Q&A Hero

Q: In a brief essay, discuss the meaning of employee engagement, why it is important, and what can managers do to improve employee engagement. Support your answer with examples.

Q: Companies with highly engaged employees are more likely to be unionized, according to some research.

Q: Which of the following is NOT an organizational outcome discovered from studies conducted on employee engagement? A) increase in sales B) decrease in sales C) increase in retention D) decrease in safety incidents

Q: Reese Enterprises seeks to fill upper-level positions internally whenever possible and uses validated selection tests when considering external hires. This most likely suggests the company is developing a ________. A) scorecard management system B) high-performance work system C) selection metric D) benchmark

Q: Which of the following is true of companies with high-performance HR systems compared to low-performance companies? A) incentive payments are lower B) sales per employee are higher C) employee turnover is higher D) market value to book value is lower

Q: High performance companies are more likely than low-performance companies to ________. A) reject the majority of applicants B) hire based on selection tests C) have larger workforces D) have longer work hours

Q: All of the following practices are most likely implemented by companies with high-performance work systems EXCEPT ________. A) utilizing self-managing work teams B) filling positions with internal candidates C) providing pay increases based on service years D) hiring employees based on validated selection tests

Q: High-performance work organizations are most likely characterized by all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) commitment to high production rates B) empowered front-line workers C) labor management cooperation D) multiskilled work teams

Q: MAX Computers manufactures affordable laptops and desktops at its factory in Arizona. MAX has experienced a moderate amount of financial success, but upper management wants the firm to grow at a faster rate and become a bigger player in the highly competitive computer market. The firm's greatest problems relate to its employees. Employee turnover is highmost employees at MAX leave within two years or less of being hired. In addition, the rate of productivity among employees is not as high as executives would like. The vice president of human resources is considering moving MAX towards a high-performance work system. Which of the following questions is most relevant to MAX's decision to move toward a high-performance work system? A) How would the implementation of self-managing work teams affect employee morale and work standards at MAX? B) How will qualitative performance measures address the needs of MAX employees in regard to the firm's benefits plan? C) What roles should line managers, staff managers, and HR managers at MAX play in performance appraisals? D) What case studies are available to compare the skills of MAX employees with workers in other industries?

Q: MAX Computers manufactures affordable laptops and desktops at its factory in Arizona. MAX has experienced a moderate amount of financial success, but upper management wants the firm to grow at a faster rate and become a bigger player in the highly competitive computer market. The firm's greatest problems relate to its employees. Employee turnover is highmost employees at MAX leave within 2 years or less of being hired. In addition, the rate of productivity among employees is not as high as executives would like. The vice president of human resources is considering moving MAX towards a high-performance work system. Which of the following best supports the argument that MAX should move towards a high-performance work system? A) MAX will be able to reduce quality control issues by reassigning line and staff managers to new departments. B) Using tests and validated interviews during recruitment will enable MAX to screen job candidates effectively. C) Outsourcing clerical tasks will enable MAX to raise employee salaries, implement flexible schedules, and increase productivity. D) MAX's competitors regularly use benchmarking as a method for comparing their employees with those in other firms.

Q: Empowerment, teamwork, and extensive training are primarily characteristics of ________. A) high-performance work systems B) transactional services C) strategic development D) evidence-based management

Q: The primary purpose of implementing high-performance practices such as recruiting, screening, and training is to ________. A) foster a strong organizational culture B) develop a trained and self-motivated workforce C) create management opportunities for new hires D) use benchmarks to compare personnel skills within an industry

Q: How do firms use workforce analytics and data mining to evaluate HR practices?

Q: What is evidence-based human resource management? Do you think it can improve the success of an HR department? Why or why not?

Q: What is a high performance work system? How can HR audits support a high performance work system?

Q: Which term refers to the set of activities used to find new, hidden, or unexpected patterns in data? A) benchmarking B) data mining C) data management D) strategic mapping

Q: Which of the following is a software application used to evaluate data about employee backgrounds, capabilities, and performance for the purpose of predicting employee retention? A) talent management B) strategy mapping C) workforce analytics D) ratio analysis

Q: Which of the following is most likely a true statement about high-performance companies? A) Most employees receive regular performance appraisals. B) The employee turnover rate is extremely high. C) Only executives are eligible for incentive pay. D) The majority of jobs are filled externally.

Q: As an HR manager, you have been given the task of conducting an HR audit. Which of the following areas would you be LEAST likely to address in the audit process? A) federal compliance B) group benefits C) termination policies D) media communication

Q: Which of the following refers to an analysis by which an organization measures where it currently stands and determines what it has to accomplish to improve its HR functions? A) HR methodology B) HR benchmark C) HR audit D) HR ratio

Q: With evidence-based HR management, the evidence is LEAST likely to come from ________. A) actual measurements B) existing data C) personnel reports D) research studies

Q: Using data, facts, scientific rigor, and case studies to support HR management proposals and practices is best known as ________. A) evidence-based HR management B) strategic HR management C) international HR management D) management by objectives

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the process of comparing and analyzing the practices of one firm with those of a high-performing company? A) benchmarking B) diversifying C) outsourcing D) strategizing

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the quantitative measure of a human resource management yardstick such as employee turnover or qualified applicants per position? A) high-performance work system B) human resource scorecard C) human resource metric D) human resource audit

Q: An HR specialist conducting a compliance audit should most likely have a solid understanding of ________. A) health benefits B) federal employment laws C) employee selection tools D) corporate termination policies

Q: Which area of an HR audit is most likely being assessed by an HR specialist who is reviewing job descriptions and the employment status of current employees? A) employee relations B) roles and head count C) mandated benefits D) group benefits

Q: An HR specialist conducting an HR audit should review which of the following when auditing recruitment and selection practices? A) disciplinary procedures B) FLSA compliance C) workers' compensation D) background check policies

Q: A ________ metric focuses on measuring the activities that contribute to achieving the company's strategic aims. A) strategy-based B) high-performance C) human resource D) benchmark

Q: All of the following are commonly used HR metrics EXCEPT ________. A) health care costs per employee B) absence rate C) cost per new hire D) communication expenses

Q: Which of the following terms refers to a set of human resource management policies and practices that promote organizational effectiveness? A) human resource metric B) corporate-level strategy C) strategic human resource map D) high-performance work system

Q: In a brief essay, discuss the importance of strategic planning and setting hierarchical goals.

Q: In a brief essay, explain how the strategy map, the HR scorecard, and the digital dashboard are used in strategic human resource management.

Q: Strategic human resource management means formulating and executing HR systems that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the company needs to achieve its strategic aims.

Q: Employees' skills and commitment create a competitive advantage in service industries, but technology is the primary key to a competitive advantage in manufacturing industries.

Q: HR scorecards present managers with desktop graphs and charts of how a firm's HR strategies compare to those of other firms in the same industry.

Q: The specific human resource policies and practices used to support a firm's strategic goals are known as human resource strategies.

Q: Goals are initiated by the bottom level of an organization according to the hierarchy of goals approach to strategic planning.

Q: Suzanne, an employee at Sound Wave Systems, believes that the firm's warehouse is an unsafe environment due to slippery floors and faulty stair rails. After consulting the employee manual, Suzanne writes a letter about the situation to her immediate supervisor. Suzanne is most likely following the firm's ________. A) policies B) strategies C) missions D) procedures

Q: The employee manual at Go-Tech states that the firm "complies with all laws, regulations, and principles of ethical conduct." This statement is an example of a Go-Tech ________. A) policy B) strategy C) mission D) procedure

Q: Human resource strategies are the ________ used to produce the desired workforce skills, competencies, and behaviors needed to support a firm's strategic goals. A) visions and missions B) policies and practices C) theories and evaluations D) objectives and plans

Q: As an HR manager with Northern Airlines, Stan reviews graphs and charts on his computer to understand the relationship between HR activities, employee behaviors, and strategic outcomes. Which of the following tools does Stan most likely use? A) strategy map B) HR scorecard C) digital dashboard D) corporate scatter plot

Q: Mona, an HR manager, is using the HR scorecard process to quantify a strategy map. Which of the following tasks is Mona LEAST likely to perform? A) informing all employees of their goals B) holding structured interviews with participants C) monitoring and assessing employee performance D) assigning financial and nonfinancial goals to activities

Q: Which term refers to a process for assigning financial and nonfinancial goals to the chain of activities required for achieving the company's strategic aims? A) HR ratio analysis B) strategy mapping C) behavior modeling D) HR scorecard

Q: As an HR manager, you would most likely use a strategy map to ________. A) outline a presentation for top executives B) quantify the financial and nonfinancial goals of a firm C) understand the chain of activities that contributes to a firm's success D) assess the effects of employee training programs on retention rates

Q: All of the following are HR tools used to translate a firm's strategic goals into HR policies and activities EXCEPT ________. A) scatter plot B) strategy map C) digital dashboard D) HR scorecard

Q: Which term refers to the employee skills and behaviors that a firm needs to achieve its strategic goals? A) task analyses B) mission statements C) supervisory objectives D) workforce requirements

Q: In order to generate the desired workforce skills, competencies, and behaviors that a firm needs to achieve its strategic goals, human resource management must first develop ________. A) HR tools B) HR strategies C) company norms D) employee cultures

Q: The primary purpose of strategic human resource management is to ________. A) develop human resource policies that align with industry standards B) link an organization's strategic plan with its human resource strategies C) create stringent appraisal systems that highlight employee weaknesses D) use offshoring to reduce human resource costs and to initiate global strategies

Q: Which of the following is a course of action that answers the question, "How do we get from here to there?" A) case study B) mission C) strategy D) vision

Q: Which of the following is NOT part of strategic planning? A) defining the business and developing a mission B) translating a mission into strategic goals C) crafting a course of action D) conducting a job analysis

Q: Which of the following best describes the general purpose of a strategic plan? A) obtaining global resources B) monitoring employee recruiting C) maintaining a competitive advantage D) providing opportunities for expansion

Q: Which of the following is the most likely source of a company's hierarchy of goals? A) structure of the firm's HR department B) assessment center of the firm C) basic planning process of the firm D) organizational chart of the firm

Q: Linking HR policies and practices with strategic goals in order to improve business performance is known as ________. A) strategic human resource management B) supply chain management C) succession planning D) behavior modeling

Q: What is a competitive advantage? How does HR management affect a firm's competitive advantage? In your answer, provide examples of competitive advantages held by specific firms.

Q: Identify the three levels of strategic planning and describe the function of each level. What is the relationship between human resource strategy and a firm's strategic plans?

Q: Explain the difference between a vision and a mission. What role does a firm's vision statement play in corporate and competitive strategies?

Q: What is strategic management? Define the term. List and describe the seven steps in the strategic management process.

Q: A business-level strategy is implemented by Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, and Little Caesar's in their competition with each other for pizza customers.

Q: McDonald's addressed its lagging profitability by first closing stores operating below its guidelines. McDonald's used a consolidation strategy.

Q: A vertical integration strategy means that the firm will expand by adding new product lines.

Q: Reverse discrimination refers to discriminating against ________ applicants and employees.A) minorityB) underqualifiedC) nonminorityD) disabled

Q: All of the following are used by firms to measure and manage diversity EXCEPT ________.A) focus groupsB) ADR programsC) hiring and retention metricsD) employee attitude surveys

Q: Which of the following is a characteristic of firms with exemplary reputations for managing diversity?A) female CEOsB) global workersC) top management supportD) career development programs

Q: What is the primary goal of managing diversity in an organization?A) promoting minorities to managerial positionsB) complying with federal and state employment regulationsC) helping employees adapt to individual cultural differencesD) ensuring that the workforce is adequately balanced

Q: Gender-role stereotyping is best defined as the tendency to ________.A) associate women with certain jobsB) appoint women to high-profile positionsC) build a workforce with primarily one genderD) pay women and men differently for the same job

Q: Which term refers to taking specific actions toward or against the person based on the person's group?A) prejudiceB) collegialityC) discriminationD) stereotyping

Q: All of the following are likely to increase employee support to an affirmative action program EXCEPT ________.A) transparent selection proceduresB) clear communicationC) effective tokenismD) valid justifications

Q: Hayworth Hotels employs a small group of women and minorities in high-profile positions, but few women and minorities hold significant positions in other areas of the firm. Which of the following best describes the situation at Hayworth Hotels?A) ethical hiring practicesB) tokenismC) diversity managementD) ethnocentrism

Q: Which of the following is most likely characteristic of a firm effectively implementing a diversity management program?A) Female and minority employees have access to international job assignments.B) Diversity training requirements are only completed by minority and female workers.C) Voluntary mediation occurs frequently among female and minority workers.D) Female and minority employees report directly to low-level managers.

Q: Which of the following refers to the variety of demographic features that characterize a company's workforce?A) ethnocentricityB) competencyC) diversityD) mobility

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the tendency to view members of other social groups less favorably than one's own?A) stereotypingB) discriminationC) tokenismD) ethnocentrism

Q: According to the Civil Rights Act of 1991, an employment discrimination claim must be filed within 60 days after the alleged incident occurred, or a claim cannot be filed.

Q: According to the EEOC, the first step an employer should take in establishing an affirmative action program is to survey current minority and female employees to assess their goals for a program.

Q: When addressing EEOC claims, it is recommended that employers ________. A) provide investigators with access to the records of all employees at the firm B) avoid providing a position statement because of the potential for misuse C) meet with the employee who made the complaint to clarify relevant issues D) avoid conducting a private investigation because of the conflict of interest

Q: According to the U.S. Supreme Court, employers can require employment discrimination plaintiffs to arbitrate their claims when the employer ________. A) conducts an impartial investigation of the claim B) provides all employment files to the EEOC C) adheres to the ethical standards of Sarbanes-Oxley D) institutes an alternative dispute resolution program

Q: According to the EEOC process, which of the following is NOT an option for an employer faced with an offer to mediate an employment discrimination charge?A) file a lawsuit against the EEOC in state courtB) make a settlement offer without mediationC) prepare a position statement for the EEOCD) agree to mediate the charge

Q: Which of the following is obtained by employers to protect against the costs of discrimination claims? A) disability insurance B) workers' compensation insurance C) employment arbitration insurance D) employment practices liability insurance

Q: After a discrimination charge has been filed, the EEOC has ________ days to serve an employer with notice of the charge. A) 5 B) 10 C) 30 D) 60

Q: Under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, a discrimination claim must be filed within ________ after the alleged incident took place. A) 60 days B) 1 year C) 300 days D) 3 years

Q: According to federal laws, asking job candidates about their marital status is not illegal; however, a firm needs to be able to defend the practice as a BFOQ to avoid raising discrimination issues.