challenge laid out for American Honda’s associate learning and organizational
development group was to:
a. do away with the delivery of training for employees.
b. increase training time for employees in a classroom setting.
c. minimize the use of technology in training employees.
d. ensure a tangible transfer of skills to improve internal service quality.
3. What learning approach did American Honda use to support the overall emphasis on growth and
quality?
a. Instructor-led training
b. Self-paced learning
c. Blended learning
d. Pure virtual online learning
4. Rational thinking skills have been successfully taught at American Honda for many years in a _____.
a. web-based training course
b. purely instructor-led workshop version
c. virtual workshop and forum
d. self-paced, asynchronous training program
5. Which of the following models is used by American Honda for quality improvement?
a. Three-phase learning model
b. Customer-supplier model
c. Enterprise process model
d. Six Sigma Plus Continuous Improvement Model
6. Discuss the first phase of American Honda’s three-phase learning model.
7. Describe the second phase of American Honda’s three-phase learning model.
8. Discuss the final phase of American Honda’s three-phase learning model.
9. What is the goal of the final phase of American Honda’s three-phase learning model?
10. What are the five success indicators of American Honda’s three-phase learning model initiative?
ANS:
11. Which of the following is the biggest cost in any customer service turnover model?
a. Lost productivity costs
b. Separation processing costs
c. Replacement hiring costs
d. New hire training costs
12. Hewitt Associates uses _____ analysis to determine the most important drivers of retention for CS
representatives.
a. correspondence
b. regression
c. principal component
d. independent component
13. In Hewitt’s employee engagement framework, resources and processes fall under the _____
component.
a. people
b. company practices
c. work
d. total rewards
14. How did the HR team at Hewitt Associates retain proficient CS representatives?
15. Describe the steps taken by the HR team at Hewitt Associates to improve the productivity and growth
opportunity for CS representatives.