Test Item File Ch01

Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Resource Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Resource Management Multiple Choice

1.

The basic functions of management in include all of the following except _____. a. planning b. orga rganizing c. motivating d. leading e. staffing (c; moderate)

2. a. b. c. d. e.

The management process is made up of _____ basic functions. three four five eight ten (c; moderate)

3.

Which basic function of management includes establishing goals and standards, developing rules and procedures, and forec asting? a. planning b. orga rganizing c. motivating d. leading e. staffing (a; easy)

4. a. b. c. d. e.

What sp specific ac activities li listed be below ar are pa part of of th the pl planning fu function? giving ea each su subordinate a specific fic ta task rec recruiting prospective employees ees training an and de developing em employees developing ru rules an and procedures all of the above (d; moderate)

5.

Lin sp s pends most of o f her time at work setting go g oals an a nd st s tandards an a nd developing rules and procedures. Which function of management does Lin specialize in? a. planning b. orga rganizing c. motivating d. leading e. staffing (a; easy)

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Human Resource Management: An Asian Perspective (Second Edition)

6.

Which basic function of management includes delegating authority to subordinates and establishing channels of communication? a. planning b. orga rganizing c. motivating d. leading e. staffing (b; easy)

7. a. b. c. d. e.

What specific activities listed below are part of the organizing function? giving ea each su subordinate a specific fic ta task rec recruiting prospective employees ees training an and de developing em employees developing ru rules an and procedures all of the above (a; moderate)

8.

Which ba basic fu function of of ma management in includes se selecting em employees, se setting performance standards, and compensating employees? a. planning b. orga rganizing c. motivating d. leading e. staffing (e; easy)

9. a. b. c. d. e.

What sp specific ac activities li listed be below are pa part of of th the st staffing fu function? giving ea each su subordinate a specific fic ta task maintaining mo morale recruiting pr prospective em employees developing ru rules an and procedures both b and c (c; moderate)

10.

Which ba basic fu function of of ma management in includes se setting st standards su such a sa sales quotas and quality standards? a. planning b. orga rganizing c. controlling d. leading e. staffing (c; easy)

11. a. b. c. d. e.

What speci ecific activities listed below are are part of the controlling functi ction? giving ea each su subordinate a specific fic ta task rec recruiting prospective employees ees training an and de developing em employees developing ru rules an and procedures chec checki king ng to see see how how actu actual al perf perfor orma manc ncee comp compar ares es with with stan standa dard rdss (e; moderate)

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12.

a. b. c. d. e.

_____ is th the pro process of ac acquiring, tra training, app appraising, and and com compensating employ employees ees,, and attend attending ing to their their labor labor relatio relations, ns, health health and safety safety,, and fairne fairness ss concerns. Human Re Resource Ma Management Labor Relations Industrial Ps Psychology Organizational Be Behavior Org Organiz anizat atio ion nal Heal Health th and and Safe Safety ty Man Managem agemen entt (a; easy)

13.

Human resource management is _____. a. the concept conceptss and techniques techniques used to control control people people at work work b. the proce process ss of orga organiz nizing ing work work activ activiti ities es c. the the proc proces esss of identi identify fyin ing g coun countr trie iess with with cheape cheaperr labor labor cost costss and and relocating jobs to those countries d. the the proc proces esss of acqui acquiri ring ng,, trai traini ning ng,, appr apprai aisi sing ng,, and and comp compen ensa sati ting ng employees, and attending to their labor relations, health and safety, and fairness concerns e. all all of of the the abov abovee (d; moderate)

14.

_____ is is th the ri right to to ma make de decisions, to to di direct th the wo work of of ot others, an and to gi give

a. b. c. d. e. 15. a. b. c. d. e.

16. a. b. c. d. e.

orders. Leadership Authority Delegation Management Responsibility (b; easy) _____ are au authorized to to di direct th the wo work of su subordinates. Line managers Staff managers Leaders Advisory board members All of the above (a; easy) _____ ar are re responsible fo for as assisting an and ad advising li line ma managers in in ar areas li like recruiting, hiring, and compensation. Human resource managers Staff managers Line managers EEO officers Board members (a; easy)

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17. a. b. c. d.

18. a. b. c. d. e.

19.

a. b. c. d. e.

Effective hu human re resource ma management co could in include al all of of th the fo following responsibilities except _____. placing th the ri right pe perso rson in the ri right job training em employees controlling labor costs protecting em employees’ he health e. all all are are resp respon onsi sibi bili liti ties es nece necess ssar ary y for for effe effect ctiv ivee huma human n reso resour urce ce management (e; moderate) Human re resource ma managers ge generally ex exert __ _____ wi within th the hu human re resources department and _____ outside the human resources r esources department. line au authority; im implied au authority staff au authority; li line au authority line authority; staff authority func functi tio onal nal cont contro rol; l; auth autho orita ritari rian an con contro trol staff aut authority; specific authority (a; difficult) Line ma managers re respect th the kn knowledge hu human re resource ma managers ha have in in ar areas such as testing and affirmative action. Consequently, human resource managers can influence line managers through _____. line authority functional co control implied authority explicit authority human capital (c; moderate)

20.

Which of the fo following responsibilities ies do human res resource managers ers fulfill in their role as employee advocates? a. establish establish guidelin guidelines es for how how managemen managementt should should be treatin treating g employees employees b. provide provide support support for employe employees es contestin contesting g unfair unfair practices practices c. repres represent ent emplo employee yees’ s’ interes interests ts as approp appropria riate te d. all all of of the the abov abovee e. none none of the the abo above ve (d; moderate)

21. a. b. b. c. d. e.

All of the following are are examp amples of human reso esource job duties except ept _____. recruiter equa equall emp emplo loy yment ment oppor pportu tun nity ity coo coord rdin inat ato or financial advisor compensation manager labor relations specialist (c; moderate)

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22. a. b. c. d. e.

Which of of th the fo following jo job ti titles in indicates a position in in hu human re resources? recruiter job analyst training specialist EEO coordinator all of the above (e; easy)

23.

Which of of th the fo following ta tasks re related to to re recruiting an and hi hiring is is no not ty typically handled by HR staff? specify necessary job qualific ficati ations develop po pool of of qu qualified app applicants con conduct initial screen eening intervi rviews administer tests explain be benefits pa packages (a; easy)

a. b. c. d. e.

24. a. b. c. d. e.

25. a. b. c. d. e.

The ex expertise of of hu human re resource de departments be became in indispensable wi with th the _____. introduction of employment laws passing of of eq equal em employment la laws increase of of women in the workforce move moveme ment nt of jobs jobs to coun countr trie iess wit with h chea cheape perr lab labor or cost costss both a and b (e; moderate; p. 9) _____ re refers to to th the te tendency of of fi firms to to ex extend th their sa sales, ow ownership, an and/or manufacturing to new markets abroad. Expansion Market de development Globalization Export growth Diversification (c; easy)

26. a. b. c. d. e.

Most people who are classified as nontraditional workers are _____. contingent wo workers independent contractors job sharing working multiple jobs caring for an elderly parent (b; difficult)

27. a. b. c. d. e.

Which of the following is a type of nontraditional worker? contingent wo workers part-time workers peop people le work workin ing g in in alt alter ern nativ ativee wor work k arr arran ang gemen ements ts people with multiple jobs all of the above (e; moderate)

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28.

a. b. c. d. e.

29. a. b. c. d. e.

30. a. b. c. d. e.

31. a. b. c. d. e.

32. a. b. b. c. d. e.

Jak ta t akes on o n va v arious pr p rojects a s an an in i ndependent c on ontractor. H e wo works on on several projects for a variety of companies. When a project is complete, he moves on to another project, often with a different company. Jak is a type of _____. contingent worker collateral worker manager consultant none of the above (a; moderate) Saras an and he her mo mother, An Ann sh share on one fl flight at attendant jo job at at Je Jet Ai Airlines. Sa Saras and Ann could be classified as _____. flex-time workers contingent wo workers nontraditional wo workers traditional wo workers none of the above (c; easy) What term re refer fers to the knowledge, ed education, tr train aining, sk skills, and and expertise of of a firm’s workers? human resources human capital intangible assets knowledge as assets intellectual property (b; moderate) Which of of th the fo following de demographic is issues re represents a challenge fo for hu human resource managers? increasingly diverse workforce aging workforce increas easing ing use of contingent worke rkers both a and b all of the above (d; moderate; p. 13) The pr proportion of women in the wo workforce is projected to _____. incr increa easse sig signi nifi fica can ntly tly ove overr th the com comin ing g dec decad adee decr decrea ease se as more more wome women n dec decid idee to to sta stay y hom homee wit with h chi child ldre ren n stop growing increase at a decreasing rate decrease at an increasing rate (c; difficult)

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33.

Over th the ne next fe few ye years, em employers ma may fa face a severe la labor sh shortage be because _____.

b. b. c. d. e.

34. a. b. c. d. e.

35.

a. b. c. d. e.

a. there there are fewer fewer people people enterin entering g the job marke markett than there there are retiri retiring ng baby boomers oneone-th thir ird d of marr marrie ied d wom women en are are not not in the the lab labor or forc forcee Olde Olderr wor work kers ers wil willl rep repre rese sent nt 11% of the the lab labor or forc forcee people are living longer all of the above (a; difficult) What ta tactic wi will em employers li likely ha have to to ta take to to fi fill op openings le left by by re retiring employees? instituting flexible work hours providing elder care hiring more women rehiring retirees lowering the retirement age (d; difficult) A __ _____ is is a company’s pl plan fo for ho how it it wi will ba balance it its in internal st strengths an and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats in order to maintain a competitive advantage. SWOT analysis mission statement strategy tactic scorecard (c; easy)

36. a. b. c. d. e.

The perfo rformance of human resource departments is evalua luated based on _____. measurable ev evidence of of ef efficiency measurab rable ev evidence of of eff effeectiveness ess anecdotal ev evidence qualitative me measures of success both a and b (e; moderate)

37.

Quantitative performance measures used by human resource managers to assess operations are called _____. ratios benchmarks metrics grades goals (c; moderate)

a. b. c. d. e.

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38. a. b. c. d. e.

39. a. b. c. d. e.

40. a. b. c. d. e.

41. a. b. c. d. e.

42. a. b. c. d. e.

The __ _____ me metric ca can be be us used as as a me measurement to to sh show im improvements to to savings in recruitment and retention costs. absence rate cost per hire HR expense factor human capital ROI time to fill (b; moderate) Which me metric in indicates th the co cost of of he health ca care pe per em employee by by pr providing th the per capita cost of employee benefits? HR expense factor human capital ROI health ca care co costs per em employee human capital value added revenue factor (c; moderate) The _ __ ____ me m etric v ie iews hu h uman r es esource e xp xpenses i n re relation t o th the t ot otal operating expenses of the organization. HR expense factor human capital ROI health ca care co costs per em employee human capital value added revenue factor (a; moderate) _____ a re re a u se seful tool for determining why e mp mployees are leaving a n organization. Government labor reports Exit interviews Benchmarks HR portals Turnover rates (b; easy) Which of of th the fo following hu human re resource pr practices ca can be be us useful in in re reducing workers’ compensation cost per employee? safety training disability management safety incentives all of the above a and b only (d; moderate)

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43. a. b. c. d. e.

Which metric views employees as capital rather than as an expense? time to fill training investment HR expense factor revenue factor none of the above (d; difficult)

44. a. b. c. d. e.

The _____ measures the rate at which employees leave the company. turnover costs turnover rate time to fill cost per hire absence rate (b; moderate)

45.

When manage agers use metric rics to assess ess performance and and then develop strategi egies for corrective action, they are performing the _____ function of management. planning leading staffing controlling organizing (d; difficult)

a. b. c. d. e.

46. a. b. c. d. e.

47.

a. b. c. d. e.

The t er erm __ _ ____ me means co c ontributing i n a me measurable w ay ay to t o ac achieving th t he company’s strategic goals. competitive advantage achievement success value creation success metric none of the above (c; moderate) Managers u se se a (n (n) _ __ ____ to t o m ea easure the H R fu function’s e ff ffectiveness a nd nd efficien efficiency cy in produc producing ing employ employee ee behavi behaviors ors the compan company y needs needs to achiev achievee its strategic goals. metric HR Scorecard benchmark high pe performance wo work system MBO format (b; easy)

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48. a. b. c. d. e.

49. a. b. b.

d.

50. a. b. b.

d.

51. a. b. b.

d.

Metrics can be compared against _____ to evaluate an organization’s performance. last year’s metric competitor’s metric survey data national standard all of the above (e; easy) The Revenue Factor is equal to _____. reve revenu nuee divi divide ded d by the the tot total al num numbe berr of ful fulll-ti time me equ equiv ival alen ents ts (FT (FTE) E) tota totall day dayss elap elapse sed d to to fil filll req requi uisi siti tion onss divi divide ded d by by the the numb number er hired hired c. revenue revenue minus operating operating expens expensee minus minus compensati compensation on and benefit benefit cost divided by the total number of full-time equivalents (FTE) HR expe expens nsee div divid ided ed by th the to total tal ope opera rati tin ng exp expen ense se e. adverti advertisin sing g plus agency agency fees plus employ employee ee referrals referrals plus plus travel travel costs costs of applicant plus relocation costs plus recruiter pay and benefits divided by number of hires (a; difficult) The HR expense factor is equal to _____. reve revenu nuee divi divide ded d by the the tot total al num numbe berr of ful fulll-ti time me equ equiv ival alen ents ts (FT (FTE) E) tota totall day dayss elap elapse sed d to to fil filll req requi uisi siti tion onss divi divide ded d by by the the numb number er hired hired c. revenue revenue minus operating operating expens expensee minus minus compensati compensation on and benefit benefit cost divided by the total number of full-time equivalents (FTE) HR expe expens nsee div divid ided ed by th the to total tal ope opera rati tin ng exp expen ense se e. adverti advertisin sing g plus agency agency fees plus employ employee ee referrals referrals plus plus travel travel costs costs of applicant plus relocation costs plus recruiter pay and benefits divided by number of hires (d; difficult) The cost per hire is equal to _____. reve revenu nuee divi divide ded d by the the tot total al num numbe berr of ful fulll-ti time me equ equiv ival alen ents ts (FT (FTE) E) tota totall day dayss elap elapse sed d to to fil filll req requi uisi siti tion onss divi divide ded d by by the the numb number er hired hired c. revenue revenue minus operating operating expens expensee minus minus compensati compensation on and benefit benefit cost divided by the total number of full-time equivalents (FTE) HR expe expens nsee div divid ided ed by th the to total tal ope opera rati tin ng exp expen ense se e. adverti advertisin sing g plus agency agency fees plus employ employee ee referrals referrals plus plus travel travel costs costs of applicant plus relocation costs plus recruiter pay and benefits divided by number of hires (e; moderate)

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52. a. b. b.

d.

The human capital value added is equal to _____. reve revenu nuee divi divide ded d by the the tot total al num numbe berr of ful fulll-ti time me equ equiv ival alen ents ts (FT (FTE) E) tota totall day dayss elap elapse sed d to to fil filll req requi uisi siti tion onss divi divide ded d by by the the numb number er hired hired c. revenue revenue minus operating operating expens expensee minus minus compensati compensation on and benefit benefit cost divided by the total number of full-time equivalents (FTE) HR expe expens nsee div divid ided ed by th the to total tal ope opera rati tin ng exp expen ense se e. adverti advertisin sing g plus agency agency fees plus employ employee ee referrals referrals plus plus travel travel costs costs of applicant plus relocation costs plus recruiter pay and benefits divided by number of hires (c; difficult)

53. a. b. c. d. e.

What metric ev evaluates retention efforts by an organization? turnover costs turnover rate cost per hire absence rate both a and b (e; easy)

54. a. b. c. d. e.

Firms can use the _____ as a benchmark for the cost per hire metric. Government em employment re report Cost Pe Per Hi Hire St Staffing Metr etrics Su Survey Empl Emplo oyer yer Co Costs sts for for Emplo mploy yee Com Compe pen nsati sation on Repor eportt Government Job Turnover Report None of the above (b; easy)

55. a. b. c. d. e.

Firms can use the _____ as a be benchmark for the time to to fill metric. Government em employment re report Cost Pe Per Hi Hire St Staffing Metr etrics Su Survey Empl Emplo oyer yer Co Costs sts for for Emplo mploy yee Com Compe pen nsati sation on Repor eportt Government Job Turnover Report None of the above (b; difficult)

56.

The co concise me measurement sy system us used by by co companies to to sh show th the qu quantitative standards standards the firm uses to measure HR activities, activities, employee employee behaviors behaviors resulting resulting from the the acti activi viti ties es,, and and the the strat strateg egic icall ally y rele releva vant nt orga organi niza zati tion onal al outc outcom omes es of thos thosee employee behaviors is called a(n) _____. evaluation system HR scorecard appraisal system evaluation benchmark annual report (b; moderate)

a. b. c. d. e.

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57. a. b. c. d. e.

58. a. b. c. d. e.

59.

a. b. c. d. e.

60.

a. b. c. d. e.

61. a. b. c. d. e.

When s ee eeking to t o i mp mprove t he he w or orkers’ c om ompensation c os ost pe p er e mp mployee metric, human resource managers should analyze _____. types of injuries injuries by department injuries by job type changes in in injuries over time all of the above (e; easy) In wh which ar area mu must HR HR ma managers be be pr proficient in in or order to to pe perform we well in in today’s environment? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies all of the above (e; moderate) Mak wa wants to to re report th the va value of of th the kn knowledge, sk skill, an and pe performance of of th the organization’s workforce. To illustrate how employees add value to an organization, Mak should use the _____ metric. revenue factor human capital value added training investment HR expense factor intangible assets (b; moderate) Of th the fo four ca categories of of pr proficiencies ne necessary fo for HR HR ma managers, wh which on one refers refers to traditi traditiona onall knowle knowledge dge and skills skills in areas areas such such as employ employee ee select selection ion,, training, and compensation? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies staffing pr proficiencies (a; moderate) Of th the fo four ca categories of of pr proficiencies ne necessary fo for HR HR ma managers, wh which on one refers to knowledge of strategic planning, marketing, production, and finance? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies staffing pr proficiencies (b; moderate)

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62. a. b. c. d. e.

63.

a. b. c. d. e.

64.

a. b. c. d. e.

65. a. b. c. d. e.

66.

a. b. c. d. e.

Of th the fo four ca categories of of pr proficiencies ne necessary fo for HR HR ma managers, wh which on one refers to the ability to work with and lead management groups? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies staffing pr proficiencies (c; moderate) Su Han is an HR manager for a large company. The MBA degree sh she earned prior to taking this position has been helpful to her because it prepared her to better unders understan tand d the role role of strateg strategic ic planni planning, ng, market marketing ing,, produc productio tion, n, and financ financee in creatin creating g a profit profitabl ablee organi organizati zation. on. Which Which catego category ry of profic proficien iency cy has Su’s Su’s MBA prepared her for? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies staffing pr proficiencies (b; moderate) Mohan is particularly good at staying abreast of new technologies and practices affecting human resources management. Which proficiency is Mohan skilled in? HR proficiencies business pr proficiencies leadership pr proficiencies learning proficiencies staffing pr proficiencies (d; moderate) Which of of th the fo following ty types of of la laws do does no not af affect th the de decisions of of hu human resource managers? equal employment laws occupatio tional safety and health laws labor laws advertising re regulations all all of of the the abov abovee affe affect ct the the deci decisi sion onss of of hum human an reso resour urce ce mana manage gers rs (d; difficult) _____ se set gu guidelines re regarding ho how th the co company wr writes it its re recruiting ad ads, what questions its job interviewers ask, and how it selects candidates for training programs or evaluates its managers. Equal employment laws Occu ccupational safet fety and healt alth laws Labor laws Advertising re regulations Fairne rness in Employment reg regulations (a; moderate)

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67. a. b. c. d. e.

_____ set guidelines regarding safety practices at work. Equal employment laws Occu ccupational safet fety and healt alth laws Labor laws Advertising re regulations Fairne rness in Employment reg regulations (b; moderate)

68.

Which of of th the fo following HR HR ac activities ma may be be ou outsourced to to sp specialist se service providers? adm administrati ation of of 40 401 (k (k) pen penssion pl plans emp employee ass assistance/ co counseling pl plans ans retirement planning background checks all of the above (e; moderate)

a. b. c. d. e.

69. a. b. c. d. e.

70.

a. b. c. d. e.

Companies ma may us use a( a(n) __ _____ to to pr provide em employees wi with a si single ac access point or gateway on a company’s intranet to all human resource information. database HR portal data warehouse www URL (b; easy) AB Corp streaml amlined it its annual benefits package en enrollments by digitizin zing and aggregating the former paper benefits reports, electronic spreadsheets, and benefit summaries summaries and providing providing the materials materials at a single single location on the company intranet. AB Corp is using a(n) _____. database HR portal data warehouse cust custo omer mer rela relati tio onshi nship p mana manag gemen ementt system stem outsourcing model (b; moderate) True/ False

71.

Staff m an anagers ar a re a ut uthorized t o di direct t he he w or ork of of su s ubordinates a nd nd ar a re directly in charge of accomplishing the organization’s basic goals. (F; easy)

72.

Human re resource ma managers ar are ge generally st staff ma managers. (T (T; ea easy)

73.

Staff ma managers are al always so someone’s boss. (F; mo moderate)

74.

In small organizations, line managers may carry out all personnel duties without the assistance of a human resource staff. (T; moderate)

75.

Human re resource ma managers as assist in in hi hiring, tr training, ev evaluating, re rewarding, counseling, promoting, and hiring employees. (T; easy) 14


76.

When hu h uman r es esource m an anagers m ak ake s ur ure e mp mployees c an an c on ontest un u nfair practices, they are carrying out an innovator role. (F; easy)

77.

The di division of of hu human re resource re responsibilities fo for li line ma managers an and st staff managers varies from organization to organization. (T; moderate)

78.

As fi firms se seek to to ke keep co costs do down, th there ha has be been a sh s hift to to us using mo more traditional workers. (F; easy)

79.

With th the ag aging of of it its wo workforce, Am America is is fa facing a de demographic sh shift as as significant as the massive entry of women into the workforce that began in the 1960s. (T; moderate)

80.

As b ab aby bo b oomers r et etire from the w or orkforce, t he here will be more people entering the labor pool than leaving it. (F; easy)

81.

Ratios ar are qu quantitative pe performance me measures us used to to as assess op operations. (F (F; moderate)

82.

The HR Scorecard is a concise measurement system which shows the quantitative standards the firm used to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of human resource activities. (T; moderate)

83.

Human re resource ma management cr creates va value fo for an an or organization by by en engaging in in activit activities ies that that produc producee the employ employee ee behavi behaviors ors the compan company y needs needs to achiev achievee its strategic goals. (T; moderate)

84.

Unlike ot other di divisions, su such as as re research an and de development, in in an an or organization, the HR function is not evaluated on the extent to which it creates value for the company. (F; easy)

85.

The ab absence ra rate is is fo focused on on mo more th than an any ot other me metric us used in in an an HR HR Scorecard. (F; easy)

86.

Human ca capital RO ROI re reports th the re return on on in investment ra ratio fo for em employees. (T (T; easy)

87.

The re revenue fa factor sh shows em employees as as an an ex expense ra rather th than as as ca capital. (F (F; moderate)

88.

The time to fill metric illustrates t he he efficiency of the firm’s recruiting function. (T; moderate)

89.

The training investment factor measures the total training cost for all employees taken as a whole. (F; moderate)

90.

The ac a cronym FT FTE us used in in ma many of of th the HR H R me metrics st stands fo f or fo foreign or or temporary employees. (F; easy)

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91.

Turnover ra rate an and tu turnover co costs ca can bo both be be im improved wi with re retention ef efforts. (T; easy)

92.

HR sh should se seek to to in increase th the wo workers’ co compensation co cost pe per em employee by by eliminating such practices as disability management. (F; moderate)

93.

The mo most im important pr proficiency of of th the fo four hi highlighted in in th the te text fo for hu human resource managers is law proficiency. (F; moderate)

94.

Equal em employment la laws la lay ou out wh what a supervisor ca can an and cannot sa say an and do when dealing with labor unions. (F; moderate)

95.

Employment la laws are in intended to curb erron roneous corporate fi financia cial rep reporting. (F; moderate)

96.

Because of of em employment la laws, HR HR ma managers mu must no now re review an and ap approve a firm’s financial statements. (F; moderate)

97.

Human re resource ma managers mu must ha have MB MBA de degrees to to be be pr promoted to to HR HR directors. (F; easy)

98.

ASP is is a sp special wi wireless te technology us used to to sy synchronize va various el electronic tools like cellular phones and PCs and facilitate employee access to employer online HR services. (F; moderate)

99.

Ethical issues such as workplace safety, security of employee records, comparable work, and employee privacy rights are all related to human resource management. (T; moderate)

100.

HR portals represent a form of outsourcing. (F; moderate) Essay/ Short Answer

101.

What are the five basic functions of management? Explain some of t he he specif specific ic activit activities ies involv involved ed in each function. function. Is one functi function on more more import important ant for human resource management? (easy) Answer: The five basic functions are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Planning activities include establishing goals and standards, develo developin ping g rules rules and proced procedure ures, s, and develo developin ping g plans plans and forecas forecastin ting. g. Organizing activities include giving specific task assignments to subordinates, esta establ blis ishi hing ng depa depart rtme ment nts, s, dele delega gati ting ng auth author orit ity y to subo subord rdin inat ates es,, and and establ establish ishing ing channe channels ls of author authority ity and commun communica ication tion.. Staffin Staffing g activit activities ies incl includ udee dete determ rmin inin ing g what what type type of peop people le shou should ld be hire hired, d, recr recrui uiti ting ng prospective employees, and setting performance standards. Leading activities include maintaining morale and motivating subordinates. Controlling activities include setting standards such as sales quotas, and quality standards and taking corrective action as needed. Staffing is the function most readily related to human resource resource management. management. However, However, HR managers actually perform all 5 functions.

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102.

Explain th the di differ ference be between li line au authority an and st staff aff au authority. Wh What type of of authority do human resource managers have? (moderate) Answer: Authority is the right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and and to give give orde orders rs.. Line Line mana manage gers rs are are auth author oriz ized ed to dire direct ct the the work work of subordinates and are directly in charge of accomplishing the organization’s basic goals. Staff managers are authorized to assist and advise line managers in accomplishing these basic goals. Human resource managers are usually staff managers because they are responsible for assisting and advising line managers in areas like recruiting, hiring, and compensation. However, human resource managers do have line authority within their own department.

103.

Human re resource ma managers ers ca carry rry ou out th three di distinct fu functions. Li List an and ex explain the three functions. (moderate) Answer: The three functions functions include a line function, a coordination function, and a staff or service function. HR managers exert line authority within the HR depa depart rtme ment nt beca becaus usee they they direc directt the the acti activi vitie tiess of the the peop people le in that that department. department. HR managers managers also coordinate coordinate personnel personnel activities. activities. In the service functi function, on, HR manage managers rs assist assist in hiring hiring,, traini training, ng, evalua evaluatin ting, g, reward rewarding ing,, counseling, promoting, and firing employees. They also administer benefit programs programs and help line managers managers comply with EEO, occupational occupational health and safety, and labor laws.

104.

Explain th the mea mean ning of of th the ter term m no nontradi aditional wo worker. Pro Prov vide an an ex example. (easy) Answer: Nontraditional workers include those who hold multiple jobs, or who are are cont contin inge gent nt or part part-t -tim ime, e, or peop people le work workin ing g in alte altern rnat ativ ivee work work arrangements, or who work as independent contractors.

105.

Some co countries are be becom coming an an ho hour-g r-glass ass so societies. Ex Explain ho how th this ch chang ange could negatively affect the labor supply and the retirement system. (difficult) Answer Answer:: The hour-g hour-glas lasss metaphor metaphor is used to describe describe a socie society ty whose whose population is wider in older residents and in children but thinner for people in the workforce. When drawn, the shape resembles an hour-glass. As baby boomers retire, the shape of the American population more closely resembles an hour-glass. There are fewer people to take the jobs that baby boomers left behind. This creates two problems. First, the labor pool is smaller. This creates more demand for retirees, foreign labor, and younger workers. Second, it means that there are fewer people working and supplying funds to the social secu securi rity ty syst system em.. This This thre threat aten enss the the viab viabil ilit ity y of the the syst system em fund fundin ing g the the retirement of the baby boomers.

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106.

Ide Identify five metrics used to evalua luate HR perf erformanc ance. (moderate) Answer: There are several possible answers including cost per hire, absence rate, rate, human human capita capitall ROI, ROI, human human capita capitall value value added, added, HR expens expensee factor factor,, health care costs per employee, revenue factor, time to fill, training investment factor, factor, turnov turnover er costs, costs, turnov turnover er rate, rate, and worker workers’ s’ compen compensat sation ion cost cost per employee.

107.

What are the four categories of proficiencies required today for human resource managers? Explain the meaning of each type of proficiency. (moderate) Answer: Answer: The four categories categories of proficiencies proficiencies are HR proficiencies, proficiencies, business business pro profi fici cien encie cies, s, lead leader ersh ship ip prof profic icie ienc ncies ies and and learn learnin ing g prof profic icie ienc ncies ies.. HR profi proficie ciencie nciess repres represent ent traditi traditiona onall knowle knowledge dge and skills skills in such such areas areas as employee employee selection, selection, training, training, and compensati compensation. on. Business Business proficiencie proficienciess refer to operations strategy, strategic planning, marketing, production, and finance. Leader Leadershi ship p profici proficienc encies ies includ includee the abilit ability y to lead and manage manage groups groups.. Learning proficiencies include the ability to stay abreast of and apply new technologies.

108.

Employment law increasingly affects the decisions of human resource managers. Name three types of laws and explain the purpose of each one. (moderate) Answer: The three types of laws are equal employment laws, occupational safety and health laws, and labor laws. Equal employment laws set guidelines regarding how the company writes its recruiting ads, what questions its job inte interv rvie iewe wers rs ask, ask, and and how how it sele select ctss cand candid idat ates es for for trai traini ning ng prog program rams. s. Occupational safety and health laws mandate strict guidelines regarding safety practices practices at work. Labor Labor laws lay out what the supervisor supervisor can and cannot say and do when dealing with unions.

109.

What are are the the thr three mai main way ways tha that tec technology imp improves HR fu functioning? (moderate) Answer Answer:: Techno Technolog logy y improv improves es HR functi functioni oning ng throug through h self-se self-servi rvice, ce, call call centers, and outsourcing.

110.

Explain the popularity of HR portals. (easy) Answer: HR portals provide employees with a single access point to all HR info inform rmati ation on.. They They let let empl employ oyee eess and and mana manage gers rs acces accesss and and modi modify fy HR information. They streamline the HR process and enable HR managers to focus focus more more on strateg strategic ic issues issues.. Becaus Becausee they they provid providee a single single source source of information and the ability for employees to update information directly, they improve efficiency for HR departments.

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