One key to managing workers who telecommute is to:
A) make telecommuting a term of employment.
B) use productivity-based compensation.
C) maintain schedules and deadlines.
D) visit their office site once a year.
When setting up a job-based pay plan, it is most likely important for a firm to:
A) have a relatively flat management hierarchy.
B) use an external consulting firm to ensure objectivity.
C) differentiate among depth, horizontal, and vertical skills.
D) establish a way for employees to improve pay without moving into management.
In a collective bargaining session, Perry, the union representative, is trying to convince
Tom, management’s representative, that if management does not accept the current
wage terms, the union will go out on strike. Perry is using a(n) ________ strategy.
A) good faith bargaining
B) distributive bargaining
C) integrative bargaining
D) bargaining power
An evolutionary firm would most likely:
A) be a mixture of several different global firms.
B) exhibit strong control over employees.
C) be highly decentralized and flexible.
D) discourage entrepreneurship.
Dual-career couples are best described as couples:
A) who participate in career development programs.
B) whose members both have career issues at stake.
C) whose members have both received career counseling.
D) who are able to combine work life and home life.
The label “Hispanic” is best described as a:
A) category used by HR managers to implement affirmative action programs.
B) term for categorizing individuals from Southern Europe.
C) term for administrative and research purposes.
D) subcategory of native Spanish speakers.
Additional Case 15.1
Billiards, Inc. makes collapsible pool cues and other billiard products. Tegau, the
general manager, has called a management team meeting with Tammy, the director of
HR; Gary, the VP of operations; Ramonia, the employee relations specialist; and Ryan,
a labor relations consultant.
Tegau wants ideas from her management team about what to do concerning the possible
unionization of their workers. Tammy suggests that they do nothing, let the union
conduct its vote, and if certified, treat it as a legitimate worker representative of the
workers. Gary says the firm should begin aggressively opposing union organization. He
thinks first-line supervisors should be brought in and told that if workers in their areas
vote for the union, the supervisors will lose their jobs and the company might sell off
the unionized part of the business. Ramonia suggests that Billiards, Inc. tell the
employees about their current plans to upgrade employee benefits and working
conditions’”a project she’s worked on for the last six months.
Management decides to mildly oppose the union but the union is certified anyway.
Tegau is now in her first contract negotiation. Ryan explains to the union that if they
will accept flexible work rules, the employees can have more fulfilling jobs, the
company will save money which it can spend on benefits, and the union will start with a
positive relationship with the company. The union representative says “No way. We go
on strike in ten days.”
Refer to Additional Case 15.1. Tammy’s suggestion is most likely a(n) ________
strategy.
A) union avoidance
B) union suppression
C) union substitution
D) union acceptance
When handling a sexual harassment investigation, managers should most likely do all
of the following to minimize liability EXCEPT:
A) contacting witnesses.
B) interviewing the alleged harasser.
C) responding within three to five days of the complaint.
D) determining what result or response the employee is seeking.
Reed is sending an e-mail message to Chandra in HR about a new hire he is
considering. The e-mail message is the ________ component of the communication
process.
A) encoding
B) channel
C) feedback
D) noise
Carmen is involved in the process of ensuring that her firm has the right number of
people with the right skills to meet customer demand for the firm’s products. Carmen is
most likely engaged in:
A) HR benchmarking.
B) HR planning.
C) recruiting.
D) selecting.
Additional Case 15.3
Wear and Tear is a large manufacturer with about 250 employees. At the moment, they
are in new contract negotiations with their union. Cole, the firm’s labor relations
specialist, is heading the negotiations for management. Natalie is labor’s representative.
Cole doesn’t know if he likes working with Natalie. He was able to make her
predecessor agree to his terms whenever they negotiated contracts. Natalie is tougher to
deal with. She tends to emphasize what bad things can happen to Wear and Tear and to
him if her point isn’t granted.
Negotiations have been going on for several days. Cole tells Natalie that if they will
accept wage concessions, the company will give employees stock to compensate for the
loss in wages. Natalie declines the offer and is unwilling to negotiate further. She
reminds him that the contract expires in two days and that the workers will strike if they
don’t have a new contract by that time.
Refer to Additional Case 15.3. Cole’s negotiating strategy with Natalie is most likely:
A) a distributive bargaining strategy.
B) one based on bargaining power.
C) an integrative bargaining strategy.
D) a union acceptance strategy.
What is the primary reason for a firm to have its HR department manage the staffing
process?
A) HR is most familiar with the position.
B) HR can ensure that employment practices are legal.
C) HR is most knowledgeable about the organization.
D) HR can minimize conflicts between applicants and co-workers.
All of the following are common problems faced by small and medium-size enterprises
attempting to internationalize EXCEPT:
A) inability to develop a product with global appeal.
B) lack of knowledge about foreign regulations.
C) inability to delegate control to expatriates.
D) lack of cross-cultural skills.
Kira wants to help her employees to “think out of the box” and solve daily production
problems more effectively. What kind of training would most likely help?
A) Diversity training
B) Literacy training
C) Creativity training
D) Cross-functional training
According to job characteristics theory, jobs with certain core characteristics are more
likely to:
A) motivate and satisfy employees
B) encourage employee creativity.
C) enhance employee job security.
D) dissatisfy employees.
A company is in the second stage of internationalization when:
A) the company moves some of its operations out of the home country.
B) the company has production and assembly facilities in several countries and is part
of strategic alliances with other international companies.
C) the company’s operations are highly decentralized, there is little allegiance to the
country of origin, and its managers see themselves as citizens of the world.
D) a firm expands into foreign markets but retains its production facilities in the home
country.
It is most critical to gather the input of ________ when developing an effective safety
program.
A) the CEO
B) line workers
C) HR representatives
D) middle management
Crescent Control Systems focuses on providing job security and long-term employment
opportunities for its employees. Which of the following would most likely support
Crescent’s strategy?
A) Applying most compensation dollars towards productivity rewards
B) Using a large portion of its compensation budget for benefits
C) Providing workers’ compensation coverage to all employees
D) Offering employees variable pay and family leave
An emphasis on external equity is most important for:
A) large, global corporations.
B) established firms in highly stable markets.
C) newer, smaller firms in quickly changing markets.
D) privately owned firms in highly competitive industries.
Which of the following would most likely receive severance pay?
A) Barry, who was fired for theft
B) Carrie, who took maternity leave
C) David, who injured his back at work
D) Ellen, who lost her job during downsizing
Which term is synonymous with diversity management and involves making all
employees feel like an integrated part of an organization and its success regardless of
race, gender, or age?
A) Multicultural training
B) Affirmative action
C) Cultural orientation
D) Inclusiveness
Which of the following is NOT a trait typically used on trait-based rating scales?
A) Decisiveness
B) Punctuality
C) Reliability
D) Energy
One of the drawbacks of positive discipline is that it:
A) requires more paperwork than progressive discipline does.
B) opens the company to inconsistency in discipline.
C) requires more time than progressive discipline.
D) offers very little legal protection to companies.
________ is an employment policy designed to reduce the company’s workforce by not
refilling job vacancies that are created by turnover.
The process of putting specialized tasks back together so that one person is responsible
for producing a whole product or an entire service is referred to as ________.
Holding a second job outside normal working hours is known as ________.
Interacting over the Internet and sharing text messages, photos, and video clips is called
________.
Fines awarded to a plaintiff in order to punish the defendant are called ________.
A support program in which senior managers identify promising women and minority
employees and play an important role in nurturing their career progress is referred to as
a(n) ________.
What is involved in the direction phase of career development? How can skills
inventories and career paths aid in the process?
A(n) ________ is a firm with operations in many countries and highly decentralized
operations.
A program that rewards employees for their ideas and contributions is referred to as
a(n) ________.
The ________ is the fundamental compensation law in the United States that requires
employers to record earnings and hours worked by all covered employees, and to report
this information to the U.S. Department of Labor.