Q&A Hero

Q: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is an example of which of the following forms of environmental change? A) internal B) technology C) government laws and regulations D) labor markets

Q: Which of the following is an organizational technology change? A) purchase of a new backhoe B) employees expecting a raise C) employees accepting a new schedule D) widening of span of control

Q: Which of the following is an organizational structure change? A) the building of a new workshop B) resentment of bosses by employees C) a new way to package chocolate cake D) changing who reports to whom

Q: Which of the following is an organizational "people change"? A) work methods that people use B) authority relationships between people C) attitudes that people have D) job redesign

Q: Which of the following is an example of a technology change within an organization? A) forming teams to complete tasks B) workers using new software C) workers wanting to telecommute D) workers wanting flexible hours

Q: Which of the following is an example of a structural organizational change? A) changing employee attitudes B) changing work practices C) purchasing new work equipment D) changing managerial span of control

Q: Change can't be eliminated, so managers must learn to ________ successfully. A) avoid it B) ignore it C) work around it D) manage it

Q: In a realistic job preview (RJP), an applicant might be told that the likelihood for promotion for the job he is applying for is slim.

Q: Behavioral interviews involve placing an applicant in stressful circumstances and seeing how he or she deals with the situation.

Q: Performance-simulation tests are thought to be one of the best methods for evaluating job applicants in use today.

Q: Written tests fell into disfavor in the late 1960s and are now rarely used in the selection process.

Q: A selection device is valid if it can be proven to accurately measure the abilities of job applicants.

Q: An accept error involves not hiring an employee who could have performed well in a job.

Q: Firing, layoffs, furloughs, and early retirements are the only three downsizing options.

Q: Employee referrals are usually reliable.

Q: Advertisements have been shown to be the most effective method for identifying the best applicants for jobs.

Q: Increased demand for employees typically is associated with increased demand for the products or services offered by an organization.

Q: A job description states the minimum qualifications a person needs to perform a job successfully.

Q: Employment planning includes two steps: assessing current human resources needs and developing a plan to meet those needs.

Q: Keena's company was expanding. After a period of downsizing, the company had decided to increase organizational profitability by gaining market share, which meant a need for more people. As assistant manager of human resources, she was in the process of evaluating what would be the most effective means of gaining new employees who were qualified, were cost efficient, and could help maintain the company's commitment to a diversified workforce. Keena's company needs to increase the diversity of its workforce. Which choice might this requirement rule out? A) employee referral B) advertising C) school placement D) private employment agency

Q: Keena's company was expanding. After a period of downsizing, the company had decided to increase organizational profitability by gaining market share, which meant a need for more people. As assistant manager of human resources, she was in the process of evaluating what would be the most effective means of gaining new employees who were qualified, were cost efficient, and could help maintain the company's commitment to a diversified workforce. With regard to costs to HRM, which choice would probably be best for Keena? A) advertisement B) employee leasing C) private employment agency D) internal search

Q: Recruitment (Scenario)Keena's company was expanding. After a period of downsizing, the company had decided to increase organizational profitability by gaining market share, which meant a need for more people. As assistant manager of human resources, she was in the process of evaluating what would be the most effective means of gaining new employees who were qualified, were cost efficient, and could help maintain the company's commitment to a diversified workforce.To reach the largest possible audience, Keena should consider ________ as a source of potential candidates.A) advertisementsB) employee referralsC) school placementD) private employment agencies

Q: Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment. In an interview, Frances informs a candidate that the job is "absorbing" but its hours will be "long and grueling." Frances is conducting this kind of interview. A) role-playing B) stress C) behavioral D) realistic job preview

Q: Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment. Frances considers filling out a sample budget to be the most valid test for the job because ________. A) it takes a great deal of skill to complete successfully B) it is an actual task that would be required on the job C) it is a good predictor of performance on the job D) it is objective and quantitative

Q: Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment. In testing for the executive position, Frances has a candidate fill out a typical sample budget for the department he would be working in. This is an example of a(n) ________ test. A) written B) performance-simulation C) intelligence D) written interview

Q: The New Hire (Scenario)Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.To respond to a candidate for the executive position who wants to know more about the job, Frances is likely to send which of the following?A) job analysisB) job descriptionC) job titleD) human resource inventory

Q: A realistic job preview (RJP) includes ________ a job.A) only factual information aboutB) only positive aspects ofC) only negative aspects ofD) both positive and negative aspects of

Q: How effective are behavioral interviews?A) no more effective than other interviewsB) less effective than other interviewsC) eight times as effective as ordinary interviewsD) twice as effective as ordinary interviews

Q: During an interview, an applicant for a managerial job is confronted with role players who make the claim that they have been "harassed on the job." The applicant is then asked to deal with the complaints. What kind of selection device is being used?A) performance-simulation testB) structured interviewC) behavioral interviewD) high-stress interview

Q: Which of the following is NOT a source of bias in a typical interview?A) prior knowledge of the applicantB) how articulate the interviewer isC) the order in which applicants are interviewedD) an applicant who shares the attitudes of the interviewer

Q: Interviews are valid predictors of success in the workplace if ________.A) questions are shortB) questions are unstructuredC) questions are structuredD) the interview lasts only a few minutes

Q: Few people are ever selected for a job without this.A) taking a written testB) undergoing an interviewC) taking a performance-simulation testD) taking a physical test

Q: The most important reason for why managers are increasingly using performance-simulation tests is that they have been found to be ________.A) valid predictors of job performanceB) nondiscriminatoryC) a good way to test an applicant's characterD) easy to administer

Q: In an assessment center, an applicant for an engineering job might ________.A) be interviewed by her prospective bossB) take technical written testsC) be interviewed by fellow employeesD) be given an engineering problem to solve

Q: Asking a candidate for an automotive mechanic's position to deconstruct and reconstruct part of an engine motor would be an example of what kind of selection device?A) spatial ability testB) performance-simulation testC) mechanical ability testD) perceptual accuracy test

Q: To use a physical test as a selection device, a company must demonstrate that ________.A) physical ability is related to job performanceB) the test is fairC) the test is reliableD) the test does not discriminate against people with physical disabilities

Q: A(n) ________ selection device shows a clear link between test performance and job performance.A) reliableB) invalidC) unreliableD) valid

Q: Which of the following is an example of selection device reliability?A) An applicant was given very different interview scores by five independent interviewers.B) An applicant was given the same interview score by five independent interviewers.C) An applicant took a test a second time and her score improved markedly.D) An applicant took a test once and scored higher than any other applicant.

Q: ________ indicates how consistently a selection device measures a criterion.A) Operational scoringB) QualificationC) ReliabilityD) Validity

Q: Today, selection techniques that result in reject errors can open the organization to ________.A) decreased productivity and efficiencyB) charges of employee discriminationC) reduced moraleD) a weakened workforce

Q: A reject error occurs when an applicant ________.A) who is hired performs poorly on the jobB) who is not hired would have performed well on the jobC) who is hired performs the job at a high levelD) who is not hired would have performed poorly on the job

Q: An accept error occurs when an applicant ________.A) who is hired performs poorly on the jobB) who is not hired would have performed well on the jobC) who is not hired is hired by another firmD) who is hired performs adequately on the job

Q: In the selection process, there are ________ possible outcomes.A) twoB) threeC) fourD) dozens of

Q: Which of the following downsizing methods can "happen on its own" if management suspends hiring practices?A) firingB) reduced workweeksC) attritionD) transfer

Q: Which of the following is NOT a voluntary form of downsizing?A) attritionB) early retirementC) job sharingD) layoff

Q: The difference between firing and layoffs is that ________.A) layoffs are not permanentB) layoffs are permanentC) firing is not permanentD) firing is not voluntary

Q: If employment planning shows a large surplus of employees, management may want to ________.A) recruitB) downsizeC) expandD) continue with current employment levels

Q: Which of the following is an advantage of using private employment agencies for recruiting?A) low costB) candidates who are familiar with the organizationC) improves employee moraleD) careful screening of applicants

Q: While ________ can reach the greatest number of applicants for a job, many of those candidates may be unqualified for the job itself.A) an internal searchB) advertisingC) a temporary help serviceD) school placement

Q: This is a key disadvantage to recruiting through employee referrals.A) limited to entry-level positionsB) high costC) no diversity increaseD) lower-skilled candidates

Q: Recruitment is the process of ________.A) hiring from outside the organizationB) locating, identifying, and attracting potential employeesC) assessing the national, international, and local labor marketD) hiring from inside the organization

Q: To find out more about a job with a title of "assistant media buyer," you would find this to be most helpful.A) job titleB) job specificationC) job listingD) job description

Q: A written statement of what a job holder does in his or her job, how it is done, and why it is done is known as a ________.A) job specificationB) job qualificationsC) job definitionD) job description

Q: HR managers can accurately estimate human resource needs for an organization by evaluating which of the following?A) employment and unemployment statisticsB) the general state of the economyC) demand for the organization's productD) how competitors are performing

Q: A job specification is ________A) a list of job qualifications onlyB) a detailed description of the jobC) the description of a job that is used by an employment agencyD) usually several pages in length

Q: A job description is ________.A) not a written documentB) a written document used to describe a job to job candidatesC) something that employers keep secret from job candidatesD) the official title for the job

Q: As one of his first tasks in a new job, Steve's boss asks him to develop a database that lists the educational level, special capabilities, and specialized skills of all the employees in his firm. This is known as a ________.A) job descriptionB) human resource inventoryC) lengthy processD) job analysis

Q: The lengthy process by which a job is examined in detail in order to identify the skills, knowledge and behaviors necessary to perform the job is known as a ________.A) job descriptionB) job specificationC) job definitionD) job analysis

Q: The first step in any employment planning process involves making a ________.A) job descriptionB) human resource inventoryC) product evaluationD) job specification

Q: ________ in Germany give(s) employees the right to participate in personnel decisions.A) Collective bargainingB) UnionizationC) Board representativesD) Work councils

Q: Western European countries differ from U.S. companies in that they have work councils that must be consulted on personnel decisions.

Q: Employees in Mexico are less likely to belong to a union than employees in the United States.

Q: Employers cannot legally discriminate with regard to race, sex, or religion, but there are no laws against denying employment because of age.

Q: A community fire department can legally deny employment to a firefighter applicant who is confined to a wheelchair.

Q: The most important environmental force that affects HRM is the legal environment.

Q: Human resource management is about hiring and firing only.

Q: Human resource management activities are restricted to the operational level and do not have an impact on organizational strategy or design.

Q: Human resource management involves training, motivating, and retaining competent employees.

Q: Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment. Prior to setting up the interviews for the executive position, Frances spent a great deal of time analyzing the position and determining what skills, attitudes, and actions it would require. This lengthy review is called a ________. A) job description B) job specification C) job title D) job analysis

Q: The New Hire (Scenario)Frances begins her career working in the human resources department of a major corporation. She is asked to help ensure the organization is following the federal guidelines for employment.In setting up interviews for an executive position, Frances makes sure to include candidates of different ethnic backgrounds, including individuals from protected minority groups. Which kind of program is she attempting to carry out?A) minority protectionB) positive actionC) diversity protectionD) affirmative action

Q: Which of the following countries' laws pertaining to HRM practices most closely parallel those in the United States? A) Canada B) Mexico C) Australia D) Germany

Q: Which U.S. law gives you the legal right to see your professor's letter of recommendation? A) Civil Rights Act of 1991 B) Privacy Act of 1974 C) Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 D) Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Q: Affirmative action programs seek to make sure that employers ________ minority groups. A) pay equal wages to B) enhance employment opportunities for C) provide unemployment benefits for D) establish training programs for

Q: A wheelchair-bound applicant may be denied a job ________. A) under no circumstances B) if the job is strenuous or physically tiring in some way C) if the job requires complete physical mobility D) in some states

Q: The ________ prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. A) Privacy Act B) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act C) Equal Pay Act D) Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Q: The most important environmental factor in the HRM process is ________. A) the business environment B) the natural environment C) the legal environment D) the scientific community

Q: The last steps of the HRM process deal with ________. A) performance and compensation B) training and compensation C) compensation only D) skills

Q: This is the goal of employment planning. A) selecting competent employees B) obtaining competent employees with up-to-date skills C) obtaining competent and high-performing employees D) selecting high-performing employees only

Q: Employment planning involves ________. A) addition of staff only B) addition of staff and reduction of staff only C) addition of staff, reduction of staff, and selection only D) addition of staff, reduction of staff, motivation of staff, and selection

Q: For the most part, ________ are involved in HR decisions within their own department or unit. A) very few managers B) some managers C) most managers D) all managers