The concept of diversity management is simply a new label for affirmative action.
John is subjectively evaluating all applicant information prior to making a hiring
decision. He is using a clinical approach in the selection process.
French labor unions tend to be more politically than economically focused.
Cheyanne is a recent widow. She is the mother of a 19-year-old daughter and the
care-provider of her mother-in-law who is 60 years old. Cheyanne is eligible for
survivor benefits.
A company can save up to 20% of its payroll during lows in its business cycle by
instituting a profit-sharing compensation program.
Employees’ intrinsic drives are based upon their desire to receive promised rewards and
benefits.
Performance is more important than seniority as a criterion for advancement in South
Korean firms.
Work flow analysis examines and quantifies the manufacturing process.
A lack of technical qualifications for an international assignment is a key cause of
expatriate failure.
Typically, dual-career couples have less problems dealing with expatriation than do
single-career couples because of numerous international career opportunities for
spouses.
Layoffs are most likely to occur because:
A) the firm offers lucrative incentives to reduce the workforce.
B) adequate documentation exists of the worker’s poor performance.
C) a poor fit exists between the employee and the company.
D) the company’s strategy forces a reduction in its workforce.
Karl is trying to improve company productivity by focusing on employee competence.
Karl is focusing on the ________ factor of productivity.
A) motivation
B) ethical behavior
C) quality of work life
D) ability
An informal communication tool available to managers that helps them build rapport
with employees is:
A) e-mail.
B) performance appraisal.
C) employee feedback programs.
D) management by walking around.
Additional Case 2.1
Benson Manufacturing is a young, small firm that makes computer components and
peripherals for assemblers like Dell and Gateway. Benson’s market share is highly
volatile based on the entrance and exit of competitors into the market. Benson buys raw
materials from several suppliers who also supply competitors. The firm has two layers
of management between the CEO and the component maker on the line.
The firm’s CEO read a book about innovation and organizational change and now wants
to look at what HR should do about reorganizing and changing staffing practices. The
CEO wants to reduce costs in order to increase profit margins because he believes that
margins will continue to shrink.
While productivity and quality are largely functions of the machines used in the
process, the CEO still wants to focus on motivating Benson employees. He wants to
motivate them by increasing wages through a bonus program, improving working
conditions, and providing job security.
Refer to Additional Case 2.1. The CEO most likely read a book that referred to the
motivation theory of:
A) Frederick Herzberg
B) Richard Hackman
C) Edwin Locke
D) Henry Mintzberg
Outcome-based performance appraisal systems are more likely to:
A) lead to a “results at any cost” mentality.
B) require significant time to establish criteria.
C) face managerial and employee resistance.
D) cause legal difficulties because of unclear standards.
The “glass ceiling” is best defined as the:
A) official boundary in an organization that prohibits minorities and women from rising
to upper-level job positions.
B) filtering of minority group members and women into non-revenue producing areas
of a business.
C) informal barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing their careers
within firms.
D) expansion of opportunities for minorities and women in the workplace required by
EEO laws.
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’s predecessor
was most likely based on:
A) distributive bargaining.
B) bad faith negotiations.
C) integrative bargaining.
D) bargaining power.
Assessment centers are useful in evaluating a candidate’s:
A) interpersonal skills.
B) mechanical abilities.
C) organizational fit.
D) managerial skills.
Which term refers to a bonus given to executives that is proportional to the change in
company stock prices, rather than changes in profitability measures?
A) Stock appreciation rights
B) Performance plan units
C) Performance share plans
D) Phantom stock
Which of the following is NOT a section on the position analysis questionnaire?
A) Mental processes
B) Job context
C) Work output
D) Job satisfaction
Strategic human resource planning provides a number of benefits to a company, such
as:
A) relieving middle managers of their HRM responsibilities.
B) blurring the difference between line and staff management.
C) reducing costs by diversifying the company’s goals and objectives.
D) helping to identify the gap between a company’s current situation and vision.
According to the U.S. Supreme Court, employees:
A) may be cited for safety violations.
B) are not obligated to comply with their company’s health and safety standards.
C) have the right to refuse to work under conditions in which they reasonably believe
there is an immediate risk of injury or death.
D) are to be held liable for failing to report all hazardous conditions, injuries, or
work-related illnesses to OSHA in a timely manner.
Employees who are rewarded on the basis of corporate-wide pay-for-performance
plans:
A) show a clear increase in productivity, morale, and loyalty.
B) are put at risk due to factors affecting corporate stock prices.
C) are financially secure if they are in a profit-sharing plan.
D) typically pay very high taxes for their incentives.
In the opening case in Chapter 10, a secretary complains that janitors make more money
than she does. Her complaints and Dr. Smith’s response show that Sigma’s
compensation system:
A) may lack internal equity.
B) is a decentralized pay system.
C) relies on individual-based pay.
D) uses variable pay to induce performance.
Additional Case 11.1
The HR department at Sussex Enterprises has been asked to evaluate the effectiveness
of the firm’s team-based incentive plan. Managers at the firm report a decline in worker
performance, an increase in interpersonal conflicts, and an increase in complaints about
free riding team members. In addition, the manufacturing group has been accused of
producing more units than the marketing group can sell. HR at Sussex needs to
determine if the current incentive plan is appropriate or should be replaced.
Refer to Additional Case 11.1. Which of the following would most likely improve the
effectiveness of the current pay-for-performance plan at Sussex?
A) Establishing specific group goals
B) Offering gainsharing opportunities
C) Allowing employees to form their own teams
D) Providing the manufacturing group with better technology
The most common use of performance appraisals is to:
A) comply with EEO rules.
B) justify employee recruitment.
C) improve organizational performance.
D) make personnel administrative decisions.
Which of the following is a recruitment cost associated with employee replacement?
A) Outplacement
B) Reference checks
C) Orientation
D) Advertising
Additional Case 7.1
Shannon is the CEO of a firm that provides high-tech service support to other small
businesses. He plans to revise the performance appraisal system to align it more closely
with company goals. The tailored program should be fair and ethical and should
produce consistent results.
Shannon wants service employees to work together to maximize service quality. Since
the sales force has not been particularly aggressive, sales are lagging. Shannon believes
that profits and customer satisfaction will increase if sales people start providing
after-sale service to customers.
In the past, Shannon’s sales managers have been receiving the same raises, regardless of
their effectiveness. Now, Shannon wants to identify and reward the best-performing
managers. By comparing managers across functions, Shannon believes he will be able
to identify workers who are ready for more challenging responsibilities.
Refer to Additional Case 7.1. Shannon is considering an appraisal system based on
relative judgment. Which statement best supports the use of such a system?
A) The firm would benefit from specifying the differences between employees.
B) Managers need to know which employees are the best at the firm.
C) The firm frequently needs to make decisions about pay raises.
D) Employees require specific details about their performance.
Empowerment is best defined as:
A) emphasizing the decision-making power of workers.
B) requiring workers to perform tasks to avoid punishment.
C) forcing workers to comply with external control mechanisms.
D) losing talented workers to competitors and start-up ventures.
Netgear needs to provide EEO training to its middle managers. The complicated
information requires extended periods of uninterrupted study. Which of the following
would be most appropriate?
A) OJT
B) Job rotation
C) Off-the-job training
D) Mentoring by an experienced upper-level manager
Frame-of-reference training has been found to be particularly effective in eliminating:
A) persuasive effects of organizational politics.
B) problems of choosing the wrong evaluation tool.
C) most legal issues in the performance review process.
D) the impact of personal bias in performance evaluations.
Which of the following is a motivator, according to Herzberg?
A) Relationships within the company
B) A positive working atmosphere
C) Recognition for accomplishments
D) Salary and benefits
Additional Case 16.1
Greenway Enterprises is a medium-sized manufacturer of electrical components.
Recently, the company has experienced a number of workplace accidents. OSHA
standards have not been violated in any of the accidents. One of the injured employees,
Floyd, files a workers’ compensation claim, which is upheld by the state. Doctors
indicate that Floyd requires 8 weeks of vocational training before he can return to
work.Refer to Additional Case 16.1. Which of the following covers the costs of Floyd’s
vocational training?
A) Total disability benefits
B) Impairment benefits
C) Rehabilitation benefits
D) Medical benefits
By the Bay, Inc. is a large company with over 500 employees and a massive employee
involvement program. One of the labor-management teams deals with employee
complaints. The team consists of six workers and two managers and is led by the HR
director. This group is most likely:
A) protected by state laws.
B) bargaining for changes.
C) sponsored by the NLRB.
D) violating the Wagner Act.
Programs that provide diversity awareness training and educate employees on specific
cultural and sex differences, and how to respond to these in the workplace are referred
to as ________.
A developmentally oriented relationship between senior and junior colleagues or peers
that involves advising, role modeling, sharing contacts, and giving general support is
called ________.
A(n) ________ is a health-care plan in which an employer or insurance company
establishes a network of doctors and hospitals to provide a broad set of medical services
for a flat fee per participant.
What is the difference between a straight commission and a straight salary system?
What are the benefits of each? How can a firm ensure that a sales team does not
overlook customer satisfaction for high sales volume?
A firm with an employee involvement group led by a manager is in violation of the
Wagner Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act has been called the most significant HRM civil
rights legislation in the 1990s. Discuss the essential elements of the act and key terms.