Employers may receive up to a one-year variance regarding compliance with new
OSHA standards.
A diversity audit is similar to a utilization analysis conducted by the EEOC.
Employers can force an employee to retire if the employee is 65 years of age or older.
Jessica recently had outpatient surgery. Her insurance plan requires a deductible of
$500. This means that the insurance company will pay 100% of the first $500, but after
that will only pay a percentage of the bill.
It is beneficial but not necessary for training objectives to relate to the KSAs of the job.
International expatriates should be selected by a board consisting of former expatriates.
It is permissible to make employment decisions entirely on the basis of race, age, and
sex if such actions rectify past inequities.
Job enlargement switches workers between different, narrowly defined tasks without
disrupting the work flow.
Employees may be discharged for refusing to violate a professional code of ethics.
A career path is a chart that shows the possible routes of career advancement and a
realistic timetable for each step.
How does an employee primarily benefit from job rotation?
A) More career flexibility
B) Improved balance of work and career
C) Increased compensation and responsibility
D) Better relationships with managers and co-workers
In general, perquisites are:
A) part of team-based pay-for-performance plans.
B) offered to top-performing employees at all levels.
C) nonmonetary incentives awarded to executives.
D) are not well received by most executives.
All of the following are characteristics of PPOs EXCEPT:
A) flexibility.
B) managed health care.
C) limited physician choice.
D) fixed fee medical services.
Which of the following would most likely improve the effectiveness of a diversity
training program?
A) Scheduling diversity programs when work levels are heavy and deadlines are tight.
B) Forming a diversity council that represents a cross-section of employees.
C) Waiting for a court order to mandate employee participation.
D) Focusing on the main victims of cultural discrimination.
It is most likely a challenge to convince people to value diversity because:
A) it is seen as diminishing the common ground necessary to a viable society.
B) diversity programs have created a violent employee backlash.
C) affirmative action programs have been eliminated.
D) it tends to decrease organizational flexibility.
Sara is 57 years old and she has been a division manager for Elf Cookies for 32 years.
Recently, the business has seen an increase in efficiency and has a surplus of labor. Elf
Cookies is offering employees who are 55 and older, and who have worked for the
company for over 30 years, specific benefits and financial incentives to retire within the
next 60 days. Sara does so. She has:
A) quit.
B) been bought out.
C) taken early retirement.
D) been discharged.
After contacting OSHA to request a free consultation, the next step for an employer is
to:
A) review the findings of the inspection and look for areas that can be improved.
B) discuss the consultant’s role and the employer’s obligations under the service.
C) examine workplace conditions and schedule meetings with employees.
D) assess the penalties for the business’ safety violations.
Additional Case 17.2
Golden Rod is an electronics firm based in Detroit with subsidiaries in several countries
including Indonesia, Egypt, Argentina, and Thailand. The top management positions in
these subsidiaries are filled by U.S. citizens. Golden Rod is planning on creating a new
expatriate assignment in Egypt. The firm has created a selection board of expatriates to
choose the best person for the job. In the past, Golden Rod has experienced a high
turnover rate among repatriated managers, so executives hope to solve this problem.
Refer to Additional Case 17.2. It would be most effective for the selection board to:
A) choose someone who has had previous international experience.
B) screen applicants but not their families.
C) use technical ability as the most important qualifying criterion.
D) never choose a foreign-born employee to serve as an expatriate.
Additional Case 4.4
Xavier has just become the head of HR at Hot Rods, Inc. He notices that the company is
very homogenous, especially in light of the very diverse community in which it is
located. He is surprised to find that the number of women and other minorities is quite
low in all positions. As one of his first responsibilities, Xavier wants to implement a
diversity program at Hot Rods.
Refer to Additional Case 4.4. Which of the following is the most important step for
Xavier as he institutes a diversity program at Hot Rods?
A) Adopting a narrow definition of diversity in order to not let the term become
overly-inclusive
B) Creating a two-day training program and requiring all employees to attend
C) Involving a cross-section of employees in designing the program
D) Focusing the program solely on top management
The choice of a prospector strategy for a business would be most appropriate when a
firm:
A) operates in an uncertain business environment.
B) functions in a relatively stable business environment.
C) sells products that are in the maturity stage of the life cycle.
D) prefers a top-down decision making approach for management.
According to the text, which of the following is NOT one of the key domains to
consider when defining career success?
A) Life
B) Work
C) Money
D) Environment
Additional Case 9.1
Ron, the CEO at CableNet, wants to invest in career development because he is
concerned that the firm is not prepared to meet future needs and challenges. Rudy, the
operations manager, states that CableNet has already invested significantly in employee
training, and a career development program would be a costly duplication. Rudy
produces a recent productivity and quality study that shows significant improvement
among employees to support his assertion that a development program is unnecessary.
Charles, an IT manager, states that most supervisors currently discuss career options
with their subordinates as part of the management process. Charles asserts that
managers are taking care of their employees well enough and that nothing else is
necessary. Tanya, the HR director, suggests that assigning employees to various jobs
would give them a wider base of skills at a minimal expense. She asserts that an active
career development program would help the company with EEO-related matters, which
are a concern to her. The workforce is about 30% female and 45% minority, but upper
management is 100% Asian-American male.
Refer to Additional Case 9.1. Rudy’s comments most likely suggest that he:
A) is confused between the concepts of training and development.
B) realizes the importance of meeting employee career demands.
C) hopes to retain the most competent employees for many years.
D) dislikes the idea of linking career development with performance appraisals.
Studies indicate that the electronic monitoring of employees:
A) lowers absenteeism.
B) increases productivity.
C) improves customer service.
D) increases employee stress levels.
Additional Case 5.1
About a year ago, Powley Publishing began looking for a new managing editor for its
home and garden magazine. The previous editor retired after 25 years on the job. The
editors and the HR department debated about the key requirements for a new managing
editor. Some felt it was knowledge of the business, others thought it was interpersonal
skills. A few others believed it was the ability to attract writing talent and subscribers.
Finally, it was decided that HR would screen candidates, and the editors would
interview finalists in conjunction with HR. The HR director would make the final
choice to avoid competition among the editors.
Advertisements were placed nationally. A number of candidates were tested and
interviewed by the HR manager, and references were checked. After a long search, a
new managing editor, Jeff, was hired, but it quickly became apparent that a poor
selection had been made. Although Jeff was competent, his overbearing management
style drove two talented editors to leave for jobs with competitors. Jeff fulfilled all tasks
of the position except soliciting writers and subscribers. In addition, Jeff offered no
ideas or direction about increasing circulation. After 10 months, the publisher let Jeff go
and began looking for a new managing editor.
This time, the firm wants to find someone who is willing to tackle all tasks of the
position and who has the right skills and personality mix. The firm wants someone who
can start quickly and doesn’t require significant training. The ability to innovate is less
critical than the motivation to work hard. Recruiting funds are very limited.
Refer to Additional Case 5.1. The firm most likely made a poor selection decision
because of an inability to:
A) agree on important job characteristics.
B) attract an adequate pool of qualified applicants.
C) decide who would make the selection decision.
D) decide what recruiting source was best to use.
Employee benefits are used to:
A) reward employee performance.
B) provide security for employees.
C) motivate greater productivity.
D) comply with federal regulation.
Since the passage of the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988, about ________ of Fortune
200 companies conduct some form of drug testing.
A) 43%
B) 58%
C) 84%
D) 98%
An applicant-centered approach to recruiting would most likely:
A) give applicants personality tests.
B) introduce applicants to co-workers.
C) accommodate the schedules of applicants.
D) offer applicants the highest industry wages.
Which of the following is LEAST likely to occur in a firm with segmented
communication channels?
A) An inability to capitalize on diverse perspectives
B) Increasing deterioration of groupthink mentality
C) Unintentional penalties against minorities
D) A lack of common ground across groups
A job hierarchy in a compensation plan is primarily built on:
A) job specifications, descriptions, and ratings.
B) job classifications by pay grade.
C) corporate pay policies.
D) market surveys.
Sheila believes the value of her employees’ performance depends on her agenda or
goals, and not on any objective standard. Sheila’s perspective is a(n):
A) rational perspective.
B) absolute perspective.
C) political perspective.
D) relative perspective.
Resignations and retirements are examples of:
A) essential downsizing measures.
B) involuntary separations.
C) voluntary separations.
D) discharges.
Additional Case 10.2
O’Donnell International is updating its job-based compensation system with a primary
goal of achieving internal equity. Sean is responsible for gathering and organizing
information concerning the tasks and duties of specific jobs. Susie is to determine the
prerequisites for the successful accomplishment of each job analyzed. Jeff will work
with three line managers to determine the compensable factors for specific lower-level
jobs. The HR director, the president, and two VPs will review the information on
management jobs in order to determine the compensable factors in each before putting
all jobs at the firm into a job hierarchy.
Refer to Additional Case 10.2. Which of the following, if true, best supports the use of
market data rather than internal job evaluations to determine the value of jobs at
O’Donnell?
A) Turnover at O’Donnell is relatively low.
B) Most jobs at O’Donnell are typical for the industry.
C) The organizational structure at O’Donnell is flat.
D) Most lower-level positions at O’Donnell are exempt.
What was the first attempt to equalize power between labor and employer?
A) Taft-Hartley Act
B) Davis-Bacon Act
C) Wagner Act
D) Landrum-Griffin Act
Perquisites, also called “perks” are best described as:
A) special benefits reserved for upper-level managers.
B) stock options available to long-term employees.
C) indirect compensation, such as vacation.
D) fixed pay rewarded regularly.
The most appropriate way to handle an employee with an attendance problem would be
to:
A) apply company policy uniformly without exception.
B) consider special circumstances when appropriate.
C) tighten the attendance requirement in the disciplinary process.
D) involve the next higher level of management at the company.
Forces external to a firm that affect the firm’s performance but are beyond the control of
management are called ________.
The ________ is a federal law established in 1974 to protect employees’ retirement
benefits from mismanagement.
________ are the characteristics that give a firm a competitive edge.
A(n) ________ is a chart showing the possible directions and career opportunities
available in an organization.
________ is termination of an employee for reasons that are either illegal or
inappropriate.
A performance appraisal system in which workers review their supervisors is called
a(n) ________.
What are the challenges a company typically faces in managing employee diversity?
What are some methods that can help firms reduce conflicts caused by diversity?