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Human Resource
Q:
Conchita Lopez is the vice-president for human resources of a major manufacturing company. She is thinking of increasing the proportion of contingent workers in the different plants. As a consultant, you advise Conchita that a major disadvantage associated with contingent workers is that:
a) contingent workers are entitled to retirement benefits.
b) contingent employees complain more than core employees.
c) contingent workers may be less loyal and committed than core employees.
d) contingent workers do not require extensive skill training before they become fully productive to an organization.
e) contingent employees are usually less reliable than core employees.
Q:
Raj is suing an organization, claiming that because he is an employee and not an independent contractor, the organization should have withheld taxes for him. All of these factors could be used to support his claim EXCEPT
a) He receives no insurance or pension benefits.
b) He received training on company policies and procedures.
c) He is allowed great flexibility in scheduling his work time.
d) He is paid market rate for his services.
e) He is reimbursed for travel.
Q:
All of the following types of employees are considered contingent employees EXCEPT:
a) part-time employees.
b) contract workers.
c) full-time temporary workers.
d) full-time long-term employees.
e) freelancers.
Q:
Ivan is the vice-president of human resources for a large manufacturing organization involved in work process engineering. What kinds of training needs should he anticipate?
a) New work procedures.
b) Technology enhancements.
c) Decision making.
d) Working in teams.
e) All of the above.
Q:
A major drawback of focusing on continuous improvements is that it:
a) may prevent employers from making needed radical changes.
b) works well for Japanese companies but not for U.S. companies.
c) makes it difficult to discharge low-performing employees.
d) usually requires the layoff of employees.
e) requires the use of complicated statistical techniques.
Q:
Which of the following provides the best description of work process engineering?
a) A slow process of incremental change.
b) An alternative to rapid technology transfer.
c) An alternative to retraining a workforce.
d) A focus on the whole work process.
e) A safeguard for traditional work attitudes.
Q:
Suppose you are the HR manager of an organization that has just adopted the philosophy of continuous improvement. You can support improvement programs in all of these ways except
a) Provide clear and extensive communication regarding the organizational change.
b) Help employees overcome barriers to change.
c) Explain new performance expectations.
d) Design jobs very narrowly to ensure that employees can specialize on a few tasks.
e) Train employees to adapt to the new work arrangement
Q:
Which type of organizational change may provide a false sense of security?
a) Continuous improvement methods
b) Work process engineering
c) Horizontal alliances
d) Status quo
e) Lateral combinations
Q:
Which of the following statements best compares continuous improvement and work process engineering?
a) Continuous improvement asks, "How can we do it better?" Work process improvement asks, "Are we doing the right thing?"
b) Continuous improvement has increased training requirements. Work process engineering has increased security requirements.
c) Continuous improvement is effective in turbulent environments. Work process engineering is effective in stable organizational settings.
d) Continuous improvement is used in the service sector. Work process engineering is used in the manufacturing sector.
e) Continuous improvement decreases the number of employees in an organization. Work process engineering increases the number of employees in an organization.
Q:
The Japanese term "Kaizen" represents:
a) a radical change in an organization.
b) work process reengineering.
c) a firm's commitment to continuous improvement.
d) empowering employees.
e) intense focus on the customer.
Q:
According to W. Edward Deming, a well-managed organization is one in which:
a) statistical control increases variability in production processes.
b) statistical control reduces variability in production processes and also results in uniform quality and predictable level of production.
c) most employees like their job.
d) employees are paid at least the market wage rate.
e) All of the above.
Q:
Which of the following is a component of continuous improvement?
a) Outsourcing of customer needs.
b) Eliminating perfectionist tendencies to constantly be better than "very good."
c) Refocusing quality on only the production process.
d) Replacing statistical techniques with benchmark roots for problem solving.
e) Empowering employees.
Q:
Which of the following quality experts has been credited for helping Japanese firms improve their productivity following World War II?
a) W. Edwards Deming
b) Robert Fleming
c) Albert Duran
d) Joseph Juran
e) Frederick Taylor
Q:
Which of the following is not a component of continuous improvement?
a) Intense focus on the customer.
b) Improvement in the quality of everything the organization does.
c) Intense focus on individual performance.
d) Accurate measurement.
e) Empowerment of employees.
Q:
An amusement park needs customer representatives during the summer season. The best staffing option for this amusement park is to use:
a) part-time employees.
b) core employees.
c) contract workers.
d) independent contractors.
e) recent college graduates
Q:
HRM typically provides which of these types of training to temporary employees?
a) Orientation
b) Retirement planning
c) Benefits options
d) Career management
e) Technology certification
Q:
According to the authors, one of the biggest challenges facing HR leaders is
a) understanding that workers will need to be recruited in a different way than just advertising a position and then selecting a candidate.
b) creating an environment that balances core and contingency employees.
c) training immigrant workers who do not have the skill set for the available jobs.
d) ensuring management treats all of their employees with respect.
e) rewriting HR policy manuals to satisfy the new generation of workers.
Q:
Work process engineering is:
a) another name for downsizing.
b) another name for rightsizing.
c) a continuous improvement method that radically increase an organization's productivity.
d) an organizational commitment to incrementally improving the quality of products and services.
e) is a radical change in an organization.
Q:
Technology increasingly impacts HRM practices in the following areas EXCEPT:
a) recruiting
b) employee selection
c) training and development
d) motivating factory workers
e) motivating knowledge workers
Q:
A large manufacturing firm needs to increase production to meet a seasonal demand. The demand is not sufficient to justify building new production facilities. Of the following options, which one provides the greatest flexibility and responsiveness to the changing environment?
a) Downsizing
b) Flextime
c) Outsourcing
d) Telecommuting
e) Automating
Q:
Which statement is the best comparison of downsizing and rightsizing?
a) Rightsizing maintains long term employee commitment. Downsizing leads to outsourcing.
b) Rightsizing links long term organizational goals to staffing levels. Downsizing is one of the actions that may be performed.
c) Rightsizing maintains competitive levels of employee surplus. Downsizing emphasizes quality management.
d) Rightsizing is another term for offshoring. Downsizing is another term for outsourcing.
e) Rightsizing is a euphemism for a racist workforce. Downsizing means cutting the number of employees.
Q:
Why are so many organizations exhibiting a trend toward downsizing?
a) Quality emphasis programs are creating flatter structures and redesigning work to increase efficiency.
b) Greater control reduces flexibility.
c) Quality programs create steeper hierarchies with fewer workers at the lower levels.
d) Organizations are no longer global.
e) Big companies are vanishing.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT true regarding work/life issues in the United States?
a) Fewer families have only a single breadwinner.
b) The line between work and non-work has become blurred.
c) Many employees are asked to put in longer hours.
d) It has become easier for married employees to find the time to fulfill non-work commitments.
e) Communication technology allows employees to work at anytime from anywhere.
Q:
Today, the percentage of women managers in the United States is approximately
a) 50%
b) 37%
c) 12%
d) 20%
e) 8%
Q:
According to the text, communication via a blog has all of the following advantages EXCEPT:
a) it's a quick and efficient means of advertising a company's products.
b) companies can discuss ideas among organizational members.
c) dissatisfied customers and disgruntled employees can write about anything they do not like.
d) companies can provide more believable public relations information.
e) employees can discuss the good things that are happening to them, which personalizes the faceless company to the readers.
Q:
Which of the following is NOT true regarding workforce diversity in the United States?
a) Differences are increasingly recognized and celebrated in organizations.
b) Minority and female applicants have become the fastest-growing segments of the workforce over the last 30 years.
c) Firms increasingly establish policies that consider various work styles.
d) As globalization becomes more pronounced, so does the importance of managing workforce diversity for U.S. organizations.
e) Accommodating the needs of minority and female employees is less and less a major responsibility for managers.
Q:
All of these changes are causing an increased diversity in the U.S. workforce EXCEPT:
a) fewer younger workers enter the workforce.
b) more baby boomers take early retirement.
c) Federal legislation prohibits employee discrimination.
d) passage of the Senior Citizens Freedom to Work Act.
e) globalization lowers barriers to immigrants.
Q:
Which of the following is an implication of technology in HRM?
a) Workers will need the ability to read and comprehend software and hardware manuals, technical journals, and detailed reports.
b) Employees will need more face time with their superiors.
c) Managers will have to revert to autocratic decision making.
d) Employees are motivated to work a constant 8-hour day.
e) Abuse of email and web surfing is eliminated.
Q:
Your text mentioned that telephone calls are monitored in which of these organizations?
a) Ford
b) American Express
c) IBM
d) IRS
e) GE
Q:
Shaneka is employed by a company that monitors employee emails and telephone conversations. While off the job, Shaneka's employer can legally do all of the following EXCEPT:
a) Prevent her from riding a motorcycle.
b) Tell her who to marry.
c) Prevent her from smoking.
d) Not allow her to eat junk food.
e) None of the above.
Q:
How has technology changed HRM practices?
a) The HR function is simpler.
b) Recruiting using the web generates smaller, more focused applicant pools.
c) Employee training is often delivered on demand rather than through scheduled courses.
d) Electronic resumes take more time to evaluate than paper resumes.
e) Employees are happy to be under surveillance by their employers.
Q:
Which of the following statement about knowledge workers is FALSE?
a) They currently comprise about 75% of the U. S. workforce.
b) They are expected to be among the fastest growing job sectors in the next decade.
c) Their jobs are designed around the acquisition and application of information.
d) Their job skills need to be continually upgraded
e) They are paid a premium for their skills.
Q:
A California-based software company has just started a joint venture with a Japanese company in Tokyo. Doug, a U.S. expatriate, is the new general manager of the joint-venture. He is very excited about his foreign assignment in Japan. However, Doug has quickly become frustrated with the lack of assertiveness of his Japanese managers and employees. He feels things are not accomplished fast enough. What should Doug do?
a) Confront his Japanese managers and employees about their lack of assertiveness.
b) Train his Japanese managers and employees on how to become more assertive.
c) Reward his Japanese managers and employees for being assertive.
d) Make an effort to better understand the Japanese culture.
e) Make an effort to speak with his managers and employees in Japanese more often.
Q:
Different countries perceive status differently. For example, status in French society depends to a large extent on education and seniority. Such an emphasis on education and seniority is called:
a) ascribed status
b) prescribed status
c) status differentiation
d) achieved status
e) earned status
Q:
All of these countries value collectivism relationships, and concern for others EXCEPT:
a) Singapore
b) New Zealand
c) China
d) Venezuela
e) Philippines
Q:
All of these countries value individualism and acquiring things EXCEPT:
a) Singapore
b) New Zealand
c) Australia
d) Netherlands
e) Canada
Q:
DeMario, a Canadian native, has just been cleared for assignment as a country manager. He went to school in the United States and speaks English, Spanish, and French. What assignment would work best for him if there is no time for additional training?
a) Mexico
b) Brazil
c) India
d) Spain
e) Australia
Q:
Kenyata is the training manager of a Chicago-based company. She is working on a training program for a subsidiary in Venezuela. The training program focuses on work-related cultural differences in Venezuela and the United States. It is very important for Kenyata to emphasize that:
a) both Venezuela and the United States are individualistic countries.
b) both Venezuela and the United States are collectivist countries.
c) Venezuela is a collectivist society whereas the United States is an individualistic society.
d) Spanish is the official language in Venezuela whereas English is the official language in the United States.
e) future orientation is highly valued and rewarded both in Venezuela and the United States.
Q:
During the mid-______, multinational corporations (MNCs) become commonplace.
a) 1880s
b) 1920s
c) 1970s
d) 1960s
e) 1990s
Q:
A set of rules or principles that defines right and wrong is commonly referred to as _______.
Q:
Work teams, delegation, and peer influence are all examples of _________ practices.
Q:
A _____ may tend to view their work as not critically important to an organization.
Q:
_______ goes beyond incremental change and requires an organization to face the possibility that what the organization may really need is radical or quantum change.
Q:
______, a Wyoming statistician, is credited with introducing continuous improvement programs to Japan.
Q:
Contacting a pool of qualified applicants is one of the most critical aspects of ____________.
Q:
In times of labor ______, good wages and benefits are not enough to hire and keep skilled workers.
Q:
Women and _______ are the fastest growing segments of the U.S. workforce.
Q:
According to Thomas Friedman, ______ was the second era of globalization.
Q:
The fact that organizations are no longer constrained by national borders in producing goods and services illustrates the _______ of businesses.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationThe transfer of ownership and control of one organization to another.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationOrganizational commitment to continuous process of improvement that expands the definition of customer to include everyone involved in the organization.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationAn organization's full-time employee population.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationRadical, quantum change in an organization.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationThe Japanese term for an organization's commitment to continuous improvement.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationA formal document that states an organization's primary values and the ethical rules it expects organizational members to follow.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationUsing outside firms for providing necessary products and services.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationEmployees whose jobs are designed around acquisition and application of information.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationThe part-time, temporary, and contract workers used by organizations to fill peak staffing needs.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationLinking employee needs to organizational strategy.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationAn activity in an organization aimed at creating greater efficiency by eliminating certain jobs.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationThose individuals born between 1946 and 1965.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationThe varied personal characteristics that make the workforce heterogeneous.
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationCorporations with significant operations in more than one country
Q:
a) Multinational corporationsb) Work process engineeringc) Contingent workforced) Baby-boomerse) Knowledge workersf) Outsourcingg) Downsizingh) Acquisitioni) Core employeesj) Rightsizingk) Workforce diversityl) Code of ethicsm) Quality managementn) Kaizeno) GlobalizationA process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, driven by international trade and investment, accelerated by information technology.
Q:
Mergers are a common way for businesses to enter new or global markets, acquire new technology, or gain a financial advantage by achieving economies of scale.
Q:
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an employee is an individual who performs work for you, and you have the right to control or direct the result of the work but not the means and methods of accomplishing the result.
Q:
Because contract workers' labor cost is unknown and their service is usually poor as compared to full-time employees, organizations prefer not to use them.
Q:
Recent corporate scandals have created a lack of trust for management.
Q:
When managers make clear, forceful decisions for subordinates, employee involvement increases.
Q:
Radical changes in an organization are the focus area of work process engineering.
Q:
Continuous improvement programs aim at constantly improving the quality of products and services.
Q:
Quality management is an organizational commitment to continuous process of improvement that expands the definition of customer to include everyone involved in the organization.
Q:
Employees who work fewer than 40 hours a week are called part-time employees.
Q:
Given the population and technology shifts occurring today, the authors foresee an end to the labor shortage within the next year or two.
Q:
Many Gen Xers and Gen Yers, while passionate about their careers, will not sacrifice family and leisure for their career.
Q:
Interestingly, most organizations take a "˜melting pot" approach to diversity.
Q:
When off the job, an employer cannot legally control an employee's behavior by prohibiting such things as riding a motorcycle, skydiving, smoking, or drinking alcohol.
Q:
According to Thomas Friedman, there are three eras of globalization: transportation, communication, and technology.
Q:
In a collective society such as the United States, people are primarily concerned with their own family.
Q:
In the 1920s, multinational corporations became commonplace.