The balanced-scorecard approach should be avoided while designing executive pay.
Personnel policies influence the kinds of job applicants an organization attracts.
Industrial engineering provides the best way to motivate employees by adding meaning
to their jobs.
A written code of ethics is usually ineffective if it is developed with input from
employees about situations they encounter.
In a two-tier wage system, employees doing the same job are paid two different rates,
depending on their technical background and training.
Management by objectives (MBO) links employee performance with the organization’s
strategic goals.
The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is meant to be completed by job
incumbents.
The frequency for bargaining over a new contract is only about every three years.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act directly regulates employee behavior in work
places to ensure safety.
Courts generally avoid reviewing arbitrators’ decisions and focus only on whether the
grievance involved an issue that is subject to arbitration under the contract.
Effective training objectives include performance standards that are measurable.
According to the philosopher Immanuel Kant, the right of employees to know the
nature of the job they are being hired to do and the obligation of a company not to
deceive them in this respect is mainly reflective of the basic right of _____.
A. privacy
B. free consent
C. freedom of speech
D. freedom of conscience
E. first refusal
Jacob is the human resource (HR) manager at Platinum Corp. He clearly understands
the values, beliefs, convictions, vision, and mission of the company. He also enhances
and modifies these aspects by understanding their significance. This scenario indicates
that Jacob is a _____.
A. cultural and change steward
B. credible activist
C. strategic architect
D. business ally
E. strategic partner
Logan, a blind man in his early twenties, was recently hired as a DJ at a local radio
station in Miami. He was given permission by his manager to bring his guide dog to
work. In this instance, Logan’s employer makes a(n) _____.
A. disparate impact
B. disparate treatment
C. reverse discrimination
D. reasonable accommodation
E. undue hardship
Which of the following incentive programs measures improvements in productivity and
effectiveness and distributes a portion of the earnings to all employees?
A. Merit pay
B. Team award
C. Commission
D. Standard hour plans
E. Gainsharing
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Extroverted types (E) gain energy
through:
A. interpersonal relationships.
B. personal thoughts.
C. facts and details.
D. establishing goals.
E. inner feelings.
Name the agency that is responsible for tracking changes in the composition of the U.S.
labor force and forecasting employment trends.
A. The National Statistics Association
B. The Occupational Outlook Bureau
C. The U.S. Census Bureau
D. The Bureau of Economic Analysis
E. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
_____ means that an employee is paid a given amount regardless of the number of
hours worked or quality of the work.
A. Pay level
B. Nonexemption
C. Pay policy line
D. Piecework rate
E. Salary basis
Identify the correct statement regarding downsizing.
A. Downsizing improves long-term organizational effectiveness.
B. The negative effect of downsizing is especially low among firms that engage in
high-involvement work practices.
C. Downsizing often disrupts the social networks through which people are creative and
flexible.
D. The negative impact of downsizing is especially low for those organizations that
emphasize research and development.
E. Downsizing campaigns only eliminate people who are replaceable.
Bitstar Global Inc. is a soft drink manufacturing company. Kelly, the production
manager, designs a new work flow for the production unit. She is confident that the new
work flow design will help increase the unit’s productivity and efficiency. If Kelly is at
the last stage of analyzing the work flow, she is _____.
A. identifying the tangible outputs of the production unit
B. identifying the operating processes that need to be employed in the production of the
soft drinks
C. identifying the work processes applied to generate the outputs of the production unit
D. identifying the inputs utilized in the creation of the soft drinks
E. identifying the market forces of demand and supply for the outputs
Which of the following is true of short-term disability insurance?
A. It pays the full amount of a disabled employee’s salary for a minimum period of one
year.
B. It pays the double the full salary of a disabled employee for a period of two months.
C. Only employees who have been with an organization for less than two years are
eligible for short-term disability insurance.
D. It pays a portion of a disabled employee’s salary as benefits for up to six months.
E. It is only provided to those individuals who work part time.
Jupiter Systems, an information technology company, determines a particular time to
complete a particular task. Even if an employee completes the allotted task before the
time of completion, the employee receives an amount of pay equal to the wage for the
designated time. Which of the following payment methods is exemplified in this
scenario?
A. Piecework plan
B. Differential plan
C. Standard hour plan
D. Merit plan
E. Skill-based plan
Which of the following arrangements would qualify as job rotation?
A. A receptionist hired to perform the jobs of file clerk and typist
B. Training support staff in front office functions through periods of alternating work
arrangements
C. Members of the production team making decisions regarding how to resolve
problems with customers
D. A manager participating in a meeting while on vacation with his family
E. A manager directing employees to stop production when quality standards are not
met
In general, the results of reference checks for job applicants will be most valid if
employers _____.
A. contact many references
B. rely exclusively on the list provided by applicants
C. avoid direct contact with references
D. restrict contact with references through e-mails
E. receive positive opinions about the applicants from their references
Identify the technology that lets a company rent space on a remote computer system
and use the system’s software to manage its human resource activities, including
security and upgrades.
A. Application service providers
B. Internet portals
C. Shared service centers
D. Business intelligence systems
E. Electronic performance support systems
Which of the following is an element in the final stage of human resources planning?
A. Estimating labor demand
B. Forecasting labor supply
C. Estimating labor surplus or shortage
D. Strategic planning
E. Evaluating outcomes
James, the production manager of Zenfax Inc., thinks performance appraisal
information from peers is a less reliable source than other sources of information.
However, Ron, a sales manager in the company, thinks peers give valuable information
for appraisal. Whose argument is most likely to be correct and why?
A. James is right because information from peers does not add value to the assessment
of performance.
B. Ron is right because peers are comfortable rating employees for decisions that may
affect themselves.
C. James is right because peers fail to meet the expectations of bringing a different
perspective to the evaluation.
D. Ron is right because peers have expert knowledge of job requirements.
E. James is right because peers may not have enough opportunity to observe an
employee in day-to-day activities.
_____ is uncertainty about what the organization and others expect from the employee
in terms of what to do or how to do it.
A. Role underload
B. Role ambiguity
C. Role conflict
D. Role overload
E. Role autonomy
The combination of relationships, problems, demands, tasks, and other features of an
employee’s jobs is referred to as _____.
A. job appraisals
B. job experiences
C. formal education
D. technical training
E. interpersonal relationships
Which of the following is a challenge for human resource management during mergers?
A. Scrutinizing balance sheets
B. Evaluating the financial worth of the new company
C. Developing competitively priced products
D. Developing conflict resolution skills
E. Sustaining the brand image of the company