Based on Supreme Court rulings, it is best to say that employers may:
A) make employment decisions based solely on affirmative action criteria.
B) never use affirmative action criteria for making employment decisions.
C) base employment decisions partially on affirmative action criteria.
D) always use affirmative action criteria in layoff situations.
What is the primary reason for holding exit interviews?
A) Providing counseling to departing employees
B) Assisting departing employees with job-search skills
C) Determining the reason for the employee’s departure
D) Allowing the employee’s co-workers to provide feedback
Additional Case 10.1
Brighton Manufacturing is reviewing its compensation system. The CEO wants
employees to be paid wages and benefits comparable to Brighton’s competitors. He
wants a system that allows for maximum flexibility in reassigning workers to different
jobs without requiring compensation adjustments each time. The Finance VP suggests
that the company link compensation costs more closely to productivity and profit.
When profits are down, compensation costs should be reduced as well. The Finance VP
also believes that employees should be paid for what they produce, not for their time,
and the compensation program should apply to all employees equally. The VP of HR
suggests that the key to the company’s success is their employees and advocates an
individual-based compensation plan. People should be paid for their skills or
knowledge, not just because they are fulfilling certain jobs. The VP of HR also feels
that it would be simpler to implement a compensation system by level rather than by
job.
Refer to Additional Case 10.1. The Finance VP would most likely favor a(n):
A) variable pay system.
B) membership-based system.
C) individual-centered system.
D) egalitarian compensation system.
The key to avoiding lawsuits over early retirement programs is to:
A) give preferential treatment to protected-class individuals.
B) treat all employees the same regardless of their age.
C) study the probable impact on the local community.
D) implement layoffs on a regular basis.
Job rotation is especially beneficial to employees when a firm is going through:
A) downsizing.
B) rapid expansion.
C) hierarchical changes.
D) organizational strategizing.
Additional Case 8.2
Aysha, an HR manager, has been assigned the task of implementing a training and
development program at her firm, Singer Enterprises. The firm has offices in New York,
California, and India. Executives at the firm want to develop more innovative products
and improve customer service. Singer employs 50 product development specialists and
200 customer service representatives.
Aysha must determine the fit between the current organizational culture at Singer and
the firm’s new mission and vision. After gathering the results of a needs assessment,
Aysha will be responsible for implementing appropriate training programs. In an initial
review, Aysha discovers that a large percentage of customer service errors stem from
representatives who simply do not remember all the different pricing programs and
policy changes. Aysha also learns that the firm’s product development team is scattered
throughout the firm’s offices and that members rarely have face-to-face meetings.
Refer to Additional Case 8.2. Which of the following questions should Aysha first
answer to accomplish her assignment?
A) What development options are available at Singer?
B) How will training be provided to Singer’s foreign workers?
C) What external factors affect Singer’s long- and short-term goals?
D) What are the job requirements for Singer’s customer service representatives?
OSHA inspectors are planning a surprise inspection at a steel mill. Which of the
following is most likely true?
A) The steel mill management has the right to demand a search warrant.
B) The employer must prevent inspectors from entering the building according to
federal law.
C) Surprise inspections are illegal except in cases of “imminent danger” in the
workplace.
D) The inspectors will not have the right to question employers or employees.
Additional Case 14.2
Gloria, an employee at Hamilton Resources, which is a unionized company, has
performance and absenteeism problems. Gloria’s manager, Dean, wants to fire her
immediately. As the HR manager at Hamilton, you explain to Dean that he needs to try
to improve the employee’s performance first and save termination as a last resort.
Sometime later, the CEO asks you to review and update the firm’s employee discipline
process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance
improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure
the best and most fair process. As HR manager, you will be responsible for training
managers on the new discipline process.
Refer to Additional Case 14.2. If Hamilton had a progressive discipline system in place,
which of the following would most likely have been Dean’s first response to Gloria?
A) Giving Gloria a verbal warning
B) Requiring Gloria to attend counseling sessions
C) Filing a written warning in Gloria’s personnel file
D) Giving Gloria a paid day off to consider her actions
Eileen is considering assignments, training programs, and development opportunities
that she will need in preparation for being a general manager in the future. Eileen is in
the:
A) development phase of her career development.
B) discovery phase of her career development.
C) assessment phase of her career development.
D) directional phase of her career development.
Which of the following is the LEAST innovative and effective method of employee
benefits communication?
A) On designated Web
B) Through computer software
C) During new employee orientation
D) Through audio-visual presentations
Carlie quit her job as a data analyst at APEX Designs, and she is scheduled to
participate in an exit interview. Which of the following individuals would be the most
appropriate to conduct Carlie’s exit interview?
A) Subordinate
B) Co-worker
C) HR representative
D) Immediate supervisor
The “grapevine” is a form of:
A) informal communication.
B) formal communication.
C) upward communication.
D) downward communication.
Additional Case 15.4
Demetry is the president of a candle manufacturing company. He has heard that
employees are considering trying to unionize. He is concerned about this and calls a
meeting of upper-level managers and the HR department. Demetry wants to know what
can be done in order to discourage a union. He is also concerned about the steps
employees will take in unionizing. Demetry knows relatively little about unions. He
started the company in his workshop for fun, and it grew into a business that he feels he
can no longer control.
Kaia, a production manager, strongly believes that the employees will manage to
unionize and wants to identify areas where the company would be able to give-and-take
during the bargaining. She suggests that the company discuss benefits for retired union
workers.
Karsten, an HR employee, also believes that the union will take hold. He suggests that
Demetry not fight unionization and not coerce employees out of their support for the
union. Karsten claims that showing such restraint may lead to a more harmonious and
cooperative relationship between management and the union.
Refer to Additional Case 15.4. Karsten would most likely explain to Demetry that at
least ________ of the employees must sign an authorization card before a union
certification election can occur.
A) 15%
B) 30%
C) 45%
D) 60%
Which of the following is a primary challenge of strategic HR planning?
A) Encouraging employees to accept empowerment strategies
B) Reacting appropriately to problems in the internal and external environment
C) Building HR strategies independent of the overall business strategy of the company
D) Developing strategies that offer the firm a sustained competitive advantage
Which activity would most likely be required of job applicants taking a work sample
test?
A) Participating in an in-basket exercise
B) Assembling and disassembling a small motor
C) Discussing ethical situations with a manager
D) Answering questions about engineering processes
How can performance appraisals best be used to minimize employee discipline
problems?
A) Setting reasonable standards for employees
B) Requiring annual feedback to employees
C) Emphasizing selection standards
D) Implementing job banding
Additional Case 12.1
The HR Director of The Camera Center is leading the executive team through a review
of the company’s benefits plan. He begins by explaining how the firm funds the benefits
plan. After a few questions on that matter, he moves on to clarify what they must offer
by law and what benefits the firm would like to provide.
A highly entrepreneurial, performance-driven company, The Camera Center provides an
excellent profit-sharing plan and one of the best retirement packages in the industry.
The firm commits a high portion of compensation funds to the benefits plan. The
workforce tends to be college-educated, young professionals who are just starting their
families.
The CEO wants the total benefits plan reviewed and repackaged, if necessary, to align it
with The Camera Center’s business culture and strategy. He also wants to contain costs
as much as possible and simplify benefits
administration.
Refer to Additional Case 12.1. Which of the following changes would most likely
support the firm’s strategies and culture?
A) Offering sabbatical leave to new employees
B) Making contributions to employee SEPs
C) Subsidizing employee child-care costs
D) Implementing a flexible benefits program
Which term refers to the activities involved in integrating nontraditional employees into
the workforce and using their diversity as a competitive advantage?
A) Equal employment opportunity
B) Affirmative action
C) Diversity training
D) Diversity management
Expectancy theory claims that:
A) people are usually consistent in their performance.
B) people tend to perform activities that will be rewarded.
C) individuals who do not set goals are more intrinsically motivated than those who do
set goals.
D) employers that reward employees may not gain any increase in quality or efficiency
in productivity.
Additional Case 2.3
Resources International, Inc. (RII) is going through a major organizational change.
Executives at the firm have decided to rethink the whole organization. They believe that
employees will be most strongly motivated by experiencing meaningful work, taking
responsibility for outcomes, and receiving regular feedback.
The HR team will analyze jobs as part of the change process, and HR must choose the
best technique for the situation. HR needs to know what the incumbents do in their jobs.
HR also needs behavioral descriptions from which to build new performance appraisal
systems and training programs.
Finally, RII is looking at current staffing practices and trying to decide what type of
workforce is best for the future. The business is highly technical and requires highly
experienced employees, but product demand is volatile. Demand can double or be cut in
half from one year to the next, depending on the economy and competitors’ actions.
Innovation is key in RII’s product development. In order to manage all the HR
information generated for and during the change, RII has initiated an HRIS system.
Refer to Additional Case 2.3. Managers at RII will most likely use the HRIS for which
of the following activities?
A) Conducting performance appraisals
B) Tracking production and labor expenses
C) Structuring and graphing the hierarchy of the organization
D) Matching employee skills to new positions that emerge within the company
A benefit of job rotation is that:
A) employees become specialists in one area.
B) it creates a more broadly trained workforce.
C) production increases occur during training.
D) short run costs are very low.
The establishment of an affirmation action plan has three steps. The first is to:
A) establish goals and timetables for compliance.
B) investigate the claim of discrimination.
C) develop action plans to meet federal guidelines.
D) conduct a utilization analysis.
The primary purpose of NIOSH is to:
A) oversee state safety programs.
B) research safety and health problems.
C) handle employee citation appeals.
D) fine employers for unsafe conditions.
The Civil Rights Act of 1991 had several important effects on Title VII, such as:
A) placing the burden of proof on the employee.
B) including people with disabilities as a protected class.
C) permitting plaintiffs to collect damages as well as back pay.
D) setting aside the standard of proof established in the Griggs case.