How do cafeteria-style plans increase costs for employers?
A. Employers pay much higher premiums for an HMO than a preferred health care
plan.
B. Employers are required to pay higher insurance premiums for laid-off workers.
C. Contributions to PGBC to fund the retirement plan increases under this plan.
D. Employees select the kind of benefits they expect to need the most.
E. Employers bear the cost of providing employees with benefits they do not value.
Joshua, the union shop steward at Harlan Industries, believes it is his responsibility to
make sure that a union shop arrangement becomes a reality within the company. His
business colleague and HR manager, Nathan, disagrees, saying an agency shop within
the company would be a better strategy for the union. In this situation, which of the two
colleagues is correct?
A. Joshua is correct because Nathan, as an HR executive, despises unions.
B. Nathan argues that an agency shop will give the company a competitive advantage
when seeking new employees.
C. Joshua is correct because a union shop requires all employees to join the union
within 30 days of their start date with the company.
D. Nathan is correct because management believes it can influence those employees
who do not sign up for union membership.
E. Joshua is correct because he receives a bonus for every employee he signs up for
union membership.
Identify a way in which an organization can promote fairness and reduce political
behavior in the appraisal system.
A. Use different performance standards to evaluate different employees.
B. Train managers to use the appraisal process.
C. Discourage employees from discussing their weaknesses.
D. Require that managers give feedback once a year during annual appraisal.
E. Encourage managers to recognize accomplishments that only employees have
identified.
In the U.S., the amount of sick leave given to employees is often based on _____.
A. length of service
B. position within the company
C. union contracts
D. educational background
E. prior job experience
Terminating an employee for the use of illegal drugs is an example of a(n) _____
turnover.
A. retentive
B. external
C. voluntary
D. absenteeism
E. involuntary
The board of directors of LiveCrop Industries decides to search the employees on the
job. However, the head of the HR department, Heidi, believes that it could maximize
the likelihood of a lawsuit due to privacy concerns. Which of the following would
strengthen Heidi’s belief?
A. If the search is a random one, and it is clarified that no one has been accused of
misdeeds
B. If the search policies and consequences have been publicized
C. If the search is done only after gathering consent from employees
D. If the search is done only on employees and not supervisors
E. If the search information is shared only with those who need it
_____ states that if there is no specific employment contract saying otherwise, the
employer or employee may end an employment relationship at any time, regardless of
cause.
A. Due-process policy
B. Employment flexibility
C. Rule of fair treatment
D. Rule of law
E. Employment at will
Marcus, a manager at Royal Memphis Hotel, is training a new group of employees.
After each training session, the employees complete various exercises to test their
knowledge. After evaluating the results, Marcus speaks one-on-one with the employees
to help them define their areas of weakness and encourage them to keep fine-tuning
their strengths. In this scenario, Marcus is providing his employees with _____.
A. counseling
B. feedback
C. goals
D. self-assessment
E. self-appraisal
An organization wants to provide its employees information about what its goals are
and what it expects employees to accomplish. It is planning to implement an incentive
plan that helps employees understand the organization’s goals. Which of the following
should be used by this organization?
A. A retention bonus
B. A piecework rate system
C. A merit pay system
D. The Scanlon plan
E. A balanced scorecard
Zino Inc., a marketing firm, has employees who work in different cities in different time
zones around the country. They coordinate their work efficiently with the help of
technology, such as videoconferencing, mobile phones, and e-mail, for the production
of marketing activities. Which of the following statements is true of Zino?
A. It has a vertical organizational structure.
B. It does not hold employees accountable for products and services.
C. It encourages virtual teams.
D. It encourages centralized decision-making.
E. It has self-employed individuals with multiple clients.
What is the advantage of establishing and administering policies in organizations?
A. It allows companies to handle situations more fairly and objectively.
B. It allows companies to address issues on a case-by-case basis.
C. It eliminates the need for documentation and record keeping.
D. It encourages employees to defend themselves by claiming ignorance of disciplinary
norms.
E. It leaves a lot of room for subjective decision-making.
If a company, as part of its job redesign program, plans to set up teams to manufacture
products, which of the following programs might it offer to help employees learn the
ins and outs of effective teamwork?
A. Development programs
B. Recruitment programs
C. Orientation programs
D. Selection programs
E. Performance management programs
Identify the statement that accurately describes an avatar used in training by simulation.
A. A computer-based technology that provides an interactive three-dimensional learning
experience
B. A computer application that automates the administration and delivery of a training
program
C. A computer depiction of employees that can be manipulated in an online role-play
D. A computer application that conducts needs assessments for an organization
E. A computer-based technology that provides access to skills training, information, and
expert advice when a problem occurs on the job
Which of the following is true of in-basket exercises?
A. They require teams of five to seven employees to work together to solve assigned
problems within a certain time period.
B. They are paper-and-pencil tests designed to measure participants’ communication
styles and skills.
C. They simulate the administrative tasks of a manager’s job, using a pile of documents
for the employee to handle.
D. They require participants to take the part of a manager or employee in a situation
involving the skills to be assessed.
E. They require the use of interest and aptitude tests to evaluate an employee’s
vocabulary, general mental ability, and reasoning skills.
Ellie is a human resource (HR) manager at Harris Corp. She has the greatest impact on
the firm’s success. She is highly admired and respected by others in the organization
because she is extremely reliable. This scenario indicates that Ellie is a _____.
A. cultural and change steward
B. credible activist
C. strategic architect
D. business ally
E. strategic partner
Which of the following is a short-term incentive?
A. Return on investment
B. Straight salary
C. Stock options
D. Stock purchase plans
E. Company shares
Olivia works in the human resource (HR) department at Hercules Corp. Her chief
responsibilities include administering salaries, determining incentives, managing group
insurance and employee vacation and leave. Identify the human resource management
(HRM) function being performed by Olivia.
A. Performance management
B. Employee relations
C. Selection
D. Training and development
E. Compensation and benefits
Max, a new supervisor at Freson Inc., is being trained on skills that managers and union
leaders require to encourage employee-management cooperation. He is learning the
different ways of dealing with employee-management conflicts and how to resolve
situations in ways that benefit both parties. In the context of labor management, Max is
receiving training on _____.
A. checkoff provisions
B. right-to-work laws
C. maintenance of membership
D. labor relations
E. corporate campaigns
Which of the following is true of an information system?
A. It acts as a gateway to the reservoir of knowledge available across the Internet.
B. It is a physical server in which all the data that belongs to a company is stored and
managed.
C. Managers must decide who has access to what type of information and its
availability.
D. Managers post their problems on an information system and receive solutions for
these problems.
E. Any information system used in an organization allows access to all of the
organization’s databases.